A MidSummer's Secret Kitchen~
Love’s Elixer:
Rhubarb Cocktail w. Saffron Cotton Candy
Act I:
Lemon Verbena Soup
w. fresh peas, fried fiddlehead ferns, house made creme fraiche
Act II:
Flowers: Three Ways
Fried Corgettes
w. goat cheese, bacon & green garlic
Stuffed Tulips
w. fava beans, fresh herbs in rose vinegar
Elderflower Nests
salsify & elderflower nests with edible flowers
Act III:
Wild-Caught Pacific Salmon (or House Made Mushroom Pate)
wrapped in fig leaves
Butterflied Shrimp
in blackberry glaze
Fava Coulis
Act IV:
Pork Loin Medallions (or Tofu)
in a thyme-blood orange gastrique, foie gras foam
Morel Custards
Asparagus Tips
Act V:
Violet and Rose Goat Milk Ice Cream in Chocolate Bowl w. candied violets
Lavender Shortbread
Act VI:
Cheese plate:
selection of herb-wrapped cheeses, braised apricots, candied pistachios
Libations:
Elderflower “Champagne”, Bergamot Lemonade, Ginger Beer
Coffee and Tea
This Month's menu is called Love Bites, a 7-course tasting menu full of sexy sexy food.
First
Oysters on Half Shell
w. Vodka Mignonette
Second
Tunisian Marriage Soup
Third
Mt Tam & Truffle Ravioli w. Caviar
Fourth
Almond Crusted Chicken Roulade w. Asparagus
Fifth
Rack of Lamb
w. broccoli rabe & sautéed radishes
Sixth
Persian Love Cake
w. chocolate covered strawberries
Seventh
Cheese Plate w. Figs
a variety of local cheeses & fruits
This month’s menu will bring you Pain, for sure, but that feeling will diminish with the wash of Pleasure that comes from every bite:
Anticucho y Camarones del Diablo
skewers of beef heart & shrimp rolled in dried chilies & grilled, served w. cumin crema
Ajo Blanco
a delicious cold soup of almonds, grapes and garlic
Codorniz Relleno con Salsa de Higos Picoso
chorizo stuffed quail w. fiery fig sauce served w. patatas bravas & sautéed cactus
Pastel de Chocolate sin Harina con Chilies Candied y con Sorbete de Vainilla
flourless chocolate cake w. candied chilies & vanilla sorbet
This month’s installment of Secret Kitchen is spectacularly spooky!
Our secret location is purrrfect for this month’s festivities: old and creaky. (I know, the same could be said for the chef, but let’s move on)
This month’s dinner will be a bit different. We will be serving a seven course tasting menu inspired by the change in the weather and the chef’s favorite holiday, Hallowe’en!
Of course, this is STILL a Secret Kitchen, so no silly “theme food” or food that looks gross (like spaghetti “brains” or intestines or whatever), but a menu that reflects the tastes and colors of the season. And for the first time, we will be serving a specialty cocktail: dark, scary and delicious (which can also be said for the chef!), made with Blavod Black Vodka and can be included in the price of dinner. As always, though, please bring your own beverage of choice to go with the meal. Water provided.
Dinner will be served on October 28th, 2010, somewhere in Oakland....
Dinner will be served on October 28th, 2010, somewhere in Oakland....
Dinner is $75 per person w/o cocktail, $85 with cocktail.
Doors will creak open at 7pm, with cocktails in the basement (sounds scary, doesn’t it!?) Dinner will start PROMPTLY at 7:45pm.To RSVP please go to http://secretkitchenoakland.blogspot.com/p/about-secret-kitchen.html and follow the instructions.
Of course, it wouldn’t be a Secret Kitchen without some surprises and nonsense, so I’ve named the courses after silly/scary themes and left a lot of details out of the menu. I promise the food will be delicious and beautiful. We’ll leave the scary part of the evening to the décor and the entertainment!
This month’s menu:
Be Still My Beating Heart
anticuchos de corazon w. traditional Peruvian dipping sauce
“Do we call you Mr. Death?”
salmon mousse w. black caviar served with rye toast points
Fruits from the Underworld
roasted root vegetable soup w. crème fraiche
“I served it with fava beans, and a nice chianti”
honey braised lamb chop w. mint & pink peppercorms
It came from the Deep
squid ink pasta w. butternut squash
The Theory of Shamanic Dismemberment (w. apologies to M. Harner)
skewered, roasted quail over greens w. huckleberries & persimmons
It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!
pumpkin flan w. cinnamon caramel sauce & chocolate shavings
We hope you will join us for what is sure to be an EPIC evening! Costumes are not required, but encouraged! Happy Haunting!.
appetizer:
Grilled Cheese Sandwich & Home Made Fire Roasted Tomato Soup
w. three cheeses on Firebrand organic batard
entree:
Not Your MaMa's Meatloaf:
seasoned ground lamb and beef w. ribbons of procuitto in the center
Truffled Smashed Potatoes
creamer potatoes w. loads of garlic, truffle oil and black pepper
Spicy "Dry-Fried" Green Beans
tender and crispy in a spicy, tangy sauce
dessert:
Apple Pie a la Mode
pink pearl apples, aged cheddar cheese and home made vanilla bean ice cream
Temple of Flux Benefit Secret Kitchen:
Menu:
(as always, substitutions for dietary needs are fulfilled if notified prior to service)
(as always, substitutions for dietary needs are fulfilled if notified prior to service)
App:
Pan-Seared Scallop
Wrapped in Serrano Ham in Sparkling Wine Reduction
Soup:
Roasted Yellow Pepper Soup
w. Gazpacho Sorbet
Entrée:
Spanish Style Chicken
w. Apricots & Olives, in a Sherry Vin. Gastrique
Saffron Roasted New Potatoes
w. Smoked Paprika Aioli
Broccoli Rabe
w. Roasted Lemon, Fried Garlic in a Wine Sauce
Dessert:
Chocolate-Caramel Torte
w. Sour Cherry Coulis and House Made Whipped Cream
Homage to Spring! (and first Secret Kitchen)
appetizer:
braised pork belly with citrus-maple reduction with blood orange gastrique
soup:
roasted asparagus with lemon chive creme fraiche
entree:
salmon papillote with dinosaur kale, baby carrots and aromatics in lemongrass beurre blanc
new pebble potatoes with green garlic butter
dessert:
rose/clove spiced fruit phyllos in wine sauce w/marscapone cream and chocolate spikes
Burn Barrel Carnival Dinner and Fundraiser:
mini housemade corndogs with chipole catsup and honey mustard
spicy corn chowder
crispy fried chicken, garlic mashed potatoes and braised greens
strawberry shortcakes with balsamic reduction
"Mad Men" themed cocktail party:
Canapes:
Turkey Club on Sourdough Toasts with Thick-cut Bacon and Avocado Aioli
Deviled Ham on Rye with Heirloom Tomatoes and Pimento
House-made Meatloaf on Soft Rolls with Swiss Cheese and Honey-Mustard
Deviled Eggs:
with Black Caviar or Olive Tapenade
Crudite Platters with Blue Cheese and French Onion Dip:
carrot sticks, celery sticks, broccoli, green beans, red & orange peppers, yellow cauliflower
Cheese Skewers:
Caprese Salad (fresh mozzarella, basil leaf, and cherry tomato)
Cheddar Squares with Cornichons
Mixed Cocktail Olives
Mini Cupcakes:
Chocolate with Mint Frosting
Vanilla with Strawberry or Lemon Frosting
It's gonna be SWEET!
-->Cola-Braised Short Ribs w. Habenero Pineapple Pico de Gallo
Fresh Corn Chowder
w. Fried Squash Blossoms & Okra
Peachy Stuffed Pork Chops
w. Black Truffle Mac n Cheese & Spicy Greens w. Bacon
Fresh Fruit Cobbler
w. House Made Sweet Cream Ice Cream
Chocolate Fountain
w. Fresh Fruits for Dipping
