This month we will jump from the southern shores of France to the North. I 
have always enjoyed Normandy as the climate is very similar to where I grew up on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State. Its also where one of my favorite Impressionist painters, Claude Monet, lived and worked for many years.
As can be expected of a region boasting both an extensive coastline and a fertile interior, the range of foods in Normandy is varied and rich, making Norman cooking one of the grand cuisines of France. Click here for the menu.
This five-course dinner will start with a freshly shucked oyster skewered and hung into a shot glass. The server will pour hot dashi (Japanese soup stock) into your glass and you will be able to poach the oyster to your liking. During the evening, courses will feature surprises– one using tapioca maltodextrin (N-Zorbit M). There is some new stuff and some updated oldies. Click here for the menu.
Here is something to get you out of the house without breaking the bank. How about a three course dinner for $30? I’m planning to start with a 
seasonal cabbage and apple salad followed by a grilled Carlton Farms bone-in pork chop on creamy sun-dried tomato polenta with sauce chasseur and wilted spinach and finally Kathy’s apple spice cake with ice cream for dessert. We’ll have some specially priced wines available to complete the meal. You can’t beat the value!
