Archive for the ‘Events’ Category

It’s very exciting to work with various breweries to put together a Beer Tasting Dinner.  Win Ritter, Beverage Manager, says Rogue has been very helpful and cooperative in trying to put this together.  Rogue has allowed Double Eagle an exclusive advance purchase of very limited issue beers for New Mexico.  This means only a few cases were allocated to New Mexico and Double Eagle got to pick and choose.  You won’t be seeing these in stores and markets, bars or brew pubs.  Ain’t happening!  But, you will get to taste an amazing assortment of Rogue’s production paired with some great food. 

Many people don’t really associate beer with food.  A big mistake.  Just like wine, the differences in beer recipes offer great opportunities to enjoy a wonderful array of foods in a convivial atmosphere.  Beer afficianados can  be just as snobby as wine nabobs!  That curl of the upper lip.   That haughty look down the nose.  That sneering expression.  All work quite well for both beer and wine.

Admittedly we were anxious about holding the event on a national holiday, Veterans Day, but we consulted several veterans and all assured us that drinking excellent beer and eating good food is a perfectly acceptable way of honoring those who have served our country.  Yes, the Navy guys said “Not A Problem”.  The Army guys said “Sure, good idea”  It was the two Marines we checked with who looked at us like we were nuts.  Apparently, they had never considered the possibility that some people were not honoring the holiday with great beer and food.   We did tell them that, although we would check to make sure, we were pretty confident in saying there was not  a law making drinking beer  mandatory on Veterans Day.  It’s entirely voluntary.  The Marines were a little shocked by this and I’m not sure they believed us.  

So, mark your calendar and hold the date for the Rogue Brewery Beer Tasting Dinner  November 11, 2011

Friday, November 11, 2011 6:30 PM

Featuring

Rogue Brewery
www.rogue.com

 First Course – Reception Social -Morimoto Soba Ale
Beer Braised Kielbasa Rounds        Teriyaki Chicken Skewers

 Second Course – Santa’s Private Reserve Red Ale
Wisconsin Winter Beer Cheese Soup

Third Course – Dead Guy Pale Ale
Spicy Pork Stir Fry

Fourth Course – Chipotle Amber Ale and Rogue Stout
together for a Mocha Black & Tan
Aged Beef Tips with a Stout Mole Sauce
Spanish Rice  Beer Soaked Black Beans

 Fifth Course – Mocha Porter
Chocolate Brownie

 $46.00 plus tax and tip
Call Jeannie for reservations – credit card required
575-523-6700
Credit Card will be charged at 3:00 PM on Fri, November 11
Jeannie available Monday-Friday 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM

Can you believe it’s that time of year AGAIN!  Win Ritter, Beverage Manager, always puts together a wonderful
wine selection for Halloween.  And, he did it again this year.   This party is always a fun event with amazing
costumes.  The Characters really come out!  Please make your reservations early.  We always sell out!

Annual Halloween Wine Tasting
Costume Party and Dinner 

Featuring
A California Wine Tour  

Friday, October 28, 2011  6:30 PM   Isabela Room  

First Course-Reception
Mumm’s Napa Rose Sparkling & Conn Creek Herrick Red
Pecan Brie on Apple Slice
Red Wine & Garlic Marinated Spanish Chorizo

 Second Course – Soup
Sebragia Chardonnay – Sonoma
Pumpkin Soup with Crème Fraiche 

 Third Course – Fish
Artesa Pinot Noir – Carneros
Grilled Salmon Hollandaise    Broccoli with Garlic and Lemon  

Fourth Course – Beef 
Black Stallion Cabernet – Napa & Stags Leap “Hands of Time” Blend
Wine Braised Short Ribs
Mashed Potatoes           Baby Carrots  

Fifth Course – Dessert 
Rosenbloom Black Muscat
“The Chocolate Lady’s” Amazing Chocolate Truffles 

Seating is limited.  Advance reservations offered to our past attendees. 
We always sell out. Call today to book your seats/table with Jeannie 523-6700.
 $75.00 plus tax and tip Per Person ($95.85)

 First comments give the Margarita Dinner held here on Friday, April 29, 2011 a Grande Ole’!  Sous Chef Luis Campos and his crack crew turned some top treats into temptresses of taste!  Many thanks also to Mark Burden of Southern Wine and Spirits for all the hard work he put in to make this event the success it was.  Mark hand juiced almost all the limes personally to provide the perfect margarita base allowing the different tequilas tasted to shine through.  The many self-proclaimed tequila afficienados in attendance among the 60 attendees pronounced judgements on each course and tequila.

But, each seemed to pick a different course as ‘the best’ and different tequilas as ‘the best’ and there was much discussion but little persuasion.  Just an example of how personal taste rules us all!  Here’s a reminder of what you missed!

 Reception
Espolon Tequila  Silver & Reposado

 First Course
Ensenada Shrimp Cocktail with House Seasoned Tostadas
Sauza Hornitos Plata

 Second Course
Baja Seafood and Avocado Taco
Mexicali Rice with Spring Vegetables
Don Julio Reposado

 Third Course
Chile Colorado Beef Tostada Compuesta
Chile Relleno En Nogagda
(Stuffed Poblano Chile with Spiced Pork and Tequila Soaked Apples,
topped by Mexican Crema Agra with a Chipotle Sauce garnish)
Orange Honey Glazed Sweet Potatoes
Patron Anejo

 Fourth Course
Double Chocolate Tart with Vanilla Bean Cream
Patron XO Café

Seattle’s Best Columbian Blend #5 Coffee

I just can’t believe it’s already Easter time!  I’m just putting away the Christmas stuff!!  Well, ok, there’s still one box of Christmas decor still sitting in my living room but it’s all packed up.  Surely, Santa will give me points for that! Right?  Tomorrow is Good Friday so should I just skip the Easter decorations and wait for the next holiday?  I don’t really have much Mother’s Day decoration stuff to put out.  And, THAT is only 2 weeks away from Easter. It’s all rolling too fast. Chef Campos is still out with his wound care for his foot due to his diabetes so this will be Luis Campos, Chef’s nephew and Sous Chef, first big Holiday without Chef’s on-hands guidance.  I’m thinking he kinda likes being in charge.  Things are rolling right along.  Easter cookies baking (they are made even better when dipped in the chocolate fountain! well….anything is.  I saw some kids sticking green beans in the swirling, melted chocolate!)  Luis is slicing Hawaiian Ono for baking.  Ono is a wonderful Pacific fish, light, flaky texure but still tuna-like in firmness.  Baking the fillets in garlic butter and topping with a sassy Mango salsa!  Zowie!  Very tasty and I’m not a big fish type of guy! 

Growing up, we rarely ate seafood and we lived in the swamps of southern Louisiana!  Mom was the reluctant one.  Dad would bring home turtle and frogs and all manner of strange fish.  He was allowed to  do so as long as he cleaned the things and cooked them.  Mom would eat the salad and pick at the fish or turtle.  She didn’t seem to mind the frog legs (tastes like chicken) but never really said anything negative about seafood unless Dad pressed her while teasing.   I still remember Dad pulling into the driveway, which was crushed clam and oyster shells, and calling to the kids to come see what he had.  All the neighbor kids had learned, as had we, that Mr. Wayne brought home interesting things.   This time it was a huge snapping turtle.  Easily three feet from front shell to back – not including the head and tail.  We all knew about snapping turtles.  When we went swimming in the brown, murky water of the various rivers, backwashes and bayous, the adults would sit on the bank and yell helpful information: “Sammy, was it two or three toes that snappin’ turtle took off you left foot?”  “Well, I’ll tell you it was a total of three.  He chomped the first two off in the first bite and they were so delicious that he came back for another taste and got the third”   Of course, Sammy had shoes on at the time and it would have been rude to demand to see the missing toes, despite our deep and, yes, dark desire to see the spot his toes had been.  So seeing a dead turtle was a wonderful chance to touch the bone-like chopping snout on the head or the elephant skin of the tail.  Well, it felt like what we thought an elephant would feel like.  What an adventure!  Which quickly went bad when Dad started ‘cleaning’ the thing. 

The smell was just what you’d imagine if a creature spend his life lurking in in the mud of murky waters chomping on dead things and human toes, when he got the chance.  I know now the proper term is malodorous.  We all resolved we were not about to eat any part of this vile smelling thing.  All the neighbor kids heard their Mommas’ calling them home. I didn’t hear anything but you can’t argue with Mamma call.  So, they left us, me, my brother and sister,  standing with Dad happily using his filleting knife cutting ligaments and muscles and skinning off linings and cutting off organs.  I would have thought the meat would be dark and beefy but it was a light pink in color and -sorry – looked like chicken….and, then, not even the chicken dark meat!  HA!  I thought that was an awful lot of work to go through for that much meat.  It seemed a pitiful portion after that massive shell!  But, Dad was excited.

He brought his prize into the house and laid it in the kitchen sink and washed it all.  We moved with him.  Although we had made up our minds we were not eating this thing, we could still watch what Dad was going to do with it.  We were especially enjoying Mom’s facial expressions in response to Dad’s joyful comments about where the turtle came from and who gave it to him and how nice they were.  Then Dad started cooking.  The rule in cajun cooking is “First you make a roux”.   The second rule, which we later learned was just Dad’s rule, is “Use as many pots as possible.”  So, Dad started the roux with equal parts flour and fat, in this case, Crisco shortening.   You cook the flour in the fat whcih becomes a thick paste, stirring constantly, till it’s at the color you want.  Light for a creamy gravy, Medium for a sauce. Dark for gumbo.  Dad had determined this would be a sauce piquant.  This basic sauce of tomato and pepper could be used for any meat.  Dad put us to work chopping onion, celery, carrots and garlic cloves.   Another slab of Crisco and we were soon frying the veggies.  As soon as everything was soft except the carrots, these were added to roux.  Still stirring constantly, the veggies were soon coated with the roux.  Now the canned tomatoes and tomato sauce went in, still stirring.  Once these were in the stirring could relax adn the meat added to slowing cook in the sauce.  Dad had but the turtle meat up into little bites.  The roux was now incorporated into the liquid and a thickening started to occur.  Now was the time of seasoning.  Dad was a ‘hot food’ afficienado.  We didn’t know that word then and just thought Dad likes spicy food.  But, Dad knew his peppers.  We had the Louisiana tabasco sauce, of course but there were also a number of other Louisiana based hot sauces used for various thing:  mustard greens, cornbread (yep, he put butter and hot sauce on cornbread!).

After an hour of simmering, supper was ready.  The smell of the toasted flour, the onions and garlic, the tomatoes had softened our resolve and we all took a serving over a spoon of sticky white rice.  We tried not to think of Sammy’s toes and just concentrate on the amazingly good flavors presented to our noses and tastebuds.  Turtle was tasty!  Mom still picked at the serving, studiously avoiding any meat consumption and smiling like a good sport as we all praised Dad’s culinary prowess. 

So, that’s a long way to say that I’m looking forward to the seafood selection for the Easter Grand Buffet.

Yes!  A pairing of Mexico’s finest 100% Agave Tequilas with
Double Eagle and Peppers Cafe food means you are in for a
real treat!!  Save the date – Friday, so plan on taking Saturday
easy, no big Poppa Do List, No Momma Spring Cleaning Plan.
Friday, April 29 – the Friday AFTER Easter so the family is
gone and you could probably use a good drink…or two!!

Hide the children this night!  “Don’t you want to sleep over
at Aunt Weezie’s place?  Well, think again, child.  You are going!”

It’s Adult Swim Time, baby!

Double Eagle Margarita Dinner
6:30 PM  Friday, April 29, 2011, Isabela Room

Advance Reservations with Credit Card Guarantee
Required.  Changes, Cancellations, Additions accepted
till 3:00 PM on that special day – 4/29.  The credit card
you give will be charged for the number of reservations.
This food will be specially prepared just for you.  We
must know we would be throwing it away for a No-Show.

Reception
Espolon Tequila  Silver & Reposado
Seasoned Tostada Chips and Salsas

First Course
Ensenada Shrimp Cocktail with House Seasoned Tostadas
Sauza Hornitos Plata

Second Course
Baja Seafood and Avocado Taco
Mexicali Rice with Spring Vegetables
Don Julio Reposado

Third Course
Chile Colorado Beef Tostada Compuesta
Chile Relleno En Nogagda
(Stuffed Poblano Chile with Spiced Pork and Tequila Soaked Apples,
topped by Mexican Crema Agra with a Chipotle Sauce garnish)
Orange Honey Glazed Sweet Potatoes
Patron Anejo

Fourth Course
Double Chocolate Tart with Vanilla Bean Cream
Patron XO Café

Margaritas will be made with the same basic ingredients with only the tequila being different to allow the individual taste to shine.
Patron XO Café will be served with coffee.

$40.00 plus tax and tip per person (51.12 per person)
Credit Card Guarantee/Advance Payment Required – Card will be charged at
3:00 PM on 4/29.  Cancellations accepted till 3:00 PM 4/29

Last Friday night has got to go into the books as one of most  – if not THE most – amazing events we have ever done.

Everything worked together so perfectly.  I was so pleased to hear the many comments on the food pairings.  Now, I’ve got to confess something:  I had not tasted the wines before making the pairings!   The distributor was so late in getting the samples to us that I went on line and looked at each winery’s website along with other sites who drink and judge wine.  Based on those descriptions of the wines, I developed the menu.  I know I was taking a chance but I’ve done it before on individual wines.   We have tasted 5 of 6 wines and the 6th wine didn’t come in.  So, I did the google thing.  But, this is the first time, we had not tasted even one wine.  Maybe, we should NOT taste the wines at all but just go by the websites’ descriptions!! 

Well, that might be taking too much of a chance.  No, we’ll stil work at tasting the wines but maybe we won’t be so hysterical about it if the distributor doesn’t deliver on the wine samples.!!

Jerry

                 CHRISTMAS 2009  $39.95              

                                  The Famous Double Eagle Holiday Grand Buffet

Seatings 11:00 AM AND 1:30 PM

Complimentary Champagne

SALADS AND STARTERS

Crisp Greens with Assorted Dressings      San Francisco Seafood Salad   
Caesar Salad with Garlic Croutons  Italiano Marinaded Mushrooms  Creamy Cole Slaw   
Relish Tray of Pickles, Olives, Escabeche Jalapenos      
Creamy Potato Salad     Fruit Salad Supreme    Winter Beet Salad
Mexican Salad with Honey Lime Dressing    Cucumbers and Onions in Cider Vinegar 

SEAFOOD TABLE
                   Peel and Eat Shrimp                         Whole Champagne Poached Salmon
              Green Chile Cocktail Sauce                        Garlic-Caper Mayonnaise 

FRESH FRUITS AND CHEESE BOARD
                   Assorted Fresh Seasonal Fruits                     Imported and Domestic Cheeses 

OMELETTES & SCRAMBLED EGGS  MADE TO ORDER
Crispy Hickory Bacon and Country Sausage Links
Buttermilk Biscuits – Cream Gravy – Cheese Blintzes – Fruit Sauces 

CARVED MEATS
                   Rosemary Butter Roasted Turkey     Old Fashioned Giblet Gravy
          Black Peppercorn Crusted Roast Baron of Beef    Red Wine Au Jus
Baked Ham w/ Brown Sugar-Mustard Glaze
Cranberry & Marmelade Sauce with Port & Cinnammon

ENTREES
Salmon Crepes with Alfredo Sauce           Wine Steeped Beef Bourgignon 
New Mexican Pork Posole       Green Chile Cheese Enchiladas
          Traditional Christmas Tamales
Apple Jack Brandied Chicken with Winter Apples and Plums 

VEGETABLES AND SIDE DISHES
Buttermilk Mashed Potatoes     Dressing with Chestnuts, Pecan and Sage
Caramel Candied Yams with Rum Raisins         Green Chile & Bacon Corn Pudding
Cauliflower and Broccoli Au Gratin with Pine Nut-Bread Crumb Topping

  DESSERTS 
   Pumpkin Pie with Cinnamon Whipped Cream     Double Chocolate Fudge
Key Lime Pie     Orange Marmalade Empanadas    Warm Apple Cobbler   Coconut Flan 
Pumpkin Empanadas      Lemon Ice Box Pie    NY Cheesecake with Fruit Sauce  
      Coconut Cream Pie    Bourbon Pecan Pie    Our Famous Chocolate Fountain