Christmas Dinner

I can't believe how badly I messed up such a special dinner. And it had such potential! I am the queen of accidentally undercooked meat, but the pork was so overcooked that it was nearly inedible. Part of the problem is my cheap-ass thermometer which is probably miscalibrated. But the bulk of the blame is the cook's, who should have checked it at more frequent intervals, once it got close.

The mushroom mixture for the stuffing started out just fabulous. Even Eric, who doesn't eat mushrooms, came to see what smelled so good. I tasted it and it was out of this world delicious. Alas, when I mixed it with the cubed bread, egg and broth, I forgot to add the salt and pepper. It turned out so bland that it was awful. Which is a particular shame, seeing as how I spent a fortune on the mushrooms and they sauteed up so nicely.

Sheri's recipe for a very special cheesecake is excellent. I know that because I licked the beater and bowl for the chocolate-raspberry truffle batter completely clean and it was AWESOME. Unfortunately, I overcooked the cheesecake. The center, which I thought was jiggly, was actually perfect, which made the outer perimeter overdone. To add insult to injury, the crust would not come away from the non-stick pan. Gary said (jokingly), "I'd like mine with some crust", and by that point I was so distraught that I nearly burst into tears.

[edited to say: aha! After the cheesecake has been out of the refrigerator for a little while, the crust releases from the pan just beautifully.]

The only bright spot was the bisque. I absolutely loved it and would highly recommend it.

The wine was a birthday gift to Gary from Steve and Casey Lynum. We both loved it.

• Shrimp Bisque with Pernod (Gourmet, April 2001)
• Pork Loin Roast with Sage & Rosemary
• Leek and Wild Mushroom Stuffing (Bon Appetit, November 2002)
  
• Glazed Carrots
• 2002 Bouchaine Pinot Noir (Carneros)