Ski Dinner 2011...Go Mariners!

Irene and Jill dish and dress the Cioppino

The lack of snow on the ground this year is proving that winter weather in what is essentially a northern rain forest, is not to be counted upon. When it is here, the snow provides endless entertainment for virtually every kind of person. You can ski  (downhill too!) or snowmachine on the vast and varied trails. You can go sledding or snowshoeing, build snow forts (Ryans are amazing) or just enjoy the moonlight sparkle across the yard on a full moon solstice night. When the snow is not here, what you have is a whole town full of crabby people. Winter is almost 9 months long and for many of us, it's a whole lot more fun if it's really winter. They have more of the fluffy white stuff in NYC. Makes me jealous, nothing quiets people down more than a snow storm and following the snowbound Ruth Reichl's tweets tempered with the mischievous echoes of Ruth Bourdain has me wishing I could take the forced break in my life that only a good snowstorm can bring. My friend, author Daniel Coyle addresses the necessity of solitude to our creative success on his Talent Code blog. He definitely makes a good case for getting away from it all on regular basis. I wonder how to do that.
There was no solitude this past weekend for sure as I got my chef on and, along with some friends (Thanks, Barb, Irene, Jill and Maya...you all were awesome, as usual!) made some fine food for the annual Homer High School Nordic Ski Team Dinner. The theme this year was 'Nuts for skiing' , but if this weather keeps up, they'll have to start calling it 'nuts for not skiing'! Here was the menu:
Starters-
anti pasti...spiced nuts...melon and proscuitto
Appetizer trio-
Rockfish Crudo...alaskan charcuterie...fresh oyster with pommegranate and champagne
Pasta & Salad-
Cappelini carbonara with smoked salmon roe and home cured pancetta
arugula and tangerine salad with red onion vinagrette
Main Courses-
Cioppino with crab, rockfish and shrimp
or
Flank steak and crab roulade with oven roasted polenta and red wine reduction
Dessert trio-
Tiramisu...raspberry napolean...chocolate bombe

Moose summer sausage, Reindeer salami and house made lavender cured delta pork belly

Rockfish crudo on deck

Cioppino awaits the servers

Service went great with lots of help from all the parents and students on the team.  Thanks also to Pauli and Harmon Hall for their amazing space. It is one great place for a party.

Word is they raised $10,000...Great Job everyone!