Father's Day Feast, Y'all

This is going to be a different kind of post. No recipes. Just a sort of gratuitous write-up about the five-course (10-item) feast I made for my family on Father’s Day. Needless to say, it was a very satisfying experience for me – and my folks, of course. While this won’t be a strict “how-to” post, I definitely will be talking about my inspirations, the ingredients and some of the methods and techniques I used.

Well, let’s get right to it!

Here is the menu:

Now, I should come right out and say it: not everything was made from scratch scratch (yes, it's intentional). The blueberry cheesecake ice cream and the blueberry pie were store-bought. Don't be dismayed: someday I'll get to the point where I make my own homemade ice cream, but right now, to quote an illustrious YouTube sage, ain't nobody got time for that. As for the pie, I just took the easy route and went for the bakery-made version. Saved me loads of time! One thing I kinda sorta maybe feel bad about is using a jar of commercially-made alfredo sauce as the base for my cajun alfredo sauce. I have no regrets, though. Again, it saved me time. I'll save my from-scratch alfredo for another day. I did balance the sauce with some homemade béchamel sauce, so let's just call it even. Fair? Fair!

The evening began with the simple yet beautiful platter of Cucumber with Cream Cheese, Herbs & Lemon drizzled with Balsamic Vinegar Reduction as the first half of the Starter or First Course. I sliced the cucumbers and topped them with swirls of a whipped mixture of cream cheese, toasted garlic butter, fresh parsely, green onion and lemon zest. Then I placed a tiny wedge of tomato on top and drizzled with balsamic vinegar I had reduced earlier by simmering for about 20 minutes. This little dish is a gigantic explosion of flavour! The subtle taste of the cucumber allows the toppings to shine and the balsamic vinegar adds a sweet bite.

Don't they just look so pretty?!

Pizza took over the second half of the starter. I made two pizzas with different sets of topping. One was a Chicken, Bacon & Red Pepper Pizza with Barbecue Sauce (right, in the above picture) and the second was a Pineapple, Green Pepper & Mushroom Pizza (left, in the above picture). I made the dough and sauce from scratch as usual.

My parents love pineapple on pizza, so I went with that; we, the children, love meaty pizzas so I also went with it. And the outcome was tantalizing. NOTHING beats homemade pizza! So easy too!

The Second Course featured Cajun Alfredo with Mushrooms & Pasta Shells. I first made these a week back with shrimp and it was a BIG HIT. I made them with mushrooms this time and, yep, it was quite the hit! I used a base of alfredo AND béchamel for the sauce and added a very flavourful mix of red bell peppers, onions and celery (collectively known as the Holy Trinty of Cajun and Creole cuisine). Oh yeah, and this dish has lots of butter in it. Dreamy.

The flavour in this dish is just so wow. I can't get over it.

Oops, another thing I didn't make from scratch. The pasta was served with good ol' Garlic Bread. You see, what had happened was... There was a "mix up" and as a result I didn't get the bakery-fresh Italian loaf I wanted to use to make this. I even had the garlic butter already made but alas it wasn't meant to be. So I opted for the frozen version instead.

Tastes great! But nothing beats fresh...

After all the yummy flavours, we needed something understandedly simple in terms of flavour. Enter: the ever-so-sublime Peach Sorbet as the Third Course (and Palate Cleanser). "Palate cleansers, by nature, are used in the middle of a meal to remove lingering flavors from the mouth so that the next course may be enjoyed with a fresh perspective," says Rebecca Franklin. Being that I LOVE PEACHES, it was a no-brainer for me to use them for this sorbet. It is so easy to make. All you need is some canned peaches in light syrup. Blend all the contents of the can until smooth and then freeze it. Stir with a fork about every 30 minutes to keep it from being just one solid block. Or if you have an ice cream maker, use that to freeze it. Take the frozen sorbet out and defrost before serving or else you will have a hard time scooping it.

I served it with a slice of pear. Sweet and refreshing, this sorbet is the perfect break in-between courses.

Yum, yum, yum, yum, yum, yum, yum... I could go on. This right here is Baked Tilapia with Lemon and Parsley, served as a part of the Fourth Course. I stuffed the fish with a melange of onions, parsely, carrots, celery and mushrooms and squeezed some fresh lemon juice over it. So, so tasty!

This reminds me - I still have some left in the fridge. I'll be right back...

As a side to the tilapia, we had some Steamed Corn on the Cob with Fresh Parsley Butter. I had almost forgotten how much I love corn. The natural sweetness just does it for me.

This will be the summer of corn!

Everybody loves dessert! If it was up to me, we would start with dessert! But we have to follow social mores and customs. Sad face. But all is not lost! We get the last laugh, or in this case, the last satisfyingly decadent bite of Blueberry Cheesecake Ice Cream served on Blueberry Pie. This was the Fifth Course and of course, the best course.

I had a blast making and eating these delicious dishes. I've never been so stuffed. Great time. Great Food. Great Family. I love my Daddy!

I'm so looking forward to my next multi-course feast.

FOR FOOD ONLY Blog
CRAVE | COOK | CONSUME
2012