21.9.20; M#2: Yes, I know… a gross violation of protocol. But there are SO many countries beginning with M, with so many lovely cuisines… so Bernhard convinced the rest of us (even purist Dorottya. He’s very good that way) to do a double M. Dorrotya’s worry of ‘so which countries will we do next time round?? Notwithstanding.
I wonder how long we will keep this up for? Till the end of the alphabet, definitely, but I genuinely believe we’ll all be up for another round after we do Z. And then? Will we still be running our little Dinner Club in our 80s, with grandkids running around? It’s an awesome thought 🙂
Anyway. This was Idit’s debut as a host and cook, and boy – did she deliver!
In the leadup to the dinner she refused to tell the rest of us which country she chose, refusing any help in the process.
The only ‘hint’ we got was to please Wear Black & White…
So we did:
(I jokingly sent Idit a pic of the dress I’d bought for my sister’s wedding a few years ago, and her excited squeeks left no room for doubt: we are going formal!)
So which country was it?? (Here’s a hint: Playlist)
When the night finally arrived, Idit, with flare and dare, took us to Monaco.
But not just with the food. Idit turned her entire living room into a CASINO, and more specifically, Casino Royal, nicknamed here – Le Jude xv.
She got her hands on a Roulette of shot glasses, a Black-Jack felt table, gilded cocktail glasses… all in true Riviera style.
But don’t let that give you the impression that this dinner was all show and no substance. Oh no. The food was accurate and sublime, delicious and stylized.
I strongly recommend you take your time with these recipes, if you try them. They are a bit intricate, and you’ll enjoy it more if working without the pressure of imminent guests.
We started with soup: a beautiful, rich & aromatic Orange, Crayfish & Mussels Bouillabaisse (I didn’t know orange and seafood could go together so well!).
Then for starters Idit made Barbajiuan – bite sized parcels filled with ricotta and swiss chard:
and Pissaladiere – a flaky pastry tart topped with onions, olives and anchovies:
The Barbajiuan parcels were mild and crunchy, and the Pissaldiere tart was deep flavoured and salty.
For the main dish she made (and this must have taken a fair bit of time & effort) a Porchetta – a roulade of pork belly filled with herbs, and slow-roasted, served with oven-roasted root veg.
For dessert Idit baked a Galapian: Candied Cantaloupe & Cherry Almond Tart: shiney, sweet and truly glamorous, which she paired with a French Monaco cocktail: Beer, lemonade & grenadine (not my ‘cup of bubbly’ if I’m honest, but it certainly looked the part).
So… the champagne flowed, the dishes came and went – each leaving us with thrilled taste buds and sparkling eyes – an absolute triumph.
Idit has certainly raised the bar for the rest of us!
Next comes N, and Lianne will have her debut with Norway – with promises of an open fire and drinking horns… We’d originally scheduled it for mid October, but had to cancel with the announcement of the 2nd Lockdown. Hopefully we’ll be able to do it in early December. So until then… Bon appetit!
(these beautiful Photographs were taken by Idit and Benhard)
