A little over a year ago I enjoyed a lovely dinner party at Rebecca's, catered by the hostess and her lovely and talented friend Alexandra, who was fresh off being featured in the March 2007 issue of Bon Appetit. On Saturday night Alexandra was back in town and it was one of those rare occasions on which the sequel was even better than the original.
When the guests arrived at the appointed hour, we were treated to Alexandra's hors d'oeuvre: shrimp slathered with Middle Eastern spices, and savory pastry topped with mushrooms or baby asparagus, and Parmesan cheese.
I could have eaten the entire plate of both dishes, but I was in polite company. I also knew that these were just the previews -- there was much more to come. We all sat down to dine, and were treated to Rebecca's cucumber-topped gazpacho. Though by her account it was very easy to make, it tasted as if she'd slaved away.
Soon it was time for the main course. If this truly were a movie sequel, this would be the big love scene. What an amazing dish! I theatrically tore open the parchment paper to reveal sea bass, cooked atop sliced potatoes and surrounded by sun-dried tomatoes (which I love), not olives (which I don't). (Sidebar: Ever the considerate hostess, Rebecca had remembered that I don't like olives, and Alexandra made the substitution for me.) A side of sugar peas completed the picture. Everything was perfectly seasoned, and all the flavors and textures came together in an unforgettable way.
Rebecca was in charge of dessert -- scrumptious Fruit Crumble with Madagascar vanilla ice cream. A very happy ending! As the credits rolled, we munched on Bittersweet Chocolate and Coffee Almond Brittle, from one of my favorite Farmer's Market farmers, the folks at G. L. Alfieri. (Their trail mix is tops.)
Thank you again, Rebecca and Alexandra! Anyone up for a trilogy?
If you're in NYC and would like Alexandra's company to cook for you, click here to check out the Tastings web site.
This sounds so special. Any way to get recipes? :)
Posted by: lizelle green | July 02, 2008 at 11:32 AM
Lizelle - I'll see what I can do :)
Posted by: laurafrofro | July 02, 2008 at 03:34 PM