World Culinary Odyssey - Beyond The Great Wall

Last Monday evening marked our third World Culinary Odyssey event for this year's Vermont Festival of the Arts. The itinerary was China, and we named the event "Beyond The Great Wall" as a tribute to the spectacular recipe and travel book by Jeffrey Alford and Naomi Duguid of the same name. Featured this evening were recipes from China's ethnic minorities, proving that there is much more to Chinese cuisine than Szechuan Chicken, Kung Pao Beef and Dim Sum! Thanks again to Gaylord Farm for this week's outstanding CSA basket used in the preparation of this menu!

Without further ado, here's the evening's menu:

Soup Course

Dai Chili-Fish Soup: The Dai live in Southern Yunnan Province, near the fertile valleys of the Mekong River along the borders of Laos and Myanmar (Burma); for this dish, we used fresh rainbow trout in an heirloom tomato base with ginger, garlic, spring onion and cilantro; lively, aromatic and refreshing...

Salad Course

Dai Carrot Salad: Lightly steamed carrots in a dressing of pickled chilies, spring onion, soy sauce, rice vinegar and roasted sesame oil; served on a bed of shredded cabbage

Main Course

Miao Red Sauce Fish: The Miao primarily reside near Xijiang in the Guizhou Province, with a small enclave near the Vietnam border - they are related to the Hmong of Vietnam, Thailand, Myanmar and Laos; for this dish, fresh swai (Mekong catfish) was poached in a tomato broth seasoned with garlic, pickled red chilies, Sichuan pepper and chili bean paste; very fragrant and heaty...

Lamb with Sprouts and Pak Choi: This recipe is Muslim Uigher and hails from Turpan Zheng, an oasis stop along the northern Silk Road to Kazakstan, in Xinjiang Province; boneless lamb chunks are stir-fried with mung bean sprouts and pak choi; seasoned with cumin, garlic, soy sauce and Jinjiang (black rice) vinegar; a very interesting blend of Far East and Middle East...

Braised Aubergine and Zucchini: A typical veggie dish of the Hui, descendants of Muslim Silk Road travelers, now widely dispersed throughout China; fresh eggplant and zucchini stir-fried with fermented black beans and soy sauce; dark and rich flavors...

Black Rice Congee: A ubiquitous dish in the southern provinces of Guangxi and Guizhou; a blend of Thai purple sticky rice and jasmine rice which has been boiled for several hours, like risotto; wolfberries (aka goji berries) are added for color, fruitiness and "health benefits" (ask a Chinese herbalist for details...); a rich and creamy comfort food...

Dessert Course

Asian-style Fruit Platter: Watermelon, Asian pear, starfruit, kiwifruit, tangerines and coconut biscuits; freshly-brewed coffee or tea

Call us at 802-496-4909 if you would like to "book your passage" this August to someplace special!

If your looking for even more things to do in The Mad River Valley,  "Like Us" on Facebook® and check out our weekly "Whaddup?" column for local band schedules, educational lectures, farmer's markets and more...

Check out Weathertop's seasonal specials as well: Click here.

Book a room at Weathertop now: Click here.

Stay tuned for our next adventure!

World Culinary Odyssey - Our Second Journey

Last Monday evening marked our second World Culinary Odyssey event for this year's Vermont Festival of the Arts. The itinerary was Vietnam - one of our all-time favorites! The flavors and fragrances of Vietnamese cuisine can't be beat, which makes our job easy. At the same time, we tried to show our "travelling companions" something beyond traditional spring rolls and pho. Thanks again to Gaylord Farm for this week's outstanding CSA basket used in the preparation of this menu!

Without further ado, here's the evening's menu:

Soup Course

Tomato Egg Drop Soup: French, Chinese and Southeast Asian influences...all in one dish! Heirloom tomatoes flavored with galangal and kaffir lime leaf; fresh, local eggs (from Donald Terry...) add a creamy richness

Salad Course

Vegetables and Chicken Salad: Fresh cabbage, carrots, celery and onions with stone-grilled chicken; topped with sugar-roasted peanuts and a chili vinaigrette

Main Course

Lemongrass Beef: Strips of top sirloin marinated with lemongrass, red chilies, garlic and fish sauce, then stir-fried with sweet onions; topped with roasted peanuts and cilantro

Shrimp and Green Beans: Black Tiger shrimp and green beans stir-fried with onions, garlic, lemongrass, red chilies, fish sauce and rice vinegar; topped with fresh chives

Eggplant in Black Bean Sauce: Slowly-fried eggplant slices become caramelized and rich when simmered in a sauce of onions, garlic, ginger, fermented black beans, oyster sauce, soy sauce and fish sauce; topped with spring onions

Steamed Jasmine Rice

Dessert Course

Homemade Selections du Jour: Lime souffle cake, Belgian bliss or espresso semifreddo; freshly-brewed coffee or tea

Call us at 802-496-4909 if you would like to "book your passage" this August to someplace special!

If your looking for even more things to do in The Mad River Valley,  "Like Us" on Facebook® and check out our weekly "Whaddup?" column for local band schedules, educational lectures, farmer's markets and more...

Check out Weathertop's seasonal specials as well: Click here.

Book a room at Weathertop now: Click here.

Stay tuned for our next adventure!

World Culinary Odyssey - Our First Journey

Last Sunday evening marked our first World Culinary Odyssey event for this year's Vermont Festival of the Arts. The itinerary was Thailand. Thanks to Gaylord Farm for this week's tremendous CSA basket used in the preparation of this menu. Great veggies make our task much easier and the outcome more delicious! Thanks also to the Steins', Rogers', Branschofsky's and Ruane's for joining us on this adventure.

Here is the evening's menu:

Soup Course

Vegetable Forest Curry: A "thin" curry with lots of hearty vegetables - green beans, Chinese broccoli, baby corn and mung bean sprouts - in a base of red curry and galangal

Salad Course

Cucumber Salad with Peanuts and Chilies: Fresh cucumber, red onion and cilantro in a vinegar dressing spiced with red chilies and fish sauce; topped with roasted peanuts

Main Course

Spicy Beef Curry: Strips of blade steak in a base of green curry and coconut milk, with Thai eggplants, onions and a touch of lime; garnished with fresh basil and cilantro

Yellow Seafood Curry: Fresh shrimp, clams and marlin loin in a base of yellow curry and coconut milk, with green beans and bamboo shoots; garnished with cilantro and marinated chilies

Stir-fried Cauliflower and Green Beans: Fresh veggies stir-fried with garlic, turmeric and fish sauce; garnished with spring onions and a drizzle of lime juice

Steamed Jasmine Rice

Dessert Course

Homemade Selections du Jour: Lime souffle cake, Belgian bliss, espresso semifreddo or pound cake with fresh blueberries and cream; freshly-brewed coffee or tea

Call us at 802-496-4909 if you would like to "book your passage" this August to someplace special!

If your looking for even more things to do in The Mad River Valley,  "Like Us" on Facebook® and check out our weekly "Whaddup?" column for local band schedules, educational lectures, farmer's markets and more...

Check out Weathertop's seasonal specials as well: Click here.

Book a room at Weathertop now: Click here.