2016 Mother's Day Dinner
Sunday, May 08, 2016It's a themed holiday and I relish the chance to go all out and make a thematic meal. So it's Mother's Day? Even better! That's probably the day where I can elicit the maximum effort of my offsprings in their desire to satisfy my every whim. Insert wicked laugh here ;)
And when I am asked what I'm doing on Mother's Day, or rather, what the kids are doing for me on Mother's Day, I seriously want to laugh, because I know I'm probably doing most of it. Not that it's a bad thing. On the contrary, I would like to put a good show for them because we don't get together often lately and this is a wonderful opportunity to enjoy an orchestrated meal.
So yes, all is said and this was done ...
And since I was missing in action for most of the afternoon, my troops delivered! Yay! Max, Belle and Monique practically ran the show and I only showed up to put the finishing touches on the trifle and take some pictures. I guess I can let it go ...
Maxine did a lot for this meal and here she is, showcasing her intricately fashioned smoked salmon tartine with cream cheese, red onions, capers and dill, on Boudin's sourdough :)
It would be redundant to mention that she is the more artistically inclined of the tribe.
Max also arranged this heart-healthy ombré salad with a green gradient of spinach to romaine lettuce, then topped it with chopped apples, walnuts, raisins, and sun-dried tomatoes. It was subsequently served with house vinaigrette.
This beautifully plated garden pasta was made by Belle. She made a vegan ragout with mushrooms and zucchini, stirred some spinach into the pasta, then topped it with home made breadcrumbs. Hearty and so satisfying.
Monique put her baking skills to the test for dessert! This orange zested berry bundt cake was baked in our pretty rose bundt pan and featured strawberries and blueberries against a lightly fragranced orange batter.
I actually liked the way the berries are oozing out of the petals! We opted out of the dollop of cream to serve but it would've been dang good with it.
And this is the pièce de résistance of the evening ... a chocolate banana trifle made with a chocolate graham cracker crust, two fabulous layers of Shirley Corriher's one bowl chocolate cake (drenched in Bacardi!), two layers of crème pâtissière laced with banana liqueur, two layers of caramelized sliced bananas, a layer of Ecuadorian dark chocolate ganache, a topping of whipped cream, more bananas, cake bits and a drizzle of chocolate ganache. Okay, I'll admit I wanted this one, hence made it myself. But still couldn't pull it off without my trusty troops.
The banana and chocolate union was obvious because even though it's Mother's Day, Mother actually had Father in mind ;) and Father will gladly devour any dessert with this winning combination.
So this was our Mother's Day tea turned dinner. Needless to say, I had a fabulous time. Loved the meal, enjoyed the company, and I am so grateful to my troops who, so patiently and diligently, put up with my 'requests'. Glad to know they too had a wonderful evening.
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