FAV(rarest) THINGS
Event
Soma
Moscow
2024
Images:Ernest Yakovlev
A collaboration between Applied Ingredients studio and Soma restaurant. The collaboration included a special menu to welcome guests and three cocktails.
The rarest day of the calendar, we decided to honour the most non-obvious product - the melon. The gourd is at the opposite end of the annual spectrum - it is usually eaten at the end of summer. We complemented it with the same exceptional specialities - Cantabrian anchovy, nasturtium leaves, black truffle slices and coriander sprouts - with the same bursting seeds that give the characteristic flavour to Borodino bread.
The rarest day of the calendar, we decided to honour the most non-obvious product - the melon. The gourd is at the opposite end of the annual spectrum - it is usually eaten at the end of summer. We complemented it with the same exceptional specialities - Cantabrian anchovy, nasturtium leaves, black truffle slices and coriander sprouts - with the same bursting seeds that give the characteristic flavour to Borodino bread.
As an accent we served Tête de Moine, a cheese which is usually scraped with a special knife - a girolle. The resulting petals resemble either chanterelle mushrooms or flower buds. It is an homage to summer and the approaching spring. Toasted artisan bread of three kinds as a neutraliser of active flavours: juicy sweetness of melon, sharp piquancy of anchovy, rich creaminess of cheese.
- A cocktail based on aniseed liqueur Pastis symbolised the medical aspect of the evening. There is a belief that a leap year is dramatic in nature, bringing many illnesses - the 2020 covida pandemic definitely added points to this statement. The mixed anise flavour highlights this phenomenon and provides a mild mental prophylaxis against respiratory illness.
- Moctel with melon and verbena is a transparent bow to the freshness of summer herbs and fruits.