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Tuesday, July 17, 2007

The Perfect Summer Dinner



Summer time and the living is easy--especially when I'm having a dinner party with my good friends Meg & Kyla, in New York. On the menu were: tortilla with homemade aioli, Meg's handcrafted fruit tart, sangria, fresh corn with cumin-lime wands, gazpacho, and watermelon, cucumber, feta & mint salad.

The trick to pulling off a good dinner party is to keep thing simple and manageable and to make everything as beautiful and eye catching as possible. It was hot that night and we hardly "cooked" anything, except for the tortilla and the corn. We relied on fresh herbs and colorful produce to add flavor, and enticing aromas to create delicious and eye-catching dishes. Best of all our dinner party cost only $60 for 12 people, less than the cost of one dinner out in New York.


I'd like to call a moratorium on gratuitous mesclun greens. This simple salad is eye catching and refreshing.



I knew when I cut into this tortilla that it was personal best. It had the heft and weight that a good tortilla should have. Instead of pouring the egg directly into the pan of cooked potatoes and onion, place the onion/potato mixture into a bowl and pour in the eggs and gently mix. Let it sit for 10 minutes and then pour it back into the pan to cook.



Gazpacho was made by blending tomatoes, red peppers, cucumber, cilantro, garlic, lime juice, olive oil and a splash of vinegar.


DO: Display your homemade creations in your vintage Le Creuset cookware. It makes a great conversation piece and reduces dishes.

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