In spite of the diet we had friends for dinner. Wife was out visiting her father that is not well so it was me fixing it. Which is not big news as it is me that worries about grocery and cooking anyhow (she does the clothes and the laundry among other things, including reading the paper and drinking Campari's on the rocks while I toil in front of the kitchen range).
Entrée: Foie gras and water crackers (the round ones. I precut the foie gras with a warm knife so that a slice fits exactly on a cracker and that gives a very juicy and tasty bite), raw artichokes in thin slices with olive oil and drops of lemon juice and thin slices of Parmesan cheese, palm hearts just out of the jar (it is my trick not to use bread). VeuveCliquot. Everybody happy.
Main course: veal roast from the end of the cote (15 minutes at 235, than 175 C until it reached 70°C on the meat thermometer) on a bed of thick slices of celery roots, beets and carrots that become very tasty in the juice of the roast), buttered fresh spinaches steamed and stirred in the pan with sweet butter. For them french fries (in the oven a la
Ea). Crozes Hermitage 2006. Signs of genuine appreciation.
Fresh goat cheese received as a Xmas gift by a friend that lives in the mountains near by and one of those Jule times cakes filled with nuts, dried fruits and fancy grains that the same guy thought that we would have been happy with (we were actually). Moscato del Friuli that as I have given up drinking I do not mind to put on the table for others to appreciate. Normally I would have kept it to celebrate the imprisonment of my worst enemy or for an other very joyous occasion. I had only 3 bottles left of the meditation nectar, but as I do not drink any more who cares. Just wonderful.
Coffee and liquors. Wife sported that bottle of Ron Antiguo de Solera Santa Teresa that I just gave her as an impromptu gift. Cognac and whiskeys were offered but Ron was preferred by all. I had a tiny glass of it and found it worth.
I ate and drunk sparingly but with intense satisfaction, enjoying both all the steps of the cooking (I started at about 5 with the cleaning of the artichockes, so it took about 3 hours to prepare the dinner, but I took it easy and little daughter helped me peeling the roots), the food and the drinks and the company, wife had set up a nice table, relax but very pleasant and gay, little daughter behaved bravely and admiringly well (she adores foie gras). Resisting to the desire of smoking was just an added pleasure. Overall we were at the table from 8 to 1.30. That is the standard for a pleasant dinner with friends in Northern Italy. Conversation peak was about the new Internet culture among the young generation. I was the oldest, the others in their early forties.
An interesting note. I set up a nice basket with fresh assorted breads and focaccia. As it is my habit I did not take any. I was pleasantly surprised that nobody did, for solidarity I imagine.
