Every time I plan my menu’s I look at the events that are going on in Italy and try to plan a meal around that. So in the past 2+ years only twice have I been asked about the correlation of the food to the feast that is being celebrated.
I am wondering if that is as important as the food, maybe I will just list the ingredients for the week and make it like chopped, you get what you get……..just thinking out loud.
I am asking you out there if it matters.
Our first coarse was Sauteed sea scallops with crispy baby artichokes and truffled balsamic vinaigrette over a bed of frisee lettuce and arugula micro greens. it was such a delicate flavor overall. I helped that the Scallops were sweet as can be and the contrast with the vinaigrette.
Our next coarse was Cream of baby spring peas, tartar of smoked salmon with marscopone cream & red and yellow beetroot. Shear heaven the peas natural sweetness with the sharper smoked salmon and the cream with a touch of lemon and the beetroot added a good crunchy component .
We had a Granita of Lemon, Basil & Anise
Our main coarse was a decadent layer of flavors. Filet mignon wrapped in Prosciutto and pan seared and oven baked over a bed of arugula micro greens, top with (3 types of white mushrooms) deuxelles w/truffle, fried potato cake (which I let it sit too long before frying, started to turn color, that’s why the darker look), topped with marscopone cream & truffle carpaccio in a Bordelaise sauce. I got lucky the Filet was cooked perfect and the other components all complemented each other. The comments were you keep on getting flavor after flavor with each bite.
For desert a Triple chocolate mousse cake. I baked a rich truffle type cake, cut it with the mold and added a layer of dark chocolate mousse, then a layer of white chocolate mousse and topped with a chocolate almond glaze and served in a hot chocolate anise glaze. No it was not too much chocolate, there was a balance to this that it didn’t seem sweet and complemented the overall dinner.
I look forward to seeing you at the table.
“Until We Dine”
Frank
The Cod-Father