tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19214002.post113397367399286332..comments2024-02-05T00:53:15.750-08:00Comments on Food Writer’s Diary: December 6, part II: DinnerBret Thornhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05421121059536730439noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19214002.post-1134231545664944802005-12-10T08:19:00.000-08:002005-12-10T08:19:00.000-08:00The portions were small.The portions were small.Bret Thornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05421121059536730439noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19214002.post-1134111573798666902005-12-08T22:59:00.000-08:002005-12-08T22:59:00.000-08:00Excellent question.I had raw, thinly sliced snappe...Excellent question.<BR/>I had raw, thinly sliced snapper with a salad of finely shaved vegetables, including carrot and a Japanese radish called daikon, pine nuts, thinly sliced pieces of fried garlic, and walnuts. At the table, the waiter drizzled it with hot sesame oil, cooking the fish slightly.<BR/><BR/>Next I had a slice of mango in a clear, sweet sauce<BR/><BR/>That was followed by a small pre-appetizer of sauteed chicken and scallions <BR/><BR/>Next came snapper with thinly shaved pieces of white truffle and slivers of ginger in a clear broth made from snapper<BR/><BR/>After that we were served finely diced raw tuna in a thin sauce made with lemon juice and wasabi -- a Japanese root sometimes compared to horseradish. On top of that was caviar, and the bone marrow of tuna whipped into a mousse. The tuna was drizzled with soy sauce mixed with sake.<BR/><BR/>Next we had fatty duck liver cubes dressed in teriyaki sauce, stuck on a skewer, topped with sesame seeds and grilled. It was served on the little grill on which it was cooked.<BR/><BR/>Then we had Spanish mackerel that was vacuum packed in plastic with a sauce of parsley, olive oil and garlic, and cooked in water at a temperature below the boiling point.<BR/>The Spanish mackerel had three garnishes. One was a little omelet with salmon and rice placed in the center. Then the edges of the omelet were gathered together around the filling and tied together in a little package. Sort of like that change purse I bought in Florence.<BR/>The second garnish was a small cantaloupe ball topped with a thin slice of salt-cured tuna. <BR/>The third garnish was a square of apple aspic topped with caviar.<BR/><BR/>Next we had pasta topped with cooked sea urchin and served in a sea urchin shell.<BR/><BR/>The next course was onion, scalloped potatoes and Japanese rice noodles, all baked together and then topped with soy milk that had been cooked down until all the liquid had been evaporated, making it crispy.<BR/><BR/>For dessert we had a chocolate soufflé filled with a sauce made from strawberry and sweet red beans. Next to the souffle was ice cream flavored with green tea.<BR/><BR/>We had another dessert, too: crêpes made with green tea, dusted with green tea powder and drizzled with a sweet sauce made from green tea.<BR/><BR/>I hope that helped. Give my love to Mom, Todd, Courtney, Helen, Tahirah and Harrison.<BR/><BR/>Say hi to the dogs.Bret Thornhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05421121059536730439noreply@blogger.com