Party Prep and a Great Meal!

Continuing with our visit and party time with our long-time friends, Bob and Nona, plus their family and some great neighbors…

Now this is something that you don’t see every day!  It’s Bob actually working in the kitchen…or anywhere for that matter.  I may be the only person who does less physical labor than Bob!  I really can’t remember performing any pre-party tasks other than running out for pizza and then off to the store for something needed for the party. 

Note the chicken wings in the foreground.  As was the corn Bob was stripping, the wings were being prepped for the big wine tasting party on the Sunday before Labor Day.  

 

   

Here are Nona and Laurie in the kitchen working on party prep and a group dinner for the pre-party crowd.  I made sure that I included this photo of Laurie as she ended up taking almost all of the photos.  This is the only proof I have that she was actually in Clearwater Florida for this annual food and wine blow out!

Nona at work!  If I’m not mistaken, she was in the process of preparing the pasta sauce for the pre-party dinner. (The day before)

Have I mentioned that Nona is short?!  I always remind her of the fact that she’s still short and her retort is “You’re still bald Dave”!  If I get too much out of line, her patented slam is “Cork it Dave!”

Laurie took the photos again…from both ends of the dinner table.  In the second photo Bob and Nona are at the left and their daughter Debbie and her husband Rich are on the right.  When I first met Debbie, she was only 17 years old… 

FYI…Nona can really cook!  Italian food is her specialty.  Every meal that she’s ever served us was very good, so my hopes were high!  We started our dinner with a nice salad and some good bread and butter.

This spicy cauldron of goodness was the next item that caught our eye!  Bob said that it’s his favorite spaghetti sauce…

Of course you have to have some spaghetti noodles too…

This is the finished product!  This is Chicken Big Mamou,  which Nona adapted from one of Chef Paul Prudhomme’s cookbooks.  The only change that Nona made to the recipe that I’m aware of, was done on my behalf… She left out the finely chopped bell peppers. (Thank you, Nona!)

This pasta dish produces some ‘heat’, a trait that Laurie and I both really like.  I managed to consume 2 heaping helpings of Chicken Big Mamou!  

To check out Paul Prudhomme’s recipe for this terrific pasta dish, you can go to https://www.chefpaul.com/site.php?pageID=300&view=390.  We’ve already picked up a bottle of Chef Paul Prudhomme’s Poultry Magic at Publix Supermarket so we can make up a batch of goodness for ourselves!

 

The ‘Big Party Reveal’ will be posted this coming Saturday, 9/19/15.

Just click on any of the photos to enlarge them…

Thanks for stopping by for a visit! Plus, thank you Bob & Nona & Debbie & Rich, for a terrific dinner & Wine tasting party to follow!

Take Care, Big Daddy Dave