Santa Barbera Wine Dinner

First course: Faygo Red poached Lobster with carbonated Asian Pear and Garlic Mango Relish.

Second Course: Foie Gras with Bacon Gelee, Pinenut Brulee and Bacon Salad.

Third Course: Pink Peppercorn Tuna, Spiced Crackers, Whipped Beets.

Forth Course: Gooseberry stuffed Breast of Veal with Dandelion Greens.

Fifth Course: Table Smoked Lamb with Parsnip puree and Morel Bearnaise.

Sixth Course: Macerated Fruit, Sourpatch Ice Cream.

Sake Dinner, third and forth course.

"Scallop Sashimi, Spicy Saffron Tomato Broth, Lemongrass Gelee, Hoisin mint and basil Gallette".

Ever since I first tasted a sous-vide scallop, I thought "how perfect for a safer version of sashimi", the texture is raw, but techniquely it's not. I slow poached these huge scallops in some saffron butter for about twenty minutes, chilled and sliced. The gallette is played off what you would usually see in a thai place, rice paper wrapped around noodles with mint, basil and hoisin minus the shrimp. The sauce is of roasted tomatoes, lemongrass, and some dried jalapenos, to work like the flavors
of a traditional civiche.

Served with: Hou Hou Shu Sparkling SakeTini

Forth Course: "Lobster, Foie and Bananas" I had one of those "best dishes I've ever eaten" moments about 7 years ago while out to eat with My Brother, Mr. Wilson and our current female companions...well, my current femal companion. It was at The Woodlands outside of Charleston. It was "Butter Poached Lobster, Egg Foo Yung" and I don't even really like Lobster,

there were just so many flavors happening in that dish that I've emulated it ever since. So, one of the many versions of that dish came forth tonight with Pancakes (more like a Panada) flavored with rendered and pureed Foie gras with bits of raw foie and diced banana and slice scallions. A sauce of Curried Banana soup touched with rum and finished with cilantro. A nice slab of seared Foie and tempura Lobster to top it off.

Served with: Rihaku “Dreamy Clouds” Nigori Sake

Bits and Pieces

"The blind dinner" A wine dinner to benefit the Somerset Blind center. All participants are blindfolded in the spirit of the evening.
The obstacle for me is to create items that are interesting, intriguing, thought provoking, flavorful, smell good, feel good, taste good, easy to eat, and don't have to look good.
It's hard to cut off that sense and create a menu that way.
But fun and challenging at the same time.
With items like the Sushi Lollipops (below post), Grilled Kielbasa and Sauerkraut cubes, mini tacos, and Foie Butter and Jelly sandwiches.

Twice cooked Squab

Squab Supreme, Poached in Foie Fat then Pan Roasted.

Truffled White Aparagus salad, Onion cracker, Soy Caramel.

Poaching in other liquids

The BASE of this dish is a slice of Butternut squash, cryovaced in Pineapple juice and cooked Sous Vide. The title of the dish as it apears on the website is: "Duck Breast" Confit, on pineapple braised butternut. beets and turnups, seared Foie Gras.

The thought is...Taking somethng and making it taste like something else. The Butternut squash takes on the pineapple juice so well that it makes its own flavor profile.