Culinary Fool

Count the Silverware! or Mother Knows Best

23-Jan-2007

When I was younger my Mom would drive me crazy when, after any big dinner, we had to count all the silverware to make sure we still had it all. Not because we thought someone had walked out with it – although I once had an aunt-in-law, that my former mother-in-law swore pocketed a few things – but because she was worried it would get accidentally tossed in the trash. I don’t remember ever losing anything but I can’t say for sure that we didn’t.

Anyway, I continue this "tradition" even into my adult life – the habit is just too ingrained to actually change it! And it’s not like it takes a lot out of me to do it.

This last weekend I had twenty for a sit down dinner. Although I normally use linen or cotton napkins for most meals, for a dinner of this size I decided to use paper napkins instead. As we were cleaning up I had been thinking how funny it was to see napkins piled on the plates, since people don’t do that with cloth napkins.

After I had finished doing all the dishwasher loads with silverware spread across all the loads I realized I was missing two pieces from one of the sets I’d used. I looked all around to make sure they hadn’t been stashed in the wrong place or were hidden behind something on the counterop or something but to no avail. Finally, I donned surgical gloves and sorted through the day’s garbage. Sure enough, there were the missing two pieces! They’d probably been caught in a napkin that was scraped into the trash. Thanks, Mom!

Butternut Squash Lasagna

23-Jan-2007

It’s traditional in my family to have lasagna for Christmas Eve dinner. We’ve done it for a million years and will continue to make it as long as the family is getting together. And even if that ends I would bet that my siblings will continue in their individual families just as I would if I were having a Christmas Eve dinner. It’s just part of the fabric of our lives.

There is only one small problem with this tradition. We generally make a traditional beef-based lasagna but my brother doesn’t eat beef. Or pork. We’ve done various things to get around this over the years but this year I hit on a wonderful solution!

I was watching Everyday Italian one afternoon and Giada was making a Butternut Squash Lasagna. It looked sooooo good. Although I have to admit it’s a bit hard to tell since Giada does such a great job of looking like she absolutely loves everything that passes her lips! And maybe she does!

Anyway, I made the recipe for Christmas with just a few small changes including using pumpkin that I had recently roasted instead of butternut squash. It was really good! So for my Northwest Harvest thank-you dinner last weekend I made one pan of this lasagna, this time with butternut, (and three pans of meat lasagna) for any vegetarians in the group. Butternut is generally a bit sweeter and more refined than pumpkin.

Well it was a huge hit and it went so fast when I offered seconds to the group that I didn’t even get to sneak a taste. Or a photo. I took one but I think it was the last piece and it was being whisked away at the time. I’m going to make it again soon but since butternut is pretty readily available in the markets at the moment, I thought I’d recommend it to you now.

Instead of copying Giada’s recipe I’m just going to link to it and then tell you what I did differently.

Butternut Squash Lasagna

And here’s a list of the things I did differently:

Substituted pumpkin for squash and it was great – I think any winter squash would work

Peeled, cubed and oven-roasted the squash until tender instead of sautéing it

I have not added the cookies (read the recipe…) but I think it seems as if they would add a little something extra and will try that at some point

I’ve used "regular" lasagna both times. I just don’t think it’s that hard to boil it and I find it easier to control the amount of sauce that’s needed

I added some Parmesan cheese to every layer

I did not add the final layer of cheese at the end – both times I made it I was busy socializing while it cooked and didn’t want to be bothered so I just used all of the cheese in the layers

The first time I baked it covered as the recipe specifies, the second I cooked it uncovered the entire time and it seemed pretty much the same both times.

My version actually looked better than the picture on her site, I think. The basil really adds a green tint to the Bechamel sauce and in mine you could see definite stripes of green from the sauce, orange from the squash and white from the noodles and cheese – it’s a really pretty dish.

Now go try it – you’ll be happy!

SHF Round Up

22-Jan-2007

David has already started the round up for last week’s Sugar High Friday event. Part 1 of 3 is up for you to take a look at. Twenty five entries in Part 1 – I think there’s going to be a whole lot o’chocolate going on…. Just in time for the upcoming V-day celebrations!

Update January 23, 2007: Another seventeen entries are summarized in Part 2.

Another update: Part 3 is ready for your viewing pleasure.

Update January 24: And the final installment of another 15+ entries is here!

First Look: Amber

22-Jan-2007

This post first appeared on The Spirit World in August 2006.

Axis has been reinvented as Amber. And it’s not just a name and concept change but actually new owners are now running the show.

The first difference that will jump out at you is that the interior has been completely redesigned. The bar area is much larger; the bar itself is now circular and larger; and there are graceful steps leading up to the second level. This new configuration has the added bonus of opening up the sight lines throughout the restaurant – no longer is the dining room hidden back behind the bar.

It took me several attempts to get in for my first look, as every time I’d pass by the bar would be jam packed! And, although one of my favorite bartenders now works here on previous visits I didn’t see him and so decided to move on.

Both of those things changed a couple weeks ago. M and I stopped by on a night when there was plenty of room at the bar and as a bonus Kirk was working that night, too!

The drink menu is pages long. What they show online is merely a sampling of their offerings. What is interesting is that they have both a mix of old classics and new, fruity, youngster (as I like to think of them) cocktails.

M ordered a Margarita which she really liked.

I had a Blood Orange & Vodka concoction (I neglected to record the actual name) which was also good. The one thing I did not care for about it was the use of the colored crystal sugar around the rim. Although this touch does add a festive look to a glass, in most cases it just adds too much sweetness to the cocktail, as it did for this one. Once I cleared a space on the rim, the underlying drink was tasty, though.

We also ordered a couple of appetizers.

The Angus Beef Skewers with Horseradish Sauce were yummy! Beefy with caramelization, cooked until tenderly medium they were perfect with the horseradish sauce. My only suggestion on this would have been to make the sauce even more horseradish-y, but then again I like pure unadulterated horseradish so I might not be the best one to make this call!

We also tried out the BBQ Prawns.

These are wrapped in a smoked bacon and then grilled to perfection! The yin-yang of the salty bacon with the sweet prawns was a perfect combination. They were served with house-made barbecue sauce on the plate. This sauce was very good – spicy and tangy with a hint of sweet – but I thought that it overpowered the delicate prawns. It was, however, great with the beef! And so we cross pollinated our plates for a wonderful taste experience.

I like the look and feel of Amber. Next time I’m in, I’ll probably stick with the more classic cocktails. And I’m definitely looking forward to trying more menu items! They have a Happy Hour which seems to include drink specials but I’m not sure about food – guess I’ll need to check that out! It runs 4pm-6pm daily with $5 well drinks and $3.50 drafts.

Amber

2214 1st Ave.

Belltown Seattle

206.728.8500

SHF: Chocolate by Brand

21-Jan-2007

I may be able to just squeeze this entry in under the wire so I’m typing as fast as my little fingers will go!

Last Friday was Sugar High Friday hosted by David Lebovitz. The theme was "Chocolate by Brand". I loved this idea as I’m really trying to learn my brands and tastes and develop a repertoire of what works best when. I decided to combine my entry for Sugar High Friday with a dinner party I was having on Saturday. And my first idea was to have everything put together on Friday so that I could write about it and also be all ready for my party. Well – you know that thing about best laid plans…

I reviewed my Pure Chocolate: Divine Desserts and Sweets from the Creator of Fran’s Chocolates cookbook, written by Fran Bigelow a local chocolatier who I love. While she is now known for truffles, salt caramels and her Gold Bars among other things, she actually started her business with a bakery and this cookbook has many of the treats that were part of that first endeavor. My dinner party was a thank you for my friends who would be helping me at the Northwest Harvest warehouse earlier in the day. And, while I don’t like to make these meals too elaborate considering that we’ve just been working for a foodbank, I thought a little extra special treat at the end of the meal would be warranted. So I found the perfect idea. I’d make Fran’s Pure Chocolate Sorbet and place scoops of that in Chocolate Tuile Cups.

For the sorbet I selected two types of bittersweet chocolate, Guittard and Callebaut. They are both good brands and just happen to be carried by Big John’s PFI, where he has them priced well below what you’d pay other places. Mostly because he buys the big 22 pound blocks then breaks them into smaller pieces but sells them at the big block price. Both are 72% cocoa.

I first made the sorbet with Callebaut and had to sneak a little taste even before it was frozen. Amazingly, chocolatey and rich with just a hint of sweet from the sugar in the recipe. I noticed when I checked it after it had been in the freezer awhile that it froze really hard! Which would make sense as the only ingredients in this sorbet recipe are sugar, water, Dutch-processed cocoa and the chocolate. And with nearly a pound a half of chocolate and only 1/2 cup of sugar the ratio was too low for the sugar to keep the mixture soft.

Next I made a batch with the Guittard. I was surprised that the Guittard was actually a bit sweeter. Not sweet by any stretch of the imagination but definitely there was more of a lingering hint of sweet.

Both sorbets, although rich, were almost palate cleansing since sorbet does not contain any dairy product. I had actually planned to serve both at the party but we’ll get to that in a minute.

Next up were the Cocoa Tuile Cups. These were the little critters that delayed my entry. I had both sorbets made on Thursday but Friday got away from me and these cookies were not complete. I got up to make them early on Saturday. They mixed up beautifully and then I started baking them. Well, Fran’s baking times were off. And although I’ve made tuile cups in the past I was having a hard time telling when they were done because the chocolate made them so dark it was hard to get a sense of "done". And to be honest, I was also trying to assemble lasagnas – yes multiple pans of – at the same time and so maybe I wasn’t quite as focused as I should have been….

Anyway, although I made several batches successfully, it was just taking too much time and effort to get the consistency right so they could be shaped into cups. I made an executive decision to just bake the rest of the cookies as flat cookies and then I’d break them into wedges to serve in the bowls of sorbet. Oh, the chocolate used for the Tuiles was Dutch-processed cocoa. Now I have to admit that every time something calls for Dutch process I have to remind myself what makes Dutch process cocoa different from other cocoa. This type of cocoa has been treated to neutralize the acids. It has a mild flavor and dissolves in liquid easier than "regular" cocoa. However, because it has been neutralized depending on the recipe you may need to make sure something else compensates for the lack of acid. In baking that is often baking powder. There is good information on both types of cocoa on the JoyofBaking.com. The "brand" I use for Dutch-processed is generic. I buy it in bulk from my local Central Market. Next time I’m in the store I’ll need to see if they have a brand on the bin label but I don’t believe they do.

Okay, so now I have the cookies and two batches of sorbet. I go off to the warehouse to do a couple hours worth of work and then we all come back to my house for late lunch/early dinner at about 3:30. In the rush to get the meal on the table I completely forget that I had planned to take the sorbet from the freezer and let it sit in the refrigerator during the meal so that it would be soft enough to work with when I was ready to serve it. Uh oh.

We clear the table and then I remember. I pull out the sorbet and attempt to scoop it, knowing full well that I must be crazy at this point. Maybe if I let it sit 15 minutes or so. I return to the dining table and chat for awhile and then go back to try again. No go. I thought about shaving it into granita-like ice. I pile of brown flakes doesn’t look too appetizing, though. I thought a little more and came up with a great plan – but would it work? I had to try.

I ran water over the container of sorbet – just enough to slightly warm the edges so that it would slip out of the storage container. I dumped it out and then sliced it into small cubes. They were kind of cute! Then I placed the cubes in these tiny bowls that I have and tucked in a wedge of cookie and a demitasse spoon. It actually looked pretty cool! The photo doesn’t really do it justice as at this point setting up a great photo was not my primary objective!

I served them and they were a hit. I brought out a second round of "cubes" and a plate of cookie wedges for those who wanted seconds. It was fun. I only ended up serving the Guittard sorbet. The Callebaut, while I like it very much, is just a bit more intense with that slight bitter edge and this is not a taste that all people appreciate. Especially since I had a couple kids at the table and I wanted them to enjoy the dessert, too.

So I’d make all of these recipes again. However, next time I’d allow more time to actually focus on the tuile cups and figure out what the best baking time really is. I also might adjust the sorbet recipes a bit by adding coffee or chocolate liqueur which would help keep it from freezing so solidly. They might take a bit of experimentation. But I think there is a lot of promise here!

I’m really glad that I made the two batches, too. Now I have a better idea of the differences in flavor between the two brands. It was a good education!

Sugar High Friday

19-Jan-2007

Just a quick reminder that today is Sugar High Friday. Today’s theme is Chocolate By Brand and is being sponsored by David, our favorite chocolate expert, at his blog, David Lebovitz. Although today is the day, David is giving us all a couple days leeway to get our info to him – just a couple days though so check out his posts for all the details!

First Look: Licorous

18-Jan-2007

This post first appeared on The Spirit World in July 2006.

Lark has a new little sister and while you shouldn’t play favorites with siblings, I think I’m going to like her a lot! About 5 days after Licorous made it’s debut, Rosanne and I stopped by to check it out.

If you’ve been to Lark you know that the space is small, you nearly always need a reservation to get in and if you arrive prior to your table being ready your options for waiting are limited to 2 or 3 barstools at what passes for a bar in the back of the room or a couple of seats just inside the front door.

All of these things have kept me from returning to Lark as often as I’d like.

So, seeing an opportunity Jonathan Sundstrom decided to expand his venue by taking over another small space directly across the driveway to the North of Lark.

Licorous is also small and I’m guessing once people figure out it’s open and what it is, it will be packed most nights. The one drawback at this time of year is that the space is not air-conditioned (which is mostly not a problem for me) but as the sun sets it shines directly into the west-facing windows and even with the shades drawn it heats up the place. The night we were there I believe the day’s highs had only been in the upper 70s but Licorous was pretty warm. Once the sun was low enough it did start to cool down immediately.

The good news is that from this first taste the cocktails and menu items are wonderful! And they are doing something that I really love and wonder why no one else in town had thought of it sooner – more on that in a minute.

First, the cocktails.

The cocktail menu is creative, interesting and features house infused spirits in many of the drinks. They also have chosen to make their own bitters – labeled A, B, and C – to complement the creative drinks. (A = orange bitters; B = an Angostura-like concoction; C= licorice bitters)

While there, the two of us sampled four cocktails between us. I started with the Abasa d’Arancia, a wonderful concoction of orange-infused gin, Campari and sweet vermouth. Rosanne started with a 12th Avenue Cocktail (and I was glad as I’d seen a couple go buy and they were just so dang pretty!). The 12th Avenue is a mixture of rhubarb-infused vodka, Lillet and lime. You can see what I mean about the creative and interesting offerings!

Rosanne also had a Prickly Pear – a combination of tequila and Clear Creek Pear Brandy; and I finished with the Renaissance – Brandy, sweet vermouth, limoncello, and John’s "A" bitters. Now, here’s what I think is so great. Each of the listed specialty cocktails is available with a food pairing! Just a little bite of something that specifically enhances and is enhanced by the cocktail flavors. Each of these little bites is also available on its own so you can mix and match to your heart’s content. If you follow their suggested pairings you pay just $2 more than the price of the drink on its own. I love this idea and the pairings we tried were wonderful.

The food offerings are, of course, similar in style to the Lark menu but more playful and much more limited than the Lark menu. The focus is on lighter bites but there are a handful of more substantial dishes. And, I’m sure they will be changing the offerings regularly as they do at Lark, so there’s no chance you’ll get bored with the menu. Probably just the opposite – something you loved last time might not be offered the next time you come in. I love this new venue and plan to spend more time here soon! Check it out – I think you’ll be glad you did!

Licorous

928 12th Avenue

Seattle

206.325.6947

WBW #29: Biodynamic Wines

17-Jan-2007

This month’s Wine Blogging Wednesday (WBW) is hosted by Fork and Bottle and the theme is "Biodynamic Wine". Now I know very little, if anything really, about Biodynamic Wine but Fork and Bottle has tons of information and resources.

With information I gleaned from their site and articles they’d linked to I went in search of an entry for this month.

When I got to my local wine shop and asked about biodynamics the first thing out of my knowledgeable wine person’s mouth was, "Now you know biodynamics may contain sulfites?". Or maybe that was actually the second thing as I think he first confirmed that they had several bottles to choose from. After assuring him that I wasn’t looking for biodynamics for health reasons but for "community" reasons we set about looking at many of the various options. I would say all of the options but to be honest they had too many and so I cut off the search after a bit.

Several of the first wines he mentioned and showed me happened to also be on a list I’d printed off after finding a link on the Fork and Bottle site. What I found interesting about these wines is that although they are known for being Biodynamic wineries many of them did not carry the Demeter certification. Like "organic" there are certain costs, testing and fees needed to qualify for the certification. Not all wineries feel the trade-off is worthwhile and so, while they may follow the practices, they are not certified.

Biodynamic is a bit of a loaded term. Besides the agricultural aspects of the practice there are the bordering-on-pagan (my description) rituals that many do not necessarily buy into and, in fact, this is probably the major, uhm, discussion point, among believers, non-believers and fanatics.

With that bit of background let’s get to this month’s tasting. Jack has long been a believer in this process and challenged us to see if we could tell any sort of difference in Biodynamic wines.

After my tour through the wine shop I had great plans to double dip this month. I purchased two wines: one red, one white; one Demeter certified, one not but on my list; one from the Rhone Valley and one from the Loire Valley. The reality was that I was able to squeeze one tasting in under the wire tonight. Ohhh, the best laid plans…

Tonight I opened the red, a non-Demeter certified Côte du Rhône, Belleruche Cotes-du-Rhone M. Chapoutier 2005.

After pouring it into my glass I noticed that there wasn’t much on the nose. The color was a nice, deep plum. The first taste seemed rather light. I let the glass sit for a few moments to see if it would open some and then tried again. Not much had changed. In the mouth it felt thin but was pleasant. I kept trying to identify some specific taste but the wine was very elusive. The flavor would dissipate before my mind could record any sort of recognized flavor. At one point though, I actually had the impression of toasted marshmallow! I have no idea where that came from.

Basically, I would say this wine was rather flat; there was little complexity or structure. It was, however, still a pleasant wine. It was the sort of wine I’d be happy picking up in a neighborhood shop in Paris, taking back to my hotel room and sipping while nibbling on finds from one of the traveling street markets. It was not a wine I’d take to a dinner party, especially if I was hoping to impress my hosts or the other guests.

The one thing that did surprise me was that this wine was only $10 in a state (Washington) that heavily taxes alcohol. I would have expected that Biodynamic wines would be more expensive than their non-Biodynamic counterparts. Even the other wine that I have on hand, the one that is Demeter certified, was only $14. Of course at this point I have no idea what it is like.

In summary, I can’t say that I’d search out this wine again. On the other hand if it happened to turn up at an event I was attending I wouldn’t run screaming either. I think it’s fine for a picnic or as a light lunch wine but then again, that’s the description for many Côte du Rhône. I can’t say I saw any identifiable difference between this one and one grown in a non-Biodynamic vineyard.

The round-up is in process and you can read it here.

Morrocan-Style Braised Chicken

17-Jan-2007

This recipe smells soooo good while it is braising that it is hard to wait for the finished product! Luckily since we are using chicken, the braising time is fairly short, so you don’t have to wait too long before you can enjoy the tastes that go along with the exotic fragrance.

Moroccan flavors are some of my very favorite. They combine the savory spices such as cinnamon and star anise with sweet flavors that come from fruit. And there often is a salty element such as olives or cured lemons incorporated into the dish. And I am in love with the (I think) very romantic tagine – a classic cooking pot which also gives it’s name to the stews that are normally made within it. I have a tagine and use it fairly frequently but you can also replicate that process with any decent oven-safe, lidded cooking pan. A slightly domed lid is best as it will recirculate the accumulated moisture from the rising steam back onto the braise below.

As is so often the case with my cooking this recipe can be varied in numerous ways. Just close your eyes and imagine the tastes you enjoy and then work them into this dish.

Moroccan-Style Braised Chicken

Olive Oil

1/2 onion, roughly chopped

1 rib of celery, chopped

1/4 cup flour

1 Tbsp Dean & DeLucca Moroccan Beef Rub (see note 1 below)

2 Tsp hot, smoked Spanish paprika

Salt and Pepper

4 Skinless, boneless chicken thighs (see note 2 below)

1/2 cup wine (white or a less intense red, such as a Pinot Noir)

1 cup (or so) of beef stock

1/2 cup thickly sliced mushrooms

1/4 cup good olives

8 dried apricots

Preheat the oven to 325F.

Add a little olive oil to a medium-sized chef’s or saucepan that has a lid. Over medium heat sauté the onion and celery until just starting to turn golden. Remove from the pan and reserve.

Mix the flour, Moroccan Beef Rub, paprika, salt and pepper in a shallow bowl. Dredge the chicken in the flour mixture and add to the pan, adding a bit more olive oil, if needed. Brown the chicken on both sides about 3 minutes per side.

Once the chicken is browned leave it in the pan and add the wine, stirring gently to de-glaze the pan. Add back in the onions and celery and then add the mushrooms, olives and apricots. Add enough stock to bring the liquid to 2/3 to 3/4 of the level of the chicken – you don’t want the chicken completely covered but more than 1/2 way.

Cover the pan and bring the liquid to a boil. Place the pan in the oven for 1 hour. If your lid is loose on the pan, check the level of the liquid now and then to make sure it hasn’t all escaped.

Remove from the oven and place one chicken thigh with some of the vegetables and fruits on each plate. Today I topped leftover steamed rice with the mixture which was really good!

Note 1: I just happen to have this spice mix but you can easily make your own using all or some of the ingredients. This particular mix includes: ground cumin seed; ground coriander; Hungarian paprika; turmeric, white pepper, black pepper, fenugreek; dried ground ginger root; cayenne pepper; ground celery seed; ground cloves; ground caraway seed.

The two most prominent flavors are the celery seed and turmeric.

Note 2: Bone-in, skin-on thighs would also work, as would chicken breast of any variety. If you are using breast allow just a bit more time since they are larger. If you are using bone-in meat, allow a bit more time. If you are using skin-on meat you may want to skim the fat from the braising liquid prior to serving.

If using breast meat you may prefer chicken stock to beef and you should definitely use a white wine.