"The South" - YBF's November dinner recap in pictures

Ash and I preparing blini, insanely time critical. 

by Jessica


For the few of you, out there, who still read this blog, you may recall that we do dinners every so often. Since this websites launch, in the fall of last year, we have completed nine dinners. When I went back through all of my google docs to count all of the dinners we'd done, I was  underwhelmed by the results. Nine. Just nine.

Nine seems like such a small number for something that changed the lives of everyone involved. No I mean it - it really did. Not only do these dinners consume at least two full weekends of mine and Ashley's free-time, but they provide a means for our small group of friends to move towards something together. A shared goal. A meal. And a forum, for creativity, to push the envelopes of photography, design, technique and community.

This last time around was our first time doing a dinner since April, and it was our first time doing it in our new apartment. Needless to say - things were a tad rusty. Every time we do this dinner, Ash and I make it the night before, Laurel shoots each plate and we all enjoy the meal together and critique it till it's perfect for the next night when we serve it to our guests. This time around was not only the longest dry run (for the amount of courses we had) but it also ended up being my most critiqued, and therefore most changed menu as a result. So I've included the original images from the night before as well as what the dish ended up being. Enjoy!


All photos by Laurel!

This fall's theme was "The South." Which I chose to interpret based off of limited exposure to the South (one company trip to Atlanta where I had the best ribs of my life) and the world's collective nostalgia of what the South is. Which is a nice was of saying, stereotype. For the first time since our first YBF Dinner, we offered a beverage pairing as well. 

Course 1 

Four types of deviled quail eggs: (Clockwise from top) lemon and marscapone, Roaring 40's blue cheese with bacon and tumeric, churck potluck with mustard and paprika, roasted garlic and circus mustard; (Center) Yukon gold blini with goat's cheese mousse and parmesean crisp. 

Beverage pairing:

Sweet Tea Julep: Sweet tea blended scotch, calvados, lemon juice, peychaud bitters, sprig o' mint, crushed ice

Course 2

Sous vide baby back ribs with cherry balsamic bbq sauce, bourbon pecan grits and apple cranberry coleslaw

Beverage pairing: Cascade Sange Rouge

The above is a shot from the test night. Here's a shot of how we re-plated it the next night:

Course 3

Chicken fried duck legs, corn bread french toast, rosemary mac n' cheese

Beverage pairing: The Bruery Autumn Maple

The above image is from the night before, here's how it changed:

Maple "chicken fried" duck legs, french toast corn bread, macerated baby watermelon wedge

Course 4

Fried green tomatillo steam buns two ways: Bulgarian feta, cilantro, pickled carrots, sliced cucumber; and mozzerella, basil, reduced balsamic vinegar and pear. (Good on paper, not so much in execution)

Beverage pairing: The Bruery Orchard White

Here's how it changed:

Pork bellie steam bun, pickled carrots, cilantro onion and cucumber salsa, basil, black bean hoison sauce.

Course 5

Sweet potato almond donuts with brown butter bourbon ice cream

and here's how it looked the next night:

Lemon buttermilk bundt cake, brown butter bourbon ice cream, muscavado sugar

(we served the sweet potato donuts with the coffee and tea service since they ended up being better for dunking....)

Beverage pairing: 

The great pumpkin of 1940: Rum, cinnamon schnapps, pumpkin butter, sparkling apple cider, nutmeg laced heavy cream

El Fin!