Yes it has been awhile. That is how things go when C is finishing exams and I don't do my homework. For those waiting for the recipes, we apologize.The Dinner: Remember the concept is innovative fusion. C chose (from random slips of paper) Greek and Spanish while I was (relieved) to have plucked French and Vietnamese. Having cooked Thai and Vietnamese for a number of years, these were flavors with which I was familiar. The French part would require some creativity.
After putting off any actual planning, the date was looming large and closing in fast. Time to commit! For my appetizer, I had some Diver Scallops just waiting for a special occasion. I
researched Coquille St. Jacque, put a Vietnamese spin on it, and christened the dish Coquille St. Hanoi. Using no real recipe, I marinated the scallops in a mixture of fresh grated ginger, lemon zest, fish sauce, and coconut milk. I was careful not to precook them with a marinade too heavy on the citrus and then pan fried them. Under the scallops I used a steamed spring roll wrapper artfully arranged in a shell form. Green onion and red pepper added color, and a marinade related sauce zigzagged over the appetizer. Hmmm, for someone who usually eschews plating, I must admit, it looked good. The guests seconded my opinion and it quickly disappeared.
Meanwhile, C was well thought out in her approach and planned well ahead. So well in fact, she made a dry run of the dish, just to get the pastry perfect for the Saffron Infused Empanada with Spinach and Three Cheeses. The cheeses she used were feta and two types of Spanish cheese. The Spanish cheese I like to have on hand is a soft, moist, fresh, not aged type that we usually pick up at the Middle Eastern grocery. The name is novel: Best Spanish Cheese. The Empanadas disappeared as well, yummmmmm.By alternating our dishes the food procession flowed and, having prepped well far ahead, it flowed smoothly. The vote: two for the Hanoi and two for the empanadas.
For the entree, C grilled baby lamb chops on one of the BEST salads I have ever encountered, Gazpacho Chopped Salad, which we credit to www.epicurious.com.Frankly, we cannot wait to make it a staple next summer with our fresh from the garden tomatoes, but even mealy, hot house tomatoes during a northwest Ohio winter were transformed in this dish. I must note that C opted to leave the pork out this time in deference to one of our guests dietary restrictions.
From the A2 Kerrytown fish market I brought home a new for me fish - HAKE. The fishmonger assured me that it would have big white flakes of buttery goodness that would blend well with my flavors and physically hold up to pan frying (very French). I marinated it in fish sauce, fresh grated ginger, lemon zest, and a little cognac. Then, I quickly seared it in heavy cast iron. For accompaniment, I pulled my Asian cooking past out and soaked a package of the super fine rice noodles, chopped garlic, an egg, the noodles (drained), a shake of fish sauce, a squeeze of lemon and viola, a lovely bed of something vaguely resembling Pad Thai (Pad Thai - C questions - didn't you have Vietnamese? whatever....). Again, our guests were happily voting with empty plates.
C and I were so happy to have our good friends here for both their first time and our inaugural Fantasy Foodie dinner. Everyone was having fun, and the Playlist that C put on the Ipod fed stereo could not have been more perfect. And the best part - all of the hard parts were over! Dessert had been made the night before and only needed plating. Yeah!!
I had decided on a Grand Manier Creme Caramel recipe that I found in a Vietnamese cookbook (which happened to not that "traditionally had been steamed because Vietnamese kitchens rarely had ovens for baking"). It was beautiful as it emerged from the containers in which it had been baked. With a berry garnish, it also disappeared. The guests loved it, and unfortunately so did Tessa (who you will learn more about in the next blog). She managed to pull the tray down and eat the extra one!
C's dessert was simple, tasty, and light in design, but she opted to complicate matters with presentation in a spun sugar basket. This basket had no instructions; therefore, it was completely experimental. But C has a very well versed pastry repertoire and pulled it off. Crema catalana foam in a spun sugar basket. Coffee is served.The blind wine tasting (hmmm - next time we will write down the names) went well. We decanted a wine with a price tag of about $50 and another, which was a silver medalist at the LA Wine Festival, costing $8.99. I asked C to include me in the voting, which ended up 4 votes for the inexpensive wine and one vote for the pricey wine. Point taken - it doesn't have to cost a lot to be a winner. Just don't serve Crane Lake!
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