AUGUST 28, 2015
By Rebecca Wright
Every year as part of our fundraising efforts, Applied Mechanics raffles or auctions off the following prize:
“Rebecca Wright will cook a 5-8 course meal for you and up to 8 of your friends.”
This year, the prize was won at a silent auction during our Rites of Passage party by local artist, foodie, and celebrated cook Steve Gravelle. The first step in the process once you’ve won the prize is to fill out a questionnaire about your food tastes:
*Are there any ingredients/foods you absolutely loooove?
*Are there any cuisines (regional or international) that you’re particularly interested
in/hankering for?
*Is there any era whose food/dishes you are curious/excited about?
*Are there any restrictions (allergies, ingredients you hate, cultures you have a gripe with, etc.)?
*what kind of sweets person are you — fruit? nut? chocolate? vanilla?
Steve’s answers to these questions were detailed, inspired, and daunting. I’ve had Steve’s cooking, and it’s great. He even contributed orange and lemon financiers to our 2013 remount of Vainglorious. And he knows his foodstuffs, as you can see by his blog www.oruntilgoldenbrown.com. So while he approached this meal, as he does all things, with great generosity and enthusiasm, I was nervous to cook for Steve. After several back-and-forths with drafts of potential menus, we settled on a plan. While we started this conversation back in February, we knew we were going to have to schedule the meal for the summer, as both of us were pretty booked up until then. So thinking in terms of what would be seasonal and cooling was key. Here is the menu we arrived at:
1) cheese plate with home made crackers and cashew-pistachio “pâté”
2) chilled Mexican avocado-tomato soup
3) Persian meatballs with fruit
4) lime sorbet palate cleanser
5) Thai mushroom glass noodles
6) baked spinach with sausages and Provençal stewed tomatoes
7) mint granita palate cleanser
8) key lime pie and Thai coconut cupcake
Can you tell what Steve’s answers to the questionnaire were from looking at this menu?
The main course was inspired by his interest in peasant food, particularly French, particularly
late 18th-early 20th century. With several months and many weather and life changes in between, August 14th was the night of the meal. On Wednesday I spent five hours shopping at six different stores. After looking, unsuccessfully, for lime paste at Hung Vuong Super Market (a key ingredient in the coconut cupcakes) I learned, with the help of the internet, that the product was not what I thought it was. I thought I was looking for something made out of limes, the fruit. In fact, lime paste is made out of limestone. It was traditionally chewed along with betal nuts as a stimulant in Thailand and so was a staple in Thai households, and is used in lots of traditional recipes. Who knew? Probably all Thai people and anyone who’s ever been to Thailand. But I haven’t. So I got to learn something! And also learned, after some internet research, that baking soda is a decent substitute in fried dishes (though not for pickling.) So on I went to the next five food stores.
Thursday was the big cooking day, about ten hours in all. Maria came and cooked with me for a
bunch of hours in the afternoon. As always, cooking with people I love is a true delight. Plus it’s
amazing how much of a difference a second set of hands makes. It more than cuts the time in
half, as Applied Mechanics has learned over the course of preparing many rehearsal meals and
community dinners. Friday I spent the morning prepping, and went over to Steve’s around 3:00.
Bayla joined me at 6:00 and helped with final preparations, including laying out the cheese
plate. She even made a map of it, so guests could know what they were eating. This is why this
kind of thing is the perfect job for Bayla.
At the last minute, in consultation with Steve, we decided to switch the noodle and meatball
courses, due to the pungency of the mushroom-noodle dish. Have you ever cooked with
fermented tofu? It’s awesome—surprisingly silky and deliciously boozy—but in combination
with the mushrooms and a hefty hunk of pounded down garlic makes for a strongly flavored
dish. Whereas the meatballs are pretty light and mild—the beef is mixed with bulgur to make
the balls, which are then cooked in a dried fruit-onion mixture and pomegranate syrup.
The guests gathered in Steve’s living room and ate slowly. Steve and his wife Sarah host a lot of
parties, and it felt special to be able to give them a break from “minding the kitchen” duties and
let them focus on their guests and having a good time, while we took care of serving the meal.
Bayla and I were both invited to the meal as guests, so we got to hang out and sample all the
courses, as well as team up on plating, serving, and doing dishes. I think my favorite bite of the
night may have been the tomatoes—super slow cooked, and stuffed with parsley and garlic—but the key lime pie was pretty good, too. Breaking bread is always a beautiful thing, and a mainstay of Applied Mechanics’ culture. It feels good to be able to bring this kind of experience into someone’s home, and fun to combine it with the challenge of personally tailoring a meal to one person’s particular tastes. This is the fourth prize dinner Applied Mechanics has created. Each one has been pretty delicious and totally unique. Looking forward, with curiosity, to next year’s winner.
Photos of food provided by Maria (not the actual ingredients of the prize dinner)
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