Jessica's Dinner Party

by jessica yoon

side dish

My Grandma’s Chestnut Bacon Stuffing

My Grandma's Chestnut Bacon Stuffing

My grandparents moved to the US in the late 80s and lived here for 25 years until they decided to move back to Korea. Although they were already in their sixties by the time they arrived in the States, my grandparents seamlessly adopted many local traditions into their lives–including cooking a very American Thanksgiving feast. In fact, I can say without hesitation that my grandma’s Thanksgiving dinner was on par with a Norman Rockwell painting, if not better? Her spread included a combination of the following: a stuffed turkey, pot roast, steamed king crab, sashimi, mashed potatoes, gravy, baked yams, corn, green salad, white rice, and kimchi. Yes, you read that right, there would often be a stuffed turkey, pot roast, and steamed king crab on the table all at the same time. It was the best.

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Mushroom Rice in a Rice Cooker

Mushroom Rice in a Rice Cooker

During the holidays last year, my husband and I hosted a big sit-down dinner party for his side of the family. We cooked a massive 15lb pot roast, made several different sides (including this hand salad), and ended with lots of sweet nibbles and a layered red-wine cake. But out of everything that we made, this simple mushroom rice was hands-down the favorite dish of the night. It was such a hit that we ran out mid-dinner, and one of my husband’s brothers texted me a few days later asking for the recipe.

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Roasted Potatoes with Kale Pesto

Roasted Potatoes with Kale Pesto | Jessica's Dinner Party

This post is part of a 30th birthday dinner party series. 

When I started developing this roasted potato dish, I was looking to create a super crisp and almost fried-like potato. I came up with a great recipe using a very hot oven, but realized the day before my dinner party that it wasn’t the best idea. Crispy potatoes are like fries, they need to be served hot and immediately or else the texture and taste are compromised. With just one oven, there was no way I would be able to serve the roasted potatoes at its prime state! I made a last minute decision to forego the crispiness and instead cook them at a lower temperature. This way I could roast the potatoes and my other veggies at the same time (efficiency!) and not worry about texture too much (aka potatoes can be served warm instead of hot). The dish ended up being a little different than I initially planned, but that’s the beauty of hosting your own dinner party! There is always room for flexibility and last minute changes, after all it’s your kitchen!

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Roasted Rainbow Carrots with Bacon, Pistachios, & Goat Cheese

Roasted Rainbow Carrots | Jessica's Dinner Party

This post is part of a 30th birthday dinner party series. 

A few months ago, I had dinner at Faith & Flower in DTLA and ate some amazing roasted rainbow carrots. I’m not particularly drawn to carrot dishes normally, but the combination of the sweet glaze, bacon lardons, pistachios, and goat cheese hit all the right notes. I recreated my own version of the dish for my dinner party, and although my roasted rainbow carrots were not an exact replica of Faith & Flower’s, I think they came quite close!

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Food & Wine’s Roasted Brussels Sprouts

I’m in San Diego!  It was such a spontaneous, impromptu trip that I still can’t believe I’m here. It’s been over two years since I was last in the States, I’m having so much fun visiting even the most mundane of places (ie. supermarkets). Obediently waiting for me when I got here was 1.5 years worth of Food & Wine magazines my grandparents diligently saved for me! It’s been so much fun going through them and tagging recipes and ideas I like.
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