Wednesday, April 3, 2013

Easter Dinner 2013

Easter Dinner 2013 on *sparklingly { http://sparklingly.blogspot.com }
{ Table set for 8  |  Easter Dinner  |  31 March 2013 }

Not to toot my own horn (tooot toot!), but I'm simultaneously relieved / shocked / proud that I pulled off an Easter dinner for 8 (including one vegan couple) that was gluten-free, sugar-free and apparently tasty, given the clean plates, this weekend.

Usually R cooks the main stuff when we have friends over for dinner, and I do the scheduling, grocery-shopping, music/candle/flower/table situation, and dessert, but with him working this weekend (and me secretly wishing for the chance to try my hand at the whole shebang), it worked out perfectly.

We had:

+ Hot roasted and salted almonds, a wheel of Paesanella cheese, and Gaeta olives to start
+ A gratin of cauliflower, olives, Pecorino and Parmesan cheese
+ Roasted asparagus with almonds, hard-boiled eggs and a smoky yogurt sauce
+ Lamb marinated for 48 hours in a garlic/parsley bath
+ Lemon, coconut and almond bars to finish

Then, R made the vegan dish for our friends (a pasta with mushroom sauce), plus they also had the asparagus, since I served the eggs and yogurt sauce apart.

The most exhausting part was prepping enough vegetables for everyone—so much washing, chopping and boiling/sauteing! Might need a break before our next dinner party. I was most scared about ruining the lamb—we don't have a meat thermometer (should probably invest in that) and I'm always nervous that I'm about to serve either hideously overdone meat or even-too-rare-for me, but the lamb ended up being the easiest thing.

And, to be honest, I think my most favorite part of the whole preparation was setting the table and arranging the flowers—I get such a Martha Stewart-It's-a-Good-Thing-vibe-o-happiness when everything is just so.

Just a few more pics from the weekend and table for you—sadly no actual shots of the food to share, though. Next time.
Easter Dinner 2013 on *sparklingly { http://sparklingly.blogspot.com }
{Good Friday Mass, OSP's Basilica |29 March 2013 }
Easter Dinner 2013 on *sparklingly { http://sparklingly.blogspot.com }
{ Procession Prep, OSP's Basilica | 29 March 2013 }
Easter Dinner 2013 on *sparklingly { http://sparklingly.blogspot.com }
{ Close-up of the table, yes those are place cards!  |  Easter Dinner  |  31 March 2013 }
Easter Dinner 2013 on *sparklingly { http://sparklingly.blogspot.com }
{ Post-dinner, pre-dessert  |  Easter Dinner  | 31 March 2013 }

6 comments :

  1. What a FEAST! and very interesting menu selection... I am totally the ambience maker as well so i totally get what you mean. I geek out about what guests see when they first walk in... (candles to draw them in of course! :) - Flowers in every nook and cranny... i have my special spots where i put bud vases so that they are small (dont need huge bouquets, but special enough for interesting small arrangements) ... flowers are like happy makers! I try go have fresh flowers every week in some capacity! - love your plates... sur la table?

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  2. Replies
    1. Thanks so much, AMB! Ambiance all the way! ;) And, I love wee bud vases in little collections, that's a nice idea, too!

      Chargers are Sur La Table, but plates were purchased 8 years ago from Ross Simmons. They don't have them anymore, but if you search "Deruta dinnerware" on any other site (I'm sure Sur La Table, Macy's, etc. will have them), you'll find similar patterns. I love mine because they were painted in Italy, but fired in Portugal. :)

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  3. you know funny enough our house's old owners the lady of the house had a sicilian background... i immediately felt 'mediterranean' touch because of the marble floors, the cheese closet in the kitchen, outdoor sink and something not very common- a HUGE stove! and in the drawer we inherited spit sticks...um don't know what the proper term is even, but we could roast some serioius meats in the oven but i have yet to try! I haven't even worked up the courage to do a roast. you and R are inspiring me!!!

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    Replies
    1. Ooo, la la, marble floors, a cheese closet and an outdoor sink, oh my! Love all of those details. You DEFINITELY need to roast something, pronto! :)

      And ha, I like "spit sticks"!

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XOXO,
J.