Super Lemon Ice Cream
08-May-2007
Super Lemon Ice Cream before it was totally frozen – I didn’t want to wait any longer…
As I mentioned in the recent braised chicken post, one of my weekend projects was all about sweets! I recently purchased David Lebovitz’ book, The Perfect Scoop, and wanted to try a couple of recipes. As you may know David was at Chez Panisse for many years and now lives in Paris where he is still pursuing the culinary lifestyle in many interesting ways.
This book is mostly about frozen concoctions – ice cream, sorbets and granitas – but also has recipes for appropriate accompaniments. For instance there are recipes for several types of cookies – ice cream sandwiches, anyone? And you’ll find lots of recipes for making sauces, candied nuts, and candies that are perfect for topping the delectable desserts.
The recipes are straight-forward and easy to follow. David has included lots of hints, tips and background information as you go through the book and it makes a very interesting read.
I decided to start with Super Lemon Ice Cream, as I’d just purchased a large bag of lemons. This recipe is super lemony! It reminds me of frozen limoncello and a little goes a long way. What I really like about this particular recipe is that it only used half-and-half which, besides really letting the lemon taste shine through, makes me feel not quite so guilty when eating it. ;-)
Now there are plenty of full cream recipes to satisfy the most decadent tastes. In fact, my next "experiment" will be the Fresh Mint Ice Cream as my mint is already going crazy! And this recipe has plenty of heavy cream, egg yolks and whole milk.
Stay tuned for more information or, even better, purchase your own copy of the book – summer will be here before you know it!
Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, and Sweet Accompaniments
Fish Kabobs
06-May-2007
Cut dense fish like Ahi, swordfish or marlin into 1" cubes. Toss with olive oil or a citrus flavored oil such as Ginger Lemongrass Grapeseed Oil. Season with salt and pepper. Just before grilling sprinkle with a little lemon or lime juice.
Thread the fish onto skewers, alternating with sliced of lemon or lime and vegetables such as onion.
Place on medium-hot grill.
Cook the fish 3 or 4 minutes on each side being careful not to overcook.
Serve with lemon slices and chopped chives.
Inspiration Returns
06-May-2007
For some reason I haven’t been doing all that much cooking lately. Or at least not that much for me. I think lots of after work events, long work days and just a general lack of inspiration have conspired to keep me out of the kitchen.
The bug has returned and last night found me back in the kitchen making another version of braised chicken based on some items from yesterday’s U-District market excursion. In this version, after browning the chicken, cipollini onions, baby carrots, garlic and tomatoes were added to the pan and then red wine and stock for the braising liquid. Into the oven for an hour and then plated with jasmine rice and oven-grilled asparagus. A beautiful sight for the eyes and flavors for the mouth!
Radish
05-May-2007
I think radishes are overlooked way too often. Among my foodie friends I’d be hard pressed to name someone who buys them on a regular basis. Or even on an occasional basis. I love them – always have. Each week there’s at least one bunch in my haul from the local farmers’ market. And today with all the various types and colors available there’s a radish for every taste. But I still love these basic red globes – fresh, sweet with just a little spicy bite.
New York: Zoe
05-May-2007
I stumbled across Zoë restaurant in the SoHo area of Manhattan several years ago and since that time I nearly always try to stop in for a glass of wine and maybe a pizza or salad when I’m in New York. The first time I visited it qualified as a fashionable location. Over the years it’s become a little dated but I still love the warmth of the place.
I often find myself eating at rather odd times when in New York – my west coast stomach hasn’t learned how to tell east coast time. Popping into Zoe in that lull between lunch and dinner when the place is on the quiet side and the staff more relaxed has always provided a brief respite from my quest to see and do as much of New York as possible.
While maybe not as fashionable as it once was Zoe still turns out great food. I especially love the wood roasted items, their homemade soups and creative salads. I guess that covers quite a lot of the menu. And I’d say many people agree with me as trying to get seated during normal meal times is always a challenge. The place seems especially popular for weekend brunches.
During one visit as I was sitting at the bar looking back at the open kitchen I suddenly realized there was a familiar face in the kitchen. Tim Kelley, former chef at The Painted Table (now closed) was working away. It was fun to see him. On this last visit M and I split a pizza, topped with seasonal mushrooms, greens, pine nuts and lemon zest – so very good; and the flat iron steak salad. The steak was succulent, the salad refreshing and it was served in a really cool fried potato bowl!
This is a great place for a relaxing meal. When in SoHo, check it out.
Zoë
90 Prince Street (between Broadway & Mercer in SoHo)
New York
212.966.6722
90 Prince Street (between Broadway & Mercer in SoHo)
New York
212.966.6722
New York: Ferrara Bakery
05-May-2007
There are certain places that I try to always visit when in New York. One of them is Ferrara Bakery and Café in Little Italy. I visit for a number of reasons; I love the cookies, cannoli and other mini desserts that line their cases; I love that this place has been around since the late 1800s; and I feel a special connection since my Grandmother was a Ferrara, although I have no idea if there is any recent family connection.
I also feel compelled to support these businesses in Little Italy that are in danger of being absorbed into Chinatown. I like Chinatown, too, but as the number of Asian immigrants continues to swell the New York population, other cultures and havens of old-world ethnicity are are being overrun. As it is, when walking through Little Italy, you often come across shops where all the signage is in Asian characters. So I do what I can to keep these other bits of the worldwide palette in business. After all it’s one of the main reasons I love New York. We may think of the US as the melting pot but it’s in places like New York where you really get the feel of that. And I love it!
Ferrara Bakery and Café
195 Grand Street between Mott & Mulberry Streets
Little Italy, New York City
212.226.6150
Spring is Springing…
02-May-2007
…and many of the neighborhood Farmers’ Markets will be opening or extending their hours this week or later this month. While fresh vegetables will be making a showing don’t forget to look at the other wares available. Lots of preserves, meats, eggs and local cheese will be also making an appearance. One of my favorites is Mt. Townsend Seastack – a creamy cow’s milk cheese. It’s actually available in lots of retail outlets but there’s just something special about picking it up as part of of my Farmers Market booty.
Portland Indie Wine Festival
27-Apr-2007
This looks like a fun event! The Portland Indie Wine Festival will be held on May 5th and 6th at Urban Wineworks and Chown Garage in the Pearl District.
Limited to just twenty wineries (many serving several wines) festival attendees will have the opportunity to sample wines not normally widely available. And, from a quick scan of the list, it seems there are some great wineries participating!
Food from local restaurants will help round out the offerings.
Check the site for all the details and to buy tickets.
Vagabond Dinner
25-Apr-2007
"Underground" dinners have become quite the thing in the foodie community and there are several ways to get involved if you are so inclined. If you have not heard about them yet, they normally employ known chefs who, instead of working from a traditional restaurant or commercial kitchen, present a dinner at a home or other non-restaurant location. Sometimes the chef is someone just breaking into the business or a foodie who doesn’t really plan to make this a career but likes the occasional challenge of cooking beautiful food for an appreciative crowd and being able to charge for the meal to cover their costs.
The reason these dinners are underground is basically that you cannot charge for food (run a food business) without a commercial kitchen, being registered as a business (paying taxes), and being subjected to the normal inspections done by the Health Department. So technically these dinners are illegal, which of course adds to the attraction for many people. There is always a set menu, often based on seasonal ingredients and often covering several courses, mostly the food is fairly high-end and always creative. These dinners often are a playground for the participating chefs as they are not bound by the restraints of their own restaurants. Many of these dinner associations require that you be a friend of a friend sort of thing but some are more open. And then there are also pseudo-underground dinners.
Monday night M2 and I attended a Vagabond Dinner, which I classify as a pseudo-underground dinner. Pseudo because Vagabond Dinners are held in a licensed establishment yet keep all the primary elements that make an underground dinner so much fun. There are rotating chefs; the menus are always creative and served family style; reservations are generally hard to get; and maybe the best part you’ll find that all of your dining companions are focused on food, wine and the communal dining experience as much as you are! Also, Vagabond Dinners are more approachable for everyone, in my opinion. They are three-course meals; more high-end family, than haute-couture; and priced more affordably.
Our dinner on Monday was presented by Tyler Hefford-Anderson, formerly at The Rainier Club and, as of this coming Friday when it opens, the chef at Opal at the top of Queen Anne. We have to give big kudos to chef in presenting this Vagabond dinner just a few days before opening Opal – and even more amazingly just a few days after the birth of a new child! The baby will be just one week older than the restaurant!
About an hour before the official start time, folks started gathering at Portalis Wine Shop in Ballard to select their wine, a place at one of the communal tables and to mix and mingle with others at the event. M2 and I selected a lovely Pinot Noir (one of the recommended dinner pairings) from Walnut City Wineworks in Oregon’s Willamette Valley.
While we were still mingling, baskets filled with lovely, thick-sliced country breads were placed on the tables along with a carrot-almond spread. The spread was good but seemed to be missing just a little something, which we soon found could be remedied by adding a bit of the olive oil with aged balsamic which also graced the tables.
As some point we all settled into our places, the opening remarks prepared us for what we’d experience that evening and the service began.
Our first course was a beautiful Vichyssoise. Our bowls were first garnished with Humboldt Fog Blue Cheese and it was topped with a little bit of micro-greens. Next the cold soup was poured over the garnish and finally finished with a lovely swirl of balsamic. The freshness of the soup, richness of the soft, ripened cheese and the little bite of the microgreens blended into a beautiful experience in the mouth with both flavors and textures making the whole greater than the sum of the parts.
Next up was the entrée of apple-cider braised pork belly accompanied by sautéed fiddlehead ferns and richer-than-rich super buttery mashed potatoes. The pork was all you would want it to be: tender, full of juicy-flavor; and fragrant so that the experience began before the meat reached your mouth. The fiddlehead ferns tasted of spring. The potatoes were very good but my personal preference is for potatoes with a bit more texture and not quite so overwhelmingly buttery. This dish was really more butter with potatoes then potatoes with butter – but I know that many people would think this was the be-all, end-all in potatoes, it’s just not my favorite style.
For dessert we were served walnut bread French toast, topped with piles of fresh berries and (I think) a balsamic reduction. The toast was a bit dry (and this was the conclusion by all dining around us); the berries were gorgeous but the overall impression was rather disappointing. But not disappointing enough to ruin the evening!
As mentioned earlier in this post, one of the best aspects of these dinners is meeting like-minded individuals and sharing the meal and conversation with them. We were surrounded by fun and interesting people who made our dining experience very special.
For inquiries email: dinner@codenamevagabond.com
There are a few more photos of the evening here.
Victrola Opens New Location
24-Apr-2007
Victrola Coffee Roasters has opened a new location and it’s really not all that far from the original. The original shop, referred to as Victrola Coffee and Art, is on 15th Ave E on Capitol Hill. The new one, also on Capitol Hill but farther to the west is the location for their roasting operation and is called Victrola Roaster and Café. It’s located at 310 E Pike Street near Minor.
The new location offers beer and wine as well as the normal coffee and tea lineup. They also have weekly cuppings that are open to the public. I plan to check one of those out in the near future to continue my coffee education.
It’s a very handsome space and I gave it a little test run Monday morning as a mobile office location. I liked it and with free WiFi, I bet I’ll be back again!
Culinary Fool 