At the start of this month I cooked for a couple’s “stay-cation”.
They took a week off work and instead of making hotel reservations somewhere else, packing, planning, traveling…they stayed home. They set up a “Cabana” with white lights two lounge chairs, a romantic dining table for two and a fire pit in their backyard. They were relaxed in bathing suits and bath robes and lounging outside while big tropical raindrops tapped at the cabana.
Meanwhile I was cooking in the kitchen creating the menu I had custom designed for them after looking at the intake forms they filled out a month ago. It was a 5 course meal, a Thai theme w/ steak (“crazy rare” as they put it)…their favorite! They dined for 4 hours, leisurely sipping wine, laughing, reading, dozing, talking while I brought out each course ……What a romantic idea.
Stay-cation Thai Menu:
Course One:
Crying Tiger Butter Lettuce Cups
Strips of marinated filet mignon, diced and tossed w/ an array of sauteed vegetables: cabbage, carrots, water chestnuts scooped into butter lettuce cups w/ a peanut sauce and a tamarind cashew sauce
Course Two:
Authentic Tom Ka Kai Soup w/ tender chicken and vegetables
Course Three:
Green Apple, Ginger Lemonade Granita
Course Four
Entrée:
Green Curry w/ Strips of Prime Rib, Roasted Eggplant, & Potatoes on a bed of Hot, Fluffy Jasmine Rice.
This curry is the perfect Thai milieu for Thai steak. Strips of prime rib are delicately roasted and then added to the curry just before serving. Savory coconut sauce w/ hand ground spices to make the paste can be made to any degree of spicy desired.
Course Five
Dessert:
Flourless Chocolate Ganache Cake with a Raspberry Passion Fruit coulis …..lightly sweetened w/ a dark chocolate ganache that makes it creamy & light.
CHEERS!