Meditations

Holiday 2005 French Extravaganza


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This holiday season we decided instead of just making restaurant reservations for our company holiday dinner, Ben and Mark would cook a gourmet nine course French meal paired with a carefully selected wine flight. A good test of our French cooking skills to be sure! So, we cracked open Anthony Bourdain‘s Les Halles cook book with the help of our good friend Colin, a gourmand and wine expert, and got to work. With a bit of planning and a whole lot of elbow grease, we managed to pull off a pretty classy meal with our own hands. We even managed to invent some original “sans viande” dishes for our resident vegetarian.

Everyone had a wonderful evening together and went home with full bellies and some new flavour experiences to remember. Happy holidays!

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1st Course
Miyagi and Pacific Rim Oysters on half shell with champagne mignonette
Vegetarian: French Roquefort, Compte and Taleggio cheese platter accompanied with cornichon pickles and two kinds of grapes.
Wine Pairing: Pierre Sparr, Cremant D’Alsace Brut Reserve

2nd Course
Blanched asparagus with hollandaise
Wine Pairing: Pascal Jolivet, Sancerre “Les Caillottes”, 2004

3rd Course
Mushroom soup with white truffle oil
Wine Pairing: Lustau, Dry Oloroso Sherry “Don Nuno”

4th Course
Coquille St. Jacques (scallops gratinéed)
Vegetarian Potato & shallot stuffed ravioli served with rosemary, walnut infused brown butter.
Wine Pairing: Chateau du Cray, Montagny Premier Cru, 2002

5th Course
Steak Tartare
Vegetarian: Curried chick peas
Wine Pairing: Dirty Laundry, Pinot Noir, 2003

6th Course
Passion Fruit Sorbet

7th Course
Boeuf Bourguignon
Vegetarian: Portabella mushroom stuffed with hazelnut, pear, potato and carrot with thyme and leek.
Wine Pairing: Chateau Mont-Redon, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, 2000

8th Course
Roquefort stuffed Medjool dates with toasted hazelnuts
Wine Pairing: Taylor Fladgate, 20 yr. old Tawny Port

9th Course
Mandarin orange Creme Brulee
Wine Pairing: Paul Jaboulet Ainé, Muscat de Beaumes-de-Venise, 2004

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