Living a tasteful life

Monday, August 29, 2016

Summer Entertaining with Edmund's Oast

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!

What are some of your favorite dishes to make when you're entertaining guests at home?





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13 comments

  1. How special to have a great chef serve great food. Was a special evening

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  2. OMG. What spectacular looking food

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  3. Ohhhh wow, literally everything you posted looked SO delicious!

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  4. This is so inspiring! I love the post:)

    irenethayer.com

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  5. Edmund's Oast is great! Their cornbread is stupid good.

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    Replies
    1. Oh my gosh, yes! Their cornbread is amazing!

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  6. This all looks delicious!

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  7. wow everything looks incredible! That last dish is making me hungry! I definitely need to stop by and try this place for myself!!


    Best,
    Madison
    www.madisononmadisonave.com

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    Replies
    1. Everything was delicious! Hope you get a chance to check the restaurant out.

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