Adieu 2012, Salut 2013! New Year's Eve Dinner Menu

Below is the New Year's Eve menu I pulled together from a variety of inspirations with links to recipes below.  

Adieu 2012, Salut 2013!

Chez Aferiat

December 31, 2012

Menu: Happy New year !

~ Cocktails ~

French 75

Gin, Caster Sugar, Lemon juice, Champagne

Poinsettia Cocktail

Cranberry, Cointreau, Champagne

~ Amuse Bouche ~

Pickled veggies with celery root purée

~ Entrée ~

Butternut squash Creme Brulée

2010 Patricia Green Cellars Sauvignon Blanc, OR

~ Plat Principal ~

Crisp Red Snapper w/Zucchini & Tomato Jus w/

Ginger, saffron, cilantro, coriander, cumin, paprika drizzle

2007 Robin K./William Knuttel Pinot Noir, Sonoma Coast, CA

~ Les Fromages ~

Boucheron, Délice de Bourgogne, Roquefort, Sweet Grass(GA)

~ Salade ~

Arugula, balsamic infused melon, candied pecans, goat cheese

~ Desserts ~

Pièce Montée: Profiteroles

Chocolate Cake

2007 Quinta do Noval Porto Late Bottled Vintage Port Wine

January 1, 2013 12:00:01

Champagne Toast!

Picking favorites I'd say the butternut squash crème brûlée surprised the guests the most - the way you'd like to be: pleasantly.

Butternut Squash Crème Brûlée, a photo by atl10trader on Flickr.

Strawberry Ghosts for Halloween

Here's a fun recipe for a Halloween treat that makes for a great activity with the kids and a lasting memory.  This may very well become a fast tradition.

Juicy strawberries cloak themselves in white chocolate with a hint of almond flavor to make these treats frightfully delicious. Looking at some of these gave me a, "Oh, no! Mr. Bill" moment.



This recipe comes from Nancy Mueller of Highlands Ranch, Colorado.

Serves 30, Total time with prep: 30 minutes



Ingredients:

• 30 fresh strawberries
• 8 ounces white baking chocolate, chopped
• 1 teaspoon shortening
• 1/8 teaspoon almond extract (lemon would also work)
• 1/4 cup mini semisweet chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Wash strawberries and dry completely
2. Microwave at 50% power until melting the white chocolate and shortening in a safe bowl; stir until smooth, then stir in extract
3. Dip each strawberry in white chocolate mixture and place in a plastic container or baking sheet. Immediately press chocolate chips into coating for eyes. Freeze for 5 minutes
4. Melt remaining chocolate chips in microwave; stir until smooth. Dip toothpick into melted chocolate and draw a mouth on each face after the 5 minute freeze

New Year Dinner Menu

Tonight's Menu featured a main dish inspired from the excellent foodie site, Food Republic: http://www.foodrepublic.com/2012/09/11/pomegranate-brisket-recipe.  I can't say enough good things about how well the dish turned out.  Very flavorful. 

Very unfortunate however that I did not get a good enough shot of the final dish to show you.  In the new year I will resolve to plate one dish of all the courses ahead of time and perform the shoot before the company arrives.

Instead I have a picture of the magnum of champagne we enjoyed.  And wow was it an experience:  a 1998 Piper Heidsieck 'Rare' cuvée Champagne.  Notes of buttered toast, caramel, citrus - a rare treat indeed.  Wish I had more.  Because it was a magnum shared among 8 of us, I did use some of this juice in the cocktail at the beginning.  Some would consider this wasteful to mix such a standalone gem with anything, but if you believe in using the best ingredients, this one took the cocktail to a whole new level.  Only one-half glass each was used before switching to the Champagne in its pure form!

Wishing everyone a healthy Shana Tova worthy of many bubbly celebrations.

  

Homage to the Tomato

Tonight's dinner menu was inspired by tomorrow's Attack of the Killer Tomato Festival at Atlanta's JCT Kitchen:

Everything was cooked in my sous vide machine which is reclaiming its spot as an important culinary device thanks to the Vac Master P112 chamber vacuum sealing machine. Can't do sous vide without a good, functional vacuum sealer.  This duo will hopefully be working together for a while.

Above is the tomato and blueberry shooter with parmesan crisp.  Recipe: http://www.wildblueberries.com/recipes/tomato_shooter.php

Above is the tuna tartare. Recipe: http://www.zencancook.com/2012/02/ahi-tuna-tartare-w-avocado-crispy-shallots-soy-sesame-dressing-and-a-little-update/

It's a shame but when the evening gets going, I am often forgetful in taking pictures especially as the meal progresses!  The better the dish, the more likely I dive in without snapping a photo.  Will try to refrain in the future.

Some additional photos from another photographer who participated in the meal last night:

Saffron Scented Halibut

Plan Ahead for Next Year Using This Year's Thanksgiving Dinner Recap

Chez atl10trader Atlanta, GA, a photo by atl10trader on Flickr.

This will not happen next year.  It would be too soon to host 12 persons.  That's not as huge a number as you might guess but it includes parents and in-laws so it becomes more than just an exercise in eating food.  Fortunately everyone gets along amazingly well. But hey, next year it's someone else's turn.

Maybe yours?

Here then is a recap in photos along with some of the recipes of what made it to the table.  Oh and things get off to a good start by serving some non-vintage Champagne with warm cashews and almonds.

First Course

Thanksgiving Chez atl10trader Atlanta, GA, a photo by atl10trader on Flickr.

Roasted Fennel with Parmesan and Warm Radishes in Harissa Butter. Easy first dishes to excite guests.

Roasted Fennel for 12:

1. Clean 3 bulbs and cut off stalks.  Slice off the very bottom of the bulb.
2. Slice 1/4" thick the fennel and toss in a bowl with sunflower (or other high heat) oil, salt, pepper, and optionally a dash of zatar spice.
3. Line a cookie sheet with foil and spread the fennel on the sheet.  
4. I caramelized the fennel by cooking it at 325 degrees F at the bottom of the oven with the turkey for 2 hours and it turned out amazing OR
5. Cook the fennel at 400 degrees F for 45 minutes in the middle of the overn until a little char starts to form.
6. Drizzle with some good olive oil. Sprinkle with parmesan and serve warm.

Main Dish and Sides

Thanksgiving Chez atl10trader Atlanta, GA, a photo by atl10trader on Flickr.

Cider Braised Turkey with Lager Gravy Served with Mushroom, Celery, Caramelized Onion Stuffing, Green Beans with Shallot Vinaigrette, and Cranberry Compote

Cider Braised Turkey with Lager Gravy:

This recipe came straight from the pages of Food&Wine magazine November 2011.  I only substituted a kosher turkey for the steps involving salting the bird overnight.  A kosher turkey is an excellent way to enjoy a bird that retains its juices and cooks flavorfully.

The Wine

Thanksgiving Chez atl10trader Atlanta, GA, a photo by atl10trader on Flickr.

It's Pinot time and few are finer than Gary Farrell.

I'm sharing notes collected by CellarTracker.com.  I personally think the community way under scored the wine - possibly because many (including me) are drinking it a bit early. No matter. I gave this beauty a 93.  Excellent American Pinot showing restraint in offering notes of cherry, strawberry jam, and cola/hazelnut. Went perfectly with everything served.  Very enjoyable.

Dessert

Thanksgiving Chez atl10trader Atlanta, GA, a photo by atl10trader on Flickr.

My children hopefully will have permanent and fond memories of cooking these pies with their grandmother.  Featured above are apple, pumpkin, and my favorite, mince meat.  Even if I had the recipes for these beauties, I would not have the touch or hand to pull them off as good.

And that's one of the best ways to make hosting a Thanksgiving dinner possible: Make it a potluck.  Give everyone a task to do - even if it's to get out of the way: Go outside to toss a baseball or sweep the deck!

I'm most interested in your sides eaten at Thanksgiving.  Feel free to share in the comments.

BATON Supper Series at Gato Bizco Delivers Thanks to M. Wells

Gato Bizco Atlanta, GA, a photo by atl10trader on Flickr.

Gato Bizco is that feline themed restaurant across from the Flying Biscuit in Candler Park, Atlanta, GA that hosted this month's special guests: Hugue Dufour and Sarah Obraitis, the folks behind the recently closed, but widely praised Québeco-American diner M. Wells in Queens, NY.   

On the Line at Gato Bizco, a photo by atl10trader on Flickr.

It's such a tiny space - it makes a subway car seem spacious.  The mis en place is done in the back but the line, where the grill and 'à la minute' cooking is done, runs the length of the restaurant on one side followed by a row of stools, a slim path through, and a row of booths.   It reminded me of the food late night chefs and service types would be eating after work.  In fact Eli Kirshtein of Top Chef fame dined in a booth in the back. 

M. Wells Guest Chefs Menu, a photo by atl10trader on Flickr.

The three of us in my party rotated around 2 stools and passed wine glasses, dishes, aromas, to the sounds of Elvis Costello music.  I enjoyed the bonhomie on full display and sharing personal space with our server (in for the occasion from NY) and/or the couple next to us. On a busy Tuesday night Atlantans who dropped in and/or read about the previous night's success via Blissful Glutton/EatItAtlanta blogs, tasted the menu and agreed this was unique to Atlanta.  Imaginative, casual, technical, delicious, knockout dishes.  My favorite was a fois gras bread pudding.  It. Was. Incrediblely Good.  Below is the Beef Heart Tartare.

Beef Heart Tartare, a photo by atl10trader on Flickr.

The best description I can think of was an Atlanta restaurant mashup of Abattoir meets Nicolai's Roof who then go on a crazy bender and 3-way with Woodfire Grill and then decide to eat late night at the Righteous Room.  


Did I mention I ordered to-go half of a banana cream pie?  It had to be done.  Who eats banana cream pie? These questions don't belong in a place like this.  It's made and offered, you try it.  Only I went all in - for delayed gratification because I was filled to the gills. There's no way I could eat like that every night, but armed with a great Cote du Rhone, it was one night in a tight little corner of heaven.


UPDATE:  Read the interesting debate sparked from this event about foodie elitism, or an embrace of anti-elitism nonconformity.

Challenges of Cooking in Another's Kitchen: Parsnip Soup Shake

Here's my new go to recipe when I find myself in the following scenario: You're an invited guest at a wonderful home and asked to prepare a dish as part of an elaborate, festive meal. My simple rules in these cases:

1. Keep it simple: You're using unfamiliar equipment with a history of quirks that only the owner knows about. Don't rely on it other than to warm things up or boil water - go beyond this with an abundance of caution. A recipe with less than 7 easy ingredients will also keep you safe and things simple.
2. Be a supportive character: Don't upstage the main dish (too much :) This means be healthy. Avoid richness or heaviness that will detract from a main dish or bring unwanted attention to yours.
3. Be gracious, give credit to the chef/host, and clean up.

My previous go to recipe is still a great one and follows the rules above:

Green beans in a Shallot, Dijon vinaigrette. Trim the ends, steam them in a double boiler, and then (most important) immediately dress the vegetable with the vinaigrette (oil, vinegar, lemon juice). Season with salt and pepper.

I've upgraded my dish because it's so easy to make and such a crowd pleaser. So much for not upstaging the main dish! The soup is served in any glassware that you'd serve a milkshake in. A highball cocktail glass will also work. The sweetness of this soup comes from the natural sweetness the parsnips bring when roasted as well as from the caramelized onions. The tiny white chocolate drizzle is tiny - 1 tablespoon on top.

Depending on what's in season, I will switch between the two.

Parsnip Shake Soup with White Chocolate Drizzle & Cocoa shavings

Ingredients: Serves 4

1. 2 yellow onions, diced
2. 2 lbs parsnips, peeled and cut to 1/2 inch dice
3. 2 cups vegetable broth
4. 1 cup Greek plain low fat yogurt
   
   
5. 1/4 cup white chocolate chips
6. 1/4 cup milk or almond soy milk
7. pinch of cinnamon
8. dark chocolate shavings

Start with the onions. Put them in a saucepan with a little canola oil, salt and heat on medium high until fragrant and slightly translucent. Then cover and lower to a very low setting for 90 minutes - 2 hours. Check every so often too make sure they are not burnt or doing anything but releasing their juices.

Roast the parnsips. Line a cookie sheet with foil and a bit of cooking oil at 400 degrees F for 45 minutes or until they just start getting brown on the edges.

Combine all non-drizzle ingredients. Add the onions, roasted parsnips, vegetable stock to a pot and bring to boil then lower heat to medium-low and add yogurt. Use a handheld soup blender to reach a smooth texture. If the soup is too thick, add some stock. Ideally let the flavors combine and rest in the refrigerator overnight.

Drizzle. Carefully bring milk or almond soy to a near boil and add white chocolate chips. Stir constantly until chocolate is melted. Add pinch of cinnamon. Let cool but not settle.

To serve: warm the parsnip soup, fill a glass, add 1 tablespoon of drizzle on top, and sprinkle with chocolate shavings.

I've served this at the end of a meal, but I think its best at the beginning. I give all the credit for this creation to Executive Chef Drew VanLeuvan at ONE Midtown Kitchen in Atlanta, GA who served a version of this to me and my wife. I was blown away and determined to recreate its genius and creativity. Good luck!