On Mar 1, 12:10*pm, wrote:
> I spent a goodly amount of time cooking yesterday and had fun doing
> it. *Just thought I'd share.
>
> We had been planning to have a couple of couples over since before
> Christmas, but events and emergencies had gotten in the way of getting
> together until last night. *I made:
>
> Gravlax on pumpernickel toasts with a honey - Dijon mustard dressing
> on a bed of fresh dill
>
> Black pepper infused vodka
>
> Mini bread loaves and butter
>
> Spinach and radicchio salad with white balsamic vinegar and tangerine
> infused oil with sweet onion rings, carrot curls, sliced fresh
> mushrooms and topped with crumbled bleu cheese and walnuts
>
> Pan-seared chicken breasts with a raspberry-port reduction sauce and
> wasabi aioli
>
> Roasted garlic mashed potatoes
>
> Fresh steamed asparagus with butter
>
> Fresh fruit trifle (cream cheese - whipped cream "pudding," fresh
> strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, nectarines, pound cake, and
> some dark rum and apricot jam spread on the pound cake slices. *This
> recipe right out of the Bon Appetit cookbook except for the added
> strawberries. *Damn this stuff is good!)
>
> Everything was homemade but the pumpernickel. *The vodka was
> interesting - all by itself the pepper taste lingered for ten
> minutes. *Small sips offset the salmon nicely. *I dragged out all the
> good china and served everything restaurant style, plating the dishes
> in my staging area (kitchen table) so I could get the effects I
> desired (e.g. the aioli spread in a zig-zag from a squeeze bottle over
> the port sauce and placing garnishes) and then brought them into the
> dining room course by course. *I did as much of the prep as I could
> ahead of time so I could actually spend some time socializing with my
> guests instead of cooking. *The logistics worked out pretty well and
> everyone said they loved the meal, so I'm in a happy place today :-)
>
> --
> Silvar Beitel
> (very occasional poster)

I'm impressed!!! The menu sounds fantastic. Could you write out a
step by step game plan?
I am glad to read that someone else likes to serve it resto style. No
wasting time to put food in a serving bowl, then play pass-me-the-grub
game while it cools off. I bet your guests were pleased as punch to
have this meal.
Anything you'd do differently?
Mind if I copycat your dinner?