January 25, 2012 Dinner – Roasted Duck, Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Asparagus

January 25, 2012 Dinner – Roasted Duck, Roasted Sweet Potatoes and Asparagus

I came home from meditation at around 8:30 p.m. and Suzette came home from working around 9:00 p.m. so this is a PPI meal.  I heated the two ¼ of duck that were left from Monday evening plus the sweet potatoes baked with the duck on Monday in the oven at 350°F and snapped the ends off all of the remaining asparagus.  When Suzette came in I turned on the heat under the asparagus and steamed them while the duck and potatoes were re-heating in the oven.

We opened a bottle of Cutler Creek Cabernet Sauvignon.  Is there anything this wine does not go well with?

Then we ate several pieces of toasted whole wheat bread and slices of Petit Basque cheese left over from Christmas; then some chocolate truffles (a lovely Christmas gift from Bill and Regina Turner) with cognac and then a sip of Calvados to celebrate the beginning of our long weekend at the Winter Wine Festival in Taos. 

I recommend the Winter Wine Festival.  In its present incarnation, there is a reserve tasting on Thursday with the better wines at Monte Sagrado poured by all the attending wineries and distributors and importers and at which many of the local restaurants in Taos serving small dishes of food.  On Saturday afternoon at the Taos Ski Valley Lodge there is a larger more pedestrian “Grand Tasting” of less wonderful wines and some of the better wines and food prepared by mainly restaurants in the Ski Valley.  Both events are interesting and worth a trip (each event currently costs $75.00 per person).  During the days, there are tastings and seminars.  At night there are winery sponsored dinners in conjunction with several of the Taos and Ski Valley restaurants (generally between $75.00 and $100.00 per person). 

Bon Appètit