Auction Dinner: Venetian Spice Trade
The card that is placed on the table at the start of the dinner to let guests know what lies ahead.
Each year, my school auctions off dinners created by me and paired by Ryan Smith (sommelier) and co-owner of Enoteca La Storia (https://enotecalastoria.com/los-gatos-enoteca-la-storia-locations) and hosted at their restaurants. The proceeds go to our school’s Financial Aid Program. For each dinner, I send the winning family a questionnaire about their food likes and dislikes before composing a menu.
This evening’s theme was created as two families split the cost of the dinner and asked for opposite cuisines. One family loved Italian while the other loved flavors of Asia and specifically requested no pasta. The theme that I came up with for the evening was The Venetian Spice Trade. A focus on Italian dishes using spices and techniques from around Asia.
Menu presented at the end of the evening
From the top left clockwise: Garlic Naan Smoked Salmon Pizzetta with creme fraiche (India influenced) and caviar, Salmon Mousse Tortelloni with yuzu butter (Japan influenced), Salmon in Saor Tartare (Venetian influenced)
1st Course: Winter “Panzanella” Salad: Toasted Pita Chips tossed in lemon and black pepper, a tahini vinaigrette, roasted beets tossed in zatar, roasted sweet potato tossed in sumac, torn burrata, and pickled fresno chilis.
2nd Course: Roasted Halibut topped with lardo, risotto Milanese, Chinese Mustard green sauce.
3rd Course: Chinese Five Spice “Porchetta” with Creamed Spinach and Chinese Mustard Sauce. Pork tenderloin, coated with a porchetta pesto and Chinese five spice and then rolled in bacon. It is then roasted and finally rolled in crumbled pork crackling.
4th Course: 3 Month Dry Aged Ribeye with a black garlic and bone marrow demiglace, roasted Maitake mushrooms, and roasted sunchokes with brown butter.
Intermezzo
Tangerine Granita, Buttermilk Sorbet, and Black Pepper
Cheese Course
Roasted Grapes, Candied Pistachios, Cranberry Walnut Toasts
Cheeses: Melinda Mae (Cow’s Milk Brie) | Brabander Reserve L’Amuse (Goat’s Milk Gouda)
Pecorino Calabrese Piana (Sheep’s Milk Cheese)
5th Course: Venetian Chocolate Cake with Star Anise Gelato.
