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Janet

In article om>,
says...
>
> I wrote:
>
> > Lin's and my fifth wedding anniversary will be this coming Saturday. The
> > fifth anniversary is the "wood" anniversary, so the menu will have a
> > slightly-wood/forest-inspired theme:
> >
> > APPETIZER
> > * creamy nettle soup
> >
> > MAIN COURSE
> > * pheasant with pecans and beech mushrooms
> > * pan-cooked burdock and carrots
> > * planked asparagus
> >
> > DRIFTING TOWARD DESSERT
> > * goat cheese and spring greens with honey vinaigrette
> >
> > DESSERT
> > * maple soufflé with banana crème anglaise
> >
> >
> > Since pheasant is extremely lean, I plan to cook it at 275°F in a
> > Schlemmertopf clay casserole. I have some chunks of pecan wood which
> > I'll use to smoke the mushrooms before they go into the Schlemmertopf
> > with the pheasant and pecans; I'd like to get just a little smoky flavor
> > in there. I'll also use that wood fire to cook the asparagus.
>
> The menu changed slightly:
>
> 1. I couldn't get burdock, so the carrots were paired with chestnuts
> instead.
>
> 2. Instead of the goat cheese, we used a white cheddar which had been
> infused with chardonnay and strawberries. The vinaigrette was made with
> strawberry-balsamic vinegar (as well as Dijon mustard, salt, honey, and
> grapeseed oil). Lin came up with the excellent idea to add some fresh
> cut strawberries, so that's what we did.
>
> 3. Rather than the soufflé, I made a banana-maple mousse which was
> scattered with chopped toasted pecans and drizzled with maple syrup.
>
> 4. Instead of just beech mushrooms, I used an assortment of mushrooms,
> including shiitake, beech, golden oyster, and maitake (a.k.a. "hen of
> the woods"). They had just the touch of smoke flavor I was hoping for.
>
> Bob

Lucky MrsBob !

I love chestnuts, great accompaniment to pheasant.

Janet