New Years Day 2011 - McCrary family dinner

2011 started off with a New Year's Day dinner with the McCrary side of the family at our house. In attendance were Zac's aunt Marcia, cousin Drew, aunt Susie and her husband Jim, Zac's parents Bill and Martha, and Zac's sister Laura and her boyfriend Will.  Oh, and me, Zac, and Fritz.

Cooking before guests arrive

Dining Room

Kitchen Table

Menu:
Cambodian Chicken-and-Rice Soup with Shrimp (Food and Wine Magazine Recipe, see below)
Stove top Mac and Cheese (Alton Brown Recipe)
Roasted Asparagus and Peppercorn Beef Tenderloin with Bearnaise Sauce
Susie's Squash Casserole
Laura's Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms
Martha's Caesar Salad and Tomato, Onion, Cheese Salad
Marcia and Drew's Chocolate Cherry Cake
Strawberry Cake (from Nancy Patterson's in Montgomery)


Cambodian Chicken-and-Rice Soup with Shrimp Recipe
by Ratha Chau


ACTIVE: TOTAL TIME: 40 MIN SERVINGS: 4

FAST,HEALTHY,STAFF-FAVORITE

Ingredients
One 3-pound rotisserie chicken
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 tablespoons minced fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 cups chicken stock or low-sodium broth
1 cup water
3 tablespoons Asian fish sauce
1 teaspoon honey
1 cup cooked jasmine rice
8 shelled and deveined medium shrimp, halved lengthwise (about 1/4 pound)
2 tablespoons fresh lime juice
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
2 tablespoons chopped basil
1 Thai chile, thinly sliced
Lime wedges, for serving

Directions

1.Cut the chicken into legs, thighs, breasts and wings. Cut each breast crosswise through the bones into 3 pieces. Remove the thigh bones and cut each thigh in half.

2.In a large saucepan, heat the oil. Add the ginger and garlic and cook over moderate heat until softened, about 3 minutes. Add the stock, water, fish sauce, honey and rice and bring to a boil. Add the chicken pieces and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in the shrimp and cook just until opaque, about 1 minute. Stir in the lime juice, cilantro, basil and chile and serve right away, passing lime wedges at the table.