15 to 30: hostess with the mostess
Goal: Perfect a Three Course Meal
Rumor has it that “PJ can’t cook” because I frequently let my husband, who truly enjoys cooking, wear the apron in our family, so to speak. For the record, I can cook. In fact, I prepared a lovely lemon pepper chicken dish for me and J just the other night. I can also bake – and not just Funfetti cakes. I made delicious cheesecake Oreo “cookie-hybrids” over the weekend and was runner-up in our Oscar party cookie bake-off.
The truer statement would be “PJ doesn’t like to cook.” Unlike the contestants on “Top Chef,” I don’t get pleasure from combining unique flavors. Measuring a multitude of ingredients is a chore, and cleaning my inevitable mess is the pits. So, if I can avoid cooking, I do. But I can cook. So there.
One thing I do enjoy, however, is entertaining. I love throwing dinner parties, although I’ll admit that J is usually the “man behind the meal” when we have company. I don’t necessarily think that the woman’s place is in the kitchen, but we were at a cocktail party over the weekend hosted by friends, and the hostess was slicing and dicing ingredients for mini homemade pizzas while wearing heels and a BCBG dress. She made wielding a knife somehow glamorous. It was impressive.
I would love to be able to throw together a simple dinner for friends all on my own. Even better would be having the ability to host a meal at a moment’s notice. I would need just four fail-proof recipes up my sleeve – an appetizer, main course, side dish and dessert. Ideally, these would be simple yet delicious dishes that have the appearance of being more complex than they really are, and with minimal effort I would be able to perfect them. Eventually, I want to become the hostess with the mostess.
(image source)
