When I have company everyone sort of gravitates to the kitchen. I have a nice size kitchen, so it’s okay, but yesterday, when nearly all of my 40+ adults and several kids were gathered around the center island, where I had laid out a buffet of food, no one was actually eating, I asked one of my son-in-law’s friends to be the first to DIG IN and fill up a plate for himself.

He said he was more than willing to get the ball rolling.

I love when people are in my kitchen yakking, having a glass of wine or beer and looking at the food. But after cooking all that stuff I really really wanted them to start eating it!

So Joel get a plate full and believe it or not, then everyone else followed.

There was lots of food but the biggest hits were the challah (recipe on my website: www.ronniefein.com) — I made two enormous 4-1/2 pound breads. And also the Grand Finale Cookies (recipe in my book Hip Kosher but I added extra chocolate chips per the many requests from my children).

The spinach pie (also in Hip Kosher) was a hit, in fact, my daughter Gillian’s dog, who will eat anything she can and tries to jump up on tables, chairs and what have you to get near anything edible, actually succeeded in reaching two large pieces of spinach pie and polished them off, so I guess she liked it too.

Another winner was this carrot salad, an “experiment” on my guests, even though my mother always told me never to try out new recipes for company.

Carrot Salad

2 pounds carrots, peeled and shredded or grated

1/3 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 large clove garlic, finely chopped

1-1/2 teaspoons paprika

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon harissa (or 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper)

1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/3 cup olive oil

1/4 cup lemon juice

salt to taste

Place the shredded or grated carrots in a bowl. In another bowl, mix the cilantro, garlic, paprika, cumin, harissa and cinnamon. Stir to mix the ingredients and spoon over the carrots. Toss the carrots with the cilantro mixture. Pour in the olive oil and lemon juice and toss ingredients. Sprinkle with salt to taste. Let marinate for at least 2 hours. Best served at room temperature. Makes 8 servings

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