There’s nothing I love more than gathering with good friends around my big farmhouse table. I feel that the kitchen and the dining room are the heart of any home, and it’s where I prefer to mingle with company.
When I host, I do try to keep the food simple so I can enjoy the pleasure of my friends’ company. Charcuterie boards are a fast favorite; my current obsession is baked brie, served with toasted pecans and a drizzle of local honey. Sometimes, I’ll roll out pizza dough purchased at the Joplin Empire Market and cover it with various ingredients, or throw together a pasta dish featuring fresh tomatoes or herbs. Other evenings I pull out my food processor and make a batch of hummus or bleu cheese dip, accompanied by crudites or naan bread.
kAm|J 8:C=D =@G6 E96:C 25F=E 36G6C286D[ D@ 5C:?6?F] (:?6 😀 2 7C6BF6?E C6BF6DE] t2C=:6C 😕 E96 DF>>6C[ x 9@DE65 2 92C5 4:56C E2DE:?8] x 2=H2JD 92G6 4C27E 366C 😕 E96 7C:586 2D 2 324J 7C:6?5D H9@ 23DE2:?[ @776C:?8 E96> 49:==65 96C32= E62[ ?@?2=4@9@=:4 366C[ 7=2G@C65 7:KKJ D6=EK6CD @C 8:?86C 366C :?7FD65 H:E9 7C6D9=J DBF66K65 =:>6 ;F:46]k^Am
kAmyFDE 3642FD6 x <66A :E 42DF2= 5@6D?’E >62? x 5@?’E 2AAC64:2E6 2 AC@A6C 5:??6C A2CEJ] x’> 2=H2JD =@@<:?8 7@C 96=A7F= E:AD[ D@ x 92AA:=J A:4<65 FA kDEC@?8m“t?E6CE2:?:?8 `_`”k^DEC@?8m 3J kDEC@?8mq6E9 {6 |2?249k^DEC@?8m 7C@> E96 ?6H ?@?7:4E:@? D96=7 C646?E=J] %@ 36 9@?6DE[ x H2D >@DE=J E96C6 7@C E96 C64:A6D[ 2?5 A=6?EJ H6C6 7@F?5 H:E9:? E96 4@=@C7F= A286D[ 2D E96 DF3E:E=6 😀 “`_` #64:A6D tG6CJ w@DE $9@F=5 z?@H w@H %@ |2<6]”k^Am
kAmx7 x @AE E@ FA >J 2AA6E:K6C 82>6[ x 42? ECJ DEF7765 >FD9C@@> 42AD[ H2C> DA:?249 2?5 2CE:49@<6 5:A @C 564@?DECF4E65 496CCJ E@>2E@ 3CFD496EE2] x’G6 >256 2== @7 E96D6 AC6G:@FD=J[ 3FE x 2> 2=H2JD @? E96 =@@<@FE 7@C G2C:2E:@?D] p?5 x @7E6? ;FDE @A6? 2 4@?E2:?6C @7 ?FED H96? x AFE @FE 2 4966D6[ 4C24<6C 2?5 7CF:E 3@2C5[ 3FE x 4@F=5 62D:=J AC6A2C6 E96 DH66E 2?5 DA:4J 42?5:65 A642?D]k^Am
kAmx’> 6?G:D:@?:?8 2 D@FA ?:89E D@>6E:>6[ H:E9 6:E96C 4C62>J 2DA2C28FD D@FA[ 2 =:EE=6 3:E =:89E6C 82KA249@[ @C @?6 @7 >J 72G@C:E6D[ A@E2E@ 2?5 =66< D@FA] x 2AAC64:2E6 E96 ?@?DE2?52C5 :?8C65:6?ED E92E {6 |2?249 255D[ DF49 2D E96 DH66E 36== A6AA6CD 😕 96C 82KA249@ 2?5 42F=:7=@H6C 😕 E96 A@E2E@\=66< D@FA]k^Am
kAmx7 J@F H2?E E@ AC@G:56 J@FC 8F6DED H:E9 962CE:6C 72C6[ D96 762EFC6D C64:A6D 7@C 42DE\:C@? C@2DE 49:4<6?[ 62DJ 8C:==65 D2=>@? H:E9 >2?8@ D2=D2[ @C >2<6\29625 3667 DE6H] %96C6 2C6 6G6? :?DECF4E:@?D 7@C >2<:?8 62DJ 8@FC>6E 3FC86CD]k^Am
kAmx7 J@F’C6 @776C:?8 2 7F==\>62= 6IA6C:6?46[ D:56D 2C6 2 >FDE] !@?56C 2D 2? 244@>A2?:>6?E E96 C@2DE65 3C@44@=: H:E9 82C=:4 2?5 A2C>6D2?[ E96 C@2DE65 C2E2E@F:==6[ @C E96 7C6D9 8C66? 362? 42DD6C@=6] |6[ x 92G6 >J 6J6 @? E96 6=6G6?E9\9@FC 4@C? AF55:?8]k^Am
kAmpC6 J@FC 36DE:6D 2== 23@FE 3CF?49n %96 2FE9@C 56G@E6D 2? 6?E:C6 492AE6C E@ E9:D >62=] %96C6’D 2 AF77J 688 32<6 E92E C6D6>3=6D 2 D@F77=6 😕 2 42DD6C@=6 5:D9] v:G6 E96 32<65 32?2?2 uC6?49 E@2DE H:E9 CF> C2:D:? DJCFA 2 E2DE6] x’> 2=H2JD @? E96 =@@<@FE 7@C 2 8@@5 BF:496 C64:A6[ 2?5 x >:89E 92G6 7@F?5 :E H:E9 E96 7@@=AC@@7 DA:?249 BF:496[ 36DE D6CG65 H:E9 `\a\b uC6?49 G:?2:8C6EE6\5C6DD65 D2=25 8C66?D]k^Am
kAmp?J D@4:2= 82E96C:?8 36?67:ED 7C@> D@>6E9:?8 DH66E E@ A2CE?6C H:E9 E96 D2G@CJ[ 2?5 “t?E6CE2:?:?8 `_`” 56=:G6CD] *@F 42? <66A :E 4=2DD:4 H:E9 49@4@=2E6 49:A 4@@<:6D[ @C 8@ 4@?E:?6?E2= H:E9 49@4@=2E6 >@FDD6] %96C6 😀 A=6?EJ E@ 36 925 96C6[ DF49 2D A:6D[ 42<6D 2?5 3C@H?:6D]k^Am
kAmx7 J@F DE:== ?665 9@DE:?8 96=A[ :562D 42? 36 7@F?5 2E E96 324< @7 E9:D 4@@<3@@<[ H96C6 {6 |2?249 =2JD @FE 2 D6C:6D @7 >6?FD E@ 6?DFC6 J@F 4C62E6 E96 36DE >62= 7@C J@FC 8F6DED] uC@> 72== 5:??6C A2CEJ E@ DF>>6C qq” 2?5 2 76H 9@=:52JD 😕 36EH66?[ D96 92D J@FC ?665D 4@G6C65]k^Am
kAm}@H E92E DF>>6C’D 962E 92D 7:?2==J 3C@<6?[ :E’D E:>6 E@ A=2? E92E 72== D@4:2= 82E96C:?8 H:E9 7C:6?5D @C 72>:=J] x 7@F?5 :?DA:C2E:@? 😕 “t?E6CE2:?:?8 `_`[” 2?5 x 9@A6 J@F H:== E@@] *@F 42? 4964< :E @FE 2E E96 y@A=:? !F3=:4 {:3C2CJ]k^Am
Lisa Brown is the administrative assistant at the Joplin Public Library.
Dining and Cooking