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Hot Dish: Chocolate ravioli with blood orange and wine reduction sauce. |
An hour and a half before Llyn Strong is set to host a benefit dinner for twelve at her Main Street loft, she’s calmly padding around in a black shirt and trousers, accessorized with a few strategic pieces from her eponymous jewelry line. Her flip-flops slap softly against her heels as she leans over one table to adjust a plate, then another to straighten the silver. She glances over to the fire (a small flame shot through a stainless grate set into a stone slab suspended from the ceiling) to be sure it is still burning brightly. “Let me know if it gets too hot,” she says to the small group assembled to prep for the party, and makes her way down the hall.
Strong and her husband, Brad Pine, are opening their home tonight for a soiree that will precede the black-tie gala held annually to benefit the Red Cross. Over the past several years, beginning when Carl Sobocinski took the helm of the organizing committee, the event’s grand benefactors have sponsored parties for friends and colleagues on the eve of the gala. Tonight is just one of the ten events going on in homes all over Greenville.
And tonight is just one of the many dinner parties, cocktail gatherings, and fêtes that Strong and her husband have hosted for friends, family, and business associates. To hear her describe it, it’s a formidable laundry list of entertaining that includes several small cocktail parties to thank special customers of her namesake Main Street jewelry shop, from a Fourth of July fireworks party to her annual Christmas parade gathering.
Practice makes perfect, after all, and Strong is a hostess with the most-est for a new generation, helped by the fact that on this night, she doesn’t have to think about the food or the wine. Peeking into her open, galley-style kitchen, where Mike Granata, corporate chef of Table 301, is unpacking a tantalizing array of raw ingredients he will prepare for the guests this evening, Strong consults briefly about how to plate his pasta appetizer, pointing to the low cupboards that are filled with all manner of pretty china, then she disappears to the rear of the house to freshen up.
Granata masterminded a menu bursting with flavor to make the most of the freshest ingredients available in winter. Eschewing pale root vegetables and loads of butter, Granata grins and winks, saying, “I hope everyone is in the mood for garlic.” As he “turns Llyn’s kitchen into a restaurant,” Granata unloads box after box of colorful goodies. He explains that he plans to begin with savory amuse-bouches as the guests arrive. After they are seated, guests will dive into penne heaped with a russet-colored hearty tomato sauce and topped with a medallion of poached lobster as a foil for color and flavor. Endive and radicchio salad follow, their bitter bite a palate cleanser for an inventive main dish that showcases a golden pear-shaped risotto cake; glossy, dark-green asparagus spears; and a rich, brown rosemary jus topping the rarest lamb chop.
Saving the best for last, Granata indulges the hostess for a preview taste test. A layer of wax paper, moistened with condensation, is peeled back to reveal round, dark chocolate raviolis. Though he stuffed them with mascarpone and ricotta cheese like traditional pasta, Granata added cocoa to the dough to turn out these innovative dessert items. The chef heats up some oil and quickly drops in two ravioli. As they glide and hiss in the pot, he gently turns them once before removing them, glossy and bubbling. A bit of blood-orange marmalade is pressed into the bottom of a plate, forming a tart cushion for the sweet ravioli and its bright berry accompaniment.
The nibble is pronounced delicious by Strong’s mother, who has her own suite in the loft, as are the appetizers, which are being arranged by a server on the mismatched, but pleasingly complementary china. It’s worth noting that Strong’s china echoes the mix of furnishings and styles in the loft, as well as the casual chic of its mistress. The serving pieces and place settings range from a set her grandmother acquired through purchases at a filling station, to Strong’s own wedding china. Most are delicate floral patterns, which provide a counterpoint visual interest to the simple Steiff Rose Williamsburg silver. “I try to buy ornate serving pieces,” Strong explains, adding, “I have a lot of odds and ends all mixed up.”
The plates’ pale blossoms also work with Strong’s vibrant centerpieces. At a time of year when forced bulbs are the harbingers of a still-distant spring, these richly verdant stems and bold, striped petals curl fetchingly this way and that. Yet one less stress on Strong is that the plants are amazingly lifelike silk that have to be touched to assure they aren’t real, eliminating any fret about droop or drifts of pollen on the spotless surfaces.
Finally, a special guest this evening has taken all the work out of the wine pairing. Trent Moffett, owner of Livingston-Moffett vineyards in Napa, California, has brought several new wines just making their market debut. Ranging from a velvety sauvignon blanc to an elegant pinot noir, a cabernet, and a bold blend of cabernet, syrah, and cab franc, each wine will progress as the meal does: from light to complex.
Moffett advises would-be home entertainers to get to know their local wine retailer. Let them know which wines you have consistently enjoyed so he can get an understanding of your taste, then, tell him what you will be serving.
Amid the bustle of preparation, the guests begin to arrive. Greeted with welcoming glasses of wine at the top of the steps, the group quickly splits off, with the ladies following Llyn to view her latest creations. Fingers are thrust enthusiastically into rings, necklaces clasped around graceful necks, and bracelets dripping with semi-precious stones set off a wrist here and there. Collectively, the women stand back and admire the baubles, making sure Strong knows which to save for whom.
Most of the couples assembled tonight are old friends, sprinkled with new acquaintances, and everyone visibly relaxes into the convivial atmosphere. It’s not long before Granata makes his way through the crowd and asks the guests to sit, offering an explanation of the courses and the ingredients. Moffett does the same for the wines. Appetites thus whetted, the revelers begin to eat, exclaiming about the burst of flavor from the roasted Roma tomatoes, the tender lamb in its savory jus, and of course, the silky accompaniment of the wines.
By the time dessert arrives, though chairs are pushed slightly away from the table, they are quickly pulled back in to get closer to the fragrance and flavor of those divine chocolate morceaux. As the last bits of cream and orange sauce are dipped up, sighs of contentment are heard all around.
Almost imperceptibly, conversation has grown quieter and the mood more contemplative. Strong notes the change and rises quickly to make a toast. “To friends,” she says, raising a glass. “And to good food,” her husband chimes in, drawing laughs and cheers all around, bringing this winter night’s soiree to its cozy, relaxed conclusion.
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