Easter Dinner...

One word- success! I am so unbelievably impressed with myself. If I could high five myself I would but most people would say that's just clapping.

So the day began around 10a with coffee and a game plan. I had to clean the apartment, make sure I had enough plates, glasses, serving utensils, etc set aside, and then start on the salad, fig sauce, pork, potatoes, broccoli, dinner rolls and frosting the carrot cake. Jared had spent the night and I had told my other three guests to arrive any time after three. Thank god none of them are punctual. Miraculously I was finished about 10 minutes before they walked in the door!

The salad was easy and a non-GDL creation. I went with a Waldorf salad because I love the fresh, cool crispness of it. Perfect for Spring! Then I started on the Roasted Baby Potatoes with Herbs and Garlic. So simple and SOOO good. Just whisk olive oil, herbs and garlic together and coat two pounds of small red and yellow potatoes with it. The potatoes go on a baking sheet for an hour until golden brown and the skins start to shrivel a little. Absolutely delicious.

Then I started on the fig sauce to go with the pork. I boiled two and a half cups of port with cinnamon sticks and rosemary sprigs and chopped up dried figs until the mixture reduced by half. Then it gets poured into a blender and pureed. That's a blender- not a mini food processor or you and your kitchen walls will get splattered with hot sweet port. Trust me, go with the blender. I set the fig sauce aside but let me tell you, I think it was the most exciting part of the entire meal. The cranberry colored mixture looked so beautiful poured on the pork slices and after dipping my biscuit in some I fell in love with the sinfully sweet mixture.

The Sautéed Broccoli Rabe with Raisins and Pine Nuts was OK but not my favorite but it looked beautiful. Bright green baby broccoli on a bright white platter. Nothing special but it made for a pretty presentation.

Now, for the main dish- the Roasted Pork Loin. I bought a four and a half pound pork loin and instantly confronted it and commanded it's respect a la Julie & Julia, "My pork! You are my pork!" I placed it on the big roasting dish and covered it with olive oil, salt and pepper and rosemary. For a vegetarian, I think I did well not gagging or puking or crying over the giant piece of pig that lay pink and fatty before me. Instead I placed it in the oven and even managed to flip it once or twice to brown evenly. And though I don't know what it tasted like, reviews from my guests were raves.

The only blunder of the evening came with dessert which was the only non-GDl dish and the only dish I took shortcuts with. My Betty Crocker carrot cake was OK but the cream cheese frosting stuck to the lid of the Pyrex container it was in a upon removing the lid, it took a big chunk out of the center. No one seemed to mind at that point including me.

I can't tell you how happy I was to be sipping wine in my beautiful new apartment with my boyfriend by my side and serving a big meal for the people I love. It was a deliriously delightful evening for me and I hope my guests were just as happy.