Regarding the new menu, I was able to chat with Mothra today and we were able to go through what would work, what doesn't work, and what is needed. Her comments were very interesting and enlightening, so I thought it'd be cool to show you the original menu with notes of the revision. (**Note: Items that made the cut are in bold, items that have the line through them have been cut off of the menu and all descriptions in italics are notes from our discussion)
Main Desserts
Cherry Chocolate Almond Tart (Compared with the rest of the menu, this item got axed to maintain variety because there are too many cherry options on the menu)
Seasonal Cobbler - Pear or Cherry? (This is a common dessert people can relate to and recognize; will be a popular item and easy to prepare)
Blueberry Trifle -Blueberries with maple syrup & lemon zest, cornmeal cake, whipped cream (w/marscapone?) (The marscapone got axed, but her and I were talking about other possible flavor combinations to go with it. Some include: cheesecake, lemon curd, or white chocolate)
Cherry Cornmeal upside-down cake/Peach Tatin Cake (Essentially the same concept of an upside down cake, these were placed together. We were thinking of making it a peach themed, but looking for new flavor combinations to make it a little more exciting. Some ideas include: coconut, Bourbon, lime, ginger, blackberries or yogurt)
Pavolva with Fresh Seasonal Fruit (This got taken off because of the humidity in Chicago during the summer; I put it on there originally because I thought it’d be nice to have a gluten-free option on the menu, but the pavlova would essentially melt or look awful before it got to the guest. She said that this dessert would be better in the winter)
Poached Pear or Plum Tart (She liked the idea of a plum tart – this actually made me happy because I wanted something like this on the menu because it reminds me of one of my favorite desserts my mom while I was growing up)
Summer Rice Pudding-Light Rice Pudding with seasonal fruit coulis (She liked this idea, but was honest about the issue of spending too much labor to produce this constantly)
Local Cheese and Fruit Platter (She likes this idea, but it wouldn’t be through the pastry department. She said she would talk with the Executive Chef about possibly putting it on the regular menu)
*In addition to these desserts, she feels we need something chocolate centered (since most all of these desserts are fruit based) as well as a dessert that is super-unique and exciting. She said all of these ideas are great, but we need one that really exceeds expectations.
Ice Creams/Sorbets
Cucumber-Mint Sorbet (She said it’d be great for an intermezzo, but doesn’t think that people would order it; generally people who eat at our restaurant are not inclined to order desserts that seem out of the ordinary)
Tri-Melon Sorbet - cantelope, watermelon, honey dew layered (She does like this idea but it is an issue of labor. If we aren’t able to find great puree of these melons, then the issue becomes cutting/pureeing all three melons on a regular basis to make sorbet – which isn’t cost effective. She also said it would be a great idea with two flavors instead of three, so that would save some time/labor)
Noyaux (Cherry Pit) Ice Cream (I was so excited about the flavor in cherry pits that I wanted to share it with the world. But the reality of it is that we would need a huge heap of cherry pits on a regular basis to make this ice cream – We usually get cherries brought in fresh from the farm, but pre-pitted to save us on labor. From a practical point of view, this was a great idea for small scale – just not for large production in the restaurant)
Black Forest Ice Cream (Loved the idea, just need to work out details)
Cotton Candy Ice Cream (Again, loved the idea, just need to work out the details on it)
*We need more ice creams, but as we come up with more concrete menu items, we will be able to create ice creams or sorbets to pair well with the desserts.
Pies
Raspberry-Cilantro with Honey Crumble (She loved this idea, but said that we would need to hide the fact that cilantro is in there. Again, people who frequent the hotel would be less inclined to order it despite the fact it would taste incredible)
Melba-Peach and Raspberry Pie (Got taken off simply because we have a peach item and a raspberry item already and need to maintain variety)
Fresh Cherry Pie (Classic and sure to sell. This was saved in the event we don’t do a cherry cobbler in the main desserts)
Peach Pie (Taken off because we have a peach item and need to maintain variety)
Pear-Anise Pie (She liked the idea of a pear pie, just need to work out details and make it more exciting)
*In addition to these pies, she feels we need something unique (“kitchey” is the word she uses) as well as something centered around chocolate.
Specialty Drink
Virgin Mint Bellini Peach nectar, sugar, lemon, mint, sparkling water
Blueberry Ginger-Ale - Ginger-Ale flavored with blueberry puree
(Of the two specialty drinks, she found the blueberry ginger-ale the most exciting – thought she did love both ideas)
After we had talked about this menu, she had me search online for unique flavor combinations that we could incorporate into this menu. We came across this recipe for Blueberry Corn Salad - after she read the ingredients, she printed off the recipe and told me to make it for the entire pastry department for lunch. I thought she was joking... but alas, she was not. So I made this salad for the pastry department today and it was delicious. I'm including the recipe here so anyone reading this blog can try it... It's worth it.
Blueberry Corn Salad
- 6 ears fresh sweet corn, husked
- 1 cup fresh blueberries
- 1 small cucumber, sliced
- 1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1 jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely chopped*
- 2 Tbsp. lime juice
- 2 Tbsp. olive oil
- 1 Tbsp. honey
- 1/2 tsp. ground cumin
In Dutch oven bring salted water to boiling. Add corn. Cook, covered, 5 minutes, or until tender. When cool enough to handle, cut corn from cobs.
In a serving bowl combine corn, blueberries, cucumber, red onion, cilantro, and jalapeño. For dressing, in screw-top jar combine lime juice, oil, honey, cumin, and 1/2 tsp. salt. Cover; shake well to combine. Add to salad; toss. Cover and refrigerate overnight (up to 24 hours). Makes 6 to 8 servings.
*Hot peppers, such as jalepeños, contain oils that can burn skin and eyes. Wear plastic gloves when working with them. If using bare hands wash well with soap and water.
(We ate this by itself, then ended up pulling out some corn tortilla chips and essentially eating it like a salsa. Great stuff.)
She made me make the recipe simply to show that thinking outside the box and putting ingredients together (that normally aren't together) can make something that is normally ordinary into something extraordinary. And that's the goal with the revamping of this new menu - to make these items that made the cut into something that goes beyond expectations. We will be sitting down either tomorrow or the next day to talk more about them, then start the recipe/experimental process of the actual creation of the desserts. Definitely looking forward to that.
Also some exciting news, Mothra told me that she nominated me for employee of the month at the hotel. She says that with all of the wedding cakes we've done over the past few months that she couldn't have done it without my help and that I've played a substantial role in the pastry department since I started. She was telling me this as I was cleaning up today, and I couldn't have thought of a better way to end the day.
Anyway, as more details develop, I'll be sure to keep you posted. Until next time!
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