IT’S winding down time, we know, with family members and close friends gearing up to face the realities of life overseas. For many of us here too, it’s the final weekend of festive wining and dining. Eschew all thoughts of reheating leftovers (hopefully there wasn’t much overcooking and the fridge is back to normal). Good! Now get ready for that final festive hurrah.

Thursday Food peeked into the Hussey kitchen last Saturday as culinary doyenne Norma Shirley and her able team prepared, on behalf of hosts Ruth and Laurie, a dinner that would ‘wow’ but wouldn’t detract from the spectacular New Year’s Eve the family was planning at their hotel.

The menu design was pretty straightforward, most of the guests resided overseas, so it was decided to present local fare with a touch of the international. The result was a truly exquisite repast. As guests mingled at the poolside, they were served ackee and saltfish in vol-au-vent shells and the most delicious melt-in-your-mouth oxtail in phyllo dough that we have ever tasted.

Dinner was served under the stars to the sounds of a live mento band. Norma Shirley’s signature Island salad was served a table, and then guests helped themselves from a cosy buffet comprising Rice Yam sprinkled with parsley, fresh asparagus with Wishbone dressing, gungo rice and peas, seafood mélange (mussels, lobster and shrimp), de-boned curry goat, stuffed pork with Ritz crackers, glazed with sorrel chutney and crowned with pomegranates, jerk corn-fed chicken with caramelised grapes and otaheiti apples.

Dessert became yet another conversation piece – for starters, waiters served ice-coffee in wide, elegant wine glasses with a dollop of Devon House ice cream and then placed a single plate each containing three exquisite pastry treats by Colin Hylton. There was a taste of the season in the passion fruit sorrel trifle, our excellent pineapple became an Asian spice-roasted fruit, topped with white chocolate piña colada mousse and finally, there was a strawberry frangipani tart.

By meal’s end, we found our own creative juices flowing and made New Year resolutions to entertain a lot more. and to experiment a lot more. Happy 2007 to our Thursday Food readers. Join us each Thursday and Sunday as we continue our celebration of food.

– whyten@jamaicaobserver.com