Husbands birthday dinner

[Chufi]

However, I believe Klary is not as fond of seafood as her husband is and after all this effort, something she would enjoy seems in order.

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She didn't say fish made her gag, just that she is less fond of it than her husband. Don't know about you, but when I prepare a birthday dinner for someone, I usually put his/her preferences ahead of my own. Besides, the dish in question, especially when made with wild striped bass and impeccably fresh shellfish, is one that can make a believer out of a fish doubter (I've seen it happen); eliminating the bones often does the trick and, if it doesn't, the savoury, briny, herby smell/taste and moist texture almost assuredly will.

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I looked up the recipe and I like it's simplicity, no cream or heavy sauces.. This dish has been on my mind, and I actually stood at the fishmonger looking at Very Large Fish It was too crowded to ask what they might cost and if they would bone it for me, but I will find out later in the week..

My husband would love this dish. He also knows that I would never pick this out myself, so he would really appreciate it..

He's out of town right now.. I'm thinking of compiling a shortlist, and making him choose. I have been thinking about food he really likes.. you know.. things he will always order in a restaurant.. some of my food he requests often.. stuff like that.

Thanks for taking the time to help me decide, it is much appreciated!

[Catherine Iino]

Oops, Moroccan, yes, I knew that. I actually think the big ones look really impressive. Anyway, sounds like fish is it for this year.

[Chufi]

Ok, sooooo.... husband is all for the Large Fish!! So it looks like that's going to be the main course. Talked to the fishmonger today and he will debone it (them) for me.

I'm thinking that with that dish, the whole dinner could be Italian. Start with antipasti, some good sausages, hams etc, and some vegetable dishes like marinated aubergines, roasted peppers, and a spinach dish because these are all my husbands favorites.

Then, a homemade stuffed pasta. Ravioli or tortellini.. I can make them a week before and freeze them.. then I only have to cook them on the night and serve with a simple sauce and grated cheese..

What kind of filling would be good, before the fish? would a meat ravioli with some sort of tomatosauce be too heavy?

Side dishes for the fish. I'm thinking fennel, because my husband loves it. Any other suggestions would be welcome.

Dessert, could be anything. As this dinner is fairly light - well, lighter than former years with all those rich braises and creamy gratins I always did - I think dessert can be rich and extravagant. Still thinking about that.

I like the sound of this. I't not so much about impressing the guests with new and creative stuff, but more about cooking simple food and doing it well. I like that.

Thanks everybody for your help sofar!

[Chufi]

Go with the stuffed fish!

PS: What color plastic wrap will it be this year?

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Since the guestlist is up to 22, I think I'll be wrapped up in kitchen foil, saran wrap and dishtowels, right until 5 minutes before the first guests arrive

[Ling]

Dessert, could be anything. As this dinner is fairly light - well, lighter than former years with all those  rich braises and creamy gratins I always did - I think dessert can be rich and extravagant. Still thinking about that.

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A rich and extravagant Italian dessert? You could do a riff on the classic tiramisu--maybe hazelnut ladyfingers, espresso syrup, and chocolate marscapone? Served with frangelico whipped cream and candied hazelnuts? Mmm...this would be so easy to do--just layer everything together in a big glass bowl!

Or how about making crepes, filling them with chocolate ricotta, and then making little purses out of them? You can plate them with any number of sauces.

Edited January 28, 2006 by Ling (log)

[Syrah]

Then, a homemade stuffed pasta. Ravioli or tortellini.. I can make them a week before and freeze them.. then I only have to cook them on the night and serve with a simple sauce and grated cheese..

What kind of filling would be good, before the fish? would a meat ravioli with some sort of tomatosauce be too heavy?

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What about butternut pumpkin and mascarpone for the filling? or a ricotta and herb filling? with a sage brown butter sauce?

[Swisskaese]

You could also make Apfel in Shlafsack.

Cut puff pastry in a square large enough to pull the corners together to cover the apple.

Put about a 2 teaspoons of crushed amaretti cookies in the middle of the square. Place the cored apple on top and fill it with pastry cream that has been flavored with a liqueur of your choices (such as, Grand Marnier, Chambord or Cassis).

Pull the corners of the puff pastry and either twist together like a package or place on the top of the apple, wet the puffed pastry with an egg wash on the top and place a leaf shaped piece of puff pastry or other shape as decoration. Then paint the entire pastry with egg wash. Bake at 220 for 15-20 minutes, until brown. Cool on a rack.

Serve on a bed of creme anglaise or fruit coulis (such as raspberry).

Edited January 29, 2006 by Swisskaese (log)

[Pontormo]

Brava, Chufi!

I had no idea the cooking project down in the Italian forum was having such an effect on you !

This all sounds delicious. I do hope your husband has a skilled, dear friend or relative who could help you out on the day of the festivities, though it sounds as if you've planned a meal with many dishes that could be made ahead.

First, I would like to encourage you to braise fennel as a side dish for the fish. You'll note that Marcella Hazan, in fact, has a recipe for sea bass with fennel simply because the flavors are complementary. (I've made it twice with different fish, once for guests. All were happy.)

The other option would be to include freshly shaved fennel on your antipasto platters, dressed simply with lemon juice, olive oil and curls of Parmigiano-Reggiano...except that could not be made too far in advance of the meal.

Yesterday I spent a long time looking at cookbooks at a bookstore and opened Martha Stewart's new baking book since I was curious about all the high praise here on eGullet; I admit a prejudice. I now understand all the enthusiasm. There were some beautiful things done with vegetables (tarts, galettes...) that would provide great opportunities for you to show off your pastry skills, especially braised leeks laid out, head to toe and toe to head (alternating green & white pattern) in what I think was a boxy puff pastry shell, made to fit the shape of the leeks. Something like that...or a Swiss chard gratin might be nice, though the latter would be redundant with the spinach.

As for the stuffed pasta, a simple filling of winter squash or pumpkin would be perfect before the stuffed fish and fennel. I love tortelloni di zucca sauced with butter and fresh sage.

Don't worry about spectacles. Trust what carswell told you about the main dish. There will be plenty of ooos and aaahhs.

As for desserts, why not stray from the Italian accent? You proposed a great finale in your original post. A high, light, gorgeous lemon or orange cake after the seafood...unless chocolate is your husband's favorite. Italians usually reserve their glorious cakes and pastries for occasions when they are a main event, anyway.

Sicily might provide the best sources of inspiration were you to keep all things Italian.

[amccomb]

I would like to recommend this Exotic Orange Cake as a fabulous, rich, knock 'em dead dessert.

Plus, orange or lemon seems like a natural after a fish meal, especially one with fennel.

[Chufi]

It seems like you all are reading my mind.

Unfortunately, in some cases, my husbands mind is slighly different from mine.

This means that

a) he voted against chocolate as the main player in the dessert sorry Ling your ideas for the fancy tiramisu were just mouth watering!!

b) he does not like dessert with apple. So Michele, no apples in the sleeping bag..

However..

Fennel was on my mind. I'm definitely doing fennel somewhere in this meal.

I've been thinking about tortellini di zucca, but was worried that with that amaretti flavored filling, this might be too "weird". Maybe I'll do a pumpkin/mascarpone/ricotta filling, without the amaretti, and serve with a sage butter which is one of husbands favorites.

For dessert, I am now thinking about a hazelnut cake (the Piemontese one from Rodens book), sandwiched together with a zabaglione cream filling. Chocolate curls on top (I have to sneak in chocolate somewhere..)

As for help on the day: lots of people always offer to help me with the cooking but I don't want them to. I always feel it's more stressfull to have someone extra in the kitchen that I have to explain everything to, than to do it all by myself. When the dinner is happening, I always have some people who are helping me plate & serve though.

I love how this is all slowly coming together. I'm going to be sooo organized this year!!

Edited January 29, 2006 by Chufi (log)

[Chufi]

I would like to recommend this Exotic Orange Cake as a fabulous, rich, knock 'em dead dessert.

Plus, orange or lemon seems like a natural after a fish meal, especially one with fennel.

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amccomb, I just browsed through the thread and read the recipe, that really does look very impressive, but I think attempting that cake would send me to the madhouse.. it souds very delicious but way too complicated for my humble pastryskills!!

[Pontormo]

II've been thinking about tortellini di zucca, but was worried that with that amaretti flavored filling, this might be too "weird". Maybe I'll do a pumpkin/mascarpone/ricotta filling, without the amaretti, and serve with a sage butter which is one of husbands favorites.

I recommend a very simple filling: just the squash, salt & pepper, Parm & maybe a little bit of sem-soft cheese (like Fontina, but only if you could find a better source where you're allowed to taste the cheese first. Nothing stronger than Gruyere) or a good Romano Pecorino. If that's too pure, add a little minced sage that's cooked first in butter.

Tortelloni (the big flat pillows) allow the simple combination of flavors to dominate since there's more filling. They're also quicker to produce, even if they take up more space on a tray when you're preparing to freeze them.

[ludja]

Chufi--

Here is a great cake out of one of Emily Luchetti's (well known pastry chef and cookbook author from San Francisco) cookbooks: Tuscan Cream Cake.

I thought of the cake when you mentioned your husbands tastes and the zabaglione/hazelnut cake and then I found that there was actually a copy of it online here.

(The format is in very small print; but one could copy and paste it to read it easier).

It is a 5 laver cake (bake 3 layers and cut each in half) that is filled with a zabaglione cream. The cake is iced with whipped cream, the top is covered with dark chocolate curls and the sides are covered with crumbled amaretti cookies.

It looks spectacular and tastes delicious. I've made to great applause for a both a baby shower and for my Mom on Mother's Day.

Edited January 29, 2006 by ludja (log)

[Chufi]

So, it's slowly coming together. Here's what I have sofar:

Antipasti:

Eggplant Caponata this recipe from Mario Batali.. I've made this before and it's gorgeous. Slightly spicy and with hints of cinnamon and cocoa.

Roast cauliflower

Chicken preserved in oliveoil. This is a recipe from Marcella Hazan's Marcella Cucina.. chicken is poached and then put under olive oil for a couple of days, flavored with bay and peppercorns.. served at room temp with salad and balsamic vinegar. I'm going to splurge on a really good bottle of balsamic vinegar for this.

I might swap the chicken for some simple charcuterie if I am really running out of time or energy.

Ravioli with a pumpkin/ricotta/onion confit stuffing. I'll be making these this weekend and freeze them. serve them with sage butter and parmesan. I think I will have to take care that these don't turn out too heavy or 'autumnal', or it will be a bad match with the fish that follows.

Stuffed whole seabass

some sort of fenneldish

some other sidedish

there needs to be spinach somewhere in this dinner because my husband loves it, but the amount of spinach one would need for 22 people is frightening...

Hazelnut Zabaglione torta This is going to be a fusion between the recipe Ludja linked to (Ireally like the idea of the crushed amaretti on the sides, and the chocolate curls) and two other recipes. Basically a hazelnut sponge with a zabaglione cream filling.

But, I've been known to change menu items until one day before a big dinner so who knows what might happen

[ludja]

The menu looks great so far. I like your idea for the cake, Chufi; it can only be as good or better with hazelnut sponge layers!

Maybe you could incorporate spinach into the antipasti (and thus have to cook less of it). A nice recipe I've made is a bruschetta with a white bean puree (seasoned with onion, garlic, olive oil) and then topped with chopped spinach sauteed in olive oil and garlic.

Another very good and easy antipasti is to make crostini, spread with an arugula butter (use sweet unsalted butter and process with chopped arugula) and then topped with a very thin slice of bresaola. The flavor combination really works.

[christine007]

Beautiful menu.

For serving that many people spinach, how about spinach stuffed crepes in a wine/cheese sauce?

You could make it the day before, and heat and sauce them just before serving.

It's very rich, you'd only need one crepe per person. I love them, it's one of my favorite spinach dishes.

[Chufi]

Maybe you could incorporate spinach into the antipasti (and thus have to cook less of it).  A nice recipe I've made is a bruschetta with a white bean puree (seasoned with onion, garlic, olive oil) and then topped with chopped spinach sauteed in olive oil and garlic. 

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I love the idea of spinach and white beans so much, that I think I'm going to turn that into a side dish for the main course.

Beautiful menu.

For serving that many people spinach, how about spinach stuffed crepes in a wine/cheese sauce?

You could make it the day before, and heat and sauce them just before serving.

It's very rich, you'd only need one crepe per person. I love them, it's one of my favorite spinach dishes.

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Christine, I love crepes with spinach stuffing.. I often add mushrooms.. lovely. But a bit too rich for this meal.. or they would have had to go instead of the pasta.. but it's too late for that.. because I made the pasta today!

It took me all day. I made onion confit yesterday (it was in the oven for about 9 hours I think). Today I roasted butternut squash. Made the stuffing: squash, confit, ricotta, parmesan, fresh oregano.

I made pasta dough with a kilo of flour, 10 eggs and 2 extra yolks. And then spent the entire afternoon kneading, rolling, shaping... 160 ravioli... they are in the freezer now.

I test-cooked a couple and they are great. The best stuffed pasta I ever made.

[Rebecca263]

Those ravioli look like little golden sacks of treasure! The edges look so beautiful, you did a wonderful job.

[MobyP]

Beautiful, Klary. Your husband's a very lucky fella.

[MelissaH]

If I were going to be in Amsterdam on the proper date, I'd willingly volunteer to stay up all night doing the dishes and cleaning your kitchen, just to be able to smell the aromas in your kitchen as you served everything!

MelissaH

[Chufi]

If I were going to be in Amsterdam on the proper date, I'd willingly volunteer to stay up all night doing the dishes and cleaning your kitchen, just to be able to smell the aromas in your kitchen as you served everything!

MelissaH

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are you sure you would just want to smell.. not eat anything??

[chefreit]

One of my husbands favorites is a Raspberry Merlot Chicken. You just brown chicken with shallots and garlic (pounding chicken first makes it more tender) This time of year Raspberries are untouchable, but for this the frozen ones work just fine. Deglaze the pan with a nice Merlot wine, add raspberries, s+p, and some fresh thyme-let this mixture reduce by atleast 50% Then replace chicken in skillet- serve as is or over a nice bed of fresh raw spinach or field greens. The sauce would serve as a warm dressing.

Lorraine

(wife of Chef Reit)

[Swisskaese]

I was going to suggest that you make Catalan Spinach which is sauteed spinach with raisins, toasted pine nuts and lemon juice. It is very easy.

[Chufi]

update!

The dinner is tomorrow.

The guestlist is now up to 24 people. We rented tables, chairs and china.

Final menu:

antipasti:

caponata

deepfried olives

crostini with white bean puree and sauteed spinach

salami and ham

bread

pasta:

butternut squash and onion ravioli, served with sage butter and parmesan

main:

cod stuffed with mussles and shrimp

sauteed carrots with salted capers

fennel salad

zucchini/cheese bread

dessert:

zabaglione torta

My ravioli is safe in the freezer. The caponata is made and cooling on the balcony (thank God it's february!). White bean puree is also cooling on the balcony. I made a pan full of braised chicken, in case some of the guests suddenly have an aversion to fish. You never know.

The cakes for the Zabaglione torta are made, and cut horizontally (one of the most scary tasks).

I have a fridge and a balcony stuffed with food. It only took me 4 trips to the market to collect everything (by bike remember, no car...).

The bad news: no sea bass. Apparently this is not the season for it, no large seabass to be found.. I decided to have cod instead. The cod was very fresh, and I had it filleted, so I'll do the large fillets stuffed with mussels and prawns. I decided against the whole fish because the fishmonger didn't convince me he could do it the right way, I certainly wasn't going to attempt doing it myself, and the whole thing was giving me nightmares. My peace of mind is worths something.. so it's fillets instead. It'll still have a wow-factor, these 3 huge parcels of fish coming to the table!

I'm looking forward to it. Thanks again everybody for helping me decide the menu. Most of the dishes that did not make it to tomorrow's menu, are on my 'must try soon' list. And every single reply to the thread helped me organize my thoughts and helped combining the final menu.

Now, if only I have enough food...

[Megan Blocker]

Go Klary - you can do it! I'm sure tomorrow night will be a raging success, and I can't wait to hear all about it.