THE MAGNIFICENT FEAST

When contemplating what to get a friend for her upcoming birthday, I thought about what I would like to receive from me if I were her. What I came up with was probably more along the lines of what I would like to receive from me if I were me....... a magnificent Mediterranean feast. Project alert! (Magnificent Feast = dinner at my place in her honour with a couple of friends along as well.)

My best friend Good Taste rose to the occasion brilliantly, as I procured a past issue that featured an exotic dinner party menu actually titled ‘Mediterranean Feast’. It was meant to be. So I've put together a menu that involves antipasto, paella, some sort of pastitsio, Greekish salad, maybe baklava and a fantastical Turkish delight birthday cake. I'm salivating while typing this. Stay tuned.

Aside: Last week I took dinner to some busy friends, and instead of the old gold Chicken Divan, I thought it would be good to give a lamb pastitsio a go in preparation for the Feast. And what was really interesting was that you simmer the lamb with bay leaves, and when I tasted it, you'll never believe what I thought: I thought ‘Mmm, bay leaf'. The experimentation was not in vain.
So next time I see my two colleagues I overheard musing on the detectability of bay leaf several months ago, I will say to them “Guess what guys! You CAN taste bay leaf in food!!” And they may possibly ask me to get away from them.