Foodbuzz 24×24: Lusty Month of May Springtime Jazz Feast

SUNKEN CITY SUPPER CLUB

FRESH, LOCAL & (not so) SECRET (anymore)

presents

The Lusty Month of May: Springtime Jazz Feast

Our Sunken City Supper Club events feature live music, and awesome location, and a five course fixed menu plus a our signature amuse bouche and unique sherry courses.

The Sunken City Supper Club is a fresh, local and (not so) secret place to seasonally mingle with friends and neighbors – to enjoy the camaraderie, great food, wine, the awesome intimate jazz standards performed by local musicians Barry Anthony and Bill Ryan. We hold one event per season, and the menu always reflects seasonal ingredients.

Guests are emailed the menu in advance so they can bring wines to complement the dinner. The Sunken City Supper Club is a “moveable feast” – the location varies. We held the Spring affair at my place. The gorgeous centerpieces were arranged with fresh cut roses from my garden, accented with rosemary from Gail’s garden. My dear friend Gail and I are the Chefs and Gardeners. This spring menu features edible flowers, herbs, and citrus that we are growing ourselves.

San Pedro, Los Angeles, California 1929: An entire block along the coast slips seaward and continues to slump into the ocean until 1933. Two of the houses on the seaward side of the street fall into the sea. Others homes on the block are moved to various locations. This area became known as Sunken City, well known to the locals, hence the “secret” name of our Supper Club.

Come, celebrate this lusty month with us! It’s May!
Lori Lynn

the menu

“the essence of spring with an asian twist –
plus a hint of french, italian, and spanish too”

fresh spring rolls/ shrimp/ peanuts
spicy sesame lime dipping sauce

verrine/ petite peas/ mint/ pine nuts/ goat cheese/ sprouts
grilled baguette

steamed savory custards/ crab/ shiitake/ lemongrass/ coconut/ cilantro

meyer lemon salad/ endive/ fava bean/ kalamata olive/ violas

smoky braised and grilled lamb/ anise/ ginger/ tamari/ garlic
baby bok choy/ polenta/ miso butter

fresh mango and old-fashioned tapioca/ citrus leaf/nasturtium flower

oloroso sherry/ mini sherry bundt cake/ marcona almonds/ manchego cheese

Below is a photograph of each of the seven courses, including a link to the recipe.

appetizer

fresh spring rolls/ shrimp/ peanuts
spicy sesame lime dipping sauce

Spring roll recipe at the very end of this post, please scroll down.

amuse bouche

verrine/ petite peas/ mint/ pine nuts/ goat cheese/ sprouts
grilled baguette

Awesome recipe by Ronell of My French Kitchen here.

we served custard instead of a soup course

steamed savory custards/ crab/ shiitake/ lemongrass/ coconut/ cilantro

Recipe adapted from Taste With The Eyes here.

salad

meyer lemon salad/ endive/ fava bean/ kalamata olive/ violas

Recipe on Taste With The Eyes here.

main

smoky braised and grilled lamb/ anise/ ginger/ tamari/ garlic
baby bok choy/ polenta/ miso butter

Lamb recipe on Taste With The Eyes here.

Creamy Polenta and Bok Choy: Cook the polenta was usual then before serving add a good amount of milk and stir until creamy, finish with plenty of Parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste. The baby bok choy is sliced lengthwise then steamed in vegetable broth until soft. Bok choy is placed on the polenta then topped with miso butter.

Miso Butter:

• 1 stick softened butter
• 2 – 3 T. white miso (depending on saltiness)
• 1 1/2 t. garlic minced
• 1 1/2 t. fresh ginger minced

Mix all ingredients in the small bowl of a food processor. You can make the miso butter ahead of time and keep it on hand. It is great on vegetables, fish, noodles, and oh, please try it on a grilled rib-eye steak!

dessert

fresh mango and old-fashioned tapioca/ citrus leaf/nasturtium flower

The recipe for a heart-healthy version of tapioca pudding can be found on Taste With The Eyes here, for our party, however, we used real eggs and whole milk.

sherry course

oloroso sherry/ mini sherry bundt cake/ marcona almonds/ manchego cheese

Recipe on Taste With The Eyes here.

The Lusty Month of May
Julie Andrews in Camelot c. 1960

It’s May! It’s May, that gorgeous holiday!
That darling month when everyone throws self-control away!

It’s May! It’s May, the month of Yes You May…
That lovely month when everyone goes blissfully astray…

FRESH & LOCAL

from our gardens…

persian lime for spicy sesame lime dipping sauce

meyer lemons for meyer lemon salad

nasturtium flowers as garnish for mango tapioca verrine

rosemary as garnish for mini bundt cake and in flower arrangements

violas in meyer lemon salad

parsley in meyer lemon salad and as garnish for lamb

mint with pea in amuse bouche and in fresh spring rolls

FROM MY ROSE GARDEN

For our springtime table we chose the roses the color of sorbet; raspberry, apricot, peach, and lemon.

gail’s arrangements are breathtaking

SUNKEN CITY SUPPER CLUB

FRESH, LOCAL &  (not so) SECRET
Celebrating May!

PARTY SCENES

spring table setting

assembling custards

serving amuse bouche

steamed custards

supper clubbers

violas

gail and marlene garnish salad

joe serves main course

assembling dessert

gail talks sherry

kitchen scene

Fresh Spring Rolls
Recipe

Originally I thought we could slice the spring rolls like sushi rolls and serve on a big platter with dipping sauce in the middle. But after a test run, we determined that everyone needed their own dipping sauce and chopped peanuts so we cut the rolls in half, and served dipping sauce in an espresso cup on individual plates.

The hardest part of making these fresh spring rolls was finding the wrappers, 8 1/2 inch dried rice paper rounds. A trip to an Asian market was the answer.

Fill a pie plate with cold water. Dip the rice paper in the water then spread it flat between two clean damp towels. In a few minutes the rice paper will be pliable. Peel off the top towel then assemble the the roll as follows.

First place a piece of red leaf lettuce on the lower half. Top with thin rice stick noodles, cooked according to the package directions and cooled.

Prepare batons of cucumber and carrot ahead of time. Toss the carrot with some sugar and let sit for 15 minutes, this softens the carrot. Place carrot and cucumber on top of the noodles, then top with fresh mint.

Roll the bottom of the rice paper over the veggies as tight as possible to complete one turn, then fold in the sides. Next, place shrimp and cilantro leaves on the rice paper then finish the roll. I cut the shrimp in half crosswise so they would not be too thick to balance with the other ingredients.

After rolling several spring rolls, I learned to place the shrimp with the pretty pink side facing out, and the same with the bright green side of the cilantro leaves, that makes a very pretty presentation when the roll is completed. The rolls can be kept refrigerated covered with damp towels for several hours, but don’t let them touch or they’ll stick together. Bring the rolls back to room temperature before serving.

Spicy Sesame Lime Dipping Sauce

• fresh lime juice
• sesame oil
• tamari
• rice wine vinegar
• fish sauce
• sugar
• minced garlic
• minced ginger
• thinly sliced serrano

Combine all ingredients in about equal parts, taste and adjust the flavor to your liking. Make ahead so the ginger, garlic, and chile infuse the sauce.

The perfect party starter! Individual portions are the way to go.

foodbuzz 24X24

Extending a special thank you to the folks at Foodbuzz for choosing the Sunken City Supper Club’s Lusty Month of May: Springtime Jazz Feast as a participant in the Month of May’s 24×24 event! Foodbuzz 24×24 showcases posts from 24 Foodbuzz Featured Publisher bloggers, the monthly Foodbuzz 24 highlights unique meals occurring around the globe during a 24-hour period. “From San Francisco, to Sydney, to San Pedro!”

the food rocked, the setting & music were awesome,
but it’s the people who make the party!

gail, barry, bill, sally, al, denise, ted, paul, lou, shelby, todd, marlene, and joe

thank you so much!

Next up:

A Steamy Summer Affair

featuring

A Hot Mediterranean Menu!

Will you be in town? Come, join us!

Other Sunken City Supper Club Posts:

The Winter White Dinner

The Best of Fall Dinner