The eggnog is done. Now it is time to prepare for my big catering event -my daughter Isabella’s 13th birthday party. We are having 15 kids over to watch a movie outside. She has requested a “make your own taco bar”. She reminded me to have the small, raw chopped white onions “like they do in Mexico”. I love it! I love when the travel experiences we have together stick in their souls and their palates. I am going to make grilled tortillas, a chunky red onion/avocado/lime condiment that she loves, achiote grilled chicken (that is the beautiful orange annatto seed), cumin marinated steak cut thin and grilled (carne asada style) and some nachos with my tomatillo salsa. Some shredded lettuce and cotija cheese to finish the tacos off. We baked a sponge cake together that we are going to cut in cubes and have a vat of melted chocolate for the dipping along with some strawberries. For her actual birthday dinner she requested Fettuccine Alfredo and homemade Caesar salad. I had read in a magazine about the original “Alfredo” in Rome. It was made by pulling fettuccine out of the boiling water and right onto a warm platter of cubed butter. You stir the pasta and butter together while showering it with freshly grated, aged Parmigano Reggiano cheese. The process creates a rich sauce that you would swear has cream in it but it doesn’t. Just butter and cheese brought together into a magical, lush richness that can only be achieved with high quality butter, cheese and this simple but well thought out process.

We make our Caesar dressing with a touch of balsamic as well as red wine vinegar, the usual anchovy paste, garlic, Worstcheshire, mustard and a touch of lemon juice. The key to a great Caesar is balance. You don’t want any one ingredient to jump out. Each ingredient should make its appearance and then bow out so that the next one can shine. Cooking is a gift; cooking for the ones you love is truly a treasure. Enjoy!

Eat Well, Enjoy life, Be happy