Eating and Drinking, The New Normal by Paul Lindemuth August 27, 2020 by Jill Foucre Leave a Comment It’s 6 months into the pandemic and we’re all Covid-weary. It’s been quite the summer, with waiting in line for drive-through food pick-ups, masked visits to the farmer’s market, and lots of cooking at home. We’re eager to gather again with friends to share food, drinks and conversation. One of the joys of being a Maison chef has been the ability to get back to work with clients to create events that have given family and friends the opportunity to comfortably gather together. The challenges of offering up food safely has inspired us to get creative. We’ve closed down the buffet tables that allow communal food contact. In its place we’ve done cocktail parties with small mason jars filled with vegetable crudites and a delicious dip, avocado salsa and chips or a demitasse cup filled with carrot velouté. We’ve prepared an elegant and intimate wedding with individual picnic baskets for each guest and small outdoor dinner parties to celebrate special moments (sometimes to take the place of long ago planned trips that had to be canceled). It’s a happy time to see entertaining slowly coming back to life! As we move forward through these challenging times, let’s continue to gather together (safely) and share the love with food and friendship. For more information about Maison, click here. Carrot Velouté 2020-08-27 14:17:46 Serves 6 Print Ingredients 2 pounds carrots, peeled, trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces 4 cups chicken stock or low-salt chicken broth 2 teaspoons Asian sesame oil 1 teaspoon salt 1 teaspoon sugar ½ cup heavy cream ½ cup whole milk ¼ teaspoon Tabasco hot sauce 2 tablespoons chopped fresh chives Instructions In a large saucepan combine the carrots, stock or broth, sesame oil, salt and sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer until the carrots are tender, about 45 minutes. Puree the soup in a blender until smooth. Return the soup to the pan. Add the cream, milk and Tabasco sauce to the soup. Taste and adjust seasonings. Ladle the velouté into bowls and garnish with the chopped chives. Marcel's Culinary Experience https://www.marcelsculinaryexperience.com/