Guest Night

Tonight we have guests.  Mark works with the woman, and she and her husband are joining us.  I'm excited to meet the and to welcome into our home (after EPA cleanup).   In keeping with my theme of low-key entertaining (meaning that I don't spend a fortune in time or money planning, procuring and preparing the meal.)

With my 'part-time' real estate endeavor, I'm finding that I'm doing quite a bit of running around.  I'm used to productively working at a a desk, in front of a computer:  Something is always being produced.  However, running hither and yon, feels unproductive.  I have a whole, new empathy for those that have to view, estimate work.  My husband for such a long time (10 years) did this with his electrical contracting business.  He had a cell phone when they were both clunky and expensive! Remember the bag phones? 

In my running around yesterday (to check if power was on to one home I'm in the inspection period for, to peek in at FD, to look at a new property for acquisition then lunching with my realtor, and choosing Schluter rail for my tile job), I swung by the Chinese market to procure duck legs.

There is a frenetic feel to the counter in the back.  There are all manner of fresh fish, and also pig stomachs, chicken feet and other animal parts that I wouldn't consider eating.  However, I do know that chicken feet are good for stocks--any animal part with so much connective tissue will give you a silky, rich flavored stock.  I'm just not ready to go there.  I still remember eating pigs feet with mustard as a child.  A delicacy!  I've not had it since that time, and I'm not keen on revisiting that.  Yes, I do realize that there is an irony regarding our choices of what part of the animal to eat compared to the fact that we EATING an animal.  I do consume my food with a heart filled with gratitude for the sacrifice.

So while at the meat counter, I see that ribeye roast is $4.45 a pound and duck legs are $4.95 a pound.  Hmmm....You cannot get rib steaks (my favorite) for that in the store.  This has no bone, that it is in a roast, that will make a lovely, easy dinner. A rib roast with the bones attached (which this IS NOT) is really about the most flavorful thing that you can cook to my cooking/eating eye.  It is also obscenely expensive.  I'll cut some steaks off of this roast, and make the rest for our group of four.

Here's our menu

Appetizers

Smoked salmon, cheeses, crackers with Sauvignon Blanc 

First Course Salad

Carmelized Pear Salad with toasted walnuts, 

dried cranberries, bleu cheese 

and a balsamic reduction

Main

Roasted Rib Eye Roast

Potatoes cooked in Creme

Croissants (purchased)

Dessert

Lemon Creme Brulee Tart

I'm fighting the urge to make a chocolate dessert.  With all of the heaviness of the dinner, I want to have a brighter finish to the meal with a lemon dessert.  Oh...it is plenty rich enough, and it is from John Folse (click on link).  You'll find many wonderful recipes there.  This is a favorite of mine.

Now for EPA cleanup....