A Semi-Successful Supper.

Chicory Salad with Smoked Trout, and a lemon-cream dressing.

This was nice, but I need to work on the shape of the chicory, and the ratio of fish to leaf.  1/4 pound fish to a quarter or half a small head is probably ideal, while I used a whole head.  Chicory does do a very nice job cutting the smokiness of the fish, though.  Lemon-cream was also good.

Sake really did not pair well with this.  A white wine would have been much better.

Three whole seared scallops in a broccoli puree, topped with cream.

This actually wasn't bad, despite being an improvisation.  But the broccoli soup was way too thin, and the cream / butter stuff on top was just that.  I need to look into french foaming / sauce making.  Watercress is the usual ingredient for the puree, but I think broccoli worked well also.  Black Truffle is sometimes used to top the scallop.  Perhaps another ingredient would be a good substitute?  I think thick seafood soups like this are a fairly traditional french dish.  I need to do some research on them.

Petrale Sole with Matcha.  A half pound of fish was a lot, but this turned out of be very nice.  I simply cooked in a bit of butter, and topped with Matcha.  While simple it was very good.  I'd cook again, but pair with a vegetable.  Perhaps a puree of an interesting orange vegetable, alongside a few other interesting vegetables?

Cherry soup, with a cherry mousse, and some Kirschwasser-poached cherries.  (Kirschwasser is cherry-brandy.)

I like the concept of this dessert, but I think it needs to be chilled, served in different dishware (clear glasses perhaps, so the mousse is layered on top), and served with homemade pistachio and hazelnut florentine.  I wouldn't make this again without making the florentines.

Overall, my interest in desserts is seriously waning.  I'm thinking from now on, i'll only cook desserts when having a fairly serious dinner party, and focus mostly on various soufflés.  Leafy green salad, cheeses, dried fruits, some nuts, maybe some scotch or cognac would be easy and nice instead.  Maybe a piece of fancy chocolate.  Maybe a bit of fruit.  An unsweetened Citrus-sorbet would perhaps be a good cleanser after a seafood meal.  Or there is that japanese dark sugar that could be used.  But I think maybe just a simple piece of fruit is best.

Anyway, overall a decent meal.  Biggest problem was the sake, but even besides that tons of room for improvement.  which i look forward to improving.