An Inside Look at the
"Ultimate Dinner"
Menu
Assorted Creative Hors d'Oeuvres
NV
Roederer Estate, Brut, Anderson Valley
Champagne
glasses were designed by different European artists who were commissioned
to create champagne flutes for the millennium. There are eighteen
different designs that are named after the many women in Goethe's
life and works. Each glass is mouth-blown and numbered. The production
of each glass is limited to 1999 pieces.
***
Oyster Shooters with Eucalyptus-Honey
Vinegar and Wasabi Pearl
"Garden" Salad with Black Forest Ham, French Mâche,
Pumpkin Seed Oil and Herb Chips
Hans designed and built trays composed of wood and Astroturf,
they resemble our own front yard.
***
"Coffee" Klatch Tomato Consommé,
Chilled Cucumber Soup, Wild Mushroom "Cappuccino" with
Assorted Savory Tea Sandwiches
All of the coffee and tea sets were found in Germany. The mini
teapots are exact replicas of classic Rosenthal porcelain designs.
***
Steamed White Asparagus with Homemade
Mayonnaise, Sherry Vinaigrette, Blood Orange Hollandaise Served
with Morels in Cognac-Cream Sauce and Chervil-White Asparagus
Ragoût
We found the white ceramic pieces at a modern design store and
loved it for its simplicity and clean lines. Hans built the walnut
wood trays to house the interchangeable pieces and the accompanying
utensil stands and wine bases. The utensils are designs by Philippe
Starck, who in our opinion, is the definitive pioneer of functional
art.
***
Oh-So-Eighties Lobster
We saw these gigantic white plates and immediately thought, "They're
so eighties!," when plates were large and portions small.
We added the wind-up lobster as a playful contrast to the size
of the portion and plate.
***
Herb-Crusted
Spring Lamb with Crisp Olives on Rosemary Branches and Honey-Lavender
Aïoli accompanied by a Cone of Truffle Fries
The
silverware is by Puiforcat, which is owned by Hermés. We
loved the weightiness of the pieces, as well as the clever design
of the double-sided knives. We found the unique "barbell"
wine glasses with the enthusiastic help of our good friend, Lois
Lambert, owner of the Gallery of Functional Art in Santa Monica.
***
Cheese:
Reblochon
"Pierced" Meyer Lemon Sorbet with Basil Oil
We
thought the pierced bowls were a sign of the times - it seems
anything and everything can be pierced!
***
"Tribute
to The Beatles" Yogurt Soufflé
We
found musical instruments in a toy store and knew we needed to
use them for some part of this dinner. We were struck by the fact
that our young children, who lured us into the toy store to begin
with, knew every word to these songs that debuted decades before
their births. It was this timelessness that drew us to pair it
with the classic soufflé.
***
Home-Distilled
Brandy
Hans
saw this distillery in Germany during a trip he made to import
specialty vinegars to the United States. At the beginning of the
dinner, wine was poured into the distillery and the flame beneath
it lit. Slowly, the wine was heated and began to evaporate. As
this happened, moisture rose from the main container, through
the coils and traveled to the end container. The resulting liquor
at the end container is our very own soft and fruity homemade
brandy.
Six miniature brandy snifters are heirlooms from Hans's family.
They have been handed down for generations from Röckenwagner
to Röckenwagner.
