This time of year, students have a bit more down time before their class work really kicks in. A great way to get reacquainted with friends and talk about your philosophy professor’s latest outburst is by hosting a dinner party. What’s better to feed a bunch of college kids with than bar food? No, not the stuff they serve at Chuck’s Cafe, more like a salad bar. The perfect aspect of having ‘bar’ food at a party is that everyone can customize his or her own dinner with different toppings. Not only do people get exactly what they want, but it’s a lot cheaper than making 10 individual servings of veal parmesan.

The following recipes also accommodate the average college student without a car. You can find these ingredients at one of the little supermarkets dotted across both Main and South campuses.

Salad Bar

Salad:

– Two bags of salad mix

– At least two dressings (follow the balsamic dressing recipe for a homemade touch)

– Varied toppings, including but not limited to carrots, tomatoes, red onion, dried cranberries and chopped walnuts

Toss the salad mix in a large bowl. Put all of the dressings and toppings in separate bowls and have everyone assemble what they want.

Balsamic dressing:

– 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar

– 1/2 cup olive oil (extra virgin preferred)

– 1/2 tablespoon Dijon mustard

– Salt and pepper to taste

 

Put the balsamic vinegar in a bowl. Drizzle in the olive oil a little bit at a time while simultaneously whisking — this is called an emulsion, which is a fancy way of saying mix rapidly. Whisk in the Dijon mustard, and then season.

Pasta Bar

You’d think, ‘What’s so special about pasta?’ But what happens when you make a meat sauce over ziti and you have two vegetarian friends? Whomp, whomp. These two sauces and topping combinations can satisfy meat lovers and vegetarians, as well as all those in between.

Cook one of two boxes of pasta as per the directions on the box and set aside. Be sure to put some oil in the boiling water so the pasta doesn’t stick when it’s sitting.

Alfredo sauce:

– 2 garlic cloves, cracked (not into pieces)

– 1 stick of butter

– 2 tablespoons flour

– 2 quarts heavy cream

– 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese

– 1/2 tablespoon salt

– 1/2 tablespoon pepper (white pepper if you can find it)

– 1 teaspoon ground nutmeg (optional)

Melt the butter in a large pot on medium heat and put in the garlic. When the garlic starts to brown, fish it out and throw away. Now you have a garlic-infused butter. Put in the flour and stir quickly. You’re making a roux, which will act as a thickener for the sauce. Cook the butter-flour mixture for a minute. Then put in the heavy cream. Turn the heat to medium-low and stir occasionally until the sauce simmers. Take the sauce off the heat and add the cheese slowly while stirring. Add the spices and stir.

*Tip: A lot of chefs like to put nutmeg in cream or cheese sauces because it brings a subtle spice flavor to the sauce.

 

Doctored-up tomato sauce:

– 1 tablespoon olive oil

– 2 garlic cloves, pressed or chopped very fine

– 2 medium-sized tomatoes, chopped

– 1 tablespoon dried basil

– 1 tablespoon dried oregano

– 1 teaspoon red chili pepper flakes

– 3 jars of already-prepared tomato sauce

Add the olive oil to a large pot and add the garlic. When the garlic smells, well, like garlic, throw in the tomatoes. Have them cook down for about three minutes until they soften. Add the spices and the prepared tomato sauce. This puts a homemade taste to an already-made product.

 

Toppings for your pasta bar:

– Cooked ground meat

*Tip: The little stores don’t carry raw ground meat, so a way to bypass this little road bump is to buy frozen hamburger patties, thaw them and break them up in a pan. You can then use them just like ground beef.

– Sautéed mushrooms (Cut them up and put them in a pan with melted butter. Heat up until the mushrooms brown.)

– Raw chopped tomatoes

– Extra Parmesan cheese

 

Sundae Bar

Most people like something sweet to end a dinner, and a sundae bar is a great way to satisfy that sweet tooth. Another perk: no preparation required. People get to scoop their own ice cream and put on their own toppings.

Buy two or three different ice creams. Vanilla, chocolate and mint chocolate chip are safe and varied choices.

Then come the toppings. Here are some you can find at a little store:

– Whipped cream

– Frozen fruit (strawberries and blueberries)

– Almonds or another nut

– Chocolate sauce

– Maraschino cherries

Here’s a recipe for a homemade caramel sauce that’s cheaper to make than it is to buy. Caramel can be tricky because you don’t want the sugar to burn. Just watch it and make sure you don’t see a lot of smoke coming from your stove top.

 

Caramel sauce:

– 1 1/2 cups white sugar

– 1/2 cup water

– 2 tablespoons heavy cream

– 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

 

Combine the white sugar and water in a medium pot. Cover the pot and put the heat on low until the sugar dissolves. Turn the heat up to high and uncover the pot, waiting for the mix to come to a boil. Stir occasionally for five to seven minutes (preferably with a wooden spoon, but if you have a metal one, that should be fine). Add the cream and the vanilla extract — it’s normal to hear an intense bubbling sound. Stir for an additional three minutes and serve warm over the ice cream.

Have people put all the toppings in their own bowls, and have at it.

You’re all set — savor and enjoy!

smtracey@syr.edu

Published on January 24, 2011 at 12:00 pm