David's Natal Celebration...

okay -

Roses (check)
Muscat Wine (check)
Dark Chocolate Cake with Chocolate Cream Cheese Frosting (check)

dinner planned.

Oh shit!

(keep in mind that beans, onions, banana and coconut are all banned items)

[Poll #1316310]

Dinner at David's :)

In pure David fashion, after I'd been asked to surprise him and thought all afternoon of lovely dishes including many of ya'lls answers to the poll I posted earlier, he called about 530pm as I walking out the door, "I'd like porkchops!" LOL!

So, after bearing the brunt of an accident on southbound 101 - (stop and go for 30+ minutes from Octavia to the 280 split) - I finally made it down to David's neighborhood around 645pm. After a brief stop for fresh items and meats we arrived at David's home, Kateydog's Country Estate, about 7:15.

David was busy putting together his new dining room chairs (lovely pine butterfly chairs) so I got right to work with dinner. I made an appetizer of mushrooms stuffed with crabmeat and asiago which I put under the broiler and served it sizzling with a ice cold carrot/fennel/pear/apple salad. I made stuffed porkloin chops with a stuffing of breadcrumbs, apples, slivered almonds and (of course) craisins with a side of steamed green beans. The pork turned out magnificently, the stuffed mushrooms were the tiniest bit too salty.

(damn crab! *shakes fists at sky*)

Then we enjoyed a slice of double chocolate chocolate cake from Prolific Oven - David's favorite bakery in Palo Alto. It was the perfect choice - as we had both stuffed ourselves on dinner. We had a lovely Muscat wine with everything that was perfection. Now we're settling in post-birthday-dinner comas - reading and enjoying a fire. :)

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAVID!

Results of the Dinner Poll

These were the results of the "What should I cook David for dinner?" Poll:

- No pork dishes
- Putanesca
- Macaroni and cheese with hot dogs!
- Lasagne
- Lemon pepper chicken with sesame green beans
- Roast beef with mashed potatoes.
- Stuffed pasta shells
- Calamari
- Lamb with Rosemary and Garlic, Mashed Taters, fresh veg of choice
- Um... a cake!
- A huge classic steak
- Chateaubriand with sauce Bearnaise and steamed pencil thin asparagus
- How about a good rib roast? Rack of lamb?
- Lasagne florentine
- The nekkid Low_Fat_Muffin Sushi Platter
- Babies
- Reservations!

These are all fine ideas, including the babies and reservations; both things I'm very good at working to make. It also makes a fine list of things to try and bring on another time. He has requested that I try my hand at Manhattan Clam Chowder, and his Mother's Matzo Ball Soup. While the Lamb sounds delightful - - and I had to look up Chateaubriand - red meat is something we usually order out when we can go somewhere nice. but I really appreciate how people took the time to fill out the poll. You can bet most of those things will end up in future blog entries - accept for the making babies part - that we'll keep private. But out of my Tyler Florence book is a killer homemade macaroni and cheese; and well Lasagne Florentine is a personal fave. :) so - yeah you guys and gals! thank you!