Balls!

It's that wonderful time of year again!  Yes, Holiday Cookie exchange - where you sacrifice just a few nights of sanity and your kitchen and come home with more cookies than you can eat for the rest of the year.

I love my job, for many reasons, but the fact that I work with a ton of talented bakers who enjoy these kinds of mass production as much as I do really is amazing.

This will be my 5th year participating with these wonderful ladies (and I think we have a gentleman baker this year too!) and I can't wait to see what they all have in store. For my contribution this year I decided to go with my Mom's cake ball recipe that I nearly OD'ed on last Christmas.

The base recipe was simple enough, so I added my own twist and went balls to the wall with my confectionery treats.

All in all I made 1200 cake balls this year, the majority of which got packaged in little tins for tonight's great exchange @ Z'Tejas (which I am crazy excited about too) There's something magical about trading cookies and recipes over margaritas :) Always puts me in the holiday mood.

I decided to go with 3 cake ball variations for the trade.

Red velvet, dark chocolate, peppermint schnapps ball

Spice cake, white bark, cinnamon schnapps ball

Dark Chocolate Cake, ghiradelli, caramel and salt ball
(and an amaretto version of the dark chocolate cake for the non salty chocolate lovers)

I couldn't pick just one, so each participant tonight will receive a cute little sampler box of cake balls.

The base recipe called for box cake, baked according to directions and canned icing- well everyone knows I don't follow directions so here's my recipe

"Chocolate Salty Balls" (South Park Pun fully intended)

Ingredients

2 cups boiling water

1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup butter, softened

2 1/4 cups white sugar

4 eggs

1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Ingredients for frosting:

1 stick butter
2 squares (1 oz. each) unsweetened chocolate
1 1/2 c. light brown sugar (packed)
1/2 c. milk
1 1/2 c. sifted confectioners' sugar

Caramel - I used a jar of milk caramel I picked up at Junior League Ole Marketplace

Ghiradelli 60% chocolate chips (melted until smooth - for coating)

Maldon Sea Salt - a pinch for the top of each ball

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Grease 13x-9 inch round cake pan.

In medium bowl, pour boiling water over cocoa, and whisk until smooth. Let mixture cool. Sift together flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; set aside.

In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs one at time, then stir in vanilla. Add the flour mixture alternately with the cocoa mixture. Pour batter into pan.

Bake in preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

Remove from oven, while still warm crumble into large bowl and mix with chocolate icing and caramel.(see recipe for frosting below)

Form mixture with hands into 1" balls. Using spoons, cover balls with ghiradelli chocolate (melted)  and place on parchment paper. Sprinkle the top of each ball with Maldon Sea Salt.

Cool in fridge for at least 1 hour

Can be packaged in air tight container and stored at room temperature.

Frosting:

Melt together butter and chocolate. Blend into this the brown sugar and milk. Cook and stir to boil, simmer 4 minutes stirring occasionally. Remove from heat; beat in sugar. Cool, beating occasionally until thick.

The red velvet cake balls are red velvet cake (family recipe), cream cheese frosting (Wilton cake yearbook recipe), covered in the same Ghiradelli 60% dark chocolate and the I used peppermint sprinkles I found pre crushed at the local grocery store - These are simply amazing and yummy too! I added a bit of peppermint schnapps to the mix as well.

The spice cake balls were spice cake (family recipe), vanilla butter cream (family recipe), with Hot Damn cinnamon schnapps added. I coated them in white bark and placed a red hot on the top of each one. The spice cake for some reason was a little more difficult to work with than the chocolate and red velvet, so I didn't make as many of these. I might reattempt another batch and modify the cake recipe to go for a denser cake to hold up to the ball shape.

And last but not least, all the balls got a little mini cupcake wrapper spot in these cute tins I picked up at a local craft store.

Cake balls are super easy and fun. Whether you make your cake from scratch (recommended) or go for easy and use a mix, the end result is a little bite of heaven. Made even more heavenly when you start spiking them and decorating them with assorted toppings.

The possibilities are endless! And the jokes have been rolling all week. Thanks for all the funny commentary - it helped me get through 12 hours of baking and balling :)

*and yes, I know that cake balls are technically a petit four, but they are so freaking delicious and pretty I couldn't resist sharing them with the group this year

Happy holidays everyone!

Julie/Julia Iron Chef Stone Oak

Last night, I had the extreme pleasure of attending the first Alamo DraftHouse Iron Chef event outside of Austin. If you know me, then you know that one of the only things I love as much as food is a good movie, so when the DraftHouse combines my two favorite loves - I am there!

It's never been a question "should I make the drive to Austin". So now that they are bringing these events closer to home, I am overjoyed!  Last night I sat back to enjoy an excellent film with an amazing meal - best date night ever!

A little background on my relationship with the film. I saw it when it originally came out, and yes I have read the book. I adore it on many levels, and not just because I am an obsessive Julia Childs fan (complete with first edition copies of her books) I am not a writer by any means... I blog, but not often, or in any matching pattern or style. But I do love to cook. And I have mastered many things in the kitchen including the boning of a duck, lobster, and most recently, a zombie brain aspic.

My husband had not seen the movie and I think the highlight of the night for me was hearing him whisper in my ear "OMG, that's you!" (referring to Julie on the floor of her kitchen having a fit over food gone wrong) Come on foodies, you know we've all been there :)

I do have to make a small note that I have extreme guilt over failing to adhere to the cardinal rule of the Alamo DraftHouse. I did use my phone during the film to obtain these photos. I couldn't resist, and I did make sure the screen was turned off, the flash and sound were off and I was taking under the table pics as to not disturb the guests around me. But I am feeling crazy guilty none the less because that Tim League rule of "NO TALKING, (and texting and tweeting totally count), put your phone away during a movie" is one of the reaons I love the DraftHouse so much and have sworn off all other theaters (minus IMAX, but if the DraftHouse obtained an IMAX screen they would have my total undying devotion)

The meal was a blind taste test for 3 panel judges. Red Team vs. Black team. I will admit, thanks to the power of facebook I already knew going in who was behind the red team as I had seen the prep on the Pate de Canard en Croute - but I kept an open mind. Below you will find my own scoring card which did not exactly match up with the judges decision, but I'm okay with that. I had a fantastic evening and am still full of butter this morning :) This is a good thing!

The Black team - Peter Smith & Brett Rea of the JW Mariott & the Red team - John Bullington & Andrew Leal of the Alamo DraftHouse

Tim League played the role of the Chairman, complete with a bite into a fresh yellow bell pepper to open the evening's event.

So on to the best part - the food porn!

   

Round One - Lobster Thermador paired with Joseph Faively, Burgundy, FR

The Black team prepared Lobster Thermador two ways, under pastry and on a stick. The "on a stick" was a lobster sausage corn dog, and not my favorite, but under that beautiful golden brown crust of pastry was nothing short of yum. The bisque was creamy and delicious and the butter claw meat was tender and melted in my mouth. This would have been my winning choice for round one if it had not been for the competition. 

The Red Team prepared Spicy Lobster Thermador Canneloni with petite braised cucumber soup. Besides being completely on point with two highlights of the movie (braised cucumbers and canelloni) this dish was possibly my favorite of the evening. The lobster canelloni was packed full of delicious meat and the spicy fennel flavor made my night. I licked this plate clean with no regard for manners or politeness. It was a foodgasm like few I had had before. Kudos to the chef for making me want to have sex with this dish.

Round Two - Boeuf Bourguignon, paired with Verdillac, Bourdeaux, FR

 The Black team went with a deconstructed Beef Bourguignon of slow cooked and pressed boneless shortrib and a burgundy "caviar" using a spherification (which alone gets molecular bonus points), and a carrot chip, but I was a little put off by the topping truffled ravioli that seemed to overpower the rest of the flavors. 

I would have liked to have seen more rich flavors of the beef come through and possibly a less fatty meat selection. I did not finish this dish, but I did make a solid attempt.

 The Red team went with a more classic approach. They went with a straight from the book Julia's Yesterday Boeuf Bourguignon Avec Pomme that could do no wrong. Sometimes you just can't mess with a classic, and they took a simple straight on approach to one of my favorite Julia dishes and knocked it out of the park. The meat was tender and savory and balanced perfectly to it's Pomme (potato) shell. Again I wanted to lick this plate clean.

 Round Three - The Duck - paired with Pierre Amadieu Cotes Du Rhone, FR

(this was my favorite wine of the evening - heading out today to obtain a case!)

 

The Black Team went with A Roasted Mallard, with a Texas Peach tea laquer, Torchon of Confit and a parsnip apple "mousse" 

This is where my opinion of the Black team started to turn around. The peach laquer (while a bit overpowering, was enjoyable in small quantity) I loved thee parsnip mousse and while I wanted to finish the plate, it was a bit too rich and overpowering for me.

The presentation was beautiful and  I really appreciated the effort that went into the duck

 

The Red team prepared Pate De Canard En Croute - Boneless Duck Breasst Stuffed with Pate un Porc et veu and baked in pastry with grilled truffled frisee. The effort that must have gone into preparing 100 of these little wrapped packages is mind boggling to me. I loved the pistachio filling and again, I attempted and wanted so much to finish this plate but was struggling with the full belly by the third round. I am so going to attempt this dish the next time I'm feeling my Julia vibe :)

Round Four - Dessert - paired with Fleuraison Rose, FR

The Black Team knocked one out of the park with hteir Rein de Saba - Glazed Chcolate Torte with raspberry salad,  and Minus "321F" Creme Fraiche. I am a huge fan of liquid nitrogen and until this evening thought Chef Jason Dady and Chef PJ were the only San Antonio holders of a liquid nitrogen tank. This dessert was a bit on the large portion side, but I still finished every bite. the bitterness of the raspberry and microgreens played well with the sweetness of the chocolate and cream. I would order this from any restaurant in a hearbeat - please tell me it's going on the JW menu somewhere!

The Red team went with a light and oh so fitting Ile Flottane (Floating Island) with a chilled caramel Almond souffle with seasonal pomegranate creme anglaise. Again Another plate I licked clean. This dish was a perfect bite of sweet and the pomegranate seeds were crunchy and fit well in the creamy base.

If I were sitting on the judges panel, I would have given the first 2 rounds to the Red team, the third round as a toss up and the fourth round to the Black team which would have resuled in a Red team win. But alas, I was not a celebrity, nor a judge, and In the end the judges selected the Black team from the JW Mariott. I think in fact we all won last night. What a fabulous way to spend an evening and I left full and blissfully happy ( I swear not just because I had not only my wine pairings but those of my husband) - I love being married to my Straight Edge BFF aka Designated Driver :)

A huge thanks to both teams for a wonderful meal and to the Alamo DraftHouse for bringing my two loves a little closer to home. I can't wait for the next foodie event! 

*fingers crossed for an Iron Chef SA AlamoDraftHouse competition between John Bullington and Jason Dady. Seriously - this has to happen.. I am going to start a petition :)

Can you imagine the greatness?

Hatch Fantastic

Every year since we moved to the great state of Texas, we make the annual trip to Central Market (aka Gucci Grocery) for the Hatch Festival.

These green peppers are the most amazing thing. Hot or mild they have such an amazing flavor that can be used in dishes savory or sweet. Each year I buy a full case, set some aside to roast, freeze others to supply my kitchen for the rest of the year - and also use a huge pile and throw a Hatch Party.

On Facebook this year, Central Market offered up a contest.

Hatch Challenge: What would you cook? Tell us! Your ingredients: Hatch Chiles, Bananas, Fingerling Potatoes, Goat Cheese, All-Purpose Flour — plus pantry staples and one “jackpot spice” of your choice. 

 

The contest sounded like fun - my kind of challenge. So I got to work in my kitchen and came up with Hatch Banana Potato Bread, Frosted with Goat Cheese Buttercream

Here is my award winning submission recipe - and a new favorite all time recipe for my kitchen.

Hatch Fantastic Banana Bread with Goat cheese butter cream Frosting

 5 ripe bananas, smashed
1 bag of fingerling potatoes, boiled and then smashed
1 stick softened butter
1 cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
2 teaspoons vanilla
2 teaspoons baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
2 cups of King Arthur all-purpose flour

4 Hatch peppers, diced (reserve 1/4 cup of peppers for topping)

Frosting
1 pound powdered sugar
1/4 cup salted butter - softened
4 ounces goat cheese
2 Tablespoons milk

Preheat the oven to 350°F. In a large bowl, mix butter into the smashed bananas and potatoes. Mix in the sugar, egg, and vanilla. Add the baking soda and salt over the mixture and mix in. Add the flour, and stir until combined. Fold in the diced hatch peppers last. Pour mixture into two buttered loaf pans.

Bake for 1 hour. Remove from pan and cool.

For frosting, mix the powdered sugar, butter and cheese in mixer. Slowly add milk until frosting is well blended and smooth and spreadable. Frost bread after it has cooled and sprinkle remaining Hatch peppers on top.

Serve sliced to your friends and family and watch the smiles!

Many thanks to Central Market for the inspiration for this truly fantastic treat!

Beer Love

Last night I ventured out to a Tweetup for #beericecream at FreeTail Brewing. I figured it would kill 3 birds with one stone. 

1) I had not yet been to FreeTail

2) I have been meaning to get out and mingle with San Antonio people

3) um, beer ice cream? yes!

The beer ice cream was yummy, and so was the Broken Promise Pale Ale. My only disappointment for the night was that they did not have an IPA on tap. They have one that's brewing, but it wasn't quite ready - I will have to make a trip back for Phantom of the Hopera :) 

It was also fun to meet up with fun locals and put faces to twitter handles. While twitter, blogging, and social media are all just geeky hobbies of mine, I am amazed with the proliferation of Social Media based jobs in the local area. San Antonio has become very technology forward. It's nice to see these amazing tools used by talented folks who are not part of the nerd-core. No offense to my nerdy blog and twitter followers - I am still one of you and you will always hold a place near and dear in my heart. Fem Dev Forever!

In other beer-related news, my plate if officially on the wall at The Flying Saucer. The grand unveiling will take place on Sunday with a fantastic beer party. I am so looking forward to celebrating this accomplishment.

Yes that is Luna (Sailor Moon) peeking out :) If they read the paperwork right, my plate will have my twitter handle on it and will be the first "@" on the wall!

It took me ten months to drink my way through 200 different beers. As a previous non-beer drinker, it was no easy accomplishment. But through the process I have learned to appreciate the variety and options that beer has to offer.

I'm a huge fan of beer pairings and have a few menus planned for future beer-events.

I am now 12 beers into a second plate. While I am no longer facebooking the images of the beers, spamming my friends with every tasting note, or keeping myself tied to a date - I plan to continue the enjoyment of beer and what it brings to my palate. 

In honor of my upcoming plate unveiling, Here's my list of the Top 10 Beers that make up that plate. (If you'd like to see all 200 - check out the "Beer Knurd" photo Album on Facebook)

10)Real Ale Devil's Backbone

The picture is a little fuzzy - as beer 17/200 I had not quite mastered my lighting or dual phone wielding flash technique. The picture does not do this beer justice. A beautiful strong pale ale - great for spring and summer. And it's local! The guys at Real Ale are crazy fun to visit.

Named for the scenic ridge that runs between Blanco and Wimberley, Devil's Backbone is a Belgian-style tripel. 

Czech Saaz hops and Belgian yeast give this ale its distinctive flavor and aroma. Candy sugar made in-house at the brewery adds strength without increasing heaviness. The result is a deceptively strong, pale golden ale. 8.1% ABV

 

9) Delirium Tremens

The bottle alone won me over on this one. Who can resist cute foil elephants? And as good as it tastes, it's a must try! I'm a huge fan of Belgians, and this one is a great example of spicy greatness.

The beer uses three different yeasts and is packaged in a bottle that is painted to resemble cologne ceramics. The label exemplifies different phases of the production of "Delirium Tremens" and that the "Pink Elephant" was up and ready to conquer the world. The drink is well known for its high alcohol content, a whopping 8.5% ABV

8) Brooklyn Local 1

When making the way through the menu at the saucer, you will see that they have a nice selection of "big" beers. at 25.5 ounces, be prepared to share or have a designated driver.

Local 1 pours a strong gold with a large, lingering, whipped cream-like head, and some noticeable carbonation that goes away after time. Pleasant earthy fruitiness followed by spicy, herbal hops and a slight alcohol warmth. Although listed as a Belgian strong or a "strong saison," it's not overly complex. The taste gives way to more complexity, with distinct fruits (pears, apples, green grapes?), more spices (cloves for sure, pepper, etc.), and a much needed and well done bitterness. 9.0% ABV

7) Real Ale Coffee Porter

A rich, robust porter with a dry finish. Brewed with organic fair trade coffee from Katz Coffee Roasters.

I got ahold of this one the day they tapped the first keg and I was instantly won over. The smooth flavor and robust coffee taste is perfection. I smile looking at this photo knowing that I went out that same night to buy up every 6pack in town I could get my hands on. 

The only downside to this beer, or any seasonal beer, is that once you've consumed your stash, you will have to wait for the season to return. This beer is worth rationing :)

5.6%ABV

6) Live Oak Primus Weizenbock

Pours a hazy brown color with slightly purple highlights and a one-finger light tan head. The head recedes into a thin layer on top leaving decent lacing.

Smells of spicy wheat with good amounts of brown-sugar coated fruits - mostly raisins, plums, and dates but also with good amounts of banana. Tastes similar to how it smells with a crisp ending.

8.0% ABV

5) Avery Duguna IPA

This beer was the beginning of my love for IPAs and all things hoppy

Definite bite up front with very tart dry fruit. Creamy smooth texture with just the right balance of carbonation. Nice hop burn at the end and a nice presence of alcohol to remind you of the abv.
This beer was also the beginning of my love affair with Avery beers.

8.5%ABV

4) Avery Dugnua IPA (Cask)

No, it's not a repeat - it's the same beer with a different twist - it's Cask Conditioned Ale

Typically keg and bottled beers are either sterile-filtered or pasteurised or both, but beer destined for cask is simply 'racked' (poured) into the cask in its natural state. Finings are placed in the cask to assist 'dropping' the yeast giving a clear beer. Extra hops and priming sugar may also be added. The cask is sealed and sent off to the pub. In this state it is like a bottle-conditioned beer and, like bottle-conditioned beers, the beer will continue to develop for a certain period of time. 

The result is it makes an already spectacular beer even more amazing! 8.5% ABV

3) Lagunitas WTF

It's  refreshing to mix it up with a nice Brown Ale once in a while. Especially when it’s a big-ass, malty-sweet version from Lagunitas. 

Wilco Tango Foxtrot does not disappoint as a malty, robust "jobless recovery ale". Not too sweet and not too thick.

I have spent a great deal of time with Lagunitas at home - their line of craft brews is always amazing and yum. I just wish the Saucer had carried more of their great works so I could have had them as part of my 200.

7.83% ABV

2) Great Divide Fresh Hop

This beer is a hop lovers dream come true. Nice hop aroma with grassy notes, a little bit of pine.  Nothing is too overpowering. The hops are very well balanced with a nice pine and grass flavor coming through. There is also a very subtle sweetness on the finish.

Extremely drinkable.

There is something about the pure grassy taste of hops that is just pure heaven - this beer captures that essence perfectly.

6.1% ABV

1) Abita Turbo Dog

So I know.. you're thinking what is so special about Abita Turbo Dog? Well let me explain. I knew my number one beer had to be an Abita. Why? Well for that answer I would need a whole other blog post about New Orleans trips with Xtine and beer pairing dinners with Chef Jason Dady.

Abita Turbodog is a dark brown ale brewed with Willamette hops and a combination of British pale, crystal and chocolate malts. This combination gives Turbodog its rich body and color and a sweet chocolate-toffee like flavor.

Turbo Dog has been a staple at my house for years. It's always available and pairs well with meats. I love meat, and I love this beer.

 6.13% ABV

The only Abita beer I love more would be the Strawberry Harvest Lager, but the Saucer didn't carry that. I did however purchase 3 cases to last for the summer as it's the perfect "poolside" beer for the Texas heat.

My entire family loves Abita (thanks to their root beer). If you need an easy beer pairing - Abita is the way to go. They only make great beer. Restoration Pale Ale, Amber, AndyGator, Abbey Ale, sigh.. All good!

DUK #13

So if you thought I was giddy over MY FIRST DUK, prepare yourself. When I found out I would get the chance to host a second I nearly passed out at work :)

So what was different this time around? A lot! For starters, I wasn't a nervous wreck for the days preceding - and with the arrival of my iPhone4 that morning I was actually quite distracted! I took the day of off to enjoy my time and relax :)

When Jason and Josh arrived I still had tablecloth to press, but everything went off without a hitch :)


We started with Hors de oeuvres

The Fillet Mignon Meatballs were to die for (I might repeat that comment throughout - everything was simply to die for) The golden raisin coulis was the perfect accompaniment!







And then there was the wine.. Oh the wine
I kept the same rules as last DUK for my guests, all bottles had to be rated 91 or above.

I took on the Champagne. Much thanks to Ernie at Central Market for this recommendation. It was an unusual Champagne - and while this whole genre of beverages is not my favorite, I will say I enjoyed a few glasses of bubbly :)

Then came the lamb. Jason had butchered these earlier in the morning - Is there anything Jason Dady can't do?

herbs, olive oil and blood orange zest FTW!

 

 

Here they are on the platter about to be devoured.. I nearly missed this shot as they were an instant hit with our group!

Oh the wonderful carnage!

 On my birthday I had dinner at The Lodge. The King Crab tasting menu was bliss! So when the Crab Cakes with Ras al Hanout appeared I was smiling ear to ear :)

Then came one of my favorite parts of DUK. The "What's In Your Fridge" course! I had made a trip to Central Market earlier in the day to pick up regular groceries and the Champagne and my favorite foodie Mimi was there. I had her pick me out  a few fun items to "plant" in the house for this course. I had wasabi sesame seeds, Blue Monday, Peter Hook cheese, strawberry honey spread, a amazing Tri-Tip, etc.. Funny enough my Greenling box also arrived around the same time Jason did. And behold the what's in my fridge course: Lycheee, salted tomato caviar, and foaming fizzy, color changing poprocks! The tomatoes and honey used in this dish were 100% local and organic (Thanks Greenling !)

Up next we started the courses. The previous night I attended the Literary Feast dinner at Bin555 . The figs on the dessert course were amazing - I'm glad I told Jason because sure enough they made an appearance the next night in my own house! Watching Jason prep this deconstructed salad was fun! He really does make it look super easy.

 Black Mission Figs, Pickled Texas Peaches, Medjool Dates, Goat Cheese, and Watercress

The PERFECT summer salad! 






The second course won me over before it hit the table!

This dish paired amazingly well with the Angeline Pinot Noir and had more spice and complexity than any of my Thai favorite places in town. I will never be able to enjoy my spicy Thom Ka the same way again!

 


 The shrimp and avocado base was beautiful enough, but then the rich coconut milk, red curry,  and sweet peppers made it simply perfection!







Thai Red Curry and Shrimp "bisque" with Avocado and Sweet Peppers


I would love to see this dish added to the menu of one of Jason's restaurants. I'd have a new lunch spot! 

The third course was a personal favorite of mine because it involves the newest appliance addition in my home. My SousVide Supreme!

I  have been enjoying the wonders of Sous Vide cooking for a few weeks now, but when Jason emailed me asking if he could use it I was overjoyed. I couldn't wait to see what a pro could do with it. Seeing as how I have been making some pretty spectacular dishes myself as an amateur, I had no doubt great things were in store!

This is me peeking at the Sous Vide goodness!

 Free Tip! place a kitchen towel on the bags to keep them fully immersed! Thanks Jason!









This is the butter and basil poached Halibut after being removed from the sous vide water bath

 Jason prepping the halibut for plating








 And the finished creation:

Sous Vide of Halibut with Fleur de Sel, Local Summer Squash, and Basil Butter "broth"

Can you say Summer Yum?!!! 


The sous vide yukon gold potatoes were also amazingly delish!


I love Sous Vide!!! Everyone should have one!

So if you have been to a Dady restaurant, you should be familiar with Nutella. I know that is one of the main reasons he won me over years ago! 

The final course:

Strawberry Shortcake with Nutella

and yes, I licked the bowl!

And let's not forget the awesome wine! My guests did not disappoint!

Kendall Jackson Reserve Chard
Angeline Pinot Noir
Thelema Cabernet Sauvignon
And the Jackson Canadian Ice wine

I also want to take a moment to highlight our other favorite part of DUK. While Jason is a known superstar, Josh his right hand is equally amazing! We host a lot of dinner parties at the house, and he puts my host skills to shame! With a smile on his face he is there every step of the process making sure everything is just perfect!

And he also doubles as our favorite server at  The Lodge.. Go see him and ask for the tour! He is an expert!



 
I really do think Josh has the best job in the world! We are all envious!

This shot was taken after a taste test of the amazing lamb baby back ribs! Our favorite Pic of the night!

I have so many wonderful friends, and I wish I could have shared this experience with them all the first time around, so it was amazingly cool to be able to open up the invitation to some new faces.

I still have friends who have yet to experience the wonder of DUK so I plan on attempting to win another date in the future! DUK has become my favorite thing to do with friends and food.

Thanks again to Chef Jason Dady for another night filled with foodie bliss, great wine, good friends, and memories we will never forget!