Saluting a Mentor and Master

When cooking for someone of importance, there is an undeniable motivating energy that comes while doing so.  You have an extra "umph" to your slice, an extra "snap!" to your dice.  When I first got out of school, I made a goal of setting a standard: "Never put out a plate that you wouldn't be proud of serving one of your instructors [from CIA]."  I still use that credo today.  But, when you're cooking to posthumously honor someone- and a very famous someone at that- not only do you step it up, but you feel a twinge of apprehension and a pang of pensiveness.  "Must- not- mess- this- up."  

Mind you, high-end restaurants do their best work when the conditions are just right.  That is, the tone is set by the chef and drives the rest of the kitchen.  Create some "healthy anxiety" (as Charlie Trotter would say) and you'll get a lot more out of your people.  They know it, too.  When preparing the same food, day-after-day, this kind of diversion can be a welcomed change in the line-up.  Such as it was earlier this month at The Whist Club.  We honored the late Julia Child on what would have been her 100th birthday with a special Chef's Table event.  All the courses were chosen from or inspired by her essential cookbooks and ground-breaking cooking show.  

As I spent the days leading up to the dinner, I became engrossed in Julia's books (Mastering the Art of French Cooking Vols. 1&2 and The French Chef).  Having met Julia while employed by the Virginia Hotel in Cape May as dining room manager, I felt a certain connection that brought me back to her memorable presence.  And, what's not to love about her off-the-cuff, self-deprecating style of charm?  You can actually hear her voice when you read the recipes.  I can't say that about very many cookbooks I own.  And so, with precision and determination, my team performed admirably.  A great time was had by all.  Here is the menu and some shots from the dinner.

THE CHEF’S TABLE

at the

UNIVERSITY and WHIST CLUB

of WILMINGTON

CELEBRATES JULIA CHILD’S

100^TH BIRTHDAY

AUGUST 16, 2012

Diner en Bleu
a nod to Julia's alma mater, Le Cordon Bleu

RECEPTION

MOUSSE DE FOIE DE POULET

PALMIERS GOURMANDES

Gosset Brut Excellence, NV

Outstanding, robust style of sparkling
from the oldest Champagne house in France

Chicken Liver Mousse, p. 559 Mastering the Art of French Cooking  Vol. 1, here on toasted brioche with fig jam and chervil

Our version of "palmiers" or elephant ears- savory;
one with sundried tomatoes, the other with pesto and goat cheese

AMUSE BOUCHE

RIZ DE VEAU

VEAL SWEETBREADS, BEECH MUSHROOM, COGNAC

A not-so-timid bite to begin:
dusted lightly in almond flour with cognac demi-glace and mushroom

FIRST COURSE

POTAGE AU CRESSON

WATERCRESS SOUP WITH POACHED OYSTERS

Domaine du Carrou Sancerre "La Jouline"

Vieilles Vignes 2010

Velvety and fresh- the oysters from Cape May (Salts), NJ

SECOND COURSE

SOLE À LA NORMANDE

FILLETS OF SOLE WITH SHELLFISH, MUSHROOMS AND TRUFFLES

J.M. Boillot Meursault, 2008

Delicate fillets of Dover sole with shrimp-scallop vin blanc,
black truffles and mushroom

INTERMEZZO

MOUSSE AUX PECHE, GLACÉE

PEACH SHERBET

with candied ginger

MAIN

BOEUF À LA BOURGUIGNONNE

BRAISED BEEF, RED WINE, HAND-CUT NOODLES

Château Bahans Haut-Brion, Pessac-Leognan, 2000    

Julia recommends buttered peas- but, we couldn't resist the Doc Martin limas we got earlier that day.

Hand-cut pappardelle noodles for the stew.

CHEESE

TOMME DE SAVOIE, PICO, SAINT AGUR

AND ÉPOISSES; SUGAR PLUMS

DESSERT

VIENNESE CARDINAL SLICE

Mas Amiel Muscat de Rivesaltes, 2009

layered meringue, genoise, espresso mousse with almond Anglaise

MIGNARDISES

PETIT FOURS AND MACARONS  

As always, a little last few bites: apricot petit fours, chocolate-cherry and strawberry macarons.

EXECUTIVE CHEF ROBERT A LHULIER

SOUS CHEFS ANDREW RAMAGE and STEPHEN SETH

PASTRY CHEFS DEBORA SAIENNI

and MICHAEL PRESKE

UPDATE:  See a feature article in the Wilmington News Journal that ran today on the dinner!  And more photos on the Second Helpings Blog.

RE-UPDATED: Ok- and now some video, too!  This from Signature Brandywine Editor Lucia Blackwell (also in attendance for the dinner).