To a medium-size mixing bowl, add olive oil, honey, red peppers, garlic, scallions, fresh mint and lime juice. Stir to incorporate ingredients and season with salt and pepper. Add crab, stirring gently with a large spoon being careful not to crumble lumps of crab. Adjust seasoning. Set aside.

Score each tomato into six wedges without cutting all the way through. With a thin knife, cut out center of tomatoes to make a star. Divide the greens between the two plates and place a tomato on each. Fill with crabmeat salad. Serve with crusty Italian bread and a glass of crisp 2004 Caymus “Conundrum,” California, or 2004 Banfi Pinot Grigio from Tuscany.

Preheat grill. Preheat sauté pan. Add olive oil and onions. Sauté until golden, about 5 minutes. Add balsamic vinegar. Add seasoning to taste and reduce liquid by one-half. Remove pan from heat. Season steaks with salt and pepper on both sides. Grill to desired doneness and plate. Return onions to burner and add butter, stirring to incorporate. Divide onions over steaks and serve immediately. Grilled asparagus makes the perfect accompaniment.

2003 Villa Antinori Toscana

Preheat grill. Grill sausage to desired doneness and set aside, keeping warm.

Preheat sauté pan over medium-high heat. Add olive oil and peppers. Sauté for a couple of minutes until softened. Add garlic and sauté for another couple of minutes. Then add chicken stock and seasonings. Stir to incorporate all flavors and simmer over medium-high heat until stock is reduced by half, about five minutes.

For plate service, place sausage onto a large platter and spoon peppers on top.

2000 Franco Fiorina Barbaresco

Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Season loins with salt and pepper to taste. Preheat sauté pan and melt clarified butter or butter/oil combination, enough to coat pan. Sautée loins about 1 min. on each side until golden brown. Place loins in another pan with oven-proof handle and bake 3 mins. for rare, adding 3 mins. for each additional degree of doneness desired.

Remove butter from sauté pan and deglaze with Cognac (Caution: watch for fire!). Add cherries and chicken stock. Reduce by 2/3. Wisk in fresh butter. Return loins to original pan and cook about 1 min. with the sauce. Slice on the bias for a beautiful presentation.

2000 Cesare Amarone, 2002 Snoqualime Syrah Reserve, Washington State

Over high heat, preheat a sauté pan large enough so veal medallions do not overlap. Dredge medallions in flour, shaking off excess. Add olive oil to pan. and sear medallions on both sides until lightly golden.
Remove medallions and place on towel-lined plate. Drain excess oil from pan and add shallot. Sauté until translucent, about 1 minute. Deglaze pan with white wine, reducing by half. Scrape bottom with wooden spoon to release bits of veal that are stuck. Add veal stock, salt and pepper, rosemary and tomato purée, stirring to incorporate. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to medium-high. Return veal to pan.
Top each medallion with a slice of prosciutto and mozzarella cheese. Cover pan loosely and simmer for 2-3 minutes until cheese melts. Plate three medallions per serving and return sauce to heat. Add butter and whisk, mixing well. Simmer until melted and sauce has a creamy consistency. If it is too thick, add a little more stock. Spoon sauce over veal and serve hot.

2002 Frescobaldi Nippozano Riserva Chianti
2000 Franco Fiorina Barbaresco

Bring a 5-quart pot with salted water to a boil and add pasta. Preheat sauté pan and melt butter. Add mushrooms and sauté for about 2 minutes. Add the heavy cream. Bring to a boil and add sun-dried tomatoes. Reduce cream by about ¼. Add mascarpone, stirring to incorporate, then the asparagus. Season with salt and pepper and reduce heat. Sauce should have a medium thick consistency. When pasta is al dente, drain and return to pot. Stir in sauce and Parmesan. To serve, place in 2 bowls and top with walnuts.

2002 Distant Bay Pinot Noir, Monterey Count

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Preheat an ovenproof skillet large enough to accommodate both fillets over high heat. Dredge fillets in flour, shaking off excess. Add olive oil to skillet and add fillets, skin side up. Cook until golden brown on one side. Turn over and add shiitake mushrooms, turning to cook evenly. When mushrooms are slightly wilted, add shallot and season with salt and pepper.

Remove skillet from heat and deglaze pan with the Cognac. Add currants. Once Cognac has stopped sizzling, return skillet to the heat and cook until Cognac is almost entirely reduced. Add chicken stock. Place skillet in the oven for about 8 to 10 minutes, or until fish is tender.

Place each fillet on a plate and return the skillet to high heat. Reduce sauce to half its original volume and add butter, stirring to incorporate. When butter is completely melted and blended into sauce, spoon over each fillet and serve

2002 Ferrari-Carano Fumé Blanc