New Tasting Dinner

Our early fall Goose island dinner had a favorable turnout. Based on this Tiny owners were able to market another similar event with the Lagunitas company. As we sat down to taste during the initial menu planning, we found them uncomplex and all very similar with no noteworthy flavors other than their characteristic intense hoppiness.

We put together a brief list of common bitter ingredients:

citrus peel
burnt
chocolate
coffee
greens
mustard seeds
nuts
pepper skins
broccoli rabe
tonic/quinine
watercress
grapefruit
endive/radicchio
dark celery
bitter melon
dandelion
chicory

Whether or not we liked the goose island beers, we found unique characteristics with each of them that allowed us to tailor each dish to the qualities of the beer. While there is nothing wrong with the lagunitas - a great after-work type of beer - the inspiration did not come as easily. We identified the single unifying quality that made these beers stand out as bitterness. From there we decided to plan our menu.

Conceptually the menu is based around the profile of bitter taste. Because its something we all work with constantly but know very little about, we took this as an opportunity to learn about bitter taste. In Herve This' Molecular Gastronomy, he states that the palate can distinguish between 5 or more bitter compounds - meaning we are able to taste 5 different types of bitterness. It plays such an important role, but is never fully appreciated.

As I start to do research on this concept, I realize how little I understand about what makes bitter food satisfying as well as unpleasant. Even more, I don't have answers to these questions regarding the other tastes.

We put together the following menu:

Scallop Ceviche, chicory, white chocolate
Pils

Halibut poached in orange butter, endive fondue, honey
pale ale dogtown

Choucroute Garni of Pheasant
IPA

palate cleanser poached quince, pumpkin spice sorbet

Leonora cheese, rye, red pepper
censored

Coffee, raisin, malt, brown sugar
maximus