An Affair to Remember

As the air grows crisper and the daylight dwindles, my thoughts turn to fall and all the luxurious foods that this time of harvest brings.  From curvaceous, yellow and green squash and plump, purple potatoes to glossy orange persimmons and rich brown dates autumn provides me with an endless array of foods, and reasons, to host one last hurrah before the harsh winter months creep in.

How to toast these cooler months has long puzzled me.  Huddled around a roaring bonfire, roasting marshmallows on freshly carved sticks no longer holds much appeal for my friends and family.  Too cold.  Too dark. Too smoky. 

Likewise, they have grown tired of dipping their heads into tubs of icy water, mouths gaping open, groping for a hard, slick apple to eat.  The same holds true for risking blood loss, fingers, and pride at annual pumpkin-carving functions.  Don’t even mention an afternoon of picking and pressing bushels of those luscious red orbs and then filling plastic gallon jugs with fresh, homemade cider.  Been there and done that oh-so many times.  What they – and I – crave is a novel way to revel in the bounty of the season. 

Desperate for entertaining ideas, I looked to my English forebears.  Since pre-Christians times they have celebrated this period with feasts featuring roasted geese, savory onion and sage stuffing, a mildly sweet gooseberry sauce and an assortment of locally grown fare including quince, apples, mushrooms, figs, walnuts, arugula and oysters.  While the culinary offerings sounded scrumptious, the customary autumn activity caused some hesitation.  Fashioning dolls from sheaves of corn to honor the goddess of grain didn’t sound like an event that would fly with my cronies.

Since tradition failed me, I turned to a party professional, a chef with over 23 years of planning and throwing seasonal fetes under his toque.  The executive chef at J. Scott Catering, 189 Pennsylvania Avenue in Malvern, Jon Jividen takes a playful and innovative approach to parties.  “I love the whole staging, the theater of it.  I want people to feel as though they’re somewhere else, whether it be Morocco or Vietnam,” says Jon, who is an alumnus of the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y., an ardent traveler and a fan of international cuisines.   

Whether wishing to transport my guests to another continent or just have them soar sky-high over the crimson and amber tree tops in a hot air balloon, Jon and J. Scott can provide me with a multitude of entertainment options.  If ballooning seems too daring for my demurer friends, feats of prestidigitation – with everyone’s feet firmly planted on the ground – can be arranged.  Then again, why stop with magic acts when I could beguile party-goers with belly dancers and hay rides, too? 

Needless to say, with over 600 events catered last year alone, the staff at J. Scott Catering knows a thing or two about throwing memorable, seasonal soirees.  Best of all, this five-time winner of “Best Caterer” in “Main Line Today Magazine” does everything from decorating to cooking to post-party cleaning.  Talk about easy entertaining!

When not organizing galas for clients in Philadelphia, New Jersey, Delaware and New York or inspiring frustrated hostesses such as I, Jon and his wife Irene Silver entertain whenever possible.  “I would do it every night of the week if I could.  I enjoy bringing friends together, the joy of the food . . ..  There is nothing more satisfying than sitting down with the people you love and eating.  It’s almost a religious experience,” he says.

On a recent night in his Radnor home Jon and Irene treated their friends to a fall fete with a decidedly global feel.  Belly dancer, professional photographer, and “all around ‘foodie’” Rima Synnestvedt sashayed through the well-appointed rooms, setting the evening’s mood with her elegant yet provocative moves.  Violinist and teacher Alexandra Cutler Fetkewicz transported guests to another place and time with her eerie yet melodious music.                                  

Along with exotic entertainment, Jon whipped up a plethora of dishes inspired by the cuisines of Thailand, Vietnam, Morocco and the Mediterranean.  He also snuck a little taste of Pennsylvania Dutch country onto his menu.  Upon arriving, guests were greeted by lacquer sushi platters brimming with pomegranate cider, pretzel crackers, and apple pap, which is similar to but thicker than applesauce.  “It’s important to have a little food set out for when the guests come.  It makes them feel welcome,” he says. 

Moving into the family room, the welcomed revelers nibbled on Vietnamese lobster spring rolls with ponzu citrus and sweet red chile sauces.  They noshed on a Mediterranean cheese platter, Moroccan-influenced spicy lentil dip, red pepper hummus and slices of beef tenderloin.  Resting atop banana leaves, the Asian-inspired tenderloin was sprinkled with sesame seeds, black bean sauce, scallions and sugar cane skewers.  It was both a visual and gustatory delight.   

Elsewhere in the house celebrants dined on Moroccan butternut squash soup, Thai shrimp served on a bed of coconut rice, and a North African tagine of duck, preserved lemons and the spicy chili-garlic-tomato sauce harissa.  To cool their palates and clinch the sense of the season, they imbibed chilled pumpkin and pomegranate beers.     

“I particularly like to incorporate ethnic cuisines as most everyone travels and they return wanting to have these foods back at home,” Jon says.

Should I wish to stick with traditional harvest fare, Jon advises cooking game such as pheasant, quail, duck, and venison and grain dishes consisting of barley, wheat, corn, or rice.  I should additionally spice up these dishes with such aromatics as rosemary, thyme, sage, saffron, cinnamon, clove, bay leaves, allspice, juniper berries and mace, he says.  All typify the earthy yet zesty flavors of the season. 

For a simple but far from commonplace entree, he suggests serving buffalo shepherd’s pie.  In this variation of the English classic, I would substitute ground buffalo for the customary ground beef or lamb and top the pie not with mashed potatoes but with mashed pumpkin.  Without a doubt my guests would be bowled over by this unique and hearty treat. 

Not to be overlooked are the vivid vegetables of this period, including squash, kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and root vegetables such as beets, turnips, rutabaga and parsnips.  Here I could allow my imagination to run wild, scooping out pumpkins to create whimsical soup tureens or roasting and then pureeing beets to sweeten and intensify my tried and true vinaigrette.  As Jon reminds me, fall is all about color.   

During these cooler months I can think of no more enticing hue than the eye-popping, ruby red of a beet.  Rather than roasting beets as I usually do, Jon proposes that I dig out my mandoline and, using its razor sharp blade, thinly slice the rotund root veggies.  I would then soak the slices in cold, salted water for a few minutes, pat them dry, and fry them in vegetable oil until crisp.  Sprinkled with salt or a spice blend and partnered with a flavored sour cream dip, beet chips would be a delightful snack for any event.     

Fruit likewise contributes to the palette of a fall function.  Colorful kumquats, quince, tangerines, figs, blood oranges, apples and champagne grapes can enliven the menu as well as adorn the buffet, side, and dinner tables.  Hot apple cider, apple brandy, or a Moroccan fruit dish of dates and blood orange sections drizzled with rosewater, the spice blend ras el hanout, and almonds all highlight the breathtaking fruits of the season.  Whether used in a dish or as a decoration, the choice of how to utilize these beauties is all mine.

“Keep an open mind and allow yourself to be daring.  Look at an impending party in the aspect of creating theater and art.  You are the artist and playwright.  Create magic,” Jon says.      

“Most, if not all, of these foods and seasonings share a common bond – intensity of flavor and/or color . . . just like fall, with its intense colors, aromas, and excitement.  What does this all have to do with entertaining?  Everything!” he says.

Jon points out that autumn is renowned not only for its foods but also for its bright, rich atmosphere.  To put guests in the right mood, he suggests trimming my rooms with the opulent colors – and products – of the season.  “For color choices, defer to nature.  If you open your senses, your creativity may be found in your own back yard.  Decorate with cut dried grasses and seed pods or scatter leaves around the food or on the table.  You’ll be amazed by what you have on hand, right in nature,” he says.  

To help set the scene at Jon and Irene’s gathering, designer and florist Colin Baer of Colin Baer Events draped silk pillows and swaths of fabric in shades of orange and red over the couches and chairs.  He also placed vibrant arrangements of orange and red ranuculus, orchids, winter magnolias, red monkey flowers, moss and branches covered in lichen throughout the house. 

Linens likewise reflected the rich, autumnal tones.  Napkins came in orange and mustard while the tablecloths featured orange, crimson and gold.   All of these touches further enhanced the “theater and atmosphere” of the evening.

As I am more inclined to plan and cater my own affairs, I found myself wondering how I could conjure up a soiree as ingenious as Jon’s.  Once again, he offered a brilliant tip.  For inspiration he peruses through gardening, cooking and design magazines.  “If the ideas just won’t come, take a walk in the woods, in your garden or at a garden center.  What do you smell, feel, hear?  What colors do you observe?  Take notice of what produce is available at farm markets during the fall.  For every season nature has a way of telling you what your choices in color, pattern, look or food should be,” he says.

Long associated with fiery foliage and hearty foods, autumn additionally possesses close ties to the intrigue as well as outlandish activities of All Hallows Eve..  Originating in the ancient Celtic festival Samhain, which translates as “summer’s end,” Halloween provides idea-strapped party planners with a host of fun pursuits.  From costume parties and competitions to haunted houses, hayrides and hoe-downs, I have an array of festivities from which to choose.  

Thankfully, I don’t have to splash out and spend a fortune in order to plan these activities or host a fantastic bash.  In Jon’s case, talented friends supplied both entertainment and decor.  What serving ware, favors and decorations that he bought most likely came from a dollar store.  In fact, guests ate from glazed sushi plates purchased at a local dollar shop.  “I’ve gotten some beautiful things there,” he says.

Along with frequenting the dollar store, he advises rummaging around flea markets for old jewelry and crystal chandelier pieces.  “Scatter the crystal over your table, add some candles and you’ll have tons of light without ever switching on a lamp,” he says, adding that the chandelier fobs can also dress up dull napkin rings or be draped over the edge of tables to give them an extra bit of sparkle.

Another inexpensive and unconventional decoration that he employs is a blackboard.  Placed in the dining room, he and his wife write messages, draw pumpkins and turkeys, and post menus on it.  When guests' eyes catch the blackboard and its cheery motif, it makes them feel more in the moment, Jon says.

At the end of the night, when mere crumbs are left on the buffet table, the decorations droop and all energy has been spent, I like to hand out favors to departing friends.  Yet, I invariably grapple for weeks beforehand over what to give.  Often I think that rather than bequest the same old things, I should skip the mementos altogether.  Candles.  Votive holders.  Kitschy ornaments.  Homemade truffles and breads.  Like the marshmallow roasting, pumpkin carving and cider making-themed nights of yore, these presents have had their days and then some.

Thankfully, Jon is not at a loss for gift ideas.  For a turn-of-the-20th-century party hosted by Irene, he acquired porcelain bud vases at a dollar store, put a rose in each and presented one to every attendant.  For other events he has created hand-written menus that he rolled into a scroll, tied with bits of raffia and presented to each guest.  “It doesn’t have to be expensive.  It’s just a token of appreciation of your friends," he says.

After years of dithering over menus, trinkets and activities, I now, thanks to Jon Jividen, see how fun and easy autumn entertaining can be.  With a little imagination and effort even I can host a fall affair to remember.