I realized today that there is a need for a Menus category. Sometimes it’s helpful to know what things to pair together. I think perusing menus could be its own pastime for me. It’s definitely an inspiration. There is also something incredibly rewarding about reading the description of a menu item. The way the words are so poetically written with thought and intention to wet your palate before you even smell the food. It’s a beautiful invitation.
My goal with this category is to present menu items that will create a delicate accord with one another for whatever the intention of the meal, while also offering recipes for each of those items for you to follow. That way, you have a bit of a roadmap to recreate the exact same meal. In this case, I am going to share the menu with you first and then work on building the recipes for you to follow.
I am beginning with one that is very dear to my heart and also the inspiration for me. My husband, Mike’s and my wedding day menu. This past year, for our 15th anniversary, I attempted to recreate the entire menu for him. It turned out amazing and while I can’t really say whether it matched in comparison to the original, I do think it was a great success.
Out of all of the specific ingredients and components of the menu, the one I was most intimidated by was the Gratin of Rainbow Chard, primarily due to its bitter flavor. I was blown away by how much baking the chard in the heavy cream and parmesan cheese really sweetened it up. It turned out to be one of the hits of the show. Especially once it was served underneath the Pan Roasted Alaskan Halibut (I cheated here and used Mahi-Mahi since I couldn’t find any fresh Halibut). The flavors balance one another in an amazing way.
Side note, I have to give tremendous credit to our sweet friend, Emily Mort, who made this menu and that incredible dining experience possible for us! She is a rockstar in so many ways.
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