I was so excited when the Delta Queen came upriver and pulled into Ross’s Landing. I’d ridden on her sister ship, the American Queen, a few years back and made wonderful memories. Thursday is a chance to make more as new chef Jason W. Lutton is introduced at Rally on the River.
Lutton, most recently private chef to The Eagles rock band, is certified by the American Culinary Federation. He also has served as executive chef for a division of NASCAR and as personal chef to the owners of the International Speedway Corp. He has prepared food for the PGA, professional athletes, public figures and the president of the United States.
Impressive resume, I’d say.
Rally on the River begins at 4 p.m. with a calliope concert involving the visiting Belle of Cincinnati, the Southern Belle and the Delta Queen. Later that evening, the formation of the Delta Queen Preservation Foundation will be announced at a progressive-style dinner, with a three-course dinner aboard the Delta Queen and after-dinner drinks and dancing on the Belle of Cincinnati.
Here’s a look at the menu:
* Roman salad with a potato vodka dressing and caviar.
* Fresh field green salad with pickle ginger vinaigrette.
* Crawfish cake with a popcorn cream.
* Fish n’ chips laced with white truffle oil.
* Cuban stuffed pork loin served with a Creole mustard dipping sauce, stuffed with okra, crawfish, capicola, ham and arugula.
* Prawn and andouille sausage kebabs.
* Chef’s crawfish eggroll with a ginger sauce.
* Pan-seared duck breast on shaved fennel and blueberry compote.
* Chef’s Viennese display of pastries and pies.
The calliope concert is free. Dinner tickets are $125 per person or $200 per couple. A portion of all tickets sales will go to the newly formed Delta Queen Preservation Foundation fund. To make reservations for dinner, call 413-3804 or e-mail julie@deltaqueenhotel.net.
New on the market … I love cheese, but the salt content sometimes worries me. Now, Sargento has introduced a reduced-sodium line of cheeses worth trying. I like Sargento cheeses. For mass-manufactured cheeses, theirs have good flavor. The new low-sodium varieties are mild cheddar shredded cheese, mozzarella shredded cheese, Colby-Jack slices and snacks, provolone slices and string-cheese snacks.
Contact Anne Braly at abraly@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6285.