Delicious Expeditions-Small Group Culinary Tours And Travel

1
The Perfect Meal Delicious Expeditions
A perfect meal has just as much to do with the
company as it does with the food. Recently I had
guests from Slovenia, a quintet of classical
musicians, to be exact. All well-traveled
gourmands, this sophisticated group of charming
men were well acquainted with fine food. They
came to San Miguel with an open mind and empty
stomachs (and also fear of Montezumas revengeit
seems its in all the guidebooks). After
playing a small, intimate concert at the Casa de
Sierra Nevada, wethe five musicians, four
girlfriends, and myself, sat down to an
incredible gastronomic experience. On a cold fall
night we were ushered into a cozy private
terra-cotta hued dining room with a large, wooden
round table in the center backed against a
blazing fire. The group allowed me to order for
them, so I did something Ive always dreamt
ofordering one of everything on the menu. I
surprised the waiter, and even myself, with my
request. There was a new chef at the Sierra
Nevada that evening, a young man by the name of
Gonzolo Martinez, who had just come back to his
native town by way of Dallas and New Orleans. I
was anxious to see what he could do. We were not
disappointed. The multi-course meal kept coming
Grilled Vegetable Terraine, Huitlacoche Risotto,
Grilled Mezcal marinated Oaxacan Quail, Chicken
with Shrimp Mousse and Caramelized Apple
Pudding, all accompanied by endless bottles of
wine. One of the musicians was a long time
friend. We had gone to college together in
Germany and as more than next-door neighbors we
had shared many meals together. Most of our
friends at the time were from Yugoslavia (whose
northern most republic became Slovenia after
their 10-day war of independence in 1991). We
didnt bother with plates at the time everyone
just grabbed a fork and dug in. It was always
communal eating and we referred to is as eating
Yugoslav style. Feeding each other bites of
spaghetti and salad (a common meal, since no one
had any money) was how we bonded, something I
didnt realize for a long time. Returning to
America, where most people wouldnt allow someone
elses fork to enter the perimeter of their
plate, was sterile and unfriendly territory to
me. The fun was gone, the camaraderie and the
intimacy. In Germany different experiences and
relationships filled our days, but at night,
around the dinner table, we were a family. So,
on that cold evening huddled around the cozy fire
we started eating Yugoslav style. This was new to
my American and British friends however, they
didnt flinch when a charming European man fed
them a morsel of a rare beef. Forks flew across
the table, stabbing and scooping bites of food,
which were then offered to fellow diners. Each
time eyes would lock, a mouth would open, sounds
were made and a connection would develop.
Conversation reeled around the table,
interspersed with oohs and aahs, sensual sounds
of the dining room. Even when my friend Connie,
got up from the table too fast and spilled her
full (that would be a 6 oz. pour, not a 3 oz.)
glass of red wine down my white shirt, the mood
did not change. I wasnt going to let a cold,
wine-soaked shirt ruined my evening. I knew such
dining perfection would never be repeated. Chef
Gonzolos food did help make a memorable evening,
but honestly, if it were only spaghetti and
salad, it would have still been the perfect meal.
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• Fresh Corn Soup with Huitlacoche Compote
• Sierra Nevada restaurant, San Miguel de Allende
• This recipe features the best of Mexicos summer
  harvest huitlacoche, or corn truffles. They are
  only available a few months of the year the
  rest of the time they can be found canned in
  specialty stores.
• 6 servings
• 12 organic yellow cobs of corn with husks 4 cups
  vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 2 shallots, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, minced 1 sprig fresh thyme
• 1 dried bay leaf
• 1 cup heavy cream
• salt and pepper to taste Huitlacoche Compote
• 4 cobs of corn with huitlacoche 1 tablespoon
  butter
• diced tomato, peeled and seeded

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• Place in a blender and purée until smooth. Strain
  with cheesecloth. Return to the stockpot.
• Add cream, salt and pepper.
• For the compote, remove the huitlacoche from the
  cob. Wash and chop roughly.
• Heat butter in a large frying pan over
  medium-high heat. When melted, add the onion and
  jalapeño. Cook until tender and browned, about
  8-10 minutes. Add the tomato and chopped
  huitlacoche, cook another 5 minutes.
• Ladle the corn soup into 6 bowels. Top with the
  huitlacoche compote and garnish, if you like,
  with cheese and chives.
• if fresh huitlacoche is not available,
  substitute one 16-ounce can.
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