The Delights of Anticipation

At times I feel as if I have a somewhat limited audience for my culinary efforts.  Don't get me wrong -- I love cooking for G, and he's extremely appreciative.  I mean extremely.  This is a guy who never complains -- even when I put mushrooms in his food.  He just leaves them in a neat little pile by the side of the plate.  And almost every evening, he tells me how good dinner is.  At the same time, he's pretty truthful, and will let me know that he's fonder of some things than of others.  But by and large, he loves just about everything I make, and considers himself lucky to have a partner who likes to cook.  Just as I consider myself lucky to have a partner who likes...well, no, he doesn't like to, but he does them.  Dishes, I mean.  So it all works out. 

But back to this "limited audience" dilemma.  We don't entertain a whole lot, for a variety of reasons, space being among the main ones.  So I really do love it when I have a chance to cook for a larger group -- larger being any number that exceeds us two.  I have two upcoming events:  one is a birthday dinner for my brother, to be held at my dad's apartment.  The other is a dinner to celebrate a couple we know who just got secretly, privately married. 

So I'm mulling over these two possible menus, and would welcome any and all feedback.  Of the various animal protein choices, my sister-in-law eats only fish, so that leaves me with the option of cooking separately for her, or having a seafood entree.  Right now, I'm thinking about shrimp, which always seems festive to me.  So here's the tentative menu for a brother's birthday dinner:

     Asparagus-Leek Soup
     Shrimp and Saffron Rice Pilaf
     Green Salad with Avocado & Meyer Lemon Dressing  (a version of Nigella's Green Fattoush Salad, for those of you who have Feast)
     Dense Chocolate Loaf Cake (again Nigella, How To Be A Domestic Goddess)
     Homemade Mocha Ice-Cream (the bro and SIL gave us an ice-cream maker for Christmas)

And here's the tentative menu for a celebratory dinner for just-married friends:

      Starter Salad: Roasted Beets, Watercress, Goat Cheese, Toasted Walnuts with a dressing of Blood Orange and Walnut Oil
      Roast Duck (I've never made duck at home, and I really want to try); Savory Cranberry/Orange Sauce
      Butternut or Delicata Squash Puree w/shallots, parsley & creme fraiche
      Broccoli Rabe (or some other bitter green) Sauteed with Garlic
      Pear-Cherry Crisp OR Almond Cake with Berry Sorbet

I love playing around with possibilities, especially when it comes to food.  I'm open to all suggestions...

Comments

[Kelli]

What elegant menus! I recently had a very similar beet salad, except it had gorgonzola instead of goat cheese. It was amazing. And I would definitely go with the butternut squash over delicata. As for the duck... count me OUT! =)

[Julie]

LOL! Well, that one is a menu for carnivores -- but I also enjoy cooking meat-free on occasion. Why butternut over delicata? I love delicata, it's just not always easy to find.

[Ernie]

Your brothers b/day menu sounds lovely, especially the chocolate cake with mocha ice cream, great combo.
What's nice is that the meal is so light, you'll really be able to enjoy the dessert! Very important.

Did you see Nigella's roast duck
recipe, in the NY Times last Wed.? You could change the blueberry sauce, but the roasting method seems fairly painless.
Both desserts sound nice,but the almond cake seems more suitable with "fancier" meal!

[Ernie]

Here's a little comment about duck from Nigel Slater:

But we shouldn't forget the other January Seville classic - duck a l'orange. This week I bought the plumpest duck ever from my butcher, and for once managed to roast it so that its breast stayed sweetly moist. A little sauce on the side made from onion, carrot and celery, stock, grated Seville orange zest (if the oranges are very bitter then I use only one or two of these, with the bulk made up with the 'ordinary' Spanish oranges), a dash of Grand Marnier and the juice and zest of a couple of Sevilles is enough to make you wonder why this dish has fallen so dramatically from grace. It's one I look forward to every year.

The only sad part about it is that after several years of eating roast duck I have to finally admit that even the biggest, fattest, most waddly duck is really only a meal for two. There is always a temptation to get a third portion out of it and it is always a mistake. Better a feast for two with a bit left over for cold than a squabble between three.

[Julie]

Ernie, thanks so much for your kind comments -- I did see both the Nigella recipe for duck, and the Nigel Slater blurb -- because you were considerate enough to post them both at Nigella's Kitchen! I wish Nigel Slater said a little more about how he roasted his duck. I'm definitely going to follow his advice about quantity, and make 2 ducks for the 4 of us.

I'm thinking to try roasting it Nigella's way, although the blueberry sauce sounds too sweet for me. I want to try something more like Slater's sauce, with the possible addition of cranberries for tartness (since we don't really get Seville oranges here). Amanda Hesser's book also has a recipe for ginger duck -- but that one is boiled until it practically falls apart, then roasted until crisp. Sounds like a bit too much cooking!

Anyway, thanks for your suggestions. I think I'll either go with the Amanda Hesser almond cake recipe for the second menu or maybe I'll finally get to the Damp Lemon and Almond Cake...