This is how you throw a lunch party

When I went on vacation to visit the boyfriend in Italy, I arrived at the perfect time. While I was there, his family celebrated two important occasions: his parents’ 30th wedding anniversary and his grandma’s 70th birthday.

So for two consecutive Sundays, I was lucky to partake in two fabulous meals. What’s even more fabulous about it is that the boyfriend’s mom prepared everything from scratch! She was a lean mean kitchen machine of the non-KitchenAid variety. What took her days to prepare, took us minutes to consume.

I wish I can explain point by point what each dish was, but my gastronomic vocabulary is quite limited. (Don’t you worry I’m working on that.) So I’ll let your eyes feast and mouths water over the photos I took during the two family gatherings.

Picnic Style Buffet (30th Wedding Anniversary)

We started the meal with aperitif (prepared by the boyfriend) and these little creatures made out of black olives, cream cheese, and carrots.

Here’s my little buddy.

I popped him into my mouth after taking this shot. Of course I took the toothpick out first 🙂

The rest of the meal consisted of focaccia with black olives and cherry tomatoes, a savory cake with pecorino and diced salami, salmon rolls, bacon rolls, zucchini rolls with tuna, pecorino breadsticks, olive ascolane (fried olives filled with meat and spices), tramezzini, and arancini di riso (fried breaded riceballs filled with ragu, peas, mozzarella). The spinach-filled buns were brought out a little later in the meal because they were forgotten in the kitchen. (How could we?!)

Dessert was a highlight consisted of a peach cream cake, cold cream-covered/lemon-cream-filled beignets, and cookies. I regret not taking a photo of the cake slice so you could see the different layers of cream, peach, and gelatin.

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Seafood Lunch (70th Birthday)

Starter –  Gratined scallops

First dish – Pasta allo scoglio

Second dish – Insalata di mare

Dessert  – Betty Boop cake

The sponge cake was soaked in coffee and layered with chocolate cream. The top layer was marshmallow-based which allowed for the cake to be drawn onto (My contribution to this cake was helping out in printing the Betty Boop pattern). The side was covered with cappuccino sticks.

And to cap things off, coffee.

The bar has been set, ladies and gentlemen. Should the boyfriend and I tie the knot, you now have an idea of the standard that I might have to live up to.