New Year's Eve

For New Year's eve, over the last thirty or more years, Gregory and I have entertained the Gay Family, a group of 11 or so friends. People arrived early on the 31st for snacks, scrabble, cards, talk. Then Gregory would provide a full sit down dinner featuring something like Coq-au-vin ala Julia Child. Then more games etc. Cookies and tea. Lots of wine.

Most of the guys would sleep over, the few who lived close would come back on the 1st. Early risers and arrivers on the 1st would be greeted with home made coffee cake, lox and bagels, fruit, OJ, fresh coffee. Games/talk etc would continue. At 2:00 a sit down brunch was prepared with Fritatta, bacon, chilled asparagus salad, etc. More games/talk. Finally by 4:00 people would begin to leave.

Slowly, as the group grew older, or moved further away, or got bored we did less and less. Now we are down to arrival on the 31st at 7:00 with wine and appetizers, walk over to Pine Yard for Chinese at 8:00, back to the condo for cookies, tea, and port. By 11:00 Gregory and I have cleaned up and everyone is gone.

Funny how life changes, develops, degenerates?

April Fools Day

A dear friend from my "Waiting Tables at Jerome's" days now owns Limelight. Received this wonderful new spring menu in todays e-mail. Enjoy

SPRING FRESH FOLLY

Hors d’oeuvres

Parmesan Encrusted Frog Thighs
with Crispy Dutch Elm Bark

Tamarind Glazed Sweetbread Satay
with Spicy Mustard Gelée

Chickpea & Sugarbeet Fritter on a
Sugar Cane Skewer with Hazelnut Hummus

Roasted Goat Belly Pancakes
with Freeze Dried Sheep’s Milk Confetti

Mini Oxtail Slider with Pickled Ramps
and Beer Bacon Compost

First Course

Spring Galette of Azur Sauerkraut,
Candied Rutabaga and Pernod Marinated
Dried Plum-Bergamot Puree

Lightly Dressed Swiss Chard Stems
with Crunchy Eggshell Bits and Shaved Sea Bean Tendrils
garnished with a Bloomin’ Onion

Black Bean and Mango Slaw
with Chipotle Infused Catfish Mousse

Hand made Heat Sealed Pockets
with Celery Root Ragout and Ponzu Foam

Entrees

Open Fire Roasted Baby Backyard Chicken
with Squish Squash Puree

Gulf Coast Lutefish in Ale Broth
served with Marrow Beans, Thrice Baked Potato
and Clarified Tobacco Juice

Ragout of Braised Tortoise Tongue
With Asparagus Sous Vide in a Garlic Wine Confit

Seafood Stack of Sautéed Bone in Halibut
and Haunch of Salamander
in a Banana Miso Flambé with Fried Pistachios

Desserts

White Pepper-Cannabis Sorbet and Stollen Bread Pudding
Deep Fried Elderflower Vine on Vanilla Tequila Butter Cake Balls
Maple Fat Donuts Dusted with Fool’s Gold

Cocktails

Pickletini
Black Truffle Float
Roof Garden Smasher

For more information or to discuss the meaning of today’s date contact 

inquiry@limelightcatering.com

Snake Oil Continued

This is a reply to Jan Yourist's BLOG entry today. After reading my reply, you can click on the link and read her BLOG.

Jan,
I used to love watching these "Retailtain
ments"  or "Entertailments" as you called them. When I was a young boy, I would spend a day downtown Chicago and the highlight of the day at Woolworths Five and Ten (besides a piece of pizza for lunch) was watching the demonstrations.

Choppers, slicers, dicers. Some 50+ years ago I watched the same "Ever Sharp" demonstration. I wonder if they are using a new hammer? One year, I did buy a slicer, dicer, shredder, chopper ... with the set of knives thrown in ... and a free recipe book ... with a life time guarantee ... for my mother as a Mother's Day gift.

In thinking about it, I wonder if she really appreciated my gift considering I was giving her more tools with which she could cook for and take care of us. She accepted graciously.

CLICK HERE TO SEE JAN'S BLOG

Seasonal Changes

Today was the last day of our Christmas Season. All of the entertaining is done, all the presents given and those received unwrapped. Most of the homemade cookies gone: Peanut Butter, Oatmeal Raisin, Date Nut Bars, Walnut Balls, Chocolate Walnut Balls, Snickerdoodles, Chocolate Chip, Brownie Bites. Tomorrow we take down the decorations.

As much as we love the holidays and decorations and celebrations and entertaining, we also enjoy putting everything away until next season and getting our life back to normal. The house always seems so much more orderly and spacious when all of the Christmas is tucked back into boxes and put back on the shelves in the laundry room above the washer and dryer.

Now is the time to pick up all the projects that have been put on hold as well as the time to reflect on last year and the possibilities of next year. This week Gregory and I are preparing for an art show at our friend's Jan & Jake's IN THE TABLE GALLERY. Carmen at the Lyric Opera of Chicago, and my role as a supernumerary continues again for eight performances in March. The count down until the opening of my Michael's Museum at The Chicago Children's Museum on Navy Pier begins in earnest: Friday, May 13, 2011. Writing continues. Photography continues. Work on "As Assembly of Assemblages" which opens on June 1, 2011 at the Lincolnwood Village Hall Gallery will go on simultaneously.

Life is busy. Life is good.

Crock Pot Corn Pudding

Be sure to read the entire BLOG for a fun ending.


I served a Corn Pudding at last night's dinner party as discussed in the BLOG: Bon Voyage Party.

The recipe was taken from: http://cookeatshare.com and I wanted to share this simple recipe with you. Everyone at the dinner raved about the pudding and voted it "Best of Show." I have had several requests for the recipe. 


CROCK POT CORN PUDDING RECIPE

1 can cream style corn

1 can whole kernel corn

8 ox low fat sour cream

1 stick butter, melted

2 large eggs, beaten

1 box Jiffy Corn Meal Mix

Spray crock pot with non-stick spray. Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Pour into crock pot. Cook on low for 6 to 8 hours. You can cook on high for 4 to 5 hours if you want a crisp ring around the outside. Serves 8

I doubled the batch and for a little while was worried that it would crown up and over the top of the pot. But it didn’t. I kept the lid on the entire time even though at times the contents looked to have too much liquid. They say if you remove the lid (to check the cooking) you loose 45 minutes. Kind of like digging up a seed to see if it has sprouted yet. 

Also, I guess it could also be made in the oven in a pyrex "until done."

Check this out for details on making the pudding:

YouTube - I Love Lucy