If I were this food, how would I want to be served ?

So in my quest to bring local chefs to the students here at RISD I've decided with a little friendly persuasion to feature myself as the last chef before the Winter session break. I was in a competition last year and recipe we had to create was based on the use of tofu as the main ingredient in the dish, I told at least a few students that if I won a medal (an American Culinary Federation event medal) that i would produce the dish for the students. So for this coming December 10th we will be presenting some of the culinary macinations of Chef Pierre.

Often when I'm making menus for catering events or simply producing items in my kitchen at work or at home, I ask my self; "if I were this item how would I want to be served?" This usually causes either my wife to ask me who I'm talking to or people in the kitchen to ask me if I ever answer back. To my wife I respond "myself" , which gets a shake of her head, and to my co-workers I simply say "if I didn't respond it wouldn't be much of a conversation now would it." So as I create things I try to not only take myself into consideration but also those who might be enjoying the dish. That is why when I produced the recipe for competetion I thought about what I wanted and also how the students at RISD might react to what was being made. So came the dish of Hickory smoked tofu with chipotle-tequila beurre blanc, sweet potato and poblano pepper hash and fried green tomatoes. Now when it's produced for the whole student body there will need to be some modifications but they will see where the idea for the food was going, and that's what's important. I will also be serving at this meal the possible fish dish for this years competition.

So without further ado the menu:
Monday, December 10, 2007, 55 Angell St. 5-8pm
Salads -
• Sweet poached gold beets with peppadew peppers and goat cheese over Arugula
• Julienned fennel and celery with red grapes and pommerai mustard vinaigrette (with or without chicken)
• Sesame noodle salad with fresh carrots, sweet peppers and snow peas

Entrée -
• Hickory smoked pork tenderloin with Chipotle-cilantro tequila beurre-blanc, sweet potato and poblano pepper hash and fried okra
o Vegetarian: same as non-vegetarian but with smoked tofu in substitution of pork tenderloin
• Pan seared Golden Corvina with toasted shallot, chervil and pink grapefruit salsa, fennel and Grand Marnier risotto and braised tuscan kale with tomatoes and white balsamic

Pizza -
• Margherita pizza with fresh tomatoes, fresh mozzarella and fresh basil
• Nolio – (Bertucci’s throw back) caramelized onions, prosciutto, parmesan cheese and cream

Dessert -
• Red wine poached pear, served on a chocolate dipped short-bread cookie with red wine reduction and sweet bleu cheese custard.

I hope it will allow the students to see some of me through my food, since it is one of my last bastions of artistic expression.

Pax et Cibus