In an attempt to accelerate our progress on this project and reawaken our entertaining skills, which had atrophied a bit during Covid, we threw three dinner parties this summer featuring recipes from the cookbook – mostly from the Drinks/Cocktail, Hors DoOeuvres/Snacks/Small Dishes, and Frozen Desserts chapters, with a few forays into other sections of the book. We were thrilled that so many of our friends and family were willing to participate in our experiment. We asked our guests to help us rate the recipes, which they did – enthusiastically. We had a great time, cooked some fun recipes, and got to see lots of our favorite people. If you’d like to see the menus for each dinner, you can check them out here. You will see all of the party recipes listed below along with the other dishes we made between June and early December. In keeping with the format we have been using all along, recipes are listed in the order in which we made them.
#174 The Bone, 2002 (p. 33) This was the more popular of the 2 DIY cocktails we served at the first summer party. It also has my favorite cocktail name ever. Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#175 The Vesper, 2002 (p. 32) This was the less-loved, but more-discussed DIY cocktail at the first party. Reviews were mixed. All agreed that it’s mighty strong. Some creative types improved it by adding lime selzer. Rating: 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
#176 Stuffed Hard-Cooked Eggs, 1957 (p. 56) These were perfectly fine, if a little bland. The anchovy was polarizing as anchovies often are. Rating: 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
#177 Ginger Pork Balls with Pineapple Dipping Sauce, 1972 (p. 60) This was overwhelmingly the most popular dish at the first dinner party. That’s a good thing because it was a pain to make – messy and time-consuming, but apparently worth it. The recipe makes a lot, but there was not one meatball left at the end of the night. Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#178 Julia Harrison Adams’s Pimento Cheese Spread, 1979 (p. 65) If you (like me) are a lover of 1970s-era cheese spreads, then you will love this stuff. Guests rated it as a “solid spread” I enjoyed the (very small amount of) leftovers as a sandwich spread the next day. Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#179 Guacamole Tostadas, 1985 (p. 68) This is an overly-complicated version of a layered Tex-Mex dip. It was not bad, but also not great. Also, the proportions seemed off - way less guacamole than I would prefer. Rating: 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
#180 Hot Cheese Olives, 2003 (p. 82) These take some time and patience to prepare, but they are delicious and were very popular. A couple of our guests confessed to becoming “obsessed” with them. I have been asked to bring them to at least 2 subsequent parties. Some suggested variations include using spicier cheese (to make them hot in flavor as well as temperature) and using different varieties of olives. Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#181 Olive Oil-Tuna Spread with Lemon and Oregano, 2008 (p. 94) Personally, I love this stuff. It is not your typical tuna salad, which may be off-putting to some. It makes a lovely lunch dish or party appetizer. While not everyone was impressed, it disappeared quickly and I have been asked for the recipe several times. Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#182 Buttery French TV Snacks (Croq-Télé) 2008 (p. 757) This cookbook features many recipes for small, crumbly cookies. These were not our favorites. While a few of our guests enjoyed them, most agreed they were not the stars of the show. Rating: 2/5 ⭐️⭐️
#183 Blueberry Ice Cream, 1988 (p. 778) This was lovely – very easy to make and very popular. It’s even better mixed half-and-half with Sour Cream Ice Cream (page 782). Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#184 Sour Cream Ice Cream, 2005 (p. 782) This had a great flavor, but a very hard texture. Before freezing, mix it half and half with the Blueberry Ice Cream (page 778) for a real treat. Rating: 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
#185 Strawberry Sorbet, 2006 (p. 783) This was very refreshing and tasty. The pieces of lemon were a bit off-putting. 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
#186 Almond and Buttermilk Sorbet, 2007 (p. 785) The surprise favorite dessert of our first party. It was flavorful, refreshing and not too sweet. The almond and sugar topping was great and has potential beyond this recipe. Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#187 Lorane Schiff’s Pesto Genovese, 1969 (p. 321) This pesto has an excellent balanced flavor and is a breeze to make. It’s our new go-to pesto recipe! Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#188 Coconut Barley Pilaf with Corn, Chicken and Cashews, 2009 (p. 366) This was a delightful surprise! Delicious, fresh and satisfying, it made a great light summer supper. Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#189 Haricots Verts with Balsamic Vinaigrette, 1987 (p. 232) A quick, tasty weeknight side dish that pleased the whole family, including our resident bean-hater. We used the leftover dressing on salad, which was lovely. Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#190 Vodka Tonic with Mint, 1996 (p. 27) Our DIY testers liked this one, particularly the combination of mint and red pepper. Rating: 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
#191 Makrut Lime Lemonade, 1995 (p. 26) Refreshing and fun to make, we served it as a DIY cocktail, so there was considerable variation in how people chose to mix the lemonade, club soda, and vodka. Overall, it was a hit and we can think of lots of other yummy uses for the lime-leaf syrup. Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#192 Pâté Watch Hill Farm (p. 53) Even some who were put off by the idea of liver pâté enjoyed this very accessible version. The texture was very smooth and the flavor mild, but interesting. It went well with Sophie’s sourdough bread and crisp rye crackers as well as celery sticks. Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#193 Grilled Onion Guacamole, 1993 (p. 71) Like the author, I am skeptical of recipes that take a perfectly good dish and propose all sorts of additions and variations. In fact, when I was preparing this, I wondered if the extra effort would be worth it – It was. Our guests gave this recipe a solid 5 and the comments convinced me to make it part of my regular apps rotation. Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#194 Sweet-and-Spicy Pepper Stew, 2000 (p. 248) Good as a light summer stew and even better the next day mixed with pasta. I will make this every summer. Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#195 Onion Rings, 1976 (p. 62) This deceptively-named dish drew mixed reviews. Basically onions on white bread with mayo, it has its charms, but was not for everyone. Rating: 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
#196 Fried Chickpeas, 2005 (p. 86) I was disappointed in these, expecting them to be crispier and to hold up better. Guests were kind and focused on the flavor, which was good. I am taking off a star for texture, which was not. Rating: 2/5 ⭐️⭐️
#197 Potato, Ham and Piquillo Pepper Croquetas, (p. 93) The work-to-flavor ratio did not measure up for these. They looked great, but were ultimately (in the words of one guest) “underwhelming”. Rating: 2/5 ⭐️⭐️
#198 Asparagus Salad, 1882 (p. 216) The homemade mayo was a nice accompaniment to the asparagus. I cheated and used my mixer. Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#199 Cherry and Coconut Brown Betty, 1910 (p. 864) This easy-to-make dessert disappeared very quickly. The only challenge was pitting the cherries! Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#200 Fresh Blueberry Buckle, 1967 (p. 872) This was tasty and simple to make. The flavor was summery and conforting, but the texture was a bit dry. Next time I will remove it from the oven sooner. Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#201 Tea Ice Cream (A Massachusetts Receipt), 1878 (p. 769) This stuff was amazing! I’m not sure what we were expecting, but this was a fantastic surprise. A perfect accompaniment to Blueberry Buckle, Cherry Coconut Brown Betty or pretty much any baked fruit dessert. Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#202 Peach Bowl , 1948 (p. 20) This “punch” consists of naked peaches soaked in wine. Our guests agreed that it was more wine than peaches. Overall, it did not meet expectations. Rating: 2/5 ⭐️⭐️
#203 Patsy’s Bourbon Slush, 2000 (p. 31) This was a revelation and by far the best cocktail recipe we tried this summer. It was popular among those who don’t always love bourbon as well as those who always do. Going forward, we will be keeping a container of this in the freezer all summer! Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#204 Salted and Deviled Almonds, 1897 (p. 51) These had a good flavor, but a strangely slippery texture. The recipe makes more than I expected. Rating: 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
#205 Avocado Sandowsky, 1948 (p. 54) This was perhaps the most polarizing dish we served this summer. Interestingly, it was more popular among those who claimed to dislike avocados. Some found it bland. Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#206 Nicole Kaplan’s Gougères, 2001 (p. 75) I don’t know who you are/were, Nicole Kaplan, but you changed my life! These little gems are at once airy, cheesy, and just the right combination of crispy and soft. I normally avoid anything that requires the use of a pastry bag. This is a notable exception. I made these a day ahead and froze them, with excellent results. Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#207 Cheese Ball with Cumin, Mint and Pistachios, 2003 (p. 84) With surprising flavors and an intriguing appearance, this was a guest favorite and was completely devoured. Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#208 Seasoned Olives, 2007 (p. 89) This is a perfect example of a recipe I would not have made were it not for this project. “Why”, my old self would wonder, “should I mess around with perfectly good olives?” I found the answer to that question on August 17, when this was the highest-rated appetizer at the party. I have made it subsequently and gotten rave reviews every time – even from self-described olive-haters. Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#209 Potted Salmon, 1880 (p. 408) This was a weird one. The texture was fine and it was fairly straghtforward to prepare, but we found that 21st-century folks were thrown for a loop by the taste of mace. I would try this again with different seasonings. Rating: 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
#210 Couscous Salad, 1988 (p. 330) I was very excited about making this, but it did not live up to my expectations. There were so many different flavors, but they kind of cancelled each other out. It makes alot – way more than 16 servings. Rating: 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
#211 Tomato, Fig, Goat Cheese, Basil, and Olive Salad with Balsamic Vinaigrette, 2002 (p. 195) Delicious and beautiful. What will really stick with me is the technique of dressing the greens separaely from the other ingredients and then serving the whole thing on a platter – genius! Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#212 Leeks Vinaigrette, 1960 (p. 219) This was pretty complicated to make and was not a crowd-pleaser. Maybe a small-plates dinner was not the best place to roll this out. Rating: 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
#213 Canestrelli (Shortbread from Ovada), 1989 (p. 739) Best cookie yet! Crispy and buttery with a great balance between sweet and salty and a beautiful texture. Just delicious! Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#214 Red Wine Ice Cream, 2004 (p. 781) As I was making this, I knew it was either going to be great or kind of awful. Sadly, it was not great. Rating: 2/5 ⭐️⭐️
#215 Kosher Pickles the Right Way, 1995 (p. 637) Even our resident pickle-lovers declared these dreadful. Not sure what went wrong… Rating: 0/5
#216 Last-of-the-Summer Pesto, 2007 (p. 643) A solid, fresh-tasting pesto. Rating: 4/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#217 Eggs Suffragette, 1909 (p. 52) These were OK, but just OK. 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
#218 Crunchy Noodle Kugel Á la Great-Aunt Martha, 2007 (p. 917) We didn’t love the flavors of this kugel, but I will definitely borrow the technique. I am a big fan of the crunchy bits of the kugel and not so much of the spongy middle. No spongy middle here – Just the good parts! I will be riffing on this method in the future. Rating: 3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
#219 Dijon And Cognac Beef Stew, 2001 (p. 578) I made this 2 days ahead for a dinner party and it was absolutely wonderful. I reheated it at 250° for 1 hour and served it over egg noodles. It could not have been better! Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#220 Pistachio Gelato, 2005 (p. 782) This recipe exceeded expectations. The flavor and texture were excellent! Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#221 Cherry Spumoni, 2006 (p. 784) This exceptionally clearly-written recipe produced a marvelously flavorful ice cream with superb texture. We used mini chocolate chips and slivered almonds. So. Good. Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
#222 Cranberry Pistachio Biscotti, 1995 (p. 741) This was my first time making biscotti, but it won’t be my last. These were delicious and crispy without breaking your teeth. I used roasted, unsalted pistachios. In my oven, the first bake took 29 minutes and the second bake 11 minutes. Rating: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Rehfwitz Recipes 