You are such a JERK!

And by jerk, I am of course referring to the most excellent style of Jamaican BBQ, the main culprit of which is the Habanero:



But I digress.



Attendees: Jack, Violet's Friend, J.G.G., Cindy, and Rick
Cocktail: Unexpected Prosecco (Cindy and J.G.G.'s treat!)
Appetizer: Dates stuffed with goat cheese
Main Course: BBQ Jerk Chicken
Sides: Cachoombar
Dessert: Devil Dog Cake

Wouldn't you know that I woke up the morning after Rick's birthday thinking: "did I just agree to host a dinner party Sunday? Did Rick even make me invite Violet's friend?"



I love a date in the fall: for this simple appetizer, I removed the pits, stuffed each with goat cheese, and sprinkled the top with some toasted Di Camillo bread crumbs. Bake at 375 for 10 minutes and you're good to go!



Ugh. I thought I was getting good at taking food photographs. Oh well... this is my version of a delicious recipe for black bean soup care of Geoffrey Zakarian. I substituted bacon for serrano ham (they didn't have the ham at Whole Foods, and I wasn't in the mood to trek all the way up to Vace), walnut oil for hazelnut oil (again, not at Whole Foods), and I also skipped on cutting up the ham hock to use as a garnish (it just seemed gross). Oh, and I used a much cheaper sherry than was recommended (liquor stores aren't open here in DC on Sundays, so I just made do with what I had). Still, it was awesome.



Peanut grilled the jerk chicken to perfection, and I served it with Naan and Cachoombar. The latter is a spicy chopped salad of tomato, red onion and cucumber, with some cilantro, chopped chili pepper, lime juice, and spices (salt & pepper, cumin, cayenne).



A few months ago, Cindy asked that I make her the Devil Dog Cake featured on Smitten Kitchen. I couldn't believe that I remembered her request, but I was more than happy to oblige! The marshmallow frosting is like heaven.

What did I say about cooking healthy, again?