Not with a whimper, but with a bang, does my blog begin. In less than two weeks I will be hosting a dinner for my girlfriend and five of her closest friends. This dinner will consist of twelve course, three of which are palate-cleansers, one of which is a dessert. Most of the recipes are from The French Laundry Cookbook. Like Carol Blymire, of the famous "French Laundry At Home" blog, I am attempting to cook everything in The French Laundry Cookbook. I am perhaps being much less methodical about it than Carol was, as I only seem to attempt these recipes when a special occasion calls for it, such as my girlfriend's birthday. Anyways, here's the menu:
I'm hoping that in starting this blog I might find myself becoming a little more regimented in my approach to cooking, and in my life in general. By regimented I mean only more orderly, and most importantly, more goal-oriented. I have vague ideas on what I want to do with my life, but certainly nothing concrete. I'm not a "ten-year-plan" kind of person, not even close. I wouldn't even consider myself a "one-year-plan" kind of person. I'm hoping to change that, and in starting something that requires diligence and self-motivation, I'm taking my first tentative steps.
So, let's begin, shall we? I did a similarly extravagant dinner for my SO a couple of years ago, and it was a huge success. That meal was six courses (not counting the palate cleansers), and they were:
Smoked Salmon Tartare with Red Onion Creme Fraiche
Poached Duck Foie Gras Au Torchon with Pickled Berries
Apple Sorbet with Calvados Liqueur and Chervil
Butter-Poached Lobster with Creamy Lobster Broth and Mascarpone-Enriched Orzo
Lime and Basil Sorbet
Braised Beef Short Ribs with Root Vegetables and Sauteed Bone Marrow
Corsu Vecchiu with Spiced Carrot Salad and Golden Raisin Puree
Dark Chocolate Raspberry Cake with Chocolate-Ginger Mousse
And that's all I have the patience to post right now. It's a real pain adding images to my blog, I must say... More to follow, including all my prep for the upcoming meal, as well as the meal itself!
