When is it a dinner party vs. having dinner with friends?

I'm still on my (making the perfect) biscuit kick and have had one too many biscuit and honey/butter/jam meals. Hence, the meal was built around the biscuits. Started off with a selection of Cowgirl Creamery cheeses; Crisp Roasted Chicken (Cook's Illustrated; gawd! I loved stabbing the heck out of that bird); mixed greens (kale and collards) with bacon; cornmeal biscuits; and, raspberry and blackberry cobbler.

The biscuits were a disaster. We checked the biscuits halfway through the cooking time... they had flattened during cooking... and they looked like oatmeal cookies. A quick trip to Florida Avenue Grill saved the meal.

On Saturday, an exploration of fennel dinner with friends

cocktails: fennel julep OR bloody Mary with fennel infused gin
apps: braised fennel and leek spread on fresh baguette
soup: ricotta, fennel and leek ravioli in fennel broth garnished with micro-fennel
main: pan seared pork loin over caramelized onion and fennel with fennel cream sauce
side: fennel, asparagus and blue cheese gratin
dessert: caramelized fennel and apple compote tart

Thanks to all for great food, drinks and conversation! Everything was amazing, and surprisingly not "fennel overload". Though I did call my cat Fennel rather than Flannel more than once after dinner.

Fresh fennel and fennel seed, I assume. Did you use any fennel pollen?

There was fennel pollen, but I forget who used it for what... maybe garnish on the bloody Mary?

Would you mind sharing how you made your fennel julep? It sounds interesting.

Muddle fennel fronds thoroughly with fine sugar; add bourbon, ice, a drop or two of pastis, stir well, strain into glass.

Zora, it was actually powdered fennel seed for the bloody marys, not fennel pollen.

Dinner for 20, a surprise birthday party for Mr. P:

gin-based beverages
lamb rogan josh (a dry curry)
channa-chaat masala (spicy chickpeas)
shahi paneer (yogurt cheese in tomato-cream sauce)
badaam aur khus-khus kae aalu (curried cashew and poppy seed potatoes)
carrots and peas
rice
key lime pie
cheesecake squares
(tomatoes and potatoes from the home garden)

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Cooking five Indian dishes and two Western desserts for 20 people was actually easier to pull off than I imagined. So was surprising Steve when he got home before the guests arrived (he got suspicious after the third "hey, we're free, what're you doing tonight?" phone call; had it figured out when people started showing up without calling). What wasn't easy was hiding the gallons of milk and quarts of yogurt needed for the paneer, and seven pounds of lamb, and assorted other things requiring refrigeration.

Set a personal best dishwasher use record: five loads in a single day.

Chili, cornbread, chicken fajitas, homemade pinto beans, grilled veggies, rice, flour tortillas.
Lots of wine & beer
Apple pie, and plum crisp with almonds
Waitman's fabulous honey ice cream

Oil cured olives with herbs de Provence

Bouillabaise
croutons, rouille

Green salad, vinaigrette

cheese plate: Stilton, Morbier, Robiola

Fleur de Sel brownies
vanilla ice cream

Fresh mango juice/mezcal/tequila/chile arbol syrup/lime/mint
guacamole and chips
verduras en escabeche

tamales de huitlacoche (with homemade masa and lard) with poached shrimp and mole verde
2006 Don Alegario Albariño

barbacoa de cabrito steamed in banana leaf with avocado leaves
roasted chile salsa
frijoles refritos
saffron rice
radishes
homemade tortillas made with Moctec fresh masa
2006 Hampton Bridge Sonoma zinfandel

cheese platter with Everona Blue Ridge sheepmilk blue, chestnut leaf-wrapped goat, a Wisconsin raw milk tomme, St. Andre triple cream, grapes, fresh figs, pears

horchata panna cotta with pomegranate seeds
Mexican chocolate-chile truffles rolled in Guatemalan cocoa nibs

Montenegro amaro
Bardouin pastis

Edamane
Shrimp Cocktail
Dry Sausage
Perfect Manhattens

Vegan French Onion Soup
with Toasted Baguette and Gruyere Cheese

Bitter Leaf Salad

Pan Seared Scallops
Braised Short Ribs in Guinness and Prunes with carrots and parsnips
Herbed Rice With Currants in Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar
Sautee Spinach

Marble crown cake with mixed berries and ice cream/ sorbet

Carpano Antica Formula Manhattans with Sazerac rye and home cured cherries
Guacamole and chips
almonds and chile -spiked olives

Amuse-- small serving of roasted winter vegetable soup

Iceberg wedge salad with blue cheese dressing and bacon

2007 Tittarelli Torrontes

Cedarbrook Farm double-thick pork chops, herb-brined and charcoal roasted with hickory smoke chips, sliced off the bone
South Carolina mustard bbq sauce
Quince compote
Stone ground artisan white grits
Braised Kale

Cheese platter- Humboldt Fog, Stilton, Spanish sheepmilk, bosc pear, dried figs

2005 Hampton Bridge Sonoma Zinfandel

Patisserie Poupon pistachio pithiviers
Espresso

Amaro Montenegro

Dinner

Elderberry liquor and Fever tree tonic water

Smoked salmon with lemon pepper cream cheese on black bread topped with salmon roe
Olives
Sage Derby Cheese (aka moon cheese)
Tripple Cream Brie

Potatoe pancakes fried in bacon fat topped with caviar

Linguini with bacon, escarole (picked the morning we ate it) and parmesean

Salad of Freshly picked baby lettuce and enoki mushrooms
Roast with caper dijon sauce
Pureed cauliflower

Homemade raspberry wine
Homebrewed ginger beer and dark, sweet beer

Homemade asian pear pie


Breakfast

Cup of Joe (a special treat for me)
Homemade scones with clotted cream
Soft boiled quail eggs topped with caviar

Country fresh air

ORGANIC Asian pears? I think I know your hosts!

Dinner for 4

Castelveltrano Olives
Rosemary Spiced Nuts
Ceasar Dip
Double Salmon Dip
Crostini
Parmesan Thyme Crackers
Chorizo
Salame
Marinated Mushrooms
Ham
Biscuits
Fig-Stuffed Oatmeal Cookies
Pumpkin Bars
Chocolate Chip Cookies
Cheesecake Brownies
Peanut Butter Kiss Cookies
Chocolate Cake

You know, what we have laying around the house . . .