Category Archives: Gourmet Group

Gourmet Group

17 Thursday Mar 2016

Posted by in Baking, Cooking, Dessert, Entertaining, Gourmet Group, Living Room, Recipes, Recipes, Table Design

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After a 6 month break, I’m back to blogging with Gourmet Group!

I hosted the dinner with a Mexican Theme.

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I wanted the night to feel casual and laid back, with really delicious food – and still some elegance.  One of the guys makes yummy guacamole, so we started with chips & guac, and my Dad’s famous margaritas.

The main dish was a barbacoa recipe that I have made for years.  It is so flavorful.  (I usually make extra so we eat it for several nights – the first night over rice, and then next over a big green salad with simple lemon vinaigrette.)  All of the sides:  citrus salad, re-fried beans, and saffron rice with peas, are all from the beautiful Mexico: The Cookbook.  To keep it casual we served them all together on piled-high plates.

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My husband added a sipping tequilla served with homemade Sangrita as a digestif.

And then, my favorite part of all…Cuatro Leches cake with arequipe sauce!!!  Our wedding cake was a cuatro leches cake and and the recipe from La Duni in Dallas seemed similar, so I put it on the menu.  My friend did an amazing job on this masterpiece and it tasted even better than it looked!

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It was a wonderful evening with great friends and great food.

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Caribbean Cuisine

18 Monday May 2015

Posted by in Cooking, Entertaining, Gourmet Group

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With tropical drinks in hand and reggae music in the background, our hosts created an island escape with a delicious Jamaican-themed menu for our seventh gourmet group dinner.  The menu was carefully planned to recreate the flavors our hostess remembered from her two years living on the Island as a child.  We feasted on flavorful jerk chicken, fragrant coconut rice and Caribbean vegetables, and a rich chocolate rum cake.  My assignment:  Jamaican Carrot Soup with a pear relish and plantain chips.  I suggest making the soup at least a few hours ahead of time to allow the complex flavors to really come together as it’s refrigerating.  And don’t skip the pear relish – it adds texture and freshness to the warm, spicy soup.  This soup would also be amazing on a cold fall day!

frying plantainsfried plantainscarrot soup

Gourmet Group

07 Sunday Dec 2014

Posted by in Baking, Cooking, Decor, Dessert, Entertaining, Flowers, Gourmet Group, House, Recipes, Table Design

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We hosted our last Gourmet Group in October, and even thought it has come and gone, I wanted to share some of the highlights.  We celebrated Oktoberfest!

Oktoberfest inviteThe atmosphere was festive and casual.  We started off with a warm beer and cheddar dip, which I served with pretzels and lots of vegetables to add freshness and color.  Beer and a Dr. Loosen sparkling Riesling cut through the heavy but delicious cheese dip.

Cheese BoardMy favorite part of preparing to host this night was learning about German Riesling.  I’ve always incorrectly associated Riesling with sweetness, and while they can be sweet, neither of the wines we served were.  In fact, the wine that we paired with dinner, also a Dr. Loosen, was quite dry and really complemented the food.  I printed out some information on Riesling to share with our dinner guests, which I think they enjoyed.

The most challenging part of the planning was the food presentation.  Almost all of the dishes I chose were the same color, which is why I served so many colorful vegetables with the appetizer, and fresh green beans with dinner.

We ended the meal with this amazing Deepest Dish Apple Pie from the Smitten Kitchen cookbook.  It did not disappoint with 5 pounds of apples and a delicious 3+ inch tall crust.  It’s an impressive dessert, and although my friend made the pie for Gourmet Group (pictured), I made it for Thanksgiving dinner and the crust is fairly easy as long as you are not rushed.

Oktoberfest Pie