Election Night Snacks

C and I finally got a television a few weeks ago. We've lived together as roommates in the same apartment for two years now and managed to not have a television the entire time. C's parents are anthropologists and somehow that has meant that they don't do television. My parents were poor and strict Chinese immigrants, which meant that we never did cable. While I was in graduate school and living at home, my mom had some sort of spending binge where she purchased a 42" HDTV and cable. When classes got dull I spent an inordinate time in front of the television instead of in front of the professor. I'm a little scared of the television and its powers to make a viewer worship it, or rather, this viewer worship it.

My brother in San Francisco was getting rid of his 32" television because he and his roommates have upgraded to a 50" television. I find it slightly bizarre that three newly minted high school teachers plus one fellow who does IT work have a 50" high definition flat screen at home, complete with surround sound, various video games and a fairly extensive DVD collection, whereas C and I take my brother's reject television even though our own half of rent could pay for their entire four bedroom, two bath apartment in San Francisco.

And really, the key fact there is the one roommate who does IT work, he's responsible for the bulk of their high tech gadgetry, and beyond that they are really reasonable. Right now there's a battle going on in that household as to whether they should get cable.

The whole point of that tangent? It suddenly occurred to us that the television meant we could have people over to watch the election. A stunning realization.

So we emailed some people to drop by for a casual get-together, and for once in my life it actually was casual.

Since the television was the focus on the evening, I didn't feel that much pressure to really prepare anything great. Before I got home, I popped into the Whole Foods and grabbed some Prosciutto San Daniele plus some olives. I had some vanilla sugar and some strawberries, so that was put out.

There were a ton of extra roast vegetables, so they went on a platter. It really bothers my OCD personality that the vegetables are not evenly spaced and by the time one gets to the king mushrooms, things are really looking spare.

Then I decided to try Ruth Reichl's Pumpkin "Soup," which is really more of a gratin. It calls for hollowing out a small pumpkin, putting some good bread in it, filling it up with cheese (I used gruyere).

Then top it up with heavy cream, season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Yo, please consider always having on hang whole nutmeg and a Microplane grater. It will make you feel very gourmet and Martha Stewart chic this holiday season. Grate some on any squash, grate some on some hot cocoa, grate some up on some cheesey potatoes. Embrace the nutmeg, love the nutmeg.

Note however, that your nutmeg wizardry will go a long way towards, but will not ultimately save a fake pumpkin soup that you brought out of the oven too soon because the smell of the cheesy cream spilling out of the pumpkin and caramalizing in the heat was too unbearable to stand a minute longer. Result: fantastic fake pumpkin soup innards, still raw pumpkin flesh.

I spooned it out anyways and served it and advised people to just eat around the pumpkin.

Luckily the pumpkin seeds fared better. I just pulled off the slimy pumpkin guts and tossed them in olive oil, salt and pepper.

I can't wait to do movie nights. Maybe I could do popcorn with fancy toppings. I can not wait until Superbowl. Oh boy, I'm going to go all out. Chili, nachos, guacamole, salsa, buffalo wings, mini cheeseburgers, there are some very exciting possibilities.