spice

Pre-birthday celebrations started this weekend with my parents coming to Memphis! We ate, ate and ate good food, celebrated with friends, and shopped as much as we could fit into one day. After church Sunday, Bowen wanted a home-made tomato soup.

Friday night, mom made the most delicious cheese plate to have a taste before our birthday celebration Friday night. We enjoyed quince jam, honey comb, prosciutto from Italy, parmesan, and aged balsamic. All the left over ingredients made for the perfect soup and sandwich duo. I used the prosciutto and cheeses grilled between two slices of crusty, grain bread as dunking devices for the roasted tomato soup.

Here’s how I did it: slice tomatoes in half and de-seed, toss with extra virgin olive oil, kosher salt and cracked pepper, roast at 500 for 10 or 15 minutes. In the meantime, sauté some garlic (lots of garlic) in olive oil until fragrant, add san marzano whole tomatoes and chicken stock, bring to boil. Once the tomatoes are nice and caramelized from roasting, add them to the soup. Simmer for as long as you can wait, puree half of the soup ( I like mine with some texture) and finish with cream (and fresh basil if you have it).

after about 15 minutes of roasting, the sugars begin to caramelize and the tomatoes becomes even sweeter

halved and de-seed tomatoes, roast on 500 with olive oil, kosher salt and cracked pepper

prosciutto di parma mom brought back from Italy for the panini's

Well I have 2 test this week, starting tomorrow, and im on my couch flipping back and forth from the chew and Ina. (the chew is a new day time talk show/food show on abc with Mario Batalli, Michael Symon and a few other celebrity chefs and tv personalities) It’s a great way to avoid my communications law notebook sitting on the coffee table. In avoidance of studying and a way of faking productivity,  I thought i’d do a little updating on SPICE. I have to say Bowen’s bday was Friday and I think it was my favorite day ive ever had because of how happy it made the birthday boy. I prepared for his bday party non stop all week and Friday was filled with the finishing touches. I was up late Thursday having nightmares about party mishaps and up early Friday morning, finishing last-minute errands. I could almost put my money on it that I made more walmart/Kroger/ace hardware trips in this one week than in the entire semester. Lights, cups, flowers, balloons, tacts, drinks, more food, flowers, votive, vases, wicker baskets and the list goes on forever. But this is what I love to do. And seeing Bowen’s face as he walked in to his party was so priceless. I have never felt that kind of excitement for anything in seeing his happiness, that happiness wrapped up in his birthday party was worth every little last detail

http://video.google.com/googleplayer.swf?videoUrl=http%3A%2F%2Fv23.nonxt7.googlevideo.com%2Fvideoplayback%3Fid%3Daae28e9a232ec918%26itag%3D18%26ip%3D0.0.0.0%26ipbits%3D0%26expire%3D1319509503%26sparams%3Did%2Citag%2Cip%2Cipbits%2Cexpire%26signature%3D37DBA4D8A1C484C00417D59CF4E7F9243F28274B.35775413B6D9C92936B0E57054A4E5FF330181CA%26key%3Dlh1

Bowen’s birthday present (yeti) and all the supplies on Monday, ready and waiting

practice run through on Tues-plates from Oxford floral/mirror was hanging on my wall in my bedroom

Mollie made a chicken satay the day of the party and I grilled sausage for a sausage cheese plate

grilled sausage, basted with bbq sauce and finished with rendezvous rub-plated with sharp cheddar and pepperoni

all filled up and ready for the bday boy

heres a view of the room before the candle and lights were up-at this point the excitement was overflowing

cupcakes out along with spiced cheesenips (baked with ranch packets, dill, and crushed red pepper) and chocolate covered pretzels ( orange of course for Halloween)

Chicken satay with a homemade honey mustard sauce along side a  sausage cheese plate

Bowen’s man cave cups-i had these made a few weeks ago for his garage his is turning into a “man cave”, thought they went nicely with his cooler-im sure he loved the bow (or maybe didn’t notice)