New Year's Eve 2004
December 31, 2004		 Other Albums
 

New Year's Eve, 2004 at Cinc Sentits. The restaurant was open with a special New Year's Eve menu...these are a few pictures taken by Greg as he hung out in the kitchen. The tables are set, the reservations have all been taken, and the sala is ready to go. Instead of the normal meal prepared by the kitchen staff, tonight's special staff meal comes courtesy of Boston Pizza. As usual, there's a lot of joking around at the dinner table. Here Ali and David laugh at something, but it's possible that no one else knows exactly what. Ali shows off his no-hands pizza-eating technique.
David tries to talk Jose into reenacting the spaghetti-sharing scene from Lady and the Tramp, but with pizza. Jose clearly doesn't go for it. After the pizza is (mostly) eaten, it's time for dessert...this time a dish straight from the kitchen. Jordi offers Amy a second dessert. If I had been a little slower with the camera, I might have missed the split second of hesitation. Now that the staff meal is over, it's time to get the kitchen going for the guests that will be arriving soon. Jordi, Jordi and Jose starting the preparation of the first dishes. Jordi prepares the trademark maple syrup sabayon shots to greet the arriving guests. The starter dish for the evening is a tapa of Galician clams with vermouth foam, and another with smoked salmon and trout eggs. Here Jose works on the clam presentation.
The tray of clams is lined up and ready to assemble with the other half of the dish. The complete appetizer, ready to serve. The kitchen production line is now running at full speed as the guests continue to arrive. Yaya (Amy's grandmother) and Greg hung out in the kitchen during the night, and ate the special menu at the kitchen table. Here Yaya studies the night's menu as Roser starts waiting tables. Yaya stands guard and watches the sala as the kitchen staff work busily behind her. Jordi and Jordi caught in mid-discussion. One of the later dishes on the night's menu: butter-poached lobster with a coral crisp in lobster broth with Santa Pau beans.
Another view of the butter-poached lobster dish, with a slightly different presentation. Jordi briefly takes over the maple syrup sabayon shot production as more guests arrive. This dish is a foie gras ravioli with shaved black truffles. If there's a night for decadent dishes like this, new year's eve must be it. Jordi serves the foie gras ravioli with a chestnut velouté. A close view of the foie gras ravioli. Yes, those black parts on top are strips of black truffle. All of the guests have arrived and have started their meals. Here you can see the order tickets for each table. Jose seems to become half line cook, half mad scientist as he works the fuegos.
Here the mad scientist persona seems to be winning out. The meat course: filet mignon served with an arrangement of wild mushrooms. Jordi spoon-feeds Jordi a taste of a new dish. One of the dessert dishes was a pomegranate gelée with a mousse of sweet moscatel wine. Here Jordi spoons out the pomegranate gelée. A line of glasses ready to fill with the pomegranate-moscatel dessert. The pomegranate gelée is ready, and the moscatel foam will be added at the last minute. Getting ready to serve the dessert by putting on the final touches.
The final dessert: a brioche torrija served with chocolate sauce and turron ice cream. Here Jordi sprinkles sugar on each one, then caramelizes it with a kitchen torch. Jordi carefully plates each brioche dessert as David rushes some to the guests. The guests in the sala just before midnight. As the hour draws closer, Amy explains the midnight traditions to the foreign guests: twelve chimes of the clock (or, in this case, a kitchen pot) and a grape eaten with each chime for good luck. At the end of the night, and the beginning of a new year, cold pizza meets leftover filet mignon in a clash of cultures. Time to go home and rest up for 2005.
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Greg and Amy's Wedding
 July 2, 2004
Wedding Week
 June 30 - July 3, 2004
Seychelles
 July 5-11, 2004
 

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Guestbook Entries
 
View Guestbook Hilary Wittmann in Toronto
October 25, 2005 (20:56)
Nice Albums! Paris, Ireland, what next! It won't be long until I see you in person Amy! I'll swing a Sunday/Monday stay so we can hang out when you don't have to work!
Joost in Vianen-NL
January 13, 2005 (05:35)
Gelukkig nieuwjaar!Looking at the images I hope that Guy Savoy will be able to top this, this Saturday. Looking forward to it. Till then.
Greg in Barcelona, Spain
January 8, 2005 (04:08)
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