Keep it Simple, Stupid.

“Sometimes simple is better.” That’s what my mother texted me when I told her the Velveeta dip I put out for my friends for our first night at the beach last week was a hit (I sent her a pic of the empty bowl).

I think she is right, and historically, my mother has proven herself as the queen of simple, elegant food. No laundry lists of ingredients, no fussy cooking instructions; just good food. Of course, one’s ability to do this happens over time, and there are extensive periods of trial and error and major cock ups along the way, but eventually you just know what do and when in the kitchen and you can put together a whole lot without a lot.

Over the past couple months as work hours have increased and many weekends have been spent out of town, I have been veering towards simple---one could even say beyond simple.

 I always bring something to get together. I cannot bare showing up empty handed. More bottles of wine have been purchase en route to soirees than I would like to admit lately, but I refuse to show up empty handed.

In high school, we had an out of bounds play when the ball was under the basket called K.I.S.S. (keep it simple, stupid). As complex as series of screens can get, this was a run across the paint, set a screen, and then open up and show your hands. Someone always got the ball, and 90% of the time, that someone scored.

Here are some of my favorite K.I.S.S items to bring to a party, that I have also brought to parties over the past couple months:

Roasted Shrimp Cocktail – Cook shrimp tossed in olive oil, salt and pepper in an oven at 400 degrees for 7- 10 min (depends on size of shrimp). Serve with cocktail sauce (prepared horseradish and ketchup).

Chocolate Chip Cookies – always a hit. Get fancy and put some ice cream between them. My favorite recipe is here : http://www.nytimes.com/recipes/1014826/quintessential-chocolate-chip-cookies.html

*Tip: Milk chocolate chips. I prefer dark chocolate, in general, but the crowd goes wild over milk whether they are secure enough to admit it or not. Be bougis. 

Pimento Cheese Dip – block of cheddar, block of monterey jack, jar of pimentos (drained), couple tbs mayo, a pickle (chop it up first so you don’t end up with huge chunks) tbs Dijon mustard, tsp hot sauce, salt, pepper. Blend cheese, mayo, mustard and hot sauce to desired consistency in a food processor. Add pickle and pimentos and pulse a few times. Season to taste.

*Tip: Serve with a STURDY cracker, or, spread on pieces of cheap white bread, cut off crusts, and slice diagonally for a tea sandwich. Does not take long, but do this before putting in fridge or it will be very difficult to spread on flimsy bread. 

Oh, and let’s not forget – Velveeta Dip.

1 block of velveeta, cut into chunks. Add cheese to sauce pan over medium heat. Melt down, add  just over 1 cup (or more) of salsa (or can of Rotele), and hot sauce as you wish. Stir and continue to melt to desired consistency over medium heat.