My sister and brother-in-law came over for dinner tonight, and since we had an Open House all afternoon and I wouldn’t be getting home until after 4, I kept an eye on a simple menu. I made a new recipe, Mixed Olive Tapenade, as a pre-dinner munchie. This one comes from Cooking Light, and with the holidays coming up, it is the perfect thing to have in your repertoire. I’d even go so far as to say that if you make this, you just might not buy olive tapenade at the store any more. It makes a good amount, and besides being cheaper than actually buying the store-made stuff, it actually tastes better. Do try it. (And bonus! Another excuse to use those mini trifle dishes I bought.)
For the main course, I went with a tried-and-true, John Zaccaro, Jr.’s Penne with Vodka Sauce. Simple to make, darn right tasty, and special enough for company. To accompany it, I made another batch of the Garlic Bread Fantastique that I made last night. Dessert was a no brainer. The Husband had a craving for Portuguese Custard Cups, so made a trip to a bakery he likes in Newark, picking up two dozen, and when we ran into Costco earlier today, I grabbed one of their pumpkin pies. Delicious, and a bargain at $5.99 for a humongous pie. All in all, a perfect menu for a relaxing dinner.
Without further ado, we’re going to the dogs. Until tomorrow…
A year ago today… I didn’t post.
The adorable Bailey from The Savory Notebook in Pennsylvania tries to get in on the Halloween action:
When my Mom came home from the hospital on Thursday, my Dad dressed up their dog in his fancy Swarowski crystal collar for her homecoming. Beau lives a very hard life, as you can see:
Sophie from You Gonna Eat All That? in Virginia sneaks a quick snooze:
The pups from Dispensing Happiness in Tennessee posing prettily for the camera, and Wicklow steering clear:
Heather’s Space gets a new addition to the family:
Chris Dolley joins us this weekend, with a whale of a tale that you can read here.
And our contribution, the lovable, goofy Eli:
Mixed Olive Tapenade
Recipe from Cooking Light
This piquant specialty of Provence, France, features classic ingredients from the region–olives, capers, and anchovies. Serve at room temperature with baguette slices and lemon wedges or crackers. For a fast entree option, stir the tapenade into hot cooked pasta.
1 cup kalamata olives, pitted (about 4 ounces)
1 cup green olives, pitted (about 4 ounces)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1 tablespoon capers, rinsed and drained
2 teaspoons chopped fresh thyme
1 teaspoon grated lemon rind
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
10 oil-cured olives, pitted (about 1 ounce)
3 canned anchovy fillets (about 1/4 ounce)
1 garlic clove, chopped
Combine all ingredients in a food processor; pulse 10 times or until olives are finely chopped.
Yield: 16 servings (serving size: about 2 tablespoons)
Nice turnout! Love the looks of that olive tapenade. I have a jar of it sitting in my pantry, but your recipe is in my to-try pile (which I organized this weekend to get serious about starting to make some of them, woo hoo!)
PatL – hope you try it; you won’t be disappointed.