Bonjour! With guests at this week's meal, we decided we wanted to walk on the fancier side, and pick a meal that was decadent and gourmet. So we went back to our French cooking recipes, and created this lovely masterpiece.
Cocktail - French Martini
Vodka, pineapple juice, Chambord
Delicious! Light, easy, and disappears rather quickly.
Appetizer - French Onion Soup Dumplings
http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2009/03/french-in-a-flash-french-onion-soup-dumplings-recipe.html
First, let me say that this is the perfect use for an escargot plate! Okay, with that out of the way - these are divine. French Onion Soup Dumplings are a signature dish at the Stanton Social in NYC. (No relation, I checked with my Dad... that would have been awesome, though.) They are basically wonton wrappers filled with the onions from french onion soup, and then topped with Gruyere cheese and a crouton. Everything you love about the soup in one bite! The recipe above will take you step by step, and I find that the "counterfeit french onions" she lists is amazing. I love the addition of the cognac, however I have made with both red and white wines, and everyone prefers using the red. Be careful taking this out of the oven... it takes a long time to cool down. You must try this!
Appetizer Wine - Cascade Mountain Winery Harvest Rose
On their ride home from a lovely golf weekend, John and Jennifer detoured and found a cute little winery in upstate. They picked up this lovely rose which is semi-dry but fresh, fruity, and has a crisp finish. Can't wait to make the trip to visit this vineyard myself.
Entree - Grilled Veal Chops with Herb Cheese and Wild Mushroom-Tomato Bordelaise
Delicious! The wild mushroom bordelaise is out of this world. Keep in mind - it will take almost 2 hours to properly cook, but can be made in advance! Leftover veal will be cubed and then added to the bordelaise (there's a ton leftover) to make a stew for a mid-week meal.
Side Dishes - Prosciutto Wrapped Asparagus and Herb Cheese Mashed Potatoes
If you see the above picture, its pretty self explanatory. We followed Emeril's recipe that was included with the veal and then made some basic mashed potatoes on the side. However, we used the rest of the herb cheese (Rondele Garlic and Herbs) and added them to the potatoes for a nice creaminess and hint of flavor.
Entree Wine - 2008 Di Majo Norante Sangiovese
Wine Advocate - 90/100
We didn't go to Harry's this week due to timing, so we broke into the stockpile for this week's meal. There were big flavors of wild berries, spices, and leather with a ripe mouthful. We were indifferent on this wine, however. It did end up pairing nicely with the veal, but it wasn't very good drinking on its own before we started eating. The leather and spices were a little dominant compared to the berries and fruit. Good wine, just not great.
Dessert - Chocolate Mousse with Cassis Macerated Blackberries
Yes, we did mousse last week. The original plan was to make chocolate blackberry tartlets in little phyllo shells, but the grocery store was out of the shells, the chocolate was already in the shopping cart, and I panicked. But that's ok - we rebounded with a delicious chocolate mousse! It was extremely tasty, and I think one of the best things about making mousse, is that the three times we've made them, they are all different cooking methods. You just have to find the one that speaks to you. (This one was easy.) Oh... and I added a little dark rum to it, too.
Next Week - TBD
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