Friday, November 7, 2014

Happy Birthday to Me!



I'll admit it. Pretty much every year I wind up making my own birthday cake. That may sound a bit nuts, but how else can I insure that we have a (mostly) milk-free cake complete with organic flour, healthy oils and pasture butter without driving some poor baker crazy?

The truth is, I don't mind one  bit. It's fun and I would have to spend a lot of money to get a cake up to my standards. Don't even think about grocery store cakes—they need not apply.


 Maybe one year I'll go for one of those crazy fondant creations that have been touched by god and everybody for days before they hit your lips, but for now I love my organic, home made cakes.

This one is classic vanilla with a bit of coconut milk and coconut shreds. I layered it with orange marmalade and then made a butter cream icing thickened with more coconut milk.  

Mary Jo Shore, Nick D'Annunzio and Dana Shear



I didn't do everything. It was iced with some help from Maria Paba and friends, who decorated it probably better than I would have. I usually slather on the icing, dripping it all over without care because I care way more about how my food tastes and what's in it, than how it looks. But aesthetics are nice too and they did a great job surprising me when they brought it out!

My helpers! Diego Osorio, Maria Paba and a friend who is an amazing chef
We didn't stop with the cake, my husband and I made everything we put out that night, which included a full dinner sticking to a Persian- Middle Eastern theme. I always seem to go that route for parties, don't ask me why. We served pistachios, home made hummus, Jujeh kebob (Lemon-Saffron chicken kabob), saffron rice, a Persian chicken and prune stew and even a second dessert: a rose-water and bread pudding made with coconut milk and challah. Unfortunately, the moment we put it on the table everyone started eating so I don't have any shots of the beautiful food.

Hadley Henriette and Iran Issa-Khan


Of course, it's not really just about the food as much as the friends who come out to help you ring in yet another year on planet earth. (YEA - I made it!)

Jessica Anderson, Alex Cohen and gal pal

Christian Roth and Eric Domege 
Hadley Henriette, Violet Camacho and Sarah Mirmelli

Alicia and Mike Piazza, and Violet Camacho
Lesley Griffin and Hadley Henriette

Karelle Levy, Yannick Henriette, Erin Parish and friend

Michael and Mary Jo Shore



Justin and Adina Gould

It's Party Time!





Photos by Eduardo Ford