Saturday, February 25, 2012

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Eva loves to...

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Last Night's Dinner

Last night, we had one of those dinners that is so good, you're still thinking about it the next day. We had Pork Meatballs with Lemon and Thyme. Our recipe was based on a recipe from Faith Durand (who was inspired by a recipe from the Chez Panisse Cafè Cookbook).

Pork Meatballs
(serves 2)

1/2 pound ground pork
1 egg (beaten)
1/8 cup bread crumbs
1/2 shallot
1/4 grated Parmesan
4 tablespoons chopped sage
1 tablespoon chopped thyme
1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper

Saute the shallot with a pinch of salt in a bit of olive oil until it softens. Set aside to cool.

In a mixing bowl, combine pork, breadcrumbs, egg, shallot, Parmesan, sage, thyme, and cayenne pepper. Add some salt and pepper. Mix it up with your hands (gloves optional).

Form ping pong sized balls from the mixture and let them sit for at least an hour in the fridge (even the next day would be good). You should get 8-10 meatballs.

Heat up a fry pan and add a little olive oil to coat the bottom. Add the meatballs, browning them evenly all around. When they're no longer pink in the middle, remove the meatballs and immediately prepare the sauce.

Lemon Thyme Sauce
3/4 cup of chicken broth
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup of freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon of chopped thyme

Deglaze the pan with the broth and wine over medium heat. When it's reduced by a third, add the thyme and lemon juice and then add the meatballs. Simmer for at least 10 minutes (but as much as 30) until the sauce has a consistency you like.

We served the meatballs and sauce over whole-wheat spaghetti and garnished with lemon zest, chopped thyme, and Parmesan.

We paired the meal with this Michel Redde La Moynerie Pouilly-Fumé 2006 from the upper Loire.
A crisp, racy Sauvignon Blanc with pure fruit and herb varietal aromas, this wine shows clean, intense citrus, apple and mineral flavors finishing with a tangy, high-toned, cleanly balanced acidity.
We definitely tasted the citrus and minerals and the finish was balanced and smooth.


So good!

Tuesday, February 14, 2012

Happy Valentine's Day!


For dinner, we had champagne, sushi, and strawberries.



More from Payson
















Monday, February 13, 2012

Kohl's Ranch Lodge



We're at Kohl's Ranch just outside of Payson, AZ. It's a cold and it's supposed to rain and snow tomorrow. On the plus side, the air is nice, and the water from the water fountain in the lobby tastes good.


Wednesday, February 08, 2012