fancy-pants

We've started a tradition in my house. Once a week or so, my mom comes over and we cook dinner and watch Downton Abbey. The first week, I wasn't really on the mood to cook anything, so we ordered a pizza. But this time around, I was feeling very festive. Even though it was a Monday, I decided it was time to Party Food Wednesday-it.

I saw this shrimp recipe on pinterest recently, and it reminded me of an amazing dish that my friend Shannon once made. I remember it being super easy and major delicious, which was what I was going for. Actually, this Party Food Wednesday Monday turned out to be a combination of some of my favorite girls' nights in recent history...

I threw together an antipasto salad of fresh mozzarella, basil, cherry tomatoes, salami, oil and balsamic vinegar over a slice of grilled italian bread.

Publix has just started carrying their own gourmet cheeses, which makes me very happy. I put together a quick cheese board with cranberry cheddar, honey goat, pecorino, and strawberries. I toasted sliced baguette and put out some white truffle oil and balsamic vinegar for drizzling.


I sautéed a few scallops in butter, then made a glaze with a splash of the Spanish white wine that I picked up. Remember?

The shrimp with just tossed in a baking dish with a little cubed butter, a sliced lemon, and italian seasoning. I baked it for about 15 minutes at 350.

perfecto

KT's new decanter

The wines we enjoyed were a Spanish white and a Rioja. I'm no wine connoisseur by any means, but I know that I like Spanish wines, and that these claimed to be perfect with small bites, seafood, and cheeses. That's all I need to know.

Actually, for all you Jacksonvillians, The Grotto in San Marco does a really fun wine tasting on Thursday evenings. I'm thinking I might become a regular. Stop by and see us, have some delicious wines and tapas, and check out this painting:

it's called "Art Opening", but we call it "Sisters"

What about you guys... Is there a wine and cheese combination that I must try? Are there any food/wine-related local events that you enjoy? Who is your favorite Downton Abbey resident? Will that rascal Thomas ever get what's coming to him?

m