Devouring life, one bite at a time
Sometimes I wish I could buy a magazine company just so my friend, Daisy, could organize all the shoots, spreads, creative content and distribution of it. She just makes everything pretty. To kickoff an especially great weekend, she hosted a gal party at the pond …
Have you ever made chocolate truffles from scratch? If you’ve followed my previous blogs, you know I make them pretty often for parties (they’re especially great for vegetarians and those on gluten-free diets, don’t need their own plates or utensils, are so rich and decadent …
The culinary highlight was individual picnic baskets, to cut down on dishes. (She thinks of everything!)
Also included were (French Laundry) lemon tarts, fresh fruit, asparagus flatbread, and smoked salmon tartar on cucumber.
Each basket contained: an abalone po’boy sandwich, personally foraged by Daisy’s husband, Trout; a mason jar filled with potato salad (the classy Alice Waters one, not the mayonnaisy kind); a homemade chocolate chip cookie and wrapped caramel; and my special caesar salad (recipe to be revealed soon).
Now that it’s summer, I recommend food that can be served cold. It’s way easier to assemble and you have a little more leeway in serving time. Get an assembly line going for something like sandwiches, and the sides should be one-dish wonders like pasta salad, cous cous, or greens. Make it easier on yourself and invite friends to bring something, or at the very least, wine and apps.
What kind of parties will you be throwing this summer?
I never imagined there was something better than champagne. There is. It’s called champagne with a wild hibiscus flower. For special nights with special people (and that can include just lovely old you), I highly recommend dropping one of these wild hibiscus flowers in a …
The lovely weekend of celebrating continued with shopping at the local tourist traps and a party! First, the shopping. Right after a stop for tea. Striking a dorky pose in front of a hidden herb garden in Duncans Mills. Hours later, I stare down this, …
Butternut squash soup was first, garnished with pepitas.
And then came roasted vegetables: shrimp, artichoke hearts, asparagus, and potatoes blanketed with meyer lemon aioli.
I don’t typically eat as a vegetarian, but perhaps I should do it more often. It filled me to the brim, body and soul. I’m happy to be initiated as a junior Ya-Ya.
Last night, I had a little shindig called crafts n’ drafts. Just in the nick of time, I’ve been going stir crazy. Some special gals came over to work on those projects crammed in a corner (mending and finishing for me). We got to work …
I thought all limes were pretty much alike, until I met the Bearss lime. A woman at a party brought them over from the tree in her backyard, but the surprise is that they turn yellow as they ripen and look just like lemons. Move …
My friend, Kitty, had a send off before her 4-month voyage to New Zealand, where she’ll be bicycling and racing her way around the country. I would sneak into her luggage if she could spare 120 pounds of dead weight.
Dishes accumulated as guests arrived.
More food appeared, including beautiful homemade tortillas. I brought Caesar salad, my official potluck dish (as in, don’t bring Caesar salad if we’re going to the same party).
A highlight of the party was the opportunity to use the infamous creepy van cake mold, a treasure discovered at Goodwill. Aside from Scooby-Doo, we couldn’t come up with any other appropriate theme to make a cake shaped like a creepy van. Until now.
I especially like the lightning bolt. The cake was gluten free, from a Bob’s Red Mill mix. It was surprisingly delicious! (But I’ve never been disappointed from a Bob product.) Is it also ironic that I ate the piece that said “or bust” the night before my climbing snafu? Shoot!
The frosting was a glaze made by a sneaky lemon impostor and unfamiliar citrus. To find out who did it, stay tuned!
Bon voyage, Kitty!
I’m going to a Christmas party tomorrow and was at a loss as to what to bring. I did the pie thing at Thanksgiving. There are wheat allergies, so gingerbread is out, and I’m tired of the same old chocolatey mousse stuff I bring every …