Seattle Works Benefit Wine Pairing Dinner

Happy New Year! What better way to bring in the new year than with a wine pairing dinner that benefits Seattle Works and all of the people eating and drinking for the cause? I must say that everyone wins at this dinner- even me, who is cooking everything. Cheers!

Seattle Works Benefit Wine Pairing Dinner Menu

Dungeness Crab Cakes with Tarragon Lemon sauce

Asian Pear and Fennel Salad with Sweet Coppa Wrapped Apple with Citrus Vinaigrette

Herb and Fig marinated Quail with Mushroom Risotto

Short rib with Parsnip Puree and Red Wine and Prune sauce

Passion fruit and Coconut Cream Parfaits

I'm looking forward to the delicate quail with the mushroom risotto I think the most. This may sound silly, but quail is really wonderful to me. Tender dark meat, a small bird with so much flavor and elegance when it is presented properly. I'm looking forward to making 15 crab cakes verses the 700 I helped make for a Tom Douglas catering event- you go numb and blind after you make that many crab cakes, because there isn't enough love to put into 700 crab cakes- I don't care if you are a saint, they just become an object in a factory like setting. Catering for small parties is a whole other setting. Each dish is infused with love and excitement as well as pride. Marcus Pape of Winecow.com and Winechatr.com is helping me with the benefit, here are the wines he has chosen for the event:

Darby Roussane/Viognier Blend- crab cake
Saint Laurent Rose -Salad
Willis Hall Grenache -Quail
Des Voigne Cellars Montreux Syrah - Short rib

We are also going to begin with champagne and a small cheese tray, as well finish with coffee. Last time Marcus and I did a wine pairing dinner, it went very smooth but it wasn't in the "home" setting as it will be this time, which I am very much looking forward to.