What's cooking this weekend?

Carrie

What is your view on the BGE?? A must have ??

We found two “Mediterranean” lamb racks in the freezer that our daughter gave us last year prepared by her butcher. We had originally planned to drag out the old Faberware grill and rotisserie and spit roast them. Instead we decided to smoke them in our electric water smoker. Research told us just to use a small amount of wood with them so we had soaked about a cup of apple wood chips, and smoked them for three and half hours, turning once. They were great with rice in beef stock, and peas. We washed it all down with a bottle of 2005 Tobin James, Silver Reserve, Lagrein.

The meal was a great kickoff for the Memorial Day Weekend.

[Jenise]

Carl, Tobin's growing lagrein? First I've heard of in America. The lamb sounds great--we do a lot of smoking, but somehow lamb has so far escaped my reach.

Tonight we're grilling some pork chops I brought home from Canada yesterday--the prime rib end, and so marbled they look like Berkshire--that are marinating as I type in my favorite grilled pork prep: hot Chinese chili oil (lots), soy sauce, rosemary and enough brown sugar to attract flame and singe the edges when they go on the grill. With that, fried rice and 3" long bok choy sprouts stir fried with ginger and shitake mushrooms.

Carrie

What is your view on the BGE?? A must have ??

A must have? Well, that depends. If you like the taste of smoked meats, then I'd say yes. We use our gas grill for quickly grilled food like steaks, lamb chops etc. It's just too much of an "event" to get the BGE lit and hot enough to sear stuff, but for slow-smoking it does an amazing job. Len's back ribs are legendary in many circles. Are you thinking of getting one? Get Maria's take on this also. I think she has a Komodo. Bob Henrick too.

That was the first lamb we ever attempted to smoke, and did a lot of research before trying it. Lots of people warned about using too much wood.

Tobin James grows very little of the grapes it uses, but sources most from the Paso area. They indicate when it comes from elsewhere, for example they use Monterey grapes in their Chardonnay. They say there are three Lagrein vineyards in the Paso area, and a total of seven in CA. The way they make it is not typical of their wines and weigh in at 13.5% alky. It is still jet black and full of red and black fruit with lots of acid. The grapes must be very expensive, because the wine is now running $48 per bottle. We are happy to get one bottle a year from the wine club.

[Robin Garr]

We're not really doing any traditional holiday stuff, no grilling ... but we're having kitchen fun. Tonight I'm baking one of Reinhart's baguette recipes from his new "Artisanal Bread Every Day," and Mary is making a fresh-mushroom soup out of "The Monastery Cookbook." With that, and a 2007 Pedroncelli Russian River Valley Pinot Noir from California Wine Club, we'll call it a meal.

Tomorrow we'll most likely pan-sear and oven-finish a locavore strip steak from Triple J Farm in Georgetown, Ind., over in 'winger's neighborhood. (We bought it at a farmers' market in Louisville, though, rather than venturing outside the city limits. "Here be there dragons."

Heading out right now to grab a bag of lump charcoal and a little wood and a couple of free range chickens to smoke. And I'll stop by Stone Wolf and see Linda and have a glass of wine with her.

Dinner guests Saturday night -just 3 courses
1-Asian salad-mixed greens, avocado, seaweed, wasabi peas with a ponzo based dressing
served with an ahi tuna tartare on rice crackers.
First Wine- a 1995 Nicolas Feuilliatte Prm Cru Brut
Haven't decided on second wine. I know that the guests are bringing a Kronsgard Chardonnay
2.Entree- Roasted porketta
Starch- linguine with a chive pesto
Side dish- rotkohl
Third wine-I am thinking for a red of maybe doing a Red Rhone grape wine or an older CA Cab since I have quite a few.
3.Dessert- Key lime pie
Dessert wine: Maybe a TBA

I am really getting lazy, down from 5 courses to 3. Our entertaining has really slowed down this year. Counting tonight we have only had 9 to dinner in 2010.

We were at a potluck yesterday, where my contribution was the Nicoise potato salad. Last night, it was homemade salted caramel popcorn to go with Manhattans and our first look at the movie "Up". As it turns out, caramel popcorn goes nicely with such beverages and the movie was very good.

Yes, we liked "Up", too. We saw the 3-D version. The trick works though I'm not sure it adds a lot to the experience.

Back on topic: I'm restoring mushrooms, trimming asparagus, and setting the steaks to marinate in garlic and oil. Grill work later!

It was all dogs and burgers this afternoon, with plenty of brew. Got the ole grill broken in for the year.

On Saturday some friends will stay with us and the plans for dinner are

Starter: Quail terrine with foi gras and apple salad
Soupe: Creamy pea soup with peppermint leaves and light browned sweetbread
First course: Browned monkfish fillet on ratatouille with paspiere risotto.
Main course: Deer loin in long pepper crust on chokolate-ginger-sauce with black walnuts and caramelized beets
Dessert: Grand-Marnier-flan with lemongrass sauce

Today's lunch on pentecost sunday
Starter: Artichoke Salad with strawberries and Basil leaves seasoned with balsamico cream and topped with fried shrimps saffron tempura
Second course: Creamy celery soup with white tomato espuma
Main course: Lamb in coffee crust with apple potato mash on Orange-Coffee-sauce
Dessert: Crème brulée parfumed with lavender.

Heinz, what a menu! Could you provide more detail on the lamb main course? The orange coffee crust is very intriguing.

The recipe

Lamb in coffee crust with apple potato mash on Orange-Coffee-sauce

serves 4

for the lamb
4 lamb loins (150 g each)
30 g coffee beans
100 g Toast bread without rind
Salt
Pepper

For the sauce
250 ml dark lamb stock
10 g coffee beans, crushed
1 espresso
50 ml Orange juice
50 ml dry red wine
25 g butter to thicken the sauce

For "Himmel & Erde"
6 apples, medium size
400 g mashed potatoes
4 leaves lemon balm

Crush coffee beans using a sauteuse or a pan, but not as fine as grind coffee. Grate toasts to get "mie de pain" and commingle with crushed coffee beans. Season loins with salt and pepper. Press loins into the toast-coffee-mix and coat loins on all sites. Let melt ghee in a pan and fry loins at moderate temp until coating is golden. Remove from pan and let rest in the oven at 65 °C for 15 to 20 minutes. Pour ghee and deglace the pan with espresso and orange juice. Add coffee beans, lamb stock and red wine and let cook until liquid is reduced by the half. Strain through a sieve, bring to the boil and whisk in butter. Remove from the plate mix gently in whipped cream and pour over loins. Serve with apple-potato mash in caved apples (cooked in a water-white wine mixture with a little sugar) decorated with a balm leaf. As a side dish: steamed celeriac and carrots sprinkled with parmesan cheese.

The wine we had with the dish: 1991 Vino Nobile di Montepulciano Riserva, Il Macchione

Sorry no picture, but will be posted as soon as I've made the dish again.