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FOOD FOR THOUGHT By
Wanda A. Adams
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| • | The time is ripe for lemonade |
When the Honolulu Symphony's Symphony Ball committee asked Maui chef Beverly Gannon to serve as the first-ever celebrity chef adviser to the event Saturday night, she didn't hesitate.
"I love the symphony. I was taken to the symphony as a child and have continued to go whenever I can. For me, it is a soothing thing to do, a great stress reliever," she said.
And giving a party for 700 sophisticated food and music lovers can create a little stress. Gannon's advice to anyone hosting a larger event: "Remember that everything must be cooked ahead, plated ahead, so the menu must consist of items that are conducive to holding.
"You also must be very organized with a great prep list and work as far ahead as possible. Make sure you have a good shopping list and put food away grouped according to the recipes so it's easy to find."
A big freezer and some folks to help with the chopping doesn't hurt, either. "Get the family involved. It becomes a family activity and makes the kids proud to contribute."
Gannon worked with the symphony committee to come up with a draft menu, then flew here to prepare a tasting alongside the Hawai'i Convention Center's chefs. "The committee gave me feedback and an hour later, we had a great menu that really was a collaboration of all involved," Gannon said.
The menu travels from Singapore to Dublin via the Hawaiian Islands: crab and lobster napoleon with wasabi vinaigrette, butter-poached Island catch and crab cannelloni with braised fennel and fresh baby vegetables in saffron beurre blanc, Bailey's cappuccino cup with sweet petite biscuits, fresh raspberries and chocolate truffles.
Tickets for the 11th annual Symphony Ball, 5:30 p.m. Saturday, including valet parking, silent auction, dinner, dancing and Toast of the Symphony cocktails specially designed for the event, are still available and silent auction items are still being accepted: $300/person, 524-0815, ext. 244; symphonyball@honolulusymphony.com.
BEV GANNON'S CRAB CANNELLONI WITH LEMON-CREAM SAUCE
For the lemon-cream sauce:
For the cannelloni:
To prepare the sauce: In a saucepan, over medium-high heat, boil the cream gently for 45 minutes until reduced by half. Stir in the lemon juice, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Remove from heat and set aside.
To prepare cannelloni filling: In a skillet, melt the butter over medium heat. Add the carrot, onion, garlic and shallots and saute for 5 minutes until the onions are translucent. Transfer to a bowl.
To the bowl, add the crab, ricotta, Parmesan, green onion, cilantro and chives and stir to combine. Add the eggs, salt and pepper and mix well.
To prepare the pasta, line three baking sheets with parchment paper and lightly spray with vegetable-oil cooking spray. In a large saucepan, bring salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the oil and, using a slotted spoon, add the pasta a few sheets at a time. Boil for 1 minute until pliable but not completely cooked. Drain and allow to cool on the prepared baking sheets.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Evenly spread 3/4 cup of the sauce in the bottom of a 9-by-12 (or 13) inch baking dish. Place about 1/4 cup of the crab mixture near the edge of one pasta sheet and roll up into a cylinder.
Place seam-side down in the prepared dish. Repeat with remaining pasta sheets and filling. Cover with the remaining sauce. Bake for 20 minutes until the sauce is bubbling. Serve.
Makes 6 servingx.
Nutritional analysis unavailable.
Send recipes and queries to Wanda A. Adams, Food Editor, Honolulu Advertiser, P.O. Box 3110, Honolulu, HI 96802. Fax: 525-8055. E-mail: wadams@honoluluadvertiser.com.
For more information about our 150th anniversary cookbook, call 535-8189 (message phone; your call will be returned). You can order the cookbook online.
