Homemade pasta

 My new toy....Atlas pasta maker straight from Italy.

 Mixing double zero flour with some eggs....hopefully I get a little better at the mixing part

 Made pappardelle out of the dough, served with one of our favorites....vodka cream sauce with shrimp and fresh basil....yum yum.

 Had a great Tuscan Sangiovese to complement this dish (a crisp, lightly oaked white would also have been an excellent pairing)

Appetizer was an aged parm that I drizzled with a little balsamic reduction

Grapefruit

Grapefruit sections with a honey mint dressing

Beef Bourguignon

 I am a sucker for braising, and want a shirt that says "I love braising".  It just gets meat so tender and flavorful, this one cooked for about 5 hours (my next attempt will take 3 days!!)

 Served with what else.....red burgundy/pinot

Placed on top of a nice big piece of garlic rubbed french bread.....not bad on a cold night.

Appetizers for dinner (one of our favorite things)

 Truffled goat cheese crostinis topped with panko for added texture, absolutely delicious with a crisp and dry white wine.  

Scallop potato sandwich with a citrus dressing.  Soft succulent scallop in between pan seared potatoes with a orange/lemon/lime dressing....come on....so good.

Pasta Puttanesca (Do you know what that means? Look it up for a laugh)

 Simple, yet delicious sauce (like all good Italian sauces).  Fresh tomatoes, kalamata olives, anchovies, capers, garlic, basil and some red pepper flakes.

Served over whole wheat pasta and some grated parm.  

Honey and lavender duck with duck liver pate

 First attempt with a whole duck...wow.  Rubbed with lavendar and honey, this was one delectable duck

 Served with Charlie Palmer's private label Pinot

Leg and breast, plus the liver that cooked inside the duck mashed into a pate and served on toasted crostinis.  My mouth is watering again.

Rack of Lamb

Delicious rack of lamb (encrusted in dijon mustard and herb rub).  We served it with a Cakebread Syrah and it was wonderful.  

Filet with a whiskey cream sauce

 Probably one of the best steaks I have ever made.  Peppercorn crusted on one side, and served with a delicious whiskey cream sauce!

Had one of our favorite wines from our wine country trip, Lancaster Cabernet.... unbelievably good

Tomato salad and rosemary potatoes

 Gretchen's tomato salad, with homemade buttermilk ranch

Rosemary pan fried potatoes, these were mine and Gretchen's contributions to a wonderful prime rib roast Christmas dinner

Braised short ribs

 These ribs took 2 days to prepare (Tom Colicchio's recipe from Craft Steakhouse)

Served these with mashed potatoes (used creme fraiche...mmmm) and had a CDP to drink...excellent

Thai Beef Salad

This is a Thai beef salad that Gretchen made for a girls night when I was traveling on business.  I heard it was very good.  ;-)

Salad and Cornish Game Hens

Here is a delicious heirloom tomato salad and some Cornish game hens stuffed with a wild rice stuffing.  Gretchen made these for my birthday dinner....they were delicious paired with a Oregon Pinot.