It's the summer, it's grill season... we haven't done kebabs yet! And we have done a lot of steaks and fish, so we thought this weekend would be a perfect opportunity to throw some meat on a stick and relax. So we combed our recipe stockpile and found a beautiful kebab recipe that's actually from South Africa, and created a lovely meal.
Cocktail - The Pitt Stop
Kirsch, cherry brandy, amaretto, lemonade
These were awesome. Hands down one of our favorite cocktails yet. We made 2 batches and then even a 3rd for dessert. (But drank that out of smaller shot-sized glasses, so I feel like less of an alcoholic.) These cocktails are a sure-hit... you can water them down if you'd like with some lemon seltzer.
Appetizer - Spring Vegetable and Goat Cheese Tart
Delicious! We cooked it an extra 10 minutes or so to get the brown on the crust, and we let it sit approximately 30 minutes before slicing. Unfortunately it hadn't completely cooled at set yet (hence no picture) however the taste was amazing. Light, fresh, creamy - home run. I'd highly recommend cooking it in the morning, leaving in the fridge, and then reheating when its time to eat.
Appetizer Wine - 2011 La Porte L'Abbaye Pouilly-Fume
Rating - Not found
This fantastic French white was a perfect complement to the vegetable tart. The Pouilly-Fume had bright flavors of apricot and green apple, with a smooth, slightly smoky, mineral finish. Great wine.
Entree - Pork and Lamb Kebabs with Dried Apricots and Onions
This amazing meal comes from South Africa and has the Afrikaans name sosatie, which basically means curried meat and fruit on a stick. It has slight influences from Indonesia and Malaysia. The flavor was beautiful. Spice from the curry, sweetness of the apricot, and the rich-ness of the sauce. And the beauty is that everything is pretty much made in advance!
Side Dishes - Wild Rice and Sauteed String Beans
Some simple wild rice from the grocery store and used the onions and orange peel from the kebab marinade to sautee with the string beans. Delicious!
Entree Wine - 2005 Marques de Murrieta Rioja
International Wine Cellar - 91/100
Best wine we have had in a very long time. Possibly our favorite to date. This bright red Spanish wine has fresh red berry and spice aromas with a tangy mineral quality. Out of this world. Many thank yous to Christelle and Greg from Harry's Wine who helped us this weekend - you both outdid yourselves!
Dessert - White Chocolate-Cherry Mousse Pie
Phenomenal! Rich and creamy with a sweet tartness of the cherries. Keep in mind - whipping egg whites can be a pain. Make sure the eggs are room temp before you start, otherwise you'll be standing over that bowl for an hour.
Overall, a fantastic meal. Jenn ended up making a stew the next day with the kebab leftovers and it was fantastic! See you next week!
Next Week - Entertaining with French Cooking
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