Janny’s Masterclass: party crasher-proof
We all know her from Heel Holland Bakt, but Janny van der Heijden is much more than that. She writes daily about food, drinks, cooking and tasting, has written several cookbooks, is an avid tableware collector, is a columnist for Franska.nl and is also happy to provide us with the very best tips. This time: a party crashers masterclass.
No, I don’t mean the types who sneak into a party uninvited, although that is the official meaning of the word. What I mean by party crashers here are a few dishes you should simply have up your sleeve when people unexpectedly stay on. Especially now that the holidays are just around the corner. They drop by for coffee or a glass of something or other, and it becomes so cosy that you really have to say: Ah, come on, stay for dinner, I’ll quickly throw something together. Those moments.
Those are also the moments when you don’t need to worry about planning or shopping at all, because you simply have to make do with whatever is available, and everyone understands that. But if you can quickly make something then, it often earns more admiration than when you pull off a carefully planned dinner perfectly. Just a few simple dishes you can throw together. Little effort, big effect.
Peanut soup
For example, think of peanut soup. Simply made with peanut butter and stock. Season the soup with a splash of soy sauce or ketjap, garlic and as much or as little chilli pepper as you like, and sprinkle with whatever you have at home, such as chopped peanuts, perhaps some fresh herbs or bean sprouts. Maybe you also have some coconut milk, creamed coconut or grated coconut at home; that gives it just that extra kick.
Bloody Mary soup
You can also make a soup super quickly from tomato juice: squeeze in some garlic, optionally add some stock powder and herbs, chopped cherry tomatoes or cubes of feta or mozzarella. A spoonful of pesto is delicious too, or, if you have it at home, a splash of vodka for an instant Bloody Mary soup.
Must-have 1: cans of tuna
Cans of tuna are, in my opinion, a must to keep in stock. Not only for a delicious tuna salad, but also to make a tuna mayonnaise that you can spread over some cold meat or chicken as a starter. Add some capers, rocket and spring onion rings, and you have a delicious starter. But that tuna mayonnaise is also very surprising served slightly warmed over a piece of fried fish or meat.
Easy does it pasta
Pasta with garlic, olive oil and red pepper, or with garlic, olive oil and chopped olives, is always delicious with a fresh salad. Grinding dried mushrooms into a powder and mixing them with some olive oil also makes a special pasta. Maybe you have meat, chicken or fish at home to serve with it, but it isn’t even necessary.
Top side dish
You can give white beans a completely different twist simply by briefly stewing them with some olive oil and then puréeing them, seasoning them with rosemary or other herbs and—there it is again—the indispensable saviour in a kitchen emergency: garlic. Add rings of spring onion and you have a top side dish.
Must-have 2: cans of condensed milk
And when it comes to something sweet, you can go in every direction. It’s very handy to always have a can of condensed milk on hand. Boil the can under water for 3 hours (while you sit happily with your friends or family) and you have a fantastic dulce de leche sauce. Reducing it in a saucepan works too and is faster, but then you do have to stay with it and stir regularly.
Super-fast cheesecake
A super-fast cheesecake in a glass is also easy to make with crumbled biscuits, cream cheese and sugar, plus some cream or milk and fresh fruit or a spoonful of jam. Affogato is an Italian classic that always goes down well as a party crasher too: scoop a ball of ice cream into a cup and pour hot coffee over it. It doesn’t get any simpler.
Jam
Mixing jam with hot water makes a simple sauce, and strawberries taste completely different when you drizzle them with a little balsamic vinegar and sprinkle them with chopped (pistachio) nuts.
Do you think this will get you through the summer with unexpected guests?
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