Happy New Year and a Few Announcements!

This next Astoria Book and Supper Club meeting will most likely be the last in Astoria folks.  I'll be moving to the East Village early spring, but part of my heart will always be in Astoria, and while the geography will change, this will always be The Astoria Book and Supper Club.  

While wrapping up our last dinner for To Kill a Mockingbird a few months ago, a few of us played with the idea of doing The Princess Bride.  We took a look at my copy that I've had since childhood, and talked about what I would cook, and I decided this would actually be a brilliant, crowd pleasing idea. Everyone loves the movie and the book is very similar: very easy and entertaining reading (which let's face it, we need once and a while) and the menu I brainstormed works!  I started the book club with Game of Thrones, and gave it a fun, medieval theme and so closing with the same kind of theme kind of makes it full circle in my mind.

Presenting: The Princess Bride: The Menu:

Chapter 1:

MLT- Mutton, Lettuce and Tomato

(Hold the Mutton) This is a perky, deconstructed lamburger slider with bacon, lettuce and tomato

Chapter 2:

Never Go In Against The Sicilian 

This is my favorite sauce recipe from one of my Sicilian cousins, we call it Sandra Sauce:

It's a light tomato based cream sauce with prosciutto, mushrooms and peas, and it's divine

Chapter 3:

Chocolate Coating Makes it Go Down Easier

Stuffed Chicken Mole Enchiladas

Chapter 4:

Anybody Got A Peanut (ButterCup)?

A peanut butter brownie sundae topped with peanut buttercups (!!!)

I hope everyone is as excited as I am about this menu, and that many of you can make it.  It will be on Sunday, February 8th and 6:00 PM.  Wear comfortable clothes, dinner is $40, BYOB and have fun storming the castle!

The Next Astoria Book and Supper Club: To Kill A Mockingbird

So it's been a very long time, and cooking Harper Lee's Classic, To Kill A Mockingbird is long overdue!  I'm almost done reading it, and I loved it so much.  I'm pretty sure I read it in school, but it did not leave an impact me like it just has.  What a wonderful book that I'm dying to keep reading but sad that it's going to end.  I get to rewatch the movie and to cook this meal, so I'll get to keep thinking about it a little while longer. 

In the book, their Christmas dinner is described as having three kinds of meat, so this dinner will have no less (but really more) than three kinds of meat.  Wear some really comfy clothes to this one folks!

Sunday Afternoon Dinner

To Start:

Crackling Biscuits with Maple Butter

First Course:

Nuggets of Fried Chicken 

Fried Boneless Chicken thighs over Lisa's Country Potato Salad

Second Course:

Coca Cola Glazed Ham

Sliced and served with Pickled Peaches

Third Course:

Fried Pork Chops

Flour dusted fried pork chops served with Lisa's Baked Beans & Collard Greens

Dessert:

Ambrosia Kebabs (featuring moonshine cherries) and Miss Maude's Lane Cake

I know it sounds like a lot, but I will keep the portions edible! 

The Vitals:
Dinner will begin at 4:00PM Sunday, October 26th 2014
Wear you Sunday's best/most loose!
The meal will cost $40pp and if you would like to partake in some spiked lemonade, it will be $50pp
Feel free to BYOB as always! 
If you have any questions please let me know!

Chicago Style

Last week a few people asked me about The Astoria Book and Supper Club and when I was going to hold the next meeting.  I had a couple ideas in my head, but nothing was jumping out at me.  After some thought I came up with Devil in the White City, by Erik Larson.  This book is historical fiction at its most creepy and interesting.   It splits its chapters between the creation of the Chicago World's Fair and the serial killer that terrorized Chicago at the same time.

I decided that I would create a "Chicago Style" foods themed menu, and also try to incorporate foods that were invented for the actual World's Fare.  

Devil in the White City: The Menu

Chicago-Style Hot Dog Napoleons

Layers of CSHD ingredients: Hot Dogs From Muncan Foods, cucumber, tomato, dill pickle, relish, onion and mustard topped with poppy seeds

Chicago Style Italian Beef Sandwich

Thinly sliced Roast Beef au jus with a side of Giardiniera (pickled vegetables)

Chicago-Style Deep Dish Pizza

Personal deep dish pizzas layered with mozzarella, pepperoni, sausage, onion, peppers and sauce

Cracker Jack Ice Cream Sundae

Pretty much what it sounds like!

Dinner will be served on Sunday, March 23rd at 7:00.

Grab or dust off your copy of the book, BYOB and come dine on this Chicago-style feast for $40!

Reserve your seat now!