Egad!*

This week, we enjoyed E at the Walls/Widger Estate (i.e. chez Double Dubs) where we were entertained by the ever effervescent -- and engaged -- Ashleigh and Preston. We were extremely excited to have a few esteemed guests as well: Ashleigh's enchanting mother ("The Jude") who was enlisted to execute our eats; Mark, emcee extraordinaire; and Preston's parents, Burt and Ralene, who were easily the most established Seattleites of the evening.

Thanks to the Elysian brewery and Erath winery, it seemed expedient to drink local this week. Other elixirs were glen Ellen, Este and Ercavio wines.

We eased into eating with Edam and edamame. I was also eager to experiment this week in an effort to emulate the delicious beef and and humita empanadas I ate on an excursion to Argentina. (My college roommate lived in Buenos Aires for a year while working for an amazing non-profit called Endeavor.) I ended up with an expanse of little stuffed pastries, but they came at the expense of a few exigent errands. (My estimate of time required to roll out and shape the dough was embarassingly inadequate. This meant that Miikka had an extra day to escape under the fence and eat emetics in the neighbor's yard.)

Evidence of Widger ingenuity is the fact that we managed to eat so many "egg" foods without forcing Steve to eat any actual eggs. Our excellent entree of eggplant -- with spinach, tomatoes and cheese -- was accompanied by egg noodles. Dan and Abby, our emblems of enthusiasm earned their Alphabet points with an endive and english cucumber ensalata with elba (balsamic) emulsion.

We ended with eiswein and espresso floats (chocolate ice cream topped with shots of espresso and rum). It might be excessive to say that we enjoyed an evening of ecstasy, but it's safe to say that no one escaped with an empty stomach.

* Egad! is the name of an exceptionally entertaining album by our friend, Andrew Thompson. Steve and I like to watch this video of Andrew's when we're missing Brooklyn and this one when we're missing Brooklynites.


Empanadas, Edamame, Edam, Elixirs


Excess Empanadas


Eggplant Ecstasy and Egg noodles


Hi mom!


Eiswein


Espresso Floats

Menu: E

Elixirs: glen Ellen, Este, Erath, Ercavio, Elysssian IPA

Empanadas
Edam cheese
Edamame

Endive and English cucumber Ensalata with Elba Emulsion

Eggplant with Extras (spinach, tomatoes and cheese)
Egg Noodles

Eiswein
Espresso Floats

Dang!

The Dow is down daily, the depression is deepening, and it's difficult to deny the damage done earlier this week by the declaration of some deplorable dispensations. But, on Wednesday, we defied the doldrums with a delectable dinner, delightful discourse, and even a few daffodils.

For D, the party moved uphill to Holly and Lo's deluxe digs in Queen Anne. Aside from being a dynamite duo, these two are discerning decorators. I'm going to step out of D-mode for a moment here to say this in earnest: it is a wonderful thing to eat at a table so thoughtfully prepared. And so comfortably occupied. In other words, it is a delight to drink from a delicate decanter.

We started with Dan and Abby's Dandelion-like greens. (Sometimes, the grocery store just doesn't cooperate.) These were to be Dressed with Dill and Dijon...the dill was deployed, but things might have been dull if not for Dan's delayed dose of dijon. Disaster diverted!

For our main meal, we were treated to Do-it-yourself Dumplings with a Dollop of Dairy (i.e. sour cream). They were definitely dense, but decidedly delicious. More importantly, the directions for this Uzbek staple came by way of Holly's sister-in-law. I'm always curious to learn what different families eat as their go-to meals -- Steve and I frequently wonder why we eat what we eat rather than what we grew up eating -- but this dish was especially dramatic as it wasn't disclosed until the moment it was delivered to the table.

For me, a lot of the fun of these dinners is didactic. Who knew the Uzbeks ate so many dumplings? Who knew a "dacqoise" was a dessert made of layered meringues and whipped cream? I sure didn't until I found the definition on Epicurious and decided to devote an unemployed day to Double Decker Dacquoise with a Dash of Espresso.

We missed dazzling Ashleigh, dapper Preston, and droll Kuhrt this week. From now on, those who dare to disappoint with dinner diversions may find a doggie bag delivered to their doorstep.

Steve, as always, did the documenting:


Dandelion(ish) greens with Dill and Dijon Dressing, Decanted Drinks, Daffoldils


Deluxe Digs


Dog!


DIY Dumplings with a Dollop of Dairy


Dacquoise (before)


Dacquoise (decorating)


Dacquoise (after)

Menu: D

Decanted wines
Domination IPA

Dandelion(ish) greens with Dill and Dijon Dressing

Do-it-yourself Dumplings with a Dollop of Dairy

Dacqouise with a Dash of Espresso

CH?

This week's alphabet dinner raised a number of questions. Below we attempt to provide some answers:

1. Is CH really a letter?
In 1994, the Spanish Royal Academy downgraded "ch" from a distinct letter of the Spanish alphabet to a diagraph (a pair of characters used to write one phoneme). We at Alphabet Dinners -- in collaboration with Mexico's most famous superhero, El Chapulin Colorado -- have chosen to boycott this decision.

2. Who is the Chalupa Champion?
Dan. (That's why you'll see him drinking Chopper ale from a chalice.) Dan upped the ante once again with an appetizer of chopped chicken and cheddar cheese chalupas with chard chiffonade. Not only were they chock full of CH, they were so cherished that the last one was almost stolen from Lawrence's doggie bag.

3. Where were Lawrence and Abby?
Lawrence was working late and Abby was getting oriented as a new Taproot volunteer. Both were greatly missed.

4. What had better be the best cheese you ever ate?
Ashleigh and Preston's choice cheddar with salmon...though chabis chevre wasn't too shabby.

5. What is the difference between soup, stew, chowder and bisque?
Not much. And we're prepared to exploit any and all food ambiguities for our alphabetical benefit. We ate a stew-like chickpea chicken and chorizo chowder with chilis and cheese this week.

6. Why were we eating by candlelight?
Because Kuhrt installed a TED electricity monitor at our house and we now know that it takes 0.38KW to see our food.

7. What can you put in a garbage disposal?
It depends on which expert you ask. Preston says nothing; Ashleigh says everything; Kuhrt says no potato peels but lots of ice; and TED says takes 0.41KW to run the garbage disposal.

8. What happens when Steve picks out music beginning with CH?
You segue straight from Chopin into The Chronic.

9. What's the point of these Alphabet Dinners?
To have fun and eat well. Other than that, anything goes. Laborious homemade experiments are perfect, especially if made by the unemployed. Delicious supermarket cheeses are perfect, especially when the chosen portion of the wheel is printed with the Letter of Honor. Beautiful bought desserts are perfect, especially if someone had to read the stimulus bill and give a presentation on it the day they returned from vacation. Anything baked on a yacht is perfect.

10. Can Kristen fit as many CHs into her blog post as Abby did C's?
Not a chance.



CHeese with CHips: CHeddar, CHabis CHevre and CHaumes


No CHampagne?


CHopped CHicken, CHeddar CHeese and CHard CHiffonade CHilupas


CHopper ale in a CHalice


CHeers!


Oh my god. The cat touched me. (Pictured with CHowder)


CHerry CHeesecake. Dang! and CHocolate CHili Drops


El CHapulin Colorado

Menu: CH

CHianti
CHardonnay
CHarles shaw shiraz (i.e. two buck CHuck)
CHopper's red ale

CHips and CHeese: CHabis CHevre, CHeddar (with salmon), CHaumes
CHopped CHicken, CHeddar CHeese, and CHard CHiffonade CHalupas

CHick pea, CHicken and CHorizo CHowder with CHilis and CHeese
CHeddar CHeese Bread

CHerry CHeesecake. Dang!
CHocolate CHili Drops

Concoctions both Creative and Classy

After a brief hiatus, C Night was held on March 4, 2009, chez Kristen and Steve. Staying true to form, our cavalry of cooks did not disappoint. If feels appropriate that several dishes featured ingredients from the sea, a word that sounds just like our Letter of Honor, even if it does not start with it.

Let's start with the potables, shall we? There were three different types of wine on hand: Columbia Crest Chardonnay, CMS Cabernet Blend, and Castle Rock Cabernet. And to round out the selection with a little beer, we also had Commemorative Cans of Coors.

The first course of appetizers featured Kristen's awesome Cajun Crab Cakes with Celery and Cayenne -- they had a satisfying crunch from the celery and finished with a kick of spiciness. Also on the appetizer table was some excellent Crostini with Calamata and Caper Tapenade. Now, we must give some props to our man Kuhrt, who brought a full try of Caps (Mushroom) of Cheddar Cheese, which were gooey and delicious. Props go to Kuhrt for 1) making and bringing said Caps a mere two hours after returning to Seattle after two weeks on a tugboat, and 2) doing all of this on his BIRTHDAY when he already had other plans and was only able to stay for the appetizer course. And finally, rounding out the appetizer selection were bowls of Cashews and Cured Cucumbers (Vlasic Snack'mms -- rated #1 Dill in the 2008 Beller Family Taste Test).

Moving on to the main course, we were treated to Preston's freshly grilled Chinook (Salmon) with Coconut Curry. It should be noted that the Chinook was freshly caught by Preston from the waters of the Pacific Northwest. At Alphabet Dinners, we prize not only creativity, but also eating local whenever we can. To complement the grilled Chinook, Ashleigh whipped up a bordering-on-sinful Cauliflower Casserole that was finished with cheesy goodness, freshly chopped cilantro, and copious amounts of butter. Next up was Lawrence's Cabbage, Carrot, and Celery Root Coleslaw. While he claims it only contained one head of purple cabbage, it produced enough slaw to fill a very large mixing bowl and provide left-overs for some of the unemployed within our ranks. And finally, speaking of large quantities, we had a huge bowl of plain Couscous to complement the above-mentioned creations.

C Night also featured two desserts that would transition us into Ch Night. There were Abby and Dan's Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream Cheese, and Ashleigh's Cookies with Carob Chips. By the end of the evening, we all headed home with stomachs both crowded and content.

Recipe: Boeuf Bourguignon

From Gourmet (March 2001)

1/4 pound thick-sliced bacon
3 pounds boneless beef chuck
1/3 cup all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
4 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1/2 cup brandy
1 (4-inch) piece of celery
4 fresh parsley stems (no leaves)
4 fresh thyme sprigs
2 bay leaves (not California)
2 cloves
2 onions, finely chopped
3 large garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 carrots, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 (750-ml) bottle dry red wine (preferably Burgundy or Côtes du Rhône)
1 pound small (1 1/2-inch) boiling onions or pearl onions
1 pound mushrooms, quartered if large

Cook bacon in boiling salted water 3 minutes, then drain.

Pat beef dry and season with salt and pepper. Divide flour and beef between 2 (1-quart) sealable plastic bags, seal, then shake to coat meat.

Heat 1‚ tablespoons oil and 1 1/2 tablespoons butter in a wide 6- to 8-quart heavy pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking, then brown beef well on all sides in 2 or 3 batches, without crowding, adding remaining ‚ tablespoon oil as needed. Transfer to a bowl.

Pour off any excess oil from pot, then add brandy to pot. Deglaze by boiling over high heat 1 minute, stirring and scraping up brown bits, then pour over beef.

Tie celery, parsley, thyme, bay leaves, and cloves together with kitchen string to make a bouquet garni (tuck cloves into celery so they don’t fall out).

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in cleaned pot over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté bacon, stirring, 2 minutes. Add chopped onions, garlic, and carrots, then sauté, stirring, until onions are pale golden, about 5 minutes. Add tomato paste and cook, stirring, 1 minute. Add wine, meat with juices, and bouquet garni and simmer gently, partially covered, until meat is tender, 3 1/2 to 4 hours.

While meat simmers, blanch boiling onions in boiling salted water 1 minute and drain in a colander. Rinse under cold running water, then peel.

Heat 1 tablespoon butter in a 3-quart heavy saucepan over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then saut
 boiling onions, stirring occasionally, until browned in patches. Season with salt and pepper. Add 2 cups water (1 1/2 cups if using pearl onions), then simmer, partially covered, until onions are tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Boil, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until liquid is reduced to a glaze, 5 to 10 minutes.

Heat remaining tablespoon butter in a large nonstick skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then saut
 mushrooms, stirring, until golden brown and any liquid mushrooms give off is evaporated, about 8 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Stir onions and mushrooms into stew and cook 10 minutes. Remove bouquet garni and skim any fat from surface of stew. Season with salt and pepper.

Serves 8

Note: Boeuf bourguignon may be made 1 day ahead. Cool, uncovered, then chill, covered. (It tastes even better made ahead because it gives the flavors time to develop.) If making ahead, it's easier to remove fat from surface after chilling.

Menu: C

Commemorative Cans of Coors
Columbia Crest chardonnay
CMS Cabernet blend
Castle rock Cabernet

Cajun Crab Cakes with Celery and Cayenne
Crostini with Calamata and Caper tapenade
Caps (mushroom) of cheddar cheese
Cured Cucumbers
Cashews

Coconut Curry with chinook
Cauliflower Casserole
Cabbage, Carrot and Celery root Cole slaw
Couscous

Carrot Cake Cookies with Cream CHeese
Cookies with Carob CHips