Relaxation and Sapolil

The Fall and Winter are the just fruits of a busy Spring and Summer. I could get used to just a couple of events a month, quite relaxing. My days now consist of playing with my children, bothering my wife, and procrastinating home projects (and not returning next year's wedding bids!) All we have done this month is a wedding rehearsal dinner and this weekend's gig. And that is fine by me.

Saturday we dropped off a simple buffet for 20 with our friends at Gifford Hirlinger and then jetted back into town for a four course dinner at Sapolil Cellars. The dinner we donated as part of an auction item for the ywca. Sapolil provided the next to perfect space, as seen above, and the Kate Bray Band provided the stellar entertainment.

Menu:

• Arugula and beet salad, fresh apple, candied nuts, goat cheese
• Cauliflower soup, marsala sauteed crimini mushrooms, truffle salt, cauliflower crisp
• Beef burgundy, reduction sauce, creamy polenta, roast butternut squash and sage brown butter, bacon braised brussel sprouts
• Chocolate mousse and vanilla cream from the Patisserie.

New Favorite Things:

• The soup above is pureed cauliflower, a little butter, onion, thyme, chicken stock, and half and half. It is a third as rich as it looks, really. It is earthy, and full bodied, and the perfect base for the flavorful mushrooms and truffle salt. I used to make cauliflower croutons to top this, but this time I made little dehydrated cauliflower trees. Cutest little things, and they taste great too.

Back to Work - after an easy Thanksgiving we get crazy. Barrel Tasting at Longshadows, Reininger, Waterbrook, and possibly a couple more. If you are coming for Barrel Weekend make sure and stop by one of these fine establishments to taste our snacks with their great wine.

Cheers

Walla Walla Hospice

We donated our services to the Walla Walla Hospice as part of a dinner package. It went to auction at the Hospice event way back in February. We provided dinner for eight and service. Baker Boyer Bank lent their brand new 7th floor boardroom as the venue (possibly one of the highest points in little ww). Le Ecole Winery paired the wine for each course. And Wendye and John provided tableware, dessert, and played host. The package raised $2,500.











Apps:
- scallop cakes with sriracha mayo
- endive spears with goat cheese mousse and pecan gremolata
- baguette slice with pork rillette, dijon, and thyme

Dinner: - Welcome Table Farm mizuna and arugula, marinated beets, fresh apple, goat cheese, champagne vinaigrette, and candied pecans.
- Pureed corn soup, truffle butter, and chives.
- Porchetta (herb, caper, garlic, lemon stuffed pork shoulder roast), creamy polenta, roast rutabegas and carrots, vegetable gratin
- Dessert from the incomparable Colville Street Patisserie.


















Cheers

Mike's 50th Birthday

Friday we went to Beresan Winery to put on dinner for 16 guests celebrating Mike's 50th birthday. Winemaker Tom played host (and dj, keeping the kitchen hoppin' with everything from Cake to Dr. Dre) while we bombarded the guests with appetizers; five flavors to be exact.

Apps:

- Cheese stuffed risotto balls with sun dried tomato dip

- Pan fried scallop cake with sriracha mayo (pictured below)

- Baguette slice with pork rillette, dijon, thyme

- Crostini with beef ragu and parmesan

- Belgian endive spears with goat cheese mousse and pecan gremolata

Then we served the guests family style (my new favorite way to serve guests, a decidedly unfussy, communal, and convivial way to enjoy a meal). A simple salad of local greens, veggies, and champagne vinaigrette. For the main course we roasted Fehrenbacher Farm's Leg of Lamb, made some creamy polenta, roasted rutabegas, carrots, and beets, and built some vegetable gratins.

Of course I didn't get a picture of the lamb!!! Server Morgan's only real job all night (!) was to remind me to take a picture of the lamb/roasted vegetable platter, and she forgot. So this is the best we got, a lonesome carving in some sauce back in the kitchen.

New Favorite Things:

• I have roasted leg of lamb for lots of parties, and this was far and away the best. Same process as before, couple of days of marinating, a dijon, garlic, herb, salt paste on the outside. But this time I brushed the legs the last five minutes with a wine/honey/herb/pepper reduction that put the whole thing over the top. A bottle of Waterbrook Melange reduced to about two tablespoons, mixed with honey, then dijon and rosemary when cooled, and a pinch of pepper. Jammy, syrupy, intense wine fruit, an incredible red meat glaze.

• Scallop cakes. The guests couldn't get enough. Tom called them "money". Served them the next night and a guest proclaimed it to be the best appetizer she has 'ever' eaten (that may be a bit extreme). Chopped sea scallops, super fine mince of serrano pepper, chopped cilantro, minced shallot, dollop of mayo, and panko bread crumbs are all mixed together. Then formed into a patty coating with more panko, then pan fried. The sriracha mayo is just mayo mixed with enough sriracha to color nicely with a bit of a spicy kick.

Cheers

Watermill Wine Dinner

Hello John,

I heard nothing but raves about your dinner!! The lunches were unbelievable!! Thank you - it is so nice to just email and know that everything will be done and done well!

Thanks, Jacqui - Owner Blue Stocking Tours

I have a policy with my wife that seems to work pretty well. She asks if a pair of jeans looks too tight, or an outfit looks too funky, and I tell her the truth. Sometimes it hurts, but at least she knows I am being honest, and it cuts down on the number of outfits she tries on (by a couple). And she appreciates it, because she knows I am not blowing smoke just to get out the door. She does the same to me with food. In fact, she is so tough a begrudging "It's pretty good" is a home run in everyone else's book.

So in keeping with the honesty policy I have to tell you dinner Saturday night was ok. The appetizers were great. The soup was a bit too sweet and lacked something. The salad greens were fantastic but the side of porkbelly confit was overcooked and a bit of a mismatch. The lamb was mid-rare to medium, but underseasoned and a bit blah, the side veggies were pretty good. And the Patisserie dessert and local strawberries were out of this world (as always Matt!).

Menu:

- wonton crisp, lime shrimp salad, radish, avocado, dill
- crostini, white bean puree, pork confit
- baguette slice, brie, apple butter, fresh pear

• Walla Walla sweet onion soup, caramelized onion custard, thyme brown butter
• Welcome Table Farm's greens, dijon red wine vinaigrette, pork belly confit, balsamic marinated radishes
• Fehrenbacher Farm's leg of lamb, creamy polenta, local english peas, carrots, and swiss chard
• Patisserie's chocolate vanilla almond mousse cake with Milton's strawberries
  

Cheers

Tacoma Garden Club Invades Walla Walla

Thirty six gardening buffs from the west side of the Evergreen State wreaked havoc and destruction over the weekend of April 19th. We were lucky enough to feed them.

We rented Carnegie, the wife built some very agreeable tulip centerpieces, Sean from Water's Winery was our guest sommlier, and we tried to impress with the food.

Three apps: crostini, white bean puree, pork confit... endive, goat cheese mousse, cranberry apple relish... swedish pancakes, apple butter.

Menu

- asparagus salad, tarragon dressing, poached trout, potato pinwheel

- walla walla sweet onion soup, caramelized onion custard, thyme brown butter

- red wine braised short ribs, potato gratin, roasted asparagus, pearl onions, cauliflower

- patisserie gelato, shortbread, macerated strawberries, whipped cream

Wines to match: Stella Blanca semillon, Waters voigner, Waters syrah, Northstar syrah, Three Rivers Gwertziminer (or however the hell you spell it!).

We don't like to brag, but... pretty yummy.

Cheers

Reininger, April 12th, 2008

I love Reininger. The owners, the staff, and the wine is pretty darn awesome.

Dinner for eight. Tracy laid out a beautiful table setting, per usual. 3 apps, my favorite being a seared scallop half, with caramelized apple and crisp bacon, laid out on spoons for easy snacking (and dramatic effect).

Menu

- roast thundering hooves bone marrow and rice bean salad

- salad of endive, parsley, fennel, pear, honey tangerine, pine nuts

- sweet onion soup, caramelized onion custard, thyme brown butter

- fehrenbacher farm rack of lamb, white bean puree, roast pearl onions, asparagus, mushrooms

- hazelnut mousse from the patisserie

A pretty decent spread for a lovely WW evening.

Cheers