The Peak of Chic

Every so often at Cafe Drake we feel compelled to share a tome so essential to your life that it cannot be held a secret any longer (even if it means sharing many of our entertaining secrets - who loves ya baby? Cafe Drake!) Dorothy Rodgers (wife of composer Richard Rogers of Rodgers & Hart ultra-fame) penned one thick volume devoted to style, decorating and primarily dinner parties - My Favorite Things (Atheneum Publishers, 1964). Like almost every important work sadly the book is long out-of-print, but copies can be picked up on various websites and your better used bookstores.

Just as well perhaps because honestly most of the kids today couldn't handle Ms. Rogers' prescriptions for fierce domestic gatherings, from measurements of tablecloths' length to the floor to arrangement of canapes and strict orders that the cocktail hour preceding dinner should be at least 90 minutes! Invaluable menu advice comprises half the book, with experimental combinations that would scandalize even the most avant-garde host/ess.

Below we've adapted two of our favorite starter recipes from this glorious printed treasure, made easier for the contemporary cook without Rodgers' excess of leisure time. More will follow here at Cafe Drake once we've test-driven these lower maintenance versions. Fancy? Yes. Perfect for a weeknight dinner for you and a BFF? Assuredly.

CLAM VICHYSSOISE

Cafe Drake whipped this chilled soup up the night before a Wednesday dinner and found the flavors mingled superbly. Perfection on a muggy August evening poured into shallow bowls given the freezer treatment for at least an hour.

4 leeks (largest you can find, washed of all grit and sliced finely) / 1 onion, chopped / 4 small potatoes, peeled and sliced thin / 1 1/2 cups chicken or veggie stock / salt and pepper / 3 cups clam juice (buy 2 of the 12-oz jars) / 2 cups half-and-half (go ahead and use cream if you're skinny) / parsley, chopped (about 1/3 cup for 8 servings)

1. Put leeks, onion and potatoes in a large saucepan with stock of your choice (we like chicken for a true vichyssoise flavor but you can easily tailor to vegetarian guests with success). Add salt and pepper and simmer until veggies are quite soft.


2. Add clam juice, cook at a boil for a couple of minutes or so then take off heat and cool slightly.


3. Puree in a blender until very, very smooth. You may need to push through a wire mesh strainer or food mill but hopefully not.


4. Cool completely then refrigerate for at least 6 hours. Leave overnight and have the easiest first course in dinner party history!


5. Before serving, thin with half-and-half. Use less if you prefer a thicker consistency but ideally it should be quite thin and light.


6. Serve in ice-cold soup bowls or cups and dust each with chopped parsley.

BEET AND BUTTERMILK SOUP

Don't let the name scare you off unless you loathe beets. As for the fermented dairy ingredient, like ranch dressing, it mellows beautifully in this preparation. FYI for those unfamiliar with beets, the peeling process after proper cooking takes a minute at most.

1 1/2 lbs beets (boiled, steamed, roasted until tender - your preference - but then peeled with your fingers under running water) / 1 quart buttermilk / salt and black pepper / 3 T. fresh cut chives (you cannot leave these out)

1. Place soft cooked beets in blender and puree. If needed add a tablespoon or two of stock to ease the process.


2. Place in large bowl and add buttermilk. Stir well and season with salt and pepper.


3. Place in fridge for 2-3 hours.


4. Serve in chilled bowls with a sprinkling of chives on top. Also lovely are fresh croutons or crostini passed at the table.