Final Menu for Tastes of Spring 2010

Hospice has sent me the final menu for their annual Tastes of Spring event on April 11th at the Lobster House in Norwood. Participants and their dishes:

• John Sullivan: Seafood Newburg - Shrimp, Scallops & Lobster Newburg Nestled in a Buttery Puff Pastry Shell
• Steve Maiocco: Grilled Pork Tenderloin, Mashed Red Potatoes with Rosemary & Olive Oil, Haricot Vert, and Minus 8 Vinaigrette
• Nathaniel Todd: Maple Soy Glazed Salmon, Fried Rice, and Sautéed Ginger Vegetables
• Nathaniel's Vegetarian Option: Pan Seared Tofu with Warm Spices, Eggplant & Cauliflower Curry, and Steamed Brown Rice
  

As you'll notice by comparing my entrees to my previous brainstorming post, I tweaked the salmon dish and added a vegetarian option since one of those is always needed to round out the menu. My only regret is that I can't make all four of the entrees I proposed since I'm excited about all of them!

Also check out the menu from last year which I posted on my short lived food blog. Turns out I can barely maintain one blog, so why would I aim for two? When I have food thoughts I'll simply post them here in the future...

Tastes of Spring is going to be a lot of work this year since I will have to both work alone and serve two entirely different entrees. I'm hoping that the final counts will leave my dishes as the third and fourth most popular so things don't get too crazy! Seatings are available from 11:30 am through 2:30 pm, and each meal is served with a cup of soup, a beverage, and a selection of desserts. I'm not sure what the cost is per meal this year, but it's generally around $30 and all the money raised goes to an excellent cause--if you live in the area I urge you to check it out!

Call 265-3105 for more information or to make reservations. If you'd like to learn a little more about Hospice, their website can be found here.

Brainstorming for Tastes of Spring 2010

For the last three years running I've represented St. Lawrence University at Hospice's Tastes of Spring event at the Lobster House in Norwood. Thus far I've been collaborating with Justin Martin who cooks with me at SLU. Since he's moved on to another position, however, I'm going it alone this year. With the tight financial situation at the university they are looking to keep costs minimal so my menu choices need to be geared toward affordable ingredients.

As in previous years Hospice has requested several Entree choices from which they will choose one that they wish me to prepare for the event. My first draft looks like this:

• Soy & Maple Glazed Salmon, Quinoa Pilaf, Gingered Chinese Vegetables
• Balsamic Braised Chicken w/Swiss Chard & Tomatoes, Creamy Parmesan Polenta
• Apple Dijon Roast Pork, Potato Gratin, Glazed Winter Vegetables

All of these options should be fairly affordable to prepare (I'll double check ingredient prices today at work to confirm this), yet involve delicious flavor combinations, and (I hope) sound quite appealing on paper. Each of these should also lend themselves very well to a good combination of do ahead cooking and last minute assembly, which is especially important since I have a limited space in which to work for this event.

Tastes of Spring

New post up at my culinary blog, The Black Peppercorn, about the fundraiser for hospice I'll be participating in on April 5th. Everyone in the area should make a reservation immediately; I would if I didn't have to cook for the event!