Thursday's Appetizer Spread

This Thursday I have agreed to supply the food for a gathering at Sekhet-Maat, the local OTO lodge. Featured will be Richard Kaczynski, author of the the book Perdurabo. He will be reading and autographing, I will be cooking.

The menu as it stands right now will mainly consist of finger foods and the like. I thought I would start off with a Roasted Red Pepper Hummus, served with pita bread. Hummus is a staple around the lodge, I kind of felt obligated to some degree. I will be toasting whole cloves of garlic in olive oil, and also making Candied Pecans. These will be served along with dried figs and dates. I am considering a cheese plate with several varieties of cheese, including brie, blue cheese, a Belgian washed rind cheese, and perhaps a goat cheese with herbs or something like that. I will then be baking a Spinach Artichoke Dip and serving it with sliced and toasted baguette. Finally, I will make a couple loaves of my Lemon Poppyseed Bread, a strong flavored, amazingly satisfying dessert bread that will be easy for people to eat by hand.

Today I begin with shopping - at least 3 markets. My budget is only $50 for the entire affair and I have no real way of knowing how many I will be feeding, as the event is free and open to the public. I anticipate 30 or so. Tonight I will make the Lemon Bread and the Candied Pecans. I will be posting both recipes along with photos later.