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Engaging stories of love, joy, comfort and friendship with proven scrumptious, healthy recipes, we celebrate LOVE as the secret ingredient for wonderful food!

Epic Mother’s Day dinner

May 16, 2013 by Mary Frances 36 Comments

I am still basking in the glow – of being treated like a queen! My boys made me the most amazing dinner on Sunday night. My mouth is still open in awe. Recipes were made that I wouldn’t even attempt. The whole meal, including cocktails, wine and dessert, planned to perfection, made and served with love.

I am so, so lucky.

When I arrived home, I was greeted with hugs and flowers and told to shower. Zach said I definitely smelled like a bike ride. (nice!) I’m sure I did.

After the bath, perfectly chilled martini glasses appeared, with all the proper frost, and Vespers were poured. A drink made with vodka, Gordon’s gin, Lillet and lemon. Divine.Vespers being poured into chilled Baccarat martini glasses for a Mother's Day dinner.

Thomas Keller's French Laundry cookbook recipe for poached shrimp on a sterling fork with a mound of avocado, red onion and cucumber deliciousness.Here is our first course – a drop dead gorgeous presentation!! (They even pulled out the sterling!) This is a recipe from Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry cookbook. I have looked at that book and decided the recipes were too much work and too precious for my style, yet my oldest son uses it a lot! He made a homemade poaching liquid and poached the shrimp, leaving them in the liquid overnight. (so this was a two day affair) Then split them, serving them on the edge of the fork with a small mound of avocado, red onion and cucumber deliciousness. A small bite, perfect with the Vesper. The shrimp were so yummy, infused with flavor from the poaching liquid and sublime in texture. Really, this amount of time spent, I have to admit, is worth it. They tasted similar to the amazing poached salmon at Aquavit, a 4 star Swedish restaurant here in NYC.Gazpacho served in a glass, recipe from The French Laundry cookbook with a glass of Vouvray wine.

Next course was a homemade spicy gazpacho, again, the recipe from the French Laundry, pureed moments before and served in a small glass, with a glass of Vouvray, one of my favorite wines and perfect with the soup. The soup sparkled with freshness, a riot of flavor in your mouth, with the perfect amount of kick from the jalapenos.Potato crusted halibut on a plate with skillet ratatouille, recipes from Food Network and Food and Wine magazine.

Now for the main course, it was potato crusted halibut served with a skillet ratatouille. It was amazing!!! Zach said he watched a video on Food Network on how to coat the fish with the potatoes and that it really took the two of them to do it, needing 3 or 4 hands, and boy did they do it properly. They were beautiful, as you can see! The fish was then sautéed in olive oil that he had infused with garlic, fennel seeds, bay leaves, fresh thyme and lemon zest from a whole lemon. It was so delicious! Crispy and moist all at the same time.Skillet ratatouille being made in a black cast iron skillet, recipe from Food and Wine.

The skillet ratatouille was spectacular – the fresh flavors all melding together – it was really, really yummy. This recipe was from Food and Wine. We had the leftovers for lunch yesterday and it was still spectacular!Beautiful pear upside down cake on a white Wedgewood plate.

And now for dessert. They even did dessert!! Well, sort of. My oldest son’s girlfriend was so sweet, she made a really beautiful and delicious pear upside down cake on Saturday night, the recipe from Smitten Kitchen. Yes, you know it had a lot of butter in it and it was darn good!!! Just look at this beautiful cake!Slice of pear upside down cake with a small scoop of ice cream on a light blue plate from Williams Sonoma.

This whole meal was so impressive, beautiful, fun and scrumptious. Really, as good as the finest restaurant, I’m sure because it was also made with so much love on all sides. And I love seeing them work together in the kitchen, they’re so darn cute! (One of them even said it was nice to have quality time with his brother.)

We ended our evening together watching MadMen, a very perfect day with my boys and husband.

I hope all you moms out there had a fabulous Mother’s Day, I’m sure filled with LOVE as well!!

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Filed Under: Dinner Tagged With: Food and Wine magazine, Food Network, gazpacho, made with LOVE, Mother's Day dinner, pear upside down cake, poached shrimp, potato crusted halibut, ratatouille, The French Laundry cookbook, Thomas Keller

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Comments

  1. Joyce says

    May 16, 2013 at 10:21 AM

    It will be some time before my children (who are 7 and 2) can prepare a meal for me, but how do I start prepping them to make a meal like THAT? It looks amazing. What’s your secret, mom?

    I’m reading a bio on Julia Child right now and I am certain that I must start learning more about French cooking. Maybe I’ll check out that book you mention.

    Reply
    • Mary Frances says

      May 17, 2013 at 12:07 AM

      Cook for them now as much as you can. When my kids were young, I really only cooked on weekends. We lived in the NJ suburbs and had full time help. But they knew my meals were special – filled with love. I was always trying new recipes and asked them to help – peel carrots, separate cauliflower florets, and when older, chop celery with their Boy Scout knife. Make Sunday dinners a super special time for just your family and pull out the china, crystal and sterling and eat in the dining room. Linger longer over conversation. And don’t let them eat fast food. They will beg, and sneak it in with friends. And when they do, they’ll call you and tell you how sick they feel afterwards. That’s what happened to our Zach when he was twelve. Do check out the French Laundry cookbook, but personally, I’m a fan of Food and Wine magazine for new recipe ideas.

      Because you’re on to this, I’m sure you’ll do fine. 🙂

      Reply
      • Joyce says

        May 18, 2013 at 9:33 AM

        Oh, I love your ideas! I’ll get to work on it.

        Reply
  2. Maureen | Orgasmic Chef says

    May 16, 2013 at 11:39 AM

    What an amazing day. You ARE so lucky! What a feast!!

    Reply
    • Mary Frances says

      May 17, 2013 at 12:09 AM

      It truly was an amazing feast! Sorry your kids couldn’t be with you.

      Reply
  3. abrooke65 says

    May 16, 2013 at 12:02 PM

    This is unbelievable. Such well-raised cooks! I thought I was good, but your sons don’t mess around! Thanks for sharing!

    Reply
    • Mary Frances says

      May 17, 2013 at 12:16 AM

      🙂 They sure are!! Thanks!

      Love your Latin Spanish combo!

      Reply
  4. agatapokutycka says

    May 16, 2013 at 12:20 PM

    What a fab feast! Wish I was there 😉

    Reply
    • Mary Frances says

      May 17, 2013 at 12:16 AM

      Thanks! 🙂

      Reply
  5. Agata says

    May 16, 2013 at 2:23 PM

    Amazing!!! Happy Mother’s Day 🙂

    Reply
    • Mary Frances says

      May 17, 2013 at 12:17 AM

      It was really amazing!! Thanks! Happy Mother’s day to your mom too!

      Reply
  6. grumpytyke says

    May 16, 2013 at 2:45 PM

    Superb. Congratulations to the boys (and the girlfriend). That’s certainly a way to show a Mum she’s appreciated.

    Reply
    • Mary Frances says

      May 17, 2013 at 12:21 AM

      Most definitely!! Glad you’re back!

      Reply
      • grumpytyke says

        May 17, 2013 at 2:32 AM

        Thank you Mary Frances (and for the ‘like’ on my About). I should tell you that apart from the food, the photos and the writing, one of the reasons I followed your blog was your name. My mother – who sadly passed on a couple of years ago at 91 – was Frances Mary. She can now sit and take in her favourite view at a local beauty spot from a seat my siblings and I put there; I’m sure she was there on Mother’s Day.

        Reply
        • Mary Frances says

          May 17, 2013 at 8:25 AM

          oh – what a sweet story!

          Reply
  7. Lokness says

    May 16, 2013 at 3:33 PM

    Wow! What a beautiful meal!!! Your sons are so incredible and talented! You must have had a wonderful night. 🙂

    Reply
    • Mary Frances says

      May 17, 2013 at 8:28 AM

      It was a fantastic evening!!

      Reply
  8. Lauren Gilbert says

    May 16, 2013 at 4:36 PM

    What an amazing feast! The pictures alone are delicious…

    Reply
    • Mary Frances says

      May 17, 2013 at 12:23 AM

      Thank you 🙂 Your book looks amazing!

      Reply
  9. The Taste Bud says

    May 16, 2013 at 5:54 PM

    The potato-crusted halibut looks amazing! That’s on my list of things to try, for sure!

    Reply
    • Mary Frances says

      May 17, 2013 at 8:27 AM

      It was soooo good! The herb infused oil it was cooked in comes through in the potato crust – just delicious!

      Reply
  10. johnnysenough hepburn says

    May 16, 2013 at 8:28 PM

    I’m sure you absolutely deserved to be so pampered 🙂
    Meal sounds divine. I’ve never even heard of that book. Must make a note!

    Reply
    • Mary Frances says

      May 17, 2013 at 12:33 AM

      You’re so sweet! The book is a gorgeous cookbook. Just a little more complicated than my style.

      Reply
  11. passaggiowines says

    May 18, 2013 at 10:01 AM

    Looks like you had a wonderful time…just lovely!!!

    Reply
    • Mary Frances says

      May 20, 2013 at 3:43 PM

      It really was fantastic 🙂 The wine was a great addition, as you know it always is!

      Reply
      • passaggiowines says

        May 20, 2013 at 5:07 PM

        🙂

        Reply
  12. chef mimi says

    May 20, 2013 at 8:14 AM

    I am so jealous but so happy for you!

    Reply
    • Mary Frances says

      May 20, 2013 at 3:48 PM

      Thanks Mimi! Judging from your blog you were at no loss for delicious food on the 12th (or any other day for that matter!) 🙂

      Reply
  13. Ashley says

    May 21, 2013 at 10:29 AM

    Wow!! What a treat – well deserved, mama!!

    Reply
    • Mary Frances says

      May 21, 2013 at 11:15 AM

      Thank you Ashley!

      Reply
  14. Mama's Gotta Bake says

    May 21, 2013 at 11:57 AM

    Lucky mama!

    Reply
    • Mary Frances says

      May 21, 2013 at 12:28 PM

      So very true! 🙂

      Reply
  15. MARIE says

    May 21, 2013 at 6:51 PM

    Awesome meal for an awesome Mom! Give them my congrats.

    Reply
    • Mary Frances says

      May 24, 2013 at 12:06 AM

      Thanks Marie!! So sweet.

      Reply
  16. Jen Pelka says

    May 23, 2013 at 5:19 PM

    This is so sweet and wonderful! You’re so lucky! It was great to meet you at the test kitchen tour, and would love to talk about ways of promoting your blog on Tumblr! — Jen

    Reply
    • Mary Frances says

      May 23, 2013 at 11:45 PM

      Yes you’re right!! Great to meet you and would love to talk further. Hopefully, see you tomorrow?

      Reply

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