Surf and Turf

On Saturday evening in DC, D and W didn't seem to mind the additional cooks in their kitchen. Scallops were breaded, beets were roasted, and shallots were diced (without too many tears). The aroma of lemon zest, crisp Wiemer riesling, and sizzling meat filled the cozy apartment. The end result was perfect- an experience that would rival (and most likely triumph over) any dinner at a nice restaurant.

W began the prep work by throwing big, fat red and golden beets into the oven. The roasted beets would ultimately be joined by spiced goat cheese, toasted pine nuts, mixed greens and balsamic vinaigrette. B also covered all 20 scallops with parmesan breadcrumbs. Once the beats were done roasting, I began to pan-sear two 2-pound rib eye steaks, Momofuku style.

After raving about the Momofuku pan-roasted dry-age prime rib recipe to everyone, I figured it was probably just better to show them. However, there were some improvisations. Instead of unsalted butter, I used Smart Balance Spread. Instead of dry-aged bone-in steak, I used regular (big and thick) cuts of boneless rib eye. Both changes didn't affect the deliciousness of the steak, which makes me believe that the recipe is surprisingly forgiving. When my steaks neared completion, D started his scallops and NY strips on the outside grill (in freezing cold temperatures, mind you). Both steak-cooking methods resulted in perfectly pink insides. However, I think D's method required a lot more skill than mine.

E and M joined us for dinner and had brought a delicious dessert: Ghirardelli Peppermint Bark Squares. Over the delicious meal, we all shared lots of laughs, stories, and random factoids. For example, did you know that about 10-14% of the population will pass red-tinted pee once they've eaten a red beet, a phenomenon known as Beeturia? I thought it was silly until I experienced it myself shortly after the meal. Of the six dinner attendees, I was the lucky (and possibly iron deficient) one.

More pictures (of the food and table setting) can be found here.