Through the Cookbook Club, I have made some incredible friends. I am so grateful to have them in my life. And a nice bonus to having a bunch of chef friends… they can put together a pretty mean birthday feast 🙂 This was a meal full of all of my favorite things – seafood, grilled meats, fried things, chocolate, and of course PIE!

Seafood pasta – mussels, sweet cherry tomatoes, sausage, perfectly al dente spaghetti.

Citrus ribs – tender, with a touch of sweetness. There were two giant trays of ribs, and I was so happy to take some home.

Grilled chicken – crispy skin, juicy meat, and such good flavor. Probably because the chicken was brined, then basted while grilling!

Waffle fries – freshly fried and served with homemade crema.

Egg rolls – because if you have the fryer going, why not?

Salad greens with jicama, mango, pomegranate, and walnuts – gotta have something fresh to counterbalance all that meat and oil. So gorgeous!

Belgian chocolate brownies – rich and fudgy. Plus they let me snag all the corner pieces 🙂

Key lime pie – no birthday of mine would be complete without pie. And a big bowl of extra whipped cream. Yes, those candles are in the shape of a smiley face, which perfectly sums up the way I felt about this amazing birthday dinner!