Tasty Illusions

Every once in awhile I have the need to break out of the standard cooking realm and just play with my food. I have been intrigued lately with the Molecular Gastronomy movement. Facinating approach and techniques in this area. Another aspect that has always interested me are Food Illusions, which go back to medieval times. So with these two things percolating in my brain I came up with a tasting menu. Of course slightly ambitious for my time constraints but hey half the fun is the challenge! I have to give a shout out to Greg and Alli for all the help before and during dinner, extra hands & know how made the evening go very smoothly.

The menu gradually develped into a play on eggs. Dubbed "An Eggs-ordinary Birthday Dinner".

Appetizer: Deviled Quail Eggs and cold pickle platter, Bloody Mary Bites.

The Bloody Mary Bite is a cockatail inside a cherry tomato. Liquid ingredients are cooked and suspended in agar agar.

First course; Coddled Egg.
This is potato leek soup with a sweet potato puree "yolk". Presented in a goose egg.

Second course; Scrambled Eggs. Minced scallops in a saffron sauce with hicory bacon.

I missed the next two photos having too much fun.

Intermezzo; Sparkling Sin Vino with black cherry caviar. The caviar was made with the cold oil method.

Third course; Bird Nest. Julianne of mixed vegetables with pesto and a sausage "egg".

Fourth course; Caviar. Layers of beef burgundy, carrots & mushrooms topped with black lentils and tuffle oil. I used tins and printed labels with the birthday girl's name to complete the look.

Fifth course; Steak Tartare. Roasted tomato and beet salad with balsamic vinegar and fried quail egg.

Sixth course; Huevos Rancheros. Fried wonton chip, lemon sorbet, mango custard, diced mixed fruit, whip cream. This was the favorite of the evening.

Had a blast working this up, putting it together and having good friends enjoy it. Now my mind is starting to work on the next idea. Maybe something first century Roman.