A Double Birthday Dinner

We recently celebrated a double birthday with a potluck dinner in K-Town. It was an Italian themed dinner so I did my best to follow the theme. After a little bubbly, I plated my mixed antipasti plate with mortadella, capocolla, two different salami and an aged Gouda and a truffled Brie.

Along with proscuitto topped with fig jam and drizzled with 12 year old Balsamico

And a new item from R. Fields, pork rillette

With mixed crackers

While the hosts had a pseudo caprese with pan seared grape tomatoes and bocconcini with Balsamico

I also carted 2 magnums, a 2003 Chateau Montviel from Pomerol

And a 2006 Sea Smoke Southing Pinot Noir

And before our palates got exposed to too much vino, we sampled a 1970 Chateau Mouton Rothschild... loads of tobacco on the nose with hints of currant and dried herbs. I savored my sample for about 15 minutes and in that time, the nose or palate did not diminish and held strong...

Our mains included my farsumagru or "false lean" since the round steak (lean) was stuffed with ground beef and layered with mortadella, salami and provolone and a boiled egg (not lean). After rolling, it was tied up with butcher's twine and simmered for 2 hours in tomato "gravy"... unfortunately I didn't remove all of the butcher's twine so some diners flossed while they ate...

We also sampled a bagna cauda with mixed crudite...

Along with Rao's lemon chicken

And chicken cacciatore and meatballs in "gravy". Then lo and behold, right before dessert is plated, the Mrs remembers my grilled veggie panzanella that was supposed to accompany the "mains"... so we had it as a palate cleanser before dessert...