FND: November 2010

(Playing catch-up)

November 5: Chick, Eddie & Johnnie with steak and roasted sweet potato, carrots and Brussels sprouts.

November 11: Chick, Steve & Gretchen and Diana for gingered cod over soba noodles with beets on the patio

Saturday, November 20: Jennifer and Jeff visited, so we moved FND to Saturday and included Pauline. Eddie served apps of seared tuna and we dined on trout almondine on the patio.

Jennifer and Jeff took Joseph back to Arlington with them to enjoy Thanksgiving, so there was no FND November 26.

FND: October 2010

I just had a great idea: instead of trying -- then failing -- to blog every Friday Night Dinner, I'm going to do a monthly recap. I'll post the menus and guests and the photos that are worthy. And if I don't get everything right -- heck, if I get nothing right -- I'm OK with it.

So, here's October's proof that FND happened three and one-half times:

October 1 - Chick, Pauline, Steve and Gretchen for grilled shrimp apps with lupino beans, and outside for cod over lima beans, potatoes and asparagus. Gretchen provided Little Miss Cupcakes for dessert.

October 8 - Chick, Pauline, Sharon for grilled shrimp and humus nachos then outside for Eddie's famous pallella

October 15 - low key with Chick and Pauline for pork tenderloin over raviolli in a cream sauce.

October 23 we hosted the Oenophiles Fall Wine Dinner at Sunflower Cafe, so FND for 10/22 was cancelled per tradition. The food was difficult to photograph, but here's a shot of the scallop with baby watercress.

October 29 we had Chick, Diana an Jim over for pre- and post-Halloween party parties. Not an official FND,  but Eddie made guacamole, spinach and mushroom quesadillas and beef tacos. Uh, no post-worthy photos.

That was quick and painless! I think I might be able to do this. So look for some posts of previous months for awhile to catch up.

FND: 10.02.05

* friends * Steve & Gretchen weren't the only ones to skip the President's Ball (although last year we had a great time!) Instead they joined us and Chick for FND. We shared ski and scout stories. Their son, Sean, is an Eagle scout, and Steve remains active with the Bay Area Council's fundraising campaigns.

* food * The menu was a little convoluted (wow, I spelled that right the first time!). Eddie discovered these cute dim sum-type appetizers that are wrapped up in phyllo and tied with a bow of leek. And since it was the last FND before Mardi Gras (Vendredi Gras?), Eddie made a luscious batch of beef stroganoff and we had another King's Cake for dessert.

* fun * Gretchen is so funny. She works on Saturdays, and she drinks beer, even brings her own. And as an avid runner, she does a good job of watching her consumption. So much so, we woke up to a fridge of beer, but it's O'Doul's! She needs to come get her "beer" before we pour it down the drain!

FND: 10.01.29

Better late than never....

* friends * My yoga buddies, Vanessa and Patty, were our recent guests for Friday Night Dinner. Vanessa just celebrated her 40th birthday, and she invited me and Patty and several other friends to enjoy relaxing pedicures then a very fun belly dancing lesson at Yoga Haven. Patty, ironically, lives right next door to Chick. She moved in about a month after Eddie moved out of his other house and Chick moved in. Small world!

* food * Eddie went with an oriental theme tonight: tuna on a new soy cracker he found that looks like a mini rice cake but tastes much better; and gingered salmon with peanuts and cilantro.

* fun * Although there was no belly dancing, I think the girls had fun! Who wouldn't!

FND: 10.01.15

We hosted the first Friday Night Dinner of 2010 with old friends and in Mardi Gras style.

* friends * Last Friday night, after a pedicure and belly dancing birthday party with girl friends, Eddie met up with us at Club 21. Before I found my seat, I found a familiar face. Martin Benoit, Mr. Everything at Lamar University when I was there years ago, had just moved to Galveston. Friendly as always, it was easy to catch up with him quickly and share our stories of how we each made it to Galveston. That next Sunday, while at church, I turned around and there was Martin again! Our paths has crossed twice in two days. He was destined to be a FND guest! And for old times sake, we invited Wanda, who we missed at New Years.

* food * Appetizers were smoked salmon on toast points (below) served in the lounge. For dinner, Eddie made pork tenderloin in a marsala sauce with a mushroom risotto, green beans and stuffed tomatoes.

Dessert was a delicious marzipan-filled King's cake from Randall's (yes, Randall's!). And wouldn't you know it, Joseph got the piece with the baby!

Then surprise! Diana texted and wanted to come over, so she stopped by for awhile.

* fun * I think Martin really enjoyed himself :-) At one point he said that he was looking forward to a home-cooked meal, but he didn't expect the level that Eddie delivers. He was impressed. But the best memory was the look on Martin's face when Eddie presented him with a to-go container filled with another serving of pork and goodies! Martin actually was giddy!

2009: The Year of Chick

Eddie's dear friend, "Chick", is the reason for Friday Night Dinners. FNDs started, oh, about 1989 on Sundays with Eddie making the dinner and Chick bringing the wine. Today the roles are the same, but now the dinners are celebrated at the end of the work week. Being the CPA that he is, Eddie calculated that some time within 2009 Chick attended his 1,000 Friday Night Dinner. Unable to pinpoint the exact day, we decided to celebrate the milestone the entire year! And for our New Year's Eve party, I identified ~130 FND photos from 2009 , including shots of Eddie's culinary conquests, to display on the big screen. Below is the show.