Wednesday, November 21, 2007

Playing with Food with Wine

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Now that I have fully figured out the "Blogspot photo thing" - I think it is only fair to showcase Blue Canyon Restaurant again, since they were my first blog entry, and the photos looked terrible.

Tuesday, November 20, we attended the “Katie Lady Wine Dinner”. At $45 for 5 courses and 5 wines, this event was more than a bargain.

We began with a most playful course - Hawaiian Big Eye Tuna Snow Cones





Exquisitely fresh Tuna tartar tucked into a miniature sugar cone, topped with a Lemon sorbet, and a delightful Dried Apple Chip, and plated over Spiced Apple Puree, with a mild but tasty Curry Oil. The course was accompanied by the refreshing Lagaria Pinot Gris.



Next, we enjoyed a Scallion Pesto Crusted Tasmanian Salmon with a Lemongrass Nage. While I can't help comparing every salmon I encounter to Dominic Cerino's Copper River Kings, this fillet acquitted itself quite well, and was most satisfying paired with the Westerland Gewürztraminer, which was surprisingly dry for this style, but most tasty.


Duck Confit , Jorge Cheese Grilled Cheese on Housemade Roll, Sour Cherry Compote Topped With Thyme, Indian Spices. This was paired with one of my absolute favorite Pinot Noirs from Oregon - Cloudline. The 2006 is loaded with Cherry tones and also went dandily with Thanksgiving Turkey!





Hanger Steak Over Crispy Potato Pirogies, with a Grilled Fennel Cream. The Toad Hollow Zinfandel was a little sweet for a zin, but complimented the dish perfectly.



This dish made me go "uhmmmm." Perfectly cooked, rare hangar steak (you can see the red juices on the plate) over the most non-greasy potato pirogi -- house made, fried in a pan, then finished in the oven, according to Chef Brandt, which accounts for the crispy but not greasy texture outside. The inside was fluffy potato. And the Fennel Cream Sauce was plate licking good!

Susan Guel's dessert was a Pavlova with Berry Essences. This dessert sure made me salivate! Topped with a slice of dried mango and a sesame infused tulle, the bottom was crispy and filled with a creamy goodness that went well with the kiwi and strawberries. I am still waiting for Susan to bottle the raspberry sauce that accompanied this dessert - it is fresh and fantastic. The wine that accompanied this dish was St.Supre Muscato and it was delightful!



Blue Canyon's wine dinners offer tremendous value and flavor, and are a great way to dive in if you haven't yet been to this restaurant.

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