Smoked Duck Breast and fruit salad, Roasted Shrimp and Fennel, Grilled Zucchini and Tomatoes

Zola went to another important meeting, so we invited Sue for cocktails and a simple dinner. 

Custom Vodka Gimlets for the ladies, a Clyde Mays Manhatten for me. 

Small starters:  Trafe!

Smoked a duck breast earlier. 

Smoked Duck Breast salad with fresh figs and local strawberries. Barb made a light vinaigrette.

Excellent Pinot Noir I got online: a

Second label from Étude.  Always look for second labels from expensive wineries.  Usually great deals and generally taste as good a the first label.

Barb made the shrimp and fennel dish that I have previously posted. From the cookbook that Costco gave out the day after Thanksgiving.  Grilled some Zukes and grape tomatoes on foil.

Nice Sancerre from WTSO.com.

Also had some corn on the cob. No room for planned dessert of Grilled Nectarines  and Tellegio.

Cacio e Pepe

Been dreaming of and occasionally finding this dish on menus since I saw it in a Tony Bourdain show on Rome.  Barb won't let me make it because she feels it'll go to my heart and goop up the place (my heart, that is). Got an opportunity to make It at my friends house on Father's Day and took the opportunity. Thanks Sheryl and Bob Levine.

Mis en place: unsalted butter, freshly ground pepper, grated Grana Padona or Parmegiano, grated Pecorino, and Bucatini. Also the recipe 

Boil bucatini and reserve a cup of pasta water. Al dente, no more.

Melt butter and cook the grated black pepper a couple minutes.  

Add 1/2 cup of reserved pasta water and

Bring to simmer. Add pasta and more bitter. Reduce heat to low and add Grana  Padano or Parm. Remove from heat and add Pecorino. Stir and toss til pasta is all coated. Add more water if it seems dry.

Sous chef and hostess Sheryl.

A veritable ting of booty! Don't add nuttin else! Had it wit a Super Tuscan style of wine from Argentina... Whatever.

Enjoy. 

Recipe was from Bon Appetit website. 

A monkey can make this and thrill a

crowd. 

Grilled Mussels a la Bleu Provence

Picked up a 5 lb bag of fresh mussels at Costco yesterday. Decided to try and make them like Bleu Provence, our favorite restaurant in Naples, FL.  We had previously spoke with the chefs son, Clement, to find out how they make them.  Simple.

Put 2 cast iron sklets on the grill and heated them. Placed mussels in skillets.  Splashed on some evoo. Closed grill.

While mussels cooked, chopped fresh garlic and parsley.

Tossed the mussels around until they all opened. Put in garlic and parsley when ready and mixes through. 

No wine, waster, salt, pepper or anything else added. 

At Bleu Provence they have an almost smokey flavor.  So I put a small pack of wet Cherrywood chips over the flame, under the grill.  

Served with a simple French Roussanne.

5 lbs of Mussels all gone

Fascino in Montclair, NJ

Had a fabulous dinner at  Fascino,  a BYOB, last night.  A truly unrushed dining experience.  Of course, the company added to the fun: two daughters and two sons in law. Everyone brought good wines (Ancien Santa Rita Highlands Pinot Noir, 2009,Ghost Block Cabernet, Sassicia, 2003 among others).

Started with shrimp-stuffed Squash Blossoms. Followed with oysters, beef carpaccio, tomato and mozzarella salads,  fois gras and a tasting of rigatoni with truffles, mushrooms and sweet sausage.

Entrees were Ricotta Gnocci in bolognese, filet mignon cooked with bone marrow, Barramundi, sea scallops, and halibut. 

Desserts included bread pudding, molten chocolate cake, zeppole, and a cheese plate.

Service was attentive, not smothering.  Management was also engaging and easy to speak with.  Pricey meal, well worth it.

My family enjoying an evening of fine food and wines.

Me and Anthony (pronounce that An-tonee).

Meriday's in Naples - outstanding find

I

Barb and I have been curious about this recent addition to the Naples restaurant scene.  Decided to go last night.  It's in a resort just south of town.  No problem parking.  

 Very cordial and pleasant staff.  Wide open kitchen with 3 chefs and a dessert chef.  Price fixed options only (except in bar).  2,3 and 4 course options plus a dessert with any of the choices.  Barb had the 2 course and I had 3 (surprised?).

She started with Seared Scallops, baby carrots, parsnip purée.  

I had Stuffed Quail, dried cranberry, pancetta, Tokyo turnip. 

My middle course was an excellent Sweetbreads dish with button mushrooms and Mirepoix.  Forgot to take a picture, so I'm inserting a photo of someone else's Shrimp with grits.

Barb's next dish was Mangrove Snapper with "cauliflower couscous, blistered tomato vinaigrette, sauce Vierge.

I had Duck Breast, with Butternut squash purée, goat cheese, beets, and ginger gastrique (not pictured).

For dessert I had Sticky Toffee Pudding with Brown Butter ice cream and Barb had Apple Sauvignon Blanc Sorbet.

This was an absolutely delicious meal.  Every single dish was beautiful and a delight to eat.  The restaurant is open, tastefully decorated and offers views of a marina from every table.  The wine list is on the high side, but they offer very fairly priced wines on a separate list by the glass or bottle.

The servers are all very informative and pleasant with no attempt at intimidation. 

When your food comes out, they bring everyone's dishes at the same time with no expectations of an "Ooh La La" (like Le Bec Fin of yesteryear).

This is absolutely the best new place to dine well in Naples.  We'll probably return next week. 

Chefs in the kitchen.

Sommelier and Hostess/server/watcher and returner of dropped credit cards.  

Almost forgot to mention the rolls baked on site by the dessert  chef.  They're dope. I think they structure the meals to include dessert so they can keep this awesome dessert chef.

Simple Shrimp dish from Marco Island

Wednesday morning farm market on Marco Island offers lots of fresh and delicious ingredients.  Also lots of prepared foods like Paella, Jamaican Jerk dishes, Italian sausages, etc. last week we picked up a very few goodies and made a dinner u can put together anytime, anywhere.

A pound of pink fresh shrimp, easily shelled and deveined.

Fresh tomatoes (seasons started here and will move north). Seasoned and grilled.

Season and grill shrimp as well. Only takes a few minutes.

Buy some local corn, arugula, and basil.

Chop basil and sprinkle over grilled shrimp and tomatoes.  Nuke corn for 3 minutes.

Chow down and serve a nice bottle of vino.

Roast chicken with mushrooms and artichokes

Damn, does my house smell great!  A

Repeat of the Dinna Gilbin chicken dish that they shared on The Chew a couple months ago.  Big flavors, easy prep.  Hard to screw up chicken thighs on the bone.  Steamed zucchini and red pepper. 

A top 100 wine from the Wine Spectator list at $27.