proud to be my mother's daughter

What learned wisdom can I boast of in my 25 years of life thus far?

Work hard in serving others, in whatever manner engages your full and unique faculties, and love well in ways that lend spiritual, mental and bodily satisfaction.

I experienced this most recently during our dinner party this Saturday night, when my closest people leaned back from the table, satisfied and seemingly content after a delicious meal and rich company. Each of these people is a testament to me of how truly blessed I am, so to see them well fed and in good spirits in my home just made my soul glow a little.

Can I also share the thought that persists still days later? I am so proud to be my mother’s daughter.  Let me explain. I have wanted to throw a dinner party for my friends for a while now and saw this birthday weekend as a perfect time to do so. I recruited my mother’s help because she has been throwing the most amazing dinner parties her whole life and I wanted to indulge my friends in her talent…namely her ability to smoke ribs. My mom and dad arrived Friday night, with the trailer smoker/grill in tow and I absolutely knew we were about to do something big. You see, Myra (my mom) only does things big. She would never let the amount of effort something would take halt her in her consideration of whether or not she should do it. She loves well and exhausts herself in doing so. Ahhh, the perfect personality to throw a dang good party.

We woke up Saturday morning and I think her feet hit the ground moving. We ran all over town gathering up this and that, then back home to marinate the ribs, set up tables, arrange flowers, and hang lights. Brussels sprouts roasted and focaccia dough rose. Bacon grease popped and meat was basted. Table cloth upon table cloth was smoothed out and the silver ware tied up in napkins with jute. The flavors and best intentions of the night came together as a piece of art, all orchestrated by my mom (and obediently carried out by myself and our friend Mrs. Janet, her lucky minions). That woman knows how to love exhaustively and I felt such gratitude that she expended such effort for my friends. For me.

7:00 finally arrived and so did my people. I suppose I was too in the moment to stop and take pictures (even of the food, so unlike me!) but I was just so satisfied at the hard work that brought us to that moment and the people finally there to enjoy it. I cannot thank my mother enough, but I suppose my whole life should ring of that sentiment.

Cheers. 

tables set...

ready for my people to arrive

Ben worked so hard to prep our backyard this week

picture from Bon Appetit...enjoying the night too much to snap my own!

Menu

Cheese tray with homemade fennel shortbread and honeycomb

Philadelphia Fish House Punch (+ beer and wine)

Shaved zucchini salad, Focaccia bread, bacon roasted brussels sprouts

Myra's famous ribs

Cake and Blue Bell

Philadelphia Fish House Punch

Arrange 2 cups sliced fresh (or frozen, thawed) peaches and 12 thyme sprigs along the bottom of a 10–12-cup Bundt pan. Fill pan with cold water and freeze to make an ice ring. Combine 1 1/4 cups sugar and 1 1/4 cups water in a jar; cover and shake to dissolve to make simple syrup. DO AHEAD Ice ring and simple syrup can be made 2 weeks ahead. Keep ice ring frozen. Chill simple syrup.

Pour simple syrup into a large wide container or a punch bowl. Add 1 liter (4 1/4 cups) Jamaican gold rum (such as Appleton Estate), 2 cups Cognac, 1 1/2 cups fresh lemon juice, and 1 cup peach liqueur (such as Bols). Cover and chill for at least 2 hours or overnight. Add 6 cups cold water to punch; stir gently to blend. Remove ice ring from Bundt pan and float, rounded side up, in punch. Ladle into glasses filled with ice.

Serves 24, Bon Appetit October 2012