The Family Tree

wow! 6 suppers - half a year of cooking and eating, of meeting and greeting, of expanding my new york city family. fitting that family was the theme for the supper tonight.

in anticipation of passover, and the seder which, unfortunately, my family will not be having this year, i felt compelled to make gefilte fish. partly because i love it so much and eagerly look forward to eating, and partly because i loved the idea of making something that my mother taught me how to make, that her mother taught her how to make, that her mother (or rather mother-in-law) taught her how to make. this dish, in this incarnation, has existed in my family for so many generations. knowing the extensive history made the 48hrs endeavor all that much more worth it.

nyc itself plays a large role in my family history. as a child i knew this is where i wanted to live. and today, nearly eleven years after making the move, this is my home, and the people in my life here are my family. it is a family that has evolved over time and, much like a tree, is ever growing, changing, sometimes shedding leaves and often growing new ones. tonight, with over half the guests newcomers to the suppers, and some entirely brand new to me, this could not be more apparent or more true.

on this beautiful second day of spring, 6pm rolled around, the gefilte were ready to be eaten, and my nyc family started to arrive. neighbors and former neighbors, school mates, old co-workers, friends of friends....

what a wonderful group - more then friends but a family indeed (especially when the group includes actual family - my sister!) and boy oh boy, can they cook!!

THE MENU

appetizers

allison's artichokes with homemade mayo
serena's ajvar spread with pita chips
jessica's clam dip in a bread bowl
stephanie's hummus and pita bread

main courses

rachel's gefilte fish, with horseradish and matzoh
annie's tortellini with pesto and marinated carrots
ali and kyle's risotto
lauren's green bean casserole
lindsey's noodle kugel
amanda's spring salad with cherry tomatoes and avocado
ami's cucumber yogurt raita
laura's creamed corn

drinks

laura's orange infused sparkling tea
sarah, amanda, ami, stephanie and julia's wines
erica, chris and andy's beers

desserts

rachel's tea cake sampler
candice's "maw-maw" ugly cake (but it was beautiful!)
kyle's chocolate chip pie