At the start of this, I asked a few friends for random numbers and we wound up with 7, 33, 69, 87, 101– which is great, until you factor in how cookbooks are written.  Most of them are organised by course and progress from starter to main to dessert the further you get into the book.  Some books have pages and pages of introduction- it could be on anything from How to cook to what the author’s philosophy on food is to any sort of waffle (not the tasty breakfast food).  So really, the numbers we started with aren’t going to work so well.  

P.7 in Avoca is the Introduction- it tells you all about the cafe and the ideology behind fresh, not complicated food– I can’t really serve Ideology to the next group of diners- although the US Presidential Candidates are shoving it down everyone’s throats.

p.33- Crostini and Bruschetta– basically it’s just telling me how to toast bread…..  simple, easy, but not enough to really write about

p.69- Pancakes– thin and buttermilk!

p.87- Tracy Salad– (frowns, wrinkles head)- apparently it’s named after Tracy McCormack, whoever she is

p.101- Nicoise with slow roasted tuna loin

Hmmmm- not a lot to choose from- especially since I hate fish, olives, and hard boiled eggs (sorry nicoise!)  So perhaps we’ll improvise….

I asked the dinner guests for more numbers and they came up with 27, 47, 77, and 185.  A spiced tomato and kidney bean soup with avocado relish, a picture of pulses, a Breakfast butter bean salad and a Parma wrapped fillet of lamb fillet of lamb with savoy cabbage.  

SO, for the next dinner on the 11th of November, we’ll be having Tracy salad and Parma-wrapped fillet of lamb with savoy cabbage– and if I’m feeling really enthusiastic, I’ll even make the Tomato and kidney bean soup to start!!!

Consider this your invitation, let me know if you can make it….and feel free to bring a Tracy!