Om replied:

>> Without giving too much away, here are some of those steps:
>>
>> shave parmesan
>> make lemon-rosemary oil
>> make shallot confit
>> roast bell peppers
>> reconstitute apricots
>> make aïoli
>> cut up feta
>> make hollandaise
>> mix coriander, cumin, thyme, black pepper, salt, and paprika
>> pit olives
>> reduce balsamic
>> plate napoleon
>>
>
> You better "give" when you are done dear, and take some pics.
> You have aroused my curiosity. ;-)

Okay, the dinner was last night. I made these appetizers:

* chèvre with balsamic vinegar: some was placed on slabs of roasted yellow
bell pepper, some was on dried apricots which had been reconstituted using a
mixture of water and Amontillado sherry.

* parmesan-beet profiteroles: the profiteroles had parmesan baked into them,
had parmesan melted on top of them, and had shards of parmesan inside them,
along with a mousse made by whipping gelatinized beet-beef-cranberry stock
with egg whites.

* smoked oyster mushrooms with lemon & rosemary: the mushrooms were smoked
early in the day, then bathed in a lemon-rosemary olive oil which I made
last week.

* lentils with pepperoni, porcini, and Tuscan kale

* spiced caramelized cauliflower with pistachios: the cauliflower was cut
into chunks, brushed with olive oil, and roasted until deeply browned. Then
it was sprinkled with the spice mix shown above, and sprinkled with roasted
pistachios.

* ****aladière (a French interpretation of olive-anchovy-onion pizza)

* orechiette with winter squash, caramelized onions, brown butter, and fried
sage

Lin also set out a platter with various cheeses, crackers, and sliced
salami, and another plate with a big chunk of pate. We had artisanal bread
coated with coarse salt to dip into the rosemary-lemon oil and to have with
the pate.

I'd planned to make a bacon shingle with chanterelles, shallot confit, and
hollandaise, but chanterelles were unavailable. I'd also planned to make a
grilled romaine salad with niçoise olives, anchovies, and feta, but we
already had plenty of food -- the dishes listed above were just the
APPETIZERS! The main course (made by Lin) was rack of lamb with cherry-olive
sauce. Her side dishes were pureed root vegetables (potatoes, parsnips, and
rutabagas) and steamed asparagus with aïoli (which I'd made). Dessert was
butter cake with lemon curd (made with one Eureka lemon and one Meyer lemon)
and a meringue topping.

Lin took pictures using her iPhone, but I don't think she's downloaded the
photos yet. Even when she does, she'll probably post them on Facebook rather
than here because clueless AOL newbie Sheldon "Pussy" Katz can eat a bag of
shit.

Bob