# Whaddya think?



## rat (Mar 2, 2006)

Hi all,
Once again I find myself posting a menu for your perusal, my chef hit me up tonight with the last minute "I need Valentines menus done tomorrow A.M."
I only need 4 items for the menu itself though we will offer fresh fruits and sorbets/ice creams like always along with petit-fours and what not.
I appreciate any input from fellow chefs as my chef does not seem too interested in things lately and I have very few people to bounce my ideas off of. I'm going for some composed desserts consisting of 3-4 elements instead of a single composition like I usually do. The descriptions are in the brackets (---)
I apologize for any spelling / grammar errors as it is late.
Valentines menu
Chocolate heart of gold with orange financier and yuzu frozen yogurt.---
(congnac chocolate ganach heart with gold leaf, financier with blood orange curd filling and the yogurt, all in a row with a brush stroke of chocolate on the plate for garnish. It's hard to explain the yuzu part, I don't think it will fly with chef)
Passion martini with strawberry nectar, champagne foam and sesame nougat twists.---
(we have some sick martini glasses that would be cool for this one, the dessert is layered passionfruit gelee' with strawberry nectar poured on top and finished with champange foam, hopefully it will float on the nectar. It should as the nectar turns somewhat syrupy when it has cooled. I will garnish with some freeze dried whole strawberries, stripy pink and white chocolate cigarettes and twist the sesame nougat wisps around the stem for the crunch factor. I may add Madelines too for dipping)
Chocolate marshmallow brulee with almond Japonaise and carmel ice cream.---
(mini chocolate brulee unmolded and dipped into melted chocolate to make a new cup, this will be topped with marshmallo and bruleed, next to it will be a small cocoa Japonaise cake with chocolate French buttercream which has been rolled in finely chopped hard carmel which I hope taked the place of the carmel on top of the brulee. I will probably do a chocolate spray stencil on the plate and garnish with some long chocolate curls)
"French Kiss"
Vanilla vacherin with raspberry mousseline and with white chocolate semi-freddo.-
(I will make a kiss shaped vacherin cup and fill it with the raspberry then pipe out white chocolate moussse in a kiss shape and freeze it. When it is frozen I will glaze it in raspberry and fabricate some sort of tongue out of chocolate plastique. I'm going for the rolling stones logo. I have to do something fun right? I'll probaby garnish this one with some candied rose petals and raspberry coulis)


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## sexililchef (Dec 30, 2006)

oh bumber so ur a chef? thats hot.


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## sexililchef (Dec 30, 2006)

ii thiink iit sounds really good...well the parts ii understood.


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## momoreg (Mar 4, 2000)

You put a lot of creative thought into this. The only suggestions I have are to make the titles a bit more user friendly. The French Kiss doesn't describe the flavors at all, and if you elaborate with words like vacherin and mousseline, it will be just as confusing to your guests.

Also, the French kiss does sound good in concept, but the design sounds a bit kitschy, for all the hard work you're putting into the flavors. I would try a more elegant design, but the flavors all sound delicate and complimentary.


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## chefpeon (Jun 14, 2006)

Hey Rat.....
I think your dessert menu sounds fun and awesome!
I'm totally into fun kitschy stuff, so the "rolling stones" French Kiss you got going on really wins points with me. 

At first when you said "kiss shaped" vacherin, I thought you meant "kiss" like Hershey's Kiss. Then when you mentioned the tongue, I realized you meant "lips". All I would say is that the name "French Kiss" might be misleading, as it sounds all elegant and well, "frenchy". Maybe you should call it "Big Sloppy Wet Kiss":crazy: or "40 Licks" after the Stones anniversary album!!!

I don't know why your chef wouldn't go for Yuzu frozen yogurt....! Just tell him it's a grapefruity-mandarin citrus flavor....what's not to understand?

Your stuff sounds delicious and creative! I'd have a hard time choosing if I were a customer!

Cheers.....Annie


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

Hey Rat,
I would be tempted to try all. I may shy away from the martini which would probably be the most fun because I'm reading a little to much acidity for me, only because it seems like the chefs like to through out acids in the hot food for contrast.ie vinegarettes, fruits etc. on a limited menu.
I would also give a direction in the Kiss. If your going Rolling Stones, I would be airbrushing/stensil on a portion of the plate or somewhere to let your customer this is where your headed. I wouldn't give them the choice to think otherwise. Myself, I would use the same layout for lips. pipe the vacherin just as the mousse and glue them to the plate with a meduim that will dam. Shoot, not at all being criticle. It sound more like a fun night then a chore.
I'd try any desserts you make


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## rat (Mar 2, 2006)

Thanks for the input, I keep the verbiage to a minimum because the servers describe the dishes as the dessert menus are presented. It helps keep the servers on their toes when guests have questions.
The only acidity in the martini is the passion fruit, the strawberry nectar is actually quite sweet so it would be a nice contrast I thought, but you have a point I will have to consider.
As for the kiss I'm not going for the stones per se, but just the look of the logo I was going to do some squiggly lines radiating from it leading to some mignardise chocolate cups with rose petal jam or something like that.
I like the "weirder" stuff and that is what my restaurant is known for but we always have a certain percentage of meat and potatoes guests for whom dining with us is a big deal/expense so I thought the kiss would be appealing to that segment of our clientèle. Another reason why chef is afraid of the yuzu, I'm sure he would like it personally.
Again, thank you for the input.


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## cacook (Jan 18, 2006)

I read about Adria at El Bulli dipping an egg yolk in caramel then wrapping it in gold leaf. Sounds like something I'd want to try.


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## chefpeon (Jun 14, 2006)

Yep....El Bulli's Golden Egg.....and it's not just an egg yolk, it's a quail egg yolk.....very tiny!:smiles:


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## panini (Jul 28, 2001)

Rat,
nobody knows your customers like you. I'm sure they will be looking forward to digging in.
We don't know your digs so we have to look at these as it is the first time we have entered your restaurant and someone has handed me this. 
Would it be to much to ask if you could pm or post what the chef is offering. I think it would be interesting to do some pairing which I'm sure you already have.
Rat, I'm very old, so don't get twisted. I'm picturing a Female Chef but your not are you. I never have a clue. Don't feel obligated to answer. I will go to public t, but I can't do that from here


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## rat (Mar 2, 2006)

Yes Panini I am of the male persuasion, I don't know too many women who would have the handle "rat" LOL.
Thanks again for the input, Like you said it is from someone who would be there for the first time. Usually when I run menus by the staff they all say they love it to candy coat it for me and it is not very honest (the servers are scared of me-go figure), so by posting here I can get a more objective opinion to try to improve the menu any way I can. I will try to get hold of the V-day menu to post for you or PM you when I can so far nothing is in the system to cut and paste. Regards, Rat.
for you.


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