40th Anniversary 9 Course Tasting Menu

It was my parents 40th so I went all out. It's November so I wanted to stick to an autumn theme. I also wanted to give them the experience of going to a very fancy restaurant. So this is what I did. Every single component (including the juices & oils) was made by hand. It took about a week of research. A day of shopping. 3-4 nights of prep work. And finally about 2 full days of cooking. Worth. Every. Second. I included some pics at the bottom. Do this for someone you love and make them feel like the center of the universe!

-APPETIZERS-

cave-agued gruyere puffs, cranberry chutney

-SALAD-

arugula & fennel, serrano ham, pomegranate, balsamic reduction, orange oil

-INTERMEZZO-

pomegranate granita

-SOUP-

cream of cauliflower, candied ginger

-INTERMEZZO-

grapefruit granita

-SEAFOOD-

seared scallops, apple-onion marmalade, bacon, cider sauce

served with pinot grigio

-INTERMEZZO-

pear sorbet, cardamom

-MEAT-

pan-roasted beef tenderloin w/ rosemary & garlic, orange honey roasted baby carrots, celery root & potato puree

served with zinfindel

-DESSERT-

berry cobbler, creme anglaise

served with port

Gruyere Puffs:


Cranberry Chutney:

Salad:

Seafood:

Meat:

Dessert:

My Parents' 39th Anniversary Menu

Last year was my parents 39th anniversary and I decided to cook them dinner. I did 4 courses - soup, seafood, meat, dessert. Here it is below. Next week is their big 40th and I've decided to do an elaborate 8-course tasting menu. I don't have a clue if I can pull it off but I'll be posting the menu as well as all of the recipes on here.

First Course: Creamed Garlic Soup w/ crostini & fresh squeezed lemon juice

Second Course: Seared Bay Scallops, fennel puree, fleur de sel

Third Course: Country Pot Roast w/ turnips, carrots, potatoes & pan gravy

Fourth Course: Autumn Apple Spice Cake w/ caramel sauce, champagne

It was a massive hit, especially for my first try at a full menu made from scratch. It can only go up from here!