Lauren's Birthday Dinner

I had intended to put on a 6 course dinner for our Valentine's Day celebration... but with all of us being sick, and me crawling out of bed at 3:00pm to go to the store to buy the food to cook and have prepared by 7:00.... well..... that plan quickly went out the door and plan B (lasagna, salad, red velvet cake) was put into motion.  We all gathered, we all ate, we all had a good time, and we all celebrated that we were all actually out of bed!  So one week later, with us all back to good health........ I decided to attempt that 6 course dinner again to celebrate Lauren's birthday.  This time..... it went quite well and we all waddled away from the table afterwards..... but still wanting to eat more because it was all soooo good!

1st course was "Dill & Chive Crepes with Lemon Cream Cheese, Salmon, and Radish Matchsticks rolled up into swirl hors d'ouevers.

2nd course was Coquilles St. Jacques..... or more commonly known as Sea Scallops Simmered in a flavored bath, then covered in white mushroom sauce, topped with parmesan cheese and baked til brown and bubbly.

3rd course was Butternut Squash Soup garnished with a creme fraiche swirl and apple coulis sauteed in butter and brown sugar.

4th course was Frissee and Fennel Salad garnished with orange sections, pine nuts and dried cranberries, dressed with lemon citrus vinaigrette.  French Bread Toastettes served on the side.

5th course was Maple Rubbed, Smoked Pork Tenderloin, served with Roasted Asparagus, Carrots, and Fingerling Potatoes.

6th course was Queen of Sheba Cake (Chocolate Almond Cake)

Lauren chose this menu.... although she did want Creme Brulee for dessert..... but A) it was her Birthday and you just gotta have a cake in which to put candles in, in which to blow out and wish upon.... and B) I don't have a blow torch for caramelizing the sugar on top of the brulee which is pretty much what makes it so special.  So..... the wonderfully delightfully treasure Queen of Sheba made the menu cut instead.

I must note that each course was a very small serving..... some were appetizer size, others half servings.  I started with fish and then cleansed the palate with the fresh salad with vinaigrette dressing before going into the more 'warm and earthy' flavors of the butternut squash soup and the pork and roasted vegetables.  The cake is really rich and sweet, so again, I served small portions.

Joe and I bought Lauren a 3 month old Beagle pup for her birthday.  She has wanted a puppy/dog for several years and since her graduation from Fashion school in LA and moving back home until she marries in September, she has shown she is now a mature responsible adult and is capable of taking full time care of a pet.  Zoey..... is precious!!!!  She is very sweet and lovable, playful but not hyper, is a very quick learner and is doing marvelous with her potty training.... and best of all..... she never barks, whines or cries!.  But...... she has both Lauren and her fiancee Kevin totally wrapped around their fingers!

It was another happy family celebration, with  lots of laugher, lots of good food, lots of good wine, and more memories for the scrapbook.  And..... I feel soooooo relieved to finally accomplish my 6 course meal!  It was soooooo much fun to cook too!

OTBN party coming up....... I've been working on my menu for a week and think I finally have it narrowed down to several yummy tummy pleasers that will go well with the wine selections.  (OTBN = Open That Bottle Night...... it is about gathering special folks who enjoy wine, having a few tasty nibbles to go with the wine, and then enjoying both the wine/nibbles and the company and making special memories with the wines.  I keep a journal each year of the wines, the years they were bottled and general comments on how everyone thought they tasted.  Each year, during the wine tasting, we review the wines of the past and make comparisons.  It's a very fun, laid back evening that we look forward to all year.  2010 is our 4th Annual OTBN Party.  Above paragraph is prepping you for the OTBN blog to follow!