I see a need to come up with the perfect recipe for a party. The potluck sort of party but a few notches above potluck style. No crock pots or bags of chips and dip. I’m talking a hybrid between a dinner party and a potluck. Casual but still upscale. I was very impressed with the layered cobb salad served in a 9×12 dish I saw last night with its pretty sliced tomatoes, dressed lettuce, peas, egg slices and crumbled bacon. I’d crumble some fresh blue cheese or another soft cheese on top too.
I have the soup down (Tuscany ham and white bean) but it’s not very portable. I have two salads (a chicken and pasta and a thai layered salad). Now I need a desert. I confess to struggling with deserts generally. I buy rather than make them. My favorite is probably key lime pie. I admit to the sin of buying it frozen and thawing it or just picking it up from Cafe Rio.
That said, I’m looking for deserts with these qualities:
- It must impress – it can’t be the same old plate of cookies it must be hip. Like the graham cracker dipping sticks with cookie dough I saw at one party (like crackers and cheeseball but a desert version). It must not be the same sort of thing everyone else might think of bringing.
- It must look good on a plate, cake stand, etc. So not only must it be innovative but it must look pretty and have good presentation. Here is where I choke.
- It must transport well.
- It must keep without needing to be refrigerated.
- It must serve well. It’s tough to dish out key lime pie. Perhaps there’s another version of the same idea that can serve easier for the do-it-yourself lines (potluck style).
In the past I got points for healthy and homemade but today the expectations of a modern entertaining woman have risen. The last thing you want to do is bring home loads of leftovers to tempt you with their high calories or that might be (gasp) thrown away. I should check the ward cookbook. In the meantime, please help me. I must make a favorable impression.
Please ladies, my social life hinges on getting this down.
