When You're Having a Dinner Party...

It would be wrong of me to ignore the hospitality gene that has been passed down to me from my parents and grandparents. You just can't ignore the need to entertain forever, and I've just decided to give in, once and for all.

On Saturday night, Anna made the trek all the way across town to my apartment, for a nice, gluten-free gourmet dinner! To spruce the place up, I stopped by Kabloom in Coolidge Corner for some gorgeous, vibrant carnations. (And Anna brought some GORGEOUS pinkish, purplish tulips that are thriving nicely.)  Since I'm big on black and white dish and tableware, I like to add eye-catching pops of color to the table any way I can.

On the menu? California-style BLTs, with a little twist. Instead of bacon, I used proscuitto. I added avocado. AND, for the piece de resistance, I added basil mayonnaise. Believe me when I say, basil mayonnaise can take any good sandwich to an entirely different level.

Side note: shout out to Crate and Barrel for the super cute plates! I paid $5.95 for each, but it looks like I paid much, much more! (When is it appropriate to call myself a Bargain Princess?)

And for dessert? Flourless Chocolate Cake, with a generous dollop of buttercream frosting in the center.

So...I feel like no matter what I write, it actually won't do this cake proper justice. Never in my life have I made something so decadent, so rich, and yet so pleasantly light and airy. With every spoonful you get that sweet choclately taste, which is complimented by the slightly salted, very creamy buttercream frosting. It's like eating a fudgey brownie, but one that's made from chocolate clouds. I may or may not have had one for lunch today. (I did.)

Summertime means more free time, more of my favorite foods, and more dishes to be made and served. BRING ON THE WARM WEATHER THAT BRINGS ME AND MY FRIENDS TOGETHER.

You HAVE to try this basil mayonnaise recipe from The Kitchn, and of course, the Flourless Chocolate Cake from What's Gaby Cooking. But not in that order...unless that's the kind of food combining you're into.

Happy Tuesday!