Hogwart's Classes Chef's Table

Once again everyone did a spectacular job.  Such creativity, such inspiration, such flavors.  There were no F grades, everyone clearly earned their A’s

So let’s go through our magical meal.

Pam started schooling us right by actually creating a classroom experience for us to learn Transfiguration.  And she did it with our Aperitif—a color changing cocktail.  First she gave us our vodka and special ingredient (red cabbage juice) which appeared to be a nice purple color.  Then we emptied the magic powder from our foil packets (backing soda) which made the drink become a richer and darker purple, almost bluish.  But then came the final touch.  And when lemon juice was added the drink instantly became a bright and inviting pink color.  Oh yes, and it was delicious.

Michelle’s Divination appetizer was also an experience.  One the popular forms of divination was the Chinese practice of reading the solidifying mystical shapes of egg whites dropped in boiling water.  (Pam read the symbols that appeared and divined that each of us had some sort of travel coming up soon, and would result in profit. 
So inspired by the egg, Michelle made mini-quiches with spinach cheese tomato and herbs and a stick of Chinese sausage—representing the Chinese divination sticks that are also used.  (By the way, Pam had those, too, so we each picked one to add to our fortune).

Pauline is apparently the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and she thought long and hard about what kind of soup would best represent preventing spells and hexes and bad magic.  The answer seemed obvious when she looked for foods that have a reputation of doing just that.  In this case, sage and garlic—known to have many cleansing and medicinal benefits.  Add that to a “feel-good” butternut squash soup and you have a satisfying dish.

Lawrence followed up with a show of his own.  First he demonstrated his Alchemy by pouring a tasty mescal tequila over the filet, then lighting it aflame.  After it cooked completely, we were called back in to witness the transformation of a delicious dish, the fish covered with strips of sweet peppers as well as hot poblanos.

Then it was time to visit Scandinavia where we learned about rune stones.  First Ben offered everyone to choose from their basket of “magic wand” breadsticks—each one different.  The dough being a tasty and traditional Finnish bread with cardamom.  Since Swedish meatballs are a popular dish, Ben too all the flavorful ingredients (including spices like nutmeg, cardamom, allspice and clove) that would normally make up the meatball—minus the meat—and made pancake platforms upon which filet mignon slices were placed (after dusted in the spice mix and pan fried in Finnish butter).  On top was placed a rectangle of puff pastry upon which was drawn with lingonberry jam each of the Chef’s first initial in the Rune alphabet.  When they were served, each Chef also got the interpretation read of what their letter/rune stone means. 
The dish was also garnished with little “stones” of pickled cucumber, another traditional Scandinavian dish.

And if that wasn’t enough, John dazzled us with not only his Dessert, but a little lecture on the History of Magic—specifically the story of “Bertie and Battie” and the early days of Hogwarts.  Turns out that in the story Bertie made cauldron cakes.  So John followed her example and presented us with rich and moist chocolate cupcakes shaped like little cauldrons, with pistachio mousse filling.  And a slice of treacle torte on the side.

We were all delighted.

But we couldn’t quite break the spell and Pam had added one last treat—the after dinner drink.  A close representation of the legendary “Butter Beer” soda with a shot of dark rum and a small scoop of vanilla ice cream and we were all under a spell of “satiatium”