Service question

[chef1x]

Those of who use steamer trunks as our dinner table picked up a couple of bamboo placemats. They look kind of like those sushi roller things. They might blend in well with the wood and you solve your bare-wood dilemma. Easy to clean, etc.
Sooo, what's the menu. I like living vicariously.

[phoebe]

CC, I love the herb bouquet idea too. Are any of them flowering?

Kuan, yes, please tell us the menu, but can't you also give us the guest list? Or is posting their names on the forum too gauche. Personally, I'd be honored if I were invited to one of your dinner parties.

[kuan]

Tonight's dinner is for Grammy winners Nadja Salerno-Sonnenberg and the Assad brothers from Brazil, Sergio and Odair. Now I know some of you hotel chefs see celebrities in your hotels all the time, but this is Minnesota, and I'm also a musician (wannabe) in another life. So very exciting for me, even more than meeting say, Jack Welch (yawn).

So... the menu is:

For starters... pao de quejo (brazilian cheese bread)

1) Chicken "weisswurst" with basil oil, balsamic glace
2) Scallops with citrus beurre-blanc and shallot confit
3) Intermezzo, tropical fruit and champagne sorbet
4) Lamb "ribeye" with fava bean ragu
5) Asparagus salad with shaved prosciutto, parmesan, pinenuts
6) Lavender scented cheesecake
7) Miniardes

I left out the garnishes, too much to write.

Kuan

[phoebe]

Oh Kuan, the menu is exquisite! Is this what you do? It's really impressive. I feel like I get to know you folks on lots of levels, but what I (we all) miss out on is the food. I would love to see, smell, touch and taste these wonderful dishes. How many wines? One for each course?

But I'm also knocked out about Salerno-Sonnenberg! I saw her perform ten or twelve (or fifteen?) years ago. I didn't know who she was (a friend couldn't use his tickets), so I was utterly unprepared for her artistry and her performance level. Other than Leonard Bernstein, I don't think I've ever seen such passion on-stage from a "classical" performer. What a gas that you are cooking for her!

[thebighat]

My wife and I saw Nadja Salerno Sonnenberg at the Gardener Museum in Boston, playing The Suite from Pulcinella. Quite a lovely afternoon. You had to be there.

[katbalou]

dear kuan,
how did the dinner go? and don't tease us with the menu, how about the recipes? please?
kat

[cape chef]

Kuan,

Congratulations on such a prestiges gig.

When you come down from your high fill us in.

[panini]

a nice little thread. Just wanted to add that I'm really glad that Phoebe is no Martha S. And I really don't think that setting all the course utensils is pretentious. I actually prefer this, especially in smaller settings, it's keeps the traffic down and I especially dislike a server carrying more then one setting and circling around the table like a busser resetting a table. Just my 2cents.
pan

[kuan]

What an awesome dinner. They clapped at every course! HAHA what performers they are, they really appreciated it. Nadja is super nice, and the Assads are great people as well. I spoke with Odair about guitar and guitar music for about 10 minutes in the kitchen. I admit, I was starstruck being so close to them. But I got over it after they came in the kitchen and starting poking around! Nadja offered to make HER version of caiparinha (sugar cane alcohol, lime juice and sugar, crushed ice) which she did like a pro. Sergio Assad proclaimed the Pao de Quejo BETTER than the stuff he has to import from Brazil!! He also asked for the recipe! **STRUT** THEN... they invited me to the concert on Saturday (sold out) and told me they would leave two tickets for me and my wife at the box office! I got a hug from Nadja before they left.

What a great night!

Kuan

[kuan]

Hrm... recipes? Well... I don't have any. Let me try and recall... for the chicken weisswurst I boned one chicken, removed all the skin. Made a white stock out of the bones first. Then to make the weisswurst you take the chicken, cut into cubes, sprinkle with a little salt and pepper, and put it in the food processor. Add about 1 cup cream and one whole egg. Remove, pass throughs strainer to remove all the sinew, and then add some chopped parsley. Then you stuff it into the casings. After that I quick cured it for about 4 hours using simple cure solution... 1qt. water, 1/4 cup kosher salt, touch of curing salt. To cook, immerse the sausage in the chicken stock and simmer.

It's not done yet.

You cool it and reheat it later for use. Put some water in a pan and slowly steam it. It will plump up just like a hot dog

For the cheesecake I used 1:1:1 creamcheese, sugar, eggs. For the lavender I steeped lavender in some brandy and made a lavendar "tea" which I used instead of like vanilla. I used individual souffle cups and unmolded it for service. Garnished with a tuile butterfly sitting atop a royal icing flower. Simple creme anglaise and strawberry sauce. You know with the dots and then draw the knife through to make the heart People love that for some reason.

I made instead of miniardes (too much time) some florentine cones and filled them with different mousses. Put them all on a plate and had the host serve them with coffee.

Well, that's all the recipes I can give you. I'm not a recipe kinda fella. I'm a cook

Kuan

[cape chef]

Sounds like fun




http://www.startribune.com/stories/1646/3584265.html

[chef1x]

Wow Kuan!

Nice job! Sounds truly fantastic!

Thanks for the great recipes as well.

So I guess you weren't too worried about the bare table, ehh?

One for the record books I would say.

[catciao]

Kaun, I just read through this whole thread and I've gotta say, I am so impressed. I'm just at the beginning of my culinary career and this is very inspiring.

[chiffonade]

I'd put a runner on each side of the table - or some d@med upscale looking place mats. If there was a rock solid rule against fabric on the table - I'd use a charger and hope for the best.

[Suzanne]

Bravissimo, Kuan!