Mother’s Day is a really nice day since Ernie usually feels inspired to create a wonderful meal for us. This year was no exception.

The event began when I received a special invitation from L’Ambasciatore del Principato di Seborga to join him in festive events. Quite a lovely invitation, complete with the menu for the evening. And, of course, an expectation that I would select the wine to accompany the various dishes. (There was also the added option that we could also just go get pizza from a local pizzeria instead - I declined.)

Fortunately, the weather was spectacular that day. The first course was served al fresco in the garden, a Bibb and Red Leaf Salad with fruited goat cheese and toasted pecans, dressed with Aged Balsamic and Saba Vinegar. Ernie has recreated this salad from one we had several years ago down in southern Virginia. We cracked open a bottle of Lovisolo Vino Spumante Brut Rosé, made from Nebbiolo grapes in the Piemonte region of Italy. The Vino Spumante went beautifully with the tart dried cranberries and the sweet Saba in the salad.

Our next course consisted of selected appetizers of salami, olives, and cheeses. Wow, it is definitely a highlight to sit under a full-blooming wisteria in the arbor munching on porcini salami and Pecorino Romano drizzled with honey while sipping our delightful aperitif. I wonder if we can make Mother’s Day a monthly event…

Then the main course. I had mentioned in a previous blog that Ernie had been looking forward to taking a cooking class from a local culinary school, mainly because the topic was grilling (and he loves to grill). So for the Mother’s Day festivities, he took advantage of a couple of the recipes. One in particular was a butter-chive creation that also had a bit of paprika and chili pepper. Although the cooking class had used this on a vegetable, Ernie added that to lobster tails that he had cracked open and then put them on the grill, ergo the Chili and Chive-Buttered Lobster. The lobster came out so beautifully sweet with the butter and the hint of spiciness from the paprika and pepper. I paired that with a delightful Chablis, a Jean-Marc Brocard Chablis Sainte Claire 2012. Accompanying the lobster was an Orzo Medley served with Roasted Fresh Vegetables, or orzo with peas and corn, also with the same butter sauce mixed in. The Chablis was perfect with the lobster and with the orzo - the delightful limestone essence and buttery, rich flavor of the wine combined with the lobster was wonderful to savor. Oh my! (Hmm, maybe make Mother’s Day a weekly event…?)

And then when I didn’t think we could consume any more, Ernie pulled out another recipe for dessert, Grilled Dressed Fruit with Dipping Sauce. This time, he covered pear and pineapple slices with a butter-ginger and honey coating. He grilled these, and then served them with a yogurt sauce flavored with vanilla and sugar. Just a perfect match between the caramelized outside of the fruit with the vanilla-flavored yogurt. At this point, it was getting dark, and we were able to light the candles in the sconces around the garden. What a perfect ending to a delightful meal and lovely day!