Wendy, Donna, and Steve have regular dinner gatherings, and they were kind enough to invite Craig and me last weekend. I plan to return on a regular basis! Donna and Steve hosted, turning out some amazing food in their newly remodeled kitchen (beautiful cabinets!). We started with white wine and hors, delicious spanikopita, mini quiche, and an amazing cheese platter, with Gorgonzola, aged Asiago, Prato Disan Tati Pecorino, Delic de France Grand Camembert, Selections Creamy Blue, and French Tome de Savoie Raw Milk. I would be hard pressed to name a favorite--I loved them all!
We were served a really good shrimp cocktail--the shrimp were from Chinatown, although probably not originally, and Donna made the cocktail sauce, which was a zillion times better than the jarred version.
And we started on the red wine...my palate will remember this day. We had a vertical tasting of wine from Vineyard 29, ("Aida" Napa Proprietary Red from 2000 and 2001), De Toren Fusion V 2002, and 2004 St. Clement Napa Valley Oroppas. Each became my favorite until I tried the next one.
The African chicken peanut soup was really delicious. It was rich and velvety without being heavy, and the peanut flavor was there without being overpowering, and the chicken was so tender.
After all that soupy goodness, our palates needed to regroup, and we were served a lovely Riesling sorbet.
The entree was chicken with a mushroom-fennel ragout, with so many different mushrooms in it. It was served with muddled potatoes (a first for me) and delicate spring asparagus. So good and such a welcome for spring.
I've maxed out my post pictures, but dessert was more tasty than pretty anyway. It was my contribution, a Cointreau zabaglione served over vanilla bean pears sauteed in pinot grigio and some crumbled merengues (WF, not Hollie). Next time I'd use less sugar, but it was good and I'll probably make it again. The dessert wine, though, was spectacular. 2003 Rieussec Sauternes, a beautiful golden color and just the right amount of sweet.
Sweet!
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