Cooking for Alan – Dinner # 12 Ratatouille, Tartines and Panna Cotta

September 9, 2018/in Appetizers /by Belinda Masters

Fifty seven recipes from Ina Garten’s Cooking for Jeffrey book. That’s the number of Barefoot Contessa dishes I’ve prepared since January. For a goal-driven, list-making, sometimes type-A personality, this is a big deal.

The most gratifying part of this project has been the opportunity to show my love for others through food. We have always done a fair amount of entertaining. Starting back in 1985 when Alan and I started our first supper club. Since January we have had loads of good friends grace our table. Their kind words, encouragement and eagerness to taste my creations continue to spur me on as I tackle the remaining 20 or so recipes.

This evening we were excited to welcome our friends, Cord and Kathy to the table. They’ve been friends of ours for well over 20 years. In fact when we moved to Columbia 26 years ago, they were one of the first couples we invited to join our Supper Club. They are excellent cooks and adventurous eaters who are just as fascinated as we are by the history and culture surrounding food. They elevated our French theme dinner by serving an amazing 2012 Sancerre and a 2014 Alsace Riesling. Cord and Kathy can be our Sommeliers anytime.

Menu

Charcuterie Board

Gouda, Havarti, Prosciutto, Sopressata, Roasted Artichoke Hearts, Cornichon, Fig-Orange Jam, Roasted Red Peppers, Olives, Dried Apricots, Grapes

Camembert & Proscuitto Tartines

Roasted Vegetable Ratatouille with Shrimp

Creamy Parmesan Polenta

Kahlua Rum Panna Cotta with Salted Caramel

Charcuterie Boards are simple…just pile a platter with the best nibbles you can find. No cooking…just serving up special treats. Easy.

Very few ingredients are needed when you pick the best products you can find.

Tartines assembled and ready for the oven where the cheese melts and the proscuitto gets crispy.

Stay tuned…my next few posts will feature recipes for the Ratatouille and Kahlua Panna Cotta.

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About Belinda Masters

After several years of posting my cooking and eating adventures on Facebook and with a lot of encouragement from my foodie friends, I took the plunge into blogging about one of my lifelong passions. I began helping in the kitchen when I was old enough to stand at the sink and rinse fresh vegetables from our garden.

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My mother is an excellent southern cook, having grown up in Tennessee. Without a doubt my fondest childhood memories are of she and I making home cooked meals every night for my father and four brothers. During my college days I would often cook Sunday suppers for my roommates. When I married, my new mother in law introduced me to an amazing array of different cuisines. She had collected hundreds of cookbooks over the years and told me that if you can read you can cook! During our first year of marriage (1985) my husband Alan and I decided to form our first Supper Club. Four couples would meet monthly for theme dinner parties. We’ve done just about every conceivable theme from a Hawaiian Luau to a reenactment of the final dinner served in First Class aboard the Titanic! I’m happy to say that we’re in our 35th year of supper club adventures. Couples may have come and gone, but my husband and I carry on. Besides all things food, my other passions are my family, faith, travel, gardening, tennis and enjoying my new semi-retired lifestyle. Now let’s get cooking!!!