To celebrate a couple of birthdays I made dinner for my wife and a
friend. It started yesterday with a trip to Avon Prime Meats to get a
few veal chops. Thee are thick chops, just over a pound each. I made
sausage soup and a cheesecake.

Today, we started about 1:30 with the soup and a bottle of prosecco and
some flowers for the ladies.

A few hours later we went out to the deck as the sun moved to the other
side of the house. Started with a simple dish of sliced yellow and red
tomato and basil and fresh mozzarella on each.

The main course was the grilled veal chops and risotto with asparagus.
I seasoned the chops earlier with salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary.
When they came off the grill I brushed them with olive oil and rosemary.

Dessert was the cheesecake with a topping of cherries in a reduction of
amaretto and topped with a dab of whipped cream.

Overall it was a great meal with great people. I enjoyed doing this for
both of them. In the past I took them to a nice restaurant, but this
was more enjoyable in spite of the work.

"Ed Pawlowski" > wrote in message
...
> To celebrate a couple of birthdays I made dinner for my wife and a friend.
> It started yesterday with a trip to Avon Prime Meats to get a few veal
> chops. Thee are thick chops, just over a pound each. I made sausage soup
> and a cheesecake.
>
> Today, we started about 1:30 with the soup and a bottle of prosecco and
> some flowers for the ladies.
>
> A few hours later we went out to the deck as the sun moved to the other
> side of the house. Started with a simple dish of sliced yellow and red
> tomato and basil and fresh mozzarella on each.
>
> The main course was the grilled veal chops and risotto with asparagus. I
> seasoned the chops earlier with salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary. When
> they came off the grill I brushed them with olive oil and rosemary.
>
> Dessert was the cheesecake with a topping of cherries in a reduction of
> amaretto and topped with a dab of whipped cream.
>
> Overall it was a great meal with great people. I enjoyed doing this for
> both of them. In the past I took them to a nice restaurant, but this was
> more enjoyable in spite of the work.

Sounds wonderful!

Cheri

"Ed Pawlowski" wrote in message
...

To celebrate a couple of birthdays I made dinner for my wife and a
friend. It started yesterday with a trip to Avon Prime Meats to get a
few veal chops. Thee are thick chops, just over a pound each. I made
sausage soup and a cheesecake.

Today, we started about 1:30 with the soup and a bottle of prosecco and
some flowers for the ladies.

A few hours later we went out to the deck as the sun moved to the other
side of the house. Started with a simple dish of sliced yellow and red
tomato and basil and fresh mozzarella on each.

The main course was the grilled veal chops and risotto with asparagus.
I seasoned the chops earlier with salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary.
When they came off the grill I brushed them with olive oil and rosemary.

Dessert was the cheesecake with a topping of cherries in a reduction of
amaretto and topped with a dab of whipped cream.

Overall it was a great meal with great people. I enjoyed doing this for
both of them. In the past I took them to a nice restaurant, but this
was more enjoyable in spite of the work.
-----------------

I can believe it Idyllic

Lucky wife and friend)



--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk

On Sat, 27 Aug 2016 23:50:13 -0400, Ed Pawlowski > wrote:

>To celebrate a couple of birthdays I made dinner for my wife and a
>friend. It started yesterday with a trip to Avon Prime Meats to get a
>few veal chops. Thee are thick chops, just over a pound each. I made
>sausage soup and a cheesecake.
>
>Today, we started about 1:30 with the soup and a bottle of prosecco and
>some flowers for the ladies.
>
>A few hours later we went out to the deck as the sun moved to the other
>side of the house. Started with a simple dish of sliced yellow and red
>tomato and basil and fresh mozzarella on each.
>
>The main course was the grilled veal chops and risotto with asparagus.
>I seasoned the chops earlier with salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary.
>When they came off the grill I brushed them with olive oil and rosemary.
>
>Dessert was the cheesecake with a topping of cherries in a reduction of
>amaretto and topped with a dab of whipped cream.
>
>Overall it was a great meal with great people. I enjoyed doing this for
>both of them. In the past I took them to a nice restaurant, but this
>was more enjoyable in spite of the work.

Sounds great - can you say how you did the cherry reduction with
amaretto ?

On Sun, 28 Aug 2016 07:59:08 -0300, wrote:

>On Sat, 27 Aug 2016 23:50:13 -0400, Ed Pawlowski > wrote:


>>Dessert was the cheesecake with a topping of cherries in a reduction of
>>amaretto and topped with a dab of whipped cream.
>>

>
>Sounds great - can you say how you did the cherry reduction with
>amaretto ?

I just put some dried cherries and amaretto in a small pot and reduced
it by about half. It made a sweet syrup, but had good cherry flavor
and barely any amaretto flavor. I may have done better reducing it a
bit more and adding is some full strength amaretto for more flavor.

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>
> Overall it was a great meal with great people. I enjoyed doing this for
> both of them. In the past I took them to a nice restaurant, but this
> was more enjoyable in spite of the work.

All sounds great, chef Ed. A nice homemade upscale restaurant meal
served in the comfort of your own home.

Veal is one thing I've never had but I'm sure it's tasty. I never had
lamb until a couple of years ago and immediately fell in love with that.

"Gary" wrote in message ...

Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>
> Overall it was a great meal with great people. I enjoyed doing this for
> both of them. In the past I took them to a nice restaurant, but this
> was more enjoyable in spite of the work.

All sounds great, chef Ed. A nice homemade upscale restaurant meal
served in the comfort of your own home.

Veal is one thing I've never had but I'm sure it's tasty. I never had
lamb until a couple of years ago and immediately fell in love with that.

=============

Lamb for us today. I make a gravy with lot of mint

--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk

On Sat, 27 Aug 2016 23:50:13 -0400, Ed Pawlowski > wrote:

>To celebrate a couple of birthdays I made dinner for my wife and a
>friend. It started yesterday with a trip to Avon Prime Meats to get a
>few veal chops. Thee are thick chops, just over a pound each. I made
>sausage soup and a cheesecake.
>
>Today, we started about 1:30 with the soup and a bottle of prosecco and
>some flowers for the ladies.
>
>A few hours later we went out to the deck as the sun moved to the other
>side of the house. Started with a simple dish of sliced yellow and red
>tomato and basil and fresh mozzarella on each.
>
>The main course was the grilled veal chops and risotto with asparagus.
>I seasoned the chops earlier with salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary.
>When they came off the grill I brushed them with olive oil and rosemary.
>
>Dessert was the cheesecake with a topping of cherries in a reduction of
>amaretto and topped with a dab of whipped cream.
>
>Overall it was a great meal with great people. I enjoyed doing this for
>both of them. In the past I took them to a nice restaurant, but this
>was more enjoyable in spite of the work.

An excellent menu.
I like veal but usually prepare breast of veal, it's available at
Easter time. I've also prepared this a few times for company, always
a big hit, I don't follow this recipe exactly, I prepare it with more
vegetables and thicken with corn starch, and I use a 6-7 pound roast,
veal shrinks:
Teliatyna z Pidlyvoiu Iz Ikry (Braised Veal With Caviar Sauce).

To serve 6 to 8.

3 tablespoons of butter.
1 cup of thinly sliced onions.
1 carrot, scraped and cut into 1/ 2 inch rounds.
4 sprigs of parsley.
2 stalks of celery with their leaves, cut into 2-inch lengths.
3 bay leaves.
3 whole cloves.
1 tablespoon of finely chopped lemon peel.
3 tablespoons of vegetable oil.
3 1/ 2 to 4-pounds of boneless veal, cut from either the leg
or the rump and securely tied.
1 cup of dry white wine (Sauvignon Blanc).
Salt
Freshly ground black pepper
2 teaspoons of potato starch dissolved in 2 tablespoons of cold water.
2 tablespoons (1 ounce) black caviar.
1/8 teaspoon of fresh lemon juice.

In a heavy 6-quart casserole, melt the butter over high heat.
Add the onions, carrot, parsley, celery, bay leaves, cloves and
lemon peel and cover the pan. Lower the heat and simmer for
about 15 minutes, until the vegetables are soft but not brown.
Set aside.

Preheat the oven to 325° F. In a heavy 10- to 12-inch skillet,
heat the 3 tablespoons of oil over high heat until a light haze
forms above it. Add the veal and brown for 8 to 10 minutes,
turning it every 2 or 3 minutes so that it browns evenly on all
sides. Then place it on top of the vegetables in the casserole
and pour in the wine. Bring to a boil over high heat, sprinkle the
meat liberally with salt and a few grindings of black pepper and
cover the casserole tightly. Braise in the center of the oven
for 1 1/ 4 hours, turning the veal over after 45 minutes.

When the veal is tender, transfer it to a heated platter, cut
away the strings and carve the meat into 1/ 4 inch-thick slices.
Arrange them, slightly overlapping, down the center of a large
platter and cover the platter loosely with foil to keep the meat
warm while you make the sauce.

Quickly strain the entire contents of the casserole through a fine
sieve into a bowl, pressing down hard on the vegetables with the
back of a large spoon before discarding them. Skim off any
surface fat and return the braised juices to the casserole.
Stir in the dissolved potato starch. Then bring the sauce to a boil
over high heat, stirring constantly until it is lightly thickened and
smooth. Reduce the heat to low and gently stir in the caviar and
lemon juice and taste for seasoning. Pour in the sauce over the veal
and serve at once, or if you prefer, serve the sauce separately.

•••

On Sun, 28 Aug 2016 13:39:18 +0100, "Ophelia" >
wrote:

>"Gary" wrote in message ...
>
>Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>>
>> Overall it was a great meal with great people. I enjoyed doing this for
>> both of them. In the past I took them to a nice restaurant, but this
>> was more enjoyable in spite of the work.
>
>All sounds great, chef Ed. A nice homemade upscale restaurant meal
>served in the comfort of your own home.
>
>Veal is one thing I've never had but I'm sure it's tasty. I never had
>lamb until a couple of years ago and immediately fell in love with that.
>
>=============
>
>Lamb for us today. I make a gravy with lot of mint

A lot of mint to cover that awful lamb stench... make a Golgate
toothpaste sauce thinned with vodka! LOL

"Brooklyn1" wrote in message
...

On Sun, 28 Aug 2016 13:39:18 +0100, "Ophelia" >
wrote:

>"Gary" wrote in message ...
>
>Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>>
>> Overall it was a great meal with great people. I enjoyed doing this for
>> both of them. In the past I took them to a nice restaurant, but this
>> was more enjoyable in spite of the work.
>
>All sounds great, chef Ed. A nice homemade upscale restaurant meal
>served in the comfort of your own home.
>
>Veal is one thing I've never had but I'm sure it's tasty. I never had
>lamb until a couple of years ago and immediately fell in love with that.
>
>=============
>
>Lamb for us today. I make a gravy with lot of mint

A lot of mint to cover that awful lamb stench... make a Golgate
toothpaste sauce thinned with vodka! LOL
==============

Perhaps your lamb smells like that but mine doesn't


--
http://www.helpforheroes.org.uk

On 8/28/2016 7:53 AM, Gary wrote:
> Ed Pawlowski wrote:
>>
>> Overall it was a great meal with great people. I enjoyed doing this for
>> both of them. In the past I took them to a nice restaurant, but this
>> was more enjoyable in spite of the work.
>
> All sounds great, chef Ed. A nice homemade upscale restaurant meal
> served in the comfort of your own home.
>
> Veal is one thing I've never had but I'm sure it's tasty. I never had
> lamb until a couple of years ago and immediately fell in love with that.
>

Veal has a nice flavor somewhere between pork and beef. It is also tender.

The purpose of the day was to spoil and pamper the ladies a bit and give
them a meal equal to a fine dining restaurant. It was fun for me to
treat them.

As I get older my priorities have not changed order but a few things at
the top are more important than everything below wife, children, close
friends and enjoying time with them.

On Sat, 27 Aug 2016 23:50:13 -0400, Ed Pawlowski > wrote:

>To celebrate a couple of birthdays I made dinner for my wife and a
>friend. It started yesterday with a trip to Avon Prime Meats to get a
>few veal chops. Thee are thick chops, just over a pound each. I made
>sausage soup and a cheesecake.
>
>Today, we started about 1:30 with the soup and a bottle of prosecco and
>some flowers for the ladies.
>
>A few hours later we went out to the deck as the sun moved to the other
>side of the house. Started with a simple dish of sliced yellow and red
>tomato and basil and fresh mozzarella on each.
>
>The main course was the grilled veal chops and risotto with asparagus.
>I seasoned the chops earlier with salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary.
>When they came off the grill I brushed them with olive oil and rosemary.
>
>Dessert was the cheesecake with a topping of cherries in a reduction of
>amaretto and topped with a dab of whipped cream.
>
>Overall it was a great meal with great people. I enjoyed doing this for
>both of them. In the past I took them to a nice restaurant, but this
>was more enjoyable in spite of the work.

Sounds wonderful. I bet they really appreciated it.

koko

--

Food is our common ground, a universal experience
James Beard

On 8/28/2016 2:52 PM, koko wrote:
> On Sat, 27 Aug 2016 23:50:13 -0400, Ed Pawlowski > wrote:
>
>> To celebrate a couple of birthdays I made dinner for my wife and a
>> friend. It started yesterday with a trip to Avon Prime Meats to get a
>> few veal chops. Thee are thick chops, just over a pound each. I made
>> sausage soup and a cheesecake.
>>
>> Today, we started about 1:30 with the soup and a bottle of prosecco and
>> some flowers for the ladies.
>>
>> A few hours later we went out to the deck as the sun moved to the other
>> side of the house. Started with a simple dish of sliced yellow and red
>> tomato and basil and fresh mozzarella on each.
>>
>> The main course was the grilled veal chops and risotto with asparagus.
>> I seasoned the chops earlier with salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary.
>> When they came off the grill I brushed them with olive oil and rosemary.
>>
>> Dessert was the cheesecake with a topping of cherries in a reduction of
>> amaretto and topped with a dab of whipped cream.
>>
>> Overall it was a great meal with great people. I enjoyed doing this for
>> both of them. In the past I took them to a nice restaurant, but this
>> was more enjoyable in spite of the work.
>
> Sounds wonderful. I bet they really appreciated it.
>
> koko
>
> --
>
> Food is our common ground, a universal experience
> James Beard
>

What a thoughtful thing to do. I'm sure they felt pampered and loved!
The entire menu looks delectable!!!

Rusty in MD

On Saturday, August 27, 2016 at 8:50:22 PM UTC-7, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> To celebrate a couple of birthdays I made dinner for my wife and a
> friend. It started yesterday with a trip to Avon Prime Meats to get a
> few veal chops. Thee are thick chops, just over a pound each. I made
> sausage soup and a cheesecake.
>
> Today, we started about 1:30 with the soup and a bottle of prosecco and
> some flowers for the ladies.
>
> A few hours later we went out to the deck as the sun moved to the other
> side of the house. Started with a simple dish of sliced yellow and red
> tomato and basil and fresh mozzarella on each.
>
> The main course was the grilled veal chops and risotto with asparagus.
> I seasoned the chops earlier with salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary.
> When they came off the grill I brushed them with olive oil and rosemary.
>
> Dessert was the cheesecake with a topping of cherries in a reduction of
> amaretto and topped with a dab of whipped cream.
>
> Overall it was a great meal with great people. I enjoyed doing this for
> both of them. In the past I took them to a nice restaurant, but this
> was more enjoyable in spite of the work.

Sounds wonderful. I swear I cook better than most restaurants and I always love having my friends here where we can eat and drink and talk and laugh and not be restricted by hovering staff wanting to turn a table.

Your gift of cooking for them is worth many times the price of a meal out.

On 8/28/2016 11:19 PM, ImStillMags wrote:

>> Overall it was a great meal with great people. I enjoyed doing this for
>> both of them. In the past I took them to a nice restaurant, but this
>> was more enjoyable in spite of the work.
>
> Sounds wonderful. I swear I cook better than most restaurants and I always love having my friends here where we can eat and drink and talk and laugh and not be restricted by hovering staff wanting to turn a table.
>
> Your gift of cooking for them is worth many times the price of a meal out.
>

Yes, it was. Both liked the special treatment and I was happy to do it
for them. Some things you just can't buy.

On 8/27/2016 11:50 PM, Ed Pawlowski wrote:
> To celebrate a couple of birthdays I made dinner for my wife and a
> friend. It started yesterday with a trip to Avon Prime Meats to get a
> few veal chops. Thee are thick chops, just over a pound each. I made
> sausage soup and a cheesecake.
>
> Today, we started about 1:30 with the soup and a bottle of prosecco and
> some flowers for the ladies.
>
> A few hours later we went out to the deck as the sun moved to the other
> side of the house. Started with a simple dish of sliced yellow and red
> tomato and basil and fresh mozzarella on each.
>
> The main course was the grilled veal chops and risotto with asparagus. I
> seasoned the chops earlier with salt, pepper, garlic and rosemary. When
> they came off the grill I brushed them with olive oil and rosemary.
>
> Dessert was the cheesecake with a topping of cherries in a reduction of
> amaretto and topped with a dab of whipped cream.
>
> Overall it was a great meal with great people. I enjoyed doing this for
> both of them. In the past I took them to a nice restaurant, but this
> was more enjoyable in spite of the work.

Sounds lovely, Ed! Thanks for sharing the day with us.

Jill