January 8, 2007
Donna
Champagne Feast
This past Sunday was our Food Group get together at my house. The theme was Champagne; you know how much I loved that. We out did ourselves from soup to dessert. We decided to be a lot more organized this time. In the past, we have had an over abundance of food. It worked out perfectly with one draw back, no leftovers.
I made a champagne risotto, fresh greens with a warm raspberry and champagne vinaigrette, and polenta with a champagne reduction.
I got the vinaigrette recipe from Quick Fix Meals with Robin Miller from the Food Network. I added my own spin by changing one of her ingredients. She used canned cranberry sauce and I just couldn’t bring myself to do it so I substituted raspberry preserves. It was so good! I spooned it over a blend of mixed lettuce, sliced pears and fresh grated parmesan cheese.
This was my first attempt at polenta, but it is pretty straight forward. I just followed the package. I did have to add more water as I went along because it has to simmer for 30 minutes and it began to dry out.
Initially, I had planned to make the polenta with champagne but was discourage from doing that by my 2 brother in law chefs. My sister and her husband suggested the champagne reduction. I reduced the champagne by more than half, and finished with butter and lemon zest. I served the polenta on sample spoons, drizzled with the champagne reduction and a smidge of raspberry preserves. It was over the top--even more so to me since I was experimenting.
I have always wanted to deep fry a whole fish in a wok; my sister Tinamarie beat me to it. She did a flash fried snapper and again it was completely over the top. I have not been able to get over the taste. I want more!!!
What also added to the evening’s success:
Kathy’s champagne marinated shrimp in a champagne buerre blanc
Lesu’s champagne gazpacho
Renee’s chicken in a champagne sauce
Dana’s champagne sabayon with a pear and grape compote
Mini’s proscuitto wrapped persimmons with goat cheese and walnuts, and her chocolate mouse with spun sugar
The other factors of this fabulous evening were the many different varieties of champagne and sparkling wine, and our special guest -- Dianna Marder, the food writer from the Philadelphia Inquirer, who brought along a photographer. Dianna is going to do a write up on us for the food section of the Philadelphia Inquirer.
January 8
Kathryn
Champagne… Prosecco… Brachetto… Sparkling Wine… Cava…
It’s all bubbly. And bubbly was in the spotlight. Tonight was the Champagne Celebration. A tribute to champagne and champagne related foods.
Donna hosted us. Her house was done to a” t “… six tall column candles in the fireplace, crystal candlesticks and white candles covering the mantle... An entire table devoted to an ice bucket and never-ending bottles of champagne. We had Schramsberg, 2 different Cavas, Chandon blanc de blancs, and Totts and Cooks for days. Someone brought a red sparkler. Not a pale rose… a red. It was effervescent and festive, but the taste was not quite right… too heavy. We cut it with the Tott’s and moved on.
The menu:
Proscuitto-wrapped persimmon with goat cheese and toasted walnuts
Champagne marinated shrimp in a champagne beurre blanc
Red and yellow champagne gazpacho in aperitif glasses
Chicken in a champagne cream sauce
Whole Red Snapper quick fried in the wok, served with Baby Bok Choy
Champagne risotto finished with white truffle oil
Polenta topped with a raspberry champagne reduction
Mixed greens with a champagne vinaigrette
Champagne sabayon with a pear and grape compote
Chocolate mousse topped with amber spun sugar
Every get together we all fall in love with the food. That is our passion and why we so enjoy each other. But we all agree that this event was special.
Min’s Proscuitto wrapped persimmon was the perfect winter version of Proscuitto and melon. In season, persimmon is soft and sweet, an excellent foil for Proscuitto. The goat cheese and toasted walnuts tucked inside lent a creamier, heartier touch. Each roll was pinned closed with a toothpick and a triple sec soaked raisin. Nice touch.
The marinated shrimp in a beurre blanc topped with fresh parsley, chives and tarragon, was a luscious finger food. The beurre blanc sauce was rich and velvety with a slight bite from the champagne vinegar.
Lesu surprised us with a cold soup. Her yellow and red gazpacho (served in individual liquor glasses) had a nice bite to it. She garnished each glass with a shrimp or zucchini slices. This was a very pretty app.
Our entrees worked very well together. Renee made pounded chicken breasts in a champagne cream sauce, sprinkled with fresh tarragon. The cream sauce was rich and tangy.
Tinamarie’s red snapper was a lighter foil for the champagne cream sauce. She dredged the whole fish and quick fried it at high heat in a well seasoned wok. It came out crusty outside and moist inside. A very simple fish surrounded by steamed bok choy.
Donna made us two sides. First, a champagne risotto finished with white truffle oil. The heat of the risotto made the truffle oil bloom and fill your nostrils with every bite.
Then we had a polenta that was served in a Chinese rice spoon, sitting in a raspberry champagne reduction, with a drop of raspberry preserve on top. The fruity, tangy liquid with the thick corn polenta was a good combo. And just enough to make you want a little more.
Our palette cleanser was a mixed green salad with a champagne vinaigrette, courtesy of our hostess.
Dessert (and we did have room for it) was a champagne sabayon served with a pear and grape compote. Delicious, delicate and light. Dana did a fabulous job. Min brought us a light chocolate mousse and then showed everyone how to caramelize and spin sugar to make little amber nests that sat on top.
It was all very magical and our endless glasses of champagne kept things lively. It’s always nice to catch up on the news and share stories. We’d missed each other over the holidays – so much family and getting ready to do. Our holiday together turned out better than we expected!
