Iron Chef Millman III

Where on earth have I been?

Well, one of the things I’ve been doing is cooking. This is the third year we’ve held a dinner party during the eight-night festival of Hanukkah on the theme: eight friends, eight courses, each course showcasing (to one degree or another) olive oil. Last year’s menu is here. The previous year’s menu is here. And this year’s menu was:

Prelude: Potato latkes three-ways: with salmon ceviche; with brandade de morue topped with a slice of roasted red pepper; and with a slice of Shropshire blue cheese topped with cranberry-kumquat relish

Salad: Baby arugula and radicchio salad with sun-dried tomatoes and shaved pecorino cheese, dressed with an olive-oil and white balsamic vinaigrette

Soup: Roast cauliflower porridge topped with creme fraiche, white truffle oil and chives

Pasta: Ravioli stuffed with butternut squash and a pat of olive oil (the olive oil is inside the ravioli), topped with a sage-brown butter sauce

Interlude: Fruit salad of roast grapefruit, shaved Asian pear, oil-cured olives and mint, topped with green lemon-infused olive oil and white balsamic

Entree: Deep-fried pompano filets presented “embraced” by the deep-fried fish frames, served with a shiitake and preserved lemon sauce and with a side of sauteed dandelion greens

Dessert: Greek yogurt parfaits with toasted pine nuts, tulip poplar honey, and green-lemon infused olive oil

Coffee and Doughnuts: Spicy chocolate and raspberry preserve-filled miniature doughnuts

Recipes available upon request – for that matter, if I didn’t respond to any of your requests for recipes in prior years, please don’t hesitate to ask again, and I really will post them this time.