Christmas in May
I know that we are now in full-bloom springtime, but I, instead, want to talk about the pat-myself-on-the-back Christmas dinner my partner and I made for our parents and one of my brothers. I still can’t believe I pulled off making three new dishes for one meal. I know that “they” always recommend NOT making a recipe for the first time for guests, but when else are you going to make some of these recipes?!? I’ve done this before many times when we’ve had people over or when I’m taking a dish to someone else’s house. Often, it would just be one new thing and typically a dessert. Usually they go well such as when I made mini Oreo cheesecakes or chocolate chip skillet cookies. But every once in awhile they don’t work out so well - like when I made my partner his birthday dessert of a coconut cream pie that had a runny custard (but the guests were all so nice and said that it still tasted good).
But this past Christmas I pulled off the trifecta of three new side dishes to complement the smoked prime rib that my partner made. Now I know prime rib is delicious and should be the star of the show, which it probably was. But I’m still quite proud of what I made. I found 2 of the recipes from this Better Homes and Gardens Christmas Cooking from the Heart (2017) holiday cookbook. How did I get this cookbook? Well I must be on a list targeted to cookbook lovers like myself. They somehow KNEW I would order this book - which I promptly did when they sent me a flier in the mail. But it gave me two winning holiday dishes so I say it’s completely worth it! One dish was a corn pudding casserole with shredded zucchini and sun-dried tomatoes in it to complement the sweetness of the corn. The other dish was a bacon and pear autumn salad - I know it’s easy to have a win with bacon but still. The third dish was from Ottolenghi’s cookbook aptly named Simple. I would say it’s a vegetable-heavy cookbook and has veggies cooked or raw but presented in new and different ways. I made the roasted baby carrots with harissa and pomegranate which added new and varied flavors and textures. The dishes all looked and tasted great and felt more special than our regular meals. I set the table with all of my beautiful Depression-era glass and got to use my fancy serving bowls and platters. I love getting to set a table for a special occasion! Our families were very complimentary of all the food! But I think I mostly bragged about how impressed I was with our menu choices and execution. I am still so proud of this meal! Now we just need this social distancing to end, so we can have people over again and find some more new recipes and dishes to try out!
What are some dishes that you served to a crowd that were new? How did it go?
The table all set with the dishes and food!
