Last saturday was our first Reel Tasty Brooklyn dinner. For those hearing that for the first time, it’s our summer supper club where we screen a movie on a 2 story building while feeding our guests some of our latest gastronomic creations. Aimee and I had a great time and we think our guests did as well. We are both really excited about planning our next evening. Right now, we’re thinking Saturday, May 30. This will be solidified by the end of the week, so check back and grab your spot.
The weather Saturday was touch and go right up until 7pm when guests were scheduled to arrive. We decided to set the table outside and hope for the best. Turns out not a drop of rain fell, the sun even made a brief appearance. Before movie time guests mingled in the back of the deck while sipping a 2007 Tapena Spanish table wine, Singha Thai beer or 333 Vietnamese beer. We set out some London Bar mix (recipe at bottom) and apricots stuffed with pistachios and gorgonzola cheese. The snack table was rounded out with some cheese, gourmet crackers and cucumber chips.
As guests continued to get to know each other we moved into appetizers. Smoked duck summer rolls with sweet chili sauce were first up. They were followed by a bruschetta with homemade ricotta cheese and asparagus. Both were Aimee’s creations and she was quickly complimented with empty serving platters.
credit: kun kim/joe schram
Day soon turned to dusk and full wine glasses became empty for the 3rd and 4th time. The party moved from the back deck to the front and our guests sat for dinner. For the entrée, we presented two 8lbs Slow-roasted pork butts. They were prepared Bo ssam-style with rice, lettuce wraps, shiitakes and cucumbers. That was accompanied by a Spring Root Salad made up of fennel, celery root and Tangelos. (Both recipes at bottom)
credit: joe schram
Soon after the entrée was served and the sun was well below the horizon, the deck turned from a warm, bright cocktail party to a cool, comfortable dinner theatre. We topped off our guests glasses and turned on the big screen.
Mr. Spielbergs Goonies kept the crowd glued to the screen long enough for Aimee and I to whip up a little specialty popcorn. Around 10:30 the Fratelli’s had caught up with the Goonies and one-eyed Willy’s Boobie traps were about to trigger. Appropriately we served Baby Ruth Brownies with candied peanuts and salted caramel sauce for dessert. And, we followed that up with a Homemade Rocky road ice cream as the Goondocks were saved and the Fratelli’s were arrested.
Below is a slide show recapping the food and company enjoyed through the night. Thanks so much to Kun Kim and Joe Schram for the pics.
As our guests left we had one more treat for them. A homemade chocolate truffle dipped in ganache and rolled in hazelnuts inspired by Aimee’s favorite scene in the movie.
I hope those of you who attended had a wonderful time. Those of you who are reading this who did not attend, please come and see us. We’d love to have you on the deck.
Also, talk to us. We are always looking to hear from you because we want to create the most enjoyable experience possible. On the right hand column there is a favorite movie poll. Let us know your favorite and we will pick the most popular. If you don’t see a movie that you fancy, send us an email and let us know the must see film we simply have to screen this summer. As I mentioned at the top, our next dinner is tentatively on May 30th, we hope to see you there.
Recipes:
The London Bar mix
Ingredients:
Nicoise and Picholine Olives
Dry Italian sausage
Marcona almonds
Manchego cheese
Olives
Directions:
Cut or cube everything to about ½ inch pieces. Mix all ingredients together. Garnish with a sprig of rosemary if desired.
Spring Root Salad
Ingredients:
2 heads of fennel
half a celery root
parsley
3 tangelos
olive oil
cider vinegar
salt and pepper
scallions
Directions:
1. chiffonade celery root and fennel
2. finely chop parsley
3. thinly slice scallions-whites only
4. separate tangelos then slice then into small triangles
5. mix above ingredients together
6. add olive oil, vinegar and salt and pepper
7. mix through and serve
Bo-Ssam Pork
Ingredients:
10 pounds bone-in Boston pork butt
2 1/3 cups white sugar
2 1/3 cups plus 2 tablespoons salt
4 each red and green chiles
1 tablespoon brown sugar
4 cups uncooked Korean rice
2 heads Boston lettuce
Sagyegeol ssäm jang (Korean soybean paste)
Salted shrimp
1 pounds cabbage or daikon kimchee
Directions:
The Night Before, Place 2 cups each sugar and salt in a bowl or saucepan large enough to hold the butt, add 6 cups water, and stir until dissolved. Place the pork butt in the brine solution. Make sure it’s submerged (weight if necessary), and refrigerate overnight. Clean the chile peppers (leave the seeds in for a hotter flavor) and slice them 1/2-inch thick, on the bias. Mix 1/3 cup sugar and 1/3 cup salt with 1 cup water until dissolved, pour over the chiles, and set aside. Preheat the oven to 300 degrees. Place the pork in a large 6-inch-deep pot or casserole, and cook uncovered in the oven for about 6 1/2–7 1/2 hours, basting the pork with the pan drippings every hour. When the meat is fork-tender and pulls away from the bone, sprinkle the exterior with a mixture of 1 tablespoon brown sugar and 1 tablespoon salt. Increase oven temperature to 500 degrees, and continue roasting until the outside is well caramelized. Remove from oven. Rinse the rice well to remove any sediment. Add 7 cups cold water, 1 tablespoon salt, and 4 cups rice. Cook for 20 minutes or until water evaporates. Clean and wash the lettuce; select the best leaves, and set aside.
Assembly and Serving
Place the pork on a large platter surrounded with the pickled chiles. Arrange the Korean rice, ssäm jang, salted shrimp, kimchee, and lettuce in separate bowls. Allow guests to assemble their ssäm by wrapping each component in a lettuce leaf.
