State Dinner for Prince Charles & Camilla

[Carrot Top]

Now real folksy presidential eating is the cottage cheese and ketchup of Nixon.

Bubble and Squeak and things like that, Brit food for Brits (or Chinese for the Chinese etc) would be nice - it seems to hint at friendship, doesn't it.

But protocol directive is often written "against" this sort of feeding their national food to the national visitors. The idea behind this is that:

1) It might be considered insulting in some way, i.e. "we can do this better than you"; and

2) The concept that lies behind the sorts of meals that are demonstrative of culture in a formal extended sense (whether in the businessplace or in the political arena) is to show who "we" are that is serving the meal. To show who we are and hopefully be understood and appreciated for it.

[Busboy]

I was thinking more along the line of Keller's "Oysters and Pearls" where the pearls are actually tapioca, or the "fettuccini" served at Michel Richard's Citronelle, which uses shredded cuttlefish instead of pasta.

So, Toad in the Hole becomes, I don't know, Texas frog legs in a basket of fried shredded potatoes, and Bubble and Squeek is something (mouse? probably not)served in that Iron Horse sparkling wine.

[Carrot Top]

Sounds good. Might be time for you to write a cookbook, Busboy.

[Mayhaw Man]

Banquet food is banquet food.

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You should sign up and go to Oxford for the SFA conference next year. You might be forced to recant that statement (but only a little bit, you are, of course, mostly right)The Saturday Viking Lunch, which is served to about 250 folks, is pretty much as good as it gets. I have had many, many meals in many restaurants that didn't even come close to this meal. Last year Ann Cashion handled the work (insert "Ode to Caramel Cake made by a Beautiful Woman" here), and this year it was primarily led by Ken Smith, with help, as always, from John Currence and his crew. Check this out. There wasn't a clunker in the whole meal:

Viking Range Luncheon

Southern Foodways Symposium

October 29, 2005

Ken Smith

Upperline, New Orleans

John Currence, City Grocery, Oxford

Dana Logsdon, La Spiga Bakery, New Orleans

Duck Etoufée with Pepper Jelly

Bitter Greens with Bittersweet Plantation Dairy Bulgarian-Style Goat’s Milk Feta, Sugared Pecans, and Steen’s Cane Syrup Vinaigrette

Cane River Country Shrimp

Fancy Pants Banana Pudding

To drink, Jerri Banks’

Verbena-Gilded Dragon Eyes Sweet Tea

You could easily do worse at the average banquet meal at the White House or anywhere else. That Banana Pudding that Dana made, on the fly-she didn't know that she was doing it until a couple of days before) was really light, really, delicious. The fried grits that went with the shrimp were soft and delicious on the inside, and pleasantly crunchy on the outside. That duck etouffee with pepper jelly was a great idea. It was a thick etouffee, redolent with duck and fresh spice, served over a moist cornbread that had a schmeer of pepper jelly on top. It was right tasty.

It can be done, but I think the main problem with banquet food is that the food is not the point, almost an afterthought. At this particular event in oxford, the food is THE thing. With the meal at the White House the other night, I would be ok with it, but it would be kind of hard to get excited about.

[Carrot Top]

There *is* something about the food at these sorts of functions where the focus is *not* supposed to be on the food but on the social occurence that often leads to one of two things happening:

Either the food is hyper-overblown in name and fuss and pompous preparation and presentation that it is extremely difficult to carry off the real taste within it, or

The food has got to be somewhat self-deprecatory, at least in name, and following on from this thought even in presentation and hoopla.

I prefer the second sort of menu. You can place a fancy name on any old thing and it can still be a piece of sh**, but it also happens that something quiet and unostentatious can hold depths of unexpected finesse and flavor.

I am sure there is a wonderful Southern saying that would express the thoughts held in that last sentence much better than I said it, but I've left the rolling hills of West Virginia behind now for more than two years and my language skills have surely dulled in their punguency.

Edited November 4, 2005 by Carrot Top (log)

[*Deborah*]

I hope to have this menu gel more, but in 24 hours, I've come up with the following:

Seasonal PNW wild mushroom tart (crust prepared earlier in the day; mushrooms sautéed à la minute with butter, shallots and thyme, dry sherry and vegetable stock reduction)

Smoked Alaskan King Salmon...preparation TBD. Is the "king" too much? then leave the word out.

Roast of Buffalo (take on roast beef), with horseradish jus reduction (does Buffalo create a jus? I've never eaten it), presented with the roasted organic root vegetables and a wild rice and squash dish.

Salad of Boston lettuce and baby spinach, with cucumbers, yellow grape tomatoes and New England cranberries, organic Maine blueberry vinaigrette.

Could one possibly have more than one type of cheese? I am not at all knowledgeable about American cheeses, but assume that three regional artisanal cheeses could probably be found, and served with a savoury pecan bread/cracker and a corn meal cracker.

Trio of miniature desserts: Florida citrus-infused flan with Florida cane-sugar caramel; bread pudding with Bourbon sauce and a praline; Reliance grape tartlet garnished with fromage frais.

It has a lot of the same elements but showcases various regions.

*shrug*

Flame away

Edited November 5, 2005 by *Deborah* (log)

[Carrot Top]

That's a good menu, Deborah.

Let me extend a sprig of thyme in hopes that we can sit at the same table.

I promise I'll only bite the food.

[*Deborah*]

That's a good menu, Deborah.

Let me extend a sprig of thyme in hopes that we can sit at the same table. 

I promise I'll only bite the food.

←

Deal.

[Pontormo]

*Deborah*:

Thank you SO SO much for responding to the spirit of the topic!

I love what you came up with, and am touched by the time and thought you put into this, too.

So I raise my glass to you, and to continued good will between our countries!

I will leave it up to you to decide which of the wines fills that glass

Pontormo

[hannnah]

God knows, you can't serve Brit wine

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*ahem*

from the Daily Telegraph (reg. required) on the British wine industry

In 2004, a sparkling wine produced by Chapel Down in Kent won a gold medal at the International Wine Challenge awards - one of only 22 vintages to take the prize and beating many champagnes.

The Nyetimber sparkling wines would also have been an appropriate choice - they've won a number of blind tastings and are receiving significant international recognition. Ironically, the only places they appear to be available over here are in Texas.

[ruthcooks]

Making up menus is one of my favorite things to entertain myself. Here's my entry and some of the rationale, containing foods from Illinois, Iowa, Indiana, Michigan and Minnesota and probably several other states.

Wine choices are entirely up to you, I'm not an expert.

Midwest Menu for Chuck & Cam

Indian River Consomme

(Tomato juice, orange juice, beef broth, vermouth, basil)

Cheddar Biscuits

*

Second Crop Fall lettuces with Fresh Pears,

Julienned Country Ham, Corn Bread Croutons

And Maple Vinaigrette

*

Boneless Breast of Wild Pheasant

Braised in wine with sour cream and dried morels

Amana Colonies Rice Dressing

(with some wild rice added)

Timbale of Corn Pudding

Shredded Brussels Sprouts with Browned Butter

*

Layered Sour Cherry Parfait

Rolled Tuiles with Hickory Nuts

Notes:

Soup: what’s a Midwestern menu without beef in it? Also, since the main course is rather heavy, and the salad complicated, this menu called for a light touch to begin with.

Salad: I often move courses around to make the tastes flow better. The purpose of serving it before the main course is to separate the relative sweetness of the maple syrup vinaigrette from the dessert.

Main course: using sour cream to tenderize pheasant is a useful method for tenderizing older birds. Corn not in season? My recipe is for a fluffy rather than custardy pudding and is always made with frozen corn anyway.

No cheese course? Just doesn’t seem to go with Midwestern foods, but if desired, serve a selection of Wisconsin cheddar and goat cheese with either Nauvoo or Maytag Blue Cheese, and omit or substitute for the cheddar biscuits served with the soup.

Dessert: This is my little joke for those who think that Midwesterners eat Jell-O all the time. Part of the parfait is jelled cherry juice. Wish I hadn't lost the recipe.

[Ling]

^What an interesting menu! I especially liked how you explained why you chose each dish, and explained the progression of the courses.

I like yours a lot too, Deborah...I'll think of a menu to contribute when I have some time during the week.

[Pontormo]

Ruth:

I am sorry I didn't see your VERY carefully thought-out menu earlier!

Everything is beautifully coordinated. I like the way you have continued the regional theme that Gifted Gourmet first established, only this time treated the neglected midwest.

(I seem to recall that Zingerman's in Ann Arbor, Michigan, once carried a few "artisan" cheeses from midwestern dairies.)

Thank you!

By the way, for those of you who didn't hear NPR this morning, you may be pleased to note that the prince and duchess are visiting an organic market north of San Francisco today before meeting Alice Waters at her Edible Schoolyard in Berkeley. I wonder if the elementary school students will bake them a pizza or braise Swiss chard.

Edited November 7, 2005 by Pontormo (log)

[Gifted Gourmet]

But before heading to Berkeley, the royal couple spent Saturday night at a luxurious rural lodge near Inverness, California. Apparently, they enjoyed a "convivial" and organic dinner with leading figures from the food world, including winemaker Robert Mondavi and "Fast Food Nation" author Eric Schlosser... the commitment to organic farming is quite strong with prince Charles and, he not only talks the talk, but walks the walk ...

[Carrot Top]

he not only talks the talk, but walks the walk ...

←

His walking pattern has always seemed a bit strange to me, personally. Confusing-like.

But at least in the organic farming business he seems to be able to see the path for the trees.

[jmsaul]

(I seem to recall that Zingerman's in Ann Arbor, Michigan, once carried a few "artisan" cheeses from midwestern dairies.)

Still does, including a few cheeses from their own creamery right here in Ann Arbor.

[Bill Miller]

I would propose dinner with a southwestern flair.

Clear tortilla soup with chicken strips, avacado strips and tortilla strips as garnish.

Caeser salad

Coffee, cocoa, cinnamon coated beef tenderloin with a pasilla chili sauce.

Jalapeno cheese grits

Swiss chard with balsamic

Grapefruit sorbet

Caramel pecan pie

Wines? How about a crisp Sauvignon Blanc followed with an Oregon Pinot Noir and finished with hot coffee or tea. A cheese course with port could follow.

[rosebud]

I would propose dinner with a southwestern flair.

Clear tortilla soup with chicken strips, avacado strips and tortilla strips as garnish.

Caeser salad

Coffee, cocoa, cinnamon coated beef tenderloin with a pasilla chili sauce.

Jalapeno cheese grits

Swiss chard with balsamic

Grapefruit sorbet

Caramel pecan pie

Wines?  How about a crisp Sauvignon Blanc followed with an Oregon Pinot Noir and finished with hot coffee or tea.  A cheese course with port could follow.

←

While I would love to dig into this meal, I sure wouldn't presume to serve it to Charles and Camilla without consulting with the Prince's staff. I have a neighbor who was born and raised in Wales and she can't tolerate even a hint of chilies or garlic . My Puerto Rican neighbor doesn't care for chili peppers, either.

[Bill Miller]

I would propose dinner with a southwestern flair.

Clear tortilla soup with chicken strips, avacado strips and tortilla strips as garnish.

Caeser salad

Coffee, cocoa, cinnamon coated beef tenderloin with a pasilla chili sauce.

Jalapeno cheese grits

Swiss chard with balsamic

Grapefruit sorbet

Caramel pecan pie

Wines?  How about a crisp Sauvignon Blanc followed with an Oregon Pinot Noir and finished with hot coffee or tea.  A cheese course with port could follow.

←

While I would love to dig into this meal, I sure wouldn't presume to serve it to Charles and Camilla without consulting with the Prince's staff. I have a neighbor who was born and raised in Wales and she can't tolerate even a hint of chilies or garlic . My Puerto Rican neighbor doesn't care for chili peppers, either.

←

There is really no heat except in the grits, the other chilis are full of flavor and mild. At any rate I would of course clear it with Charles staff. This was just for fun. Regards, Bill

[ludja]

I would propose dinner with a southwestern flair.

Clear tortilla soup with chicken strips, avacado strips and tortilla strips as garnish.

Caeser salad

Coffee, cocoa, cinnamon coated beef tenderloin with a pasilla chili sauce.

Jalapeno cheese grits

Swiss chard with balsamic

Grapefruit sorbet

Caramel pecan pie

Wines?  How about a crisp Sauvignon Blanc followed with an Oregon Pinot Noir and finished with hot coffee or tea.  A cheese course with port could follow.

←

Hmmm.. hopefully it would pass the spice censors; it sounds very nice.

The grapefruit sorbet could also be embellished as:

"Texas Ruby Grapefruit Sorbet garnished with Pomegranates and Campari"

(a regular on my Thanksgiving Day table)

Have you ever made anything similar to the tenderloin description, Bill Miller? It sounds great.

[Bill Miller]

I would propose dinner with a southwestern flair.

Clear tortilla soup with chicken strips, avacado strips and tortilla strips as garnish.

Caeser salad

Coffee, cocoa, cinnamon coated beef tenderloin with a pasilla chili sauce.

Jalapeno cheese grits

Swiss chard with balsamic

Grapefruit sorbet

Caramel pecan pie

Wines?  How about a crisp Sauvignon Blanc followed with an Oregon Pinot Noir and finished with hot coffee or tea.  A cheese course with port could follow.

←

Hmmm.. hopefully it would pass the spice censors; it sounds very nice.

The grapefruit sorbet could also be embellished as:

"Texas Ruby Grapefruit Sorbet garnished with Pomegranates and Campari"

(a regular on my Thanksgiving Day table)

Have you ever made anything similar to the tenderloin description, Bill Miller? It sounds great.

←

I use Robert del Grande' s recipe from Cafe' Annie in Houston. I'll get the recipe and post it tomorrow--I've prepared it many times.

[ludja]

...

I use Robert del Grande' s recipe from Cafe' Annie in Houston.  I'll get the recipe and post it tomorrow--I've prepared it many times.

←

Cool, thanks in advance for sharing this with us.

[Bill Miller]

...

I use Robert del Grande' s recipe from Cafe' Annie in Houston.  I'll get the recipe and post it tomorrow--I've prepared it many times.

←

Cool, thanks in advance for sharing this with us.

←

I just posted the recipe in Recipe Gullet --you can get it there by looking for beef tenderloin with coffee and cocoa coating. I'm going to try and post a link--it doesn't always work. Regards, Bill

My Webpage

Edited November 10, 2005 by Bill Miller (log)

[kiliki]

I just learned they are visiting Point Reyes Station and its farmers market-how neat! That's got to be some big news for that pretty little town.

[Cucina]

You are free to take this very, very seriously and show off.  Or not.

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Okay - I choose NOT. Everybody has taken this quite seriously (and the menus and ideas are wonderful so I'm glad folks did) but in the interest of taking on the full challenge, I choose the latter challenge of NOT - which included impersonating someone else. Here's my entry (assuming it passes muster with the P.C. police):

Planning an extraordinary affair at the White House – much less a royal one that involves knives and forks – is very serious business. But Paris Hilton deeply felt she was up to the challenge for her new reality show - “Can You Beat That?” - where Paris serves as guest chef in some of the world’s most famous kitchens, whipping up unique creations that only Paris could conceive.

For the White House State dinner honoring Prince Charles and the Duchess of Cornwall, Paris chose to create a memorable menu that would commemorate the enduring love and challenges of the royals while showcasing through her menu the uniquely American cultural obsessions of which she is queen bar none. That her dyslexia resulted in an unfortunate misspelling on the menu, and the President - who insisted on personally reviewing the menu in advance - did not catch it or other unique menu references - did not mar the overall success of the event from the guests point of view although the press corps had a field day with it.

The Starter Course: Alaskan King Salmon Creamed Soup (garnished with, what food critics later called an overpowering mum)

For the Salad: OH baby organic lettuce with prickly pear vinaigrette

Main Course choices included: Mock Massive Breasts of Lord God Bird served on a bed of organic girls gone wild rice; Grilled Atlantic Tampon (oops Tarpon) basted with blood orange sauce and served on a bed of crudités; Tender loins served with herb infused sweet potato queens - a Mississippi delicacy.

The main course was followed by a cheese course which consisted of artisan cheeses made by Paris herself and her former friend, Nicole Ritchie on their reality show - "the Simple Life" - they accidentally forgot to empty one of the pails after milking cows and the milk took on a life all its own. Somehow it turned out.

For dessert, guests had their choice of the following: Cherries Jubilee; or Peekin' Pie (another unfortunate misspelling attributed to her lack of knowledge of common nuts).

Since Paris didn't know much about wine pairings, she relied exclusively on selections by Francis Ford Coppola's California winery for which food and wine critics offered mixed reviews. (It was later learned that Paris thought Coppola meant something else, hence the arbitrary selection).

The Prince and his Duchess praised Paris for her culinary prowess as did the majority of the guests attending which had the press corps and all of America scratching their heads in disbelief. (It was later learned that in the cocktail hour preceding the State Dinner, Paris insisted on only serving Coke and Hurricanes which may have accounted for some of the praise).

However, there were leaks from among the prominent guests. The Washington Post’s Reliable Source columnist reported that the Bush daughters were not happy with the menu at all. Paris, ever the one to please, asked what she could do about it. According to the Reliable Source, the Bush daughters indicated that they knew Paris had two Greek salads in her private pantry. Reluctantly, Paris capitulated and shared. The New York Post’s Page “6” columnist also reported that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas was unhappy with his meal. According to the report, (much of which cannot be shared at egullet due to wise policies) Thomas wanted a different kind of Rice.

Post Script: Easy Bake Oven Company has revoked its endorsement contract with Paris Hilton. Martha Stewart’s OmniMedia is in discussions with Paris for a new reality show with the working name of “The Hard –Time Life.” Alain Ducasse is not returning phone calls from Paris.