How do you Hostess? With MK Hennigan of In the Curious Kitchen
Mary MK Hennigan of In the Curious Kitchen
We sat down, via Zoom, with the incredibly fabulous and talented Mary “MK” Hennigan of In the Curious Kitchen to find out a little more about this Kentucky based culinary aficionado. After talking a little shop and catching up about our experiences at the Southern C Summit - MK in person, and us virtually - we got down to business to find out more about Mary’s hostess style.
If you have not already, check out the Southern Coterie, this amazing network of women promotes female entrepreneurs and networking by encouraging members to Connect, Create and Collaborate.
How did you change your entertaining style to stay safe in the time of COVID? What will be the first party you host when it is finally safe to do so?
Like many of us, the COVID-19 pandemic allowed, and in some ways forced us to rediscover what it means to keep house. Quarantined at home, people returned to their kitchens, they began baking and testing new recipes. They discovered new or dusted off old hobbies and talents. Backyards and the natural world became the new place to escape. MK upgraded her outdoor experience by remodeling and expanding her deck and investing in new al fresco friendly tabletop accessories like these melamine plates from Willams Sonoma, for pops of color, and rattan chargers.
She also converted their never used driveway into an entertaining area surrounding a new Fire pit. She outfitted it with Adirondack chairs and antique garden stools to make it the perfect spot for Friday Night fireside cocktails with her husband. Find out more about her inspiration behind Fireside Cocktails for Two, here.
Being in the front yard, allowed her and her husband to safely cheers and converse with neighbors that walked by while sipping an Old Fashioned and nibbling on ice cream sandwiches dipped in chocolate. A sweet treat inspired by Morgensterns in NYC.
Mary explained, “It made getting through another week of Covid somewhat special, because you have to celebrate somehow. We all could get real caught up in the whole thing, so we would have Friday night cocktails.”
How will Mary be entertaining after Covid?
She exclaims “I miss people! When that is shut off, it is impactful. I will still be entertaining outdoors but with people gathering around long communal dinner tables romantically lit with candlelight.”
As Southern women, we all have been influenced by powerful women (mother’s, grandmother’s, aunts…) and traditions. Can you tell us a little more about the women that inspired you?
“[In the Curious Kitchen] is based around my grandmothers. I had two very different types of grandmothers. One [Mammy] was very humble, she worked and raised five boys, my dad and his brothers, all by herself. Mammy worked as a nurse for William Reynolds and travelled all over with him. Dad and his brothers were taken care of by their grandmother when she was away on work.
“My mom’s mom, “Party Kat” her name was Katherine, who I am named after. She was the life of the party. She was the spirit of fun and parties and having people all around you and a cocktail at 5 o’clock. “
“So on the one side, I had the cooking piece from Mammy and the entertaining piece from Party Kat.”
“It was from Mammy that I learned how to cook, to be in a kitchen and to see someone cooking all the time. She never measured, it was a handful of this and a handful of that, with me asking wait ‘how did you do that?’ She would respond ‘You know, I just put a little flour in here and a little buttermilk in here…’ Her door was always open and in the fridge there were always 2 pitchers of sweet tea and 1 pitcher of unsweet, all the time, along with her biscuits that she baked twice a day, for breakfast and dinner. I loved them as a snack toasted with butter and jelly. I do not think she ever thought of herself as a Hostess, it was just innate. She was the one I got the passion for cooking from. I saw her in her kitchen enjoying herself while cooking, it never seemed like a burden, just what she did.”
“My mother was very gracious and thoughtful in her entertaining. When I think of community cookbooks, I think of my mom., because that was who she liked to serve and entertain, her community. She was the first to take a casserole to someone having a bad day and offer to host a baby bridal shower for a friend.”
So outside of the family, who is your hostess hero?
Ina Garten. “I’m on a binge of Ina. She doesn’t make things complicated. It’s good stuff.”
We all agreed that we had a serious hostess crush on Ina. Noting the warmth in her personality and we all thought she must give great hugs.
We share an affinity for spiral bound community cookbooks. Do you have some favorite dishes from them and how have you made them your own?
“When I think of community cookbooks I think about my mother. For me, this is the ultimate community cookbook.”
Mary hold up a yellow, spiral bound, single ruled notebook, like the ones we all had in grade school. She opens it revealing impeccably written recipes, each identically spaced and outlined in perfect cursive. She goes on to tell us about her favorite recipe in the book for “The Casserole.”
“I do not know when people began cooking out of cans, but this recipe was shared with my mother by her best friend, who wasn’t particularly the greatest cook, which meant it most likely came from a community cookbook.”
“It called for chicken breasts, Campbell’s cream of mushroom soup, diced celery, Hellman’s mayo, grated onions, slivered pecans, Pepperidge Farm stuffing and frozen broccoli.”
You just cannot beat a good old chicken and broccoli casserole! What ever the recipe, it is sure to bring comfort and a smile to everyone that enjoys it.
Mary has been collecting cookbooks since she was young. Like many of us, she reads them like a novel, from front to back, the recipes playing the role of the protagonist. Many of MK’s favorite community cookbooks are compiled by Junior League organizations across the South. Her favorite, and one of the first cookbooks she purchased, is Tidewater on the Half Shell from the Virginia Beach Junior League. As well as, Charleston Receipts. Jokingly, she remembers declining an invitation from friends to join a book club.
“If it had been a cookbook and magazine club, now that’s a club I would want to join!”
We think MK is on to something with this cookbook club idea!
The doorbell rings, friends have unexpectedly dropped by to say hello. Being the gracious hostess that you are, you offer them a cocktail and something to nibble. What do you always keep on hand to whip together for a quick and easy appetizer?
MK explains, “My go to party staple is my Figgy Piggies. (Find the Recipe here.) I always have puff pastry and Lil’ Smokies in my freezer. They are the perfect balance of crunch, savory and sweet. On the puff pastry, I spread a little fig jam, sprinkle some parmesan and roll it up with a sausage. The best part is you do not have to wait for the puff pastry to thaw. You can make them while it is still frozen and pop them right in the oven. It’s always hard to go wrong with these, a party meatball, or any cocktail classics.”
We whole heartedly agree and declare our mutual love for Lil’ smokies, meatballs and just about all types of party food.
We love your saying “Food is your social currency.” Can you explain what this saying means to you and share some details about the beautiful places life has taken you and the stories you have from them?
“To me food as a social currency is understanding the food of where you are and making sure that I am tasting it and not going to a Ruby Tuesday’s or Chili’s. To be there and to taste.”
“What I enjoy most, when I travel is to taste the food of the place. In the South and around the world, the food of the place means so much to the people and being able to share this is so meaningful. It allows you to feel like you are really eating the soul of where you are.”
She goes on to explain, “One of my favorite memories from visiting Munich was a simple hot dog stand. It was the best hot dog I had ever eaten, because it was where they originated. This hot dog was the social currency of Munich.“
You grew up in Kentucky, can you share some classic Kentucky recipes that we all need to be cooking?
“The Kentucky Hot Brown. It is not a difficult recipe, but one with a long history from the Brown Hotel in Louisville. My mother’s recipe is from an old, young women’s club cookbook. It is simply white bread, ham, turkey, and tomato slices covered in a Mornay sauce and broiled with 2 pieces of bacon crossed on top. Mom served it in individual casseroles. This is big deal Kentucky food” Mary explains.
All we can we say is YUM!
MK explains another staple of Kentucky culinary currency is Benedictine, a sandwich spread that is particularly popular at Derby Time, a day we agree is the Best day of the year. We were lucky enough to have MK share the history behind Benedictine and recipes with us, and have posted it below for your enjoyment.
Other Kentucky dishes that can’t be missed are Country Ham and Biscuits, one of her personal favorites, Beer Cheese, and Derby Pie. Well, Louisville Pie, Mary corrects, chuckles and explains that a company in Louisville trademarked the name so that no one else can use the name Derby Pie making it an ongoing joke in Kentucky.
Flash Questions!
Favorite Cocktail: “Well, that’s easy. An Old-Fashioned.”
Favorite Condiment: “Mayonnaise.” You might be surprised to know that her favorite is not Duke’s, it is Hellman’s. We also confessed that we often agree with her. While we love our Duke’s especially straight up on a sandwich, some recipes are just better with Hellman’s.
Midnight Snack: “A piece of dark chocolate, straight from the freezer and nibbled in bed. I justify it as healthy because it’s dark chocolate.
Be sure to be on the lookout for Derby Day Tips and other exciting announcements coming in April to MK’s website, In the Curious Kitchen. As well as her Derby Kit, we will be ordering ours as soon as they are available. We won’t spill the beans, but your Derby Party will not be complete without one.
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Benedictine
Benedictine was invented near the beginning of the 20th century by Jennie Carter Benedict, a caterer, restaurateur and cookbook author in Louisville, Kentucky.[14] Benedict opened a kitchen for providing catering services in 1893, and in 1900 opened a restaurant and tea room called Benedict's.[14] It was probably during her catering period when she invented and originally served benedictine.[15]
Benedict's cook books are still being sold a century after they were first published. For example, her The Blue Ribbon Cook Book, which first published in 1902, has been reprinted numerous times and most recently in 2008.[16] Although early editions of this book do not contain a recipe for the spread,[17] the most recent edition does.
Original Recipe
Following are the original benedictine recipe ingredients used by Benedict, as reported by the Louisville Courier-Journal and NPR:[2][3]
8 ounces cream cheese, softened
3 tablespoons. cucumber juice
1 tablespoon onion juice
1 teaspoon salt
A few grains of cayenne pepper
2 drops green food coloring
The original spread is made by thoroughly blending all these ingredients with a fork.[2][3]
Modern variants of the recipe use grated or chopped cucumber and onions rather than juice, as well as dill and common spread ingredients. They also use significantly less salt.
MK’s Recipe
1 cucumber peeled and grated
1 medium sweet onion grated
16 ounces cream cheese
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 to 3 drops green food coloring
Grate cucumber and onion, strain water by pressing through a sieve and squeezing through clean kitchen towel. With a hand mixer blend cream cheese until smooth, season with salt to tase . Blend in cucumber and onion, color with 2-3 drops of green food coloring. Serve with vegetable and/or chips. My favorite way to enjoy Benedictine is as a sandwich spread served on toasted bread with sliced cucumber and bacon for an extra special treat.
