How to Throw a Paleo Dinner Party
BY GABRIELLA VIGOREAUX , EPICURIOUS
Some of your dinner party guests eat Paleo. Others don’t. With this strategy, everybody’s happy.
PHOTO BY CHARLES MASTERS FOOD STYLING BY SUE LI
Whether you call it the Caveman Diet, the Stone-Age Diet or the Hunter-Gatherer Diet, the tenets of eating Paleo (that is, Paleolithic) remain the same: Whole, unprocessed meats, seafoods, vegetables, fruits, nuts, and seeds are fair game. Pretty much everything else is not.
So how do you accommodate a dinner party guest who’s leading the Paleo lifestyle? The key is to not get bogged down with what’s off limits (such as grains, legumes, dairy, refined sugars and processed oils) and focus on everything that’s possible. Russ Crandall, author of the popular Paleo blog The Domestic Man and Arsy Vartanian of Rubies and Radishes walk us through Paleo possibilities.
START WITH A COCKTAIL
Unlike some other diets, “alcohol isn’t verboten in a Paleo lifestyle,” Crandall reminds us. So start everybody with a drink made with Paleo-approved alcohols such as wine, cider, tequila, vodka, and gin.
SERVE BRAZILIAN STEAKHOUSE BREAD
Anybody who’s been to a Brazilian steakhouse knows that the best part (besides the steak) is the never-ending basket of cheesy Pão de Queijo. What they might not know? These chewy rolls are made with tapioca starch, and thus Paleo-friendly. (No need to announce this; keep the secret alive.)
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CONSIDER A CIOPPINO
You’re not trying to convert anybody to Paleo at this party (unless you are, in which case: weird). But if word gets out that the seafood stew you’re serving fits the Paleo lifestyle, converts may be exactly what you get. Crandall’s recipe for the San Francisco dish is a good place to start.
CHARCUTERIE, CHARCUTERIE, CHARCUTERIE
“Make a spread of fresh vegetables, olives, salami and other meats,“ says Vartanian. The bread on the platter? The Paleo folks can ignore it.
TRY SWAPPING OUT TRADITIONAL PASTA FOR VEGETABLE NOODLES
A Paleo diet is inherently gluten-free, but because grains, legumes and added sugars are also avoided, many gluten-free foods are off limits too. But that doesn’t mean noodles are out of the question. “Spaghetti Squash or zucchini noodles make for a light and healthy alternative,” says Vartanian. Her Spaghetti Squash with Cilantro Macadamia Pesto might even pass for the real stuff.
SERVE MEAT—HEARTY, GRASS-FED MEAT
Paleo folks love meat, but since they prioritize unprocessed, nutrient-dense foods, they need that meat to be grass-fed and pastured. Crandall’s approach to a big eye of round roast is to make it foolproof by starting it at high heat but eventually turning the oven off, so it comes to temp in residual heat without drying out.
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ALL YOU NEED IS DUCK FAT
Grain- and seed-derived cooking oils (canola, vegetable, grapeseed, etc.) are off-limits in Paleo. But coconut oil, butter, clarified butter, and animal fats are fine. Do you know what this means? That’s right: It’s your excuse to use duck fat in everything, such as Crandall’s roasted potatoes.
DESSERT ISN’T IMPOSSIBLE
Serving dessert to people who avoid added sugars isn’t easy, but if you focus on fruit, like Vartanian does with her Slow Cooker Pears, you’ll end the night on a sweet, Paleo note.
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