Dinner with Mom

My Mom was in town over the weekend for a quick visit so we invited a few friends over for a small dinner party.  On the day of, Mom and I were having a wonderful time running errands, walking the dog, grabbing coffee and reorganizing my bookshelves. As a result, I found myself, at the eleventh hour, having a bit of trouble deciding what to make for dinner.  I speedily skimmed a few of my favorite cookbooks.  I hastily shuffled through my ever growing stack of dog-eared food magazines. Still, the menu for the party wasn't coming together. It was soon clear to me that I had to keep the menu simple. I was having a wonderful day spending time with my Mom so an elaborate meal wasn't in the cards.  Yet, I knew that I still wanted to prepare a special and delicious dinner.  The weather was cool and dreary so I decided to bring it back to basics. Soup and sandwiches. Despite its simplicity, the meal was a success. The dinner was easy to put together, our guests had fun and, most importantly, my Mom and I had plenty of time to enjoy a lovely afternoon together.

Menu:
Radishes with herb butter, hummus and toasts
Chicken noodle soup
Fontina, pear and harissa grilled cheeses
Maple, bacon and bourbon sundaes

A self-serve bar for pre-dinner cocktails.  Our gracious guests brought wine which we drank with dinner.  

Spicy, fresh radishes with sea salt and creamy parsley butter.  Hummus brings a new twist to this classicly French snack.

The table was set in advance so that I could focus on finishing the food and enjoying our guests.

Assembled sandwiches, filled with thinly sliced pear, Italian fontina and spicy harissa, ready to turn melty and golden brown.  Generously butter the outside edges of sliced crusty, Italian bread and throw them in the panini press.  Warm, gooey, crisped and flavorful. 

Easy chicken noodle soup.  Brown your vegetables in bacon fat for amazing flavor.  Rotisserie chicken and store bought chicken stock make this dish almost too easy.  Fresh herbs, rich egg noodles and a sprinkling of parmesan cheese.  You really can't go wrong with a delicious chicken noodle soup.

Who gets the last sandwich? 

Creamy vanilla bean ice cream gets dressed up with an easy maple caramel sauce.  Sprinkle on some crispy crumbled bacon and dollop with freshly whipped cream, spiked with bourbon.  The perfect ending to a lovely dinner with friends and family.