Fabulous Feast, April 27, 2013

This evening we held a dinner party for Mark's parents, Mike and Ann Groshek, and their friends, Ran and Mary Gardner, John and Barbara Moran, Ann and Marlon Weaver, and Frank and Susan King.

We started with the Smoked Salmon with Faux Caviar and White Chocolate Wasabi  Sauce from Top Chef, as an appetizer.  We have always found this to be a 5, and it still is!  Served with Gruet Blanc de Noirs, a lovely, cost-effective sparkling wine from New Mexico.

The amuse bouche was the Pea Pancakes from the April 2013 Bon Appetit.  This still gets a 5.  Served with Chateau La Rame Bordeaux Blanc 2010.

The next course is the Halibut and Shrimp in Minted Broth from the May 2013 Cooking Light.  We still give this a 5.  Served with Damilano Langhe Arneis 2011.

The next course is the still fabulous Spring Panzanella from the April 2012 Food and Wine, another 5!  Served with the Chateau La Rame Bordeaux Blanc 2010.

The main course is Lamb Roast with Mustard Sauce, from the April 2013 Food and Wine.  This gets a 5 again!  Served with a wonderful 2005 Bordeaux, Chateau Lafon-Rochet Saint Estephe.  The wine is a sublime match!

Dessert is the new recipe this evening--Syllabub with Strawberries and Black Pepper, from the NPR website.  Everything else we served this evening was something we had rated a 5, and this is another 5!  Served with a  perfect match, the Carod Fréres Clairette de Dies.

New recipes, March 31, 2012

We are in Tabernash with our friends Christine and Pat, and Kris and Tony. We are celebrating Pat's 50th birthday!
We had Roast Leg of Elk (we used Elk Sirloin) using a recipe from Food.com, Potato and Root Vegetable Mashers from the March 2012 Cooking Light (we skipped the potatoes and did more turnips and sweet potatoes), and the wonderful Spring Panzanella from the April 2012 Food and Wine. Thanks Pat and Chris for the elk! We give the elk a 3 (the sauce was a little overwhelming), and the mashers get a 3-they would have been great with rosemary. The Panzanella still gets a 5.
Dessert was a chocolate bread pudding with homemade dulce de leche thanks to Kris. Yum! If we had made this, we would definitely make it again!
Wine: Domenico Clerico 2005 Ciabot Mentin Ginestra Barolo--thanks Tony and Kris!

New recipes, March 24, 2012

We got to spend the day with Mark's nieces, Georgia and Julia Burns, doing a Top Chef type experience! We all had fun, the food was great, and a great meal was had by all (grandparents, Ann and Mike Groshek, and the rest of the Burns Family, parents Kenny and Mary, and brother Brett):

Appetizer: Scallops alla Caprese from Mario Batali's Italian Grill, rating always a 5!

Wine: Pére Sauvignon 2007 Sauvignon Blanc

Salad: Spring Panzanella with Asparagus, from the April 2012 Food and Wine.  Still a 5!

Wine: still the Pére Sauvignon, still as good match!

Pasta: Potato and Beet Gnocchi, from the March 2012 Cooking Light.  Rating 4.

Wine: liana Pinot Grigio 2009

Main Course: Beef Braciole Pinwheel Style, from Mario Batali's Italian Grill.  A 5!!

Wine: Bionzo, 2006 Barbera D'Asti Superiore--fantastic match!

Dessert: Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake from Martha Stewart, with Oreo Truffles.  Ratings 4. Thanks girls, for creating this?  A wonderful dessert, suitable for celebrating Carl's birthday!  Actually worked very well with the Bionzo wine!