Tuesday Night #8 - 5/17/11

My friend Julie threw us all for a loop when she announced her engagement.  The "girls" and I decided to get together for an impromptu happy hour.  Jason and the groom-to-be joined us.  We hosted at the house and it just happened to fall on a Tuesday night.  The plan was to arrive with an app and a bottle of champagne/prosseco/sparkling wine.

I tossed together Jason and my favorite salad--simply mixed greens and a basic vinaigrette.

Basic Vinaigrette

from Mark Bittman's The Minimalist Cooks at Home

1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil

3 T. or more good wine vinegar

salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 heaping teaspoon Dijon mustard

1 large shallot (about 1 oz.) peeled and cut into chunks

Whisk together.  Best used fresh but will keep a few days in the fridge.  Makes about 3/4 cup.

I use Olio Santo Olive Oil and Olivier Balsamic Vinegar aged 25 years.  Both available at Williams Sonoma.  Grey Poupon mustard.  These olive oil and vinegar are the key.  I've done it with others, still good but not as fabulous.

I also did grilled bread spread with goat cheese and topped with chopped ratatouille.  For the ratatouille I grilled 2 whole portobello mushrooms, a red bell pepper sliced in half, a yellow zucchini cut lengthwise, a red onion sliced thickly and skewered so it would stay together and lastly a halved tomato.  These were grilled until they soften slightly but are not mushy.  After removing them from the grill I let them cool before I diced them all up.  Once it is like a chunky salsa I add balsamic vinegar, olive oil, chopped garlic, salt, pepper and handfuls of whatever fresh herbs I have around -- basil, oregano, rosemary and italian parsley.  Toss this all up and use it to top grilled italian bread with goat cheese.  Yum!

Along with this we had a great cheese plate, smoked trout spread, cake, cupcakes and lots up bubbly.  A good time was had by all.

Thanks to Ann, Tiffany and Jason.  Congratulations to Julie and Mark!

Tuesday Night #7 - 3/8/11

This menu is dedicated to Jacques Pepin.  Although only one of the recipes is his, it was the inspiration for the dinner.  He is a total stud for an old guy.

Goat Cheese and Onion Tarts
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Goat-Cheese-and-Onion-Tarts-100707
Jacques Pepin Pot Roast
I saw this recipe done on Julia and Jacques: Cooking at Home.  I found the recipe online.
http://www.chefslittlehelper.com/node/18108
Raspberry Panna Cotta
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Strawberry-Panna-Cotta-with-Strawberry-Compote-106549
Blackberry Dessert Wine

I started this menu with Jacques Pepin's Pot Roast.  While watching PBS Julia and Jacques: Cooking at home came on.  I got to watch Jacques do a pot roast and Julia do beef stew.  They both looked fabulous, were "do ahead" recipes and were something Jason would like a lot.  The thing was I'd done Julia's beef stew multiple times.  So, Jacques Pot Roast it was!

I simply searched Epicurious.com for "french appetizer" and browsed until something struck me as yummy.  I did alter the Goat Cheese and Onion Tart.  I found that I should have started a day earlier than  had.  I was supposed to make a par-baked tart shell.  Well, I just was not up for it.  I remembered that I had a box of mini phylli shells that would work great to hold the filling instead of the tart.  I went with it and they turned out darling.

Goat Cheese and Onion Phyllo Cups

Spring Table Scape

Homemade French Bread

Pot Roast and Salad

Panna Cotta with Blackberry Dessert Wine

I had just recently tried panna cotta at a restaurant and found it to be like the most delicious yogurt ever.  I searched the internet for a recipe until I came up with this one.  It was super easy to make and I found that since it was made with buttermilk it was not so high in calories.  This one was just as good as the restaurant version.

Thanks to Lisa, Morgan, Sarah, Deb and, of course, Jason.