The Sunday Table

Sundays are typically the best day of the week for me. If I am lucky, my favorite soccer team -- Manchester United -- has a game that I can follow on the internet or live satellite broadcast. Then, in the afternoon, I play a soccer game with one of the three teams I belong to...in this case, Ripple Effect.

But what really makes Sundays fulfilling is the dinner party I typically host that evening. I rarely, if ever, have more than three guests so that it's four at table. It's a relaxed, friendly meal, skewed toward comfort food and lots of good wine. I like to send my guests home with full tummies and the fulsome promise of a hangover!

Tonight was a typical example. Here's what went down...

I welcomed my guests with prosecco, Trailhead Tomme cheese from Mt. Townsend Creamery and water crackers. After some excellent conversation, I invited everyone to take their assigned seats and served the starter:

Three colors of heirloom tomato slices and eggplant caviar (roasted eggplant slices with olive oil brushing, Cuisinart processed with paprika and black sea salt), served on a bed of arugula tossed in cherry–balsamic-rosemary vinaigrette. Inspired by a starter at Smith, my favorite restaurant in Seattle. Yummy!

Next came the main course:

Fresh spaghetti pasta topped with sauce (San Marzano pulped tomatoes, fresh garlic, sautéed Walla Walla sweet onion, sautéed lobster mushroom, capers, roasted organic lilac peppers and fresh sautéed calamari), fresh grated Parmesan and freshly ground black pepper.

As if this weren't enough to stuff down my friends' gullets, there was dessert:

Kabocha pumpkin pie, baked by my dear friend Hiroki.

After this, I think my guests were about to explode, so I bid them farewell because I do not like exploding people in my house. They can explode at home, where it is more comfortable and they can use their own Windex to clean up the mess.

This is a typical Sunday dinner at my house. It's a lovely way to end the week and begin the week. I think Mondays are better when you have had a very pleasant night before with wonderful friends.