Wow, so on April 24, 2010 I turned 30.  Still kinda feels weird to say, but I really don’t feel any different. To celebrate my milestone I thought I needed to do something cool and fun.  I had heard about Plinio Sandalio’s Dessert Tasting  at Textile Restaurant in Houston soon after moving here a year ago.  A course meal of desserts?  Surely this was created just for me!  I soon started following Sandalio on Twitter, @psandalio, and was continually intrigued by what he was creating.  So, I thought what better way to celebrate my birthday than with a dessert dinner.  Come along for a very tasty, amazing, crazy food adventure.  Mmmm Good.

Let’s start with the best Oatmeal Cookie I’ve ever eaten.  To make it yummier it had Foie Gras ice cream sandwiched between the cookies.

Next, his take on Devil on Horseback, Traditional Sticky Toffee Pudding with Bacon Ice Cream. I loved this — the sweet paired with the salt and greatness of bacon, wow.

Ok, this one threw me for a loop.  It came out smelling exactly like a corn dog from the fair.  And that is what it was, his take on a corn dog. Corn fritters rolled in sugar with ketchup sauce and yellow mustard ice cream.  Yes it tasted just like a corn dog, but at the same time dessert. I can’t explain it other than saying it was mind boggling and delicious at the same time.  How does he do this?

Now we started moving sweeter and more traditional, if can call it that. A Panna Cota with pineapple and toasted brioche.  I’ve never been a fan of panna cota, but I would order this one anytime. It was light and slightly sweet and makes a great summer dessert.

I think this had to be the most fun dessert. A ginger cake with Grapefruit Campari sorbet, rhubarb and pop rocks.  Light, slightly sour and luscious it was a joy to eat.  The fun part was the pop rocks and the fact that my husband, Rick, didn’t hear Sandalio say the part about the pop rocks.  He took a mouth full and I could hear them crackling in his mouth. We laughed through the whole dish.

Next up, his take on Peach Melba with a sponge cake and balsamic vinegar sauce.  Even though I was getting full I could have eaten more of this vanilla ice cream layered with what I assume was a peach sorbet and raspberry sorbet. Again he blew my mind with something simple and classic but done in a wonderfully new way.

Now we really started slowing down.  I was so full at this point even though we purposefully didn’t eat dinner before.  Brownie a la Mode with a Fernet Branca ice cream.  I could have sworn that it had burnt honey in the ice cream.  We had trouble eating much of the rich brownie. Very tasty but we were stuffed.  I did, however, finish all the ice cream. It was so good and had a warming effect on my insides, all the alcohol and spices I guess.  I also have to say thanks for the taste of Fernet Branca he gave me.  I am now a convert. Loved it.

Next was a Trinidad sour granita. After this dessert I need to order the drink.

We ended the meal with a chocolate truffle and an amazing Scottish shortbread.  I think I could eat the shortbread everyday and be happy.

I loved this meal and it was quite an experience.  Couldn’t have picked a better way to celebrate my birthday, well unless all my dessert loving friends had joined me.  Maybe next year?

I’ll leave you with a photo Rick took of me at course two of the meal.  Note the lazy eye.  I get that anytime I have a drink and I was working on a very nice cocktail called The Bee’s Knees.

Thanks Plinio and Textile for such a great experience.