Join us on an exploration of France at the turn of the 20th century. Caught between a rich history rooted in tradition and a future in the subtle colors of impressionism, we'll explore the world of legendary composers Faure, Debussy, and Boulanger. To make the story come to life, we'll employ the services of some traditional hors d'oeuvres, a miso glazed eggplant, and a bottle of Malbec preferably from the region of Cahors. We look forward to quite an adventure with you!
During the turn of the 20th century in France, both french food and music were undergoing similarly revolutionary changes. Debussy described music at the time as “a free art, gushing forth, an [open-]air art, an art boundless as the elements, the wind, the sky, the sea! It must never be shut in and become an academic art.” In his piece “Nocturnes'' he demonstrates his masterful use of color and texture, seeming to paint with music like his impressionist counterparts. In food, dining was transforming and defining “Haute Cuisine'' into “Cuisine Classique” becoming what we think of as fine french food today. We have chosen to pair the second movement of Nocturnes, “Fêtes'' with a selection of Hors D'oeuvres. This pairing is not only a very classic way to begin any french meal but also gives the listener ample opportunity to do their own experimentation with colors, textures and flavors much like Debussy does in this jubilant piece.
*These are our suggestions for this piece. Feel free to substitute and get creative as needed! *
Thinly sliced french ham
A hard french cheese (compte)
A soft french cheese (camembert)
Roasted Cherry tomatoes and garlic garnished with “fines herbs” (parsley, chives, chervil, and tarragon)
Whole grain mustard
Red grapes
Cornichon
Good butter
Crusty bread or baguette
Seeded crackers
During the turn of the 20th century in France, both french food and music were undergoing similarly revolutionary changes. Debussy described music at the time as “a free art, gushing forth, an [open-]air art, an art boundless as the elements, the wind, the sky, the sea! It must never be shut in and become an academic art.” In his piece “Nocturnes'' he demonstrates his masterful use of color and texture, seeming to paint with music like his impressionist counterparts. In food, dining was transforming and defining “Haute Cuisine'' into “Cuisine Classique” becoming what we think of as fine french food today. We have chosen to pair the second movement of Nocturnes, “Fêtes'' with a selection of Hors D'oeuvres. This pairing is not only a very classic way to begin any french meal but also gives the listener ample opportunity to do their own experimentation with colors, textures and flavors much like Debussy does in this jubilant piece.
Simply arrange your platter of Hors D'oeuvres in a way that highlights the most contrast between colors and textures.
Lili Boulanger, a prodigious musician and composer, demonstrates her talent in this evocative symphonic poem. The piece, albeit short, whisks you away on a journey through an unfamiliar land. Similarly, we chose to highlight a vegetable that seldom takes the center stage. Using Japanese flavors and techniques, the eggplant is transformed into a sweet and savory treat fit to accompany this exciting and intriguing piece.
Sushi Rice:
-1 cup short grain white rice (I like the brand Nishiki because it is affordable and delicious but anything you can find will work)
-2 Tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
-1.5 tsp sugar
-1 tsp salt
Miso Glazed Eggplant:
-4 japanese eggplants (or any type you can find), tops and tails trimmed, sliced lengthwise and cut in half if they are particularly long
-¼ cup white miso
-2 Tbsp mirin
-1 Tbsp soy sauce (or tamari for GF)
-1 tsp sesame oil
-1 Tbsp sugar
-4 green onions, thinly sliced
-Vegetable oil
-Toasted sesame seeds
Lili Boulanger, a prodigious musician and composer, demonstrates her talent in this evocative symphonic poem. The piece, albeit short, whisks you away on a journey through an unfamiliar land. Similarly, we chose to highlight a vegetable that seldom takes the center stage. Using Japanese flavors and techniques, the eggplant is transformed into a sweet and savory treat fit to accompany this exciting and intriguing piece.
First things first, preheat your oven’s broiler to high heat and prep all of your ingredients so that you are ready to begin cooking.
Begin by thoroughly washing your rice using a fine mesh strainer. Once the water is running mostly clear, add the washed rice to a small saucepan along with 1 ¼ cups of water and cover with a tight fitting lid. Bring to a boil over medium high heat (since the lid is on, keep an eye out for when steam starts to escape to know when the water is boiling) and then reduce the heat to the lowest setting and cook the rice for 15 minutes. After the 15 minutes is up, without peeking, turn off the heat and leave the rice to steam for an additional 10 minutes keeping the lid on. While this steaming process is happening mix together your rice vinegar, sugar and salt. Once the rice is steamed, you may now remove the lid and gently but thoroughly mix in the vinegar solution to season the rice. As the rice cools, it should become glossy and sticky. Keep the rice covered with a clean kitchen towel to keep warm until you are ready to serve.
During the rice cooking process, find some time to whisk together the white miso, mirin, soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar in a medium bowl. If you like a little heat, feel free to add some asian style hot sauce or red chili flakes into this mixture as well.
Score the flesh side of the eggplant pieces in a cross hatch pattern. While not entirely necessary, if you want to impress your friends, salt your sliced eggplant pieces and let them sit for about 10 minutes before you begin. They will sweat out some of their water and in turn become less bitter and a slightly more pleasant texture. Coat them completely in vegetable oil and place, cut side down, onto a rimmed baking sheet. Adjust the oven rack so that it is 4-6 inches from the heating element, and broil the eggplant for about 5 minutes or until slightly softened. Flip the pieces over and continue to cook for a further 3-5 minutes until almost completely tender. Remove from the heat and use a pastry brush or the back of a small spoon to cover the cut side of the eggplant pieces thoroughly with the miso glaze. Return to the broiler and cook for a final few minutes (3-5) until the glaze begins to caramelize and the eggplant is melt in your mouth tender.
All that is left to do is plate! I like to use a small bowl as a mold to fill with sticky rice and place onto the center of a large dinner plate. Then, carefully arrange your miso glazed eggplant pieces over the sticky rice, and garnish with thinly sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Fauré's requiem is a true tour de force. Intended for a funeral service, as all requiems are, Fauré’s take doesn’t adopt the somber dark tone that you might expect for such an occasion. Instead, we are presented with an elegant, balanced and deeply beautiful expression of death. Fauré himself commented on this fact saying, “I see death: as a happy deliverance, an aspiration towards happiness above, rather than as a painful experience.” To pair with this novel work, we chose a Malbec from the Cahors region in south west France. While its bright acidity and firm tannin structure ensure an impactful quality to match the music, its lean elegance reflects the gentle beauty that Fauré so artfully imbues.
A bottle of Malbec preferably from the Cahors region in south west France.
Fauré's requiem is a true tour de force. Intended for a funeral service, as all requiems are, Fauré’s take doesn’t adopt the somber dark tone that you might expect for such an occasion. Instead, we are presented with an elegant, balanced and deeply beautiful expression of death. Fauré himself commented on this fact saying, “I see death: as a happy deliverance, an aspiration towards happiness above, rather than as a painful experience.” To pair with this novel work, we chose a Malbec from the Cahors region in south west France. While its bright acidity and firm tannin structure ensure an impactful quality to match the music, its lean elegance reflects the gentle beauty that Fauré so artfully imbues.
Hors D’oeuvres
-Thinly sliced french ham
-A hard french cheese (compte)
-A soft french cheese (camembert)
-Roasted Cherry tomatoes and garlic garnished with “fines herbs” (parsley, chives, chervil, and tarragon)
-Whole grain mustard
-Red grapes
-Cornichon
-Good butter
-Crusty bread or baguette
-Seeded crackers
Miso Glazed Eggplant with Sushi Rice
Sushi Rice:
-1 cup short grain white rice (We like the brand Nishiki because it is affordable and delicious but anything you can find will work)
-2 Tbsp unseasoned rice vinegar
-1.5 tsp sugar
-1 tsp salt
Miso Glazed Eggplant:
-4 japanese eggplants (or any type you can find), tops and tails trimmed, sliced lengthwise and cut in half if they are particularly long
-¼ cup white miso
-2 Tbsp mirin
-1 Tbsp soy sauce (or tamari for GF)
-1 tsp sesame oil
-1 Tbsp sugar
-4 green onions, thinly sliced
-Vegetable oil
-Toasted sesame seeds
A bottle of Malbec preferably from the Cahors region in south west France.
Absolutely not! We provide you with these recipes to give you the option of cooking along with us, but ordering similar food from your local restaurant works as well.
Our recipes are by no means absolute. We'd encourage you to replace any ingredients you'd like with a substitute with similar flavors or characters. Feel free to email us with specific questions and we will be happy to give you a personalized recommendation.
This tour is in Pacific Daylight Time. (at 7:00pm)