A Few Things I'll Serve Again

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October has been busy. After a dinner party and birthday celebrations at home, family and friends have put in requests for their favorites, and I've already decided to serve a few things on Thanksgiving. Others I'll serve at future get togethers. There's the food, the fall inspired cocktails and mocktails, the roses and linen, and the little touches I like having ready when guests arrive.

Preparing the table

Linen tablecloths and roses for sure. I love mixed flower arrangements, but my fur children's safety comes first, which limits my choices. Fortunately, roses are quite lovely on their own.

Preparing the house

I've used my Aera diffusers and the Apotheke Wild Mint and Ivy reed diffuser in the downstairs bathroom consistently for the last year and a half, and they're staying. Aera also offers a pet friendly collection.

Linen feel disposable guest towels work really well when you're having a large group over. No soggy hand towels.

Something to begin with

I mixed more than a few cocktails and mocktails, using apple cardamom and orange ginger reductions. The apple cardamom was used the most, but the orange ginger made an excellent autumn Manhattan, garnished with orange peel and two Luxardo cherries. Two, not one. I had to give it a try. What no one knows but my sons is that I probably drink Manhattans for the cherries.

At the first dinner party, I served the apple cardamom reduction with vodka and sparkling water, garnished with a thin apple slice and rosemary. It was refreshing. That one is making the Thanksgiving cut.

View the Apple-Cardamom Reduction recipe, with cocktails and mocktails.

To go with the drinks, we served warm maple thyme Brie with toasted walnuts and apples, and blackberry, pecan and thyme Brie en croûte. The caramelized onion dip was a delight. The fresh chives and crème fraîche added something special. These will make an appearance on Thanksgiving.

At the table

I served Swedish meatballs at the first dinner party and beef stroganoff at the second. These are two dishes family and friends show up for when I cook, which isn't often. More than one person told me the stroganoff was the best they'd ever had and asked for it again. The meatballs got much the same response. I'm calling it a tie.

The Steward House Salad is also worth mentioning. It's simple: romaine and artisan lettuce, green olives, garlic croutons, Parmesan, bell pepper, cucumber, green onion and avocado, with olive oil, fresh lemon, salt and pepper to taste. Salad can so easily be the thing no one touches. This one disappeared, and I was asked for the recipe. I serve it all year round at home with different proteins for a quick lunch or evening meal, and it's something we don't tire of.

Ending on a sweet note

At the first dinner, we served the pear upside down cake with vanilla crème fraîche. The cake has a slightly drier crumb, and at the first bite I wasn't sure. By the second, with the crème fraîche, I knew it was exactly as it should be. The combination was exquisite. I don't eat many sweets, but I went back for a second and third piece over the following evenings.

For the birthday dinner, we had white cake with chocolate bar frosting and chocolate fondue. The frosting wasn't quite like the birthday girl makes it, but it was delicious. She has promised to make her chocolate bar cake to show us how it's done. I can't wait to try the version that is all her own.

The fondue stood out: two French Valrhona chocolates, dark and milk, with hints of espresso and vanilla. This I'll do again all on its own. It was simpler than I expected. We prepared the chocolate in advance, warmed it in the fondue pot when dinner began, and served it with apples, strawberries, oranges, pretzels and vanilla marshmallows.

We finished with black tea, a little rose water, and saffron rock sugar sticks.

Having guests over is work, but so much fun. The company, the conversation and the energy that filled the room were wonderful. Thank you to everyone who shared their days with us.