This food holiday snuck up on me, so I don’t have anything brand-spankin’ new for you, but here’s a delicious dish from June 2011 that fits the bill. Perfect for picnics and cookouts, and it has BACON (and we all know that bacon makes everything better).  Here it is, in all its glory: 101. Potato Salad. 

I made this while I was home over Memorial Day weekend in 2011. We had a cookout at my parents’ townhouse and a lot of my family was in attendance. We served the standard summer cookout fare–hot dogs, hamburgers, grilled chicken, roasted corn on the cob, fruit salad, pasta salad, and PRETZEL JELL-O (the ultimate in Midwestern warm-weather potluck food. Do they make this anywhere else aside from PA and Ohio?). Well, I didn’t want an entire weekend to go by without my working towards my goal of completing Dinner is Served! So I decided to contribute the potato salad.

I really like potato salad. I mean, what’s not to like? The constants are 3 terribly tasty ingredients: potatoes, onions, and mayonnaise (oh how I love you, mayonnaise!). But I have never attempted to make potato salad–I guess because I’ve never had a reason to. But this was a perfect opportunity.

Potato salad is simple enough, technique-wise and there are no exotic ingredients involved. However, we had 12+ guests so I doubled the recipe for #101. This meant twice as much of everything and it meant twice as much work. Right hand up to God, I don’t think I have ever spent so much time chopping vegetables and potatoes. I swear that I was chopping vegetables for an entire half an episode of Pawn Stars.

One thing that took longer than I expected was the potatoes. I didn’t know (never having made potato salad before) that it is recommended to boil the potatoes whole and peel and dice post-cooking. I would’ve peeled and cut them prior to boiling, as I would with mashed potatoes, but who am I to question Dinner is Served!? Anyway, since the potatoes were whole they took longer to cook and once drained they had to cool a bit before I attempted to skin and slice. So the process required a bit more time.

But once in the biggest bowl in my mum’s kitchen, it was smooth sailing from there. While warm, I sprinkled the cooked potatoes with vinegar, salt and pepper, as instructed. I made the dressing as suggested, except that I added about a 1/2 tablespoon more Dijon and substituted half and half for the cream. In addition, to lighten the dressing, I used Hellmann’s Light mayo in lieu of the original full-on fatty version.  Hellmann’s Light is so close to the real thing that I don’t think that there is any reason to use the full-fat version at all. I have never had fat-free mayo, so I can’t give an opinion on that, but I have a sneaking suspicion that fat-free mayo isn’t mayo at all.

I could probably make a meal with just what’s on that plate

Anyway, into the fridge it went, until it was time to serve. In the meantime I hard-boiled some eggs, fried the bacon, and prepared the other potato salad accompaniments. I had to hover over the plate of toppings because my brother, and my Uncle Chas kept trying to sneak bacon bits and hard-boiled eggs. Naughty, naughty!

When it was time to assemble, I tried my best to recreate the illustration on #101. I think I did pretty well, considering that there were tons of people in the kitchen and I didn’t have the opportunity to stage it like my previous photos.

Not bad considering the situation. But you know that I would have had those brown salt and pepper shakers in there if I had been in my apartment.

Now, all my family members who said how good it was could have been lying, so I’ll tell you what I thought about it.

This was pretty damn good. I truly believe that bacon makes everything better and this was further proven by #101. Do I need to tell you what bacon did for the salad? It deepened the flavor of the salad by imparting a bit of smokiness and a lot of bacon deliciousness. And I didn’t know that all the potato salad I’ve ever had was missing chopped parsley. The parsley gave it a freshness that was unexpected but appreciated. I also liked that the eggs weren’t in the salad itself but were added as a garnish. I personally love hard-boiled eggs, but I know that it’s not a hit with everyone. The same with black olives. But the tomatoes, olives, parsley and lettuce, even if not eaten, gave the monochromatic salad a much-needed kick of color.

So I think this dish is a crowd-pleaser. Well, it pleased me. And if I ever have to make potato salad again, this will be the one I make.

Happy 80th birthday, Joan!

(photo from Bump’s Guide)

I am not a gym person. I find them intimidating, although everyone I know who goes to the gym (and it seems like more and more the people I know are gym people), they all say: no, it’s great! It’s fun! Everyone is so supportive. No one is looking at you!

I think I have a wedgie!

Yeah, but I’m looking at me. And I know that I don’t glisten when I get hot–I sweat. Like, Whitney Houston on stage sweat. And I turn red. Beet red. Like, omigod is she gonna have an aneurysm? red. I ain’t pretty.

You know how in the gym advertisements, everyone is fit and smiling and wearing spandex capri pants? Well, it turns out that the gym is totally like that–everyone is fit and smiling and wearing spandex capri pants.

But not me! I’m not fit nor smiling, and I sure as hell don’t own any sort of spandex.

This is what I wore to the gym:

That’s the hotness right there.

Fetching, no? Men’s basketball shorts drive the guys wild with desire, in case you didn’t know.

I must admit that I was lucky–not everyone looked like they fell out of a gym commercial,  because there were a lot of older ladies in my class, and they weren’t wearing spandex. But they were still totally more put together that me.

After this class I realized that my hips do not, in any way, shape or form, work in a sexy, figure 8, latina sort of way. Belly dancing will never be in my wheelhouse. All of the mambo/salsa choreography I somehow mutated into the Charleston and the Twist. There may have been a little Mashed Potato action. And all with little T-Rex arms. I couldn’t stop with the T-Rex arms.

I kinda looked like this (3:25):

Well, at least in my mind because we know that I didn’t look anything like that (see photo of me earlier in this post). However, long story short, I didn’t mind the Zumba. I didn’t mind the gym. I am actually considering getting a membership. So, FYI, hell has frozen over.

And now to the food part of this presentation!

Since the Zumba didn’t commence until 7:30, before I headed out to the gym I whipped together a little soup with what I had in my kitchen, so I’d have something to eat when I got home. I also tried to make it somewhat healthy so as not to counteract all that physical activity.

Oh, let’s just call it Zumba Soup!

• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 slices bacon, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 6 cups broth (chicken or vegetable)
• 1 1/2 tbsp poultry seasoning
• 1 tbsp flour or corn starch
• 1 bay leaf
• kale, washed and torn into pieces (I had about half a bunch)
• 1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

Cook the bacon until crisp. Remove from pot and then cook the onion and garlic in the bacon fat. Return the bacon to the pot. Add the poultry seasoning and flour/corn starch. Mix together. Add bay leaf and the broth, kale, and chickpeas. Bring to boil and then simmer until kale is cooked to your liking.

This was dee-lish. Here it is with a whisper of Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top:

The kale/chickpea combo really called for sausage, but the bacon and poultry seasoning gave it that same, sage-y savory flavor. But yeah, seriously good and seriously simple!

So this gets a big thumbs up (and some little T-Rex arms).

]]> http://dinnerisserved1972.com/2013/06/10/zumba-soup-bacon-kale-chickpea-soup/feed/ 7 Kale Chickpea Bacon Soup yinzerella gym clothes Kale Chickpea Bacon Soup http://dinnerisserved1972.com/2013/06/05/winner-wednesday-drunken-caesar-pasta/ http://dinnerisserved1972.com/2013/06/05/winner-wednesday-drunken-caesar-pasta/#comments Wed, 05 Jun 2013 13:03:04 +0000 Yinzerella http://dinnerisserved1972.com/?p=8403 Continue reading →]]> One night, after an evening of mirth, merriment, and alcoholic libations, I arrived home and  decided that the snicky snacks I had as dinner weren’t enough for the night; so I was faced with the question (which we have all had): what can I make to eat with what I have in my refrigerator? 

Necessity is the mother of invention, kittens! And since I am so clever and resourceful I came up with a tasty treat that I could make with what I did have on hand (since I always have the ingredients for a Caesar Salad in my fridge): Drunken Caesar Pasta!

These are the ingredients (add everything to whatever level of flavors you enjoy):

• pasta (I used penne)
• 1 egg
• red pepper flakes
• fresh parsley
• anchovy paste
• garlic paste
• Parmesan cheese
• garlic paste
• Worcestershire sauce
• black pepper
• lemon juice
• Crystal Hot Sauce (or whatever hot sauce you like. But seriously, it should be Crystal)

Basically, do what you would for a Caesar dressing and mix everything but the pasta in a bowl (no need to sautee because I used garlic paste and not actual garlic). Cook the pasta to directions. Reserve about 1/8 a cup to 1/4 a cup of pasta water–depending on how thin or thick you want the sauce to be. Drain the pasta. Put it back in the saucepan. Toss the mixed sauce in the pasta. Once served, top with a Parmesan, parsley, and black pepper.

It is spicy, savory, delicious, and filling. It’s basically a Carbonara/Caesar hybrid–but without the hassle of cooking bacon and onion. This is an easy (1 pot!) dish to do at the end of the night to get a little bit of carbs in you before you go to bed–or an excellent dish to make whenever you don’t know what to have for dinner and you don’t want to go to the supermarket.

Darlings, if you don’t have the garlic paste or anchovy paste in your fridge, I recommend that you get some. They are excellent ingredients to have in your arsenal.

And because this was supposed to be a Wiener Wednesday:

Even Donna Martin likes a good dog 

Um, if you didn’t you need to get on some HBO ASAP or find someone who subscribes and then watch the shit out of it.

How can you not?

Behind the Candelabra has this:

Haaaaaayyyyyyy!

and this:

And I am totally not gay!

This:

Bust out the Bedazzler!

And THIS:

Yes, I am Rob Lowe.

Yeah, in case you don’t remember, Mr. Lowe starred in another one of my favorite TV movies looking like this:

I’m untouchable, bitch!

That man has range! Where is his goddamned Emmy?

Anyway, here’s the big question: how do the TV execs know when I’ll be home for a visit so I can watch big TV movies wtih my mum? They gave us the chance to watch the Lindsay Lohan train wreck that is Liz & Dick over Thanksgiving, and for Memorial Day we got Michael Douglas in an assortment of wigs and a lot of Matt Damon tushie. Thank you, Steven Soderbergh!

The movie features a lot, I mean A LOT of caftans:

Pensive caftan

Christmas caftan

Peacock caftan

So the only logical step was for me and my mum (a.k.a Blondonna), to drink cocktails and wear caftans during our viewing party!

My mum is pretty fucking rad. She’s holding a bottle of Bacardi 151.

Pretty glasses!

Liberace Cocktail

In shot glass combine:

• 1/3 Kahlua 
• 1/3 milk
• 1/3 Bacardi 151

Light on fire. Let burn. Blow out. Cool for a few seconds. Shoot. 

CHEERS!

Big shots

It was tasty. To quote my Aunt Marie (as she described a Brandy Alexander): it tastes like candy! My brother had one the next day and described it as an “old man drink.” Well, yeah it’s an old man drink–a flaming old man drink!

Here is the trailer to whet your palate (as if the photos above weren’t enough):

And, as an extra-added bonus, here is Brian GIVING FACE. Evil, evil face.

I will eat your soul.

The contents included a beverage bonanza of English Breakfast tea, assorted cocoa, and caramel truffle coffee; along with some salty plantain chips and a box of Dutch caramel wafer cookies. A lovely care package, indeed!

Well, it’s too damn hot here in Baltimore for warm beverages of any kind–seriously, the 90s all week!!!–so I will be setting these aside for when autumn arrives. But I did have one of the caramel cookies. And sweet Christ on a cracker, these were delicious. And I can only imagine how decadent one of these puppies would be if floated on top of a cup o’ tea (per her recommendation). And I sampled the plantain chips–surprisingly good. And great if I have a hankering for something crunchy and salty while I’m slaving away at my desk.

Amber was also kind enough to include a recipe for a coffee cocktail:

Caribbean Coffee Martini

• simple syrup (for garnish)
• sugar (for garnish)
• 1.5 oz dark rum
• 1.5 oz coffee-flavored liqueur
• 3-4 oz cold espresso or strong coffee
• 8 ice cubs
• 2 oz half-and-half or coconut milk.

1. dip rim of glass into simple syrup
2. dip covered rim into sugar
3. in a martini shaker, combine the ice, rum, coffee liqueur, and espresso
4. strain into glass
5. top off the drink with a splash of half-and-half

Thank you, Amber! I will think of you come October once it is cool enough again to enjoy a comforting mug of hot chocolate!

Getting food in the mail is one of my most favoritest things ever!!!! Kids, do you think you’d be interested in getting edible treats by post?

Sign up for Foodie Pen Pals! Fill out the form HERE or click on the badge below or on the right side of this page for the rules and such.

It’s also pretty fun to put the boxes together, too. I sent Roselyn from St. Louis an Italian-themed box with gnocchi, sun-dried tomatoes, and seeds to grow her own window-box basil (with a few other little goodies as well). There is a $15 limit, but that just inspires you to be even more creative!

]]> http://dinnerisserved1972.com/2013/05/31/may-foodie-pen-pals/feed/ 4 yinzerella May Foodie Pen Pals The Lean Green Bean http://dinnerisserved1972.com/2013/05/22/wiener-wednesday-best-hamdogs/ http://dinnerisserved1972.com/2013/05/22/wiener-wednesday-best-hamdogs/#comments Wed, 22 May 2013 13:58:45 +0000 Yinzerella http://dinnerisserved1972.com/?p=8307 Continue reading →]]> I am officially nominating myself for the Jerry Seinfeld Awards in Dating Excellence,  (Man-hands Category).

Why? Let me explain.

I was introduced to a friend of a friend who met all of my (seemingly low, but surprisingly difficult) standards:

• Born before Bush Sr. was in office
• Employed
• No roommates
• No children
• Has lived places other than Baltimore
• Likes cats

We went out a few times and he was nice and funny and I did genuinely enjoy his company. 

But there was one issue–he rolls like Morrissey* and thinks that meat is murder.

Moz, I swear, I won’t eat the kitten.

Yes, my friends, I deserve a Jerry Seinfeld Award in Dating Excellence,  (Man-hands Category) because I decided to stop seeing a perfectly fine dude because he is a vegetarian. 

Now hold on! Before you judge me too terribly, think about what I do as my hobby (and, let’s face it, my second job): I cook. A lot. Shit, I dedicate every Wednesday to wieners–as in tubes made out of meat–whether it be beef, pork, or turkey, snouts and lips and beaks and innards. I am a die-hard, give-me-the-nitrates-and-nitrates-offal meat-eater. 

I totally respect the decision to not eat red meat. Or poultry. It’s commendable.

But I love meat! And even if I ever did give up meat, I’d still want fish. And crustaceans. Shit, clams and oysters don’t even have eyes!

But, looking back on it, I guess the biggest issue was that he didn’t know what The Prime Rib is. And that is the happiest place on Earth! Plus, we could never go there. What the hell would he eat–a salad and a baked potato? As if!

I think this situation is exactly like someone who makes a dating decision based on religious grounds: whether it’s raising the kids Jewish or having an issue with someone who doesn’t believe in evolution. Except that at my church I worship at the altar of Oscar Meyer, Colonel Sanders and Mayor McCheese.

So, yeah. Deal breaker.

It seems fitting for this week’s Wiener Wednesday to make a treat that is a meat-stuffed hot dog wrapped in bacon.

That’s 3 types of meat in a bun!

From the 1967 edition of Better Homes & Gardens Barbecue Book, Best Hamdogs!

So, after some time in the oven (I don’t know how long) and after numerous brushes with Hunt’s Original Barbecue Sauce, the end result was this:

Patriotic for Memorial Day. With crab chips!

Now, I cannot tell you whether or not this was the best of hamdogs, since I never had one before, but I can tell you that it was better than I thought it would be.

The Hamdog was a very distant cousin of the McRib–mostly because I used the same Hunt’s barbecue sauce that I used for my homemade McRibs–but also because it had the pickle relish and the onion. That’s a little McRibby!

Do I plan on making this again? No. But I am thankful that it didn’t make me want to Marty McFly back to 1967 to murder the ladies of the Better Homes & Gardens test kitchen.

I doubt that I’ll be posting anything else as we go into the Memorial Day weekend, so I will just wish you all a fabulous holiday. I hope that you eat a lot, drink a lot, and have a good time with your friends and family. And for fuck’s sake–remember to wear sunscreen!

And, yes, I know that I just walked into that one. But anyhoo, the exciting news:

Last week my younger brother got engaged! Which is very exciting. He is a wonderful guy and his bride-elect is a wonderful girl (by the way, I love that term. Bride-elect. Like there was a big tribunal and she was carefully selected from a roster of girls. Isn’t that what they did when deciding who to throw into the volcano?).

Anyway, in the course of a week it seems like everything has fallen into place: dates, venues, wedding party people, caterers–everything but the specifics, like colors (which I really hope are blush and bashful). A question: are weddings typically planned so quickly and efficiently? Is it just because the bride-elect is a wedding planner? I have no clue, since I have never been involved in anyone’s wedding.

Over the weekend my mum told me that she’s going to go gown shopping with the bride-to-be since the mother of the bride isn’t local. My mum is simply over-the-moon. And who wouldn’t be–trying on completely ridiculous dresses in a ton of fun!

But it’s a little sad for me because I feel that’s something that I won’t ever do with her. OK, I won’t say ‘ever.’ But let’s just say that the whole betrothed thing ain’t happening for me any time soon. At this rate, by the time I get married, my parents will be rolling down the aisle in wheelchairs. Shit, I might be in a wheelchair.

But! Fun fact: my brother asked me to be his “Best Person.” You know, the best man. This is one of the best things that could happen to me because no one–no one–is gonna get me to put on a dress that someone else picked out. Solution? Lady tuxedo.

I’m thinking something like this:

Big hair + big shoes = BIG AWESOME.

or this:

Well, not that short. I eat carbs. And drink booze.

But I pray to sweet baby Jesus that I don’t end up looking like this:

Not that there’s anything wrong with this. I’m just not a 20 year old lesbian.

But there is a whole world of wrong with THIS:

Jeezie creezie, Celine. You are never going to live that one down, are ya?

I have no idea where I can find a good lady tuxedo. Anyone know of some place I could get one? Can anyone recommend a good tailor in Baltimore?

Anyway, Wedding Ring Punch!

It’s just a coincidence that I made this concoction right when my bro got engaged. I had a little soiree for a few of my friends in honor of one of my best friends who moved down to Baltimore after getting married.  Iris, that’s her name, is a rep for NuSkin (it’s like fancier anti-aging Avon–and let me say that I love the clay mask), so I let her give her little spiel to the ladies and we did facials before we tucked into some canapes, kale chips, and coconut Oreos (speaking of which, have you had a coconut Oreo? They are enough to drive you wild. WILD!).

Through the course of the evening, we were all sipping on this punch:

The recipe is from a 1959 first printing of The General Foods Kitchens Cookbook. One of my coworkers brought it in to work one day because she thought I’d get a kick out of it.

Well, I did indeed get a kick out of it! I love any well-loved cookbook that is bursting at the seams with newspaper clippings and recipe cards. And I love any cookbook that has such delightful and colorful mid-century food illustrations! 

I was looking specifically for punch recipes because Claire found me a glass punch bowl at a Salvation Army for about $5 and I wanted to give it a test run.

I chose the Champagne Punch, on the left, but decided to do the Wedding Ring Punch route.  Because I absolutely adore an ice ring! See: Mad Men Canadian Clubhouse Punch and New Year’s Eve Bubbly. I went for the 3 small ring mold option. Because I have 3 small ring molds.

I did one ring with canned pineapple and the pineapple juice. The others I used water and layered canned Mandarin orange sections and mint leaves. Since the punch included strawberries, I didn’t do a strawberry ring. And I didn’t need to because the frozen strawberries stayed in a tub-shaped blob for a long while.

So it looked kinda cool. It tasted like a Mimosa on steroids. Not that it was overly boozy–it totally wasn’t. But with the mix of fruit juices, and all the stuff in the rings, it was like a morning sangria that was also a fruit salad. And sweet. Quite sweet. I think this would be great for a brunch/luncheon lady event. Like a bridal shower, mayhaps?

I’m gonna peace out–I have to contemplate possible bachelor party options. I am the Best Person, after all. But the only thing I know about bachelor parties comes from the movie Bachelor Party. So I know at some point I need to yell, Gentlemen, start your boners! But aside from that, I need some suggestions.

How does everyone feel about some Atlantic City action?

Oh, and just because I am a giver, here is a Wiener Wednesday picture for ya:

Hot Dog Wrestling in FL By Gordon Carlisle

It’s a collage. On acrylic. On sale for $325. So, think about it for my birthday, kittens. It would look good on my wall.  He also has one of Elvis as Jesus that I think it just divine.

Today, let’s observe the holiday by looking back on 3 shrimptastic dinners from the DiS! card set. Click on the photos to read more!

108. Baked Stuffed Shrimp

I baked a kuchen and everything.

This dinner was notable for actually being a brunch. And also because I prepared it in honor of my friends Melissa and Trey’s nuptuals. Oh, and good news, they’re still married. Mazel!

18. Sweet and Sour Shrimp

Featuring Japanese mayonnaise!

This was on OK dinner–saved by my creative plating (pretty, right?). But the post was absolutely inspired because of the random Paul Lynde references. I don’t know why. He just popped into my head and I couldn’t get him out of there.

Click on over for the dinner, but stay for the company.

And speaking of Paul Lynde, here’s his (entire) 1976 Halloween Special. The Paul Lynde Halloween Special! I think it should be required viewing for everyone and anyone who says that they love kitsch. However, I suggest that one does so under the influence of a control substance. I’ve never seen the whole thing. I think I’ll save it for October.

But you want to watch it because there’s a Special Performance by KISS! (No. Really. KISS.)

And Betty White. (Of course.)

Oh, and maybe at one point Paul Lynde is wearing a studded outfit that makes him look like a hybrid of the leather guy and the sailor in the Village People.

Go to 15:20!

54. Shrimp Creole

This dinner also started my love affair with Crystal Hot Sauce.

This was one of my first dinners. And if I remember correctly, it wasn’t bad–the actual Shrimp Creole, that is. Number 54 also contains one of the most disgusting things that has ever come out of my kitchen–something that I actually described as “Satan’s Shamrock Shake.”

You totally want to see what that is, right?  Go check it out!

]]> http://dinnerisserved1972.com/2013/05/09/national-shrimp-day/feed/ 1 yinzerella 108. Baked Stuffed Shrimp my #18 witchy dinner is served 044 http://dinnerisserved1972.com/2013/05/08/wiener-wednesday-relay-foods-roly-polys/ http://dinnerisserved1972.com/2013/05/08/wiener-wednesday-relay-foods-roly-polys/#comments Wed, 08 May 2013 13:39:50 +0000 Yinzerella http://dinnerisserved1972.com/?p=8226 Continue reading →]]> I know that because of my relatively high hot dog consumption, you’re all worried that I’m gonna get butt cancer from all those nitrate and nitrate-ridden weenies. But I found a butt cancer-free alternative that is tasty and is not one of those tofu dogs–I mean, doesn’t that sound like the worst? Tofu dogs!

Through my friends at Relay Foods I happened upon the Polyface Farms Uncured Franks!

These are a healthier option that is an actual hot dog. With real beef and pork and seasonings.

I had the perfect opportunity to showcase these a few weekends ago when Claire (you know her as a regular DiS! guest) and I hosted a party that was catered by Relay Foods.

I made, what I have named, Relay Food Roly Polys.

Relay Foods Roly Polys

• 1 pkg of Polyface Farms Uncured Hot Dogs, cut into fourths
• 1 pkg crescent roll dough, cut into 48 squares
• 4 slices swiss cheese, each cut into 12 little bits
• butter
• assorted dried herbs (I made mine with stuff I already had in my kitchen, but you can follow your bliss and do whatever feels right to you)

Bake until they look all golden and buttery and delicious.

So yeah, it’s just pigs in a blanket. But I mushed some dried dill and marjoram and garlic powder and parsley black pepper into the dough. Shoved some Swiss in, rolled ’em up, and then brushed them with melted butter and sprinkled them with some poppy seeds. Fancy!

I am sorry that I don’t have a great “after” photo, and this is a depleted platter (they were very popular–especially with the kinder set), but I was busy being a hostess and stuff.

The dogs were good. And since they are uncured, they looked like what meat would look like and not the color of Barbie flesh (remember those Vienna Sausages?).

Read on to see the tasty treats that Relay Foods and chef Kean Mcilvaine prepared for our soiree!

It This was a beautiful spread.

This is what you are looking at:

Tomato-Basil Bruschetta: diced tomatoes, basil, red onion in a sweet balsamic vinaigrette made with Fig Girl’s fig balsamic vinegar and EVOO. served with toasted slices of Lyon Bakery’s baguette and seasoned mozzarella from Culinary Circle drizzled with EVOO.

The fixings for Greek Meatball Pita Pockets (I didn’t get a photo of the actual meatball): Wolf Creek Farm ground beef seasoned with lemon, oregano, pita bread crumbs, onion and garlic. Served with Sami’s Bakery lavash, homemade tzatziki, Cave Mezze hummus, and feta cheese.

Cabbage Salad: Julienned red and green cabbage, carrots, red onions, apples, and jalapeno. Pickled in a brine of Spectrum Organic Apple Cider, Dijon mustard, sugar, and chili flakes.

Pesto Pasta Salad: Pasta, cherry tomatoes, asparagus. Dressed with homemade pesto of basil, garlic, parmesan and roasted pine nuts.

Every dish was a big, big hit. As in, there was NOTHING left. I loved it all. Especially that pesto salad. And I’m not even a huge pesto fan.

All of the ingredients need to make those tasty dishes can be found at the Relay Foods website. If you feel so inclined, you can go to the bottom of this page you can find a link and get a discount for service if you live in the DELMARVA region (I both hate and love the term DELMARVA). But yeah, if you are in the Richmond/DC/Baltimore area, Relay is pretty sweet. Tell them that Emily at Dinner is Served 1972 sent ya!

Oh, here was the best part of the meal–the dessert. Homemade chocolate chip cookies and Berry Shortcakes: strawberries in mint simple syrup, cream biscuits, and creme Chantilly.

I didn’t get to have a cookie, but boy oh boy do I want that shortcake recipe! Well, not shortcake. They were like biscuits. Deliciously salty and sweet biscuits. And I love me some biscuits. Like, really love biscuits.

Need proof? You know that whole James Lipton Inside the Actors’ Studio questionnaire at the end when he asks something like, at the gates of heaven what do you want St. Peter to say?

This is my answer:

Come on in! We just made biscuits!

It was my answer 10 years ago. And it is the same today. Real talk.