well. even though we ate boeuf bourgignon last night, my bro-in-law has decided that is what he is cooking for saturday night. i sensitively didn't mention my little jump-the-starting-gun effort last night.
so it is up to me to do entree and dessert.
dessert i am thinking to go with one of my oracles, an advisor who is a veritable font of wisdom in all things food, magical_m, who suggested i just do an awesome cheese platter. one of my other oracles, sublime, has told me where to get the cheeses [Les Pates Parisian in the lane behind Readings in Lygon Street.] my third oracle, elaine, gave cheese to be had at victoria marche, however i will be parking once and once only in carlton. as sublime said, the parking is the worst. thanks also groverjones for validating the cheese choice, and i'm not craig for validating the desire for absinthe [or for one of those really spesh bottles, anyway.]
so cheese platter it is. platter. that's so '70s. cheese board? cheeses. and perhaps some chocolat if they sell that too.
HOWEVER, while all this is really nice and groovy, i still need an entree.
i was thinking the freshest oysters from prahran market? but then huitres are not symbolic of france. someone mentioned mussels, but none of us are partial to mussels and my sister had a really bad experience of eating about 5 huge bowls of steamed garlic mussels in france simply because she didn't want to offend her french friend who was insisting she eat them. i don't know that she's done a mussel since.
so, please to be providing some suggestions for entree. we could do a salade nicoise or similar, but that would be really boring. especially considering for a few years it was the only thing my sister served on the few occasions we were invited to dinner at her place.
so i say non to the nicoise.
oh, i just had a brain wave.
vol-au-vents!
why not embrace the '70s with vol-au-vents and a cheese PLATTER.
and just in case anyone is going to suggest fondue, i have no equipment so that's out. too much mucking around also, and with cheese for dessert that wouldn't work.
another thought: garlic prawns?
5 comments:
While I'm spending your money and drooling on the keyboard, you could always go the whole hog and do foie gras. No idea what you do with it, though.
A more modest choice would be french onion soup with some crusty bread with some gruyere on top. (It's only a little bit of cheese)
I ate in a French restaraunt in Canberra once where the waiter was a perfect 'French Comedy Waiter.' I ordered a French beer, as I though it was the 'done thing.' When I had finished it, he asked how I enjoyed it. I told him it was quite nice. In his best sneering French accent he told me 'Pah, it is crap! There is a lot of better beer in France.' Put me in my place!
I've been beaten to the punch. Was going to suggest onion soup, so you'd have more money to spend on chocolat!!
My mum's french onion soup is: onions, garlic, stock (beef I think from memory) and lots of white wine. Long simmer and season. If she thought the colour looked a bit anaemic her secret trick was to add a little dash of soy sauce...and voila! The baguette and gruyere is a great way to finish it.
Other thoughts (laughable from the non dairy or meat eater) pate, terrines, olives, cornichons, escargot, scallops, stuffed zucchini flowers (probably out of season) or mini quiches.
Hope you get to wash it down with some french bubbles :)
how about caramelised onion tarts? if you do them tart tatin style they'll be quick and easy. You can throw goats cheese and rosemary in and make it a bit more special. can't help with a recipe as it's kind of off the top on my head but i'll try to describe what i mean if you email me (if you like).
I think we are all getting pretty excited about your Saturday night feast, and looking forward to logging on next week to find out how it went.
Specifically, please let us know whether you feel even more well disposed than usual towards your man after a couple of glasses of the green stuff in the spesh bottle.
This will validate my theory.
....
Which is that
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Absinthe makes the heart grow fonder.
Glad you took my advice, although they are more a paté place, but may have some good cheeses. Probably Stephanie's place better for cheese.
For dessert you can't beat tarte tartin.
How good are caramelised onion tarts? FBF and I had dinner at the Rathdowne Tavern the other night (French chef) and had one to share for entree, melt in the mouth heaven. It had special pink grapefruit and marinated celeriac around it.
I can't believe you can make them, Fluff. What culinary skills you got!
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