The forest floor crunched and crackled underfoot, the inspiration for the first course by Sous Chef Amy. The subtle forest noises were recreated with a crispy nest of shredded phyllo, beet-dill-goat cheese rusks, and a herbaceous dip with a pile of tree branches (pretzels). We swirled the apple sticks, mixing in the apple concentrate into our fizzy drink.
As we moved deeper into the forest, the mood turned perhaps suicidal as Sous Chef Dean honoured lives lost with custom dumplings stuffed with egg, mushrooms and bulgogi tofu, served with a crispy tempura broccoli. Many a vegetable sacrificed their juicy lives for the custom cocktail topped with bubbly sake.
Things became slightly more regular in the forest, as the logger-favourite stewed prunes entered the meal with Sous Chef Leah. The chefs dined as laborers in the deep Canadian woods, feasting on a historic salad of stewed prunes, roasted root vegetables and a prune dressing, washing it all down with an adapted prune juice dark-and-stormy. Back from the outhouse and further into the dark woods, for Master Chef Dallas's sampler of delights inspired by the wonders of the Black Forest. The chefs dined on multi-day marinated mushrooms, crunchy cabbage slaw, homemade spätzle with stewed forest berries, and a delicious brown bread - all enhanced with sips from a black cherry whiskey sour.
The woods because less in focus and shaky, as Sous Chef Vanessa served a forest-berry sherbet, complemented with milk chocolate bark topped with dried cherries, blueberries, and cranberries - and a haunting insignia pretzel. The meal wrapped up with chefs sipping on bourbon and blueberry liquor cocktail (and a spider!).
Many thanks to future chef Elio for bringing the forest to the table (literally).