VittlesVamp

The Meal That Never Was...

Had a dinner party over the weekend. (Shocker!!!) But, unlike most of my dinner parties, the menu ended up shifting full-tilt mid-week. My first inclination was to go Nuevo Latino: Sofrito Glazed Flank Steak with Spicy Yam Mash with Pineapple and Lime.

For some reason I just wasn't enthused. The combo is lovely. What was wrong with my initial choices? Then the call came: One of my guests didn't eat beef. I had no choice.

A new menu was born:

*Cheese Platter with Quince Paste and Olives (featuring what is now, officially a new favorite cheese - a decadently creamy specimen from Italy, La Tur - pictured above.)
*Roasted Red Bell Peppers Stuffed With Chilled Pesto Shrimp
*Penne with Mint and Cauliflower
*Pumpkin Clafouti with Pine Nuts

For the most part, the meal was a success, but dessert sucked - an overly sweet, flavorless, eggy custard. Got the recipe from Claudia Fleming's The Last Course, which usually doesn't lead me astray. Oh well. The next time I try to conquer pumpkin, I think I going to return to my tried and true Pumpkin Gelato recipe.

My guests didn't seem disgruntled by my dessert failure. They were full from all of the preceeding courses - not to mention the cocktails I had stirred and shaken earlier (including one bizarre mishap trying to separate my pint glass from the Boston Shaker).

Yet, I wasn't satisified. The whole thing got me nostalgic for my earlier menu, curious what I would have settled on for dessert had I gone in the Nuevo Latino direction...Well, I'll live to cook again. And, I'm sure that those recipes won't go to waste. But, to just make sure, here's my rundown for Spicy Yam Mash with Pineapple and Lime. The tropical sweetness of the pineapple is the perfect counterpoint to the chili heat and tart lime. Hope you try it. Figure you can handle the Flank Steak on your own.

Spicy Yam Mash with Pineapple and Lime

8 yams, peeled and cut roughly into chunks
3 TBSP butter
1 tsp lime zest
1 TBSP lime juice
1 8 oz. can crushed pineapple, including juice
1/2 tsp. ground chili pepper (more or less to taste)
Pinch of salt

Boil potato chunks till soft. Drain. Place back in pot and mash with butter. Add lime zest and juice, crushed pineapple with juice, chili pepper and salt. Over medium heat, mash until thoroughly combined. Serves 6-8.

Enjoy! And, lemme know what you end up making for dessert.

Talkin' Turkey

I drank too much gin last night - and it still hasn't obliterated the memory of the last three days. Plus today wasn't much of a winner either.

Dinner with gal pals was necessary - hold the gin, but avec tequila. So, I met up with Jenn, Joy and Stacie at Suenos, one of our favorite gathering spots. The room is bright pink and yellow - definitely a mood lifter. And, if that doesn't work for you, the top-notch margaritas, creative Southwestern fare and goldfish in the bathroom will likely do the trick.

I started with a Passionfruit Marg and moved on to Turkey Enchiladas with Coconut Rice and Mole Sauce. Mmmm...

And over my Turkey Enchiladas, the three of us really started talking turkey. And then, we REALLY started talking turkey - and stuffing and cranberry sauce and pumpkin gelato. We whipped ourselves into a Thanksgiving frenzy. So, once again, a Thanksgiving dinner out of season is being planned.

Stacie will play the hostess, in her new Bay Ridge apartment, complete with a sizeable dining room, with a large dining table and chandelier. I'm commited to make the majority of the meal. Joy is determined to re-create her childhood favorite, Cranberry Punch. And, Jenn shocked us all by saying that she'd make bread. Bread?!? Jenn isn't exactly a kitchen maven and she's taking on BREAD.

Impressive. Hope she's up for the challenge. But, then again, I wouldn't be surprised if she re-thinks the situation, and opts to pick up a baguette at a local bakery. We'll see...

And, I really mean WE'LL see. I've promised to LIVE BLOG the event. It'll prolly be in the New Year, but stay tuned for more gobble-gobble.

Driven to Drink

It's been one of those days.

That's a lie.

It's been three of those days.

Drinking heavily may be the only solution...

Promise to return with recipes and wit, once I recover my wits (already have the recipes on cards at home).