Kyle's Birthday Bash (the food post)

Kyle picked for his Birthday dinner duck roasted in the big oven. Because we fired the outside oven we had to have some flat breads for a snack first thing out. Then the brined ducks went in to bake along with some ciabatta style bread. By then all the fam came over with more good things to eat...on the final menu: duck, bread, salad, veggies, Italian bean and pasta, roasted cauliflower, pasta salad and pickled beets and green beans. All very good!!! I quartered the duck and trimmed it well, so it was not too greasy. Just crisp and juicy!

Duck prep...

EVOO Romano cheese and pepper bread to stave off death.

The full-on spread!
He also chose a giant lemon layer cake (from Cooks Illustrated) for dessert. It was very good, I think I didn't use as much lemon curd between the layers as was called for. But I am thinking that was OK, otherwise it might have been too tart. The cake part was very good and might become my go-to plain cake (it might be one for you too, Amy. Not quite a white cake, too much butter! But it is tender with a very nice crumb.....now if I could just get over how much butter was involved.)

Love that seven minute frosting so pretty and soft! Not the perfect slice but I couldn't resist showing you the inside :)