Since I moved to my humble but cozy abode in Los Feliz, I have wanted to have a housewarming party. I love my new place. It's on an adorable tree-filled street of cute little houses right in the middle of the action of Hillhurst and Vermont. The building is from the 1950s and the majority of my neighbors are older Armenian couples who are lovely and kind. (One lady just came to my door five minutes ago with a shy knock, holding out a plate of cookies and apologizing that she does not speak English, but smiling and motioning for me to take them. What a sweetheart. By the way, the cookies, little butter/sugar cookie rounds, each filled with a date and chopped walnuts and sprinkled with powdered sugar, are from scratch and are amazing. Another one of my neighbors has fixed my screen door, which had fallen off its hinge, while I was at work, without even saying anything to me.) I love my location because I can walk to whatever I need- groceries, cute restaurants, dive bars, coffee, dry cleaning, tailor, yoga, pilates, etc.!-, it's great for walks and runs, and it's always quiet and relaxing on weeknights when I get home from work ready to unwind.
The Plan
A few weeks ago, once I had enough furniture that I was happy with (though I am in sore need of artwork!), and could count my L.A. friends on more than two hands, I decided to go for it and plan a great party. Since most of my friends don't know each other, I wanted to do something that would create topics of conversation and make it easy for people to chat and get to know each other. I decided to do a blind wine tasting based on one I went to with my friend M.J. a few years back. It was in the Hollywood Hills at a beautiful home. The host had a bunch of different wines covered with brown paper bags marked with numbers in marker. The game was guess the price. The cheapest of the 8 wines was $6 (this was just before the rise in popularity of 2 Buck Chuck) and the most expensive was $600, with every price in between. It was fun to taste each wine together one at a time, and hilarious when even the most snooty wine snobs who were so sure they were right picked a $16 wine above a $200 wine. The moral of the game was in line with the wine mantra I have learned from the most knowledgeable and fancy wine experts I have ever met: a good wine is a wine you like. Period! Wine is very personal. Learning the characteristics of different grapes and regions enhances your enjoyment of wine, and learning how to describe a wine's qualities make wine tasting and drinking much more fun and social. But if you love that 2 Buck Chuck Sauvignon Blanc, which coincidentally I am enjoying right now cut with some lime seltzer to accompany a bowl of edamame, then it's a good wine.
Anyway, I thought this would be the perfect party theme, and most importantly give us all an excuse to drink lots of wine.
The Wines
I decided to do the price game and stick to one grape, Pinot Gris (a.k.a. Pinot Grigio) because it is one of my favorite refreshing summer whites and gets a bad rap from some wine snobs, which makes me more adamant about liking it because darn it, it's yummy! I went to Silverlake Wine (which is awesome, by the way) and with their help got my three nicest wines. I went to Trader Joe's for the rest, which were considerably cheaper.
These were my picks and the order I served them in:
#1: Barefoot Pinot Grigio - California (Trader Joe's, $4.99)
#2: Prima Terra Pinot Grigio - Italy 2005 (Silver Lake Wine, $14.39)
#3: Pavi Pinot Grigio Delle Venezie - Napa Valley 2005 (Silver Lake Wine, $10)
#4: Villa Cerrina Chardonnay Pinot Grigio (yes, it was a blend!) - Italy 2006 (Trader Joe's, $3.99)
#5: Torri Mor Pinot Gris - Oregon 2005 (Silver Lake Wine, $22)
Party Prep
I went to Bevmo and bought a little prize for the winner who could guess the order by price (little "wine glass name tags" which go around the stem of a wine glass, to identify your glass at parties, for $2.99) and wrote up a cute Evite. Then I decided what food to make. I had just taken the "Cocktail Party" class at my favorite cooking class, Hip Cooks, and decided to make two appetizers from that class- cucumber rounds with ahi tuna sashimi seasoned with soy, sesame, hot chili oil and green onions, and feta and white-wine-sauteed mushroom quiche tarteletts. (Both came out perfect and were delicious!) I also put out green grapes and chopped veggies, and a friend brought over a beautiful loaf of crusty bread and some Rondele garlic cheese spread. Another friend brought a case of San Pellegrino which he helped me serve to people in between tastes (Thanks, J!). I moved furniture around to make "social clusters" and read up on Pinot Gris so I'd be able to explain the background of the grape (arose from a freak genetic mutation in Pinot Noir in medieval times. Who knew!) and answer questions. Put together a chill iPod playlist, and I was ready to go.
As people arrived, my butterflies about nobody showing up and me being left to eat ahi tuna and drink ten bottles of wine alone -- which I must admit was not the worst alternative scenario ever -- flew away. Soon, the place was packed! A couple of my nice elderly neighbors even stopped by (I had invited them, too), and were finally able to communicate since my friend K. speaks Armenian.
Hostess Strategy
Hosting the party was such a blast. I would hit a fork to a glass to get everyone's attention, and announce the next wine by number. I had two bottles of each, and the 25 people who showed up all got good tastes of the wines. (Next time, I will probably do 3 of each if I have so many people again!) I got to chat with everyone as I walked around making sure they had each wine. They all got along spendidly, having lots to talk about by asking each other what they thought of the different wines. The conversation was flowing faster than the vino. The food was devoured (next time, I'll make more!) and my place got really hot from all the bodies. The smokers all bonded on my back patio, and I went out to say hello periodically. I had index cards and pens by the front door which everybody took and wrote their guesses on. At the end, I looked at all of them and found one person who had gotten them all right - the lovely C.!- who then won the prize, which I had wrapped up with paper and a tiny bow. Everybody applauded her. People were amazed to find that they loved some of the cheaper wines far more than the more expensive ones. (I personally never drink wine above $10 on a daily basis at home, so I considered the $14 and $22 wines pretty schmancy!)
One wine that most everybody loved and I thought was tasty, crisp, juicy and delicious like a green apple, was the Prima Terra Pinot Grigio (#2 on the list above). I would definitely buy a couple more bottles of that to keep in my "wine cellar" (a 16-bottle one I bought on sale at Target which is fantastic). The Villa Cerinna blend (#4) was also a winner with the crowd. It is refreshing and very easy to drink, and at $3.99 it's a an everyday wine worth checking out.
Conclusion: Good Times!
In sum, the party was a smashing success. Many of my friends told me it was one of the best parties they have been to in a long time. I had a fabulous time, too. It was under control and, well, adult, but it was also a great time! Also, cleanup was a snap-- a couple of friends stuck around after and helped me clean, and I swear the next morning my place looked even neater than it had before the party. The next day, I emailed out the wine list with prices and where I bought them so people could pick up their favorites to drink again.
I highly recommend having a party following this model if you are nervous about showing everyone a good time, because the wine game does the entertaining for you. Other games I have thought of are guess the grape, guess the region, or "one of these things does not belong" using any characteristic you choose. You can do as few as three wines, or as many as you wish. You can also spend however much you want to spend. Overall, the whole party did not cost me very much at all, and I felt that it was money well-spent because it was so wonderful and so fabulous to see my friends all getting along and enjoying themselves. I can't wait to have another wine tasting party!
If you have any suggestions for hosting a great wine party, please share in a comment.
:-p Cheers!
Showing posts with label party plan. Show all posts
Showing posts with label party plan. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
G.M.'s Wine Dinner - July, 2007
When I first started my job several years ago, I made friends with a fellow attorney. She and I spent a lot of time shopping and going out to eat together, and she told me about a monthly dinner party that she attended with her husband in the East Bay. She would tell me about these legendary dinners - the food, the wine, the casual atmosphere, the quirky crowd. And then one day she invited me to go along.....
And seriously - my culinary life in the Bay Area has NEVER been the same!
The brilliant man behind these monthly parties shall remain nameless, at least on this blog - I will refer to him as G.M. He is not a professional chef - he has a normal job in finance. But he is an amazing home chef and wine connoisseur. Twenty-five years ago he started these dinners as a wine tasting party - 25 bottles of merlot in brown paper bags. Decades later the party has evolved to include some of the most amazing food I have ever consumed, accompanied by perfectly paired wines. G.M takes a set amount of donations from the friends he invites to cover the cost of the food and wine, but no more - this is not an underground restaurant. It is simply the most amazing dinner party I have ever attended, donations accepted. Once you come a few times you get on the email list for the parties, and can bring others. I have brought many friends, including Patch, over the years.
G.M hosts these dinners almost every month - usually taking June off for vacation. The dinner parties are held twice per month, so that everyone on the guest list can attend, and the size of the dinners range from 12-30 people. Most months are themed - December is standing rib roast, January is cassoulet, March is Italian feast, etc. There are two middle eastern dinners per year, and August is Heirloom Tomato month. The provencal feast comes in the spring - imagine perfect fresh homemade aoili, served with tons of fresh and slightly cooked spring vegetables, seafood, roast chicken, acme bread - divine. And then of course, there is a leg of lamb and potatoes, and then fruit and moscato d'Asti or an amazing cheese course from the cheese board in Berkeley.
Speaking of Acme and the cheese board - one of the best things about this dinner is that G.M. has access to ingredients that very few home chefs ever touch. He has truck privileges at the farmers market in Berkeley, and therefore picks his fruit and vegetables before they ever get to the stands. He has his meat specially ordered and sausage ground fresh at Cafe Rouge. His bread is from Acme, his cheese from the Cheese Board, and his wines are direct from his good friend Kermit Lynch - the premier wine importer in the bay area.
One of the best things about the dinners in general is that, while the food is perfect and the wine divine, the dinner itself is so casual. Real silverware and wine glasses are used, but the plates and napkins and bowls are all paper. Saves G.M. a lot of time cleaning up for such a crowd. In addition, he somehow manages to make everything with a small arsenal of equipment - an oven, a giant bbq, a stove, a few pots, several giant clay casserole dishes, and a variety of large silver bowls (plus a food processor and some great knives).
I look forward to this dinner every month. But this past month, the July 2007 dinner, was especially fun. July is one of the few months without a theme, and therefore the whole menu was a surprise.
We started with an apertif - Petillant de Savoie, Quenard. A soft bubbly wine, from the foot of the Alps, it was the perfect pre-meal champagne-esque drink. Very fresh, extremely delicious, and now on my list of things to buy soon.
People at the dinner help set up, clean up, and serve and prep courses. I had the pleasure of helping with the first course. G.M. seasoned and marinated shrimp in olive oil and spices, then dusted it with corn starch and quickly fried it, 30 seconds tops. We then ladled a puree of cannelini beans processed with some pastis, garlic, and various other spices, right onto the middle of a plate. In the middle of the puree went a fresh salad of amazing red heirloom tomatoes mixed with onion, olive oil, plenty of salt, and mint. Three of the fried shrimp went on the puree surrounding the salad. The whole thing was served with acme rustic baguette - oh. my. The puree itself was amazing, I could eat a bowl of that every day. The course was fresh-tasting, and the shrimp was slightly crunchy without being greasy or heavy. The tails were completely edible. People were scraping their plates.
The shrimp was served with a lovely rose - a 2006 Saint Chinian, Mas Champart. This is G.M.'s favorite rose of the 2006 vintage, and is very reasonably priced. It was tasty, fresh, and juicy - everything a good rose should be. Rose is one of my absolute favorite wines in the summer time - so fresh and refreshing, so far from the bad bad rose's of the 80s. If you aren't drinking them this summer, shame on you - go buy this one!
The next course was a crostini. A large slice of oven-toasted acme bread was spread with a thick layer of cheese - goat cheese mixed with a little blue, so sharp and pungent and creamy and delicious. On top of the cheese was a perfect slice of red heirloom tomato, and the whole thing was drizzled with olive oil. Oh my. Some people tried to slice their crostini with a fork and a knife, but I just picked that thing up and started eating, olive oil dripping down my wrists. I'm not touching something like that with a knife, I don't care how bad it looks. Food like that is meant to be eaten with your hands, preferably outside. It was SO good.
The wine served with the crostini was a 2005 Cotes du Rohne, Trignon. It was delicious, but sadly the winery has been sold, and Kermit reports that the new owner is a weasel and has ruined the wines. This was the last taste of wine from the former owner - and it was good, but sad to say goodbye.
Sadly, the next wine (a waiting wine) was corked. Sort of a funny story, actually. The wine was a 2004 Paesan, Guido Porro. I was helping G.M. with the main course, but came to have a taste of the wine. Patch was talking about how she thought the wine had a nose of brie cheese, and wasn't THAT weird. I took a whiff and smelled oysters - briny, salty oysters with mignonette. I reported this to the table, and people started nodding in agreement, and wasn't it weird for a wine to have a nose of oysters. G.M. arrived at the table, and we told him that we thought the wine had a nose of brie and oysters. He took one whiff, made a sour face, and said "only if those things smell like a newspaper that has been watered and left to mold in a car. It is corked." A giant "ah, this makes sense" went up amongst the populace. There is a lesson here - wine should never have a nose of stinky cheese or briny sea creatures. It was funny to watch people sipping it and saying "oh yes, brie, its quite delicious." CORKED!
G.M. took a few of us down to his cellar to pick out some replacement wines. One was a special wine of his - a 1990 Burgundy by Robert Chevillon, Nuits Saint George, Los Perrieres. It was a really bold wine - smoky and woody tasting, with a great nose. It almost had the color of a port. It was like nothing I've ever had - not exactly my absolute favorite wine, but really delicious and interesting.
Next G.M. served the main course. It was supposed to be divine skirt steaks from cafe rouge, but when he got there he saw a giant cut of pork, rubbed in spices and rolled, and he couldn't resist. He slow-roasted it in the oven, topped with the crackling skin, fat soaking into the meat. Amazing. Everyone was served a cut of the pork with some of the skin on top - it was seriously delicious. I had a little bite of the buttery fat with each piece of pork, and it was just perfect. On the side G.M. made one of my favorite dishes - red potatoes roasted with tomatoes, green peppers, garlic, onions, and tons of olive oil. The tomatoes caramelize and become incredibly sweet, as do the peppers. It is a really simple dish but tasted amazing with the pork.
There were two wines with the pork. One was another special bottle - a cab, and sadly I forgot to write down what it was. Really sad because it was my favorite wine of the night (besides the moscato) - I will email G.M. and see if I can find out what it was.
The other wine served with the pig was a 2000 Chianti Classico Riserva - and it was perfect with the pig. The wine is from Villa di Ceggiano. A really bright tart wine, with a long finish - yum. I love a nice chianti (name that film!).
To finish off this perfect meal, G.M. served my favorite dessert. I love a cheese course, but in the summer nothing can beat peaches and nectarines from Frog Hollow Farms - especially with a glass of Moscato d'Asti. On Saturday it was nectarines - one of the most perfect, delicious pieces of fruit I've ever had. It was perfect just by itself.
And the moscato - ohhh the moscato. G.M. serves it at almost every dinner, because it is that good. It is the best sweet wine I have ever had - it isn't too sweet, but it pairs perfectly with fruit. I know G.M. gets this particular Moscato d'asti from Kermit - all I know is that it has a tree on the label. And is heaven in a sparkly, sweet, delicious wine.
This was the perfect dinner for me - I left full and happy without feeling sick from consuming too much delicious food. Some of the dinners are so good that I can't resist the impulse to keep eating, but this was a very well organized and deliciously prepared dinner. It set me up for next month - heirloom tomatoes. Labne sandwiches with perfect tomatoes, blt's where the bun is dipped in the bacon fat before serving, gazpacho.....I can taste it now...
Is it August yet?
cheers ;)
Emilia
A postscript from Patch:
Amen, Emilia, Amen. I have to mention that the crostini course seems deceptive in its simplicity. The thing was so incredibly delicious that I declared to the whole table, "If I were on death row, this could be my last meal." And I stand by that statement. When is a tomato not a tomato? When it is incredibly fresh, perfectly ripe, and hand-picked by G.M. And tastes like the essence of a thousand of the subpar tomatoes that you and I normally get to eat on a regular basis. It's really another creature entirely.
Also, the pork with the crackling skin and potatoes was so good that I took it home in a tupperware I smuggled in for leftovers (which G.M. found amusing) and had at it again later that night, cold. It was still so good. I was going to bring it on the plane next day but forgot. There was much gnashing of teeth.
Finally, the nectarine was the best I have ever had. The. Best. Ever. I rarely say things like that when it comes to food, because I've had so much great stuff. But this was just...it made me want to cry. Emilia can verify if you don't believe me. Also, G.M. has great taste in cigars, a part of the denoument of the meal that I was happy to enjoy.
I planned my trip to SF for that particular weekend because of this feast. And I shall do it again. Heirloom tomatoes, do your worst! Beautiful meal, beautifully captured by Emilia.
:-P
And seriously - my culinary life in the Bay Area has NEVER been the same!
The brilliant man behind these monthly parties shall remain nameless, at least on this blog - I will refer to him as G.M. He is not a professional chef - he has a normal job in finance. But he is an amazing home chef and wine connoisseur. Twenty-five years ago he started these dinners as a wine tasting party - 25 bottles of merlot in brown paper bags. Decades later the party has evolved to include some of the most amazing food I have ever consumed, accompanied by perfectly paired wines. G.M takes a set amount of donations from the friends he invites to cover the cost of the food and wine, but no more - this is not an underground restaurant. It is simply the most amazing dinner party I have ever attended, donations accepted. Once you come a few times you get on the email list for the parties, and can bring others. I have brought many friends, including Patch, over the years.
G.M hosts these dinners almost every month - usually taking June off for vacation. The dinner parties are held twice per month, so that everyone on the guest list can attend, and the size of the dinners range from 12-30 people. Most months are themed - December is standing rib roast, January is cassoulet, March is Italian feast, etc. There are two middle eastern dinners per year, and August is Heirloom Tomato month. The provencal feast comes in the spring - imagine perfect fresh homemade aoili, served with tons of fresh and slightly cooked spring vegetables, seafood, roast chicken, acme bread - divine. And then of course, there is a leg of lamb and potatoes, and then fruit and moscato d'Asti or an amazing cheese course from the cheese board in Berkeley.
Speaking of Acme and the cheese board - one of the best things about this dinner is that G.M. has access to ingredients that very few home chefs ever touch. He has truck privileges at the farmers market in Berkeley, and therefore picks his fruit and vegetables before they ever get to the stands. He has his meat specially ordered and sausage ground fresh at Cafe Rouge. His bread is from Acme, his cheese from the Cheese Board, and his wines are direct from his good friend Kermit Lynch - the premier wine importer in the bay area.
One of the best things about the dinners in general is that, while the food is perfect and the wine divine, the dinner itself is so casual. Real silverware and wine glasses are used, but the plates and napkins and bowls are all paper. Saves G.M. a lot of time cleaning up for such a crowd. In addition, he somehow manages to make everything with a small arsenal of equipment - an oven, a giant bbq, a stove, a few pots, several giant clay casserole dishes, and a variety of large silver bowls (plus a food processor and some great knives).
I look forward to this dinner every month. But this past month, the July 2007 dinner, was especially fun. July is one of the few months without a theme, and therefore the whole menu was a surprise.
We started with an apertif - Petillant de Savoie, Quenard. A soft bubbly wine, from the foot of the Alps, it was the perfect pre-meal champagne-esque drink. Very fresh, extremely delicious, and now on my list of things to buy soon.
People at the dinner help set up, clean up, and serve and prep courses. I had the pleasure of helping with the first course. G.M. seasoned and marinated shrimp in olive oil and spices, then dusted it with corn starch and quickly fried it, 30 seconds tops. We then ladled a puree of cannelini beans processed with some pastis, garlic, and various other spices, right onto the middle of a plate. In the middle of the puree went a fresh salad of amazing red heirloom tomatoes mixed with onion, olive oil, plenty of salt, and mint. Three of the fried shrimp went on the puree surrounding the salad. The whole thing was served with acme rustic baguette - oh. my. The puree itself was amazing, I could eat a bowl of that every day. The course was fresh-tasting, and the shrimp was slightly crunchy without being greasy or heavy. The tails were completely edible. People were scraping their plates.
The shrimp was served with a lovely rose - a 2006 Saint Chinian, Mas Champart. This is G.M.'s favorite rose of the 2006 vintage, and is very reasonably priced. It was tasty, fresh, and juicy - everything a good rose should be. Rose is one of my absolute favorite wines in the summer time - so fresh and refreshing, so far from the bad bad rose's of the 80s. If you aren't drinking them this summer, shame on you - go buy this one!
The next course was a crostini. A large slice of oven-toasted acme bread was spread with a thick layer of cheese - goat cheese mixed with a little blue, so sharp and pungent and creamy and delicious. On top of the cheese was a perfect slice of red heirloom tomato, and the whole thing was drizzled with olive oil. Oh my. Some people tried to slice their crostini with a fork and a knife, but I just picked that thing up and started eating, olive oil dripping down my wrists. I'm not touching something like that with a knife, I don't care how bad it looks. Food like that is meant to be eaten with your hands, preferably outside. It was SO good.
The wine served with the crostini was a 2005 Cotes du Rohne, Trignon. It was delicious, but sadly the winery has been sold, and Kermit reports that the new owner is a weasel and has ruined the wines. This was the last taste of wine from the former owner - and it was good, but sad to say goodbye.
Sadly, the next wine (a waiting wine) was corked. Sort of a funny story, actually. The wine was a 2004 Paesan, Guido Porro. I was helping G.M. with the main course, but came to have a taste of the wine. Patch was talking about how she thought the wine had a nose of brie cheese, and wasn't THAT weird. I took a whiff and smelled oysters - briny, salty oysters with mignonette. I reported this to the table, and people started nodding in agreement, and wasn't it weird for a wine to have a nose of oysters. G.M. arrived at the table, and we told him that we thought the wine had a nose of brie and oysters. He took one whiff, made a sour face, and said "only if those things smell like a newspaper that has been watered and left to mold in a car. It is corked." A giant "ah, this makes sense" went up amongst the populace. There is a lesson here - wine should never have a nose of stinky cheese or briny sea creatures. It was funny to watch people sipping it and saying "oh yes, brie, its quite delicious." CORKED!
G.M. took a few of us down to his cellar to pick out some replacement wines. One was a special wine of his - a 1990 Burgundy by Robert Chevillon, Nuits Saint George, Los Perrieres. It was a really bold wine - smoky and woody tasting, with a great nose. It almost had the color of a port. It was like nothing I've ever had - not exactly my absolute favorite wine, but really delicious and interesting.
Next G.M. served the main course. It was supposed to be divine skirt steaks from cafe rouge, but when he got there he saw a giant cut of pork, rubbed in spices and rolled, and he couldn't resist. He slow-roasted it in the oven, topped with the crackling skin, fat soaking into the meat. Amazing. Everyone was served a cut of the pork with some of the skin on top - it was seriously delicious. I had a little bite of the buttery fat with each piece of pork, and it was just perfect. On the side G.M. made one of my favorite dishes - red potatoes roasted with tomatoes, green peppers, garlic, onions, and tons of olive oil. The tomatoes caramelize and become incredibly sweet, as do the peppers. It is a really simple dish but tasted amazing with the pork.
There were two wines with the pork. One was another special bottle - a cab, and sadly I forgot to write down what it was. Really sad because it was my favorite wine of the night (besides the moscato) - I will email G.M. and see if I can find out what it was.
The other wine served with the pig was a 2000 Chianti Classico Riserva - and it was perfect with the pig. The wine is from Villa di Ceggiano. A really bright tart wine, with a long finish - yum. I love a nice chianti (name that film!).
To finish off this perfect meal, G.M. served my favorite dessert. I love a cheese course, but in the summer nothing can beat peaches and nectarines from Frog Hollow Farms - especially with a glass of Moscato d'Asti. On Saturday it was nectarines - one of the most perfect, delicious pieces of fruit I've ever had. It was perfect just by itself.
And the moscato - ohhh the moscato. G.M. serves it at almost every dinner, because it is that good. It is the best sweet wine I have ever had - it isn't too sweet, but it pairs perfectly with fruit. I know G.M. gets this particular Moscato d'asti from Kermit - all I know is that it has a tree on the label. And is heaven in a sparkly, sweet, delicious wine.
This was the perfect dinner for me - I left full and happy without feeling sick from consuming too much delicious food. Some of the dinners are so good that I can't resist the impulse to keep eating, but this was a very well organized and deliciously prepared dinner. It set me up for next month - heirloom tomatoes. Labne sandwiches with perfect tomatoes, blt's where the bun is dipped in the bacon fat before serving, gazpacho.....I can taste it now...
Is it August yet?
cheers ;)
Emilia
A postscript from Patch:
Amen, Emilia, Amen. I have to mention that the crostini course seems deceptive in its simplicity. The thing was so incredibly delicious that I declared to the whole table, "If I were on death row, this could be my last meal." And I stand by that statement. When is a tomato not a tomato? When it is incredibly fresh, perfectly ripe, and hand-picked by G.M. And tastes like the essence of a thousand of the subpar tomatoes that you and I normally get to eat on a regular basis. It's really another creature entirely.
Also, the pork with the crackling skin and potatoes was so good that I took it home in a tupperware I smuggled in for leftovers (which G.M. found amusing) and had at it again later that night, cold. It was still so good. I was going to bring it on the plane next day but forgot. There was much gnashing of teeth.
Finally, the nectarine was the best I have ever had. The. Best. Ever. I rarely say things like that when it comes to food, because I've had so much great stuff. But this was just...it made me want to cry. Emilia can verify if you don't believe me. Also, G.M. has great taste in cigars, a part of the denoument of the meal that I was happy to enjoy.
I planned my trip to SF for that particular weekend because of this feast. And I shall do it again. Heirloom tomatoes, do your worst! Beautiful meal, beautifully captured by Emilia.
:-P
Sunday, July 8, 2007
BBQ on Sunday Afternoon
I headed home to my parent's house in the central valley this weekend, to do a little shopping with my mom, and to plan/cook for/host/attend a family bbq, which will happen later this afternoon. Menu is as follows:
To Start:
On the grill:
On the side:
For Dessert:
To Drink:
I love a summertime bbq. The best part will be watching my cousin's 1 year old splash around in the pool.
Happy Sunday everyone!
Em
To Start:
- Thomas Keller's olive tapenade - by far my favorite recipe
- Cooks Illustrated Herbed Spinach Dip with feta, oregano, and lemon juice (need membership to view)
- various cheeses, crackers, veggies, and bread
On the grill:
- Hotdogs and polish sausage
- babyback ribs
- bbq chicken wings for my grandmother, who loves them
- big burgers
- a few veggie burgers for the vegetarian cousin
- a couple of steaks
On the side:
- Antipasti pasta salad from Pam Smart's CookSmart book (will blog about this later)
- Grilled corn on the cob
- Green salad with sunflower seeds and feta
- Delicious bread (thank you ACME)
- Jello salad for the grandparents
- Fruit salad
For Dessert:
- Cooks Illustrated Ultimate Lemon Meringue Pie, 1 made with splenda for the 3 diabetics (need membership to view)
- Aroz con Leche
To Drink:
- Turn Bull Sauvignon Blanc
- A couple of Napa Roses
I love a summertime bbq. The best part will be watching my cousin's 1 year old splash around in the pool.
Happy Sunday everyone!
Em
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