State Dinner Menu

[nmbluesky]

STATE DINNER MENU

Jicama with oranges, grapefruit and pineapple
Citrus vinaigrette
Ulises Valdez Chardonnay 2007 "Russian River"
Herb Green Ceviche of Hawaiian Opah
Sesame-cilantro cracker
Oregon Wagyu beef in Oaxacan Black Mole
Black bean tamalon and grilled green beans
Herrera Cabernet Sauvignon 2006 "Seleccin Rebecca"

Chocolate-cajeta tart
Toasted homemade marshmallows
Graham cracker crumble and goat cheese ice cream
Mumm Napa "Carlos Santana Brut" N/V


=============

MMMM- I'm from New Mexico.. but I don't very familiar Mexico food..but this sound so good..

[madmax]

1. What!?

No Taco Bell :evilgrin:

[NanceGreggs]

4. Or a hot-dog or hamburger ...

... visiting dignitaries' choice!

[TheCentepedeShoes]

10. Didn't FDR and Eleanor

serve hot dogs to King George VI and Elizabeth on their visit to the US?

[Beacool]

30. Yes, they did.

Gotta love them!!

:D

[TheCentepedeShoes]

51. Ooopps

Should have had the V8 instead of the Svedka rocks
Meant George VI as Edward VI had been dead for quite some years:blush:

[Old Troop]

49. Actually the Roosevelts served hot-dogs to the king and queen of england

[secondwind]

2. welcome to DU!!

:hi:

[nmbluesky]

3. Thanks

I'm new DU members..

[RamboLiberal]

5. Dang - I haven't eaten lunch or dinner

Reading this is making me hungrier and all I have to look forward to is cream of tomato soup & grilled cheese and baloney sandwiches.

[Auggie]

6. Good stuff! All the wines have Mexican links, too.

[Dr Morbius]

7. Homemade marshmallows?

I've just realized I have no idea how marshmallows are made. I shall have to educate myself. My wife loves marshmallows; I never have been big on them but I like 'em toasted. Fresh marshmallows, though, homemade... now that might taste a WHOLE lot better than the crap from the plastic bags.

Myself, I like simpler food. I recognize little of the above. I've never tried mole or black beans; what the hell is tamalon?; or ceviche, for that matter? And is it normal to drink a glass of chardonnay (white) with salad, a glass of cabernet (classic red) with the entree and then on top of that a brut (robust red) with dessert? Hell, three glasses of wine and you'd probably rave about how great the fish sticks were! I mean, it's a state dinner so the menu is in no way inappropriate and it probably is wise to serve something that's... well, highbrow and top-level cuisine, but I myself wouldn't be excited about eating the stuff. I am no gourmet, except with leftovers.

I don't know much Mexican food. My wife won't eat it, and we've been together for twenty years now. Thus, I've never explored cooking or eating Mexican foods myself, aside from the odd tamale and burrito here and there.

[mitchum]

11. I love that line

"Hell, three glasses of wine and you'd probably rave about how great the fish sticks were!"

nicely done

[kestrel91316]

17. Marshmallows are basically egg whites and sugar and gelatin plus heat.

[Retrograde]

36. There's Mexican food and Mexican food

It's a big, diverse country and the food ranges from simple street snacks, like tacos (basically stuff in a corn tortilla) to extremely elaborate haute cuisine that literally takes days to make, like Oaxacan mole negro (a complex mix of peppers, spices, chocolate and other ingredients). Most of what you see in the US is Tex-Mex, from around the Texas/Mexico border, and heavily Americanized. At least in California, there's been a movement recently to bring more varied types of Mexican cuisine to the US.

A tamalon is a type of tamale. Ceviche is fish pickled in citrus juice, usually lime juice. I took the brut to be a champagne, which would be more appropriate with dessert. Black beans are the dieties' gift to vegetarians (and to anyone who likes beans): I find them tastier than pintos or kidney beans.

[Dr Morbius]

45. Yeah, I think my poor, mixed-up brain confused brut with port. Oops. (nt)

[blaze]

53. Homemade marshmallows!!

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=236&topic_id=72588

See post #11 for link to recipe! :)

[MgtPA]

8. Goat cheese ice cream??

[Dr Morbius]

9. Ever watch Iron Chef?

I haven't seen it in years, and I don't know if it's still on. But it was common for them on the show to make exotic ice creams for dessert, like lobster ice cream or eel ice cream. Goat cheese flavored ice cream by comparison sounds practically mainstream. Sounds pretty good, actually.

[MgtPA]

13. I love a good feta, just not in my ice cream.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

25. I could see it made with Corsican feta: rich, creamy and...

not as pungent as other varieties.

[smalll]

12. Ceviche? Cilantro? Wagyu beef? Goat cheese? Can this menu GET any more latte liberal?

Where's the arugula? :shrug:

[scheming daemons]

14. fail

yawn

[Cha]

16. Could your post be anymore weird? Weren't you complaining

about the Indian State Dinner, too?

[Name removed]

20. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

27. Wonder what s/he thinks...that Hillary would serve orange cheese squares,

hot dogs and Boone's Farm?

[kestrel91316]

18. You'd prefer they order pizza from Domino's, I suppose?

[Cha]

22. Mexican pizza

I presume:P

[Arkana]

56. Seriously, I don't think DU complained even while BUSH was in office

about the things they ate at state dinners.

The fucking President of the United States is entertaining a leader of a foreign country. They are not going to serve hot dogs and beans--the food is going to be VERY high-class.

[Arugula Latte]

32. Here I am!

[smalll]

34. LOL - yes, I've noticed your DU name around before --

how could I not?

[Orangepeel]

65. Hah!

:D

[DevonRex]

42. Oh, since he's just the Mexican leader we should just throw him a tortilla? FAIL.

[Lorien]

47. It's not "liberal"; it's food for the uber wealthy. nt

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

52. Ceviche? Uber wealthy?

I suppose you'd like to see them serve top ramen and grilled cheese sandwiches.

[Arkana]

55. Shock, awe, amazement--dignitaries at a fucking WHITE HOUSE STATE DINNER

eat well.

Film at 11.

Get over yourself.

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

69. Yep. Definitely it's NOT only geeks.

[Cha]

15. Who here besides me ..loves

jicama? Had it a lot in salad when I lived all over San Diego county.:9

They slid some Hawaiian cerviche in there tooB-)

"Mumm Napa "Carlos Santana Brut" N/V"?!

[kestrel91316]

19. Yeah, I love jicama - cut up, with orange sections, lime juice, and a sprinkle of cayenne....

[Cha]

23. Can't wait to get to

Kaua'i and have some again.:)

[nemo137]

37. My family generally just keeps it on a plate in the fridge, for snacking

I keep seeing recipes for it, but I always end up just munching on it, maybe with a little salt.

[jillan]

21. I do!! I do!!! I love it - it's so crunchy and just a little sweet.

[Cha]

24. It's been described as

a cross between potato and apple.:)

[WorseBeforeBetter]

26. Me. And the ceviche sounds de-lish! (n/t)

[DevonRex]

41. I love it, too. It is so light but crunchy. Perfect in salads because

it absorbs the flavors from everything else in it. Yummy.

[tishaLA]

28. Rick Bayliss is the guest chef

He's pretty fucking amazing. I would die to taste that Wagyu beef in black mole.

[nemo137]

38. In response to that "what? fancy?!" comments here, he has several quite reasonable places in Chicago

Including an all torta one - just tortas and soup - that I've been meaning to get to.

[Moochy]

58. The Mole Master

http://twitter.com/Rick_Bayless

He replies to his followers and posts pictures and daily recipes/menu's from his restaurant.

I wonder if there were any pictures.

[msanthrope]

62. Mole recipe link--

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jtuSid-ducV6nYD_CxNMxkm6_XxwD9FQ5VR00

[Orangepeel]

66. Cool! He won the first "Top Chef Masters" show on Bravo

on television, he seemed like a good guy and a great chef. The charity he played for was the Frontera Farmer Foundation, which provides capital development grants to sustainable farms in the Midwest.

[Beacool]

29. Nouvelle Mexican?

This is the type of food made to impress. It's not typical fare. It's the kind of meal you get at high end restaurants where they serve you a tiny amount in a huge plate. Afterward you run to the diner to "really" eat because, despite plunking down several hundred bucks, you are still hungry. BTW, Wagyu beef is about $100 a lb., nothing to sneer at.

:7

[golfguru]

31. Give me a good cheeseburger made from ground sirloin and

provolone cheese topped with fried onions and mushrooms.
Which is why I visit Red Robin restaurant often!

Of course wash it down with a good light beer such as bud-lite or Coors-lite
or michelob-lite or miller-lite.

[Tsiyu]

44. not polite to comment on others' food choices

but damn have ya seen "Food Inc.?"

Try some micro-brews without all the chemicals and you will never drink Corporate Beer again...just sayin.' All those "lite" beers are just disgusting and unhealthy to me - typical, cheap, shallow American Corporate product

You worry me, dude


as to this menu, it appears that the chef understands that mexican food is more than just tacos and is honoring the guests' cuisine.

That's class..which is what a state dinner is about

[Arugula Latte]

33. Everything sounds absolutely delicious to me

Well, except for the beef -- I'm not a meat eater. Other than that, I'd suck down everything on my plate with gusto! :9

[Cha]

35. Mexican food is my abolute favorite

and I don't eat meat either.

:hi:Arugula:bounce: How's Portland, Ore?

[Arugula Latte]

39. Hi Cha!

Portland's good and the livin' is easy. :) We're having one of our stubborn Springs though. We get teased with glorious warm weather and then it goes back to dark clouds and rain. Oh well, it sure is green and blossomy! How is your neck of the woods upstate? Also, do you have any plans to fly into Lihue any time soon? :hi:

[Cha]

40. You remembered! Yes, I now

am registered for Social Security and will be getting it in September and flying into Lihue the first part of OctoberB-)

How do you know about Lihue?:) I talked to my daughter in Portland last night and she's busy with all her kids sports, music, and school stuff.

It's been kinda rainey here too but so green.:bounce: Loving that it's Spring and then Summer and no more cold winters.:loveya:

[Arugula Latte]

48. Wow, it won't be long now before you're living in paradise!

We've flown into Lihue a few times. Love, love, love Kauai. :loveya: We've stayed at the Waimea Planattion Cottages (restored workers' cottages on an old sugarcane plantation -- absolutely charming with beautiful grounds). I don't know if you've been there/ heard of it ... link: http://www.waimea-plantation.com/ They have a bar/restaurant on the grounds, too.

Aloha! :hi:

[Cha]

64. Aha! Glad I saw your reply..

I took a Sunday Sun Do(Korean Yoga) class there at Waimea Cottages in the '90's and Natalie Merchant was my partner(when we needed them) at one point..didn't know who she was at the time.

http://www.sundo.org/

Making me nostalic for Kaua'i but it's okay..'cause I'm goin' back!B-) Thanks for the link!~

And, thank you for the reminder, Arugula..have to remember that I was mostly there after the Hurricane Iniki(Cat 5) on 9/11/'92 and we didn't have many visitors then(took us 5 years to rebuild)..the whole Island bonded after Iniki.:grouphug::D

[Decoy of Fenris]

43. Great. Now I'm hungry. n/t

[Duer 157099]

46. Here's the thing about chef Rick Bayless

Every time I either read about or see him making his food, it never really excites me, but then when I watch other people taste it, they go literally mad over it and can't stop raving.

So, I don't know what it is but he seems to have this incredible magic touch.

And he seems like one helluva nice and decent guy.

[frazzled]

50. Well, I have to say

I admire Rick Bayless, and yes, everyone raves about the food. But I have eaten at both Topolobampo and Frontera Grill (and breakfast, in fact, at his new place Xoco), and I honestly don't get it. I'm not crazy about Mexican cuisine, and I appreciate how much fresher and complex his is--but it still tastes like Mexican food to me.

(Exception: the hot chocolate--hand ground--at Xoco is out of this world). Color me skeptical about the food. But it's true, Rick Bayless is truly a helluva nice guy.

[Arkana]

57. His brother is Skip Bayless, sports commentator and all-around

worthless asshole.

So I'd say that Rick is definitely the winner of the family competitions.

[otohara]

54. Wagu Beef Mole - I'd Die For A Bite

wagu beef melts in your mouth.

[msanthrope]

61. Here's the recipe for the mole served at the White House....from the AP

Rick Bayless' recipe for state dinner black mole
(AP) – 2 days ago

CHICAGO — Chef Rick Bayless shared the recipe for the complicated mole sauce he made at the White House for the state dinner on Wednesday — and it's a doozy.

The Oaxacan black mole takes days to make from scratch and includes more than 20 ingredients.

"It's a really laborious thing," Bayless said in an interview earlier this week. "But for an event like this nothing is too difficult."

OAXACAN BLACK MOLE WITH BRAISED CHICKEN

Serves 8 (with about 10 cups of sauce, which will mean leftovers to make enchiladas or more chicken with)

11 medium (about 5 1/2 ounces) dried mulato chiles

6 medium (about 2 ounces) dried chihualces chiles (see note in Variations and Improvisations below)

6 medium (about 2 ounces) dried pasilla chiles

1 dried chipotle chile (preferably the tan-brown chipotle meco)

1 corn tortilla, torn into small pieces

2 1/4-inch-thick slices of white onion

4 garlic cloves, unpeeled

About 2 cups rich-tasting lard or vegetable oil (for frying the chiles)

1/2 cup sesame seeds, plus a few extra for garnish

1/4 cup pecan halves

1/4 cup unskinned or Spanish peanuts

1/4 cup unskinned almonds

About 10 cups chicken broth (canned or homemade)

1 pound (2 medium-large or 6 to 8 plum) green tomatoes, roughly chopped

4 ounces (2 to 3 medium) tomatillos, husked, rinsed and roughly chopped

2 slices stale bread, toasted until very dark

1/4 teaspoon cloves, preferably freshly ground

1/2 teaspoon black pepper, preferably freshly ground

1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, preferably freshly ground Mexican canela

A scant teaspoon oregano, preferably Mexican

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

1/2 ripe banana

1/2 cup (about 3 ounces) finely chopped Mexican chocolate

2 or 3 avocado leaves (if you have them)

Salt, about 1 tablespoon depending on the saltiness of the broth

Sugar, about 1/4 cup (or a little more)

2 large (3 1/2- to 4-pound) chickens, cut into quarters

1. Getting started. Pull out the stems (and attached seed pods) from the chiles, tear them open and shake or scrape out the seeds, collecting them as you go.

Now, do something that will seem very odd: scoop the seeds into an ungreased medium-size (8- to 9-inch) skillet along with the torn-up tortilla, set over medium heat, turn on an exhaust fan, open a window and toast your seeds and tortilla, shaking the pan regularly, until thoroughly burned to charcoal black, about 15 minutes. (This is very important to the flavor and color of the mole.) Now, scrape them into a fine-mesh strainer and rinse for 30 seconds or so, then transfer to a blender.

Set an ungreased skillet or griddle over medium heat, lay on a piece of aluminum foil, and lay the onion slices and garlic cloves on that. Roast until soft and very dark (about 5 minutes on each side of the onion slices — peel it off the foil to turn it; about 15 minutes for the garlic — turn it frequently as it roasts). Cool the garlic a bit, peel it and combine with the onion in a large bowl.

While the onion and garlic are roasting, turn on the oven to 350 degrees (for toasting nuts), return the skillet to medium heat, measure in a scant 2 cups of the lard or oil (you'll need about 1/2-inch depth), and, when hot, begin frying the chiles a couple at a time: They'll unfurl quickly, then release their aroma and piquancy (keep that exhaust on and window open) and, after about 30 seconds, have lightened in color and be well toasted (they should be crisp when cool, but not burnt smelling). Drain them well, gather them into a large bowl, cover with hot tap water, and let rehydrate for 30 minutes, stirring regularly to ensure even soaking. Drain, reserving the soaking liquid.

While the chiles are soaking, toast the seeds and nuts. Spread the sesame seeds onto a baking sheet or ovenproof skillet, spread the pecans, peanuts and almonds onto another baking sheet or skillet, then set both into the oven. In about 12 minutes the sesame seeds will have toasted to a dark brown; the nuts will take slightly longer. Add all of them to the blender (reserving a few sesame seeds for garnish), along with 1 1/2 cups of the chicken broth and blend to as smooth a puree as you can. Transfer to a small bowl.

Without rinsing the blender, combine the green tomatoes and tomatillos with another 1/2 cup of the broth and puree. Pour into another bowl. Again, without rinsing the blender, combine the roasted onion and garlic with the toasted bread, cloves, black pepper, cinnamon, oregano, thyme, banana and 3/4 cup broth. Blend to a smooth puree and pour into a small bowl.

Finally, without rinsing the blender, scoop in half of the chiles, measure in 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid, blend to a smooth puree, then pour into another bowl. Repeat with the remaining chiles and another 1/2 cup of the soaking liquid.

2. From four purees to mole. In a very large (8- to 9-quart) pot (preferably a Dutch oven or Mexican cazuela), heat 3 tablespoons of the lard or oil (some of what you used for the chiles is fine) and set over medium-high heat. When very hot, add the tomato puree and stir and scrape (a flat-sided wooden spatula works well here) for 15 to 20 minutes until reduced, thick as tomato paste, and very dark (it'll be the color of cinnamon stick and may be sticking to the pot in places). Add the nut puree and continue the stirring and scraping until reduced, thick and dark again (this time it'll be the color of black olive paste), about 8 minutes. Then, as you guessed it, add the banana-spice puree and stir and scrape for another 7 or 8 minutes as the whole thing simmers back down to a thick mass about the same color it was before you added this one.

Add the chile puree, stir well and let reduce over medium-low heat until very thick and almost black, about 30 minutes, stirring regularly (but, thankfully, not constantly). Stir in the remaining 7 cups of broth, the chocolate and avocado leaves (if you have them), partially cover and simmer gently for about an hour, for all the flavors to come together. Season with salt and sugar (remembering that this is quite a sweet mole and that sugar helps balance the dark, toasty flavors). Remove the avocado leaves.

In batches in a loosely covered blender, puree the sauce until as smooth as possible, then pass through a medium-mesh strainer into a large bowl.

3. Finishing the dish. Return the mole to the same pot and heat it to a simmer. Nestle the leg-and-thigh quarters of the chicken into the bubbling black liquid, partially cover and time 15 minutes, then nestle in the breast quarters, partially cover and simmer for 20 to 25 minutes, until all the chicken is done.

With a slotted spoon, fish out the chicken pieces and transfer them to a large warm platter. Spoon a generous amount of the mole over and around them, sprinkle with the reserved sesame seeds and set triumphantly before your lucky guests.

Advance Preparation: The mole can be completed through Step 2 several days ahead (it gets better, in fact); cover and refrigerate. Completele Step 3 shortly before serving.
VARIATIONS AND IMPROVISATIONS: Chilhuacle chiles are very difficult to find unless you're in Oaxaca (even then they're sometimes hard to obtain). Without them you can make a very respectable black mole with 6 ounces (12 total) dried mulato chiles, 2 1/2 ounces (8 total) dried pasilla chiles and 1 ounce (4 total) dried guajillo chiles.




http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jtuSid-ducV6nYD_CxNMxkm6_XxwD9FQ5VR00



****************************

I'm gonna make this in a couple weeks....

[otohara]

63. The Chocolate

gots to have chocolate in the mole.

thanks for this.

[Moochy]

59. Sounds good

grilled green beans.. yum.

[calico1]

60. Okay don't anyone attack me but if you are

having Mexican dignitaries as your guests, why would you serve them mostly Mexican food?

:shrug:

[amandabeech]

67. I was wondering the same thing.

How about soft shell crabs, asparagus and strawberry shortcake?

All local, all in season and all really good.

[Cha]

68. In their honor and only the best from their amazing White

House Chefs.