Yuletide Gastronomy

Susan and I decided to skip the usual Christmas eve dinner prep and instead opted to sample the steaks at Fleming's Prime Steakhouse Restaurant and Bar. She ordered the filet mignon with lobster, paired it with a Black Pearl 2007 red. I opted for the rib eye with bearnaise sauce and scallops and chose the Clos du Bois merlot which I was familiar with - a little too young, but nonetheless did not detract nor lessen the rib eye. And, later, it was perfect with the lava cake.

As far as I was concerned, Christmas was perfect. There was no cooking involved. Which is something that always overtakes my consciousness a week before each holiday and the requisite family dinner. My tendency is to raid every grocer and meat market within a 5 mile radius and all I think about is how to compose the meal, racking my brains on how each should complement the other. I should instead be raiding the fridge and freezers and find out what's been sitting there for sometime now and throw them all together in a pot to simmer.

Now I have 2 dinners to worry about - New Year's Eve with the family, and New Year dinner with Ron.

New Year's Eve Menu

Appetizer
Pate de Campagne

Entree
Braised Shrimp in spicy sauce
Rib Eye Steak w Red Wine and Bearnaise Sauce
Susan's Baked Salmon
Potatoes Au Gratin
Medley of Carrots and Merlitons

Dessert
Cheesecake with Dulce de Leche Apples
Pots de Creme



New Year Dinner
Appetizer
Cream of Carrot

Entree
Trio of: Duck Confit w Plum Sauce, Seared Ahi Tuna, Rib Eye w Bearnaise Sauce
Vegetable Medley
Joseph Drouhin Pinot Noir Laforet 06 (amazingly, Bev Mo carries this Drouhin - its dryness goes great with duck)

Dessert
Pots de Creme

The pate de campagne is totally drunken with brandy right now and ruminating in the fridge - the liver component has been edited out since most of the young people do not like the taste - by tomorrow the rest of the ingredient would be thrown in and the loaves will sweat it out in a bain marie. Today it was the duck confit and the potatoes au gratin - now languishing in the freezer.

Like I said, making dinner is a week long planning and prepping affair.

Voila. The secret to ahi tuna is the time it takes to sear - 1 minute on each side.