One month ago today, Fabrice stepped off a plane from Paris to Portland for a month-long visit. But he isn’t here to play tourist. No, I’m putting him to work as soon as he’s over the jet lag.

Since most high-end Parisian restaurants are closed in August, Fabrice had a bit of time on his hands. Before I left Paris in June, we began scheming menu ideas for Chez Tse dinners cooked in people’s homes. Within a week of sending out an email to potential clients, we were booked solid with waiting list.

Eight lucky households partook in our five course French-inspired, Northwest-flavored menu. Diners were asked to choose from the following options for each course:

Amuse Bouche

• Chef’s whim

Entrées

• Tomato and mozzarella salad, three unique takes on a classic
• Gorgonzola roasted figs, prosciutto, arugula salad, lemon olive oil
• Seared wild scallops, melted leeks, balsamic reduction
• Pan seared foie gras, sweet and sour mango, sautéed pears
• Millefeuille (puff pastry), lime and ginger marinated tuna, avocado

Plats

• Rosemary crusted lamb chops, roasted garlic vegetables
• Roasted duck breast, peaches, homemade pepper tagliattelle
• Roasted wild salmon filet, sauce vierge, summer vegetable medley
• Pan seared wild scallops, polenta, asparagus, tarragon hollandaise
• Chicken breast, summer mushroom risotto
• Roasted pork loin, shallot and bacon mashed potatoes

Fromage

• Four local and imported goat cheeses, honey, raspberry jam, herb salad
• Four local and imported blue cheeses, walnuts, raspberries, herb salad

Desserts

• Figs three ways: roasted and chocolate dipped, phyllo wrapped, carpaccio
• 3 individual crème brûlées: lemon, lavender, chocolate
• Warm local berries with champagne sabayon
• Molten chocolate cake
• Tarte tatin four ways: apple, apricot and rosemary, pear and walnut, pineapple and ginger

For pictures of some dishes, click here.

Although it only took us a day and a half to come up with the menu choices, neither of us had ever made any of the dishes. That meant we needed to practice before our first engagement and recruit wiling tasters.

At 6:30 PM the night before our first engagement, several hungry neighbors showed up at my door, wine bottles in hand. They sampled seven different dishes throughout the evening, giving us feedback and praise on each one. We finally felt ready and for the most part, prepared.

Our first dinner was at the house of a dear friend and previous co-worker. Since most of her friends cancelled on her at the last minute, she invited us to partake, giving us an excellent opportunity to taste each dish and visit with her family. Fabrice and I learned a lot that evening. Since I forgot several ingredients and a couple key pieces of equipment, we rapidly learned what pieces were essential and those we could do without. I also lacked proper stowage containers using paper bags to carry everything, so the next day we purchased multiple to go containers and bins to carry all our equipment.

I don’t think I’ve ever done so much grocery shopping in my life. Almost every day, we would jump out of bed and head to several stores to find the right ingredients. We purchased all our fish, seafood and duck at Zupan’s in Northwest Portland. Ask for Seth when you go. He’s a long time family friend, ex restaurant chef, and current manager of the fish department there. He knows fish inside and out and will help you select the right one. For fresh produce, meat, and cheese, we found New Seasons to be the best choice. Their prices are slightly lower than Zupan’s, and I find a better selection of fresh, organic items.

Our four most popular and most raved-about dishes were the tomato parfait, fig salad, four tarte tatins, and the lavender crème brûlées. As part of the tomato salad three ways, we created a tomato parfait served in a martini glass. Using tomato water with gelatin, Fabrice created three distinct layers using yellow, orange, and red cherry tomatoes. Between each layer, he added a fine layer of chopped capers and basil. The parfait was topped with homemade basil oil and a mozzarella cream.

For the fig salad, we stuffed black and green figs with Gorgonzola, wrapped them with prosciutto, and roasted them in the oven. The hot figs were then sliced in half and served with an arugula, mustard leaf, raw asparagus brunoise, and pine nut salad.

Tarte tatin is a traditional French dessert made by laying caramel, apples and dough in a tart pan. Once baked and the apples have soaked up all the caramel, the pie is turned upside down so the crust is on the bottom and served. One bite and you’ll swear off apple pie forever. We decided to take tarte tatin to a new level by offering three unique flavors as well as the traditional apple. Each slice of tatin was accompanied by its own uniquely flavored whipped cream. Apple had cinnamon cream, pear and walnut had candied walnut cream, pineapple and ginger had candied ginger cream, and apricot had rosemary cream. To make the dessert even more luxurious, we added a scoop of freshly made vanilla ice cream and a special caramel decoration.

By the time we finished our last dinner, Fabrice and I were exhausted. Together we learned volumes on how to maximize our prep time, cook in unfamiliar homes, offer professional service including dish washing and clean up, and work in the kitchen together.

I’ll be returning to Portland on September 15th with the goal of cooking more dinners in people’s homes. Although the menus won’t be as complex and presentation not as stunning, I’m confident the tastes and the experience will be the similar. For those of you who hired us to cook in your homes, thank you for supporting us and being such generous tippers! It was an honor and a privilege.

And who knows…. Maybe in a year or so, Fabrice will return to the Northwest, and we’ll start it all again.