What I Learned Thursday: A Review of Third Thursday from the Chef PART 2

Here are my final notes on preparing our Third Thursday event a couple days ago.

Here are my final notes on preparing our Third Thursday event a couple days ago. Get the rest of my deep thoughts at What I Learned Thursday: A Review of Third Thursday from the Chef PART 1

What I Learned

4. Everything is better soaked in booze. Thursday night I needed a lighter dessert, and something fun to do with my lamb chop. Instead of concocting something crazy with the wine, I simply soaked some watermelon, and the lamb chops, in wine. Watermelon itself has such a light, sweet flavor that make it the perfect sponge for great wine. Sprinkled with a little herb sugar, it made for the tasty and beautiful dessert. The red wine was a great complement, also, to the earthiness of the lamb. Similarly, I soaked the chops in red wine with roughly-torn herbs until I placed them on the grill. Served from a mustard-smeared platter, they were a hit.

5. Leave the proteins to the professionals. We have bought lamb chops from butchers and we have bought lamb chops from the good ol’ fashioned grocery stores. When we buy them from the grocery store, they come as a whole rack, and then I cut them myself. My knives never seem to be sharp enough; they look like we used a butter knife to butcher them, they are irregular sizes, and, they consume a lot more prep time. Buying them from a butcher is a little more expensive, but, right out of the packaging, they are beautifully frenched, and in equal portions. So, simply leave butchering to the butcher.

6. Homemade is best! I think this rule it obvious. When you put time and effort into your food, of course people will taste the difference (and the love).

See the pictures from the Francis Ford Coppola themed Cincinnati Event Third Thursday.