Birthday Dinner

I had a great day yesterday. Two friends of mine, Sylvia and Natalie have their birthdays this month. They decided to hold the birthday celebration together, yesterday. Ernest, my artist friend has once again, kindly agreed to let us hold the celebration at his house. He also cooked for us - again. Some of you will remember that he cooked up some very delicious dishes for the same group recently.

Dinner was for 7 pm. However, it was open house from 2.30 pm yesterday. Guests can drop by anytime they want to. Four of us who were early had a round of mahjong game.

After the game, Ernest proceeded with the cooking. Some of us helped out with little chores in the kitchen when and where we can be useful.

This was Ernest’s menu for the evening.

Starter
Garden salad with homemade dressing
Selection of 3 types of cheese served with crackers n bread
Cold-cut platter

Main
Chicken in red wine sauce
Roast belly pork with herbs n garlic
Pan fried scallop
Prawns marinated with herbs n spices sauteed with spaghetti sprinkle with chilli flakes.

Desert
Awfully chocolate cake
Fruits
Snacks
Coffee n tea

Here are some pictures of the dishes.

Salad - cucumber, cherry tomatoes and goat cheese with homemade dressing

Three types of cheese served with crackers and bread.

Cold-cut platter.

Chicken in red wine sauce. This dish is absolutely wonderful.

Scallop and belly pork. It was supposed to be baked scallop and roast belly pork. Unfortunately, the oven chose to act up on this particular occasion. Therefore we had to settle for plan B - Pan fried scallop and pan fried belly pork.

Spaghetti with prawns sauteed in white wine sauce, sprinkled with a generous portion of parmesan cheese.

We all sat down to dinner at 7 pm. As usual, we were all talking and joking in between mouthfuls of the wonderful dishes, not caring about the saliva and pieces of food flying all over the place. You wouldn’t believe that we were all trained in Food and Beverage Service. But that was a long time ago, and another story. Most of us left the industry after the course. Only a couple of them are still in the industry.

After dinner, it was time for the birthday cake. We got the cake from 'Awfully Chocolate'. It's chocolate cake coated with caramel. Very nice, and very rich. Absolutely divine.

Time passes quickly when you are having fun. All too soon, it was time to call it a night. As with any great party, we all felt kind of reluctant for the party to end. But, part we must, so that we may meet again. We parted company at about half past eleven pm, after a wonderful afternoon, and evening together. We all had a great time. The food was excellent, the company was boisterous, as always, with this group - lots of laughter, and friendly banter.

It still amazes me how this little group got along so well, having just got back in touch, slightly more than a year ago, after 29 years of not having any contact – apart from the one or two who had kept in contact, once in a while.

The little pleasures, and treasures in life – good food, good friends, and amongst them one who enjoys cooking, and is an excellent cook. I look forward to many more of these evenings. Cheers! - to friendship - to all my dear friends who made time to meet up.