Another long week has come and gone. I can’t believe it’s Friday already! It’s shaping up to be a crazy-busy weekend. It’s packed with two birthday parties for Nicholas to attend, a flea market table (assuming the weather holds out), a haircut appointment for Nicholas and The Husband, Nicholas has dinner at his grandparents tomorrow night, dinner party here Sunday, and, of course, most importantly … Mother’s Day! Phew!
Speaking of Mother’s Day, we all elected to stay in this year, and everyone’s coming over here for dinner. Here’s the plan:
Crispy Olives Stuffed with Sausage
Foccacia with Bleu Cheese and Honey
Individual Antipasta
Hangar Steak with Olive Oil and Herbs
Roasted Potatoes
Dulce de Leche Brownies
Individual Ice Cream Mix-In Station (this is a fun interactive dessert)
I think that should cover it … look good? What are your plans for Mother’s Day? Anything exciting, or a nice easy day?
This week, the James Beard Foundation announced their 2005 awards. You can see the full listing of the awards results, photos and winners’ speeches from the ceremony here.
Some highlights:
KitchenAid presented their Cookbook of the Year award to Rick Stein’s Complete Seafood. Their Cookbook Hall of Fame award went to The Great Scandinavian Baking Book. Criteria for this award is that it had to have been in publication for over 10 years and made a significant and lasting impact. Never heard of either of these two cookbooks actually, so I’m going to have to check them out.
The Lifetime Achievement Award went fittingly to Jacques Pepin. Television winners included Martha Stewart (“Martha Stewart Living”), Mary Babbitt (“In Wine Country: Cool Kitchen”), and Bobby Flay (“Bobby Flay Chef Mentor”).
Best Vegetarian Cookbook: Olive Trees and Honey: A Treasury of Vegetarian Recipes from Jewish Communities Around the World (I have this one!!).
Best General Cookbook: Joanne Weir’s Weir Cooking in the City
Best Entertaining and Special Occasions Cookbook: Serena, Food & Stories by Serena Bass (I have this one as well – excellent, fun stories).
Best Single Subject Cookbook: All About Braising by Molly Stevens
Best Writing on Food: Last Chance to Eat by Gina Mallet
Best International Cookbook: Provence Cookbook by Patricia Wells
Danny Meyer won the Waterford Wedgewood Outstanding Restaurateur Award and Mario Batali won the All-Clad Cookware Outstanding Chef Award.
The winners are quite an esteemed bunch, so if you haven’t had a chance to check them out, do so.
Until tomorrow…
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All right, you’re a mom, I just gotta ask – does every child have to have a birthday every year? All my friends with kids seem to be going to endless parties every single weekend…isn’t it nuts?
I don’t think I could take it, really.
You’re raiding Michael Chirarello, aren’t you!
I grabbed a bunch of the recipes, too…
Yup, Stephanie, guilty as charged. Three of the recipes are Michael’s. Did you see the episode with the ice cream mix-in station? The dessert needs a more exciting name, but I loved the idea.
SueBob – yeah, unfortunately it seems like it’s the start of many birthday parties for Nicholas. My mom always said that when she was raising us, the rule of thumb was the birthday child had as many guests as their age … when you’re 7, you have 7 guests, etc., but that they didn’t start this early. Nicholas turns 3 in August and I figured it was going to be another family-only thing, but apparently the class borthday parties are starting younger than I thought. His social calendar is better than mine! :)
I did see that ep…loved using chilled baking sheets as marble slabs, too.
Wouldn’t you love to the a friend of his, or Giada or Ina? They always have parties at their homes, and cook these wonderful meals. I’m the only one I know who cooks!
Yeah, Stephanie, me too! I make fab food at my house, then end up eating sandwiches from Subway or costco lasagna when I go to other people’s houses. Ah well, the thought counts….I guess.