eating stuff: ERIC: CRACKER BOARD, SALAD, AND SESAME SEED SEARED TUNA SANDWICHES

CULINARY ARTIST: ERIC LAUDRUM

OVERALL STAR RATING: 4.2/5

FOOD EATERS: BRIANNE, JESSE, IAN

Light. Fresh. Free.

For my turn to cook I was inspired by feminine hygiene commercials. A few basic ingredients, used in moderation, carry the evening. Never too full, never sluggish, the light crisp flavours are to be experienced fully. The wine is to be drank, charades to be played. It is... indescribable.

*editors note: I have no idea what this is about.

I'm still feeling sick, but I promise not to touch the food.
I'm just kidding, I have to touch the food.

*eric was really sick. please don't cook for your friends when you are sick.

FIRST COURSE: CRACKER BOARD
STAR RATING: 4/5

Eric: Chop board featuring sesame rye crisps, liverwurst, avacado, Balderson aged white cheddar, and a medley of chopped heirloom tomatoes, with toasted garlic.

Brianne: Star rating: 3.5
"The 3.5 is because it wasn't... you didn't really have to cook anything. So I don't think it was really challenging enough. But it was really yummy, the cheese was really good. The tomatoes wouldn't stay on top of my cracker. That was my issue. The tomatoes wouldn't stay on the cracker. The liver... is it liver?"

Jesse: Star rating: 4
"What is this for? Oh. I'm going to go with a 4. You must be a boxer because you were putting those combinations together. Um.. I think it was good but it needed something sweet."

Brianne: "GRAPES!"

Jesse: "Or honey."

Brianne: "Honey from a tomb. I think some great tomb honey would be great for this."

*we had discussed this news item about honey found in ancient tombs earlier in the evening.

Ian: Star rating: 4.5
"I have to strongly disagree with Brianne. The simplicity of this dish is unreal. What would I add... Maybe a carmelized onion, but otherwise great.

Brianne: "Okay but didn't you have a hard time keeping the tomatoes on your cracker?"

Ian: "That was an issue."

SECOND COURSE: SALAD
STAR RATING: 4/5

Eric: Another Medley, this time of spring greens. The avocado makes a second appearance and we are introduced to the radish, who will be playing a larger role in a later course. Cucumber accompanies the radish to add texture and crispness. A few drops of dressing are used to finish the dish: a simple olive oil and balsamic with dijon mustard and hot corn sauce made by my own Uncle Bud. Bonapertart.

Brianne: Star rating: 4.5
"A lot of points for presentation and for fixing my salad when I messed it up. It was light and delicious and cute and I never eat radishes but they're yummy. And you lost half a point because I would have liked a bigger avacado slice, and maybe more dressing but that's just like.. I like a lot of dressing."

Jesse: Star rating: 4.0
"It was very appealing to the eye. Refreshing, but needed a nut, or a crunch. Good, delicious, and I needed a bigger bowl"

Ian: "It was on a plate."

Jesse: "plate... it should have been in a bowl. Ian should stay out of other people's reviews."

Ian: Star rating: 3.5
"Although I loved the choice of salad with the peppery notes.."

Brianne: "The lettuce."

Ian: "Oh yeah"

Brianne: "The arugula."

Ian: "Yeah the pepper. Loved the dressing... was that... shhhh... was that corn?? The only thing I would have changed, I would have cubed the avocado and maybe added some dry fruit to accentuate not only the spicy but also the sweet.

MAIN COURSE: SESAME SEED SEARED TUNA SANDWICH
STAR RATING: 4.58/5

Eric: "Marinated in olive oil and balsamic, this tuna steak is bread in sesame seeds and seared. The tuna is left rare. The sandwich is toasted with a garlic butter and feature an olive oil mayo, cucumber and radish (see salad for first appearance) and a healthy slice of the rare brown Kumato tomato. The bread is a ciabatta bun, fyi."

Brianne: Star rating: 5
"Yes I give it a 5."

Ian: "Wow perfect score"

Brianne: "I've never had seared tuna before! It was so interesting and it was blowing my mind the entire time. It was beautiful and... I don't know" (Brianne is uploading photos right now)

Jesse: Star rating: 4.75
"Traditionally you think tuna - tun can, cats cat food... you put some sesame seeds and you roll it around like a piggy in it's blanket, you take something like tuna and you make it into a beautiful piece of art. And I would know. I'm an artist. I need to fend off the cats because this food is mine. I would have given you more if you had served it to me with a fork, sliced thinly.

*A main topic of discussion during dinner was Jesse's Bob Ross inspired painting (pictured below beside a Bob Ross painting for comparison)

Ian: Star rating: 4.0
"A great sandwich always starts with a good bread. Bu-bu-bu-bu. Bun. And I think Eric nailed this one on the head. The delicious sear, those lightly toasted sesame seeds, delightful. With that crisp freshness of the radishes. I think this one was a winner. I'm going to go with 4.0 for being so great."