"I don’t know what to do! I am as light as a feather, I am as happy as an angel, I am as merry as a school-boy. I am as giddy as a drunken man. A merry Christmas to every-body! A happy New Year to all the world! "
-Ebenezer Scrooge , 'A Christmas Carol'
Welcome to Christmas week here at Vi! As you probably know by now we have a great feast planned for the Holiday. Carved Beef Ribeye, Carved Ham, Roasted Sea Bass are all being served along with fabulous sides and desserts. We hope you will come and join us whether you celebrate or not, as we have worked so hard and want to enjoy with everyone.
This month has been very busy with parties and celebrations, and we haven't seen this level of excitement for years. Next Sunday is New Year's Eve, and we will be serving both Brunch and Dinner that day, with the dinner being a special menu before we all go upstairs to the Blue Suede New Year's party that Angie and Hannah will be rocking out.
As many of you have noticed, we are making changes in the Dining department. Some of these changes are not immediately apparent as we are trying to reestablish standards and procedures that we can then make sure our team is trained to maintain. Hopefully these will soon start to show up in the form of more efficient service, more attentive team members and above all lower turnover of staff. As we address these things, we are also listening to their concerns and the challenges that they face trying to serve residents. One of these challenges that we hear from almost everyone is the difficulty of setting up parties, dinner service and general side work when residents seat themselves before we are open. In the bar in particular, residents who want specific seats have been coming in and occupying tables that are still being prepared, forcing servers to work around walkers, bags and people. This week we decided that we need to support our staff, and in that interest there is now a sign up sheet at the host's desk where people can put their names on the list for a table and not actually sit down. Please remember that the Bar and Restaurant open at 4:30, and this is when the tables and bar seats will be open. I thank you all for your understanding and hope for your continued support as we establish guidelines and standards for all team members and residents to make our Food and Beverage program even better.
In the Hive Market this week check out the Warm Pork Osso Bucco. Osso Bucco is traditionally made with veal, but pork is delicious too, and this one is braised with a touch of cider and fresh apples. There is also Sliced Turkey Breast with Gravy, Barbecued Ribs, and a Smoked Salmon on Croissant with Creamy Dijon. I particularly like the Chilled Beets tossed with yogurt and tahini, which would go great with the Spinach and Strawberry Salad. Please remember that we have La Famiglia wine for $12 a bottle, Vi Honey, and this week we have insulated Vi Logo bags for purchase.
In the Mt Rosa Dining Room we have by request a Wedge Iceberg
Salad with Gorgonzola Cheese, and tomatoes-- your choice of dressing.
The Cheese this week is Manchego. Probably the most famous Spanish Cheese, Manchego is made from Sheep's milk and is usually aged from 3 months to a year. The flavor is mild and nutty, and we are serving it with fig jam and melba toasts. An obvious choice for this would be Sherry but there is a bottle of Armagnac behind the Bar that only Susan and Victor know about and it would be fantastic here.
At Dinner this week I hope you enjoy the Scallops Scampi served over fresh Tagliatelle pasta. The sauce is made from garlic, lemon, wine, more garlic and lots of butter.Rhis dish is traditionally made with shrimp, but I have found that it works just as well with scallops and is a nice little change to make in a favorite selection. Definitely a great place to enjoy Sauvignon Blanc, the lemon is very tart and might overpower a softer white.
We have Marinated Grilled Lamb Sirloin this week, served with fresh mint glaze, lemon carrots and roasted potatoes tossed with harissa. Harissa is a Mediterranean paste of chilis, citrus and spices. It can be a little fiery on its own, but trust us a little- we tame it a bit and the potatoes really soften the fire. While lamb can be really nice with Pinot Noir, with all the different flavors on this plate I think it's best to go with a Zinfandel like the Kendall-Jackson from our wine list.
Why not try the Sous Vide Roasted Chicken this week? What is Sous Vide, you ask? Well, is not a new technique, but we don't usually do it for service as it takes some time and equipment. That could change based on your reaction. Here's how it works: you take a piece of meat and vacuum seal it-- usually with spices or herbs that will add flavor. The sealed food is placed in a bath of water that is set to the precise temperature you want to achieve-- in this case 165 degrees. The food cooks slowly, never overcooking and not losing any moisture until the temperature is achieved. Once there, it can remain as long as necessary since it doesn't overcook or dry out. When we are ready to serve we take the meat out and brown it quickly under a broiler until the skin is nice and crisp and plate it. It really is a nice way to do things and it works well with all meats and most vegetables. Our chicken is served with sour cherry jus lié, asparagus with almonds and maple-mashed sweet potatoes. This is an opportunity to try Riesling if there ever was one.
For a Vegetarian Option, we will offer Peanut-Roasted Tempeh. Tempeh is essentially a a cake of pressed whole-soybean that cooks and eats like meat. Sort of like tofu, but the beans are whole and it is a really great probiotic. We take the Tempeh cake, marinated it in peanut and lime and then roast it. it is served topped with miso butter, over sautéed snap peas, and coconut rice.
The pasta this week is Cheese Tortellini topped with marinara sauce and finished with a dollop of ricotta and fresh basil.
For specials, check out the Sausage-Stuffed Squid, the Pan-Seared Duck, the Parmesan-Crusted Swordfish, Flat Iron Steak or maybe the Bison Bolognese Stuffed Shells.
At lunch try the Carved Pork Loin, the Broiled Cod, Grilled Cheese sandwich, and more.
We will not be having the Culinary Corner meeting the next two Mondays as we will be setting up for Christmas and New Year's Day, respectively. I am mostly here with the exception of Christmas Day and can be reached at 720 348 7810 or gstrickland@viliving.com.
