January Dinner Party with Kerry Faber
(2 Cooks 1 Table, California casual dinner party menu)
Hello from sunny Southern California! If you like tacos, kimchi, seasonal produce, and bright flavors, you’re in the right place.
Every Friday, we chat about California Cuisine recipes that will inspire you, no matter where you live in the world.
Looking for a recipe from a previous post? The Recipe and Resource Index was just updated. Take a look.
Today’s newsletter is the first in the 2 Cooks 1 Table, California-casual dinner party menu series this year. A guest chef and I plan a monthly plug-and-play dinner party for you!
Casual Dinner Parties
If hosting casual dinner parties more frequently is one of your goals this year, you will love this new series! Once a month, paid subscribers will receive a dinner party post that includes recipes, conversation-starting questions, and even a Spotify playlist.
The goal: make throwing together a casual dinner get-together easier for you!
In reading what so many others shared as their resolutions and goals for 2026, I was surprised by the number of people who put “having dinner with friends more often” on their list. We all got out of the habit of eating together during the pandemic. And even though we are several years past lockdown, we still crave that human connection.
Dinner with friends doesn’t have to be a fancy, fussy, over-the-top, perfect production. Personally, I prefer a relaxed, wear your favorite sweater, shorts, and flip-flops, and come over for supper kind of evening. I like to call it California casual.
2 Cooks 1 Table
Because I am a fan of so many talented food writers (and I know you are too!), each monthly dinner party includes recipes from a guest chef.
For January, it’s the wonderful Kerry Faber! She is a professional recipe tester, recipe developer, and food writer who offers trusted culinary advice and recipes that never fail in her newsletter, Dishlister. You saw some of her fab recipes in this month’s menu plan, posted a few weeks ago.
Kerry and I met through a food writer’s group on the Substack platform and became fast friends. As I’ve gotten to know her, I’ve been so impressed by her recipes, recommendations, and work ethic. If you are ever on a TV cooking show competition, you definitely want Kerry on your team! She is detail-oriented and meticulous, which contributes to her success as a recipe tester and developer.
We’ve had the good fortune to meet up in real life! When Kerry was visiting California last year, we had brunch in Santa Monica. A few months later, when I visited my mom in New York City, we went for coffee in Midtown.
I’ve also had the pleasure of interviewing Kerry for my podcast. In the episode, she shared her kitchen wisdom and recipe testing tips, plus tidbits about her culinary training and cooking philosophy. Listen in at the link below.
Kerry and I have had so much fun putting together today’s scrumptious menu! You’ll find Kerry’s Beans & Greens Carbonara and fabulous Raspberry Chocolate Chip Cookie Tiramisu (wow and yum!), along with my contribution of Kohlrabi Citrus Salad and Rosemary Whole Wheat Focaccia.
Don’t feel like making every recipe? Make it a community effort by having guests prepare and bring one (or more) of the dishes. Many hands make light work!
Spotify Playlist
Yes, there’s music for your dinner party! To ease into the new year, a two-hour playlist featuring old-school jazz (Chet Baker, Dave Brubeck, Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, and others) is cued up and ready for your get-together or to enjoy while prepping dinner.
I’ve used the free version of Spotify for a long time and enjoy it. My kids think I’m cheap because I don’t pay for the premium option. But joke’s on them: I grew up listening to FM radio, so a few ads here and there don’t bother me, ha ha!
Conversation Starters
Usually no one is at a loss for words when it’s a gathering with good friends. However, sometimes it is fun to throw out a question or two, either before the meal or just before dessert is served.
Here are two questions that Kerry and I thought would spark fun conversation:
The rest of today’s post is for paid subscribers. You know I’m fond of you all, but once a month, I treat my paid subscribers to a post that is just for them. Won’t you join us?
