On the Table: Inspiration

I tried a few dishes in Bermuda that included very unique flavor pairings, which I am excited to keep in the back of my mind now that I am home.  Even if I don't recreate the same dishes, I am always excited to have a frame of reference for ingredients that might go well together.  Additionally, some of the dishes were assembled in fun ways that I might try out at home.  I figured I would list some of my favorite here (in no particular order), so y'all can also go forth and experiment!

Thinly sliced raw beef (like for beef carpaccio) wrapped around shredded lettuce and parmesan cheese

Lobster paired with mango and brie (this combo was wrapped into an egg roll and deep fried)

Corn and manchego cheese (made into fritters - fabulous!)

Jumbo shrimp skewered around a piece of pineapple

Finely diced fruit (mainly tropical fruits) mixed with tiny pieces of goat cheese (served as an amuse bouche on individual spoons, for a lovely one-bite treat)

Avocado, tomato, and red onion, tossed with a balsamic dressing (the dressing had plenty of shallots in it) and topped with spinach leaves, served inside a puff pastry shell (it must have been baked inside a muffin tin, to form a bowl shape) and surrounded by a balsamic reduction (beautiful AND delicious)

Banana chutney (served on a fish cake sandwich, but I'm thinking it would also be fab with pancakes)

And...a fun inter-country connection.  I think every breakfast dish came with roasted potatoes and plum tomatoes, tossed with rosemary.  When I got home, I caught up on Tom Sietsema's Wednesday chat on washingtonpost.com, and I was thrilled and amused to see someone wrote in to describe a trip they had taken to the Inn at Little Washington...where their omelettes were served with baked tomatoes and potatoes.  Now I know what I need to do to classy-up my breakfast dishes!

Stay cool everybody!  I wish I were still here...

...where it was definitely not 101 degrees!