Moby Duck (aka Canard Bourgogne)

* 2 whole ducks (4-4.5 Lbs. ea)
* Course Sea Salt
* Fresh cracked pepper
* Mrs. Dash "Original Blend" Seasoning (or other poultry seasoning)
* 4 garlic cloves (finely minced)
* 1 large onion, skinned & quartered
* 4 pieces of celery, cut into 1-inch pieces
* 1 apple, cored & quartered
* 1 orange, quartered (leave the peel on)
* 1/3 cup soy sauce
* 1/3 cup vegetable oil
* 1/2 cup Pinot Noir (Pour a glass for yourself at the same time)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.
Cooking time is about 10-15 minutes a pound.

Note: I highly recommend that you marinate the duck in the seasoning for a couple hours or even overnight. If you can't, don't worry, it'll still be great!

1) Wash the ducks and cavities well and rub the body cavities lightly with sea salt and pepper, minced garlic, and Mrs. Dash seasoning.
2) Stuff the cavities with the pieces of onion, apple, orange and celery.
3) Rub the ducks with the soy sauce and oil.
4) Place in a baking pan and roast, uncovered, basting often with Pinot Noir, about every 10 minutes.
5) Remove from oven and let sit for 5-10 minutes. Don't skip this, as you want to let the juices integrate back into the meat.
6) Remove the stuffing before serving. Cut into pieces and serve on a platter with some nice garnishes. If you want to be a little fancy, remove the breasts from the bone and slice into pieces. Use a sharp knife so you don't tear the skin.

Note II: If you're not comfortable cutting up poultry, buy a good pair of poultry scissors (aka shears), they will make life very easy. Wusthof makes great ones from $20-70 dollars.

Balsamic Glaze

Pinot, Balsamic & Shallot Reduction Glaze
This is a very easy to make reduction that goes great with fish, duck, pheasant, pork and of course the ubiquitous chicken. Also good on beef.

* 1 cup balsamic vinegar
* 1 tbs granulated sugar
* 1 cup inexpensive Pinot Noir
* 2 small shallots, Finely chopped

Bring one cup of non-aged balsamic vinegar, Pinot, shallots and sugar to a boil in a small saucepan and reduce until syrupy.

Should take about 10-15 Mins. (Check after 8 mins)

Mark's Italian Seared Sea Scallops

Entree: 4 people
Appetizers: 8-10 people

But, it also depends how big the scallops are. If they are mondo, then the above applies for apps or dinner servings. If smaller, then you can feed more people on the apps.

* 1.5 lbs Large fresh Sea scallops, rinsed, drained and patted dry (If they're frozen (always ask your fishmonger), then get them frozen, not defrosted, as they deteriorate on the shelf. Then defrost an hour before cooking.
* 1/2 cup All-purpose flour (Or Japanese Panko Crumbs, if you like)
* 2 tbs Seasoning salt (Sea salt, Kosher, whatever)
* 3 tbs Finely chopped fresh oregano
* 3 tbs. Lemon pepper
* 1. tsp Dried thyme
* 1/4 cup Olive oil
* 1/2 cup Chopped fresh parsley (reserve some whole for garnish)
* 3 Lemons. (reserve some lemon wedges for garnish & plating)

DIRECTIONS:
1) In a large bowl (I use a big zip-lock, it's cleaner and no mess), mix together flour, salt, oregano, thyme and lemon pepper. Shake scallops in flour mixture until lightly coated on all sides.

2) Heat generous amount of olive oil in a skillet or frying pan over high heat. Add 8 scallops to the pan and sear on all sides (about 1.5 minutes for each side, or until nicely caramelized), leaving space bewteen each of the scallops. Remove scallops from pan and place on a plate in the oven to keep warm until ready to serve. Repeat until remaining scallops are cooked. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and squeeze lemon juice over them.

Maddeningly Good Mango, Mint & Avocado Salad

Serves 6-8

* 4 tablespoons packed dark brown sugar
* 4 fresh limes, juiced
* 1 (4") fresh hot red chile, thinly sliced, including seeds
* 1 large shallot, diced
* 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
* 4 tablespoons chopped fresh mint (Be generous w/ the mint)
* 4 firm-ripe mangoes, pitted, peeled, and cubed
* 3 firm-ripe avocados, pitted, peeled, and cubed

Accompaniment: lime wedges

DIRECTIONS:
1) Whisk together brown sugar and lime juice in a large bowl until sugar is dissolved, then whisk in red chile, shallot, cilantro, and mint. Add mangoes, tossing gently. Refrigerate for 15-20 minutes.

2) When ready to serve, add cubed avocados. Mix gently, preferably by hand.

3) Sprinkle fresh chopped mint over plated salad & garnish with one long stem of mint for each plate. Few things are more refreshing to eat on a warm summer evening.

Chill your Pinot Noir down a little bit and watch your guests have food orgasms.

San Francisco Style Sand Dabs

Serves 4

* 2 lbs Cleaned sand dabs
* 1 Beaten egg yolk or milk
* 1 cup Seasoned bread crumbs or Japanese Panko crumbs
* 1 softened butter
* 1 salt & white pepper to taste
* 1 chopped parsley (for garnish)
* 1 lemon wedges (for garnish)

DIRECTIONS:
1) Dip sand dabs in egg yolk or milk; roll in seasoned bread crumbs or Japanese Panko crumbs. Throwing off excess crumbs.
2) Season with salt & pepper to taste. Don't be shy here.
3) Line shallow pan with buttered aluminum foil (You can also use Pam spray); place sand dabs on foil and broil 3 minutes each side. ~Or bake in 375 oven 12-15 minutes. ~Or you can pan fry 2-3 minutes on each side in small amount of butter.
4) Serve garnished with chopped parsley & lemon wedges. The lemons are IMPORTANT. Meyer lemons are the best.

Don't forget to pair with a couple of buckets of Ketcham Estate Pinot Noir.

Mushroom Orzo with Shallots in White Wine

Serves 6

* 1/2 cup butter, divided
* 1/4 cup Shallots
* 2 cups Uncooked Orzo pasta
* 3/4 cup Sliced fresh mushrooms
* 2.5 cups water
* 1/2 cup white wine
* garlic powder to taste
* salt and pepper to taste
* 1/2 cup grated Parmesan cheese
* 1/4 cup fresh chopped parsley

DIRECTIONS:
1) Melt 1/2 the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in the shallots, and cook until golden brown. Mix in orzo, mushrooms, and remaining butter. Cook and stir 5 minutes, until butter is melted and mushrooms are tender.
2) Pour water and wine into the skillet, and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Season with garlic powder, salt, and pepper. Cook 7 to 10 minutes, until Orzo is al dente (a little chewy Louie). Sprinkle Parmesan cheese & parsley over Orzo and serve.