I’m not even going to say it (I love a theme!). So when a friend asked me to create a menu with healthy, sophisticated twists on her favorite childhood foods, for her 30th birthday party, I was thrilled. Her list included the usual suspects: cheeseburgers, pizzas, pb & j’s, bean burritos and ice cream sundaes. And because she loves French food and small plates, the menu was rich and served family style. I made her NYC bacon, egg and cheese sandwich into a frisse, lardon and blue brie salad. Enntemann’s chocolate cake became flourless and sweetened with stevia. And cheese blintzes lost their crepes and baked ricotta accompanied her adult favorite: grilled rib-eyes. Amy created a whimsical table to match the spirit of the nostalgic menu. Preppy fuschia and green exploded via fabric streamers, bright carnations, party hats and a stunning cake topper. My favorite element of her updated little-kid party decor were adult paper fortune tellers, stamped with predictions for all of the guests. So many memories revolve around food, so an evening themed around past cravings was the perfect celebration of thirty years.