A Birthday Dinner

Today was the Composer's father's birthday, and we always celebrate with a really nice dinner for him. Last year was a Herculean effort for extended family on the occasion of his seventieth; tonight was simple and quiet. I wasn't able to do anything ahead of time at all, due to a houseful of company all weekend, but I did have the meal planned and the day clear to devote to cooking. Which made for a very pleasant time. The girls and I took our time, puttering through the table-setting, shopping, and actual food work. They are such a help!

We kept the table neutral, with a cream cloth, white dishes with a little gold, and little bits we gathered from outdoors in purple colors.


A bunch of purple grass from the pasture as a centerpiece:


A sprig of sumac berries on a linen napkin:


The first course we served plated: hot crab dip spread on slices of baguette and run under the broiler, with grape tomatoes on a puff of alfalfa sprouts.


Next we had a butter lettuce salad with a balsamic vinaigrette, with slices of goat cheese crusted with chopped walnuts.


The main course was strip steaks done in a skillet with a brandy-cream reduction. I had to borrow from a neighbor to have skillet room enough for all the steaks to cook at once.


Dessert (in process here) was an autumnal birthday cake--spice layers with molasses, lemon zest, and ginger, frosted with cream cheese frosting. I decorated it with purple oak leaf hydrangea leaves and a few rusty-rosy hydrangea blossoms on top. Removed the flowers for serving and poured a batch of brown-sugar sauce over the top.


The kids presented Grandpa with a brightly-decorated basket filled with homemade cards. Daisy's was dictated:"You are the best grandpa because you are my grandfather. You're welcome for the presents." Signed with the Greek sign for alpha (apparently), written over and over.