Lovin' & Livin' in Nashville: we have been to the north...

and it was freezing! After a few days in PA, Vance and I are back in Nashville. We celebrated my mom's birthday and I was able to see my great friends, Mer, Jen (another birthday girl!) and the Breads 'n Cheese gang. Vance had his vacation and joined me few a long weekend. It was so nice to catch up with my family and we were able to stay with his grandparents for a few nights too.

As to be expected, the weekend was full of eating. We made a great dinner on Saturday, Ina's slow roasted fillet of beef with a basil mayo.

1 whole filet of beef tenderloin, trimmed and tied (4 ½ pounds)

3 tablespoons good olive oil

4 teaspoons kosher salt

2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper

10 to 15 branches fresh tarragon

Basil Parmesan Mayonnaise, for serving

For the mayo:

2 extra-large egg yolks, at room temperature

3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese (see note)

1 tablespoon Dijon mustard

1/2 cup chopped fresh basil leaves, lightly packed

1/2 teaspoon minced garlic

Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

1 cup vegetable oil, at room temperature

1/2 cup good olive oil, at room temperature

Preheat the oven to 275 degrees. Place the filet on a sheet pan and pat it dry with paper towels. Brush the filet all over with the oil, reserving about half a tablespoon. Sprinkle it all over with the salt and pepper. Place the tarragon branches around the beef, tying them in 4 or 5 places with kitchen string to keep them in place, and then brush the tarragon with the reserved oil.

Roast the filet of beef for 1¼ to 1½ hours, until the temperature registers 125 degrees in the center for rare and 135 degrees for medium rare. I place the thermometer horizontally through the end of the beef. Cover the filet with aluminum foil and allow to rest for 20 minutes. Slice thickly and serve warm or at room temperature with Basil Parmesan Mayonnaise.

For the mayo - place the egg yolks, lemon juice, Parmesan, mustard, basil, garlic, 1 tablespoon salt, and 1 teaspoon pepper in a food processor fitted with the steel blade. Process for 20 seconds, until smooth. Combine the vegetable oil and olive oil in a 2-cup liquid measuring cup. With the processor running, slowly pour the oil mixture through the feed tube to make a thick emulsion. Taste for seasonings—the mayonnaise is a sauce so it should be highly seasoned. Store in the refrigerator until ready to use; it will keep for up to a week.