Correction: This article incorrectly said Jerry Williams, senior jazz studies major, was playing a small trumpet. Williams was playing a saxophone.

Ellington’s fiery but pleasantly surprising delicious Capsicum meal Tuesday was complemented by the musical stylings of Jerry Williams, senior jazz studies major.

Williams performed live with his small trumpet, playing instrumental covers like Bruno Mars’ “Treasure” and “Locked Out of Heaven,” which made eating the pepper-themed meals more relaxing and enjoyable.

Guests were given the option of a roasted red pepper and tomato soup or a marinated sweet pepper arugula salad topped with pumpkin seeds and feta cheese for an appetizer. While both dishes sounded appetizing, the red pepper and tomato soup took the prize.

The roasted red pepper and tomato soup, topped with crème fraîche, was thick and creamy. The crème fraîche created a white spiral in the center of the red soup. The salt, pepper and smoky paprika dominated the soup, but the warmness of each taste made me forget about the bitterly cold weather.

The main course — sweet Italian sausage with a quinoa- and ricotta-stuffed pepper — was very colorful. Tomato sauce made from the soup appetizer was drizzled across the side of the plate with garlic and fresh basil. The garlic added an explosion of flavor alongside the sweet Italian sausage.

The stuffed yellow bell pepper with ricotta cheese on top of the quinoa was placed in the center of the plate. Although the amount of ricotta cheese was minimal, the cheese compensated for the spiciness of the pepper. The quinoa and sauce tied in well with the sweet Italian sausage, neutralizing the heat the sausage gave off despite the “sweet” in its name. Mint was also incorporated into the dish, adding freshness to each bite.

A red cherry jalapeno cookie served with vanilla bean ice cream made for an eye-opening dessert. The combination of jalapeno peppers, pitted red tart cherries and vanilla bean ice cream topped with strawberry-flavored syrup was very unique.

The pitted red tart cherries stuffed inside the cookies was an interesting touch, and the mix of sweet and sour flavors made the treat all the more enjoyable. Vanilla bean ice cream was placed in the center of the two cookies and balanced the tart flavor of the cookies.

The ice cream was something I’ve never tasted before. The vanilla bean was pure white like a fresh blanket of snow. The ice cream was infused with cream cheese, adding a bitter but pleasing taste to such a sweet dessert. Though the jalapenos were unnoticeable in the dessert, it is still something I would recommend.

The trumpet played by Williams throughout the three-course meal was a great touch, and I enjoyed trying to guess what song he was playing as I ate.