Jan 28, 201104:31 PM
Savoring the Good Life of Cape Cod
Oh, What a Night!
One of the very cool things about working in the food and wine industry is being able to host great parties. Sure, I love to cook, the wine flows easily, and I’ve even been known to fashion place settings out of seckel pears and raffia. But you don’t need to be in the biz or channel Martha Stewart to put on a real show stopper... and our latest soirée is an example of just that.
Sunday evening over the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday weekend, my sister Jackie and I hosted what has become a tradition of some pretty insane food and wine pairings: the annual Wine List staff appreciation party. Over the past eight years we’ve pushed our culinary envelopes and served everything ranging from seared foie gras and late harvest Riesling to a chivey-buttery poached egg atop roasted asparagus with Gruner Veltliner (Gruner is apparently the only wine that goes with asparagus). These thank you parties are usually held in my home, and although the experience is always 5-star, I am often left feeling like I just ran a marathon around Kitchen Stadium.
This year, though, we had all of the bells and whistles with none of the stress. How? We had our party catered.
What a concept! Easy, delicious, and totally excellent, we did an “Asian Tapas” party and I actually enjoyed the company of my friends 
and co-workers rather than playing the somewhat martyred role of chief cook and bottle washer. And not only did I enjoy the party, but I spent that fateful “day after” building Legos with my son rather than mourning the towering stacks of dirty dishes occupying every inch of available counter space.
The genius that made it all happen is Chef Robert Smith. Robert and his wife Peggy own and operate Smith on Main Catering (www.smithonmain.com) in Sandwich, and we are fortunate enough to have him as the Chef du Soir for several of our classes and events at the store. A modest guy (you would never hear it from him), Robert’s background includes cooking for Julia Child, Bill Clinton, Ted Kennedy, Senator Kerry, Yo-Yo Ma, Governor Patrick, the Kraft's (of Patriot's fame), and numerous celebrities. But beyond his impressive resume, seeing Robert cook and talking with him about food is what really makes you want more, whether you’re an aspiring cook or just a good eater!
You’d be surprised at how reasonable it is to have Robert cook for you privately. He literally did our party as a drop off. Every sauce, condiment and garnish was marked in separate (disposable!) containers, and all the main ingredients were prepped and ready for re-heating. He even sent along Asian-inspired platters and bowls for serving, so all I had to do was listen to endless compliments as we effortlessly laid out the food course by course. Here was our menu (and I swear, this really was the EASIEST party I ever had...):
- Thai Spiced Lump Crab Cakes with Smoked Chili-Lime Aioli
- Vietnamese Style Summer Rolls with Mango, Finely Cut Vegetables, Cilantro and Mint, with Cucumber-Sweet Chili Sauce
- Seared Nantucket Bay Scallops with Thai Red Curry Coconut Broth (served in little individual Chinese spoons - so neat!)
- Asian Meatballs on Snow Pea Picks with Tangerine BBQ Drizzle
- Miso Roasted Mushrooms stuffed with Lemongrass and Shredded Beef Short Rib
- Pad Thai with Roasted Duck, Smoked Tofu and Crispy Vegetables (served in small Chinese take out boxes with chopsticks)
- Chili and Orange Braised Chicken, served in Soft Lettuce Rolls, with Cilantro-Pistachio Pesto
- Dumplings 4 Ways (Pork, Mushroom, Shrimp and Vegetable), with Traditional, Sweet and Spicy Dipping Sauces
- Sliced Oranges and Pink Grapefruit with Chinese Almond Cookies
- As for the wine, Asian dishes (and as a rule, many ethnic foods in general) are tough pairs. We did have some reds for the diehards and for the end of the night, but it was the off-dry whites and the sparkling wine that took the lead and paired wonderfully. FYI, bubbly goes with just about everything. Plus it’s yummy. And festive.
So, the whole thing went off without a hitch - from soup to lychee nuts, so to speak. I won’t say I’ll never cook for a crowd again, one, because it’s part of who I am, and two, I think it’s part of why people like me so I will never give that up. But take it from a type A do-it-yourselfer: sometimes it’s nice to let the party come to you.
Writer Tracy Anderson came to the Cape the way many do, a corporate departure with a plunge into entrepreneurship. She opened The Wine List in Hyannis in 2002, and continues to drive the marketing end of the business as well as serving as the chef du soir for the shop's wine tasting events. Tracy is also a freelance marketing consultant and copywriter, avid home chef, and devoted mom to a kid who ironically, eats not much more than chicken and fries.
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