A Foodie Christmas Dinner Party

Menu

appetizer

Three Holiday Crostini Served with Bubbly:

Italian Truffle Cheese, Truffled Shiitake, Truffled Frisee
Cambozola, Cranberry Orange Relish, Walnut
Foie Gras Paté

dinner

Lori Lynn’s

Spicy Curried Butternut Squash Soup with Creme Fraiche
Garnished with Toasted Coconut, Chopped Cashews, Dried Pomegranate Arils

Gail’s

Bejeweled Endive Christmas Salad
Radish, Shallot, Basil, Fresh Pomegranate Seed
Creamy Champagne Thyme Vinaigrette

Lori Lynn’s

Roasted Cornish Game Hen
Meyer Lemon, Fennel, Olive, Garlic
Meyer Lemon Cream Fraiche “Gravy”

Pat’s

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Sally’s

Brussels Sprouts with Hollandaise

Lauren’s

Warm Chocolate Lava Cake
Peppermint Chip Ice Cream

A few days before Christmas I hosted A Foodie Christmas Dinner Party for my friends. Everyone was to bring a dish and wine. I had said that I would be making Cornish game hen and the rest of the menu was open. Without any formal planning, the menu evolved and the dinner turned out fabulous! My only direction was to let the cooks know what menu category was available. Since we are foodie friends that have been cooking together for years, it shouldn’t have surprised me that the random menu items complemented each other perfectly.

the appetizer

Paul, Gail, and Barry

Here are three delightful crostini to kick off any party which go great with sparkling wine…

Cambozola Cheese, Cranberry Orange Relish, Chopped Toasted Walnut

Italian Truffle Cheese, Truffle Oil Roasted Shiitake, Frisee Tossed with Truffle Oil
&
Foie Gras Paté on Toasted Bread Brushed with Olive Oil

the soup

The spicy curried butternut squash soup with creme fraiche was a perfect soup to begin the sit-down portion of the dinner. It is a wonderful winter soup, the small portion was full of flavor with a spicy finish from the cayenne. Garnished with toasted coconut, chopped cashews, and dried pomegranate arils made it fancy with an interesting texture. I posted this recipe a few days ago here.

the salad

This is an elegant Christmas salad with it’s bright red and green colors and jewel-like pomegranate seeds. Crunchy sliced endive and radish, with minced shallot and ribbons of fresh basil are tossed with a creamy Champagne vinaigrette and topped with fresh pomegranate arils.

the main course

Roasted Cornish game hen is a great main course for a party of 8 to 10 people. These hens were almost 2 lbs. each, so splitting them lengthwise made for a perfect portion. Thin slices of Meyer lemon are placed under the skin. Sliced fennel, smashed garlic cloves, assorted olives, thyme and Meyer lemon slices are placed in a roasting pan with the hens arranged on top. A drizzle of olive oil and salt and pepper, then into the oven they go. One pan and seasonal ingredients equals a splendid full-flavored entree for a holiday crowd. I posted the full recipe yesterday here.

Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Brussels Sprouts with Hollandaise

the dessert

Warm Chocolate Lava Cake
Peppermint Chip ice Cream

the wine

We thank Paul for bring both the 2002 and 2003 vintages of the luxurious Silver Oak Alexander Valley Cabernet Sauvignon. Read more about this stellar winery  and these particular wines on my post earlier today here.

the festive table

with a wire Christmas tree centerpiece decorated with fruit, vegetable and foodie ornaments

wishing you the happiest of holidays