I have family out of state who always miss out on the special meals that I make. So when they came to visit, I made a special point to craft a dinner just for them.

This was the perfect excuse to go all in and make the time together feel as special as I could. What’s more special than a dinner party personalized just for you? A dinner party with 5 courses, of course.

Soup. Salad. Small Plate. Entree. Dessert.

It was a fun way to spend time with my family on their last night in town. We sat around a table full of laughter and full bellies while we enjoyed each others company, what more could you ask for.

The Menu

Five Course Friday • ONE• Fresh Bread; Garlic Herb Butter Shrimp Bisque • TWO• House Salad in a Parmesan Cheddar bowl • THREE• Creamy Mushroom Risotto with Lobster on the half shell •FOUR• Cast Iron Seared Steak, Duchess Sweet Potato, Roasted Root Vegetables, Chimichurri Arugula •FIVE• Chocolate Souffle with Raspberry Coulis & Honey infused Vanilla whipped cream

Let’s Chat

This whole menu was amazing so picking the BEST thing is a little hard this time.

But, if I have to pick, I’ll say it was the chocolate soufflé. The flavor and the texture on this were so addictive. The soufflé itself was light and airy at first bite, then mousse like on the finish. Bright tangy raspberry flavor complimented the rich chocolate and the honey infused vanilla whipped cream swirled in every bite as it melted into the warm soufflé. It was great.

Close Second

Gotta give second to the entree as a whole. The flavors all balanced each other out perfectly and paired well. On their own they were good, but as a plate they were even better.

I seared a steak in a cast iron and basted it in a garlic herb butter. Made duchess sweet potatoes, which are essentially fancy piped, twice baked sweet potatoes – but before piping you can mix in things like Parmesan, or herbs. Tossed a Chimichurri arugula salad and added in a few roasted veggies.

The salad bowls were so fun to make. I melted Parmesan and cheddar cheese on a sheet of parchment paper and used that to cover an upside down bowl. Let it firm up and tada! Cheese bowls.

To decorate I used a majority of back and gold table settings, some white accents and a natural greenery element to tie it all together. I used the menu as a part of the table settings as a centerpiece on each charging plate and napkin then lit some candles for an instant cozy feel.

Here is a video of the evening.

The only thing I should have done differently was made extra! Everything was so good that I found myself wishing I had some leftovers the next day.

That might have been me wishing I could just go back to the night though. It was a nice reminder that sometimes the best meals aren’t about the food; it’s about the people you share them with.