l'passionato, Private Chef Services
A sampling of Chef Mario and his team's events and menus.
Summer 2009 scheduled edible events included:
-Local Harvest New Hampshire, Concord, NH, demonstration event showcasing healthy and good tasting preparations of local, seasonal produce. June 2009. Herbed vegan risotto, organic beet gnocchi salad with fresh greens, and local organic herbed yogurt dip with fresh crudites.
-A charity event for Southshore YMCA, tapas: a hands-on kitchen experience, Massachusetts. June 2009. Billed as an edible road trip through Espana, the evening's menu will include Pisto Manchego (fresh vegetable rataouille with Manchego cheese atop a grilled piece of country hearth bread), Esabeche (a fisherman's delight with flash fried fresh fish drizzled with an herbed vinegar and grated lemon), Asparagus a la Plancha (fresh grilled asparagus wrapped in thinly sliced Spanish ham), Mixed Grill Catalan style (consisting of pan-seared diver scallops dusted in pimenton or Spanish smoked paprika with grilled peppers), and Fabada (a northern Spanish broth with mixed sausages and little neck clams).
-A charity event for Habitat for Humanity, Marion, Massachusetts. July 2009. An intimate dinner for ten on the shores of Buzzard's Bay, Massachusetts--the gateway to Cape Cod--this enchanting evening started out with appetizers and wine on the terrace, before the guests enjoyed an extravagant supper that included the following dishes:
...Pisto Manchego, a chopped ratatouille with Manchego cheese, eggplant, onions, and tomatoes served on crusty homemade bread
...Thai shrimp cakes, made with jasmine rice and sweet red peppers, pan fried and served with cucumber mint salad and Thai dressing
...Summer herbed chicken roasted and served with zucchini pappardelle, pan-seared beet gnocchi, Vermont goat cheese, and cilantro pesto
...Madagascar vanilla bean shortbread with mascerated seasonal berries and whipped cream
-Late August: a Bar Mitzvah celebration in Concord, NH...for 45 dinner guests
...Cedar planked roasted salmon: line caught salmon rubbed with Israeli olive oil and local herbs, then roasted on cedar planks, served with an organic herb dipping sauce
...Cold cured salmon: house cured Pacific salmon filets cured with chef's garden English thyme, Kosher salt, organic sugar, and cracked pepper and allspice berries, served with a dilled cucumber salad and served on ice
...Chef's Ubrian farro salad: using fresh steam Ubrian farro and mediterranean cous cous, Chef Mario adds applewood smoked summer squashes (zucchini, patty pan, and yello crook neck), slow roasted Vidalia onions, and dresses the salad with an ancient spice Golden Dressing, which includes tumeric, saffron, golden raisins, olive oil, and champagne vinegar
...Arugula pesto and wheat berry salad: a peppery arugula pesto with plump and chewy wheat berries with chopped Kalamata olives and bites of freshly grated Pamesan cheese
...Garden broccoli salad: this organic broccoli and apple salad celebrates the best of late summer's crops, including micro-thin sliced red onion and candied Indian-spiced walnuts, topped with a slightly sweet creamy yogurt dressing
...Garden pea and red bellpepper risotto with Vermont dairy butter, California Sauvignon Blanc, and a melange of freshly chopped basil and mint.
Past events, menu ideas, and themes presented by Chef Mario
Summer 2005
Bloomberg Family & Friends Party, Newport, Rhode Island. Fish, fish, and more fish. Fresh fish from around the world prepared using traditional methods. 100 guests.
Winter 2006
Charity Event for the YMCA of Cape Cod, theme: Winter Wine Fest with eight courses. French-inspired cuisine accompanying nine different types of wine. Guinea fowl roasted with organic shallots served atop a winter grain gratin with slow-roasted root vegetables and garlic flan was served as the main entree. Hyannis, Massachusetts
Fall 2007
Fall Harvest Fest, a themed event incorporating all of northern New England's end-of-summer bounty, including multi-colored and textured Maine potatoes, harvest micro-brews from Portsmouth, pumpkins and early fall squashes from Massachusetts, golden peach desserts from New Hampshire, and of course, lots of Vermont's famous cheeses on housemade crackers and breads. Chef Mario invites a select group of foodies from New England to join him at King's Grant Farm for this wonderful culinary and farm celebration
Spring 2008
The Kennedy Family Dinner, Massachusetts. Eight courses including four chosen wines from California. Fresh, Med-inspired dishes paired with light, vegetable- anf fruit-based sauces. Highlight of the evening was Chef Mario's micro-green salad with butter-seared gnocchi, crisp pancetta, sweet wine infused Michigan sour cherries, and shaved Parmegiano-Reggiano cheese with a drizzle of roasted garlic oil and red wine vinegar topped with roasted pork tenderloin medallions.
More highlights: Salume, hard Italian cheeses, and homemade olives with cirtrus and herbs. Followed by Panzanella Florentina (sourdough bread salad with smoked tomatoes, pancetta, mozzarella with a spring shallot vinaigrette atop baby spinach), then Polenta Porcino (polenta with wild mushroom ragu, Gorgonzola fondue, and black trumpet powder), then Sardinian catch (grilled rosemary scallops atop herbed-infused orzo in a pool of yellow pepper coulis).
Spring 2009
Children's Organic Easter Egg Party at King's Grant Farm, New Hampshire. Using local, natural herbs, juices, vegetable skins, and spices to dye eggs with lots of kids.
For more information about private chef services from l'passionato, please email the editor of greatgrandmother.org