Darci Hannah: Instead of sharing a recipe with you today, I wanted to share a culinary experience I had while vacationing with my family on Orcas Island, which is part of the San Juan Islands in Washington. Orcas is such a magical place and we enjoyed being there. However, our vacation happened to coincide with my husband’s and my 39th wedding anniversary. We were going to celebrate when we got home, but my son, Jim, had other plans for us. As a surprise, he made dinner reservations for us, but not just any dinner. We were going to experience a tasting at a fancy restaurant on the island, called Matia. It was such a thoughtful thing to do. Jim and his wife, Allison, have done tastings before and wanted to give us the same wonderful experience.
We knew nothing about the restaurant we were dropped off at other than it seemed very nice. Also, the staff was very attentive, knowledgeable, and kind. We had no idea what to expect for dinner. My son just told us that they were going to bring out six courses for us to try, and that we were to taste everything they brought to our table. We also had a wine paring to go with each course. It was the most exciting dining experience I’ve ever embarked on, and I wanted to share the experience and my thoughts with you.
First course: Judd Cove oyster with Matia hot sauce and butter, with a braising green donut and smoked egg yolk, served with a glass of Jeremie Huchet, Crémant Brut Nature, from the Loire Valley, 2022.
My thoughts: Oyster! I had never eaten one before and was a little nervous about it. What if I was allergic to oysters? I had no idea but decided to be brave. So, I ate the oyster and I found it surprisingly delicious. Regarding the “donut” and I use the term loosely here, I felt the chef went to a lot of effort for this tiny tidbit. It looked lovely. I marveled at how they got it to be so perfectly round. As for taste, stuffing cooked greens into a thin, crunchy dough skin, then topping it with the tiniest dot of smoked egg yolk and a little flower made from pickled red onion was very inventive, but rather bland. The oyster was the winner of this round, and it paired very nicely with the sparkling wine!
Second course: Rhubarb Gazpacho, fennel cream, salsa macha, with a radish salad, served with a glass of Vollenweider, Riesling Kabinett, from Mosel Germany 2020.
My thoughts: The rhubarb gazpacho was genius! It was more tart than sweet but had such a lovely, creamy flavor to it that I could have eaten a whole bowl of it except for one glaring issue-the red sauce they drizzled over it. That sauce literally tasted like a sauce from Taco Bell. My husband even asked, “Where have I tasted this sauce before?” I offered, “Taco Bell?” and he agreed. Now, I know this sauce was made in house. I’m sure it’s a lovely accompaniment to taco meat but drizzled on this delicious gazpacho didn’t work for me. In fact, I had to stop eating the gazpacho altogether because of it. The radish salad with the fennel cream was delightful. Also, the wine that went with this pairing was my favorite of all. It was a Riesling, but it wasn’t overly sweet, just perfect! The winner of this round was the radish salad and the wine!
Third course: House sourdough bread, cultured butter, rhubarb marmalade paired with a glass of Teutonic white tannant, 2021(I’m not sure what this is, but it has a nice orangish color and tasted delicious.).
My thoughts: Delicious! I could have eaten this bread, butter, and tangy marmalade all night! The rhubarb marmalade put this over-the-top!
Fourth course: Black Cod, Asparagus, oyster mushrooms, lovage hollandaise, fir tips served with the same wine as the third course.
My thoughts: This 4th course was absolutely worth the effort! The blackened black cod was cooked to perfection, and coupled with delicate slivers of baby asparagus, oyster mushrooms, and hollandaise sauce it was out of this world delicious. I would eat this as a main dish any day of the week! Excellent!
Fifth course: Picanha (sirloin cap), charred scallion, local brassicas, Arikara beans, paired with a glass of Chiara Dondello Sangiovese, Romagna Italy 2022
My thoughts...
Oh no… more wine! By now all the wine was getting to me! I never have more than one glass at a meal, and I was up to 5 little glasses by now! However, my hubby and I were having a great time! The wine was a red to go with the beef, and I really have no idea what it was, but it was delicious. All the wines, like most of the ingredients, had fancy names. It was all part of the delivery. The Teutonic, white tannant (which was orangish in color) was the only wine from California. The rest were European. As for this dish, although I was probably tipsy, I found it possibly more delicious than the fish course, which is saying a lot. It was amazing. Picanha, we learned, is a cut of beef favored in Brazilian steak houses. We call it sirloin cap here in the states. It was cooked to perfection and served with greens, a sweetish miso sauce, and beans that reminded me of baked beans. When eaten together with the steak, it was reminiscent of a campfire meal I once had, but in the best way. The beef was so tender and flavorful. Although it’s a close call, I’d have to say this dish was my favorite of the evening.
Sixth (and final) course: Goat’s milk, hay mousse, shoyu caramel, brown butter served with a glass of Pierre Ferrand, cognac. And coffee!
My thoughts: When I saw this bowl of fluffy cream, I honestly didn’t recognize it as dessert, at least not the kind we serve in the Hannah house. However, the light, creamy nature of it complimented the rich meal. The cognac added another layer of sweetness which was nice. However, as a dessert person, if this was my final entry to a fancy tasting, I would serve a chocolate torte with a raspberry (locally grown, of course!) puree and a dollop of fresh whipped cream. My theory, always end with a showstopper, but that’s just me.
To sum it up, my husband and I had a fabulous time tasting this delicious food and spending a nice, quiet dinner together on a magical island. It was the perfect way to celebrate our 39th wedding anniversary, and we can’t thank our son and daughter-in-law enough for this wonderful dining experience!
I'm giving away one hardcover copy of A Spirited Supper at Dundoon Castle to one lucky winner.
To enter please let me know if you've ever gone to a tasting at a restaurant before? What was your experience like? If not, tell me about a special meal you enjoyed.
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** Continental US only please.
Darci Hannah is the bestselling author of the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery Series, the Food & Spirits Mystery Series, the Very Cherry Mystery Series, and two works of historical fiction, The Exile of Sara Stevenson, and The Angel of Blythe Hall. Darci grew up in the Midwest and currently lives in a small town in Michigan with her husband and two dogs. Darci is a lifelong lover of the Great Lakes, a natural wonder that inspires many of her stories. Passionate about family, dogs, food, baking, history, books, lighthouses, laughter, good conversations, coffee, and the paranormal, Darci feels especially blessed to have found a way to combine her interests in the stories she writes. It brings her great joy to be able to share them with you.
Instagram: @authordarcihannah
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A Spirited Supper at Dundoon Castle
By Darci Hannah
Book #2 in the Food & Spirits Mystery Series
Purchase link
When chef Bridget “Bunny” MacBride got a role on the reality show Food & Spirits, she thought “spirits” meant cocktails. Instead, she’s cooking up dinners meant to tempt the departed to appear. And to her surprise, she’s discovered abilities to connect with the beyond—and crack murder cases . . .
Now that Bunny’s entrées come with a side of the Other Side, it comes in handy to have a grandma who’s friendly with the elderly owners of a haunted Scottish castle. During Bunny’s childhood she heard all about Dundoon’s bloody history and the “ghostly piper” who roamed the grounds—and soon she’ll be visiting the ancient place with her ghost hunter and psychic co-stars. The annual bagpipe competition in the late piper’s honor will make for some good footage as well.
After Bunny serves a feast fit for a 17th century king, including lamb chops with plenty of fresh herbs, she heads outdoors for the ghost hunt. But in the dark, dense fog, someone fatally plunges from the clifftop over the loch. The sound that follows is a mournful, otherworldly bagpipe . . . and once the body of another perished piper is retrieved, Bunny is determined to solve this Highlands homicide—and prevent a killer from getting off scot-free . . .
A Fatal Feast at Bramsford Manor
By Darci Hannah
Book #1 in the Food & Spirits Mystery Series
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While filming at a haunted English manor, chef Bunny MacBride’s big break on her first reality TV show may be cut short by an unscripted murder in Darci Hannah’s new Food & Spirits cozy mystery series . . .
It isn’t how chef Bridget “Bunny” MacBride imagined her own cooking show unfolding. But, if preparing historic meals with a modern flair is what it takes to get her cooking on the air, she can deliver, even if her dinner guest is a ghost. That’s the premise of the new reality TV show Food & Spirits, where Chef Bunny teams up with ghost hunter Brett Bloom and psychic medium Giff McGrady to visit haunted locales around the world and tempt lingering spirits back to the table with a beloved meal. For their first episode, the Food & Spirits team sets off to investigate Bramsford Manor, a historic house turned famously haunted hotel, in picturesque Hampshire, England. The sprawling estate is said to be home to the Mistletoe Bride, a young woman who died in the 18th century, the victim of a tragic accident on her Christmas wedding night.
Bunny leaves the spectral search to the pros and focuses on the feast, creating a traditional English holiday wedding dinner, complete with a gorgeous prime rib, Yorkshire pudding, and rustic apple tarts. But Bunny’s task is made more difficult when someone steals a boning knife from her custom kit. Alas, when the blade finally turns up again—in the chest of an all-too-human dinner guest—Bunny’s woes only grow as she is named a lead suspect in the case! Now, with a haunted house full of living residents, staff, and crew, Bunny will need the help of Brett, Giff, and her clairvoyant Grandma Mac, to solve this murder before the manor gains another ghost!
Coming June 30!
Murder at the Campfire Cookout
By Darci Hannah
Book #7 in the Beacon Bakeshop Mystery Series
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When Lindsey Bakewell leaves behind her lighthouse bakeshop, her boyfriend, Rory, and her Newfoundland dog, Wellington, for a glamping trip with her mother in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, the bears leave them alone—but a killer doesn’t. . .
Converting the old Beacon Point lighthouse into a bakery is as adventurous as Lindsey cares to get. Her mother, Ellie, a former 80s fashion model, likes her creature comforts even more—until she sees a business opportunity for her Beacon Harbor fashion boutique when she’s invited by the Mitten Kittens Glamping Club on a woodsy getaway.
Far from roughing it, the ladies will be warm and cozy in chic vintage campers. Ellie insists Lindsey come along to win the campfire cookout contest. Campfire cooking has come a long way from bacon and beans. Soon Lindsey is making pizza, berry cobbler, and gooey Carmelita camping bars.
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