17th Dinner Club: Asian Fusion Menu & Recipes
13-Sep-2005
Friday night M2 got her first chance to host the cooking club and she did a beautiful job! Our theme for the night was Asian Fusion. As we’ve seen with other menus some ingredients seem to keep popping up throughout the offerings – more on that in the summary! Here’s what everyone contributed:
- Appetizer: Crab Lemongrass Tartlets
- Cocktail: Cucumber, Ginger and Sake Sangria
- Salad: Arugula Salad with Lemongrass Vinaigrette and Goat Cheese
- Main: Grilled Halibut wit Cilantro-Lime Butter from "Pacific Northwest Palate: Four Seasons of Great Cooking"
- Side: Crazy Coconut Noodle Toss from "Chopstix"
- Dessert: East-West Ginger Cake with Cardamon Cream
17th Dinner Club: Asian Fusion Summary
17th Dinner Club: Asian Fusion Summary
13-Sep-2005
It was a warm evening in Seattle, but the feel of fall was in the air. We made our way to M2’s cozy apartment bringing our various Asian-Fusion offerings. I arrived rudely early – traffic was not nearly what it should have been for a Friday night with a Mariners’ game due to start at 7:00 But M2 was ready and graciously allowed me in! :-) The rest of the group arrived shortly after and the festivities began.
A couple of comments about this meal. First, M2 had her recipe posted early on and others seem to follow suit so it seemed like there was really good coordination of this meal. Lemongrass seemed to be the ingredient of the day – two of the recipes featured it prominently and I actually changed my dessert recipe since what I had originally picked out also featured Lemongrass. A common ingredient has been something we’ve seen before and it can add a nice theme throughout the meal but, as you know, it could also be a bit of a one-note experience if you are not careful Finally, each of us commented on how simple/easy our individual offerings were to make. Not sure if that is a reflection of the theme or just what we each chose. Anyway, each element of this meal worked really well with all the other elements and since each piece was so easy this would be a great meal for entertaining.
We started with a great combination of rich and clean – the Crab Lemongrass Tartlets being amazingly rich but the Sake Sangria being perfectly cleansing! It was a great combination. The tartlets were crabby, rich with cream and eggs, yet you could taste the lighter element of the lemongrass. The cucumber and the ginger in the sangria were light and refreshing. One of the best things about it, was that R was able to make up a pitcher ahead of time and then just serve it as we requested a glass (or two…) without having to leave the party. Wonderful!
K’s salad was another wonderful combination of peppery arugula, tart goat cheese and and a spicy lemongrass concoction.
Simple yet tasty this salad was perfect alongside our main meal. And it coordinated so nicely with the table setting, too! (See the photo in the Menu and Recipe post.)
This salad is extremely versatile and would be great accompanying just about anything from a steak to a pasta dish.
M2 and M plated the halibut and Crazy Coconut Noodle Toss on the same plate. M2 had selected beautiful thick halibut steaks for our meal. They were first marinated in a simple combination of soy, ginger and sesame oil. After perfectly broiling the fish it was sauced with a bright green, fresh cilantro-lime pesto. Perfection! The fish was really lovely both with and without the pesto.
We gave M a bit of a bad time about the name of her side dish, but that was only until we had our first bite! She used a fettuccine noodle instead of the spaghetti the recipe specifies but I think it was a better choice. The vegetables and herbs mixed with the noodles was light and refreshing but the coconut milk added an element of luxuriousness to the dish. These two dishes seemed like they were planned by the same chef seeking flavors, colors and textures that enhanced as well as delighted the palate.
At this point we were really stuffed. It’s amazing how a series of rather light feeling dishes can still fill you up! We waited a bit for dessert but finally had to get to it before we all fell asleep at the table! I liked this dish as it was sort of an Asian version of gingerbread. The candied ginger and cardamom cream lending an Eastern influence and a lighter texture to the normally robust gingerbread. However, I’m not positive that I would make it again. Mostly because the flavors are not necessarily what an average group of dinner companions might expect or appreciate. I think that candied ginger is a bit of an acquired taste and it is defintely prevalent in this dessert.
Overall I’d say this was one of our best coordinated meals! We talked about how we’ve often picked one recipe or another to duplicate but in this case we could all see replicating this entire meal! I’d say that was quite a success!
Chocolate Cabernet Torte
11-Sep-2005
While I normally don’t post recipes that are only available from a cookbook, in respect for the authors, I’m breaking my rule today. This cake was so very good and I’m hoping that by trying it out you’ll be inspired to purchase the book!
This was the torte I made for this last Wine Blogging Wednesday. I only made 1/2 recipe, as this turned out to be a dessert filled week for me. The torte is so rich that even 1/2 recipe would easily provide dessert for 8 people at a dinner party. When I decided to just do a 1/2 recipe I wanted to keep the dimensions, especially the height, comparable to the original recipe so I had to bring out some skills I hadn’t used in quite some time – determining volume of the pan suggested for the full cake and then converting for the half size. I found a site that was really useful that listed the formulas for determining volume and then also had a calculator to help you out.
Chocolate Cabernet Torte
from Pure Chocolate, Fran Bigelow, p.73
1 1/2 cups Cabernet or Cabernet-Merlot blend wine
3 Tbsp plus 1/4 cup sugar
1 pound bittersweet chocolate, 70% cacao, finely chopped
1 cup heavy cream
6 large eggs
dark cocoa powder for decoration
Creme Anglais for serving
Position a rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325° F. Butter a 9-inch round cake pan (preferably flared) and line with a parchment circle.
In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, combine the Cabernet and 3 Tbsp of sugar. Bring to a simmer and cook until reduced to 3 Tbsp, about 20 – 25 minutes. (Note: This actually took me about 45 minutes, but I may have had the mix at too low of a simmer or perhaps should have used a wider pan.) Stay nearby and keep adjusting the heat downward to maintain the lowest simmer. You want to avoid any boiling since the wine can evaporate and scorch, throwing the flavor off, especially in the last 5 to 10 minutes. Set aside to cool.
In a double boiler melt the chocolate over low heat. Remove when nearly melted and continue stirring until smooth. Return it to the double boiler only briefly if it begins to thicken too much.
Whip cream to soft peaks and set aside in the refrigerator.
In the bowl of an electric mixer, combine the eggs with the remaining 1/4 cup sugar and the cooled Cabernet syrup. Pour 1 inch water into a medium skillet and bring to a simmer. Place the mixing bowl in the pan of water, stirring with a rubber spatula until the mixture is warm, about 110° F.
Wipe off the bottom and place the mixing bowl on the mixer fitted with a whisk attachment. Beat at medium-high speed, increasing to high speed until the egg mixture is pale in color, tripled in volume, and holds soft peaks, 5 to 6 minutes.
Remove the bowl fro the stand. Using a rubber spatula, gently fold in the melted chocolate. The mixture will deflate to about half its original volume. Fold the chilled whipped cream into the chocolate mixture until no visible traced of cream remain.
Pour the batter into the pan and bake for 40 minutes, or until a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean. The center should just be set. Let cool in pan for 30 minutes.
To remove from the pan, run a thin-bladed knife around the edge of the cake. Turn the cake out onto a serving plate or 9-inch cardboard cake circle and cool completely before removing parchment paper.
To serve, remove the parchment. Using a small sieve, dust the top of the torte with cocoa powder. Pour the Creme Anglais onto a dessert plate or bowl and serve a piece of the torte atop it.
Can be stored at room temperature up to 3 days, with cut edges protected.
WBW #13: Like Wine for Chocolate
07-Sep-2005
Well, this is Wine Blogging Wednesday but it almost seems like the focus is on the cake, more than the wine! Not really, I guess, but I did get caught up in the cake. Clotilde is the host this month and her challenge was for us to pick a wine that would pair well with a cake recipe posted on her site. Well, I glanced a bit at that recipe but decided instead that this was a really good excuse for me to try one of the many recipes I’ve been drooling over in Fran Bigelow’s cookbook, Pure Chocolate. It was the same idea – a dense, chocolaty cake – but the one I chose had a bit of an advantage. There was wine in the recipe!
I decided to make Fran’s Chocolate Cabernet Torte – doesn’t that just sound great? The recipe calls for bittersweet chocolate (I used Callebaut Bittersweet) and 1 1/2 cups of Cabernet or a Cabernet blend that gets a little sugar added to it and then is reduced to just 3 Tablespoons! It’s a flourless cake and I will try to post the recipe a bit later. The ingredient list is short but the instructions are long and I won’t have time to post them tonight.
For the wine I chose Kestrel Vintners Drop Dead Red, 2nd edition. Okay, now this is really odd. My bottle is called Drop Dead Red, but when I look up this wine on their site it’s called Lady in Red and it shows the exact same bottle and label except that where mine says Drop Dead Red their’s says Lady in Red! I wish I had seen this a couple weeks ago. I originally came across this wine a year or so ago while scanning the wine selection at Costco. The label catches your eye and upon further examination I noticed that this was from Kestrel, one of my favorite Washington wineries. They mostly produce high-end, big luscious wines and so I was interested in seeing what this second label wine priced at about $15 would be like. Once I tasted it, I went back for more! And it’s become one of my "house" wines – I try to keep a couple bottles around as it’s good enough for company but also fits my "have a little glass on the deck" expectations. Anyway, a couple of weeks ago while shopping at Costco, Kestrel was there selling some of their higher end wines at great prices – just a one shot opportunity that I took advantage of. And I spoke at some length with the guy (I didn’t think to ask exactly who he was) about this wine. If only I’d known that it had two names! I would have liked to know why. Anyway, either way it’s become a personal favorite. (I wonder if I should hold on to this bottle??)
So tonight, I whipped up my torte (actually it took a little time), and then waited for it to cool so that I could have a little slice along with a glass of the wine. I loved the idea of the reduced and concentrated wine flavoring the cake!
Finally the time came to sample my creation. First a bit of the cake… dense, dark chocolate; moist; with just a hint of cherry from the wine. I was a little disappointed that the flavor wasn’t a bit stronger. Then I took a sip of wine and WOW! The resonance of the flavor was amazing! I couldn’t believe how the sip of wine brought out the fruit in the cake and the cake brought out a hint of chocolate in the wine. I had to stop myself at one small piece of cake and one glass of wine – the combination could be addicting! But I had a blog entry to write up and a busy day of meetings tomorrow. No time to waste indulging in red wine and chocolate torte!
The wine is a non-vintage blend of Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc and a touch of Malbec. All grapes are from Kestral Vineyards in Yakima Valley. This wine is a deep, deep ruby color with lots of cherry and a hint of chocolate. There’s also a bit of cedar but just a light note, the fruit still takes center stage.
This is really a lovely wine – with or without the cake – and you can’t beat the price! The 3rd edition was released in May and should be out on the shelves for you to check out.
Local Hurricane Benefit @ Palace Ballroom
07-Sep-2005
From the Tom Douglas Newsletter:
HURRICANE RELIEF RECEPTION
TO BENEFIT AMERICA’S SECOND HARVEST
Thursday, September 29, 2005
7 p.m. – 11 p.m.
Palace Ballroom
2100 5th Avenue
Seattle, WA 98121
To aid relief efforts in the hurricane stricken Gulf Coast, Tom Douglas will host a New Orleans-style benefit reception, featuring traditional fare such as Etoufee and Crawdad Fritters. Deshutes Brewery, Mutual Fish, Penn Cove Shellfish, Select Gourmet, and Merlino Foods have donated food and beverages allowing 100 percent of the proceeds to go to America’s Second Harvest. Participants are asked to come together to honor the spirit of New Orleans with food, live music and visuals from the area.
The cost of the dinner is $100 per person.
For reservations, please call (206) 448-2001 or email office@tomdouglas.com
Founded in 1979, America’s Second Harvest feeds over 23 million hungry Americans each year, along with educating the public about hunger in America and advocating for public policies that positively impact hungry Americans. In 2004, Forbes Magazine gave America’s Second Harvest a charitable commitment rating of 98% – meaning 98% of all product and financial donations received by America’s Second Harvest go directly towards feeding hungry people rather than towards administration or fundraising.
“Bonus” Potatoes
07-Sep-2005
You may remember me mentioning that I have a couple of compost bins. I’m pretty faithful about composting. I really like the idea of it: the scraps from some glorious fruit or vegetable I’ve enjoyed (extra points if it’s from the yard) go into a bin and some time later are miraculously transformed into a rich substance that, when placed around new fruits and vegetables, will provide another glorious yield and the cycle continues.
On the other hand there are times when I’m amazingly lazy and even the short trip to the compost bin (across the deck, down 6 steps, then less than 50 feet around the little shed) is just too much! Actually, I prefer to think of myself as very economical with my energy expenditure as opposed to lazy! :-) These economical times usually occur when it’s raining buckets or I’m not properly attired to be seen outside. Although the attire thing hasn’t stopped me that much as my backyard is very private. I sometimes risk a mad dash out and back fairly certain I won’t be caught. Well, that was the case but all that will be changing soon. Two houses up from me some people decided to "remodel" their new purchase. They took a darling little 1400 sq. ft. house and made "a few" changes. Now it’s 4700 sq. ft. and 3 stories high! The 3rd story, the living area, looks into my back yard. :-(
But I’m way off track here – back to my lazy days. Every now and then I discover some potatoes that are not only growing eyes but actually seem to be growing tentacles that wind through the wire basket that holds them! As I wrestle with them to loosen their grip they cling for dear life! But sooner or later I am always victorious! I load them up for a trip to the compost bin. Sometimes I only get as far as my back door where, instead of venturing out, I heave the little critters in the general direction of the compost bins. Next to the bins is a large raised mound of dirt that used to be the grass in my front yard before I replaced it. Technically this mound of dirt is also compost. So I aim for the mound and am normally pretty successful in hitting it.
Once I heave the potatoes I pretty much forget about them. I might dump a load of cut grass or fall leaves over them but that’s pretty much it. Every spring, however, some of these erstwhile little darlings actually root and grow! I don’t water them, I don’t tend them in any way but once the vegetation dies back I go out and dig up as many of the little treasures as I can find. And they are like treasure since I never know how many or what type I will find: sometimes reds or russets or Yukon golds, some big, some small.
A couple days ago I harvested several pounds of various potatoes. And last night I made up a batch of garlic mashed potatoes for dinner. I didn’t have any milk in the house so I mixed in butter, some cream cheese and a little splash of cream to moisten them. Along with roasted garlic, I added chopped chives and a bit of sage. Not sure why but the sage sounded good to me last night – I don’t think I’ve ever added sage to potatoes before. I finished them off with a dollop of butter on the top, added some fresh ground black pepper and a little sprinkle of the chives.
The potatoes were comforting and good! I really liked the hint of sage! I think these would be perfect with a dish of pork chops and applesauce! Hmmm, I guess it must be fall! The best part is that I have some left over. I can’t wait to warm them up and have them with some bacon and eggs. Heaven.
Nishino
06-Sep-2005
I adore Nishino. But I don’t get there as often as I’d like. I’m not sure why. Perhaps it’s because it’s in a rather odd location for most of my comings and going: out of sight, out of mind. Or perhaps it’s because it is a bit on the spendy side (but worth every penny of it). I’m not sure why but everytime I go I vow it will not take me as long to return.
A few weeks ago, M and I stopped by on a Tuesday night. The place was packed! So packed that, since we didn’t have a reservation, we almost didn’t get a table. However, since it was just the two of us, the staff squeezed in a little table in the dining area for us. Although we were not crammed in in any way, I chose not to take any pictures in deference to the people sitting around us. So you won’t be able to see how beautiful and scrumptious everything looked, let alone tasted! I also didn’t take great notes, for the same reason. So there are going to be some gaps here but this meal was so great I decided that I had to at least try to tell you about it.
Normally, Nishino = sushi and sashimi for me. But this night there were several specials that looked really interesting. M and I decided to do a little bit of everything (I could almost hear the kitchen… "What are these people thinking??" We decided to ask our server to bring things in the order he would suggest.
The first thing that came out, and something that I cannot believe that we actually ordered, was a plate of beautifully deep-fried Walla Walla onion rings. I know! Can you believe we ordered these?!? So very odd considering, but so very good! The thick rings were covered in a light tempura batter and accompanied by fried parsley. Yum! The batter was so light that you could actually taste the sugary sweet and tender onions.
Next out was the menu item that first caught my eye: Foie gras on tuna with shitake and red wine reduction. Foie gras in a Japanese restaurant seemed so contrary to me! And so intriguing, too. I always think of eating Japanese as eating healthy. And while I love foie gras and it makes me happy so I know that it’s good for me but I’ve never really considered it in the healthy category, exactly. Well, who cares when this dish was one of those that makes you think you’ve died and gone to heaven! Incredibly rich, smooth, luxurious textures and tastes. It all just melted in your mouth in one extremely complementary union. I actually wanted to stop right there since I didn’t want anything to replace the feeling of that perfect morsel of flavor.
But of course we didn’t – our other orders were already on the way…
Next came Toro Tartare topped with caviar and gold leaf with a few green onions. I almost broke my "no camera" rule for this dish. Exquisite! The presentation was so beautiful it seemed a shame to actually eat it. Well, for a minute anyway. Toro is one of my favorites in any case, but top it with caviar and how can you go wrong? And with this following the foie gras we were beginning to feel like little Queens for the Day. The salty tang of the caviar balanced the fatty, richness of the toro in a seafood Battle of the Titans where the opponents ended up shaking hands and walking away with their arms wrapped around each other – a true show of camaraderie!
And there’s still more…
Next was hamachi (the actual fish not the sushi) with jalapeño, fried garlic, ginger salsa, tomo soy and ponzu sauce. I always think of hamachi as a delicate fish but it held it’s own with the strong tasting elements. The key was that nothing was overdone or overpowering – all the individual elements supported the hamachi and the ponzu sauce was really great.
Finally we get to what we originally came for – our one sushi order of Mackerel, Spanish Mackerel to be exact. More distinctive than many other pieces you definitely know you are eating fish. Yet, when done right, as at Nishino’s – it’s a wonderful piece of the sea.
Well, that one order of sushi led to more. I mean, that was what we actually came for! Right? And since we had just been splitting all of the previous dishes it wasn’t like we’d had a ton of food, already. Okay, I’m trying to justify this next order but it just seemed like the thing to do.
We ordered more common items for this round: toro; ikura with quail egg; kampachi; and something with pickled plum – I can’t remember the name. While sipping our cocktails and tasting our way through these treasures we watched the tables around us empty, the energy of the staff relax and a little bit of quiet return to our surroundings. I was glad we placed this last order – even if it was a bit over the top. Nishino’s sushi is always made with the most beautiful, freshest ingredients and this order did not disappoint. It was a perfect way to end our evening.
As we left I made a promise to myself to get back there sooner this next time.
Cherry Tomatoes
04-Sep-2005
My cherry tomatoes are going crazy. This is what I picked yesterday and there are still more to be picked today! I planted two types; Sweet 100s (my favorites); and Suncherry. I wish I could say the rest of my tomatoes are doing as well. This seems to be an odd year. My Green Zebras – normally a great performer – are all dinky compared to what they should be. I also grew a new (to me) heirloom, Ceylon, and while I have a lots of tomatoes, they too are small and I’m pretty sure they shouldn’t be. My yellow pear is sad, but this plant had problems from the beginning so that didn’t surprise me. My San Marzano, on the other hand, is doing great! The tomatoes are just getting ripe but the plant is loaded and the tomatoes are large, like they should be.
Conversations with other tomato growers have shown they have similar results this year. All except M. She tells me her plants are doing better than any other year! I have my guesses as to why mine have been behaving so oddly but it will take until next year to see if my theory is correct. In the meantime, I’m up to my ears in cherry tomatoes and am having a hard time keeping up with them!
Chef’n
02-Sep-2005
In Wednesday’s Seattle Times’ Food section, there was an article about the Chef’n CEO. I happen to like many of their gadgets and own several of the spatulas. You may know them from their most famous gadget the pepperball – a one handed pepper grinder. But what I really like about this company is their generosity. Last year I worked at Farestart’s Auction (coming up at the end of October!) and was blown away by the amount of merchandise Chef’n had donated to the event. It was truly amazing. I love supporting companies who support the community!
To tie in with this, I noticed that City Kitchens is having their September sale and have several Chef’n items advertised (among MANY other things…)! I’ll be heading down there this weekend – maybe I’ll see you there.
Coqktail Club: Joey’s
02-Sep-2005
Our last cocktail club foray took us to Joey’s at the south end of Lake Union. You may remember that some time ago Joey’s bought several of the local Cucina! Cucina! locations. I don’t remember the story of why they picked which ones but I know, for instance, that the Cucina! Cucina! across from Bellevue Square was not purchased so I think it’s a bit hit or miss of which chain you will find where.
The bar area at the South Lake Union Location has been pretty substantially remodeled. The layout is still similar but large semi-circular booths have replaced much of the seating around the perimeter and individual bar tables have replaced the longer tables. Entering at 7:00 pm, with the sun still bright outside and shining on Lake Union the bar was amazingly dim! We assumed that as the sunlight disappeared and the light inside and out equalized the contrast would not be so great. But at that particular time of day, you’d need a flashlight to look for anyone you were meeting! :-) And it made taking photos, while trying to be discreet, pretty challenging!
We picked a table along the back where we’d be able to spread out a bit. Some of the seats were along the banquette and some were barstools. The barstools were the correct height for the tables, the banquette was not. I felt a bit like Edith Ann, then again the seat was so comfortable I wasn’t ready to move!
I started with a Bellini, which was the Monday drink special. Joey’s does not appear to have a Happy Hour per se, but each night one of their drinks is featured and the price discounted. R ordered a Ginger Margarita, M2 also had a Bellini. The Bellinis were good and they were made in what I call the "Canadian style". I call it that because Milestones in Kirkland (and Victoria and Whistler) is also a Canadian chain and they make their Bellinis much the same way, which is not traditional at all. Instead the drink consists of a frozen peach concoction mounded in the center of a martini glass and then topped with champagne and/or sangria. I happen to like this style quite a bit, but Mr. Bellini might not be so happy with it! R’s Ginger Margarita was also good. But what we had really been looking forward to was the food! Since Joey’s is a Canadian chain we had been looking forward to Dry Ribs – something we’ve never seen here in Seattle, but is one of our favorite bar nibbles whenever we visit Whistler. We ordered the ribs and a bit later, Ahi Tacos.
The ribs were not quite what we had expected but were good, none-the-less! Our "normal" ribs are heavily crusted with salt and pepper and baked until chewy and the flavor concentrated. These were nearly the same but, instead of salt and pepper, they were fancied up a bit with Chinese 5-Spice powder. The flavor was great, although some of the ribs were cut a bit oddly so there were bits of bone in awkward places – don’t order this dish on a first date!
The Tacos were yummy! The shells were fried wonton wrappers. They were filled with crispy, fresh vegetables and then topped with a lovely slice of beautifully grilled Ahi and a bit of some sort of sauce. Along side was a wasabi aioli.
The order included 4 tacos and they were all lovingly lined up in a little server that held them upright, keeping all ingredients in the taco and preventing the shells from getting soggy or broken.
The wasabi aioli was good – it would be great served with all kinds of meats!
For the next round of drinks we all tried something a little different. R tried a Lychee Martini, M2 had the SuperSize Gin and Tonic, J had joined us and ordered a Gin Fizz and I decided to go with a Burnt Orange Cosmo.
I don’t know what to tell you about the Lychee Martini! My notes say, "The starfruit was a pretty garnish but…". Hmmm. Wonder what the "but" was? The Super Gin and Tonic looked great! Garnished with both a lemon and lime, the focal point of the drink was a float of citrus ice. It looked sooooo cool and refreshing! J bravely instructed our server on the creation of a Gin Fizz, as neither she nor the bartender actually knew what one was. Yikes! What he got was actually very beautiful and a pretty good representation – at least of a Golden Fizz. Oh well, what’s one little egg yolk? :-)
My Burnt Orange Cosmo was interesting. I liked the twist of burnt orange peel in the drink. It added an interesting flavor. I’m not sure it would ever be one of my favorites, though.
All in all it was a pleasant evening and once our eyes adjusted to the light it was pretty comfortable – although even as the sun set it was still pretty dark in the place. The food was good and the drinks decent. I’d come back again and I think it might be a really cozy place to be on one of those upcoming gray and stormy days that will be hitting Seattle sooner than I want to think about.
Joey’s Grill
901 Fariview Avenue North
Seattle
206.749.JOEY
Culinary Fool 