Dinner Party Déja Vu

Posted on October 1, 2012 by lisa

It’s been a month since we came home from our dinner party-marathon in Sardegna and I think we have finally settled in and are back on schedule-at least enough to organize our first dinner party since we’ve been back!!

I love the excitement that precedes a dinner party (although it could be mistaken for stress!). I’ve been playing the pregnancy card lately and so relinquishing my chef duties (to my disdain) and “letting” my husband do a lot of the work.  (I do think he’s enjoying his new-found duties as he’s usually not even allowed in the kitchen until post-dinner to wash the dishes!)

Some good friends came over for dinner Saturday night and we cooked up a feast!
Check out the menu:
Mussels in white wine with garlic, cherry tomatoes, and bottarga
Fried calamari and shrimp
Fusilli with sauteed onions, cherry tomatoes, capers, and bottarga
Vanilla ice cream with warmed honey and crushed pecans

In preparation mode…this pic might not be very tempting to the faint of heart, but just wait until you scroll down and see the final product!

Setting the table (with my new Provencal tablecloth from Nice!)…

Showing off our “creations”…hmmm, who will be chopped?! (Food Network fans will appreciate this one!)

My husband was on calamari duty this time around.  I was adamant about sticking to my the “original” recipe (adding some beer to the batter for extra crunch) but he insisted on using only flour and some salt, pepper, and fresh parsley. They turned out perfectly light and crunchy!

A gluten-free eater’s nightmare…but how can  you say “no?!” I know I couldn’t!

Homemade focaccia with herbes de Provence…

Mmm, mussels…I could eat the entire bowl all by myself!!

Another one of my husband’s creations…(I think I need to put him on chef duty during the week a little more often!) I know my son would love this so I’ll definitely be adding this recipe to my repertoire and I’ll be taking credit for this one on my blog!

For dessert I made bought vanilla ice cream and topped it off with fresh warmed Sardinian honey (the “real” stuff!) and crushed pecans!

The perfect dessert to freshen our palates after a great meal…simple, refreshing, and SO easy to “make!”

If you’re a foodie you might want to check out these recent posts:

Dinner Party in the Country!
Wild Boar for Baby
Just Your Typical Day on the Farm
Holly Homemaker Makes Sardinian Gnocchi 

What did you make at your last dinner party? What are your favourite dinner party must-have recipes?

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