Cooking for Alan - Dinner #4 - Appetizer

At last count I believe I’ve prepared around 20 recipes from Ina Garten’s book, Cooking for Jeffrey. I’m glad I’ve taken on this project of attempting to cook through all of the recipes in her latest cookbook. Doing so has motivated me to cook things that aren’t a part of my everyday repertoire. I’m using a lot more citrus and interesting spices in my cooking.

In creating the menu for Dinner #4, I thought about our guests. Over the years we have traveled far and wide together. All of us enjoy good food and put a high priority on where and what we’ll eat during our vacations. Several years ago we went on our first cruise together. One evening we watched with amazement as our friend, Mike, devoured THREE desserts. Apple pie al a mode. His philosophy was that when you’re dining on a cruise ship, you can have whatever you want and in whatever quantity you want. Lucky for him Ina had a recipe for Apple Pie Bars. So dessert was an easy choice. Mike is also a fan of brussels sprouts. As luck would have it Ina’s cookbook has a recipe for sautéed, shredded brussels sprouts.

Mike’s wife, Lynn, enjoys a well made cocktail. In the past year or so I’ve watched her order the classic French 75. It just so happens that Ina includes a recipe for these in her cookbook. They are a delicious combination of cognac, fresh lemon juice, simple syrup and sparkling wine. Hopefully I was able to please both of our dear friends by making things that I know they enjoy.

Not to be forgotten, my guy, Alan likes nearly everything I make. He happens to be a fan of pork tenderloin…especially when we marinate it in one of his favorite drinks, hard apple cider. So Ina’s recipe for Cider Roasted Pork Tenderloin was an obvious choice.

Spicy Sweet Potato Empanadas

This appetizer is a perfect, “make ahead” item. I put it all together in the morning, except for the baking part. I refrigerated them and then 30 minutes before my guests were to arrive, popped them into a hot oven. I couldn’t source Ina’s recipe from her website, but you can click here to find it on another food bloggers site. The filling to puff pastry proportions were off. I was able to make make 12 by re-rolling the leftover puff pastry and using the extra filling. They turned out great…quite rich in flavor so 2 per guest is about right. We enjoyed these paired with our French 75 cocktails. A nice way to begin the evening.

Cooking for Alan – Dinner #4 – Appetizer

Menu

Spicy Sweet Potato Empanadas

Stay tuned for my next few posts that will highlight the main course (Pork and Brussels Sprouts)