Christmas in Pictures

[petermarcus]

Finally posted Christmas Eve dinner. Details here: http://fotocuisine.com/2008/12/31/christmas-eve-2008/

Theme, picked by the guests: Coffee.

Amuse
Mini Eggs Benedict
Toasted English muffin, prosciutto, poached quail egg, hollandaise


First
Coffee Infused Mushroom Soup
Mushroom variety in vegetable stock, coffee, cream, bacon garnish


Second
Glazed King Clip
Coffee, honey, New Mexico red chile glazed fish. Served with coffee slaw and grilled pineapple slice.


Main
Coffee Braised Buffalo Tortelloni
Braised buffalo short ribs with a coffee cream sauce. Tortelloni filled with braised buffalo, roasted garlic, and parmesan reggiano.


Dessert
Mocha Mallow Mousse
Coffee, marshmallow, Oreo cookies, chocolate, whipped cream.

Comments

[ohmyhead.livejournal.com]

Beautiful!

[petermarcus.livejournal.com]

Thank you:) You might have liked it, coffee and all, the coffee was pretty subtle.

[ohmyhead.livejournal.com]

I've never had a cup of coffee in my entire LIFE. :D

[petermarcus.livejournal.com]

Really? Even in the Army? I thought the Army ran on (bad) coffee.

[ohmyhead.livejournal.com]

It does. But I'm a rebel!

[nilo.livejournal.com]

It looks and sounds amazing. Which course pleased you the most? The main is the one I'm craving...

[petermarcus.livejournal.com]

Thanks! The buffalo spare ribs turned out really tender and amazingly meaty, so I think it was my favorite. The fish was a surprise hit, though, and quite a few said it was their favorite. I was lucky finding king clip in Florida, I just love that fish and it cooked up really light and flaky.

I actually didn't get to eat, except for grabbing bites here and there as I cooked. I think I had a couple tortelloni, a bite or two of spare rib, a part of a fish fillet that fell apart when cooking, and a few spoonfuls of soup. I did have an eggs benedict, but by the time I grabbed it, it was cold.

[dawaioser.livejournal.com]

Even though I couldn't eat most of it (being a vegetarian) - as a fellow gourmet, it all sounds and looks incredible!

[petermarcus.livejournal.com]

My Aunt is a semi-vegetarian (she eats seafood, but no meat). I left out the buffalo in some of the tortelloni (and used vegetable stock for her sauce), and I left out the prosciutto in the eggs benedict and the bacon in the soup. Still plenty of ovo-lacto though.

[oki-v2.livejournal.com]

Whoa... nice pictures.. it looks tasty!

[petermarcus.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[minouette.livejournal.com]

Oh! Mini-eggs benedict! Amazing.
My friend has a yearly feast at the Winter Solstice wherein I am but a lowly kitchen slave, and I always get the job of making mini deviled eggs with quail eggs. I have to make hundreds of them and am the only one with nimble enough fingers (or foolish enough to have the patience) to shell them all. Then people go and eat them like popcorn and they are gone in seconds (it seems). I like the idea of quails eggs benedict. More sane - and very tasty looking.

[petermarcus.livejournal.com]

Poaching them was tricky, because those shells are so thick for such little eggs, and I had to cut the tops off and dump them in simmering water without breaking the yolk, which seems like 98% of the egg.

I actually kinda like the idea of deviled quail eggs, but yeah, they'd go in a hurry!