Mark and Catherine came for dinner tonight. I made fish since Catherine’s a pescatarian. I made the entire dinner ahead of time, with the exception of broiling the fish and dressing the salad.
– The trout rillettes were very good. I’m not a big fan of trout, but these came together fairly quickly – very little prep outside of making sure all of the little bones in the “boneless” fillets were picked out.
– I broiled the halibut again, like Amy and I did in Austin. The herb cream sauce turned out much thicker this time – I had to thin it with milk.
– I made the gratin in the morning, and just reheated it before dinner. It turned out nicely.
– I’m always looking for new pumpkin desserts. I absolutely hate pumpkin pie, so I try to find ways to like pumpkin. This cheesecake was a big hit – I think I’ll make it for Thanksgiving. I didn’t like it, but I’m just picky (pumpkin is gross). I loved the crust (made from gingersnaps). I think it would be a great crust for a plain cheesecake, instead of graham.

• Smoked Trout Rillettes (Fine Cooking #42, January 2001, p. 44)
• Grilled Halibut with Tomatoes and Herb Cream Sauce (Bon Appétit, April 1998)
• Sweet Potato and Leek Gratin (Fine Cooking #47, November 2001, p. 58)
• Baby Spinach Salad with Pears, Blue Cheese and Walnuts, dressed in Olive Oil and Balsamic Vinegar
• Spiced Pumpkin Cheesecake with a Gingersnap Crust (Fine Cooking #60, November 2003, p. 77)

Wine:
– David Bruce 2001 Central Coast Pinot Noir (Central Coast, California). This is the lower-end David Bruce Pinot, but after a few months in the cellar, it’s a really nice wine.
– Barossa Valley Estate 2002 Spires Chardonnay (Barossa Valley, Australia). Another nice Australian Chardonnay. I’m impressed. I’m definitely a convert to Australian Chardonnays. This one was a great value as well.