July Dinner Club Recap

I know you are all "ears" to hear about our corny dinner this month!

The evening started with a trip down memory lane...Grapes was cleaning out her photo collection, and came across this gem from her bachelorette party 10 years ago!  Now that's a  corn-fed boy!

We had a field day at Couscous' crib, with her fun summer dishes.

Grapes got the evening off to a tasty start with peppers (jalopeno and sweet reds) stuffed with cornbread  and wrapped with bacon (or unwrapped for the vegetarians!)

And a bottle of  Dialed In red wine, because the label looked like the end of a corn cob??   You be the judge.

 Couscous' culinary contribution consisted of buttercrust corn pie with fresh tomato salsa. A saltine cracker crust that was scrumptious!

Paprika created her own side dish by combining three different recipes for a delicious rice salad with black beans, corn (roasted over an open camp fire!), peppers and a vinaigrette.

Her wine contribution was a refreshing sauvignon blanc from Nobilo.

No one had a batch of corn based wine ready, but there was talk of heading down to West Virginia to sample some Apple Pie Moonshine!

Saucy completed our corn fest with a spice cake made with creamed corn and a caramel icing.  Amaizeing! and she served it in theme appropriate dishes - Corn Cob plates!!

Check back soon for details on our next dinner club!  We are on a roll!!!

JULY DINNER CLUB W.I.T.

Upcoming Dinner:  July

Hostess:  Couscous

Ingredient:  Corn

June Dinner Recap

Our June dinner was postponed a week or so as we had to await the return of our hostess, Saucy, from her trip to Ireland.             And you thought her nickname came from an Italian cooking heritage...HA!

Well, it was worth the wait as not only was dinner club fabulous, but Saucy also brought us back souvenirs from her trip abroad!  We each received Luck O' the Irish with this lucky green Irish stone from the Blasket Islands!

As always, her decorations were apropos to the theme - from her cork napkin ties and cork wine glass markers.....

to her wine barrel candle holder!

And now onto the details of our Cooking with Wine Dinner creations (what we can remember anyway)!

We started the evening with Couscous' microwave experiment of Artichokes with Roasted Garlic White Wine Dipping Sauce.   She not only successfully roasted the garlic in the microwave (3 minutes v. 1 hour) but also successfully steamed the artichokes in the microwave!  She used a Pinot Grigio which paired nicely with the nuked appetizer.

Saucy also preferred a Pinot Grigio for the main course of grilled salmon and chicken in a white wine sauce with chives.  Both meat eaters and fish eaters enjoyed this dish!  A wonderfully light summer meal!

CHICKEN

SALMON

This was Saucy's choice of Pinot and this one started us down a sinful path!  No, our own Grapes didn't get naked!

  Fortunately we all kept our clothes on!

Grapes (fully clothed), was unsure of how her side dish would turn out, so she brought 2 dishes and used up all her wine, but not to fear - she brought a back-up bottle!

Both dishes were made with a Pinot Noir:  Emeril Lagasse wine biscuits and cantaloupe marinated with a wine and simple syrup. 

Wine Biscuits

Cantaloupe

Both passed with flying colors!!  Though now 3 bottles in we really couldn't see or taste anything at this point!

By the time dessert rolled around we were feeling no pain and Paprika's presentation had us reverting back to high school humor.  She created first a blueberry, red wine, cheesecake popsicle (that's what she said! oh I mean that's what she called it anyway).  While the presentation had us all tittering, the taste was great!  

AFTER

BEFORE

She did create a second version in a less provocative cup formation and with strawberry, Merlot wine and cheesecake.

Our cooking with wine was a great success, though dining with wine leads to some pretty interesting conversations!!

Catch us next month when we get "corny" for dinner!!!

JUNE DINNER CLUB W.I.T

Upcoming Dinner:  June

Hostess:  Saucy

Whatever You Want:  Cooking with Wine

May Dinner Recap

We had a berry good time razzing each other at this month's dinner club!

Paprika picked some cute spring plates to brighten the table!!

Saucy started the evening with brie stuffed pastry puffs with Raspberries.  There were no leftovers to be had of this razzle dazzle appetizer!!

She also shared a Jean-Luc Colombo Cotes du Rhone Les Abeilles (proceeds which support honey bee research and education)

Paprika laid out a spring buffet of Spinach salad with strawberries, feta, candied pecans and 2 styles of strawberry dressing.  She even risked anaphylactic shock by marinating and grilling shrimp!!  Not to fear, she had a secret stash of marinated chicken for her own salad topping!!

Creamy Strawberry Dressing

Buffet Line

Strawberry Vinaigrette

Final Product!

Couscous' contribution was a berry slaw dish that consisted of  strawberries, dried cranberries and a vinaigrette of raspberry vinegar and cranberry juice!

Upclose

She also brought a Zinfandel that promised flavors of "ripe raspberry, cherry and boysenberry"

Grapes' labor of berry love was Strawberry Shortcakes with homemade biscuits AND homemade Whipped Cream!!

Catch us next month to see how the creativity will be "pouring" out!