Corned Beef & Cabbage

Gathering a group of friends for 'off' holidays seems to be my and Greg's new tradition: President's Day, Oktoberfest, and now St. Patrick's Day.  There is something inherently festive about these parties (not that St. Patrick's Day needs any help in the festive department).  With a built in theme of all that is green and Irish, there is nothing to fret over with a St. Patrick's Day party.  After all, is there really any reason to mess around with as good of a thing as corned beef and cabbage?  Throw in some potatoes and spring carrots and call it a day.  And while serving Guinness is a perfectly suitable beverage for such an affair, Greg upped the anti by creating a signature drink: "The Leprechaun."  He showed off his drawing skills with a visual aid for guests to follow his recipe and make their own drinks (no one should have to play bartender at their own party).  The result was a tasty concoction of Jameson, shamrocks (for real!), cucumber and lime, topped off with a splash Harp.  And after years of experimenting with St. Paddy's Day desserts (e.g. Lucky Charms treats, chocolate stout cake, Guinness ice cream & beer floats), I've landed upon a new tradition: little pots of gold in the form of butterscotch pots de creme (topped with whipped cream and edible gold, of course).  Hope everyone recovered well from the Irish antics: Slainte!!

The Menu

sips

The Leprechaun

irish whiskey, shamrocks, cucumber, lime, harp

Guinness, Harp & Jameson

snacks

sour cream & onion chips

green crudités: snap peas, cucumbers, green peppers, asparagus, green beans, cornichons & olives

tarragon dip & english pea pesto dip

irish cheddar, green apples & crackers

to share

corned beef & cabbage with parsley mustard sauce & horseradish creme

buttermilk smashed fingerling potatoes with melted spring onions

roast baby carrots with thyme

irish soda bread with irish butter

sweet

pots of gold aka butterscotch pots de creme

Malibu Wedding

Planning weddings can be a nightmare.  Or, as it turns out, a dream.  This last minute affair was in the latter camp.  A very cool bride and groom can make all of the difference.  Throw in a gorgeous Malibu beachfront home as a location and you've practically sealed the deal.  Initially, I was super stumped about what to serve at a winter beach wedding.  Meat and potatoes didn't fit the bill, nor did lobster rolls (not to mention the bride's shellfish allergy).  But through discussing food and restaurants with the Venice couple, I got inspired to make this seasonal, light, Californian menu with Asian flavors.  Sake steamed kabocha squash went into sushi cut rolls and got topped with shiso peppers and ginger.  And amongst surfers, there had to be a taco; slow roasted soy glazed pork made for a juicy one.  Dinner was served family style and for whatever reason, it thrilled me to serve kale fried rice at a wedding!  Amy handled all things pretty and floral and created gorgeous decor that only enhanced nature's beauty.  The anemones really popped amongst all of the white on the table and were stunning on the wedding cake (very impressive, Amy!).  It was such a treat to spend the day at the beach setting up; I'm pretty sure that we all wanted to move in.  I can only hope that the guests had as much fun as we did.

 

 

 

 

 

The Menu

sips

mint margarita

silver tequila, mint, lime

mule

vodka, lemongrass, shiso, ginger beer

snacks

asparagus tempura

kabocha squash sushi with shiso peppers & ginger

tuna tartare on potato chips

tofu bahn mi crostini with hoison

soy glazed pork tacos with pickled red onion

to start

little gems, winter citrus, avocado, pickled cucumber, seaweed & fennel with a sesame ponzu vinaigrette

to share

black cod miso

grilled rib-eye with sake glaze

kale fried rice

charred brussel sprouts with pork belly & chili sauce

wasabi edamame puree with shitake mushrooms & shiso

sweet

dark chocolate pots de creme

vanilla wedding cake with vanilla buttercream

photos by Yayo Ahumada