Most of the time, I take a very casual approach to having guests for dinner. I don’t mind doing a little cooking while people hang out in the kitchen; in fact, I enjoy it.
But sometimes, it’s more relaxing to have the entire menu ready, especially if some of it can be cooked a day in advance. This is one of those menus. It takes a little work to put together, but comes with great reward: There’s barely any last-minute fussing.
In Morocco — and similarly throughout the Middle East — the most delicious salads are made with seasoned, cooked vegetables, not leafy greens. For a first course, I made a smoky eggplant salad with cilantro, infused with cumin, hot pepper and a generous amount of olive oil. It’s a winning combination.
Seriously blackening the eggplants — preferably very firm ones, with fewer seeds — under the broiler achieves the perfect smoky flavor. Once they collapse from the intense heat, you scrape away the charred skin, then shred and dress the steamed flesh. The salad will keep, refrigerated, for several days. Serve at room temperature with radishes, olives and a crusty loaf or toast.
For an impressive make-ahead main course, I wanted a savory vegetable pie, modeled after the classic Moroccan b’stilla, usually made with squab, pigeon or chicken. It isn’t traditional, of course, but this vegetarian version is quite delicious, flaky, buttery and fragrant with spices.
The filling here is made with a highly seasoned pairing of butternut squash and plenty of caramelized onion, currants, fried almonds and ras el hanout, a Moroccan mix of warm spices. A diced preserved lemon adds perfume and sharpness, but you can also use a regular lemon. Traditional b’stilla has a layer of scrambled egg, replaced here with a mixture of thick yogurt and feta.
As with the original, everything is encased in golden, crisp buttered phyllo, sprinkled with powdered sugar and cinnamon and served piping hot. As a bonus, the pie may be assembled and refrigerated unbaked, for up to two days.
Autumn brings pears. We’ve been missing them. For a stellar dessert, poach them and let them steep in a bright yellow saffron-ginger syrup.
Saffron, though burdened with a reputation of being “the most expensive spice in the world,” is a spice you need in your cupboard. A little goes a long way: A quarter teaspoon will not break the bank, and you can often find small containers of saffron threads more affordably at an Indian or Middle Eastern grocery.
You can poach your pears several days ahead of serving and store them in their syrup; they’ll only improve in flavor. Served chilled with a dab of crème fraîche or a scoop of vanilla ice cream, this dessert is sheer luxury.
Autumn light, autumn air, autumn gathering. Breathe it in.
