[Leftover] Pork Shoulder Pasta

Last week I slow cooked a large pork shoulder, we got from the farmer's market.  It was tasty, and fatty, and RED, and the way pork is supposed to be.  Yay, Slow Food!  Anyway, it was a large shoulder, 2-3 lbs, and there were leftovers.  When I got back in town, the next day my mother-in-law came to town.  I made dinner.

Quasi-Catering

In March,  I helped my Mom throw a bridal cocktail party for a young lady I have been friends with for 25 years.  (Apparently, I was also the group tutor for her new husband's chemistry class at NC State).  I helped her plan the menu, order the plates and glasses and other hardware, cook and execute the menu and cocktails, and serve the food.  Everybody really liked it, and really enjoyed themselves.  Another friend of my Mom's got married recently, and she decided to throw her a reception cocktail party, and asked if I'd help again.  We planned an eight dish heavy hors d'oeuvres menu, with beer and wine.  I think it went well.  Below are the recipes and pictures of our food.


Menu:

• Caprese Skewers
• Asian Sesame Krab Salad
• w/ Tempura Crunchies
• Spinach Artichoke Wonton cups
• Smoked Pork BBQ Sliders
• w/ Bourbon Whiskey Sauce
• w/ Eastern NC Vinegar Mustard Sauce
• Flank Steak Skewers
• w/ Horseradish Sauce
• Key Lime Tarts
• Mini Chocolate Peanut Butter Cakes
• w/ Peanut Butter Frosting & Chocolate-Peanut Butter Glaze

Asheville Wine & Food Festival 2010
presented by WNC Magazine

 So I went to the Asheville Wine & Food Festival 2010 this weekend, and was able to convince my wife, Mom, and Dad to go with me/ drive. There were a ton of vendors there, and I spent the afternoon taking photos (below), and sampling wines (some really good reds) and food, many of them from local and slowfood providers. My favorites were a local farm cheese, sunburst trout, and a duck confit gumbo over truffle grits. Also the Western NC Chef's Challenge Finale cook-off!

Duck Confit Gumbo

Cake Weekend: Round Two

So...belated update. After my first weekend post, I had another weekend of mini-cake experimentation. I had two friends from law school in Chicago stop over, and I made three cakes to celebrate. I made a "Hazelnut Crunch Cake with Mascarpone and Chocolate", a key lime vanilla cake, and a remix o the Aztec chocolate cake from last time: