March 29, 2018 Lunch – Placitas Café. Dinner – Sautéed Smoked Pork Chops with red bell pepper and cauliflower Couscous and Chef John’s Corn Custard

March 29, 2018 Lunch – Placitas Café. Dinner – Sautéed Smoked Pork Chops with red bell pepper and cauliflower Couscous and Chef John’s Corn Custard

I ate ½ of a whole wheat bagel smeared with cream cheese and garnished with slices of Lax and onion, and fresh dill with green tea.

At 11:15 I picked up Charlie and drove to Placitas Café for lunch before our monthly book club meeting.

I ordered a Dubliner hamburger, which was served with a thick slice of Dubliner on a toasted bun garnished with organic greens, two slices of tomato and a dab of horseradish with fried onion rings for $9.75. I did not eat the top bun.  The hamburger was just okay.  Charlie got biscuits and gravy, which he did not like.  This was okay food, but I did not see anything creative on the menu.  The basics were better like a green chili cheese burger.

After lunch we drove up the hill to Jack’s house that has an incomparable view of the Rio Grande looking northwest toward the Jemez Mountains.

Each host serves a dessert after the club meeting.  Today’s dessert was excellent; a homemade dark chocolate cake iced with a fabulous butterscotch icing.

I returned home around 4:00 and worked until 6:15.

Aaron arrived at 6:30 with a bottle of Domaine Bogdan Muscat Ottonel.  Suzette created a wonderful dinner.  She sautéed the two smoked pork chops with diced apple, steamed asparagus, and red bell pepper and cauliflower couscous.  We enjoyed the wine but Suzette and I thought it had an off flavor that tasted like gum Arabic.

After dinner I heated the PPI corn custard and served it with glasses of Elk Cove Pinot Gris.  We all agreed that we liked the Elk Cove Pinot Gris better than the Bogdan Muscat because the Elk Cove had no rough edges; no off gum flavor or smell, just smooth grape flavor.

The slightly sweet corn custard was perfectly complemented by the Pinot Gris.  The Domaine Bogdan had an enticing fruity flavor that was unique.  I never had ever tasted the Muscat Ottonel grape.

I later helped Willy complete his taxes while we ate a naval orange

Bon Appetit