So You Want Steak Diane's Dinner Party Menu?
Handheld caesar salad, unexpected bolognese, & table-side tiramisu.
What is Steak Diane? Better question—who is Steak Diane? Yes, she is the alter ego of artist and designer Todd Heim, but we at Sifted like to think she’s the internet’s favorite dinner party hostess. Perfectly coiffed, never without a chilled martini in her red-nailed hand, Steak Diane is equal parts cheeky humor and striking glamor; a leading lady if we’ve ever seen one. We just know her dinner parties would be the stuff of legend, and lucky for us— and you— Todd was gracious enough to divulge Diane’s strict menu (she does not deviate.) The perfect balance of substance and style, no expense is spared when it comes to presentation, from extra cold, freshly-mixed martinis to finger food, perfected. And while we can only dream of the day that dinner invitation lands in our laps, luckily we can adorn said laps in the meantime with the napkins from Todd’s latest collection of homewares, Chez Diane. If your holiday wishlist wasn’t started yet, we’re pleased to inform you it’s now both starting and ending with all of the positively delightful collection. Sadly, the only thing Diane did not reveal was her secrets for how to fill your dinner table with hot men:
STEAK DIANE’S DINNER PLANS
Steak Diane is famously NOT a cook. Left to her own devices, it would be dinner out most every night. Thankfully, Diane's lover is a master chef and handles cooking projects both large and small. When it comes to a dinner party, she adores mixing the perfect martini (vodka, slightly dirty), setting the table (gingham linens are a must), and presenting the dessert with gusto (a cheap party trick that never fails to steal the show). Once in a very great while she gets a wild hair and does the actual cooking for a dinner party. If you ever find yourself a guest at this rarest of occasions, the menu is as follows, with little to no deviation:
Aperitivo a la Diane: Wet your guests whistles with a selection of snacks that only require artful arranging - no cooking necessary! I like to pretend it's aperitivo hour at one of those impossibly chic all-day bars in Rome where tiny snack dishes appear with your cocktail. Aforementioned 'tinis are served ice cold alongside those buttery green olives (the name of which I'll never remember), elegantly draped mortadella (bologna's chic Italian cousin), and these potato chips, ALWAYS these potato chips.
Pasta Bolognese a la Anne Burrell: To be completely honest, I was always a bit sheepish to share that my signature sauce came from Food Network star Anne Burrell. Absolutely no shade towards Anne, she is a force to be reckoned with. I simply thought that a bolognese recipe should be something learned from one's nonna, passed from generation to generation, learned only from hours spent toiling over a bubbling cauldron upon a stone hearth in the Tuscan countryside. (This line of thinking bears no relation to reality as my nonna goes by grandma and her signature dish is a packet of Lipton's Onion Soup Mix and a hunk of beef in the crockpot.) All of that being said, my very best friend's mother (or mamma) is a real live Italian woman from the Tuscan countryside and on a recent visit I compared her recipe with Anne's and learned they aren't all that different! So now, when a dinner party calls, I confidently sauté the aromatics, brown the tomato paste and beef, and slowly simmer it all in a bottle of red wine, just as Anne instructs. Paired with pasta and heaping mounds of parm, you're sure to render your guests nearly comatose by the end of the evening.
Caesar Salad a la Molly Baz via Food52: In my humble opinion, you simply cannot serve red sauce Italian without a lemony, garlicky, anchovy-ey Caesar Salad. To be completely honest yet again, I almost always delegate the Caesar assembly. Grab the two dinner party guests huddled in the corner speaking in hushed tones and put them to work. I prefer the romaine fronds un-torn because it's really just more fun to eat this with your hands, and the croutons should be generous and crusty.
Tiramisu a la Alison Roman via The New York Times: Make it ahead! Ladyfingers luxuriously bathe in espresso with a whisper of rum, and then tuck themselves into layers of sumptuous whipped cream and mascarpone before at least 12 hours of beauty rest in the refrigerator. A dusting of cocoa powder done table-side to impress (technique!), and dessert is served. If your guests aren't greedy, leftover tiramisu makes a divine breakfast. I recommend eating it in bed with coffee, directly from the serving dish, whilst you consider the New York Times mini crossword! xoxo, Diane
BBOTW (BEST BITES OF THE WEEK):
Court: Mercury must be in retrograde, because not only did Alex and I finally secure an elusive Friday night reservation (before 9:45) at Dame, but we also also got a table at Dante for a drink beforehand. That or everyone is in a cabin upstate foliage-peeping with their S.O. My reunion with Dante’s “fluffy”—orange-juice-topped Garibaldi and Negroni-on-tap was [bitter]sweet, but the highlight of the night was undoubtedly the first thing to arrive on our table at Dame. Luckily my cowriter Gab had recently been and gave me her full menu rundown and recommendations, including this amazing tidbit:
My number one recc? The grilled oyster doused in “chartreuse hollandaise” was simply perfect. Dipping the absolutely solid sourdough in any hollandaise left in the shell? More perfect. It’s a tale as old as time— good thing + butter = even better thing.
Gab: I spent the weekend eating, drinking, walking, shopping and partying my way through Mexico City. I ate ~The Fish~, had a very romantic dinner at Rosetta, and waited in El Turix's long, long line for a plate of their hot, wet, and spicy slow-roasted pork tacos and panuchos. But the boxes of pastries we walked away from Panadería Rosetta with were full of the sweetest, softest, most blissful bites of the trip. My favorite pastry was the seasonal pan de muerto, a big puff of sugar-covered dough as soft and light as the most expensive pillow in the world, made around this time of year to celebrate Día de los Muertos. The whole thing is topped with a cross of more dough, which bakes up a little crunchier than the rest of the bread.