All in the Family

Elena yells out of the window that the lasagne is ready, and we all tumble back in like a gaggle of dishevelled children. “I never get to sit down!” she laughs, unwrapping her apron and preparing to do just that. Platters of boiled shrimp are passed around with Mason jars of homemade mayonnaise for dipping. Whole crabs are left that way, and everyone tears at the legs with abandon. There are a lot of nice things said about my frozen-pea salad, but the real standout here is this lasagne. The tiny meatballs are packed with flavour, and the unusual addition of chopped boiled eggs gives the whole dish the consistency of a deeply savoury soufflé.

Dessert arrives looking like a powdered doughnut. It sits on a shiso leaf beside an origami-crane garnish and a side of steaming matcha tea. Texturally, it’s very Japanese – doughy, almost gummy – and entirely delicious.

Martin persuades the petite Marilu to down a large glass of grappa, which she somehow does, immediately breaking into a sweat. A few minutes later, she suggests they have a second, and we all join in.

The volume of conversation gets a little louder after that. The kids play kickball in the backyard. The night is warm and the music’s soft, and this motley crew of people is starting to feel like family.  

Menu

Appetizer
Marie-Fleur St-Pierre, Tapeo 
Gratin of cauliflower with ham and Gruyère
Champagne Pommery Brut Millésimé 1996, Champagne

Starter
Martin Picard, Au Pied de Cochon
Halibut tail with tomato fiddlehead coulis
Boiled shrimp and snow crab with mayonnaise
Purslane salad with lardons
Bouchard Aîné & Fils Dessus les Vermots Savigny-lès-Beaune 2006, Burgundy 

Main Course
Elena and Stefano Faita, Mezza Luna Cooking School 
Meatball lasagne
Avignonesi Vino Nobile di Montepulciano 2004, Tuscany 
Alain Brumont Les Menhirs Côtes de Gascogne 2003, Southwest France

Side
Chris Johns, enRoute
Frozen-pea salad

Dessert
Marilu Gunji, Brontë 
Ichigo daifuku with matcha tea 
Nonino Grappa Vendemmia

(Wines provided by Paul J. Coffin, LCC vins et spiritueux, lccvins.com)