Mushroom Cigars - appetizer
It wasn't planned this way, but the timing sure worked out great for my husband and me. For four fabulous days prior to our strict diets starting this past week we had a couple of the best meals we've ever had in our lives! One you can duplicate if you're ever in the same area we were. The other? Nope, don't think so unless we're related by no more than two degrees of separation.
While visiting dear friends in Amador County they treated us to an amazing dinner at Taste. After a day of quiet yummy wine tasting (with no tasting fees!) and exploring a few of the many small towns in the area it was quite a surprise to find the #1 Zagat rated restaurant in the Sacramento area is located in Plymouth!
Duck Breast with pepita mole, tomatillo polenta, pumpkin cilantro salad
Beer and Pretzels dessert
You know how sometimes restaurants that have great entrees often have desserts that are just okay? OMG! If we lived near this place we'd consider just going for the desserts! From the sounds we were all making we figured other tables would think we were reenacting a scene from Harry Met Sally.
Chocolate Gold
Above is the best fudgsicle you will ever have in your life with raspberry powder (!) and these chocolate crunchy things with gold on them are.. and oh, this is just too difficult to continue since I'm on a no carb low fat diet now!
And if that wasn't enough of a best dinner out before starting a diet, my brother and his wife cooked for us and friends a home-cooked meal that just really should have a different name. My brother loves to cook and try out new recipes like I do. You would never know it was his first time cooking Alton Brown's brined and barbecued salmon. He also cooked a Prime Rib that was perfectly done, but the salmon was so good that my beef loving husband went back for seconds on the salmon.
My sister-in-law is an excellent baker and made the Warm Apple Cobbler with a surprise savory ingredient of miso from the January 2011 edition of Bon Appetit for dessert. I can tell you that it's not only good for dessert, but it's excellent for breakfast, too.
I gained nearly 5 pounds in four days I think, but with all the great food, love, and laughter with friends and family, it was well worth it. We were ready to diet and I bet those memories will get us through our 3 month commitment.