Spring Crudités with Herb Dip

Sour cream based dips are so easy to make and so much more delicious than those MSG soaked sugary ones they sell in grocery stores. The one on this crudités display is Organic Valley sour cream (this is my favorite. It's incredibly rich tasting) with chopped chervil, chives, marjoram and thyme with one crushed and chopped garlic clove, salt and pepper.
If you want "French" onion dip just thinly slice an onion and sauté it in butter with a little sprinkle of sugar over low heat until they turn golden. Let cool and mix with the sour cream. Add salt and pepper to taste .
A personal favorite chip dip of mine is just garlic and chopped chives with salt and pepper.
The possibilities are really endless. Try using Greek yogurt in place of the sour cream, if you prefer something a little lighter.

Creamy Butternut Squash and Coconut Bisque with Arugula Salad (Vegan)

Peel and roughly chop a medium butternut squash. Chop finely one medium onion and one leek. In a large pot saute the onion and leek in a couple tablespoons of olive oil until soft and add one tablespoon of Better Than Bouillon vegetable base (or other type of vegetarian stock/bouillon ) stir until combined and add in squash. Barely cover with water and simmer until the squash is very soft. Add in one can of unsweetened coconut milk(either whole or low fat work well). Purée soup until very smooth, (easiest to use an immersion blender for this), and place back on heat to simmer a few minutes to let the flavors get really combined. When hot, adjust salt and pepper to taste.
This soup is also delicious with the addition of curry powder.  Add one teaspoon while sauteing the onion and leek.
Garnish with some thinly sliced scallions.

Birthday Party

A very lovely 40th Birthday celebration in a beautiful townhouse in Park Slope, Brooklyn

Deviled Eggs and Mushroom Duxelles Eggs

Mini Pulled BBQ Pork with Cole Slaw, Potato Bun and Bubbies Bread and Butter Pickle

Seared Filet Mignon on Rosemary Skewer

Mini New England Lobster Roll on Brioche Bun

Smoked Salmon, Butter, Toast Points

Crab Cakes with Roasted Red Pepper Remoulade

Lamb Tagine with Prunes, Carrots and Couscous

Braised dish with lamb shank, prunes, carrots, and topped with sesame seeds.

Birthday Dinner for Two

The idea of this meal was classic steakhouse menu. A little old fashioned, a little updated here and there, done really well.

Classic Shrimp Cocktail.  The only tweak on this one was that, in addition to the usual cocktail sauce, there was also a lime mustard mayonnaise sauce (the type that is usually used for stone crab claws).

Lobster Bisque.  Four entire lobster carcasses (though no actual lobster meat), the shells of the shrimp used in the shrimp cocktail, cream and a healthy dose of cognac, all concentrated down into two small servings.

The was the most updated of the dishes.  Grass Fed Hanger Steak, Garlic Roasted Fingerling Potatoes, Steamed Asparagus and a "deconstructed" Bearnaise Sauce which I did by making a classic Hollandaise, which is on one side of the plate, and then making a rough chopped salad of flat parsely, chervil and tarragon that is dressed with olive oil and placed on the other side of the plate.  It made for a nice effect, as you could choose from bite to bite whether to have the bright punch of just the herbs, or to mix the two for a richer bite.

Four Berry Shortcake with Vanilla Whipped Cream