Happy New Year!! So glad, its twenty-ten. Aren't you?
During the much needed recess from all-day-everyday- 24/7-life. I took a moment (when I say moment, I mean 4 days) to put some order in mine. Throw out things that are no longer valuable, sitting in a pool of Ziplock bags , organizing, labeling, wrapping and storing, etc...
Not out of the clear blue sky, I came across THIS menu from a dinner party in September '08.
And once in a while, we think about the occasions in our lives that make us stop to savor. Thankful for all our senses. Thankful that there are people who devote their lives to gastronomy, grateful that wine was discovered and Dom Perignon invented the bubbly stuff.
One such occasion was the birthday dinner my dear-dear friend Karen hosted for her fiance, Kirk and our loveliest friend (one of the most fun people I've ever met) Alyson.
In true foodie fashion, Karen hosted this at Citronelle. And it was a ten. All of it is / was a 10.
One such occasion was the birthday dinner my dear-dear friend Karen hosted for her fiance, Kirk and our loveliest friend (one of the most fun people I've ever met) Alyson.
In true foodie fashion, Karen hosted this at Citronelle. And it was a ten. All of it is / was a 10.
Chef's Table
(L-R: Kirk, Alyson, Michel, Patty, Susie, Jeff and Karen)
Ten courses with sub-courses (eg. amuse bouche had 3 parts to it) and each course, of course, with wine accompanying. Right, ten courses and loved them all. But we always have our favorites, even if we don't admit them. Unabashed, my here were my favorites (in order)....
- Carpaccio Mosaic: experts say we eat with our eyes first. Well, this dish was so pretty, I wish Emilio Pucci would replicate the print on a micro wrap dress or something I can wear to dinner at Central. Too gorgeous to eat, but eat I did. Excellent. There were maybe 12 components to this mosaic and every component came alive at each bite. It was fresh and bright and even if each ingredient was so delicately paper thin, it had bite.
- Alaskan Sable Marinated in Sake-Miso: two words that will usually get my attention: Alaskan + Sable; two other words that'll make my head turn: Sake + Miso and then the dish was introduced with these two words: Sous Vide and my heart skipped a beat. I believe I was making sounds at the table my mom would not be happy with. But sometimes, you just can't help yourself. I'm not sure when the sake + miso turned into honey but it did. The sable fish sous vide made it succulent, almost pillowy; then broiling the fish in the sake-miso it had been immersed in turned into this caramel that coated the sable fish.
- Homemade Kit Kat: Seriously, when I was maybe 10 or even younger, my parents could get me to do anything with the sight of that square chocolate bar wrapped in its fire engine red wrapper - happily called Kit Kat. Eighteen years later, I thought Kit Kat by Nestle was the it in indulgences. Kit Kat was right up there with Screaming Eagle, Foie Gras, a 2-hour deep tissue massage and... well you get the picture. Then lo and behold, Michel's homemade Kit Kat came to the party and I never touched the stuff in the red wrapping again. Michel's Kit Kat was made from this dark chocolate that walked the tightest rope between bitter and sweet. Crunch, yes definitely. But crunchy in Mille-Feuilles fashion with a surprise of this cream filling. It put a smile on my face.
Heart-warming evenings just like this one are not the cause of one thing or even two things: they really are the immersion of many good things. Life elevating food, yes. Esoteric wines with names we cannot pronounce, of course. Ambiance that's electric, absolutely. But these things would appear dull if not wrapped with the bow of good people around a dinner table. Wonderful conversation right along with contagious laughter is the X factor. It is happy-happy, joy-joy. Thanks Karen for hosting us.
Alyson, Michel and yours truly.
(Apparently I should stop drinking once I can't feel my cheeks. We're way beyond numb now... they're red)
Alyson having fun with the guys, I mean chefs.
I could go on... but there's really no need. If you're reading this, you should include this sacred place for American cuisine in your to-do, to-visit, hey even your bucket list. Coincidentally, when we were sitting at chef's table, Michael Mina walks into the kitchen to greet the guys, I mean chefs. So yeah, if Michael-I-Can-Dissect-Your-Entree-Into-Three-Components-Mina comes to visit and enjoys, you should too.
What's next? Scrambled Scallops. (Hopefully, I find my Dremel's rotary blade by then. Will need the Dremel for this one)
Music: No music this time. However, NCIS reruns were playing in the background.
C'ya!
