Countdown to 2010 in six courses.

Happy Anniversary, Eric. (For everyone else, Happy New Year’s Eve!)

Heading to Sacks Cafe again for their chef’s tasting menu. Mmmm. Here it is for your drooling pleasure.

Amuse Bouche
Eggplant Caponata Blini, herb chevre, topped with saffron caviar
Glass J Vineyards Brut Cuvée
~
First Course
choice of:
Lobster Profiterole
savory éclair, lobster meat, red onion crème fraiche, tobiko,orange zest, hardboiled egg yolk
or
Duck Confit & Foie Gras Ravioli
candied fennel & shallot confit
or
Beet Carpaccio Potato Salad
carpaccio of roasted red & golden beets, salt baked fingerling potato salad with fresh tarragon & grain mustard aioli, truffle oil, Gorgonzola crumbles
~
Second Course
choice of:
Arugula Salad
warm Brie, sautéed oyster mushrooms, sherry herb vinaigrette, shaved hazelnuts
or
“ Vichyssoise”
potato soup, leek flan, crispy pancetta, sautéed spot prawns
~
Main Course
choice of:
Seared Sea Scallops
potato mousseline, sauce “ grand mere” mushrooms, pancetta, braised pearl onions, parsley coulis, wilted swiss chard
or
Tea-smoked Duck Breast
duck leg confit & creamy aged white cheddar polenta, creamed leeks, glazed shallot & cabernet reduction
or
Grilled Filet Medallions grilled exotic mushroom & leek bread pudding,green beans, roasted garlic bordelaise & arugula pesto
or
Tofu Ricotta & Edamame Manicotti
lightly smoked tomato coulis, arugula, preserved lemon truffle vinaigrette
~
Cheese Course (Optional)
Pan seared foie gras, grilled d’ anjour pear tart tatin, black pepper, Riesling pear gastrique
~
Choice of Dessert

Yes, we will be having the cheese course. Duh.

Alright 2010, bring it on!

It begins with the letter C.

an it really be here?

Merry Christmas, everyone. Hopefully your day was as enjoyable as mine was. The moment finally came watching Allen and Grant playing the guitar and singing to Lego Rock Band. They were hilarious.

The letter “C” is brought to you by Jessica Hische at dailydropcap.com — a very talented illustrator and very cool project.

The holidays have caught me off guard this year. I’m not sure why but it seems to be a trend that is becoming more and more the norm as the years go by. Thinking back to the big Christmas productions of my youth, I wonder if my parents experienced something similar to this, as all seven of us grew older. I hope so. We must have been quite the handful. At any rate, this morning was almost comical as around ten o’clock Eric said, “Well, should we wake them up?” and I actually hesitated before replying, “I guess so…”

And then we ate buttermilk pancakes with chocolate chips until our tummies could take no more. That was my favorite part.

Is anyone else out there a bit freaked out that we’re entering the year 2010 in a few days?

Countdown to 2009 in six courses.

New Year’s Eve is always a sort of anniversary for Eric and me, as we met on this night in 1991.

Tonight we are heading to one of our favorite restaurants in Anchorage — Sacks Cafe. They have created a special menu as follows:

Amuse Bouche
Parmesan tuile, black pepper & goat cheese mousse, roasted quince, roasted almond crumbles
~
Glass of Gruet Brut NV, New Mexico
~
First Course
choice of:
Roasted Garlic & French Triple Crème Custard
Oyster mushrooms & port ragout, Asiago tuile, crumbled roasted pecans, lemon zest
or
Lamb Pop
Israeli couscous salad, green onion & cilantro pesto, cucumber lassi
~
Second Course
choice of:
Three Beet Salad & Composed Caesar
Roasted local beets, Danish bleu cheese, toasted pinenuts tossed with citrus sherry vinaigrette, romaine leaves, grilled red onions, caper crouton, drizzled with green goddess dressing
or
Curried Lobster Bisque
Topped with chive crème fraiche, saffron caviar
~
Main Course
choice of:
Fresh Ahi Tuna
Seared rare – mojo rub – Morrocan barbeque sauce, roasted red pepper gnocchi, chimichurri, fennel white wine creme
or
Duck Breast
Apricot brandy glaze, fresh herb butter, roasted acorn squash, tart cherry red onion compote, pancetta & white bean ragout
or
Spaghetti Squash & Apple Crepes
Grilled vegetable caponata, roasted Matanuska beet salad, mascarpone & toasted almond crème, Marsala reduction
or
Filet of Beef with Maine Lobster Hollandaise
Local root vegetables, whipped Brie potato puree, black currant bordelaise
~
Choice of Dessert
~
Cheese Taste
Cranberry Wensleydale & Petite Basque
Roasted pear, quince, apple, Sangiovese reduction

Tomorrow I’m going to be exercising for an extra hour, but tonight, I plan to enjoy every bite.

I’m wishing everyone a wonderful 2009 (if my dear freind Karen’s premonition is right, it will be a special year) with good health, much laughter and at least one amazing experience.

Pick a gadget.

Going into Best Buy is, for me, like sending a kid into a candy store. Tonight, I walked out with a Nikon D80 and a big smile on my face. And I don’t feel one bit guilty, because this baby is replacing the first digital camera I ever bought. Check out this post from six years ago for the proof. I’ve waiting far too long for a DSLR camera. Now I can dust off my old lenses and put them to work. The other gadget I walked out with is a Logitech Harmony wireless universal remote. I know what I’m going to be doing all day tomorrow.

I’m so ready for Christmas this year. The decorations were out immediately after Thanksgiving to make up for our pathetic holiday last year while we were waiting for the house to be finished. We’ve had an unusual lack of snow this season (so far) but the temperatures are right on — hovering around -8F right now.

For sure, I could think of other things to write about tonight, but 1) I’m tired and 2) my book is calling my name, so if I don’t get in here again before Christmas. Have a very Merry one, indeed.

Grizzly.

We’re closing in on our first anniversary in Alaska (the 15th) and for the first time, we’ve experienced a wild bear. It was walking — well, jogging, actually — right smack down the street in front of our house. He (or she) turned the corner and went up hill into the trees until we couldn’t see him any more.

The freaky part is, I had just come inside from walking Jackie and hadn’t bothered putting her on a leash. Imagine if I had waited 10 minutes longer.

We’ve seen plenty of moose, and they are nothing to mess with, but a bear is in another league altogether. I’m still in awe.

It all happened too fast for me to grab my camera. Sorry.

The fourth of July celebrations began last night, culminating in a fireworks display at midnight. Grant and I headed out at 10:30 (Dean opted to babysit Allen) fully intending to join the crowd until the rain started coming down pretty steady and we detoured to Blockbuster for movies and Ben and Jerry’s. We had our own little midnight celebration at home. It was fun and they slept in until almost 11:00 this morning.

Happy Independence Day!