That's bonzer! Australia night - May 25th

According to the dictionary of Australian slang that I found online, "that's bonzer" means "that's great," which is an appropriate description of tonight's foray into international cuisine. The menu was Minted Orange Salad, Spiced Lamb Cutlets (although actually lamb chops), Devilled Carrots, Potato Cakes and The Wishing Tree Shiraz 2002. I also threw in some American dinner rolls for good measure.

Tonight was full of firsts for me. To begin, I've never made lamb before, but it is surprisingly easy to make. I have also never purchased a whole pineapple and cut it up before. Also not hard to do, but being the dork that I am, I was happy that the pineapple had a tag on it with instructions. Third, I have never made potato cakes despite hearing throughout much of my life "don't throw out the leftover mashed potatoes, we can make potato cakes with them." Potato cakes, at least made the way this recipe indicated, is a messy endeavor but the finished product was well worth it.

The wine tonight was a gift from our friends Marnie and Paul a few months ago. We don't drink that much when home alone, so it's been sitting there waiting for an occasion like this. I enjoyed the Shiraz, and I found that Robert Parker has this to say for it, in case you're looking to try a new Shiraz in the near future: "An inky/purple color is followed by deep, sweet, chewy, black currant and licorice-infused aromas and flavors with a hint of pepper in the background. Medium to full-bodied, with sweet tannin, low acidity, and oodles of fruit, it’s a winner! Drink it during its first 2-3 years of life. This offering is an exceptional bargain. 89pts - Robert Parker"

Finally, to the most important part of the night - our special guests. Tonight we were graced by Derrick Gable, my former co-worker and the webmaster for the Cafe Davis website. Derrick brought a delicious Bourbon soaked cake from Harry and David's. The other guests were James and Mandi Herndon. James and Mandi both attended my alma mater, Mercer University, albeit after I graduated. James debated for Mercer and is now the debate coach at Chattahoochee High School in Alpharetta. Mandi is in pharmacy school at Mercer's Atlanta campus. Mandi and James brought an assortment of chocolate muffins and brownies from the Magnolia Bakery. Delicious!

That's it, as always, thanks for stopping by and sharing with us. It was great to hang out with this fun group of folks, and hopefully we'll see more of you as Cafe Davis continues. Tomorrow night we're heading to South Africa!!!