Com-B-Q Baby!

We hadn’t done a Com-B-Q in awhile and we were so due for one. A Com-B-Q where we get together with three other couples and each couple is responsible for doing a course and pairing it with wine.

"Mixed green salad with apple and sharp cheddar"

Here was the menu for the night –

Alex and Zdenka – Mixed green salad with apple and sharp cheddar in a light oil dressing paired with a 2009 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc

Mark and Kathy – Smoked salmon with bagel crisps, cream cheese and other assorted goodies paired with a 2006 Kendall Jackson Vintner’s Reserve Chardonnay

Mick and Amy – Diablo sliders with Zippy Sauce paired with a 2008 Yalumba "Patchwork" Shiraz

Steve and Melanie – Roast beef confit paired with a 2008 La Crema Pinot Noir

Dessert – A mango mousse paired with 2006 Henry of Pelham Late Harvest Vidal

"One of the best years ever!"

Alex’s starter salad was a great way to kick off the evening. The 2009 Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blanc he paired with caught me by surprise; we had this wine earlier in the year - http://zippysauce.blogspot.com/2010/03/saturday-night-radishes-grapefruit-and.html and quite frankly we were a little disappointed by it but this one was exceptionally good. Not sure if the bottle we first had was a little off or maybe the extra couple of months in the bottle changed the wine but Alex’s bottles were amazing, probably one of the better Kim Crawford Sauvignon Blancs I ever had.

"Smoked Salmon and assorted goodies"

The smoked salmon with KJ Chardonnay is one of my favourite wine and food pairings on the planet and it didn’t disappoint.

"Year after year, consistently good"

Mick’s Diablo sliders were hot and spicy and matched well with the Yalumba Shiraz.

"Tasty Diablo Sliders with Zippy Sauce!"

Steve’s pairing choice of the La Crema Pinot Noir with the roast beef confit was very good. I hadn’t tried any wines from La Crema before this evening and I have to say that their Pinot Noir was very good; fruit forward with a nice balanced structure.

"My Favourite Australian Wine Maker"

We finished the evening with a Mango mousse and Henry of Pelham Late Harvest Vidal.

"Roast Beef Confit"

"Chef Steve, hard at work"

"The mob in the background looking for food"

"Something new but good"

"Mango Mousse"

"2006 - the year of the Pelham"

"Zdenka's bottle"

You may have noticed that there was masking tape over the Henry of Pelham label in the pictures, that was me poking a little fun at Zdenka. At an earlier Com-B-Q, a friend at work gave me three different home dessert wines and I served them up at this Com-B-Q. They were in plain bottles with masking tape labels. Zdenka hit them a little hard to say the least and later in the evening Zdenka suddenly stood up and looking a little green, said "Alex! Time to go now!". It was funny as in all the years I’ve known Zdenka, she is not a heavy drinker so this night was most certainly the exception to the rule.

Looking back on this Com-B-Q, I was extremely impressed at how good all the food was, blown away at how perfect all five wine pairings were and most of all feel extremely blessed to know such great people and at how enjoyable their company always is.

Cheers!

Mark