[Michelle]

Further bumping: food descriptions.
I'm doing these here rather than IG mostly because these are long--some of the dishes have a lot of different components to them that all need describing, and Chathra's doing some interesting plating. Before I go ahead though, disclaimer: these might be edited as the RP tomorrow goes on, because quality will just depend on how much Chathra has to juggle.

But assuming everything goes well, there's four courses for this banquet:

1. Entrée - Stuffed Mushroom Tarts

Spoiler

These are large, roasted field mushrooms that have been turned upside down, and have had their stems removed. They have been stuffed with thyme, blue cheese, and toasted walnuts. Basically, they look like tarts, only the pastry is just mushroom, and they've been plated in the centre of the plate, with a ring of butter sauce around it.

The flavours are simple and are what the cooking process implies. The thyme complements the cheese, the mushroom, and the walnuts well, and ties the whole thing together. The blue cheese is sharp, but creamy and rich, which contrasts well to the slight crunch of the walnuts. The butter sauce is just the pan drippings of the dish with some extra melted butter. It's mostly there for decoration, but it doesn't really hurt the dish.

2. First Main Course - Duck Confit with a Red Wine Poached Pear

Spoiler

Duck confit is duck meat that is cured, and then cooked and preserved by submerging it in duck fat. Traditionally, it's made with the leg of a duck, but your character may be looking at another cut of meat because there aren't enough legs to go around. The duck has been cured with salt, pepper, cloves, ginger, and nutmeg, but that takes a back seat to the flavour of the duck fat, which has replaced all of the moisture in the duck. This leaves a falling-off-the-bone-tender but flaky-surfaced piece of duck that mostly has the rich flavour of duck fat.

This is served with a pear that has been peeled and poached in a mix of mostly red wine, water, dried blackcurrants, sugar, and cinnamon. There's also a hint of vinegar and duck stock to balance out the sweetness, and to ensure it complements the duck confit nicely. The pears have been plated as second to the duck confit; the pear sits in a fan arrangement around the duck, which has been plated in the centre.

If Seven's present, the duck confit has been replaced with a second poached pear that remains whole and un-fanned.

3. Second Main Course - Shepherd's Pie with Roast Pumpkin

Spoiler

This course is a tribute to Orvich, so it's your simple shepherd's pie, served in an individual crock on a plate--this stops the notoriously sloppy dish from looking sloppy. The hearty filling is gravy, mutton, peas, and onion. The potato top-crust is creamy, but not gluey, hardened-slightly from baking, but not browned.

The crock pie is served with some roasted pumpkin and rosemary, cut length-ways and arranged so the pieces are leaned up against the edge of the crock. The pumpkin is also seasoned simply with salt, pepper, garlic, and rosemary to match the pie, and is mostly there to add colour to the plate.

If Seven's present, the meat in his pie is replaced with mushroom, finely chopped.

4. Dessert - Baked, Pecan-Stuffed Apple with Orange-Flavoured Cream, Candied Orange, and Burnt-Butter Cake

Spoiler

The main part of this dish is the apple, which has been peeled, hollowed out from the top, and filled with honey, butter, cinnamon, ginger, and candied pecans. The result is a warm, tender apple with a sweet, crunchy inside. This has been plated to the far left of the plate, but it's clearly the main part because it's the biggest.

On the centre of the plate, there's a dollop of thick cream that has been flavoured with vanilla, ginger, and orange juice. The cool, smooth texture is a nice contrast to the warmth and crunch of the apple. The cream is also topped with a few pieces of candied orange, mostly for colour. The flavours match the apple, but the orange delivers a bit of flair.

On the far right of the plate is a small, flat, square piece of burnt-butter cake. That's burnt-butter cake, not burnt butter cake--it's basically your standard vanilla sponge cake, only made with burnt butter. The burnt butter is a unique flavour that ties the apple and orange cream together with a dark, nutty taste. The sponge texture is a bit dry, but that's what the cream is for.