Wrap Up

Eight pasta dinners down and so ends my experiment with a weekly dinner party for friends. It actually ended up being a bit more work than I expected, but it was thoroughly gratifying. And I think I learned a thing or two.

The last pasta event formed a perfect ending to the dinner series. A good friend (and fine pastry chef) was on a whirlwind trip through town to participate in her brother's wedding. And she graced us with her presence and a tasty, chique peach pie for dessert. The complete menu follows:

Wine: 2001 Chilean Cab.Sauv/Carmenere
Pasta: Fettuccine with basil/sun-dried cream reduction sauce and grilled chicken breast
Salad: Fresh tomato slices with feta, fresh basil, balsamic vinegar and olive oil
Dessert: Peach Pie
Coffee: Latte

Here are a few more pictures:

Tomatoes with feta, and basil served fresh.

Pasta from week 6


Reality

Week 6 - cherries and chevre

Since making desert for these meals sometimes takes twice as long as the rest of the menu I tend to get carried away. This week I adapted the New York Cheese cake recipe from the Joy of Cooking by replacing 8oz of cream cheese with chevre. We will see if that was enough to make a difference. Unfortunately chevre is roughly double the price of cream cheese so I was hesitant to increase the ratio. Never-the-less, it's a cheese cake complete with a lemon-shortbread crust. I've been marinading cherries in a dash of balsamic vinegar, sugar and brandy overnight and they will go on top (to hide the annoying little crack that reared its head right in the centre of the cake - I admit, that since it finished baking at around midnight I rushed the cooling process a little).

The menu for tonight follows:

Wine: Don David Torrentes (Argentina) - White, Highly Recommended at $14/bottle
Pasta: Fettuccine with roasted eggplant cilantro cream sauce, roasted red bell pepper, zucchini and fresh mango.
Salad: Tomatoes, Red Onion and Feta in Balsamic vinegar and Fresh Basil.
Dessert: New York Cheese Cake
Coffee: Espresso
Tea: Mango Roibos

Basil, Strawberries and Chocolate...and Week 6

These three ingredients have formed a bit of a theme over the past weeks of good food and good company - and good wine I might add. I will be posting a list of the wines we've partaken of - shortly. I also have a mind to photograph the labels but my flash-less camera makes that more of a challenge.

Last week was the first 2-meal week. I kept the menu the same and that worked well. I was able to tweak things a little for the second meal on Friday afternoon. On Friday I used larger tomatoes (ably stuffed by one of my guests) and served them in with the pasta to be eaten along with the pasta - broiled tomato and chevre goodness. The Asparagus (or is the Asparagii) went over well. And I must (be the millionth person to) recommend Romano cheese shredded coarsely on almost any pasta dish.

I have also had recent offers to help with dishes. I guess I'll count those as tips:)

Next up is a birthday supper. I think I'll make a cheese cake infused with goat cheese and topped with fresh cherries. The rest of the menu will follow before Friday.

You can't go wrong...

Some recipes are impressive simply because they incorporate great ingredients. The "chef" need only throw them together with a bit of flare and there you have it - little finesse or mastery of technique needed. So it was with the fabulous, aforementioned (last post), pasta recipe I served up last night. As long as you have more or less the right quantities, who's going to question sun-dried tomatoes, capers, toasted pine nuts, fresh basil and Romano cheese tossed with fresh pasta and olive oil. Believe me - anyone can do it.

Likewise, stuff fresh tomatoes with a mixture of chevre, fresh basil and olive oil - sprinkle with balsamic vinegar and broil for 10 minutes and you have a treat verging on candy - no work, no great skill, just great thinks put together.

I'm doing it all again on Friday - same menu, different people - works for me.

Decadence

And dessert for this week (June 4-8) will be...

Chocolate Hazelnut Torte with single origin Cuban chocolate ganache and raspberry-basil puree.