Culinary Fool

Another Use for Hot Buttered Rum Batter or …

09-Feb-2007

How to take a relatively healthy dessert and make it not so healthy!

I’ve talked before about keeping crisp topping in my freezer and then using it for individual fruit crisps of one sort or another. And normally when I make the crisps I eat them just as they are when come out of the oven – juicy, sweet fruit topped with a little crunch topping. And while the topping is made from butter and sugar it is also made with a lot of oatmeal and nuts and so the overall dessert is a pretty decent choice if you are looking for something to satisfy a sweet tooth.

Well, I made a little apple crisp recently and while it was baking a remembered I had heavy cream in the fridge and decided to make my crisp a little extra special by whipping up a bit of cream to top it. When the crisp came out of the oven I set it aside to cool and pulled out the cream to whip it. Well, a quick check of the cream showed it had turned (and it wasn’t even close to the pull date!) so I dumped it out.

But now I was left with a little craving for something creamy to top my crisp. I don’t keep ice-cream around so no luck there. And then I happened to remember the Hot Buttered Rum batter I have stored in the freezer…. Made with ice-cream, cinnamon and nutmeg it would perfectly complement the crisp. Just one small issue – it’s also made with butter and two types of sugar. Oh. Oh, well.

So I tried a small scoop on the hot crisp and it was really very good! However, not something I’d want to do on a regular basis! I’m not even going to think about the calories and fat that were part of that "healthy" dessert. It was good though!

Red Blossom and Raspberry Brie

08-Feb-2007

This post also appears on The Spirit World.

Valentine’s Day is fast approaching and it’s time to start planning your celebration! And those celebrations can have many forms. If you are not celebrating with the love of your life, take a minute to remember all the special people who have been and will continue to be in your life – we all have someone worth celebrating! So this week’s Happy Hour at Home works for cocktails for two or for a group – it’s all up to you!

Red is the color of the holiday and this drink celebrates in style. Not only is the drink red but raspberries in February are such a treat. And, since the raspberries end up being mashed, you can easily substitute frozen in this drink.

Red Blossom

Ice cubes
1 1/2 oz Gin
1/2 oz peach liqueur
3 Tbsp pureed or mashed raspberries
1/2 oz lemon juice
1/2 oz simple syrup
Raspberry for garnish

Fill a shaker with ice. Add all ingredients except the garnish. Shake vigorously, then strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a fresh raspberry.

Since this drink is very fruity I though what might be nice is something simple that echoes the raspberry flavors. So let’s make a warmed Brie topped with caramel.

Carameled Brie

A small round of Brie (8 oz) is perfect or even a wedge will work.

Place on a heatproof dish. Heat in a 350F oven until just getting soft – about 15 minutes. With a wedge you want to be extra careful to make sure the Brie doesn’t start melting all over the place.

If you are lucky enough to have a shop near you that stocks gourmet caramel sauces you may be able to find one that is raspberry flavored. I’ve seen several brands in several places. If not, you can make your own by gently heating about 1/4 cup of caramel (on the stove or in the microwave for just a few seconds) and then adding 2 – 3 teaspoons of raspberry syrup. Or instead of flavoring the caramel itself you can garnish the finished dish with raspberries.

Serve the warm Brie with slices of baguette, crackers or sliced apples.

2007 American Wine Blog Awards

07-Feb-2007

Vote for your favorite Wine Blogs! You can check out all the background and details on Fermentation and from there go to the survey.

WBW#30: McCrea 2002 Syrah

06-Feb-2007

When the theme for Wine Blogging Wednesday (WBW) 30 was announced I was very happy! Tim’s pick for this month was New World Syrah/Shiraz as this grape is know by both names. New World encompasses quite a large area – South America, Australia, and the U.S. just to name a few locations.

We are very lucky here in Washington to have many great Syrahs that come from east of the Cascade Mountains. So this theme was challenging for me mostly in choosing which great wine I’d like to tell you about. I decided to make it a bit easier on myself by looking at my wine stash and picking something that I had on hand. One of the first bottles of Syrah I came across was the 2002 McCrea. I’ve had this bottle for a couple of years and decided it was just the right pick.

McCrea is one of my favorite producers and they are well-known for their finely crafted wines. They specialize in Rhone varietals and generally produce 3 or 4 Syrahs each year. This one that I’d chosen was the Washington State Syrah with grapes from several vineyards and appellations including Columbia Valley, Red Mountain and Yakima Valley. It is 100% Syrah.

This wine is a deep inky, black purple with just the slightest hint of lighter purple at the very edges of the wine in the glass. The nose is full with the lushness of berries. On the palate purple fruits are front and center. There is some plum but the flavor of berries is what grabs you. The first taste was just a hint of raspberry but that was followed closely by the deeper flavors of boysenberry or marionberry. The finish was a bit more fleeting than I would have liked – I really wasn’t ready for it to go! However there was a light lingering before it was totally gone. There is a bit of spice in this wine but for a Syrah I felt it was rather mellow. There were also hints of more earthy flavors like leather or tobacco. This wine is luscious but not overwhelming. I drank it on its own and with just a few salted nuts and was perfectly happy. I can also see it complementing food like braised meats, for instance.

All in all I was very pleased with this bottle of Syrah and look forward to more McCrea wine in the future!

Update: This comes via GrapeRadio – McCrea Ciel du Cheval 2003 was the winner in the "Syrah Shootout", part of the Hospice du Rhone event held each May in Pasa Robles.

First Look: Bricco Della Regina Anna

04-Feb-2007

Friday night found R and me trying out a new-ish wine bar before we made our way to the First Friday opening at Gasworks Gallery (which benefits MashedPotatoes.org).

Our destination was Queen Anne and Bricco Della Regina Anna which has been open since spring 2006. The evening started off a little iffy as she hit bad traffic on the way over and I was also running a bit late. Adding to the confusion I had switched the digits in the address in my head and suddenly found myself on the complete wrong end of Queen Anne Avenue! Amazingly enough I finally got myself straightened out and was parking just as R pulled into the area and waved to me as she sought out a space.

Bricco is a tiny, cozy place with only 6 or 7 tables, seating for 10 – 12 at the bar, a window ledge for 6 and a couple of narrow stand-up ledges between the tables and the bar. The tables are reserved for those planning to dine and so when we arrived we had a choice of squeezing in along the window or standing. We opted to stand but we were second guessing that decision as the hosts squeezed more people along that little ledge.

We each had a glass of wine from the "by the glass" menu (pdf – page 4) and had wanted to order a little bite to go along with. Eating at the stand-up bar would have been difficult, if not impossible – at least at this time of year. The surface is narrow and although the owners have provided hooks under the bar there really isn’t enough room to hang full-length coats and a handbag, too. I commend them for at least thinking of hooks, though.

The other thing that I highly commend them on, is that they kept track of who had been standing/waiting the longest and as places opened along the window or at the bar they were offered in order of arrival. When places opened at the bar, two people who had just walked in started to take them and the staff told them they would have to wait as others were ahead of them in "line". Being the one waiting I really appreciated this. However, I also happen to pride myself on my "vulture" skills and may have been a bit put-off if the roles had been reversed. Not really, but it does mean no matter how good your eagle-eye and maneuvering skills are they won’t be a real asset to you here.

Once at the bar we scanned the menu and opted to go with a simple cheese and meat plate. There are a ton of options for you to choose from. We settled on Mole salami -one of our favorites from Salumi- and for cheese we chose Comte and Humboldt Fog. We also asked for a couple of the grissini we had seen sitting behind the bar in a big crock. Apparently, while they used to sit on the bar the health inspectors weren’t happy with that and they now are available but not quite so readily. After we ordered our little snacks we settled into a second glass of wine and enjoyed the neighborhood feel of the place.

There are several things I really like about the place. The people seem really nice; the wine selection is interesting – and I mean that in a good way; the food looks delicious – hard to judge when you are eating meat and cheese but even our plate was thoughtfully arranged and complemented with a sweet jam and spicy mustard; and the location makes it feel very welcoming. The smallness though is something to be a bit wary of. The window seats were okay but a bit tight;in the dining area the tables are all along one wall with barely room to squeeze between them – don’t plan on any private or intimate conversations here; as mentioned the stand-up area is not great – although it would probably be better in summer when the bulky clothing factor goes away. So the best spot is at the bar and that is fairly limited.

I will definitely come here again but if I do I’ll have a back up plan. If the place seems too crowded or I’m too far down the line for getting a spot at the bar I’d probably just head somewhere else – at least if I"m expecting to eat. Having said that though, I think you should give it a try.

In addition to dining, they plan to offer monthly wine tastings and sometimes hold events. Those could be fun.

Bricco Dela Regina Anna

1525 Queen Anne Ave N

Upper Queen Anne

Seattle

206.285.4900

Theo Chocolates

02-Feb-2007

While strolling through Fremont a few days ago I noticed that the Theo Chocolate retail showroom was nearly deserted – that had not been true the last few times I’d tried to take a look around. So I jumped at the opportunity to go in and actually have a chance to see all they offer.

The showroom is pretty sparse. It’s located in the old Trolleyman Pub location. The Trolleyman was part of the original Red Hook Brewery and remained open for quite some time after the brewery moved to Woodinville. In recent years, however, the facility has been claimed by Theo Chocolates for both their factory and this little showroom.

What’s odd about the showroom is that they left it pretty much as it was when it was a pub! So there is a fireplace (complete with fire on this day) in one corner, lots of cozy couches and chairs placed near the fireplace and then the chocolate showcases replace what was the bar. Since their line is not huge the showcases are rather sparse showing off a couple dozen types of interesting chocolate bites and their line-up of chocolate bars. The whole effect is a bit unbalanced and pseudo-industrial to be quite honest but when you are just there to pick up a bit of amazing chocolate it doesn’t make much difference, I guess.

On this day I was actually able to make my way to the confection case. This is the case I’d been trying to get to for several months! In this case you will not find the usual truffles, nut-studded chocolates and nougats but amazing and interesting blends like rose caramel, Merlot pine nut, ginger, damiana, licorice and hot Ceylon cinnamon. The names alone are enough to cultivate pictures of exotic and far-flung lands. I selected half a dozen to take home with me and then moved to the area with the chocolate bars.

All of Theo’s chocolates are organic and Fair Trade certified. The bars that I find most appealing are those in their Origins line. These bars are each from a different part of the world and range from from 65 – 91% cacao content. This is dark chocolate at its best! The concept is very similar to Richart’s Tasting Collection, which I adore!

I selected two bars that are each 75% chocolate – at that percent I can sneak a bite or two just for a little treat or this chocolate could also be used for baking. One bar is from the Ivory Coast and the other from Ghana-Panama-Ecuador. I haven’t yet done a side by side taste test but will be doing that in the near future.

They also make a line called the 3400 Phinney line (their address) which I have mixed feelings about. I guess in general I don’t really care for chocolate bars with "stuff" in them and this line is either flavored or augmented in some way. So while there are a couple I find delightful, this line is not really my cup of tea – or I maybe I should say my cup of cocoa. But you might find them amazingly delicious!

If you are in the Seattle area I recommend that you make a trip to the showroom at some point. They actually do tours, also, but I haven’t checked that out. If you are not in Seattle, they do mail-order business from their site.

Theo Chocolates

3400 Phinney Ave N

Fremont

Seattle

206.632.5100

A Special Little Wino….

01-Feb-2007

Speaking of Wine Blogging Wednesday…. Lenn (the founder) is a new papa!! Check out baby Jackson William Thompson. Congrats Lenn and Nena!

Time for a toast!

WBW #30 Announced

31-Jan-2007

Tim from Winecast will be hosting February’s installment of Wine Blogging Wednesday. The theme is New World Syrah. Check out his post for all the details, pick yourself up a bottle of Syrah/Shiraz and then post your findings on February 7th. What could be easier? Now the question is what should I choose…..

26th Dinner Club: Sicily Summary

30-Jan-2007

When I selected Sicily as our theme for this month it was with the idea that thoughts and food of a Mediterranean island would bring a little sunshine into what is normally a dreary Northwest winter. Well, our winter has been anything but dreary with several snow days which have been followed by many days of sun – sometimes starting with a little fog but definitely not rainy and gray as our January days are prone to be. So Friday was actually a pretty nice day but that just enhanced our Sicilian feast.

Little note: Every time I think of Sicily I remember my Italian Grandfather teaching me the rhyme, "Austria got Hungary ate a little Turkey dipped in Greece, something in the middle and Big Boot Italy kicked little Sicily into the Mediterranean Sea. Or something like that – doing a web search turned up all kinds of variations!

Everyone arrived at almost the same time. M2 had cocktails and appetizers and planned to finish both once she arrived. We started heating the oil for the Arancini with Peas and Mozzarella – little balls of risotto stuffed with mozzarella and one! pea, rolled in bread crumbs and then fried until crispy on the outside and the cheese was melted on the inside.

While the oil was heating she made up a batch of Strega-Nators – a new name but based on old Sicilian liquor, Strega. Strega, like many other spirits from France and Italy, is flavored from a mixture of herbs and was first created by monks way back in the late 1800s. The name, Strega means witch and is tied to a legend that witches gathered in the town where the liqueur was created. As with all things like this there is overlap between truth, fiction, history and myth but who really cares what the truth is when the final product is such a lovely ingredient? The mix of this fragrant liquor with citrus juice was really refreshing and tasty. I think we were all a little surprised – not that we expected something bad but we just weren’t sure what to expect – this is what makes dinner club so fun!

While we were sipping M2 was frying away and soon we had a big batch of Arancini ready to consume. We made our way into the living room to start a long and languid evening of eating!

I’ve mentioned that early on we had some trouble with everyone bringing too much food as we sometimes even made two of our assigned dished when we couldn’t decide between options.

Over the years we’ve gotten much better at portion control but every now and then we hit a night where we could have fed 2 or 3 times the number of people at the table. This was going to be one of those nights!

This time it was related to the chosen recipes and the amounts each made. M2’s Arancini recipe made a good 16 to 18 little balls of fried risotto. And they were so good! A little salty, crispy but not greasy, soft and gooey on the inside. The recipe she used called for just one pea to be placed in the center of each ball and we spent quite some time discussing why this might be the case, and then searching for our precious pea to make sure we didn’t accidentally ingest it without appreciating the little treasure it represented.

M2 had served two per person with a plate of extras and if there wasn’t a full dinner following I would definitely have had more! In fact, I could easily have made my meal of these. I had a one for breakfast the next day and even cold – right out of the fridge – it was tasty, smooth and satisfying.

After we had rested a bit we decided to go with a pasta course, following the more traditional Italian lineup. K had responsibility for this course and chose Pasta con Acciughe e Pomodoro from Jamie Oliver’s new cookbook. She had a hard time selecting her final recipe, she told us, and had wavered back and forth and finally settled on this one based on anchovies. Good job, K!

Made with raisins, pinenuts, breadcrumbs and lots of wine we will soon see these ingredients echoed in another part of the menu. The anchovies themselves melt into the sauce becoming a salty influence more than anything else. The sweet raisins were such a nice surprise in the mostly savory dish. This recipe made enough pasta for us to have as a main course. Or actually as our only course! But we managed to keep our servings down a bit in consideration of the rest of the meal to come. We had moved to the dining table at this point and we lingered and savored, sipping wine and preparing for the next round of Sicilian treasure.

While the others let the first two courses mellow I moved back to the kitchen to finish the main course, Involtini all Siciliana – or veal roulades stuffed with cheese, breadcrumbs, currants and pinenuts.

Do those ingredients seem familiar? As we’ve discovered with some other regional meals sometimes common ingredients seem to weave a common thread throughout our selections.

I had stuffed and rolled the veal a bit earlier and the rolls were held in place with long sprigs of rosemary. There were really rather beautiful! I had a bit of a challenging time getting them cooked evenly through though. With the sprigs sticking out two sides the rolls could not be completely seared on all sides. I have a few idea on how to make this work better next time but I have to test them before I recommend them. The smaller rolls cooked fine but a couple of the larger rolls were a bit undercooked in the middle.

Along with the Involtini, R served Caponata a lovely mixture of sautéed eggplant, onions, and celery with olives, tomatoes and capers. When making the recipe she felt there were too many onions but I thought the final product was nicely balanced. There were a lot of onions but their sweet structure pulled all the other pieces together.

Again we took a bit of a break after this course. I should mention that I’d selected three wines to have with our meal.

All based on the Nero d’Avola grape of Sicily I thought it would be fun to do a little taste test to see which we liked best. The first was all Nero d’Avola and was called Lamuri -which apparently means heart, one was a Nero d’Avola and Cabernet Sauvignon blend and the third was a Nero d’Avola, Merlot, Syrah blend. The table favorite was the Lamuri although I also really liked the Cab blend. They were all nice wines. And I had no problem finishing the last glass or two over the next couple days!

We ended with a beautiful, palest green, creamy dessert, Pistachio Gelato.

Fresh from the ice-cream maker just a couple hours earlier it was nutty, a bit sweet and fragrant with a bit of lemon. Made with milk and egg yolks but no heavy cream it was smooth and silky without being overbearing. It was a very lovely finish to a very lovely meal. As a little extra treat I also pulled out a bottle of Limoncello that I had made this summer. I have to say the Limoncello has really mellowed into a wonderful way to finish a meal. Although it is sweet, the clean lemon taste and high liquor percent keep this liqueur our of the candy column.

We started and finished a few more topics of conversation and finally wound down about 11:30. A four and a half hour meal – now that is dining as it’s meant to be done. With focus on friends and conversation along with the food.

You can see more photos here and see the menu with links to recipes here.

26th Dinner Club: Sicily Menu and Recipes

30-Jan-2007

Well, if you’ve been keeping track – which I’m sort of betting you haven’t – you’ll notice that I’ve skipped a couple dinner club write-ups. Bad me! I will get back to them soon but in the meantime I decided to go ahead and write about the most recent meeting while it was still very fresh in my mind!

Last Friday the group got together for the start of our fifth year. That is so cool! When we started the club we hoped it would have longevity but you never know about these things. We have four of our five original members and even the newest person has been with us for two years already! We were all thinking how quickly the time has passed – in some ways we don’t want to remember how time has flown by!

It was my turn to host this first meal of our fifth year and, as I’ve been doing the last few times, I decided to be a bit more specific when selecting a region. I picked Sicily as I thought "going" somewhere that seems eternally sunny and warm would be nice in this (normally) dreary month. Although I must say our weather has been anything but the normal gray this year!

So here was our menu for the night: