By Juan C. Ayllon We spend countless hours researching, auditioning, purchasing, listening, tweaking and upgrading components and speakers in search of sonic nirvana -- and when it hits, we want to share it with others, and so we have a listening party. Now, if you are like me, you enjoy hosting with a little panache, but don’t like a big fuss or expense. With the high costs of living -- and audio -- these days, it just makes sense to economize. No matter how great the acoustics, equipment and music sources, at some point, people need refreshment. While you can always order out pizza, takeout Chinese or Mexican, these costs can add up quickly. However, with a little creativity, you can provide first rate vittles and entertainment without breaking the bank. Chipping In A favorite approach I’ve maintained is providing inexpensive tapas or a main dish, chips, dip and soda – and maybe a bottle of wine or two – while asking guests to bring their own drinks and an appetizer to pass. The wine can be as inexpensive as “Two Buck Chuck” – Charles Shaw wines that sell for three or four dollars at Trader Joes or Whole Foods, for example, and if you’re feeling self conscious about the label, pour a couple of reds into a wine decanter and toss the bottle. And if you’re wanting something better, there are lots of quality wines selling around the nine, 10, 15 and 20 dollar range. I often pick up a couple merlots and a sauvignon blanc or two for the white wine drinkers. Easy Does It There are, of course, the usual, effortless options, such as:
Do It Yourself This is by far my favorite option. Cooking can be fun and entertaining in its own right -- especially when you prepare a part of the meal while others are present, giving it a more intimate feel. Whether it conjures watching a chef work or images of your mother cooking at home, it enhances your event. And certainly, it is pleasurable watching guests really enjoy your sumptuous creations. What’s more, three are are scads of easy recipes available that are fairly easy to execute. What follows are several favorites of mine. Pizza, Pizza I wowed my wife and stepchildren with this culinary delight early in our courtship, but this staple in my party food repertoire is so incredibly easy to make! You purchase several Boboli pizza crusts at your grocer, along with portobello mushrooms, tomato, fresh basil, garlic powder (alternatively, you can get several cloves of garlic to fine chop), several bags of mozzarella cheese, virgin olive oil and a canister of parmesan cheese (alternatively, you can use real parmesan cheese). Coat the Boboli pizza crusts with olive oil on both sides. Chop the portobello mushrooms lengthwise in quarter inch slices -- and this is important -- put them in a bowl, drizzle olive oil over them, sprinkle salt and garlic powder (or fine chopped garlic) and mix them thoroughly. Set aside. Slice the tomatoes. Rinse and chop the basil leaves into smaller pieces. Placing a Boboli crust on a cooking sheet, sprinkle liberally with mozzarella cheese, place a dozen or so pieces of basil atop the cheese, then add a sprinkling of mozzarella cheese, add tomato slices, more chopped basil and portobello slices, making sure to arrange them evenly around the surface. Liberally sprinkle parmesan cheese (or a dusting of the canister parmesan) on top, along with a pinch or two of garlic powder (or a dusting of fine chopped garlic). Repeat the process with the other Boboli crusts. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees, place the pizza (s) on the top racks, and cook for roughly 10 minutes, checking periodically. A light browning of the cheese on the edges is fine. Remove and make thin wedges to serve. Chicken Me Tender Wielding a meat tenderizing hammer, pound several chicken breasts thin. Cut into strips. Dip them in a bowl of raw, whisked egg (several eggs will do), dip in a bowl of white flour, coating each side and place in a hot pan over a medium high flame, filled with a quarter inch layer of vegetable oil. Cook for several minutes on each side, sprinkling salt, pepper and a pinch of garlic powder on it and make sure it’s cooked well. It should be a golden brown when finished. Blot dry with paper towel to remove excess oil and place on a serving tray and cover to keep warm. It can be served as is or with Louisiana Hot Sauce, buffalo wings sauce and ranch dressing on the side. An alternative version would have you brown the chicken with four to six tablespoons of olive oil or butter, then saute the strips in one cup of dry, white wine (an inexpensive chardonnay or sauvignon blanc would be perfect). That’s a Crock Third, pulled pork carnitas cooked in a crock pot is both incredibly easy and scrumptious. It was a huge hit when my wife and I hosted a Mexican themed party for the Pay Per View “Triple G” vs. Canelo boxing championship in conjunction with a special listening session with a pair of exotic horn speakers I was demoing at the time. The carnitas, ensconced alongside chicken and ground beef in a three trayed heating table that served as a taco bar, were hugely popular! Rice, beans, chips and Mexican beers rounded out a sumptuous, but simple spread. You can read the recipe here. For best tasting tortillas, using tongs, drag them over a medium flame on your stove top, turning and flipping them over until they start to blister. Don’t Hold the Mayo Fourth -- and this is a tad more expensive -- there’s chopped grilled steak atop baguette with chipotle mayonnaise (he recipe for the mayo is right here). Dollop the chipotle mayo in a decorative bowl. Set the oven at 350 degrees F, slice a baguette into half-inch sections, drizzle olive oil and a pinch of garlic powder on each piece, set them on a baking tray and heat them for about five minutes -- or until they’re toasted. Several pounds of just about any cut of steak will do, so you can buy whatever is most economical. Pound chopped fresh garlic, a generous coating of sea salt, pepper, smear olive oil on both sides, and grill to medium rare. After cooking, chop it up into quarter-inch thick slices and place it on a decorative serving plate with a serving fork for guests to help themselves. Plate several toasted baguette topped with steak and a dollop of chipotle mayo and your guests will get the idea. Resources, Resources! I collect great recipe ideas online and am currently on an email list for cooking recipes from the New York Times (see: https://cooking.nytimes.com/search) One tasty example is Zahav’s Hummus (click here). There are lots of other outstanding recipes out there. Theme It Up If you want to spruce things up, organizing your listening party with a specific theme can be a lot of fun for audiophile and significant others alike. Several examples come to mind. First, a coffee house theme works well and is easy on the pocketbook. Provide regular and decaffeinated coffee, creamer, sugar and artificial sweeteners, biscotti and or pastries. And if you want to step it up, you can also add a small assortment of flavoring syrups and an espresso maker. Second, a simple wine tasting party, where guests dress up bring a bottle or two of wine. You, as the host, provide several bottles or merlot and sauvignon blanc and/or chardonnay, of course, along with cubed cheeses speared with toothpicks, as well as other simple hors d’oeuvres. If you want, serve several wines at a time, covering the bottles with bags and have guests try and guess which wine they are sampling. After a happy hour, the audiophiles may adjourn to the listening room, taking breaks to mingle as needed. Third, a James Bond party, where people dress up as if they were cast in Monaco casino in a 007 movie. Tuxedos, jacket and tie, evening dresses work wonders. Play a Bond movie marathon on TVs set on mute, serve hors d’oeuvres and a few good drinks -- shaken, not stirred, of course! Play a variety of music, making sure to mix in some upbeat music. And, of course, you can create multi-purpose parties. As I mentioned earlier, in September, we hosted a Pay Per View boxing event party with a special horn speaker listening session downstairs. This eclectic pairing made for a great social night of entertainment and listening. Lights, Cameras, Music! With their gastronomic needs assuaged, your guests will be fueled up for an extended power listening session. Drop the needle (or press play), adjust the volume, have a seat and enjoy the wall of music that envelops you. Just make sure to let guests have their turn sitting in the sweet spot chair and make a few song selections. Bon Appetit!
2 Comments
Dan Starr
2/14/2018 05:33:00 pm
Juan, this is a great idea! Some little time after reading this a friend sent me this link and it seems apropos to share with you.
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2/15/2018 03:56:39 am
Thanks, Dan! I appreciate your kind comments. I will have to check out that link.
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