Well, well, well

Dear You,

The title of this piece probably should be "Medium Rare." It's the end of the year, and for me it means beef Wellingtons -- plural. I really enjoy cooking, and in December I have more chances than usual. Different combinations of guests arrive on different occasions, but the meal is always a beef Wellington.

This is an all-day deal for me. In the morning I season the tenderloin and put it into a 450 degree oven until it's well browned but very rare. Then it sits on the rack on top of the stove the rest of the day, tempting me to shave a bit here and there as I pass by.

About an hour before dinner, I mix a paste, starting with a liver pate as the base, adding whatever else that's handy -- chopped basil? Chopped pecans? Why not? This gets troweled onto the meat. Long ago I gave up making my own dough, opting for puff pastry from the frozen foods area. This has softened, and I roll it out to wrap the meat. Back into the oven, while I make a wine sauce reduction and heat the gravy for the potatoes.

No need to discuss what else is for dinner -- when I roll this baby out to the table for carving, everything else on the table is just part of the scenery. Wine, anyone?