>herb mousse

We had one of those sweet mom and daughter dinners I love so much at Mansion on Turtle Creek, one of the most beautiful restaurants in the country. Mom admired the basil mousse that came with our amuse bouche.

When the main course arrived, she sheepishly stared at her "burned" steak.

"Mom, that's NOT burned. That's how they do it in Dallas."
Embarrassed silence.
Mom is so polite, she hates sending dishes back to the kitchen. So she started carving. One thing she hates more than sending dishes back is charred steak that is still rare inside. I would have eaten it myself (yum!) but it's against my principle to pay so much for a piece of steak. She apologized and sent it back. They comped it! So nice of them.

***
I looked up the herb mousse action happening around the world. For some reason, I've found the "mousse" on English menus denser than the more airy "foam". Foam is getting tired, mousse has a good chance, I guess.

Tuna carpaccio with beluga caviar, fennel mousse and salad - Restaurant l'Europe, St. Petersburg, Russia
Sea bass with a scallop and lemon balm mousse - The President's Restaurant, Mallow, County Cork, Ireland
Chocolate and lavender mousse - KN Restaurant, Tallinn, Estonia
Chicken breast stuffed with rabbit and tarragon mousse - Antibo restaurant, Sheffield, England
Roasted breast of cornfed chicken stuffed with oregano mousse on sweetcorn - Temple Sowerby House, Penrith, Cumbria, England
Tomato salad with buffalo milk mozzarella and basil mousse - Hotel Zum Storchen, Zurich, Switzerland