Creating Dinner Menus

Two upcoming special suppers, Mother's Day and Shavuot.  The latter is typically dairy, with several justifications provided for this by the sages.  Mother's Day is simply a special effort, centerpieced with something either difficult to obtain or difficult to prepare, expanded to something special, though constrained a tad by it falling on Sunday.  Shavuot this year spans Thursday night, which is usually a limited offering of blintzes or quiche, and a more elaborate shabbos dinner, with fish as the centerpiece of a meal that is otherwise dairy.  And perfect excuse to have shabbos guests.

Shavuot menu seemed easier to assemble, as coulibiac makes a perfect main course that I've made enough times before.  It takes some effort, with shopping, preparing the rough puff pastry in advance, and finally baking, after a multi-stepped assembly.  And for dessert, apple walnut pie made famous by the Fish Market of Philadelphia, z"l, where we used to splurge for special occasions.  Then fill in the middle.  A soup, a salad.  No need for starch as the fish pie has rice, and a vegetable.  Then a wine.

Mother's Day is more pluripotent.  I have a veal roast sitting in the freezer forever, far too big for the two of us, though a lot of people now object to veal on ethical grounds so it may not be the best option for guests.  I have a package of sliced corned beef, frozen forever, not likely to appear in the Shop-Rite kosher meat case again.  I bought a brisket on sale and have made my own corned beef from that cut a few times.  And my wife really likes rib steaks, now quite expensive, though excellent cuts just came on the shelf at Trader Joe's.  Probably best option.  And for a fleishig meal, her favorite dessert would be torta del re, which I've made many times.  Intricate preparation, usually comes out very well.  Perhaps I will need to get a spring form once size smaller than the one I've been using.  Then fill out the rest: a starter, a salad, starch, vegetable, wine.

These efforts challenge my imagination and skill.  Since they require planning and sometimes detailed assembly, as well as juggling components at the time of preparation, I find the composite effort personally gratifying.  And somebody else gets to enjoy the result with me.