Ron Silliman 2007

Thanksgiving 2007
This is It : A menu poem in 26 courses
Guest of Honor: Ron Silliman 

A dinner of 26 courses? Can you do that? Of course, of course.

But yes, I have an answer for everything. And you are going to get a taste of a little bit of everything. In honor of Ron I really twisted my mind around what is possible for a meal, well a virtual meal.

The proof of the pudding is in the eating, and this we cannot eat, but we could, if we wanted to. Each of these dishes can be prepared by me and are in the repertoire prepared at my day job. The meal is planned out for an allevening event and would be portioned out with great care so that even the most delicate of attendees would see all 26 courses in style.

The title comes from the last line in my favorite Silliman poem, “The Chinese Notebook,” number 223.

Enjoy,
Geoffrey Gatza

Ron Silliman : Thanksgiving 2007 A menu poem in 26 courses

Thanksgiving Menu

A Table Alphabeticall

1. Amuse Bouche – Ramboutan Dusted In Grains Of Paradise
2. Champagne Toast, Osetra Caviar On Buckwheat Pages
3. Parmesan Oysters And Horseradish Whipped Cream
4. Shaved Kobe Beef And Braised Onions On Grilled Brioche With An Emmenthaler Gratin.
5. Lobster Cornbread Fritters, Yellow Pepper Coulis
6. Chilled Dragon Pearl Soup
7. Grilled Radicchio, Tomato Confit & Charred Bok Choy
8. Hot And Sour Soup
9. Tarragon Escargot With Lemon Asparagus Salad
10. Golden Risotto And Plum Sesame Seeds
11. Hass Avocado Sorbet With Lemon And Poppy Seeds
12. Monkfish Roulade & Blood Orange Reduction
13. Ahi Tuna, Radish Slivers And Elderflower Syrup
14. Kona Kampachi And Passion Fruit Geleé
15. Brick Roasted Poussin With A Piquant Bourbon Fig Jus
16. West Virginia Free Range Turkey And Cornbread Dressing
17. Trompette De La Mort And White Truffle Salad
18. Georgia Peach And Smoked Duck Cassoulet
19. Pumpkin Roasted In A Banana Leaf With Thai Lime
20. Garlic & Guava Glazed Lamb With New Potato
21. Peppercorn Venison And Bay Poached Pear
22. Cornucopia Of World Cheeses, Spiced Cashews & Port
23. Twice Baked Apple In Double Cream
24. Meyer Lemon Tart
25. Chocolate Bursting Bomb
26. Ron Syllabub

The First English Dictionary, 1604 (distributed by the University of Chicago Press), the work was originally published under the title A Table Alphabeticall. It was compiled in the late 16th century by Robert Cawdrey. Oddly amusing is the title page refered to this a guide to “hard usuall English wordes” that readers sometimes encountered “in Scripture, Sermons, or elswhere.”