Dani Does Dinnerparties

We've got people for dinner tonight and for tomorrow. It is necessary to plan the menu and the shopping, so as to make it as smooth as possible, because I still have actual work to do in between.

I think best while scribbling on paper and having my morning ambrosia, I mean coffee.

So tonight's meal is for my father's oldest friends, one of which is my Godfather who is in from California. I decided on an Atafulo Mango theme for tonights meal, but there were issues:
1. No atafulo mangos to be found.
2. Regular mangos that were ripe and unbruised were pretty hard to find too, but luckily at the 3rd store I went to, I found some.
3. No fresh tuna until the 5th store. Thats dedication, I think.
Pretty gorgeous though, once I found it.

Menu:

Mixed greens with marinated balsamic mushrooms and fig chevre. (I know it doesn't really go with the rest of the meal, but I love it, so boo sucks to you if you don't)

Seared Ahi Tuna in a miso marinade with wasabi dressing and a mango, cilantro avocado salsa.

I don't have a picture of the cooked tuna yet, because, well, its not cooked. Its just marinating right now, but I plan to sear it on each side for about 2 minutes. I want it nice and rare in the middle.

Spicy Thai Coleslaw
Shameless plug here: I LOVE LOVE LOVE my Kyocera ceramic knife. My sister Simone (who is a raw food chef) turned me on it. It simply ROCKS.

Initially, I tried to use my mandolin to shave the cabbage, but honestly, what a useless piece of crap. The knife worked so much better and was much easier to handle. Safer too, as I currently enjoy keeping all my digits.



And for dessert.... drum roll please....
Mango Cheesecake with Mango Coulis. Can I get a big YaHUUUUM?

Here is everything you need to whip up a mango cheesecake and the coulis. Its easy to make, took me about 5 minutes to prepare it all, and then I popped it into the oven for 75 minutes.

Honestly, I didn't measure anything in this recipe, so you will have to bear with me.

In the stand mixer, I threw:
Approximately 2 1/2 tubs of cream cheese, 2 eggs, a small handfull of sugar, the blendered flesh of one mango (minus skin) and a huge wodge of vanilla extract. Right now I have to give a big shout out to my husband, without whom this recipe would have NEVER worked. He opened the jar of vanilla for me. (Are you happy now, Alan?)

Pity he won't be able to eat any of it, with the dairy and the wheat. Ah well, such is life. HA. HA. HA.
So into the stand mixer it all went, and I whipped it till it was fairly smooth.

For the crust, I melted about 1/4 cup of butter and added about 1 cup of graham crumbs, mixed it together and smushed it all into a buttered round pan.

Pour the mixture on the crust, put it in a water bath and pop it in the oven for 75 minutes. Cool, and refrigerate for several hours.

For the coulis, I simply skinned and pitted a mango, threw the flesh into my vitamix blender (another shameless plug) and whipped it up with a couple teaspoons of sugar and the juice from half a lime. Totally yummers.

I think between the food and the wine, dinner will be fun. And if the food is shit, there is always more wine.