Trav (the dear!) inspired this one. In a recent entry he talked about putting together a meal consisting of all his favorite foods. I thought I would give it a try. If you were to come over for supper, this would be my menu.
As I wrote and edited this post I struggled between what I want to eat vs. what I think I should eat. The ‘shoulds’ stemmed from feeling obliged to pick things exquisite or good for me. In the end I settled on favorites not the impressive. Thems who say otherwise are itching for a fight and the cook allows no substitutes.
Cocktails
Urs Truly loves a good cocktail, especially one made well. I want a base of quality alcohol, no rubbish. My favorite? A ‘perfect’ Manhattan. Start with a good bourbon like Woodford Reserve. A perfect manhattan is made with sweet and half dry vermouth in equal portions; it is served with a lemon twist. If I were to lean towards a sweet Manhattan I would substitute the twist with a luxardo cherry. They don’t look appetizing, sort of like something the surgeon may have just removed during an exploratory, but they beat the nasty acid-red maraschino types by a country mile. There is no comparison. Shake don’t stir. Shaking is for effervescent drinks. Serve in an elegant long stemmed martini-style glass to keep your grip away from warming the libation.
Nibbles: it’s a toss up between an excellent homemade salsa made with fresh vegetables OR shrimp served with cocktail sauce made with a touch of hot sauce.
Appetizer: Bruschetta is my vote, provided the tomatoes are proper and not those ghastly pale things from a strip mine in Texas.
Soup: I love soup. The winner is onion soup, served with a Melbac wine.
Salad: Homegrown no rubbish tomatoes with buffalo cheese, sprinkled with basil and drizzled with a good olive oil and balsamic vinegar.
Entrée: Dear me, how is one to choose? Alaskan sockeye salmon, broiled, with some sort of rub. Serve with potatoes other than russet type, along with diced carrots and rutabagas sautéed in soy sauce. Umami dearest. A glass of Pinot Gris for this one.
Dessert: I seldom eat such but when I do I forgo the sugary things for the cheese plate. Urs Truly loves cheese, especially if there are smidgeons of several types. Serve with 2nd growth Darjeeling tea.
Afters: If I actually ate all this, at this point I would be quite crapulous. I would be a bloated goat. An after dinner liqueur perhaps. Nocello is my favorite.
Spo-fans are invited to play along.
55 comments
March 15, 2017 at 6:03 AM
David
Looks like fun, look for a future blog posting in a couple of weeks. I was telecommuting yesterday, I baked bread, a blueberry tart, and a savory tart with cheese and onions. And edited 22 pages of conference materials, and finalized the power point for a webinar, and hosted a call on conference sponsorship.
March 15, 2017 at 7:46 AM
Urspo
I often wonder how on earth you do all you do. It is impressive. Especially the tart.
March 15, 2017 at 6:18 AM
lavadamaloneSunny
Oh Mercy! Can I come to dinner?
I see a theme developing in my choices…
Cocktails:A fabulous Spicy Bloody Mary.
Nibbles:Pico de gallo freshly made of course with fresh corn tortilla chips.
Appetizer: Bruschetta -fresh cold tomato and roast pepper salsa topping the fresh baked bread with bubbly mozzerella cheese topping.
Soup:Spring onion and mushroom broth. Simple tasty pleasure.
Very cleansing for the Pallatte
Salad: Caprese Salad made with Nice Fleshy beefy tomatoes(no rubbish seeds or excess juice, Tender Baby Spinache Leaves and fresh soft mozzy cheese slices drizzled with balsamic vinergar and evoo.
Entree:Thick juicy ribeye steaks marinated 30 mins in a teriyaki marinade then sprinkled with black pepper and a pinch of smoked paprika. Medium Rare- more rare than medium!
Dessert: Triple Layer Chocolate Brownie Cake. Brownie Cake, with Chocloate Cream Cheese Frosting and filling, drizzled with a bit of chocolate ganache and topped with crushed Malteesers.
Afters: What else but a cup a hot strong coffee with fresh thick cream.
March 15, 2017 at 6:21 AM
lavadamaloneSunny
Can I come to dinner?
Mine would be….
Cocktails:A fabulous Spicy Bloody Mary.
Nibbles:Pico de gallo freshly made of course with fresh corn tortilla chips.
Appetizer: Bruschetta -fresh cold tomato and roast pepper salsa topping the fresh baked bread with bubbly mozzerella cheese topping.
Soup:Spring onion and mushroom broth. Simple tasty pleasure.
Very cleansing for the Pallatte
Salad: Caprese Salad made with Nice Fleshy beefy tomatoes(no rubbish seeds or excess juice, Tender Baby Spinache Leaves and fresh soft mozzy cheese slices drizzled with balsamic vinergar and evoo.
Entree:Thick juicy ribeye steaks marinated 30 mins in a teriyaki marinade then sprinkled with black pepper and a pinch of smoked paprika. Medium Rare- more rare than medium!
Dessert: Triple Layer Chocolate Brownie Cake. Brownie Cake, with Chocloate Cream Cheese Frosting and filling, drizzled with a bit of chocolate ganache and topped with crushed Malteesers.
Afters: What else but a cup a hot strong coffee with fresh thick cream.
March 15, 2017 at 7:44 AM
lavadamaloneSunny
Upon reflection- the entree might possibly be Coq a Vin served over mashed buttermilk potatoes. It depends on my mood as to whether I wanted beef or Fowl…..
March 15, 2017 at 7:46 AM
Urspo
Lovely!
It is on my Bucket List to have or make Coq a Vin
March 15, 2017 at 8:20 AM
Ron
Ah, Coq a Vin. Been years since I’ve had some. I’ll take some more please.
March 15, 2017 at 9:54 AM
lavadamalone
I made it and thought it was a complicated dish to make- then I found the slow cooker/crock pot version and it couldn’t be more easy. Taste-wise, I cant tell the difference from the top of the cooker or the oven version. I’m making it for my Mother -in – law for Mothers Day here on the 26th. Heavenly!!!
March 15, 2017 at 6:23 AM
Sassybear
This all sounds heavenly. I would gladly done with you anytime – although I’d have to be weary of the gluten – sigh.
March 15, 2017 at 7:47 AM
Urspo
Do come to dinner and we will have the gluten-free back up menu. no rubbish.
March 15, 2017 at 6:47 AM
Ron
All sounds good except for the fishy components. You know how Someone is repealed by mayo? Put anything that lives in the water on my menu and my repellant factor is at least ten times Someone’s mayonnaise aversion. Slimy fish just doesn’t do it fior me plus I can do without the mercury. I have many favorite meals, my most current is a delicate, VERY tender beef stew that my neighbor gifted me with yesterday. Accompany that with a homemade roll or biscuit and homemade lemon meringue pie. No libations necessary but if forced I could submit to a frozen lime margarita, no salt.
March 15, 2017 at 7:47 AM
Urspo
What a fortunate man you are to have such a lovely neighbor.
March 15, 2017 at 7:49 AM
Ron
She is a gem Spo! Even though she’s a feverent Trump supporter (and Obama hater). Just goes to show one can’t make blanket judgements. She cares for me and Bill. So lucky to have her for a neighbor.
March 15, 2017 at 6:51 AM
RuralBeard
Such fun!
Cocktails – the driest martini EVER! Stoli or Beefeaters please.
Nibbles – veggies, pita and tzatziki
Soup – Black forest cream of escargot
Salad – Caesar, every element from scratch and yes, anchovies please
Entree – Leg of lamb, top slit and stuffed with garlic, rosemary and lemon plus roasted Mediterranean vegetables: more garlic please
Dessert – Mocha Praline Torte (it takes 24 hours to do this one!)
Afters ( and I assume you mean in keeping with the menu) – B&B or Cognac (no rubbish!!)
March 15, 2017 at 7:48 AM
Urspo
Oh, it has been a long while since I had leg of lamb. I recall it is delicious.
March 15, 2017 at 7:33 AM
Practical Parsimony
I will have whatever you are serving!
March 15, 2017 at 7:48 AM
Urspo
Well, that makes things easy!
March 15, 2017 at 8:38 AM
Raybeard
I feel a party-pooper for pointing this out, but I think if you were feeling “crapulous” it wouldn’t be from the eating – and I doubt if the after-diinner liqueur would help matters. Or am I missing something? (Posted with abject apologies. Sorry!)
March 15, 2017 at 8:52 AM
Urspo
Crapulous is a term for feeling so full from eating you feel uncomfortable or even sickly.
Drinking too much? then the proper word is temulous.
One can feel both at the same time but that usually leads to indigestion to the point of regret.
March 15, 2017 at 9:53 AM
Raven~
point of regret … point of curb … coincidence? I think not! 😉
March 15, 2017 at 4:31 PM
Practical Parsimony
two new words!
March 15, 2017 at 11:14 AM
Old Lurker
The diet’s proving to be a struggle, huh?
Your dinner sounds much more wholesome than anything I would come up with.Probably I would alternate cheesecake and carbs. In particular, that salad sounds pretty good.
March 15, 2017 at 11:34 AM
Urspo
The diet goes well thank you. I am not eating anything as enjoyable as this, other than some salmon (mostly in patty form).
March 15, 2017 at 4:01 PM
Old Lurker
No offense intended. You have a stronger constitution than I if you can blog about food so much and adhere to spartan eating. I am glad that the diet is going well.
March 15, 2017 at 11:31 AM
Raven~
What a glorious exercise! Here’s mine (almost Lenten)
Cocktails: Dry Negroni, or Dry Rob Roy
Nibbles: creamy pesto pinwheels; bruschetta with peach salsa and melted Brie
Appetizer: eggplant caviar with dark rye bread, or Chicken salad blinis with dried cranberries
Soup: lemon grass mushroom soup
Salad: tomato-cucumber-basil (Caprese), or Watercress-fennel-blood orange
Entrée: Coquilles St. Jacques à la Provençale, with garlic-butter-spinach
Dessert: cinnamon crème brûlée
Afters: Drambuie
March 15, 2017 at 11:34 AM
Urspo
What a splendid table you spread! I would like a reservation please.
March 15, 2017 at 12:14 PM
lavadamalone
Ditto- especially for dessert of Cinnamon creme brûlée. Drooling here.
March 16, 2017 at 6:08 PM
Raven~
Tickled that you like it. Believe me, if and when I’m able to manifest it, there will be a place reserved for you and Someone!
March 16, 2017 at 12:20 PM
larrymuffin
Just wonderful menu.
March 16, 2017 at 6:09 PM
Raven~
Laurent, coming from you that’s doubly high-praise! Thank you
March 15, 2017 at 3:23 PM
Mitchell Block
Um… just dessert.
March 15, 2017 at 8:40 PM
Urspo
Which one?
March 15, 2017 at 4:32 PM
anne marie in philly
Cocktails: one of sassybear’s famous cosmos; if not, a gin & tonic (no rubbish)
Nibbles: assorted cheeses and crackers
Appetizer: bacon-wrapped scallops
Soup: lobster bisque
Salad: pass (yuck)
Entree: chicken tikka masala with basmati rice; naan and roti breads
Dessert: creme brulee
Afters: a snort of sambuca black (no rubbish)…and sex
March 15, 2017 at 8:40 PM
Urspo
I like Indian food very much. Naan and a good dish is lovely.
March 15, 2017 at 5:09 PM
Willym
Salad before the main course??? Salad before the main course??? Really Dr Spo????
March 15, 2017 at 8:39 PM
Urspo
Really. Years of eating in restaurants have made salad before the main course the norm for me.
March 16, 2017 at 12:19 PM
larrymuffin
Well you are eating in the wrong restaurants Dr.Spo.
March 15, 2017 at 7:18 PM
Blobby
you’ll get nothing……….and like it!
March 15, 2017 at 8:39 PM
Urspo
No fantasy dinner for you.
March 16, 2017 at 12:01 AM
Raybeard
Re: ‘crapulous’ – my references to hand tell me that it applies solely to DRINKING to excess and that is the sense in which I myself have used the word over the decades – though only on rare occasions, mark you. I somehow felt that I would be venturing onto shaky ground in attempting to ‘correct’ you when I posted my comment, and so it’s turned out to be. Nonetheless I’m grateful for your opening up of the wider possibilities of that word’s use.
And ‘temulENT’ I know, though not ‘temulOUS’. Maybe we’re peering at each other across chasms that divide American and British English? Oh, tomaytoes, tomahtoes, let’s call the whole thing off! 🙂
March 16, 2017 at 7:18 AM
Urspo
I just love this sort of stuff!
taps crisps nappies lift faucet chips diapers elevator. to you too !
March 16, 2017 at 9:25 AM
Raybeard
Not to mention ‘your’ spellings. They are so…….WEIRD! 🙂
March 17, 2017 at 9:30 AM
Urspo
Blame Noah Webster. He changed things to make things more colorful
March 16, 2017 at 9:28 AM
Hugh's Views and News
I can’t cook, so we’d have to go out for dinner. However, I can put together a wicked Bloody Mary which can be as spicy as you like with or without the celery.
March 17, 2017 at 8:37 AM
Urspo
A man with a good Bloody Mary recipe is a man worth knowing.
March 16, 2017 at 12:17 PM
larrymuffin
Since you asked here is my suggestion. Cocktails depend very much on what you are serving for dinner, is it a Bar-B-Q or is it a sit down dinner.
If it is a Bar-B-Q then I would offer Canada’s Official National Cocktail which is Bloody Caesar. If not then I would suggest a bubbly like Prosecco.
I would serve good quality green olives, celery sticks and carrots.
Appetizer: depends what you are serving as a main course, planning required and also what season are we in? If it is a summer day, a cold soup like Vichyssoise or cucumber soup or Lemon rice. If it is Winter then good quality Smoke Salmon with thinly slices red onions and capers.
Main course: depends on the occasion and the people you are entertaining.
In the Summer something lite like a fish dish simply grilled with lemon, a nice green salad, in winter how about a nice roast chicken with truffles or lemons.
Mix vegetable, maybe roast potatoes with rosemary.
Dessert, in the summer a berry compote or sorbet. In winter if available blood oranges (in March) or selection of cheese hard and soft with a fruit.
Important to choose carefully wines so they are paired with the food you serve and never offer beer which is only suitable to drink in the afternoon in Germany.
It is also important that the table be dressed appropriately to suit the meal and the occasion.
March 16, 2017 at 2:53 PM
Freckles
Great suggestion regarding the Caesar — an invention from my hometown.
March 17, 2017 at 8:38 AM
Urspo
A meal fit for royalty
March 17, 2017 at 1:28 PM
larrymuffin
No a meal fit for you
March 16, 2017 at 5:02 PM
truthspew
Actually I made a Chicken with mushroom and leeks fricassee the other night. The recipe calls for 8oz. of mushrooms, and one leek. I go two leeks as I love the stuff. The recipe is as follows:
Slice the mushrooms and slice the leeks but wash the leeks out. Then cut the chicken breast into 1″ pieces. I used about 2lbs of chicken. Season the chicken with salt and pepper. And then add 2 tsp dried tarragon. Combine it all together.
Then all into a pan on medium-high with 2-3 tbsp unsalted butter. Stir for 8 minutes, get as much of the chicken cooked as you can. Then 1/3 cup dry white wine, and equal amounts whipping cream or heavy cream and cover for 2 minutes until chicken is cooked through.
It must be a French derived dish because it’s awesome.
March 16, 2017 at 6:07 PM
Raven~
that sounds like high-class cock-a-leekie!
March 18, 2017 at 2:35 PM
truthspew
Well yeah but it’s just better sounds in French too.That would be Poulet au fricassé de champignons et de poireaux, but in Spanish it comes out as Pollo con champiñones y puerro fricassee. And in Italian it’s Pollo con funghi e porri fricassea which I like that translation the most. But as demonstrated the Romance languages are REALLY close analogues to each other.
March 17, 2017 at 8:38 AM
Urspo
totally awesome!
March 18, 2017 at 2:32 PM
truthspew
Yeah, I’ve become quite adept in the kitchen. I love trying new things to cook/roast/bake/etc The latest hit in this house is Chocolate Souffle. Seriously good stuff and But in that certain combination it’s awesome a bit of a cross between a good chocolate mousse and a chocolate cake. And with only 2oz. of dark chocolate.
July 9, 2017 at 8:20 AM
callmetrav
This sounds amazing!