Dinner Menus – Second Sunday Supper Circle

Millennium Dinner

20010114Although the whole Y2K thing was oriented around the change in the year from 1999 to 2000, because of some potential computer glitches (that didn’t happen, but the hype surrounding it all was impressive), the actual date of the change of the millennium was January 1, 2001, not 2000. We celebrated with an understated dinner.

Second Sunday Supper Circle
January 14, 2001

Portobello Soup
Champagne Vranken Brut Cuvee de l’An 2000

Scallop Mousse, Root Vegetable Hash
Hidden Cellars Alchemy, 1995

Braised Rabbit
Giuseppe Quintarelli Alzero, 1991

Poppy Seed Torte
Schloss Vollrads Eiswein Auslese, 1970

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A Roll of the Deiss

20001008Another one of our wine themed dinners – here, with all but the sparkling to launch the evening, from Marcel Deiss, one of my favorite Alsace producers.

A Roll of the Deiss
Sunday, 8 October, 2000

Alain Robert “le Mesnil” Blanc de Blanc, 1985
Roasted Beet & Pecan Salad

Marcel Deiss Gewurztraminer “Bergheim”, 1995
Sauteed Shrimp with Chanterelle Sauce

Marcel Deiss Riesling “Engelgarten”, 1994
Matelote

Marcel Deiss Pinot Noir “Burlenberg” Vielles Vignes, 1996
Roast Pork Loin with Black Trumpet Confit

Marcel Deiss Pinot Gris “Bergheim” Vendanges Tardives, 1994
Yogurt with Jonagold Apples & Honey

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Shades of Yellow

20000910Another color themed dinner I did a lot of those, and long before the modernist trend we’re seeing in 2015 for “monochrome” dinners. Prescient, that’s what I was, prescient.

Second Sunday Supper Circle
September 10, 2000

Cantaloupe and Yukon Gold Potato Soup
Chandon Reserve Cuvee 491

Peach & Yellow Tomato Salad with Pineapple Sage
Paul Blanck Riesling “Schlossberg” 1996

Grilled Mantis Shrimp with Carrot Fondue
Joseph Drouhin Volnay-Chevret 1993

Veal Cutlets in Bonito & Nori Flakes & Lotus Root
Ch. Balestard la Tonnelle St. Emilion 1990

Queso Azul Monje, Fresh Dates
Dragon’s Lair Farm Kona Coffee

Limoncello De Marco

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All Tarted Up & Nowhere To Go

20000709All I remember is that I’d picked up some bottles of different vintages of “Clos de Tart”, and invited a bunch of wine geek friends to sample them over dinner. The names of the dishes were plays on the word “tart”, as well.

The Second Sunday Supper Circle
presents a new series of dinners….
Wine Geek 101

All Tarted Up & Nowhere To Go
July 9, 2000

Steak Tartare
Mommessin Morey-St.-Denis “Clos de Tart” 1990

Choros a La Perricholi
Mommessin Morey-St.-Denis “Clos de Tart” 1985

Vitello alla Putanesca
Mommessin Morey-St.-Denis “Clos de Tart” 1976

Cahill’s Porter Tart
Mommessin Morey-St.-Denis “Clos de Tart” 1969 from magnum

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Spring is Sprung?

20000409Probably little to say here – the start of spring, though looking at the menu, that didn’t seem to be the actual theme, at least not based on the ingredients. I guess we were just celebrating the slow end of cold weather on the isle of Manhattan.

Spring is Sprung?
April 9, 2000

Tasso & Westphalian Ham Salad
Laurent-Perrier Grand Siecle

Seared Scallops, Fresh Favas & Shiso Butter
Muralhas de Moncao Vinho Verde

Fennel Broth, Roasted Lobster & Green Papaya Cakes
Chateau Routas Rouviere Rose, 1996

Chorizo & Eggplant Lasagne, Basil-Cashew Cream
Green & Red Zinfandel “Chiles Canyon Estate”, 1978

Chevre, Etorki, Chaumes
Volcano Winery Lehua Blossom Honey Wine

Sweet Potato Pudding, Butter-Pecan & Dulce de Leche Ice Creams, Ginger-Orange Sauce
KWV Full Ruby Port

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The Lucky Charms Dinner

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These were two sides to a single page, folded over into a “booklet” for the evening. I have no recollection of why I decided on a Lucky Charms themed dinner – perhaps related to some of the past “color” dinners. And I have pretty much zero recall as to what the dishes were that the fanciful names represent – I’m pretty sure the “pom-poms” were pom-pom mushrooms, most likely oven roasted with butter, a personal favorite, and the beef – perhaps some take on a Chinese orange and star-anise stir-fry; the yellow moons were likely a flambeed banana dish of some sort. The back page story came from here.

The Lucky Charms Dinner
March 12, 2000

Lucky was born in 1964. Lucky’s full name is L.C. Leprechaun, and he touts his cereal as being “Magically Delicious.” Lucky the Leprechaun magically changes ordinary, shapeless white marshmallows into shapes with bright colors. Originally he put the pink hearts, yellow moons, orange stars, and green clovers into Lucky Charms cereal. In 1975 he added blue diamonds. Purple horseshoew arrived in 1984. Red balloons were added in 1989. Any changes after 1990 don’t count….

Did you know that Boris and Natasha, of the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, used to help Lucky promote the cereal?

Or that in 1975 General Mills made an attempt to replace Lucky with Waldo, a wizard?

Menu

Soup of Pink Hearts
Grilled & Stuffed Purple Horseshoes
1989 Willi Schaefer Riesling Kabinett
Graacher Dompropst

Red Balloon Custard with Pom-poms
Orange Star Beef
1993 Baron de la Charrière Santenay
Les Gravières Premier Cru

Non-Blue Cheese Diamonds
Flambeed Yellow Moons
20 Year Old Quinta do Noval Tawny Porto
Kona Coffee

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Free-Form February Food Fantasy

20000213
A study in alliteration, or as they might say on Sesame Street, today’s menu is brought to you by the letter “F”.

Free-Form February Food Fantasy
February 13, 2000

Frik Faux Pho
Fillaboa ’96 Albariño

Fried Finnochio
Il Podere dell’Olivos ’97 Fiano

Foie ‘n Fuji Flapjacks
Pfeffingen ’88 Ungsteiner Herrenberg Scheurebe Spätlese
to celebrate the beginning of pancake week

Fish ‘n Fris Flotsam
Flora Springs ’97 Merlot
to celebrate the day of the blessing of the salmon nets

Fleur du Maquis, Fougerous, Fourme d’Ambert
Phelan-Segur ’66

Fig Fantasy Finish
Fonseca ’83

Brought to you on the feast day of St. Agabus, patron saint of Fortune Tellers, by the letter F

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The Last Gathering of the Popular Millennium

19991225
Obviously, given the date, we didn’t meet on the second Sunday that month – I imagine it was an “orphan’s” Christmas, as many (NY-ers in particular I think) are wont to call them – all the folk who are stuck working during the holiday period and won’t have time to go spend it with family, or those who simply don’t want to go be with their families, or don’t have them. A group of us tended to rotate around a different person’s home each year. Not that I celebrate Christmas, but any excuse for a good dinner with friends!

jerusalem1The ‘Trip To Jerusalem’ Inn in Nottingham is the oldest pub in England, dating from 1189 AD. It is so named because it was visited by the knights on their way to the crusades in the Holy Land. Many of the interior rooms of the inn are caves carved from the rock. Assuming Robin Hood actually existed, there is little doubt he ate here. His statue stands in the courtyard…

In merry England in the time of old, when good King Henry the Second ruled the land, there lived within the green glades of Sherwood Forest, near Nottingham Town, a famour outlaw whose name was Robin Hood. No archer ever lived that could speed a gray goose shaft with such skill and cunning as his, nor were there ever such yeomen as the sevenscore merry men that roamed with him through the greenwood shades. Right merrily they dwelled within the depths of Sherwood Forest, suffering neither care nor want, but passing the time in merry games of archery or bouts of cudgel play, living upon the King’s venison, washed down with draughts of ale of October brewing…

The Last Second Sunday Supper Circle Gathering of the Popular Millennium
December 25, 1999

Wild Pheasant Springrolls in Scotch Whiskey Sauce
Young’s “Winter Warmer” Dark Ale

Oxtail Soup & Olde English Parsley Bread
E. Lustau “Peninsula” Palo Cortado

Capon & Roasted Egg Croquettes basted in Stout & Honey Reduction
1982 Charles Heuyer Musigny Grand Cru

Celeried Venison Roast with Shallot Chutney
1982 Torres Gran Coronas Reserva “Black Label”

A Selection of Little-Known English Cheeses:
Spenford, Isle of Mann Cheddar, Beenleigh Blue
1979 Château Petrus Pomerol

Hazelnut Torte
1976 PIper-Heidsieck Brut Champagne

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