Dinner 9:10 with Chef Monique Armand

Chef Monique Armand, owner of Sassi Café, asked for a show of hands of those who liked to eat healthy.  As few hands went up, she corrected those none hand raisers by saying "everybody's hand should be up!"  At Sassi Café, Chef Monique offers healthy renditions of traditional favorites and last night was no different, from chips & dip to cheesecake.  She also shared with the society that when she attended the Kitchen & Bath Cottage's grand opening how she said to herself, "I want to cook in a kitchen like this one day" and how 5 years later, her dreams came true!  Here are the "dreamy" meals Chef Monique served up last night.  [Keep Reading...]

To start off the evening, we were given warm cleansing towels before we were served dinner. 

I loved this!  The first few minutes after arriving were spent mingling, socializing and shaking hands, so this was a nice way to freshen up a bit before we grubbed. 

Shared Appetizer:
Baked Crab & Spinach Dip served with Pita Bread

Ready, set, go!  But first....PICTURES!!  My table mates were gracious enough to let me get in a snapshot before we dug into this creamy, cheesy deliciousness.  This dip was packed full of flavor.  If you are a lover of seafood and cheese, then this appetizer is for you.  Pile, eat, repeat; until the pita chips are gone and then pull out your forks!  Yum!

Soup:

 Thai Curry Vegetable Soup

If this didn't wake up your palate and open your nasal passages, then I don't know what will.  That curry and Sriracha tap danced all over the back of my throat, which sounds horrible, but it was a happy dance; the proof was in my empty bowl!  The sweet potatoes were tender and added a touch of sweetness to the soup, while the cilantro and fresh red onion added a hint of freshness and crunch.  I really enjoyed this course as well.   

Salad:
 Pan Seared Crusted Ahi Tuna over Sautéed Kale with a light Wasabi Vinaigrette

You either love or hate kale.  Well, kale yes please! I am a proud member of Kale University, so bring it on!  The sautéed kale was tender, had a great savory flavor and helped balance out the dish. On the flip side of that, we all know that I'm a well done girl, but hey, I'm open to expanding my palate and trying it all, so I did just that.  When I saw the Wasabi Vinaigrette AND the Sriracha I thought to myself 'too much heat for' but don't speak before you eat right?  It was totally fine, not too spicy at all. 

Some of my plated tuna came a little more well done that other slices on my plate, but that was perfectly fine with me.  My mantra of "mind over matter" while eating the more rare slices only worked for so long, but no worries, the kale saved the day!  I was able to get in a bit of kale with each bite of tuna and finished the plate.  I would like to try this again.  If you're reading this and doing seared tuna or sushi, hit me up!

Entrée:
 Fish Tacos topped with Sriracha Aioli Slaw

 Let's taco bout how awesome this entrée was.  I LOVE tacos! I may love them even more after eating inhaling these.  The tilapia was sooooo flavorful (not fishy) and paired with the Sriracha aioli slaw, this was just to die for!   Chef Monique gave specific instruction to squeeze the lime over your tacos to get the full flavor, well I followed instructions on taco #2 because taco #1 was a goner.  Will definitely have these again over at the café. 

Dessert:
 Blackberry & Mint New York Style Cheesecake

I like cheesecake, but I am all about the crust and this did not disappoint.  The graham cracker crust was very tasty and sweet.   And yes friends, the black berry topping was "soppaable".  I was able to take a bit of cheesecake, a bit of crust and drag it all in and through the blackberry topping.  Mmmm.

Viva La Food Prize and see y'all next week with my final entry of Session 1 of the Louisiana Food Prize!