Book Group Dinner

Well, it was a great success. I do this on occasion, and usually make 10-12 courses. This month was Italian. I even made fresh pasta, lemon sorbet, and ice cream. It was great fun, and I loved seeing all those smiling faces at the table.

The menu:
Firsts
Almonds and olives
Bruschetta with balsamic tomatoes or onion confit
Insalata mista, gorgonzola and walnuts, blood orange vinaigrette
Clementines with balsamic and black pepper

Seconds
Fetuccini with shrimp and lemon basil cream sauce
4-cheese baked ziti
Osso buco with olives and oranges

Sides
Pancetta and sage braised Brussels sprouts
Mushroom risotto, white truffle oil

Desserts
Lemon sorbet
Mascarpone ice cream
Carmelized pears with brandy
Honeyed figs

I also made dungeness crab ravioli with vodka sauce, but forget to cook the ravioli so my husband and I had it last night. It was probably good that I waited - I haven't hand made ravioli in a while so it could have been prettier. It was tasty though.

My friend Sandy said "I think the clementines, the tomato bruschetta, the osso bucco, and the fettuccine were my favs – oh, and have to add the risotto and the pears!" So I guess I did OK this month, and had lots of fun too. I even managed to finish the book while stirring the risotto!