We started off with a cauliflower soup with “torn” croutons and beet chips, a Thomas Keller recipe. The beet microgreens were an aditional garnish. This is a horrible photograph of a delicious creamy soup. Notice how little was in the bowl, that was done on purpose so as to leave room for the rest of the meal.
We had several thick cowboy steaks. Essentially, the finest prime rib we could find, sliced into steaks by our suki butcher. Cooked to a target medium rare, but a couple were left in the oven too long, hence a medium (aaccckk!). These were pre-slices and served on silver platters, four steaks wiped out by twelve people, and there were two leftover…
Courses or dishes being served on silver (plated) platters really signals the holidays to me. These were auction finds by Sister over the years and they work beautifully for a special dinner at home. The waiters brought in for the evening had to get used to them, as they are quite heavy. :)
In addition to the steaks, we had a small roasted leg of lamb, also pre-sliced and served in the same manner. Some guests opted for one or the other protein, but I think most guests had both!
We had oven roasted potatoes in goose fat (a bit too much goose fat, and they didn’t brown enough) and some green beans with butter and chopped herbs to accompany the meats. There was also a salad course and a cheese course with a selection of 6 cheeses, which ones, I can’t recall at this point…
I didn’t get around to my ambitious plans for multiple desserts and my kitchen torch died just before this dinner so bag the creme brulees, so we had this simple prune and nut bundt cake served with heavy cream…
…and a guest brought this wonderful mixed berry crumble served with lots of good vanilla ice cream.
Lots of prosecco to start…
L’Ostal Cazes for the main, more on the wine here.
A couple of bottles of good rioja as a second selection of wines with the meal.
And two sweet wines for the cheese course and desserts. With some of the twelve guests not drinking much at all, the rest had a bottle or more to themselves… Don’t worry, no one who drank drove home that evening… :)
20 Responses
Hope you are sharing the Bundt cake recipe in the future. Anything with prunes is welcome at our table nowadays.
Just have to console myself now for not getting invited often to sumptuous dinners such as this with the thought that there’s a good chance they can tragically turn me into a food equivalent of Shakespeare’s Othello, “one who did not eat wisely but too well,” that is, if surfeit does not cripple me first.
And the wine, that much wine would definitely make me talk well but not too wisely.
@Footloose, in vino veritas, so do you mean you might just spew out a few of your treasure tales and cast pearly anecdotes? If that is the case, then I’ll gladly pour you a drink ;-)
The drippings from the steak look really good for a tasty gravy! But for some reason I would prefer a squeeze of lemon, just to cut the fat. I would also prefer lemon for the lamb in lieu of mint sauce.
The bundt cakes I’ve done at home most of the time turns out dry. Hope you’ll share your bundt cake secret,MM!
MM, now that is a special holiday meal that I am positive all enjoyed! now to your Ribeyes, I know I have asked you this before…but have not found that quality of meat here in Cebu..oh what I would not do for a good Ribeye!
MM, you are too modest. Your main course is as equally delicious and grand as your appetizers.
I would have both meats myself…..that cake looks so GOOD!
Who distributes the Bisol prosecco in the Philipipnes? I don’t recall seeing that particular bottle… Thanks!
One word: drool! :)
That’s a Bacchus-centric wine selection! :)
Great wines, great food.
Holiday food extravaganza!!everything looks delishshs…!!
ariel, hahaha, good catch, one of our guests was an owner of Bacchus, a high school classmate of ours… Monique, the answer is Bacchus… :) ami, thank you. scott, I don’t know if they sell retail or only wholesale here, but I once spotted a van that claimed they sold SNAKE RIVER FARMS BEEF. If you find that wholesaler, who USED to have an office on Mango Avenue but have since moved, then you are in business. SNF has EXCELLENT beef. Werdenberg or the wholesale arm of Santis delicatessen also has an office in Cebu, they should have good beef as well. That’s where I got these steaks, but from their Manila outlets. If you are really desperate, let me know, and I can carry a few steaks for you from Manila and you can just have them picked up from one of our outlets and just reimburse me the cost… :)
@Jade186 I just recently learned a lesson about the need for testing cake for doneness which I am leery of doing since I started learning to bake with sponge type cakes. Baked my favorite coffee cake, Rose’s Sour Cream, in a Bundt pan for an hour. Turned out perfect but a tad dry. Baked the next one at same temperature for three minutes less expecting the difference to take care of the slight dryness. Came out with the top raw. This problem is probably the reason why rum cake is so popular with Bundt cake bakers but prune cake would help ease another problem.
Spoke too soon in ‘comments’ section on the appetizers. Bring on the main course!! Beautiful celebration, MM!!
Footloose…don’t know if you are aware of this but the material of the baking pan plays a role as well in the outcome of the finished product. Those black industrial pans that are non stick as well absorb more heat than the aluminum ones. The material plus the tube in the middle contribute to the heat absorption. I have done coffee cakes in those aluminum baking pans or angel food pans with success all the time.
MM – where can one buy good quality steaks in Manila? Those prime ribs look so good!
I agree with you Jade186, no steak sauce or au jus for me either.. just good ol’ prime cut of beef seasoned with salt and pepper and my steak knife…
perfect, as usual … even without your torch.
Am not a wine drinker so I like learning from your choices.
The mixed berry crumble looks divine! :)
marketman, are you a classmate of alex lichaytoo (owner of bacchus) in high school?
rickyg, no, his brother C was a classmate.
Just delish! As Clarissa said, am drooling.