Cathy's 65th Birthday

Chilled Oyster Veloute with Sorrel and Black Caviar

Roasted Diver Live Scallops with Seaweed Butter and Marash Pepper

Jason serves the Cote de Boeuf

Jason and Jasmine with Tomato Salad and Potato Gratin

Tomato Gratin

Potato Gratin with Garlic and Black Winter Truffles

Pear Galette with Candied Citrus and Crème Fresh

Cathy isn’t into making a big deal about her birthdays. But this her 65^th, is special – yea Medicare! Shumon and Scott both delayed trips so that could celebrate it with her. We really appreciated that. We decided to serve a dinner at home, but we didn’t want to cook or clean up, that would take the fun out of the celebration.

Coincidentally I ran into Jason Mattock who cooked my 65^th birthday at the late restaurant Palate. He is a wonderful cook. I suggested to Cathy that we hire Jason to prepare the meal at our house. We asked him and he said he would. We like his cooking so much, that we gave him absolutely no direction. Make what ever you want, we knew it would be good. It was outstanding.

He arrived with another chef, Jasmine and took over our kitchen. They cooked like it was their house, informally with no pressure on us. We wanted it to be a relaxed wonderful meal and it was. Weather in Los Angeles can be unpredictable at this time of year, luckily the gods were with us and we were able to eat outside overlooking the city from our back deck.

We started with Cremant de Bourgogne Sparkling Wine on the front steps just before sunset.

For the 1st course we had Chilled Oyster Veloute with Sorrel and Black Caviar accompanied by 2 bottles of Champagne Billecart-Salmon Brut Reserve that Bea brought for the festivities.

The 2^nd course was Roasted Live Diver Scallops with Seaweed Butter (who knew) and Marash Pepper. We served an amazing wine: Liber Q Grand Vin du Languedoc Picpoul de Pinet 2012. This wine is aged underwater in seaweed. Perfect spiritual accompaniment for live scallops.

The 3^rd, and main course, was 45 dry aged Cote de Boeuf with an Anchovy-Potoato Gratin with Garlic and Black Winter Truffles. With the meat courses we raided our cellar and served two Hermitage La Chapelle wines, a 1989 and 1990. Wow these were amazing and perfect for the food. They aged well. With the main course they also served an Old Fashion Heirloom Tomato Salad.

The birthday cake was scrumptious, a Pear Galette with Candied Citrus and crème Fresh. We served a Vin Santo del Chianti Armida Reserva 2006 with the Galette.

You couldn’t ask for a better celebration. We started at 7pm, eating and drinking an the party ended at midnight. We spent the entire night outside. The kitchen was spotless, the guests were satiated and all was well with our little area of Silverlake.

Jason is cooking at Canelé Restaurant in Atwater Village near us. On Monday nights he is doing a pop-up restaurant at the same location named Mongrel. You should check out his wonderful cooking. The link to the pop-up is: Mongrel Dinner. Jasmine can be found cooking at Forage Restaurant here in Silverlake.