On Sunday the Pie and I had KK, Il Principe, and D, J, and S over for an Easter feast.
I have a lot on my plate this week (and I’m not talking about food here) so I’m going to draw the recounting of this tale out as long as I possibly can. I’ll try to give you a post a day about all the fun and fantastic things we ate.
I love to have dinner parties. I think it’s my parents’ influence again. I’m not really happy unless I can stuff someone else with food until he or she feels the need to lie down. It really makes my day.
That said, entertaining, on a small or large scale, takes a lot of work and a lot of planning. Timing is pretty much everything, and it takes practice to get it all to happen at the same time. The Pie and I have it down to an exact science at this point. We take a gander at what time things are supposed to be done, chuck them in the oven or on the stove at the various points in time we think they need to go in, then we shut our eyes tight and cross our fingers that everything will turn out properly. Most of the time we’re right but it took years to get us to this stage.
I have also learned the art of making things ahead of time. This saves a lot of panic in the kitchen when you’re trying to get everything finished at the same time. If there are some dishes on your menu that can be popped in the microwave or in the oven for reheating at the last minute then all the better. Another important thing to remember, and something that I only recently learned, is that you don’t have to make absolutely everything from scratch. There is nothing wrong with adding store-bought chips to your dips, or purchasing bread as a side. The more stuff you make the more complications you are going to have. Besides, sometimes the store versions of things are actually better. You don’t have to have absolute control over everything that goes on your menu, and so that is why, finally, it is also important to let other people give you a hand if they want to. Kª wanted to bring a salad, and you know what? I thought that was a great idea. And it was a great salad.
Items to be posted this week:
Menu
Appetizers
White Bean and Roasted Red Pepper Dip (made the day before)
Pita Chips (store-bought — really, you don’t have to be a domestic maven all the time – I get the In Snax sea salt versions from In Foods Inc. They are totally tasty.)
Mains
Ham with Cloves (pre-cooked for simplicity)
Red Curry Quinoa (made the day before)
Sides
Spinach Salad with Blueberries, Feta Cheese, and Balsamic Vinaigrette (made by Kª – I don’t have a link because I didn’t make it)
Carrot and Parsnip Butter Mash (made the day before)
Steamed Asparagus with Lemon, Tarragon, and Toasted Almonds
Roasted Red Fingerling Potatoes with Rosemary and Sea Salt
Dessert
Strawberry Glazed Angel Food Cake (strawberry component prepared the day before)
Ali Does It Herself 