Growing up, my parents’ annual New Year’s Eve dinner party drew in all corners of our neighborhood. The first floor of our house would transform into a hot-ticket restaurant for roughly 40 guests. Out unfurled the leaves of the dining room table, on which my parents built an elaborate spread: lasagna and scalloped potatoes, Caesar salad with croutons from scratch, leg of lamb, mussels in red sauce but also clams — not everyone liked mussels, my mom recounts.
No detail went unaddressed. They topped the buffet in shimmering linens, labeled each dish with a place card and outfitted every table and surface of the kitchen and living room with place settings and chairs. The party would then stretch to the “disco” my dad had built downstairs, where a small dance floor, disco ball, laser lights, bar and audio-mixing setup awaited guests.
My parents were — and still very much are — consummate entertainers, and I aspire to be like them. So this week, I made my case for capital “E” entertaining, while my boss (and recovering intense host), Krysten Chambrot, shared her argument for a laid-back, breezier approach, by way of two dueling dinner party menus.
Each menu is flexible, with vegetarian guests (or hosts!) in mind. In my elaborate spread, Gabrielle Hamilton’s roasted mushrooms with braised black lentils and parsley croutons (above) works as either a side or a luxurious centerpiece for those foregoing the chicken, and it’s flanked by two vibrant salads. Krysten provides a couple of centerpiece swaps in her effortless menu: Melissa Clark’s artichoke and pea stew or Alexa Weibel’s white bean and celery ragout would pair nicely with the salad and rice sides she suggests.
Roasted Mushrooms With Braised Black Lentils and Parsley Croutons
But there are so many more New York Times Cooking recipes you can build an exceptional vegetarian dinner party menu with. Here are a few more ideas.
A Spring Fling
Effort level: Low
Start with Kay Chun’s grand green aioli, followed by Melissa Clark’s asparagus, goat cheese and tarragon tart and Colu Henry’s creamy white beans with herb oil. Don’t fuss with cocktails, and have your guests bring their favorite bubbly beverages, boozy or otherwise. For dessert, Genevieve Ko’s blueberry crisp.
Bold and Beautiful
Effort level: Medium
Start with Ali Slagle’s blistered shishito peppers, followed by Melissa Clark’s cauliflower shawarma, and have guests assemble their own pitas. Serve those with Yewande Komolafe’s spicy cucumbers with yogurt, lemon and herbs and sip on Rosie Schapp’s vermouth spritzes. Tejal Rao’s quick mango kulfi for dessert is a must.
Tapas Night
Effort level: High
Start with Julia Moskin’s best gazpacho, followed by Mark Bittman’s Spanish tortilla, with Melissa’s avocado salad with herbs and capers and Alicia Kennedy’s chickpeas escabeche with plantain strips alongside. To drink, tinto de verano à la Rebekah Peppler, and for dessert, David Tanis’s tangerine flan, naturally.
Asparagus, Goat Cheese and Tarragon Tart
Cauliflower Shawarma With Spicy Tahini
Spanish Tortilla
One More Thing!
You’ll need good tunes for all of that cooking and eating. Here are a few of my favorite songs to entertain to — the groovier, the better. And I’d love to hear your favorites. Send them my way, and I’ll make us a little playlist: [email protected].
“After the Dance” (1976) by Marvin Gaye
“Foreign Language” (2011) by Flight Facilities and Jess
“Ai No Corrida” (1981) by Quincy Jones and Charles May
“Girlfriend” (2018) by Christine and the Queens and DāM-FunK
“Dim All the Lights” (1979) by Donna Summer
“Say It” (2019) by Maggie Rogers
Thanks for reading, and see you next week!
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