Hungry T's Eating Journal

Sunday, Dec 25 - XMAS DINNER

While I had planned to spend the entirety of today alone with Alma and a couple of DVDs (The Agronomist and La Dolce Vita), I was pleasantly surprised to get a last minute invite from Cece for XMAS dinner with porkchop and Papa Cece. My plan HAD been cajun pork calzone with a little salad and wine. Cece's option was better...

I get over to their place a little early, but the wine is already flowing, 2001 Anne Gros Vosne-Romanee "Les Barreaux" and 2000 Kestrel Signature Edition Old Vine Merlot. I open the 2002 Keegan E-Block that I brought, and, flattery aside, it's the best wine on the table. We hang, Cece works on the food and refuses any help.

A little later, Papa Cece carves the birds, and daughter Cece plates them with roasted potatoes and haricots verts. Really, a lovely meal. The pheasants had been brined, the beans had tomatoes and spices, and the potatoes (cubed) were lovely.

For dessert, I brought a blood orange tart, which didn't show as well as I had hoped. It was my first attempt at this recipe, and I hadn't really planned to share the outcome with others. I think with the slightest bit of tweaking (more blood orange juice, smaller diameter tart pan), this could be a winner. Wine was 2003 Mt. Horrocks Cordon Cut Riesling and 1971 Toro Albala Don PX Montilla Moriles. I left my camera at Cece's, it seems, so these last three posts will be delayed a little until I can get the pictures downloaded.

posted by Hungry T @ 9:38 AM