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

I hosted the dinner with a Mexican Theme.

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.

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!

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