New Year's Eve Menu

APPETIZERS

• Antipasto platter
• cheese, salami, olives
• Funghi tagliati e fettine sottili, con mozzarella fusa e timo
• sliced mushrooms with melted mozzarella and thyme

SEAFOOD
Taittinger Brut Champagne

• Oysters rocafella
• Naked Cowboy, Kusshi, and Delaware raw oysters with champagne foam and mignonette
• Sea scallops crudo 
• with shaved fennel and extra virgin olive oil
• Baked clams
• parsley, oregano, shallot, parmesan and bread crumbs

PASTA
Michel-Schlumberger 2011 La Nue Chardonnay 

• Casonsei from Val Camonica
• Homemade pasta stuffed with a sausage, potato, and chard filling

MEAT
Canetto 2006 Reserve Vino Nobile di Montepulciano

• Tagliati di manzo con radicchio
• Thinly sliced beef with wilted radicchio and gorgonzola
• Edible rocks 

DESSERT
Loxton 2009 Late Harvest Zinfandel

• Salted caramel tart with chocolate ganache

Ribeye Grilled with Rosemary

(Serves 2-3)

1- 12oz. ribeye steak
Salt & freshly ground pepper
4-6 sprigs of rosemary

- Let meat come to room temperature

- Meanwhile, start the coals in your grill (or turn on your gas grill)

- Season meat with salt and pepper on both sides

- Put steak on grill, and top with a sprig of rosemary. Close the grill.

- When you flip the steak, the sprig of rosemary should be dried out. Discard and replace with a new one. Continue replacing the rosemary as the sprig dries out.

- Remove from grill, let rest, remove fat, slice thinly and serve.

Japanese Inspired BBQ Menu

In lieu of a more traditional Labor Day BBQ, Jason and I decided to give things a little twist. We came up with a Japanese inspired BBQ meal. We pieced together recipes we found online, from the Nobu cookbook, and that we made up on our own to create what was probably one of our best meals in quite awhile. We are already looking forward to leftovers tomorrow! Follow the links for the recipes...

Beef Yakiniku skewers
Marinated Japanese style chicken thigh skewers
Shrimp skewers
Soba noodle salad with scallions and cabbage
Green beans in a black bean paste dressing
Tomato ceviche, Nobu style

Beef Yakiniku - Japanese style beef skewers

BEEF YAKINIKU (from Food.com)

1/2 lb beef
3 Tbsp soy sauce
3 Tbsp sake
1 1/2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 1/2 Tbsp sugar
1/2 apple, grated to release the juices
2 Tbsp roasted and partially crushed sesame seeds
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 tsp mustard
*scallions (optional)

- Slice beef, thread onto skewers* and lay in a 9x13 baking dish. *optionally, alternate with slices of scallion

- Roast sesame seeds in a pan over medium heat. Remove to a plate and crush lightly with the side of a knife, or grind with either a mortar and pestle or spice grinder.

- Combine all marinade ingredients in a bowl and pour over beef skewers.

- Cover and let marinate at least an hour.

- Heat coals and grill until just cooked through.

Anniversary Eve Dinner

Jason and I recently celebrated our 4th wedding anniversary! We dined at The Girl & the Goat on the actual day, which was an amazing meal that exceeded all expectations. The night before, a Sunday, we followed our usual Sunday tradition of hunkering down to cook a meal together and enjoy al fresco dining on the porch.

Our anniversary eve menu included:

Filet
Roasted potatoes
Sauteed beet greens
Ragu of asparagus, garlic scape, and shiitake mushrooms

With the meal we enjoyed a bottle of Brunello we carried back with us from Montalcino on our 1 year anniversary trip back to Tuscany!

Thai Beef Salad

This recipe is from My Grill by Australian Pete Evans. We brought this dish, along with my favorite spring rolls, and green beans in black bean sauce, to our good friends' house for a belated birthday celebration. The meal was a hit, the only downside, no leftovers!

Thai Beef Salad

Salt & pepper
1 pound filet
1 box asian brown rice noodles
3 green onions, sliced thinly on the diagonal
1 handful basil
1 handful mint
1 handful cilantro
2 Tablespoons chopped roasted peanuts

DRESSING
2 Tablespoons minced ginger
2 Tablespoons chopped cilantro sprigs
3 garlic cloves finely chopped
1 large red serrano pepper (or substitute with 2 small green thai peppers)
1 teaspoon honey
2 Tablespoons rice vinegar
2 Tablespoons soy sauce
1 Tablespoon finely chopped lemongrass (inside white part only)
1 teaspoon sesame oil
3 Tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

• Season the filet with salt and pepper
• Place filet on grill and cook approx. 4-5 minutes each side
• Let stand before slicing
• Cook the noodles according to directions, drain and rinse with cold water
• For the dressing: combine all ingredients in a jar and mix
• Toss the noodles with the dressing and add the torn herbs
• Slice the beef thinly on the diagonal and place on top of the noodles
• Top with the peanuts and serve