Welcome to our first official food posting!!! Tonight's menu is laid out piece by piece with reviews, edits, and editor commentary
Cocktail - Absolut Wild Tea Martini
We don't remember what the measurements were (we were experimenting and forgot to keep track) but the ingredients included: Absolut Wild Tea vodka, Mint Simple Syrup, Blackberries, Lemon Juice, and a Kurant juice from the grocery store.
It was very tasty - the Wild Tea vodka has quite an herbal type of taste - very much like a real herbal tea. The mint and blackberry worked very well, but the simple syrup made it a little sweet for us - so we switched that for lemon seltzer the 2nd batch, and it was even better. The group agreed that this cocktail is best meant for summertime as it makes you think of freshly made iced unsweetened tea.
Entree - Pistachio Crusted Rack of Lamb with Goat Cheese Mashed Potatoes and Peasant Style Sauce
This was a fantastic meal! It had tons of different flavors and was rather easy to make, once you were done chopping. Even the non-lamb lovers ate everything off the plate, and the lamb lovers were nibbling on the bones. Changes we made include: We couldn't find Creole mustard, so we combined equal parts brown mustard and dijon mustard with a couple heaping Tbsp of Creole seasoning. The mustard seems spicy initially, but cooks off while roasting, so don't be afraid. We also couldn't find veal or lamb stock, so used plain old beef stock - I don't think anyone would have known the difference... it doesn't really make a sauce as much as the stock will mostly evaporate and you have a juicy olive mixture. Also, we only needed about half of the breading, so don't go nuts shelling those pistachios. However, because the pistachios and the olives are very salty - no need to salt the meat beforehand. And when you roast - add an extra 5 minutes for medium-rare. (And the mashed potatoes are lovely as well!)
Side Dish - Rustic Winter Vegetable Tarts
Wow. That's all there is to say! These were absolutely amazing. We had used a balsamic reduction that was in the cupboard and cut back on the goat cheese since they were also in the potatoes, but otherwise, kept everything the same. (Ok, maybe a little more bacon - but who doesn't love bacon?) The only recommendation is to pre-cook the crust for 5 minutes before filling with the veggies, because otherwise the crust will deflate. This will be something we cook on a regular basis.
Dessert - Homemade Baklava
Recipe unavailable because it was a dinner guest's family recipe. The picture is grainy, but it was delicious nonetheless with some lemon gelato on the side!
Wine - 2009 JL Chave Mon Coeur Cotes-du-Rhone
Wine Spectator - 90/100
As always, many thanks to Harry's Wine in Fairfield, CT for matching a delicious wine to our meal. They have gotten accustomed to John going in every week with recipe in hand and helping find a good pairing. This wine is a combination of grenache and syrah with a fresh, earthy aroma and hints of dark berries that created a dense fruit profile with notes of licorice and dark chocolate. It was a very nice wine and went delicious with the lamb chops!
Next Week - Steak
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