Supper [suhp-er]
noun
A light evening meal served in early evening
Dinner [din-er]
Noun
The main meal of the day, usually more
formal
When the evening meal is served under a light that turns magical, looking almost like a painted jellyfish floating over a table of earthy treasures dancing in candlelight, the stage is set for the extraordinary. Throw in eight wonderful friends dining on a 14-course meal over 3 hours, and you have nothing short of an enchanted dinner party.
The Rennys, M and Bre and Vic and J. joined Baird and me. We caught up on each others' lives. We joked and laughed our way through the most incredible meal Mel has ever served me.
The first four courses were an earthy theme:
Egg: maple. chive. cream. citrus.
Nest: salmon. honey. mustard. roe. cucumber. dill.
Seeds: sesame. chickpeas. coriander. cumin. bread. oil.
Garden: radish. watercress. asparagus. lavender. goat cheese. soil.
The Nest was a new dish for Mel and I couldn't believe how complex these raw flavors were. And no, we didn't eat the twig, but it made a perfect home for the nest.
The Garden is a dish Mel's been working on for a few years. I have been honored to participate in the evolution of this dish, having eaten two previous versions. It's always been good, but each time it gets a little better. I honestly think it's reached perfection. The lavender goat cheese perfectly balances the olives, and the radish, asparagus and greens brought it all together.
With the nature metaphor exhausted, we moved to world-wide, world-class fare:
Dumpling: chicken. green. sweet. spicy. garlic
Potato: sphere. soup. parmesan. truffle. chive. butter
Donut: gruyere. beet. almond
Ravioli: sweet potato. sage. shallot
Fish: sea bass. cauliflower. puree. moroccan. raisins. red pepper. cinnamon
Soda Pop: lemongrass. ginger. bubbles. reprieve
Mole: chicken. ancho. waffle. pumpkin. queso fresco
Belly: pork. salt. sugar. hoisin. cucumber
Something in a jar: cake. kind of. lemon. blueberry
Can I just say, when you put sweet potatoes into ravioli, sizzle some sage and fry up some shallots, toss in a few pine nuts and add a little heat, and then present it in such a way as to make it appear to be sitting comfortably in a lounge chair...well, it was just exquisite. The touch of heat lingered pleasantly into the beginning of the Fish course.
Ending our evening with a sweet-and-salty pork belly
was fantastic, but most memorable was when Mel joined us at toward the
end of our meal. Having my Friend and the mastermind behind the food of
this wonderful evening sit down and entertain us further with stories from her life was just the icing on the cake.
Yea, there's just no way you can call this event "supper."
