The Garden of Good & Evil: Year Three and an Ode to the Eves

These were the leftovers if that tells you anything about the kind of party it was.

And this was the evolution of the spread if that tells you anything about what kind of party it was.
And the two singing and dancing lovemuppets were my co-celebrants if that tells you anything about what kind of party it was.

It was supposed to rain all day long and we never felt a drop. Equal numbers of friends showed up in yoga pants as in maxi dresses. Both claiming room for cake. Two different pitchers of alcoholic nectar and a jug of cucumber water never seemed to run out. Stevie Nicks was on rotation with Animal Collective and the potatoes I roasted when I was perhaps a little toasted came out perfectly. That's what kind of party it was.

The Garden of Good & Evil party is an annual ode to my girlfriends disguised as my birthday party. The first two years I co-hosted with my much beloved friend Caroline who is now living in Telluride. I got really lucky this year when it turned out two kindred spirits who also happened to be Geminis liked the concept. And so. Hadley came bearing the best mango salsa and homemade hummus and craft supplies. Molly L brought cheese plate skewers and a general's eye for detail (that's her supervising the hanging of paper lanterns above).

Ah, but what is that concept? The garden part is pretty obvious. Wicked Park is a little bit of magic right in the city and it loves a soiree. The Good is meant to be something wholly holistic. Deep stretching, yoga, a little revival for your insides. My own guru of sorts, Mary Beth Janssen came down two years ago to lead the Good.

Yes, this is all very hippie dippy. I love hippie dippy. An afternoon where the only thing anyone is allowed to bring is flowers or wine unless they are moved to cook in theme (or bring a pineapple- thanks Alexis!). Then we all sit in the grass telling dirty jokes, drinking spiked lemonade, making new friends and then there's cake. Fini.

This year, due to the alleged rain, we were fully prepared to make vision boards in the living room in lieu of yoga. But when the guests arrived and the sun stayed out, I'll be the first to admit I got a little too excited and wanted to break out the wine to celebrate our Good fortune. So HC is the only one who really got her stretching in this year. In the spirit of self love and preservation, we weren't too hard on ourselves. Or at all.

This is the enchanted beverage station. I'm only half kidding when I use names like that. I mean there was a swan champagne cooler courtesy of the Milwaukee Duo...that's basically the definition of enchanted. The main party beverage has traditionally been Wicked Lemonade which is the ever-so-glamorous concoction of Crystal Light Raspberry Lemonade with Black Cherry Vodka, sparkling water and some fresh raspberries in every clear plastic dixie cup. Look friends, you know I love my frou frou fancy cocktails and my dark syrupy bourbon but there is no shame here. We aim to please in bulk. Apart from a rather unfortunate incident involving a nonexistent water:lemonade:vodka ratio two years ago and an enthusiastic group of GG's (who will all promptly disown me), it's only been beneficial by the barrel. This year we also managed copious amounts of sparkling wine and a delicious sangria a la Ellie.

Lest you think all that colorful seating went to waste though, you would be wrong. The Evil refers to more of a pleasantly dark sense of humor than anything actually demonic. Sparing a mixed audience the details, it was kind of like a tupperware party hosted by Bacchus. Only instead of an actual nymphic creature we got Samuel who was pretty darn close and just the most adorable person ever. I might be inclined to whisper more about this over a glass of wine but for now that is all I feel at liberty to share. Onward! To the feast!

At this point in the afternoon, I was leaving my camera all over the place so the only snapshot I have of the spread I snuck inside to prepare was taken with my phone. Alas, better than nothing. Tradition dictates a large salad bar is a popular way for friends to be able to customize their meals.

Earlier in the day, HC and I grilled up almost ten pounds of free range chicken breasts that had been marinating overnight in lemon juice, olive oil, garlic and rosemary. To that we added a couple varieties of mixed greens, sugar snap peas, sliced sweet peppers, cherry tomatoes, roasted golden beets, homemade croutons, walnuts, dried cherries and some of Jo's fresh eggs hard-boiled and ready to be shelled. Those are good friends who can't come to the party but give you eggs their chickens laid. They were also in the cake. Magic chickens.

We did three dressings- Lemon Vinaigrette, Pop's Caesar and a Spicy Ginger Peanut. Lizz modeling her plate so helpfully above also showcases the aforementioned baby potatoes that were on a whim thrown into a baking dish, coated with live oil and put in the oven with full sprigs of rosemary resting on top. This could have gone terribly awry but instead went terribly delicious. Those potatoes might be foolproof. As the fool, I would know.

When I got back outside to start corralling people in for the salad bar, I remember just surveying the crowd in the yard. I hear from a lot of people that it's been particularly hard to make new girlfriends in the city. I could see that but I also feel like I need to recognize I'm sitting on a treasure trove of awesome females. Some newer to me than others but all just wonderful. There is nothing that makes me happier than when they meet each other and fall in genuine like.

Going through the pictures afterward was a stream of "Doh! Of course you two love each other!" It's easy for women in their early twenties and thirties to get caught in a cycle of being set up and setting others up for romance. Love that- appreciate it! But being set up with a friend is a whole other kind of thing I forget about too often. Anyone else notice that? And then friends move away and it starts all over again.

I feel like an auctioneer going "Beautiful NEW mother of one, fresh to Miami Beach, culinary school grad and all around Grade A girlfriend material- who's got a match for farmers marketing and play dates and dog walking with strollers?" I'm ranting now. Chime in any time if you know what I'm talking about.

That was where I was going with the ode to the Eves. I'll be honest- year 27 had a couple proper rough patches. Mischief that was only managed by the presence of friends in walking and/or Internet distance. So here is a piece of cake for you. You beautiful, fully imperfect, hilarious bunch of hooligans. I don't care what year it is, you are some of the most charmed pieces of my life and I am very grateful for you.

Please do forgive the colorful mess of a frosting job on your confection.

It was done by your colorful mess of a hostess. Who is currently still fighting back vanity in sharing this photo everyone else thinks is terribly apropos and I think the only picture taken of me during the whole of the party (I am an excellent camera dodger. Blasted Instagram, Shecky). Not my most polished but accurate and happy.

Now here's a quick tutorial on how to make your own rainbow chips. My own inspiration was Ashley Rodriguez's significantly more professional tutorial at Not Without Salt. I'm telling you essentially the same thing but so you can see that if I can handle this, you can too.

1. Start with ramekins filled with while chocolate chunk for as many colors as you plan on making. Melt in the microwave via 30 second increments.
2. Stir in 2-3 drops of food coloring to start with. You can always add more.
3. Spread on to parchment paper laid on a tray or cutting board.
4. Freeze for 10-15 minutes.
5. Chop.
6. Ready for frosting.

I'm going to advocate adding them to vanilla cream cheese frosting to go with this chocolate cake recipe from I Am Baker. Bold statement: All frosting should be cream cheese frosting. Do not flinch when five or more friends swarm the bowl to take care of the leftovers.

And speaking of leftovers, how much prettier does a whole heap of dirty dishes look with those lovely flower arrangements all over the place?

White Beans with Tomatoes, Sage, Garlic and Half a Teaspoon of Pure Evil

I'm celebrating the return of Sunday suppers. It's not guaranteed every week but we've got two under our belts now and I feel good calling it a custom now. It doesn't matter how tired I am, I'm still excited for dinner with the local loved ones. I've been thinking a lot lately about the things I need and this kind of intimacy among familiar faces and warm plates of good food was really high on that list. Surprise, surprise.

College friends, neighbor friends, old Memphis friends, new Internet friends, people who fall into multiple categories. The call could come at any time and we very much take requests.

It puts me at ease in my week ahead. There are great bouts of belly laughter. Bellies filled with a meal put together largely by team at the kitchen table over wine. This week there was even a potluck element. Nathan brought a glorious pot of squash with walnuts and even though I accidentally yelled at him for being early (mistook him for Dave who, despite my protesting, is the world's most reliable sous chef whether you're ready for company or not). Even though I have all but been forced into it, I think I get to claim this newfound delegation as personal growth. Or something like that.

This week in particular we were celebrating a leg of lamb defrosted early on accident. Seven pounds of bone-in Mint Creek glory and the collected produce to plate it with. That was the easy part. Olive oil, garlic, rosemary, lemon zest and seasoning. Same for the potatoes that roasted with it. Two hours later we had this. Please excuse the furry shot, we were all very excited to dig in so any possible artistry went by the wayside.
The real star of the show was no more complicated than the lamb. You can actually see every single ingredient in the white beans in the picture up top. If you squint. Okay, maybe not the salt but you see where I'm going with this. White beans with garlic just felt right for lamb. And later that night, they felt right almost-cold from the fridge. And for the next two days they felt progressively better for lunch. Like a good stew, they only seemed to improve with time and I couldn't help but remember just how easy they were. Add broth and some kale and they could be soup. Add to toasted baguettes and they could be crudites. Add a spoon and they could just simply bring satisfaction. Nevermind the evil. It's optional. But I recommend it.

White Beans with Tomatoes, Sage, Garlic and Half a Teaspoon of Pure Evil
Adapted from Dana Treat's recipe

3 15.5 oz cans of cannelini or white northern beans
Olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 28 oz. can Italian whole tomatoes, with added puree
3 tbsp. chopped fresh sage (or shredded with your fingers)
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Optional: Evil= 1/2 tsp truffle oil (subtle but pure velvet)

Drain the cans of beans and rinse them well with cold water in a strainer. Set aside.

In a large skillet, heat enough olive oil to lightly cover the bottom of the pan. Add the garlic and saute until it begins to brown. Add the beans and the tomatoes, breaking up the tomatoes with your hands as you add them. Be sure to add all the puree in the can. Sprinkle with a healthy pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper, and the sage and cook, uncovered, until thick, about 20 minutes.

Add your evil as a finishing touch, stir and take a taste. Basically four cans, fresh garlic, sage from the garden and 20 minutes to the perfect flavorset for fall.

If you're going to get brand-y, I'll give that to you. I used Bush's Great Northern Beans. Bush's is my client but I think you probably know better than to think I'd serve something to seven friends that's anything less than superb. It would be at odds with my apron ego. The other recommendation is San Marzano tomatoes. They are slightly more expensive than the ones I've bought previously but the flavor was absolutely worth the price difference in such a simple recipe. And I like the packaging so there's that.

Dinner That is Easy, Healthy and Tastes Good

New plan. Instead of naming posts with misleading words like "edition" in the title, I will name posts after Google searches that I would like to lead people here. And then be only slightly less misleading because for every Cooking Light recipe or farmer's market trip, there's an all-butter crust just lurking in the darkness.

What? This doesn't look evil to you? Of course it doesn't. It is fresh kale that has been lightly tossed in extra virgin olive oil and the juice of half a lemon. There is nothing wrong with this picture beyond the portion but, never you worry, it cooks down.

See? 10 minutes at 425. Seasoned lightly with sea salt and pepper then piled as a mountain on a plate. It is flanked by the slices of a freshly picked apple and a few thin slices of extra sharp white cheddar cheese. The only diabolical thing here is that it tastes. so. good. Crisp kale with a lemon zing. Crunchy sweet apple with creamy cheese. It is hardly gourmet but it is dangerously good.

Like pie is good. Like cake is good. Like croissants and bechamel sauce are good. Cue Linda Blair.

I don't mean to be evil. I really don't. I want to be inspired and collected and self-disciplined. It's just that pie occasionally gets in the way. Pie and my cat. I'd blame the couch but the couch is mostly innocent this time. If I don't get up off it, it's the fault of HC putting her paw in my outstretched hand, creating warm spots all over this chilly apartment.

Alas, she refuses to be held accountable. Typical. Thus, I must bear my own burden. It's time to get back to the gym. It's time to deep-dive into these beautiful fall veggies. It's time to make time. Tasty, flaky roadblocks are allowed so long as I'm in good enough shape to jump over them.

A Tale of Two Turkeys (Photo Essay)

Like most of us, I've done a bit of thinking this week about being thankful- as in how to communicate exactly what I'm thankful for or get near communicating even a small percentage of that list.

Then I started looking at pictures from the last week and, keeping in theme, the story unfolds in kitchens.

I have a family I love who support me, humor me and make every place we are feel like home. And by family, I mean the kinds both born and made, as showcased by my two Thanksgivings this week- one on Sunday in Chicago and hosted by Jaimeson and I then one in Memphis hosted by my parents. I present "A Tale of Two Turkeys:"

Starters

Wicked Park: Beef and Chicken Empanadas with chimichurri sauce from Tango Sur presented by Mols and Jai. If you live in Chicago, you really need to have been to Tango Sur by now. Mols lives absurdly close by so it's a little easier for her but it's quite possibly the best deal meal in town. BYOB, incredible Argentine everything. I can't even tell you how thrilled I was to see these little guys. YUM- and try the spinach when you go. Also a curried cheese ball with Triscuits. Cause I'm classy like that and it's mom's recipe (see below).Shady Creek: My neighbors the G's make this famous crab dip. Even though Mrs. G claims to have used all light products to make it this year, look at that. Nothing about that says light. It only says " Shove as much of me in your mouth as you can and think about it tomorrow." Also we have some Momma TKTC creations. Namely a log of goat cheese covered in both red pepper and raspberry preserves and served with rosemary crackers. Also- biggest piece of Gruyere I've ever seen.

Obviously wine is served in both instances. In large, seemingly self-reproductive quantities.

Ambiance

Wicked Park: Said wine and lovely flowers from Lex. What you can't see but what definitely fits here is my apartment. I'm not a clean freak. I make stacks. I have dust bunnies. I have piles. Jaimeson? While entirely too patient with my chaos, turns out he's a clean machine. I know this because in the hours leading up to company coming over I caught him vacuuming under the couch cushions and bleaching out the shower. The place looked amazing. I can guarantee that it's not had that kind of thorough loving in just over a year. So yes, we had beautiful flowers and candles and a tablecloth but tidiness was the defining factor.

Shady Creek: My mom's tablescapes (as Sandra Lee would call them) put me to shame. The end.

The Girls

Wicked Park: Molly was taking this picture but is included in this mix. Lisa, Lex and Me. Me in my new favorite dress even though it doesn't photograph all that well. Hard to tell the level of awesome from here when it comes to the dress..not the girls. They are very obviously awesome. The dress was found at Store B Vintage on Milwaukee, I have worn it no less than four times this week.

Shady Creek: These three plus a few others do Happy Hour at Betty and RJ's every weeknight. They are a little adorable and Betty (center) gave Momma TKTC (right) and Mrs. G (left) the sweaters they're wearing for their birthdays last week. Girlfriends are always a necessity.

Cute Co-Chef Moment

Wicked Park: Not only was Jaimeson the resident voice of clean reason, he also commandeered the taking out of trash, the carving of the turkey AND pie. That's why he gets the big wing back chair at the dinner table. That and he was willing to lift it, a heavily weighted qualifier.

Shady Creek: My Dad is in charge of the turkey and the stuffing. Oh and my dad's stuffing is one of the top 5 best-tasting things I get to have every year. Not exaggerating. It's insane. The smell of the stuffing has lured people out of comas. If you are sweet and don't get in the way too much, he will grace you with a bite from the bird at midday and then give you and your damn cat a small bite of turkey after it's just been carved. My mom is in charge of all other feast coordination. She earns her bites this way as well as for just being so darn cute.

The aforementioned two turkeys. I didn't get to the one I made until it had already been harvested but I have to say...pretty happy with my efforts and seriously impressed with my "little oven that could." Most of the credit goes to the wine, butter and fleur de sel though. And beautiful carving and turkey lifting by Jaimeson, of course.

Turkey-Masters/ Cat Ruiners

Wicked Park: Jaimeson went to town on that bird so that I could have a clean carcass as a soup-starter. In the process he also completely ruined HoneyCat. I mean, seriously, was life that bad before she knew what turkey was? I was watching you two, J. "One for me, one for you, two for guests..." She now sits in front of the fridge expecting gravy on her kibble. I'm hoping we can teach her to like carrots like Winston (click through...trust me).

Shady Creek: My dad tries to ruin Gracie (family cat) but instead just ruins us because Gracie is overly discerning. The stuffing sticking to the bottom of the pan once the bird comes out of the oven? Manna from Yahweh.

The Spread

Shady Creek: That's Mom and RJ (the prime minister of neighborhood happy hour and an adopted grandparent). The spread for Memphis was a beautiful set of basics like turkey, stuffing, mashed Yukons and sweet potatoes (Yes, those sweet potatoes) and then came the plus-ups. Like jello salad- a personal favorite of mine with strawberry jello and cream cheese and strawberries and bananas.

There are some that don't understand the role jello salad at the feast and I'm here to tell you that people who ask too many questions are missing out on more than just delicious fruit salad. Mrs. G also brought green bean bundles (green beans in a sweet sauce and wrapped in bacon) while Betty made crescent rolls from scratch. I think my mom blames Betty for my compulsion to make as much as humanly possible from scratch, pie crusts in particular. She's probably right.

Wicked Park: We also took on the standards. I had my Dad on the line at 7:30 AM to make sure I hadn't missed any steps with stuffing or turkey and based on the response, I don't think we did. We had the basics- again with the sweet potatoes- and our own upgrades.
Molly and Jai, in addition to those ridiculously good empanadas, came bearing green bean casserole and Jaimeson made Greek salad with his homemade dressing (diced tomatoes, olives, cucumbers red onion and FETA). It is stupid good, as things containing that much FETAstic Greek goodness are wont to be.

The Feast

Wicked Park: Role Call! Mols, Jai, D (J's brother), Dave, Elle Michelle (post-Twilight), Lex, Jaimeson and myself.

Shady Creek: Role Call! Mom, Dad, Brother, TKTC, Kari G, Mr. G, Mrs. G, Danny G, Betty and RJ. Although if you look back to Wicked Park, Elle was raised alongside Danny G and myself and would have been in for at least wine had Cleveland not STOLEN them.

Pie People

Wicked Park: There's Dave (EpiChem from his blogging days) at work over his whipped cream. That pumpkin pie was merciless. D (J's brother) finished his piece standing up. He did not so much as sit down before returning for a second piece. I think Dave may have used Smitten's recipe but I'll need to confirm that prior to linking. I can confirm that it was made from a pumpkin that was roasted and then scooped. Wow.

We also conned people into finishing Jaimeson's birthday cake from Friday. Barefoot Contessa Chocolate Cake (my absolute favorite cake to make) paired with the cream cheese frosting I've usually reserved for Molly's cake. It was a sugar debacle. People running around with mountains of homemade whipped cream on wide wedges of pumpkin pie along with slabs of cake and frosting stuck to their chins. Crazy times.

Shady Creek: Betty, the High Priestess of Shady Creek Happy Hour, made TWO pies. Apple and Pumpkin both with crusts from scratch. Betty's to the point where she makes crust without even needing to think about it. I'm there with some things (sweet potatoes) but still get a little jittery before rolling pie dough. I'll get there though- she assures me of that. And I'm assured because when Betty left people had claimed to be too full for pie and after some rather athletic board games, there was not so much as a shred in either pie dish.

After-Party in the Hotel Lobby/ Game Faces

Wicked Park: Scratch the lobby, let's just move everyone to the living room. All guests were compelled to bring wine and let me tell you now that we got through the bulk of it. People arrived at 5pm and the last guests did not head home till close tot 12:30am. I love that- when people lose track of time at a party...it's a good sign.

Although, then I start thinking about how we entertained them for that long. We watched the Palin Turkey Debacle at the dinner table. We showed guests Jaimeson's "favorite photo" and then played everyone a particular voicemail from J's phone...

It seems I have a new problem of calling Jaimeson in my sleep (totally sober, about an hour before I really wake up). A minute and a half of singing and growling with no real words. I sound like Nell. I was red-faced at the end of it and buried myself in pie to avoid. It was a very very fun night though and Lex even manage to do dishes, something she is very sneaky about that I fight her on but then later really really appreciate. We also became obsessed with the leftover whipped cream. That would be Dave with a mouthful above and Elle Michelle "helping."

Shady Creek: The first thing we did after feasting was turn on Hellboy II: The Golden Army. So consistent with the kinds of things we're all into and a nice "quiet" way to digest. Then the quiet leaves. Seriously- it left and it did not return till 3am. "WHY" you must be thinking. Well Trivial Pursuit + Pictionary + Molly, Jai & Mols' brother Alec+ long-standing competitive streaks= MELEE.

Danny and I have been going against each other over cardboard surfaces since early college. He and my brother are not a team you really want to face when it comes to trivia and I was wishing I could add a particularly worldly Greek to Kari and I's roster. Alright, so I missed him a lot many times this week but particularly when my honor was at stake. We lost Trivially but upon adding Michael G, a resident artist and 4th quarter entrant, to our Pictionary Team...we MORE than held our own. Alec and Danny are loud. Molly and I laugh a LOT. Thank God for ear plugs upstairs.

Thanks all around, actually.

Molly and Danny disputing the ref (Jai) while Brother and Mike look on and Alec prepares for our next move. This is serious, people.