Specialties of the House
Recent Publications From Our Contributors
By MM Pack, Fri., Dec. 8, 2000
Skewer It! 50 Recipes for Stylish Entertaining
by Mary Corpening Barber and Sara Corpening Whiteford, with Rebecca Chastenet de GéryChronicle Books, 120 pp., $17.95 (paper)
You've probably been to those parties. You know the kind I mean -- not potluck casseroles, not big bowls of salty things accompanied by tubs of well-meaning cheese and spinach dips, but those parties where the repast is prepared by a chef or a caterer. Where the food not only tastes divine, but each dish on the table looks like New Year's Eve, sparkling with color, elegance, and irresistible sex appeal.
As you discreetly stuff your face at the buffet and hope you don't spill on your party clothes, maybe you secretly ask yourself, "How do they do that? How do they make this food look so appealing? It must cost 10 fortunes and take a lot more skill than I've got."
Well, wrong-o. The Corpening twins of San Francisco's Thymes Two Catering, with the assistance of Austin's own Rebecca Chastenet de Géry, have written a practical and lovely little volume that tells exactly how you, too, can prepare elegant, tasty, and charmingly impressive party dishes. And do you know what is the most delicious secret of all? Once you know these simple tips and tricks of presentation, it isn't hard, and it certainly doesn't have to be expensive. And not only that, it's way fun.
The photogenic and personable twins are no strangers to simple theme/maximum-appeal food books. (You may have caught them on daytime TV talk shows with their previous books on smoothies and wraps). This book's unifying concept is flavorful combinations of bite-sized food artfully displayed (and conveyed to the mouth) on decorative sticks -- skewers. In the authors' capable hands and fertile imaginations, your basic backyard barbecue kebobs move uptown into exciting and definitely more sophisticated new territories, from the buffet table to desserts to edible cocktail swizzles to some very cool kid food.
The majority of the recipes are in the arenas of buffet, hors d'oeuvres, and cocktail food, both hot and cold. In the hot department, my very favorite is scallops wrapped in bacon, broiled and glazed with tamari, maple, and lime, and skewered on a stalk of rosemary (or you could just use a toothpick). I also fell hard for the skewers of cold chicken cubes, mint, and cucumber, served with a spicy mango dipping sauce. And the next time some kids come to visit, I'm making corn dogs on a stick for sure. In fact, I may not wait.
Two things particularly impressed me about Skewer It! The first is that, while the results are flavorful and visually appealing, these recipes are not difficult, and most of them take very little time. Although they are professional caterers, the authors have positioned the recipes for the home kitchen -- no special equipment is required, and with the exception of a few Asian condiments, all the ingredients are available from any good grocery. The other element that I quite liked is the commitment to manageable bite-sized portions, which makes for comfortable (and graceful) grazing. I find nothing more off-putting than oversized finger food, that forces you to either cram it all in your mouth or try to bite it, so that it squishes all over your hand and shirt-front. The authors apparently agree with me, and I applaud them for it.
Although this book is not large, it is stuffed with helpful information. There is a useful glossary describing the ingredients used in the recipes. The precisely described recipes are frequently illustrated with actual-size photos that supply inspiring presentation and plating ideas. With parties in mind, each recipe contains do-ahead tips, so you can prepare most of the dishes hours or a day before and hold them till just before serving. There is all the practical information you need to successfully work with skewers, not to mention lots of ideas for skewering materials that you may not have previously considered, such as drinking straws, peppermint sticks, woody herbs, and sticks of cinnamon.
So are you intrigued yet? If you've been thinking of giving a party this holiday season, this little bijou of a book ought to inspire you to go for it. And take a tip from the twins -- play with your food, stack it on sticks, have a good time, and impress the socks off your friends.