Taste Of Tulalip 2010

Posted On: November 22, 2010 by ChefsResources

Course 1: Dungeness and Alaskan Crab Sushi with Wild Rice, sesame lavash, avocado wasabi foam
– Chefs Gerry Schultz & John Jadamec

Tulalip Resort Casino recently held their second annual Taste of Tulalip event featuring a two day gastronomic and wine experience. In 2009 the Taste of Tulalip was awarded the Washington Wine Commissions “Best Wine Event” featuring Washington Wines. This year on Friday November 12^th the event kicked off with the Taste of Tulalip Celebration Dinner, featuring a six-course plated culinary adventure orchestrated under the direction of Executive Chef Perry Mascitti, and paired with wines carefully selected by Sommelier Tommy Thompson.

Saturday November 13^th continued with the Taste of Tulalip Grand Taste featuring a large variety of gourmet foods prepared by the Tulalip chefs, and more than 60 Washington wineries and 20+ Napa Valley wineries invited to pour.

Course 2: Chanterelle, Smoked Boar Bacon and Aged Cheddar Soup with Quail Salad of Micro Greens, Mache and Blackberry Vinaigrette– Chefs Gerry Schultz & John Ponticelli

Chef Perry oversaw his team of professional chefs execute the Celebration Dinner for 400 guests, serving each of the six courses in about 20 minutes per course. Banquet Chef Gerry Schultz set-up two long serving tables and utilized both sides of each table for plating, thus giving us four serving lines. Each course was designed and orchestrated by a different member of the chef team. For each course, the ingredients were placed in the center of each table, and the crew assembled plates by putting one item on the plate and passing it to the next person who put their item on the plate, and so on.

Plating one of the courses

We were all set with prep and ready to go about an hour early (except for final cooking) so we had time to catch our breath from the long prep time. We stood around, wait… wait… go!!! What followed was a two hour long adrenaline rush. “Where is the mushrooms?! I need mushrooms NOW!” “This one is garbage, re-plate it!” “Sauce! We need more sauce here!” “Not that way! Do it this way.” “Wipe that plate edge!” “Clear and wipe down for the next course!” Six courses times 400 people means 2,400 plates served in about two hours! The Dance (culinary lingo for how cooks move in the kitchen during high-production, high-stress times) was in full swing and everyone was moving in the complicated, controlled chaos which is the Dance. Moving, running, communicating tersely and with intense focus. Nothing else exists except what we are doing right now, and what we need to do next. “What, there’s a huge fire at the empty building next door? Is it going to affect my plate-up? No? Then I don’t care. It’s all about the food now.” That’s how we think during the Dance.

Course 3: White and Red Miso Salmon, Miso Rice, Lemon Butter Tamari Mushroom Medley, Inari-Nori Slaw – Chefs Brent Clarkson & David Buchanan

Course 4: Intermezzo – Pomegranate Aspic, orange – Chef Kurt Hitchman

Course 5: Wagyu Beef Short Ribs and Certified Angus Beef Tenderloin, Bleu Cheese Potato, shiitaki, sundried cherries, cabernet demi glace – Chef Dean Shinagawa

Course 6: “A Study In Chocolate” White chocolate cream, milk chocolate cremosa, 55% chocolate ganache filled raspberries, 72% dark chocolate baby fondant cake – Chef Nikol Nakamura

The wines which were paired with each course – Sommelier Tommy Thompson

Taste of Tulalip Grand Tasting

On Saturday the Grand Tasting featured over 60 Washington wineries and 20 Napa Valley wineries available for tasting. And the chefs of Tulalip put out a culinary extravaganza of flavors for about 1200 people. Below are some of the dishes which were offered at the event. Click on the images below for a larger image.