002. Cooking For Friends

Growing up I read every Jilly Cooper book I could get my hands on whilst watching countless posh people solve murders in vast stately homes, with huge kitchens and dining rooms playing host to middle class shenanigans. Agatha Christie, Midsomer Murders and for one series, Downton Abbey, were the main TV events of our weekends growing up. All of which led me to believe there would be a lot more dinner parties to host and attend with people I’d never met. Most of these soirees were essentially cooking to show off, or entertaining as a social move, and to be fair usually involved a murder or at the very least a robbery. I confess that due to my overactive imagination I had assumed I’d own a lot more matching tableware and be way more adept at making small talk with semi strangers by this point in my life. However, now I’m an adult, the idea of letting people I only vaguely know into my home, into my kitchen, and spending a day cooking to impress them leaves me cold. And even worse, the idea of attending one as a single guest, to be paired up with the only other single person there whilst the couples look on hopefully that you hit it off despite having nothing in common brings me out in hives. But gathering close friends in your kitchen over nice wine and cheap dips, after a day of pottering about the kitchen making little snacky-snacks and something plentiful and comforting that everyone can tuck in to - that fills me with joy.

This is far from a power move, it’s showing people how much you care for them through food and a table to gather around for great chat. To remember how someone takes their tea, or which camp of the coriander debate they sit in, is an act of love. Having a pal pad about my kitchen, fixing drinks for the rest of our friends whilst I stand a stir and chop and mix brings me deep delight, as does a table scattered with dirty plates and half empty bowls that everyone keeps going back to throughout the night for mop up dips. Last minute messages to ask friends to grab forgotten ingredients on their way, faffing with a playlist that finds the balance between not amping everyone up so they leave wired but not sending them to sleep and having £5 Prices odour eliminating candles burning all day is a performance I will never tire of.

Dinner Party implies formal wear, semi strangers and stiffly planned menus, whereas cooking for friends means comfy clothes, inside jokes and a hotchpotch of things you know everyone enjoys. As long as everyone leaves stuffed with good food and gossip and a little drowsy from wine, I consider it a successful night.

Here’s a recipe for my favourite dip, paprika swirled labneh (I use Greek Yogurt!) which goes brilliantly with any kind of seeded cracker or pitta. This is perfect for the table just as everyone arrives and as the main is finishing. If you’re time poor I’d also heartily recommend Sainsbury’s Truffle Houmous.

Recipe

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Ingredients

250g 5% Fat Greek Yogurt

1 Lemon (juice only)

20ml Extra Virgin Olive Oil

2 tsp Paprika

3 Spring Onions

Chives

Method

1. Heat the olive oil in the pan until spitting, then add the paprika and spring onions, stir, and turn down to a medium heat. Cook until the onions are crispy but not burnt. Switch off the heat and leave to cool.

2. Dollop the yogurt into a bowl, squeeze the lemon juice from the lemon and season with salt and pepper.

3. When the paprika oil has cooled, add to the yogurt and swirl through, then snip some chives over, and serve.

Micro - Doses of Delight

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• In keeping with the ‘cooking for friends’ theme - affogato for dessert brings me huge dollops of delight! The simplicity of a scoop of creamy vanilla ice cream with a shot of coffee poured over (decaf, if it’s late!) means it’s the perfect way to end the evening without taking up any time. Crush a biscoff biscuit over it if you want some added crunch.

• And if you enjoy reading about what kitchens and food mean to people, this collection of essays has some really moving and generous writing.

• The Love Cook, by Ron Padgett.

• I love that it’s polo / roll neck season again - or as I prefer to call it - rolo neck season. Everyone looks great in a black fine knit roll neck jumper, it’s just science.

• This long read from The Atlantic on potential ecological warfare, shady Amazon practices, and how sometimes, we collectively lose our minds.

• Big Light Discourse.

• Whereas most women will find the idea going for a walk alone whilst leaving their phone at home pretty much ridiculous, I do like the concept of getting outside and really taking in what’s around us. Maybe just leave your phone in your pocket, instead.

• Finally, Noodles the Pug, and bones or no bones day. It’s oddly comforting to have the mood of the day set by a nine year old dog off the internet.

Thanks once again for reading and all of your kind words last week after I (nervously!) pressed publish. If you enjoyed and would like more Afternoon Delights, hit the Subscribe button, and if you already have, endless thanks!