There is really no denying it, I am a pretty lucky guy: I have a beautiful, understanding wife, two healthy boys, and I live in a city that I have really grown to love. It is not all roses, though, outside my wife and boys, my family is pretty much crazy (who’s isn’t?), we are not independently wealthy, so we both still work, and age is finally catching up to me.

All in all a pretty lucky guy, though.

I also have a few really good friends and near the top of that list is my buddy Frank. Frank and I share some passions: both wine and cycling, but clearly not ill-advised expeditions into New Jersey. We have a number of additional commonalities (we both have doctorates in education and are both married to “real doctors”) but what sets Frank apart is his ability in the kitchen. I have written about it before, most notably when we went to the beach, but it is clear that I am not nearly clever enough to aptly convey Frank’s culinary creativity (but I occasionally spew some acceptable alliteration). We have been on the receiving end of his cooking countless times and have always come away extremely impressed (and well-fed).

Several years ago, Frank and another ridiculously talented friend, Lex, started taking their show on the road–in their spare time (they are both tenured college professors) they began creating incredible meals for various groups of people. I attended one of their earliest dinners and it was remarkable–I was in charge of the wine pairings and so I was able to watch Frank and Lex work, but I also got to enjoy the meal.

Initially, Frank and Lex would rent out a venue for their events, but they eventually decided to prepare the meals in the home of the organizer of the dinner. It was a brilliant change for several reasons: the patrons would be able to enjoy the meal in their own homes, without having to worry about cooking or clean-up (Frank and Lex bring everything necessary–including dishes and flatware), and Frank and Lex would not have to deal with the hassle of renting out a space.

Even though I did not attend another of their dinners, my wife and I were the gleeful recipients of countless experimental meals, asking for our opinion before the next upcoming event. We were continually impressed with the dishes and envious of the faceless group that would soon be enjoying the “real thing.”

Last fall, with both of my boys going to the French International School of Philadelphia, I asked Frank if he and Lex would be willing to donate a dinner for the school’s annual fund-raising auction–and I would offer up the wine pairings. To my amazement (and delight), they both graciously agreed.

After a few delays (due to summer travel schedules) and a couple of weeks of planning, we had the dinner a couple of weeks ago. I think it is safe to say that all of the night’s attendees came away amazed at what these two guys were able to produce, but you can judge for yourself (although you can’t taste these dishes, I can assure you that they were even better than the photos, and I will try and not use “incredible” in describing each one):

The Menu:

Spring Roll: The first “course” was actually labelled as a “snack”–crispy shrimp spring rolls that were wrapped in chicken skin and deep fried. It might sound a bit odd, but they were oh so good. Pairing: A Kir Royale made with some fantastic Crème de Cassis andNV Jaffelin Crémant de Bourgogne Blanc de Blancs Brut–the sweetness of the Kir and the acidity of the Crémant melded well with the richness of the spring roll.

Potato Chip: I would say that this was one of the more imaginative dishes of the night, but they all were well beyond “creative.” Here, Lex deconstructed a potato chip: he pureed actual potato chips and leeks into a potato soup, topped with sour cream foam and a paper thin chive chip (the chip only contained chives). Pairing: The Noël Haton Champagne Brut Classic added a bit of tart apple to the dish which seemed to work well.

Pho: Lex was at again with his interpretation of the Vietnamese meat soup, Pho, which was wrapped inside a dumpling. It was not easy to eat in one bite, but that was advised less the Pho escape. Pairing: 2005 Domaine du Chateau de Meursault Beaune. The earthiness of the wine was a seemless match, with the acidity helping to cut through the perfectly cooked dumpling.

Citrus Cured Fluke: Frank was back at it with fluke that was cured only for about 30 minutes and was topped with an orange purée and Nasturtium leaves and flowers–everything on the plate was edible, and everyone in the room heeded that directive. Pairing: 2009 Clos Pepe Estate Chardonnay Barrel Fermented. Clos Pepe is one of my all time favorites and the chard worked very well here, having its own citrus in abundance.

Smoked Corn Chawan Mushi: Chawan mushi, as Frank explained it, is a traditional Japanese custard to which he added parsley and some Old Bay seasoned popcorn, to provide a copacetic crunchy contrast. Pairing: 2004 Domaine Bernard Moreau & Fils Chassagne Montrachet 1er Cru Les Champs. I am a sucker for a nice white Burgundy and this was certainly that–a bit of age and complexity kept the Old Bay at bay (sorry, couldn’t resist).

Cantaloupe Risotto: One of my two favorite dishes of the night, Lex made the risotto using cantaloupe purée instead of broth and topped it off with smoked bacon lardons. Pairing: 2006 Sans Permis Chardonnay La Chanson Argentee De Cuillere. I have called this my “divine intervention wine” several times before as it was again here. I threw it into the mix “just in case” and we needed it since somehow the fluke was left off the menu I received in advance. The oak on this wine was perfect with the bacon and the risotto.

Rabbit Porchetta: Frank completely de-boned a rabbit and then rolled it back up with some Moroccan spice. The plate includes a fig gastrique, poached apple, and savory granola. The flavors on this plate were wonderful on their own, and melded perfectly together. Pairing: 2009 Lemelson Vineyards Pinot Noir Thea’s Selection. Given all those flavors, I went with a younger, fruitier Pinot and it was spot on.

100 Hour Oxtail: As some of you know, my wife is Korean and she makes Korean barbecue quite often and I have struggled for over a decade to find a great pairing. When Frank told me about this dish, I cursed his name, knowing I would struggle with the wine. The dish, though, was my other favorite of the night: oxtail marinated as if it were Galbi (Korean short ribs), cooked for 100 hours(!) and accompanied with kimchee pickled cucumbers and smoked gochuchang (Korean red pepper paste) cavatelli pasta. Pairing: 2007 Von Hövel Scharzhofberger Riesling Spätlese. Not a perfect pairing, but not bad, either. The sweet, tart wine helped cut through at least some of what was going on here.

Mango: Pureed mango and clarified shiso foam served as a nice palate cleanser before dessert.

Miso Tarte Tatin: My wife makes the best tarte tatin this side of Burgundy, but this was a close second: Lex used a miso caramel and added a dehydrated ginger beer chip, saffron ice cream and pistachio dust. Pairing: Are you kidding? I did not even try.As you can see, these guys are ridiculously talented. By the end of the evening, they were exhausted and the guests were effusive–“incredible” was really the only apt description and it was used with abandon.

The one thing that could be improved? I think Lex and Frank would both agree that they are horrible marketers–they would like to do one or two dinners like this a month, but for unexplained reasons, they get only half as many requests (well, it is not unexplained–these guys are far too modest about their abilities and they are reluctant to “sell it”). Instead, they should be complaining about too many requests!

If you live anywhere near Philly and would like to have a dinner party to end all dinner parties, contact them at:

rozcakitchen (at) gmail (dot) com

If you do not live in the Philly area (or even if you do) please go to their Facebook page and give them a “Like”–they more than deserve it:

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