As we self isolate (my son has mild, very mild Covid) I am cheering myself up with happy thoughts. What would be the perfect meal? What would I serve with it?
I think there should be rules. The meal should be four courses plus cheese. Apart from the bread and cheese, everything has to be something you have cooked in the past. And the wine….it has to be in your cellar, although you can also have already paid for prearrivals.
Still working mine out, but am curious what you will come out with.
Was just having this convo with my wife last night. We were headed to Miami today to have a very traditional Cuban dinner with family.
Roast pork (Lechon Asado)
Yucca
Fried plantains
Black beans and rice.
This is my perfect dinner. Yes I can and often do fancy, but this is classic feel-good, down home cooking.
In this meal, even wine is secondary to me. I will normally open a higher-acid red, like a Chinon. Works well with the pork fat. Champagne wins as well.
And sadly, like you, my son just tested positive so we just cancelled the trip. Ugh. Now we are doing stone crab claws at the beach. That could be my wife’s fave.
Mine would be eating at the Waffle House with the late great Anthony Bourdain and Julia Child. Miles would bring a 1961 Chateau Latour that we would all enjoy out of red solo cups.
You said something I cooked myself, so leaving out things only Betsy does, so simpler food
oysters, ramp mignonette, 1989 Luneau Papin Ld’Or
butter poached lobster,potatoes, beet 2000 Taittinger Comtes Rose
duck breast, mushrooms 1999 Dujac Combottes
rack of lamb.mustard crust, lentils 1983 Cheval Blanc
cheese 1989 Huet Constance
Sorry to hear about the positive test results, but suspect the BB will be filled with threads starting with “so we’re positive”.
Really fun post idea.
Without going into too thought, I’m going to say: Company & atmosphere matters more, so nothing too fancy or labour intensive.
A pre-dinner Negroni with some nuts/ bar snacks, while cooking/ chatting.
Gougeres & cold seafood platter/tower with a bottle of Comtes, Vilmart or Peters - still probably standing around or casually seated around the island.
Seared duck magret w. cherry gastrique, frites & roasted veg with a Drouhin Petit Monts or Dujac Malconsorts.
Will probably skip a dessert & since I usually prefer cheeses, will skip port but will open something sweet - Gunderloch Beerenauslese or a Sauternes. For cheese - a raw milk Epoisses or Riopelle d’Isle & maybe a Compte or aged beemster.