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

Bonjour Buttercups

B Night should be easy -- there must to be a billion foods that begin with B -- but our meal was anything but simple. It was French.

Dan and Abby got things going early, so the house already smelled amazing by the time the ranks of the employed arrived with Bellinis, Beaujolais, and Beer.

This week, we were very excited to add Kuhrt -- who was fresh off a tug boat -- Lawrence, Holly, and Preston's parents' folding chairs to the Alphabet team. (We also now know what it really means to go berserk, why pirates wear eye patches, and why you should never borrow a handmade hula hoop from a naked hippie.)

Although we still don't have a brick oven, Ashleigh managed some pretty authentic Broccoli Blasted a la Black Bottle -- home to both Ashleigh and Preston's and Abby and Dan's first dates. (Can we say that Black Bottle Broccoli is to thank for two Betrothals? If not, we can at least say that Epicurious is to thank for a very B salad: Beets, Bibb lettuce and Bacon in a Balsamic, Beer and Brown sugar dressing.)

The official sources describe our B entree, Boeuf Bourguignon, as a stew based on the cattle (Charolais), grape (Pinot Noir), and earthy, full-flavored cooking of Burgundy, but Dan's description is much better: "First, we Boiled some Bacon. Then we Battered Beef in flour and Browned it in Butter in Batches. We added Brandy and scraped the Browned Bits off the Bottom of the pan. Then we Braised the Beef, Brandied Bits, Bacon, Bouquet garni, Bottle of Burgundy, and everything else for a Bit.

The most poetic descrption of the night, however, goes to the authors of The Joy of Cooking, who call creme brulee "a rich custard covered with a hard caramel glaze that shatters delightfully under the pressure of a purposeful spoon." We had nine purposeful spoons and it was delightful.


Bouquet Garni


A Bounty of Beverages and Bagel Bites


Baked Brie, Baguette


Beets, Bibb and Bacon in Balsamic and Beer


Broccoli Blasted


Miikka awaiting the meat course


Beller and Zink serving up some Boeuf Bourgingnon


Bon appetit!


Boeuf!


Lawrence and Holly's Bruleed Creme








A purposeful spoon

Menu: B

Barefoot Bubbly Bellinis
Blue Moon Beer
Bitburger Beer
Baron Brewing Beer
Beaujolais
Bordeaux

Baked Brie with Baguette
Bagel Bites

Beet, Bibb and Bacon Salad with Balsamic Beer dressing
Broccoli Blasted a la Black Bottle
Boeuf Bourguignon

Brulee, Creme (or Broiled Cream)

Recipe: Apizza Dough

3/4 cup warm water
1 envelope active dry yeast
2+ cups flour (all purpose or bread flour)
1 teaspoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons olive oil

Pour warm water into a small bowl and sprinkle yeast on top. Let stand until yeast foams, about 5 minutes.

Brush a bowl lightly with olive oil.

Mix 2 cups flour, sugar, and salt in a food processor. Add yeast mixture and oil, and process until dough forms a sticky ball. (You may want to add more flour by tablespoonfuls if the dough is very sticky.)

Transfer dough to a floured surface and knead until smooth, adding more flour if dough is still sticky. Transfer to prepared bowl and turn dough in bowl to coat with oil. Cover bowl with plastic wrap and let dough rise in warm draft-free area until doubled in volume, about 1 hour. Punch down dough.

At this point, the dough is ready to be formed into pies, but we like to refrigerate it for an hour or even overnight to make it more manageable.

Makes two apizzas