by Anna Post
I recently had my thirtieth birthday, and celebrated last Friday with a belated party. A perfect Vermont summer evening in the country: There were armfuls of peonies around the yard and house, and friends and family in abundance. But as usual, it was food that took center stage chez Post. Here is my recipe for an easy success:
- local cheese plates with calamata olives, red grapes and dried apricots
- spicy marinated grilled shrimp (from my mother's secret Gourmet recipe)
- red potato salad
- local green salad with homemade vinagrette
- sliced hydroponic tomatoes
- filet mignon sliced for sliders with rosemary garlic aioli
We served Malbecs (my favorite) and crisp Sauvignon Blancs along with another personal favorite, Champagne mixed with St. Germain elderflower liquor, something I call a Parisian (even though I know it's not).
Everything came out beautifully, but it was the birthday cake, blazing with (thanks guys) thirty candles, that stole the show: icebox cake. Icebox as in, refrigerator. An old classic, it's terrifically easy to make from Nabisco "Famous" chocolate waffers layered with homemade whipped cream. You form stacks of these, line them up rows of them on their side, cover the whole thing in more whipped cream , and allow to sit in the fridge (icebox) for several hours. The waffers absorb the cream and the whole thing sets, leaving a sliceable dessert that tastes like a gourmet Oreo cookie. I like to add fresh June strawberries.
Happy Birthday indeed!
