I now turn the blog over to my human for this (maybe not so) OOC post.
Having been so excited with the past weekend's revelries, I told not a few of you about our third annual holiday dinner party event. Many have asked about the menu and more details, so I am happy to present to you....
An Evening Somewhere in Pennsylvania
A Little History: This year our good friends and next door neighbors, the Plimptons, agreed that if they joined forces with us, the McColgans (names changed to protect the guilty) we could really throw quite the soirée for our friends. Normally, we have about 8-10 people over for a holiday dinner in our home. I generally do all the cooking, which I love to do; however, the four of us were fortunate enough this year to meet a wonderful chef, Pippa Calland, who just happens to occasionally cater such events. Thus the idea grew and the event came into being. Once we had secured a spot on Pippa's calendar, we began to collaborate on the menu with her...by which I mean, she told us her wonderful ideas and we said, "YES!" A wee bit nervously, I suggested that I might be able to assist her with the wine pairings. Initially I think she was a bit hesitant, but as we discussed the food and preparations, the particular types of wine or ales she felt might be appropriate as well as my thoughts, I think she became a bit more comfortable with my ability to manage this end of things. And so it was that I found some wonderful selections. Selections that I might add triumphantly now, which Pippa and her staff found to be incredible!! (Whew!)
The Setting: The adults were hosted next door at the Plimptons' lovely home.
The kids were cared for at our home. We hired two of our favorite baby sitters to manage the 11 kids that joined ours for a little party of their own. Fun foods, special crafts from the dollar bin at our local art supply store, and Christmas movies for viewing.
Pippa and her staff arrived at around 4:30pm to get the kitchen going. We took the beverages over sometime around 5pm and then ran a few last minutes errands to ensure that we had everything we needed.
The Menu:
Antipasti Table: Aged Manchego cheese, rosemary and sea salted almonds and quince, torte d'mascarpone stuffed medjool dates, arancine, sliced prosciutto di parma, Drunken goat cheese, mustard fruits, and breadsticks
Wine Accompaniment: Conti D'Arco Prosecco
Beer Accompaniment: Troeg's Scratch Beer Series #6, Lager
Course 1: Warm salad of roasted mushrooms, grilled endive, and truffled fonduta
Beverage Accompaniment: K-Brand Hard Cider
Course 2: Seared sashimi grade tuna with chickpeas, tangerine, harissa, and mint
Wine Accompaniment: LaFond Chardonnay SRH, 2004
Course 3: Ditalini Pasta with Manila clams, pancetta and broccoli rabe
Wine Accompaniment: Essenza Di Malvasia Salento Bianco, 2005
Course 4: Roasted loin of local pork with chestnuts, apples, and cider enriched gravy
Wine Accompaniment: Hugel Riesling, 2004
Beer Accompaniment: Troeg's Hopback
Course 5: Seared and sliced magret of moulard duck with duck confit and a warm slaw of toasted savoy cabbage and castelucchio lentils
Wine Accompaniment: Rasteau Cotes Du Rhone Villages, 2005
Beer Accompaniment: Troeg's Troegenater (Stout)
Course 6: Chocolate bread pudding with brioche, dried cherries, and pecans
Wine Accompaniment: Hardy's 1998 Vintage Port
Beer Accompaniment: Troeg's Mad Elf (brewed with honey and dried cherries)
The pictures:
(Names changed - save for our chef's)
The Hostesses: Ms. Plimpton (l), and Mrs. McColgan (me)
The McColgans greet their guests
Me posing with a glowing Mrs. Sparky (she will have her first child at the end of next month), and Ms. Plimpton
Somewhere around midnight a call came out of the crowd for the Ren Faire corsets to come out of the closets. Of course, my dear husband was happy to help the cause and ran home to get mine whilst Mrs. Plimpton went upstairs to put hers on. (This is the danger of so much fine food and drink...and general joviality. Corsets may be demanded.)
This particular shot was taken sometime after a little more port and some dancing.
*sighs happily and giggles a little once again at life imitating art*
Mrs. McColgan - signing off.
4 comments:
*Gabrielle's human sighs in complete and total jealousy on the other side of the screen*
Oh, I miss throwing parties like I used to!
Is that a Second Life "Vogue-ing" pose shot, there, Mrs. McColgan?
Life, it imitates art sometimes.
H.
SL Vogue-ing? Perhaps.
I must confess to a few moments of a surreal nature as I realized how several of the things that were happening mirrored experiences in SL.
*costume changes on the fly
*dancing with good friends (does not say whether or not a sandwich may have been involved)
*erudite, witty, and ridiculous conversations
Good stuff!
Gee, life imitating SL. Y'know everyone just looks "Caledonian"
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