i need to get my food brain going. i've been mulling over a ton of ideas, and nothing has settled.
going to a classy party. gonna bring apps.
last year i made some stuffed filo- goat cheese, sauteed mushrooms, port wine reduction. pretty simple but killer.
i need to one up myself.
i am quite confident in my skills, and want something pretty difficult, and something really interesting looking ( i might enjoy plating more than cooking itself!) i love intricate little bundles, drizzles, colours, layers.
has to be vegetarian (makes things a bit hard!)
i'm at a loss for idea.
i want to wow taste and sight wise, but perhaps due to exams, i'm short on ideas.
some of the ideas i was entertaining:
something served in a pear cup. perhaps ajo blanco.
but i was thinking of something a bit richer, darker, red/black/peppery/wine
i was thinking something cappucino based... savory cappucino, perhaps a reduction. something like a mole sauce.
but what vegetables? good old black bean?
i'd optimally enjoy do use relatively seasonal vegetables. or at least yams.
perhaps some sort of sweet potato mole mixture.
carve out the innards, figure out the right mix, stuff back inside skin, bake/roast for a while, and then cut sweet potato in rounds- and have it come out like sushi? hmmm. good idea, but i the sweet potato skin will just go soft. perhaps if i'm delicate...
or i could cook the mix seperately and just pack in the skin for presentation? this way the skin isn't edible.
perhaps make the "sushis" first, and then cook?
maybe tie them with butcher's twine?
arrange them on a big platter (since it will unfortunately be more buffet style) but within the 'sushis' roll some colourful vegetables?
i don't want the mole/coffee/cinnamons etc that are likely to accompany the sweet potato to darken it too much..
hmm, help me brainstorm!
i want it to be a bit spicy too.. argg.
i like the sound of these timbales!
http://thyme2.typepad.com/thyme_for_...nut-squas.html