May 26 (placed strategically six months away from Thanksgiving) was our first Epic Chef Day. As you might imagine, Epic Chef Day is a celebration of food. We both love to cook and bake, and we generally fill the house with tempting aromas as often as possible.
We planned two meals for our holiday, but a slight error on my part meant that Thursday morning breakfast will not make it into the hallowed annals of Epic Chef Day. Wednesday night dinner, however, was stupendous! I'm going to transcribe the account from our feast journal (an idea suggested to us by Mark's mother). Some recipes are included. If you want the recipe, let me know, and I'll send it to you. (Note: the pictures you see in this post are not from Epic Chef Day. We forgot to take any pictures of our creations. Oops! But all this talk about feasting required some kind of food pictures, so I pulled from past cooking adventures.)
May 25, 2011--Our First Epic Chef Day
Grocery Bill: $130 (including dinner and breakfast supplies)
Guests: Kate F---- and Jack B----
Arrived: 7:00 p.m., food served at 7:30 p.m.
Appetizers: "Crack" Broccoli
Description: Broiling gets the crisping done quickly while leaving that satisfying vegetable crunch intact in the broccoli. It's the best of cooked and fresh broccoli rolled around in a zesty mix of spices and cheeses. (And it's really easy to make!)
-2 heads of broccoli, florets only
-In a mixing bowl add: 2-3 T. canola oil, 1/3 cup finely grated parmesan cheese, 1/4 cup finely grated toscano cheese (with pepper crust), about 1/2 T. garam masala (coat the top of the oil), 2 tsp. lemon juice (or more), 1/2 tsp. salt; stir into paste
-Optional additions: paprika, chili powder, cinnamon, fresh ground pepper
-Add florets to spice paste and stir until broccoli is infused with coating (no puddles left in the bowl)
-Lay out broccoli in a single layer (no pieces touching) on a baking sheet
-Sprinkle with a little paprika and fresh grated parmesan cheese
-Broil just until the tips of the broccoli become brown and crispy; cheese will crisp, also
-Serve hot as finger food
Salad: Apple, Chèvre, and Maple-Toasted Walnut Salad
Description: We used fresh greens from our garden that have a little peppery flavor. This salad is as light as you want it to be, depending on how much goat cheese you add. Mark's dressing is zippy and a little sweet--it goes really well with the apples. We also had homemade croutons, which didn't hurt.
-Brush walnuts with maple syrup (diluted with water 3:1); spread out on a pan in (toaster) oven, 200-250ºF, until nuts begin to brown slightly in the middle
-On a bed of baby lettuce mix, scatter chopped tart apples, croutons, cherry tomatoes, walnuts, and small dollops of chèvre
-Dress with Gran Mark's dressing: take 1 cup of a basic balsamic vinaigrette (your favorite recipe or store-bought), add 2 T. of Gran Marnier, 2 T. maple syrup, and a pinch of salt. Shake vigorously.
Beverages: Cucumber Water, White Wine, and Ice Wine (separate)
Description: You wouldn't think water could get more refreshing than just water, but you would be wrong. Cucumber water is an EXCELLENT drink for hot summer evenings. Both wines were wonderful!
-Cucumber Water: finely slice 1-2 small cucumbers, 1/4 of a lemon, and 1/4 of an orange into a glass pitcher. Add water and let sit in refrigerator for 2-3 hours. Serve cold, with or without ice.
-White Wine (brought by Jack and Kate): Dona Ermelinda 2009 Palmela D.O.C.
-Ice Wine (dessert): Renwood 2009 Zinfandel, Amador Ice
Main Course: Savory Tart of Chanterelles, Swiss Chard, and Emmentaler, White Dog Cafe Cookbook, pg. 170-171
Description: Mark's goal was to make a main dish that met my vegetarian diet restrictions but didn't leave him looking for the meat. This did the trick. Layers of Swiss cheese, mushrooms, and chard wrapped in a flaky crust . . . let's just say that no one went away hungry! The smell is intoxicating, but eating it is pure delight.
-We added sauteed leek scapes to the chard
-Chanterelles were dried and reconstituted; fresh shitakes were used to augment mushroom flavor/texture
-Pie dough adapted from Cook's Illustrated Sept./Oct. 2010 issue
Dessert: Strawberry Mini-pies and Cream Puffs
Description: Fresh strawberries in the springtime are hard to beat. The filling is made of smashed strawberries and cornstarch, so there's no artificial flavors competing for your attention. They were very, very popular. The cream puffs were no less delicious--a light dough filled with a Boston Cream type custard. The rich chocolate glaze didn't hurt, either. :)
-Strawberry pies adapted from White Dog Cafe Cookbook, pg.250. 1/2 recipe. 1/2 recipe of pie dough (Cook's Illustrated) prebaked in muffin tins. Topped with Vermont whipped cream.
-Cream Puffs: recipe in progress
It was delicious! And, if I may wax reflective for a moment, it was actually quite touching for me. I love our new holidays! They are a conscious step back from obligations--even the obligations that come with Christmas and Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day can be trying at times. Our holidays give us a concrete means of living fully into the things we love. We invite abundance into our lives; we celebrate for the sheer joy of it. I don't think we'll ever be able to go back. Epic Chef Day is now, irrevocably, a part of our lives. And we welcome it, as it were, with all our hearts!
