Monday, November 18, 2013

INA AND JEFFREY PLUS TWO......AN INTIMATE THANKSGIVING.

I love Ina Garten for being able to make a
party with just two people...
Her and Jeffrey don't need to entertain a Crowd
to Celebrate just about anything....
We are only a family of Four.......
Just us 3 Adivari's plus Miss B...
And we don't always get to spend special
occasions with our girls....
I always prepare a dinner like I'm feeding forty....
and I always set a festive table....
 We don't usually celebrate in this lovely room
of our Home....It just sits looking
pretty when you walk in our front door...
But the Girls are coming for Thanksgiving
this year so Turkey will be served at
The Big Table!!
This was the first room in our house that
was completely decorated the second day
after we moved in...
All furniture is from Crate and Barrel...
every piece of Milk Glass was unwrapped...
pre-washed.....and displayed...
in those first two days...
We came from a very rustic country house so this
was a big deal having a Fancy Schmancy House...
I have not done a tablescape in a long time and
another blogger requested I do a post and that I join in on this weeks
party....I thought that was a great idea.
I forgot How Fun much it is...
I'm babysitting daughter's red turkey from
Williams Sonoma since she has limited space in
her NYC apartment...I'm happy to do so!!

I think this will be Sophie's First
Thanksgiving eating at the
Big Table....
Fabulous Turkey tureens I found a few years
Ago at "Old Time Pottery"
here in Marietta....
I think I paid $3.99 each...
Apple Onion Soup will be
served inside..
I love this cabinet to fit my Milk Glass
Collection....
I originally wanted an open tall hutch in
Red...but the family talked me into
this one...It has a black background
so The Milk Glass really stands out.


I found these great Turkey plates at
the Old Time Pottery also...
a real bargain at $1.99 each...
I love the colors...
Making sure both mothers are represented
on this holiday....the vintage celery dish
came from my mother....
The asparagus dish belonged to
the Boss' Mom...
My Mother collected Fenton Milk Glass....
And I follow in her footsteps....only on
Steroids....
I have in the short 9 years of collecting have
over 100 pieces...
So much that they spill over into this
Matching Piece....
One of my favorite pieces is the ornate
punch bowl set...
and the many pieces my good friends and
Blog friends have given me...
The Sun shinning in on the
Prettiest room in the house...


My dear friend and old next door neighbor
Necie....got me that great covered
Butter Dish as a House Warming present...
 I saw it one day at an antique mall while we
were shopping after one of our Blog lunches...
Only a true friend would take the time to go
back and route through all those booths to
Find it and buy it for me...
I am Thankful for a friend like
Necie...

Okay....hands up....How many of you have
these great goblets from every Bloggers
Best Place to Buy
Cheap Real Glasses...
The Dollar Tree!!
I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving
whether you are spending it with 4 or 40...
But remember even two can make a party...
What will you be cooking???
Here is the Adivari's Menu....

Apple Onion Soup
Topped with Cheese Puff Pastry

Lemon/Rosemary Roasted Turkey with
Apple and Mushroom Stuffing

Ranch Mashed Potatoes with Gravy

Nutmeg infused rutabaga

Cranberry sauce with orange
made in a copper mold...

French Green beans with Shallots

Dessert..
Snickerdoodle Cheesecake with Cherries
Traditional Pumpkin Pie with Fresh Whipped Cream
Mini Caramel Apples with walnuts
Homemade Caramel Corn

You can Stop right here or................

For those of you who have the patience to continue
Reading...I will Bore you with one of my Infamous
Family Stories...
I know there are a few of you out there that
Actually enjoy reading about what a Nutty
Bunch we are....

For years While I was growing up My Mother
always got a Free Turkey from the
Department Store she worked at in
Elizabeth New Jersey....
One of my Brothers who is a lot older
then myself was married at the time and lived in
Red Lion Pennsylvania...
He was married to Carol....
Who my Mother always referred to as
'The Sicilian Devil"
My Father....who was very quiet...never voiced
his opinion about the DIL but you knew He was
NOT fond of her either....
The only way the Folks got an Annual Invite to
Red Lion was with the Stipulation that the
Turkey come with them......Cooked.
So My mother would have to get up at 3:00A.M. to
Put the Turkey in the oven so it would be cooked by
the time they had to make the 3 hour drive

From Jersey to Pennsylvania....

I can't tell you how many years this went on for...

And every year Millie would Bitch and
Siggy would mumble something under his
Breath...
Fast Forward many years to the year 2000.
Daughter was in Law School up in Ithaca and
decided to make her first Thanksgiving Dinner for
the boyfriend...
She heard for years that Grandma would get up
at 3:00 a.m. to cook the Turkey....
I guess I failed to tell her why....
So daughter started cooking her turkey that day
at 3:00 a.m......and of course by
8:00 a.m. it was ready to eat....
I also failed to tell her how many pounds of
potatoes you need to feed two people...
She made the whole Five pound Bag....

She called me in a panic...

She very rarely since then has asked me for cooking advice....
Bon Apetit!!


I am joining the "Let's Dish" party at Cuisine Kathleen
Also joining Susan @
http://betweennapsontheporch.net/a-christmas-table-setting-inspired-by-nature-themed-dishware/

Monday, November 11, 2013

COOKING FRENCH WITH THE BOSS........A Night at the Viking School

Who knew when I got that e-mail about
a French cooking class at the
Viking School in Atlanta
that the Boss would so readily agree to go along
with me...
I told him it would be a great bonding experience to
celebrate our 43rd. Anniversary....
For a mere $99. per person they offered up a 3 hour
Hands on Cooking Class that included making
Beef Wellington...which I have always wanted to
Know how to make...and they had the Boss at
"French Onion Soup"....
Along with the class and the meal they were also 
throwing in two tickets to the art exhibit at
the High Museum titled
"The Art of the Louvre's Tuileries Garden"
How could you go wrong....


Of course this is when Daughter thought it was
either going to be tons of fun.....Or
a disaster....especially after hearing her father ask....
"Can I wear a beret and bring my knives"....
"No and No....."
Here is our Chef in Charge....
"Chef Chip"
Let me say that this guy was great....
I was recently at another cooking class at another
cookware shop in town and to say it was unprofessional
is an understatement....
The "Chef" a middle aged women who touted herself
as a personal chef........was
frazzled through the entire class...
She had to read every recipe and appeared
confused at times....Plus a class size of 20
and two islands to work on did not make for a
smooth and informative class...
You never want to leave a cooking class and say
"Hey....I could give cooking classes in my Kitchen"

The Viking Store kitchens are top notch...
Their shop has every gadget and doo-dad that you
could possibly want...
Along with those fabulous appliances....
They have added a huge showroom of sorts where they
have on display every possible Viking Appliance they Make...
Simply Gorgeous....a Cook's Dream!!
Second only to Watching Tom Selleck on the
Big Screen :)
Put Tom in there with an apron on and I would never
Leave....
Okay now take a good look because this is the
One and Only time you will witness the
Boss
with an apron on....
and a knife in his hand....
He still has no idea when I bring him a meal where
it actually comes from...
Chef Chip in action.....
The menu was French so of course
There was French Onion Soup...
here we were making the "toasts" to put on top
onions caramelizing for the soup....
The school has one large island.....
A perfect size for 12 people to work around.
 With a class that size everyone got to
participate......Chip knew every step of the recipes
by heart....a True professional....
a Joy to listen to....and learn from....
Here is Rita on the right
Chip's sous chef....
and right hand lady....
This is what I came to learn....
We were about to make
Beef Wellington....
dicing up mushrooms for the
Wellington....


This cute little girl was there with her Mom...
I love when I see young girls
anxious to learn how to cook...
I have been in the kitchen since I was in my teens...


My Beef Wellington getting ready for
An Egg Wash.....
The mushroom concoction is under the
Puff Pastry....
The Beef tenderloin was seared on both sides
then put in the fridge to cool before
wrapping it in the pastry...
It will continue to cook in the oven
for about 20 minutes....
 

And it comes out looking like this....
 A perfectly cooked
Medium Rare on the inside....
This was Elizabeth and Joe....
such a cute couple....
Spinach Souffle.....
Yes....Souffles fall shortly after
taking them from the oven...
But delicious none the less!!

A fitting Finale' to a wonderful dinner....
A white Chocolate Mouse....
The Boss agreed that it was a great class...
Even though he sat down about 3/4's through the
evening....I think the onions made him woozy....
 I might actually get him to come back
for another class....
So if your in Atlanta and your looking for a fun
evening or daytime cooking class to go to with the
spouse or the Girls....This is the Place to go...
I highly recommend a class with Chip
It's like sneaking into an episode on the
Food Network...
A Chef who teaches....needs confidence in what they
do....Chip certainly fits that bill...

Viking offers a wide variety of great classes....
Including a Pasta Workshop and
an all day bread baking class...
They have a full calendar of classes on their
website....prices vary according to class and
time of day.....
www.vikingtogo.com


You can also go here.....
LUCY AND ETHEL LEARN THE ART OF THE WHOOPIE PIE

To read about the last time I was at Viking with
fellow blogger and troublemaker....Joyce....
I'm surprised they let me come back!!