This layered collaboration between artist, chef, writing responder, and the dinner guest, is an experiential dining event housed in the artist's private space. 

Special Thanks to Houston artists Carole Smith and Sean Flournoy for sharing their space and their talent for this amazing event. 

http://www.mccheeksmayhem.com 
http://throttletees.com

 The Menu

• Cocktail: Red Sinner – Tequila reposado, hibiscus, and satsuma juice
• Aubergine and Chard Roulades
• Flounder Ceviche, Peruvian Style (Paired w/ Southern Star Bombshell Blonde Ale, Conroe, TX)
• Haggis Chorizo, tatties, beans, and greens (Paired w/ Convict Hill Oatmeal Stout, Austin, TX)
• Cucumber Salad, fresh chile, and chives, agave lime vinaigrette  (Paired w/ Modelo Michelada, Mexico)
• Pastured Pork Chop and Calabasa (Paired w/ Saint Arnold Brown Ale, Houston) 
• Dos Leches Cake w/ Persimmon and Black Walnuts + Ice Cream Pairing by Fat Cat Creamery

This layered collaboration between artist, chef, writing responder, and the dinner guest, is an experiential dining event housed in the artist's private space. 

Special Thanks to artists Sharon Engelstein and Aaron Parazette for hosting us in their amazing home and studio. 

http://www.sharonengelstein.com
http://www.parazette.com

The Menu:

• Cocktail: Red Russian
• Amuse Bouche: Buckwheat blini, duck prosciutto, melon caviar, chia
• Sweet potato gnocchi and brussel sprouts, arugula pecan pesto, truffle marshmallow (Paired w/ J. Lohr 2009 Arroyo Seco Chardonnay)
• Pear and pork belly dumpling soup (Paired w/ Les Mugues Balandran Rhone Rose 2010)
• Mustards and Arugula, roast ghost pumpkin, aged cheddar, honey vinaigrette, spiced pepitas (Paired w/ Monte Antico Toscano Sangiovese 2007)
• Sardines in escabeche, warm potato and long bean salad, pickled okra (Paired w/ Menguante Garnacha 2008 Spain) 
• Chocolate basil cake, meyer lemon marshmallow, ganache drips, and Ice Cream Pairing by Fat Cat Creamery

Gabriel Villa

Whole Artist Dinner

Chef Efrain and Trevor Martin respond to the work of Gabriel Villa by using the language of a family style menu and the translation of poetics in the reappearing iconography of Villa’s work.

Here, artist Trevor Martin has joined us and added in a layer of response to this mazy collaboration by taking Villa's iconic visual language and re-defining the poetic and performative use of the dinner napkin. Read More...

Gabriel Villa Artist Statement

The Menu:

• Cocktail: Pera Guera – tequila reposado, fresh pear juice, grapefruit syrup
• Amuse Bouche: Quesadilla – Melted Cheddar, Pickled Carrot, and Oregano Peach Salsa on Mini Corn Tortilla
• Shrimp and Mango Ceviche w/ Cilantro-Citrus Vinaigrette, Avocado Sabayon
• Chicken and Pork Pozole w/ Fresh Cabbage and Tomatillo Shishito Salsa
• Cucumber Tomato Salad w/ Agave, Lime, and Fresh Arbol Chile
• Birria Goat Stew w/ Roasted Carrots, Handmade Flour Tortillas, Tomato Salsa and Cactus Jelly
• Pear Capirotada w/ Lemon Chantilly

• Toad in the Hole, Housemade Pork Belly and Pork Blood Sausage
• Yellow and Red Borscht, local beets
• Kedgeree of Salmon, Pearl Barley Risotto
• Pears Helene, local pears

Read about the dinner on Chris' blog.

Photos by Lorenzo Tassone

With the weather finally flipping the switch, it seemed appropriate to look at some Scandanavian recipes from Price's Treasury. We noticed a considerable preference to braised lamb and starchy accoutrements.  Chef Lauren's menu started with a cucumber salad, followed by some heartier dishes. 

• Gurkas Norge
• Crawfish Tails a la Carlton
• Braised Leg of Lamb and Cabbage, grilled potatoes, and pan-fried flatbread
• Fruit Soup w/ Swedish Creme

Photos by Erica Gannett

It all started one afternoon at HopLeaf in Andersonville. 

I sat down with Chris Garlington: writer, cigar smoker, and as of lately, aspiring chef. Chris grew up with a cookbook, dragging it around the house the way a normal kid would clench to a favorite blanket. It's a very cool book: puffy book covers, gilded fore edges, and attached satin ribbons to mark your favorite pages. Inside the book are recipes collected by none other than the late Vincent Price, surprisingly an avid foodie, enough so that chefs all over the world handed him their secret recipes while he dined in their restaurants. 

The recipes in the book are ultra old-school (circa 1962): think "Madmen" meets "Jacques Pepin" meets "The Jetsons". Price brought back recipes from world-class restaurants, international and continental cuisine, and infused the new American space-age food craze. As revolting as it sounds when Price suggests "canned grapes" for a recipe, I'm still on board, realizing he's a cool guy and was only trying to embrace the food trends of the times. 

Chris described his vision: Recreating extravagant meals using recipes from his favorite cookbook, A Treasury of Great Recipes, by Vincent and Mary Price (his 2nd wife). Every dinner would be documented, stories and mishaps captured by Chris on his Blog. I really loved the idea; I'm a nostalgia junkie and the thought of a book dictating menu ideas definitely appealed to me. So Chris and I met up with Chef Lauren and talked logistics. 

Chef Lauren had started a Monday Night dinner thang at one of the favorite Clandestino go-to spots, the abandoned convent. We all agreed this would be the ideal spot for the EVP dinners, where Lauren would head up the kitchen.

Our inaugural EVP dinner on July 25th featured recipes from Price's dining experiences in Spain. Lauren prepared a delicious Tortilla Espanola with pickled zucchini from our garden. This interesting combination led to high levels of umami. The day before the dinner Chris broke down 10 chickens, his rite of passage to kitchenhood. Yes, it took him too long and he cut himself, earning him the rank of "kitchen bitch". 

Check out photos from EVP:Spain below. Read up on Chris Garlington's progress on his Blog: http://eatingvincentprice.com/blog/

We're planning more dinners over the coming months, highlighting restaurants of the past, making the recipes new again. Check back on ClandestinoDining.org

Photos by Tyler Core

Thanks for coming out and raising some cash for Autism Speaks. 

Here's the menu you missed. Check out Lorenzo's photos below. 

• Strawberry Sour w/ Basil and Honey
• Maple-Cured Bacon-Wrapped Strawberries, off the grill
• Spring Pea and Pork Belly Soup w/ Mint and Guajillo Cracker
• Mache and Asparagus w/ Honey Vinaigrette, Candied Pecans, Local Cheese Tasting
• Maize Sope w/ Sockeye Gravlax, Coconut Vinegar Pickled Radish, Strawberry Cilantro Relish
• Cucumber Oregano Paleta
• Challah French Toast w/ Maple Gastrique and Cherry Compote
• Mustard Green Pappardelle w/ Spring Lamb and Oyster Mushroom Ragu
• Chocolate Basil Cake w/ Fresh Strawberries, Cassia Cinnamon Gel and Lime Chantilly Cream 

We cooked, we sinned, and we will be back!

Cocktail: Tennessee Sinner – Bourbon and Prosecco, Orange and Rosemary Syrup
Hors D'oeuvres: Guanciale-wrapped grilled strawberries

• Greed – Chicken Fried Oyster Po' Boy, housemade bretzel roll, harissa remoulade, pickled green tomatoes, watercress
• Sloth – Pea, Mint, and Pork Trotter Soup w/ water cracker
• Envy – Baby lettuce and herb salad, honey vinaigrette, local cheese tasting
• Lust – Maize Sope w/ Trout Gravlax, pickled ramps and rhubarb, and fresh strawberries
• Palate Refresher – Cucumber Oregano Sorbet
• Gluttony – Foie Gras French Toast w/ Maple Gastrique and Peach Compote
• Wrath – Mustard Green Pappardelle w/ Braised Oxtail Ragu
• Pride - Chocolate Basil Ice Cream, Honey Panna Cotta, Chocolate Meringue Cookie, Mexican Chocolate Truffle, and Strawberry Fizz