80 BIRTHDAY CELEBRATION (SWISS CHEESE FONDUE RECIPE)

                       To bring you up to date with what has been happening here.

On July 26, 2016 Dr. Ed Roach, our neighbor and dear friend celebrated his 80th birthday.
He invited us for dinner at the Brick Top Restaurant, a great place in Frontenac, a posh part of St Louis. We all had a wonderful meal and since I also baked him a Birthday cake we decided to go home for dessert. During dinner we handed Ed his birthday present Donna and I had come up with. As you know, it's difficult to find a present for a person who has practically everything. So Donna made him a booklet with lots of "good" advice, pictures and monthly calendars with a promise to have another party on or around the 3th Thursday at each month. So far so good, we had a successful dinner party every month since then.

July 26, 2016

Joyce, his beautiful wife keeps Ed young. Nobody would

believe he's celebrating his 80th

Marty and his wife Pat were driving us to the Restaurant in their van,

a treat by itself

Chocolate mousse cake, Ed's favorite

Since I just started up the blog again I hadn't taken many pictures, but I kept some notes in a file.

      Just a quick refresher:      

August 18th 2016 we enjoyed

Ceviche

Grilled Filet Mignon

Meringue glace 

*

September - Thursday 15th 2016

we prepared to fly to Switzerland for vacation and we had not

much time for a dinner party.

we went to Ed and Joyce's house and had some finger food

"Mini Beef Wellington with Bearnaise"

*

October - Thursday 20est 2016

Just coming back from Switzerland we had of course

Raclette with all the trimmings

Ice Cream

*

October - Monday 31st 2016

We could not miss Halloween, our yearly tradition and also anniversary
of our friendship.
We always enjoy hors d'oeuvre:
salami coronets, smoked salmon, steak tartar
shrimp cocktail

Pralinees

*

November - Thursday 17th 2016
Mixed greens
Vol au vent fruit de mere
hot chocolate melting cake

*

December 15th 2016
Alaskan King crab Crepes
Wienerschnitzel
Apple Strudel, cream anglaise
*

Because it was close to Christmas we celebrated in style with
Lemon Drops Martini prepared by the bartender Donna

January 26th 2017
Find all the details in the blog
posting on February 13, 2017

Called "Tree years later"

February - Thursday 23th 2017

                            And now today's happening. I am planing these little gatherings with an appropriate  theme like I chose cheese fondue because February is the coldest months in the year and most people eat fondue when it's snowing and freezing outside. Unfortunately this did not worked out because it is 75 degree outside, the warmest February ever. Oh well we still enjoyed it!

Getting ready for another fun evening!

Appetizer

Grilled avocados filled with dill flavored shrimp salad

Entree

Swiss Fondue

Dessert

Soufflé glacé Grand Marnier

Vanilla sauce with cognac

Everybody liked the shrimp salad

I had the feeling the fondue wasn't for everybody's liking, I better

make a Fondue Bourguignonne for Ed next time

but great success with the dessert, it never fails!!

another happy evening

Recipe

Swiss cheese Fondue

serves 4 people

                                           300gr Emmentaler Cheese  grated

                                           300gr Gruyere Cheese grated    

                                           4 dl    Chardonnay

                                           8  each medium size fresh Garlic coarsely chopped

                                           3  tbsp cornstarch

                                           2  oz Kirschwasser

                                           1  tsp ground black pepper 

                                           1 loaf of Bread cut in 1 inch cubs 

                               bring wine, garlic and pepper to boil in fondue pot, ad grated cheese and let melt
                               mix cornstarch and Kirschwasser and ad to 
  boiling cheese mix to thicken. Serve immediately on fondue set with lit sterno to keep cheese hot.

 

Until next time............

JUST ANOTHER DAY (DAUPHINE POTATOES RECIPE)

                                 Tuesday was Valentine's day.  As I understand it is a dedicated day for Love. I think I speak for Donna too when I say it is like every other day around here. But I have to admit, I upgraded the Dinner just a little bit and I believe it was total success!

To start with a little Rum Chata aperitive

Sauteed Rainbow Trout topped with steamed King Crab meat and Hollandaise

broiled green asparagus in brown butter

Dauphine Potatoes

Donna was surprised

Needless to say she loved it.

BONUS

Recipe for Dauphine Potatoes

Serves  6

                                    3 each medium sized potatoes peeled , cut in large pieces

                                     boil in water with little bit of salt until soft 

                                     strain and let the steam dry the potatoes for 2 to 3 minutes

                                     then ad the potatoes to the Pate a choux and mix

                                     season with salt, pepper and seasoning powder like Aromat

                                      

                                

                    Tip:

                           It is important that you mix potatoes and Pate a choux when they're both hot, and  

                            it is best to start the Pate a choux when the potatoes are boiling

                                     2 dl Water

                                     90 gr butter

                                     1 teasp. salt       

                                      bring to a boil in saucepan and add

                                      

                                      150 gr flour

                                       steady stirring let cook for 1 minute 

                                       move  to mixing bowl and ad

                                       4 to 5 Eggs, one at the time. 

                     To check: 

                                 split dough with a spatula and if the dough merge together very slowly 

                                 it will be ready . check after you added 4 eggs to see if you need one more                                   

                                 When ready, fill dough in pastry bag with star tip, dress on your

                                 finger tips and let trop in 350* frying oil. Cook until golden brown.

                     

                           

                                  

Recipe for Black Forest Cake

Schwarzwaelder Torte

(Black Forest Cake)

                                  80 gr Sugar
                                  4  each Egg Yolk
                                  2 Tbsp hot Water

                                      mix and whip until Creamy

                                  4 each Egg Whites
                                  5 gr Salt
                                  3 Tb Sugar

                                       Whip until stiff

                                    80 gr Flour
                                    3 Tbsp Cacao Powder
                                    1/2 Tbsp Baking Powder

                                          Sift the dry ingredients together

                                   Preheat the oven to 350* , use parchment paper on bottom of spring form,
                                   lightly spray sides of Form .
                             
                                  Fold in stiff Egg whites in to creamy Egg yolk  and then fold in dry ingredients.                                   Pour evenly in to Springform and bake for 35-40 minutes  
                                  Remove cake and let completely cool. preferably in refrigerator.


                                   1 Can dark sweet cherry (300 gr)

          open can and remove 3 oz cherry Juice,  boil the rest,  slightly thicken with cornstarch
          ad 2 oz Kirschwasser to the Cherry juice and 2 onz of simple syrup. ( to soak cake)

                                    4 dl Heavy cream
                                    3 Tbsp Sugar

                                     Whip until it forms stiff peak

                        To ensemble, cut cake in half, soak bottom half with some of the juice and ad all the cherries and some of the whipped cream, top with the other have of the cake. prick the top layer with a toothpick and soak with the rest of the juice. Cover the entire cake with whipped cream and shaved dark chocolate.





                        
                                             

TREE YEARS LATER

 Yes, I am back! 

(at least I will try)

Happy Birthday Donna

                       I was giving up the blogging life after feeling that it was just a diary for me because the statistics in the blogger reports showed less and less views.  It was very satisfying to get some nice comments from readers, but they came in less and less. I decided to stop blogging to keep my self respect. After all, English is not my first language!

                       January 20th was Donna's 60th Birthday and we celebrated a whole weekend with Tony & Amy Lucero at their home in Interlochen. Part of Donna's surprise was the appearance of her dear friend Jennifer and her husband Kirby.  This brings me to the reason that I am sitting here starting up my Blog again. Jennifer, Amy, and Tony brought up the Blog and they convinced me to start over again!  According to them, they actually liked some of the entries but especially the one with some recipes of my home cooking.

Ready to start typing

Monday, February 13th

                        On Wednesday, January 18 at 7:30 am we left St Charles for a 650 mile trip to see Toni and Amy in Interlochen. The weather was beautiful and stayed so the whole Weekend. As calculated we arrived in good time at 4:30 pm in their house. We had a fantastic time talking about all the news and reminiscing about the old time. We enjoyed a great dinner with Wienerschnitzel, Rotkraut and Spaetzle. DELICIOUS!
             As always on the first night when we get together, I do not remember much after 9 PM.

 Tony preparing our Dinner

Looks like Donna is tired from the long trip but happy

Delicious Dinner

Relaxing with Tayho

                On Thursday Amy organised "Painting with a twist" for all of us. Honestly , Tony and I wasn't very fond of that idea at first but changed our  minds after being there. We had lots of fun.

It was extra special with Jennifer and Kirby showing up. I believe we all did a pretty good job with this pictures.

as you see, we are the only man's in this class

Great night

                  After Painting , we even met Jennifer's brother Justin and had some Sushi and

Cocktails. Tony and I had a early night and it was the girls night to party.  

Happy at 3 Am

                             On Donna's Birthday, Friday January 20th the girls had some Spa treatment
at Crystal Mountain. Tony  prepared a great Dinner with roasted Beef Tenderloin and Marcy, Joe, Jennifer and Kirby joined us for Dinner.

Great reunion after 12 Years

Kirby is entertaining

A Coffee cup for Donna

Hope all her wishes come true

                         It was fantastic Birthday Weekend in Michigan with our Friends and we had again a beautiful Day for our travel back home to St Charles on Sunday.
                         Since a 60th  Birthday deserves to be memorialized we had another whole week of celebration planned. First of all our neighbor Joyce had her own birthday and we decided on a dinner and festivity in our house on Thursday January 26th with her and her husband Ed.

Donna's and Joyce's Birthday

Ed and Joyce provided the beverage

Dom Perignon

Moet Chandon

Chardonnay /Merlot

Bacardi and coke

---------------------------------------------------------------------------

And I came up with the dinner

Peppered Filet Mignon

Tomatoes, Cucumber, Celery root and Carrot salad

Boston Lettuce and Mushroom cap

Horseradish cream sauce

*

Lobster Thermidor

Riz creole

Sugar peas

*

Hot Berries

(Raspberry and Strawberry)

Vanilla Ice cream and Chantilly

                                  Again a fabulous time with Rock and Roll and lots of dancing

Ed is celebrating 80 Years

                                     Finally we arrived to the last day of Donna's 60th celebration.

    Since we were in Michigan on the 20th, our kids wanted to celebrate her birthday too. They all organised a get together on Saturday January 28th in our house.

                      The grandkids, Jacob and Luke, invited Donna Saturday morning for "High Tea" to get her out of the house so Gina and Windy could prep the food and decorate the house. What a stunning Idea. (I had no clue how to get Donna out the house, without her being suspicious)

                                     Secretly, for Donna's surprise, her brother Tim with his wife Carol flew in just     for the day from North Carolina. The surprise played out Perfect!

They left the house at 10:30 am

Tim and Carol was Donna's biggest surprise

Eric and Daniel entertaining

Karla made on appearance too

Donna' Family!!

brothers, wife's, kids, spouse's and grandkids 

a birthday present from the grandkids

They are waiting for the desserts,

Black Forest cake (I made), Michigan apple pie (a gift from Tony and Amy) and baked bosc pears (pears from our wonderful neighbor's, Ed and Joyce) with custard sauce

Karla helping Donna celebrating

The Grands hanging out together, Eliana

loves her big cousins

BFF's - Gina and Kristal

Kristal came to help celebrate Donna's

birthday.  So good to see her!

Black Forest Cake

Family portrait

Back row: Brian, Windy, Ernie, Donna, Carol, Tim, Gina, Daniel

Front:  Luke, Jacob, Eliana

Nitro the doggie got spoiled too.

Elianas know how to party, must come from her mother!

Thank you Carol and Tim to make Donna's birthday!

This say's it all.