Feasting with Dragons: Dragon Party 2012

(Dragon Cake by Cakemaster Roger Bridgewater)

In true Tran Clan fashion, we decided to celebrate the Year of the Dragon by throwing a Dragon Party.

I handmade some invitations, complete with Borgia maps and dragons, and distributed them to some old and new friends in the area. We debated whether or not to extend interstate invitations, but decided in the end that it was quite too far for our friends to travel -- even with the tempting offer of dancing with Dragons.

For this party, we had 3 live dragons in attendance (2 Water Dragons and 1 Fire Dragon). I quickly realized that, being the only Goat, I was the youngest zodiac animal to be present in the Lair on this auspicious occasion,  but unfortunately, I did not receive any lucky Li Xi envelopes. Alas...

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A 10-course menu of dragon hors d'oeuvres was presented under the leadership of Chef Mai Le of the Tran Clan. Off the top of my head, the menu included:

Dragon's Hair Salad with Dragon Scales:
Sturgeon salad with prawn chips as scoops

Dragon-in-the-Forest Roll:
Shrimp and pork, bean sprouts, fresh mint, butter lettuce, and  vermicelli wrapped in rice paper, dipped in spicy peanut sauce

Dragon's Bait, Steamed and Stuffed:
Baby eggplant, zucchini, and summer squash steamed and stuffed with pork and shrimp

Dragon on a Stake: Grilled shrimp on sugar cane sticks, with sweet and spicy pineapple sauce

The *hit* for the evening were the Rolled Dragons (grilled beef rolled in perilla leaves).

Dragon drinks and flavors were tested 2 weeks in advance (we have never had so much liquor in the house except for this Dragon fest!). On the night when the drinks were served, the most popular was the Sister's twist on the Dragon's Bite, featuring lychee syrup and Bacardi Dragon Berry Rum, and the Tran Clan's version of Dragon's Blood Punch. Also available were: Flying Dragon, White Dragon, Dragon Slayer, and a tamed version of Dragon's Fire. Although I came up with a fantastic concoction for Dragon's Snot, no one ventured to try it. Wonder why? (I left out the absinthe so that might have been the reason...?) 

The special guest, as you might have guessed, was the Dragon Cake, which was commissioned by one Dr. DN. The cakemaster was our very dear Roger Bridgewater of Bridgewater Bakery [if you live in the STL area and want cakes, let me know because I would be happy to send a reference -- you won't regret it].

From the moment the guests walked in the door, Dragon was the topic of conversation. You can see only some of the details from the photos, but trust me when I say that the Dragon took center stage. Complete with golden tiara and golden wings (edible!!), Dragon graced our makeshift Dragon's Lair with serenity if not indifference. Chef Bridgewater took about a month to design the Dragon, and actual work began on the Tuesday before the Dragon Party. Chocolate and buttercream, with gum paste fangs, Dragon was truly a magnificent guest of honor -- which we carved up into delightful slices at the end of the evening. It was the best way to end the night: Chocolate Dragon cake served with juicy red strawberries. Delightfully sinful. Welcome to Year of the Dragon.