A Lovely Pair

A couple weeks before Christmas I had the pleasure of catering a 4 course dinner for some friends of mine who were married in the fall.  They wanted to show their appreciation to their loved ones for all their efforts and support by hosting an intimate dinner.  I was given carte blanche by this wonderful couple...a chef's dream come true.  I offered them a few options for each course and this is what they chose:

Gourmet Cheeses - English Stilton with Balsamic Glaze and Iced Celery Curls

Parmesan Reggianno with Truffle Honey

Triple Creme Brie with Strawberry Black Pepper Preserve

Chipotle Sweet Potato Soup with Pepper Bacon Salsa

Green Tea and Lime Meringue Mousse with Demi-Dried Blueberries and Candied Lime

Espresso-crusted Beef Tenderloin with Chili Chocolate Sauce

Truffle Infused Mashed Potatoes

Bundled Vegetables 

Caramel Dipped Poached Pear with Vanilla Bean Panna Cotta and Raspberry Coulis

I had so much fun planning and executing this menu.  The opportunity to create such an experience for dear friends doesn't present itself often.  After dinner my friend Kate said she felt the same happy fullness as if she'd just eaten Christmas dinner.  A meal by many deemed untouchable.  The high I get from someone eating food I've prepared and then seeing that look of sheer enjoyment is addictive.  My wish is that you too can find such passion in life.  At times, I find it difficult to call "work".   

School Yule

I've been remiss in my blogging.  My sincere apologies.  The holidays tripped me up, as they often do.  I find the entire month of December to be a whirlwind and my routine goes out the window.  I'm relatively new to the blogging scene and am still trying to find my groove.  Enough with excuses.

My daughter's preschool hosted their annual Pancake Breakfast with Santa fundraiser the first weekend in December.  I am proud to say that I hold the title of Vice-President of the Board of Directors for the school.  I was the kitchen manager for the event, a familiar position for me.  I also volunteered to make a yule log decorated with meringue mushrooms for the live cake auction.  I found out later that week that it ended up being a birthday cake for the Board's President.  Apparently her sister bought it for her.  She told me it was "very yummy".  It's always nice to get positive feedback when you least expect it.  

    We were pleased to have had a fantastic turn out at the breakfast and managed to raise a record amount of money for the school, as compared to recent years.  Gold stars for everyone!