Menu for Mopie's Farewell Dinner (June 29)

Wine: (Something) Cat Chardonnay 2004, Bonny Doone Strawberry Wine 2001, Elderton Semillion Botrytis 2004

Starters: aged white cheddar cheese (stolen from the mushroom prep station), fresh morello cherries.

Dinner: chopped Romaine lettuce tossed with Archer Farms Caesar dressing and diced anchovies, Bacon-Wrapped Dates, Alteration of Roasted Asparagus thing, Baby Portabello Mushrooms with Much Better Crab Stuffing and Lazy Chicken.

Dessert: Blueberry Un-Unpie

Much Better Stuffing for Crab-Stuffed Mushrooms

Crab-stuffed mushrooms are one of Mopie’s favorite of the quasi-South Beach meals we've concocted, which is surprising, since I’ve been playing with the recipe each time I make it. This time, the stuffing went something like this, although Mo actually MADE the mushrooms, due to the Zombie Thumb situation. I just gave direction:

1 lb lump white crab meat
1 large egg
3 tbsp garlic
1 tbsp Old Bay Seasoning
½ cup Panko bread crumbs
2/3 c goat cheese
Kosher salt
½ cup chopped fresh Italian flat leaf parsley

Mo combined all of these in a bowl by squishing it with her gloved hands. Then she lumped it all into the cleaned mushroom caps. We followed the standard cooking procedure but this time, I decided to try poaching the bottoms of the mushrooms in a little wine. That was an awesome idea and next time, I’m going to throw some more garlic in the liquid too.

Lazy Bones(less) Chicken

3 lbs chicken breast, sliced extra thin (1/4 inch)
Olive Oil
2 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tsp red pepper flakes
Poultry Seasoning
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Kosher Salt

Heat garlic, red pepper flakes and olive oil in a pan, then season chicken with poultry seasoning, pepper and salt. Sauté until chicken is cooked and congratulate yourself for making the easiest chicken dish ever.

Menu for Tuesday, June 6

Wines: Rock Rabbit Cabernet Sauvignon 2004, Simon Creek Gewurtziminer.

Starters: Stravecchio cut into nibbling slices along with some Dubliner style goat cheese Esteban picked out at the farmer’s market.

Main Course: Tomato Thing, Broiled Salmon, Bacon-wrapped Dates, jasmine rice.

Dessert: More Bacon-wrapped Dates.

Broiled Salmon

I thought I had this one noted already because it seems like I make it all the time, but apparently not since I started keeping track of Dinner With Pie nights.


Fresh Salmon Fillets
Some Kind Of Seasoning*
Freshly ground black pepper
Kosher Salt
Olive Oil

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a decent-sized baking dish with aluminum foil and spray with olive oil. Place salmon fillets into dish, season as desired, then spritz with more olive oil. Pop into oven and cook until the fish starts to look opaque (you know, like cooked salmon should look). I crank the broiler up to finish it off because I like the edges to be a little crisp.


*My favorite thing to use is a shallot/thyme/lemony something spice blend from Penzey’s called Fox Point seasoning (or Lake Shore Drive Seasoning if you’re buying it from The Spice House). However, I’ve made it with Herbs de Provence, thyme, dill, or orange pepper and it tastes really good. It’s practically fool-proof. **

**Ok, there was that situation when MoPie tried to make it herself and somehow ended up with a scrambled salmon concoction, but that was before she moved to Wisconsin and had watched me make this forty times. You can do it, little Pie! Be brave!