Fifth course: Foie Gras Creme Brulee. This was absolutely incredible. I was responsible for most of this until the end assembly. The preparation is simple. Warm cream, foie gras. Blend, adding egg, and season lightly. Bake in small molds until set. When cooled, remove from the mold, brulee a teaspoon of sugar on the top, and plate over a puree made from dates, amarone wine, and vanilla. Sprinkle some pickled apple on top (cooked briefly in salted vinegar with lemon, cloves, cinammon, and rosemary). Drizzle your best 50-year balsamic vinegar on top. Everyone who heard about this thought it was going to be weird, but, in fact, it's fantastic. I can't afford Sauternes, so we served with a botrytis wine from d'Arenberg (Australia), their 1998 "Noble," which is as close to a Sauternes as you can get (and a lot less expensive). Tom showed up with his own torch, which means he got elected to brulee and it was perfect.