chocolat dinner eats

for this year's dinner party food recap, i thought i'd switch up my breakdown of the night and its courses. with all of our chocolate-themed recipes being new (to us) dishes, i thought it would be more fun to review the course, what it tasted like, and who's favorite course it was. what i loved was by the end of the dinner, without meaning to, every guest had picked a course as their personal favorite. so, none were left out! i couldn't have been happier about the recipes we found, and can't wait to bring some of these back in the future. 

hope you all enjoy, and happy friday!

first up, before the dinner began, we started with a round of aperitifs. after reading up on the idea behind the aperitif - to help stimulate the digestive system before a long meal - i thought it would be the perfect way to welcome our friends, and kick things off on the right foot. i was pleasantly surprised to find i am a big fan of the cocktail maison (our cocktail of choice). 

first course: cocoa-rubbed tuna steaks with cucumber, radishes, and arugula drizzled with a vanilla vinaigrette

taste: oddly enough, the cocoa-rubbed tuna paired beautifully with the vinaigrette. i was most nervous about this course since i wasn't sure the flavors would match well, but they did, and it was the perfect course to start with.

favorite course: candace

second course (sadly not pictured): ancho chile chocolate soup garnished with sliced avocado and tortilla chips

taste: so freaking delicious! it was probably the runniest soup i've ever made, let alone had, but holy cow was it filled with complex flavors. i drank it from my bowl because i had to have every last drop.

favorite course: candace, michael, alex, and i

third course: prawns and plantains in a chipotle cocoa sauce with rice

taste: spicy, full of flavor, and so incredibly tasty with the plantains. funny story, the recipe didn't call for plantains, but i decided to add them since i love any excuse to include plantains. i had no idea it would match so well. 

favorite course: daniel

fourth course aka the palate cleanser: passion fruit ice cream with cacao nibs served in chocolate bowls 

taste: i'd never had passion fruit ice cream, but have had passion fruit mousse...still, i wasn't sure what to expect from this ice cream. but, wow, it blew me away. it was the perfect way to refresh our taste buds between courses, and it paired amazingly well with the chocolate bowls (yes, i made edible bowls!) and cacao nibs. it will most definitely be a repeat ice cream flavor.

favorite course: larry, and i 

fifth course: roasted turkey with mole and asparagus (not pictured)

taste: truth be told, i was less focused on the turkey, and more focused on the mole. i think larry said it best when he said, "the turkey is just a vehicle for more mole". it was T and i's first try at mole and we took away two things. one, we have a HUGE respect for anyone who makes their own mole from scratch. and two, omg is it sooooooo unbelievably worth it to make your own mole because it is crazy good. 

favorite course: jana

sixth course: chocolate almond torte

taste: dense, rich, chocolate-y, and a perfect match with my freshly made whipped cream. a lovely finish to a lovely dinner. 

favorite course: T (yes, my non-dessert loving husband, loved the cake most. i couldn't believe it myself, but he said it was the best cake he has ever had)