Saturday June 28, 2013

Dinner for 20

Grilled Lamb Kofta Kebabs with Pistachios and Spicy Salad Wraps

Grilled Chicken (for the young kids)

Rhubarb and Sticky Stem Ginger Crumble

Grilled Strawberries with Pimms and Vanilla Ice Cream

Canada Day Long Weekend!!!! Traditionally spent at my parents home on a river located between Minden and Haliburton in one of the cottage areas of Southern Ontario.  It is a weekend spent 'camping' (ie sleeping in tents but having access to the house's bathroom and kitchen).  Dishes are done outdoors with basins of hot water.  There are campfires at night and playing in the river during the day with friends and family.  Truly Paradise.

One day of the weekend is the Canada Day party that includes a pot luck, trivia contest and a gift exchange game when even more people come just for the day.  Such Fun.  The rest of the weekend, the core group (ranging for 20 to 30) is assigned meals to do.  For many years I have done breakfast because I don't mind getting up, usually after staying up late drinking, and making food for the gang.  This year we decided to have only one "BIG" breakfast (which my sister, the other early riser wanted to do) and on the other mornings the folks would just fend for themselves on standard available items like fruit, cereal, toast, yoghurt, bagels etc.

That left only 2 lunches and 2 dinners open to assign.  We gave the lunches to the two families not actually related by blood leaving the Dinners open for my younger sister family and mine.  Everyone in my family knows Friday Night Dinner is my thing but only 9 people would would be up at the cottage on Friday Night.  My 15 year old nephew is a wonderful cook and he wanted to take the lead on his families dinner duty serving pork larb in lettuce wraps.  I happily took the Saturday night so his debut as the lead cook would be for the smaller group.  

Of course with all the excitement of the evening I forgot to take any photos.  You will have to take my word for it that it was a sucess.  One of my Brother-in-laws particularly loved the Grilled Strawberries, now know as BOOZY BERRIES.  It was a build your own kind of dinner with the young kids able to use grilled chicken and non spicy salad in their wraps.

Food was great.  Company was fantastic.  I LOVE cooking for family and friends