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a toast!
host a
toastie party
by Leslie Banker
| 1
2 3
continued from page 1
| To have a
toastie party all you need to do is get yourself a toastie maker
(you can find them for under $20) and secure a time and location
for the event. It is best if the host has a loaf of bread and at
least one type of cheese. |
A basic sandwich maker
buy
now |
| Then
the guests each bring an ingredient or two or three -- a type of
cheese, gherkin pickles, mango chutney, Nutella, strawberries,
leftover meatloaf, onions, a tin of tuna fish, radishes, raisons,
prunes, or whatever else strikes their fancy. Make use of
condiments residing forgotten in your refrigerator door or try
some new foods you've always wondered about -- like Serrano ham from
Spain or mascarpone or capers. The braver you are about trying new
things, the more fun the party will be. |
So, the guests come over with
their offerings and, after a glass of wine or just little time to relax,
the toastie maker comes out of the kitchen and is set onto a dining
table or a coffee table. Everyone unloads his or her booty of
ingredients onto a tray or a platter and the toastie making begins.
| There
are a few things to keep in mind when making toasties. First of
all, don't overstuff the sandwich or it will be messy. Also, you
need something that will melt and bind the sandwich together --
cheese is perfect but Nutella or peanut butter also work.
Marshmallow might be good too; I just haven't tried it yet. Then
you need to add something zingy such as mustard, jelly,
horseradish, peppers -- something that packs a punch. This zingy
ingredient is where you can be the most creative -- though a word
of advice is to steer clear of the anchovy paste as that took over
the whole toastie and put hair on our chests, figuratively
speaking of course. |
Here
are a few great toastie combos:
• Cheddar cheese and red pepper jelly
• Goat cheese and sautéed leeks
• Jack cheese and sliced tomatillos
• Nutella and sliced strawberries
• Leftover meatloaf and sliced onions and capers
Here
are some things that didn't work out very well:
• Smoked salmon absorbed all the other flavors
• Honey kind of disappears when toastied
• Anchovy paste as mentioned (left)
• Tomatoes, which get watery when cooked |
sidle
along this way...
--------------------------->
lounge . nourish
.
host . laze
. home .
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