February 20, 2016 Lunch – East Ocean, Dinner – Duck Confit Salad

February 20, 2016 Lunch – East Ocean, Dinner – Duck Confit Salad

Bernardo and Mark came to the house and fixed the light fixture over the Virgin of Guadalupe and the stereo wiring this morning.  We then went to Costco for lunch at noon, but the snack bar area was closed, so we shopped.  We bought a whole salmon, Brussels sprouts, coffee, lamb chops, Greek yogurt, and several cheeses, including, Swiss Gruyere, blue, Spanish Manchego and Italian Peccorino Romano, plus a few other items.  

Suzette had to attend a seminar at the water conference in the afternoon, so she asked if there was a restaurant close and quick, I answered, “East Ocean”, so we drove to Easr Ocean.  Suzette ordered No. 10, Cashew Chicken and I ordered my usual, No. 8, Shrimp in Lobster sauce with Scallops substituted for shrimp and sweet and sour chicken substituted for an egg roll.  

    Suzette's Cashew Chicken

   My scallops in Lobster sauce and sweet and sour chicken

Neither of us could finish our dishes, so I packed them in boxes and brought them homestead 2:00.  I then napped until 4:00 and rode nearly to Bravo and back.  When I arrived home I took a shower and while I was showering Suzette told me that Cynthia had called and they were going to April Price’s Gallery for an opening of new works by Doug Antreasian and his wife.  

When I was dressed, I went to the kitchen and put a bottle of Gruet Brut and the Trevino Prosecco Ricardo had brought to our Valentine’s Day dinner in the freezer.  Suzette was washing and tossing greens from the garden and had picked and cleaned  turnips and radishes and added carrots and a potato to make roasted vegetables that she had just put into the oven.   We drove the twelve blocks to Civic Center and walked to the Hyatt where April Price’s Gallery is located.  When we arrived I found that every one in Albuquerque’s small art community was there.  I said hello to Ray Graham and Ron Bousek and saw Faye Abrams and Charlie Anderson and several others.  Cynthia introduced us to Clayton Corkurt?, who splits his time between Corrales and Nova Scotia, who told us about the affiliation between Lauren Harris and the Canadian Group of Seven and New Mexico’s Transcendental Painting Group and about an exhibit of their work on tour.   

We then went home and I made a creamy goat cheese and shallot vinaigrette dressing and we de-stemmed and spun the salad greens and I sliced radishes from our garden and two hearts of palm and added them to the large salad bowl of ingredients and grated about ¼ cup of Italian San Joaquin hard cheese to the salad, while Suzette heated the three duck confit breasts in the microwave.  

When Ricardo and Cynthia arrived, they brought a bottle of naked Pinot Grigio and put it in the fridge.  Then  Ricardo opened the Gruet champagne and poured us glasses.  We loved the brut.  After looking at the newly lit art work, we tossed the salad with the dressing and divided it into four bowls and I sliced the duck breasts and garnished the salads and we had a lovely salad.  The big surprise of the evening was the Trevino Prosecco , which we opened after we finished the Gruet Brut.  It was light, dry and delicious.  Ricardo said he had bought it at Trader Joe’s.  We all discussed a wine run on Sunday to get more.

    The Salad 

   The Love Birds

We are all on diets, so no bread and for dessert, Suzette served us I single dark chocolate Lindor.  

At 9:00 we said good night and Suzette went to bed.  I stayed up until midnight in order to watch the Australian Race Down Under from Adelaide, which in the first major bike race of the year.  It was won by Simon Gerrans, an Aussy on the Orica Greenstep team.

Bon Appetit