Kent, Barbara and Steve came for an after-work ZAP leads meeting tonight. We’ve been ZAP volunteers for many years now, and we’re all working the Good Eats and Zin event for the upcoming Zinfandel festival. I did most of the cooking after work the night before, so mostly all I had to do was throw the cornbread together and heat up the chili. Everyone raved about the food (we need to have them all over more often!).
РI made the Cheese Sabl̩s a bit smaller this time, and Larry liked them much better. I have to agree. I used my smallest biscuit cutter. I made the dough the night before, so I just rolled them out and cut them before popping them in the oven Рthey were warm and toasty when everyone arrived.
– I chose vegetarian chili because Kent is a pescatarian (although he’s flexible enough about it to just eat whatever the host serves). Anyway, Larry and I both love this chili so I didn’t mind making it at all.
– I’ve been on the hunt for the perfect cornbread. Amy made this one recently, and although she wasn’t especially enamored with it, she thought I might like it. Boy, was she right. And Larry, he can’t stop talking about how wonderful it was. The only issue I had was that it took much longer than 30 minutes to cook through – more like an hour.
– This torte is my idea of the perfect chocolate cake. Mmm, pure chocolate. And it’s pretty easy to make, and elegant. And my co-workers love it when I bring the leftovers in the next day.

• Manchego Cheese with Quince Paste
• Red Grapes
• Smoked Trout Rillettes (Fine Cooking #42, January 2001, p. 44)
• Mrs. Lenkh’s Cheese Sablés (Fine Cooking #74, November 2005, p. 10)
• Spicy Two-Bean Vegetarian Chili (Bon Appétit, November 2002)
• Corn Bread (The Bread Baker’s Apprentice, p. 151)
• Chocolate Oblivion Truffle Torte (The Cake Bible, Rose Levy Beranbaum, p. 84)

Wine: There was a lot of wine flowing, of course, because we’re all Zinfandel lovers.
– Renwood 2002 Fiddletown Zinfandel (Fiddletown, CA). Kent brought this.
– Rafanelli 2000 Zinfandel (Dry Creek Valley, CA). This came from our cellar – a good, solid performer.
– August Briggs 2000 Zinfandel (Napa Valley, CA). Steve and Barbara brought this bottle.
– Sapphire Hill 2002 Winberrie Zinfandel (Russian River Valley, CA). Also from our cellar, and I think it was the favorite of the evening.
– Navarro 2000 Pinot Noir Juice. I was under doctor’s orders not to drink, so I had this juice. It’s been in our basement for a few years, and I think it’s gotten sweeter since we bought it. It’s good, but was very, very sweet. A good option for people who don’t drink.