Mangia! Italian-Theme Dinner Party

Sharing good food with good friends is one of the greatest pleasures in life. At least that’s how my husband and I have always felt. I get giddy just planning a dinner party—from choosing a theme to shopping for food.

We’ve hosted some complex dinner parties over the years:

• Indian—lamb vindaloo, dal and homemade naan
• Jewish—brisket, latkes and matzoh ball soup
• German—schnitzel, spätzle and red cabbage
• Japanese—assorted maki rolls

This time we wanted to keep the entire meal simple and flavourful. On this chilly February night, dear friends are joining us for an Italian-theme dinner.

We’re starting with antipasto: salumi, Piave and Taleggio cheeses, homemade white bean dip, bruschetta and olives.

I’ve received many requests for my white bean dip, and I’ve made it countless ways. At its simplest form, the ingredients include canned, rinsed Great Northern beans (or cannellini), good-quality extra virgin olive oil, garlic (I often cheat and use roasted garlic from the olive bar at the market), salt and pepper, all of which are tossed into the food processor and whirled into a smooth consistency. I’ve added Greek yogurt for protein and heft I’ve also thinned the dip with water or pesto. I’ve also made variations by adding different herbs—basil, thyme, rosemary, sage. Experiment and you will find the right consistency and flavour.

I’ve already written about my pizza obsession. Tonight we’re serving two: Red pie with mixed mushroom and thyme and pesto pie with sweet Italian sausage, sunndried tomatoes and homemade ricotta.

With a food processor or blender, homemade pesto can be prepared in minutes. Simply whirl together fresh basil, garlic, Pecorino and/or Romano cheese, good-quality extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper.

We’ll accompany dinner with a simple salad and round it out with plenty of red wine and beers. At the end? Chocolate truffles, fresh raspberries, full bellies, laugher…and plans for the next dinner party.

Asparagus Soup with Lemon & Romano Cheese

Last week we finally made our Hanukkah dinner: homemade latkes, baked salmon and roasted asparagus. I always feel so wasteful scraping the woody ends of the asparagus spears into the compost bin. This time—as our dinner guest was witness—I scraped them all into a bag, tossed them into the fridge and vowed I would make soup within a week.

I kept my promise and made an incredibly simple, incredibly delicious asparagus soup in less than 30 minutes. You can too. Here’s how:

Sauté a large shallot in a splash of extra virgin olive oil and a half tablespoon of butter until soft. Add asparagus stems (cut or peel the toughest woody end) and a handful of fresh herbs (I used rosemary and thyme) and sauté a few more minutes until the asparagus softens. (Note: I ended up buying a few extra spears of asparagus. I added some tips and pieces to the soup and saved just a few tips for garnish.) Add 3 cups of broth (I used chicken), bring to a boil then lower to a simmer for 20 to 30 minutes. Carefully ladle the soup into a blender and puree to desired thickness. Return soup to pot, add 1-2 teaspoons of lemon juice and season to taste.

Serve with grated Parmesan or Romano cheese and float a few blanched asparagus tips on top. I think crispy homemade bacon bits would also be a delightful garnish. Thankfully, I have plenty of leftovers.

I love that this soup is low in fat and doesn’t call for heavy cream or any dairy, other than the optional grated cheese and a little butter, both of which could be easily omitted. With those adjustments, a vegan or vegetarian version would be a simple modification—just use veggie broth.