$$$ Kobe Beef Dinner $$$ or $$$ All Kobe, All the Time! $$$

On Saturday evening, Jamie, me and our friends Doug and Judy drove to Napa for a special event at Alpha-Omega Winery of which we are currently members. The event was a latter tasting of Cabernet paired with a Kobe Beef dinner. The dinner was so amazing that I have to share with you the entire menu...

~Passed Hors d’oeuvres~
Beef Tataki Cones
Finely minced Kobe beef mixed with scallions, shallots, sesame seeds,
ginger and cilantro served in crisp wonton cones

Seared Kobe Beef and Cepe Mushrooms
Seared Kobe beef wrapped around sautéed cepes and celery leaf with horseradish,
creme fraiche and toasted brioche

Wood Grilled Mini Kobe Beef Sirloin Hamburgers
With Applewood Smoked Duroc Bacon, Sliced Red Onions and Herb Aioli



~First Course~
Kobe Beef Carpaccio "Nicoise"
Thin sliced kobe beef dressed "Nicoise" style with summer beans, heirloom tomato confit,
marinated anchovy and Napa Valley Olive Oil

~Second Course~
Smoked Kobe Beef Tri Tip
Cold smoked Kobe beef tri tip, seared and sliced. Served with warm fresh shell bean salad,
Pimenton oil and petite greens

~Third Course~
Braised Kobe Beef Short Ribs
Sixteen hour cabernet braised Kobe beef short ribs with Chatrelle mushrooms,
herb gnocchi and reduceed braising juices with summer truffle



~Dessert~
Figs in Phyllo with Cabernet Wine Black Pepper Ice Cream
Fresh seasonal California figs, poached in cabernet, wrapped in phyllo and served with a decadent house-made ice cream made of black pepper and the fig poaching reduction


The short ribs and gnocchi were quite possibly some of the most amazing food I've ever ingested. But wait, you may ask. We just wrote many posts about how I've become a vegetarian! So the thing is this. I've become a vegetarian solely for my son. Although when I'm finished breastfeeding I'm fairly certain that I'll eat much less meat than I did before, I'm pretty sure that I'll be eating meat again in my life. So Jamie and I came up with a plan. I would eat the meat, and then I would "pump and dump" for the next 24 - 36 hours. I was extremely nervous about doing this for many reasons. First and most obvious, I was scared that pumping for a day might not be long enough. And second, I knew that making a bottle in the middle of the night coupled with pumping milk that I was just going to dump down the drain was going to be twice the work. Because of my fears, Jamie and I decided that Jamie would make the bottle and feed Sean while I pumped; this way, we could share the workload and both be tired. Of course, Jamie always finds a way to get out of things like this, but that's a story for a different post! All of that being said, I'm really happy that I decided to eat the meal and drink a little too much wine. I haven't indulged myself in over a year, and it felt great to be out on a date with my husband for a few hours. To be honest, I would've been completely happy spending time with my husband and great friends doing anything, but it was the icing on the cake that I also happened to eat a phenomenal meal. And I can't argue about finally NOT being the designated driver because that meant that I could take that sweet, slightly alcohol-induced nap during the ride home!

Oh yeah, and Sean was up twice to feed and finally awake for the morning at 5:30 AM. But, such is life!