I'm wondering what are the typical courses for a fancy dinner? I
would like to prepare a dinner for my widowed mother and her best
friend. Here's the draft menu I've come up with. Suggestions?
Deletions/additions? I really want to do this up right: Printed
menu, nice linens/tableware, crystal, candles, the whole schmole. I
would very much value your commentary.

Menu
Amuse bouche: Stuffed mushrooms
Soup course: Chestnut and Sherry Soup
Salad course: Avocado and Prawn Timbales
Palate Cleanser: Meyer Lemon Sorbet (. is this the correct order?)
Main: Veal Marsala OR Veal Saltimbocca ala Romana
Sides: Roasted Asparagus and baby potatoes
Dessert: Poached Pears with ginger cookies (thin crisp little guys)

I would ordinarily try to pair wines with my courses, but these lovely
ladies don't drink much. So I will serve a bit of sparkling wine in a
celebratory spirit, and then sparkling water/still water and
coffee/tea at the end.

comments very much appreciated,
Jo Venus (currently in the Pacific Northwest but soon to return to
Hawaii)

"Jo Venus in Hawaii" > wrote in message
...
: I'm wondering what are the typical courses for a fancy dinner:
[snipped]
: Menu
: Amuse bouche: Stuffed mushrooms
: Soup course: Chestnut and Sherry Soup
: Salad course: Avocado and Prawn Timbales
: Palate Cleanser: Meyer Lemon Sorbet (. is this the correct order?)
: Main: Veal Marsala OR Veal Saltimbocca ala Romana
: Sides: Roasted Asparagus and baby potatoes
: Dessert: Poached Pears with ginger cookies (thin crisp little guys)
[snipped]

It all sounds so lovely (and delicious)! Q: Do you plan to serve the
amuse bouche w/ an aperitif before coming to the table? If the prawns
are dominant in the timbales, might this be better as the 'fish' course
(if
desired)? Would avocadoes combined w/ other veg. ingredients become a
better salad? Will the asparagus & potatoes be dressed w/ anything
(from nuts to parsley to sauce) other than butter? Older etiquette
books, available at the library, show many variations on
dinners/menus/etc. of the type you wish to prepare and would answer even
more questions authoritatively.

-Mabry-

Just a postscript. If you are serving the stuffed mushrooms at table,
perhaps their being entitled 'appetizer' would be better on your written
menu.
"Mabry" > wrote in message
news:uO3Jb.177579$J77.74847@fed1read07...
:
: "Jo Venus in Hawaii" > wrote in message
: ...
: : I'm wondering what are the typical courses for a fancy dinner:
: [snipped]
: : Menu
: : Amuse bouche: Stuffed mushrooms
: : Soup course: Chestnut and Sherry Soup
: : Salad course: Avocado and Prawn Timbales
: : Palate Cleanser: Meyer Lemon Sorbet (. is this the correct order?)
: : Main: Veal Marsala OR Veal Saltimbocca ala Romana
: : Sides: Roasted Asparagus and baby potatoes
: : Dessert: Poached Pears with ginger cookies (thin crisp little guys)
: [snipped]
:
: It all sounds so lovely (and delicious)! Q: Do you plan to serve the
: amuse bouche w/ an aperitif before coming to the table? If the prawns
: are dominant in the timbales, might this be better as the 'fish'
course
: (if
: desired)? Would avocadoes combined w/ other veg. ingredients become a
: better salad? Will the asparagus & potatoes be dressed w/ anything
: (from nuts to parsley to sauce) other than butter? Older etiquette
: books, available at the library, show many variations on
: dinners/menus/etc. of the type you wish to prepare and would answer
even
: more questions authoritatively.
:
: -Mabry-
:
:
:
:

>From: (Jo Venus in Hawaii)

>I'm wondering what are the typical courses for a fancy dinner? I
>would like to prepare a dinner for my widowed mother and her best
>friend. Here's the draft menu I've come up with. Suggestions?
>Deletions/additions? I really want to do this up right: Printed
>menu, nice linens/tableware, crystal, candles, the whole schmole. I
>would very much value your commentary.

What a lovely daughter you are to do this for your mama. I can appreciate your
desire to provide an elegant meal but I think you may want to rethink things a
bit. You are in the Pac NW?

Instead of these two dishes ---
>Amuse bouche: Stuffed mushrooms
>Soup course: Chestnut and Sherry Soup

Serve a cream of wild mushroom soup, garnished with slivered saute'd
Chanterlles garnished with Almond crackers spread with local goat cheese.

>Salad course: Avocado and Prawn Timbales

This sounds delicatable. Go for it.

>Palate Cleanser: Meyer Lemon Sorbet (. is this the correct order?)

Skip this dish, and serve instead more spring water garnished with lemon.

>Main: Veal Marsala OR Veal Saltimbocca ala Romana

I'd opt for a fish dish such as fillet of line caught salmon on a bed of
sauteed baby spinach [with a bit of pureed garlic and sweet butter] with a
fresh tomato/basil concasse garnish .

>Sides: Roasted Asparagus and baby potatoes

If you do the baby spinach, then you can skip the asparagus.

If you want to get fancy, then this is what I would do. Bake a couple small
garnet yams. Bake a couple yukon golds. Mash them up in separate bowls season
tastily with butter, salt and pepper. Take a pastry bag with a star tip and
make some pretty sides to your main dish. These can be made slightly before
hand and reheated.

>Dessert: Poached Pears with ginger cookies (thin crisp little guys)

No offense, but we are pretty much out of fresh Pear season. How about Cream
Brulee? Dunno anyone that doesn't love that! Serve with your ginger cookies.

>I would ordinarily try to pair wines with my courses, but these lovely
>ladies don't drink much.

My elder friends love Clos du Bois Sauvignon Blanc...so you might consider
having a bottle or two of that handy.

Ellen

Thank you everyone for your comments and suggestions. I should have
made it clear, however, that I will not be cooking the dinner in the
PNW, but rather, in Fresno, California, where my mother lives.
Although I love the creme brulee idea, I am trying to encourage my
mother to enjoy fruit for dessert (she has type II diabetes which is
pretty well controlled *so far* through nutrition and exercise). I
realize that this is not the optimal time for pears, but hey, they're
in the market, and they taste OK to me :-) The 'girls' also will
likely not drink much, if at all, so wine wouldn't be appropriate
although as I said, I will have sparkling wine -- more for me than for
them! They'll be hitting the sparkling water con limone with wild
abandon tho <g>.

As for the saltimboca, I do think I will go for that. I would
encourage anyone making it to not bother with dried sage, it just
doesn't cut it! I planted an herb garden for my mother a few years
ago which she maintains so that her loving daughter can cook for her
(and back then, my father too) with fresh herbs straight from the back
garden. And although she doesn't use them much herself, their
presence has encouraged her on occasion to add a snippet of this and
that to her cookery.

Thanks again, you are a very generous crowd.

Jo Venus, soon to be off to the wilds of Fresno

"Jo Venus in Hawaii" > wrote in message
...
> I'm wondering what are the typical courses for a fancy dinner? I
> would like to prepare a dinner for my widowed mother and her best
> friend. Here's the draft menu I've come up with. Suggestions?
> Deletions/additions? I really want to do this up right: Printed
> menu, nice linens/tableware, crystal, candles, the whole schmole. I
> would very much value your commentary.
>
> Menu
> Amuse bouche: Stuffed mushrooms
> Soup course: Chestnut and Sherry Soup
> Salad course: Avocado and Prawn Timbales
> Palate Cleanser: Meyer Lemon Sorbet (. is this the correct order?)
> Main: Veal Marsala OR Veal Saltimbocca ala Romana
> Sides: Roasted Asparagus and baby potatoes
> Dessert: Poached Pears with ginger cookies (thin crisp little guys)
>
> I would ordinarily try to pair wines with my courses, but these lovely
> ladies don't drink much. So I will serve a bit of sparkling wine in a
> celebratory spirit, and then sparkling water/still water and
> coffee/tea at the end.
>
> comments very much appreciated,
> Jo Venus (currently in the Pacific Northwest but soon to return to
> Hawaii)

Your menu looks very good indeed. I would not make any changes to it except
move the salad to the last position, just before the dessert. I'm just
old-fashioned enough to prefer it. You dishes will go together very well. It
looks like you put a lot of thought into it! Oh, just personal, but I'd
prefer the Saltimboca! <g>

Charlie

On Fri, 02 Jan 2004 10:07:11 GMT, "Charles Gifford"
> wrote:

Oh, just personal, but I'd
>prefer the Saltimboca! <g>
>
>Charlie
>

Oh, a man after my own heart!
I love Saltimboca!
I had the best one about 20 or more years ago, here in some restaurant
in the DC area. I can't for the life of me remember which restaurant.
But I have idolized this dish ever since.

I had Saltimboca at a restaurant near Santa Cruz, CA a few years back.
Or what they called Saltimboca. Nothing like the orignal one I had.
The one I had originally was much simpler than this overdone piece of
feel smothered with ham and cheese. I felt betrayed.

Guess I will have to make it myself.
Charlie, you have a good restaurant in mine that makes it in San
Diego? I might be coming through there on my way back up to northern
California, in early to mid February. Maybe we could get a group
together to go out to dinner if I come through that way.

Christine

Christine Dabney wrote:
>
> On Fri, 02 Jan 2004 10:07:11 GMT, "Charles Gifford"
> > wrote:
>
> Oh, just personal, but I'd
> >prefer the Saltimboca! <g>
> >
> >Charlie
> >
>
> Oh, a man after my own heart!
> I love Saltimboca!
> I had the best one about 20 or more years ago, here in some restaurant
> in the DC area. I can't for the life of me remember which restaurant.
> But I have idolized this dish ever since.

I never see that on the menu, guess I don't go to Italian restaurants
very often. Maybe I'll make that soon, I haven't made it since I
screwed it up horribly a few years ago. I'm not much of a measurer
to start with, then the sage kinda tumbled out of the jar in a lump.
Plenty of it. Oh well, took some off and that should be fine.

It was not fine. Take my word for it, too much sage is TOO MUCH.
Chicken tasted like gritty dirt.

We are talking about chicken saltimboca, aren't we? Or maybe veal?

nancy

On Fri, 02 Jan 2004 09:34:06 -0500, Nancy Young
>I never see that on the menu, guess I don't go to Italian restaurants
>very often. Maybe I'll make that soon, I haven't made it since I
>screwed it up horribly a few years ago. I'm not much of a measurer
>to start with, then the sage kinda tumbled out of the jar in a lump.
>Plenty of it. Oh well, took some off and that should be fine.
>
>It was not fine. Take my word for it, too much sage is TOO MUCH.
>Chicken tasted like gritty dirt.
>
>We are talking about chicken saltimboca, aren't we? Or maybe veal?
>
>nancy

Either one.

And Nancy, the sage is supposed to be fresh sage leaves, not dried.
Just a leaf or two on top of the cutlet. Not like you did.

Then, it doesn't overpower, just adds a wonderful taste.

Christine

Christine Dabney wrote:
>
> On Fri, 02 Jan 2004 09:34:06 -0500, Nancy Young
> >I never see that on the menu, guess I don't go to Italian restaurants
> >very often. Maybe I'll make that soon, I haven't made it since I
> >screwed it up horribly a few years ago. I'm not much of a measurer
> >to start with, then the sage kinda tumbled out of the jar in a lump.
> >Plenty of it. Oh well, took some off and that should be fine.
> >
> >It was not fine. Take my word for it, too much sage is TOO MUCH.
> >Chicken tasted like gritty dirt.
> >
> >We are talking about chicken saltimboca, aren't we? Or maybe veal?

> Either one.
>
> And Nancy, the sage is supposed to be fresh sage leaves, not dried.

Dried is fine.

> Just a leaf or two on top of the cutlet. Not like you did.

No shit, the whole point of the story was that it was an accidental
overdose.

nancy

Nancy Young wrote:

> Christine Dabney wrote:
>
>>On Fri, 02 Jan 2004 10:07:11 GMT, "Charles Gifford"
> wrote:
>>
>> Oh, just personal, but I'd
>>
>>>prefer the Saltimboca! <g>
>>>
>>>Charlie
>
>
> We are talking about chicken saltimboca, aren't we? Or maybe veal?
>
> nancy

chicken saltimbocca? you mean with sliced chicken breast?
saltimbocca are veal scaloppine.

ciao,

anna maria


www.annamariavolpi.com

"Christine Dabney" > wrote in message
...
> On Fri, 02 Jan 2004 10:07:11 GMT, "Charles Gifford"
> > wrote:
>
> Oh, just personal, but I'd
> >prefer the Saltimboca! <g>
> >
> >Charlie
> >
>
> Oh, a man after my own heart!
> I love Saltimboca!
> I had the best one about 20 or more years ago, here in some restaurant
> in the DC area. I can't for the life of me remember which restaurant.
> But I have idolized this dish ever since.
>
> I had Saltimboca at a restaurant near Santa Cruz, CA a few years back.
> Or what they called Saltimboca. Nothing like the orignal one I had.
> The one I had originally was much simpler than this overdone piece of
> feel smothered with ham and cheese. I felt betrayed.
>
> Guess I will have to make it myself.
> Charlie, you have a good restaurant in mine that makes it in San
> Diego? I might be coming through there on my way back up to northern
> California, in early to mid February. Maybe we could get a group
> together to go out to dinner if I come through that way.
>
> Christine

Hi Christine! There used to be a very good Roman-style restaurant here in
Sandy Eggo. Unfortunately someone drove a car through the front window and
into the dining room. It is no longer in business. <sigh> I don't know of
any other that does it well. I'll check and see. There are a couple of older
places I haven't visited for a while and a bunch of new ones in Little Italy
that I haven't visited at all! Give us a hoot if you get down this way. I'd
love to see you again!

Charlie

"Charles Gifford" > wrote in message hlink.net>...
> "Christine Dabney" > wrote in message
> ...
> > On Fri, 02 Jan 2004 10:07:11 GMT, "Charles Gifford"
> > > wrote:
> >
> > Oh, just personal, but I'd
> > >prefer the Saltimboca! <g>
> > >
> > >Charlie
> > >
> >
> > Oh, a man after my own heart!
> > I love Saltimboca!
> > I had the best one about 20 or more years ago, here in some restaurant
> > in the DC area. I can't for the life of me remember which restaurant.
> > But I have idolized this dish ever since.
> >
> > I had Saltimboca at a restaurant near Santa Cruz, CA a few years back.
> > Or what they called Saltimboca. Nothing like the orignal one I had.
> > The one I had originally was much simpler than this overdone piece of
> > feel smothered with ham and cheese. I felt betrayed.
> >
> > Guess I will have to make it myself.
> > Charlie, you have a good restaurant in mine that makes it in San
> > Diego? I might be coming through there on my way back up to northern
> > California, in early to mid February. Maybe we could get a group
> > together to go out to dinner if I come through that way.
> >
> > Christine
>
> Hi Christine! There used to be a very good Roman-style restaurant here in
> Sandy Eggo. Unfortunately someone drove a car through the front window and
> into the dining room. It is no longer in business. <sigh> I don't know of
> any other that does it well. I'll check and see. There are a couple of older
> places I haven't visited for a while and a bunch of new ones in Little Italy
> that I haven't visited at all! Give us a hoot if you get down this way. I'd
> love to see you again!
>

Charlie and Christine,
I was in San Diego three years ago for a convention. I stayed at the
Radisson Harbor View hotel and within walking distance were several
very good Italian restaurants. I think they were on India street.
Hopefully one of these hasn't been driven into recently.

Is that Little Italy?

Susan B.

Charlie and Christine......... I'm also in San Diego. I used to work @
Cafe Renoir in La Jolla. This was many, many years ago, early '70s. I also
cooked for the sister restaurant, Cafe Lautrec. One of them is still there,
forgot which one, don't make it up there very often.

Good to see some neighbors here.

Cheers!
Suzan


"sueb" > wrote in message
om...
> "Charles Gifford" > wrote in message
hlink.net>...
> > "Christine Dabney" > wrote in message
> > ...
> > > On Fri, 02 Jan 2004 10:07:11 GMT, "Charles Gifford"
> > > > wrote:
> > >
> > > Oh, just personal, but I'd
> > > >prefer the Saltimboca! <g>
> > > >
> > > >Charlie
> > > >
> > >
> > > Oh, a man after my own heart!
> > > I love Saltimboca!
> > > I had the best one about 20 or more years ago, here in some restaurant
> > > in the DC area. I can't for the life of me remember which restaurant.
> > > But I have idolized this dish ever since.
> > >
> > > I had Saltimboca at a restaurant near Santa Cruz, CA a few years back.
> > > Or what they called Saltimboca. Nothing like the orignal one I had.
> > > The one I had originally was much simpler than this overdone piece of
> > > feel smothered with ham and cheese. I felt betrayed.
> > >
> > > Guess I will have to make it myself.
> > > Charlie, you have a good restaurant in mine that makes it in San
> > > Diego? I might be coming through there on my way back up to northern
> > > California, in early to mid February. Maybe we could get a group
> > > together to go out to dinner if I come through that way.
> > >
> > > Christine
> >
> > Hi Christine! There used to be a very good Roman-style restaurant here
in
> > Sandy Eggo. Unfortunately someone drove a car through the front window
and
> > into the dining room. It is no longer in business. <sigh> I don't know
of
> > any other that does it well. I'll check and see. There are a couple of
older
> > places I haven't visited for a while and a bunch of new ones in Little
Italy
> > that I haven't visited at all! Give us a hoot if you get down this way.
I'd
> > love to see you again!
> >
>
> Charlie and Christine,
> I was in San Diego three years ago for a convention. I stayed at the
> Radisson Harbor View hotel and within walking distance were several
> very good Italian restaurants. I think they were on India street.
> Hopefully one of these hasn't been driven into recently.
>
> Is that Little Italy?
>
> Susan B.

"sueb" > wrote in message
om...
>
> Charlie and Christine,
> I was in San Diego three years ago for a convention. I stayed at the
> Radisson Harbor View hotel and within walking distance were several
> very good Italian restaurants. I think they were on India street.
> Hopefully one of these hasn't been driven into recently.
>
> Is that Little Italy?
>
> Susan B.

Yes. Little Italy is centered on India Street. There are several new(ish)
restaurants located there. I am afraid that I don't know the new restaurants
there very well. Some of our other fellow Sandy Eggo rfc'ers will have
better information regarding Saltimboca alla Romana..

Charlie

Christine Dabney wrote:

> On Fri, 02 Jan 2004 10:07:11 GMT, "Charles Gifford"
> > wrote:
>
> Oh, just personal, but I'd
>
>>prefer the Saltimboca! <g>
>>
>>Charlie
>>
> Oh, a man after my own heart!
> I love Saltimboca!
> I had the best one about 20 or more years ago, here in some restaurant
> in the DC area. I can't for the life of me remember which restaurant.
> But I have idolized this dish ever since.
>
> I had Saltimboca at a restaurant near Santa Cruz, CA a few years back.
> Or what they called Saltimboca. Nothing like the orignal one I had.
> The one I had originally was much simpler than this overdone piece of
> feel smothered with ham and cheese. I felt betrayed.
>
> Guess I will have to make it myself.
> Charlie, you have a good restaurant in mine that makes it in San
> Diego? I might be coming through there on my way back up to northern
> California, in early to mid February. Maybe we could get a group
> together to go out to dinner if I come through that way.
>
> Christine

saltimbocca are extremely simple... if you get good veal scaloppine...

http://www.annamariavolpi.com/page11.html

2 oz (60 gr) flour
salt
4 veal scaloppini slices, about 1 lb (approximately 450 gr)
4 prosciutto slices, approximately 3 oz (90 gr)
4 leaves of fresh sage
2-3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
3 tablespoons (40 gr) butter
pepper
1/2 cup dry white wine

Put the flour in a large plate, add a pinch of salt.
Dredge the veal slices in the flour, so that they are all well covered
on both sides. Shake away the excess flour.
Place a slice of prosciutto and a leaf of sage on each meat piece. Fix
the three together with a toothpick.
In a large frying pan put the oil and the butter, and turn the heat to
medium.
When the butter starts foaming, place the meat in the pan, add salt and
pepper, and fry gently on both sides until light brown.
Add the wine, turn the heat to medium high, and let the wine evaporate.
Place the saltimbocca on individual plates, covering the slices with the
sauce and serve warm.

ciao,

anna maria


www.annamariavolpi.com

"Christine Dabney" > wrote in message
...
> Charlie, you have a good restaurant in mine that makes it in San
> Diego? I might be coming through there on my way back up to northern
> California, in early to mid February. Maybe we could get a group
> together to go out to dinner if I come through that way.
>
> Christine

Christine, my messages aren't showing up on my server so I can't tell if my
reply went through or not. I hope it did! If it didn't I'll try again!

Hugs,
Charlie

On Sun, 04 Jan 2004 11:31:05 GMT, "Charles Gifford"
> wrote:

>
>"Christine Dabney" > wrote in message
.. .
>> Charlie, you have a good restaurant in mine that makes it in San
>> Diego? I might be coming through there on my way back up to northern
>> California, in early to mid February. Maybe we could get a group
>> together to go out to dinner if I come through that way.
>>
>> Christine
>
>Christine, my messages aren't showing up on my server so I can't tell if my
>reply went through or not. I hope it did! If it didn't I'll try again!
>
>Hugs,
>Charlie
>

Yes it did, Charlie. If I get through that way, I will let you know.
It would be nice to see people again.

Christine

Charles Gifford wrote:

> "Jo Venus in Hawaii" > wrote in message
> ...
>
>>I'm wondering what are the typical courses for a fancy dinner? I
>>would like to prepare a dinner for my widowed mother and her best
>>friend. Here's the draft menu I've come up with. Suggestions?
>>Deletions/additions? I really want to do this up right: Printed
>>menu, nice linens/tableware, crystal, candles, the whole schmole. I
>>would very much value your commentary.
>>
>>Menu
>>Amuse bouche: Stuffed mushrooms
>>Soup course: Chestnut and Sherry Soup
>>Salad course: Avocado and Prawn Timbales
>>Palate Cleanser: Meyer Lemon Sorbet (. is this the correct order?)
>>Main: Veal Marsala OR Veal Saltimbocca ala Romana
>>Sides: Roasted Asparagus and baby potatoes
>>Dessert: Poached Pears with ginger cookies (thin crisp little guys)
>>
>>>>comments very much appreciated,
>>Jo Venus (currently in the Pacific Northwest but soon to return to
>>Hawaii)
>
>
> Your menu looks very good indeed. I would not make any changes to it except
> move the salad to the last position, just before the dessert. I'm just
> old-fashioned enough to prefer it. You dishes will go together very well. It
> looks like you put a lot of thought into it! Oh, just personal, but I'd
> prefer the Saltimboca! <g>
>
> Charlie
>
>

yes, isn't that a lovely menu indeed!...
i would also prefer the saltimbocca because i wouldn't like a sweet dish
(veal marsala) there.
maybe, i would move the sorbet at the end of dinner, right before the
dessert.
regarding the wine its a great idea: you can go with a light white wine
(like prosecco or even champaigne) all throughout the meal.

ciao, anna maria


www.annamariavolpi.com