2022 Lunar New Year - Dinner for 2

A humble nod to Chinese culture to welcome the Lunar New Year!  Inspiration was sought everywhere.  I learned a lot by putting together this table, mostly that my inventory of Asian dishes is sadly lacking.  Still, it was fun to discover so many new things about Chinese traditions.

In traditional Chinese culture red symbolizes good luck and wealth.  So, out came napkins, ramekins and water goblets.

The dragonfly is a symbol of prosperity, good luck and harmony.  The Kim Seybert napkin rings are still a favorite, and seemed to work well with the red napkins.

My mother bought me this trinket box back in the 70s, in a Chinese import store on Clark Street, in Chicago.  I still remember vividly that shopping expedition with her, and the discovery of the little box in the midst of fans, slippers, silk purses, and a myriad other tchotchkes.  It was intended to hold my fortune-telling cards, however, it turned out to be a tad too small for them.  I still love the little box with the flying swallows, and it usually lives in my dresser, where I keep my special treasures.  I remembered it today, as I was running around trying to find Asian things for the table, and although it served no purpose whatsoever, I set it on the table to look at because it makes me smile and reminds me of my mom.

A few years ago, the owner of the nail spa I frequent, gave me this envelope as a token of appreciation and to wish me luck on the Year of the Rooster.  Apparently, despite its peculiar appearance, it's legal tender.  The search for inspiration continues.

The mandarin orange is an important symbol of the Chinese New Year.  The small, round fruit looks like the sun, and is a symbol of abundance and happiness.  Mandarins should come with stems and a few leaves, which is part of the symbolism and denotes freshness.  They are frequently given as gifts during this period to wish the recipient a long life and fertility.

I placed the mandarins in a Blue Calico plate.  The plate was manufactured in the pottery district in England, however, the cherry blossom pattern is evocative of Asia, where the flowers grow in abundance.

I just learned today that in a traditional Chinese table, you are not supposed to place a knife.  Supposedly it's bad luck to cut your noodles.  Imagine my chagrin when the noodles in my takeout Pad Thai came already cut!  This restaurant is not following the rules!

So, the menu consisted of Char Siu (Cantonese BBQ Pork), which I made myself, Chicken Pad Thai, Shrimp Dumplings, Egg Rolls, and Steamed White Rice.  

Then, to finish the meal, we shared almond and fortune cookies, and those delicious mandarins.  Oolong tea was served in my little red ramekins.

Happy Year of the Tiger!

Gold Chargers - Marshall Field's many years ago

Black Dinner Plates - The Dollar Tree, many years ago

Red Water Goblets - HomeGoods

Red Ramekins - Emile Henry, available through their site or Amazon

Napkin Rings - Kim Seybert

Fork - Treble Clef, by Gourmet Settings

An Interrupted Carol

There were no Christmas concerts this year.  No Christmas Afternoon Tea at the Drake Hotel with wondering carolers stopping by the table to wish us a Merry Christmas . . .

I wasn't enthused about setting a Christmas Eve table this year — my son wasn't able to fly in to be with us, and for the first time in our lives, my brother and I could not be together.  Out of an abundance of caution, my husband and I decided that it was best to cancel the celebrations, and spend it quietly at home, just the two of us.  Covid-19 has a lot to answer for!

At the last minute, I rallied, and remembered that old saying that my father quoted often:  "Al mal tiempo, buena cara" (“To bad times, a good face”) — the English aren't the only ones with a stiff upper lip.

I pulled out the red tablecloth that I had planned on using for Christmas Day breakfast, and a few other things and set a table that, while not particularly Christmasy, it hinted of it.

The plaid napkins matched the tablecloth perfectly, and I dug out the Dollar Tree black dinner plates that I've used here, here and here.

I decided to use my wedding crystal, Chartres by Atlantis.  After all these years, I'm still in love with these glasses, which reflect the pattern of a rose window at Chartres, when light shines through it.  

The table was set, so I turned my attention to what to put on the plates.  Unfortunately, food stubbornly refuses to simply appear on our plates, so I needed to head to the kitchen and whip up a few things.  Naturally, I thought of dessert first.

This is a tart recipe given to me by a dear friend, and I've wanted to try it for a while now.  It consists of layers of marzipan, vanilla custard, sliced pears, scattered cranberries, dotted with cubes of butter, and sprinkled with crushed Amaretti.  Then baked until the cranberries pop and the pears are tender.

My husband asked for the “Filet Dinner,” one of the standard meals in my repertoire, and that always starts with a Waldorf Salad, one of my favorite salads, actually — made with Romaine lettuce, Honeycrisp apple, Blue cheese crumbles, lightly toasted walnuts and and a dressing made with olive oil, Balsamic vinegar, herbs and spices.

Followed by Roasted Filet of Beef with Mushroom Sauce, Cauliflower Au Gratin, and Steamed Asparagus.  I must say, for someone that was only half trying it all turned out rather well.

My son had promised to bring us several bottles of his favorite wine from one of the wineries in Virginia for our Christmas Eve dinner, he's become quite the wine aficionado.  Alas! No John, no wine, so we picked this one up at Costco, which turned out to be a complete delight!  

Here's how the tart turned out — a very photogenic dessert!

Then we topped it, as if it really needed the extra calories, with some whipped cream.

The best part of our night was when we gathered on a Zoom call, and I got to see all these beloved faces.  Even David, my youngest, got up at 2:00 A.M. Abu Dhabi time to be on the call with us.  It was a total surprise and brought tears to my eyes.

Although a bit melancholic, I went to bed grateful and at peace.  We will make it up next year.  We will sing our carol in full, and we will sing it Allegro.

A Celebration with Sunflowers

 In 1867, suffragists in Kansas adopted the sunflower — the state flower of Kansas, as a symbol of their campaign.  From then on, yellow — and gold, became associated with the national women's suffrage movement.

It was described as “the color of light and life, is as the torch that guides our purpose, pure and unswerving.”

Elizabeth Cady Stanton used it as her pseudonym when writing articles for the first women's newspaper “The Lily.”

In the 1867 Kansas campaign, supporters wore yellow ribbons in commemoration of both, suffrage and the state flower.  Gradually, it became the symbol of suffrage nationally.

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the ratification of the 19th Amendment, and, because I so enjoy sunflowers, I'm dedicating this lunch to this beautiful flower.

The botanical name for the sunflower is Helianthus Anuus — “Helios,” meaning sun and "Anthos" meaning flower, and it is related to the daisy family.

Some of the most common meanings ascribed to sunflowers are long life, faith, loyalty and vitality.  The suffrage movement chose well.

I prepared Chicken Farfalline Salad, with corn, scallions, and red peppers, with fresh Parmesan cheese lavishly grated on top, a simple salad to celebrate an enormous achievement in American history, and for women.

An interesting tidbit, Farfalline is the miniature version of farfalle, which means “butterfly.”  I'm delighted with the idea of these beautiful flowers being surrounded by butterflies — a powerful combination of the strong and the feminine.  Let's celebrate this vital achievement by voting in these upcoming elections!

Flatware:  Napoleon Bee, by Wallace

Black dinner plates:  The Dollar Tree

Rattan Chargers:  Pottery Barn

Amber Water Goblets:  Mikasa French Countryside in gold (discontinued)

Wine glasses:  The Dollar Tree

Napkins:  Sferra in Marigold

Napkin Rings:  Houzz

Sunflower Pillow:  Pottery Barn

A Pumpkin Halloween

“I would rather sit on a pumpkin, and have it all to myself, than be crowded on a velvet cushion.”

— Henry David Thoreau

Jack-O-Lantern, Jack-O-Lantern . . .

You are such a funny sight . . .

As you sit there by the window . . .

Looking out at the night.

You were once a sturdy pumpkin growing on a vine . . .

Now you are a Jack-O-Lantern, see the light shine.

Happy Halloween!

Joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday, Photo of the Day at Two Peas in a Bucket and Cuisine Kathleen

Jack-O-Lantern Salad Plates and Mugs - HomeGoods

Black Dinner Plates - The Dollar Tree (Thank you, Patti!)

Flatware - Treble Clef by Gourmet Settings

Salt and Pepper Shakers - Hallmark (last year)

Tablecloth and Napkins - The Vermont Country Store

Napkin Rings - Bed, Bath and Beyond

Pumpkin Centerpiece and Candle Holder - Marshall's

Water Goblets - I've had these forever!

Featuring Patti C.

Patti and I came together for the first time as room mothers for our then 2nd graders - her son, Joey, and my son, John - and in the process, I found a kindred spirit in the art of entertaining.  We were so awesome as room mothers, all modesty aside, that parents began asking, not who their child's teacher was going to be for the coming year, but who the room mothers were going to be.  We gave those kids some wonderful parties and Patti and I had a blast.

Each of us, I think, could be creative and resourceful, but together we were simply dynamite.  Patti brought the fun to the team:  From Santa hats at Christmas, to personalized cakes that read "Happy Birthday, Jesus" (this was Catholic school, so we were able to do that); from an ice cream and candy buffet at the end of the school year- which we did even before ice cream and candy buffets were the in thing, to huge bouncy balls for everyone.  There wasn't a holiday in which she and I didn't put something together that was unique and slightly over the top. 

My own contributions, in light of Patti's exuberance and energy, were rather mild.  I was the funds keeper for a little while, until our money ran out, which happened, oh, I don't know . . . around Halloween, I think.  Oh, I also contributed the idea of putting together a tea party for the kids on Valentine's Day, complete with silver service (one of the parents caught our enthusiasm and volunteered her set). 

This was also the year in which our sons made their first communion, so Patti and I seamlessly continued our newly begun tradition of comparing our plans, and borrowing good ideas from each other.  We have never stopped.

Here is a picture of Patti with her two amazing children, Joe (alas, he's no longer Joey), and Francesca.

So, it wasn't all that unusual when Patti called me last week to brainstorm.  She was giving a Halloween party for 20, taking advantage of the fact that her daughter, Franki, was going to be home from college.

With less that a week to plan and shop, and putting in countless hours after work, these are the tables she somehow managed to put together:

This was the kitchen table, set up for Franki and her friends.  Yes, indeed, this was only the kid's table.

It looks like the first guest has arrived . . .

This was the adult table, or rather, "The Witches Table" . . .

A closeup of the place setting . . .

Treats for all visiting witches and warlocks . . .

Her beautiful collection of orange serving bowls . . .

This one was used for polenta . . . Did I mention that Patti is also a terrific cook?

My favorite . . .

And last, but by no means least . . . dessert.  Pudding shots, cupcakes, cookies, candies of all sorts . . . These treats look delightfully wicked!

So . . . Budget:  Ridiculously low . . . Creativity:  Endless . . . Fun:  Oh, yeah.  This is one for the books.

Here are some of the details:

Zebra Plates:  Anna's Linen

Orange Chargers:  Michael's

Tablecloths:  K-Mart and Target

Black Plates:  Dollar Store

Napkin Rings and Napkins:  Anna's Linen

Thank you, Patti, for letting me feature your deliciously ghoulish table on my blog.  You are such an inspiration to me!



A TRUEBLOOD Tablescape

TRUEBLOOD is an HBO show about vampires, and I'm told, quite popular. I have never seen the show because the only vampire that doesn't make me cringe is The Count from Sesame Street, but I was awarded this premium from HBO through work. Seriously, how did they know about my little tablescaping hobby? I mean, what are the odds that I would end up with one of these? So, in honor of Halloween, I've put together what I imagine a sexy vampire dinner might be like . . . First, it would have to be a candlelight dinner . . .

With a nice fire built up in the fireplace . . .

Everything on the table was provided by HBO with the exception of the tablecloth, the flatware and the clear crystal wine glasses . . .

The studly vampire brings a rose to his beautiful, ethereal victim . . . It must be a red rose . . . What else . . . ?

The flatware is stainless steel and iron . . . no silver for this bad boy . . . The pattern is called Treble Clef, by Gourmet Settings . . .

Here's the underside of the plate . . .

Candlelight refracts through the crystal glasses evoking the shape of Gothic arches. The pattern is called Chartres by Atlantis . . . We've had these since our wedding, 26 years ago. I believe the pattern is now discontinued.

What will the vampire and his lady have for supper . . . ?

Will he use the napkin to wipe his fangs . . . ?

No garlic on the menu . . .

And the most important question of all . . .

Who's going to do the dishes . . . ?

I'm joining Susan at Between Naps on the Porch for Tablescape Thursday. Please stop by to visit so you can enjoy some wonderfully creative tablescapes. Here's the link: http://betweennapsontheporch.blogspot.com/2010/10/beautiful-fall-tablescape-and-give-way.html