Italian Feast Results

Nothing pleases me more than having my braised meats be “fork tender”, where a knife is not needed. My veal shoulder was just so this past Sunday, along with the al-dente ziti pasta. Here are some snap shots from the cozy evening:

{Treviso Salad with walnuts and gruyere in a Dijon vinaigrette}

{Braised Veal Shoulder sprinkled with Parmesean}

My mom’s family owned a date farm in the Middle East, and whenever I use dates in my cooking I think of the stories of them picnicking at the farm eating fresh dates. I thought a fresh pomegranate salad with mint would pair perfectly.

{Dates filled with Mascarpone covered with bittersweet chocolate shavings}