happy new year! should old acquaintance be forgot? yes, if the acquaintance you’re referring to is 2010. most people i’ve spoken to were all too ready to kiss the past year goodbye. floods, fires, budget crises… and that was just within my kitchen.

nonetheless, a new year cannot dawn without some acknowledgement, so i decided to host a small get together for some wonderful, lovely friends. delighted that they agreed to come to me, i decided to thank them in the best way i know how: with food.

anyone who knows me is aware of my love of a theme. in fact, it’s more of a compulsion. yeah, i’m that control freak who is stressed when sushi is served alongside sausage rolls at a party. i just feel that a consistent theme is the easiest thing you can do to impress your guests. of course, if that’s too much of a hassle, or sushi & sausage roll is your favourite food combo, simply set a “foods of the world” theme, crack out some toothpick flags and bob’s your uncle. 

anyway, my theme this year was my old faithful, rustic italian. how does this differ from other kinds of italian, you might ask? it’s about much more than an imperfectly shaped pizza. rustic, for me, means simple, unfussy food which highlights classic flavour combinations & the seasonality of ingredients. 

that being said, here’s what i came up with:

the spread

our “bar”

amongst other things, crudités with homemade dips, parmesan, grapes, marinated mushrooms, artichokes & olives

oven baked ricotta, salami, roast tomatoes, asparagus & cauliflower

pizza #1: potato, rosemary, parmesan & white truffle oil

pizza #2: old favourite, rocket & proscuitto (with a drizzle of balsamic vinegar)

pizza #3: pepperoni & zucchini

the best of all the italian desserts: tiramisu

despite this being the most low-key new years in recent memory, it was, for me, one of the best. celebrating with the people you love, and eating some good food at the same time: pretty fab if you ask me. hope yours was enjoyable too.

now, to get cracking on my nicaraguan fiesta for 2012. 

:)

note: individual recipes for these dishes will be posted soon. feel free to contact me in the meantime if you have any questions.

merry christmas! whether you had a barbecue on a hot summer’s day, roasted chestnuts over a roaring fire or delivered presents to children across the world in your sleigh, i hope you had a fabulous time.

this year i decided to do a low-key, rustic lunch for my guests. and, in an attempt to minimise stress, i asked everyone to bring something. i usually am not a fan of the “bring a plate thing” (perhaps it’s the greek in me that is horrified at the thought of not providing for my guests) but as my entertaining becomes more frequent, i have come to appreciate the assistance. 

so, with the ham, prawns, bread, cherries and cheese taken care of by my guests, and with a very aussie christmas spread already on the way, all that was left for me to do was put together a fairly festive table setting and some delicious side dishes.

here are the results (with some attractive legs in the background for good measure): 

the table

place settings

honey roasted carrots, purple carrots & parsnips with cumin seeds

fennel and orange salad

proscuitto with parmesan (also, what happens when your guests start eating before you take a photo)

beef and black pepper sausages with a caramelised onion gravy & thyme

orecchiette with peas, ricotta, mint, chilli and crisp pancetta

balsamic roast potatoes with garlic and rosemary

blanched green beans with toasted almonds & butter

oven roast cauliflower, brussels sprouts and broccoli

overall, the lunch was a huge success, unlike the christmas crackers, which were sadly lacking in exciting gifts. where are the tweezers and nail clippers when you want them?

p.s. i realise i have just included a pile of sausages in a list of side dishes. well… that’s just the kind of person i am.

bon appetit!