Mother's Day Dinner Ideas

[KateinChicago]

I need to pull out all of the stops for Mother's Day. You could call it Expiation Day Dinner From a Very Bad Child Who Masquerades as an Adult. I will be cooking for about 10 people. Mom is 79 and culinarily adventuresome as is dad. In my larder made within the last week (that I would hope to incorporate) are tomato confit, duck confit and garlic confit. I was thinking to incorporate these into a first course of duck confit and foie gras stuffed ravioli with a sauce utilizing the tomato and garlic confits. I am pretty sure that I can make these into a tasty something but all thoughts are welcome. I need an appetizer thing utilizing fresh oysters or clams, preferably labor intensive and elaborate ::think expiative::, a main with sides although I am toying with the idea of making cassoulet but the ravioli idea may nix this because of redundancy. Mom loves a great dessert. This should also be painfully labor intensive with the caveat that I only have until Mother's Day to complete it. For mom it's a plus if ice cream is involved but not a necessity. I live in Chicago so odd and weird ingredients shouldn't pose much of a problem. My parents live in Arizona for half of the year and are into spicy and loved their various trips to the Orient but, for the most part, I am thinking along European and Italian lines for this dinner. That could change however. All suggestions welcome. Just make sure that it won't be easy on me.

Kate

[racheld]

Oh, My Dear. As a former THAT CHILD myself, accept my empathy and concern---I have no real ideas past perhaps one of those fruitcake concoctions to which you've been adding four-hundred-year old brandy and an almost endangered-species strain of raspberries for the past six months, checking your calendar with fevered frequency for the proper timing.

Salad-makings which require stops at nine greengrocers (receipts prominently displayed on your kitchen board, held in with little pushpins), something marinated in a mixture which necessitates alarm-clock setting to wake you every two hours round the clock for turning, and a twelve-step beat-the-whites-by-hand-in-a-freshly-polished-copper-bowl dessert should bring the meal to a properly Sisyphean conclusion.

Oh, and if your expiation has not been raised to the required penitent apex, perhaps you could consult the I will never. . . thread for advice on self-inflicted finger-burns and knife-catchings. If you're squeamish, a few strategically-placed bandaids and a half-hidden wince from time to time should carry the idea without actual infliction of pain to yourself.

My deepest empathy,

rachel

PS---do they still sell ortolans? There used to be a market in Samarkand---you could check into that.

[sparrowgrass]

I was a good kid. I will be eating whatever my mom fixes for me on Mother's day.

[deltadoc]

Being the "bad seed" too, I tried making Julia Child's chicken pate with the drawstring cognac'd chicken skin, and the tarragon, heavy cream chicken pate with the whole peeled pistachios marinated in cognac with shallots, cubed ham, more tarrgon, etc folded in. When "diapered" with cheese cloth and tied with strings, after roasting and removing the cheesecloth, you have what looks like a Melon.

Took 4 1/2 hours to make. mom ate one teensy weensy bite, and I asked her what she thought. She said she'd never had anything like it before to compare. Wouldn't eat anymore of it, and went and buttered some toast, opened a can of MuscleMan's apple sauce, and that was our Mother's day dinner.

If were me, I'd research some endangered species, like they did in the movie that starred Marlon Brando which was a spoof on the Godfather, where they made people pay exorbitant prices to eat the last remaining "whatever" and served 'em chicken instead.

That's what I'd do. Say it's one of the last two remaining Galapagos Lizardo Corleone's, and serve her chicken.

doc

[EllenC]

I think you should do a croquembouche (sp?) for dessert. Labor intensive but doable by Mother's Day. And dangerous with all that hot sugar work. That should be worth one or two expiation points.

I was also the bad child. I wish I had thought of this before my mom passed away.

Good Luck!

Ellen

[dockhl]

.  I need an appetizer thing utilizing fresh oysters or clams, preferably labor intensive and elaborate ::think expiative::,

Been there.

OK, appetizer. How about

Oysters and Pearls

from the French Laundry ?

[Kouign Aman]

Mom loves a great dessert. This should also be painfully labor intensive with the caveat that I only have until Mother's Day to complete it

Cream-puff swans.

Ya gotta make the dough, pipe em (bodies and necks), bake em, cut half to make wings, fill em (can use icecream here), stick necks/heads on em, and pipe eyes on the heads. LOTS of work, very showy. Everything except filling could probably be done in advance.

If you like the hot sugar idea from a croquembouche, you could use sugar threads to accent and add sparkle/crunch, or to make nests for the swans.

The swans look best with VERY skinny necks, and nice round bodies, IMO.

That also makes them more difficult to do...

I dont know where we got the recipe we used.

link to recipe/instructions

Edited May 3, 2007 by Kouign Aman (log)

[KateinChicago]

.  I need an appetizer thing utilizing fresh oysters or clams, preferably labor intensive and elaborate ::think expiative::,

Been there.

OK, appetizer. How about

Oysters and Pearls

from the French Laundry ?

←

Well I am whacking myself on the side of the head (taking expiation to extremes cause it hurt ). That's a great suggestion and one I've been meaning to try as I love all things I've produced from the Keller books. Last expiation dinner she got the salmon (except I used smoked) tartare in the cornet. Actually she was the only one who got it in the cornet as my fingers were pretty well burned after, finally, making two that were servicable. Everyone else got smoked salmon tartare napoleons as the little rounds were much easier to make. While I love oysters I am not so much a fan of caviar but my mom is. So I get to make something I'm not crazy about but mom will love.

Thanks!

Kate

[KateinChicago]

Mom loves a great dessert. This should also be painfully labor intensive with the caveat that I only have until Mother's Day to complete it

Cream-puff swans.

Ya gotta make the dough, pipe em (bodies and necks), bake em, cut half to make wings, fill em (can use icecream here), stick necks/heads on em, and pipe eyes on the heads. LOTS of work, very showy. Everything except filling could probably be done in advance.

If you like the hot sugar idea from a croquembouche, you could use sugar threads to accent and add sparkle/crunch, or to make nests for the swans.

The swans look best with VERY skinny necks, and nice round bodies, IMO.

That also makes them more difficult to do...

I dont know where we got the recipe we used.

link to recipe/instructions

That looks like a lot of work. THANKS!! I've got all of the equipment and have never been afraid of pate choux although my artistic ability is a little pathetic. For some reason the swans seem very springy and Mother's Dayish and perhaps I could do an ugly duckling as a self portrait ,

Kate

←

[ludja]

A Dobos Torte is a delicious and showy dessert that can easily serve 10. Here's a discussion thread on it: click

Here's a photo: click

It's not too difficult to make but it is bit fussy or potentially "expiating. You bake seven or more thin cake layers. The filling is a rich chocolate buttercream. The top layer has a crunchy caramel coating that has to be quickly scored into serving pieces before the caramel completely hardens. I like covering the sides with roasted and chopped hazelnuts.

edited to add: How about a whole fish for the main course? Impressive and something that would be expiating for me as I've never attempted cooking one.

Edited May 3, 2007 by ludja (log)

[Carrot Top]

Perhaps Mom would like to start off dinner with a cocktail. A Pousse-Cafe or two? Three Pousse-Cafe's imbibed can have the effect of those drinking them wishing to endow Sainthood upon all those around them.

If they don't pass out first, that is.

[annecros]

Perhaps Mom would like to start off dinner with a cocktail. A Pousse-Cafe or two?  Three Pousse-Cafe's imbibed can have the effect of those drinking them wishing to endow Sainthood upon all those around them.

If they don't pass out first, that is. 

←

Absolutely. Get Mom buzzed, but good. Everything just looks shiny and brighter.

Unfortunately, my Mother is a teetotaler. I had to wash dishes, step, and fetch to make up for my sins.

It is always worth it. You only have one mother.

[KateinChicago]

Perhaps Mom would like to start off dinner with a cocktail. A Pousse-Cafe or two?  Three Pousse-Cafe's imbibed can have the effect of those drinking them wishing to endow Sainthood upon all those around them.

If they don't pass out first, that is. 

←

Absolutely. Get Mom buzzed, but good. Everything just looks shiny and brighter.

Unfortunately, my Mother is a teetotaler. I had to wash dishes, step, and fetch to make up for my sins.

It is always worth it. You only have one mother.

←

Mom definately drinks and she definately will but I am having a hard time figuring out how that Pousse cafe would actually taste. She'd probably rather have a dry potato vodka martini but I could dress it up with some roquefort stuffed olives and maybe a home pickled onion.

Kate

[Carrot Top]

Mom definately drinks and she definately will but I am having a hard time figuring out how that Pousse cafe would actually taste. 

←

They taste terrible, to me.

It was just the effort involved in balancing the layers and getting to her without mixing up a single perfect one, that I was thinking of.

[rooftop1000]

Mom definately drinks and she definately will but I am having a hard time figuring out how that Pousse cafe would actually taste.  

←

They taste terrible, to me.

It was just the effort involved in balancing the layers and getting to her without mixing up a single perfect one, that I was thinking of.

←

The Russian Quaalude is a much tastier version....Vodka, Kahlua, and Baily's

also layered

tracey

[dockhl]

my fingers were pretty well burned after, finally, making two that were servicable. 

Did that help?

[racheld]

Soooooo---what did you cook? How was it received?

Did everyone (including the Guest of Honor) ooooh and ahhhh?

Have you recovered from your labors, or have you yet to be released from the oubliette?

Empathetic minds want to know.

[KateinChicago]

Soooooo---what did you cook?  How was it received?

Did everyone (including the Guest of Honor) ooooh and ahhhh? 

Have you recovered from your labors, or have you yet to be released from the oubliette?

Empathetic minds want to know.

←

There was some oohing and ahhing especially over the oysters and pearls and the home made duck confit ravioli. My mom preempted me on the main course and dessert. She wanted rack of lamb and nothing but rack of lamb and she wanted chocolate creme brulee for dessert "period". Although the latter were dead easy I some how managed to over-cook the lamb a smidge which I have decided to blame on her convection oven (which I am not used to).

My parents have an open kitchen so everyone could see me slaving over the meal . When I was making the ravioli the night before the dinner my mom and sister kept asking if they could help. "No" to mom but, eventually "Yes" then "Big Yes" to my sister. That actually turned out to be fun for both of us as she had never made any kind of stuffed pasta before. I am the one who makes it for holiday dinners and now I have a well trained assistant (we made about 250). She actually wants to help with the next batch of Christmas tortellini! I've been trying to get a helper for years and actually threatened to stop making them. For some reason I never asked this sister to help (I've got 5 sisters and she is the only one not into cooking).

No one offered to help shuck the oysters or cook the tapioca or make the sabayon or the sauce but they were more than happy to eat the oysters. What a great dish! Hats off to Thomas Keller! Would I make it again? Probably not. It's a lot of work and an unbelievable fat delivery vehicle and, my father just kept stealing the raw oysters as soon as I had shucked them. Fortunately I purchased more than I needed for just such an eventuality.

I made a lamb jus for the racks from the home made stock and the sauce for the pasta was made from tomato and garlic confit and the stock and turned out very nice.

I planned on serving the lamb only with some simple grilled asparagus but my father (and I hadn't been bad to him) demanded potatoes so I made some oven roasted red potatoes with fresh herbs and pancetta.

I used Valhrona bittersweet chocolate in the creme brulee as it was the last of a large stash I purchased at the Valhrona factory in France on a trip with my parents. I forgot to bring my mini blow torch so I was a bit concerned about browning the tops under the broiler but it all worked out.

By the time we started to eat I was so dead tired that my mom came over to me and gave me a kiss and said "You're such a good daughter". That perked me up quite a bit!

Unfortunately Dad is expecting same for Father's Day

Kate

[racheld]

Wow. And Kudos. Sounds like it got raves.

Glad you did it, glad it's over, glad they liked it.

ps You were gonna make 250 raviolis by YOURSELF? And then all the rest?

For Fathers' Day, why not just go dive for the oysters as well?

Again Wow.

[judiu]

No one offered to help shuck the oysters or cook the tapioca or make the sabayon or the sauce but they were more than happy to eat the oysters. What a great dish! Hats off to Thomas Keller! Would I make it again? Probably not. It's a lot of work and an unbelievable fat delivery vehicle and, my father just kept stealing the raw oysters as soon as I had shucked them. Fortunately I purchased more than I needed for just such an eventuality.

THAT is why you keep a wooden spoon close to you at all times while cooking: SMACK! GET OUTTA MY KITCHEN!