I don’t know about you, but the last thing I want to do on a bitterly cold, winter night is get dressed up and go out. Instead, I like to throw little get-togethers at my house on the weekends.
Before I had kids, these little parties were a day in the kitchen for me and a day of clean up for my husband. (He has been permanently let off the hook with cooking duties after serving me spaghetti with jalapeños early in our marriage.) By the time our guests came, we were both tired and to be truthful, a bit snippy. Now that I’m older and hopefully a little wiser, I’ve learned how to get some help and make things a lot more fun.
As a general principle, I hate potlucks. They always seem like a hodgepodge of mismatched food and I’m looking for more out of my Saturday night. Instead, let me suggest the “themed potluck.”
My favorite theme is Asian and it works well with about 10-12 people.This theme offers something for avid cooks and kitchen phobes alike. The culinary novices are assigned appetizers—crab rangoon, edamame, potstickers, egg rolls, or sushi—and do not get demerits for bringing them from a restaurant.
The epicures can cook ahead or at my house. Dishes range from mu shu to lo mein, summer rolls to stir fry. Japanese Slippers, Midori Cocktails, and Sake make the evening more festive and fun—don’t forget the umbrellas!
So the next time you are faced with the split second decision of whether to check your coat while your teeth are still chattering, remember you have other options. At my house, guests will leave their boots at the door and spend the night in slippers. It’s important to be authentic after all.
My friend Anna found this recipe in Gourmet magazine, which serves as the basis for my Mu Shu. I add shredded carrots, bean sprouts, water chestnuts and shiitake mushrooms to mine. I like to use Hoisin Garlic by Soy Vay when I can find it.
Gourmet | February 2006
Yield: Makes 4 servings
Active time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Ingredients:
¼ cup peanut or vegetable oil
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
2 teaspoons finely grated peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, finely chopped
¼ teaspoon dried hot red pepper flakes
1 (16-oz) bag coleslaw mix
¼ cup water
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
1 bunch scallions, coarsely chopped
8 (6-inch) flour tortillas (not low-fat)
2½ to 3 cups coarsely shredded cooked chicken, without skin (from a 2-lb. rotisserie chicken)
Accompaniments: hoisin sauce; chopped scallions
Preparation:
Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a 12-inch heavy skillet over high heat until hot but not smoking, then cook eggs, stirring, until just cooked through. Transfer scrambled eggs to a plate. Add remaining 3 tablespoons oil to skillet and heat until hot but not smoking, then cook ginger, garlic, and red pepper flakes, stirring, until garlic is golden, about 1 minute. Add coleslaw mix and 2 tablespoons water and cook, covered, stirring occasionally, until coleslaw is wilted, about 5 minutes.
Stir together soy sauce, sesame oil, remaining 2 tablespoons water, and hoisin sauce in a small bowl. Add to coleslaw mixture along with scallions and eggs and cook, stirring, 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Immediately put tortillas between 2 dampened paper towels on a microwave-safe plate and microwave on high power until tortillas are hot, about 1 minute.
To assemble, spread hoisin on each tortilla and top with mu shu mixture, chicken, and scallions, then roll up.
