The Long Weekend

Once you've arranged for the prime ingredient in a stay-at-home weekend for two--a partner with whom you are as compatible as a chateaubriand with Chàteau Margaux--it's time to start thinking about the food and drink that will see you and your lady through the Friday-evening-to-Monday-morning activities with a minimum of bother and a maximum of flair. From the entertaining standpoint, your astutely chosen guest list of one means you're freed from the job of trying to match the disparate temperaments of the usual weekend-house-party guests, from thinking about your inventory of pillows and towels, the quantity of your bitters and limes, the cross-bedroom traffic patterns, the no-shows for Sunday breakfast and all the other ills to which weekend hosts are normally heir. However, even though your party is limited to an intimate twosome, it will require some preparation to set the stage.

Mainly, the care and feeding of your very special guest involves the art of putting her at her ease. Before you go into any detailed menu plans, get a line on the foods that she digs and those that she doesn't. The way to a girl's heart may not be through her stomach (we know a better route), but why strike any discordant note when you're trying for a harmonious duet?

The goal at which you're aiming is to provide sumptuous food and drink without working your fingers to anywhere near the bone. To begin with, you'll benefit from the fact that the most successful capsule commune known to man is the weekend party for two. Normally, you'll find that the sharer of your apartment will want to share your labors and you may offend her if you keep her from stirring the chafing dish while you toss the salad or if you restrain her from grilling the link sausages while you tend the French toast. After dinner, any girl suffused with the glow of a mocha meringue glacée will insist upon sharing for sharing's sake and undoubtedly will take on most of the cleanup detail. For Saturday and Sunday, it's wise to plan on a two-meal brunch-and-dinner arrangement. At least one of your meals during the weekend holiday should be supplied by an outside kitchen--your own club or a restaurant catering service--so that you may more fully devote your attention to other matters. If the meal is to include a classic feast dish such as Peking duck or any other item involving lengthy preparation, it should be ordered at least a day in advance.

In addition to the regular meals, there will be those moments, usually late at night, when the two of you will feel hunger's darts and stage an assault on the larder. Late-night snackmanship also depends upon a certain amount of advance planning. It's both rewarding and rewarded. Many a man has risen in the esteem of his chosen companion on the basis of the ready availability of a jar of Strasbourg pâté de foie gras with truffles. Some of the biggest favorites late at night are little fishes. It's a good idea to have three or four cans in the refrigerator at all times for impulse snacking. While the oldest and best-known seafood items, such as boneless and skinless sardines in olive oil or French mackerel in white wine, are almost always apropos, the variety of delicious canned fish and shellfish is getting larger all the time. The Scandinavian countries are properly famed for their herring fillets in wine, dill, curry, tomato, cherry--you name the sauce. Smoked baby clams, mussels and oysters are now augmented by smoked frogs' legs, abalone and octopus, all mouth-watering pleasures. Remember that any food of this genre, once opened, should be eaten right away. It won't spoil for a day or two, but it will become dry and lose the bloom of its flavor. For any carnivorously minded couple, meats such as ham, mortadella and tongue are best eaten the same day they're sliced, unless they're purchased in vacuum-sealed packages. Otherwise, they're best bought in chunks for slicing at the witching hour. The same goes for firm meats--German cervelat sausage or the pepper-studded Genoa salami--which are not only sturdy enough to last from one weekend to the next but often seem to improve with age. All hard meats should be sliced as thin as paper and should enjoy the comradeship of both mild and hot mustard, pepper salad in oil and olives or olive salad. While crock cheeses such as roquefort in port or cheddar in sherry are easily stored, their smooth, at times almost velvety, texture may be a bit too bland to pique late-night taste buds. Better bets are the straight natural cheeses. A wedge of aged provolone or a soft, ripe Brie will bring bravos from cheese buffs. A bowl of fresh fruit should be within easy reach at any time of day or night.

It goes without saying that one's liquid assets should be carefully inventoried before the weekend begins, so that any potable gaps can be promptly filled. Setting out to make a rob roy and discovering that you're out of sweet vermouth may not be one of life's major disappointments, but the irritation can easily be avoided. Be sure that your fridge holds a frosty complement of beers and ales--the perfect supporting cast for a snacking Late, Late Show. Your wine cellar should be in good shape as well.

Following are menus and recipes to help make your weekend away from the madding throng a success in--and for--every sense.

Friday Dinner

Cocktails of your choiceScotch Salmon, Marinated MushroomsFresh Maine Lobster in CreamFresh Asparagus, Black WalnutsBibb Lettuce and Watercress SaladBlack-Cherry TartDemitasse

[recipe_title]Scotch Salmon, Marinated Mushrooms[/recipe_title]

[recipe]4 ozs. sliced Scotch smoked salmon[/recipe]

[recipe]3-3/4-oz. jar cocktail mushrooms marinated in oil[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup shredded white radishes[/recipe]

[recipe]3 tablespoons minced green pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup mayonnaise[/recipe]

[recipe]2 teaspoons finely minced fresh chives[/recipe]

[recipe]Salt, pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]2 large thick slices fresh tomato[/recipe]

The texture of smoked salmon from Scotland differs from American salmon, but the salmon is lightly salted like our Nova Scotia, which can be used as a substitute, if necessary. All main ingredients should be chilled. Cut salmon into strips about 1 in. long and 1/8 in. wide. Drain mushrooms; oil may be saved and used for salads. Peel radishes and shred through large holes of metal grater. Mix salmon, mushrooms, radishes, green pepper, mayonnaise and chives. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon a mound on top of each tomato slice. Serve well chilled.

[recipe_title]Fresh Maine Lobster in Cream[/recipe_title]

[recipe]21-1/4-lb. freshly boiled Maine lobsters[/recipe]

[recipe]2/3 cup sliced celery[/recipe]

[recipe]3 tablespoons butter[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons shallots or scallions, very finely minced[/recipe]

[recipe]Salt, celery salt, white pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]1 split brut champagne[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 cup light cream[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons butter at room temperature[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons flour[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon fresh parsley, very finely minced[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon fresh dill, very finely minced[/recipe]

In advance, order Jobster boiled or steamed by seafood dealer. Have him remove lobster meat from shells and include tomalley and roe, if any.

Peel celery, cut into 1/2-in. slices and boil until just barely tender. Drain. Cut lobster into 1/2-in. chunks. Melt 3 tablespoons butter over very low flame in saucepan. (Keep flame very low through entire cooking.) Add shallots. Sauté 1 minute. Add lobster and celery. Season with salt, celery salt and pepper. Stir well. Sauté a few minutes. Add champagne. Simmer 2 to 3 minutes. Add cream and bring up to a boil. Mix 2 tablespoons butter and flour to a smooth paste. Add to pan. Stir until flour mixture dissolves and sauce is thickened. Add parsley and dill and correct seasoning, if necessary. Serve on toast. Pour chilled brut champagne or Chablis.

[recipe_title]Fresh Asparagus, Black Walnuts[/recipe_title]

[recipe]1 lb. fresh, large California asparagus[/recipe]

[recipe]3 tablespoons butter[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons black-walnut meat (obtainable at nut specialty shops)[/recipe]

[recipe]Salt, pepper[/recipe]

With vegetable peeler, scrape sides of asparagus to remove scales. Cut off thick tough ends of asparagus. Boil asparagus in slightly salted water until just tender. Drain. Season with salt and pepper. Heat butter and walnuts until butter turns nut brown. Pour over asparagus.

Toss Bibb lettuce and watercress (both well drained and dried after washing) with olive oil-wine vinegar dressing. Cherry tart may be served either warmed in oven for a few minutes or else well chilled.

(continued on page 204) The Long Weekend (contiuned from page 148)

Saturday Brunch

Orange Wake-UpScrambled Eggs on ToastGrilled Canadian Bacon, Curried OnionBrioche, Bar-le-Duc, Cream CheeseCoffee

For each orange wake-up, pour over rocks 4 ozs. cold freshly squeezed orange juice, 1/2 oz. cognac, 1/2 oz. light rum and 1/2 oz. sweet vermouth. Garnish with a slice of orange. Prepare curried onion before scrambling eggs and grilling bacon.

[recipeTitle]Curried Onion[/recipeTitle]

[recipe]1/2 large Spanish onion[/recipe]

[recipe]2 tablespoons butter[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon curry powder[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 teaspoon meat extract[/recipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 teaspoon lemon juice[/drinkRecipe]

[recipe]1/4 teaspoon sugar[/recipe]

[recipe]Salt, pepper[/recipe]

Cut onion in half through stem end. Cut crosswise into thinnest possible slices. Break slices apart to make strips. Melt butter over low flame. Sauté onion, stirring constantly, until strips are just limp; do not brown. Stir in curry powder, meat extract, lemon juice and sugar. Season with salt and pepper. Sauté a minute or two longer. Set aside.

To prepare bacon, place it in an ungreased pan over a moderate flame and pan-broil until edges are browned. Remove bacon from pan. Do not wash pan. Melt butter in same pan and scramble eggs. Reheat onions. Place bacon and onions alongside eggs on serving dishes. Warm brioche in oven a few minutes before serving. Bar-le-Duc, the French whole-currant preserve, may be either red or white. Serve it chilled with cream cheese.

Saturday Dinner

MartinisChateaubriand with Oysters au PoivreBaked Stuffed Potato, Grilled TomatoEscarole and Arugula SaladMocha Meringue Glacée.Espresso

[recipeTitle]Chateaubriand[/recipeTitle]

[recipe]4-to 5-in. cut from fillet of beef[/recipe]

[recipe]Salad oil[/recipe]

[recipe]Salt, pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup dry red wine[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon meat extract[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon parsley, very finely minced[/recipe]

[drinkRecipe]1/2 teaspoon lemon juice[/drinkRecipe]

[recipe]4 tablespoons butter at room temperature[/recipe]

Chateaubriand is a thick double- or triple-sized portion of steak cut from the thickest part of the fillet of beef. It should be trimmed of all fat and should stand at room temperature about a half hour before it is broiled. Oysters and steak are a sumptuous classical combination served on the same platter; often the oysters are dipped in the steak's gravy. Baked stuffed potatoes may be made a half day or even a day in advance of the dinner. The entire main course of steak, oysters, tomatoes and potatoes may be handled in one oven for reheating. A bottle of Château Margaux or Chateau Haut-Brion should be uncorked about an hour before dinner.

Preheat broiler. Brush steak with oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Flatten meat on cut side with meat mallet or cleaver until it is 3 to 4 ins. thick. Broil 6 to 8 minutes on each side or to desired doneness. In a small pan, heat wine and meat extract, stirring well, until wine is reduced to about 2 tablespoons. Remove pan from fire. Stir in parsley, lemon juice and butter. Butter should be very soft but not completely melted. Do not reheat butter mixture. When steak is done, cut it into diagonal slices. Spoon butter mixture on top.

[recipeTitle]Oysters Au Poivre[/recipeTitle]

[recipe]8 large or 12 medium-sized freshly shucked oysters[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup melted butter[/recipe]

[recipe]Salt, celery salt, paprika[/recipe]

[recipe]Freshly ground black pepper[/recipe]

[recipe]Fresh bread crumbs[/recipe]

[recipe]Salad oil[/recipe]

Drain oysters and dry well on paper toweling. Dip them in butter. Sprinkle with salt and celery salt. Sprinkle very generously with freshly ground black pepper; don't be timid about it. Dip oysters in bread crumbs. Sprinkle lightly with salad oil and paprika. Place under preheated broiler and broil on both sides only until crumbs are light brown; avoid overcooking.

To prepare potatoes, cut a thin cap off two large backed Idaho potatoes, remove pulp carefully to keep potato shells intact, mash potatoes with potato ricer, mix with butter and season to taste with salt, pepper and chives. Pile potatoes back into shells, smooth tops, sprinkle with grated parmesan cheese and paprika, and bake 20 to 30 minutes longer in a moderate (350°) oven. Grilled tomatoes are large, fresh, firm, ripe tomatoes cut in half crosswise, sprinkled with salt, pepper, brown sugar and butter, and broiled until tender. Toss escarole and arugula salad with French dressing or with French dressing to which a finely chopped hard-boiled egg has been added (if arugula is not available, watercress may be substituted). Mocha meringue glacée is a large dip of rich coffee ice cream flanked on serving dish with two meringue shells; ice cream is topped with whipped cream and 2 or 3 marrons.

Sunday Brunch

Bloody MarysBatter-Fried French Toast with Hot Maple SyrupGrilled Small-Link Sausages, Apple CompoteDanish Almond StripCoffee

[recipe_title]Batter-Fried French Toast[/recipe_title]

[recipe]4 slices white bread, 3/4 in. thick[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup milk[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 cup flour[/recipe]

[recipe]1 tablespoon melted butter or salad oil[/recipe]

[recipe]2 eggs[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon brandy[/recipe]

[recipe]1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon[/recipe]

[recipe]1/8 teaspoon salt[/recipe]

[recipe]2/3 cup light cream[/recipe]

[recipe]Salad oil[/recipe]

[recipe]Confectioners' sugar[/recipe]

Bread should be cut from an unsliced large white loaf, preferably a day old. Pour milk, flour, melted butter, eggs, brandy, cinnamon and salt into blender. Blend at low speed only, until smooth. Pour batter into mixing bowl. Pour cream into another bowl. Heat 1/2 in. salad oil in skillet preheated at 370°. With two hands, carefully dip a slice of bread into cream; hold bread in cream only until it is moistened through; avoid breaking bread. Dip bread briefly into batter. Lower bread into skillet. Handle remaining three slices of bread in same manner and place in skillet. Fry bread until medium brown on both sides. Sprinkle with confectioners' sugar put through sieve or flour sifter.

[recipe_title]Apple Compote[/recipe_title]

[recipe]3 medium-sized Delicious apples, peeled and cored[/recipe]

[recipe]1 cup water[/recipe]

[recipe]1/2 cup sugar[/recipe]

[recipe]1 piece stick cinnamon[/recipe]

[recipe]1 teaspoon lemon juice[/recipe]

Pour water and sugar into saucepan. Add stick cinnamon and lemon juice, stirring well. Simmer 5 minutes. Cut apples into thin slices. Add to syrup. Simmer until tender, about 5 minutes. Cool at room temperature. Chill in refrigerator, preferably overnight. Serve could or slightly warmed.

Heat maple syrup slowly with a tablespoon or two of butter, only until butter melts. Grill sausages, following directions on package. Arrange cooking so that sausages are done when French toast is ready to serve. The best so-called Danish pastry is usually from a Danish bakery. The Danes have a way with butter-rich doughs and almond paste that's unmatched by other pastry bakers. Warm the almond strip slightly before serving.

Sunday Dinner

Vodka GimletsShark's-Fin SoupPeking DuckHoneyed Bananas, Pineapple SherbetJasmine Tea

Excluding the gimlets, the entire dinner should be ordered from a Chinese restaurant. Although the Chinese cuisine is one of the most exquisite in the world, Chinese restaurants vary tremendously in the cooking and presentation of their food. Shark's-fin soup is delicious when garnished with crab meat. Choose, if possible, a restaurant that is known for its Peking duck. It's a specially roasted duck served with scallions and dipping sauces. The crisp golden skin is eaten with delicate Chinese crepes, called Peking doilies; the meat may be combined with Chinese vegetables or with fried rice to make additional courses. Ask what the procedures are for reheating the duck and steaming the thin crepes or, if possible, have a waiter from the restaurant reheat and serve the meal. Ask also about handling the dessert. A chilled, slightly sweet white wine--a sauterne, for example, which is not cloying --would fit in perfectly with such a menu.

Monday Breakfast

Chilled, Freshly Squeezed Orange JuiceGouda or Edam CheeseHolland Rusk, Hard Roll, Heather HoneyCoffee

The Continental breakfast as served in Holland always includes Gouda or Edam cheese, both of which are delightful when they're somewhat aged. The pot of coffee should be freshly brewed and strong, as in the Dutch manner--a brief but pleasant moment for drinking up the glow of the holiday.

Now that you have the how for your pad-based weekend, all that remains is finding the right who--and that's where you're on your own. Good hunting.