Summer and entertaining go hand in hand, offering the
perfect excuse to get together with friends and family over delicious food and
beverages. And since the end of summer is approaching and Labor Day festivities are coming up,I thought what better time to share some entertaining inspiration. I was thrilled to have the opportunity to attend a
summer entertaining demo with Chef Reid Henninger of Edmund’s Oast back in May. Not
only did the event fill our bellies with delicious food, but it also inspired
me with some creative ideas that I could take back to my kitchen.
The evening began on the back deck of the event space, where we were welcomed with a glass of olde thyme punch. This refreshing cocktail consisted of bourbon, madeira, lemon thyme shrub and nutmeg. To be completely honest, I am not one to drink brown liquor but I always like to try things at least once. So, I decided to give it shot and it was actually really good. One was definitely my limit, but I’m happy I gave it a chance.
One of my favorite dishes of the evening was the crab
bruschetta. Not only was it pretty, it had amazing flavor and made the perfect
passed hors d'oeuvres.
After we got our fill of appetizers and socializing, we moved the party inside for a more formal cooking demonstration. First up was scallops with marinated fennel.
This dish was paired with a fabulous Jolie Laide rose, best
described as bone dry, with strawberry, blood orange and dried herb aromatics. I’ve mentioned before that I shamelessly shop for my beverages based on the
looks of the bottle, and this is one that I would definitely reach for. The
label design is fascinating original watercolor artwork from an artist out of
Italy. I actually visited Edmund’s Oast a few weeks after the event was able to
order a bottle based on simply describing what it looked like since I couldn’t
remember the name. Our waitress new exactly what I was talking about.
Our third course was paired with another bourbon
cocktail. This one was a bit stronger than my palate could handle, but I loved
the concept of it. The drink was called The Red Wedding and consisted of
bourbon, averna, and a hibiscus sweet tea ice cube. All of you bourbon drinkers
out there would love this. I actually was able to snag a few leftover ice cubes
that I later found paired well with vodka – my cocktail of choice.
Our last dish of the evening was shrimp with root vegetable
ravioli and leeks. There’s no twisting my arm when it comes to eating pasta. All
I can say is wow! This perfect pasta, cooked al dente, was floating in a buttery sauce that left me craving more.
We learned how to make the pasta ourselves, which surprisingly didn’t seem too challenging I’m hoping to get my hands on the recipe very soon because I would definitely give this a try at home.
I couldn't have asked for a better evening. It was a pretty special experience to have the chef of one of my favorite restaurants prepare a delicious meal for our small group. If you've been following me for a while, you know that this isn't the first time I've mentioned Edmund's Oast. Their pickled shrimp toast won be over from the start and I've been a fan ever since. If you live in the area and haven't stopped by, you're missing out!
We learned how to make the pasta ourselves, which surprisingly didn’t seem too challenging I’m hoping to get my hands on the recipe very soon because I would definitely give this a try at home.
What are some of your favorite dishes to make when you're entertaining guests at home?