The Weekly Recap #78
Recipe: Lemony Dilly Labneh
In my previous life (when I lived in LA and had a large group of friends) I would host parties at every opportunity I got. Holiday? Party. Birthday? Party. Random Friday night? Party. We lived in a teeny 500 square foot apartment on the ground floor with a little outdoor area and an alley behind us. We would pack inside like sardines or our friends would take over the outside overflowing into the alley and we would gather for drinks, a meal, and some fun activities.
I have always found it comical that we moved to the midwest and have a large beautiful home perfect for parties but minimal friends to invite over. 2020 cut us off from hosting some more but now that we are on the way back to normal, I am determined to fill our house with people this year.
Friday I hosted a Hanukkah dinner for our neighbors friends and their two kids. I spent the day cleaning wine glasses, setting the table, getting the linen-like hand towels out, and of course prepping food. These are the tedious details that some people hate about hosting. I on the other hand live for them.
Details, especially the small ones, can change the entire feel of an evening. The smell as you first walk in is an important one and is usually always the scent of food. Then as someone enters the living room a cozy winter candle transports them to sitting by a fire. Those linen-like towels I mentioned, they go in the bathroom for after you wash your hands. Have you ever reached for the handtowel only to realize it’s soaking wet? Yeah, it’s gross. Eliminate the problem with disposable hand towels. They spark joy, trust me.
A fun table can elevate a simple dinner with friends into a special holiday meal and it doesn’t take much. More candles, of course, but always unscented at the table. A small decorative item as your centerpiece, I used blue and gold bottle brush trees and a few dreidels from Amazon. Plus fun napkins but make sure they feel nice. It makes a world of a difference when your hand feels good on the fabric instead of scratchy or crunchy.
These are the details my brain zooms in on. The little things that I set up knowing they will be appreciated. It feels good to take care of the people you love and spoil them a little. Then you feed them…
On Monday I made a batch of latkes for dinner. In an effort to zhuzh up our normal toppings I made Lemony Dilly Labneh. Labneh is a middle eastern strained yogurt. It’s suuuper thick and the best for making yogurt dips. It can be harder to find at grocery stores and sometimes is placed with the hummus instead of the yogurts. If you can’t find any you can make your own by straining plain Greek yogurt in a colander lined with cheesecloth or like you see me do often, in a pour-over coffee maker with a coffee filter. Let it strain for a few hours and voila, you have made labneh!
After our latkes, I had a ton leftover and used it as a dip. It’s a super fresh and versatile yogurt dip/spread and nice to have on hand.
Lemony Dilly Labneh
1/2C Labneh
3T Chopped fresh dill
1T Chopped chives
The zest from 1 lemon
A very small squeeze of lemon juice
Maybe add a few chopped capers too
Mix all the ingredients together. Serve it on latkes, as a dip, on a veggie sandwich…the options are unlimited.
7 gentle rules for hosting the most Midwestern gathering imaginable
We tried the app that lets you buy restaurants’ leftovers *A really great concept
#1: Salted Hazelnut Brownies *I made this Kitchen Club recipe public and available for everyone to try.
Take this fun quiz to identify your creative type. I’m a visionary, imagining the impossible! You have to leave a comment or message me with what type of creative you are. I’m so curious!
Parchment paper is essential for every kitchen but nothing drives me crazier than having to cut a piece every time I need to line a tray. It is the biggest waste of time. These pre-cut parchment paper sheets have changed my cooking game and bring me joy every time I pull one out. Treat yourself to them! They will make holiday baking a hell of a lot easier.
Happy eighth night of Hanukkah! I hope your home is full of people and those tables are set.
Now on to Christmas…see you next week! M
Innovator…move, shake, disrupt, repeat
And Gramps is an Innovator