Nobody gets in to see The Wizard. No nobody. Not no how!

 

“Nobody gets in to see The Wizard. No nobody. Not no how!”

Noel Langley, The Wizard of Oz

 

That quote hangs in my kitchen, and it has hung in the offices and kitchens I’ve worked in most of my career. No, it is not because I consider myself to be a wizard. To me the quote sums up my philosophy on cooking and entertaining – whether in a restaurant or catering…or in my home.

The Wizard in The Wizard of Oz was an old carnival hack who used a mechanical construct to create the illusion of an “all powerful wizard” capable of making any wish a reality…if you could just get an audience. The reality was a portly old guy behind a curtain, pulling levers that caused smoke and noise; and speaking into a microphone that amplified his voice into a thunderous persona. You could believe in The Wizard…unless you saw behind the curtain. That’s hospitality.

Magic has to be spontaneous to be magical. But any good magician knows that creating that spontaneous “magic” takes lots of practice and preparation.

Cooking is magic when you’re practiced and prepared.

Many years ago, working as a chef on yachts I learned the necessity of being prepared in environment where you had to rely on what you had on hand, no matter what curve ball was thrown into your perfect planning. And, I learned that being practiced gave me confidence to keep from “getting stuck” in seemingly impossible situations. Lessons that served me very well throughout my career, and my life.

We were in the Virgin Islands with the owner and guests aboard, and I had been doing eighteen hour days baking and cooking for what seemed like non-stop eating fests. Harry, the owner stopped in to the galley as I was preparing my Danish dough for the following days. “Robb, everything has been amazing, but you must be exhausted. We’re gonna go ashore today, and we’ll be eating lunch and dinner on the island, so you can take the day off.” Sounded great. My “day off” would be prepping so I could get ahead for the next week of cruising. I needed to take inventory and try to resupply as I could. I needed to prep desserts that often take more time than I had in a given day, and to make some stock for my sauces.

At five o’clock the captain came in to say Harry was on the phone and wanted to talk to me. “Change of plans,” Harry said. He sounded in good spirits and I’d guessed he’s been imbibing those spirits for most of the day. “I just met up with a couple old friends. We’re coming back to the boat. I’d like to do cocktails and then dinner for the eight of us. Is that possible?” Harry was polite. He asked it as if it was a question. It was not. “Of course, sir. It’s five o’clock now. When will you be back?” “We’re getting a cab now. Be there in about twenty. Is that okay?” Again it was posed as a polite question. “See you in twenty.”

Hors d’oeuvre, dinner and dessert for eight, starting in twenty minutes. This is how I learned to channel The Wizard.

Over the years I have learned what we now call “hacks” – go-to ideas and methods that made seemingly impossible things possible. My refrigerator and pantry are always stocked with enough of the things I need to pull of impromptu cocktail parties and dinners, or to expand a dinner for eight into a dinner for twenty. Following are a few recipes and ideas for cocktail apps and hors d’ Oeuvre:

 

Some things to keep around:

 

Frozen French Bread

A few good cheeses – at least one soft, one hard, one pungent (Brie, Aged Cheddar or Gouda, Bleu)

Olives

A small assortment of good Crackers

Pita Bread (or Pita Chips)

Frozen Shrimp

Roasted Garlic

Cream Cheese (or Mascarpone Cheese)

Prosciutto

Bacon

Mayo

A good mustard (or a few: Dijon, coarse grain, spicy…)

Pepperoni, Chorizo, Linguica

Frozen Tortellini

Nuts

Jarred Roasted Red Peppers

Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto or Paste

Fig Spread

Balsamic Glaze

Flour Tortillas

Shredded Mozzarella

Hot sauce (Tabasco or any)

A few quick “throw togethers”:

 

Roasted Red Pepper Sun-Dried Tomato Dip with Herb Toasted Pita Chips

 INGREDIENTS:

1 pkg. Pita Bread

Olive Oil (best if you have a spray bottle – so helpful for a lot of recipes and in  reducing fat

8 ounces Cream Cheese (or Marcarpone) – at room temp

2 – 3 ounces Sun-Dried Tomato Spread or Pesto (can use julienned sun-dried tomatoes)

Roasted Red Pepper – half a medium sized pepper, or about half a small jar

Tabasco (or any hot sauce)

Worcestershire Sauce

Granulated  or Garlic Powder – to taste

Any dry herb

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Cut the pita into triangles the size of Dorito Chips and separate them into single ply. Lay them out on a baking sheet and spray them with olive oil (or put in a bowl and sprinkle olive oil to coat them). Sprinkle with Granulated Garlic and herb of choice. Bake for 15 – 20 minutes til browned.

While pita are in the oven, place cream cheese, sun-dried tomato and roasted red pepper in the barrel of a food processor. Add ½ tsp granulated garlic, a dash of Worcestershire and Tobasco. Pulse til combined and creamy. Garnish with any herb or sprinkle with paprika or cayenne.

 

Shrimp Quesadilla (can use lobster or chicken as well)

INGREDIENTS:

Tortilla Shells – each one will make eight triangular servings

Medium Sized Shrimp (can used quick peel or pre-cooked) – each large tortilla will require 8 – 12 shrimp

Mascarpone (or Cream Cheese)

Shredded Mozzarella

Olive Oil to coat

Dried Thyme or Parsley

½ cup Mayo

1 teaspoon Sun-dried Tomato Pesto or Paste

Tabasco or any hot sauce

Worcestershire Sauce

Granulated Garlic

INSTRUCTIONS:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Boil shrimp as if for shrimp cocktail, or used pre-cooked shrimp. Once cooked cut into small pieces. Spread Mascarpone or Cream Cheese on tortilla. Place shrimp over top, then sprinkle with shredded mozzarella. Place another tortilla on top and spray or brush with olive oil, then sprinkle thyme or parsley. Bake for 10 – 15 minutes to melt cheese and slightly brown tortilla. Cut into eights. While quesadillas are baking place mayo and sun-dried tomato paste in bowl, add a dash of Tabasco and Worcestershire and granulated garlic to taste. Stir together and place in small bowl for dip.