• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Cooking With Friends Club

food . . . friendship . . . inspiration

  • Home
  • Kitchen Chronicles
  • Recipes
  • Reviews
  • Bookshelf
  • Vintage
  • Press
  • Contact
You are here: Home / Kitchen Chronicles / Cucina Paradiso

Cucina Paradiso

June 4, 2009 by evelyn

Have you ever looked at a spread in a cooking magazine–say Gourmet’s recent Tuscan Cucina Paradiso–and said, “I wish I was invited to (or could throw) dinner parties like that!”?

I have, so I was thrilled when my friend Erica asked my husband and I to take a look at the magazine, choose a couple of dishes to prepare, and come together on a Saturday evening to celebrate her birthday with two other couples also contributing to the feast. We were in charge of the Vodka Rosemary Lemon Fizz, and the Grilled Sausage-Stuffed Calamari.

On the beautiful May evening, I served the cocktails as Erica and Mark’s kitchen buzzed with six cooks, a happy guest from out of town, and seven kids running around. Then we sat outside on the back deck, and each couple slowly took “their turn” putting the final touches on the dishes and serving. The amazing dishes included: Arugula and Fava-Bean Crostini, Balsamic-Marinated Radicchio with Fresh Ricotta, Mushroom Carpaccio with Pecorino Toscano, Fresh (really fresh and homemade!) Pasta with Crabmeat, Peas and Chile, Grilled Lamb Chops with Porcini Mushrooms, Tuscan Beans in Summery Tomato Ragu, in addition to the Calamari. The pace was lovely–everyone had their time to be “on” and a chance to slow down and savor the moment.

If one couple had attempted making all those dishes, it would have been a difficult feat. But cooking together, it was a relaxed and wonderful dinner party. Cheers to Erica!

Share this:

  • Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window)
  • Click to share on Instagram (Opens in new window)
  • Click to email this to a friend (Opens in new window)
  • Click to print (Opens in new window)

Filed Under: Kitchen Chronicles

Previous Post: « Sometimes You Just Can’t
Next Post: Move over Chicken Challenge »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. JJ Morningwood says

    June 19, 2009 at 6:07 am

    I miss the aroma of lime wafting from my lover’s taint after a dazzling night out at TGI Friday’s.

Primary Sidebar

About Alison J. Bermack

It all began when I was a child cooking with my dad, the kitchen a magnet for cooking and camaraderie, a refuge from adolescence. I spent countless hours chopping, sautéing and simmering my way through childhood. And now, with three kids of my own, I’m still chopping, but this time through their childhood and often with friends.

Read more…

Social Media

  • Bloglovin
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

Newsletter

Click here to learn more about my E-Newsletters and to access my E-Newsletter archive.

Content Archives

Categories

How To

Go to our tips and advice for Cooking With Friends.

Downloadables

Free recipe cards, food storage labels and shopping lists you can print and use!

Cooking With Friends on Facebook

Cooking With Friends on Facebook

Sites We Love

We love these sites. Link back to us to be considered.

Footer

  • Bloglovin
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Pinterest
  • Twitter

All content and recipes are the property of Cooking with Friends, LLC. Copyright © 2008-2019.

© Copyright 2008-2016 Cooking With Friends · All Rights Reserved ·

loading Cancel
Post was not sent - check your email addresses!
Email check failed, please try again
Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email.