Catering my Book Club Meeting (Nov. '08)
After a week of sitting at home with my foot elevated, I finally got out and about this weekend. Saturday, my brother and I attended a class at the Artisanal Cheese Center on Chocolate and Cheese Pairings. We learned all about how good chocolate is made from a representative of the Michel Cluizel chocolate company. We arrived to a cocktail reception of champagne and cheese.
After about a ½ hour, we entered the classroom, and sat down to a plate of cheese, chocolate and wine. We talked about and tasted the differences in terroir between chocolates from Madagascar, Venezuela and a few other tropical coca growing regions. We learned how the quality and taste of chocolate can vary from grower to grower as well, much like wine. We paired eight different chocolates with eight different cheeses and five different red wines.
After the class, we went to the theater, where we saw a new play called Romantic Poetry. The first act had a weak, but relatively entertaining musical plot, much like a romantic B- movie. However, by the end of the second act, the entire plotline vanished into a garbled series of musical numbers that made absolutely no sense. I did see the point the playwright tried to make – buried deep down in musical mire, but it shred through like shards of glass, scratching on our nerves along the way.
Sunday, I held the first book club meeting at my house. (We all read Mistress of the Art of Death, and no one really liked it). I wanted to take advantage of the remaining fresh fall produce available and prepare foods that matched the season.
First, I greeted everyone with a cup of warm apple cider. I mulled the cider with cranberries, orange slices, lemon slices, pomegranate seeds, and mulling spices.
I set out a tray of cheeses, a local Hudson Valley herb chevre, a round of Fromage de Clarins, and some sheep’s milk cheese from Spain, accompanied by quince paste, apricots and pecans.
I made my first attempt at a whole grain baguette, which worked well with the Fromage de Clarins.
Next, I made some homemade banana bread, homemade cultured butter, and served it with cherry preserves.
As a “main” course, I offered two different soups, the first is a completely vegetarian beet-barley soup and the second is a butternut squash soup.
For dessert, I made homemade canoli tarts with fresh ricotta cheese and chocolate from the class at Artisanal.
I also made and served a pumpkin pie.
We sat comfortably and talked, ate, discussed the book, talked and ate until the sun set and the realities of the work- week crept upon us. Everyone went home with some banana bread and pumpkin pie and their reading list for next month – when I will serve high tea.
(I promise to post the recipes for both the beet-barley soup and the butternut squash soup as well as the my homemade butter, canoli cream, and pumpkin pie).
After about a ½ hour, we entered the classroom, and sat down to a plate of cheese, chocolate and wine. We talked about and tasted the differences in terroir between chocolates from Madagascar, Venezuela and a few other tropical coca growing regions. We learned how the quality and taste of chocolate can vary from grower to grower as well, much like wine. We paired eight different chocolates with eight different cheeses and five different red wines.
After the class, we went to the theater, where we saw a new play called Romantic Poetry. The first act had a weak, but relatively entertaining musical plot, much like a romantic B- movie. However, by the end of the second act, the entire plotline vanished into a garbled series of musical numbers that made absolutely no sense. I did see the point the playwright tried to make – buried deep down in musical mire, but it shred through like shards of glass, scratching on our nerves along the way.
Sunday, I held the first book club meeting at my house. (We all read Mistress of the Art of Death, and no one really liked it). I wanted to take advantage of the remaining fresh fall produce available and prepare foods that matched the season.
First, I greeted everyone with a cup of warm apple cider. I mulled the cider with cranberries, orange slices, lemon slices, pomegranate seeds, and mulling spices.
I set out a tray of cheeses, a local Hudson Valley herb chevre, a round of Fromage de Clarins, and some sheep’s milk cheese from Spain, accompanied by quince paste, apricots and pecans.
I made my first attempt at a whole grain baguette, which worked well with the Fromage de Clarins.
Next, I made some homemade banana bread, homemade cultured butter, and served it with cherry preserves.
As a “main” course, I offered two different soups, the first is a completely vegetarian beet-barley soup and the second is a butternut squash soup.
For dessert, I made homemade canoli tarts with fresh ricotta cheese and chocolate from the class at Artisanal.
I also made and served a pumpkin pie.
We sat comfortably and talked, ate, discussed the book, talked and ate until the sun set and the realities of the work- week crept upon us. Everyone went home with some banana bread and pumpkin pie and their reading list for next month – when I will serve high tea.
(I promise to post the recipes for both the beet-barley soup and the butternut squash soup as well as the my homemade butter, canoli cream, and pumpkin pie).
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