After slicing lemons and onions, juicing 13 mandarin oranges and baking two versions of a cake (including one accidentally made with baking soda instead of baking powder), the table is set and guests are arriving. The pleasant chatter of people meeting for the first time fills the kitchen. A bottle of sparkling wine is uncorked and the cocktails are flowing.
For one afternoon, my roommates and I turned our living room into a supper club, a socially forward dining experience that continues to gain popularity in Atlanta. These dinners take place in cozy environments like studio apartments or former beauty supply stores, often an intimate setting where hosts build coursed meals for a small group of diners who break bread together.
But this phenomenon isn’t relegated to the kitchens of professionals — a supper club is achievable for the home cook who longs for the dinner parties and get-togethers of yore.
“To me it’s when you’re gathering a group of like-minded people that don’t necessarily know each other or may know each other a little bit, and then you’re kind of bringing them into this intimate space that’s not a restaurant, that feels warm and cozy.” said Liz Peña, who co-owns Hi-Five Supper Club with Kristin “Naki” Nakama.
A key part of the supper club is the guest list. Traditional chef-driven supper clubs often feature communal seating, which leads to discussions between strangers as they share a meal side-by-side. To maintain this social spirit, consider inviting acquaintances you don’t know very well, or ask friends to bring a plus-one no one else has met.
Credit: Aaliyah Man
Credit: Aaliyah Man
In an increasingly isolated and online world, where schedules fill quickly and loved ones live far away, a supper club is an excuse to routinely bring friends, family and acquaintances beneath one roof where they can share good food and conversation.
The meal doesn’t have to be an elaborate four-course affair — a potluck or collaborative dinner will get the job done. Even if your hosting experience is minimal, a supper club will fill your home with new friends and delightful flavors.
10 tips for hosting a supper club
- Select a theme. Hi-Five Supper Club owners Liz Peña and Kristin “Naki” Nakama suggest planning your decor and menu around a central theme, like a holiday or a shared interest.
- Invite both friends and acquaintances. The traditional supper club seats diners next to strangers, so invite a mix of friends and acquaintances, or encourage each guest to bring a plus-one nobody has met before. The melding of different people is “a beautiful thing to see” as the host, Peña said, and it facilitates more face-to-face interactions in a digital world.
- Find affordable decorations. Use Pinterest and Instagram for tablescape inspiration and set the table with items you already own, like knickknacks or mismatched glasses. Flowers and candles always make for an easy decoration Peña said, and the thrift store is an affordable resource.
- Make dual-sided name cards. Write a guest’s name on the front and back of their place cards so forgetting a name won’t prevent someone from conversing, said Nadia Deljou of Delle Dining, a private dining club.
- Keep the cost of ingredients low. Grocery prices can be prohibitive when hosting a group of people, so Peña suggests shopping at spots like Your DeKalb Farmers Market to keep costs manageable. Also consider asking guests to share the cost of ingredients.
- Prepare ahead of time. Do as much early prep as possible so you aren’t stuck in the kitchen as guests arrive. Pastry chef consultant Claudia Martinez creates a three-day spreadsheet with a list of everything that needs to be done prior to the party. Deljou suggests prewashing and slicing ingredients right after buying them.
- Include a variety of beverages. When it comes to drinks, mixologist Tiffanie Barriere says to know the drinking habits of your guests. Consider making a nonalcoholic punch that can be served alongside spirits for guests to add at will, and stock a few bottles of sparkling water for those who want something bubbly.
- Find the right cocktail pairing. Barriere finds the fun in juxtaposing a cocktail with the courses: “If there’s spicy foods on the table, then we want something that’s a little sweeter. If there’s savory-herby things, we want something a bit clean, martinis or some kind of spritz with bubbles or sparkling water to kind of wash the palate,” she said.
- Use garnishes and texture. To make a dish look impressive, Deljou said she loves to garnish with herbs that complement the flavor of the food and add a refreshing note. She also tries to think of texture and layers, like adding a bed of yogurt or grains on the bottom, and finishing with shaved fruit or toasted nuts.
- Talk to strangers. Deljou suggests a round of introductions at the start of the meal to help guests step out of their comfort zone and into the conversation.
RECIPES
I served the following recipes at my recent Galentine’s Day supper club. They combined for a cozy winter menu with warm spices and savory-sweet flavors. Mix and match your own recipes at a supper club, but it’s best to choose dishes that can be prepared in advance to reduce stress when guests arrive.
Credit: Aaliyah Man
Credit: Aaliyah Man
Tiffanie Barriere’s Spiced Citrus Gold cocktail
“Vibrant, cozy and inviting” are the words mixologist and bar consultant Tiffanie Barriere, known as “The Drinking Coach,” uses to describe this welcome cocktail.
The flavor profile is warm and citrusy from the layers of spice and the touch of sweetness, thanks to a pear liqueur. Barriere rounds out the drink with “bright bubbles for a refreshing, boozy and sophisticated sip,” which pairs well with the savory-sweet flavors of Moroccan chicken stew. Batching the cocktail allows hosts to prepare the drink in advance and easily pour it as guests arrive.
- 15 ounces aged rum, such as Equiano
- 10 ounces strained fresh mandarin juice
- 10 ounces cold water
- 7.5 ounces spiced pear liqueur, such as St. George Spiced Pear Liqueur
- 20 dashes aromatic bitters, such as 18.21 Bitters
- 20 ounces brut or dry cava sparkling wine
- 10 dehydrated orange wheels, for garnish
- 10 star anise pods, for garnish
- In a pitcher, combine the aged rum, mandarin juice, water, pear liqueur and bitters.
- Stir with a wooden spoon to mix the ingredients. Refrigerate in an airtight pitcher or container up to 1 day before serving.
- When ready to serve, pour 4 1/4 ounces of the cocktail into a chilled coupe or flute glass, top with 2 ounces sparkling wine and garnish with a dehydrated orange wheel and star anise pod.
Serves 10.
Per serving, without garnish: 207 calories (percent of calories from fat, 3), trace protein, 4 grams carbohydrates, 3 grams total sugars, trace fiber, trace total fat (trace saturated fat), no cholesterol, 4 milligrams sodium.
Credit: Aaliyah Man
Credit: Aaliyah Man
Nadia Deljou’s Moroccan Chicken Stew
Nadia Deljou of Delle Dining offers in-home private dining experiences. Delle Dining began as a supper club where she introduced curious eaters to Middle Eastern cuisine. Deljou’s Moroccan Chicken Stew features a mix of pantry items she can throw into a casserole dish and into the oven. While the ingredients are approachable, the combination creates a fragrant, brothy stew with a balance of sweet, spicy, savory and acidic flavors.
To toast the almonds, place the almond slivers on a sheet tray in a 350-degree oven and roast until lightly browned and fragrant, about 5 to 10 minutes, shaking the tray halfway through.
If desired, 3 to 4 tablespoons of ras el hanout spice blend may substituted for the coriander, cumin, turmeric, cardamom, chile powder and cinnamon in the spice blend.
- 1 tablespoon ground coriander
- 1 tablespoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon ground chile powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
- 1/4 teaspoon saffron powder
- 1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
- 1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
- 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
- Kosher salt
- Ground black pepper
- 2 medium yellow onions, cut into 1/2-inch slices
- 2 lemons, cut into 1/4-inch slices, seeds removed
- 1/2 cup green olives, preferably Castelvetrano, halved
- 5 to 7 dried Turkish apricots or dates
- 5 to 6 cloves garlic, crushed and roughly chopped
- 1-inch ginger knob, grated
- 1 1/2 pounds (about 8) boneless, skinless chicken thighs
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1/2 cup chopped cilantro leaves
- 1/2 cup chopped mint leaves
- 1/3 cup slivered almonds, toasted
- Cooked rice or couscous, for serving
- Heat the oven to 350 degrees.
- Make the spice blend: in a small bowl, combine coriander, cumin, turmeric, cardamom, chile powder, cinnamon, saffron, cloves, allspice, nutmeg, salt and pepper. Set aside.
- In the bottom of a 9-by-13-inch baking dish, add the onions, lemons, olives, apricots, garlic and ginger. Top with chicken thighs.
- Drizzle the chicken thighs and aromatics with oil, and sprinkle the spice blend over the chicken and aromatics. Stir until the chicken and aromatics are coated evenly with oil and spices. Add chicken stock.
- Cover the baking dish tightly in aluminum foil. Place it in the oven for 1 hour, until chicken is cooked through. Carefully remove and discard the foil. Return the baking dish to the oven and cook an additional 30 minutes until the sauce reduces to a thick glaze.
- Garnish with cilantro, mint and toasted almond slivers. Serve hot with cooked rice or couscous.
Serves 4-6.
Per serving, based on 4, without rice or couscous: 626 calories (percent of calories from fat, 28), 48 grams protein, 69 grams carbohydrates, 6 grams total sugars, 5 grams fiber, 20 grams total fat (3 grams saturated), 128 milligrams cholesterol, 409 milligrams sodium.
Credit: Aaliyah Man
Credit: Aaliyah Man
Miranda Vick’s Skillet Cornbread
Miranda Vick, the resident baker at wine bar and listening room Commune, offered this nostalgic dish, which her father adapted from her grandmother’s recipe. Vick’s family is from Chatsworth, Georgia, and skillet cornbread was a “staple during our Sunday lunches at my grandparents’ house.”
Traditionally, the Vicks would eat this cornbread with butter beans, but she said it goes well with any stewed vegetable or soup.
- 2 cups self-rising cornmeal
- 1/4 cup self-rising flour
- 1/2 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 large egg
- 1 1/4 cups buttermilk, plus up to 1/4 cup more if needed
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
- 1 tablespoon canola or vegetable oil
- Place a 10-inch cast-iron skillet in the cold oven and heat oven to 425 degrees.
- In a large mixing bowl, combine cornmeal, flour, sugar and salt.
- In a second large bowl, beat the egg by hand with a whisk. Add the buttermilk and melted butter and mix again until just combined, about 30 seconds.
- Add half the cornmeal mixture to the egg mixture and stir with a wooden spoon until just combined. Add the remaining cornmeal mixture and stir again with a whisk until no lumps remain. Add up to 1/4 cup of additional buttermilk, 2 tablespoons at a time, as needed so that batter is loose, but not as thin as pancake batter.
- Cover the bowl with a towel and let rest on the countertop for 30 to 40 minutes. Do not stir.
- Carefully remove skillet from the hot oven and add the oil, swirling to coat the bottom of the skillet. Pour out and discard any excess oil.
- Carefully pour cornbread batter in the hot greased skillet and bake for about 30 minutes until firm to the touch and golden brown.
- Allow cornbread to rest in the skillet for 5 minutes, then turn the bread onto a wire cooling rack and rest at least 30 minutes more before serving. Can be served warm or room temperature.
Serves: 12.
Per serving: 157 calories (percent of calories from fat, 38), 4 grams protein, 21 grams carbohydrates, 1 gram total sugars, 2 grams fiber, 7 grams total fat (3 grams saturated), 28 milligrams cholesterol, 423 milligrams sodium.
Credit: Aaliyah Man
Credit: Aaliyah Man
Claudia Martinez’s Pear Cardamom Cake with Orange Caramel and Chantilly Cream
When pastry chef consultant Claudia Martinez hosts people at her home, she likes to keep it simple.
Each component for this dessert can be made in advance. The cake can be baked up to three days before serving and left in an airtight container on the counter at room temperature. The orange caramel sauce can be made up to seven days in advance and stored in a refrigerated, airtight container. Martinez suggests letting it sit on the counter an hour before it’s time to drizzle over the cake slices. The Chantilly cream can be made up to two hours before serving and refrigerated until it’s time to dollop onto the cake.
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup sour cream
- 1 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
- 1 teaspoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon ground cardamom
- 1/2 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 ripe pear, cored, small dice
- Orange Caramel (see recipe)
- Chantilly cream (see recipe)
- Sea salt, for serving
- Heat oven to 325 degrees. Spray the bottom and sides of a 9-inch cake pan with nonstick cooking spray. Cut a piece of wax paper to fit the bottom of the pan and place it in the greased pan.
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, cream butter and sugar on high speed until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes.
- Reduce mixer speed to medium. Add eggs, one at a time, mixing until incorporated. Add sour cream.
- Turn off mixer. Using a rubber spatula, fold in the flour, 1/3 cup at a time. Add the baking powder, salt, cardamom and vanilla. Turn the mixer on low speed and mix until combined, scraping the sides with the rubber spatula as needed, until no lumps remain.
- Pour batter into prepared cake pan. Use a rubber scraper to spread the batter evenly. Sprinkle diced pears over the top and use the scraper to push the pears slightly into the batter without submerging.
- Bake for 20-30 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Allow the cake to cool in the pan for 1 hour. Run a knife around the edges, then flip the cake onto a wire cooling rack and let rest until completely cooled.
- Can be made up to 3 days in advance and stored in an airtight container. To serve, layer Orange Caramel on top of the cake, then either smooth the Chantilly Cream over it like frosting, or slice the cake and add a dollop of cream to the side of each slice. Sprinkle slices with a pinch of sea salt before serving.
Makes 1 9-inch cake, 12 slices.
Per serving, with Orange Caramel Sauce, Chantilly Cream and sea salt: 461 calories (percent of calories from fat, 59), 4 grams protein, 44 grams carbohydrates, 35 grams total sugars, 1 gram fiber, 31 grams total fat (19 grams saturated), 118 milligrams cholesterol, 514 milligrams sodium.
Orange Caramel Sauce
- 1/2 cup heavy cream
- 1 cup granulated sugar
- 3 tablespoons water
- 6 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature
- 3 tablespoons orange juice
- Zest of 1 orange
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- In a small saucepan over high heat, bring cream to a boil and immediately remove from heat.
- In a medium, heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, add the sugar and water. Cook without stirring until the sugar liquefies and turns a light amber color, about 10 minutes. Remove mixture from heat and slowly whisk in butter until combined.
- Carefully add the heavy cream to the sugar-butter mixture in 3 parts, whisking after each addition, until incorporated. The cream will bubble up when added. Whisk in the orange juice, orange zest, vanilla and salt.
- Let sauce cool to room temperature, then use immediately or store in an airtight refrigerated container for up to 7 days. If made in advance, remove sauce from the refrigerator an hour before serving to allow to come to room temperature.
Makes 1 cup.
Per tablespoon: 146 calories (percent of calories from fat, 87), 1 gram protein, 4 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams total sugars, no fiber, 14 grams total fat (9 grams saturated), 45 milligrams cholesterol, 11 milligrams sodium.
Chantilly Cream
- 2 cups heavy cream
- 1/4 cup powdered sugar
- 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract or paste
- In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, whisk the cream, sugar and vanilla until stiff peaks form, about 3-5 minutes on high speed.
- Can be made up to 2 hours in advance. Cover the mixing bowl with plastic wrap and keep refrigerated until serving.
Makes 2 cups, 12 servings.
Per scant 3-tablespoon serving: 146 calories (percent of calories from fat, 87), 1 gram protein, 4 grams carbohydrates, 4 grams total sugars, no fiber, 14 grams total fat (9 grams saturated), 45 milligrams cholesterol, 11 milligrams sodium.
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