A Gastronomic Tale in Seven Courses
September 18, 2013
1st Course
Outside a market on the stone streets of Florence
I watched a cook, crisp white apron,
pig hung casually over his shoulder.
In a tiny chocolate shop in Manchester
Savory Chef Jeff huffs and huffs and puffs and puffs;
And brings you a plate of twigs and wood and stone:
Three little pigs for your own!
Charcuterie board of house-cured bacon, pumpkin sausage, peach chutney, grain mustard, and lightly pickled seasonal vegetables served with croissant crostini.
2nd Course
A refreshing twist
of lime and beets
to cleanse the palate,
clear the meat
and leave your breath
a little sweet!
Refreshing sorbet of red beets and lime with a dark and white chocolate swizzle.
3rd Course
One day a farmer found his goose was laying eggs quite yellow
Heavy as lead and gold as gold, he became a wealthy fellow
Consumed with greed he killed the goose to get at all the gold
Inside the belly there was naught, now all he had was what he’d sold!
Golden white chocolate egg filled with champagne vinaigrette and six-minute boiled egg soaked in Yunnan Gold tea served in a nest of fried Yukon potatoes and mixed sprouts.
4th Course
Who will feed a hungry cook who hasn’t much to offer?
“Not us!” the local people said, we’ve nothing in our coffer.
“If you bring me pot and water I’ll make us soup from stones.”
Curious, they did provide.
He stirred and sighed and smiled inside,
“Delicious” gloated he, “but an onion or a leek would make a soup fit for a King!”
They did oblige and they did bring onions and leeks
“A little herb, a bit of meat would make this soup as sweet as anything you ever tasted!”
Mouths watering they gathered all.
The soup was shared amongst the thrall
And not a drop was wasted!
Soup from “stones” of cocoa-dusted gelled consommé and dark chocolate enrobed short ribs finished with piping hot beef stock from a silver ewer.
5th Course
The egg was large, no doubt.
The bird was scraggly,
You could could even call it ugly.
The ducklings did not treat it well
and it was unhappy.
Nonetheless, it grew into a regal elegant swan.
The moral of the story is that things should be what they are;
Until they’re not. You figure it out.
Three slices of smoked duck breast on a bed of goat cheese risotto paired with a trio of “sauce” bonbons: fresh oranges with orange liqueur, fresh blueberries, and Cotes du Beaune red wine with Vermont honey.
6th Course
Little Jack Horner, sat in a corner
Eating his curds and whey.
But not today.
He glanced with a start–and there sat a tart!
He put in his thumb–it tasted of plum
He thought for an age he detected some sage…
Lime crusted tart with hot plum & red wine gianduja and chilled plum compote finished with fried sage leaves.
7th Course
Thank you, friends.
As our evening draws to close
our ugly ducking–
graceful swan now in repose
must gently sing a last lament
we offer lasting sentiment:
One final gift may we impose?
A golden chocolate swan with a honey-filled chocolate cup on a pond of espresso mousse. Our beautiful table arrangements were provided by Apotheca in Goffstown, NH.
Our Fable at Your Table Dinner was brought to you by
