When I saw an ad in the Fairbanks paper for the end-of-the-year dinner presented by the UAF Culinary Arts Department students, I quickly called up to get reservations for Robin and me. Having gone through the culinary arts program at Cabrillo College in Aptos, California, I know what a great deal these sorts of dinners are.
This $100-a-plate meal, the ad said, was called “Celebrating Alaska’s Bounty,” and would consist of eight courses, using wherever possible sustainable, locally sourced ingredients. And, I learned when I called, it would include wine-pairings as well.
table setting, with the amuse bouche
deviled picked egg with bairdi (aka snow) crab
Upon arrival, we were shown into the lobby of the Community and Technical College, where platters of a wide variety of garde manger items were set out on tables. Taking a glass of sparkling wine (J Vineyards, one of my favorites), we inspected the enormous mirrors covered with slices of pâté, barquettes (filled boat-shaped pastry shells), endive with hummus, gravlax , roulades, and the like:
Although famished, having eaten little during the day in anticipation of the feast, I used all the self-control I could muster and limited myself to just a few of the delectable items. Of particular note was the gravlax, which sat atop a surprisingly sweet cracker.
After what seemed like forever, given my grumbling stomach, we were seated. There were some 120 of us in the large dining area. The first thing I noticed (besides the amuse bouche—photo above—which already sat at my place) was the artistic presentation of the salt and pepper. Maybe I’ll try this at home:
the pink salt had a pungent smoky aroma and flavor
After the deviled egg, which had been pickled in vinegar and mint tea, we were served the first course, seared Weathervane scallops à la nage (i.e., “swimming” in broth).
The scallops—which were scrumptious—were served over baby spinach and barley. Robin and I both observed that the barley was rather tough and didn’t have a lot of flavor, and concluded that it didn’t add a whole lot to the dish.
Next up was a charcuterie plate, featuring slices of lamb and pork crèpinette. It was tasty, but after all the pâté we’d had out in the lobby, the course seemed redundant.
The next course was my favorite—Asian-style Alaskan black cod, served on spinach and fennel mashed potatoes, and garnished with crispy onion rings and baby cilantro. Black cod has a lovely, melt-in-your-mouth texture, and the savory-salty sauce paired perfectly with the rich and creamy potatoes:
At this point we took a break for a dessert auction, and an “intermezzo” palate-cleanser called a green frappé:
It was basically a banana smoothie with some green vegetables (spinach? kale?) added. A bit too smoothie-like for my taste, at least at that part of the meal. The bottom layer is ice, frozen in the glass to keep the drink cold.
The dessert auction was a hoot. The students who’d made the pastries carried them around the room and the head of the culinary arts department acted as auctioneer. Having just paid $65 for a loaf of sweet bread at a similar auction to benefit the Fairbanks Opera a couple weeks earlier, Robin and I decided to stay out of this one. Good thing, too, as the desserts went for two- to four-hundred dollars each!
this passion fruit cake sold for $300
Back to the dinner. The meat course was a reindeer manicotti Bolognaise, served with a slice of focaccia. I thought the filling was lovely, but wasn’t so keen on the barley-flour manicotti, which was rather tough:
A deconstructed Alaskan Caesar salad was next, with locally-grown romaine and micro-greens, a Parmesan tuile, and a slice of barley-flour bread.
Finally the dessert trio: an éclair, crèpe, and steamed pudding, all made—again—with barley flour.
I asked the fellow next to me—a long-time Fairbanksian—what was up with all that barley, and he explained that it was one of the few grains that did well growing in the Alaskan interior. Since this was a locavore dinner, it therefore made sense that they’d use so much of it. But I’m glad it’s not the only grain around.
Several of the people at our table have been coming to this dinner every year for the past ten years. I can see why; it was a terrific experience.
the students take a bow at the end of the night
That was a great post Leslie! I hope Robin did okay with all the dishes as well.
ReplyDeleteI must say I would have guessed there weren't $100 plate dinners in Fairbanks. And now I know there's even $300 dollar desserts!!