Scotch, Steak, and Cigars

(As I get ready to reignite FoodByDoug, I have found a few blogs that I wrote years ago and never published.  These are unedited, and not polished)

My intentions as a blogger are better than my blogging itself.  I take pictures, download them to my computer and write several blogs in my head -- but getting them actually on FoodbyDoug is another issue.

Lets start off with Scotch, Steaks, and Cigars.  Last year and again this year I auctioned a night of scotch tasting, steaks, and cigar off as an live auction item at the Okanogan Omak Rotary Wine and Cheese.  Jacque and I put similar night up for auction at the Loup Loup Taste of Three Valleys.  This

year I had the privilege of having my friend Chuck Ladouceur join me in the kitchen preparing and serving our guest.

Chuck and I started the night before with making three different Creme Brûlée's.  Knowing the number of course our guest were going to have, we opted to make them bite size using chines soup spoons-- this was an experiment that will return.

 We also did the grape leaves the night before.  We learned an important lesson that when using fresh grape leaves you want to pick them earlier in the season.

The grape eaves were on the table waiting for the guest as their foist course when they came up from enjoying appetizers and scotch downstairs by the wood-oven and fireplace.

 Scotch Gravlax is so incredibly simple to make, and is incredibly impressive.  To make Gravlas you place a salmon filet in  your freezer until it is stiff not frozen (this allows for thinner slicing).  You then drizzle a generous amount of the scotch of your choosing, some salt, sugar, and dill, as well as some lemon juice.  Let it sit for over night.  I will turn it over after several hours and repeat the above process.

The gravlax was served on top of a Latkah (potato pancake, a dollop of sour cream, and fresh chive for garnish)

Chuck created an incredible mac and cheese that we cooked in the wood-oven.  This was a last minute idea, but was one of the favorite appetizers of the night.  Knowing that the tasting was going to include 15 different scotches, we thought a little mac and cheese on empty stomachs might do well before dinner...we were right!

 Marmalade onion and gorgonzola pizza with balsamic reduction has become one of my favorite pizzas to serve.

The night was broken into four tastings, giving our guest the opportunity to enjoy appetizers and the fellowship of friends.

No celebration is complete with the sabering of a champagne bottle.  

For the main course after the grape leaves, pumpkin soup, gravlax on latkes,

our guest enjoyed steaks with port butter.

(Port butter has now become a required condiment in my household after making it for this dinner and having left-over butter.  In a future blog, I will have my friend Chuck share how he makes this great addition to any steak or prime rib.

The final course before dessert was a simple salad of charred hearts of romain