Hosted by the lady in black
Living the expat life on and off for the past seven years, I am now Stateside at Thanksgiving for only the third time since 2002. Perhaps that’s why I’m finding myself especially mindful of the true meaning of the holiday. Today, I’m giving thanks for my good friends and neighbors, Renee, Laura and Jeff.
Renee lives the life of the princess that she truly is. Last night she made the three of us feel like royalty by hosting what I hope is the first of many White Truffle Dinners. After a whirlwind week sampling truffle dishes all over Manhattan (and that’s hard work!), Renee returned home carrying a haul of the rare fungus back to Kansas City to share with the lucky few.
Renee wears more black than Johnny Cash himself, and her gorgeous new black suede thigh high Butter boots (no kidding!) were the perfect way to kick off our ridiculously decadent meal. We popped a bottle of Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin to accompany mushrooms stuffed with leeks and mascarpone, and then liberally doused with truffle oil. Renee is all about presentation, and the mushrooms were regally lined up on a beautiful black serving tray that had been warmed so that when she poured the truffle oil over the stuffed caps, the oil hit the heat of the tray and the warm earthy smell filled the room. The crisp bubbles were the perfect pairing.
We moved from the black granite island in her kitchen to her table, elegantly decorated with small vases filled with parsley (her signature table decoration: fresh herbs) and white tulips, for our first course. Jeff contributed the wine and even though he’s an ABC (anything but Chardonnay) man, he knew Cakebread Chardonnay would be the way to go. How can you ever go wrong with Cakebread?! The richness of the oaky wine stood up to the butter and garlic in our individual shrimp scampi, presented uniquely in actual scallop shells. The Cakebread also managed to handle the notoriously difficult task of pairing wine with an artichoke crostini that Renee covered with another liberal drizzle of truffle oil and placed alongside the scampi. Can you say R-I-C-H? The entire course was lush as velvet. By this time I was beginning to feel like a princess myself.
Moving on to the main course, Jeff produced a wonderful French red, Domaine Du Mas Blanc Collioure. Again, a perfect match with the truffle butter tagliatelle Renee swirled with cream. As if we hadn’t already been spoiled enough, she shaved probably $50 worth of the white gold over each of our bowls. I ate every bite.
Laura brought dessert, and knowing Renee only eats homemade ice cream, she presented a handsome hand crafted pear tart in place of her usual sweet - Christopher Elbow artesian ice cream. Just as well as my lactose intolerant stomach was already on the edge. Renee just couldn’t help herself however, and added a dollop of whipped cream to each slice.
It was a meal worthy of any New York restaurant, presented with the care of someone who truly loves sharing her joy of cooking. How lucky are we? And if that all weren’t enough, Renee sent the two remaining truffles home with me in a jar, perched on a bed of rice.
Whether or not the 2nd Annual White Truffle Dinner ever takes place, I’ll remain grateful for the friendship of these three generous people. Now, today – SALAD for lunch!
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