The Ballet Cook Book Dinner Fifth Installment

On Saturday, February 2nd, we held our fifth Ballet Cook Book dinner. The idea was created about a year ago by ballet blogger Ryan Wenzel. As always the host was food blogger Susan LaRosa. Usually we pick a date when I'm available all day, so Susan and I can prepare the menu. This time was different: I had a matinee show with New York City Ballet.  It meant that as soon as I finished, I would have to quickly take of my makeup, hop on the train for an hour and then have only two hours to prepare all the food.  To the further complicate things,  two days before I found out my rehearsal schedule for that Saturday and saw I had  rehearsal 6:30 to 7.  Well, I was not going to make it for the cooking of the food and I would just get there for eating part.  Luckily, my partner Michael stepped in and offer to help Susan to cook the dishes.

While the performance was happening, the ballet master that was supposed to coach my late rehearsal came to tell me we could do the rehearsal as soon as I was done with the show. So as soon as I finished that rehearsal,  I took off my makeup and  I was on my way to help with the cooking.  At other occasions the cooking has been very involved and time consuming. However, having read the recipes beforehand, I knew they were easier and less elaborate.

When I got to the house, I saw everyone sitting, relaxing, and drinking!  I was so puzzled.  I knew the recipes were  simple but I could not believe that they had done so much. This was the first dinner that we were not scrambling to finish all at the last minute.  They were so happy to see me because they decided that I should do the soufflé. Luckily, I have done many sweet soufflés and actually enjoy doing them.

Plus, I don't find them as complicated to make as people think they are.

While I was cooking, they gave me some of "Great-Great-Grandmother Blackwell's Eggnog" to try. Boy, that's a mighty strong and thick drink.  Grandma Blackwell was not playing!  Then the guest arrived and it was on with the show. We all had drinks/eggnog and guacamole for a bit until the soufflé was ready.  As I prefer stronger flavored guacamole, I found this one very bland.  I think the mayo weakened it.

Everyone was very impressed by the look of the soufflé but even more impressed by the taste of it. "Delicious." "Divine."  "It's so good!"  These were comments that you could hear at the table. I liked the soufflé but what I couldn't get out of my mind was that anything would taste good with the amount of bouillon I had put in it...a minor detail that we won't mention to anyone.

Then we served the swordfish tarragon and the "Just Yammy" Yams, and once again everyone was impressed and delighted. I was glad that we chose the swordfish because except for Balanchine's dinner, we have prepared chicken as a main course.

Susan, our cake master, did the tarte a l'orange, she was so unhappy with it because she didn't think it has come out perfect.  In my opinion, Susan did an amazing job with the tart, but the tart was way too sweet.  So much so that I could not taste any oranges only sugar.  I would have decided to only use half of the sugar from the recipe.  However, we do our very best to stay true to the original instructions.

Ashley Bouder's Final Curtain Food - Fried Chicken and Mash Potatoes

I know most people have their ultimate food favorite. The one meal or dessert that you would have if it was your last meal. Dancers definitely have that and I want it to be a feature in my blog. I'm calling it Final Curtain Food. This season I feel so lucky to have been dancing a lot with Prima Ballerina Ashley Bouder. So the more I was thinking about doing this feature the more it became clear she had to be my first one.

When I told Ashley about my idea it didn't take her even two seconds to respond, "mine is Fried Chicken and Mash Potatoes." I have never cooked fried chicken in the American Southern style, but I knew where to find the recipe. Paula Dean, Y'all. Of course, I did a bit of research on fried chicken but no one else's reviews came even close to hers. This recipe was quit easy to make, I chose to marinate the chicken in buttermilk prior, even though it didn't call for it.
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Paula's Twig Fried Chicken with Modifications by Antonio Carmena             
2 cups of buttermilk
1 Teaspoon of Cayenne pepper
3 eggs
1 cup of hot red  pepper sauce (recommended: Texas Pete)
2 cups self-rising Flour
House seasoning (1 cup salt, 1/4 cup black pepper, 1/4 cup garlic powder
1 Chicken cut in to pieces (we all like dark meet so I only bough legs and thighs)
Peanut oil

Pad dry your chicken and marinate in the buttermilk and cayenne pepper for at least 4 hours (one day preferably). An hour before frying drain chicken and let it dry. In a bowl beat the eggs and add the hot sauce. In another bowl put your flour. Pad dry the chicken again and season with the house seasoning. Dip the seasoned chicken in the egg and hot sauce mixture, and coat well in the flour.

Heat the oil to 350 F in a deep pot.  Fry the chicken until brown and crisp. Dark meat about 13/14 min white meat 8/10.
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We finished our show of Vienna Waltzes on Sunday at 5.30. It was 7 when my partner and I got to Ashley's apartment. Her husband Matt sadly was away working which made me think, "great more for us." As soon as she open the door her two wonderful dogs came to greet us. I was so happy to see them and Michael was in heaven. When I started cooking I made two new best friends.

While preparing for dinner Ashley told us that her grandmother use to take her to have Fried Chicken and it's always been special for her since.  It seemed to bring back some great memories and warm feelings for her. I also asked her what was her favorite Fried Chicken her answer: KFC.  She said there is something in that seasoning that is no where else.

The Chicken came out super moist and very crispy on the outside.  Ashley said it was good but she wonder how it would taste if we marinate the chicken in the egg/red pepper sauce. That girl likes it spicy.

Prepping for dinner

My two new best friends

Ashley piping some Mash Potatoes

We didn't put any grease in the bottom and they got stuck.

Oops mistakes happens in dance and in cooking

The Chicken ready to be Fried

Look at all those beautiful shapes that Ashley did

Fried Chicken half way done

Dinner is ready

My best friends hoping to get some food

A Bistro Ducasse Style

It's Friday night and I'm not performing, so my partner and I decide to make a reservation at Benoit after we had seen a show of Giada De Laurentiis in Paradise where she featured a restaurant by Alain Ducasse. After reading his bio and eating dinner here I have become a huge fun of him. A little trivia that we learned while dinning is that at the original Benoit in Paris was created in 1912 by Benoit Matray, the grand father of Michel Petit who sold the restaurant to Alain Ducasse.

Let's start with the Restaurant Week Dinner Menu, it makes this boy happy just to look at it. I would had try every single thing.

Right after you order they bring you a great crunchy, very French bread with butter and some cheese puffs that are so soft that you could faint and fall in these cushy pillows.

The soup of the day was Lobster Bisque and I had to have it. Well, I was so right. It was delicious. I can honestly say that I felt like they had put a Lobster in a juicer and this was the glowing red liquid I was tasting.

Michael choose the Green Lentil & Frisée Salad, he kept telling me how wonderful it was and when I tried it, it was a very well balanced salad where everything had a place and nothing over powered the other ingredients.

When I'm in a french restaurant and they have Duck Confit, I have to have it.  Today was not going to be any different for me. I consider myself an expert of Duck Confits. This one was well executed and the best part in was the confit onions that the duck was laying on. Those onions were the highlight for me.

Michael had the Moules Mariniére and Pommes Frites. He loves mussels and this one where just so good and the meat was so big.  The frites where crunchy on the outside and soft and creamy in the inside. Surprisingly there was not an ounce of oil on them.  The chef could teach a master class on frites making. The worst part was when the waiter staff took our bread away before we got to dunk it in the sauce, we had to ask them for more bread.

After the meal, I was very happy.   The desserts were good but they where too sweet for me. Perhaps that is because when I bake I always remove a portion of sugar from the recipes. This is a Lemon Tart.

And Michael had the Prune Clafoutis & Vanilla Ice Cream.

I'm so happy that we tried Benoit. I would definitely come back and must go to the original as well. 

Merci Monsieur Ducasse.