February 7th - Recap Images of Six Course Menu Based On Love

So last Sunday we did our last YBF Two Week Dinner, for awhile, for eight of our family and friends. It was a grand time. Tyler and I have been planning on taking March off for awhile now (from doing our dinners) to rethink, re-brand, and re-focus this blog and our dinners. So this last meal needed to be a fun one. I knew I wanted to do something with the theme of love, but in a more ironic or witty way than making everything heart shaped and pink. Also, Tyler had been working tirelessly on a few bread recipes, so I knew I wanted to be able to utilize his fresh bread the best I could. He also surprised me, late in the game, with making his own cheese. 



Most of this menu was influenced by my new cookbooks by Thomas Keller, The French Laundry Cookbook and Under Pressure. Unlike other dinners I've worked on, this one didn't employ many nods to the world of molecular gastronomy. Instead, I wanted to learn about the science of food in far less manipulative procedures. So I relied on a few recipes from both books. The tongue and bread pudding dish was completely Thomas Keller's, I only made minor tweaks because of time.  Also, the potato crisps in the first course were from The French Laundry, and is such a simple process that I really wish I'd thought of it. The pasta dish I created utilizes Keller's recipe for pasta dough, and it's the best I've come across yet. All that to say, I'm amazed by Keller's simple and beautiful combination of ingredients and items. It's been quite a fun learning experience, and I'm looking forward to trying more recipes and learning more techniques from the pages of both his great books. 


My brother was so kind to give up his Saturday and part of his Sunday to shoot this latest meal for us. Enjoy the following photos from Grayson. Oh. And happy Valentine's day. w00t.

Be Mine

Cultured cream panna cotta, potato rosemary chip 

I ♥ U

Quail bacon deviled eggs;

Endive hearts, green apple, chicken hearts, pine nut cream cheese, black olive puree; 

Artichoke hearts with eggplant caviar, marscapone, truffle oil, and parm chip, 

3 Love Letters

Tyler's fresh goat cheese with raisin love letters, brown butter, fried sage, diced chevril

Hugs and Kisses
Corned beef tongue and pain perdu (made with Tyler's baguettes)
Pork shoulder confit with fennell puree, celery root mashed potatoes, and fenell staulks, bordelaise syrup

Love stinks. Cheese plate.
Dried wine grapes (raisins), honey comb, quince paste

From left to right: Vermont Shepherd, Raw Sheep, Midgnight Moon Goat Gouda, Cypress Grove Truffle Tremor, Rogue River Blue Raw Cow

Not pictured: An assortment of Tyler's homemade bread; raisin, pecan and nutmeg loaf; Iberico cheese bread; French baguettes; and rosemary and olive baguettes 

Thai-m for love
White chocolate covered peanut, lime and hoison sauce truffle

Thai iced tea cake, dipped in dark chocolate, thai tea soup