Tentative Menu for Wednesday, April 8

I need a headcount before I can do anything: contact me.

Menu will be finalized on Monday, when I go shopping

Here's my ideas for course listings for pizzas:

1. Bagna Caôda:

Hot Garlic and Anchovy dip with fresh vegetables and breadsticks

2. Cheese and Mushroom:

Fresh Buffalo Mozzarella and Asiago with Portobello mushrooms, basil, and tomato/truffle/olive oil emulsion

3. Fig Pizza alla salsa di Noci and balsamic reduction:

Figs, Feta cheese, Balsamic vinegar, and walnut sauce

4. Mixed Fruit with Prosciutto:

Grapefruit, sauteed grapes with garlic, pinenuts, Mango con Prosciutto, topped with mint and parsley

5. Dessert Calzone:

Date, Sultana, Apple, Macadamia and spiced crust with apple sauce on the side

The price in the future will be relative to what I'm buying and I will generally bring paired wines which can be purchased by the glass; that taken into consideration - I will no longer ask for the money five days in advance - but I will still require a notice of attendance or the previously mentioned markup will still be in effect.

I'll come over at about one o'clock - like last time, so those able or desirous of helping can. Dinner will start at six o'clock.

Payment Scheme for the Dinner(s)

When the menu's are finalized (On the five days advanced notice) I will come by (to Cydonia at any rate) and pick up the money before I go shopping. Because the menu will be finalized the day of (or before) I pick up the money, and because I will probably go shopping shortly afterwords to give me as much time to prepare in advance as possible - the fee will be non-refundable - so you need to be sure that you can make it at that point. If people want to participate and don't give notice before the five day notice I think that I will enforce a 67% markup on the standard price for the trouble. Remember though, we've got about eight courses listed for $10 or $16.70 if your late - that's still a really good deal; and Chris says that if you don't want to pay that price for it you are tasteless [and vulgar (yes - I will intimidate you into coming)].

If you are out of town [Laura (yes I know who you are), and Chris] or are otherwise unavailable or inconvenient for me to drop by - confer with me via the posts about the dinner in question or my email (greboyer@gmail.com).

Menu for Wednesday, March 25

This post will be updated in the future so please be prepared to refer back to it

This will be the first 'formal' dinner for the Freeway Food Club. At the dinner - since everyone will be together for the first time I will probably make a point on discussing with those involved the regularity and the price of the meals. For now I believe that the following menu will be well within a $10 dollar price range for a party of six:

1. Focaccia
2. Frittata al Formaggio

Cheese Frittata

3. Pasta e ceci

Pasta & Chick Pea soup

4. Risotto alla Paesanna

Risotto with fresh vegetables

5. Arista alla Fiorentina

Florentine Roast Pork

6. Sformato di Finocchi

Fennel Mould

7. Ricotta alla Mentuccia

Ricotta with mint

8. Coffee & Cantucci di Prato

I have made this all happen for 64.98 - so I assumed things were a little cheaper than they were; the price will be brought into question concerning the future.

This is obviously a very Italian listing of courses (which is what I am most comfortable with right now) so they should fit pretty nicely together. Since this club isn't officially started I want to point out that it is an opportunity for people who are both interested in cooking and eating to further their horizons and learn new things - be they cooking procedures or tastes & flavors that you might ordinarily shun. Above all I hope that the experience will be enjoyable and encourage those involved to give input from this point onwards into the courses and cuisines in the future.

Additionally I will be bringing my camera and trying to keep up with what is going on - part of the reason that I want to do this is to allow people to see not only what I am learning but also how I am applying it. After each dinner it will be my intent to post exactly what happened with detailed pictures to fill in all those not involved and make them envious.

For this dinner I will do the prep the night before - there isn't actually that much - and come over early to start preparing it on Wednesday (1 o'clock), with those who are interested/available in helping. Those in attendance are:

• Myself
• Eric
• Laura
• Lowell
• Miki
• Zhu Zhu

Dinner will start at 8:30 pm.