Thursday, December 16, 2010

Monk's Holiday Dinner: 12/14/10

Lesson of the Day: When you forget to take the battery off the charger before leaving home, it doesn't matter how big and sexy your camera is, it's not gonna take pictures. Fortunately (for quantity, not quality), my camera bag still has the old point-and-shoot in it, and that's where the evidence of the annual Monk's Holiday Dinner below comes courtesy. As is all-too-common of late, I'm pressed for time so will share only the menu, the pictures, and just the briefest of brief analysis. ~ De Ranke Père Noël with Bouillabaisse -->bouillabaisse creatively awesome, especially with the traditional rouille ~ Lost Abbey Gift of the Magi with Rabbit Terrine -->loved the meatiness, of the terrine, that is ~ Mikkeller Red/White Christmas with Pork Loin stuffed with Pancetta, Roquefort, and Apple Sauerkraut -->English red blended with Belgian white very nice with the perfectly done pork, but my palate was not digging the extremely sharp flavors of both the cheese and the sauerkraut on the same plate duking it out with each other for supremacy ~ Nøgne Ø Holiday Ale with Butternut Squash Ravioli with Sage Brown Butter -->spruce-y juniper beer went nicely with the savory sage ~ Corsendonk Christmas Ale with Cassoulet with Garlic Sausage and Duck Confit -->to me, the hands-down winner of the night, eeking out a "win" above even the dessert. tender, meaty duck with a sliver of skin and fat...beans...and the malty perennial favorite of the Corsendonk...done, hard stop. ~ Tsjeeses Reserva with Cheeses (La Beola from Italy and Landaff the Grey from New Hampshire) and Quince Jelly -->the cheeses unfortunately overwhelmed what appeared to be an otherwise very nice beer ~ Port Brewing Santa's Little Helper (2009 vintage) & Tröegs Mad Elf with Bûche de Noël -->the oh-so-chocolaty-decadent dessert with the rich, chocolate, coffee-flavored imperial stout. perfection.

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