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| My Fall Tablescape |
What's better? I don't know where the affinity for cooking and hospitality came from, but I surely do enjoy it. If only I could entertain every weekend, I wouldTonight we are having over a couple who has had us over several times, and finally we are returning the favor.
Here's what's on the menu (pictures to come later):
Roasted Pears with Blue Cheese
Except I'm doing it with feta..
Pumpkin Ravioli with Gorgonzola Sauce
I made the raviolis last night. I'm a little nervous about this one, because the short cut (since I've never made pasta and I'm a litter nervous to try on guests) includes using wonton wrappers. The texture may be a bit different, but we'll see how they turn out.
Tangy Slow Cooker Pot Roast
To combat some of the sweet flavors, I'm opting for a salty, tangy-er pot roast. This is super easy, and it's guaranteed to at least be super tender, and I don't have to worry about it until I'm ready to serve! I did make a few modifications (using some of the review recommendations): Used chicken broth (low sodium) instead of water, doubled most of the ingredients (except I cut back on the sugar, only about 2 Tablespoons).
For dessert....
Sea Salt Caramel Gelato and Walmut Brownies
I made the gelato last night. I was super nervous about this, but it really is divine! I followed the directions to a tee except I halved the recipe (don't need that much gelato for 4 people!). I also don't have an ice cream maker, so instead, I put the plain gelato mix in the fridge for 30 min, added the melted caramel (I melted some caramel candies-it hardened at the bottom of the gelato mix, but it still gave the gelato a nice caramel flavor. I won't serve the caramel bc it could break your teeth!). Then I placed the caramel gelato in the freezer and checked on it every hour for 3 hrs. I stirred it and stuck it back in the freezer. This morning it looks beautiful!
I'm cheating with the brownies, I just got a duncan hines mix. But I am going to add a little bit (couple tablespoons) of black coffee (left over from my morning coffee) to the chocolate. This enhances the chocolate flavor (according to Ina Garten).
So we'll see how it all turns out. Like I said, I feel like I'm taking a risk with a few of these, so we'll see.... pictures and reviews to come!
