Ah, good morning. I'm up and at 'em, perhaps a bit on the late side, but in surprisingly good form considering the wickedly not (!) moderate 16 wines I tasted last night. Santé! Yes, as Debbie and Stuart Williams' guest at the November meeting of the Commanderie de Bordeaux, I was on my best behavior and politely drained my glass(es) and cleaned my plate(s), the least I could do, non? Seriously, it was a lovely night, hosted by Commandeur Bill McGuire and his wife Mme. Nadine McGuire, along with their guest, wine expert Kevin Swersey. The evening's wines were chosen from the 2005 (Bordeaux, natch) vintage, particularly for affordability and accessibility as well as for, of course, drinkability. A quick survey of the group revealed that most had tasted exactly none of the wines - Bill and Kevin's secret goal, mwahaha, and not the usual Commanderie experience. So we were off...

But wait, I should take a step back and introduce my tablemates: Debbie and Stu, of course (pic, below, is actually from Napa, as we enjoyed cassoulet at Bistro Jeanty, but that's another story...), as well as Commandeur Mary K. Stern and her husband Gary Stern, and Commandeur Kirt Woodhouse. A delightfully clever, charming group, they very kindly answered my many (naive) Bordeaux questions and kept the conversation hopping from topic to topic, always returning to - what else? - food and wine, baby, food and wine.

Our group particularly enjoyed the opening food-wine pairing, a classic I personally hadn't experienced before but oh, will I be seeking out again: Peking duck with champagne. Yes, turns out that champagne's signature acidity is the perfect foil for every flavor element of Peking duck - the silky, rich duck breast, the paper-thin, crispy-salty skin, the sweet-tangy Hoisin sauce, and even the mild spring onion garnish. All together, ka-blam, taste explosion. Loved it. (If anyone has a recommendation on where to find good Peking duck in Minneapolis/St. Paul, I'm taking suggestions. I found this Strib rave for Yummy Chinese Restaurant on Nicollet - sounds like the real deal, but the review's a bit dated...)


Below is the entire tasting menu with wine pairings. I'd recommend in particular the second two champagnes - both delicious, unique, and according to Kevin, quite affordable (he purchased all the wine at Surdyk's). Find yourself some Peking duck (or make it - you'll see it's a luxury item for good reason, given the unusual and lengthy preparation, although the recipe doesn't look terribly complicated), pour a glass, and bubbly-bottoms up. Quack that. Oh. Yeah.

Kudos to Chef John Thompson and his staff at The Minneapolis Club for turning out such an ambitious, lovely dinner:

Passed Hors d'Oeuvres
Beef Tartar with Mustard Aioli and Cornichon
Chicken Chili Empanadas
Boneless Lamb "Lollipops" with Dried Apricot Chutney
Clarendelle Blanc 2005 Pessac-Leognan

Dinner
Peking Duck
Chartogne-Taillet Blanc de Blancs N.V. 2005 Champagne
Pierre Gimonnet & Fil 1er Cru Brut N.V. 2005 Champagne
Pierre Peters "cuvee de Reserve" Brut N.V. 2005 Champagne

Slow Poached Monkfish with Brown Butter Sauce, Celeriac Remoulade and Wild Arugula
Chateau Ferriere 2005 Margaux
Chateau La Gurgue 2005 Margaux

Seared Oxtail Ravioli with Fig Balsamic Reduction, topped with Crispy Sage
Chateau Haut-Bergey 2005 Pessac-Leognan
Chateau Tour des Termes 2005 St. Estephe

Roasted Rack of Bobby Veal, Braised Sweetbread Strudel, Chanterelle Ragout
Pomerol Christian Moueix 2005
Chateau L Croix du Casse 2005 Pomerol

Braised Pork Cheek, Truffle Potato and Glazed Grilled Carrots
Chateau Quinault L'Enclos 2005 St. Emilion
Chateau Bellevue 2005 St. Emilion
Chateau Clos de Sarpe 2005 St. Emilion

Dessert
Fromage d'Affinois, Cave-Aged Gruyere, St. Nectaire Cheeses with Fall Fruit Jams
Chateau La Gomerie 2005 St. Emilion
Gracia 2005 St. Emilion
"Mystery Wine" El Desafio de Jonata 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon

My thanks again to my favorite hosts, Debbie and Stu The Wine Genius Williams, as well as to the Commanderie de Bordeaux and the evening's hosts, Bill and Nadine McGuire. Have a great weekend, everyone.

Moderate it: uh, right.

Well, it was all downhill from there... I lost last week to a nasty cold and cough, but I'm back in fighting form this week. Whew. Despite feeling under the weather I enjoyed a couple of good meals, at week's end, starting on Friday night with Debbie and Stu The Wine Genius Williams and Rudy Maxa and Ana Scofield. Debbie set us up at Tim McKee's (La Belle Vie, Solera) new venture, Barrio, a tequila bar serving delicious Latin American (emphasis on Mexican) tapas. And delicious tequila! Hey, without a doubt Barrio is loud and crowded, more bar than restaurant (per the name), but it was a blast to scope out something new and as you might have gleaned from past posts, I am a sucker for south-of-the-border fare, BIG time. I scarfed down two crispy-spicy potato-chorizo tacos, shrimps grilled on skewers of sugar cane, and tasted scallop ceviche, guacamole, tequila-cured salmon (seriously good), and tender crab empanadas. Everything was delicious.

In typical fashion, I paid very little attention to where we were going ahead of time (Team Napa is always fun!) and had already planned and shopped for Saturday's dinner to celebrate my stepmom Susanna being in town. My menu? Uh, Latin American tapas. Well, not exactly, but pretty close. So for the second night in a row we dug into guacamole, spicy shrimps, carnitas rolled in corn tortillas with pickled onions, spicy pinto beans, rice, and grilled green peppers and onions. I even put together a cold, creamy tres leches cake, dangerously good.

After being couped up in the house all last week, I'm chomping at the bit - fresh fall air, here I come. After pretty heavy fare over the weekend, I'm feeling weighed down - sauteed halibut with aromatic vegetables, here I come.

Happy Birthday David! Happy Birthday Jen! And oh, Happy Anniversary John and Stephanie!

Moderate it: give it away. I've said it before, and it is a good trick - when leftovers loom large, offer takeaways for your guests. And at the tapas bar? Order lightly, since in my experience the table orders significantly more food at tapas-style restaurants than entrees at a traditional restaurant. Little bites of this and that, usually pretty rich fare, add up FAST. And oh, if the restaurant doesn't have valet parking - and Barrio does not - wear much more comfortable shoes than I did... blisters, baby, ouch.

Good morning, sunshine! It's hard not to be up-and-at-em on a morning like this, sunny and crisp, wow. Debbie and Stu the Wine Genius have probably already had breakfast at Lucia's and climbed a mountain, despite hosting us (and Ana Scofield and Rudy Maxa) for a fabulous din last night. That's just how they are - full of energy and fun. It's always a great hang with the Williams, and last night was no exception.

John and I walked into their lovely kitchen to find Stu smearing triple-creme brie onto toasted baguette slices - topped with slices of ripe pear, a few leaves of fresh rosemary, and washed down with sips of Veuve Cliquot Champagne, we were off to a good start...ha! After Rudy and Ana arrived, we moved the party outside, with views of Debbie's gorgeous garden and a platter of melon and prosciutto. Debbie and Stu's beyond-cute pups joined as well - flirty little Margo the long-haired dachsund, and graceful Turley, the tomato-loving dalmation. We sampled a couple of delicious Chardonnays (I...wrote nothing down, and although I did snap a few photos of bottles, it's hard to glean the specifics from them, my apologies) and heartily dug into a platter of the same grilled shrimps wrapped in pancetta and sage that Stu made on The Fourth (I modified the recipe for smaller shrimps, but really, you must try it the way it's supposed to be made; I'll get the recipe from Stu).

Thanks to absolutely perfect weather, we hung outside for a nice amount of time, trying to catch up with Rudy & Ana's travels and hard work filming and producing Rudy's PBS travel series, Rudy Maxa's World. They have been crazy-busy and of course the summer has flown by, so it was great to steal them before they're off again.

We did finally move inside for the main course - Pinot Noir, er, I mean grilled duck breasts, alongside wild rice and tomato salad. I joke because as I sat down at the dining room table, I heard Stu say from the kitchen, "I chose duck because it goes with Pinot Noir." I declare that as Stu's official tagline, it's so perfect. (The Pinot Noir, by the way, was incredible. As was the duck!)

After a slice of berry tart from delicious Rustica Bakery, followed by lots of chat, we finally let Debbie and Stu go to bed! I just about fell over when I saw that it was midnight - BIG oops, since Stacey was hanging with Nathan and I had no intention of keeping her up so late. We rushed home, Stacey was off into the night (er, morning, sorry again, Pooh), and John and I sunk into bed, stuffed and happy after another beautiful night at the Williams'. I don't know how I got lucky enough to have such amazing cooks and entertainers as friends - I mean seriously, both Friday and Saturday nights? Sheesh. Needless to say, I am very grateful.

I don't know about you, but I am more than fortified to enjoy this golden, juicy Sunday!

Moderate it: I'm very lucky that both Friday and Saturday's dinners were fresh and healthy, lightly prepared, chock full o'veggies, and oh yes - deeeeeelicious!

I'm not a Foodie, not really. Oh, I love to cook and eat (and talk about it!), of course, but I'm way too lazy to be a real Foodie, the kind that strives for the very highest quality and most unique of food experiences. I'm much more likely to let someone else crawl the city for the perfect taco and then go check out the goods, ole! If I'm generous I could call myself a foodie (lower case). But in all honesty, I think I'm really just a Foodie Parasite, you know? Sigh. I guess I'm OK with that, if only because it's such a comfortably delicious spot to be in. As in major YUM. In fact...

...I played the happy Foodie Parasite at dinner last night, at the home of John's secretary Kris and her husband Harry. Now they are Foodies - and Harry's a wine genius to boot, so not only was the food incredible but the wine pairings were lovely. Sigh. But let me back up a bit.

First of all, they have a beautifully laid out garden of flowers and vegetables. Many delicious varieties of tomatoes as well as peppers, herbs, beets, asparagus, peas, beans. All the good stuff, much of which went into the spectacular meal they prepared for us. And I'm not exaggerating - it was spectacular. At it's core, a tomato feast, really, tomatoes three different ways. To open, a sliced-tomato salad, simple and clean with basil for garnish. Green, yellow, and red beauties, perfectly vine-ripened and bursting with flavor. Ah, but that was only the beginning. Thin strips of lightly roasted tomatoes followed, seasoned with garlic and herbs, jam-like in consistency and smeared on slabs of toast topped with...homemade ricotta cheese. Oh, that cheese, I'm going to get the recipe, it was divine (Kris said it's simple; just whole milk and buttermilk). But wait! Before taking a bite, a light drizzle of honey-balsamic glaze, just a few drops...now you can eat. Sweet, creamy-crunchy, tomato heaven, yeah.

And then. After a delicious bowl of chilled asparagus vichyssoise, more glorious tomatoes, this time little red-and-gold cherry jewels, tossed with garlic, herbs, olive oil, and bread, then baked into a sublime gratin. It's a Jacques Pepin recipe so I was able to find it online, check it out here. If you're lucky enough to possess garden-ripe cherry tomatoes, then you are set for dinner tonight. It's basically a summer-perfect dish (I was even fantasizing a bit this morning about how good it would be for breakfast, alongside over-easy eggs...mmm...).

We didn't just have tomatoes, of course, although I would have been perfectly happy to, if you can't tell. Yes, Harry also grilled a gorgeous piece of salmon and skewers of chicken, mushrooms, and zucchini, glazed until crusty-crunchy-browned. Rarrr...

For dessert, cheeses and biscotti, as well as...home-roasted coffee. Yes, they roast their own coffee beans, in their garage, using a popcorn stir-pan - they said it's super-easy, and since the results are of course incredible, I may be giving it a try. They served it with nut milk - yes, they make their own of that too, almond milk or whatever stirs their fancy. It was all so delicious and fresh I was inspired to kick my butt into all sorts of gears - grow more tomatoes, try my hand at cheese-making, as well as coffee roasting. (Check back for recipes... OK, recipes for garlicky tomato & bread gratin and homemade ricotta cheese are now posted in comments, below.)

A true foodie-feast my friends, fresh and healthy, beautifully prepared, I enjoyed it so thoroughly. What a nice start to the weekend, huh? And I'm not done, oh no. More Foodie Parasite fun tonight at Debbie & Stu the Wine Genuis', with Rudy and Ana as well - Team Napa! Let's hear it for Foodie friends! Woo hoo!

Moderate it: Kris and Harry eat a mostly vegan diet, although very kindly cooked meat and fish and served dairy for us. Given the quantity and quality of produce they grow, they could be my vegan chefs anytime!

Gosh, what a lovely weekend, huh? I can't remember a summer with nicer weather than we've had this year - warm, dry, I'm really trying to savor every minute of it. Man, when it so chooses, Minnesota quite RAWKS. Nice.

I opened the rawkness with an uncharacteristic bit of baking, motivated by my lovely CSA blueberries. Blueberry muffins, in fact, basically crazy-good. Yeah, warm muffins, plenty of French Roast (decaf, I'm a wuss), nice start to the day.

Post-muffin(s), it was high time for a lovely, sweaty walk, today 'round Lake of the Isles, through Lowry Hill, along Mount Curve, and through Kenwood Park. Just...gorgeous. (Mos def topped my buggy, humid walk through the usually lovely Clifton French Regional Park on Wednesday, OMG, I was flat-out attacked by gnats and biting flies, OUCH!)

My stinky self stopped off at Whole Foods on the way home and ran into Debbie and Stu The Wine Genius - they were picking up dinner ingredients after paddle-boarding on Lake Calhoun. (Dinner at their house next weekend, by the way, with Rudy & Ana, yays!)

But just a family dinner here at the hacienda tonight, so I picked up a roasting chicken, loads of naan (flat bread, the kids go crazy for it), and baba ganoush (the Whole Foods brand is particularly tasty). I roasted the chicken on the grill with my faboo Weber roaster, grilled the naan (spritzed with a bit of olive oil spray and sprinkled with a pinch of Kosher salt), grilled CSA veggie share zucchini (sliced thin, same treatment as the naan), and tossed together a quick salad of tomatoes (from my own pots! Finally!), cukes, onions, artichoke hearts, and roasted red pepper. In other words - a Mediterranean feast, more than I had even planned. I didn't quite know where to start when I faced my plate - so many favorites, so little time!

Heck, not even bat guano could distract me from digging in (we have a couple of bats who've taken up residence in our oft-closed shade umbrellas - seriously gross when you pop the umbrella and guano showers down on the table. Uh, yuck. But that's what shopvacs are for - that and disinfectant kitchen sprays, shiver).

Post-Whole Foods, pre-cooking dinner, I snuck in a little time at the pool with John and Nathan. Hot sun, cool water, a spooky book (Ghostwalk, by Rebecca Stott), all good. And what is it about a pre-dinner shower on a hot day? So decadent. Best if warm-not-hot, fragrant (Molton Brown Energising Seamoss, smells like the ocean), quick, no fuss. Followed by a sun dress, swipe of Chanel Glossimer, spritz of Annik Goutal Les Nuits d'Hadrien, ready to cook! Little al fresco dining, blogging, call it a day...

G'night!

Moderate it: I think olive oil spray is one of the greatest inventions ever. I used it to grease the muffin tins for this morning's blueberry muffins and to oil the naan, chicken, and sliced zucchini before salting and roasting them this evening. Low-calorie, tasty, effective - virtually indispensable.

Another blast of a 4th of July for the books. You know, I'm kinda deciding that the 4th is my favorite holiday - first of all it's a Shubert holiday, guaranteed fun. Plus the sunshine, hanging by the pool, grilled food, cold beer, and fireworks... I don't know, I think it's pulling neck-n-neck with Thanksgiving, previously my fave. Ooh, burgers vs. turkey, who will win?!

Sullivan Shubert, age 7, is definitely our 4th of July star with his fabulous quips. A few years back he had us all in stitches when upon seeing one of the super-sparkly fireworks he said, "Those would make Vivian (his sister) feel fancy!" Then tonight, he had us rolling again when he told Cooper (Stacey), who was seeing his first fireworks tonight, "They start big but end fast, like a good sneeze." Fabulous.

Cooper was his usual Superstar self as well. As I mentioned, he saw his first fireworks tonight and thanks to a pair of genius headphones to protect his little ears, was completely mesmerized. He just kept softly saying, "Cool."

Which is pretty much what I was saying too. I was positively beaming as we walked out onto the golf course, loaded up with bug spray, sweatshirts, chairs, blankets, snacks, and flashlights. With Debbie, Stu, Michelle, Suz, Coreman, Viv, Sully, John, Harry, Stace, and Coopster in tow, I had one of those great, peaceful moments of joy and gratitude. (You know, right before mock-artillery shells started exploding overhead. Right on!)

Make that grateful and full. Man did we feast, sheesh. We opened with tortilla chips and the most delicious, creamy salsa from Taco Morelos (Stace), alongside homemade guahhcamole (Debbie), as well as the veggies & dip (blanched asparagus & snap peas, raw endive leaves & icicle radishes) that I put together. And then...the most incredible appetizer, made by Stu - shrimps with sage leaves wrapped in pancetta and passed over the grill. Damn, we made obscenely short work of those babies snip, snap, gone. Then on to burgers, pork ribs, new potato & green bean salad, green salad with peppers, mint, cilantro, and almonds (Harry), and lovely wine (Stu). For dessert, chocolate cookie cake with fresh berries (Suz) and fireworks. Just...uff...perfect.

And now, my usual post-party conclusion - yep, it's time for bed! I'm full and wiped, craving cool sheets and a good night's sleep. Once again, my friends, Happy 4th.

Happy 4th of July! Ready for some fun in the sun? Or a quiet, relaxing day? I have to say, one of the best 4ths I've ever had was a few years back when John and I went on a long bike ride followed by a picnic of fried chicken, fresh cherries, cheeses, and white wine. The. Kill.

But of course I like a good party too (who me?), so today we're on for our Annual Super Duper Shubert Coopster 4th of July Celebration, having Shuberts and Stace & Coop (obv!), as well as Harry Cunliffe, Debbie & Stu The Wine Genius Williams, and Debbie's sister Michelle over to swim, dine a la potluck, and see fireworks. I'm grilling burgers & ribs, and making new potato & green bean salad and some simple veggies & dip. With tasty appetizers, salad, and dessert contributed by the group...KA-BLAM we're going to have a meal! Yeah, baby!

Moderate it: I'll personally make a lameass attempt to fill up on salads and veggies and enjoy the whole burger-rib-beer-chip-dessert thing in moderation. Hope you fare better in your moderation efforts than I'm about to! Enjoy your holiday!

Another Sunny Sunday, we'll absolutely take it. This weekend flew by, zip zap, and now I've got sun rash and the weekend's just about over. Crazy.

It's been a weekend of eating food prepared by others - no complaints. Thursday lunch I dined a la Suz at Lucia's, aka The Perfect Lunch Spot. Romantic or girlie is lovely Lucia's, depending on your dining partner - not many spots can boast such versatility. Suz and I girled out, of course, ordering baked trout served with new potatoes and sauteed veggies. (Oh, a new potato-veggie-fish theme! More on that in a sec...) Deee-friggin-licious, as usual.

Thursday night, more girlie fun, this time at McCoy's with my dear friend Mary Pappas, where I ordered my old stand-by...the black bean burger, served with guacamole, onions, pickles, tomato, and lettuce. Eat it open-faced, with a salad on the side, and be very, very glad.

Friday lunch, even more girlie fun, this time at Via with my aunt Marge, cousin Kim, Stacey, and Cooper Cuteness (not a girl, The Coopst, but fun nonetheless). We raised a glass to toast my sister Etta's 24th Birthday - Happy Birthday It'll!!! This was my first meal at Via - the homemade potato chips were a big hit. They do homemade fries as well, always welcome in my world. I ordered their chopped salad, nothing to write home about, but Kim loved her burger, and Marge her chicken sandwich, and the service was excellent and setting quite pretty, so I'll give 'er another go.

Friday night, we invited Stu The Wine Genius and his wife Debbie out for dinner, but they countered with an invitation to their house instead, for salmon, new potatoes, and pea pods (therefore the theme), with Debbie's sister Michelle joining us as well. John and I very quickly accepted (we're no fools!) and bopped on over for delicious wine (always delicious wine with Stu and Debbie) and an opener of olive tapenade on crusty bread. Happy, happy, I love having dinner at the Williams' beautiful home. But wait! Poof, the electricity went out, and after a call to Xcel confirmed it might not return until 11:30 p.m., we packed up the food (and wine) and drove it over here, where potatoes were boiled (finished with butter and a shower of fresh parsley), salmon was baked (with fresh dill and lemon), salad was tossed, and pea pods were quickly sauteed (more butter, Hope Creamery, natch). With Lucia's peach cobbler to finish (to die for), I couldn't imagine a better start to the weekend.

Yesterday, John and I headed over to the US Women's Open Golf Tournament at Interlachen. We had a blast (as guests of Wells Fargo, thank you Jon), strolling the gorgeous course, people watching, sipping beer, and snacking. We ran into several neighbors and friends, took a crash course in who's who in the LPGA, and had ourselves a grand old time.

Tonight, shrimp curry coming up (once I get off the uh, computer), this time I found wild-caught Florida Key West shrimp shelled at Whole Foods. Yay! I predict goodness, I'll let you know if otherwise. LaFinca veggie share bok choy is going into the saute. And oh, this week's share also included a gorgeous bunch of icicle (white) radishes, which went into the salad I made on Friday, they're beautiful and of course crunchy with a peppery kick. I may do a side-salad of those babies, thinly sliced, tossed with minced scallions, rice vinegar, and bit of soy sauce.

Ka-pow! As long as the the sun shines, it's all good. G'night!

Moderate it: have several meals out coming up? As we all know, it's tough to be moderate when eating out - restaurants plot against us with their large portions and ridiculous over-use of fat (I'm not against fat, per se, but bathing food in it is pretty disgusting). One tasty trick is to order fish and veggies and ask them to not soak the dish in oil. A little olive oil or even butter is a good thing - a dousing of fry grease (blech) is quite another.

Ahhh, Happy Mother's Day! I hope you're all enjoying a lovely day! I sure am - John's doing the dishes from last night's dinner party - now that's a gift. (As you can see in the pic, we put a fair amount of tableware through its paces.)

So, last night's dinner menu (recipes posted in comments, below). I leaned pretty heavily on one of my favorite cookbooks, Sunday Suppers at Lucques by Suzanne Goin. The book is broken down into seasonal menus, eight/season - I didn't follow any one menu to the letter, but pulled favorite little gems from here and there, all spring-y, all tasty. Stu and Rudy brought fabulous wines to taste and share, also listed below.

Swiss Chard Tart with Goat Cheese, Currants, and Pine Nuts
Veuve Cliquot Ponsardin Champagne, Reims (France)
Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc 2006, Sonoma County
McGrath Farms' Watercress Soup with Gentleman's Relish Toast
Adrian Fog Pinot Noir 2003, Anderson Valley, Savoy Vineyard (brought by Stu)
Chambolle-Musigny Clos du Village Monopole 1999, Domaine Antonin Guyon, Cote d'Or (France;
brought by Rudy)
Grilled Lamb Chops with Garlic & Herbs (my recipe)
Artichoke-Potato Hash with Black Olive Aioli (because there were no artichokes available at Byerly's - very odd - we instead had Asparagus-Morel-Potato Hash, worked quite nicely)
Faiveley Echezeaux Grand Cru 1992, Nuits-Saint-Georges, Cote d'Or (France; brought by Rudy)
Cain Five 2003, Napa Valley
Buttermilk Lemon Tart (the almond crust is via Sunday Suppers, from the cherry tart recipe; lemon filling is mine)

Despite being pretty wiped out from his birthday party the night before, Nathan was able to join us for (most of) dinner (he's a BIG fan of Bizarre Foods). Man, it was great to finally pull this party together, I'm kinda bummed that it's over. We've had good intentions, but getting Zim and Rudy in the same room, in the same city, at the same time, is a bit of a challenge - how crazy we pulled it off twice in one week! I particularly had a blast cooking all day, I don't get to do that very often these busy days. The only thing that could have made the day better was a lot less rain, and just a bit of warmth, for appetizers on the deck. But whatevs, we have all summer for outside fun (listen to me, so nonchalant about summer, ha), and having everyone in the kitchen with me while I cook is pretty damn sweet.

Today, leftovers baby! Already had some soup for lunch, nice. Perhaps a bite of a lamb chop in a bit. Dinner tonight a la Lucia's, with Mom and Stacey, to celebrate Mother's Day (natch) and Stacey's Birthday - Happy Belated Birthday Stacey Pooh (here with Cooper; I know she's having a Happy Mother's Day, ha.)

Moderate it: Stace, you may feel older, but you're never as old as me. After party - enjoy the party leftovers! It's too much work for just one meal - just be ready to pare back to normal. Er, tomorrow.

OK, here's the deal. It's just about midnight (which makes it Sunday, Mother's Day, Happy Such to all you Madres out there)... I got oh, about five hours of sleep last night due to Nathan's Boy Soup birthday sleepover... I have a cold... I just spent the entire day prepping a three-course dinner for nine (John & moi, Nathan, Rishia & Andrew Zimmern, Rudy Maxa & Ana Scofield, and Debbie & Stu The Wine Genius Williams)... Aaaaand I therefore have pretty much no right to be sitting here on the computer writing about said (fun!) exertions. That said, a quick overview of this weekend's kitchen kitsches (menu/recipes to follow tomorrow; er, make that later today):

• I love watercress soup.
  
• If your grill isn't firing perfectly evenly, monitor your lovely lamb chops carefully. (Smoke=fire, well, always.)
  
• If Stu Williams and Rudy Maxa bring wine to your dinner, drink it.
  
• Potatoes taste good with almost anything.
• Dinner by candlelight and flowers tastes better.
• Grilling meat in high heels rather sucks.
• Drinking champagne in high heels rather rocks.
• I must go to bed.

And with that, having experienced a lovely night, I bid you a fond farewell (of the goodnight variety). Sleep tight....

Moderate it: if you cook in heels - and who doesn't? - I suggest a bit of a platform sole. Easier on the ball of the foot; plus, a wider heel is more stable. Especially when grilling on a rainy, slippery deck.

Spring unsprung and a sick son (bad cough), yet doing our best to keep chins up. Good thing we Minnesotans are hardy, yah, otherwise we might complain or something. Ahem.

I'll stick to the highlights.

Saturday night, John and I attended a fundraiser. Wha? Alright, I admit the term fundraiser doesn't usually conjure images of hilarity, but Suz and The Coreman (our wisely chosen guests) know how to put the fun in fundraiser, baby, I highly recommend them for your next gig. (Dial 867-5309 to hire them. Just kidding. If you don't get it, click through the link. If you still don't get it, you're too young/old, which you should feel good about, so no big. Apparently, cold weather dorks me right out...) Somehow there were four bottles of wine on the table for the four of us (I bought two, not sure how that happened), which meant leaving two bottles to waste, rather a bummer. But since I'm not complaining, and it was for charity...hopefully someone enjoyed both bottles.

Sunday night, Stu the Wine Genius + Hijinxing with My Minxes = FAB! Yes, Susie, Kim, and I hosted good-sport Stu (pictured here with his wife, Debbie) on Feminine Hijinx for a wine tasting. Because he chose the wines, they were incredible. Total. Blast. Yum. (Wines forthcoming, I lazily didn't write them down, but will have links soon...)

Monday lunch, Minneapolis Club tomato soup and foodie chat with new friends Gary Johnson and Rebecca Monro, covering health, co-ops, vegetarianism, lentil varieties, and achieving the perfect split-pea puree. That's my kind of lunch.

Monday dinner, a chewy, hearty rigatoni with spicy cauliflower sauce for John and me, as well as fava bean salad with Parmesan and spring onions pour moi (I finally got to those favas). Delicious.

Tomorrow we'll celebrate Nathan's birthday, cough be damned. Sunday night a farewell dinner for my parents, I've got several tasty possibilities spinning 'round my head.

Next week, a Wednesday launch party (that we can't attend, noooo!) for Rudy Maxa's new PBS series, Rudy Maxa's World. But, never fear, we're hosting a dinner for Rudy & Ana Scofield, Stu (The Wine Genius) & Debbie Williams, and Rishia & Andrew Zimmern mere days afterward, that we can attend (since it's, er, here at our house). Oh yeah, serious food and wine will be had (although, I should mention that I'm the one cooking, so I can't guarantee how serious the food will be, but between Stu & Rudy, I know the wine will be great.) I'll most certainly give the menu my best go, so stay tuned...

Artisanal. The term is tossed around every-damn-where in the food/wine world these days, unfortunately starting to imply overwrought and/or pretentious; which is a shame, since all it basically means is hand-crafted. And since hand-crafted is the opposite of mass-produced (i.e. highly processed, artificially colored, flavored, and preserved, and as such potentially bad for the body and palate), in concept I'm all for artisanal. Until it becomes more of a marketing term than a marker of quality, which appears to be in process (excuse the pun) as I write. So what will be the new term, the one that more accurately means quality? Hmm... (Reminds me of the transition from old-school-cache organic to new-school-cache local - how 'bout you?) What would you prefer - locally mass-produced or organically artisanal (but shipped from half-way around the world)? Do you care? Ah, a little food terminology for thought on a Saturday's eve...

As I write, I've been listening to a wine blog/podcast brought to my attention by Stu The Wine Genius - Graperadio.com. In particular, he pointed out the interview of (artisanal!) Sine Qua Non wine producer Manfred Krankl (great name, eh? The interview is in the archives, 11/27/2006). Since you most likely won't be able to get your hands on Sine Qua Non yourself (very limited production, very high demand), have a listen to the interview (in two parts) instead. Meantime, I'll reminisce fondly about the Sine Qua Non I've been privileged to drink, courtesy of Stu, knowing that I'll never drink it again unless he shares more of his (photo, in his cellar, from last year; each vintage has a different, fabulous label, waaay cool). Sigh. And thank you Stu!

Thank you. One of my New Year's resolutions was to write more thank you notes, and since this is where I most often write, here's a quick thank you note for reading my blog and passing it along to others. I owe John and Stu the Wine Genius promoter's fees, truly. Stu's forwarded my blog to half the serious Bordeaux wine drinkers in the Twin Cities and beyond - way better than I deserve! He also sent it to Philip Dorwart, which garnered the surprise mention on Cities 97 last Thursday, too cool for school. And you may have noticed comments from "Whatsername" in a few of my posts, which if you follow her linked name, you'll discover she's the anonymous author of a Twin Cities Business magazine blog called Company Time. Why anonymous? Because she writes the nitty gritty - and sometimes girlie! - details about life in corporate Minneapolis. It's a riot, insightful and gossipy and smart. And she loves to eat and cook! Wish I knew who the heck she is, I'd like her in a flash, I can tell! But for now, we'll just know each other online, and that's pretty sweet too. Who knew the internet would be this fun? Crazow.

And for everyone else, thanks for reading, man. Keep cooking, and eating, and telling me about it, and I'll do the same. Cheers!

Happy Valentine's Day!

Nothin' like a little love on VD, we all need some love, right? If you're cooking up love for your honey, which I most often do (although not tonight; more on that, below), it's hard to beat the, uh, aphrodisiac perfume of truffles, even in something as simple as Chicken Soup with Bacon, Asparagus & Truffle Oil (add warm, crusty bread for a fully sensual experience, crunch). Or, it never hurts to bring on a little heat, baby, perhaps in the form of Pasta with Tuna Sauce. And for dessert, chocolate but of course, even something as basic as Killer Chocolate Sauce served warm and melty over really good ice cream. Lick the bowl. Rarrr!

My love already arrived, and not in the form of chocolate (perhaps later), jewelry (not later, I'm quite sure, oh well), a card (certainly later) or flowers (hopefully later?), but in...an email from Baseball Mom Beth.

Huh?

Well, Beth just happened to be listening to Cities 97 this morning, and just happened to catch a segment with "Chef Philip," and Chef Philip just happens to be none other than Philip Dorwart of Create Catering, where we just happened to have our amazing dinner last Friday night... So? Well, after I wrote about our dinner, Stu the Wine Genius sent Philip the link to my blog (thanks man!), and Philip scoped it out (eek! nice!), and in turn gave Ye Old Moderate Epicurean some sweet raves this morning as he chatted about food and dining blogs - and naked sushi! - with hosts Lee Valsvik and and BT. You can listen here, if you're so inclined (the "2/14 Chef Philip" segment).

So gosh, thanks to My Super Surprise Valentines - Beth, Stu, and Philip!

How do I top that VD thrill? Well, I probably don't (sorry John!), although I'm gonna give it the old college try when we whisk off for love=food in the bar at Cafe Lurcat. It's abso-friggin-lutely (to paraphrase Mr. Big from Sex and the City) a pommes frites and vino night for me, my friends. Chocolate to finish (just like you)! Hopefully completely immoderate. (Back with moderation over the weekend, don't worry...) Oh. Yeah.

Wow, uh, wow! That about sums up dinner last night, just... Wow. Stu the Wine Genius arranged a Chateauneuf du Pape wine tasting and dinner at Create Catering, owned by Philip Dorwart and his lovely wife Desiree. What. A. Blast. Create owns a cool-as-hell space in NE Minneapolis, perfect for our table of 12 (Rudy Maxa & Ana Scofield; Stu & Debbie Williams; Joe & Genie Dixon; Karl & Annamarie Rigelman; Louis & Susan Ainsworth), but great for larger parties as well. The space has a spotless, wide-open kitchen so you can chat with and watch Philip and Desiree do their beautiful thing, turning out course after course of perfectly-plated tasties.

As we stood around chatting and sipping bubbly, we scarfed down bite-sized wedges of crispy, paper-thin flatbread topped lightly with sausage, fennel, and just a smidge of salty cheese. I actually heard everyone crunching into them before I realized what deliciousness was going down behind me (too busy talking, shocker, yep). John went wild on the clever little one-bite smoked salmon BLT skewers - ah, my Johnny and appetizers. He always forgets how much goodness is yet to come...

Like our first course of butter-tender duck confit, plated with a fluff of microgreens, alongside a few pieces of creamy blue cheese and fresh fig. Tender/crisp, salty/sweet, all the good stuff, mmm. Few slices of crusty bread and tangy butter sprinkled with coarse salt (right up my alley - salty, tangy butter, woo hoo!). And then on to course two, a warm caramelized onion and bacon tartlet, drizzled with a syrupy wine reduction and just a splash of white truffle oil for perfume, lovely. More crusty bread, more salty, tangy butter. Certainly more Chateauneuf du Pape!

Then our main course, grilled lamb chops alongside soft pillows of homemade gnocchi, garnished with pretty little cubes of fresh-mint jellee, fun touch, so pretty on the plate. And oh yeah, a deliciously cool foil for the sizzling chops.

And then the end (aw shucks, I always hate the end) - a cherry clafoutis, served warm and eggy and tart-sweet, topped with a scoop of melty, spicy ice cream. Desiree commented to Annamarie - one of the top pastry chefs in Minnesota or anywhere, for that matter - that it was mighty intimidating to be making dessert for her. But it was lovely, a perfect finish.

Man, what a dinner! We all dug it hugely - the funky, pretty space, the fantastic wines, chatting with Philip and Desiree and watching them do their thing, and of course, the festive meal itself.

So guys, when are we doing it again????

Not tonight, ha, but that's OK. More tasties - of a much lower key sort - in order this evening when we and Stacey head to our friend Kathleen Day-Coen's exhibit at the Flanders Gallery. I'm thinking a little swoop into El Meson for quick empanadas, either on our way in or out of the exhibit. Yeah, a spicy meat-pie should do me, on this once-again (sigh) insanely cold, blustery day!

Enjoy yours!

Party Crasher, that's me! John's law firm hosted a meet-n-greet with an accounting firm last night and with permission (I wasn't a total crasher), I happily horned in on the delicious appetizers (catered by the Modern Cafe), vino, and chat. Organized by John's partner Jennie Clark, who is on the board of the Minnesota Center for Photography, the event was held at...the Minnesota Center for Photography! Terrific space, with a stunning current exhibit (Three Gorges), I had a great time and stayed (crashed!) just long enough for John and me to snag Stu The Wine Genius and drag him out for dinner with us. The MCP is in NE Minneapolis, and Stu remembered the fun dinner at The Sample Room we'd had with his wife Debbie, Rudy Maxa, and Ana Scofield (our pre-Napa planning dinner), so we bopped over there for casual eats. Setting = lovely, food = not so much, but we had a great time anyhow and dished on Tuesday night's Commanderie dinner, so it was all good, all good.

Today, Friday Morning Coffee with Suz, of course. More upbeat than a couple of weeks ago (we didn't cover the Holocaust or talk politics today), we were back to our usual shrieking and howling primly (bah ha ha!) about bodily fluids, oh yeah! Not so great for anyone near us trying to enjoy a quiet cup of coffee, but fabulous for my frozen winter spirits! All hail Suz the Metal Mommy!

Since I've eaten out no less than four times this week - FOUR - I'm mos def making din tonight. It's my turn for a go at the Watercress Soup with Gentleman's Relish Toast recipe I posted a few weeks back. I'm grilling the lamb chops too, oh yeah, we'll be ushering in the weekend in fine (watercressy, lamby) style.

Enjoy yours!