This was a fun one. I don’t particularly remember why I chose to do a Chinese fusion menu – my first thought in looking back is that it was while I was dating Lee, from Chiuchow, China, and it’s possible, though there’s already a dinner where I played around with a specifically Chiuchow dish. Then again, they’re only six months apart, and we dated for a bit over a year. And I have this vague memory of him talking about his mother preparing black chicken and missing the dish. Who remembers? What I do know, is that my friend Frank, a long standing dining companion and illustrator of my books, followed me around for the day with his camera, and shot a couple of rolls of film, from shopping, to views from my window, to the ingredients, to the preparation. I would have thought that there would be photos of the finished dishes too, but so far I haven’t come across those. I’ve picked out about a dozen photos from those that I do have and scanned them in.
Red-Braised Five Spice Beef – “Heartwise” Salad
Kristone Blanc de Noirs, 1992
Drunken Crab Paella
Pazo de Barrantes Albariño, 1996
‘Lungching’ Conch Tonnato with New Potatoes
Nino Negri Valtellina Sfursat “5 Stelle”, 1994
Steamed Black Chicken with Morels and Dates
Paul Bernard Fleurie, 1997
Clos de la Roilette Fleurie, 1998
Azeitão, Ëvora, & Ribaeria Cheeses with Fresh Lychees
Paola da Silva Colares “Chitas” Reserva, 1989
