I love to cook and have decided to cook for my friend’s birthday, which will be like a dinner banquet. It’s vegetarian/ pescatarian with no shellfish, etc. I have arranged a menu according to what she likes: fresh, light, and local. I need your advice if it sounds good and whether or not I need to add/ change anything. I feel as if I need to add some soup, one more dessert, and a few side dishes. This for me is quite easy because I have pulled off much bigger menus. Keep in mind that I’m under legal drinking age and cannot serve any alcoholic beverages, etc. Thanks for your help, and I purposely made the food VERSATILE!

M e n u:

Appetizers:
roasted potato thyme kabobs with petite mozzarella balls and sun-dried tomatoes
European mushroom turnovers served with créme sauce with caramelized mushrooms
vegetarian Vietnamese fresh spring rolls with avocado, shredded carrots, shredded cucumber, shredded red pepper, napa cabbage, and cilantro served with a sweet peanut dipping sauce.
Pierogi with kale and cheese
I’m debating whether or not I should make chilled fruit soup to serve in little glasses.
Garlic stuffed olives
Mushroom barley soup

Salads:
Arugula, sliced Asian pears, caramelized pecans, avocado, , pine nuts drizzled with pear-champagne vinaigrette

Micro-greens or watercress, halved cherry tomatoes, snap peas, edible flowers, chervil in herbed olive oil and goat cheese.

Entree:
Grilled Salmon Paillard Sandwich– grilled salmon, máche, mayonnaise with peppercorns, heirloom tomatoes, sweet onions, cheese like muenster? served with half sour pickle

My signature pizza– za’atar flatbread, Yemenite sweet tomato preserves, oregano, basil, fried eggplant, anchovies, onions, and havarti cheese

Vegetarian eggplant moussaka/ ratatouille with pearled couscous with golden raisins and a secret spice blend

Snapper with grilled cherry tomatoes and balsamic red potatoes

Desert:
Peach- nectarine tart with homemade vanilla ice-cream.
Chocolate mousse with orange liquor and a dab of whipped cream.
Tiramisu
Sliced fruits and berries

Beverage
– my signature sparkling lemonade–
lemon, lime, and grapefruit juice with lime zest.

Bottled water

NOTE: everything is homemade

Is this too little food? Does it sound good? What should I add? No meat or shellfish please.

I am also decorating the table with a vase with lilies, freesia, and lilac. Thanks for your help!
I can’t add meat or shellfish for religious reasons. I’m not going to be entertaining, my friend will. My job is the food and being in the kitchen.

I love to cook and have decided to cook for my friend’s birthday, which will be like a dinner banquet. It’s vegetarian/ pescatarian with no shellfish, etc. I have arranged a menu according to what she likes: fresh, light, and local. I need your advice if it sounds good and whether or not I need to add/ change anything. I feel as if I need to add some soup, one more dessert, and a few side dishes. This for me is quite easy because I have pulled off much bigger menus. Keep in mind that I’m under legal drinking age and cannot serve any alcoholic beverages, etc. Thanks for your help, and I purposely made the food VERSATILE!

M e n u:

Appetizers:
roasted potato thyme kabobs with petite mozzarella balls and sun-dried tomatoes
European mushroom turnovers served with créme sauce with caramelized mushrooms
vegetarian Vietnamese fresh spring rolls with avocado, shredded carrots, shredded cucumber, shredded red pepper, napa cabbage, and cilantro served with a sweet peanut dipping sauce.
Pierogi with kale and cheese
I’m debating whether or not I should make chilled fruit soup to serve in little glasses.
Garlic stuffed olives
Mushroom barley soup

Salads:
Arugula, sliced Asian pears, caramelized pecans, avocado, , pine nuts drizzled with pear-champagne vinaigrette

Micro-greens or watercress, halved cherry tomatoes, snap peas, edible flowers, chervil in herbed olive oil and goat cheese.

Entree:
Grilled Salmon Paillard Sandwich– grilled salmon, máche, mayonnaise with peppercorns, heirloom tomatoes, sweet onions, cheese like muenster? served with half sour pickle

My signature pizza– za’atar flatbread, Yemenite sweet tomato preserves, oregano, basil, fried eggplant, anchovies, onions, and havarti cheese

Vegetarian eggplant moussaka/ ratatouille with pearled couscous with golden raisins and a secret spice blend

Snapper with grilled cherry tomatoes and balsamic red potatoes

Desert:
Peach- nectarine tart with homemade vanilla ice-cream.
Chocolate mousse with orange liquor and a dab of whipped cream.
Tiramisu
Sliced fruits and berries

Beverage
– my signature sparkling lemonade–
lemon, lime, and grapefruit juice with lime zest.

Bottled water

NOTE: everything is homemade

Is this too little food? Does it sound good? What should I add? No meat or shellfish please.

I am also decorating the table with a vase with lilies, freesia, and lilac. Thanks for your help!
I can’t add meat or shellfish for religious reasons. I’m not going to be entertaining, my friend will. My job is the food and being in the kitchen.

During high school I was aspired to become a pastry chef because of all the different ways you can be creative. In home ec class we got to create and decorate deserts which started my obsession with baking. Another class I took was ceramics with Mrs. Publtrak it helped bring my creatively out by sculpting clay into art. During School I worked as a server at La Loma Village and prepared entrees and got to bake a variety of deserts. My experience baking in home ec class, creating sculptures in ceramics, and working as a server is going to prepare me for going in the baking and pastry arts program at the Art Institute of Phoenix.
While attending high school I found myself falling in love with home ec class. Mrs. Rust taught me all the fundamentals to baking and creating pastry dishes. While in the class Mrs. Rust encouraged me to make one of a kind pastry and really get creative. My love for baking grew being in her class and the experiences that I got to have in there creating crepes, cake, and pies made feel so much joy. I feel a lot of pride when i finished baking a cake and creating a story to go with it. Mrs. Rust gave an assignment to make a cake representing a country and I chose Italy. This was the start of something big and when I brought my cake tom class and saw everyone’s faces light up makes my heart melt. While attending class throughout my four years has not only taught me baking skills but cooking skills as well. The hand on training and the confidence she gave me is going to help me achieve my associated at The Art Institute of Phoenix.
Who knew that taking ceramics class with prepare me to become a successful baker? Mrs. Pulbreatk is a talent and creative ceramic teacher who truly cares about each indivual in her class. While spending four years taking her class she has guided me to break out of my comfort zone and put my heart into creating structures of art. Without Mrs. Pulbrtake I would have never graduated high school and strived for a better future. She taught me to use a variety of techniques to make different projects. All the techniques taught in this class are the same for baking. I loved going to class each day and working with my hands to express my feeling and ideas into sculptures or pottery .Rolling out slabs, making coils, designing clay, and building large structures and a support system for them will ultimately help me earn my Associates degree. I became a better rounded student and strived to make many wonderful projects through the years made me the person I am today.
Once I got a job as at server at La Loma Village I was not only serving food but baking the deserts and preparing the food as well. I got the experience to learn hands on from the chefs there and they gave me an opportunity to eventually start working on the line. Most adults don’t enjoy where they work or what they do but that wasn’t the case for me. I enjoyed going to work and learning something new each day. Chef Jeff taught me how to start preparing and making all the desserts that were on the menu. After a year of working there I knew the ropes around the kitchen and made desserts that the residents would fall head over heels for. Last December I made 10 roses out of chocolate ice cream and presented the sculptures in a tulip to the residents and they were so proud and said they have never seen this done before and made me almost cry. I use love and the skills that I have acclimated over the years to create dishes that will have people will enjoy. The knowledge that I gained from working in a kitchen will make it that much easier to earn my degree.
I’m prepared to go to the Art Institute of Phoenix and start growing my potential. All the desserts and meals that I cooked are techniques and knowledge I gained from my wonderful teachers and my work experience. To start college at the Art Institute would mean the world to me and help me find new ways to express my love and passion through my creations. My home ec class, ceramic class, and the experience from being a server is going to help me achieve earning my degree.

I wrote this essay last night and have to submit it to college by 1PM today, and if anyone can review this and give me advise or any tips..i would appricate having it reviewed before i submitt it.

Thankssssss

It is my boyfriend’s birthday soon and I want to cook him a nice romantic lunch. However, he’s having a big party in the evening with a buffet and stuff, so I want to keep the lunch quite light.

I was thinking for dessert champagne jelly with blueberries which I can make in small wine glasses which will look pretty. But I’m not sure what I should cook for starter and main?

He loves Italian / Chinese / Thai / Indian food, any ideas for starter and main from those areas? I need to keep it quite light, so not like a big steak or curry or anything.

Thanks!

Extra tags:

I found this article online – but dont know if it’s correct – I’m studying culinary arts and dont want to learn any wrong stuff…

Feel free to edit but do it in capitals so that I can easily see it ok thanks!

Pasta can serve with a variety of different sauces. The taste of pasta often determine by quality or types of sauces you served.When selecting a sauce, consider the shape and size of the pasta noodle, since some sauces are best suited for specific types of pasta. Pasta is the generic Italian name for many noodle-like pastes or dough’s that are made in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. There are far too many different kinds than can be counted. The two main types are fresh pasta, or pasta fresca, and dried pasta, or pasta secca. The main secret ingredients for sauces are fresh culinary herbs. Never substitute with dried herbs unless you couldn’t find it. Fresh ingredients make lots of different in your preparations. Basically there are four types flavored and textured based sauces – Cream-based, Tomato-based, Wine-bases and a traditional No-cook pasta sauce pesto.

Cream-Based

Cream-based sauces are the richest types of pasta sauces because they usually contain heavy cream, along with butter, cheese or both. One basic cream-based pasta sauce is Alfredo, a mixture of heavy cream, Parmesan cheese and butter. Alfredo pasta dishes may be topped with vegetables, chicken or shrimp. Thicker noodles like penne or fettuccine can hold onto Alfredo sauces most successfully.
Carbonara, another cream-based sauce is similar to Alfredo sauce, but it also incorporates beaten eggs. This sauce is typically paired with spaghetti and topped with bacon or pancetta.

Tomato-Based

Tomatoes are the key ingredient in many pasta sauces and are a staple ingredient in Italian cuisine because they can be paired with most types of pasta. A traditional tomato-based pasta sauce is known as marinara sauce. Crushed or diced tomatoes are combined with chopped garlic, onions, peppers or other ingredients and simmered until they reach a saucy consistency. Add crushed red pepper flakes or chopped chili peppers to make Arrabbiata, a spicy version of the sauce. Mix in chunks of cooked meat for a Bolognese sauce. A splash of heavy cream and vodka turns a marinara sauce into vodka sauce.

Wine-Based

Wine as the base for a pasta sauce can add a sweet yet light undertone to the dish. The wine in pasta sauces is typically combined with another liquid ingredient to balance out the flavor and texture of the dish. A common wine-based pasta sauce uses Marsala, a fortified sweet Spanish wine, combined with richer ingredients like heavy cream and Parmesan cheese. Another common wine-based pasta sauce uses Madeira, a South American dessert wine, along with broth to mellow out the flavor and add a savory taste. Thinner pastas complement wine-based pasta sauces, which have a lighter texture than other sauce types.

No-Cook

Some pasta sauces don’t require cooking because the heat from the freshly boiled pasta is enough to soften the ingredients and enhance their flavors. One traditional pasta sauce that does not need to be cooked is pesto, a blended mixture of fresh basil, pine nuts, garlic Parmesan cheese and olive oil. You can vary pestos by substituting almonds or other nuts for the pine nuts or adding other ingredients like sun-dried tomatoes.

Add a mixture of chopped fresh tomatoes, black olives and capers to the pasta and its heat will help the ingredients release their natural juices and form a light sauce.
also can you tell me the sub sauces that can be made with the above base sauces?

trying to maintain my weight.
before breakfast i did Nike Training Fitness club cardio workout for 30 mins.

breakfast:
wheat roll w/ peanut butter and a apple

lunch:1/2 acron squash stuffed with 1/4 cup oatmeal, chili powder, chickpeas, broccoli, laughing cow cheese wedge and hot sauce

snack: homemade hot cocoa with unsweetened cocoa powder, almond milk and stevia sweetener

dinner: whole wheat wrap with tempeh and egg white salad (egg whites cooked- like a boiled egg- celery, greek yogurt, onions, mustard and 1 t light mayo

dessert: (i usually dont eat dessert)
sugar free chocolate pudding with almond butter

ill probablly workout some more later
how well did i eat?
i know i didnt enoughh fruit for the day because i am litterally all out of fruits and veggies…

trying to maintain my weight.
before breakfast i did Nike Training Fitness club cardio workout for 30 mins.

breakfast:
wheat roll w/ peanut butter and a apple

lunch:1/2 acron squash stuffed with 1/4 cup oatmeal, chili powder, chickpeas, broccoli, laughing cow cheese wedge and hot sauce

snack: homemade hot cocoa with unsweetened cocoa powder, almond milk and stevia sweetener

dinner: whole wheat wrap with tempeh and egg white salad (egg whites cooked- like a boiled egg- celery, greek yogurt, onions, mustard and 1 t light mayo

dessert: (i usually dont eat dessert)
sugar free chocolate pudding with almond butter

ill probablly workout some more later
how well did i eat?
i know i didnt enoughh fruit for the day because i am litterally all out of fruits and veggies…

Lily’s eyes lit up like a flash-light, and pulled at the strap on her booster seat, but didn’t do it successfully. I smiled, and let her out. She cheered, and started jumping about.

"Freedom!," Lily shouted, jumping onto the pavement.

"Yes, Freedom!," I cheered, locking the car doors. All of a sudden, my phone rang. It was Chad on face-time. I sighed and tapped accept. "What do you want, Chad? Haven’t you hurt me enough?"

"Please, baby. Please. I love you. I love Lily. I even love the randoms, even though I was too embarrassed to say so! Please give me a second chance! When I come home, I’ll make it up to you; you’ll love it!," Chad pleaded, crying.

"No. No. You think I’ll just give you a second chance? Are you kidding me? Just go home and wait for me.," I screamed, ending the call.

I held Lily’s hand and ran to the hospital check in table.

"Tawni Hart, please.," I asked politely, holding Lily’s hand.

"Yes, she’s here. Room 282.," The lady replied.

I nodded and ran off to Room 282. I opened the door, and there she was. My best friend. Tawni Hart. Lily screamed and ran off to her to hug her.

"Mommy!"

I smiled, as I watched her jump on her lap and get her Bag and keys.

"Let’s go, my sweetie!," Tawni said, making her way to the car with Lily on her hip.

I darted after them, and opened the car door for them and drove off.

5 minutes later, we arrived home. We were so hungry so we ran off to the kitchen, only to see this. Empty pots. Empty dessert pots, and of course Chad Dylan Cooper, my ex-boyfriend in the sitting room.

"CHAD!," I screamed angrily, showing him the pots. "Who ate the frickin’ food?

"Um…. Me.," Chad said nervously, biting his nails.

"That’s it. And to think I was going to give you another chance. I’m just gonna say this once. You better start packing. Get outta my house. Ill put 30 minutes on the microwave and you better be done packing when that microwave beeps.," I said firmly, pushing him away and going back to the kitchen to cook and have a good cry. While I was cooking, Tawni and Lily had a major cuddle session on the sofa.

"Chad, I’m not messing with you! 25 minutes! You better be finished!"

I made the same thing I made before- lasagne, meat pie, and a nice molten lava cake- again! By the time I had finished cooking, Chad had finished packing. He came up to me, and tried to kiss me, but I slapped him.

"Don’t you dare! You know, it’s not even about the food, even if you didn’t eat the food, I would still kick you out!," I screamed. I clenched my hands into fists, thinking about my baby. My head was about to explode. I was about to cry, but I couldn’t because I was happy in a way, because Chad was out of my life. I thanked God that he wouldn’t be in my baby’s life.

"I’m sorry. I love-"

"Get out."

"Please-"

"Get out."

"Babe-"

"GET OUT!," I screamed for the last time, pushing him outside with his suitcases. "And don’t you dare come back!"

And with that I put my back onto the door and started crying, feeling my stomach. I found out what I just lost. My baby’s daddy. "How am I going to look after my baby?," I thought myself.

"Baby, we’ll get through this. Your mommy will protect you. I love you, my lovely, or lovelies.," I told my unborn baby or babies.

I cleaned my tears, and cut a large piece of lasagne and meat pie for me and Tawni, while Lily had a toffee chew bar.

"Mommy?," Lily asked.

"Yes, sweetie?," Tawni asked.

"Sonny said we’re going to London."

"Did she?," She said, smiling.

I nodded, went to buy the tickets and went to go pack our suitcases.

"So we leave tommorrow.," I said, coming from upstairs. "I’ve printed the tickets. What a nice way to get away from Mr. Armadilldork."

"Yes, that weasel! I hate him now!," Lily said angrily. "By the way, why were you vomiting before?"

"Um, Um, I’m going to have a baby, sweetheart.," I said, kissing her on the forehead.

If you want to read the whole story here’s the link: http://www.webook.com/submission.aspx?p=f01e1e2bc3ba4416b5bcfdf02872c2df&st=5165a62d439f464c8e45fb6a63a83287

I’m 12 nearly 13

Lily’s eyes lit up like a flash-light, and pulled at the strap on her booster seat, but didn’t do it successfully. I smiled, and let her out. She cheered, and started jumping about.

"Freedom!," Lily shouted, jumping onto the pavement.

"Yes, Freedom!," I cheered, locking the car doors. All of a sudden, my phone rang. It was Chad on face-time. I sighed and tapped accept. "What do you want, Chad? Haven’t you hurt me enough?"

"Please, baby. Please. I love you. I love Lily. I even love the randoms, even though I was too embarrassed to say so! Please give me a second chance! When I come home, I’ll make it up to you; you’ll love it!," Chad pleaded, crying.

"No. No. You think I’ll just give you a second chance? Are you kidding me? Just go home and wait for me.," I screamed, ending the call.

I held Lily’s hand and ran to the hospital check in table.

"Tawni Hart, please.," I asked politely, holding Lily’s hand.

"Yes, she’s here. Room 282.," The lady replied.

I nodded and ran off to Room 282. I opened the door, and there she was. My best friend. Tawni Hart. Lily screamed and ran off to her to hug her.

"Mommy!"

I smiled, as I watched her jump on her lap and get her Bag and keys.

"Let’s go, my sweetie!," Tawni said, making her way to the car with Lily on her hip.

I darted after them, and opened the car door for them and drove off.

5 minutes later, we arrived home. We were so hungry so we ran off to the kitchen, only to see this. Empty pots. Empty dessert pots, and of course Chad Dylan Cooper, my ex-boyfriend in the sitting room.

"CHAD!," I screamed angrily, showing him the pots. "Who ate the frickin’ food?

"Um…. Me.," Chad said nervously, biting his nails.

"That’s it. And to think I was going to give you another chance. I’m just gonna say this once. You better start packing. Get outta my house. Ill put 30 minutes on the microwave and you better be done packing when that microwave beeps.," I said firmly, pushing him away and going back to the kitchen to cook and have a good cry. While I was cooking, Tawni and Lily had a major cuddle session on the sofa.

"Chad, I’m not messing with you! 25 minutes! You better be finished!"

I made the same thing I made before- lasagne, meat pie, and a nice molten lava cake- again! By the time I had finished cooking, Chad had finished packing. He came up to me, and tried to kiss me, but I slapped him.

"Don’t you dare! You know, it’s not even about the food, even if you didn’t eat the food, I would still kick you out!," I screamed. I clenched my hands into fists, thinking about my baby. My head was about to explode. I was about to cry, but I couldn’t because I was happy in a way, because Chad was out of my life. I thanked God that he wouldn’t be in my baby’s life.

"I’m sorry. I love-"

"Get out."

"Please-"

"Get out."

"Babe-"

"GET OUT!," I screamed for the last time, pushing him outside with his suitcases. "And don’t you dare come back!"

And with that I put my back onto the door and started crying, feeling my stomach. I found out what I just lost. My baby’s daddy. "How am I going to look after my baby?," I thought myself.

"Baby, we’ll get through this. Your mommy will protect you. I love you, my lovely, or lovelies.," I told my unborn baby or babies.

I cleaned my tears, and cut a large piece of lasagne and meat pie for me and Tawni, while Lily had a toffee chew bar.

Can you give me any advice to make my story better?
The link is: http://www.webook.com/submission.aspx?p=f01e1e2bc3ba4416b5bcfdf02872c2df&st=375f35de5ccb4bf6b683978b147dc407

Lily’s eyes lit up like a flash-light, and pulled at the strap on her booster seat, but didn’t do it successfully. I smiled, and let her out. She cheered, and started jumping about.

"Freedom!," Lily shouted, jumping onto the pavement.

"Yes, Freedom!," I cheered, locking the car doors. All of a sudden, my phone rang. It was Chad on face-time. I sighed and tapped accept. "What do you want, Chad? Haven’t you hurt me enough?"

"Please, baby. Please. I love you. I love Lily. I even love the randoms, even though I was too embarrassed to say so! Please give me a second chance! When I come home, I’ll make it up to you; you’ll love it!," Chad pleaded, crying.

"No. No. You think I’ll just give you a second chance? Are you kidding me? Just go home and wait for me.," I screamed, ending the call.

I held Lily’s hand and ran to the hospital check in table.

"Tawni Hart, please.," I asked politely, holding Lily’s hand.

"Yes, she’s here. Room 282.," The lady replied.

I nodded and ran off to Room 282. I opened the door, and there she was. My best friend. Tawni Hart. Lily screamed and ran off to her to hug her.

"Mommy!"

I smiled, as I watched her jump on her lap and get her Bag and keys.

"Let’s go, my sweetie!," Tawni said, making her way to the car with Lily on her hip.

I darted after them, and opened the car door for them and drove off.

5 minutes later, we arrived home. We were so hungry so we ran off to the kitchen, only to see this. Empty pots. Empty dessert pots, and of course Chad Dylan Cooper, my ex-boyfriend in the sitting room.

"CHAD!," I screamed angrily, showing him the pots. "Who ate the frickin’ food?

"Um…. Me.," Chad said nervously, biting his nails.

"That’s it. And to think I was going to give you another chance. I’m just gonna say this once. You better start packing. Get outta my house. Ill put 30 minutes on the microwave and you better be done packing when that microwave beeps.," I said firmly, pushing him away and going back to the kitchen to cook and have a good cry. While I was cooking, Tawni and Lily had a major cuddle session on the sofa.

"Chad, I’m not messing with you! 25 minutes! You better be finished!"

I made the same thing I made before- lasagne, meat pie, and a nice molten lava cake- again! By the time I had finished cooking, Chad had finished packing. He came up to me, and tried to kiss me, but I slapped him.

"Don’t you dare! You know, it’s not even about the food, even if you didn’t eat the food, I would still kick you out!," I screamed. I clenched my hands into fists, thinking about my baby. My head was about to explode. I was about to cry, but I couldn’t because I was happy in a way, because Chad was out of my life. I thanked God that he wouldn’t be in my baby’s life.

"I’m sorry. I love-"

"Get out."

"Please-"

"Get out."

"Babe-"

"GET OUT!," I screamed for the last time, pushing him outside with his suitcases. "And don’t you dare come back!"

And with that I put my back onto the door and started crying, feeling my stomach. I found out what I just lost. My baby’s daddy. "How am I going to look after my baby?," I thought myself.

"Baby, we’ll get through this. Your mommy will protect you. I love you, my lovely, or lovelies.," I told my unborn baby or babies.

I cleaned my tears, and cut a large piece of lasagne and meat pie for me and Tawni, while Lily had a toffee chew bar.

"Mommy?," Lily asked.

"Yes, sweetie?," Tawni asked.

"Sonny said we’re going to London."

"Did she?," She said, smiling.

I nodded, went to buy the tickets and went to go pack our suitcases.

"So we leave tommorrow.," I said, coming from upstairs. "I’ve printed the tickets. What a nice way to get away from Mr. Armadilldork."

"Yes, that weasel! I hate him now!," Lily said angrily. "By the way, why were you vomiting before?"

"Um, Um, I’m going to have a baby, sweetheart.," I said, kissing her on the forehead.

If you want to read the whole story here’s the link: http://www.webook.com/submission.aspx?p=f01e1e2bc3ba4416b5bcfdf02872c2df&st=5165a62d439f464c8e45fb6a63a83287

Im 12 nearly 13.