It’s Apero Hour
discovering Alison Roman and cooking for three girlfriends over labor day weekend
I am the last girl in the world to become an Alison Roman fan but what can I say…. I’m a late bloomer. After binging countless episodes of her YouTube series, ‘Home Movies with Alison Roman,’ (which is quickly becoming a comfort show for me) and purchasing her newest dessert cookbook ‘Sweet Enough,’ I am happily settling in to my '~letting Alison Roman influence me- era.
Her Apero Hour episode in particular resonated with me. Grazing over a variety of different yummy, salty, savoury snacks is my favorite ways to feed people when hosting. The simplicity of Alison’s spread reminded me that yummy food does not have to be complicated. This idea is actually something I’ve been wrestling with since finishing culinary school.
Lately I’ve been feeling like whatever I’m whipping up in the kitchen has to be this unique, creative, never-been-seen-before concoction. Almost to prove that culinary school was ‘worth it’ and I am putting my skills to ‘use’- whatever those two incredibly arbitrary things mean. Watching her plate some high quality anchovies topped with thin slices of lemon and calling it a day almost gave me permission to chill the F out and not overthink the menu I was planning for the labor day dinner I was planning with some friends.
So below to find the menu I put together for my own Apero Hour, followed by the dinner and dessert I served after.
On my Apero menu:
Nancy Silverton’s braised leeks
garlic confit (make by covering garlic cloves in a small sauce pan with olive oil + a pinch of red pepper flakes and simmering for 45-60 mins until brown, tender, and sweet)
creamy straciatella
Meredith Dairy marinated goat cheese
prosciutto
anchovies packed in olive oil topped with lemon (my fav are from fishwife)
figs (it’s fig season!)
crusty baguette
& to drink… two of my favorite non-alcoholic spritz: ghia and figlia
on my dinner menu:
bucatini alle vongole (I did something similar to this)
raw zucchini and arugula salad with lots of lemon and evoo
for dessert:
of course, a recipe out of Alison’s new cookbook. Her burnt vanilla custard tart. It did not disappoint.
