The Fresh Catch of the Day was Pacific Snapper with Asparagus, Snap Peas, and Charmoula ($8.95), and was done in parchment paper. This French technique clearly illuminated Chef Rip's artistic inclinations toward blending and tweaking traditional styles into a non-exploitative and authentic style. As nationally celebrated chef Steve Rosen has noted, half-assed "fusion" cuisine more often results in fission, where rather than bringing worlds together, foods are broken apart. Pillaging a few ingredients from one culture's foods and throwing them together with another's hardly amounts to culinary brilliance, and in fact can be insulting and arrogant. Mr. Rip succeeds in staying on the right side of the line, and this dish demonstrated the subtlety and respect often missing in slap-dash fusion cooking. With the snapper riding high over the vegetables and peas, the moderately seasoned stack disguised a layer of fiery charmoula, the Moroccan sauce often served with fish. Peppery and riddled with garlic, the thick ruby compote smoked with intense flavors, and served as a sturdy bridge between the fish and the vegetables. The asparagus and peas were fresh and boldly firm, coming as no surprise to anyone who's partaken of Chef Rip's gifts.
Portobello Mushrooms with Snap Peas, Mustard Greens, Fresh Mozzarella, Roast Onion, and Tomato Sauce ($7.95) was also done en Papillotte (in parchment paper), which achieved its age-old goal of locking in freshness and moisture. This time, the payoff lurked deep below, as the mushrooms hid beneath the greens, peas, cheese, and sauce. Onions and tomato sauce combined to create a relish-style texture, providing cohesion and connection between the mushrooms and shrubbery. Rip has always had a knack with greens; this dish was no exception. The parchment paper evoked fond memories of childhood scouting trips, where various ingredients were cooked together over open flames in foil packets. Perhaps Rip too was a scout, and this is his salute to his childhood avocations.
Alas, even the finest meals can be marred by an unfortunate turn of events. Our excitement at the arrival of our attractive Boysenberry Cheesecake ($5.95) turned to sadness and wonderment as we bit into its warmer-than-room-temperature limpness. Cheesecake must be kept under refrigeration, particularly on a warm evening, and serving a hot piece of dairy-rich dessert did little to refresh. But to err is human and to forgive is divine, and forgiveness comes easily when the culprit is the clever and immensely talented Chef Rip. When the memories of the offending dessert were washed away by a finely executed post-prandial latte, images of CBC's zealous and crafty execution of honest and original dishes lingered.