The Asana of Eating and Drinking

Wine:
Portal Terra Alta Roble 2004
Pago Florentino Tinto 2003
Farnese Pecorino Terre di Chieti 2005

We had our Yoga instructor Jonathon and his wife Juliette over for dinner. Luckily we didn’t have to stand on our heads or do downdogs!

We started with Carrots Puree with Caraway and Feta from the Casa Moro cookbook. The carrots at the Hollywood Farmer’s Market were exceptionally sweet. I had picked up some more pita chips from Joan’s on 3rd Street. They are definitely the best pita chips in Los Angeles.

For a first course we had Sautéed Red Cabbage Salad with Pancetta and Broiled Goat Cheese from The Cuisine of California. This salad is one of my favorites.
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We then made Braised Chicken with Saffron Onions, Italian Couscous, and Dates from Sunday Supper at Lucques. It is a multi-layered dish with lots of contrasting flavors. The dates at the Farmer’s Market are especially sweet right now. They were so sticky it was hard to cut them in slices.

For desert, we made an Apple Crisp. Cathy improved the topping by adding diced Crystallized Ginger and Amond Paste and Calvados. We added Haagen-Dazs Dolce-de-Leche ice cream.

Sautéed Red Cabbage Salad with Pancetta and Broiled Goat Cheese
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½ pound pancetta, sliced
6 oz Goat Cheese
½ Olive Oil
2 tablespoons breadcrumbs
1 or 2 red cabbage, cored and thinly sliced
3 large shallots, finely chopped
4 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
1/3 teaspoons salt
1/8 teaspoon coarsely cracked pepper
½ cup toasted walnuts

1. Over Medium-low head cook pancetta until crisp and lightly brown, place on paper towels to drain, crumble into small pieces and reserve
2. Slice goat cheese into 4 equal portions. Brush each piece with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Sprinkle with breadcrumbs so they adhere to cheese. Refrigerate covered for 1 hour.
3. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of pancetta drippings add 3 tablespoons olive oil to skillet. Add cabbage and sauté until it begins to wilt. Remove to a bowl.
4. Add remaining olive oil to pan. Add shallots and sauté until soft. Add sherry vinegar and boil for about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper and pour over cabbage. Add pancetta and toasted walnuts and mix well.
5. Preheat broiler. Broil coated goat cheese until golden brown.
6. Place cabbage mixture on 4 individual plates. Set goat cheese in center and serve.