Another fun and fab dinner, and a friend’s new food business

I love eating with friends who make it so relaxing, fun and full of laughter. Last night, we started out with a scotch tasting. S & G picked up the scotches on their recent U.K. trip. Although I was excited to do my very first scotch tasting in which we compared 5 scotches, the analysis confirmed that I do not appreciate scotch. I tried hard to want to like it, but I guess I’m just not that refined. I would much prefer a glass of spicy red or Billecart-Salmon Brut Rose any day.

We indeed have Champagne with Gigi’s first course – a delicious mushroom soup. We also added in a glass of the Champagne to the mushroom soup at the last minute prior to service and it really made the soup pop. The rest of the meal, minus green tea mochi for dessert, is shown in the featured pic above. Gigi is famous for her lamb, and I love lamb. She marinated her chops in elderflower cordial. Sensational! I need to get a bottle of that. It had this beautiful, faint flower scent to it, and it married well with the one sprig of rosemary that did not overpower the elderflower. And, Gigi broiled it to a perfect rare-med rare.  Simple perfection.

This is Gigi and me in her kitchen:  

I really want to post the hilarious picture of Carnet and Suzanne – Carnet in the massage chair and Suzanne on a couch – blissfully napping after dinner in the glow of the fireplace. But, I’m not sure either of them would appreciate me posting a picture of them napping, although they both look very sweet.

What a delightful meal and a good nap for the two of them!

Changing gears, I just found out that one of my good friends who moved to CO from HI last year started a food business! Her business is Nokaoi foods and she makes healthy and organic desserts.  Check out her delicious desserts at http://nokaoifoods.com/

She just started her business with another fitness guru friend and I’m wishing them much success!  Lora loves to eat tasty food, so I know her healthy versions will be sensational – especially the flourless chocolate tort that has coconut milk in it!