French Laundry, a dozen years ago

French Laundry celebrates twenty years this year. While sifting through some documents, I found a copy of Chef’s Tasting Menu from our Anniversary celebration in 2002.

“Oysters and Pearls”: “Sabayon” of Pearl Tapioca with Malpeque Oysters & Osetra Caviar

“Terrine” of Moulard Duck “Foie Gras” with Perigord Truffles, Truffle Salad and Toasted “Brioche”

Seared Yellowfin Tuna “Niçoise”, Sweet Bell Peppers, Niçoise Oliver “Tapenade” and “Oeuf de Caille Poche'”

Sweet Butter Poached Maine Lobster with Black Shiitake mushrooms, Pan roasted Bone Marrow and Sauce “Bordelaise”

“Un Paquet Des Rillettes De Lapin” with “Petit Pois A La Francaise”

Whole Roasted Scottish Red Leg Partridge with Savoy Cabbage, Caramelized Salsify and Wild Huckleberries

“Soumaintrain” with Wildflower Honey Roasted Granny Smith Apples and Apple “Gastrique”

Ruby Red Grapefruit Sorbet with Grapefruit “marmelade”

“Délice au Chocolat” with Coffee “Anglaise” and Chocolate “Dentelle”

Mignardise (aka Petit Fours)

And a dozen years later, I still remember the taste of rabbit in pea sauce. I also visually recall the spectacular looking truffle salad – bits of truffle embedded in a wispy cloud of micro greens.

“You put Basil in ratatouille?”

Guy Savoy's vegetable gratin

Fans of John Cleese’s “Fawlty Towers” will recognize this from the episode where Manuel thinks that the chef, Terry, has put his pet rat, Basil, in ratatouille.

My trials with ratatouille went from being mundane to fascinating after I watched the movie Ratatouille. The namesake dish in the movie is based on Thomas Keller’s ratatouille recipe and I was inspired to try it out. And it was love at first bite. Keller claims that his recipe is cleaned up version of “Imam Bayildi (Imam Fainted)”. Since then, I have read Guy Savoy, the renowned Parisian chef, claiming the same. In Bayildi, young Italian eggplants are stuffed with fried onions and cooked in a tomato pomegranate sauce – makes one swoon with delight if not faint altogether. I don’t quite see the connection between bayildi and ratatouille but I accept the wisdom of these great culinary giants.

Ad Hoc – Thomas Keller’s restaurant in California Wine Country

Napa countryside

When your ship finally comes in you go to eat at French Laundry or Per Se. But until then, Thomas Keller has you covered with some less pricey options – Bouchon (Yountville and Las Vegas), and Ad Hoc (Yountville). Bouchon pretends to be a French bistro several thousand miles away from any real French bistro. Ad Hoc is a modern Californa bistro with its white walls, dark linear furniture, and servers dressed in retro gas-station attendant uniforms rather than the classic black and white. Ad Hoc also declares – pretentiously if you are hungry, cutely if you are not – ‘for temporary relief from hunger’.