Overall - YUM
I made the cake Saturday afternoon and debated about assembling the potatoes. I was nervous about them getting mushy overnight but in the end time constraints won out and I figured the 3 cups of cream and pound of Gruyere would cover all manner of food sin.
Dealt with my parking lot phobia by going to 7am Mass, came home and took a three hour nap, walked TS and tried to figure out the game plan. I had roughly sketched out when things needed to be in the oven but not so much the prep. So I did some prep things, got the asparagus ready, took the puff pastry out of the freezer, peeled and de-veined the shrimp (still can't decide if it was worth it over frozen already cleaned ones) and dropped them in the marinade.
Miraculously, nothing disastrous (with one glaring exception) happened and I didn't forget to make anything and come 4pm I had my appetizers ready to go.
Bruschetta - delicious as always, am a big fan of having prosciutto on hand to pair with it. Only flaw with toasting bread rounds is what to do with the extra. I haven't thrown them away yet but they're pretty rock hard. Not sure if throwing them in w/ the tomato a la panzanella will help.
Brie - Good, not fabulous. Was easy enough to put together and was tasty. I may skip the onions next time. They definitely a nice flavor to the dish but all that moisture ended up for a soggy pastry bottom. And the brie and the pastry are so decadent to begin with, the onions didn't need to be there.
Timing wise, am shocked, but everything went smoothly. While I was finishing up dinner for 5pm, dog park neighbors were able to eat the appetizers and have some wine and giggle over the mini Easter baskets I got for everyone.
Baked shrimp scampi - yummy. I forgot the wine and think I'll use less panko next time but aside from the prepping of the shrimp was pretty easy to make and I think with a few modifications will not be quite so stick and a half butter indulgence and could easily be done on a weeknight.
Grandma's mushrooms - sigh. Not bad but like everything, better when she makes them. I got the pre chopped mushrooms but think I should have chopped them further. They were nearly steak cut so by the time they started to get brown and crispy on the outside, I was mumbling hurry up hurry UP at the pot.
Roasted asparagus - always good, a welcome vegetable. Overshadowed by the other taste explosions.
And my potatoes. My precious, precious potatoes.
I pulled them out of the fridge at 2:30 to go in the oven and peeled off the foil to discover a top layer of gray. Even with being in the cream and covered, there was still much oxidation. I picked off the worst offenders, noting the mushyness, threw some more cream and cheese on and popped it in the oven, fingers crossed. I moved my oven racks so the potatoes wouldn't be on the bottom level but there was still a brown crust all on the bottom. Didn't taste bad and I only noticed it because I've made them so many times. The taste itself was still spot on amazing and there was a bit of discoloration in the overall dish but when in doubt, cream and cheese won't steer you wrong.
Olive oil pumpkin cake (with the ridiculous $10 for a wee little pack of pine nuts) - good. Really good. Super moist, not too sweet. I wanted something lighter for the end of such a rich meal and this hit the spot. I sifted some powdered sugar on before I served and I'd definitely always do that in the future. No problem at all with being made ahead and something that will be perfect for brunches and weekend breakfasts. I may swap out the pine nuts for walnuts next time because I suspect the flavor notes will all still be there. While is very much a fall dish (pine nuts, pumpkin, rosemary) I thought it translated really well to a Springtime meal and definitely plan for it to be a year round cake.
While I am pretty proud of myself for my foray into Martha land, there's always the aftermath to bring you right back down to the real world.
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