Welcome to "Dining With Rock"

I didn’t start out throwing the bestest Dinner Party, Cocktail Party, 40th, 50th, 60th Birthday Party, Family Dinner, Holiday Party ever ……..setting the most fantastic Dinner Table ever,……. Decorating the jazziest Holiday Home ever ….I have worked on it for years, so you don’t have to. In my blog I will take you behind the scenes, from the drawing board to the finish line!

"Dinning With Rock", my blog is the desire to share my passion for cooking delicious food, entertaining family and friends, as well as my world travels.

Now, I feel entertaining is more than days of putting together that special menu, more than that beautiful place setting, or that perfect bottle of wine; I try to make sure everybody feel special. I truly believe entertaining is more like a gift from me to each and every one of my guest. Be my guest every Tuesday, let's have some fun! ......What's up for next week? Setting a fabulous Thanksgiving table.

WHO IS ROCK?

Growing up in Jackson, Tennessee, after celebrating Christmas morning with my sister and brothers we spent the rest of the day at Mama Essie’s house. While most of the children were playing, I was watching my mother, grandmother and aunt get the dinner table ready….so, that’s where it all began.

I continued my life journey to my ultimate career as an International Flight Attendant for a major Airline. During my 37 year career I traveled and dined in many exotic places around the world.... Paris, Rome, Hong Kong, Tokyo, London, Milan, Venice, Tel Aviv, Shanghai, Prague, Mumbai, Delhi, Amsterdam, Beijing, Frankfurt, Rio De Janerio, Zurich, Berlin, Jerusalem, Cape Town...Just to name a few:)

One morning last year I remember walking along the beach to the Hatikva Market in Tel Aviv, then dining at The Old Man And The Sea restaurant that evening.

Two weeks later, that same month, I dined on a 14 course dinner at Gold Restaurant in Cape Town South Africa! Let me share some of those memories with you.

The Old Man And The Sea restaurant is spectacular, the seafood is straight from the Mediterranean Sea. Bring your appetite because they pile the plates high.

Yep......those two mounds are fresh Israeli sweet paprika at the Hatikva Market in Tel Aviv.

Olives, olives, and more olives, I took home some delicious bottles of homemade olive oil from the Hatikva Market in Tel Aviv, it was soooo fresh.

You could smell the oregano, thyme, marjoram, cumin, sumac, paprika, and za'atar (a middle eastern herb spice blend) in the air at the Hatikva Market in Tel Aviv.

I got a warm welcome outside the Gold Restaurant in Cape Town South Africa; that statue was animated and almost gave me a heart attack!

The menu included South African Seared Ostrich Fillet Salad, Mozambique Chili Chicken Wings, Malawian Sweet Potato Cake, Moroccan Butterbean, Olive and Tomato Tagine, and Zanzibar Cardamom Ice Cream, and more. And, I tried them all!

The décor at Gold Restaurant in Cape Town was amazing; we danced with the staff to African drum beats and had our face painted with African Tribal Face Paint. Oh yeah, then the hostess took my shawl and made me a headwrap:)

Ya'll know I had to get my shopping on....I met Sammie at the Greenmarket Square, in the center of old Cape Town. This beautiful painting, now hangs in my living room.

And, I still found time for that African Safari.

OK, enough about me, .......... Nest Week, Setting Our Thanksgiving Table!