I'm going fake it till I make it - with pheasant

Chances are that when you come to eat at my house I will be experimenting on you. As a single lady I don’t cook nearly as much as I would like to so when guests come over I seize the opportunity to try a new recipe. Friends have heard me say more than once “if it sucks we can just order a pizza.”

So to me having a new boy over to eat is just another one of these opportunities. I’m either going to impress him with my culinary adventures or I’m going to display my resourcefulness when a plan just simply doesn’t come together. (Channeling the Hannibal from the A-Team who “loves it when a plan comes together.”)

Tonight the plan is to chef up pheasant for a new friend. First, I’ve never even ate pheasant before much less ever cooked it. Thank gawd for Google and this little gem of a recipe I came across. I see honey, apricots and wine and I figure it has to be a sure fire winner. Couple this with a few tried and true pairings in the form on roasted asparagus and couscous with pine nuts and I should be able to make a respectable impression.

The crowning jewel will be a chocolate torte and as far as I am concerned, if there is chocolate it has to be good. My aunt hooked me up with this recipe this Christmas to accompany a set of ramekins she gave me. I am so looking forward to trying this out.

Wish me luck.

Score One for the Kids with Allergies - Burtons Grill Gluten Free Wine Dinner

Sunday night was a big night for my buddy Phil who has a gluten allergy. As I mentioned in a prior post, Burtons Grill hosted a gluten free wine dinner.

Phil has celiac disease which is severe gluten intolerance where gluten actually triggers the body's immune system. When he eats foods or uses products containing gluten, his immune system responds by damaging the villi -- tiny, fingerlike projections in the small intestine that absorb the nutrients from food. According to speakers at the Burtons Grill event, gluten allergies are one of the most quickly growing ailments with 3 million Americans being affected with celiac disease. The food industry is starting to get it and specialty stores like Navan in Virginia Beach, which was a partner for the dinner, are becoming more prevalent and resteraunts like Burtons Grill are starting to accommodate diners with gluten allergies. I found a statistic that said people with celiac disease dine out 80% less than they used. A gluten-free menu can mean bigger business for dining establishments.

Our five course dinner was a great experience and the food was really tasty. I loved the butternut squash soup. Phil got the oysters as his first course and I wasn’t overly impressed with them and thought they needed a lot more seasoning. Score one for me, he was out ordered. The rockfish over shrimp and crab risotto was off the chains good.

I’m a chic and for those who don’t know what I mean by that - it means I could live on bread and butter alone. One of the major scores for Phil for the night was a dinner roll. While I thought it was really dry and lacking, he thought it the most delicious thing he has had in a long time and kindly asked the waitress to box the extra for him to go home. I couldn’t even imagine having to eat that as “bread” for the rest of my life. I am way more appreciative of my baguettes and butter now.

This was my first dinner with wine pairings and feel in love with that experience. My favorite was the Gruet Blanc De Noirs which was a sparkling wine that accompanied the port wine poached pear salad. That will be a purchase to keep in the home stock.