Courses 4 and 5

Oyster Cog Au Vin
with Oyster Mushrooms, Scallop and Rhubarb Mignonette. Served with: Domaine Jean-Claude Belland Santenay 1er Cru "Comme" 2002 Cote De Beaune
Baer and Jamin' hard at work.


Pork Bourguignonne a la French Onion.
Red wine braised Pork ribs, shredded and mixed with truffle stewed Maitakes and carmelized onions over top french onion broth and a crouton loaded with Primma Donna cheese.
Anytime I think of French Onion soup, I think of two people: Wilson and Randy, Wilson freakin loves french onion soup and Randy makes awesome French Onion soup. All I can say, is that I truely believe they would both have loved this dish.
Served with: Domaine Tortochot Gevrey-Chambertin "Les Jeunes Rios" 2005 Cote De Nuits

Seabass Civiche

Third Course, Burgundy Wine Dinner


California Sea Bass Civiche with Chorizo, Sopresatta and Truffle Fingerling Confit
Served with two wine pairings: Domaine Alain Patriarche Meursault Vielles Vignes 2006 Cote De Beaune
and: Domaine Jean Touzot Macon Villages Vielles Vignes 2006 Maconnais

I really enjoy doing wine dinners this way. We sit down and taste a bunch of wine before the food is perceived, as I taste I just try to place what smells and flavors I get and the dish can come to life at that second.
The smells off the two wines really made the dish here. The Touzot gave of smells of truffle and grapefruit while the Meursault reminded me so quickly of cured meats and anti pasta platters.
So, I just put the two together.

Roasted Peach and Lobster Thermidor

Course two for the Burgundy Wine Dinner.
Served over Carrot Chow Chow and served with: Franciois Servin Chablis 1er Cru "Montee De Tonnerre" 2005

Burgundy Wine Dinner

Course One.
Beets and Beet sheets with Goat Cheese and a Raspberry Lemon Butter Foam, Flur De Sel Pop Rocks.

When Smelling the Sparkling Wine, the first thing you get is Raspberry and Citrus and hints of sweetness. The Pop Rocks added a little bubbly of their own.

Beet Leaves

From Lambert Farms.
Of course with Goat Cheese.

Sausage

Jamin' and I decided to play around with some charcuterie. I think we need a little more practice. The flavors were there for the most part....
but, the texture of the final product just isn't right. It wants to just crumble apart.

Good Combo

Ajowan seared Tuna, Truffle curry carrot puree, basil syrup, Pea shoots tossed in wasabi honey olive oil with a roasted corn hash. Not the prettiest thing, but damn tasty all together.

Randy's Last Day

Randy's been at the restaurant for three years or so. He was the dishwasher working on the night I flew in to do my tasting interview almost two years ago. I fed him a couple things he never had before, told him that my brothers name was also Randy, he smiled slightly and nodded. All he ever wanted to do was listen to music, play drums and clean. You gotta love that. He would walk around tapping the bottom of the mixing bowls just to hear the different pitches just before he put them away clean on the shelf. Everything was an instrument in some fashion.
He had a couple things he wanted to do on his last day, hell, some of the things done in the past should have been saved for 'last day antics" but what fun is that.?
Prior to working with Randy, my dishwasher experience was mostly in the world of crack heads, ex-cons, the mentally challenged or mentally unstable, work- release, or the "one paycheck" guys. At this point, Randy could do whatever he wanted to......and I knew he wouldn't take advantage of it. He just like doing dishes.
I've seen this guy scrub the grout in the kitchen with a toothbrush...........without being asked!

Randy's now enrolled at a college in Gettysburg to learn more about sound and music.

He has a job whenever he needs one here.

Ideas In Food Dinner

Anyone who reads my blog knows that I'm a huge fan of http://www.ideasinfood.com/ and have been for several years, around the time they started blogging. They recently did a dinner in Charleston at a restauraunt I used to work at (and in a town I miss greatly) McCrady's , so as soon as I heard about the dinner I knew this was my chance to eat some of Alex and Aki's food along with Sean , the Chef of McCrady's.

After months of antisipation the menu was finally in front of me, as I read it trying to imagine how these items will be presented on the plate and how they were prepared.

A brief introduction to a room of mostly familiar faces from the food and beverage industry and then it starts.

Very interesting note, the dinner had two choices of wine pairings to choose from, a $50 option or a $100 option. Being somewhat frugile and actually liking some of the choices being represented on the $50 option, that's what both my brother and I decided on.

Toasted Farro Ice Cream

Wild Char Roe, Cucumber, Honey jelly

Paired with: Sherry "cream" Pat Aragon

My favorite pairing of the night easily.

Chilled Scallop

Chantrelle Mushroom, Apricot Puree, Arugula

Paired with: Viognier, La Paradou 06

Stone Crab Claw

Vaudovan, Pototo Links, Kimchee Ketchup

Paired with: Reisling, Monchof estate, mosel 06

The Vaudovan was a curry butter mixed into some more crab meat that had some staying power. All very good, although I just didn't get the potato links.

Local Shrimp

Cattails, Gin and Juice

Paired with: Txkoli, Gurrutxaga, Bizaiko, Spain 06

Never had cattails before, always saw them in the swampy areas growing up, but until this night, didn't know they could be eaten.

Crowder Peas

Austrailan black Truffle, Brown Butter Puree, Parmigiano Reggiano

Paired with: Corvina, Allegrini, Palazzo della Torre" Veneto 03

I love Crowder Peas and mixed with the Parmesen, that's really all I needed.

Foie Gras Fragments

Butternut Squash, Sandy Olives, Cornbread Struesel

Paired with: Muscat de Rivesaltes, Ey, "Vigne Lo Clavell" 05

Easily one of my favorites of the night, the julienne squash had an amazing role in this flavor heavy dish. All the textures worked together to balance one another, except for one that was way too hard almost like raw grits, but was forgivable do to the rest of the dish and the pairing.

Crab Tail

Corn Blanket, Chow Chow, Wood Ear Mushrooms

Paired with: Victory, Hop Devil IPA

Just a great dish, in flavor and presentation, my first time having Crab Tail reminded me of Sea bass a little.

Root Beer braised Short Ribs

Stewed Garden Tomatoes, Garlic Whistle Sauce, Chives

Paired with: Dolcetto d'Alba, Cantina del Pino 06

No root beer flavor left after the long slow poach, but the remaining flavors paired with the incredible stewed tomatoes was just awesome. The Plancha sear gave this dish an amazing smoked rib flavor and the wine added so much of the braising nose back to it.

Pork Loin

Desirre Potato Puree, Sun Gold Tomatoes, Pickled Watermelon Rind

Paired with: Syrah, Domaine Serene, "Rockblock-SoNo" Oregon 05

Trefoil Cheese

Chrentias Melon Marmelade, Nasturtium

Paired with: Tawny Port, Rosemount, Australia

Awesome pairing. Melon done on a sheeter and filled with a semi firm jelly like marmalade

Raspberries

Eucalyptus Sorbet, Clear Whey

Paired with: Brachetto d'Acqui, sparkling Dolce, banfi 05

Another great pairing. Dippin dots and whipped whey.

Butterscotch and Peaches

Paired with Sauternes, Chateau halliet 05

Six hours later, I'm sad to say that I couldn't hang out and talk to old co-workers and pick the brains of the Chefs that prepaired the meal, it was just to late in the evening.