Dinner Party Replay - And Cherries on Top of Sundaes
No, the above photo is not of my dinner guests. These, my friends, are water buffalo. And, why did I feel it important to share a photo of these beasties? Cause their milk makes the most refined, delicate, creamy mozzarella on the planet.
This was the cheese that took centerstage during the first course of last Friday night's foodie fete. Slices of the pure white, rich, velvety mozzarella was accompanied by a salad of sweet cherry tomatoes, glistening in a champagne vinaigrette, topped with julienned fresh basil.
It doesn't get much better than that.
Simple, robust flavors seemed best to follow. And, so they did.
With two vegetarians at the table I decided that a hearty pasta dish was in order. Tuscan-style Ziti with Cauliflower was my pick - with florets of cauliflower sauteed in olive oil till golden, along with minced red onion, sliced garlic, hot chili flakes and a good deal of fresh mint. Had one of the guests liberally grate Pecorino atop (with one of my all-time favorite kitchen gadgets - the Microplane Grater) and it was ready for mass consumption.
For the meat-eaters among us, I took a special trip to Los Paisanos Meat Market on Smith Street to procure some of their housemade sausages. Digging into the roasted Lamb, Garlic, Red Wine and Herb sausage I didn't regret the trip one bit. And, taking a bite next of the Chicken, Provolone and Peppers variety, I vowed to purchase more of these plump links right quick!
Sauteed up some beautiful, bright green asparagus stalks with some Balsamic vinegar and white wine for a little crisp, veggie accompaniment.
We were stuffed. Even my veggie friends - Celeste and Melissa - seemed completely contented.
And yet, there was more...Of course!
In order to switch gears into dessert mode - which as previously established on this site, was Basque Cornmeal Cake with Hot Strawberry Compote and Ricotta Sorbet - I proffered a "palate-cleansing" course. No mint sorbet here. Instead, I laid out a plate of dried, glazed orange and canteloupe slices from my favorite Arabic market on Atlantic Avenue. The bitter versus sweet play between the orange rind, orange pulp and honey-sugar canteloupe was lovely - and prepped our palates for the finale.
The cake was as glorious as expected - and the dessert wine didn't hurt the experience either.
Plus, as an added treat, my friend David read aloud a little something he'd found on the seat next to him riding into Brooklyn on the subway: a wonderfully whimsical print-out from the "Toys in Babeland" Web site. I won't share the topic specifics, but needless to say it was educational. What a perfect way to round out the evening! Informational smut is always considered the cherry on the sundae at my parties. Isn't the same for every good hostess?
Maybe next time David comes over, a sundae with a cherry on top would be in order. I wonder if I can find a way to make it vibrate?