Sunday Supper {Barefoot Dinner Party}

I told y’all back at the start of the year that I was going to be more purposeful about seeing some of my oldest friends – and so far, so good!  We hosted besties E, N and C and their families for a fantastic Saturday night (I am letting this count as a Sunday Supper since we had leftovers the next night).  It was SO good to catch up, hang out and see our littles play together.

I set the table simply with a burlap runner, Butler’s Pantry white china, candles, julep cups and white tulips.  I am so glad I finally went ahead and got my Number Four Eleven monogram put on white linen napkins.  They go with everything! 

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The entire menu was courtesy of the Barefoot Contessa, which is not shocking in the least given my current obsession with her Foolproof cookbook.  We served mustard marinated flank steak, truffled mashed potatoes, roasted asparagus (not pictured) and chocolate cassis cake.  Everything was divine!

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Mustard Marinated Flank Steak
Source: Ina Garten
Note: I doubled this to serve 8

1 (2-21/2 pound) flank steak
1/3 cup dry white wine
1/3 cup good olive oil
1/3 cup Dijon mustard
2 teaspoons kosher salt plus additional to taste, divided use
1 1/2 teaspoons freshly ground black pepper, divided use
1/3 cup chopped shallots (2 shallots)
1 tablespoon minced garlic (3 cloves)
2 tablespoons coarsely chopped fresh tarragon leaves
 
Place steak flat in a large nonreactive dish such as glass or porcelain. Using the tip of a sharp knife, lightly score top of steak diagonally in a large crisscross pattern to make what looks like 1-inch diamonds across steak. This allows the marinade to penetrate into meat.
In a 2-cup measuring cup, whisk together wine, olive oil, mustard, 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. Stir in shallots and garlic. Pour marinade over and under steak until it’s completely coated. Scatter tarragon on top. Cover dish with plastic wrap and allow it to marinate in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours but preferably overnight.
Half an hour before serving, remove steak from refrigerator and heat a charcoal grill with a layer of hot coals (you can also set a gas grill on medium-high heat). Sprinkle steak with 1 teaspoon salt and 1 teaspoon pepper. Discard remaining marinade.
Grill steak for about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare. Place steak on a clean plate, cover tightly with foil and allow to rest for 10 minutes. Slice steak thin cutting diagonally across the grain.
 
 
Truffled Mashed Potatoes
Source: Ina Garten
Note: I adapted the recipe to use white truffle oil, rather than truffle butter
 
2½ pounds large Yukon Gold potatoes
1½ cups half-and-half
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) unsalted butter
2 tablespoons white truffle oil
2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Peel the potatoes and cut them in 1-inch chunks. Place them in a large, deep saucepan, cover with water, and bring to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until very tender. Drain and return the potatoes to the saucepan.

Meanwhile, heat the half-and-half and butter in a small saucepan over medium heat until the butter melts. (I just put mine in the microwave for 2 minutes).  With a hand mixer, beat the hot potatoes in the pot until they are broken up. Slowly beat in most of the cream, oil, parmesan, 2½ teaspoons salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper and beat until the potatoes are thick and smooth.

Roasted Asparagus
Bestie E brought this.  The recipe is here.

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Chocolate Cassis Cake
Source: Ina Garten
For the cake:
Baking spray with flour, such as Baker’s Joy
12 tablespoons (1½ sticks) unsalted butter
10 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
½ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
6 tablespoons crème de cassis liqueur
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
5 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 cup sugar
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
For the glaze:
6 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate, chopped
¼ cup heavy cream
2 to 3 tablespoons crème de cassis liqueur
½ teaspoon pure vanilla extract

To serve:
2 (1/2 pints) fresh raspberries
1 pint fresh strawberries, hulled and thickly sliced
1/3 cup sugar
1/3 cup crème de cassis liqueur
For the cake, preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Spray a 9-inch round spring form pan with baking spray. Line the bottom of the pan with parchment paper and spray it again with baking spray.

Melt the butter and chocolate together in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water, stirring occasionally until smooth. Set aside to cool for 5 minutes. Whisk in the cocoa powder, cassis, and vanilla and set aside.

In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment (you can also use a hand mixer), beat the eggs, sugar, and salt on high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until pale yellow and triple in volume. Pour the chocolate mixture into the egg mixture and carefully but thoroughly fold them together with a rubber spatula. Pour the batter into the prepared pan and bake for 35 to 40 minutes, until just barely set in the center. Allow to cool in the pan for 30 minutes and then release the sides of the pan. Invert the cake carefully onto a flat serving plate, remove the parchment paper and cool completely.

For the glaze, melt the chocolate and cream together in a heatproof bowl set over a pan of simmering water. Stir until smooth. Off the heat, whisk in the cassis and vanilla. Allow to cool for 10 minutes and spread over just the top of the cake.

Fifteen minutes before serving, toss the berries gently with the sugar and cassis. Cut the cake in wedges and serve with the berries on the side.

So lucky to have friends like these… (My hair dryer that I’ve had since high school died before I could dry my hair.  It’s looking pretty hid here.)

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xoxo

21 thoughts on “Sunday Supper {Barefoot Dinner Party}

  1. What a wonderful party you had there. Did you have a "kids' table", too? We always did that when our kids were young and having meals with friends.

    Your table looks wonderful and the food sounds fantastic. Enjoy your Sunday- xo Diana

  2. Apologize if this is a double post!

    Love flank steak and going to use that marinade in the future. My go to marinade is from Pioneer Woman.

    Where did you find those julep cups?

    I had been hoping you would answer another commenters question on your original napkin post. She had wondered if you are able to use your custom monogram anywhere and anyway you choose OR if you have to use the company that designed it to do all the work. It may be the deciding factor in having one done. I don't want to be tied down to a single company.

    1. Hi! I've had the julep cups for at least 10 years :-). They were from Ross Simons back in the day! On the monogram you can get the digital embroidery file to use at any monogrammer. I would just ask them to clarify that this is still how it works before you purchase.

    2. Ross Simons still carries the Julrp cups. I checked online about a week ago. They are by 4 get 2 free yet are sold as a set of 4 +2 only. Single initial monogram is free if you choose. I need to just go ahead and get them. I have been looking at them for at least 3 years now!

  3. I LOVE your blog!! I look forward to every post!! It is so nice to follow another "Southern Girl"! I am born and raised in Atlanta!! Loved the table setting!!! It is so perfect!! The recipes sound great!!

    Stacey

  4. Beautiful table setting as always. Where are your lovely white candlesticks from, if I may ask? The food looks delish. I love that cookbook. Adding the flank steak to our menu. I think it would pair well with a spinach salad with warm mustard dressing. Oh, and bestie second from left looks so familiar to me. She could be the twin of a girl in my Bible study.

    1. Hi! The candlesticks are also butlers pantry! They were wedding gifts – not sure if they still make them :-). Bestie n lives in johns creek – think you are in gwin. That would be fun if y'all know each other!!

  5. Everything looks beautiful! I love the white tulips and yes, the napkins are perfect. The food sounds divine! I still want to be Ina when I grow up. :)

    xo
    Pat

  6. I use Ina's asparagus recipe too. On one of her shows she sprinkled feta and crumbled bacon on it prior to serving. I do that now and it always gets a "that looks great" when seen.

  7. I just love your blog and seeing photos of your lovely home! Thanks for sharing it with all of us!

    I love how you are using your custom monogram and am thinking about doing one myself. Just a question about it – is the monogram just your initials or is it a combination of yours and your husband's? I can clearly see an A and a W, which I gather are the initials of your first and last name, but maybe I am missing something hidden in there. I am just trying to figure out what initials to include in mine. Thanks for any insight you can share!

  8. Hi Mary, Thanks so much! As luck would have it, the AW works for both my initials (first A last W) and our first initials as a couple (mine A his W). You could really go either way. I would get No Four Eleven to help you figure out what would look best. They are very good! Amanda

  9. I totally scored 2 Ina Garten cookbooks today at TJMaxx! So excited after all the yummy foods I have seen on your posts. Thank you for sharing.

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