Big dinner tonight. Lots of people over and a lot of rather ambitious food. I did the baked chicken thing since there were so many kids. I also made spinach ricotta gnocci from Marcella Hazan's first cook book. But I left out the pancetta/mortadella and I left out half the parmesan and I added extra spinach and flour -- and then I forgot the nutmeg. Didn't matter - they came out spectacular. I boiled them then layered them in a casserole with tomato sauce and a little more parmesan and baked them just enough to get the sauce bubbling. Recipe will come later.

Also made a persimmon baked egg custard - kind of like a flan with baked persimmon - also really good.

Also baked cheese straws for the appetizer platter which included persimmons wrapped in prosciutto, olives and baby chicken apple sausages.

Salad, bread and one set of friends brought over a lovely light stew which we had as a soup equivalent to start the meal.