Monday, July 16, 2012

July 15, 2012 - More Lobster!

So this week was hard for us.  We were kind of tired, not really inspired by anything in particular, and really didn't know what to make for our Sunday dinner.  And then Stew Leonard's announced lobsters for $3.99/lb.  So once we narrowed that down, we got our juices flowing, and created a lovely dinner fit for a relaxing night.  (P.S.  With those crazy thunderstorms last night, sooo glad we didn't need to use the grill, because you may have ended up with photos of our delivery pizza instead.)


Cocktail - Coconut Mango Rum Cocktail

Mango rum, coconut rum, fresh lime juice, slices of fruit, club soda, coconut sugar rim


Mmmm....  fresh and tropical!  Coconut sugar was something we picked up a few months ago, and unfortunately, we didn't make the 2nd cocktail with the rim.  The sugar didn't stay crystallized - it kind of got mushy.  C'est la vie.


Appetizer - White Gazpacho with Grapes



Ok... Jenn loved, John liked, I was indifferent.  And I think it all boils down to your personal taste preferences.  For me, the texture of the almonds was a little weird and that's why I could take it or leave it.  (I'm odd.)  But I did agree with John and Jenn that with the fresh fruit, it was tasty.  You definitely want to add more grapes and apples to it.  If you can get a mouthful that includes a piece of grape, a piece of apple, an almond, and then the soup - you're golden!  This would make a great light lunch if you maybe added some cooked shrimp on the side, too.  However, if we made again for a group, we'd probably make something like a fruit salad, and then "dress" it with the gazpacho.


Appetizer Wine - 2010 Serra da Estrela Albarino

Wine Enthusiast - 88/100


This Spanish white is made of grapes that are descendants of the Riesling variety.  This light yellow-green wine has an intense aroma with hints of apricot and lemon-lime and a subtle floral accent.  It matched well with the garlic and apple in the gazpacho.  We really have never gone wrong with Spanish wines!


Entree - Pappardelle with Lobster, Leeks, and White Truffle Oil



Heavenly.  Plain and simple.  No review necessary.  But, we'll review anyways.  Simply follow the recipe.  Jenn started the stock in the morning, and then just did the sauce once the evening got started.  The only change we made was that she cut ribbons of fresh zucchini and added that along with the pasta.  It was brilliant!  Besides adding fabulous color, it blended so well with the rest of the food, and was a great way to "sneak in" some extra veggies.  We couldn't find pappardelle noodles to save our life, but Sclafani makes a wider noodle called "Mafalda" and that was terrific!  And make sure to add the white truffle oil!  It gives a certain "something" at the end.  (You can find it inexpensive at a HomeGoods or similar store... no need to go crazy at some boutique grocery.)


Entree Wine - 2010 Analivia Verdejo

Wine Enthusiast - 88/100


 So due to time constraints, we never made it to Harry's this weekend and had to pair wines ourselves.  We were not looking for a Chardonnay, but needed a strong white to work with the lobster and the cream.  This hit the spot!  This Spanish white from the Rueda region of Spain is crisp and dry with flavors of fruits, lemon, and celery.  It ends smoothly with a slight mineral finish.  Not only a great wine with the meal, but also a great "everyday drinking" wine.  We're seriously considering a move to Spain at this point.  Something about living in a villa outside a cute little winery just seems so appealing!


Dessert - Mango Raspberry Fruit Crepes with Coconut Rum Cream

No real recipe


So we knew we wanted to try a fruit crepe.  It seemed like a fun experiment and something we haven't done.  And we wanted to use up fruit that had been sitting on the counter top a few days.  So we chopped up some mangoes leftover from the cocktail, added some raspberries, and voila!  John was on crepe duty (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/vanilla-crepes/detail.aspx?event8=1&prop24=SR_Title&e11=vanilla%20crepe&e8=Quick%20Search&event10=1&e7=Home%20Page) and we simply concocted a homemade cream that was spiked with some coconut rum.  (And then a little sprinkle of coconut sugar.)  Delicious!  Definitely something we're going to play around with more.


Next Week - Kebabs from South Africa

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