Holiday Party 2007
30-Dec-2007
Friday night I held my annual holiday party. It was a ton of fun, as it always is! And I say this not because of anything that I do but because my friends are all so good at mixing and mingling that everyone who comes, whether they know anyone else or not, is included in assorted conversations and often ends up making new friends that night.
Over the last few years it seems my party has become a bit predictable and so this year I eliminated several of the tried and true dishes that I normally make and filled in with several new items. All of the new items were very good and the group loved them so they will appear on future menus, I’m sure! Here’s the menu with links or information about the recipes.
The "Old Items" on the menu included:
- Cheese Stuffed Mushrooms
- Pecan Chicken Salad on Cucumbers
- Gougere (Cheese puffs) from Dishing with Kathy Casey: Food, Fun, and Cocktails from Seattle’s Culinary Diva
- Smoked Salmon, Chive Creme Fraiche, and Capers with Crackers
- Warmed Brie topped with Caramel and served with sliced green apple
The "New Items" on the menu included:
- Oven roasted potatoes with dill topped with Creme Fraiche and Ikura (Salmon Roe)
- Smoked Trout Toasts from The Herbal Kitchen: Cooking with Fragrance and Flavor
- Chicken Liver Pate with Brandied Fruit from Kathy Casey’s Northwest Table: Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Southern Alaska
- Sesame Roasted Shrimp Sticks with Zippy Apricot Dipping Sauce from Kathy Casey’s Northwest Table: Oregon, Washington, British Columbia, Southern Alaska
- Prosciutto, Gorgonzola and Pear Crostini
- And a friend brought, Rosemary-Parmesan Icebox Crackers
And, I rounded it all out with:
- Cheese Platter
- Pickled Vegetable Assortment
- Green Tea Wasabi Peanuts
- Truffles
- Cookies (check out the last few blog entries)
- Carmelcorn
And, of course, there was plenty of sparkling wine, wine and sparkling water to round it all out.
More photos are here.
Culinary Fool 
Looks and sounds amazing! Quite the spread! Happy New Year!Cheers,BH
Thanks, BH!
Unbelievable! Gorgeous! Beautiful! Mouth-watering! Charmed and Cozy with LOTS of class and sophistication.Whew!………………………….You are unbelievably talented and a gifted soul.Thanks for the spread,-jenj