Stu and Debbie and Rudy and Ana, here at the hacienda, for dinner tonight. You know what that means! LOTS of fun and food and wine, woo hoo! I have officially, for my first time, set the table with two wine glasses at each place, with more ready for action in the kitchen. I feel compelled to serve the Barbera that I unknowingly stole out from under Stu a couple of months ago by buying up the last of it, mere hours before he also showed up, at I Nonni (I only knew about the wine because of Stu!). And we'll see what else pops onto the table... Can't wait!I've kept the menu pretty simple so I can actually see and talk with everyone - if we're lucky, we'll be able to spend some time outside, and I don't want to be stuck in the kitchen by myself. In the winter, last-minute prep is fine, because everyone is in there with me, talking, drinking wine, eating things as I prepare them. But in the almost-summer, the strategy shifts, and meals have to be more do-ahead. Here's the menu (a couple of recipes are previously posted; those that aren't I'll get around to tomorrow, after I wash all that glassware, ha...):
blanched asparagus with saffron aioli
almonds
cheddar gougere
chicken with crispy prosciutto and sage with pan sauce
rice with vegetables
tomato gratin
cheese, grapes
lemon tart with almond crust
Well, seeing that written there, I had best 1) fit in a quick kettlebells workout, and 2) get my ass cooking! Yeah, baby!
(Update: recipes for lemon tart and gougere are now posted in comments, below.)
