Oh that dinner party

So I like to cook. Obviously. I never claim to actually be a good cook, I just can cook. I can read a recipe and make whatever it is prepping me to make. I can start cooking something and when it starts to fail I can turn it into something else without panicking. I can come home, look in the fridge, toss a few things together and voila dinner. And it's actually pretty good.
I just thought I would share that. Mainly because this was one of the many topics we had during a dinner party last Saturday

A few friends got together and had a very fancy dinner party. We had wine pairings, a cocktail hour and different courses. It was AWESOME! My friend Adrian made this amazing bbq pork and excellent wheat bread that was made with a little extra yeast and a whole lotta love (bahaha sorry).
My friend Maureen made a white bean soup, and a crepe cake that was made up of layers of wheat crepes, mascarpone cheese with a little whiskey and orange zest. YUM!
I made mushroom mac-n-cheese which was only so so in my opinion, scalloped tomatoes which were pretty damn good and a key lime curd tart with dark chocolate ganache and a graham cracker. It seemed like a people enjoyed it, and not just Karl.
We had Manhattans and Sazerac's made by Chaz which were super tasty! Chocolate Martini's by Chad, many toasts done by Celia, and great conversations with Kate.

All in all a great dinner party!

Now for some recipes
(FYI the pictures are not my own but they will be up soon!)

Scalloped Tomatoes
The Barefoot Contessa came up with this delicious recipe. I really enjoyed it
Half of a baguette chopped
2lbs of Roma Tomatoes chopped
1/2 C. of Parmesan cheese grated
Two cloves of garlic
FRESH basil (must be fresh! for reals)
Olive oil

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
So heat up the olive oil in a pan, add the bread. Toast it up
Add the tomatoes and saute for a few minutes
Add garlic
Add Basil and take off the heat.
Pour into a dish a sprinkle the cheese on top
Bake for 35 minutes
The smell is outstanding and it tastes so fresh. It's so simple, but really delicious
Next up
Key Lime Tart with Graham Cracker Crust and Dark Chocolate Ganache
Basically I took three separate recipes and mashed them together. Oh and after making this I discovered a better way cook the chocolate

Key Lime Curd
I used the recipe from Bon Appetit for the curd. BTW, I made the curd 5 hours in advance and it turned out really well. There was very little need to have it chill overnight. Also, the curd was good, but it didn't cover the tart pan so next time I might double it just to get a bit more and use the left overs in the morning for my yogurt, or to add on top of chocolate chip pancakes.

Graham Cracker Crust
I used a recipe I've had for awhile, but here is one for you. Remember this is for a tart NOT for a pie so maybe you should half the crust recipe. Also, I like my crust a little more crumbly so I don't pound the graham crackers into a dust and then press, I just crunch them up, add the sugar, add the butter and mix and press.

Dark Chocolate Ganache
Basically get about 10 oz of good dark chocolate and make sure it's 65% cocoa. Melt it in a double broiler with a little bit of cream and a bit of sugar. Add it to the top of the tart and let it set a bit in the fridge before serving.

If you chill the tart, make sure you have it out on the counter for like 30 minutes before serving. That way the chocolate can melt a bit and it's easier to dig into.Again this is NOT my photo (no meringue on top for me!)