“Sharing food with another human being is an intimate act that should not be indulged in lightly.”
M.F.K. Fisher
When it comes to Valentine’s, an outstanding dining experience is a time-honored way to celebrate. The details matter. Chef/Instructor Matthew Molina and the rest of the staff at East Mississippi Community College’s Lion Hills Center in Columbus are finalizing every detail for a five-course gourmet meal they will prepare Feb. 12 for guests, by reservation. It looks to be a feast worthy of Saint Valentine himself.
“What you look for is a nice white color,” Molina said Friday, monitoring the progress of stuffed lobster meat on the grill in Lion Hills’ commercial kitchen. The lobster is seasoned with clarified butter, a little pressed lemon juice and fresh garlic. Molina is demonstrating how the Valentine’s Dinner main course will be prepared. Around him other chefs and EMCC culinary students go about their work, preparing foods for that evening’s dinner service.
Lion Hills’ Head Chef David Wilkerson, Chef/Instructor Shannon Lindell, Sous Chef Andy Cagle and Molina oversee this unique program. It provides students seeking either a two-year associate degree or a one-year certificate a foundation in the science and methods of cooking, through classroom instruction and hands-on experience in the kitchen that offers lunch Tuesday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Friday night dinner from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Sunday brunch from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
“Between Matt, Andy, David and myself, the students get to see four different styles, so it’s such a well-rounded experience,” said Lindell. “They get to see everything. They come in with that little spark, but I think we really fan the flame.”
Stand-out occasions
Special occasions such as Valentine’s benefit from the chefs’ diversified expertise. The goal is a gourmet experience to elevate the celebration.
“Each of us has our own style and specialties in how we cook everything from Italian to Mexican to Cajun or French-style cooking,” said Molina. “So what we like to do is really just sit down and pick out our best attributes and fuse our styles together.”
The result for Valentine’s weekend is a five-course meal consisting of appetizers of New Zealand lamb with blueberry-jezebel sauce and veal demi-glace, served with roasted root vegetables; scallop ceviche of coconut-lime marinated Gulf Bay scallops on a bed of spicy arugula and microgreens with an orange-coconut vinaigrette; duck consomme with wild mushrooms; and a bacon-wrapped, herb-crusted Angus petite filet topped with veal demi-glace and bleu cheese-tomato ragu, served with an artichoke and roasted red pepper, and stuffed lobster tail with champagne cream sauce. The main course is served with duchess potatoes and sauteed broccolini. Dessert is chocolate pate in heart-shaped meringue nests, with strawberry gelee and candied strawberries.
Designing menus for occasions such as Valentine’s, Christmas or Easter is a welcome challenge for the chefs.
“Anyone can do the same meal over and over,” said Molina. “We try to do some things we don’t often do, or things that will challenge us. … We want to make sure our guests feel very special when they come in.”
At home
Molina and Lindell offered a few thoughts for those times when home cooks want to create an exceptional dining experience, whether for an anniversary, birthday, holiday or simply an intimate dinner.
“The first thing that comes to mind is do your research so you know what you’re getting into,” said Lindell. Before investing in expensive ingredients, know the different cooking techniques that may be required and the intricacies of some of those ingredients. While it’s nice to try something new, venturing too far outside a comfort zone can lead to stress. Getting angry at the food can spill over and negatively affect the whole occasion. Instead, Lindell suggested, you might start with something you do well and put a new twist on it.
“If you roast a chicken, maybe look up a new way to season it,” she said
Molina added, “You’re kind of graduating each meal that you’re doing, adding one more technique or style.”
Even a simple dessert that couples don’t get to enjoy often throughout the year can add a special touch to an evening. That might be chocolate-covered strawberries; Lindell shares an easy method below.
Lion Hills’ Valentine’s Dinner
Reservations for the five-course Valentine’s Dinner Friday, Feb. 12 may be made by calling 662-328-4837 or 662-329-6761. Cost is $120 per couple, and includes tax and gratuity. Jazz pianist Robert Totten will provide dinner music.
Lion Hills Center and Golf Course is located at 2331 Military Road in Columbus.
CHOCOLATE COVERED STRAWBERRIES
1 (16 ounce) bag mini milk chocolate chips
2 pints strawberries, washed and dried
(Source: Chef Shannon Lindell, EMCC Instructor, Culinary Arts/Hotel Restaurant Technology)
Jan Swoope is the Lifestyles Editor for The Commercial Dispatch.
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