On the Menu: Ana Sortun Spices Things Up

jbfauthor

November 04, 2009

Ana Sortun, who received our Best Chef: Northeast award in 2005, takes over the Beard House kitchen tomorrow night, and her menu has us intrigued. She's preparing an ambitious seven-course, Mediterranean-inflected dinner, building her dishes around exotic spice blends provided by spice expert Lior Lev Sercarz. Here's a preview of the menu: Hors d’Oeuvre Artichoke Spanakopita with Za’atar Apricot Dolmades with Loukanika Sausage, Cumin, and Orange Yogurt Lentil Sliders with Cumin, Coriander, and Pickled Eggplants Berkshire Pork Belly au 9 Poivres with Muscovado Caramel Butternut Squash Falafel with Black Garlic and Sesame Dinner Amuse Bouche Duo > Roasted Chicken Croquette with Mastic and Rosemary; and Bay Scallop with Pomegranate Spoon Salad, Rashad Seeds, and Pomegranate Granité Wild Mushroom and Parsnip Soup with Chai-Whala Spice Duck Brik with Steamed Vermicelli, Orange Blossom, and Smoked Cinnamon Almonds Pumpkin Kibbeh with Lamb, Greens, Yemenite Spice, Apples, and Cashews Grass-Fed Beef with Fenugreek Leaves, Aleppo Chilies, Sweet Potatoes, and Black Olives Quince and Nougat Glacé Jelly Roll with Mish Mish Cocoa Macaron with Date Terrine, Yogurt Chiboust, and Israeli Orange Blossoms Scratching your head over these foreign ingredients? You can read more about Lior and his special blends here. (And click here to view chef Sortun's event page on our website.)