The dinner took a whole day to prepare, my feet got so numb and sore by the end of the very long hours of preparing food and cooking, but it was definitely worth it!
Chicken Broth Brussels Sprouts.
These were slow cooked for about 45 min and they became so tender and juicy.
Meatball Stuffed with Smoked Mozzarella and Homemade Marinara Sauce.
Red sauce pasta was requested by one of the birthday girls so here we go. Other than some Italian bread crumbs and egg, the minced beef was also combined with leek, onion, parsley, red crushed pepper, worcestershire, cumin and some salt & pepper.
French Onion Soup with Thyme and Sauvignon Blanc.
Sweat the onion at the beginning with very low heat was to key to make the soup very sweet. And by adding some unsalted butter towards the end, it made a world of difference. Thanks to one of the birthday girls, the china we used the night were so elegant and beautiful I felt like our eyes were being fed also. Love that soup bowl!
Bay Scallop Gratin.
With a ladle of Sauvignon Blanc on the bottom of the tray, I added dried bay scallops. The topping was a whip of butter, roasted garlic (Garlic wrapped in foil with olive oil, salt & pepper and baked in oven @ 375 degrees for about an hour), parsley, thyme, lemon juice and some salt & pepper. I blended them all together and streamed in some olive oil. Last step was to fold in some panko bread crumbs and bake for about 10 min. It was an inspiration from one of Ina Garten’s recipes, http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ina-garten/bay-scallop-gratin-recipe/index.html Yummy!
Beef Hash with Sunny Side Up Eggs.
The other birthday girl loves breakfast, so I decided to give this a try. On top of the different color potatoes and very sharp cheddar, the eggs completed the dish!
Last but not least, the Saffron Broth Shrimp and Clams.
Another inspiration originated from Foodnetwork, http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/michele-urvater/scallops-and-penne-pasta-in-a-saffron-broth-recipe/index.html. I modified a few ingredients, but I believe with the features of saffron and seafood, orange zest, clam juice, wine and tomatoes really brought their intensity of flavors to the fullest!
