Ina Fridays -- Appetizers -- Grilled Lemon Chicken Skewers with Satay Dip

Grilled Lemon Chicken Skewers with Satay Dip:  scroll down for link to recipe.

Perhaps it would have been better if I'd chosen something that didn't require grilling on a day when the high was 7 degrees Fahrenheit.

                                                           
But, oh no, I had to make a grilled chicken dish.  Right oh.

Ina Fridays -- Appetizers -- Roasted Eggplant Spread

Ina Garten's appetizers are, like all of her recipes, lovely and luscious, but while making this I kept remembering how often Ina speaks about simple, store-bought appetizers like

• olives
• nuts
• chips
• cheese

and so on. The show sometimes drives along with Ina into town to pick up the ready-to-go food and I have to admit I'm always jealous of the shops she has available.   Her point is often that if you have too many nibbles with your apertif or sparkler, you're full.  Not only that, who wants to spend not only the whole day getting ready for company, but making yet another recipe?  I not only agree with her, I follow those rules for entertaining and make things easy on myself.  I'll also admit I adore potato chips and champagne.