We hosted my parents for Christmas eve dinner at our house. Wendy set and decorated a beautiful table, glittering with crystal and candles, and I created the menu and prepared the food. Here's what we had:

* Apple and Chestnut Soup with Spiced Cream
* Spinach, Blue Cheese, and Strawberry Salad with Apple Cider Viniagrette (my mom brought this)
* Garlic-Stuffed Fillet of Beef over Crispy Potato 'Sandwich' with Classic Bordelaise & Maytag Sabayon
* Milk Chocolate Mousse Cake with Hazelnut Crunch Crust (cover recipe from a recent edition of Bon App, I think)

It was very nice! We had paired wines with each course, but I don't recall those at the moment. We did have a nice Moscato with the dessert...

Food snobs.

Drew's sounds fabulous. It's not snobbery Bruce; it is enjoying food for more than its sustaining qualities.

I did Christmas Eve dinner as well. It turned out well. We had:

-Celery-Celeriac Soup with Roquefort Croutons
-Creamed Spinach Gratin
-Gorganzola Rosemary Scalloped Potatoes
-Rack of Lamb Marinated in Balsamic, Rosemary, and Garlic. (the marinade was mixed with honey and white wine for a sauce) This is killer if I say so myself.
-Flourless Chocolate Cake with whipped cream, raspberries and raspberry sauce.

Yummy.

Okay, I just had lunch and you guys are still making me hungry.

what is this?

is it like a mushroom-mushroomiac soup?

It has celery and celery root (celeriac) in it. The soup also has potatoes, shallots, broth, half and half, milk, and spices.

my take was the soup is pretty much a cream of celery soup, but the celery root adds texture and mild flavor so you still get celery flavor without being overpowering.

True! It's not snobbery, and anyone that thinks it is is an insufferable bore.


Wow! Sounds interesting... Lotsa cheese going on in there (Roquefort, Gorgonzola), but sounds like a very nice menu.

I love serving soups. They're easy to make, hold well, and are a warming, comforting way to start a meal.

How did you do the Roquefort Crutons?

Dude, doesn't just using the words "insufferable bore" make you a snob by default?
I'm not ashamed of my snobbyness. Methinks you should embrace it!
~m

It was mostly hints of cheese for flavor. The rosemary in the potatoes paired well with the lamb. I think I were to remake it I would get rid of the spinach dish and do a salad of some kind - something with dried fruit and toasted nuts. Not complaining though, it was a tasty meal.

The croutons were baguettes slices toasted on both sided with crumbled roquefort broiled on top. Then I cut the 'toasts' into wedges'/ pieces. They were particulary good in my opinion, and easy. I definitely filed them away to use again to add some quick flavor.

Is that a fat joke?

~fff

my first good laugh of the day.