Friday Dinner with Company

Friday night’s dinner was a knock out, very intense to make and worth every minute. For munchies I had my cheese ball with the magic ingredient that I buy in TN and the Guacamole that I did earlier this month with the POM juice and seeds in it. For our first course I selected Gorgonzola and Hazelnut Stuffed Pears and Pancetta Crisps and Mache. Serves 4 from Fine Cooking, Dec, Jan, 2011.
Ingredients:
1T unsalted butter, melted
2 t mild honey (divided)
2 medium firm-ripe red pears, preferably red Anjou, halved lengthwise and cored
Kosher Salt
8 thin slices of pancetta
¼ cup plus 1T chopped, toasted hazelnuts (I used Pecans)
2 oz. Gorgonzola dolce
½ t chopped fresh thyme
1 ½ T Champagne vinegar
1 t Dijon mustard
Freshly ground black pepper
3 T EVOO
2 oz mache (about 4 cups) in our grocery store they call it spring mix.
Directions:
1. Position racks in the top and bottom thirds of the oven and heat the oven to 375 degrees.
2. In a small bowl, mix the melted butter and 1 t honey. Brush the mixture over the cut sides of the pears and season with salt. Arrange the pears cut sides up on a rimmed baking sheet and bake on the upper rack until just tender, about 15 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, arrange the pancetta on a rimmed baking sheet and bake on the lower rack until crisp, 10 to 12 minutes. Remove from oven and transfer to a paper towel lined plate.
4. In a small bowl, mix ¼ C of the nuts, the Gorgonzola, thyme and the remaining 1 t honey with a fork. They say wooden spoon, fork works better. Also get the cheese out of the refrigerator early to soften.
5. Remove pears from the oven and divide the cheese filling evenly among the pear cavities. Sprinkle with remaining nuts and bake on the upper rack until the cheese starts to soften, about 3 minutes. Turn the broiler on high and broil until the nuts brown slightly, 1-2 minutes.
6. I a small bowl, mix the vinegar, mustard, ¼ t salt and a few grinds of pepper. Gradually whisk in the oil. I learned a new trick. I had a Dijon bottle with little left in the jar as far as a knife spreading on a sand wish. I put all the ingredients in the mustard jar and shook. The dressing was fine. I then added to the greens as much dressing as I felt needed.
7. Place the greens on each of 4 plates. Place a pear and 2 cooked pancetta rounds on each plate and serve.
In reading the Post, I learned that this was the first course that was served at the White House dinner honoring the President of China. This recipe got rave reviews here.
The main course was Salmon and Rice. I make rice in the following foolproof way. I use Rose’s rice which is Japanese rice. I measure out 1 C and add 1 C plus 1T water. I soak for 1 hour. With the cover off I bring to a boil. Place on the cover, turn to low and set your timer for 10 minutes, perfect rice every time. The main course was Steamed Salmon. This comes from a Cookbook called The Chinese Way by Eileen Yin-Fei Lo. Best Chinese Cookbook I have.
Serves 4
Steaming any kind of fish enhances its true flavor
Ingredients:
1 # of Salmon (I use individual fillets)
2 t white vinegar
1 T soy sauce
1 ½ T Sherry
Pinch of Salt
Pinch of Pepper
1 ½ T shredded ginger
1 scallion, cut into 2” pieces, white portions quartered lengthwise.
1 t sesame oil
2 T cilantro (I use Italian Parsley as I do not like cilantro)
Fancy cabbage leaves (My version)
Directions:
1. I have a Bamboo steamer that I use with my wok. You can use just a plate on a wire steamer rack. Mix the first 7 ingredients and pour over the salmon coating it well on all sides.
2. I look for the fanciest oriental cabbage leaves in the market. I place each leaf on the bamboo steamer and then a fillet on each cabbage leaf and pour any remaining mixture on each fillet.
3. Steam 10 to 12 minutes, until fish is firm. It should be just slightly undercooked. Turn off heat. Drizzle sesame oil over the fish, sprinkle it with coriander and serve.
Our friend Jim said it was the best Salmon he has ever tasted. My friend Marrilyn in CA raves about this dish and she had it in 1998, May 10th to be exact.
For dessert we had raspberry and vanilla low fat ice cream with the special Chocolate Sauce that my brother bought me again after hinting in my blog that I had finished all we had.
Jim served a Gruet Champagane with the first course.  I loved it.  Jim and Jim are both wineist.  My word for people who can talk for haours about wine.  So for the main course we had the 2nd of 3 Domaine Dublere Chassagne-Montrachet, 2006, Grand Vin De Bourgogne.  It is a white Burgandy and after Chateau Gloria, it is my favorite.