Pre Birthday Yum

 It is Coleridge's birthday today and a good time to celebrate. The Early Romantic poet may not have been to Italy like the Latter Rpmantics, Byron, Keats and Shelly, but he would have appreciated good Italian food and wine

I celebrated over the weekend at Que Pasta, a local Italiam restaurant in Saddle Brook. The food is phenomenal. They have excellent appetizers like their fried zucchini slices or coins and their smashed baby artichokes in a lemon butter sauce.

These can also be ordered as sides for holiday dinners (which I plan to do next month for Thanksgiving.) Both dishes were full of tender and flavorful veggies. Que Pasta is also known for its' wide array of pasta and homemade sauces.

Their spinach and eggplant filled ravioli do not disappoint. Each fat little pillow was full of flavor and the homemade marinara sauce worked well with them. There is also the thick straw like bucatini,

Again the marinara sauce highlighted the rich pasta taste perfectly. Grapefruit sized meat balls were served with them and they were tender and rich with oregano and thyme.

Que Pasta in Saddle Brook -home to another famous writer born on this day - is the perfect place for any kind of party.It's great for smal gatherings and large ones like birthday parties, showers and even weddings. The food is fantastic as are the servers. Go there for your big day.

Birthday Feasts At Home

 There are still birthdays. There are still reasons to have fancy foods and cake. The best part is that you don't have to cook or bake any of it. There are restaurants that can handle everything for you. Que Pasta in Saddle Brook New Jersey is one eatery to take care of birthday feasts.

The restaurant has been known for their delicious pastas and sauce for twenty-five years. They've also been catering fantastic parties, full of all sorts of Italian classics for that long too.. We had a party , thanks to them - at home.

                                      We ordered their Megapack which has one baked dish, salad, bruschetta, garlic bread and brownies. 

It was baked penne which went in a heartbeat along with the included garlic bread , also devoured in a second.

With this came bruschetta and an ample house salad with balsamic vinegar. These were heavenly too, perfect with the cheesy, saucy penne, Dessert was bite sized brownies.

These were the perfect ending. The best part was that this entire feast was only $39.95 for four people. It can be stretched to five.They have a Monsterpack for ten dollars more with a chicken dish  such as francese , Foresto ,(with artichoke and spinach) Marsala or Parmesan Other restaurants are offering party packs, Take advantage of these. They're a great way of celebrating at home. Some even offer delivery.

Birthdays will still happen. Celebrate the way we used to in our favorite restaurants. Order the party packs and enjoy a festive feast.

Creating A Charity Dinner

Fund raising dinners can be not only beneficial but fun too. They can be small, for a certain group or large elegant affairs helping an international relief fund. However you plan it, a charity dinner is great way to give back while enjoying delicious food.

Charity begins at home and that is true. Many dinners help  out schools and places of worship. These are usually pot luck dinners where everyone contributes. Usually a committee of four or five people plan and decide who brings what. The first thing to do is create lists, deciding on what volunteer brings what dish. You don't want five bowls of mashed potatoes and no meat.As far as dishes , have a variety but keep in mind ,allergies along with likes and dislikes. Vegans and vegetarians won't cotton to the idea of chicken and beef plates. Of  course there is going to be casseroles. Think crowd favorites such as  backed mac and cheese and lasagna. Manicotti is another great dish for a group, especially if there are kids. Tuna casserole is another tasty classic that is sure to please. Of course there should be salads too. Someone can make a simple lettuce and tomato one and have a choice of dressings. The last can be homemade for a real down home flavor.There should be some kind of bread or biscuit.Your parish bakers can contribute  cheddar or herbed biscuits to accompany the meal. Desserts can be bars or cookies along with sheet cakes and pies.Make sure there is also soda, water nand juice to drink along with coffee and tea for dessert.

For more elegant affairs, a hotel ballroom is usually preferred however other venues can be used as well I 've been to several casual charity balls, that take place at a posh beach club(mind you this was Clean Ocean Action or COA - a group here in New Jersey that's responsible for beach cleanups and lobbying for cleaner waters here).COA has also used the graceful Berkeley Hotel in Asbury Park,New Jersey for other affairs. The food is simple: hors d' ouevres ranging from sushi to phyllo dough puffs with goat cheese. There were also mini sliders and bruschetta to satisfy appetites. The beach club do  offered The Flaky Tart's delicious chocolate chip cookies as dessert and also as favors. The Berkeley Hotel ended with cut fruit and cake pops.These are perfect for people to nibble on as they discuss important topics. If a hotel ballroom is just a tad too expensive for your cause then consider a local restaurant. Many, such as Que Pasta, in Saddle Brook, NJ, can host a charity night for forty dollars a person. Theirs is a combination buffet and auction to benefit local animal shelters.it will not only be a great night out but also a chance for them to try Que Pasta's excellent pastas and antepasti

A charity dinner is a great way to give back. It can be a just a gathering of home cooked dishes and desserts or an elegant affair with fancy hor douevre's and amuse bouches..The end result is a good deed and that's the most important thing.