I ended up making a few batches of chocolate sauce with minor deviations so that I could assess what different additions or deletions to the base recipe would do for me. In the end, I opted for relatively few bells and whistles and the final recipe - which I think is a keeper - will be posted here tomorrow. I promise.


We have invited several of my husband's fellow students and colleagues for Easter dinner and I am gratified that most of them have accepted the invitation. Having these guests will require some slight alterations in our traditional menu because several of them do not eat pork (so no ham) and others are vegetarian (so no meat at all). I am unsure if the vegetarians eat eggs or dairy so I have developed two menus. My husband is in charge of inquiring after the ovo-lacto angle so the final menu can be established. Each menu consists of a pasta entree - one ravioli with pesto creme and the other penne with roasted root vegetables and garlic/rosemary olive oil. The ravs would be accompanied by ginger glazed carrots and the penne with sauteed greens. Each is rounded out with field greens, relishes and foccacia. If eggs are acceptable then the traditional deviled eggs will also be on the table. Dessert will either be a mixed berry crisp or a flourless chocolate cake.


Since I despise mustard and sweet relish in any form I make my deviled eggs without and use ranch dressing instead, with lots of fresh ground black pepper and usually some kind of herb. I think theu're much tastier, but other people seem to have mixed reactions - the eggs aren't what they expect, certainly, but no one has been able to tell ne if that's good or bad.