The evening began with Gosset Brut Excellence Champagne (served here by the Ritz-Carlton’s Sommelier, Vincent Feraud), and a selection of hors d’oeuvres that included wild mushroom bouchée, oysters “en Gelée,” foie gras sandwiches and bacon-wrapped scented bay scallops.

A Truffle Dubarry Martini was the meal’s starter, prepared with cauliflower and topped off with a truffle.  This was a traditional French beginning to the dinner, selected by Chef Cruchet – a native of Lille, France, who was officially inducted as a Master Chef of France in March 2007.

Francois Dionot (left) was presented with the Merite Agricole award by Michel Schaffauser, the Consul General of France.  Created in 1883 by French Agriculture Minister Félix Jules Méline, the Merite Agricole is the country’s oldest civil award.  Its dominant green coloring led to the award’s nickname of “poireau” (leek).

Chef Cruchet provided a modern, international flavor for the Gala dinner with an Asian crab salad, which was infused with ginger and topped with sesame seeds and cumin.  It was completed by a baby carrot terrine and a radish salad, and served with 2005 white Sancerre Vieilles Vignes wine, from Cottat, Loire.

A delicate onion and leek tart provided a classic French continuation to the Gala dinner.  It was complemented by fresh ewe’s milk cheese and a mâche salad drizzled with hazelnut oil.  The wine selection for this course was a 2005 white Sonoma Chardonnay from I’M Wines.

The kitchen team worked with precision in readying the evening’s fish course of Loup de Mer (wild striped bass), which was topped off by a parsley cream.  In a departure from more traditional red wine sauces, Chef Cruchet took a more “mellow” approach, using port syrup prepared with butter, and he teamed the creation with a beet and artichoke cake.  The wine for this dinner course was Hangtime Pinot Noir, 2005, Burgundy.

For the dinner’s meat dish, a veal duo brought together roasted veal tenderloin with braised veal cheek.  It was accompanied by asparagus and two types of wild mushrooms – girolles (chanterelle) and cepes (porcini) – to mark the arrival of Springtime.   The veal was served with a Coudoulet de Chateau Beaucaster, 2005, Rhone.

Completing the Gala was a Vahlrona chocolate entremet with gold foil flakes, accompanied by coffee ice cream.  To balance the entremet’s rich chocolate flavor, Chef Cruchet added a small mandarin fruit paste square.  The dessert was served with Lustau Deluxe Cream, Capatz Andres, Spain.

Roland Mesnier, who was the White House pastry chef for 26 years, closed the Gala with a humorous – and heartfelt – tribute to L’Academie de Cuisine’s Francois Dionot and all of those who support and protect the French tradition of fine food.  He was joined at the podium by Suzie Morrison, who is a member of the next generation of chefs that serve the White House.

Chef Patrick Orange (at left) took a night off from his kitchen at Georgetown’s highly rated La Chaumière restaurant to attend the French International Culinary Society’s gala dinner.  He is discussing future trends in cooking with Christian Berger, the French Embassy’s Agriculture Counselor. 

Chef Cruchet joined the Ritz-Carlton in Tysons Corner since 2007, continuing his career with The Ritz-Carlton Hotel Company that began in 1995.  A graduate of The Cooking School of Cannes with a culinary degree, his other experience includes working in several Michelin Star restaurants such as Le Chantecler at The Hotel Negresco in Nice, Le Manoir De Paris Restaurant, and the Hotel La Messardiere in Saint Tropez.