happy cousins

 Adrianna and Judah have a very special cousin relationship.  They really adore each other -- which is very sweet to see.

gourmet potluck strikes again

Last night we got together with friends for a recurring event: a "gourmet potluck."  Each couple is responsible for one course, paired with a wine.  I only have pictures of the appetizers (our offering), because once we started eating & drinking, I got lazy with the camera!  The theme was Spanish, so Tom and I started out with some tapas.

 I got brave: I did my first ever mussel dish.  It was not difficult at all, but I was happy to have only one dish to prepare.  After steaming the mussels, you remove the meat and marinate it in a garlic/onion/sherry vinegar/EVOO mixture.  While it's marinating, you wash 1/2 of the mussel shells (for serving).  Then you return the mussels and some of the marinate to the shells.  Voila.

Tom made a shrimp dish, which was served with a garlic aioli.  He also made a cilantro oil to go with it, which was delicious.  We served our offerings together, with a Cava (which was new to me: a Spanish sparkling wine).  YUM.

Although I don't have pictures, I'll briefly describe the rest of the meal:
Sam & Carrie made a venison carpaccio crostini, with mushrooms and rosemary salt.  Amazing.  Especially since they hunted & dressed the deer themselves.  They served this with a Super Tuscan, which was great.
Mark & Joanna were responsible for the main course: Mark cooked a bone-in pork tenderloin, served with roasted purple potatoes and fresh peas.  He served this with two Torre Muga Riojas: both were from 2000; one a Reserva and one a Gran Reserva.  Outstanding.
Tom and Mitzi had the dessert.  Mitzi made an almond cake that had lemon and orange zest in it -- it was delicious.  They served this with a Pedro Ximenez sherry.  We love the Pedro Ximenez grape, and it is particularly good when made into sherry.
Overall, an awesome night.

old habits die hard

Tonight we went to the March of Dimes Signature Chef Event.  This is our 4th year to go, and it's always fun.  The food is fantastic, and the auction items are always great.

As we were leaving, I found this "boa" as a part of one of the table decorations.  It reminded me of the good ol' days when we used to leave Capers at the end of the night with the decorations, center pieces… anything we could get our hands on.  This one's for you, AnnJanee, Anu, Jennifer, Camille & Maria!!!

Mark's deal on Diestel turkey

While we were having dinner at L'atelier, Mark told us about a great deal he'd found at Whole Foods on Diestel turkeys.  Apparently, someone had accidentally ordered their usual Thanksgiving order a few weeks early.  Oops.  So they were on super-sale, and Mark bought a bunch.

We decided that we should share in Mark's bounty -- so invited Mark and Joanna over to dinner in order to be able to smoke the turkey.  

 Especially since I felt that I had usurped Mark & Joanna's turkey, I wanted to try to make a fitting side dish.  I know Mark shares my fondness for farro (and check peas), so when I found this recipe, I knew I would have a hit.
The whole dinner was delicious.  (On a side note: when I make the squash/farro/chick pea dish again, I'll just use cumin instead of roasting and then hand-grinding the coriander seeds.)

Roasted Butternut Squash over Farro and Chickpeas with Toasted Cumin Yogurt Dressing

Serving Size: serves 4

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon cumin seeds
• 1 cup plain Greek yogurt
• 2 1/2 tablespoons (or more) fresh lemon juice, divided
• 3 garlic cloves; 1 minced, 2 thinly sliced
• Nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 4 cups 1/2-inch cubes peeled butternut squash
• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided
• 2 cups semi-pearled farro
• 2 tablespoons chopped Cayenne chile or red jalapeño chile with seeds, divided
• 3/4 cup 1/2-inch cubes red onion plus 1/4 cup thinly sliced
• 1 15-ounce can garbanzo beans (chickpeas), drained
• 1/2 cup fresh cilantro leaves
• Extra-virgin olive oil

Instructions

1. Toast cumin seeds in small skillet over medium heat until fragrant and beginning to smoke, 4 to 5 minutes. Cool; grind in spice grinder. Transfer 1 1/2 teaspoons cumin to small bowl. Mix in yogurt, 1 tablespoon lemon juice, and minced garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Cover and chill.
2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Coat large rimmed baking sheet with nonstick spray. Place squash in large bowl. Add 2 tablespoons oil; toss to coat. Spread squash out on sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast until tender, about 25 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, cook farro in large pot of boiling salted water until tender, 18 to 20 minutes. Drain farro and cool.
4. Heat remaining 2 tablespoons oil in heavy large skillet over medium-high heat. Add sliced garlic and 1 tablespoon chile; sauté 1 minute. Add onion cubes and garbanzo beans; sauté 1 minute. Add roasted squash and cooked farro and toss to blend. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin and 1 1/2 tablespoons lemon juice; toss to blend. Season to taste with salt, pepper, and more lemon juice, if desired.
5. Mound farro mixture on 4 plates. Spoon yogurt mixture over. Sprinkle with cilantro, sliced onion, and remaining chile. Drizzle with extra-virgin olive oil and serve.