A Traditional Christmas Dinner with the Kings

David called it a “Christmas lunch” but by all definitions, this one was a dinner, a NINE course dinner!   We were invited to join David and Michelle and their family and friends for a traditional English holiday meal to top all meals.  With the exception of the salad and desserts, David prepared every single complicated course, an amazing feat to begin with!

He and Bill scoured their cellars for wines to go with the extravaganza, so we not only had a different wine with each course, we often had 2-3 wines!  Seven hours later, we staggered home after washing a few dishes and glasses.  

Curious?   Here’s the menu:

Shitake won tons with hoisin beurre blanc

2002 Bonville Vuvé Les Belles Voyes Brut Blanc de Blanc

Jim’s Dungeness Crab with fuerte Avocado, crab bisque ikura & Benton’s bacon

2006 & 2009 Paul Pernot Puligny-Montrachet Les Folatiéres

Jerusalem artichoke soup with trompettes de la mort & crème Fraîche

2004 Marc Morey Chassagne-Montrachet Les Vergers

2008 Henri Boillot Puligny_Montrachet Clos de la Mouchere

Cured foie gras “a la Kinch” and quince cubes with mache & balsamic

2001 Château Doisy-Vedrines

2007 Château Raymond-Lafon

Wellshire Farms smoked ham with Cara-Cara Orange, star anise & vanilla glaze

Glazed chestnuts and crispy mustard spätzle with chantrelles

1997 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehlener Sonneuhr Auslese Goldkapsel

2001 Joh. Jos. Prüm Wehliner Sonnenuhr Auslese Goldkapsel

Ballotine of Goose, foie grase and chestnuts with goose demi-glace

Duck fat roasted Brussel sprouts

1988 Château Mouton Rothschild

1999 Domaine Rene Leclerc Griotte-Chambertin

Salad of Baby Greens

Sandi’s Pear Tart Tartin

1990 & 2001 Château de Fargues

Tartine’s Bûche de Noel

N V Campbells Grand Rutherglen Topaque

The shitake won tons were a David creation after he and Michelle had some at a restaurant and his successful attempt to reverse engineer them.  The hoisin beurre blanc was what piqued their interest and as with many “appetizers,” I could have made a whole meal of these wonderful little bites.

We sat at the wine glass laden table for the next course of Dungeness Crab with the avocado, crab bisque ikura and crispy bits of bacon.   I like the 2009 Puligny-Montrachet but others like the 2006.  David opened another bottle early and liked the 2008 Puligny-Montrachet the most with the crab dish.   It was a delicate dish that combined the lighter crab and avocado with the crunch and sparks of salty bacon.  Divine, David!

I loved the small taste of the Jerusalum artichoke soup, accented with the black trumpet mushrooms and a tiny dollop of crème fraîche.   I tend to avoid sunchokes because they are such a hassle to peel but David said he just buys more than he needs and shaves off the knobs….now why didn’t I ever think of that?   We were treated to two more bottles of my favorite white burgundy.  As I mentioned, David opened one with the 

second course and then added the 2008 Henri Boillot Puligny-Montrachet Clos de al Mouchére.   The wine pairings were spot on so far!

Now we get tot he first of the richer courses.  David has prepared the foie gras torchon from Thomas Keller's cookbook before many times, but for this dinner and because of the recent release of David Kinch’s cookbook, Manresa, he tried Kinch’s version.   Kinch’s version requires 10+ days to prepare so it was definitely a plan ahead dish.  David did not cure it for the required 10 days but for 8 days but it was time to take it out of the duck fat it had been sitting in and slice it for serving.   And, of coure, it was served with two sauternes:  2001 Doisy-Vedrines and a 2007 Chateau Raymond-Lafon.  I preferred the Doisy-Vedrines but other’s like the Raymond –Lafon.   This version of torchon had a very different texture than Keller’s.  We liked the texture of the Keller version but it may be because the one this evening didn’t cure the full 10+ days.  Bill and I think David needs to revisit this recipe and we are volunteering to be guinea pigs for his efforts. ;-)  David bought a bucket of duck fat for this dish that he generously shared with me so I see pommes frites in our future!!

Our next course was the Wellshire Ham and although I love ham, Bill and I rarely 

eat it because a side of ham is just too much food for just the two of us.  I am so glad when it’s served at a buffet or dinner because I can get my ham fix!  This one was moist and perfectly cooked.  It wasn’t too salty and the glaze with delicious.  The chestnuts added the English touch to the dish.  I’m not a big fan of spätzle so it’s hard for me to describe the ones in this dish.  Since it’s not really a noodle, pasta or dough, I can never figure out what to make of it.  With the ham, David and Bill selected Ausleses to counter the saltiness and richness of this course.

Now we get to the star of the meal - - THE GOOSE!   This one is deboned and stuffed with chestnuts and foie gras.  You can see in this photo how the foie gras is in the center of the stuffing but as it cooks, it melts into the stuffing so in the sliced goose photo, you can’t really see it.   The goose was delicious and very savory.  It had a wild taste to it that I really liked.   The Brussel sprouts were a perfect side dish to the goose, roasted until crispy in duck fat.Initially, the Burgundy tasted better than the Bordeaux but after the Bordeaux had aired for a while, the veggie quality disappeared and I liked it much more with the goose.   After all, what’s not to like with both a Burgundy and a Bordeaux?

Michelle prepared a lovely salad that did the trick to cleanse our palate and prepare us for a few of the desserts to come.  The pacing was really well done.  We had time in between each course to digest and savor each bite, sip some wine and enjoy the company of David’s parents, Michelle’s mother and friend, Susan.   Neighbors came and went, joining us for one course or another or to just visit for a few minutes.   This neighborhood is amazing; where neighbors are comfortable dropping in and children run in and out of everyone’s homes, making themselves at home wherever they are.    Many neighborhoods, like ours, are lives lived behind fences, or closed doors.   No one mows their lawns on Saturday mornings, rakes their leaves every fall, or washes their cars in the driveways anymore.   This little enclave of the 60’s brought back memories of our own childhoods.

I brought a pear tart tatin because it is a dessert that goes so well with sauternes.  I didn’t make this one sweet enough and should have brought some caramel to drizzle over it but it was a light dessert that seemed to please everyone.  The crust of the tart was an odd texture as well.  I’ve made this dish several times and in my efforts not to overbeat the dough, I think I under-mixed it.   The sauternes were actually sweeter than the tart so they were the highlight of this dessert!

Our traditional dessert, the buche de Noel from the Tartine Bakery in San Francisco was like a tiramisu, rolled up.  The buttercream filling had a coffee flavor and the cake and chocolate frosting with the sliced almonds had the same elements as a tiramisu.  By this time I was starting to feel full so I didn’t finish my slice but I can say that it was delicious and exactly what I expect from Tartine’s!   We enjoyed a red sweet dessert wine with this dish that held up against the chocolate and coffee in the Buche de Noel.

And, lastly, just in case we still had any space for any more food, I had made my snowflake cookies and few peppermint buttercream chocolate cookie sandwiches for everyone and the neighborhood children.   I was reminded how time consuming these cookies are but they were delicious and added to the festive air of this traditional Christmas dinner.

Thank you David & Michelle for sharing your holiday feast with us!   It was a dinner that paralleled any of our cookbook club dinners that 10 cooks prepared.   You made it sound easy but I know how much work it takes to cook that many courses, even with a great sous chef like Michelle!

Merry Christmas, everyone.

8th Anual Holiday Buffet

While I am watching the 49ers beat the Seahawks (only 3^rd quarter so still a very close game!), I am savoring my memory of the buffet hosted by the Kings.  Go Niners!  Go Cooks!!

We had several appetizers this year to enjoy with two champagnes.  Most everyone chose a recipe from Guy Crosby’s book and found that, although the dishes were very basic, they provide great results.   And, of course, our cooks enhanced the recipes when the results are too basic or bland.

Michelle decided that since she had some garbanzo beans in the house, she’d make the Hummus that I think she said she enhanced with a Moroccan spice, I think it was Zhatar (?) and olive oil.  It was smooth, satiny and very delicious.   Sharon had made some as well but we didn’t try it since Michelle had already presented hers.  Sandy brought the Bacon, Scallion and Caramelized Onion Dip served in endive leaves as well as a dip with crackers.    I don’t normally like dips but this one was so rich and full of caramelized onions that I looked up the recipe when I got home and put a post-it tab on the page to bookmark it.

Bill and David provided the champagnes:  the French champagne from Bill’s cellar was very dry and went really well with the first two dishes.  It was a 2005 Elisabeth Gourtorbe Champagne Brut, Premier Cru.  David provided a California sparkling that I didn’t get to taste but everyone else enjoyed the J Vineyards Sparkling Brut Rosé.  It was that lovely pink that is always so festive as well!

David prepared a Tomato & Mozzarella Tart that was layered with prosciutto and slivers of basil...very delish!   It's one of those simple but delicious and great-presentation-type dishes that we all need to have in our repetoire of recipes.  It also went well with our champagnes, as David and Bill planned!

We served the next two courses at the dining table set for 11, thanks to the innovative seating by the Kings.   Annie made the Slow-roasted Pork Shoulder with Cherry Sauce and the Fennel Apple Chutney.   The recipe calls for the bone-in pork shoulder and although it makes the carving a bit more difficult, it makes the roast more flavorful.   Because the seasoning on the surface caramelizes, it’s easier to carve the roast with an electric knife that makes easy work of it (once the bone is removed, that is).  Annie was going to just bring the Fennel Apple Chutney but it wasn’t very complex so she also made the Cherry sauce that is also pretty basic but added a nice punch of sweetness to the roast.   I agree that the chutney just didn’t come together enough to enhance the roast, even though the imagined combination sounded fabulous.   The roast was roasted to perfection, still juicy and tender.  

I asked Janice to prepare something green since we were eating a lot of savory dishes so she was kind enough to make a Haricot Vert & Sugar Snap Pea Salad that added some balance to our “pot luck” and was the healthy side to the roast.   Sugar snap peas are so wonderful in salads, adding just that nice green touch of sweetness to the salad that brings out the other flavors in the dish.

The roast was further enhance by a 2004 Rochioli Pinot Noir, Little Hill,  Russian River Valley and a 2001 Grans-Fassian Trittenheimer Apotheke Riesling Spåtlese.  The Pinot was chosen for the Cherry Sauce and the Spåtlese for the Chutney.   They were both great picks for our main course.  We always love Rochioli pinots and everyone raved about the Spåtlese!

I was afraid that we weren’t going to have any desserts so I changed my choice over to a dessert and when Michelle gave me a choice between two dishes (one savory and one sweet), I asked her to bring the Ultimate Chocolate Cupcakes with Ganache Filling.  The cupcakes were decorated by her daughter and arranged in a Christmas Tree formation for our dinner.  They were very moist and had enough frosting to satisfy any chocolate cravings.

Since everyone chose a recipe from Crosby’s book, I decided to use a recipe from the French Laundry cookbook.   I made the Strawberry Sorbet Shortcake with Crème Fraîche.  It was a pretty easy recipe.  Because strawberries aren’t really in season right now, although always available, I added some strawberry balsamic vinegar to ramp up the strawberry flavor of the sorbet and chopped strawberries.   I was disappointed in the shortcake biscuits.  They were very tender but I think I was expecting more of biscuit but his recipe called for bead sized pieces of butter in the dough so I decided to do exactly as directed but in the future I think I’ll get a more flakier biscuit with larger dime or nickel sized butter flakes in the dough (as Guy Crosby recommends!).   The sorbet was perfect and David helped me with the quenelles.   Keller’s instructions called for quenelles made with a single spoon and I tried to follow his instructions (and he that clearly said it takes practice) but couldn’t get nicely egg shaped quenelles with just one spoon.    It was the perfect dessert to end with because, being a Keller dish, it was eaten in one or two bites! (note: the plate in photo is only 3" in diameter).

We also came up with a list of cookbooks for 2014.  In honor of Judy Rodgers (Zuni Cafe, SF restaurant) and Charlie Trotter (3 different cookbooks, his Chicago restaurant is no longer in business) who passed away this year, we’ll cook from their books as well from a new cookbook by our own local star chef, David Kinch, Manresa.    Several others books to chose from will be Jerusalem (Israeli and Arab recipes), SPQR (Modern Italian, SF restaurant) and Boulevard (Nancy Oakes, SF Restaurant).

As you can tell from the long list of cookbooks, there will be some changes to our cookbook club.  I am not going to coordinate the group any longer.   It’s gotten more difficult and is not as much fun for me.   The group was given some options: 1) disband 2) someone else coordinate or 3) rotate the coordination.  Here is what the group decided:

1.  Our dinners will be every 3 months on the first Saturday of that month.  So now you can mark your calendars for the future.  Our first dinner will be Saturday, March 1, 2014 and the Kings have volunteered to host. (2014 dinner dates:  March 1, June 7, Sept. 6 and Dec. 6)
2. The host will be able to select which cookbook (listed above) we will all cook from for their dinner.
3. We will continue to select cookbooks at our Holiday Buffet and/or edit the above list.
4. Sharon will now be the e-mailer who will send you reminders and keep us on track in terms of RSVP and entrés.
5. You will now be expected to send Sharon your entré choice at least 1 week prior to the dinner.
6. Sandi will continue to create the menus once Sharon sends them to her
7. Bill, David and Jeffrey will continue to provide wines from their cellars.  Sharon will send them the list of courses a week ahead of time so they have time to dig into their cellars and to coordinate the wines between them.
8. For the time being, Sandi will continue to write the posts for our blog but hopes that others will pitch in for future dinners.  Sandi, Sandi W or Willy can post what is written onto the blog for you.
9. Until Willie returns to the group, Sandi or Sandy will take photos of our dishes.
10. We didn’t discuss field trips but anyone can decide to coordinate one.  

An aside:  I have agreed to write a chapter for a book that is being written by two local women, Cindy Roberts and Elizabeth Softky.  Our chapter will be on cookbook clubs.   Sharon has committed to write a few paragraphs about her own experience.  I invite you to write a paragraph or story about your own experience with the club and I will incorporate it into our chapter.   You will get to review it before I submit it and as it gets edited by the book’s editors.   Please let me know if you are willing to write something.  I will submit our first draft by the end of January.  It’s due to be completed by the end of November, 2014.

We exchanged our kitchen gifts and found some innovative gadgets and devices to share.  There is a new crowing rooster to keep our mascot company too…although it may not return to get shared in the future.

A fun evening with a great group of cooks and friends!  Thank you for 8 years of cooking and growing!

Cook on!

Sandi

When Ideas Are Better than Reality

Have you ever had a great idea and thought..."I can do that!"  
It starts out pretty innocently: 

Step 1.  Accept invitation to dinner and agree to bring a dish. 

Step 2.  Decide to bring a White Fish Terrine from Richard Olney’s book Simple French Food because Annie made it for one of our cookbook club dinners (see  July, 2009) and I just loved it.  Note the word "Simple" in the title....NOT!   It was an ambitious project for me but since I’ve always wanted to try it, I thought this was the time!  GREAT IDEA!!

Note to self:  Make sure I have 2 days when I have nothing else to do but make this dish….or now in hindsight, scrap the whole idea!

Okay, so first I go shopping to buy various ingredients.  I decide to buy the whole fish because the recipe calls for fish heads and carcasses to make a fumet.  So I purchase whole petrale sole, and whole striped bass for the white fish, plus 10-12 Dover sole filets to line the terrine.   His recipe says to remove the fish eyes…ugh!  That was totally gross.  I don’t mind gutting the fish, removing gills, etc. but poking out the eyes?  AND, it’s not easy to get those eyeballs out of the skulls!  Anyway, add other ingredients, carrot, onion, leek greens, parsley, herbs and spices.   Olney doesn’t say how much of the herbs and spices to add and I now see that I put too much.   Refrigerate strained liquid for at least an hour to get it to jell and set.

Meanwhile make the duxelles, panade and forcemeat…again, not real clear amounts so I think I put too much greens into the forcemeat mixture….and not enough salt.

After baking the terrine in bain-marie, I unmold the terrine and it falls apart!!!  E-E-E-E-EK!  "Bill, come into the kitchen, I need your help, RIGHT NOW!"  Quick, put the loaf pan back over the terrine and turn it right-side up again.   I leave it in the loaf pan and hope that it will magically re-form in the refrigerator overnight….and make Plan B.   My "Save" worked and the terrine firmed up with the natural jell from the fish.  It wasn't tight but presentable. . . barely.

This terrine has an aspic covering using the fumet and gelatin.  How I saved  the terrine, at least in how it looked, was I put some of the aspic into the crevasse that ran down the top of the terrine to fill it in before adding the the multi-layers of aspic.   As you can see, it sort of looks okay.

And, when I served it, the slices also fell apart…no way to save that!  Oh well, great idea but poor execution.  It didn’t even taste that good.  Definitely needed more salt and the texture wasn’t very terrine-like.  Sigh…I was pooped by the time I was done!   IF I make it again, I would do several things differently to change the texture and taste!   Then again, maybe this dish is a "been there, done that" experience.

The only thing I loved about this dish was the tomato cream.  A savory whipping cream made with juice from sieved tomatoes, herbs and S&P.   Now I have to think some other dishes I can use the tomato cream with!!  Yum!

DOUGHNUT UPDATE:  If you remember, I was on the search for the perfect doughnut recipe that creates a crispy doughnut that has holes in the the raised dough (see Oct, 2011 post).   We were at Manresa on Monday to celebrate David Kinch's new cookbook release (and saw Jeffrey, David & Michelle there too. . .you were all invited!).  This is a beautiful book, the cover is embossed, the photographs are stunning and David is a true writer because you will want to actually "READ" this book instead of just doing the recipes.   Back to Monday.  I spoke to the baker who makes all of their bread and churns their butter.  Manresa is the only restaurant where the bread and butter is a course.  The breads are always divine and the butter is churned at the restaurant (the butter comes from special cows who only produce cream for Manresa).  Anyway, I asked her what advice she had for me to create the doughnut of my dreams.  She suggested trying a poolish starter.  I had no idea what a poolish was. . . thank goodness for Google!  So when I have the time (another whole day process), I will give a poolish doughnut recipe a try.  I'll give you an update report when I do.

What culinary adventures have YOU been having?

TOMATO CONFIT

Bill and I took a trip with another couple to Penn Valley to stay with Sharon for the weekend.  The purpose of the trip was to attend the Draft Horse Classic in Grass Valley and see Sharon.  The event is really cool if you love draft horses (Clydesdales, Belgians, Friesians, Percherons,, Suffolks, Shires, etc.).  Before the event you can wander around the stables and pet the horses.  Draft horses are so gentle and mellow that their owners don’t worry about people coming up to them….of course if they moved their giant heads quickly, and you are next to them, you’re toast!  Here you can see me with a friend from my riding class and our riding teacher, in front of a Clydesdale.   Compare the size of his head with the woman who is in front of him.  These horses are huge!  As you can see, Bill and Sharon are NOT into horses so they stayed at Sharon’s.  Bill was going to join us for the event but there was rain, thunder and lightning (hence the jackets, scarves, gloves, etc.) so the event got cancelled and we ended up going out for a great pizza….sigh, next year.

BUT, the trip was not a waste!  We went to a farmer’s market in nearby Nevada City and Sharon and I each bought a flat of Heirloom tomatoes for only $24 a flat.  When Sharon suggested it in an email, I declined because I don’t can tomatoes and Bill & I can’t eat enough of them before they rot.   Sharon shared a recipe for Heirloom Tomato Confit that the tomato farmer shared on his website.  It sounded delicious AND easy so I bought the flat and tried the recipe below.  I liked it so much I drove over to Imahara's Produce on Steven's Creek Blvd and bought some more for $1.99 lb. (end of season sale)  Thanks Sharon!!

Heirloom Tomato Confit 

Choose enough ripe tomatoes so that, when cut in half, they cover the bottom of a large baking dish with sides. The tomatoes will cook down considerably, but you'll need a baking dish with sides to contain the juices while cooking.

1.     Cut tomatoes in half.  (I recommend cutting them vertically.  I tried both ways and if cut horizontally, the tomatoes melted).  Do not skin the tomatoes. (I tried that too and it doesn’t work)

2.     Place snugly cut side down in one layer in a large ovenproof baking dish with sides. 

3.     Salt and pepper, and you can add cut onion, pressed garlic, fresh or dried herbs on top of the tomatoes, if you wish*. 

4.     You may also add 1/4 cup of balsamic vinegar as a very flavorful addition.  Pour in enough olive oil to come 1/3 up the sides of the tomatoes. 

5.     Bake for up to 2 hours in a pre-heated 350 degree oven, until the tomatoes are very soft and lightly caramelized and no longer give off much free liquid.  For the last 15 minutes, watch carefully.

6.     You can make several batches - some to eat now and some to freeze for later enjoyment!

*SU notes:
1.   I addded crushed garlic, chopped onions, fresh thyme, 1 sprig of rosemary, S&P, and balsamic vinegar.

2.  I removed the skins afterwards, so I didn’t worry about burning them.

3. I froze them in ziplock type containers rather than plastic bags.

4.  If you do several batches, use the flavored olive oil again.

I added the tomato confit and the leftover juice from the roasting process (sans olive oil) to fresh
fettucine and some pesto.  Sprinkled some shaved Parmesan over and yum!
But if you want to make more of an effort, here are two recipes that my cousin shared with me.

     Creamy Pasta with Tomato Confit and Fresh Goat Cheese

     Polenta with Pan Roasted Porcini, Tomato Confit and Chevre

Cook on!
p.s. I don't know what is causing the type to extend past the frame or create formatting issues but I can't figure out how to solve the problems.  If you can help, please tell me what I'm doing wrong.  Tx!

French Laundry Reservations

As David said, why go through the complicated bother of making reservations at the French Laundry when we have so many accomplished cooks who can prepare a fabulous 9-course dinner, complete with great wines?  Not this group!  Janis' beautifully set table made us feel quite elegant for the evening.

We started the evening with Gougéres.  Annie thought there were better recipes out there for gougéres.   She reduced the time she baked them in order to keep them moist inside.    Even those who have eaten at the restaurant noticed how dry Keller’s gougéres are so Annie’s decision to shorten the baking time was a good call.  I and others thought Keller’s gougéres were too salty as well.  Willie made better ones for our Holiday Buffet in 2007 (a pre-blog site dinner) using Cindy Pawlcyn’s recipe.  Amazing to have any reservations about any recipes from a Michelin 3-star chef.

Michelle prepared one of my favorite courses of the evening.   Keller’s Salmon Cornets were so delicious!   I wanted more . . . which is exactly Keller’s point at his restaurant.  He wants us to “want more” of each dish only to move on to the next course that should surprise and delight us, where we “want more” of that one, and on and on throughout the evening.  The salmon tartare with sweet red onion crème fraîche layered in a crisp cornet was a two-bite trip into gourmet ecstasy!  She served them in a bed of rock salt to keep them upright for us to partake.  Very clever!

We toasted the return of Sandi & Willie to the group with a bottle of Veuve Cliquot, Nonvintage Champagne (Yellow Label, magnum) from Bill's cellar.    It went well with both the Gougeres and Salmon Cornets.  The bubbly was just what the rich gougéres and cornets needed to cleanse our palates for the next bite.

To remind us just what a great cook Sandi is, she prepared a very rich Creamy Maine Lobster Broth for us.   It was very delicious and although a seemingly a “light” broth, very complex while showcasing the lobster’s flavors.  She added a small bite of lobster that was not called for in the recipe.  It seemed a shame to waste the meat just to get the broth was her thought and we all agreed.  It was a delectable surprise to find it at the bottom of our cups!  Bill poured a 2008 Rochioli Chardonnay, River Block Vineyard wine from his cellar that was an example of a classic fruity California Chardonnay.  David shared a bottle of 2004 Domaine Marc Morey Chassagne-Montrachet, 1er cru, Les Vergers from his cellar.   A lovely white burgundy that was a well-structured wine with a balance of fruit and acid, very typical of French burgundies.  While people loved both wines made from the Chardonnay grape, they thought that the Marc Morey complemented the broth better than the Rochioli.

David prepared the Poached Moulard Duck Foie Gras au Torchon and, instead of the pickled cherries that Keller uses in his recipe, he served it with Sauternes Gelée, a glistening, jeweled presentation choice!  Torchon and seared foie gras are the two best ways to serve it.  David shared his source for the duck liver:  Hudson Valley and D’Artagnan.  Our foie gras this evening was from Hudson Valley and was very decadently delicious.   Some of us, meaning me, would have just eaten this for the entire evening as well as drunk more of the 2001 Chateau Coutet Sauternes that Bill retrieved from his cellar fro this dish.    David said that he followed the recipe for the torchon exactly and poached it for just 3 minutes.  David said that the most time consuming part of the recipe is cleaning the membranes and veins from the lobes.  Preparing this dish is a 3-day affair, so plan ahead!

Our next dish was a second one Michelle treated us to.  The Salmon “Chops” with Celery and Black Truffles was another rich dish to consume and I must say, we did a great of job of pacing this dinner.   Even though the entire meal was heavy and rich, we had enough time in between each course to appreciate and digest the food and wine.  The chops were moist with crispy skins and the fresh truffles were a delightful surprise.  The truffles were imported from Italy, purchased from the Ferry Building’s Far West Fungi.  I loved the celery with the salmon too . . . a very nice fresh touch to this dish.  Bill poured a 1988 Champagne Comte A. De Dampierre Blanc de Blanc de Grand Cru.  What was amazing about this champagne was its age.  It’s pretty rare to drink a 25 year old champagne that still holds its complexity, structure and richness    Bill informed us that originally, this was how champagne corks were secured before they began wiring them as they are today.  This was so good that Annie, who doesn’t care for champagnes, loved this one!  It went well with the salmon and truffles.   It was so good that it probably would have gone with everything!

I prepared the Venison Chop with Butternut Squash for the main entré of the evening.  I bought a domestically raised venison rack from Schaub’s Meat Market in the Stanford Shopping Center.  They frenched it for me but I had to do some additional trimming at home to cut away the sinews and truss the chops into a uniform shape.  As with all of Keller’s recipes, at first glance it looked pretty simple but closer examination shows that each item in his ingredients is a separate recipe.  Very few of his recipes are a one-day affair.   It’s the sauces that require time; even his “Quick” sauce asks for a Veal Sauce that is another recipe to prepare.  I must confess, I cheated and purchased frozen Veal Sauce from Schaub’s so by doing this, if one started 5 hours before serving, it can be done in one day.   The chop was tender and delicious but I find that I prefer wild game and missed that gamey taste in this dish.  Bill poured a magnum of a 1990 Togni Cabernet Sauvignon with the venison.  It stilled showed it’s fruit, richness and complexity for a 23 year old wine with a long finish.  You can see from this photo how carefully the wines are decanted, using a device dubbed the Simoni Suckee Thing.

An Aside:  This recipe called for a Beurre Monte, Brunoise, Chicken Stock and “Quick Sauce, the necks of butternut squash, fried bacon, chervil and thyme.  Even though he wanted just two teaspoons of brunoise, I had to make at least a half recipe.  So I had four pounds of butternut squash, brunoise, Beurre Monté, chicken stock, bacon and chervil, and thyme left over.   Guess what Bill and I had for dinner tonight?   You guessed it, Roasted Butternut Squash Soup, garnished with bacon bits and chervil!!

Our cheese course for the evening was prepared by Janis and may well become the way I’ll serve Brie in the future!    Her Whipped Bric de Meaux en Feullete with Tellicherry Pepper and Baby Mache was totally addictive.    After removing the rind, the brie is whipped with her Kitchen Aide paddle until fluffy.  I’m not sure I can tell the difference between different peppers but learned that there are many, many kinds of black peppers.  The reduced balsamic vinegar added just the right amount of sweetness to the dish.  The mache was our only tribute to greens for the evening.  I hope you all ate your daily vegetable portions the next day!   You can see from this photo that it also makes a beautiful presentation for the cheese course.  We continued to drink the Togni with this dish since we had a magnum to consume.

Sharon brought a Lemon Sabayon Pine Nut Tart with Honeyed Mascarpone Cream.    The group thought that the crust would be enhanced by lightly toasting the pine nuts before adding them into the crust.  The lemon sabayon was tart and sweet, as a lemon dessert should!  She topped it with whipped mascarpone that was sweetened with honey.    Bill pulled yet another Sauternes from his cellar and this one did not disappoint.   We tasted another Chateau Coutet but this one was from a 1999 vintage.   It was a very good pairing because the sauternes and sweetened lemon sabayon complemented each other.  It became a process of sublime - bite, sip, bite, sip, bite sip!

Our last dessert was made by Willie.  Before I forget, and people think that one needs a fancy kitchen with every tool imaginable to prepare a gourmet dish, it is good to remember that Sandi and Willie live in an Airstream trailer and have a far-from-gourmet kitchen in which to make the Lobster broth OR the Velouté of Bittersweet Chocolate with Cinnamon Stick Ice Cream.  It was a 3-day affair, making the ice cream first, then the cookies and lastly the velouté.   Bravo Willie!   It was the fitting ending to a gourmet evening.  Rich, creamy and crispy and so very chocolate-y!  Bill offered two options from his cellar for this ending.  The first was a NV Trafford Tawny Port, House of Seppelt and the second was a 1990 Graham’s Port Malvedos Centenary.   I passed on the Tawny but most people thought it went best with the chocolate.  I love red ports and the Grahams was a very good one!   I didn’t think either was great with the chocolate but finding a good wine to go with chocolate has been a life long pursuit for Bill & I.  Bill doesn’t think there’s any wine that goes well with Chocolate and so far, for me, Meeker Vineyard’s FroZin comes the closest.

Ah-h-h, what a wonderful evening!  Good food, good wine and good friends . . . THIS is why we love to cook!

Our next dinner will be on our Annual Holiday Buffet, December 7 so mark your calendars.  Location TBA.   

Our tradition is that the dishes are finger food or bite-sized appetizers and desserts served buffet style.  The recipes must come from one of the books we used this year:  French Laundry, Slanted Door and Science of Good Cooking or from the December issue of Cook’s Illustrated (Guy Crosby, the author of the Science of Good Cooking is the Science Editor for Cook’s Illustrated’s America's Test Kitchen).

Please bring book suggestions for next year’s cookbooks and don’t forget your gift-wrapped kitchen white elephant or a culinary gadget/tool that costs $15 or less.

Enjoy your Fall season and we'll gather again in December.  

Welcome back Sandi & Willie!  And, thank you Willie for being our photographer this evening.   No more iphone photos, yippee!

DO YOU UNIMOG?

Our field trip to Calistoga turned out to be a small group sojourn for four of us.  Sharon was planning to join us but her dog was bitten by some insect or spider.  The wound got infected so she had to stay home with her Buster.  He is on the mend now after surgery, stitches and a cone collar.  Janis & Bill and Bill & I soldiered on however and arrived at the Davis Estate Winery's guest house in Calistoga. 

It had a fabulous view of vineyards and the Castello di Amorosa across the valley.  As you can see from the photos, the guest house is very nice with 3 bedrooms, a wonderful kitchen that Janis and I used to it’s fullest and a large dining table.

We had dinner at Ad Hoc Friday night where the main entré was a Veal Chop.  If you've never eaten there, there are no menu choices.  You walk in, sit down and are served what is being prepared that night.  There are a couple of add on's but it's the same menu for everyone.  As you can imagine, every course was well prepared and tasted as a Thomas Keller prepared meal should!   IMHO, I think our two Ad Hoc dinners were just as delicious as the restaurant's and much more fun since we had twice as many courses!

We ate a light breakfast of homemade granola, fresh baked croissants, coffee, fresh squeezed orange juice and fruit.  After relaxing a tiny bit and wandering around the vineyards, barns and outbuildings of the winery, we headed to Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen for lunch.  Cindy Pawlcyn is another chef whose cookbook we featured a few years ago.  We had a delightful lunch and headed

back to the house afterwards so I could make homemade ice cream and Peach Pie, since I bought peaches from Phil Cosentino’s orchard ( J & P Farms) the day before.  Bill brought wines from our cellar for both meals, of course!

We did a wine tasting of the Davis Estate Winery wines and our top choices were the Windmill Valley Vineyards Chardonnay, Sauvignon Blanc and Cabernet Sauvignon. . . you can see the remnants of our tasting in this photo as well as the beginnings of setting the table for dinner.  Since our cost to rent the house was a case and a half of wine, we purchased those three varieties plus a couple of bottles of their merlot.   We’ll share those wines with you at our next dinner.

We cooked a simple dinner at the house.  Janis marinated a flank steak that Bill barbequed to perfection on the house’s grill.  It was joined by a green salad, garlic bread…how simple can you get?  It was the best meal so far.  Better than any of the restaurants!   We had a slice of pie ala mode for dessert.  We imbibed of the Estate's wines as well as a Gary Farrell Syrah throughout the dinner.  

Mike & Sandy Davis and two of their employees, Holly & Carie, joined us for breakfast the next morning.  They had just returned from Lake Tahoe with their wooden Chris Craft boats in tow very late Saturday night…well, actually early Sunday morning.   Sandi made her mother’s Sour Cream Waffles for everyone and a tomato omelet for Mike, along with sausages and fresh squeezed orange juice from Janis & Bill’s orange trees.   Everyone wanted the recipe for the waffles so I guess they all like it!

You are probably wondering what the heck is a “UNIMOG.”   Before you google it, it is a vehicle manufactured by Mercedes Benz and in this case, a fire truck that Mike keeps on the property.  It has 7 gears and can climb a 40% angled hill and holds 8 easily inside.  Mike was the "tour guide" par excellence and gave us the king's tour!  It was great fun to tour the property and vineyards in it.  It was the highlight of our trip!   

We all left the property Sunday afternoon and thoroughly enjoyed the weekend with each other!  Thank you Mike and Sandy for sharing your piece of paradise and wonderful wines with us!

Next Stop:  French Laundry dinner at Janis & Bill’s home on August 31^st.   Save your appetites for this fabulous dinner!