Monday, June 28, 2010

COOKING WITH FRIENDS




This past Saturday, it was our turn to host our cooking group. At this point, we've been cooking together, every three or four months, for at least 30 years, we think longer.

So we gathered at our house on a warm summer's night and got started on an evening of eating and drinking.

While Arlene prepared the first course, an amazing Raw Kale salad, we snacked on Red Pepper Feta Dip, Dolmas, Greek Olives, and a yummy nut and legume mix that Arlene brought along.



Arlene & Jim's Kale salad had dried cranberries, pine nuts, Ricotta Salata cheese, and a lime dressing. It was wonderful tasting and healthful too!



Next was our main course. Because Frank was out of town, we invited Mary Ann to join us and to assist Jim in the preparation of the main course, a Moroccan Mahi Mahi. Jim had made the tomato-based sauce in advance but the grilling of the fish was the real tricky part. They grilled the fish to perfection.






To accompany the fish, I made Couscous which was seasoned with Cinnamon and Cardamon and mixed with toasted pine nuts and grilled squash.

Mary Ann brought a bottle of Stag's Leaf Merlot (2005) which was perfect with the fish.



And for those purists who feel that only white wine goes with fish, we drank the rest of the Navarro Gewurztraminer that Arlene and Jim poured with their salad. I had a bit of both since they both are such tasty wines.

Colesie's dessert was a lemon cake from a Barefoot Contessa recipe. She served it with fresh Blueberries. Colesie's cake was so perfect, both in taste and appearance, that Jim thought it was store bought...not at all, just Colesie's talented baking.



And so ended another night with special friends and food. Til the next time..

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