Countdown to the Dinner Party: 4 days; Finalizing the menu
After much internal debate and cookbook flipping, I have decided that the theme for dinner on Saturday will be "Kicked Up Comfort Food". The goal was to serve really good food that wouldn't leave me trapped in the kitchen while everyone is there, and be able to show off a couple of culinary tricks but still have the food be completely accessible and not feel too fancy.
I've asked each couple to bring an appetizer and whatever wine they choose to share, and said that I'll take care of dinner and dessert, and that I'll have some wine as well. Here is what I have decided to cook:
- Ina Garten's Meatloaf
- Mashed potatoes (with lots of cheese and sour cream)
- Spinach casserole (a Thanksgiving favorite)
And finally...
- Paula Deen's Banana Pudding (Which, if you've never had, is amazing - incredibly rich and creamy. Truly a grown-up version of this childhood favorite.)
Choosing the wine that I would serve was easy. This past quarter, I won our sales goals initiative, and was rewarded a magnum of Pegasus Bay 2004 Pinot Noir. (Our New Zealand portfolio is really sophisticated, and we specialize in their high end Pinot Noirs. If you've never had one before, you must try it. New Zealand is the new Oregon.) Since I feel weird about "winning" (I hate competition and would rather play with a team), I figured, who better to share the prize with than co-workers? And who else was guaranteed to appreciate the bottle? The earthy flavors and subtle fruit should compliment the turkey meatloaf beautifully. Also, I happen to have a bottle of Pegasus Bay 2004 Encore dessert wine (a gift from the importer's rep after we did a wine dinner together), which should be a really cool compliment to the creamy banana pudding.
I thought that making it a Pegasus Bay night would be fun. Also, like I said, when better to open those bottles that I've been saving than a celebration with co-workers?
Now onto the less fun tasks of preparing for the evening. Have I mentioned how much I hate cleaning the apartment?
I've asked each couple to bring an appetizer and whatever wine they choose to share, and said that I'll take care of dinner and dessert, and that I'll have some wine as well. Here is what I have decided to cook:
- Ina Garten's Meatloaf
- Mashed potatoes (with lots of cheese and sour cream)
- Spinach casserole (a Thanksgiving favorite)
And finally...
- Paula Deen's Banana Pudding (Which, if you've never had, is amazing - incredibly rich and creamy. Truly a grown-up version of this childhood favorite.)
Choosing the wine that I would serve was easy. This past quarter, I won our sales goals initiative, and was rewarded a magnum of Pegasus Bay 2004 Pinot Noir. (Our New Zealand portfolio is really sophisticated, and we specialize in their high end Pinot Noirs. If you've never had one before, you must try it. New Zealand is the new Oregon.) Since I feel weird about "winning" (I hate competition and would rather play with a team), I figured, who better to share the prize with than co-workers? And who else was guaranteed to appreciate the bottle? The earthy flavors and subtle fruit should compliment the turkey meatloaf beautifully. Also, I happen to have a bottle of Pegasus Bay 2004 Encore dessert wine (a gift from the importer's rep after we did a wine dinner together), which should be a really cool compliment to the creamy banana pudding.
I thought that making it a Pegasus Bay night would be fun. Also, like I said, when better to open those bottles that I've been saving than a celebration with co-workers?
Now onto the less fun tasks of preparing for the evening. Have I mentioned how much I hate cleaning the apartment?
posted by Erin at
7:03 AM
2 Comments:
Are you going to serve an aperitif? Something bubbly perhaps?
I was kinda hoping that one of the boys would show up with some Champers, but I'll have a bit of Prosecco on hand, just in case. ;)
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