Theme ideas

DONE: Episode #1… Walk to the Farmer’s Market without a plan; once there, have an extended conversation about what to cook for dinner, resulting in no consensus. Make each person claim a course, next, split up to procure your own ingredients, then meet back at the AdventureLoft™ to cook and eat. (This was the meal that seeded the FMC concept)
DONE: Episode #2… Sequence drawn out of a hat, dish prepared is NOT something in your normal repertoire.
DONE: Episode #3… In celebration of Chinese new year we can do classical chinese elements: Earth, air, water, fire, metal & wood. Might have to repeat for a couple of courses. (2011 is the year of the rabbit, so that should be at least one course)
DONE: Episode #4…Haute versions of seventies’ staples (which is to say, how can you take a jello salad into 2011, and onto a Harold Dierterle menu?)
DONE: Episode #5… “Wonders of the World“…. using a mix of ancient and modern wonders of the world chosen randomly.
DONE: Episode #6… The South will rise again: Southern and soul food inspired dishes.
DONE: Episode #7… “FMC goes to the Beach” … At the Outer Banks, NC with family, kids too!
DONE: Episode #8… Trick or treat: “Death, Decay, Destruction, (and decadence)”… A Halloween feast.
DONE: Episode #9…World peace: Various regional cuisines are written on cards and placed in a hat, we draw two at a time which must be combined to inspire one dish.
DONE: Episode #10… The Oscars: film-inspired food. eg, The Sting inspires a stinging nettles soup (well, maybe in the spring) or Dr Strangelove inspires a Chocolate Bombe dessert.
DONE: Episode #11… Color Theory: Assignments dished by Professor Mehl and photographed for his sabbatical book project.
DONE: Episode #12… Tar Beach: Summertime dining al fresco on the roof.
DONE: Episode #13… Superstition: Craft a dish that plays on a superstition, or a ritual we use to keep bad things from happening.

Exquisite corpse – each course must use one ingredient used in the previous course.
One-armed bandit: Dishes prepared must be edible with one hand only.
Each course is randomly assigned a book as inspiration.
Noah’s ark: Each course is randomly assigned a different animal to use as an ingredient or inspiration.
Taste buds: Each course highlights and features a different taste: Sweet, Salt, Sour, Bitter, Spicy, Umami.
Back home: An old family recipe updated.
Monochrome rainbow: Each course is assigned a different color.
Salsaaaaah: Each course is randomly assigned a condiment. The dish prepared must pair with that condiment.
Homage to Kozy Shack rice pudding (milk, rice, sugar, eggs, salt, vanilla): No dish can use more than six ingredients.
Vegetarian.
Round robin: Each participant is assigned a course, they chooses a dish/recipe/idea, those go in a hat, and are re-distributed randomly; ie: someone else cooks your idea.
All ingredients used must have been alive (if they were ever alive), within the previous 48 hours of eating (probably best in the summer).
Each dish must feature one ingredient used (plant or animal) that has been dead at least 6 months (aged, preserved, dried, pickled, etc).
Iron chefs: all courses must utilize the “secret” ingredient, which is divulged well in advance of the dinner.
Around the world: Regional cuisines are chosen randomly via dart & map.
Reverse wine pairing: Each person draws a wine/beverage which will inspire the dish, pair well with it, or be used as an ingredient.
None if by land, Two if by sea: Each course must contain at least one aquatic ingredient from freshwater or the ocean (sea salt excluded).
Junk food junkie: Participants are assigned a junk food or fast food restaurant to use as inspiration, but cannot use junk food as an ingredient.
The blind leading the blind: Nothing is communicated prior to the meal. The sequence of courses is determined only after everyone arrives. (we’d be depending on the law of averages not to have 8 desserts. Not that that would be such a bad thing 😉
An ode to greek gods/goddesses. Take a god or goddess & turn it into a dish.
The last days of winter; the dish has to be mostly white & seasonal in the main ingredient choice.
Foods we feel sorry for.
Pyramids: could be architectural, political, ethnological, or just nutritionally smartass-ish…
Amish: No power tools or appliances allowed. (everything as hand-made as possible).
Old School: Follow or adapt a recipe from as far back in history as you can find.
Leftovers: Dishes are made using ingredients from a previously prepared meal.
Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme: Dishes inspired by music, either by the name of the band or by the song.
Dishes inspired by NYC neighborhoods: We assign the ‘hood, you pick the dish.
Moderation: things that taste so good that you won’t believe they’re actually healthy for you.
Over the top: menu items that one wanted to attempt for the holidays, but never got around to, calories be damned.
Carnivores: All meat
She blinded me with science!: Use some form of kitchen chemistry to make an avant garde, weird, or just a different take on something ordinary.
Rocky mountain high: Get some altitude, make something you’d imagine eating in the rockies, the alps, the himilayas, or whatever range you fancy.
Spring Break! A little trip to the world of crispy, snappy, crunchy foods. (And way too much booze.)
The Jackson 5 meets Salt N Pepa” That’s all we get: 5 ingredients per dish … plus a little salt and pepper.
Regression Impulse: a delicious dish inspired by the first great meal you can remember.
Spring Fever, Cooler Heads prevail: Icy Cold, Boiling Hot, Crazy Spicy, or Super Bland. Prepare dishes that takes us to one extreme or the other. No middle ground for the FMC.
March Madness, which sees unthinkable ingredient/food parings.