Ambush at the Athenaeum (Part Deux)!

The food supplies reached the DeviatedTheatre Clan and the performers and their supporters lived to dance another day!

Pictures are worth a thousand words right?

 8 lbs of Roast Beef Au Jus...

60 Lemon Madeleines (Rum-Infused)...

100 Greek Dolmades (Quinja's Version - Grilled Lemongrass Beef Stuffed in Grape Leaves)... The Spartans needed "300"... Cooking Ninjas are very efficient - we only needed 1/3 of the numbers!

Bonus:  Caprese Salad as an Appetizer - "A-Caprese?"
Campari Tomatoes (Product of Canada!), Mozzarella (Maplebrook Farms - Vermont), Basil, and Balsamic Vinegar (Colavita Aged Balsamic Vinegar: Sweet Vinegar of Modena)

To keep it "dry"...
1. Cut tomatoes in half.
2. Dip the flat/cut side in the balsamic vinegar.
3. Tear a piece of basil and place on top of flat/cut side of tomato half.  (The basil will soak up the vinegar so you'll get the flavor without the drip. 
4. Top the basil with mozzarella.  (Tip: The white mozzarella will offer a strong color contrast with the redness of the tomatoes.  Also, it covers the "torn" and balsamic-soaked basil pieces so it's a prettier presentation.)
5. Spear the layers with a long toothpick, brochette, or Hoplite "mini-spear" (keeping with the Greek theme of the Athenaeum).

Tip: When making simple dishes where complex techniques are not needed, it is even more important to go with quality ingredients!  If you're not a swordsman, bring the biggest sword you can to a knife fight!

Astute readers will wonder... Where are the pics for the A-Caprese?  Unfortunately, the film scrolls of the actually post-performance banquet were destroyed by the apparent data loss of memory cards.  However, the Quinja suspects the work of a Master Ninja from the Golden Arches Clan...

Ambush at the Athenaeum (Alexandria, VA)!

With the Dragon Scroll in hand, there appeared to be a respite - a time for celebration...

However, there was news from Elenja that the performers and supporters of the DeviatedTheatre Clan (www.deviatedtheatre.org) were in need of food supplies ("light refreshments" in non-ninja talk) after their performance at the Athenaeum, a prelude before their epic battle of "siGHt" in Washington D.C. at the Kennedy Center, Millennium Stage.

Mission: Get light refreshments to the DeviatedTheatre Clan!



Time: Elenja's message arrives on Monday night (the performance is less than 6 days away... plan the menu, shop for ingredients, prep, cook, and plate)!

Parameters:
1 - CLASSY: Due to sophisticated locales and venue, the food must not look peasant-like or like "rubbish!"  Hey, a cooking ninja's food must appropriately blend in so as to not arouse suspicion!
2 - COST EFFECTIVE: Cooking ninjas are not like haughty cooking samurais... we get it done efficiently!
3 - NO WEAPONS: In keeping with "cost effective," there will be no utensils!  Finger foods (true hand-to-hand combat) only!
4 - NO CHAIRS: Chairs can be weapons too!  All guests will be standing... emphasizes the finger food theme!
5 - NO MESS: Given no weapons, no chairs, and finger food theme, it is important that the food is not messy!  No problem as cooking ninjas can get the job done and vanish without a trace!
6 - LIMITED EQUIPMENT: With limited kitchen facilities at the Athenaeum, heat, water, etc may not be available.  The food must be tasty without much prep before plating!
7 - TRANSPORT:  The Athenaeum is about 35 miles away (1 hr) from the QuinJa's Cooking Hideout.  The food must not perish along the journey!
8 - NUMBERS: Intelligence says that there will be anywhere from 50-100 guests!

Gameplan:
Given the above...
1 - Roast Beef Au Jus - Roast beef can be prepared a day in advance as it can be eaten as a cold cut.  While it would taste amazing with brioche, given limited oven capability, the decision was to go the slider route and Hawaiian rolls!  Hey, "ohana" means family and family means no ninjas get left behind!  [Note: Lilo & Stitch happens in Hawaii.]



2. Lemongrass Beef Stuffed in Grape Leaves - My take on Greek Dolmades.  The ambush is happening in the ATHENAeum, after all!  Yes, a classier and more unique version of pigs-in-a-blanket!
3 - Karma Sutra Shrimp - DeviatedTheatre is a very "passionate" group... I wanted to honor them with equal passion.  Note - the cost of shrimp per pound made this dish unfeasible!  CANCEL!
4 - Madeleines with Rum Royal Icing (rum-infused) - I thought about miniature cupcakes but I needed a good quantity and icing can be messy during transport!
5 - Mini Cupcake Brownies (store bought) - To make anything with gourmet chocolate... I just did not have the budget for it.
6 - Caprese (Vegetarian) - Sometimes you got to keep it simple... Tomatoes, Basil, and Mozzarella.  Reduce balsamic vinegar (reduced to make it more thick and saucy = less messy!)
7 - Fruit N Cheese Tray (Vegetarian)
8 - Party Punch - Juice + 7-UP = Happyness!

What will happen to the Quinja and the DeviatedTheatre Clan???

TO BE CONTINUED....

Thank you Master Chef!

No, not the Master Chief from Halo (the video game)... my Sensei, equally bad-ass and French!  He was a sous chef on Iron Chef America who helped to defeat the Greek warrior goddess Cat Cora!

From time to time, I will reminisce (and of course, make up greater tales of triumph... ninjas have to be good at deception, right?) about my 20-week journey at L'Academie.  Sorry, Master Chef was not assassinated by thugs from a rival cooking school so there's no tale of revenge here!  Equally, there was no evil training brother that turned out to be Shredder from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.

During my training, I will admit that on several occasions I mastered my Ha-Dou-Ken (Fireball or Burning Technique in the common vernacular).  Actually, I would say that I invented the Art of Super Searing... Master Chef seemed to chuckle somewhat... especially when I torched my creme brulee without coating it with sugar!

For those unfamiliar with the power that is the Hadouken!

Here's an inspirational video that really fits the theme of the Cooking-Dojo...


Here's my version of the Dragon Scroll...

 

I am thankful for still having ten fingers and not having increases in my fire insurance premiums!  Thanks to all my fellow cooking ninjas-in-training and Master Chef's assistants... as Archer would say... you are all "so Ninja"!