We hadn’t had steaks in quite a while, so tonight I made one of our very favorite simple meals. The steaks turn out so nicely in a cast iron pan, and we prefer cooking them that way rather than grilling them.

• Pan-Seared Filet Mignon
• Fennel & Red Onion with Arugula (Fine Cooking 62, January 2004, p. 48)
• Stuffed Baked Potatoes (Knudsen Cooking For Compliments, p. 89)

Wine: Ridge 1999 Lytton Estate Syrah (Sonoma County, California). Yum! One of the best Syrahs we’ve got. Meaty enough for steak, but not so much that it’s overpowering. Really nicely balanced. I was afraid we hadn’t cellared it long enough but it was terrific.