I made Kabocha Squash and Fennel Soup with Candied Pumpkin Seeds. It was a nice rich soup with a bit of kick to it. The candied pumpkin seeds were a big hit, even though I let them get a bit toastier than I think they were supposed to be.

Brian made Blood Oranges, Dates, Parmesan, and Almonds. I liked the tartness of the oranges contrasted with the sweetness of the dates and the salt of the parmesan. You know you have a dish of quality, well-matched ingredients when you can dress with only some almond oil, salt, and pepper.

Brian also made Persimmon and Pomegranate Salad with Arugula and Hazelnuts. The persimmons were bright and sweet, and I love the peppery flavor of arugula. All brought together really nicely with a vinegary pomegranate juice dressing.

Kat made James’s Broccoli with Burrata, Pine Nuts, and Warm Anchovy Vinaigrette. With all the meaty goodness happening in a lot of the dishes, I wouldn’t have thought the broccoli would be a standout, but I loved this dish. It was crunchy and creamy and the anchovy vinaigrette flavor was incredible.

Kumar made Sweet Potatoes with Bacon and Spinach. I am generally not too keen on sweet potatoes, but apparently you can’t go wrong cooking them in sugar, brown butter, thyme, and sage and then tossing in some bacon and spinach. The sweet potatoes were a bit mushy, but I quite liked this dish.

Shayna made Winter Squash Risotto with Radicchio and Parmesan. I am a fan of risotto, and this was a great one. The texture was perfect, and the squash added sweetness and a lovely color.

Brad made Wild Mushroom Tart with Gruyere and Young Onions. Well actually he couldn’t find wild mushrooms, so it was a regular mushroom tart. But still very tasty. I especially liked the bit of onions that got crispy.

Brad also made Young Onion Tart with Cantal and Applewood-Smoked Bacon. I enjoyed the mushroom tart, but liked this tart even better. They were pretty similar, but bacon is just so good with cheese and puff pastry.

Jennifer made Braised Beef Short Ribs with Potato Purée, Swiss Chard, and Horseradish Cream. She actually made it twice, because the first time she followed the recipe’s instructions to braise while covered in plastic wrap, but the plastic melted into the meat. Big props to her for spending the many hours to make it again – the slow braise made the meat super tender and I can see why this dish is a favorite for diners going to Lucques.

Jeff made Chicken Paillards with Parmesan Breadcrumbs, Escarole, Capers, and Rosemary. He said the escarole was a total fail, so we didn’t have that. But the parmesan breading gave the chicken nice flavor, and was especially good topped with the caper brown butter sauce.

John made Caramelized Bread Pudding with Chocolate and Cinnamon. We all agreed it could have used more chocolate and cinnamon, and perhaps some creme anglaise. The best part was watching him caramelize the sugar on top with a kitchen torch.

John also made Gateau Basque with Armagnac Prunes. This was the winner of the night. The combination of the creamy moist center with the crisp edges that had good almond flavor and the Armagnac prune sauce was to-die-for. I got to bring a piece home, which I ate for breakfast the next morning as I couldn’t wait any longer, and I’ve been dreaming about having more of that cake ever since.

Brian also made Roasted Apples with Calvados and Ice Cream. The recipe called for home-making cinnamon ice cream, but instead he brought vanilla ice cream and extra Calvados to top it with. It was a nice combination.