Charred Sea Scallop, Watermelon Pistou


It was a small bite by the Sous Chef to amuse the guest's palate, and a canvas for the sea to meet the vine.  The Sea Scallops where dry pack, seasoned well, and met the hot grill with enthusiasm.  The watermelon pistou was made earlier with some reduced watermelon, pine nuts, oil, and a few herbs.  The dish was finished with watermelon matchsticks, goat cheese, and black sesame seeds.  Stop by Martinique Bistro www.martiniquebistro.com for a bite of creativity.  Cheers.

Branden & Jenn's 3rd Annual Memorial Day Parte'







Dominoes is a game where you stack chips in a  strategic way in order to beat your other opponents.  Or you can line them up and see what happens when the first one is let loose.  When the chips are stacked right, the party just falls into place.

I was graciously invited via a flier to a Memorial Day Parte' this past week.   Starting out in a new kitchen is always a journey in itself, but bringing people together outside of work in a social setting eases the transition into the resturant family.  With all of the service industry involved, the food and booze were not going to run out, or they might have, but I had to leave early as I started with a sprint towards the finish line, as opposed to a casual jog.

Booze:  Gin Box with turkey basters, Dos Equis Keg, Natural Light, Bud Light, Rum, Vodka, Daquiris, Soda, Water, Abita Amber, and many other craft brews on ice.  The list includes what I saw, but certainly is not inclusive of all that was offered.

Food:  Boiled Crawfish, Oysters on the half shell, Venison Sausage, Jicama Slaw, Buffalo Chicken Dip, Chips, Corn & Poblano Dip, Smoked Hamburgers, Asian Tomato Pasta Salad, Sausages, Salad, Cheese Dip Extravaganza, and many other delicatble food offerings.


The driveway provided a perfect setting for sitting, eating, drinking, and conversating about many a different subject.  One young lady chose to break out a melodic improptu song, which caught the ear as a good meal catches the palate, clean and pure.  Arriving at the party, I knew only a handful of people through work, but leaving the party, I gained a new perspective of people who seem to enjoy the same thing as me, LIFE.  New Orleans writes its own script for a good party, and the narration of this event left my heart proud and my head a little imbibed.

Thank you again to the gracious hosts for an amazing Parte'.