Tom and James were here for dinner tonight. I wanted to do a pork dish because I knew they loved the Branciforte Pinot Noir. I also wanted to to a make-ahead dessert. I originally thought I would make the sautéed fennel with arugula as a side dish, but then I remembered Amy telling me that the mushrooms with spinach and soppressata was excellent.
– The pork chops were good, nothing special. In this particular article, there is an Asian-style pork chop that really appeals to me, but it wouldn’t go as well with the Pinot Noir I chose.
– The sautéed vegetables were excellent. I picked around all of the mushrooms.
– The potatoes were a huge hit, and they were so easy to make. Definitely going to become a regular dish.

• Manchego Cheese with Quince Paste
• Sautéed Pork Chops with Balsamic Onions (Fine Cooking #64, May 2004, p. 44)
• Potatoes Fondantes (Fine Cooking #64, May 2004, p. 59)
• Mushrooms & Spinach with Soppressata Crisps (Fine Cooking #62, January 2004, p. 49)
• Berry Soufflés (Fine Cooking # 19, February/March 1997, p. 71)

Wine:
– Martinelli 2000 Giuseppe & Luisa Zinfandel (Russian River Valley, California). Yum – a perfect example of why Helen Turley is a legendary winemaker, and a perfect example of a big, jammy, California Zin.
– David Bruce 2001 Branciforte Pinot Noir (Santa Cruz Mountains, California). Excellent. One of the best Pinot Noirs I’ve tasted from David Bruce. Tom and James had mentioned that they loved it, so I was happy to serve it tonight. It’s only available to Pinot Only Please club members.