Elegant pork

Tonight was an evening of firsts. For the first time in awhile, we went on a date all dressed up. And boy, let me tell ya, did Jamie look nice! Last night was even better, when Jamie came home from working a concert event looking super spiffy in his tux...but that's a tale for another time :)

When we got to Des Moines, we met up with friends at the Marriott and headed up to the ballroom on the third floor for Iowa's 25th Annual Taste of Elegance, a whole event and competition centered around elegant pork cuisine.

Once inside, we collected our drink tickets and program and headed straight for the first chef's table where we sampled "Stuffed Porc Paupilette with an Apricot Gastrique on a Bed of Risotto Duxelle" - and enjoyed every bite. Later in the evening we were pleased to find out Kevn Moore from The Cellar in Fort Dodge, Iowa, the mastermind behind this dish, won third place overall. We kept track...

The place was packed and table space was at a premium. We were fortunate to find a tall table and were amazed and entertained by the array of guests and friends who shared our table with us. We were almost speachless when Iowa's First Lady, Chris Branstad, and Lt. Governor, Kim Reynolds asked to share the table with us, and moments later they were joined by their husbands, Terry and Kevin.

After sampling all 12 pork masterpieces and clapping for all the awards, we chatted for a bit in the lobby before calling it a night and heading home. Thanks to great friends, we had a great night. Let's double-date again!

[Update] See who's "helping" me with this blog? Yep. He's rather happy. Warm lap. A little rub behind the ears. What more could a cat want?

Oops! He's gone. Guess he really wanted Jamie and I was just the warm lap he needed while waiting for the person he really wanted. Oh well. Good night!