The Birthday Dinner

So, after the chocolate salon there was dinner. i was surprised when i got hungry again. i thought the chocolate would keep me full up for a while. but i got hungry for regular food, food that largely lacked refined sugar and perhaps had some protein and fiber.

I knew what I wanted to make because I had been waiting for the chance to recreate a menu I had put together with my friend Elena who lives in Vicoria, British Columbia. Her and I spent many a Santa Cruz weekend and week night in college cooking up all manners of tempeh enchiladas and vegetarian coconut thai soup. Neither her nor I are still vegetarians. I think she was influenced by moving to France and after a trip to France with my sisters I had started to eat meat again too. My former self would probably more than cringe at the idea of foie gras which at the time I had never heard of. But I love it now. I think about going back to France this year and I literally have foie gras visions in my head.

Chicken Cacciatore
Baked Polenta with Gorgonzola
Glazed Carrots
Roasted Asparagus with Parmesan
Radichio and Endive Salad
Light Cheesecake (homemade, thank you Cook's Illustrated)

The only change I made was to omit a kale and carrot dish that was prep intensive and replace it with simple glazed carrots. I love kale, and was having a kale moment earlier this year, but the recipe called for boiling kale, as it seems many do, and somehow I hate the idea of boiling kale, so I moved on. The carrots love me for it.

Thanks to Caren for all her prep help, this menu was on the table in under two hours. It's great for a crowd because while the chicken cooks you can make the polenta and set it aside while you prep the veggies. then you just pop it in the oven with the asparagus and everything comes together seamlessly at the same time. that is my biggest problem as a cook: getting many good dishes on the table at the same time so that I can enjoy my friends. This menu is perfect for it. While I was cooking we all had some St. Andre with a bottle of Deutz. It brings the honey right out of the champagne, in the best way possible.