Captain’s table
Bill and Earlene McFadden celebrated their 63rd wedding anniversary with a Titanic-sized dinner.
They feasted on shrimp canapés, poached salmon, filet mignon, roast duckling, asparagus salad and Waldorf pudding. They toasted with flutes of champagne.
And at the end of the night, they returned to their Coeur d’Alene home, happy and stuffed, which is much better than can be said for the 1,503 passengers who had their final meal aboard the doomed ocean liner.
The McFaddens toasted their long marriage late last month at a Titanic-themed dinner at the Beachouse Restaurant on Lake Coeur d’Alene.
“It was just absolutely delightful,” Earlene McFadden said the next day. “Everything was just so delicious and so well-presented.”
Beachouse chef Tim Heinig and his staff researched and prepared the extravagant, 10-course meal. They borrowed the blue-rimmed executive china from the Coeur d’Alene Resort because it closely matched the plates used on the Titanic.
A strolling violinist serenaded the guests with period tunes. The ship’s “captain” (actually a retired Delta Air Lines pilot who still had the uniform) greeted “passengers” at the door. Low lighting and draped table linens gave the wooden restaurant an other-worldly feel.
Some diners even showed up in costume. A peacock-feather hat. A tuxedo. A mink stole. And each guest was assigned the identity of an actual Titanic passenger, a character to assume throughout the night. With the dessert course came word on whether each passenger made it home alive.
The dinner took plenty of planning and research to pull off. But you don’t need a staff of professionals to throw a successful theme dinner party at home.
Best of all, choosing a theme provides a perfect excuse to host a party.
“It makes for a more interesting evening,” says Christopher Reader, owner of Spokane’s Culinaria catering company. “It’s a way of taking a culinary journey without ever leaving your home.”
Theme dinner parties are a good way to sample new foods. And they help guests who don’t know each other loosen up – an instant ice-breaker, if you will (pardon the Titanic pun).
“For a theme party, it needs to be fun,” says Karen Brown a Dallas cookbook author who wrote “Dinner Party Cookbook: Menus, Recipes and Decorating Ideas for 21 Theme Parties.” “You can be kitschy and creative and it’s all in good fun. It’s a good way for grown-ups to play dress-up.”
First, of course, you’ll have to choose a theme.
Ethnic themes are easy because they have built-in cuisine.
Reader gets many requests for Tuscan dinners. But he has also done Polynesian, Caribbean, Jamaican and many others.
Spokane party planner Elizabeth Raol has organized a medieval dinner where people ate turkey legs off of board-plank tables. She has also helped plan Victorian teas.
“Some people come with a general idea and we throw around possibilities,” says Raol, who owns Posh Parties. “Some people come with a blank slate. Some people have done themes for years and years and every year do something different.”
Or you can go wild.
Serve the last meals of condemned inmates. Whip up a buffet consisting of only orange foods. Make Elvis’ favorite dishes.
When selecting a theme, however, it’s important to know your audience.
Last year, the Beachouse hosted a popular Lewis and Clark theme dinner. Heinig and his staff are mulling other possible themes for more dinners later this year.
You’ll also want to take into account what foods your guests enjoy.
“You don’t want to force somebody into one of these situations,” Reader says. “If their palate is completely existent on meat and potatoes and Jell-O pudding, there’s not going to be a lot of fun had by this person.”
Once you’ve come up with the theme, you’ll want to decide where to hold the dinner. Would it work best in your dining room? The back yard? A rented space somewhere?
Then comes the research.
Heinig attended a Titanic exhibit in Seattle where he learned more about the ship’s history. He found a cookbook, “Last Dinner on the Titanic: Menus and Recipes from the Great Liner” which laid out the menu. He adapted the night’s recipes from the book.
“Planning, planning and research” are the keys to hosting a theme dinner,” Heinig says.
You’ll also want to test out some of the recipes before you spring them on your guests. The Beachouse hosted a trial Titanic dinner the week before the big party. Based on diners’ reactions they took a couple of things off the menu and added some others.
Reader agrees with the importance of a trial-run.
“There’s nothing worse than trying to do an entire roasted suckling pig and it blows up in the oven,” he says.
Make shopping lists and to-do lists. Look for recipes or parts of recipes that can be made a day or two in advance.
Once you’ve got the food under control, you’ve got to set the tone.
Carry the theme through the invitations. Select appropriate music. Hunt party stores, thrift shops or your own attic for fitting decorations.
“It’s more than just a pretty centerpiece,” says Raol, who rents decorations such as sombreros and Japanese paper umbrellas to her customers. “The challenge is taking the space and creating a mood.”
Feel free to ask your guests to show up in costume or take on a character for the evening. But try to keep it low-key, Brown says.
“You don’t want to set the standard so high they feel like it’s too much trouble to go to,” she says.
The McFaddens had another reason to celebrate at the end of the Titanic night: Both of the characters they assumed lived to eat another dinner.
Here are some recipes used at the Titanic-themed dinner at the Beachouse restaurant:
Asparagus Salad with Champagne-Saffron Vinaigrette
From “Last Dinner on the Titanic: Menus and Recipes from the Great Liner” by Rick Archbold and Dana McCauley
1 1/2 pounds asparagus, rinsed
Boiling salted water
1/4 teaspoon saffron threads
1 teaspoon boiling water
1 1/2 tablespoons champagne vinegar or white wine vinegar
1/2 teaspoon Dijon-style mustard
Pinch of sugar
3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste
1/2 sweet red or yellow pepper, diced
Leaf lettuce
Holding the asparagus halfway up the stalk, snap off the woody ends at a natural breaking point and discard.
In a wide, deep skillet or large pot of boiling salted water, cook the asparagus spears 3 to 5 minutes or until they are tender but not limp. Drain and run them under cold water until they are completely cooled; drain well. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a large bowl, stir the saffron into the teaspoon of boiling water. Let it stand for two minutes or until it is softened.
Stir in the champagne vinegar, mustard and sugar. Whisk in the olive oil. Season the mixture with salt and pepper to taste. Add the asparagus and diced pepper; toss gently to coat with the vinaigrette.
Line a platter with lettuce leaves and arrange the asparagus mixture on top.
Yield: 6 servings
Approximate nutrition per serving: 81 calories, 7 grams fat (1 gram saturated, 77 percent fat calories), 1.5 grams protein, 3 grams carbohydrate, no cholesterol, 1 gram dietary fiber, 113 milligrams sodium.
Calvados-Glazed Roast Duckling with Applesauce
From “Last Dinner on the Titanic: Menus and Recipes from the Great Liner”
1 duckling (about 4 pounds)
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
2 shallots, peeled, ends removed, halved
1 small tart apple, washed, cored, quartered
1/2 cup chicken stock or reduced-sodium canned chicken broth
1/2 cup calvados or apple cider
1/2 cup brown sugar
For the Applesauce:
1 tablespoon vegetable oil
2 small shallots, peeled, ends removed, finely chopped
1 teaspoon sugar
1 teaspoon cider vinegar
2 tart apples, peeled, cored, chopped
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.
Remove the giblets and neck from the duck; rinse and pat it dry inside and out. Trim the excess fat from both ends of the cavity.
In a small bowl, combine the thyme, salt and pepper. Rub the thyme mixture over the entire duck, inside and out.
Place the shallot halves and apple quarters inside the cavity. Using poultry pins or a basting needle, truss the cavity closed. Twist wing tips behind back.
Place the duck, breast side up, on a rack in a large metal roasting pan. Roast for 30 minutes. Shield the breast with foil, then reduce the oven temperature to 350 degrees. Bake for 1 hour or until an instant-read thermometer registers 180 degrees when inserted into the leg.
Remove the duck from the oven (keep the oven set at 350 degrees) and place it on a heated platter or keep it loosely covered with foil to keep it warm.
Place the roasting pan on the stove over medium-high heat; skim off and discard fat. Stir in the chicken stock and calvados or apple cider. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring to scrape up any brown bits. Boil for 5 minutes or until mixture is reduced to about ½ cup.
Stir in the brown sugar and continue to cook 3 to 5 minutes or until mixture is slightly syrupy. Pour into a heat-proof bowl.
Return the duck to the roasting pan. Remove the foil and brush the duck with half of the glaze. Place in oven and bake for 5 minutes. Brush the duck with remaining glaze and roast for 20 minutes longer. Increase the oven temperature to 475 degrees and roast for 5 minutes or until skin is well-browned and crisp.
Remove to a heated platter. Tent with foil and let the duck rest 15 to 20 minutes before carving.
While duck is resting, prepare the applesauce. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan, heat the vegetable oil over medium heat. Add the shallots and sauté 5 minutes or until they are softened.
Sprinkle the sugar over the shallots and continue sautéing them, stirring often, for 5 minutes or until shallots are well-browned and very soft.
Stir in the cider vinegar and apples. Reduce heat slightly. Cover and cook 7 to 8 minutes or until apples are tender. Mash mixture until smooth and serve with duck.
Yield: 2 servings
Approximate nutrition per serving: 519 calories, 24 grams fat (9 grams saturated, 42 percent fat calories), 51 grams protein, 23 grams carbohydrate, 190 milligrams cholesterol, 2.8 grams dietary fiber, 723 milligrams sodium.
Poached Salmon with Mousseline Sauce
Adapted from “Last Dinner on the Titanic: Menus and Recipes from the Great Liner”
6 cups Basic Court Bouillon (recipe follows)
6 salmon fillets or steaks
30 very thin slices English cucumber
6 sprigs fresh dill
For the Mousseline Sauce:
2/3 cup melted unsalted butter
3 tablespoons water
3 egg yolks
1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper
1 tablespoon lemon juice
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill
1/4 cup lightly whipped cream
In a large shallow pot, heat Basic Court Bouillon until just below boiling point. Using slotted spoon or spatula, gently place salmon into bouillon (adding, if necessary, up to 1 cup boiling water to cover fish completely).
Poach fish for 3-5 minutes or until opaque on the outside but still coral-colored in center.
Meanwhile, make the Mousseline Sauce. Using spoon, skim froth from surface of melted butter and discard. Allow butter to cool slightly.
In top of double boiler or heatproof bowl, whisk water and egg yolks together with salt and pepper for 30 seconds or until pale yellow and frothy. Over barely simmering water, whisk mixture for 3 minutes, or until it draws a ribbon for 5 seconds.
Remove pan from heat; whisk in warm butter, 1 tablespoon at a time, until sauce begins to thicken. Still whisking, pour remaining butter into sauce in a slow, steady stream. Stir in lemon juice and dill. Remove from heat; cool slightly. Gently fold in whipped cream. Adjust seasoning to taste. Keep warm by setting over a pot of warm water.
Arrange poached salmon on warmed plates. Spoon sauce down center of each piece of fish so that a border of flesh remains visible. Garnish each plate with a cucumber fan and a sprig of fresh dill.
Yield: 6 servings
Approximate nutrition per serving:416 calories, 32 grams fat (16 grams saturated, 70 percent fat calories), 30 grams protein, less than 1 gram carbohydrate, 226 milligrams cholesterol, less than 1 gram dietary fiber, 159 milligrams sodium.
Basic Court Bouillon
7 cups water
1 carrot, sliced
1 small onion, chopped
6 peppercorns
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup parsley stems
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup dry white wine
In pot, bring water, carrots, onions, peppercorns, bay leaves, parsley stems, salt and wine to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain.
Yield: About 6 cups