With Robin, Alison, and Chef Nina
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Welcome to another edition of: Narratives about A Few Items on This Week’s Menu Virtual Tete a Tete: Holiday Tasting Edition- with Robin, Alison, and Chef Nina: On Wednesday, December 16th at 12:30 PM, Robin, Alison, and Chef Nina will host an hour long informal chat on Zoom with a holiday tasting component delivered to your door. Join the Three Stars of Dining Service if you have specific questions or comments that you would like to share, or if you would just like to chat with a familiar friend. If you are interested in attending email Alison at [email protected] she will send you a zoom invite. Compost Please bring all compostable goods to The Market Place by 7:00 PM. The Utility Team does their last collection at that time, and so compost deposited after 7:00 PM runs the risk of attracting unwelcome visitors. The weekly narrative stated that it is on your floors, however we do not have a location on each floor for compost drop off. Whether we are authorized to gather at the table or stay in our apartments, we are going to eat well on Christmas Day! Christmas Dinner Friday, December 25th Please choose one selection from each category Starters Cream of Asparagus Soup Served with Pumpernickel Croutons on the side Winter Persimmon Salad (MWG) Pistachio Sanguine, Honey Vinaigrette, Shaved Manchego on the side (DF without cheese) Main Green & Pink Peppercorn Duck Breast (MWG) String Bean Medley, Potato au Gratin, Apple & Date Puree Truffle Beef Medallion Tournedos (MWG) String Bean Medley, Potato au Gratin Vegetable Wellington (MWG) Balsamic Baby Greens, String Bean Medley Blackened Grouper (MWG/DF) Persian Cucumber & Watermelon Radish Relish, String Bean Medley, Root Vegetables & Dried Fruit Dessert Holiday Yule Log Red Velvet Cake (MWG) Strawberry & Pistachio Parfait (MWG) Mixed Berries (MWG) Holiday Pie Sale Holiday Pies may be purchased through Dining Services through December 31st *Apple Pie @ $11.00 *Pecan Pie @ $11.00 *Pumpkin Pie @ $11.00 *No Sugar Added Apple Pie @ $11.00 Pies may be ordered in the Market Place Monday thru Friday 10:00am- 4:00pm, and you will be charged when you place your order. Dining Dollars may not be used for Holiday Pie purchases. Pies will be delivered to your apartment between 2:00 and 2:30pm on the day of your choosing. If you need your pie before 3:00 PM, be sure to order it to come the day prior. Holiday Pies must be ordered 48 hours (2 days) in advance. Thank you and Happy Holidays! FIRESIDE A La Carte To Go Menu th th Dec. 10 – Dec. 12 Crispy Potato Latkes Salad Smoked Salmon & Sour Cream $6.75 Wedge Salad Hearts of Romaine and Boston Lettuce Garnished with Diced Tomato, Pickled Onion, Diced Bacon, Crumbled Blue Cheese and Blue Cheese Dressing (MWG) $5.75 Small Fireside House Salad With Lemon Vinaigrette (MWG/DF) $2.90 Root Vegetable & Dried Fruit Stew Over Pearl Couscous (DF) $9.95 Charred Octopus With Citrus Fennel Slaw and choice of 1 side (MWG) $14.95 Lamb Shank With choice of two sides (MWG/DF) $14.95 Pizza and Flatbread and Flatbreads Your Choice of Classic Crust or Gluten-Free Flatbread Pissaladiere Caramelized Onions, Anchovies, Kalamata Olives, Thyme $6.75 Pissaladière is a culinary specialty originating from Liguria, particularly Genoa, now also typical in southeastern France. It is often compared to pizza. The word Pissalandrea comes from the Italian terminology Pizza all’Andrea, or Pizza d'Andrea. It is considered to be the Genoa pizza. The dough is usually a bread dough thicker than that of the classic pizza Margherita, and the traditional topping usually consists of caramelized (almost pureed) onions, black olives, and anchovies (whole, and sometimes also with pissalat, a type of anchovy paste). This dish subsequently spread to the whole of geographic and ethno-cultural Liguria that is to say between the rivers of Magra and Var. After the annexation of the County of Nice to France, the cuisine of Nice would become falsely attached to French cuisine, trying to pass many Ligurian dishes under the French label. Cheese Red Sauce and Mozzarella $4.25 Pepperoni Red Sauce and Mozzarella $5.25 Margherita Red Sauce, Sliced Tomatoes, Fresh Mozzarella, and Fresh Basil $4.50 Desserts $4.50 Baba au Rhum with Berries (contains alcohol) Chocolate Mousse Cake Coffee Gelato (MWG) And now, on to another Narrative About a Few Items on the Menu This Week… Monday, December 14 Lunch Cod Piccata: “Piccata” literally means the featured protein is sliced, sautéed, and served with lemon juice, butter, and capers. Wild cod has been significantly overfished, however cod is sustainably raised by aquaculture, in farms on the north Pacific as well as Atlantic coasts. Meatball Sub: Deconstructed The meatball sub is an Americanized dish of Italian culinary heritage, and was “invented” in the early 20th century. We are serving the meatball sub deconstructed this time, and it consists of meatballs made of chicken and beef dressed in marinara sauce made with basil, along with slices of provolone cheese, and a split hoagie bun. Carrot and Apple Slaw: The word “slaw” is derived from the Dutch word koolsla which literally means “cabbage salad”. In modern American cuisine, the suffix “slaw” has been used to describe any number of refreshing vinegar or mayonnaise based side salads meant to accompany a richer dish. Barley and Lentil: Barley is a member of the grass family, is a major cereal grain grown in temperate climates globally. It was one of the first cultivated grains, particularly in Eurasia as early as 10,000 years ago. Barley has been used as animal fodder, as source of fermentable material for beer, and certain distilled beverages, and as a component of various health foods. It is used in soups and stews, and in barley breads of various cultures. Barley grains are commonly made into malt in a traditional and ancient method of preparation. In 2017, barley was ranked fourth among grains in quantity produced behind maize, rice, and wheat. Regarding Lentils, the word "lens" in optics comes from the lentil- like shape of early double-convex lenses; lentil is lens in Latin, and gives its name to the botanical genus Lens. As a food crop, the majority of world production of Lentils comes from Canada and India, producing 58% combined of the world total. In cuisines of the Indian subcontinent, where lentils are a staple, split lentils (often with their hulls removed) known as daal are often cooked into a thick curry or gravy that is usually eaten with rice. Dinner Butternut Squash, Corn, and Bean Chili: This dish is an homage to the Native American agricultural and culinary tradition of the “Three Sisters”. The Three Sisters are the three main agricultural crops of various indigenous groups in North America: winter squash, maize (corn), and climbing beans. Originating in Mesoamerica, these three crops were carried northward, up the river valleys over generations. In a technique known as companion planting, the three crops are planted close together. Flat-topped mounds of soil are built for each cluster of crops. Each mound is about 12 inches high and 20 inches wide, and several maize seeds are planted close together in the center of each mound. In parts of the Atlantic Northeast, rotten fish or eels are buried in the mound with the maize seeds, to act as additional fertilizer where the soil is poor. When the maize is 6 inches tall, beans and squash are planted around the maize, alternating between the two kinds of seeds. The development of this agricultural technique took place over 5,000–6,500 years. Squash was domesticated first, with maize second and then beans being domesticated. Squash was first domesticated 8,000–10,000 years ago. The three crops benefit from each other. The maize provides a structure for the beans to climb, eliminating the need for poles. The beans provide nitrogen to the soil that the other plants use, and the squash spreads along the ground, blocking the sunlight, helping prevent the establishment of weeds. The squash leaves also act as a "living mulch", creating a microclimate to retain moisture in the soil, and the prickly hairs of the vine deter pests. Corn, beans, and squash contain complex carbohydrates, essential fatty acids and all nine essential amino acids. Native Americans throughout North America are known for growing variations of Three Sisters. The Three Sisters planting method is featured on the reverse of the 2009 US Sacagawea dollar. Black, red, pinto white. Roasted Chicken with Apple Maple Glaze on the Side: Netipol is the master of the marinating and roasting the boneless breasts and thighs, and the apple and maple glaze is served on the side Rainbow Swiss Chard: As its genus, Beta vulgaris, suggests, chard is, in fact, a beet that has been chosen for leaf production at the expense of root formation. All chard varieties are descendents of the sea beet (B. maritima), a wild seashore plant found growing along the Mediterranean and Atlantic coasts of Europe and North Africa. Documentation of Rainbow Swiss chard cultivation dates back to 1636 within the book "The Herball or General History of Plantes", however commercial exposure to Rainbow Swiss chard wasn't until the 19th Century. It was in that era in 1888 that Rainbow Swiss chard first appeared within the Vilmorin Seed Catalog. It is grown both ornamentally and as a food crop. Rainbow Swiss chard plants thrive in cool summer temperatures, but are tolerant of heat and humidity, thus they are adaptable and easy to grow. If you grow chard as a food crop, you will need to protect it from rabbits, deer and birds.