I'm proud to say that my annual Mad Men Viewing Parties are gradually getting more popular and dapper. What started as a goofy night swooning over Don Draper with the roomie has become a slightly anticipated event amongst my friends. To prep for Season 6, I made three trips to the store, spent too much money and wasted away over the stove all day. The classics made another appearance: Old Fashioneds and Dirty Martinis, but I challenged myself and created a new 60s inspired menu.
Mad Menu:
(Utz) Potato Chips and Onion Dip
Chicken Liver Tea Sandwiches
Cheese Fondue and Accoutrements
Vietnamese Spring Rolls
Meatballs in Marinara Sauce
Ice Cream Sundaes
Ice Cream Sundaes
Welcoming guests with an Old Fashioned.
If you don't have a fondue pot, which I didn't, check out Craigslist! I got a decent fondue pot for $5 and the seller even threw in a fondue cookbook. The accoutrements were a mix of precut baby carrots, cherry tomatoes, broccoli, apples, and french baguette. Keep an eye on the fondue when the pot is on though, the cheese burns quickly.
For the Canadian-French Megan inspired sandwiches, I bought my favorite chicken liver pate at Trader Joes and store bought white bread. For the cute tea sandwich look, I cut off the crusts and cut them into triangles.
The Vietnam War spring rolls were a real time suck-- I definitely don't recommend if you don't have a lot of time. Not only do you have to buy and prep all the individual ingredients (rice wraps, rice noodles, thai basil, mint, cilantro, scallions, cucumbers and carrots, I had to cook the meat (used ground turkey left over from the meatballs [kosher guests], lemon grass and garlic), and then assemble each one. I actually got so frustrated, that I didn't even bother to make a peanut or nuoc mam sauce to go with it.
The simplest dish was the favorite of the night: individual ice cream sundaes. I just purchased Bryers Neapolitan Ice Cream, canned whipped cream, Hershey's double chocolate syrup and nuts and voila! happy guests again (since the premiere's lack of drama deflated the mood a bit-- I suggest a drinking game to avoid this).
I can't forget to mention MUSIC! My Mad Men inspired playlist featured: Otis Redding, The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, the Velvet Underground, Led Zeppelin and Bob Dylan. Of course, all songs were pre-1969 (it's all in the details).
 |
| Shida and Karthik; Best Dressed |
 |
| Mad Women and Men |
