a slice of fall

It's been a while since I've written anything and it's certainly not for lack of cooking.  I worried for a while that if I cooked for a living it might cause me to become less enchanted with cooking at home.  But that's not the case at all.  It's changed the way I cook but in no way has it diminished my love of cooking or my desire to spend time in my own kitchen.

In a restaurant so much of the work is about time.  Sure things need to be done right and they should look appealing and taste delightful but there is always that I take joy in spending 4-5 hours on my days off creating a meal.  While it may not involve me spending every minute of those 4 or 5 hours in the kitchen, I've come to enjoy the little luxuries of home cooking: reading for 45 minutes while a chicken roasts, watching a movie while tomato sauce simmers away for hours, lingering over a glass of wine before doing the dishes, savoring a luxurious dessert wine and not having to worry about the next item on the prep list or the next ticket in the window.

Another way that working in a restaurant has changed the way I cook is that, while I've always enjoyed cooking for others, I'm learning to take joy in cooking for myself.  Restaurant cooks spend a lot of time trying to please others and cook to the tastes of a customer.  Less salt, no salt, add onions, no onions, substitute gruyere cheese for cheddar, add both gruyere and cheddar, no bread, sauce on the side, use oil instead of butter, etc.  With so much time spent trying to make the diner happy, I find that it's nice to come home and cook exactly what I want.

So all of that said, I've certainly been doing a fair amount of cooking.  Some of the things I've made lately include:

- Thomas Keller's Favorite Roast Chicken

- Maryland Rockfish with Oyster Mushroom and Black Truffle Cream Sauce

- Red Curry and Coconut Risotto

- My Perfect 4-hour Red Sauce

- Sweet Corn Risotto

- Eggplant and Zucchini Fries

- Lasagna Bolognese

- Pasta with Tuna and Roasted Pepper and Caper Tomato Sauce

I'll certainly be posting more about some of these items as I continue to perfect my red sauce and my lasagna, however, tonight I just want to mention the dish I had this evening since it was the perfect supper for a lazy Saturday and the fall weather we've been having lately.

Butternut Squash and Rapini Pizza

Another trend in my at home dining is that I've been cooking more meatless meals.  This is largely for two reasons.  First, I work in a restaurant now so I'm kind of poor these days and since meat is expensive, I enjoy creating meals out of vegetables and grains.  Now that fall is upon us, I have been craving butternut squash.  The sweet and creamy taste of butternut squash just says autumn to me.  So this weekend I decided to make a pizza that would celebrate the delicious flavor of my favorite fall veggie.

Since - as I've noted many times before - I'm not too big on the baking, I decided to go ahead and use some pre-made pizza dough.  So I hit up one of my favorite Italian spots, Vace, and bought some of their pizza dough.  When it comes to buying pizza dough, I generally opt to go with a place that actually sells pizzas (and it's always good to sample the merchandise, so you know it's delicious).  Most any pizza place will sell you some dough for a few bucks (cheap huh?) although a lot of grocery stores sell pizza dough as well.

Once I had the dough it was time to figure out the toppings.  I knew I wanted to make a white pizza (i.e., no red sauce) and I knew I wanted butternut squash but what about the rest of the toppings?  First I rolled out my dough on a floured board and then I sprinkled some cornmeal on one side and then, flipping it over so the cornmeal was on the bottom, placed it on a sheet pan (the cornmeal helps prevent sticking to the pan).  Then I spread olive oil and minced garlic all over the crust.  For the cheese, I put on some shredded smoked mozzarella.

Next came the veggies, I added thin slices of butternut squash that I had roasted in olive oil and red chili flakes.  Then I put down some rapini that I had chopped and blanched.  The finishing touches were a little bit of fresh goat cheese crumbled on top and a dusting of red chili flakes.  Right before putting the pizza into a 500 degree oven I brushed the crush with some olive oil and sprinkled it with a little kosher salt.

I baked the pizza on the top rack first until the cheese began to melt.  Then I transferred it to the bottom rack so that it would get nice and crisp.  Once the cheese was melted and bubbly and the crust was nice and crisp I removed the pizza from the oven and let it rest for a minute or two.  I cut myself two slices and took a bite.  The sweet butternut squash, smoky mozzarella, and slightly bitter rapini were a fantastic combination of flavors.  The small, tangy pockets of goat cheese sprinkled all over the top added another layer of flavor and the crust was buttery, crisp, and salty.  In short, it was my perfect fall pizza.

I do think I would change a few things next time though.  For one thing, I would add a little molasses or maple syrup to the roasting squash, just to get another layer of sweetness.  I would also change my cheese.  I love the smoky flavor of mozzarella but fresh mozzarella has too much water I think and the texture when it melts isn't exactly what I'm looking for so next time I would probably use a smoked gouda.  But on the whole, a delicious fall dinner and a perfect way to enjoy pizza without having to go out or order in.

farewell dinner for Taylor

Farewell dinners are always sad, especially when it's for a great new friend you wish you'd gotten to spend more time with this summer, however, if you're gonna send a girl back to the grind of law school (at Harvard no less!) you may as well make sure you send her off with a good meal.  So when it came time to make a goodbye dinner for Taylor this past Saturday night, T and I decided to do our best to make it one to remember.  

Saturday morning T decided to be awesome and procure some fab raw materials for our meal.  He got swordfish and scallops from BlackSalt, perhaps the best fishmonger in the DC area.  The first time I used their scallops, on Degustation Day, they looked so beautiful and smelled so fresh and perfect that I wanted to eat them raw.  But I resisted (although I think they would be divine in ceviche) and so course one of our dinner for Taylor was my bacon-wrapped scallops with serrano chile and garlic sauce.  They turned out delicious, as always.  I generally try to avoid patting myself on the back but I really do love this recipe.  If I had to pick one dish that I'd want to represent the best of my culinary skills with, this would probably be the dish.  They are smoky, sweet, salty, and spicy.  

As a great pre-dinner drink (and also along with our first course), I picked up a bottle of 1 + 1 = 3 Cava.  This sparkling wine is from the same producers of one of my favorite rosés.  It's light and refreshing, not sweet, but not super-dry and intense like some champagne.  And, more importantly, it's the only sparkling wine I've ever seen T drink and enjoy.

But enough about that, on to course two!  So T decided to prepare the swordfish by searing it with a fantastic spice rub and three different sauces.  The first was a delicious relish of corn and roasted red pepper that was smoky, sweet, and super light.  It complimented the fish without competing against the spices in the rub or the meaty texture.  The second sauce was a mushroom cream sauce made with matsutakes.  The mushrooms were dried and then rehydrated which made them a bit tough but the flavor they gave to the cream sauce was smooth and earthy.  The third sauce was the real standout.  T made a gooseberry gastrique that was tart, spicy, sweet, and basically heavenly.  He used similar spices to the mix I put in strawberry rhubarb sauce from Degustation Day since we discovered that allspice, star anise, and cinnamon together with fruit is a wonderful thing.  This gastrique's slightly sweet, tart flavor complimented the spice rub on the fish in a phenomenal way.  I could have had double portions of just the fish and that sauce it was so good.

As amazing as the fish was, we did pair it with two sides.  The first was a salad I made of tomatoes, basil, a sauteed shallot vinaigrette, and chunks of the always amazing fresh mozzarella from Blue Ridge Dairy (yay local producers!).  This is a take on one of my favorite summer foods, insalata caprese.  A traditional caprese salad is usually just tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella arranged and drizzled with some very good olive oil and a bit of salt and pepper.  However, I decided to give mine a bit of a twist by making a shallot vinaigrette.  I minced some shallots and sauteeed them in a bit of butter and olive oil until translucent and soft.  While I let them cool down, I whisked together some dijon mustard and champagne vinegar.  To that mix i added some salt and pepper and then streamed in oil (I was using canola since we were low on olive oil) in the classic vinaigrette ratio of about three parts oil to one part vinaigrette until I achieved a nice emulsion.  To finish, I tossed in the shallots, whisked some more to combine and then poured the dressing over the tomatoes that I had cut up and put in a bowl with some basil.  I let the tomatoes and basil sit in the fridge and soak up the vinaigrette and just before serving I added the chunks of mozzarella.  It's a simple salad but really fresh and it tastes like summer in a bowl.

Our other side dish was one that T made.  He made divinely smooth chipotle mashed potatoes that were creamy and rich with a subtle hint of smoky spice.  But we couldn't stop there.  With the deep fryer sitting on the counter just calling out to us we decided to experiment.  I kneaded some flour into the mashed potato mixture and fried small bite-size balls of the mashed potatoes.  They were the perfect bite and definitely something I would not mind having as an appetizer with any meal (we filed that one away for our restaurant menu).

Once dinner was done it was time to sit back, relax, and enjoy the rest of our time with Taylor.  T fired up the hookah and we enjoyed a serving of one of the most sublimely smooth dessert wines around.  All in all, a fantastic meal and a great evening.  Now we'll just see if it can be topped when Taylor comes back to visit in October.

interesting news from France

Recent news from France shows that rosé is the new favorite wine of the French.  Which makes me smile.

the times they are a-changin'

I've borrowed from Bob Dylan because it quite adequately describes life these days. For those that don't read the non-food blog, this has been a crazy week. Tuesday I was fired from my job working for a food retail trade association. It was a big shock because I've never been fired from anything in my life before, but it was something that I wasn't that upset about and I was pretty okay with. I had been unhappy in my job for a while. Nonetheless, I still needed a job. Fortunately, the week before I was fired I had lined up interviews for Wednesday (the day after I got fired).

Well, the good news is that I got offers from both of those interviews. The even better news is that I have accepted one of them and will be living my dream and cooking at one of my favorite local restaurants, Granville Moore's. If you're not in the area or just aren't familiar with the place, it's fantastic. The best mussels I have ever had (granted, I only just started eating them again a year ago after a 10 year fear) and tons of great Belgian beer on tap. Their chef, Teddy Folkman, recently took on Bobby Flay in a mussels Throwdown (and beat the Iron Chef I might add). He's also one of the coolest people I've ever met and so I'm pretty excited he'll be my new boss. He's someone that did the same thing I'm trying to do (i.e., giving up the desk job life to go into the kitchen full time) and so he's supportive of what I'm trying to do.

I'm super excited about this opportunity and feel blessed to not only get this chance but also to have a super-supportive boyfriend, family, and group of friends behind me. So that's my big news. More cooking posts to come soon...

degustation day: a recap

Most people spend the Fourth of July relaxing, enjoying the company of family and friends, barbecuing, having drinks and fun, and possibly lounging by a pool. Not T and I. Sure there were friends, drinks, and fun. But there was very little relaxing.

While talking during the day on Wednesday, T mentioned the possibility of doing another restaurant weekend. So as the conversation turned to what dishes we would serve for another restaurant weekend, we had so many ideas that we decided to spend Friday cooking tasting portions of a number of dishes we wanted to consider for restaurant weekend. And then we also decided to try out another idea T's been wanting to play with: a reverse potluck. This would involve party guests bringing an ingredient and T and I being charged with preparing a dish with that ingredient. I was on board with both ideas so we decided that Thursday night we'd go shopping for the ingredients we'd need for the dishes we wanted to try and then Friday morning, around 11-ish, we'd start cooking. The only rule was: no recipes allowed. We could use recipes but only if we were modifying them enough to make them completely our own.

I'm going to avoid a long introduction about planning the dishes and shopping and just get right to the food since, between the dishes we planned and the ingredients people brought, we had 15 dishes between 11 a.m. and 11 p.m. So without further ado, I'll get straight to the recap. I've put down as much info about the preparation and ingredients in T's dishes as I can recall but with two of us working on multiple dishes at the same time I'm sure there's stuff I missed. However, I've tried to give detailed info about my dishes and hopefully T can go into more detail about his preparations over at his blog.

Course #1 Lemonfish and Halibut Sashimi (Tahir)

This dish involved T preparing 4 thin slices of halibut and lemonfish each with a different flavoring: olive oil, Hawaiian Alaea sea salt, truffle oil, alder wood smoked salt. The halibut made a rich and buttery sashimi while the lemonfish was a bit dense. But the simple preparation let the flavors of the fish shine through.

Course #2: Mussels (Tahir)

T prepared these mussels by steaming them in a divine sauce of white wine, sriracha sauce, pineapple, ginger, and garlic. The sauce gave the mussels a great flavor that was sweet, hot, savory, and addictive.

Course #3: Bacon-wrapped Scallops with Chile Garlic Sauce and Chilled Pea Soup (Alyse)

The scallops were marinated in garlic, serrano chiles, olive oil, and chili powder. Then I wrapped them with bacon and seared them in bacon fat on each side until they were browned, removed them from the pan and placed them in the oven to finish cooking. In the pan I added the olive oil, chiles, and garlic I had reserved from the marinade and a bottle of pomegranate wheat beer and let the mixture reduce until it had formed a glaze-like sauce. I spooned it over the finished scallops and sprinkled on some chopped cilantro.

For the pea soup, I modified a Daniel Boulud recipe for a chilled savory pea soup. His version called for bacon, garlic, leeks, celery, cream, rosemary and a mixture of green peas, pea shoots, sugar snap peas, and snow peas. I modified my version to use green peas and sugar snaps, leeks, fennel, a bit of white wine, cream, and fresh mint. The refreshing and cool soup had a vibrant green color and a smooth taste that balanced well against the spicy scallops.

Course #4: Fruit and Cheese Trio (Alyse)

This plate was about variations on a theme. I decided to pair three different sliced fruits each with a different cheese and sauce. At the top of the plate is a slice of goat brie topped with sliced nectarine and a champagne honey vinaigrette. The bottom right is a slice of Gorgonzola with pears that were poached in tawny port and star anise with a glaze made by reducing the port. The bottom left (and my personal favorite) is rounds of fresh chevre topped with sliced strawberries and a balsamic reduction. The tangy balsamic and sweet strawberries combined to make the fresh chevre taste like sweet whipped cream.

Course #5: Yellow Bell Pepper Soup with Poached Spicy Prawns (Tahir)

This dish was a sweet and savory soup made from roasted yellow bell pepper that was topped with prawns that had been spiced with mixture of Thai-influenced spices and garnished with cilantro. I wish I could remember the spices on the prawns but sadly I cannot. The combination of sweet and hot was delicious though.

Course #6: Red Wine Braised Beef Short Ribs (Alyse)

For this dish I patted the short ribs with a spice mixture of salt, black pepper, ground red pepper, ground allspice, ground green peppercorns, and coriander. Then I dredged them in flour and seared them in hot oil on the stove until they were browned on all sides. Next, I removed the short ribs and in the same pan sautéed a mixture of carrots, onions, leeks, thyme, and bay until the vegetables were starting to soften. In went one can of beef stock, two cups of red wine, and then I let the ribs braise in a 300 degree oven for about 3 hours. After that I removed the ribs, strained the sauce (reserving the carrots from the vegetable mix) into a pan. I skimmed the fat and reduced the sauce by about half. To serve I placed the carrots and ribs in a bowl, spooned the sauce over, and garnished with chopped parsley. The ribs were super tender, if a little fatty, and the carrots were delicious. Next time I'll skim more fat from the sauce and add more red wine and let the sauce reduce more to develop a more glaze-like consistency. Still, this was a comforting dish that would be great for a cold winter day.

Course #7: Fried Lemonfish with Peach Aioli (Tahir)

Tahir breaded hunks of the lemonfish in panko and a mixture of spices then deep fried them golden brown. They were served with a peach aioli made from egg, peach, and oil. Deep frying the lemonfish made it lighter and it had a juicy and meaty taste. The sweet peach aioli and the crispy fish were a refreshing combination. I actually think I may prefer fried lemonfish over other more traditional options like cod.

Course #8: Baked Halibut with Sautéed Beet Greens and Salad of Watercress and Heirloom Tomato (Tahir)

For this dish, the fish was dusted with spices, and placed in a parchment pouch with olive oil and fresh tarragon and baked in the oven until done. It was placed atop beet greens (from the beets Jazmin brought) and that had been sautéed in some oil and soy sauce. They were served with a salad of diced heirloom tomato tossed with watercress, olive oil, salt, and pepper. The salty, umami taste of the greets went well with the meaty and spicy halibut. The tomato and watercress salad was a refreshing accompaniment.

Course #9: Roasted Beet and Goat Cheese Salad (Alyse)

For this course, I took the beets Jazmin brought and roasted them with olive oil, salt, pepper, and thyme. Once they were done, I let them cool and tossed with crumbled chevre, champagne honey vinaigrette, black pepper, and chopped tarragon. The result was taste that was a mixture of sweet, earthy, spicy, creamy, and tangy. A very simple salad with a really complex taste.

Course #10: Spicy Stuffed Eggplant with Gorgonzola and Spinach (Alyse)

Both Jazmin and Taylor brought eggplant so T and I decided we would each do one eggplant dish. For mine, I cut an eggplant in half and drizzled the top with olive oil and salt and roasted it in a 375 -degree oven until it started to collapse and the flesh was soft. Meanwhile, I sautéed diced tomatoes and lots of garlic in olive oil then added chopped spinach, salt, and pepper. Once the eggplant was done roasting, I scooped out the eggplant flesh and combined it in the skillet with the tomato and spinach mixture. I let it cook until the eggplant had softened a bit more and taken on a bit more color and then placed the mixture in a bowl. There I added crumbled Gorgonzola, grated parmigiano reggiano, and red pepper flakes. I stirred to combine and then scooped the mixture back into the eggplant halves and topped with panko breadcrumbs and baked until the breadcrumbs just started to turn golden brown. This dish came out creamy, spicy, and rich. It was great on it's own and I would definitely make it again using smaller Japanese eggplants to create individual sized portions.

Course #11: Sous-vide Duck Breast with Orange Jus (Tahir)

For this dish, T spiced the duck breast and placed them in a pot of water to cook. Meanwhile, he created an orange jus that was reduced and plated alongside the duck breasts. The duck was delicious when it first came out but he took the blowtorch to the second duck breast to crisp the fat a bit more. With the crisp fat, the savory meat, and the sweet orange jus, this dish was elegant and rich.

Course #12: Slow-cooked Whiskey Short Ribs with Pineapple, Tomatoes, and Jalapeno (Tahir)

So T and I had discussed doing short ribs, however, we apparently had some miscommunication in Whole Foods because both of us got short ribs at the meat counter and so we ended up deciding that we'd each do our own version of them. I did the oven-braised red wine version that we had for course #6 and T did this version in the crock pot. They cooked for over 4 hours in a mixture of whiskey, pineapple, jalapeno, tomato, kaffir lime leaves and spices. Once they came out they were incredibly tender with a taste that was sweet and hot and smooth. Definitely an interesting and flavorful take on classic slow-cooked short ribs.

Course #13: Fried Eggplant with Mozzarella and Heirloom Tomato (Tahir)

This was the second of the two eggplant dishes. I cut one of the eggplants into large slices and salted them to remove the bitter juices. Then T breaded them and deep fried them. He then topped them with mozzarella and baked them in the oven until the mozzarella melted and turned golden brown. The final garnish was a topping of chopped heirloom tomatoes. The fried eggplant was rich and buttery and with the creamy cheese and fruity tomatoes - this dish is one that I would love to order at any bar after a few drinks.

Course #14: Mango Gazpacho (Tahir)

So, into every life some rain must fall. And into every 15-course tasting meal some smoked paprika must fall. And by "some" smoked paprika I mean "A LOT" of smoked paprika. T started this mango gazpacho by blending mango, jalapeno, ice, cilantro and smoked paprika. Unfortunately, the smoked paprika was a bit heavy and ended up making the first batch a bit overwhelming. However, he added in some jicama and that mellowed things out a bit. This ended up being a fruity and very spicy soup that would be good in a small portion. Although the paprika was overwhelming, the mango and jicama play well together and could definitely work as the base for another cold soup attempt.

Course #15: Vanilla Ice Cream with Blueberry Compote and Strawberry Rhubarb Compote (Alyse)

So Andrea's contribution to the reverse potluck idea was an amazing assortment of dessert friendly goodness: rhubarb, strawberries, and blueberries (and gelatin, which was a good thought). And even more weirdly, I was the one who made it. I rarely ever make desserts. Mostly because dessert usually equals baking and I hate baking. I don't own measuring spoons and I have one measuring cup. For that reason, I generally leave the dessert to T. However, the one kind of dessert I can do pretty well is fruit + ice cream. Usually this is something simple like my mom's trick of cutting up berries and sprinkling with Grand Marnier (or orange juice) and then putting them over ice cream. Or just eating them plain. Lately I've taken to a slightly more advance approach of cooking my fruit. I've had success with simmering peaches in bourbon so I decided to try my hand at this dessert. I love strawberry and rhubarb together and figured I'd try to make something semi-patriotic as well.

In one pot I sautéed the rhubarb with a little butter until it had softened, then I added the strawberries, some sugar, a splash of balsamic vinegar, star anise, allspice, and cinnamon. I let this cook until the fruit was soft and the compote was thick. For the blueberries, I cooked them in butter, sugar, vanilla extract, star anise, allspice, and cinnamon until they started to break down and release juice. Then I added the gelatin and let the mixture cool and thicken. To serve, I plated a scoop of vanilla ice cream, some of each compote, and garnished with mint. The blueberry compote was tart and smooth from the vanilla with the subtle hints of spice. The strawberry rhubarb was tangy, sweet, and really absorbed the combination of the star anise and the allspice and had a subtly spicy taste that balanced well against all the sweetness of the fruit. Both of those are definitely keepers.

So there you have it: twelve hours, fifteen courses, no recipes, a lot of wine, and a lot of fun too. It was exhausting, but challenging and rewarding as well. Many thanks to T for the experience and lending his kitchen and to everyone else who came, ate, and brought ingredients.

summer food favorites: part 1

Okay, so I know after the summer lovin' post I promised recipes. But then Melissa asked about rosés and it gave me a chance to wax poetic about wine for a bit and that is something I just couldn't resist. But now, as promised, recipes!

These are all some of my favorite summer foods and I wanted to be sure and share them. However, one thing about summer is that, with so many great foods in season, not everything needs a lot of work to make it tasty. Sometimes the simplest presentations are the best. So first, my favorite recipe-not-required items and then in Part 2 (a forthcoming post) I will provide some recipes for a few more complicated dishes. Also, as an aside, many of the recipes mention the grill but if you don't have a grill you can always use the broiler (you'll just have to keep an eye on it since anytime I use a broiler I burn things) or you can use a grill pan. I have the square Le Creuset pan and it's great for those times when I'm just cooking for myself or am not able to get out and grill. My mom has the double-burner reversible Le Creuset one and it's ahhh-mazing (it also has a griddle side...which is great).

No Recipe Summer Favorites

1. Fresh corn - There aren't many things that embody summer more than fresh corn. It's bright color, delicious crunch, and sweet flavor pretty much make make it the perfect summer food. There are a lot of ways to enjoy it but one of my favorites is grilled. You don't really need to do anything to it. Elise (great name) over at Simply Recipes has a great post on how to grill corn.

photo by Flickr user Greencolander

Another great grilled corn preparation is to partially shuck the corn (i.e., pull the husks back but don't completely rip them off) then mix some chili power and lime zest in a bowl with some softened butter. Slather the ears with the chili-lime butter and then close them back up in the husks. Toss them on the grill and proceed as before. This is a fantastic way to enjoy corn since it sort of bastes in the chili-lime butter and comes out with a bright, spicy flavor.

2. Asparagus - Here in Virginia, asparagus season is April - June. Sure, you can get asparagus pretty much all year round, usually flown in from California or South America, but there is just no beating the taste of fresh, local, in season asparagus. I'm not sure why but it just tastes better.

Photo by Flickr user dboy

With regards to preparation, there are lots of ways to go but there's really only one way I ever eat asparagus and that's grilled/roasted - my mom got me hooked and I've just never have found anything I like better. And it couldn't be easier to prepare. First, I take asparagus and trim off the woody ends. The best way to do this is to take a stalk and bend it gently until it snaps. Then throw away the bottom portion and save the top part of the spear. You can do this for the whole bunch or, like I do when I'm lazy, do that for one stalk and use that one as a "guide" for where to cut the others. Once your stalks are trimmed, then toss them in some olive oil, salt, and freshly ground black pepper. If you're grilling, toss them on the grill and move them around occasionally until they are just tender. If you're roasting, toss them on a parchment lined baking sheet, pop them in a 400-degree oven, and proceed. If you think you don't like asparagus, I would ask you to just try it this way once. I have it on authority from a former asparagus-hater that it tastes great this way.

3. Grilled Garlic Bread with Gorgonzola - There are few things in the world that I love more than bread and cheese. And although it sounds like a simple food, there are so many variations on it that it's always easy to find something new and delicious. From slices of baguette with melted raclette to toasted wheat bread with fresh chevre and honey there are many times when I can (and do) make a meal solely from bread and cheese. One of my favorites is grilled garlic bread with slices of creamy, tangy Gorgonzola.

photo by Flickr user kochtopf

I start with a baguette and slice it on an angle. You can make the slices as thick or thin as you like but I generally go with about a quarter-inch thickness. Then I lay the slices on a plate or sheet pan (depending on how many) in a single layer and drizzle them with olive oil. You don't need to totally coat each slice, just a good drizzle over all the bread will do. Then I place the slices on a hot grill, oil side down, and cook until they start to brown on that side. Next I give them a flip and let them cook until golden on the second side and then remove them to the plate/pan. I take cloves of raw garlic that I've peeled and cut in half and I rub the hot slices of bread with the garlic. This is a great way to make garlic bread because the hot bread draws the oils from the garlic and it gives them a good flavor without being overpowering. Once the slices are all done and have been garlicked (yep, that's real word) I top them with a slice of Gorgonzola (you want a wedge that can be sliced, not the crumbles used in salads and such). The crunchy garlicky bread and the creamy tangy Gorgonzola are a fantastic and palate-awakening combination. It's bad for the breath but hopefully you're with someone that's eating it too or someone who loves you enough that even garlic and Gorgonzola can't scare them away.

And there you have it, three of my favorite super-easy summer dishes. Next post, some more complex recipes, including two desserts (for those who know me, I generally avoid making dessert like the plague...since I am bad at it)!

rose suggestions

So after the last post, Melissa asked for some suggestions on rosé wines for those that may never have sampled them before. I only started drinking them a year ago, so my knowledge is far from expert, but I have attended two tastings with the always amazing Christy at Food Matters and so I can share some of what I've learned there. First a few basics about rosé, some that I learned from Christy and some things I've noticed on my own.

1. Always serve them cold. I'm often told that Americans tend to drink our whites too cold and our reds too warm but Christy's suggestion was to serve rosés quite chilled.

2. Age matters. A good rosé is one to two years old. Three years is on the edge. So that means this year you'd want either a 2006 or 2007 vintage.

3. Go with what feels comfortable. These are just a few things I've figured out on my own, not wine law by any means but they have seemed to work for me. Since I don't know as much about rosé as I might about other wines, I have learned to stick with trying new ones from regions with which I'm already acquainted. For me this means France, Spain, and the Pacific Northwest mostly. I'm not saying there aren't outliers. One of my favorite rosés is from South Africa. But I've also had a rather insipid one from New Zealand. I also try to stick with rosé made from grapes I'm familiar with: cabernet sauvignon, sangiovese, cabernet franc, syrah. I also have had some bad experiences with some rosés that are on the lighter pink side so I tend to go with ones that are darker colored (think raspberry or deep fuchsia).

On to specific recommendations for wines. I have 4 that I am willing to stake my reputation on recommending. I'll rank them in my order of preference.

1. Vina Aljibes Rosado (100% Syrah, Spain)

This wine is my new favorite rosé. The color is deep and rich and the smell is nearly irresistible. This wine smells like strawberries and caramel and the taste doesn't disappoint. The first taste is full of juicy berry tastes and, after you've swallowed, there's a lingering buttery caramel type taste. This is my perfect rosé for sipping. It's good with food but I enjoy it just as much, if not more, when I can enjoy its caramel and fruit flavors in a pure and unadulterated state.

2. A to Z Rosé (100% Sangiovese, Oregon)

This wine is the only American rosé on my list of favorites. I have tried a few others including a cabernet franc rosé from California but I haven't found any that I've been crazy about. This one, however, is the exception. It's got a lot of ripe fruit flavors - cherry, raspberry, strawberry - and a subtle spice to it as well. It's excellent with food and I particularly love it with grilled seafood.

3. U Mes U Fan Tres (1 + 1 = 3) Rose (100% Cabernet Sauvignon, Spain)

This is the very first rosé I ever fell in love with and it's probably one of the best wines around for summer barbecues. The first thing I noticed about it was it's deep color and intense aroma. This wine hits the nose more like a red than a rosé with a scent of currants, cherries, and a hint of a cocoa. It's got a big flavor to match and I recommend drinking it with food instead of on its own since the flavor is so big. It stands up really well to grilled meats and smoky flavors. Last summer T and I drank a bottle of this with some grilled chicken that had been marinated in our spicy tequila lime marinade and then basted with a bit of T's barbecue sauce (which has been officially named boomshakalaka by the way) and it held up beautifully and was a great compliment to the meal.

4. Mulderbosch Rose (98% Cabernet Sauvignon, 2% Cabernet Franc, South Africa)

This is the lightest of the bunch. It's from the Stellenbosch region of South Africa which is often noted as the best region in that country for growing wines. The Mulderbosch winery produces some great wines including a really tasty Chenin Blanc. Their rosé offering is no disappointment. It's got a crisp, fruity scent and the taste is a refreshing balance of rich berry and lively grapefruit flavors. This is a pretty easy wine to drink on its own but I also really love this paired with a great salad or some seafood.

So those are just my favorites. I hope you'll try some or all of them and let me know what you think. Happy drinking!!

summer lovin'

Okay, so I know about 3 weeks ago I promised new posts would be forthcoming. And then I kind of fell down on the job. Massively. So I apologize. But now that summer is basically upon us, I wanted to share some of my favorite food and wine related summer things with you.

1. Al Fresco Dining
So this is probably a no-brainer but one of the things I love most about summer is dining outside. I'm not sure what it is about al fresco dining that makes it so much more relaxing than eating indoors. Maybe it's some super-spiritual communing with nature sort of thing. Maybe it's because, when dining outside, it's hard to see into the kitchen and think about all the dishes to be done. Perhaps it's because outside we're usually away from computers, tvs, phones and all the technological advances that make it nearly impossible to have a relaxing dinner that is just as much about good conversation as it is about food. Whatever the reason, evenings spent eating and drinking outdoors are one of the best things about warmer weather.

2. Summer Wines
Make no mistake about it, I drink wine all year long. Maybe some people can still enjoy a big, robust cabernet or spicy syrah when it's hot and humid out, but I have a hard time. Which makes summer the perfect time to explore some great wines that may be neglected during other seasons. Number one on this list, for me, is rosé. Most people think of rosé and they immediately think of cloying, insipid, and, often, cheap wines. Like white zinfandel. Ick. Fortunately, I went to the rosé tasting at Food Matters last summer and it opened up a whole new world for me. Dry rosé has all the flavor and intensity of red or white wines with notes ranging from citrus to deep red fruits and they come in a whole range of hues from pale pink to deep raspberry. They are great wines to just drink solo while relaxing outside but also have the chops to stand up to summer's bold flavors: think burgers, barbecue, steaks, deviled eggs, picnic salads with creamy dressings...

Other highlights of summer wine for me include: Alsatian riesling and gewurztraminer, smooth whites from Bordeaux, grassy sauvignon blancs from New Zealand, elegant Sancerre with a taste like rain soaked rocks, and Chrysallis Vineyards' smooth, fruity, and chilled patio red.

3. Seasonal Foods
There are so many great foods that are in season in summer that it's impossible to keep track of all of them. The local farmers' markets are literally a buffet of summer tastes and bright colors. Here in Virginia, some of my summer favorites include: asparagus, sweet corn, yellow squash and zucchini, vibrant strawberries, tart and sweet blueberries and raspberries, juicy tomatoes, yummy stone fruit like peaches and nectarines, and so much more.

Those are just three of the things I love most about summer. Up next, recipes. I've made a couple of dishes as of late that are perfect for enjoying on a summer night so I'll get those recipes posted.

one more time...

Yep...second post in a week is up. Sorry for cheating and re-posting my stuff for DCist here but I promise I have good stuff on the way. Like bacon-wrapped scallops in serrano-chile and garlic sauce and my experiment with making my own preserved lemons.

Good times.

another brick in the wall...

My second official post for DCist is up now. While it's sad to lose a place for good food, at least there are beer options outside of Yuengling and Miller Lite in Adams Morgan now.

Yay for new posts though!

red tape and red meat

So anyone that knows me at all will surely attest to the fact that I am kind of a food safety nut. Not in the sense that I prowl restaurant kitchens making sure that every letter of the health code is enforced - I leave that to qualified health inspectors. But I do get pretty riled up about about the issue of food safety and security on a national and global scale. Or, more specifically, I am incredibly passionate about the need for transparency in the food industry so that consumers know what they are eating and where it came from and can use that knowledge to make intelligent, informed choices. Sure some people still may not make good choices and may eat unhealthy foods - and certainly that's their right. But the point is that retailers and manufacturers should give the customer as much information as possible.

Of course the federal government has a role to play in this process as well. While the way our government monitors food safety isn't perfect and could use some improvement (how about adequate funding and a clearer delineation of responsibility among the agencies that oversee the food supply to start with), the fact of the matter is that the government plays the role of setting the basic standards and guidelines when it comes to our food. Just as with federal law in other areas, these regulations should serve as a baseline that states or private companies can build on or enhance as they please. Some may argue that this creates a patchwork of differing regulations and I think that, to an extent, that's true. But, until the government creates uniform regulations that meet the standards states and companies feel consumers want and deserve, there isn't really a better way.

So, with all of that in mind, I found it troubling to read a recent story about the Bush administration's attempts to block Creekstone Farms (a Kansas-based producer of premium beef) from testing more of their animals for BSE (mad cow disease) before they make it into the food supply. I find it even more troubling given that just 3 months ago the meat industry was rocked by the largest recall of beef in US history after a meat packing company failed to comply with regulations regarding handling of animals and BSE testing. After enduring a costly and embarrassing recall that further eroded already-low consumer confidence in the food supply I would think the government would welcome efforts by private companies to go above and beyond when it comes to ensuring safety.

Sadly, it is not so. The only real reason the government has attempted to provide for its opposition to Creekstone's testing is that the tests could create "false positives" that might scare consumers. Well, I'd like to know what exactly the statistics are on the numbers of false positives. Additionally, logic would dictate that if an animal tests positive it would be pulled from the supply and therefore whether or not the positive was true or false, the meat supply would be safer.

One thing I do know is that major meat companies are extremely unhappy about Creekstone's testing plans because they feel that, because one company has done the testing and made the information available, consumers might begin to expect that all companies adhere to the same stringent safety standards. These large companies then say that this would increase the price of meat for consumers, hurting them in the long run. Well, I have a major problem with that argument. Consumers have every right to choose the foods that they feel most confident in buying. If major companies don't want to do the tests, then fine, they don't have to since it's not a law. However, while many consumers may not care, some will and those who do care will vote with their dollars by paying more for a product they feel good about. Second, if larger companies feel that the current standard of testing less than 1% of animals still provides for a safe meat supply, they should be charged with communicating that message to consumers. I see this as a marketing issue for them and not something that the federal government needs to be involved in resolving.

There are minimum government safety standards for automobiles and yet some manufacturers have gone above and beyond by innovating new features and tests designed to enhance the safety of their vehicles. As a consumer, I can make a determination whether I want to pay for a car that has undergone rigorous tests and has additional features that make it more safe but more expensive. Why should we be denied the options to make these same kinds of choices when it comes to what we feed ourselves and our families?

It is my hope that the Bush administration will realize the error of their ways and relent from their ridiculous opposition to increased food safety measures. However, I know this is unlikely so I am left trusting that the courts will continue to see the correct side of the situation and reaffirm their support for Creekstone. But on a larger scale, I am sincerely hopeful that our presidential candidates in the upcoming election will take a look at the issue of food safety and will express support for creating a federal food safety program that looks out for consumers instead of companies and has the funding necessary to give Americans a food supply we can all feel good about.

greatest. idea. ever.

Sorry for the lapse in posts, I was in Vegas. For my take on Vegas, you can see this post. But back to food. This isn't going to be a long post, but I couldn't let this slip by me. So apparently the National Press Club is hosting a benefit that will give individuals the opportunity to serve as a sous chef to one of DC's top chefs.

I don't know about you, but this would be like a dream come true. Sadly, it is $250 and therefore a bit out of price range for yours truly, but I think this is a really neat idea. With an increasing focus on food and cooking in our society and so many more people becoming interested in haute cuisine and celebrity chefs, this is a smart smart way for a charity to raise money. Also, if anyone is looking for ideas for a REALLY early Christmas present...

...just kidding. Mostly.

restaurant review: Cork Wine Bar

So in keeping with my promise to be more vigilant in writing about wine, it seemed fitting to provide a review based on my recent trip to Cork Wine Bar in the Logan Circle area. Open since late January, Cork is still relatively new in the DC restaurant scene and seems to have a fair amount of buzz attached to it. Nearly every review I had read prior to going was positive and, as someone who loves wine and food, I was excited about dining at Cork.

First Impressions: The first thing I noticed when I walked in the door was the size. Cork is small. It's not a huge space by any means and while there is more space than initially meets the eye, it's certainly a tiny place. The second thing I noticed when I walked in was the noise. It was 8:15 on a Friday night and I had an extremely difficult time conversing with my dinner companion who was only about 10 inches from me as we stood waiting for our table. And, sadly, the noise factor was no better when we were seated. Our table was in the small upstairs dining area and the pressed tin ceilings, bare walls, hardwood floors, and table of inconsiderate fools next to us made for a dinner that involved far too many instances of having to repeat something. Memo to self: this is not a place for a romantic or intimate dinner.

Drink Options: I have to say that I didn't even ask or care about beer or mixed drinks here. When you're at a restaurant with a name like Cork, wine is pretty much the focus. Also, I pretty much only gave the wines by the bottle list a passing glance. Unless I'm with a large group of people, bottled wines are a tough sell for me since I like having the option to try a number of different wines in the course of an evening. Cork provides a generous 20 wines by the glass. They focus exclusively on Old World wines - meaning European wines only - with the selection coming from France, Italy, and Spain only, save for one German Riesling. This isn't necessarily a bad thing but it does limit the list in two ways (in my opinion).

First, it makes for a list that is generally higher priced. Most of the wines by the glass are between $8 and $11. While this is not horribly exorbitant, adding a few New World wines would provide more options at $6 or $7 a glass which is generally helpful in getting someone to try a new grape or style of wine. The second fault I have with not providing some more variety in the wines is that it creates a list that often highlights wines that are very similar with a few slight nuances. Sauvignon blancs from Bordeaux or Sancerre taste very different from the ones produced in New Zealand, Chile, or California. But, the owners of the restaurant said in several interviews that they wanted to focus on Old World wines and so far be it from me to dispute that desire. I can say that there are a number of fantastic wines on the list. I was particularly pleased to see several great whites from the Loire Valley in France and one of my favorite white wines from Bordeaux (white Bordeaux is not on many lists and that's a shame).

The Food: The menu at Cork is a collection of hot and cold plates that are meant to be shared. During the course of the evening, we tried 4 items: two hot plates and two cold. I think we probably would have tried more or at least gotten to some desserts, but unfortunately the noise level was such that dining became a nerve-wracking and frustrating experience. But that's a different issue so back to the food. For our cold plates we tried the house marinated olives and the roasted eggplant. The olives were fantastic. As someone that adores all olives I was pleased to see a nice variety of truly good black and green olives. The marinade is light and the sprinkling of herbs on top adds a bright note to the pungent and salty olives. The eggplant was also good, but not great. The roasted eggplant was diced finely and mixed with chili and mint. It was served with grilled bread and a tangle of thinly sliced and caramelized onions. The sweet onions worked well with the earthy eggplant and the crusty bread. However, I do think the mint and chili flavors could have been stronger. The mint came through in the eggplant alone but was easily overpowered by the onions when it was all piled on the grilled bread slices. As for the chili, I didn't taste it at all in this dish.

For the hot plates, we got the duck confit and the pan-roasted chicken breast. The duck came on a bed of mushroom polenta and with a serving of some sauteed bitter greens (maybe arugula?) on the side. First of all, let me address another issue with Cork here. The portion sizes are small. Very tiny. In fact, they made us think of the Citi Card commercial where a couple gets reservations at an exclusive restaurant and, upon the arrival of the food, the guy looks at his plate and says "It's like elf food." All of the plates are small portions. Which isn't necessarily a bad thing. Who doesn't love tapas? But at $14 for a plate of duck confit that was about half the size of what was on the plate during restaurant weekend at T's, I was a bit let down.

Aside from the size, this dish was merely okay in my opinion. Duck confit is always delicious (as is pretty much anything involving duck fat) but this was a bit bland. Even a few grinds of black pepper would have perked this up a bit. Also, this dish fell prey to one of my big pet peeves: a lack of contrast in flavors. The rich duck was paired with a rich and creamy polenta and only a small amount of greens to contrast. Something as decadent as duck confit, in my opinion is best paired with clean flavors that don't compete but rather highlight and compliment the richness of the duck. The dish ended up feeling a bit too rich and almost overly indulgent.

The chicken was definitely lighter tasting. It was lightly pan roasted and paired with a mix of sauteed greens, prunes, olives, preserved lemon and a garlic-tarragon jus. The mix of greens, prunes, olives and lemon was extremely tasty and the jus was nice and savory although I didn't really get the flavor of tarragon since the garlic is a bit strong. Unfortunately the chicken breast itself was not as outstanding. While it did have a nice brown bit of skin on it that made for a pleasingly crisp contrast to the moist chicken breast, I felt like this was another dish that needed some help in the seasoning department. The only seasoning I could detect on the chicken was salt...a lot of salt. And I feel confident in saying that my wine was not overpowering the food since I was drinking a clean white Bordeaux that I've had paired with far more adventurously spiced foods. This was an instance where the accompaniments (the greens, olives, prunes and lemon) easily outshone the main feature of the dish. Fortunately, it's something that can easily be corrected. Getting a roast chicken breast to have a nice brown crust and still be moist can be hard, adding some spice is pretty simple.

Overall: Considering all factors I would give the dining experience at Cork a 2.5 out of 5.

The positives: The wine list is solid and the service was pleasant. Nothing I had to eat was terrible and I think a few dishes could easily be taken from good to great with just a bit of adjustment.

The negatives: I found the food to be overpriced for the portion size, nothing I ate really wowed me, and the noise was extremely unpleasant. I would have loved to have a third glass of wine and try some more food or even dessert but the atmosphere didn't promote relaxation. I am tempted to write this off as an anomaly based on the fact that it was a Friday and that the table next to us was quite loud and obnoxious, but numerous other reviews have commented on the noise level so I fear this is the norm.

On the whole, I think Cork would be a good place to stop in for a glass or two of wine, a small bite, maybe some dessert, or even to bring a group. It is not well suited to romantic or intimate dinners and I wouldn't suggest going with someone you plan on talking to much (but a boring friend or relative might be the perfect companion here!) since it can be a strain on the ears. My best assessment of Cork is that it's a smaller, louder, less Spanish, more expensive version of Jaleo with a better wine list.

wine recommendation: cono sur vision pinot noir

So one thing that I feel I've kind of neglected in this space is writing about wine. There are a number of reasons why I haven't written much about it but that is neither here nor there. The larger point is that I plan to make a more concerted effort to write (at least a little something) about the wines I try. With that in mind, I want to take a moment from my day to wax poetic about a lovely wine that came into my life this weekend.

As with so many good wines, I discovered this one at a Food Matters tasting. Having written in both DCist and (more extensively) this blog about the Food Matters tastings and my love for Christy and her incredibly fun, relaxed and welcoming way of teaching people about wine, I will spare you the recap (if you aren't familiar, read the previous pieces to get some background) of what a tasting there is like. Instead, I just want to recognize a fantastic wine I was introduced to at a tasting this past weekend.

The tasting was focused on Chilean wines and, not having tasted many wines from Chile before, I wasn't entirely sure what to expect. Would there be a signature grape (like malbec has become for Argentina)? Or would it be grapes that I recognize? Turns out it was a mix of both. Carmenere is a signature grape for Chile, however, we also tasted a sauvignon blanc, a pinot noir, and a cabernet sauvignon. All of the five wines we tasted were interesting, and I found two of them to be excellent, two to be good, and one I didn't particularly like. Of the two that were excellent, one was so astonishingly good for the price that I feel compelled to share.

The second wine we tasted was a Cono Sur pinot noir from their Vision line. I will admit that when I looked at the tasting notes and saw the price of the wine was about $15 a bottle I was prepared to have a decent pinot but nothing earth shattering. Due to it's burst of popularity in the last few years (thanks a lot Sideways), good pinot noir has gotten pricey. Most of the good bottles I've had have been between $25 and $45 a bottle. There has been the occasional $20 bottle that has been good, but those were usually bottles that had been marked down.

All of that just goes to say that I am not prepared to see a decent pinot noir for under $20. So when Christy poured this wine, I was prepared for it to be drinkable, enjoyable, but not amazing. Once I smelled it though, I started to get excited. The smell was heavy on fruit but with a bit of spice and a pleasing warmth and smoothness. If it tasted anything like it smelled then I had just found a new wine to love. Once I took my first sip, I was shocked. I had to check the price again to make sure I'd read it correctly. The wine was incredibly smooth and warm without a lot of the big, assertive tannins that a lot of American pinots have. This wine was incredibly elegant and complex but at the same time extremely drinkable and could easily be enjoyed without food or with light hors d'oeuvres.

So that's my wine recommendation for this week. An extremely smooth and complex wine for a fantastic price. It's listed as $14.99 but I've seen it online for as low as $12 a bottle. Shipping cost brings the price up to at least $15 so you're probably better off picking it up locally unless you want to order a whole case.

Enjoy!

news

I just wanted to make the announcement that I have been given the opportunity to be a food writer for the DCist blog. My first post went up yesterday.

It just goes to show that if you obsess enough about something, you just might get to write about it and even have people read it and care.

summertime...and the livin' is easy

Okay, so it's not quite summer. In fact, it's only April and this morning weather.com told me that the temp was 42 degrees. However, there have been a few days of late that felt like a hint of summer come early. And so what better way to celebrate the occurrence than with a meal fit for balmy nights and al fresco dining?

I find that some of my favorite meals are meals that are associated with summer. I think this is because, growing up in Florida, summer meant long, lazy nights of eating dinners outside with my parents by the pool, drinking wine, and talking for hours. Everything I loved about living on the Gulf Coast can be summed up in those nights: warm weather, soft breezes, fresh seafood, and a life that was just more relaxed and uncomplicated. Or at least it seemed uncomplicated while sitting outside with great food and wine. So needless to say, anytime the thermostat creeps above 70 degrees, I get to missing life on the coast and feel a need to recreate it. Sadly, I can't bring the soft gulf breezes, white sand, and emerald water up to DC. But I can do my best to recreate the flavors of the cuisine.

To create a meal that would remind me of summer on the Emerald Coast, I wanted, naturally, to use seafood as the centerpiece and compliment it with some intense flavor. I chose sea scallops because their light, sweet flavor would be the perfect base for some of the bolder tastes I planned on using. I started by mincing two serrano chiles and tossing them with some salt, paprika, black pepper and olive oil. I let the scallops "marinate" in this mixture while I worked on prepping the rest of the meal. I knew I wanted to wrap the scallops in bacon so I decided to cook the bacon until it had rendered some fat but was still pliable enough to be wrapped around the scallops. Once the bacon was halfway-cooked, I removed it to some paper towels to absorb the excess grease.

At the store I had picked up an orange bell pepper, a yellow heirloom tomato, some baby arugula, an avocado, and some watercress. I tossed the bell pepper over the open flame of one of the stove burners until the skin was charred. Once the skin was completely blackened, I placed the bell pepper in a bowl and covered it with some plastic wrap to let it steam and loosen the skin. Meanwhile, I tossed the arugula and watercress with some vinaigrette and plated it. After the pepper was done steaming, I rinsed it under cold water to remove the skin, took out the seeds and ribs, and then chopped the roasted flesh and placed it on top of the greens. To that I added some sliced avocado.

But I wasn't entirely sure what to do with the tomato. I have a good number of food quirks (I hate celery) and one of them is that I hate raw tomato in green salads. I don't mind it in Insalata Caprese or tossed with some red onion, feta, olive oil, and balsamic vinegar. However, nothing bothers me more than chunks of raw tomato on a green salad. So I knew that I wanted to cook the tomato. I sliced it and set it aside, figuring I'd know what to do with it when the time came.

Once the salad was ready, I went to finish the scallops. I drained all but a tablespoon or two of the bacon fat from the frying pan and set it over medium heat. I removed the scallops from the olive oil and chile marinade (reserving the oil and chile mixture) and wrapped them with the bacon and then slid them onto skewers. I laid the skewers in the pan and cooked them until the scallops had browned nicely on each side and were just cooked through (about 4 minutes on the first side and about 3 minutes on the second side). I removed the scallops from the pan and plated them alongside the salad.

With the scallops done, I deglazed the pan with a little bit of beer and then tossed in the tomatoes and the reserved olive oil and minced chiles. I sauteed this mixture until the tomatoes were tender but still retained their shape and the beer had reduced into a spicy chili glaze. I plated the tomatoes and spooned the sauce over the scallops. The final accompaniment to the meal was some sliced baguette toasted with raclette cheese melted on top.

Despite the fact that it was created on the fly and without a real recipe for guidance, this meal is one of my new favorites. The sweet scallops work perfectly with the salty, crisp bacon and the spicy sauce. And the light salad, sauteed tomatoes, and cheese bread were the perfect additions. I will definitely be recreating this meal again.

So even though the mercury has returned to late winter-ish temperatures, this meal was a great way to take advantage of the small summer preview we got. And more than that it was a fantastic way to be transported back home to the Emerald Coast.

restaurant weekend: a recap

So after having eaten out for January restaurant week and having been extremely underwhelmed by the experience, Tahir proposed the idea of doing a restaurant week type event of his own. This would involve inviting guests, asking them each to pay $30 (the same cost as restaurant week minus tax and tip) and providing them an extremely upscale menu with some choices. This weekend was when it all came together.

First of all, the menu:

Amuse bouche of Foie Gras and Grape Chutney

Course 1: Salad of Duck Confit with Sherry Poached Pear and Honey-champagne Vinaigrette or Saffron Scented Parsnip Soup with Butternut Squash Coulis

Course 2: Horseradish Crusted Rack of Lamb with Baby Arugula, Sauteed Langoustines, and Cherry Gastrique or White Truffle Risotto with Gulf Shrimp Fondue

Course 3: Pineapple Creme Brulee or Profiteroles with Coffee Ice Cream and Bailey's Irish Cream Chocolate Sauce

That menu seems ambitious and, let me tell you, it was. I was fortunate enough to get to serve as sous chef for the event and the amount of preparation that went into it was daunting. And I was only involved in part of it. I would also like to note that, for anyone who has ever been to a party where T and I were cooking and seen the usual chaos that occurs in his kitchen, this was a MUCH smoother affair. This may have been because of some advance prep, a smaller number of people to cook for, the fact that T and I are just getting to be better cooks or a once-in-a-century alignment of the planets but, regardless, it was unusually relaxed and on time.

Amuse Bouche
The literal French translation of this term is something that "amuses the mouth". In a more practical sense, an amuse bouche is a one to two bite mini-dish that is serve before the hors d'oeuvre or first course of a meal. It was popularized with the rise of Nouvelle Cuisine and is generally used to both excite the diner's palate in anticipation of the meal and also explain something about the chef's approach to cooking.

That said, the amuse bouche for this meal was a decadent and flavorful course that hinted at the meal that was to come. The foundation for it was thick cut slices of baguette that I removed the crusts from and brushed with olive oil on both sides. I baked them at 300 degrees (relatively low) to ensure that they became crisp all the way through and turned slightly golden from the oil. Once the hot slices of baguette came out of the oven, I rubbed them with raw garlic. The hot bread takes a lot of the oil out of the garlic and creates a garlic scented bread that is flavorful without being overpowering. The next layer was slices of seared foie gras which, alone, would have created a delicious but almost overly-rich course. To balance the decadent richness of the foie gras, T made a light and refreshing grape chutney. A dollop of the grape chutney, a pinch of lemon and orange zest and a small amount of smoked salt were the finishing touches. The final result was an amuse bouche that had a rich and buttery foundation with a fruity and refreshing accompaniment. This alternately extravagant and sparklingly clean course was, to me, the perfect summation of T's approach to the rest of the menu.

Course 1

Salad of Duck Confit with Sherry Poached Pear and Honey-Champagne Vinaigrette
This salad is not for the faint of heart or appetite. It's an impressive plate with a lot going in terms of both flavor and portion size. Confit is a method of preserving a meat in it's own fat and is most common with duck. This preserves the meat but also creates a brown, flavorful crust when seared in a hot pan, which is exactly how this was cooked. I rubbed the legs of duck with a blend of paprika, cayenne, salt, and pepper and then seared them on each side in a hot pan.

The rest of this composed salad consisted of sliced pear that had been poached in a mixture of white wine, ruby port, sugar, and star anise (a change from the sherry planned on the menu that, while last minute, turned out to be excellent) and torn leaves of butter lettuce and escarole that had been tossed in a honey champagne vinaigrette. This vinaigrette was my special addition to this dish since I randomly concocted it in an attempt to find a sweet and light dressing to balance the acidity of goat cheese in a salad. It has since become a staple of my repertoire and is probably my favorite dressing.

Saffron Scented Parsnip Soup with Butternut Squash Coulis
This soup was probably, in terms of presentation and taste, among the most simple items on the menu but that simplicity did not make it any less delicious or satisfying. The soup itself was a puree of parsnip, carrot, and celery that had been cooked in chicken stock. Once the vegetables were tender, T pureed them with an immersion blender and then to round out the flavor and add some richness a splash of whole milk was incorporated. Saffron was tossed in at the last minute to provide a light flavor and earthy scent. Topping the soup was a coulis of pureed butternut squash that was flavored by simmering it with some whole allspice for a bit. I garnished the bowls of soup with sprigs of fresh tarragon and then they were set. Although it sounds simple in comparison to the salad, this was a velvety soup that was warm, fragrant, and comforting. This is a soup I would easily eat on a cold winter day with a piece of good bread and be perfectly content with nothing more.

Course 2

Horseradish Crusted Rack of Lamb with Baby Arugula, Sauteed Langoustines, and Cherry Gastrique
This main dish probably had the most stunning presentation of any of the courses and has accomplished the near impossible by dethroning 1789 from it's long-held spot as the best lamb I've ever had. For anyone who says they don't like lamb, I would encourage them to try a truly great preparation of lamb and then get back to me. The majority of people I talk to who say they don't like lamb say that it is tough or that it tastes too gamey. This rack of lamb had zero gamey flavor and was more tender than most filet mignon.

The lamb was complimented by a rich and flavorful crust consisting of two layers. First there was a rub of spices (cumin, coriander, pepper, allspice, cayenne, paprika) and then the racks of lamb were seared in oil just to brown each side. Next they were slathered with a mixture of creamed horseradish, cayenne, paprika, salt and pepper and finished in the oven. The oven finished the lamb to a perfect medium rare while turning the horseradish mixture into a spicy crust. The lamb was served alongside baby arugula that had been tossed with lemon juice and langoustines that were sauteed in butter. Finishing the dish was a light and incredibly flavorful gastrique made from blackberries since cherries were not available. I hope T will get the pictures Andrea took up on his blog if for nothing else than this dish. I think the presentation was beautiful and it was an incredibly striking dish. Kudos to him on a fantastic plating.

White Truffle Risotto with Gulf Shrimp Fondue
Not counting the desserts, this was probably the richest dish on the menu. And with a menu that includes duck confit and foie gras, that's saying something. This dish also had a fairly involved preparation that, while time consuming, resulted in a very complex combination of flavors. T started this one by cleaning and deveining the shrimp but saving the heads and tails. The heads and tails were put into a hot pan with olive oil and sauteed until they turned pink. Then chopped shallots, lemongrass, and fennel seed were added. Then came sherry that was added and reduced until almost all of the liquid had evaporated ("a sec" for those wanting to keep up on their French cooking terminology). This was then repeated with vermouth. Once the vermouth had reduced, a generous amount of chopped tomatoes were added and the shrimp heads and tails were simmered in the tomato liquid until a rich stock was starting to form. This mixture was then partially pureed and pushed through a chinoise to extract the rich and flavorful stock. Meanwhile, tomatoes, shallots, and garlic were cooked in olive oil to create a tomato "fondue" that would be combined with the stock to create a sauce for the shrimp.

All of that took place hours before the risotto was to be served and was set aside. When it came time to create the actual risotto itself, the aborio rice was cooked into a basic risotto using chicken stock for the liquid. Once the risotto was done, a sprinkling of chopped parsley and copious amounts of truffle butter were incorporated into the rice. The shrimp themselves were sauteed lightly but not cooked all the way through. The stock and the tomato fondue were combined and simmered until slightly thickened. Then two table spoons of butter were added in to create rich, glaze-like sauce. Finally the shrimp were added to the sauce (where they finished cooking) along with a handful of finely chopped herbs (parsley, tarragon, and chives). I plated this dish as a take on the Southern classic combination of shrimp and grits by putting the creamy risotto down as a base, mounding the shrimp on top, and then spoon the rich sauce over the shrimp. The final touch was a light drizzle of white truffle oil.

Course 3

Since dessert is very much something I try to stay away from preparing (baking involves way too much measuring and paying attention for my taste), I am only going to summarize the third course by saying that both items were incredibly delicious. I trust that T will go into more detail about the preparation on his blog. Regardless of the preparation details, each dish was fantastic.

Pineapple Creme Brulee
I had the creme brulee the first night and the light taste of pineapple was a surprising and welcome addition to the usually rich taste of custard and T's new torch created a perfectly caramelized sugar crust.

Profiteroles with Coffee Ice Cream and Bailey's Irish Cream Chocolate Sauce
Sunday night I had the profiteroles and, despite our difficulty in making the caramel that formed the base of the Bailey's infused chocolate sauce (note: when sugar gets hot enough to melt, plastic will also melt), this dish was a delicious blend of cool, warm, and light. The profiteroles were soft and light, the coffee ice cream cool and refreshing, and the warm Bailey's chocolate sauce was smooth and decadent.

In summation, this will go down as one of the best meals I've ever eaten and certainly one of the best I've ever prepared. I am grateful for the opportunity to have been involved and also would love to say thank you to all who attended and let T and I use them as guinea pigs for our ultimate dream of one day opening a restaurant.

off the beaten path: wine tasting outside the box in alexandria

When you first walk into the tasting room for a wine tasting at Food Matters in Alexandria, you feel as though you are about to sit down to an intimate dinner among friends. The tasting room is a bright space with floor to ceiling windows that flood the large table in the center of the room with afternoon sun. Each taster sits down to a place with a water glass and four wine glasses. Christy Przystawik, one of the owners of Food Matters and facilitator for the tastings, places tasting notes and pens at each seat.

The tasting notes are the first indicator that you are not at a dinner party but rather are about to receive an education in wine. However, it’s important not to let the detailed notes and maps fool you – wine tasting at Food Matters is not a stuffy, formal, or uptight experience. Christy says that she tries to “give people a forum in which they can relax and taste wine. Make it nice but don't let people get stuffy about it and don't be a snob.”

This emphasis on creating an environment where people feel comfortable is evident in the fact that tasters are seated close together around the table and the hors d’oeuvres prepared by chef Tom Przystawik (Christy’s husband and co-owner of Food Matters) are placed in the center of the table and passed around family-style, forcing guests to interact with one another and helping to stimulate conversation. Although the focus of the tasting experience is on the wine, food lovers will be thrilled with the simple but incredibly fresh and delicious spread. Both Tom and Christy were chefs at Café Atlántico before opening Food Matters, so the food is always thoughtfully prepared and beautifully presented.

Once the food is on the table, it’s time to focus on the wine. Christy begins by explaining the basics about the wines, including: the grapes used and what they contribute to the wine, the characteristics of the soil, which years have been especially good, etc. Tastings at Food Matters allow guests to sample wines, thoughtfully chosen by Christy to highlight different characteristics of a particular grape, region or variety while covering a range of prices. Wines can range from $12 a bottle up to $50. Fortunately, Christy is not shy about letting tasters know that sometimes the most expensive wines aren’t necessarily the best nor are they always her favorites (a fact that is comforting in an economy with gas prices approaching $4 a gallon).

Once the wine is poured, Christy’s philosophy on relaxed wine tasting takes over. There is very little wine jargon used – in fact, she describes one wine as having “a funk that I really like.” She encourages guests share their opinions and impressions of the wines, no matter how unsophisticated or rudimentary. You are unlikely to hear anyone say that a wine tastes like lingonberries and beechwood or that the bouquet is a piquant blend of hyacinth and grass. Instead the talk turns to how the taste of the wine compares to the smell, how well a wine exemplifies common characteristics of a particular vintage or grape, and what kinds of meals would best be complimented by the wines selected.

This is where the hors d’oeuvres come in handy. Guests are also encouraged to sip the wines with the food presented and get a feel for the interaction of the flavors. Christy says, “I find [that] people are intimidated by…how to pair food and wine. At each of our tastings we pair food with the wine, giving people several ideas that they can use in the future.”

To explain the importance of pairing wine and food, she says, “To me food and wine are like two people in a relationship. Each can be enjoyed [alone] but the beauty of each is reflected in the other. To be clear, they do not complete one another but rather stand together in their individuality.”

It is this kind of thoughtful attitude towards food and wine that makes Food Matters a unique place. Part-restaurant, part-wine shop, and part-prepared foods shop, the space is bright and airy with no sense of pretension about it. Guests have the feeling that they are being welcomed into Tom and Christy’s home. It’s not uncommon to see Christy’s parents (also part-owners) helping out. One day Christy’s dad is pouring wines for a tasting and explaining his thoughts on French Viognier, the next he may be bringing food to your table.

It’s clear that Food Matters is a long way from working at Café Atlántico. When asked what motivated the Przystawiks to set out on their own and open Food Matters, Christy says, “Short answer – eventually you want to work for yourself. Also, we had a hard time reconciling the use of some the ingredients there given the weather and seasonality of our area. These are very important to us now.” That focus on seasonality is apparent in the menu at Food Matters – as many of the ingredients as possible are sourced locally and the menu is designed to celebrate and reflect the seasons of the Washington area.

While the food is certainly reason enough to make the journey off the beaten path to visit Food Matters in the Cameron Station neighborhood of Alexandria, the wine is a separate and equally compelling force all its own. The small selection of wines available here for sale (make no mistake, this is not a place to come if you are looking for hundreds or thousands of labels) are all personally chosen by Christy. When asked what she looks for in choosing wines to sell she says that she places an emphasis on how well a wine represents the region, grape, or style and also tries to search for value which she defines as “a wine that tastes like where it’s from or presents a new approach that works, all for a reasonable price.”

She also tries to present a variety of labels and wines that guests may have never encountered. “People walk into the wine retail section of Food Matters and say, ‘I just don't recognize most of these labels.’ I take that as a compliment. I don't want you to find our wines at your local grocery store. Stick around and you'll get to know them. We rotate our wines by the glass list regularly so that the wine that you fell in love with while sitting at the bar can later be found on the retail shelf.”

It is this desire to be different, not for the sake of difference, but because of a desire to give people something truly unique and enjoyable – be that in the form of a locally sourced meal or a Chilean wine that no one else is stocking on the shelves – that is the heart of everything Food Matters does. And it is their ability to achieve this with none of the air of carefully calculated novelty some restaurants possess that keeps people coming back. So whether you are looking for great food, great wine, or an education in both, Food Matters is worth a visit.

Food Matters is located at 4906 Brenman Park Drive in Cameron Station in Alexandria. You can find them on the web at www.foodmattersva.com. Wine tastings are available by reservation. Cost is $15 per person for 4 wines with hors d’oeuvres. Guests also receive a 10% discount when they buy bottles of any of the wines served in the tasting. To get news about tastings, dinners, and other events at Food Matters, you can e-mail info@foodmattersva.com or call 703.461.3663.