Interactive Italian Dinner Party

[tanabutler]

I wish I'd known about eGullet sooner. Damn.

What a fantastic thread this one is.

Varmint, I just attended an "Italian country dinner" themed meal at a farm in Hollister, California. The chef cooked the gnocchi in duck fat (duck was also part of the meal)—he didn't boil them. Then he tossed them with pesto and it was out of this world. If you send me an e-mail, I'll send you a link to some photos. Dinner for sixty or so.

tana@tanabutler.com = e-mail address.

Or should I just post the link? (I'm new—only started posting today and haven't even made my way through the entire Italy thread.)

Edited August 4, 2003 by tanabutler (log)

[Varmint]

Tana-

Just post a link here. We love to see food porn. And if you took the photos yourself, you can post the images, too. We don't want you posting images of other persons' work.

To post an image, click on the IMG button, paste in your link to the image, and then click OK. Simple as that!

[tanabutler]

Thank you for the welcome, Varmint. I am the photographer, and if you like food porn, you might get very, um, excited—if you know what I mean and I think you do.

Happy Boy Farm Dinner & Tour, Hollister, California

The calamari with grilled corn salad was one of the best things I have eaten in my life. I'm drooling just looking at it. (The images are too big to post, dimension wide. I don't want to break the page.)

Edit: I just remembered something hilarious from the dinner. I was ogling the tomatoes (the heirlooms, not da women, jeez, youse guys) and called it all "food porn" as I snapped pictures. The young man chopping the little cherry tomatoes said, "If that's food porn, this is kiddie porn."

I love my job.

Edited August 4, 2003 by tanabutler (log)

[Bill Klapp]

And a special EGullet welcome to tanabutler, who, despite the random nature of the universe, managed to find the way to the best board on the whole damn site on day one!

[tanabutler]

I ain't stupid.

Just call me Tana Magnani. Ciao!

[tanabutler]

I ain't stupid.

Just call me Tana Magnani. Ciao!

[Bill Klapp]

I worry that I'm the only one around here old enough to get "Tana Magnani"!

[hspringut]

hey! you age-ist you! not all us "young'uns" are cinematically ignorant!

[Bill Klapp]

Am I an ageist for complaining about my OWN age?

[elmell]

Hi Varmint,

I'm new here, but I was browsing and saw what you posted I think on March 24, 2003 regarding your Interactive Italian dinner parties. I'm hosting a dinner party of 10 to 12 guests, buffet style, for my birthday in three weeks, and I really liked the sound of your 2002 menu for the Italian dinner. Might these recipes be good for a buffet and also ones that I could prepare in advance?

If so, would you be able to post the recipes?

I only have formal table seating for four, so buffet type foods that don't require cutting would be best for guests sitting by coffee tables.

Thanks for any help you can provide.

Bel