Party on a Dime: Fun, Frugal, and Fabulous

by Allison Robbins

What’s your fantasy of the perfect holiday party? Chestnuts roasting on an open fire? Nobel laureate guests? Buff servants in harem pants serving exotic drinks? No matter how differently we see the particulars, there is a universal ideal to the dinner party fantasy: hosts and hostesses swirl at the center of the action, oozing with charm and sparkling with cheer, resistant to holiday stress and extra pounds. In our minds, we see our svelte, idealized selves wearing an au courant holiday ensemble with shoes that do not make our feet hurt, even in the highest of heels. We get along with our significant others like Romeo and Juliet because we never fight and are so blissfully happy.  Drinks and conversation flow like the Tiber and the food is nothing short of glorious: fit for royalty, piping hot, visually exquisite, and camera ready.  Nowhere, however, in the history of party fantasies has it ever included, “And you have to do it on a budget.”

But alas, in the new world of stay-cations and unemployment, excessive spending is out and frugal is the new cool. How exactly does the current economic climate change the party scene if you must or simply want to throw a party in this post-financial meltdown, post-Madoff holiday season? It’s surprisingly easy: all you need is a little planning, a few make-ahead menu items, and an attitude adjustment.  Incite your inner gamer and view budget entertaining as the fabulously fun challenge it is. Methodical is marvelous, especially if you can make careful spending also look positively clever. You know, anyone can call the secret number for the baker who makes that death-by-chocolate flourless chocolate cake that Brad and Angie love or the incendiary caterer who charges $150 per person. Only you can make your party happen on a dime. Take enormous satisfaction this celebration season in knowing that you can rise like a phoenix to a challenge of entertaining well on a smart budget.

So, here it is: a do-it-yourself guide to not only a delicious holiday party using ingredients all found at Trader Joe’s and the 99-cent store but also complete recipes for creating this elegant dinner for 10.  For what you might spend on dinner for two at a celeb-encrusted little trattoria with an appetizer and shared entrée, you can throw your own killer party.  What you’ll need is a comprehensive shopping list, a timed agenda of what goes in the oven when, and some household staples. (This menu assumes you have extra virgin olive oil, flour, salt, and butter.) For our get together, we spent about $175 (yes, including all alcohol) to make a relatively simple meal that looked like it cost much more than it did.

For your own party, be bold, go forth, and above all, have fun. And book a mani-pedi with your many leftover dimes. Note: in these recipes, * = you can find it at a 99-cent store.

Download the shopping list and recipes.

Download the shopping list only.

The Libations

• An endless supply of ice, bubbly water, flavored and not
• Water pitchers with sliced lemons and mint leaves
• A fantastic Italian cocktail called a Negroni. (ne-GROAN-ee), invented in Tuscany in the 1900s by Count Camillo Negroni.  Every time he visited his favorite bar in Florence, Negroni ordered an Americano with the soda replaced by gin.  To seem as cool as the count, others soon began to order their Americano a la Negroni.

Ingredients for 10 Negronis

• 10 oz. gin
• 10 oz. Campari
• 7 oz. Sweet Vermouth
• Orange slices or half slices (Note: Tradition calls for the orange to be burned, but this cocktail drinks equally well without it. Directions for burnt orange slices: Make the cocktail, pour into the glass. Hold the orange slice with tongs, ignite the cocktail into flames, and burn the orange. Or, oven-broil several slices pre-party.)

Method

Combine all ingredients in an ice filled shaker. Shake until well chilled and strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a slice however you will, perched or swimming.

Roasted and Sun-dried Tomato Pizza

Ingredients

• Rectangular cookie sheet, 13 x 15, preferably non-stick
• Cooking spray*
• 1 bag prepared pizza dough
• 2 28 oz.-cans fire-roasted diced tomatoes, drained*
• 2 12 oz.-jars roasted red peppers*
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (*soy + olive oil)
• 1 jar sun-dried tomatoes, drained, half-inch slices
• 4 large garlic cloves, minced*
• 1 tsp. Kosher salt
• Ground pepper to taste
• 3/4 cup shredded Fontina, Gruyere or Mozzarella

Method

Preheat oven to 425°. Spray cookie sheet with cooking spray. Roll out dough to cover entire cookie sheet. Combine peppers and tomatoes with olive oil, garlic, salt and pepper. Spread cheese over dough. Top with tomato/pepper mixture. Bake for 30 minutes. Cut into squares and serve.

Cheese, Olive, Nut, and Fruit Platter with Toasted Baguette Rounds

• Best quality Parmesan cheese (Italian and Australian)
• Fontina cheese
• Mixed olives
• Walnuts
• Grapes
• Sesame-crusted nuts*
• Pistachios*
• Mini baguettes*
• Dates
• Apples*
• Strawberries*

Method

Slice baguettes on a diagonal. Drizzle with olive oil and salt. Broil 3-5 minutes. Turn over. Broil another 30 seconds until brown. Place on a platter and serve with cheeses, olives, nuts, and fruits.

Parmesan-Almond Chicken Paillard with Arugula and Lemon Vinaigrette

Ingredients

• 5 lbs. chicken breast halves, boneless & skinless, sliced to 1/2-inch strips
• 3  eggs, beaten*
• 1-1/2 cups ground almonds
• 1 cup grated Parmesan cheese
• 2 bags arugula
• 1/4 cup shaved Parmesan

Ingredients for Vinaigrette

• 2 tsp. grated lemon rind
• 2 Tbs. fresh lemon juice
• 1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1 tsp. Dijon mustard (optional)
• splash of Champagne vinegar (optional)

Method

1. Pre-heat the oven to 350°.
2. Pound the chicken breast gently between two pieces of parchment paper. Combine Parmesan and ground almonds in one plate with 1 tsp. salt.
3. In shallow bowl, beat 2 eggs.
4. Dip chicken first in the egg mixture, then coat with the parmesan-almond mixture.
5. Heat 4 Tbs. olive oil. Shallow fry the chicken in hot oil for approximately 2 to 3 minutes until browned.  Place on lightly oiled cookie sheet and bake for 25 minutes.
6. Prepare the vinaigrette. Toss with arugula.
7. Place cooked chicken in the bottom of a large, pretty bowl. Place arugula on top of the chicken. Sprinkle shaved Parmesan on top of the arugula. Serve with your nicest salad tongs.

Tuscan Bacon, Sausage, and Lentil Soup

Ingredients

• 6 slices bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces
• 1 large onion, chopped*
• 1/4 cup parsley, de-stemmed and chopped
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds*
• 6 cloves garlic*, chopped
• 6 mild Italian sausages cut into 1-inch rounds
• 1 red pepper, medium diced*
• 4-6 cups water
• 1×14 oz. can diced tomatoes*
• 1/3 cup hard lentils
• Salt, to taste
• 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated

Method

1. Sauté bacon. Discard all but 1 Tbs. fat, then sauté onion, parsley, red pepper and carrots for 6 minutes, or until soft, in a pasta pot. Add garlic and sauté 1 minute until light brown.
2. In separate pan, sauté sausage until browned. Discard fat and reserve sausage.
3. Add water, tomatoes, lentils, and salt to taste. If you are using the pre-cooked lentils from Trader Joe’s, halve the cooking time: simmer for 30 minutes (15 minutes for pre-cooked lentils)
4. Add reserved sausage.
5. Serve with a bowl of Parmesan cheese on the side.

Tuscan Roasted Potatoes

 

Ingredients

• 3 lbs. yellow potatoes, whole*
• 3/4 c. extra virgin olive oil
• 4 Tbs. butter*
• 1 tsp. lemon zest
• 2 tsp. rosemary, chopped
• Salt and pepper*

Method

Preheat oven to 375°. Arrange potatoes in a baking dish in a single layer. Salt and pepper the potatoes. Combine oil, butter, lemon zest, rosemary, and butter in a saucepan and heat until butter is melted. Pour mixture over potatoes. Bake until lightly browned for 30 to 45 minutes. This dish will work just fine if served at room temperature.

Insalata Caprese: Mozzarella (or Burrata), Tomato & Basil Plate

Remember: hold off on the oils until the last minute before guests arrive or, better yet, wait until everyone’s arrived and do a little food performance art in the (hopefully) well-populated midst of your own party. Applying the olive oil at the last possible moment keeps this simplest, most romantic of salads pleasantly dressed for serving.

Ingredients

• 1-1/2 pounds fresh mozzarella, (buffalo Mozzarella, if possible) sliced 1/4-inch thick OR 1-1/2 pounds Burrata balls, cut in half
• 6 large ripe tomatoes best-quality, sliced 1/4-inch thick
• 1-1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, shredded
• 1/4 cup best quality extra virgin olive oil
• Salt and pepper

Method

Alternate cheese, basil, and tomatoes in a circle on a platter, overlapping and also cover with shredded basil. (Shred by first stacking several even-sized basil leaves on top of each other. Roll the basil leaves and slice into 1/8-inch thick shreds for distribution over tomatoes and cheese.) Right before eating, drizzle on extra virgin olive oil and snazz with coarse salt and pepper. Makes 10 servings.

Lighter-than-air Cheesecake with Mixed Berries

 

Ingredients

• 1 1/2 cups ground cookie crumbs (any hard cookie* or biscotti*)
• 1 tsp. chopped rosemary
• 6 Tbs. butter, melted*
• 2 pounds block cream cheese, room temperature
• 8 oz. Mascarpone cheese (substitute 8 oz. of cream cheese or 8 oz. sour cream as needed)
• 1 1/4 cups sugar*
• 2 eggs*
• 4 cups mixed berries* (did you even know you can get strawberries at the 99-cents store?)

Method

1. Wrap the bottom of a 9-inch springform pan with aluminum foil to halfway up the sides of the springform pan. Then do it again, so you have two layers of aluminum foil.
2. Grind cookie crumbs and rosemary in a food processor; add butter and process.  Press into the bottom of the springform pan but not the sides. Chill for a half an hour.
3. In a mixer or with hand-beaters, blend cream cheese, Mascarpone, sugar, and eggs.
4. Place cream cheese mixture in the springform pan, smoothing out the top.
5. Place springform pan into a large roasting pan. Pour enough hot water in the pan to reach halfway up the side of the springform pan.
6. Bake for 70 minutes. Cheesecake should be ever so slightly browned.
7. Cool an hour, then refrigerate for at least four hours.  Serve with mixed berries.
8. Super easy to make this the day before the party.

Party Tactics

Want to splurge or ask friends to cart something along? Add four bottles of a fantastic Italian white wine (skip the Pinot Grigio and go for Sylvaner, Kerner, Grechetto or Falanghina) and four bottles of a great red like a Brunello di Montalcino. Pop into an artisanal cheese shop and get Humbolt Fog from California, any great quality Manchego or Istara from Spain, Brillat-Savarin from France or anything your cheese purveyor recommends.

Serve dessert with an array of beverage choices: decaf or regular coffee; an interesting tea, like Rooibos; yummy, really cold Moscato di’Asti in your best flutes.

As for décor and serving, if you don’t have glassware, buy wine and water glasses at the 99-cent store. It is not only acceptable to have glasses that don’t match: it’s fantastic. For napkins, buy two yards of fabric, cut them into squares with a child’s ragged-edge safety scissor, roll and tie with ribbons, also from the 99-cent store. Borrow plates if you don’t have enough. Don’t have a centerpiece? Break off fantastic tree branches from your yard (or a neighbor’s), spray with gold spray paint and wrap them in twinkle lights. Buy multi-colored gourds and place in a large bowl. Remember, for entertaining and economy, imagination rules. Sip Piña Coladas, listen to Hawaiian music and pretend you’re on the Big Island. Eat Italian food, put on a CD of whooshing water and pretend you’re on a gondola (but be prepared for the side effects).

There you have it, a menu fit for even my fantasy dinner party guests of Winston Churchill, Lincoln, Mata Hari, Ghandi, Orson Welles and Ingrid Bergman. Hey, it’s my fantasy party.  Who would you invite to yours? Make your fantasy party a bit more real this year by shopping smart for great ingredients and making some magic in the kitchen while you party on a dime.

*

[Allison Robbins is a writer based in Santa Monica and owns Allison Robbins Wines, custom-designed wine tastings and wine distribution.]

– photos by Deborah Alexander, food styling by Sasha Emerson