Every now and then I like to call up a few girlfriends and invite them over for food and fun. I called this gathering the Pot Lucky Luncheon because I asked everyone to bring a small dish in addition to everything that I made. We had signature party drinks and great conversation. We went around the room telling one another about ourselves and we learned so much about one another. One of my favorite party games is Heads Up and we never laughed so hard as when we entertained one another with our antics and acrobatics while trying to make our teammate guess the right word.
First up on the menu was simple caprese salad skewers. I just took grape tomatoes and mozzarella balls and skewered them with toothpicks, sprinkled them with salt and pep and drizzled them with a lemon basil olive oil.
Next I had pinwheels made with spinach tortillas because I wanted a nice contrast for my new white serving platter. They were filled with pesto cream cheese, turkey, ham and cheddar cheeses. Once I had everything spread out on the tortilla, I rolled it up and sliced them to the desired thickness (I would suggest about two inches thick).
A fancy ladies’ lunch can’t go down without cucumber sandwiches. Seriously, ever since Oscar Wilde’s The Importance Of Being Earnest, I have always felt that cucumber sandwiches elevates any gathering a notch or two. I just took small squares of rye bread, spread cream cheese on them, added some fresh dill and a slice or two of English cucumber on it. It paired nicely with pickled asparagus. I left some of them open faced to add interest to the platter.
I also embellished a sourdough loaf from Panera Bread. I sliced the bread into diamond shaped sections about an inch in diameter (as much as possible). Next I stuffed it with cheddar cheese, butter and pesto. It baked in the oven for about 20 minutes wrapped in aluminum foil until the bread got even crustier and all of the cheese had melted.
A girls’ gathering wouldn’t be the same without a few libations so I went on the hunt for a few different recipes for me and the girls to try. My favorite idea for making drinks is to find a few different drinks, writing out the recipe and setting out the ingredients during the party so my guests can make their own drink. I chose three drinks for that night, The Madras, Hole in One and the “party special” that I named Lady Luck. The Madras was pretty good but could use a little more sweetness, so I would recommend adding a simple syrup to it. The Hole in One was also in need of added sweetness, that is, if you like sweeter drinks. The Lady Luck was actually pretty good and it was the party favorite.
This luncheon was definitely one of my favorites because I wasn’t responsible for all of the food and everyone had such a wonderful time.
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Soul Epicure 