DINNER 322: Sunday, November 19, 2006

Today, Wendy and I attended the birthday party of the 5-year-old daughter of friends of ours. Her party this year was at PUMP IT UP, and indoor facility with lots of inflatable stuff on which adults (and the kids) can play. It was a blast!

After that, we had to go to Wendy’s hospital to work with a client for a bit before heading to Jungle Jim’s to get some groceries. In the parking lot, we saw The Ambigram Car, an in-progress art car — you never know what to expect at the Jungle!

Once inside the Jungle, we happily bumped into my buddy Chef Jackson Rouse of Murphin Ridge Inn, and Meg. It’s been a while since I’ve seen Jackson, and even longer since I’ve cooked with him, so it was really nice to reconnect with them. I hope to spend some time in his kitchens in January 2007.

After shopping, we came home and I prepared dinner while Wendy worked on Marzipan fruit for a cake she’s preparing for the Thanksgiving celebration we’ll attend. For dinner, I made pommes anna, a classic French dish with thinly-sliced potatoes, salt, pepper, and clarified butter. I also made snow peas with shallots and balsamic glaze, and two duck breasts. It was very tasty, and it was nice to have a quiet dinner at home.