Sunday, April 25, 2010

Living A Dream... With Compliments from Daniel Boulud

Last weekend was special. Very special.

I had the greatest honor of dining at
Daniel over the weekend. With compliments from the chef himself. Yes, Chef Boulud.

I shall not go into the nitty gritty of how I landed myself with that once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but I was definitely star-struck when I first had a phone conversation with Chef Boulud. He was in Florida that day for the Citymeals on Wheels charity event, but graciously offered to set up a dinner reservation that evening at his celebrated four-star restaurant on the Upper East Side... with his compliments.

I could not believe my ears.

It was by far the most spectacular dining experience I had ever had to date. Ever. The service was impeccable. Beyond outstanding, I dare say. Witnessing how guests were attended to was like watching a symphonic orchestra. From the dashing young man going around with the bread basket, to the charming maître d that greeted us warmly and ushered us to our table - everyone worked in harmony; every server moved in synchrony. I was in awe at how much passion each person had for their craft, no matter what it was.

And the food... the wine... Oh, where should I even start?

The maître d brought us a tasting menu and told us we could have anything from it.

Oh no, all of you are too gracious. Extremely gracious.

So then, we decided to leave our meal entirely up to the chefs. And I wondered if that was a mistake... but then again, who's complaining at all? If I have to say, it was a glorious mistake indeed.

MY DREAM MENU
(Some courses are accompanied with photos, but do pardon me for the unflattering lighting - the room was dimly lit)

KATAIFI CRUSTED MAINE LOBSTER
Broccoli Mousseline, Ricotta Salata, Lemon-Pine Nut Gremolata, Harissa Coulis
MAINE PEEKYTOE CRAB SALAD
Celery, Walnut Oil, Granny Smith Sauce

CEDAR WOOD WRAPPED KAMPACHI
Eggplant Caviar, Garbanzo Beans, Sauce Diable

BLACK SEA BASS WITH SYRAH SAUCE
Leek Potato Parmentier, Roasted and
Tempura Celery

SLOW BAKED ARCTIC CHAR
WITH SWEET MAINE SHRIMP
Cipollini Onion Marmalade, Glazed Salsify,
Dijon Mustard Chicken Jus

FOUR STORY HILL FARM VEAL TRIO
with Louisiana Crayfish
Roasted Tenderloin, Spring Garlic Confit
Crispy Sweetbreads, Artichoke Barigoule
Braised Cheeks, Young Turnips

DUO OF WAGYU BEEF
Red Wine Braised Short Rib
Chanterelle Marmalade
Seared Tenderloin
Chestnut-Potato Gnocchi, Swiss Chard

ASSORTMENT OF AMERICAN
AND IMPORTED CHEESES

WARM GUANAJA CHOCOLATE COULANT
Liquid Caramel, Fleur de Sel, Milk Sorbet
&
LYCHEE AND CRANBERRY VACHERIN
Candied Rose Petal, Crème Chantilly

MANJARI CHOCOLATE MOUSSE
WITH NOUGAT FOAM
Milk Chocolate Biscuit, Rwanda Coffee Ice Cream
&
ROASTED BANANA WITH BROWN SUGAR TUILE
Caramelized Macadamia,
Passion Fruit Banana Sorbet

(& THE SWEET FINALÉ...)

♥♥♥♥

I have to say that the photos don't do justice - though they'd have to suffice. The maître d and his team knew how much I simply adored the citrus madelines served with the tea. So much so...

...they surprised me with a box just before I left the restaurant.
How's that for four-star service? Let's not forget the absolutely beautiful wines that were paired with every course. Every dish worked in perfect synergy with the wines, and every mouthful was truly a mouthful of bliss. Complete. Utter. Bliss. Words can never describe how amazing that evening felt. I was living a dream.

And did I mentioned I had the chance to meet Chef Boulud when he returned from his charity event that weekend? I was almost speechless. Almost.

Pssst...! And I'm definitely looking forward to doing pastry at Daniel this summer!

P.S.- Will share more of my weekend gastronomic adventures in my upcoming posts... XOXO

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Summer On A Plate

It has been more than a week since I've arrived back at Ithaca from my amazing 7-day voyage around the Caribbean! Our little sojourn on board the ship was nothing short of spectacular.

Sights were breathtaking...

Sunsets were divinely romantic...

The ship was outstandingly charming...

...And needless to say, the food was a personification of pure joy.

Indulgence was definitely something people took for granted on board the ship. We relished in a plethora of decadent dinners, unending buffet spreads, on-board Vegas-style entertainment, and stunning off-shore explorations that left us gasping for more...

...And now, all we have left of the vacation are nothing but nostalgic remnants of sun-kissed memories, a folder's worth of still images (thanks to our trusty Canon Digital Ixus), and - why, of course - a mountain of calories to last us for... quite awhile.

La vie est belle, la vie est belle!

So back to school it is, but no one's complaining because the SUN IS OUT! Yes, the cherry blossoms blooming across the street from my bedroom window join me in ushering in the new season of sunshine and colors: "Hail, Spring Time!"

A bunch of friends and I had a tea party picnic by the Arts Quad last Friday. We made our own dips to go with crisp crackers - your choice of wheat or original - and a beautiful mixed salad of vanilla yogurt, crunchy granola and a medley of seasonal fruit. And what's a tea party without a moist, crumbly slice of summer pie? And so, I took the chance to whip up a lovely Peach, Yogurt & Almond Cake. The top came of toastier than I would have liked it to be, but that was because my housemates and I left the cake baking while we went out jogging. But no one's picking on sour grapes here: We agreed that it would give the cake a pleasant toasty-vanilla flavor. (Tsk, the glass is always half full.)
Everyone was in good spirits - and we ought to be anyway since it was the weekend and the weather was to-die-for. The tea party picnic was a blissful combination of flavorful dips and crackers, sweet cake, joyful laughter, lighthearted conversations and...
...Cranium. I am far from proud to admit a new discovery: Most of us definitely need more coaching in our artistic and creative departments. Nope, we couldn't mould the solar system using purple dough. Nope, neither could we hum to the tune of MJ's Thriller. And nope, we couldn't act like a hamster wheel (?!).

But what we could do, we did best.
We ate.
Left to Right, Clockwise: Sautéed Baby Bella Mushrooms; a slice of Peach Yogurt & Almond Cake; Vine-Ripened Tomatoes with Fresh Basil & Balsamic Vinegar; and a dollop of Spicy Avocado.
This is what I'll call Summer On A Plate.
No doubt about that.

P.S. - And who says that cakes can't be sun-kissed too?


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