Local Event Premier Host
Twenty Dollar Dinners: Let There Be Limes
Sat, August 18, 2018 (6:00 PM - 9:30 PM)
Cost: $20
Citrus fruit is perhaps the most aromatic of all the fruits--and the most versatile. Try garnishing your next margarita with an apple, or squeezing a banana into your iced tea--it's just not the same. In the kitchen, citrus goes from sweet to savory quite easily and is arguably one of the most popular additions to cocktails. Grapes can't say that. They just hang around and eventually become raisins or wine. Which isn't all that bad for a grape.
But citrus is special. There are well over 50 varieties, all descendants of just a few ancient species. The lime, for example, is actually a hybrid. There are several recognized species of lime: Persian limes (the ones you most commonly find in your local grocery store), with skin that is a bit thinner than lemons, seedless and with less acidic, less bitter juice than Key limes, which are smaller than Persian limes and also known as West Indies or Mexican limes. Key or Mexican limes have thin skin, lots of seeds and a more acidic juice along with a characteristic bitterness. Then there's the elusive teardrop-shaped Desert lime (strongly flavored and native to Queensland and South Australia); and Makrut (or Kaffir) lime, which is prized for both its leaves and its rind, used mostly in Southeast Asian cooking, and also in perfume-making.
If I had to choose which citrus fruit I would want if stranded on a desert island, it would be either the Persian or the Key/Mexican lime. As much as I love other citrus, I love the floral, sweet/tart scent of a lime. And I suppose that's why I also appreciate the Kaffir/Makrut lime, which is small and bumpy, and the leaves, which are distinctively shaped and glossy. Both fruit and leaves are beautifully fragrant--magical, really.
Our next community table/BYOB dinner, scheduled for Saturday, August 18th at 6 p.m., features Persian limes, Key limes/Mexican Limes, Kaffir lime leaves and...black limes, or limu omani. Black limes are Persian limes that have been boiled in salt water, then dried in the sun until the outer skins are hard and brittle and the inner fruit is fermented and blackened. Commonly added to Middle Eastern and sometimes Northern Indian cuisine, these rather unattractive little things add big, beautiful and musky flavor to food. Here's what I have planned for you:
We open with a Kaffir Lime and Ginger Sour. This cocktail is made from house-infused Kaffir lime vodka and a ginger simple syrup. It's a cooling and refreshing drink and pairs beautifully with Thai flavors. So I've chosen a cold Zucchini and Coconut Milk Soup shooter infused with Thai flavors, like lemongrass, Kaffir lime, galangal and Thai basil. Both the cocktail and the soup shooter are made with Kaffir lime leaves grown on premises.
When you come to the table, enjoy Tilapia al Cartoccio with Garlicky Lime Butter Sauce (your own personal serving in your own personal parchment bag), Charred Green Beans with Cilantro-Lime Vinaigrette, and Smoked Basmati Rice with Black Lime, Cardamom and Green Chile. This trio of lime-infused dishes brings excitement to your palate and adventure to your plate.
What wine would pair well with this dinner? You have a few options here, but my advice is to stick to light and white. A Spanish cava (if you're feeling festive) would pair especially well with the fish and the rich lime butter sauce. Other Spanish whites that would pair excellently with the meal are an Albariño and especially a bright, lime-y Verdejo. Of course, a crisp Sauvignon Blanc, particularly one from New Zealand, would be a wonderful match. Beer drinkers will be happy with a brew made from citrusy Cascade hops, like Liberty IPA or Sierra Nevada Pale Ale.
We haven't forgotten dessert--Key Lime and Fresh Blueberry Jar Pies. Creamy, cool, and very pretty, these individual desserts are fun to eat. Enjoy them with a bottomless cup of Community Coffee, or your own personal pot of tea. Then linger at the table with us and extend the evening and the conversation--that's what's best about The Voluptuous Table.
This is a BYOB dinner, with the entire menu as described, offered for a suggested donation of $20 per person. Please RSVP by Thursday, August 16th to this email or by calling 512-55 EAT 44. Seating is limited, so RSVP now to hold your spots.
We look forward to your company,
Vindaloo Tiramisu
