Old friends + good food = great times!

This past weekend we were visited by some old friends of ours. I guess they are considered old friends now that we don't live in the same state any more. They stayed the weekend and in return for our piddly air mattress they provided us with a four course meal complete with two bottles of wine AND clean dishes at the end of the evening. That was, by far, one of the best hostess gifts I have ever gotten. And to think, I was just excited by the fact that they'd schlep three hours up here to visit us!

The evening started with steamed artichokes with a lemon garlic butter and a bowl of olives. Then we transitioned to stuffed zuchinnis. That helped prepare us for pasta with a cream based roasted red pepper pesto. Two reds were served with the meal (a cab sauv that has helped me learn to like cab sauvs and a petit sirrah). The evening ended with a pecan cake topped with roasted figs (I think there was some cream sauce here too but I can't recall).

The bar has now been raised very very high.