Last Year's NYE resulted in a mess as my coat got stolen because the coat check at the party at Urban Studio (in the Pearl by Liquid Productions) became a free for all while I attempted to stop F from hailing a streetcar as a cab after too many Long Island Iced Teas to try to get into the dancing mood (which never occured- he didn't even make it to midnight countdown!). So in 2010, we are going for a more sophisticated evening, starting with a 4 course dinner at Metrovino, which offers both a vegetarian and an omnivore special tasting menu for tonight.
For him:
- Alba White Truffle Blintz with house made ricotta cheese, alba white truffles, chives, celery-lemon vinaigrette
- Warm Winter Squash and Belgian Endive Salad with goat cheese croquette, lentil & leek vinaigrette, toasted walnut
- Napoleon of Wild Mushroom and Perigord Truffle with sautéed spinach, cauliflower, grilled quince and truffled pine nut anglaise
- Bosc Pear Crème Caramel with chocolate hazelnut crumble, pear salad, nutella semifreddo
For me:
- Caviar Blintz: california sturgeon caviar served over a warm blintz stuffed with dungeness crab, house made ricotta, chives, lemon zest
- Lobster and Avocado Salad with braised pork belly and alba white truffles: poached lobster salad with crème fraîche, fines herbes, avocado, celery vinaigrette/li>
- Grilled Cattail Creek Lamb Loin and Fois Gras "Wellington" with sautéed spinach and black trumpet mushrooms, grilled quince, sauce perigourdine
- Bosc Pear and Triple Cream Cheesecake with chocolate hazelnut cookie crust, pear salad, nutella semifreddo
Similar to last year though, we will be welcoming 2011 with Reboot which was purchased purely because of the label.
Based on last year's bottle (I bought 2 bottles) and the taste profile of it being apple-like to start but mineral-y at the finish, this time we are having Happy New Year and Happy Cheese along with it. We have a lavendar anise aged chevre from Rollingstone, which perhaps I have already nibbled on to do a quality control check. Also on the cheese board will be a wonderful cheese I was introduced to by Steve at his 101 cheese filled Cheese Bar Spectacular event - called "Up In Smoke" by River's Edge Chevre, it is a smoked fresh chèvre wrapped in smoked maple leaves and then spritzed with bourbon for extra smoky flavor. Rounding up the celebratory toast to 2010 and welcome 2011 bites are extra sharp cheddar and walnuts and crackers to balance out the other 2 cheeses' creaminess and overall both even out the bottle and settle our tummies. After all, I'll be up to watch the Rose Parade and get a glimpse of Heather/Todd's handiwork on the Sierra Madre float, as well as admire the other floats like this year's NAMCO float and one with surfing dogs for Natural Balance. This year I plan to switch from watching it on major network TV and watch it on HGTV to get more insight from behind the scenes. Having a lazy New Year's day that starts with the Rose Parade is a new tradition for me ever since I went with my mom and sisters to attend the actual parade on New Year's Day of 2009.
Other highlights for 2010 for me besides the Steve's Cheese Spectacular include my research trip into Asia; wandering the night markets in Taiwan; the visits to flower farms to see peonies, irises, lavendar and dalias; wine-tasting with friends in the Umpqua and Willamette valley; hearing the ocean play the rocks (instead of sand it was all rocks) at the beach by Yaquina Lighthouse; kayaking among mangroves and swimming in clear waters of Gold Rock Beach in the Bahamas; and attending the Rally to Restore Sanity. Thank you for the memories 2010, and here's hoping 2011 is even better.
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