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.

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.

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.