Breaking Bad at Aquatennial

To celebrate Aquatennial, we are invited to Mr White's house (his real name).  It is not however Mr White who is cooking, but rather Mrs White.  It appears, Mr White does not have the right lab equipment to prepare his specialty....

There is no loss however, the menu will please just about anyone.  We start with a beet salad, artfully presented in stacked circles with goat cheese (and a touch of mascarpone), pistachios and a tarragon sauce.  Great start.

The soup that follows is just about the perfect way to warm up the stomach for the main entree.  Asparagus soup with some gruyere pastries (with we devour and alarming speed).

The man in entree is a grilled flank steak (I guess Mr White did cook after all) served as a salad with greens and grilled corn and topped with a chimichurri sauce.   The combination is just what the warm summer night is asking for.  The steak is cooked to perfection and the lightness of the salad (as opposed to a heavy starch) results in a great pairing.

Before we get to dessert we are interrupted by a number explosions outside.  Are they gunshots?  Has the DEA finally figure out that Mr White is Heisenberg?  Not at all, the Aquatennial fireworks will postpone our craving for a sweet ending to this meal.  Back from the light and sound show courtesy of Target, we find a berry tiramisu in a jar.  The mascarpone topping is sweet as can be but held at bay by the tartness and acidity of the berries and then rescued again by the sweetness often lady fingers.  The espresso will be served on the side courtesy of Mr White (who clearly remembers the coffee making instructions for chemist colleague Gale Boetticher, because it it heavenly).

The evening is over when Mr White says it's over.  We leave with stomachs full, minds stimulated by the conversation, and the feeling that we somehow dodged a bullet.

Thanks Mr and Mrs White for a great evening.