I was the last of the group to host a "Sunday Dinner", so I felt like I had a bit of advantage as I had had my menu for a month. I had also seen the others in action just before dinner was served and had a good idea about what was involved with preparing such a complicated feast.
I'll list the menu and a few pearls of wisdom that I gained from preparing each dish:
Smoke Sturgeon Canape - While I dearly love my fellow foodies and wanted to follow the menu faithfully, my pockets just weren't deep enough to purchase the smoked sturgeon - it costs a whopping $50.00 per pound. So, smoked salmon provided a lovely substitute. I had my doubts about preparing this appetizer, but I must say, I ,and my tastebuds, were pleasantly
surprised. I toasted bread rounds in butter; slathered them with little
dijon mustard; stacked some salmon on the mustard; put a dollop of chopped green olives and pimento on the salmon; and then topped it all off with a rolled anchovy. I served the appetizer per the instructions "Dispose each canape on a bread and butter plate covered with a paper doily and garnish with sprays of parsley". It made for a very attractive presentation, and it tasted quite yummy! (One other tidbit - I felt rather silly requesting "10 anchovies, please" from the man at the fish counter - I was reminded of that scene in Animal House when the young man requested "10,000 marbles, please" - both requests seemed equally absurd!)
Clam Bouillon - While fresh clams were available for purchase here at the local grocery store, they did not look all that
appealing in the seafood case. I felt that we may live a little too far inland for such a heroic attempt. So, I opted for canned chowder instead.
Broiled Finnan Haddie - What? What is this? - I was asking myself. I had too look this up, and I soon became enlighted. This was a fish, and it exists - get this - off the coast of Scotland!!! Special order only. Well, needless to say, another substitution took place. I then began to ask myself "What was this hostess thinking with all these fish dishes on one menu?"
Potatoes on the Half Shell - lucky for me Stacy had a ricer that I could borrow. I consulted another cookbook for the same recipe. The instructions for all the recipes on the menus tend to be rather vague, and this
recipe was no exception. I'm just not that accomplished of a cook (yet!) that I can judge the amount of cream, butter, and seasonings that should be added to a recipe. So, I had a little extra guidance here.
Peggy's Sour Cabbage - Lots and lots of butter still didn't help the taste of this lifeless, green mush of a dish. The only thing that saved it was it's presentation in
lovley Havilland serving bowl.
Cheese Souffle - This was a triumph! Just what a souffle should be - light in texture, subtle in flavor, and just the right amount of "puff". And, I thought it made up remarkable well for all my substitutions in the prior dishes.
Strawberry Shortcake - This recipe called for making a syrup by boiling water and sugar and then letting it the mixture cool. Once it was cooled it said to "pour syrup over berries". That just didn't happen as the mixture became solid again after it cooled. However, I did add the mixture (al
though in chunks) to the strawberries and then let it sit for a couple of hours. And, lo and behold, it turned into syrup when mixed with strawberries. The strawberries are then "lifed from the syrup" and then the syrup is strained through a fine mesh strainer. The berries and syrup turned out excellently. Then came the shortcake - I was very disappointed in this recipe - I followed the directions faithfully - but I had to make several "adjustments" to get it cook properly. The results were less than favorable (actually, it came very close to being a complete disaster) , but my guests were very gallant about swallowing it down (and much too polite to comment on the shortcake's unfortunate -and quite lumpy - appearance and rather dry taste).
All in all it, was grand experience for me. Careful planning and thoughtful preparation were the keys to my (mostly) successful first "Sunday Dinner". (And, a note to Robert - I apologize for any mispelled words and improper use of grammar - I know how much it irrates you. But, you'll get over it!)
Jane
Next Sunday Dinner will be held Sunday, April 25.
