About: Happy New Year!

What a meal, what an evening! I think we really outdid ourselves; Gene and I got together with our friends Joanie and Lawrence and Chris and Nancy. The idea was that we would get together to cook small bites; think tapas and amuse bouches. Oh and don’t forget the wine and champagne! We all love good food and Chris really knows wine.
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Each course was accompanied by different wines, each one spectacular. I don’t feel able to do justice to the wines and adequately discuss them so; I will limit myself to describing the food. We started with my French Onion Soup that was inspired by one we had at a restaurant in Jupiter, Florida. In addition to the Swiss cheese I used our favorite blue cheese, Societé, It was great. I served the soup in demitasse topped with a puff pastry “lid” which was embellished with a “09.”
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Soup was followed by a flight of salads; Chris made a lightly dressed salad of Grilled Baby Octopus on Radicchio and Endive and a Black Eyed Pea salad. We just have to get those black eyed peas in on New Years!
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Next up, Joanie and Lawrence prepared Foie Gras Three Ways. This dish consisted of two disks of a traditional foie gras flecked with truffle, a foie gras mousse, and a “brick” of rustic country pate of foie gras and duck. The dish was served with three delicious breads.
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Our final antipasto was Spicy Grilled Shrimp and Spanish Chorizo with Smoked Paprika. I skewered the shrimp and chorizo on toothpicks and marinated them in garlic, smoked paprika, and white vermouth. Quickly grilled, they were delicious!
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Next, a pasta course; a triumvirate of pasta! Chris and Nancy provided Homemade Pumpkin Ravioli topped with Fried Sage, Grated Biscotti and Parmesan Cheese. Joanie and Lawrence made Orecchiette with Baratta Cheese and Ragu. Orecchiette is a type of pasta native to Apulia, whose shape resembles a small ear (in Italian, "ear" is orecchio). Gene and I contributed Ravioli filled with Homemade Ricotta Cheese and Lemon Zest served alongside Mushrooms Two Ways (roasted mini portabellas and sautéed oyster mushrooms).












And now, on to the main courses!
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Lawrence prepared Lamb Chops with baked Brussel Sprouts as a first main course. Then, Gene made Pan-Seared Filet Mignon with Hollandaise Sauce as the second main.

Time-wise, we hit 2009 between the lamb and beef! Last but not least: desserts! Four flights of dessert included: Mini Palmiers, Mini Pastelitos de Guayaba, Belgian Dark Chocolates, and Homemade Candies. By this point, we were all so full that we could barely get up from the table! Happy New Year!