kathleen415
05-20-2001, 07:16 PM
Our supper club started September, 2000 with 5 couples as members. Monmouth and Ocean counties are on the Jersey Shore, about an hour north of Atlantic City. We went out to dinner to get acquainted and set up the ground rules. We rarely use Cooking Light recipes, although everyone with the exception of my husband and I, (my favorite food groups are heavy cream, pecorino-romano cheese, and a NY strip steak) seems to cook low-fat, healthy, at home. We all wanted to splurge a little and show off great recipes from other sources, especially since we all subscribe to CL. The current month's issue or particular recipes are frequently recommended though.
I didn't keep track of all the dishes so can only tell you about a few. We met in November for a Harvest Menu at the founding member's home. There was an appetizer of mushrooms in a sherry cream sauce in a puff pastry that was fabulous (I copied and served it on Christmas) and tradition was started when a green apple sorbet was served before the entree. I made a pear and hazelnut strudel with whipped cream adapted from Cuisine and the Diablo chocolate cake from Martha Stewart's Entertaining.
In February we had an Italian Dinner. There was a roasted pepper with Lobster soup that was phenomenal and homemade manicotti that was to die for. I've never had manicotti that good whether Little Italy in NYC or friend's grandmother's. I made 7 appetizers from various cookbooks and I don't even remember them all, except for an olive&anchovy tart, dried figs wrapped in prosciutto, and a radicchio&navel orange section&parmigiano reggiano cheese salad with a lemon,orange vinaigrette.
In April, we met in another restuarant and added two more couples.
Last night was a Fiesta Menu. There was pork and potato empanadas with a green sauce, and jalapenos stuffed with smoked gouda, and chips with a refried bean dip. A chili made with anchiote peppers was served with 2 kinds of corn bread. The main course was chicken&cheese enchiladas. I made side dishes: black bean and smoked corn salsa; mango and pear salsa; and arroz verde all from Contemporary Southwest by Donna Nordin (a great cookbook that I highly recommend), and the Ecuadorean Potato and Cheese Patties from April CL - they were ok but I had trouble sauteing them to golden brown so ended up roasting them.
Our next dinner is in July, a Hawaiin luau, then Octoberfest in the end of September and then a men's brunch in November.
I didn't keep track of all the dishes so can only tell you about a few. We met in November for a Harvest Menu at the founding member's home. There was an appetizer of mushrooms in a sherry cream sauce in a puff pastry that was fabulous (I copied and served it on Christmas) and tradition was started when a green apple sorbet was served before the entree. I made a pear and hazelnut strudel with whipped cream adapted from Cuisine and the Diablo chocolate cake from Martha Stewart's Entertaining.
In February we had an Italian Dinner. There was a roasted pepper with Lobster soup that was phenomenal and homemade manicotti that was to die for. I've never had manicotti that good whether Little Italy in NYC or friend's grandmother's. I made 7 appetizers from various cookbooks and I don't even remember them all, except for an olive&anchovy tart, dried figs wrapped in prosciutto, and a radicchio&navel orange section&parmigiano reggiano cheese salad with a lemon,orange vinaigrette.
In April, we met in another restuarant and added two more couples.
Last night was a Fiesta Menu. There was pork and potato empanadas with a green sauce, and jalapenos stuffed with smoked gouda, and chips with a refried bean dip. A chili made with anchiote peppers was served with 2 kinds of corn bread. The main course was chicken&cheese enchiladas. I made side dishes: black bean and smoked corn salsa; mango and pear salsa; and arroz verde all from Contemporary Southwest by Donna Nordin (a great cookbook that I highly recommend), and the Ecuadorean Potato and Cheese Patties from April CL - they were ok but I had trouble sauteing them to golden brown so ended up roasting them.
Our next dinner is in July, a Hawaiin luau, then Octoberfest in the end of September and then a men's brunch in November.