It was great meeting new friends, hanging out with good friends and reconnecting with acquaintances. As we get older, it becomes more difficult to make new friends, so it was wonderful meeting other couples with shared interests. One guest was a classmate of mine from Castelar Elementary school. We grew up in Chinatown, Los Angeles, and I couldn't help but remark how far we've come along. My favorite part of the night was when the group naturally separated into a group of men/ladies (I think the Scotch had something to do with that) and the guys had some good conversions about food, family philosophy, and reminisced about video games. Get a group of guys together, add some alcohol, and there will always be talk of "the good old days." I wonder what the women were talking about?
Feeling very thankful that my wife is so supportive and for Manny's help during prep and service. Also, thankful of the guests, which allowed this night happen.
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| Thank you to our guest for bringing the flowers and the bottle of wine! |
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| Le Menu, Fiona had a chance to play with her stamps and paper stock. Forgot to take a photo of the place cards =( |
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| We started the night with a late harvest/campari/orange cocktail then moved onto the wines. |
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| The gougeres was made with gruyere cheese, Dijon mustard and chives. It was paired with a Cremant de Bourgogne (bubbly made from Burgundy grapes), which is a pretty classic pairing. The cremant I chose was a Blanc de Blancs from L. Bouillot, and they've been around since 1877. |
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| The composed cheese course was a whipped brie with baguette croutons, salad of spinach and reduction of balsamic vinegar. I used an EVOO from Santa Barbara that we picked up on our last trip out there. I love its peppery and fresh quality. As you can see, not my finest hour of plating. Kind of sacrileges to alter a Thomas Keller recipe, but I added figs because we saw it at the market. Also, I visited my parents a couple of days ago and they were so excited about their beautiful pomegranate, so I added them for some texture as well. |
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| The squid salad was the recipe I was most nervous about. It was such a simple preparation that I felt there was very little room for error. I learned from this recipe the importance of properly salting/marinating the veggies. Also, the key to this dish was getting small fresh squid and then babying it during the saute to retain its sweetness and tenderness. I paired it with a 2011 Greywacke from New Zealand. It's a Sauvignon Blanc unlike any other I've tried - prominent mineral flavors with good mouth feel but a nice acidic/crisp ending. It was #53 in Wine Spectator's Top 100 Wines of 2012. |
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| Ad Hoc's Braised short ribs recipe is one of my favorite recipes from Thomas Keller. I learned so much about what time/reduction and straining can do. I also enjoy his meticulous and thoughtful approach to recipes. It totally made my night when the guests commented/appreciated the efforts on the sauce. Two bottles of wine, 10 cups of home made beef stock and a bucket full of veggies for about 15 servings of sauce. I served this dish with the 2010 Perrin Les Cornuds Vinsobres (#58 Wine Spectator Top 100 in 2012), which was very dense and stood up to the sauce. Not a particularly complex flavor profile but that allows the complexity of the sauce to shine. The wine benefited from the two hours of decanting prior to serving, making it very smooth and drinkable. |
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| Unfortunately, I didn't snap a photo of the French Earl Grey tea ice cream or the chocolate souffle, but I've added a photo from a past dinner. Hope everyone enjoyed their dinner! |
