What do you get for your best friend's wedding? You want the gift to be thoughtful, memorable and special, right?
For a couple that already has their home fully stocked, another knife or household gadget doesn't seem appropriate. When my husband's best college friend got married, these were the thoughts that flooded our heads. We wrestled with different ideas for such a LONG time, unfortunately, our gift was given well after the wedding (I dare say well over the acceptable amount of time), but judging from our friends' reactions, I think the wait was worth it.
We settled on an in-home private chef experience where you can interact with the chef, find out how he makes the food, watch him make it, ask questions, etc. It's interactive, it's personal, it's a shared experience, you don't have to shop, prep or clean up - it's brilliant!
I still didn't pull the plug though. I got cold feet (I'm not even the bride!) after reading 5 star after 5 star review of Chicago in-home chefs. How could every chef be so amazing? I started questioning the reviewers' taste palates. Then some friends (thanks VanWagners) raved about their recent private chef dinner which led me to Chef Andrew of the Crying Onion.
Chef Andrew helped us create a Bordeaux-inspired, 5-course meal plus starter to imbibe our friends' annual trip to Bordeaux, France. The event was all a big surprise. The bride's sister slyly investigated our friends' favorite Bordeaux meals to help with the menu planning; I spent some time looking up Bordeaux menus online. On the big night, our friends thought we were taking them out, but we arrived with the menu chalkboard in hand (first picture of the post) and Chef Andrew in tow.
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| Charcuterie & Fromage Plates |
We began with cheese and charcuterie platters. Two of the charcuterie Chef Andrew made himself - a smoked duck and cajun-spiced pork shoulder. He explained how each took several days to make which was fascinating. I think I sense a winter project!
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| Wild Mushroom Soup |
The first course was a wild mushroom soup with a little truffle oil, cream and garnish on top. This was absolutely delicious and beyond my expectation! The flavors all melded together beautifully and the texture was perfection. My husband deemed it the best course of the whole dinner.
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| Beet, Arugula, Parmesan Salad with Fried Shallots and Citrus Vinaigrette |
The second course was a beet, arugula and parmesan salad. The citrus vinaigrette was bright and really woke up the salad. The fried shallots (in the foreground) were such a surprise and a nice accompaniment.
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| Duck Confit on a Puff Pastry topped with Fried Oregano Sprig with Haricots Verts in a Pomegranate Reduction Sauce |
The third course consisted of duck confit with green beans and a pomegranate sauce. The twist here is that Chef Andrew put the duck on a puff pastry and topped it all with a fried oregano sprig. The pomegranate sauce, he explained, was reduced down from a simple bottle of sparkling pomegranate juice.
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| Petite Filet with Duck Fat Fries |
The sensational meal continued with the fourth course of a filet mignon, duck fat fries and compound butter. The steak was succulent, tender and perfectly cooked. The compound butter melted over the top was to die for. It had so much flavor! Chef Andrew explained how easy it is to make. Check out this recipe or Alton Brown's recipe. The duck fat fries were pretty scrumptious too. When it comes to eating, all I need to hear is "duck fat", you can stop there, I'm in. Fyi: you can usually buy rendered duck fat at your local butcher should you want to make them at home.
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| Chocolate Souffle with Creme Anglaise and Mixed Berries |
Not to be outdone, Chef Andrew topped off the meal with a chocolate souffle with creme anglaise and fresh berries. Oh heaven! Had I not been so full, I would have gone back for seconds and thirds of this. The chocolate souffle was light, airy and delectable (another definite thing to make on my winter to-do list). Chef Andrew mentioned he hadn't made chocolate souffle in a long time, but no one would have been the wiser. Also, we could not get over the deliciousness of the creme anglaise; sans guilt, a few of us put our spoons directly into the container just to eat that over and over again.
At this point, we all headed into the kitchen to wash the dishes and clean the stovetop. Just kidding! Chef Andrew did all that too! So we continued our lovely evening with some more of our 1988 Chateau Leoville Las Cases Bordeaux wine.
There are so many reasons to hire Chef Andrew. He is professional, amiable, easy to work with, creative, reasonably-priced...oh yeah...and he makes amazing food! The list goes on. Now I understand why he has a 5 star rating on Yelp. So if you're looking to give a special, experiential kind of gift for a birthday, anniversary, or wedding or need a caterer for a party or want to have a dinner party with friends without all the work, look no further than the Crying Onion. And if you don't live in the Chicagoland area, look up a private chef in your city :) It is a delightful experience!
http://www.cryingonion.com/
http://www.yelp.com/biz/crying-onion-chicago-2
