Laila’s five tips to ensure an enjoyable time for you and your guests.
- Don't stress. Nobody remembers a slightly late dinner. They remember how you seemed.
- Get good quality antipasti — good bread, olives, cured meats, beans, etc. Half your spread can just be really good store-bought things, arranged well.
- Taste everything before serving it.
- Don't run out of alcohol.
- If you're not having a good time, no one else will.
Beans are one of Lila's favorite things to cook and one of her favorite things to serve to guests. They're cheap, they're forgiving, and they can sit on the stove quietly while you do everything else hosting requires. But there's a trick to getting them right, and Lila's spent years perfecting it. Here's her go-to technique.
Step 1: It’s important to soak your beans. Yes, you need to remember to do it a day ahead, but right now we all have time on our hands, if nothing else... Soak the beans in lots of water.
“My favorite beans come from Rancho Gordo or Iacopi farms. And my favorite varieties gigante, cannelini, scarlet runner, barlotti, and black beans amongst many others...”
Step 2: The next day use the soaking liquid plus more water if needed and submerge the beans in a large pot with a handful of bay leaf, half an onion, half a head of garlic, some parsley, and (to start) a tablespoon of salt, and 1/4 cup oil. Salt and fat are the most important things about cooking beans. The liquid needs to be salty. Taste it. Bring to boil and then gentle simmer for half an hour and test. Small beans take less time.
Step 3: I add a little vinegar towards the end. Taste again towards the end. And add salt accordingly. This is a technique and what works for me. I eat them with a bit more olive oil and lemon zest or aioli.
No dinner party is complete without something bright and a little unexpected on the table. Lila's salsa verde takes five minutes, uses whatever herbs you have on hand, and makes everything next to it taste better — beans included.
Ingredients
- Handful parsley
- Handful cilantro
- ½ preserved lemon, chopped
- 1 small clove garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon red wine vinegar
- ⅓ cup olive oil
- Salt
Method
- Chop the parsley and cilantro.
- Combine with the garlic and preserved lemon.
- Mix well.
- Add the olive oil and vinegar.
- Taste and season with salt.
If there's one thing to take from Lila's approach, it's this: don't stress, taste as you go, and enjoy yourself as much as your guests do.
Happy hosting.
