My good friend Julie is always praising my cooking.  Luckily for her, I have yet to mess up dinner when she’s been over… Being from Montana, Julie usually requests steak for dinner, telling me to keep it light on the veggies (these Montana women know what they want).

Julie was coming over for dinner on Saturday…what was I going to make?  After scanning cook books and magazines for something unique, I settled on grilled lamb with a fig compote.  Since the lamb was rather complex, I decided to keep the rest of dinner fairly simple in order to make the lamb stand out on its own.  Grilling lamb with a simple combination of garlic, rosemary, and thyme provided just enough flavor.  Pairing fig compote with lamb brought out just the right combination and texture of flavors.

In addition to the lamb, I made a won-ton seafood soup for a first course.  The won-ton included crab, rock shrimp, lemon, garlic, scallion, and red pepper. The only mistake I made was my decision to use low sodium chicken stock in place of regular chicken stock.  Lesson learned is always taste while cooking.

The night was a huge success full of yummy tasting food, wine, and friends.  Not only has Julie become one of my closest friends, but she provides me with the inspiration I need in the kitchen.  Thanks, Julie!