Come to a political party - menu for election night party

Sunset, Nov, 1988

This light-hearted gathering is timed for election night. The menu is mostly make-ahead, or you can delegate You've cast your vote. Did your candidates win? Why not have some friends over to follow the election returns as they come in? You can serve a buffet dinner that pokes a bit of fun at the political jargon we've all heard so much of these past few months.

Going somewhere else election eve? You can use just the menu-without political trappings-and share a comfortable vealshank dinner with your friends another fall night.

Fresh peaches are hard to find this time of year, but we couldn't resist using their name in our dessert. You can substitute frozen peach slices or small oranges.

Election night supper

Republican Punch with Grape Ideas

Ballot Bites Assorted Nuts

Democratic Stew

Liberal and Conservative

Vegetable Caucuses

Lame Duck Salad Roll Call Rolls

Party Platforms Campaign Promises

Candidates Acceptance Peaches

Chenin Blanc Cabernet Sauvignon

The oven does most of tbe work for this meal. The stew, both vegetable dishes, and duck (if you use it) all bake.

If you have two ovens, all can cook at the same time; if not, you need to stagger cooking. Start the meat early, and chill; do the conservative carrots next and let stand at room temperature while you roast the liberal potatoes. Keep tbe potatoes warm as meat, then carrots, reheat. Or delegate: assign some dishes to kitchens other than your own.

Republican Punch with Grape Ideas

For each serving, thread 4 or 5 seedless grapes onto the pointed end of a slender wooden skewer (about 8 in. long); you can glue a small paper flag to the blunt end of each skewer, if you like.

Fill a tall flute glass with about 1/2 cup (4 oz.) natural or brut champagne or sparkling wine. Add a grape swizzle (if you pour the wine over the fruit, it fizzes excessively).

Per serving: 91 cal.; a 2 gprotein; 3. 6 g carbo.; 0.1 g fat, 0 mg chol.; 6.2 mg sodium.

Ballot Bites

Present a tray of your favorite nibbling foods, including crisp vegetables such as radishes, fennel, and little carrots.

Democratic Stew

12 tol4poundsvealshanks,cutabout

11/2 inches thick

1/2 cup(1/8 lb.)butterormargarine

1/2 cup minced fresh ginger

2 tablespoons grated lemon peel

1 teaspoondrythymeleaves

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

7 to 8 cups regular-strength chicken

broth

3 tablespoons each corn starch and

water, mixed until smooth

Cover-ups (directions follow)

Rinse veal and pat dry. Put 2 tablespoons butter in each of 2 pans, each about 12 by 14 inches. Set in a 475[degrees] oven. When butter sizzles, lay shanks in a single layer in pans. Roast, uncovered, for 30 minutes, then turn shanks over and alternate pan positions. Continue roasting until juices around shanks begin to brown, about 30 minutes longer. Mix together ginger, lemon peel, thyme, and cinnamon. Remove meat from oven and sprinkle ginger mixture over it. Add 3 cups broth to each pan. With a spoon, scrape and stir to release most of the browned bits in pans.

Cover tightly with foil. Return to oven and bake I hour; alternate pan positions. Continue baking until meat is tender enough to pull apart easily, about 1 hour. With a slotted spoon, lift shanks gently from pans and set aside. Pour broth through a fine strainer into a 1 1/2- to 2quart pan; press any liquid from residue in strainer. Discard residue. Add enough remaining broth to pan to make 3 cups.

Rinse roasting pans and set shanks gently back in them in a single layer. At this point, you can cover meat and broth and cbill until next day.

Cover shanks tightly with foil. Place in a 350[degrees] oven until hot, about 15 minutes if warm, about 45 minutes if chilled.

Bring broth to boiling on high heat; stirring constantly, add cornstarch mixture and return to boiling. Arrange shanks on a large rimmed platter, then pour sauce over them and sprinkle with cover-ups.

Makes 12 to 14 servings.

Per serving: 462 cal.; 53 g protein; 3.2 g carbo.; 25 g fat, 194 mg chol.; 241 mg sodium.

Cover-ups. Combine 1/2 cup minced parsley, 3 cloves finely chopped garlic, and 1 1/2 tablespoons grated lemon peel.

Liberal Vegetable Caucus

4 pounds red thin-skinned potatoes

(about 21/2-in. diameter), scrubbed and quartered

6 tablespoons olive oil

1 headgarlic,peeledandcoarsely

diced

Watercress sprigs, rinsed and

crisped

Salt and pepper

Mix potatoes and oil in a roasting pan, about 12 by 14 inches. Bake, uncovered, in a 475[degrees] oven for 30 minutes, then add garlic and turn potatoes with a wide spatula. Continue baking, turning at intervals, until potatoes are well browned, about 20 to 25 minutes longer.

If made ahead, keep potatoes warm, uncovered, up to 4 hours; flavor is best if potatoes don't get cold. (you can use the turned-off oven; leave door ajar until temperature drops to about 2000, then close.) Reheat, uncovered, in a 3500 oven until hot, 15 to 20 minutes. Pour into a bowl and garnish with watercress. Add salt and pepper to taste. Makes 12 to 14 servings.

Per serving : 164 cal. ; 2. 8 g protein; 25 g carbo. ; 6 g fat, 0 mg chol.; 11 mg sodium.