Last weekend, Ari turned 25 and rather than going out to dinner, we decided to throw a party. I, of course (voluntarily) was in charge of the food. Rather than hosting a sit-down dinner party which limits the number of guests and the host’s ability to interact with them, we opted to have a bunch of appetizers and dessert. Ari left it to me to come up with the menu, with only a couple of requests. I will admit it was kind of a challenge to make all of this in one day (the only thing I made ahead of time were the cake layers), but particularly if you have a willing sous chef it is definitely possible. My requirements for dishes were as follows: I could do some of the prep work in the morning, that they had similar cooking temperatures so I could have more than one thing in the oven at once, and third, that they could sit out for a while and still taste good.
With these requirements in mind, here is the menu I came up with:
Artichoke dip
Turkey meatballs with soy-glaze
Homemade ricotta crostini with honey
Simple winter salad
Creamed mushroom crostini
Crispy asparagus fries with roasted garlic aioli
Antipasti (purchased)
Chocolate Cake with Chocolate and Nutella Buttercream
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I actually made this focaccia for a dinner party several weeks ago, but of course am just getting around to posting it now. It makes a great fall appetizer, and I love the contrast between the salty blue cheese and the sweetness of the caramelized onions and pears. If you are feeling indulgent, it would make a lovely first course for Thanksgiving dinner. I chose not to core the pears because I like the rustic look of it, but you can of course core them and then slice them. This would also be great toasted with a little prosciutto the next day.
