DAY 70: Dinner Party...

Well, this is my second posting in regards to DAY 70 but you must want to know just how the dinner went...? I think I left you all at about 10am after that "devastating blow"? Well, things got better from there. I had my first glass of wine at about 11.30 which I think definitely assisted in the day looking brighter.

I headed out to the shops, the Farmers Markets, and to my brothers house (to pick up the Duck he had so generously organised for me through DBC). This was a welcome break to get out of the kitchen and the house, regroup, and refocus... On my return I was straight back into it. I was boiling Parsnip, cooking Bread, rolling Pastry, blind baking, constructing Lemon Tart filling, roasting & peeling chestnuts, and lots lots more.

By about 5pm it was shower time. Then back in the kitchen to prep the final things like vegies for dinner, cooking off the Chestnuts & Bacon, construction the taste plate, setting the table, and every other last minute thing that needed to be done.

By 6:40 I thought, "Yes, I should probably get ready...". The first guest arrived 5 minutes later! Everything ran smoothly. The guests slowly arrived and everyone was here by about 7ish. The Entree Taste-plate was already on the table and ready to go - a bit of a breather and a glass of wine! P.s. The South Cape Brie I had was a definite high-light, so soft & gooey!

So, I jumped up mid Entree to get the Main on the go. I put the steamer on, Parsnip Puffs in the oven, and got the Duck ready for show time. I heated a pan - like really really heated it, and placed the Duck breast in - skin side down. This let off an almighty sizzle and my poor little exhaust was struggling a little and the whole room might of filled with smoke a little... Open the doors! Thank god the smoke alarm didn't go off - that would of been a little awkward!

Once the Duck skin was a rich golden brown, I flipped it onto the other side for just a minute. These headed into the oven for approx 5mins whilst I steamed the broccolini, wilted and glazed the Radicchio (we'll just pretend that that is what it was), and warmed the Chestnuts & Bacon in this sweet stickiness...

As I was slicing up the Duck breast the Husband was plating up the bed of Radicchio, Chestnuts & Bacon for it to rest upon. All other accompaniments were already on the table and waiting. The dinner itself was a success. I was totally surprised (as usual) and even more so that I had had about 3 glasses of wine by this stage and could still cook! Great!

But truly, the Main was great, and the flavours were amazing and I think I can speak for everyone when I say that we were ridiculously full by this stage!

Lets not forget the Lemon Tart & Almond Macaroons though! Always room for those! The Lemon Tart was slightly gooey and nothing like those standard Lemon-type tarts you can find at your local cafe. I'm pretty sure that you could actually taste the love! And my Macaroons, well... I was pretty much stoked with their outcome - they were beautiful - even to just look at!

All up, a full-day of cooking, emotional highs and lows, and as always beautiful gastronomic surprises in the end... SUCCESS!