shortlist no. 1 / july 17, 2010

In light of the name of this blog, I think it’s only fair that I share my actual shortlists.

Yes, they really do exist. Though, as I’ve said, they’re only half the reason for the name. The other half – the shortlist espresso bar – is right up the road and is also the reason I get out of bed in the morning.

I probably got into the habit of making shortlists from my dad or my uncle (whose classic Thanksgiving shortlist I steal every year). Evidence of a controlling nature? Maybe. But I like to think that these little pieces of paper – which I recycle from husband’s environmentally unfriendly printing habits – keep my mind, and my kitchen, running smoothly.

Basically, a shortlist is the list I write for myself before a dinner party so I don’t forget what I’m making. You have no idea how many times I would have forgotten to put mint in a beet salad or all about that chocolate sauce in the fridge if I hadn’t written it down.

I usually throw away my shortlists during my whirlwind (read: drunk) post-dinner party cleanups.

But not anymore.

From now on, I think they’ll provide a lovely log of what I’ve cooked for dinner parties, how many we’ve had, and how monotonous my dinner party repertoire really is. Maybe they’ll inspire me to change it up a bit. Maybe they’ll inspire you to have a dinner party of your own. And if nothing else? Maybe they’ll inspire you to come over for dinner.

shortlist no. 1

a mid-winter dinner party for 5

kielbasi (which I didn’t end up making)

fresh bread

cheeses with accompaniments

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wilted spinach and Tuscan beans with warm shrimp

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homemade pappardelle with lamb ragù served with pecorino and herbed ricotta

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cherry bread pudding with bourbon sauce and ice cream