Fantasy Foodie Fusion Fun

The Inaugratory Crew wasn't in the door two seconds, glanced at the table set with five forks to the left and two knives to the right topped with two spoon at the top, when G blurted out, "You aren't sucking us into some gourmet food group are you?" B & I just laughed -- we have been sucked into many a thing, and we are not the "sucking into type." B piped up, "And trust me, you girls aren't going to get gourmet food all the time at this house - we don't always spend two days cooking!" Once reassured, the girls relaxed for a night of Fantasy Foodie Fusion Fun.

Our guests greeted us with a wonderful gift from Loft and Home (www.loftandhome.com): a Lampe Berger Air Purifier that cleans the air. Hey - with four dogs, three cats, and constant cooking - this was the perfect gift! We opened a white and a red and eased ourselves into a night of fun.

Let's back up just a bit. Friday - after a week of spring break that was filled with work - I took off Friday and we headed to A2 (for those of you who are not local - Ann Arbor). We were in search for our ingrediants. First stop: Whole foods. I was able to get most of my ingrediants including regional Spanish olive oil. However, I still needed the the rack of lamb. B couldn't find much of her ingrediants - fresh tumeric - where in the world does one find fresh tumeric? However, before we headed out to the next stop, B was in the check-out line trying to buy a $15 card for wind energy. She was all on board until the cashier said, "You don't get to deduct it from your energy bill - it just helps the company." Whatever . . . I responded with "Put it down, we own stock in Vestas Wind Energy."

Out the door and on to Kerrytown (www.kerrytown.com). Oooooh - cute little place but B remembers it from the '70s when it was so different then . . . The butcher (Sparrow Meats) had a rack and, of course, I misread the price $25.00 for 16 (no per pound). My the price of lamb has increased . . . Never mind - fantasy foodie calls. B talked to the fish monger at Monahan's Seafood Market and he assured her that the Hake was perfect for her dish (more next time but he was soooo right!). We then went to the Everyday Wines (important for our blind winetasting). We had a diversion to the second floor. B assured that I would love the clothing there. Unfortunately, the place had changed and it became a place that didn't quite know what it wanted to be. After looking at cotton shirts for $68.00, we were out the door.

We came home around 9ish (thanks Bob for feeding Hobbie). We started cooking. B made her flan and I started my crema catalana and my marinade. At the eleventh hour I came up with the idea of a candied basket in which I would put the catalana. I was making little hard candy baskets (p.s. don't use honey). In the end they worked out but the recipe must be perfected! It was late and we went to bed. The next day we started early . . . wow! Who thought that there was so much prep. Any thought of opening our own restaurant was dead after this day. B was whining about prep work and she feared the girls wouldn't like the food. I tried to reassure her . . . the prep with worry went on . . .

There is a level of satisfaction in creating a menu and executing it. Cooking something that you have never executed before and serving it to a crowd is a stretch. B mentioned that when she cooked for a group, she was familiar with the recipe. I reminded her that this was the fun of fantasy foodie. We were executing a piece of art much like live theater. Would we succeed? Only our guests would let us know.

Next Blog: Fantasy Foodie Fusion Fun Continues: The Dinner and the Recipes

Let the Games Begin

The first fantasie foodie is upon us. As the deadline nears, B & I are formulating our menus and the competition is heating up. A recap: B has to fuse Vietnamese and French and I am fusing Greek and Spanish. Given my regions, I have struggled with creating a menu that truely appears to "fuse." In contrast, B hates the competition and is approaching it with - well procrastination. However, with her knowledge of Asian cuisine and her fantastic ability to cook, I have no doubt that she will pull it off! So what is on the menu? Here is a preview:

Appetizer

Saffron-Infused Empanada with Spinach and Three Cheeses

Coquille St. Hanoi

Entrée

Grilled Rack of Lamb with Gazpacho Chopped Salad

Cha Cha La Vong

Dessert

Crema Catalana Foam with Orange Honey Syrup

Steamed Grand Marnier Crème Caramel

Yes - the recipes will follow after the dinner . . . B threw me for a ringer when she announced that she was making a flan - I asked her, "How? Flan is soooo Spanish." She proceeded to read an excerpt, which explained that flan is steamed in Vietnam because very few homes have ovens. What could I say? I thank her now - a flan with Greek influence would have been very easy - I had to think beyond the cuisine that I associated with Spain and Greece. I was thrilled when I came across the Crema Catalana Foam in which I will infuse Greek flavor. It can only be described as Sexy!

With dishes bought, B is blowing (yes - B is a glassblower) two carafes for the blind wine tasting. It should be fun - one of the guest voters likes "expensive wines." Let's see if she can tell the difference . . . P.S. we have recruited a great connoisseur of wines who loves the idea of pitting a cheap wine against an expensive wine! We have people.