My neighbor Irene has hosted a Sunday night dinner for our mutual friend Lelia Hamilton for many years. Both women epitomize the idea of graciousness. Lelia recently fell and fractured her hip, and she is doing very well -- mending in a metroplex rehabilitation hospital and hopefully will be home soon.
Tonight to fill the evening, I hosted the Sunday night dinner. Irene joined us along with Kristen's parents, Julie and Bill Maupin, and Tom Adams -- famed local (and even not so local) florist, caterer, and decorator.
Lelia always remarks at her China gilded parties that it is "something I just threw together for suppa'." Well, tonight I tried to emulate her idea of a good time as best as possible in her absence.
Tom started the evening with a wonderful cheese tray, fruit, glazed almonds, and dehydrated garlic (of all things!). The first dinner course was a doubled poured soup of roasted red pepper on one side and fresh corn-jalopeno soup on the other. My daughter Cathryn helped today to create the garnish of ancho chili cream and cilantro cream. The main course was served family style with grilled ribeye steak with lemon, rosemary, and olive oil; broccoli slaw; and, roasted new potatoes.
Dessert was special (my Sweetie likes these): roasted pears with caramel sauce. The recipe from Kate Zuckerman's cookbook was fabulous.
The wine worked well tonight. Irene surprised everyone with a '81 Bordeaux! Perfection. I refilled with Caymus -- not the typical drinks our house!
But whether its food or wine, the people are what make an evening meal special. And, in this case a special Sunday night suppa'.
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