La Festa al Fresco 2007!

Holy cow!! You guys are THE BEST! Thanks to you, our party this year has had to move from the patio out to the back yard because we needed more room for all of this glorious food! heee! Last year's party was a hoot, to say the very least, as 57 of you generous, gorgeous people joined Ivonne and I in celebrating the end of summer by enjoying the freshest ingredients we could find. From delicious and dizzying concoctions as Kevin's Garden Peach Margaritas (although the BEST margarita we've ever had, we do hope that Kevin can control his urge to yack in my flower beds this year). To delicious nibblers such as Kalyn's savory Sun-Dried Tomato Pesto or Spread and Ilva's incredible Pomodori Ripieni di Zucchine. The big feast featured awe inspiring dishes such as Sher's droolworthy Curry Chicken Skewers with Eggplant Relish and Tomato Chutney and Callipygia's heavenly Peter Piper’s Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Pickled Raisin-Corn Salsa and Chile Mole Drizzle (which also won for the longest named dish at the party! Go Calli! heee). You would think we would have been so stuffed at that point.. but then as ya'll can attest to, us Foodie type people always save room for dessert! Now tell me, how could you pass up Meeta's creamy Panna Cotta or Gracie's it's-amazing-how-many-you-can-fit-in-your-mouth-at-the-same-time-after-you've-had-a-few-peach-margaritas Cinnamon-Sugar covered Cake Doughnuts with Raspberry Skillet Jam! Yes it was a fantabulous party and one we'll never forget.. you should have SEEN the mountains of dishes the next day!! GOD. We never imagined another Festa that could top last year's, but by golly, you party animals have made our 2nd annual La Festa al Fresco an even BIGGER success!! Bless all of ya'lls lil cotton socks. ;) This year, as I said earlier, our patio was jam packed with tables and tables laden with the most gorgeous dishes.. why, there was barely enough room to walk between them holding several plates ready for filling! Ohh.. was that just me? *blush* Well I figured with my hostess duties, I might not be able to get back up there for seconds so I took no chances!! I AM NOT A FOOL!! Anyhoo.. 64 (SIXTY FOUR) tantalizing dishes to choose from this year.. You guys!!! Thank you SO MUCH for joining us.. wow.. 64 of you. =) Ivonne and I couldn't be happier. There's nothing like getting all your friends together with good food, good conversation, lots of laughs and plenty of wine to make you realize just how blessed you truly are. How many will be staying to help clean up? Anyone? Hello? Anyone there? ***crickets*** When you're done checking out this half of the round up run DO NOT WALK to the incredibly talented, beautiful and just downright awe inspiring Ivonne's place for the rest of this incredible feast.. what amazing treats ya'll are in for over there! And quickly, because I just can't NOT say this.. Ivonne.. thanks for being the bestest co-hostess, partner in crime and all around wonderful friend and confidante that you are.. I heart you! Alrighty then.. I won't babble on any longer. I know ya'll are dyin' to see what's for dinner! Starting us off is Lorraine from Italian Foodies. Lorraine and her husband, Bruno, own and operate an Italian food take-away restaurant in Ireland. They serve authentic Italian dishes made from traditional family recipes.. why does it have to be so far away from me?? If this Fusilli al Pesto is anything like what they serve at the restaurant then I know for A FACT that life is UNFAIR! Look at that.. so beautiful and inviting! Thank you so much, Lorraine, I can't wait to dig in! =) Gorgeous Brilynn of Jumbo Empanadas had me standing at the table with my bowl and spoon just waiting for her to set her dish of Smoked Tomato Risotto down so I could dive in. 'kay one word - YUM! Brilynn never fails to amaze me with her inventiveness when it comes to her culinary creations.. way to go, Brilynn, yet another winner! Thank you so much for sharing with us! =) One of my most favorite bloggers, Kalyn of Kalyn's Kitchen joined us again with yet another brilliant dish for us to nibble on. Her festive Chopped Tomato and Cucumber Salad was a perfect match of fresh summer flavors. Good for you (which means that after eating Kalyn's salad, we could go shove down some dessert and it would all equal out. No.. really.. it's true!), gorgeous colors and wonderfully crisp and delicious, this is one of my all time favorite salads. We can't thank you enough, Kalyn, you always bring us yummy eats and put huge smiles on our faces! =) The very sweet Mary of La Tavola, is another gal who brought us some beautiful tomato salad as well as some crusty bread to sop up those juices and my favorite salty Pecorino Romano cheese for nibbling.. It seems that tomatoes were a big theme at this year's La Festa, and I for one, couldn't be more happier.. Mary's picnic was a welcome addition to our Festa table and we were so happy she could join us! Thank you, Mary! =) Speaking of desserts, the fab Laura of Laura Rebecca's Kitchen, who just happens to be a gal who has a knack for cracking me up when I least expect it, has brought the most delicious Honeyed Zucchini Muffins/Cupcakes? with Orange Cream Cheese Frosting that I've ever had. Moist and flavorful these lil Cuppins are and just the right size for tossing back one or twelve. ;) And thanks to Laura, I will now call all muffins and cupcakes by their new names.. Muffcakes and Cuppins because hot damn I think that is one of the funniest things I've read in a while.. BAHAHAHA! Thanks, Laura, we couldn't be more thrilled and grateful that you've joined us again this year! =) Now here's a talented cook AND lawyer from the land down under, blogging from Laws of the Kitchen. This sweet gal brings to us a magnificent Lime, Orange and Rhubarb Cake that is jaw-droppingly good! What's more, she's even "sequestered" a nice slice just for myself! har! Get it? She's a lawyer and she squestered me a slice?? Yeah okay.. I'll stick to cooking instead of stand-up. :P Thank you, my dear! We're so happy you could join us and your cake is DELISH! =) Talk about refreshing! Casey of Margin Notes by Casey Ellis has thoughtfully brought for us to share a heavenly combination of one of my favorite herbs, Lemon Verbena, water & simple syrup.. Lemon Verbena Granita! A recipe given to her by pastry chef, Michelle Polzine of Range in San Francisco, couldn't be more welcome to this end of summer party! Thank you so much, Casey! =) You might have already seen the first offering that Marie of Marie's Muses and A Year at Oak Cottage brought to the festa on Ivonne's half of the round up. I too am lucky as I get to present her yummy Mini Courgette Frittatas! Yep, not one dish for us to nosh on, but two.. and nosh I shall! I love mini frittatas and I love zucchini (Courgette) so I'm doubly happy to see these lil beauties waiting for me on the Festa table! Thank you so much, Marie! Both the soup and these frittatas are just lovely! =) Chris, the beautiful and talented cook from Mele Cotte is another of my most favorite blog writers and a fellow Daring Baker. Her creations in her kitchen are so delicious looking and sounding - and her writing always makes me smile (and giggle often to!). We were tickled when she wrote to let us know she was coming AND she was bringing us Georgia Peach Pie! WOO! It was like she was reading my mind.. I've been craving peaches like you would not believe.. but I've yet to find a sweet, juicy peach here in Ohio.. I know there has got to be one SOMEWHERE.. but I haven't found it! Now I don't have to as we've got this luscious pie to enjoy.. thank you SO MUCH, Chris!! =) Now do not get me wrong.. each and every dish brought to us from these wonderful people have been equally droolworthy, delicious and awe-inspiring. I sincerely mean that. But when I laid eyes on this next dessert.. I just.. it was.. Stunning. Just absolutely stunning and never in my life have I desperately wanted maple syrup and pears like I did at that moment. Jenni of Milk and Cookies has whipped up this delectable Maple Crème Flan with Maple-Glazed Pears. Holy cow. It's just.. I can't describe.. *swoon* Thank you so much, Jenni! I believe you've rendered me speechless. =) hehehe I can't help but to giggle in an almost maniacal manner when talking about this next blog. I KNOW it's got to be an excellent blog, I just know it! Not only is the writer, Valerie, one of the sweetest gals I've had the pleasure of meeting, but her Watermelon Gazpacho is to die for. So why am I going completely nuts due to More Than Burnt Toast? Because every single time I click on it.. I'm redirected to a Dell error page that tells me to look up robots! I've tried everything.. but her blog hates me? I don't think it intentionally hates me.. maybe it just thinks that I'm going to barge in and slurp up all the gazpacho?? It's probably right.. but still.. I'd love to explore more! hehee Anyway.. I hope the rest of you don't have my problem so that you can check out this wonderful blog and drool over this refreshing and unique gazpacho! Thank you so much, Valerie!! =) The sweet Sara of Ms. Adventures in Italy who has been off traveling still made time for the party! Bringing Fichi d’India - Prickly Pear Cactus Fruit Vinaigrette, which I promptly poured over some garden heirloom tomatoes.. heaven! Thank you, Sara! We're so happy you could join us! =) Sqeeeee! I was hoping someone would bring a childhood favorite of mine.. and Liliana sure did! Her blog, My Cookbook Addiction is a great read and I've enjoyed her "Culinary Tour of Umbria and Tuscany" very much. Liliana brings us a traditional Caponata. My uncles use to make this often as I was a child and I couldn't wait for big crusty hunks of bread slathered with this eggplant dish. Thank you so much, Liliana! I'll be making trips back and forth to this dish all night long. :D Tanna of My Kitchen in Half Cups means the world to me.. such a beautiful hearted lady - and absolute joy to know and I'm very thankful that I've had the opportunity to get to know her. =) Tanna loves to make bread and that's exactly what she's brought us! She and Karen of Bake My Day! have each baked us loaves of Acme Herb Slabs or what Tanna prefers to call, "Rosemary's Heaven Scent Bread" (I like that title better too!). Delicious and truly, heavenly in scent - this bread was devoured quickly! Thank you so much, my sweet! =) Helene, from News in the Kitchen is a lovely gal who lives in Gemany and has travelled all the way to our Festa! She does not come empty handed either.. her Red and Yellow Pepper with Middayflowering Salad is simply gorgeous with those vibrant colors. A truly special salad as I've never seen an edible Ice Plant before, so this was a special treat! Thank you very much for joining us, Helene! =) Amy, Amy, Amy.. hehe.. oh how you have made me drool and swoon and salivate and every other descriptive for the state of pure bliss you put me in by bringing this awesome Hidden Blackberry Cheesecake! With home made blackberry jam to boot.. So, maybe I did elbow a couple people out of the way.. and maybe I did steal more than half of it to hide in a secret place that only I know about.. I'm not admitting anything.. No. That is not blackberry jam on my chin. Move along people.. move along!! Without a doubt, one of my most favorite new to me bloggers, Mia of Nosh has brought something exciting to the Festa! Yes! Sauteed Octopus! This dish looks SO GOOD with the tomato and garlicy Octopus and the grilled fresh sardines! Ohhh man! Admittedly, I've never had Octopus, but I am a huge squid lover so I'm pretty darned sure I'd love Octopus just as much. What a beautiful dish! Thank you so much, Mia! =) Elizabeth of OUR Kitchen has brought with her a delicious Ontario Peach Pie that looks simply wonderful! She and her husband battled wasps at a roadside market to purchase the best peaches they could find for this pie. So a great big thank you for not only bringing us something so delicious but for also taking such a huge risk! Wow! We're tickled to have you at the Festa, thanks Elizabeth! =) Rosa helped celebrate our inaugural Festa last September and woo weeeeee did she share with us a beautiful mojo verde that was just delicious on fresh fish! This year she's outdone herself by bringing this Pork Chile Verde that I can't seem to take my eyes off.. it smells heavenly, Rosa! Thank you so much for celebrating with us again! =) My newest, and bestest friend from California this year is Kelly from Sass and Veracity - and I am so lucky to have met her! Such a sweet and sexy mama! This chick can coooooookkkk! Holy hell, she has me drooling over each and every dish she presents on her blog. And I'm not just saying that because I want her to send me wine. No really.. honest! hehehe Nah, just check her blog out to be amazed for yourself =) Lucky for us, she's traveled all the way across North America to join us at the Festa, arms laden with these lil Lemon Soufflettes - bless her. =) So fluffy! So creamy! So lemon zesty! I couldn't be more enamored of such a lovely sweet treat. Thank you so much, Kel! And really, I wasn't kidding.. don't send me wine. The only way I'd accept any is if you hand delivered it and drank it with me. :D This next blogger is an amazing cook and an amazing father.. the love he shows for his family and the foods he prepares is awesome! Dylan of Sourdough Monkey Wrangler has brought to us some fantastic Fried AND Baked Zucchini. This isn't your ordinary fried zucchini my friends.. oh no. This has been take a step further.. kicked up a notch, if you will. After Dylan fries the battered zucchini, he tops them with tomato and grated, dry jack cheese - then bakes until the cheese is all melty and droolworthy. Dear sweet, baby Jebus I will be trying this method with the last of our zucchini - you can betcher sweet petunia on it! Thank so much, Dylan! =) Awww my special friend.. my house guest and the gal who I call my "Baking Guru", Helene of Tartelette. What can I say about Helene that I've not already said? I'm sure most of you know she has my heart =) And how could she not? Have you seen what this gal bakes?? Hello?! She certainly did not disappoint at this year's Festa either! Her Walnut & Honey Tartelettes look amazing. Wow.. just Wow! Thank you, sweetie!! =) Okay when I went to check out this dish after reading Deborah's email, I had to ask Hubbs to leave the room. You see, Deborah of Taste and Tell, made us Stuffed Bell Peppers - his favorite. And I knew, without a doubt, that if he had seen that awe-inspiring photo, he wouldn't leave me alone until I made them for him. heheee! I'm kinda hoping there might be one left after the party, so I can sneak it home for him. ;) Thank you, Deborah! They look AWESOME! =) After looking at the above photo, can ya'll guess what I'm doing next weekend? Mmm hmmm.. thanks to Lydia and her slow roasted tomatoes, I'm going to be starting lovingly at my oven for 10 hours next week while my own tomatoes are roasting. And yes, you guessed it.. I'll be making myself my own batch of this DROOLICIOUS Slow Roasted Tomato Bruschetta. *swoon* Thank you so much, Lydia.. it's perfect! =) Katie's blog, Thyme For Cooking is quite a beautiful blog with lots of delicious recipes and photos. I've really been enjoying getting to know it, so I'm very happy that she joined us for this year's Festa! Katie brings along one of my most favorite vegetables, the zucchini, or courgette. Her's are yellow, sauteed beautifully and then topped with toasted walnuts, thyme and basil.. Mmmmmm! Thanks so much for the perfect vegetable dish, Katie! =) One of my most favorite people, Valentina of Trembom has been able to make some time to come relax on our patio - Yay! Bringing with her a slightly unusual salad, that sounds, looks, smells and tastes FABULOUS! Her Summery Fennel Salad features, why.. fresh fennel! How I love the taste of fennel and in this salad it's just perfect! Thanks Valentina, sweetie!! =) Ahhhh my sister. The woman who shares my brain and vice versa. We seem to be on the same wavelength more often than not, so it was no surprise to me that the absolutely beautiful Veronica of Veronica's Test Kitchen would bring a dish containing some of my favorite ingredients.. corn and shrimp *swoon* Her creamy Swami (Shrimp with Corn) has me drooling. I've bought all the ingredients to make this and I can't wait! Thanks Sis.. you so rock! =) Here we go with peaches again! I'm certainly getting my fix at this party! Woo!! Jennifer of Weekly Dish has created for all of her friends this refreshing salsa made with peaches! Sweet and savory, light and refreshing with a nice little kick.. perfect for dipping fresh tortillas or as a wonderful topping to grilled fish or chicken.. this one is definitely a keeper! Thank you, Jennifer! =) This wonderful garden fresh sauce called Roasted Garden Melange Sauce made by Sarah of What Smells So Good? had me at "long roasting" and "perfect for hearty pastas, eggs, seafood and fish" Is there anything better than a multi-tasking tomato sauce? I think not! This one is absolutely jam packed with flavor and is completely delish.. so glad to have it here at the party! Thanks so much, Sarah! =) Sweet Meeta would not let us down.. heck no! She's arrived with bells on and a basket full of these gorgeous jars filled with delicious Tomatoes in Agrodolce! I love pickled vegetables and have never had such a good pickled tomato! Sweet and zesty and just perfect for snacking! You've outdone yourself (again!) Meeta! Thank you sweetie =) Barbara of Winos and Foodies has brought with her a lovely platter of the most divine smelling Rosemary Honeyed Oranges I think I've ever experienced. Sliced thinly and covered in a warm honey dressing that has been steeped with fresh Rosemary.. ohhhh so good.. SO GOOD! The only problem is that I couldn't get my hands on a full platter for myself.. dammit. Thank you and thank you, Barbara! They are as pretty as they are tasty! =) And finally.. saving the best for last.. and yeah, I might be just a lil biased here, is my partner Ivonne. =) She writes this lil blog called Cream Puffs in Venice. Ya'll might have heard of it? If you haven't.. just keep clicking rights until you come to a gorgeous lil brown pastry shop full of gorgeous photos, artful culinary creations and writing that's just a joy to read. You'll know it when you get there, trust me. =) So Ivonne has laid upon our Festa tables not one but two delicious dishes - one of her own creation called Linguine with Cherry Tomato Sauce and her mother's (Mama Creampuff) recipe for the most gorgeous Peperonata I've ever had the sheer pleasure of tasting. Two traditional Italian dishes that are light and flavorful. Thank you, my sweet friend.. for everything. =) There it is kids.. my half of La Festa al Fresco 2007. Are you stuffed? Need help being rolled to your cars? Wanna just stay over and we'll have breakfast in the morning? We've got the room and you are more than welcome! Thank you all for being so generous and for helping to celebrate yet another perfect summer! If by chance you happened upon my half of the extensive list first, please don't hesitate to click on over to Ivonne's half.. but here.. don't forget your napkin! xoxo

Talk About Being a Bad Hostess...

Holy crap, I'm almost late for my own party. Well no.. it's not just my party, I have the incredibly talented and gorgeous Ivonne (who is also my sister from the north) co-hosting with me at our end of summer bash La Festa al Fresco! Oh I could give you the excuses.. threw my back out.. the Daring Bakers are just booming.. it's sooooooooooo fakkin' hot out.. yeah, they all work. But to be brutally honest - I have just been a weeeeeeee uninspired lately. I had just as much time, if not more, than everyone else to cook up something fantastic to share and I dropped the ball. I hope ya'll can forgive me? xoxo But.. the good news is.. I've recently been inspired! Why yes, ladies & gents, twas JUST LAST NIGHT that the man and I, with assorted furry kids laying on top of us, were checking out Food TV and Giada's boobs amazing talent in the kitchen. She was cookin' for herself and holy cow what a feast! Even I couldn't eat all that "food for one" she made.. but it all looked fabulous. Especially this super easy dessert she made that started that lil glimmer of inspiration.. Would you look at that?? Does it not look dreamy, creamy and deliciously divine? (even for a horribly lit photo) We were amazed after tasting this tonight and I knew.. THIS WAS IT! This was what I was bringing along to the party to share with all of my wonderful friends.. Giada made hers with pineapple and pinoli nuts. Well since pineapple isn't exactly "local" or "fresh" here in the Armpit of the Midwest, I decided this would be a lovely way to use up the rest of the super sweet prune-plums we bought at a local farmer's market this weekend - and they really worked nicely with the pineapple. I omitted the nuts as we didn't have any and I was going to throw in a few cinnamon glazed cashews I bought at the market as well, but I'm a dork, and forgot 'em. :P Yes, your eyes do not deceive you - I threw in one lonely, not very flavorful, peach into the mix. :D A lil butter.. a lil honey.. caramelization begins to happen and a nice thick syrup starts to form from the butter, honey and juices of the fruit. *swoon* As soon as it's all warmed through and very lightly browned, dish it up and then plop a dollop of mascarpone cheese on top. I sweetened mine with a little powdered sugar - but Giada used a tsp. of rum in hers.. which is the way I'd go if serving this to guests. Please avert your eyes from my unsightly washing machine in the background :P Super easy, super quick and seriously super delicious.. unarguably one of the best desserts I've ever had. Now is this going to be a rockin' Festa al Fresco, or what??!! :D xoxo

OH NO!!

Okay.. Right now, Ivonne and I are going over the submissions to La Festa al Fresco 2007 (thanks everyone!) And she's sending me the submissions that were sent to just her and I'm looking at these and noticing that quite a few were originally also sent to my lamiacucina67@gmail.com account - BUT I NEVER GOT THEM! So.. for shits and giggles, I decide to go check out the gmail.com website (I have my lamiacucina67 email forwarded to another email address so I can get my mail in the email program I use) and I click on the SPAM box which holds over 1,000 emails.. to my HORROR not only do I find all these wonderful submissions - plus other's that were sent only to me.. but TONS of requests to join the Daring Bakers!! I AM SO SORRY!!! Holy crap all I can think about is all of you wonderful people who I never responded to, getting together and forming a posse to come beat my ass while calling me all kinds of bad names for being so rude to you!! Okay so yeah, I know no one is out there forming a posse.. you wouldn't do that would you?? :P But honestly, I am so very, very sorry I never got these e-mails. I ALWAYS reply - it might take a bit, but I always do reply. And I will reply to each and every one of you who sent something to me. Although it's going to take a bit to get through them all. Now, here's what's even worse.. until today, every month or so (sometimes 2 or more months - eek!) I'd go check the spam box on that website and simply hit the DELETE ALL without going through them because I had such high regard for Gmail and it's filters. I rarely get any spam from that account but I never stopped to think, "What else am I not getting?" UGH. I feel horrible.. I've had my lamiacucina67@gmail.com now for well over a year.. so if any of you who wrote me before uhh.. July? and didn't get a reply, I'm really not rude! I swear! Write me again! Or leave me a comment and I promise to get back to you! I will be checking the spam account EVERY DAY FROM HERE ON OUT. I promise! To those who had requested to be in the Daring Bakers.. we'll get you all in October, okay? I'll be writing to you shortly. =) Again, I'm so sorry this has happened. xoxo

La Festa Reminder...

Hi guys and gals! Just a quick reminder about how honored Ivonne and I would be if you could join us at our 2007 Festa table! Remember - any course you'd like to share with the rest of us would be greatly appreciated, be it appetizers, a side dish, the main course, a dessert or even beverages - all would be welcome with open arms! This would just not be a party unless you are there! =) xoxo

La Festa al Fresco 2007

They say time flies and they are most certainly right! It’s hard to believe that it’s already been almost a year since my “blog sister” Ivonne and I hosted what turned out to be a hugely successful event: La Festa al Fresco 2006! For those of you that flew in, walked in, ran in, sailed in, beamed in from elsewhere, you’ll recall that La Festa al Fresco was a resounding success with bloggers sending virtual dishes from all over the world. For those of you that are new to the festa, La Festa al Fresco is the blog world’s biggest patio party. The premise is very simple: prepare a dish using a fresh, seasonal ingredient, and then send it over. Oh and don’t forget to bring yourself as well. You can prepare any dish you like. It can be an appetizer; a soup; a salad; a meat, fish or vegetarian dish; a dessert or even a beverage. The only rule is that it must feature a fresh, seasonal ingredient, preferably something that grows in your neck of the woods. Once you’ve prepared your dish, please post about it on your blog and then let Ivonne (creampuffsinvenice@gmail.com) and myself (lamiacucina67@gmail.com) know. The deadline for the event is midnight on September 3, 2007. As we did last year, Ivonne and I will be splitting the round up, which we will post a few days after the deadline has passed. So to recap, here are the particulars: Prepare a dish of your choosing featuring a fresh, seasonal ingredient. Post about it by midnight on September 3, 2007. Send an e-mail to Lis and myself and include your name, blog name and blog address. Also include a link to your post and 100 x 100 pixel photo of your dish. In Italian we say, “tutti a tavola” which means “everyone to the table”. Ivonne and I are polishing the patio and tables as we speak. Tutti a tavola for La Festa al Fresco 2007! Ciao! xoxo

La Festa al Fresco Round Up Part 1

This has turned out to be an outrageous party - all thanks to you guys and your creativity and total awesomeness! Ivonne and I can not thank you enough for participating in La Festa al Fresco - you have made it the best end of summer party EVER! :D I also want to thank my dear, dear Ivonne for hosting this party with me.. I, honestly feel that it wouldn't have been the success that it turned out to be without your input, creativity, support, laughter, warmness and thoughtfulness. I think I can speak for all of us.. we're awfully lucky to have you in our lives - even if it's "virtually". Many hugs and much love! Because so many talented cooks joined in on the festa, we had to split this round up into two parts! I will present part 1 and My favorite Cream Puff will present part 2. Now, without further ado, let's get this party started.. Honey-Cress Salad with Proscuitto A tantalizing salad of sweet honeydew melon, spicy watercress and salty prosciutto ham was brought to the Festa by the lovely Julie of A Mingling of Tastes Grilled Pepper Salads The very talented Alanna of Kitchen Parade and A Veggie Venture brought to the table wonderful salads made of grilled sweet peppers.. yum! Garden Peach Margarita Kevin of Acme Instant Food, who I lurve dearly and is one of the most amazing home chefs, came to the rescue of our parched throats with his Garden Peach Margarita concoction.. to die for! Plum Kuchen Plum Kuchen made by Emily of Appetitive Behavior is our first dessert laid upon the Festa table and as you can see, this dessert will go fast! Is anyone else salivating yet? Anyone got a napkin?? Pomelo Salad Karen, a/k/a Baking Soda, of Bake My Day shares with us this amazing salad made of Pomelos, chicken and bacon served on a fresh bed of mixed greens topped with an Asian inspired dressing.. ohhhhh how good does this look and sound?! Broad Bean and Sun-dried Tomato Crostini, New England Seafood Soufflé, Sagaponack Corn Pudding and Bon Ton Chicken Marinade A dear lady by the name of Beverly who is just starting work on her up-and-coming blog, has sent in 4 recipes for our Festa! Yes, I said FOUR! Hehehe They all look completely delicious and I look forward to trying them myself one day! A Pampering Feast for One Britt-Arnhild of Britt-Arnhild's House in the Woods pretty much summed up what I think is the perfect way to pamper yourself.. lingering at the market, relaxing at home with delicious, fresh foods and enjoying the beauty of the outdoors. Just a lovely post to read, in my humble opinion! =) Fresh Peach Tart LouLou of Chez LouLou brings, what sounds to be, the perfect Fresh Peach Tart to our Festa! I can just imagine the creaminess of the filling and the tart/sweetness of the peaches and berries on top.. Delish! Beetroot Hummus Sweet Jasmine (who I hope is feeling better) of Confessions of a Cardamom Addict brings a jewel toned Beetroot Hummus that I think is one of the prettiest dishes brought to our Festa! The color is amazing as I'm sure is the taste! Plain Cake Doughnuts with Raspberry Skillet Jam Peabody of Culinary Concoctions by Peabody has decided to make us all *swoon* by bringing these amazingly tantalizing Cake Doughnuts (rolled in cinnamon sugar, no less) with her Raspberry Skillet Jam on the side for dipping (or as I'd prefer, just immersing myself in). I just can not speak. Must. Eat. Now. Basil Pasta with Mozzarella and Tomatoes Stephanie (I hope you're feeling better too!) of Dispensing Happiness actually found time between getting over a nasty cold, hosting Blogging By Mail, the monthly Blog Party (which I shall contribute to one day!) and tending to her adorable son to make this incredibly beautiful Basil Pasta! I have never seen such a vibrant green pasta before.. it's gorgeous! I can just taste the fresh basil in it.. yum! Zucchini Lasagna Chris, a/k/a Chrispy, of Experimentation of Taste brought along a most tasty looking Zucchini Lasagna! Mmmm Mmmm how I love me some zucchini! Layered in with cheese, pasta and sauce... hello! How could you go wrong? Fantastic! Peter Piper’s Stuffed Poblano Peppers with Pickled Raisin-Corn Salsa and Chile Mole Drizzle Not only has Callipygia of Foodchair brought a tongue twister to our Festa, but she's also brought a delicious spicy dish that, to me, looks good enough to justify the licking of my monitor! Not that I really did that *cough* when I saw her dish. Callipygia's blog is new to me.. and is becoming a fast favorite! Pan di Spagna Francesca of Francescav brought a most awe inspiring Pan di Spagna that I can't stop staring at. It looks airy and creamy and fruity all at once! I am so happy that you've shared this luscious dessert with us! A Boiled Dinner Kristina of From the Branches of an Olive Tree brought one of the dishes that I got really excited over. It is this simple dinner of boiled potatoes, green beans and hard-boiled eggs that brought back so many memories of what my father would cook for us when given the reigns by my mother. Simply dressed and seriously, simply delicious! Summer Fruit Compote The incredibly talented Gattina of Gattina brings a sinful looking dessert that I suspect might not be so bad for you. At least I hope not, because I believe I could eat buckets full of this gorgeous fruit with honeyed walnuts! I absolutely love her hard caramel decoration as well.. just beautiful! Tomato Tart Sara of i like to cook, found time to make us lucky party goers TWO tasty treats for the Festa table! The above pictured Tomato Tart, which I think is quite beautiful and also a Double Tomato and Prosciutto Panini that sealed my resolution to finally buy that Panini grill I've always wanted! Chicken Penne with Creamy Pesto Sauce My dear friend Ed of Is it EDible? (who I'm trying to talk into adopting me) created this seriously tasty pasta dish when he combined two sauces together - how cool is that? My mouth waters each time I think of the creamy bechamel sauce mixed with vibrant basil pesto - I am so packing my bags and moving in! As a personal aside.. Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday dear Eddddddddddd Happy Birthday to you! And many mooorrrrrre! (am so happy you can't hear my terrible singing voice) Rainbow Salad with Basil Vinaigrette Stacey of Just Braise brought her stunningly colorful Rainbow Salad to the Festa table. The ingredients in this salad: peaches, avocado, green beans - just to name a few - scream summer deliciousness! I'd like seconds, please! Red Wine Beef and Avocado Salad My dear, sweet Ellie of Kitchen Wench, created this beautiful and truly delicious salad for our Festa table! This incredibly adorable gal from Down Under definitely knows the way to my heart, err.. stomach! Chunks of tender beef marinated in all kinds of goodness then combined with fresh tomatoes, cucumbers and avocados is a meal all unto itself! A perfect summery meal that I can't wait to dig into! Muffins au chocolat blanc — White Chocolate Muffins Béa, the awe-inspiring chef of La Tartine Gourmande, decided to bake for us. And ohhh did she bake.. White Chocolate Mini Muffins will have every last party-goer begging for more. White chocolate muffins, white chocolate slathered on top with a sprinkling of fresh pistachios, and they are of the mini size therefore I can eat a dozen all. by. myself. La leche helada è latte freddissimo aromatizzato con cannella e limone Cannella of La Zuccherierait responded to the call from her friend Ivonne with this rich and oh, so satisfying gelato! Oh so creamy! Oh so sweet but with a hint of lemon! Oh so, where the heck is my spoon?! Although I can not read Italian, I am a true ice cream/frozen custard addict and I can tell that this gelato would become one of my favorites.. if I could just find that damn spoon? Anyone? Shrimp with Tomato and Basil over Polenta Another dear friend of ours, Laura Rebecca of Laura Rebecca's Kitchen brought this delicious plate of salty-sweet shrimp cooked in a sauce of tomatoes, basil and garlic spooned over creamy polenta.. this gal does it right! I'm thinking I'm going to need a bigger dish or would it be rude of me to to have several dishes full to the brim with all of this amazing food? I'd be forgiven, right? Right? La Festa al Fresco Frittata Yes, we've had a frittata named after the Festa! Anni of Life is a Banquet has created, what I think, is the fluffiest frittata I have ever seen! Now fluffy is one thing.. but how do you suppose this tastes? Just by looking at that incredible photo and her list of ingredients, this is most definitely a frittata that I'd be willing to nosh on morning, noon and night! Pomodori Ripieni Di Zucchine or Zucchini Filled Tomatoes The incredibly talented Ilva of Lucullian Delights, brings to our table these tomatoes stuffed with zucchini. Personally, I think they couldn't possibly taste as good as they look. They are too pretty!! But, for the sake of quality control.. I will test my theory and taste one (or 15).. and get back to you. No really, I have to hold onto the platter, in the name of all that's holy and for the goodness of Quality Control, leave me and my platter of tasty zucchini stuffed tomatoes alone!! Summer Fruit Oat Crumble The gorgeous Dianka of Na Zdravi! is going to make many a party goer happy with this dessert! This isn't your ordinary crumble, kids! There be rum in this fruity delight! How much do you want to bet that Kevin will be standing over this dish most of the night? ;) Somen Salad Kat of Our Adventures in Japan has created a most interesting salad made up of so many wonderful components.. there is the Somen (which is a very thin spaghetti type noodle), scrambled eggs, char siu (chinese roasted pork that I lurve) and something I'd never heard of called kamaboko which is, and I quote Kat: "a fish cake paste that is steamed onto a board or bamboo rod" along with many other yummy items.. The colors are beautiful and the tastes have got to be outrageously good! Now this is what I call "big D little licious" ;) Peachy Caprese Bree who is the fantastic co-author (along with her lovely sister, Devorit) of Peanut Butter and Purple Onions a fantastic blog which I so look forward to reading with each new post, has went outside the "box" and found a way to enjoy a Caprese salad although she is not fond of raw tomatoes. What is a girl to do when faced with such a beautiful dish of fresh mozzarella, basil and garden tomatoes that kinda squick her? She substitues fresh, juicy peaches for the tomatoes and voila! She's got herself a unique Peachy Caprese that sounds just heavenly.. Sweet peaches.. vibrant basil.. salty and creamy fresh mozzarella.. *swoon* Wilted Vlita with Feta Cheese Susan of Porcini Chronicles has introduced me and I'm sure a few of you to a wonderful warm salad of wilted Vlita and Feta Cheese. I have never had Vlita before but Susan says it's comparable to spinach - and I loves me my spinach! A simple preparation to let the fresh ingredients shine through, this salad would be fantastic on any table - but especially our Festa table! Mojo Verde And last, but not least on this first list of amazingly beautiful and delicious dishes, comes Rosa of Rosa's Yummy Yums! bearing a big bowl of her Mojo Verde or "green sauce" that is traditionally served with fish. The ingredients are many, including green peppers, herbs and spices and toasted bread all mashed together to create this spicy condiment. Rosa says that this sauce is so good that it goes with just about anything and not just fish. Quite frankly, it looks so good to me that I'd be happy to pair it with just my spoon! Speaking of which.. I still haven't found the damn thing yet! Anyone? Has anyone seen my spoon? No? Well then.. I'm headin' over to Ivonne's to check out the 2nd part of this Festa - maybe she's hiding my spoon? I know we've already been fighting over more than one or 57 (FIFTY. SEVEN.) dishes presented to our table(s)! So it wouldn't shock me a bit ;) Ohh.. wait a minute.. *blush* I forgot one.. teeee! Then there was me.. the dork from Ohio.. it's the hunger I tell ya! I blame the hungerrrrr!! Fresh Garden Tomatoes & Shrimp Linguine The very lovely and talented and sweet and gorgeous and lovely and complete dork, Lisa of La Mia Cucina presents her dish of Fresh Garden Tomatoes & Shrimp Linguine for your dining pleasure. Lisa (the lovely Lisa) considers this dish the ultimate in comfort foods as the aromas, taste and preparation brought her memories of her parents cooking in the cavernous kitchen of their restaurant when she was a child.. And then the linguine was al dente and the shrimp was opaque and she forgot about everything else except the delicious dish in front of her and her fork! Thank God for the fork and not that freakin' spoon! ;) See ya at Ivonne's! xoxo