Ok boys and girls, I have a wine diner coming up and need to come up with some "new items" to wow my guest.

This is what I have come up with to date.


Any input?
Thanks.

Jerry, photo malfunction. Please re-post the pictures.

Dam things won't resize!

Welcome to Jerry & Louise’s kitchen.


Starters~~~~~~ Iceberg salad infused with roquefort cheese.
~~~
Pan seared scallops~~~~~~~ Toped with a lime polenta in a lobster base sauce infused with saffron.
~~~
Capriccio
~~~
Pan seared baby lamb chops, fried pasta, grilled veggies.
~~~
Desert by Louise.

Sounds delicious, I'd pass on the polenta though, I've never had a taste for it. You should open a restaurant! I hope your wife knows how lucky she is to have a man who can cook like this! I keep my husband out of the kitchen for the safety and well being of our family!

JMHO
#1 Get rid of the iceberg lettuce.. this is salad season find some nice Mesculan, arugala and frisee lettuce and make a light citrus dressing.. remember it is summer...

How about a pasta course. instead of the polenta. maybe make a lobster ravioli instead ,I made these once or twice with wonton wrappers..
I like the lamb chops but how about grilling them instead of pan seared let's cut down on some of those pans and dishes..unless you have a kitchen slave that is...


I used to do a grilled swordfish marinated in a pineapple terriaki sauce I got a standing ovation for that meal..

OK what is Louise's dessert??

i don't think pasta goes with Lamb. how about mashed red potatoes or one of the exotic or heirloom potato varieties.

I would go with a nice '97 Cali Cab Franc. Not as weighty as a Cab Sav, and if you air it out for about 40 minutes it will cary you all the way through the lamb.

Right now I'm hooked on Canadian "Ice" wines for a desert and cheese/fruit plate wine.

And Jerry, I hope that iceberg is a wedge--with raw white onion and (this time of year) some big thick slices of beefsteak tomato.

Sigh, my tomaters won't be in for another three weeks. I was a slacker this spring.

Just got my first baby tomato on my vine. Long wait. Jerry, anything you make I'm sure will be mouth watering. Jon, I am also hooked on the ice wine. We will be making our first batch soon down at Water 2 Wine. Its expensive to make and you get smaller bottles but if you like sweet wines like I do, it's the berries. And the proof is so much higher than other wine it doesn't take much! Have a fabulous dinner, Jerry.

The scallops will be pan seared. Then I dip one end in a egg yoke,then into some polenta. Then I will sear the polenta to a crisp golden brown. Toped with a fresh lobster chunk, and a small amount of diced red peppers. Wine-Louis Jadot Cornton-Champ 2002.

The iceberg is 1/4ed, then put into the freezer about 1/2hr before serving. When ready, I stuff the cheese between the leafs. Then I add some EV olive oil, toped with 25 year old BV. Garnished with smoked bacon, sliced olives., and garden tomatoes. Served on a large white plate. Wine- Bergstrom Pinot Noir 2003.

Louise will make a fresh stuffed Fig with gorgonzola, toped with dab of crem-fresh. in a port wine sauce. Wine-1966 Dows.

Added 7/2/06- PROSCIUTTO & CARAMELIZED ONION AGNLOTTI IN A TRUFFEL AND DEMIGLACE SAUCE. Wine- 1979 Caymus res. (Decantered)

Lamb dish. Wine- Colgin Syrah 2002 (opened 4 hrs)

PS.
Chops will be done on a grill pan. This pan will allow me to control the temp, adds perfect grill lines, and most important is the retention of flavor. Get yourself one of these pans.

Have a fun, and safe 4th.

Check Please!

And you think you need any help from us?! LOL. That sounds "to DIE for" good. Really wish I was there. I'd be your sous chef! I adore polenta and lime polenta is making my mouth water. Do you use lime peel and juice in it? Any sugar?

I recognize some of the wines Pinot Noir and Syrah, but not being a Connoisseur I'm clueless about the Cornton, Dows. and the Caymus. What kind of wines are those??? I'm sure your guests will be so blissfully engaged with the comestibles, there won't be much talk except superlatives thrown about!

Bon appetite!

Christine, I do need some help that night, the prep work is going to be a killer. Let's see, you could be here in about 6 hrs?

Cornton is a cab,
Dows is a port.
Caymus is a cab.

Lime zest is baked in a low oven until dry. Dry zest is outstanding as a garnish as well. Looks like green power. Taste is unbelievable!

Sure, Jerry. I'll just hop a flight and be there tout suite. Wish I could. I'd love to learn from you.

Thanks for the info on the cabernets and port. I must try a good port sometime. The only one I've ever really tried was ages ago before my palette had matured.

You just garnish the polenta with the lime peel? Do you add any juice at the end? If you'd care to share the recipe I'd appreciate it.

I'm trying to come up with something that incorporating a good manchego cheese would be improved without over powering it. I love that stuff.

Let us know how the dinner goes.

Christine, Here's how to do the scallop dish. This is per-person , adjust as needed.


Make or buy some lobster base sauce. 1/2 cup pp. Heat and add two good sized saffron. Allow to simmer apx 1/2 hr.

Three large well cleaned diver scallops, remove the tendon. Pat dry and bring to room temp.
Mix some polenta, apx two tbs with fresh lime juice, some lime zest. Mix together to form a paste. Set aside.
Heat a good quality frying pan over med heat. Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan. When pan just starts to smoke, add the scallops. Do not try to move them for about two min's. Let them sear well. DO NOT OVER COOK! Turn over and cook for about one min. Remove from pan, set on paper towel to drain. Place the two min side down.

While the scallops are resting, crack open one egg, separate the yoke, discard the white. Beat the egg yoke and pour into a small flat dish. Add a tad more oil to pan. Dip the one min cooked side into the egg then into the polenta, coating just the top. Once coated, add to the frying pan, cook until golden brown, apx one min.

Time to work fast, or get some help.

Add apx 1/2 cup of the lobster souse to a med flat plate. Place three scallops in center, polenta side up. Place a good size of pre cooked lobster meat atop the scallops.
Garnish with some Lime zest, and two fresh chives placed to form a V . Bottom of the V sits at rim, just touching the sauce, top of the V, rest across the scallops,
Serve the plate with the bottom of the V slightly off center to the right of your guest.




Enjoy!

Thank you, Jerry. Sounds great! I'll have to try that soon. Now I understand that the polenta was a topping rather than a dish by itself.

We had some incredible local produce for the 4th. I kept it pretty simple, but did wonder what wonderful things you could do with them!

Rebecca, you make Ice Wine?

Freddie thanks for the pasta sug, it was a hit.
The dinner was a smash, boy can throes people eat and drink. Long night, last ones to leave was 1:30 AM. I got to bed 4:15 AM up at 8:00 as my Cockatoo wanted no part of sleeping in. Thanks all for your input.

Next Diner in three weeks.

I'll post the wines, you put together the menu.

happy to oblige Jerry can't wait for fall and a butternut/caramalized onion soup in a jack-be little shell, I love butternut squash.. any recipes that I might not have???

Freddie, give this a try.

Like a twice baked potato.

Cut a squash in half, top to bottom.
Parboil until you can spoon out the flesh. When ready, remove the two half's, and allow to cool a bit. Pre-heat the oven to 450.
Spoon out the flesh, leaving just a small amount all around the skin, this will be our shell.
Heat apx 1/2 cup of cream, 1/2 stick of butter, 1/2 cup of chicken stock, NOTE: Low sodium.
Mix together until butter has become totally incorporated into the mix.
Add the removed squash to a large sauce pan, start mashing, add a small amount of the liquid at a time. We do not want the squash to become to wet. When fluffy, add 1 tbs of maple sugar, mix, mix together. Cover and set aside.

On a baking tray, add a cup of salt on one side. We want a mound shape here. Put the squash shell on top. The salt will keep the shell in place. Do the same for the other shell.
Put into oven for apx 10-15 min. Do not burn!

In a small pan, melt 1/2 stick of salt free butter over low heat. When melted, mix in 1 tbs of maple sugar. (powder).

When skins are hard, cooked, remove from oven, Now the fun part, scoop the squash into the shells, making a small mound. Push the salt around the skins to keep them in place, add more salt if needed. Squash must be kept level.

With a soft basting brush, brush the tops of the squash with the butter and MS sauce.

Start the broiler. Place the squash at top level. Keep an eye on the squash, cooks fast here.
When golden brown remove.

Enjoy.

Sounds delicious! What type of squash? We have so many available here!

That squash dish sounds awesome, Jerry! I can't wait to try it.

Ok - after my surgery in two weeks I am NOT allowed to read any of these recipes. That sounds way too good!!!!

Hay Mara, let me know what foods you and your hubby enjoys and I will come up with a Get well soon diner menu for you.

I do not do monkey brains.
Live anything.
Anything that smells bad.

Well for me - it will only be protein liquids for about 4 weeks - UGH! But that's OK - then much protein, no sugar, very low fats and small quantities. Limited veggies and fruits and lower sugar types of those too. Whole grains for starches.

So how's that for some limitations - but as far as what we like - chicken, turkey, most fresh fish, good cheeses (OK - most of those won't work after surgery but before - yeah baby), most vegetables especially asparagus, zucchini, cucumbers, lots of different types of lettuce.

Tonight I am making chicken roll-ups with goat cheese, pesto and asparagus inside. Then a fresh leaf salad with crumbled goat cheese, raspberries, cranberries, walnuts and a raspberry vinaigrette dressing and some type of starch but I'm not certain what kind. Nothing fancy but it sure is good. And of course wine - don't know what kind yet but something that we have at home.

Thanks Jerry - I'd be interested to see what you come up with for a Get Well dinner with those types of limitations - LOL!

Though I was actually looking forward to a good helping of monkey brains.

Boy Mara I think I would skip the liquid protein once in a while and go right to the wine course in its place... sounds like nasty surgery you are about to have.. Great Luck to you...

Thanks Freddie I would LOVE to go straight to the wine - it is major but it is the best thing for me. I'm having gastric bypass on the 24th so there won't be much of a stomach left to fill.

Now you can stop concentrating on food and start thinking about clothes or your next trip to
Bon in a new swimsuit?! You'll have lots more energy too they tell me as the pounds slide off! I have a acquaintance that had it done about a year ago and is doing very well. Took her awhile to get used to the new frequent small meals but she looks and feels great now!

Thanks Christine. I'm very much looking forward to it and to my new clothes for my next trip to Bonaire. And hopefully some familiar faces being a bit "confused" about this 1/2 version that they see before them... LOL! And the best part of it is my luggage won't weigh so much anymore. OK so that's not the BEST part but it is still a good benefit none the less.

Mara, sounds like fun, NOT!
Contact me when your Dr. gives you the word to go back to real foods. Until then, do as you are told, take it easy.

Do keep in touch.
Be well, be happy.