Just before the verdict, here's a copy of the delivery note :
The Birthday Menu - delivery note!
Cream Cheese & Cashew Nut Paté
with soda bread
The bread was made this morning – it's meant
to be dense and hopefully you'll enjoy with the
paté – any leftovers are very good toasted -
with loads of butter of course!
Cheese, Potato and Onion pie
I've lightly baked the pastry lid – pre-heat oven
on 180fan/200c/Gas 6 to warm – cover the pie
with foil – it'll need 20 minutes, then remove the foil
for a final 5 minutes
with coleslaw
Flourless Chocolate Cake
if you prefer soft, warm and squidgy cake then
microwave for 20 seconds
with Raspberry Coulis and clotted cream
The verdict is in!
“...we had some of your bread yesterday … it was yummy! Looking forward to the feast tonight! Thank you again for such a thoughtful present.
Thank you again for the dinner. Every part of it was amazing, so tasty and moreish I doubt I'll eat for a very long time. The paté is gorgeous! The slaw was the best I've had … great mayo! The pie cooked perfectly and we all kept tucking in for more. The dessert was divine – with the addition of the clotted cream which is my favourite, thank you so much.
The next evening … we finished the chocolate cake tonight – it's the gift that keeps on giving! Yummy! X”
Phew – and breathe!
Which brings me to the whole point of this exercise … and the comment I made at the beginning :
Remember the days when we had a social life and family and friends came to visit? I hardly dare say this but, if all goes accordingly to plan, may be we'll be able to cook for our family and friends again – do you remember how? I'm not sure I do so the birthday menu is a dress rehearsal!
In the overall scheme of things it doesn't matter what you cook – it's being with your nearest and dearest that matters but you'll still want to eat and you'll want it to be delicious and effortless – which is why I've illustrated how you can do that. When I chose the menu options it was tailored entirely around my friend's favourite dishes. I now realise that the only element that required attention, other than placing on the table, was the pie – all you need to do is set your timer!
Whatever you choose to serve think about yourself too – don't stress – use your time between now then to create your favourite food. If you plan ahead not only will everything work superbly you'll be right where you should be – smack in the middle with everyone else and not doing a very good impression of a piece of chewed string - or a wet lettuce if you prefer.
If we've learnt anything in the last year it's life is too short ...
Coming up – a cream tea but not as you know it!
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