Fall Celebration with Friends

On a beautiful October evening, my dear friends hosted a celebration of the fall harvest, good food, and good friends at their lovely home. Our dinner was prepared by The State Room Restaurant's chef Matthew Wilson, and Spartan Signature Catering's senior executive chef Michael Clyne.

Beautiful set up for the evening.

Thank you, Lynne & Gary. Greatly appreciate your warm hospitality.  

 

Our evening started out with drinks and beautiful music...

While our Spartan chefs preparing our 6-course dinner.

Amazing tableside performance by very talented Kaleb.  

 Some bubbles to begin with. 

Appetizer

plum tomato napoleon with pickled shallots, Gorgonzola cheese,balsamic cream.

Soup

roasted butternut squash bisque with maple creme fraiche and toasted pumpkin seeds 

Salad

mixed field greens with fresh herbs, shaved carrots, red radish, heirloom tomato, Dijon vinaigrette 

Intermezzo

raspberry sorbet with grey goose vodka 

Entree

whole roasted red bell pepper stuffed with cranberry basmati pilaf, braised purple cabbage, with yellow beet coulis 

Dessert

homemade ginger bread cake with Kahlua scented whipped cream 

 Some of the drinks paired with our dinner 

 What a wonderful evening with great company.

Dinner was amazing, all dishes were so well-thought and delicious!

 With Chef Matt and Chef Michael :)

Weeknight Dinner

Miso Marinated Pork
Recipe, here.


Stir-fried Chinese Broccoli with Oyster Sauce
Recipe of similar dish, here.

The Camelot Dinner - Southern Exposure Herb Farm

It's been a while since we last made our trip to Southern Exposure Herb Farm. Last Fall, I visited this unique destination in the beautiful countryside of Calhoun County, Michigan, with my friends, Lynne, Jill, and Al - for an evening of "A Taste of Tuscany" specialty dining. We definitely fell in love with everything there. This past weekend, I joined Lynne and her girlhood friends for another wonderful dining experience by Southern Exposure Herb Farm, "The Camelot".

Here's what we had...
~~~~~~~~~~

Black Bean Soup with Sour Cream and Cilantro

Romaine and Endive Salad with Tangy Blue Cheese Vinaigrette

Roast Prime Rib au Poivre
Orange-dilled Carrots
Mashed Potatoes with Herbs and Parmesan

Optional Vegetarian Entree

Chocolate Pecan Supreme Pie with Caramel Sauce
~~~~~~~~~

The setting was magical and inspiring. Dinner preparation was done with love and care. Food was delicious. And lastly, excellent service by great staff members really impressed me.

Thanksgiving Dinner

Being so far away from home and from my family in Thailand, I am so fortunate to be able to spend holidays with good friends, who are like a family to my son and I here in the US. Everyday, I am so thankful for those special friends of mine - for having them in my life, and for the time we spend together.

We has such a great time! Turkey was perfect, all the dishes were delicious, and desserts were wonderful. It was so much fun playing all those games after the meal, we had lots of good laugh. we definitely enjoyed spending time with good friends, and also getting to know new ones. Thanks Beth and Joe for opening your lovely home to us.

TGIF at Maru

Blushing Geisha

Land and Sea Tempura
Zucchini, sweet potato, mushroom, asparagus, onion, shrimp,
served with Maru dressing
Archer
Asparagus, mango, organic tofu, roasted red pepper, avocado,
served with Maru green goddess dressing

Green Turtle
Sprout, cucumber, avocado, tomato, organic spring mix, asparagus,
pickle gourd, in soy paper, served with Maru dressing
Diva
Eel, salmon skin, egg custard, avocado, cucumber, masago,
topped with baked spicy conch salad,
served with seaweed salad and eel sauce


Spent Friday evening with best friends enjoying delicious sushi creations and lovely cocktails at Maru Sushi & Grill. That's a way to get a great weekend started! Eat, Drink, and Be Merry!

It's a Party!

Last weekend, we celebrated a very special occasion. All of the guests were invited to gather at Jon's lovely home for one reason - to celebrate the birthday of their good friend.

You could tell that the party was very well planned and organized. And I know that it took a lot of time and effort putting into that. Jon's wife and their son did such an amazing job.

Cocktails and appetizers greeting guests upon their arrivals.

Some of the appetizers - Vegetarian egg rolls, edamame, chicken satay with peanut sauce, fresh summer rolls, ginger & garlic shrimps.

After we enjoyed variety of finger foods while catching up with old friends, as well as making new ones, it was then time for dinner.

Maru Sushi & Grill catered dinner for the evening. There's something for everyone: steak, chicken, shrimp, fresh salad, stir-fried mixed vegetables, fried rice, and dumpling. Food was delicious and everyone absolutely enjoyed it.

After dinner, the party was moved to the next venue - where guests enjoyed desserts, drinks, and dancing. Through the night, we were entertained by the beautiful live music performed by Jon and his band mates. The atmosphere of the evening was all about families, friendships, joy, and celebration - I am fortunate to be a part of the moment. It was a wonderful party!

Happy Birthday, Jon!