Angelina M. Lopez

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Contemporary Romance Author, Hyperromantic

Angelina M. Lopez 10/17/14 Angelina M. Lopez 10/17/14

How to Throw a Comfort Food Dinner Party

Fall is an ideal time to prepare comfort food, the fatty, buttery, bacony dishes our moms made that now occupy the menu of every hip restaurant in the country. While I champion taking your time with this Comfort Food dinner party, I also offers ways you can shave a little time off the top. I'm not responsible for what happens to your waist.

In the spring and summer, I advocate easy entertaining. Throw a six pack in the cooler, some chicken and zucchini on the grill and you're good to go. But the advent of fall beckons us indoors. Lures us into sweaters and snuggling into the couch and eating foods that are oh-so-bad for us. So I find myself wanting to take my time with a fall dinner party. I want to create a setting that makes my friends want to linger; cook foods that will compel us to stick around the dinner table while we digest.

Fall, then, is an ideal time to prepare comfort food, the fatty, buttery, bacony dishes our moms made that now occupy the menu of every hip restaurant in the country. While I champion taking your time with this Comfort Food dinner party, I also offers ways you can shave a little time off the top. I'm not responsible for what happens to your waist.

1. Prep and planning

Apron by Dr. McNinja creator, Christopher Hastings

Fall is a good time to begin using the dining table again, so limit your invite list to the number of people you can fit around it. Sending everyone an email is fine. Do your grocery shopping the day before the party. Try to reserve party day for just decorating and food cooking. Sounds extravagant? Trust me, if one partner can be responsible for driving kids to baseball, walking the dog and grabbing lunch, and the other partner can get Zen with the party duties, both partners will be less flustered when guests start knocking at the door.

Time-saving tool: Peapod. I let this grocery delivery service deliver the bulk of my groceries and then head to a specialty market for items like fresh-baked desserts or stand-out salad fixings.

2. Decorating

I used to go overboard decorating for dinner parties, but now I have three secret weapons: Candles, flowers and white plates. White plates create a clean canvas for all that delicious food. Candles can be used in the middle of the table (judiciously so they don't get in the way of food passing or conversation) and in the living room. And inexpensive grocery store flowers in appropriate fall colors add a touch of pizzazz. I know it doesn't sound like much, but taking your time setting up these three details before guests arrive will enhance the sense that it's a special night at your house.

Time-saving tool: Placemats are an inexpensive and quick way to add flair to your table. The ones I use are from Ikea and cost $3. I also have them in black and silver.

3. Menu

Cocktails

Appetizers

Main Course

Dessert

What are your favorite Comfort Foods? Let me know in the comments below or on my Facebook page. I'd love to add to my Comfort Foods menu.

Angelina M. Lopez 10/14/14 Angelina M. Lopez 10/14/14

The Best Appetizer You Will Ever Eat

Yes, I said it. The Potatoskinadilla is the best appetizer you will ever eat. Bold words, I know. But I swear to you, after you eat the cheesy, bacony, crisp tortilla-y goodness of a Potatoskinadilla, all other appetizers will pale in comparison.

My husband and I discovered this incredible concoction -- all the goodness of a potato skin in a quesadilla -- at our favorite local bar, Dogwood Tavern in Falls Church. We were instant uber-fans of the treat, talking it up to friends, bringing out of town guests to try it, rushing to the bar for a late-night fix before closing time. Something about the combination of creamy mashed potato, earthy potato skin, melted cheese and crisp bacon all wrapped up in a toasted tortilla had us hooked. And we weren't the only ones who thought it was great: our brother-in-law, a restaurateur from Chicago, took the idea back to one of his bars!

So imagine our despair that one late night when we showed up and realized that our beloved Potatoskinadilla was nowhere to be found on the new menus. Noooooooo!!!! While the cook is happy to make it for us whenever they have mashed potatoes on the menu, I decided that I should no longer depend on my local tavern to supply my favorite fix.

A "comfort food" dinner party that I hosted for friends this weekend (check out my blog, "How to Throw a Comfort Food Dinner Party" on Friday) inspired me to figure out the recipe for the perfect Potatoskinadilla. What could be more comforting than mashed potatoes, cheese and bacon in a convenient little pocket? And by George, I think I got it.

Potatoskinadilla

Serving: 1 potatoskinadilla, serves 3-4 people

Ingredients

1 baked potato, medium
2 Tbl butter
Salt
Smoked paprika
3 pieces thick-cut bacon
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese
3 tsp chopped chives
1 tortilla, burrito-sized
guacamole, salsa and sour cream on side

Scrub potato, poke several times with a fork, then bake it in the microwave until tender, 5-7 minutes, turning once. Let potato cool until can handle easily. Cut in half. Scoop out insides leaving 1/4 potato in ONE of the shells. Other shell can be scooped clean and discarded.

Melt butter in microwave. Brush butter on inside and outside of remaining potato skin. Season inside with with salt and smoked paprika. Cook under broiler, skin side up, for about 4 minutes, until skin is crisp. Dice into small pieces.

Add 1 Tbl melted butter to potatoes. Season with salt. Mash with fork.

Cook bacon in microwave one-and-a-half minutes until cooked but not crisp. Dice into small pieces. Finish cooking in small pan until crisp.

Lay out tortilla for assembly. Use a butter knife to spread a thin layer of mashed potato on one half of the tortilla. Do not overdue it! You want the flavor of the mashed potato without the quesadilla becoming too goopy.

Then add cheese, bacon, potato skin pieces and chives.

Fold tortilla. Brush outside of Potatoskinadilla with remaining melted butter. Place in a pan on medium heat. Cook until bottom is a crisp brown. Flip and continue to cook until inside is melted and bottom is brown.

Slice Potatoskinadilla into thin strips. Serve with guacamole, salsa and sour cream. To serve a crowd, triple this recipe and assemble three Potatoskinadillias on a sheet pan. Cook under the broiler.

In-Between Tip: All my thanks and appreciation go to my favorite local bar, Dogwood Tavern, for inventing this deliciousness. While they may not always have the Potatoskinadilla on the menu, they have incredible Honey Siriacha Wings, phenomenal burgers, and killer Mac & Cheese Fritters to keep me happy. Read all about this great bar in my blog: "Dogwood Tavern: Where Everyone Knows Your Name," and check them out at 132 West Broad St., Falls Church, VA, 22046