Sucheta asked me if I wanted to attend a Chef’s Table Luncheon event with her at Cobb Galleria. Sounded exciting but I wanted to be sure that I would have something to eat! I really need not have worried. Chef Nick took good care of this vegetarian.
Chef Nick wants to rid people of the notion that food served at convention centers is tasteless and bad. He told us about some of the events hosted at the Galleria by organizations like American Cancer Society and Kentucky Derby that were attended by thousands of people. Yet no one left hungry, regardless of dietary preferences or restrictions. As unbelievable as it sounds, vegetarian, lactose intolerant, kosher, halal, gluten free and other kinds of diets are managed by the good team of cooks here at the Galleria. Chef Nick also spoke about his efforts to incorporate local and seasonal produce into the menu although he conceded that cooking for thousands of people made it a tad difficult.
So what did we get?
Watermelon Soda
Chef Nick started us off with a simple palate cleanser of watermelon soda. It was a young local watermelon, not very sweet. The mineral water and soda gave it a tangy flavor. Not my favorite combination (I would have preferred a sweeter flavor) but Chef Nick explained that he wanted the drink to clean our palates and not leave a lingering sweetness. Fair enough.
There were two starters, one contained meat and the other was vegetarian. The vegetarian one was Okra Tempura and Fennel Pollen. It was served with a Buttermilk Horseradish Aioli.
It was delicious! The okra was tender and crunchy, as Chef Nick confirmed. All he did was dip it in the tempura batter and fry it. It was fried to perfection; no excess grease or crispiness. The aioli was light and nicely spiced. Horseradish is a hot ingredient, so the proportions must be perfect, I imagine.
The first course comprised of watermelon and toro. My version skipped the toro. Basil-infused olive oil with yuzu and fleur de sel (French sea salt) provided a perfect foil to the sweet watermelon. The presentation was beautiful!
The little “caviar” pearls, made of watermelon, and delicate flowers made for a lovely plate.
Watermelon and Basil with Sea Salt
The second course was a chilled sweet corn soup poured over a delicate roasted red pepper flan, baby leek and potato emulsion and a coulis of grilled red peppers, accompanied by a thyme cracker.
Chilled Sweet Corn Soup
Very light and refreshing! The soup was smooth and delicious and the crisp cornmeal-thyme cracker was a great side snack. Chef Nick told us that there was a smidgen of Dijon mustard in the soup that lent a tinge of sharpness to the preparation. I couldn’t detect it before but after he mentioned, I was able to taste it. Thankfully the heat of the mustard was not too overwhelming although I felt my ears getting hot later. A usual response from me to the pitta aggravating mustard, I suppose.
Chef Nick mentioned that he used gelatin to make the flan. Later I went up to him and inquired about the use of gelatin (it is usually derived from animal protein). He clarified that he used the term ‘gelatin’ simply because it was a familiar one. What he used actually was an algae-based substance that gave the flan its gel formation. He even took me into his tiny office and showed me a variety of ingredients he uses to obtain the emulsion and gel effect. Impressive indeed!
Next up was a yellow melon and yuzu juice granita, a palate cleanser. I couldn’t eat more than a couple of spoonfuls, too tangy and ice-cold for me!
Yellow Melon and Yuzu Granita
Then came a beautiful plate of baby root vegetables, parsnip puree, smoked tomato jam and croquettes with basil, asparagus, mushrooms, chickpeas and sun-dried tomates. I absolutely adored this plate. Parsnip is a favorite vegetable of mine and I think the next thing I will make with it is halva, Indian style! The smoked tomato jam was spectacular, such a beautiful mix of flavors! The croquettes were very well done. Not too dense, perfectly spiced and the basil lent a nice fresh touch.
Root Vegetables
Dessert was decadent. I feel terrible that I couldn’t clean up my plate! But with a combination of such rich ingredients, the serving size should probably have been a half of what it was. Almond biscuit, smoked sea salt caramel, dark chocolate ganache and peanut butter sorbet – hmmm, I think I am missing a layer in there!
Dessert
All in all, a lovely lunch and an opportunity to taste new flavors and preparations… Rest assured that the participants at Cobb Galleria events need not worry about their meals, thanks to Chef Nicholas Walker!
