Cooking
Tom and Carol throw great parties. Their summer and winter parties are so amazing that we do everything possible to keep our calendars free. Thanks to Carol's organizing and decorating and Tom's CIA-trained cooking, the parties never fail to be events we talk about months later. Melissa and I have been fortunate enough to go to two of their parties, and we felt it was time to thank them for their hospitality. Plus we like them and don't get to see them often enough. We also invited our mutual friends Tim and Mitch (who introduced us), and Melissa's best friend Amanda, as well as my dad, both of whom were in town at the time.Appetizers
Homemade Italian country loaves with Pumpkinseed Oil
Butternut squash soup with sage oil
Parmesan crisps with warm goat cheese, frisee, and traditional balsamic vinegar
Wine: Prosecco di Valdobbiademe
It figures that Tom & Carol, serious food lovers, would be the only other people we've ever had over who already knew about pumpkinseed oil. Carol even mentioned that it goes well with squash soups. Ten minutes earlier, and I might have changed the garnish on the soup. The prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine, made in the same manner as Champagne except of course they can't call it that. I learned about it from Gambero Rosso, the well-known Italian food and wine magazine. I had had it a couple of times, so decided to share some with our guests.Opener
Salad of pickled mushrooms and artichoke hearts
Wine: Gruner Veltliner Schmetz Federspiel 2001, Wachau-Osterreich
I was unable to get Gruner from my normal source for German and Austrian wines, so I asked the folks at K & L for their crispest Gruner. I knew it had to stand up to pickled mushrooms, so I wanted something very sharp. To my mind, the Gruner wasn't acidic enough, growing flat when paired with the mushrooms. But it was still decent. Not my beloved Salomon Gruners, but good nonetheless.Main Course
Tuscan-style pork roast with a pear and jicama saute and apple cider sauce
Wine: Ridge 2000 Zinfandel, Sonoma Station
I haven't done much meat cookery. Melissa doesn't eat mammals, so I've always only ever made fish and chicken. But I've gotten bored with roast chicken and Cornish game hens. So while Melissa got a pan-seared chicken breast, the rest of us got the pork roast. I had done a trial run last week, and it came out pretty well. I toned down the garlic in the recipe, however, because of all the fruit on the plate. I didn't know what I was going to serve it with until I went to the farmer's market and saw apple cider. I used that for a pan sauce, and it worked pretty well. Melissa's friend Amanda fell in love with the Ridge, and Tom and Carol were fans of it from back before the winery was owned by Ridge.Cheese
Toasted pain de mie with Vacherin Mont d'Or and Reblochon
Wine: J.u. H.A. Strub 1996 Niersteiner Orbel, Riesling Spatlese
Vacherin Mont d'Or is Melissa's and my engagement cheese; it was served as the cheese course at the French Laundry, where I proposed. It's a great cheese. I had asked at the Cheese Board for a few different softer cheeses, since I was trying to figure out what to serve. After going through some epoisses, the person behind the counter gave me a bit of the Vacherin. That was all it took for me to decide. As with the Gruner, my normal source for German wines was unavailable, so I picked up the Riesling from K & L. I hadn't had it before, but my memory was that it was a good producer. It was quite yummy, and I'd certainly buy some again (and for those who don't think whites age well, you need to drink more German rieslings).Dessert
Hungarian Hazelnut Torte
Wine: Tokaji Aszu (5 puttanyos), Disznoko, 1995
In this case the wine and food pairing happened in reverse. We were at Solano Cellars, and I saw the Tokaji. I've had Tokaji before and really liked it, so I decided to get some for the party. But this changed my plans for a chocolate dessert. So I was flipping through recent magazines, just looking for some ideas, when I saw that Bon Appetit had done a little article on Tokaji, along with the torte described above. So for the first time in a while now, I followed a Bon Appetit recipe (normally I just use them for ideas). Well, more or less. The recipe calls for apricot preserves, but I poached dried apricots in an anise and cinnamon syrup and then pureed them. It came out quite well, and the tokaji did complement it well.Mignardise
Ginger truffles
Coffee, peach tea
- Wtn: 1998 Nigl Gruner Veltliner, Sentfenberger Piri, Krepmstal, Austria
2003 Nigl Gruner Veltliner, Sentfenberger Piri, Krempstal, Austria When Melissa and I went to the 10-year anniversary tasting for The Age of Riesling, we bought roughly a case of wine. Bill Mayer used the event as a chance to sell off his older inventory,...
- Casual Dinner Parties? From Us?
You all know about my dinner parties by now. Five, six, and once ten, courses, wines paired to the course as best as I'm able. Days of work. So when Melissa suggested we have our friends Jean and Chris over last week-end (on Saturday and Sunday...
- J & J 10 X 10
It was an email I didn't think I'd ever see. "Hey, what if we did a 10-course meal when James and Jeffrey come over?" Melissa is usually the voice of reason when it comes to dinner parties. It is not a coincidence that she is also the person who cleans...
- Cooking For Two
We are on a temporary hiatus from dinner parties, catching up with various things. But I view it as a chance to practice some things I have been interested in, as well as try out some recipes from a cookbook I'm reviewing for my food writing class....
- Last Night's Dinner
Over the last year, and the last six months in particular, my dinner parties have gotten more elaborate. Whereas I used to have two basic courses (not counting appetizers), it's now fairly routine for me to have four, which includes neither the...
Cooking
Tom & Carol & Tim & Mitch & Amanda & Garry
Tom and Carol throw great parties. Their summer and winter parties are so amazing that we do everything possible to keep our calendars free. Thanks to Carol's organizing and decorating and Tom's CIA-trained cooking, the parties never fail to be events we talk about months later. Melissa and I have been fortunate enough to go to two of their parties, and we felt it was time to thank them for their hospitality. Plus we like them and don't get to see them often enough. We also invited our mutual friends Tim and Mitch (who introduced us), and Melissa's best friend Amanda, as well as my dad, both of whom were in town at the time.
So I decided to go crazy. Or at least as much as one can in my tiny kitchen. Though my dad volunteered to help, which was tremendously helpful. I can see why Tom has a small cadre of friends he's trained as sous chefs for his parties. So with all three of us working, we managed to fit everyone in the apartment through some clever arrangements by Melissa and get dinner on the table more or less on time.
It figures that Tom & Carol, serious food lovers, would be the only other people we've ever had over who already knew about pumpkinseed oil. Carol even mentioned that it goes well with squash soups. Ten minutes earlier, and I might have changed the garnish on the soup. The prosecco is an Italian sparkling wine, made in the same manner as Champagne except of course they can't call it that. I learned about it from Gambero Rosso, the well-known Italian food and wine magazine. I had had it a couple of times, so decided to share some with our guests.
I was unable to get Gruner from my normal source for German and Austrian wines, so I asked the folks at K & L for their crispest Gruner. I knew it had to stand up to pickled mushrooms, so I wanted something very sharp. To my mind, the Gruner wasn't acidic enough, growing flat when paired with the mushrooms. But it was still decent. Not my beloved Salomon Gruners, but good nonetheless.
I haven't done much meat cookery. Melissa doesn't eat mammals, so I've always only ever made fish and chicken. But I've gotten bored with roast chicken and Cornish game hens. So while Melissa got a pan-seared chicken breast, the rest of us got the pork roast. I had done a trial run last week, and it came out pretty well. I toned down the garlic in the recipe, however, because of all the fruit on the plate. I didn't know what I was going to serve it with until I went to the farmer's market and saw apple cider. I used that for a pan sauce, and it worked pretty well. Melissa's friend Amanda fell in love with the Ridge, and Tom and Carol were fans of it from back before the winery was owned by Ridge.
Vacherin Mont d'Or is Melissa's and my engagement cheese; it was served as the cheese course at the French Laundry, where I proposed. It's a great cheese. I had asked at the Cheese Board for a few different softer cheeses, since I was trying to figure out what to serve. After going through some epoisses, the person behind the counter gave me a bit of the Vacherin. That was all it took for me to decide. As with the Gruner, my normal source for German wines was unavailable, so I picked up the Riesling from K & L. I hadn't had it before, but my memory was that it was a good producer. It was quite yummy, and I'd certainly buy some again (and for those who don't think whites age well, you need to drink more German rieslings).
In this case the wine and food pairing happened in reverse. We were at Solano Cellars, and I saw the Tokaji. I've had Tokaji before and really liked it, so I decided to get some for the party. But this changed my plans for a chocolate dessert. So I was flipping through recent magazines, just looking for some ideas, when I saw that Bon Appetit had done a little article on Tokaji, along with the torte described above. So for the first time in a while now, I followed a Bon Appetit recipe (normally I just use them for ideas). Well, more or less. The recipe calls for apricot preserves, but I poached dried apricots in an anise and cinnamon syrup and then pureed them. It came out quite well, and the tokaji did complement it well.
- Wtn: 1998 Nigl Gruner Veltliner, Sentfenberger Piri, Krepmstal, Austria
2003 Nigl Gruner Veltliner, Sentfenberger Piri, Krempstal, Austria When Melissa and I went to the 10-year anniversary tasting for The Age of Riesling, we bought roughly a case of wine. Bill Mayer used the event as a chance to sell off his older inventory,...
- Casual Dinner Parties? From Us?
You all know about my dinner parties by now. Five, six, and once ten, courses, wines paired to the course as best as I'm able. Days of work. So when Melissa suggested we have our friends Jean and Chris over last week-end (on Saturday and Sunday...
- J & J 10 X 10
It was an email I didn't think I'd ever see. "Hey, what if we did a 10-course meal when James and Jeffrey come over?" Melissa is usually the voice of reason when it comes to dinner parties. It is not a coincidence that she is also the person who cleans...
- Cooking For Two
We are on a temporary hiatus from dinner parties, catching up with various things. But I view it as a chance to practice some things I have been interested in, as well as try out some recipes from a cookbook I'm reviewing for my food writing class....
- Last Night's Dinner
Over the last year, and the last six months in particular, my dinner parties have gotten more elaborate. Whereas I used to have two basic courses (not counting appetizers), it's now fairly routine for me to have four, which includes neither the...