3 course dinner

Our friends decided to join us for dinner. It was a real treat because it was first time cooking for others in the Chef's kitchen. I always get nervous cooking something for the first time because you never know how it will turn out. You just hope that it'll come out edible.

Beet Salad w/Horseradish dressing - #2

Since the beet salad was such a hit, we thought to serve this easy dish. We possibly couldn't screw this one up. Who knew that good horseradish would make or break the dressing. Unfortunately it broke this one. The horseradish just wasn't coming through on the red beets. It could have been that the dressing was over tossed in the beets. Also, the creme fraiche that we used wasn't the same consistency. We were hoping for something creamy and thicker. Still love the beet marmalade and the beet leaves.

Score: 7/10

Fried Prosciutto, Fig, Ricotta Crostini

This was the second dish for the evening. This is what happens when you don't give a dish the love and attention it needs. It tasted good, but it wasn't perfect. The execution definitely needed help. For starters, it was my first time making ricotta cheese. The first batch was a failed attempt. The milk burnt onto the bottom of the saucepan. It was completely my fault for not keeping my eye on it. I didn't stir it either. My guess with the second batch, it was overcooked. The ricotta was dry and flaky. There was no crumbly creamy moisture. Then there was the fig marmalade. That too was a bit pastey and dry, but good caramelized fig flavor though. Lastly, portion control with presentation. If you can't fit it into your mouth, its too big! :) Best part was the fried prosciutto. I definitely want to give this dish another go at it.

Score: 5/10

Peas and Carrots

My stomach was feeling pretty full at this point. Luckily it was the last dish for the evening. It was like a crab omelet in a bed of carrot soup with pea shoots on top. The dish was very pretty and tasty. The omelet was fluffy like a pillow. The crab mixture was smooth and a bit rich. The carrot soup was a tab bit saltier than I preferred, but I'm not a huge fan of butter so I'd say it's personal preference. The other enjoyed it. The pea shoots was dressed in sherry which added to the richness of the dish.

Being the foodie that I am, here are the things I would change if I were to attempt at making this dish.
-Keep the crab mix more chunkier
-Instead of sherry, use something more acidic like lemon

Score: 8/10