I dislike writing catch-up entries, but elflet and I have spent the past week turning out some pretty amazing food -- prep, in part, for this coming weekend's ten-person gourmet extravaganza. I feel it's worthy of recording. We've done a roasted chicken with two lemons, a really superb chicken fricassee in red wine, and a duck civet. I made the infamous sausages on smothered onions & tomatoes, which was properly appreciated. And there's a big chunk of fresh pork side (what bacon is made out of), which has been marinating in a spice rub for three days, now braising as I type.

Menu for Sunday's dinner. (Warning: drooling into your keyboard is not good for it.)

Double Duck Demolition Dinner (with Triple Tart Tease)

Pre-appetizer: Duck confit on greens with gorgonzola and walnuts
Appetizer: Duxelle of mushrooms & spinach in puff pastry

Salad: Haricots verts with tiny cubes of foie gras du canard
(that's green beans with duck liver, for those who don't read food French)

Main course: Duck civet (duck marinated overnight in red wine, then oven-braised in the marinade) with onions au gratin on the side

Cheese course: Comte cheese with sour cherry preserves; gorgonzola with fig spread

Dessert course: chocolate tart, lemon tart, and raspberry cheesecake, miniatures, each about half-dollar sized.

Yes, that's actually three sorts of duck (plus the "ducks"elle), but I like the alliteration. Plus, it's only going to take two ducks to make the main course for ten, so the "double" is even vaguely justified.