TravelTalkOnline Forums People Talk Recipes dinner fit for champagne

looking for suggestions of some favorite dishes made for special occassions. three course suggestions even better. thanks in advance.

Interesting post. Please give a little more info... what protein do you want to serve for the entree course?
Cuisine of choice?

In our family champagne is for seafood. Lobster, King Crab and Scallops in front. Go well with asparagus and a garlicky type bread.

Vanilla ice cream with Chambord for desert.

I think Ina's Sole Meuniere is elegant. It's also delicious and extremely easy, so you could be a little more elaborate with the first course and/or the dessert. It would be delicious served with steamed asparagus and a simple rice pilaf (wild rice would be wonderful).

For dessert, how about a nice chocolate mousse, or even a souffle?

I'm not much into first courses, so I'm no help there.

like the suggestions so far. for starters something light, like caprese. for main, fish or lobster would be nice, or even roasted chicken. sides will be simple as suggested with some sort of veg and pilaf sounds fanstastic. for dessert, chocolate sounds nice and decadent. recipes would be appreciated, especially for the souffle.

I'd also suggest, instead of bread or buscuts or rolls...
Some popovers... Easy to make...
I have loved these since I first had them, back in the late 50's, at Lorraine Murphy's on LI.


Basic Recipe

Ingredients
1 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted, plus softened butter for greasing pans
1 1/2 cups flour
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
3 extra-large eggs, at room temperature
1 1/2 cups milk, at room temperature

Directions
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.
Generously grease aluminum popover pans or Pyrex custard cups with softened butter.
You’ll need enough pans to make 12 popovers. Place the pans in the oven for exactly 2 minutes to preheat.
Meanwhile, whisk together the flour, salt, eggs, milk, and melted butter until smooth.
The batter will be thin.
Fill the popover pans less than half full and bake for exactly 30 minutes. Do not peek or they will fall.

Souffle

8 oz bittersweet chocolate (up to 70% cacao), finely chopped
1 tbls unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 tbls unbleached all-purpose flour
1/2 c. whole milk
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 tsp instant espresso powder dissolved in 1/2 tsp water (optional - I left this out for the kids)
pinch of salt
3 large eggs, separated
1/4 cup sugar
powdered sugar for dusting

*note - I make these the day before and refrigerate before baking (I don't cover with plastic wrap because of the condensation)

Preheat oven 375. Butter the souffle dishes - especially the rims, dust with sugar, tap out excess (like flouring a cake pan - only with sugar)

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler or microwave - stirring until melted and smooth. Keep over warm water until needed.

Make the Bechamel-Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Remove from heat and add the flour - whisk well to remove lumps. Return to heat, whisking constantly. Remove the pan from the heat and add the milk slowly, whisking constantly to remove any lumps. Cook 1-2 minutes, until thickened like a thin pudding. Remove from heat and whisk in vanilla. Whisk in the espresso powder and the pinch of salt. Scrape melted chocolate into a large bowl. Add the above bechamel sauce to the chocolate and whisk to blend. Whisk in the egg yolks. Cover and keep warm until you whip the egg whites.

This was actually the trickier part - I used a kitchen aid - whip 4 egg whites on medium speed until they form soft peaks. With the mixer running, rain in the granulated sugar and beat until stiff peaks form. With a spatula, gently stir in 1/4 of the egg white mixture into the choclate-bechamel sauce to lighten the mixture. Then gently fold in the remain whites until no more streaks of white.
Fill the souffle dishes to 1/4 inch below the rim. Place dishes on baking sheet bake for 14-18 minutes until the souffles are set and firm to touch in the center. Higher percentage chocolates (cacao) bake more quickly.
Serve immediately , dusted with powdered sugar, Or break open the top and pour in a custard sauce or carmel.

I made these at Christmas-let me see if I can find a photo - they sound complicated but really aren't and it was an impressive dish to serve

[color:"blue"]Forgotten Chocolate Souffle[/color]
Recipe courtesy George Duran
Prep Time: 20 min
Inactive Prep Time: 30 min
Cook Time: 40 min

Serves: 8 to 10 servings

Ingredients
12 ounces bittersweet chocolate, chopped
1 stick unsalted butter, cut into tablespoon pieces, plus more for greasing
1 vanilla bean, cut lengthwise
1/4 teaspoon salt, plus a pinch for the egg whites
12 tablespoons sugar
5 large eggs, separated into yolks and whites, at room temperature for 30 minutes
1/4 cup all-purpose flour

Directions
Put an oven rack in the middle position and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter a 6-cup souffle dish or casserole.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a large bowl set over a pan of barely simmering water, stirring frequently. (Or in a microwave-safe glass bowl in a microwave at 50 percent power for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring well every 30 seconds until the chocolate is melted and smooth.) Cool completely.

Scrape the seeds from the vanilla bean into the cooled mixture and add salt and 6 tablespoons sugar. Add yolks 1 at a time, whisking well after each addition. Whisk in the flour.

Beat the whites with a pinch of salt in a bowl using an electric mixer at high speed until they hold soft peaks. Add the remaining 6 tablespoons sugar, a little at a time, beating until the whites hold stiff glossy peaks.

Whisk about 1/4 of the whites into the chocolate mixture to lighten the batter, then fold in the remaining whites gently but thoroughly. Pour the batter into the souffle dish, spreading it evenly.

Bake about 30 to 35 minutes or until the center is still jiggling and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out with moist crumbs adhering to it. Serve the souffle warm.

Some comments are helpful http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/georg...iews/index.html

3 Course Menu (Poultry) suggestion

Spinach or Baby Arugala Salad with Goat Cheese and dried cranberries and toasted pine nuts in vinegrette

Cornish Hens with blackberry sauce with Pommes Parisienne (Parisian potatoes) and haricot verts

last, but certainly not least

Strawberry soup (puree of fresh strawberries and strawberry ice cream served in champagne glazed that have been drizzled with chocolate ganache

<img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

thanks for all the great ideas! kitchen renovation is wrapping up, hence a celebratory dinner is in the works. will try to remember to follow up and share what i finally decide on. <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/dine.gif" alt="" />