17th Dinner Club: Asian Fusion Summary

13-Sep-2005

It was a warm evening in Seattle, but the feel of fall was in the air. We made our way to M2’s cozy apartment bringing our various Asian-Fusion offerings. I arrived rudely early – traffic was not nearly what it should have been for a Friday night with a Mariners’ game due to start at 7:00 But M2 was ready and graciously allowed me in! :-) The rest of the group arrived shortly after and the festivities began.

A couple of comments about this meal. First, M2 had her recipe posted early on and others seem to follow suit so it seemed like there was really good coordination of this meal. Lemongrass seemed to be the ingredient of the day – two of the recipes featured it prominently and I actually changed my dessert recipe since what I had originally picked out also featured Lemongrass. A common ingredient has been something we’ve seen before and it can add a nice theme throughout the meal but, as you know, it could also be a bit of a one-note experience if you are not careful Finally, each of us commented on how simple/easy our individual offerings were to make. Not sure if that is a reflection of the theme or just what we each chose. Anyway, each element of this meal worked really well with all the other elements and since each piece was so easy this would be a great meal for entertaining.

We started with a great combination of rich and clean – the Crab Lemongrass Tartlets being amazingly rich but the Sake Sangria being perfectly cleansing! It was a great combination. The tartlets were crabby, rich with cream and eggs, yet you could taste the lighter element of the lemongrass. The cucumber and the ginger in the sangria were light and refreshing. One of the best things about it, was that R was able to make up a pitcher ahead of time and then just serve it as we requested a glass (or two…) without having to leave the party. Wonderful!

K’s salad was another wonderful combination of peppery arugula, tart goat cheese and and a spicy lemongrass concoction.

Simple yet tasty this salad was perfect alongside our main meal. And it coordinated so nicely with the table setting, too! (See the photo in the Menu and Recipe post.)

This salad is extremely versatile and would be great accompanying just about anything from a steak to a pasta dish.

M2 and M plated the halibut and Crazy Coconut Noodle Toss on the same plate. M2 had selected beautiful thick halibut steaks for our meal. They were first marinated in a simple combination of soy, ginger and sesame oil. After perfectly broiling the fish it was sauced with a bright green, fresh cilantro-lime pesto. Perfection! The fish was really lovely both with and without the pesto.

We gave M a bit of a bad time about the name of her side dish, but that was only until we had our first bite! She used a fettuccine noodle instead of the spaghetti the recipe specifies but I think it was a better choice. The vegetables and herbs mixed with the noodles was light and refreshing but the coconut milk added an element of luxuriousness to the dish. These two dishes seemed like they were planned by the same chef seeking flavors, colors and textures that enhanced as well as delighted the palate.

At this point we were really stuffed. It’s amazing how a series of rather light feeling dishes can still fill you up! We waited a bit for dessert but finally had to get to it before we all fell asleep at the table! I liked this dish as it was sort of an Asian version of gingerbread. The candied ginger and cardamom cream lending an Eastern influence and a lighter texture to the normally robust gingerbread. However, I’m not positive that I would make it again. Mostly because the flavors are not necessarily what an average group of dinner companions might expect or appreciate. I think that candied ginger is a bit of an acquired taste and it is defintely prevalent in this dessert.

Overall I’d say this was one of our best coordinated meals! We talked about how we’ve often picked one recipe or another to duplicate but in this case we could all see replicating this entire meal! I’d say that was quite a success!

17th Dinner Club: Asian Fusion Menu & Recipes