Portland Culinary Alliance

“She’s the best,” confided Robert Reynolds to 16 guests at a Dine Around meal prepared by the chef’s former student, Courtney Sproule. The proof of that was in the delicious four-course Basque-inspired meal served by Courtney and her friends for a special din din event for PCA.

din din is the name for Courtney’s monthly dinner parties that are open to the public. Since September 2007 Courtney has been serving up her specialty dinners at a variety of venues throughout Portland. On May 12 she took over Reynold’s powder blue Lacanche stove and served one treat after another.

For starters we sampled endive with tapenade, smoked escolar and pancetta with a sparkling Basque wine. Then we enjoyed a rosé broth garnished with a spear of toast laden with broccolini and a poached Persephone Farm egg. The main course was chorizo in a tomato sherry sauce crowned with two plump sauteed shrimp and a tasty round of fried lemon, served with polenta. The perfect ending to the meal was a refreshing dish of poached apricots in quince syrup with a slice of Ossau Iraty cheese.

With everyone seated around one big table, there was opportunity for multiple conversations, as well as a bit of fun when we all engaged in the telephone game, sending phrases in whispers from ear to ear until the last person pronounced the mangled result. Pictured here, Caryn Servis and Courtney announce the winning team of guests who came up with the theme for the Madlibs game to be played by the next round of guests at din din. For information on future din din events, contact Courtney at dindinparty@yahoo.com or 971-544-1350.