Do You Enjoy Cooking and Eating with Friends? Then why not come dine with us

The Winos met on Saturday evening and due to the awful weather ruling out an al fresco dining experience on my roof terrace, Alison generously offered me the use of her house, so we all decamped over there.

We started with anchovy puffs (idea stolen from Brice, thank you!) and a glass of champagne (sorry, I threw away all the wine bottles so can't tell you what it was! All I can say is that it was bubbly, dry and from Champagne!)

We then moved onto Alan and Patricia's starter - a delicious Pear, Date & Walnut Salad with creamy Stilton dressing. This was served with:
2007 Gruner Veltliner Schneiderberg, D.A.C. Weinviertel, Weingut Weinrieder
2008 Viognier, Vin de Pays d'Oc, Le Domaine de la Ferrandière, Yves Gau (Thank you for the reminder, Patricia!)

The main course was lamb shank (slow cooked in a kleftiko style) with a red currant sauce served on a bed on crushed marie piper and sweet potatoes with a side of green beans. This was served with a Jacob's Creek Cabernet Savignon Shiraz 2007 reserve and another red (apologies, can't remember!)

Pudding was a delicious blackberry (hand-picked by Jon R) and apple pie served with lashings of cream and icecream! This was 'helped down' by some of the SE1 forum cider and a bottle of rose!

Thanks to everyone for a really wonderful evening! xx

Hi, I am doing the pudding for the dinner party on Saturday and don't know the time or address. Perhaps Simeen could contact me?

Thanks.

Thanks to Simeen and George for a fantastic evening on Saturday night.

I'm sure one of them will put up a post with the details of what we had.

The Winos had their September dinner last Saturday just off Long Lane. The evening began with Prosecco and chorizo and green olive pastry wheels (yes, we stole your delicious idea too, Brice!)

Jon and Carol's excellent starter was marrow stuffed two ways - with rosemary, lemon and parmesan and with couscous and chorizo. This was washed down by a very moreish sloe wine from Lyme Bay Winery and a Chilean Pedro Jimenez.

The main course was chicken teriyaki on a bed of shitake, bean sprouts and veg alongside a cucumber and wakame seaweed salad. The wine to accompany was an Italian Sangiovese and a Pinot Noir (sorry, can't remember but it was quite drinkable).

For pudding we had Chavender's lovely fruit salad made with elderflower liqueur, passion fruit and cinnamon with cream and Alison brought along two delectable stickies to wash it down - a Chilean late harvest Sauvignon Blanc and an Australian Semillon.

Another great SE1 evening - thanks to everyone.

The Cookies met last Saturday after a bit of an ordeal with the lack of hot water. Fortunately Clare offered that we could host from her flat, which allowed us to all meet.

We began the evening with a few Spanish nibbles and Champagne. The starter was a tasty warm rocket salad with pine nuts, red onions and pancetta with a balsamic dressing. We had two delicious white wines with the starter: a 2006 Pascal Bouchard Chablis Premier Cru Montmains and a 2007 Savennieres domaine du closel (Vicomtesse Des Vaults).

The main course was a braised duck leg served with puy lentils with cranberries, pancetta and herbs as well as steamed broccoli with dijon dressing, capers and shallots. The main course wines were a 2009 Beaujolais Cuvee Premiere de Jean-Paul Brun and a 2008 Brouilly Jean-Claude Lapalu.

For dessert we had a modern twist on bread and butter pudding using summer berries served with cream. It was a tasty light way to finish the meal. For pudding we drank a lovely 2009 Late Harvest Chardonnay Waipara West from New Zealand.

We finished the evening with a cheese plate with Stilton, Wigmore, Lincolnshire Poacher, and a Coolea. We also shared an interesting Old Sweet Oloroso which was aged for 30 years.

It was a good night and we are thankful for Clare's generosity.

carrissa

i am trying to sort out a date for october dinner which it's my turn to host. i have let carol and maureen/james know that i can do either 9th or 30th october. do either of those suit you? i could also do the very first sat in oct, which is the 2nd but you might think that too soon?

alison

I can't open my attachment so not sure if we're cookies, foodies, gourmets or winos!

Anyway we met on Friday night and had a lovely time!

Pre dinner:

Several bottles of Marques de Ministrol Vintage 2007 Cava brut;
Charcuterie plate, cornichons, olives, sweet peppers, marinated feta & bread sticks.

Starter:

Chilled pea soup (stock made from scratch - yum).
Cava Prestige semi brut
Domaine du Piemont 1er Cru St-Aubin 2006 (delicious!)

Main:

Boeuf Bourginon, Irish mash (spring onions, butter double cream) julienne carrots, wilted butter spinach.
Special Reserve Merlot (binned bottles, can't remember!)
Corbieres Asda Extra Special 2007

Pudding:

Chocolate parfait (very rich & yummy) raspberries & Hagen Daas ice-cream.
Muscat
Sauterne (again, bottles binned, sorry)

Coffee & special reserve port (we were all too full to manage the cheese!)

Another great night which didn't finish until the wee small hours!

The Foodies met for a belated September dinner on Saturday 2nd Oct., warming up with a spot of M&S Sparkling Pinot Grigio, and a Fabiano Proscecco!

Starter was fabulous home-made pasta parcels with pumpkin filling, together with sage and olive oil, which had delightfully subtle flavours, and was accompanied by Louis Chavy,(2008), Chablis, which went very well with it!

Boeuf Bourginon with celariac and potato mash was the main, washed down admirably with
appropriate Pinot Noirs in the form of Cote de Beaune-Villages,(Earl Roger Belland),2008, and a bottle of New Zealand Waipara West 2002.

The pudding was tattimasu/tiramasu which truly lived up to it's reputation as the very best, especially as it was accompanied by a very special Robert Mondavi Californian/Napa Valley, (Moscato D'Oro 2006),
and an equally lovely Maury, (Domaine Mas Mouriane 1969)!

As it was a very wet, wintery night we rounded off nicely with coffee and a little Genevre!

All that, with great conversations had by all!

The October Foodies enjoyed the following menu on Saturday

Spicy marinated Olives
Tio Diego single vineyard Dry Amontillado sherry

Fire and Ice Soup (chilled spicy melon soup)
Reforte- Pinot Grigio- delle Venezie

Slow Roast Pork
Cider cream Sauce
Apple Mash
Broccoli with almonds and garlic
Leyda - Reserva Gewurztraminer 2008 - Chile
Redferb Fields "the reserve" Shira Merlot - south east Australlia

Fresh Figs
Homemade Shortbread cookies
Pistachio Icecream
Lancienne Cure Monbazillac 2005
Waipara West Late Harvest Chardonnay

Coffee
W&J Graham's LAte Bottled Vintage Port 1997

Once again and evening of good food wine and company. Thanks to all for making it all work so well.

The Winos met on Saturday night and enjoyed a very tasty Autumnal meal

Wild Mushrooms 2 Ways - firstly with truffles served on toasted rye bread and secondly with a cider and creme fraiche sauce (accompaning cider apple sorbet was forgotten until midnight and then enjoyed post dessert)
Muscadet Sevre et Maine 2009
Pait Pere & Fils Sauvignon Blanc 2009

Slow Cooked Lamb Shoulder with Dauphinois Potatoes
Gigondas Les Espalines Recolte 2007

Apples under a Veil
2006 Chateau Petit Vedrines Sauternes
Le Malbeu du Clos 2007 Cahors

Plus an embarassing array of extra bottles that were consumed over the evening. Thanks to all for the excellent company, food & wine.