An Autumn Feast

A special guest came to dinner as myself and another cooking cohort commandeered the kitchen to make it a memorable harvest meal on this brisk Los Angeles evening…

: Homemade chicken broth by Simone – makes the house smell heavenly, I tell you

: The place setting…

: Pre-dinner nibbles include nuts, cheeses, sweet jalapeno sauce and a Pepperwood Pinot Noir

: Sautéed shrimp with a healthy dash of Lillet leaning seductively against a salsa bed of avocado, mango, lime, cucumber, mint and bird’s eye chili

: This chicken is real – Yaz pinching her masterpiece: roast whole chicken (thank you Trader Joe’s) stuffed with orange wedges, slathered in olive oil, garlic, ginger and rosemary, accompanied by farm fresh green beans, carrots, onions and brussel sprouts

: Wild and crazy mushroom risotto topped with parmesan

The evening was a gastronomic success, and two items not pictured here were a lovely Coco-Ginger Butternut Squash soup and a delicious Apple Crumble. Needless to say, everyone was in a small food coma at the end of the night. Success? I think so.