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The arrivals were late, but that was fortuitous as final preparation took longer than expected. By the time everyone arrived, the main course was ready and the sides were only minutes off, and the desert was going into the oven.
Today's menu:
5 pound sirloin tip roast, done in the slow cooker with 2 onions, some celery, some shredded carrots, a couple of garlic cloves, rosemary, 2 cups of beef broth, a can and a half of Guinness stout (16 oz cans), some pepper, a litle browning liquid, some salt, and some Otima Port (note to self - get some cooking port!). The whole was slow cooked for 8-9 hours after being quickly seared in a pan beforehand.
Fresh Asparagus, steamed (a bit too much, but there was a lot going on at the time) with a hint of lemon.
French bread and butter. Didn't have time to make Irish Soda bread.
Roast potatoes done in olive oil, rosemary, 4 garlic cloves plus some garlic powder, thyme, a wee bit of salt, and some chopped onions (both green and yellow). The potatos themselves were a mix of red and yellow skinned with white flesh. Peel them, chop them into fair sized chunks, throw them in a bag with the seasoning, shake vigorously, lay out on a cookie tray, bake for 40 minutes at 400 F, though I should have done it at 375 as the bottom got a bit done. I should probably have turned at the 20m mark, but I didn't have a lot of spare cycles.
Salad made with mixed spinach and field greens, chopped celery, cherry tomatos, chopped red pepper, alfalfa and radish sprouts, and shredded carrots. I forgot the raisins. The dressing consisted of some olive oil, some guiness, a bit of mustard, some salt and pepper, a bit of garlic, and a hit of balsamic vinegar for some zing.
Desert was a white cake (from a mix) with coconut flakes added, as well as with a couple of good glugs of #1 maple syrup and a bit of pure almond extract baked in the fluted tube pan. This time I think I either didn't put enough non-stick starch on the pan (particularly on the middle pillar) or I put too much (I forget if I did the first one with or without). I also probably didn't let the cake sit long enough after coming out of the oven due to time constraints. So when I flipped it, it came in two parts. Repairs were very much jury rig, but I didn't feel duct tape or pop rivets would be a good plan. The cake was iced with french chocolate premade Betty Crocker icing. The still hot cake turned the icing into a kind of warm, gooey goodness. Add some French Vanilla ice cream and you have the makings of a portion of heaven.
For drinks, there was Westmalle Trappist ale, Sir Percy Perry (Pear Cider), Strongbow Apple Cider, and later I broke out the new fun - 70% ginger beer, 30% ginger ale, with an additional 15% dark rum. Spicy, with the gingery warmth, fizzy, and good. A big shout-out to my friend Kevin for that one!
Everyone left stuffed (although trying to avoid the confessions, each and every one eventually confessed to going off to a date, although one called it 'a group of friends at a South African musical event (including the girl who gave him the ticket)', another called it 'meeting my study partner', and a third was very evasive until he admitted hooking up with his ex. I hauled out the old "sour milk put back in the fridge to see if it got better the following week" joke, but it was in jest. I'm happy for all of them.
Everyone agreed I could cook. Happy birthday was sung to Dawg-D, and Djinni was missed. Missed among other reasons by me because the conversation devolved into topics I'm sure would never have come up with a lovely young lady present. *grin*
I did discover that Pika and Tam-Tam like Kate Beckinsale and that Dawg-D like Brigitte Fonda. My admitted preference was a classy (as acknowledged by all) Aishwarya Rai. I later admitted to liking Tea Leoni as well, although unlike the others who all appear to have characteristic tastes, I like the variety of beauty in humans. I compared their tastes to people who only ever drink their beer - Budweiser for instance - whereas I prefer to sample the world's many great brews.
And in case you are dead and buried and don't know Aishwarya Rai, let me help you:
I'm blessed to have such good friends. We toasted the birthday boy and the Queen (though being an Acadian that was a stretch for him - family history is not forgotten so easily).
I'm working all weekend, but I'm feeling properly seasonal after 3 good hosted dinners and 3 successful productions of food. Apparently, I can cook. I just need to find a girl who likes to eat well. :)
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