Culinary Fool

Summertime Pasta

08-Sep-2007

Although the days of summer are starting to fade we still want to eat lighter meals. At this time of year a super-simple, easy thing to make is a fresh from the garden summer pasta.

Simply place a handful (per person) of cherry tomatoes in a large bowl. Squeeze them gently with your hands (careful of squirting seeds and juice!), add some roughly torn basil, a few slice of chives or scallions, grated Parmesan (or other hard) cheese and toss that all together.

Cook pasta until al dente (I like to use angel hair since it cooks so quickly), drain it, then add it to the big bowl with the tomatoes. The heat from the pasta will gently warm the "sauce". Place the pasta in serving bowls, drizzle with a little olive oil, add salt and pepper and use a potato peeler to slice some very thin slices of your cheese to top it off.

Pour a glass of wine and you are ready to go!

F&W Selects Best American Wines

05-Sep-2007

This is straight from the horse’s mouth…. Congratulations to Long Shadows! I had the opportunity to taste several of their wines about a year ago and was really impressed. Currently most are in limited production but I’m sure that will be changing, at least somewhat, over time. I’m also very happy to see one of Oregon’s Chardonnays make the list. They are doing some great things with Chardonnay in the Willamette Valley, which I think has been a bit of a surprise to everyone!

FOOD & WINE MAGAZINE SELECTS BEST AMERICAN WINES
IN PRESTIGIOUS ANNUAL AWARDS

New York, NY (September 5, 2007) – Long Shadows in Washington State was named Winery of the Year in Food & Wine magazine’s 10th annual American Wine Awards, Editor in Chief Dana Cowin announced today. Every year, F&W editors and a panel of wine experts select the best American wines from under and over $20 in eight categories, from Sauvignon Blanc to Syrah. This year’s list of winners, which is featured in the October 2007 issue, is packed with many unexpected choices, including a top Chardonnay from Oregon.

“Food & Wine’s American Wine Award list is an invaluable wine-buying resource,” says Cowin. “I use it to know what to buy in a store, as well as to stay on top of the emerging trends.”

Cowin adds, “This year, we noticed three major trends. More and more winemakers are using purchased grapes rather than estate-grown fruit for more flexibility and greater value; for the first time ever an unoaked Chardonnay came out on top; and Napa and Sonoma continue to see more competition from up-and-coming wine regions like Santa Inez.”

FOOD & WINE AMERICAN WINE AWARDS 2007

WINERY OF THE YEAR: Long Shadows in Walla Walla, Washington

WINEMAKER OF THE YEAR: Robert Foley at Robert Foley Vineyards in Napa, California

WINE IMPORTER OF THE YEAR: Kermit Lynch Wine Merchant in Berkeley, California

BEST WINES $20 AND UNDER:
· Sauvignon Blanc: 2006 Westerly Vineyards ($19)
· Chardonnay: 2006 Chehalem Inox ($19)
· Pinot Noir: 2005 Au Bon Climat Santa Barbara Country ($20)
· Merlot: 2004 Praxis ($15)
· Cabernet Sauvignon: 2004 Edge ($20)
· Zinfandel: 2005 Joel Gott California ($17)
· Syrah: 2005 Andrew Murray Vineyards Tous Les Jours ($16)

BEST WINES OVER $20:
· Sauvignon Blanc: 2006 Rochioli ($35)
· Chardonnay: 2004 hdv Carneros ($55)
· Pinot Noir: 2003 Calera Selleck ($60)
· Merlot: 2004 Shafer Napa Valley ($45)
· Cabernet Sauvignon: 2004 Shafer Vineyards One Point Five ($65)
· Zinfandel: 2005 Robert Biale Vineyards Black Chicken ($40)
· Syrah: 2005 Alban Vineyards Reva ($74)
· Bordeaux-Style Blend: 2003 Rubicon Estate Rubicon ($115)

The winners will be celebrated at a party at the de Young Museum in San Francisco on October 10.

LA: Pizzeria Mozza

04-Sep-2007

Over the weekend I took a quick trip to the Orange County/LA area. It was too hot and humid to do too much eating but I did manage to make a stop at one of Mario Batali’s new LA places, Pizzeria Mozza. (His other place, Osteria Mozza is right next door.)

I arrived early – my plan was to get in before the crowds and then get done early and get back to the ocean for sunset photos. I was only partially successful with either of those ideas….

When I arrived there was a little line outside but I was able to snag a seat at the bar overlooking the pizzamakers and the wood-burning oven. The interior of the place is warm and welcoming, there is a constant din from the diners but yet it’s not so loud that you couldn’t carry on a conversation. In the pizza area the workers are busy running a smooth, organized assembly line and actually do more than just pizza as many of the dishes on the menu use the wood oven in some way.

Once seated I was presented with a folded paper containing crispy breadsticks. A nice little crunchy munch while looking at the menu. I wish I had been traveling with someone as there were so many things I wanted to try but one person can only eat so much! (I was envious of the couple sitting next to me. Throughout their meal they would each order something, eat 1/2 of it, then swap plates!)

I was craving something green so started with their Insalata Mista. It arrived looking like a giant haystack! It was a big salad and could easily have been split – even between three people. All of the greens were the fashionable micro-greens, tender and cute. There was a nice mix of lettuces including a hint of bitter greens. And it was perfectly dressed with a lemony vinaigrette. I ate part of it and put it aside in case I wanted more after my pizza.

I’d ordered the Coach farm goat cheese, leeks, scallions & bacon pizza and it arrived looking just beautiful. I liked the combination of leeks and scallions. That added a sort of two dimensional yet mild onion taste to the dish. I’m assuming that Coach Farm is a local cheesemaker and that’s why it was called out, but I can’t say for sure.

I ate about 1/2 my pizza but wanted to save room for a little dessert. I ordered a glass of Moscato, assorted Biscotti and tea. I was amazed at all the cookies on the biscotti plate (even if most of them were technically unscotti not biscotti… but who am I to split hairs?). There were eleven little delicious bites, ranging from actual biscotti to a roasted hazelnut and slivered almond cookie that was held together with honey – almost a candy, really. Yum!

I took my leftover pizza and cookies with me when I left. The pizza provided a snack at the airport later that night and the cookies became "breakfast" at home the next morning!

There are a few more photos here.

Pizzeria Mozza

641 N. Highland Avenue
Los Angeles

323.297.0101

Dinner at Crush

03-Sep-2007

A couple of weeks ago I ran into my friends EE and BR at an afternoon Garden Party. We hadn’t seen each other for awhile and had some catching up to do. While the food at the party was great (it always is!) we decided to go some where we could sit and chat for a bit. So we headed out to Crush.

I had been wanting go to Crush but had been avoiding it as I had it pegged as a pretty romantic little spot (it’s located in a little house in Madison Valley) and hadn’t had the right person to take along with me. So I jumped at the opportunity to go since EE and BR, while not romantic dates for me, are very good company and fun dining partners!

This always popular place was already packed when we arrived around 5:30 or 6:00. We snagged a couple of chairs at the counter overlooking the chefs in the open kitchen – probably my favorite place to sit – and started our dining experience. While we were perusing the menu a dish of marinated olives was brought out for us. As a recent convert to the olive world, I enjoyed nibbling on the different varieties.

BR and I ordered glasses of wine and EE tried one of their specialty cocktails, of which they have both alcohol and non-alcohol offerings. His cucumber-fresh drink was very good! Once I saw the menu I knew I was going to be at least semi-bad in my choices. Foie gras was on the menu and besides that fact that I love it, I live in sort of an ongoing realization that if some people have their way it will be pulled from all menus and no longer be available. So I pretty much order it every time I see it. Sort of a "make hay while the sun shines" attitude! This version of the seared delight was on a cornmeal waffle and topped with fresh blackberries in a port sauce. I love the tangy fruit with the richness of the foie gras!

BR and EE both ordered the Melon Soup with Oregon Shrimp Salad. Again, amazingly refreshing for a summer day. And a very beautiful presentation. And since I’m originally from Oregon I’m always a little partial to Oregon shrimp. Those little babies are so sweet and succulent!

We each ordered something different for an entrée. In trying to gain back a bit of ground after the foie gras, I ordered the Wagyu Flank Steak Salad & Black Truffle Vinaigrette: first it was also an appetizer so the portion would be smaller than a full entrée; second it was a salad; and although it was a meat salad, Wagyu flank steak is a fairly healthy version of meat! Right?

BR had an amazing piece of halibut on a fresh corn succotash, and EE ordered a maple-sausage stuffed chicken breast – I should have given him a bad time for ordering something healthy (chicken breast) and then undoing that with the sausage stuffing! ;-)

All of our entrées were really good – the presentations were beautiful, the ingredients amazingly fresh, the preparations creative and respectful of the intrinsic elements of the fish/meat/chicken.

BR still had room for dessert and ordered a beautiful trio of house-made ice cream sandwiches. Each with it’s own type of cookie and ice cream. They were small – just two or three bites each – and a nice way to experience a variety of flavors.

Although the food was great, there were two other things that really made this a great dinner; sharing it with BR and EE (thanks for picking up the tab!!!); and the fact that I realized that Crush is great for dining with anyone who loves food – romantic interest or not…

Crush

2319 E. Madison Street

Seattle

206.302.7874

New Urban Drinks

30-Aug-2007

One drink, two small plates for $15? At some of the Seattle areas most interesting bars? What could be better than that?

Check out the latest version of dining deals, called New Urban Drinks.

The promotion runs September 2 – 30, Sundays – Thursdays (except Labor Day) and features some great spots like Licorous, 0/8 and Boka.

See the site for the full list and all the details – plus they have a weekly contest for $50 git certificate good for at one of the participating locations!

Blues for Food Fest

30-Aug-2007

Hmmmm – this link appears to have been pulled – don’t know what’s up with that!

Here’s an interesting sounding event that comes to us via NWSource:

The proceeds from the first annual Blues for Food Fest will benefit the P-Patch Trust, an organization that’s working to eliminate local hunger by helping along community gardening. That alone is worth your $20, but there’s more to this meal: You’ll get a full plate of blues served up by local bands Captain Leroy & The Zydeco Locals, Brian Butler Blues, Two Scoops Combo, Kim Field & The Mighty Titans of Tone and Billy Roy Danger & The Rectifiers. Veraci Pizza and Hermosa Tamales will provide the chow, and Ciscoe Morris will lead a "bug hunt." Normally, I’d think that "bug hunt" was a euphemism for something else, but I believe that in this case, Morris will actually be searching for insects, for the purpose of education.

If you aren’t sure what a P-Patch is check this out.

City Kitchens Birthday Sale

29-Aug-2007

For those of you in Seattle it’s that time of year – City Kitchens month-long celebration of their "birthday". From now until the end of September everything – yes everything – in the store is on sale. Some things are marked with special prices but even those that aren’t are 20% off. It’s a great time to pick up any sort of gadget you’ve been needing/wanting/craving!

On Sunday I picked up a set of steak knives (1/2 off); several kitchen gadgets (25% off); a couple of frying pans (special price and then discounted) and a baking pan to make teeny-tiny cakes (20%) off. I have a couple other things I may go back for, too.

Check it out ~

City Kitchens

1525 Fourth Ave

Seattle

206.382.1423

Anticipation and Dread

28-Aug-2007

This is the day I have been waiting for. And dreading just a little. The tomatoes have made the turn and will be getting ripe on a regular and on-going basis. Sounds like a gardener’s dream, right? Well, it mostly is. But see the Sweet 100s in the photo above? That’s what I picked today. There will be another batch with just as many ready to go tomorrow or the next day. They don’t call them Sweet 100s for no reason!

I love these little sugary bite-size tomatoes – and can eat a ton of them – but they are just about to out pace me….

Limoncello – the Finale

22-Aug-2007

When last I left you, my infused vodka was ready to strain and the mix with simple syrup of some strength to make the final Limoncello product.

To strain the mix, place a coffee filter in a funnel. Dampen the coffee filter with water before placing it in the funnel so that the filter doesn’t absorb the liqueur. Let the liquid drain until it stops dripping, then gently squeeze the filter to release the liquid still trapped in the zest, being careful not to tear or pop open the filter!

Next, mix the infusion with simple syrup. I lied last week when giving you the various ratios I’d seen for making the simple syrup – I had the sugar/water backward. When I looked again at the various recipes that I’d be referencing I realized that they either used the traditional 1 to 1 ratio or a bit more water than sugar. I decided to go with the 1 to 1, figuring I could always add a bit more water later if I felt it was warranted.

To make simple syrup, add one cup of sugar to one cup of water. Bring to a boil and then simmer for 2 minutes. Let it cool.

Once it’s cool add the syrup to the infusion and gently stir. Now comes the hard part – you need to let it sit another 5 to 7 days to let the two liquids fully meld together. So fill your bottles and set it back in that dark cupboard where you’d be letting the infusion work.

Note: This recipe makes about 4.5 cups of limoncello.

Okay – I did sneak a little sip at this point to check the syrup to infusion ratio. Although there was a big alcohol taste at this point, the sweet/tangy flavor seemed to be just what I wanted.

Last night was my big unveiling. I chilled my limoncello until ice cold, then poured a bit into a cordial glass. I took a sip. The lemon essence hits you like a wonderful liquid lemon drop – I mean the candy, not the cocktail. It’s very lemony with a nice dry finish (thank you Mr. Vodka!) So refreshing and a little sweet treat after dinner. This baby packs a wallop though! Sip with care!

According to the recipe I followed most closely, the final product would be 60 proof, which is the same as commercial limoncello. According to my calculations, however, this is more like 70 proof. Either way, you can safely keep your bottle in the freezer without it freezing!

Note: The color of the Limoncello in the first photo is a bit green because the bottles are pale green glass.

To make your own Limoncello follow the steps found here: Part I: Making Limoncello and Limoncello Update

Update: Because I actually made this limoncello last year I have had the experience of letting some of it "age" for several months. I would say that the final product really hit it’s prime about 3 months after bottling. The flavors had really come together and the overall effect was a much smoother taste.

Banana Bonanza

21-Aug-2007

Every now and then I forget just how many bananas are in a 4 pound package. That normally happens when I’m craving a banana, I’m shopping at Costco and I remember that you can get a big ol’ bag for $1.30 or thereabouts.

This happened to me a couple weeks ago and after opening the bag and eating the one I was craving, the others just sort of sat around. And then they sat a little while longer. And then I noticed how brown they were getting and decided to do something about it.

I made short work of several of them that very day. My first project was a big batch of banana muffins. Now the recipe I use has you fill the cupcake tins to the very brim and then the muffins grow big muffin-tops while they bake, resulting in humongous (and delicious) muffins. I decided to make them a more reasonable size and after eating a couple, I have about 15 or 16 stored in my freezer waiting to be popped out some morning when I need a banana break.

My next project was another one of the recipes from David Lebovitz’ book, The Perfect Scoop, Roasted Banana Ice Cream. This is one of the recipes he made in his class I took in June. I decided to replicate not just the ice cream but also most of the presentation he’d used in the class for a dinner with M and her mom.

My version of the ice cream seemed to be sweeter than what I had in class, but that may have been because my bananas were so super ripe. In class, David made nice petite profiteroles but I wanted something that would hold a "regular" – not gigantic – scoop of ice cream so I made mine a bit bigger. I’d probably rethink that strategy if I did this again. I really did like the petite version a little better.

Once I’d sliced the profiteroles and filled them with the ice cream I drizzled them with dark chocolate sauce. Pretty dang good, I’d say!