Kat’s pre-Mother’s Day dinner

So this article says something about this menu being “Giada’s Mother Day Dinner,” but this evening at our house it was most definitely Kat’s pre-Mother’s Day dinner, made especially for me (and shared by all, of course)!  And how delicious it was!

Here’s the menu:

Appetizer: Mushroom Pesto Crostini

Main Dish: Chicken Saltimbocca

Side Dish: Penne with Treviso and Goat Cheese

Dessert: Raspberry Tiramisu

And here’s the proof:

Appetizer - Mushroom Pesto Crostina:

Kat knows me well.  She knows that I loooove mushrooms, and the blend of tastes in this appetizer is absolutely perfect!  It’s not pesto of the basil-and-pine nut variety (which I like, but don’t love). Instead, this flavor is much more delicate and light.  In fact, it’s probably even a Weight Watchers compliant food.  (And it was to be the last such food on this evening’s menu.)

Main dish – Chicken Saltimbocca:

Kat left the prosciutto out of this, which was just fine with me.  The lemon, Parmesan, spinach, and fresh basil leaves gave such a fabulous flavor to this dish-delish!  Nicely done!

Side dish – Penne with Traviso and Goat Cheese:

Kat altered this recipe quite a bit – and it was fabulous!  She left out the radicchio (I think she couldn’t find any at the store) and substituted an Italian cheese nix for the goat cheese.  We gobbled it down! 

Dessert – Fresh Raspberry Tiramisu…

…which we have yet to eat because we are all SO full!  But LOOK at this!  I don’t think this dessert is exactly Weight Watchers-friendly --though fortunately I can eat anything on WW as long as I plan for it.  “The problem” is that Elisabeth is apparently coming home in the morning to make brunch with, I assume, the other kids and there’s talk of a “massively mimosa morning.” 

AND Peter has declared that he wants to make Wiener schnitzel for Mother’s Day dinner from a recipe from this German cookbook that arrived in the mail this morning from my dear, dear friend Kathy:

The book is copyrighted in 1952 – the same year my parents immigrated to America from Germany!

Thank you, Kathy!

I was surprised to see a true recipe for Kaiserschmarrn because when I was young that was what we called “messed up” German pancakes that ripped while trying to turn them carefully over in the pan.  “Guess it’ll have to be Kaiserschmarrn,” mom would say.  (I love that there’s this reminder of my mom on Mother’s Day!)

 

And look!  It’s a real recipe, with directions to intentionally rip the pancake with a fork!  Gasp!

Thank you Kat and thank you, Kathy!  It’s not even Mother’s Day yet and I already feel spoiled!