Once again it was time. I had invited a couple of friends for dinner - or let’s better say – for a feasting. In the past, we already did something like that regularly, but at that time, we had a good Chinese restaurant with a yummy all you can eat buffet in walking distance. But as I moved to the new apartment in a new city, we couldn’t find a decent Chinese close by, but had a lot of space in the new apartment. So we decided in the future we would cook ourselves. (Did I put that right, and in case so, doesn’t it sound a bit like cannibalism?) But anyway.
Usually thinking about putting together a new menu already begins right after the last feasting, because, that’s when the ideas are starting. When I was leafing through Teubners Cookbook (a very good introductory book) I stopped at looking at tomato jelly and had to try it out right on the spot. The result was very tasteful in my wife’s opinion and in mine. So this dish made it as a course “Caprese in a different way” on the menu.
Motivated by this result, a thought crossed my mind. Why not try a orange jelly with a kick. So I squished oranges, added brown sugar, gelatine and a little bit of minced green pepper and blended it thoroughly. When I tried it, it was definitely promising – strong orange taste with a nice sweetness and a little tickle from the green pepper. But when it cooled down an the jelly gelatinize, you could really taste the green pepper. The first spoon was ok, but every spoon thereafter was just too much. What did I learn from that? You can’t trust the taste when it’s warm and liquid it, because later it changes. But with this insight, the orange jelly did make it on the menu.
A little further reading got me the other two courses which comprise the menu. It reads as follows:
Caprese a different way – tomato jelly with mozzarella flakes and basil froth
Pumpkin chestnut crème soup
Chicken drumsticks in red wine and balsamic vinegar
Orange jelly and green pepper and Limoncello crème
Not all recipes did make it on the list of things I’ll try again, but the orange jelly and the soup are definitely on it. With the tomato jelly I’ll have to find another solution how I can fit the mozzarella and the basil. The chicken was ok for a normal dinner, but I wouldn’t give it the status “it is suitable for an event like that”.
Now I’ll start all over again to put down ideas for the next feasting. But before that, there will be thanksgiving.
