A Little Mediterranean Dinner for Sunday Salon Series

GUEST

 Nicole Davis, Patric McCoy Aaron Petty, Alan Emerson Hicks

Menu

Tuscan Chicken Breast

Traditional Persian Basmati Rice Mounds

Mediterranean Cauliflower 

Mediterranean Dip

Toasted Pita Bread Chips

Ginger Beer

White Wine

Garment Popcorn 

Brownies Mindful indulges

Balsamic Rice Mounds

An Elegant Way to Serve Rice is an excellent tip for plate rice. 

Tuscan Chicken Breast

Mediterranean Dip, Toased Pita Bread Chips, Mediterranean Cauliflower

TRADITIONAL PERSIAN BASMATI RICE
Wash three cups of Rice with plain water twice and drain the water.
Pour Rice into a non-stick pan.
Add five cups of water, four spoons of oil and salt, and mix.
Bring the water to a boil over high temperature.
Let the water boil until the water level sinks to just below rice level.

When serving grains like Rice, quinoa, or couscous as an accompaniment for a saucy dish or stew,  pack them tightly into a mold, then invert the mold, so the Rice comes out in a uniform mound. I usually use a small coffee cup so I can grab the handle when the Rice is still hot, then coated in oil —

Seven-Layer Mediterranean Dip Recipe | Taste of Home

https://www.tasteofhome.com/recipes/seven-layer-mediterranean-dip

16 oz carton (8 ounces) hummus.
1 cup (8 ounces) reduced-fat sour cream.
1 jar (8 ounces) roasted sweet red peppers, drained and chopped.
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese.
1/4 cup chopped red onion.
12 Greek olives, pitted and chopped.
2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley.
Baked pita chips.

Toasted Pita Bread Chips
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix olive oil, oregano, garlic powder, onion powder, and pepper together in a small bowl.
Line baking sheets with pita triangles, brush each triangle with olive oil mixture and sprinkle with kosher salt.
Bake for 10-12 minutes until pita chips are browned.

Mediterranean Cauliflower
1 medium-sized head of cauliflower, cut into florets
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
½ teaspoon salt, or to taste
¼ teaspoon black pepper, ground
½ teaspoon oregano, dried
½ teaspoon paprika

Instructions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a bowl, add cauliflower and all ingredients. Mix with your hands until spices and olive oil evenly cover all the florets.
Spread florets on a baking sheet.
Bake until florets are tender and golden brown, stirring and turning every 10 minutes for about 25-30 minutes.

Tuscan Chicken Breast
Add olive oil in a large skillet and cook the chicken on medium-high heat for 3-5 minutes on each side or until brown on each side and cooked until no longer pink in the center. Remove chicken and set aside on a plate. -heat the oven to 200ºc.

Finely chop the rosemary and garlic to make the rub, then mix with the lemon zest and juice, salt, pepper, and olive oil.

Rub the mixture over the chicken, loosening the skin gently and pushing some of the rubs under the skin.

Ginger Beer

The drink, which originated in the mid-1700s in England, was first known as a fermented alcoholic beverage made from sugar, ginger, water, and a starter culture known as the ginger beer plant. But today, the name "ginger beer" is actually a misnomer, as most commercial ginger beer is a soft drink and contains no alcohol.

Hosting Art Salon, Pot lucks, Receptions Handling Evites RSVPS for VIP's

WH on Cottage, Popup Gallery Opening Night.

 In this age of FACEBOOK and EMAILS, many invitations go unanswered or answered and forgotten, and most of all, not communicating with the host when they decide they're not going after replying that you are.

ETIQUETTE/REFERENCE

Entertaining has become more a chore than a pleasure, I just want to relax and enjoy the party. So I went, to my bookshelf and pulled out Emily Post’s book on Entertaining. The etiquette of entertaining begins with this code of behavior and continues with those guidelines that enable you to be self-confident and comfortable in any social situation, whether it be a backyard barbecue or a formal ball.

Invitations and Reply’s

When inviting friends to an informal dinner, barbecue or small gathering for cocktails or dessert and coffee, a telephone invitation is appropriate. Send an invitation by mail if you are honoring a special guest or in celebration of an event, salon series, reception preferably send by mail, You should reply as soon as possible so that the host can plan accordingly.

“I sent out eight personal invitations for my 1st Sunday Salon Series I’m hosted this month. I only planned for eight guests, and their plus ones. I called each guest, first verbally invite them, then to follow-up on the verbal invite. I filled in the blank lines by hand and waited for replies.  I also, sent an electronic invitation by email so I could share the menu, and suggested side items they each could contribute. 

Feb 05, 2018, Sunday Salon Series, guest  Nicole M. Davis, (Culinary artist, AIR at Bronzeville Artist Lofts), Alan Emerson Hicks (Curator, Artist/Sculpture), Patric McCoy  (Collector Diaspora Rhythm), and Aaron Petty (Preparator at Gallery Guichard). We gather informally around the wet bar, which functions as a focal point in the gallery for the art of entertaining, culinary art, preparing food, and plating with the guest. 

Because my gallery practice gives so many art openings and receptions, cocktail parties, trolley tours, and open studios. I felt like I wanted the 1st of the month social experience to be more intimate with artist talks, it's important for me to balance the room and share a planned menu.

South Side Host Passport, Airbnb Host 1st Holiday Meetup

What kinds of social events require an invitation in return? Parties in private homes, whether luncheons, brunches, cocktails, or dinner parties, do require a return invitation.

BYOB- “Bring your own bottle”, you can take it with you when you leave, or leave it for the host. The bar shelf is fully stocked with glassware of various types, and plasticware from Bombay Shappire parties. I frown on giving guests plastic cups, or foam cups.

BYOF- “Bring your own food”, it’s rare to see it written on invitations, say “potluck”, or “chips-in-dinner”.  It's okay to say it when you are having a meetup at one of the many Movies in the Parks, Jazz in the Parks,  Jazz at the Museum, and an outing where the guest has selected a social experience out and about. 

I use Evite online invitations and ask my guest to Sign Up to Bring Something.