TONY’S BIRTHDAY

Every now and again, depending on my time and energy, I will gift friends or family a dinner (of my choosing, of course!) at my house for their birthday. I don’t just throw a party for them, with mutual friends. I let them invite their friends, while I plan the menu and cook, and Reno serves and pours. My latest recipient is our good friend, Tony, who is not only a foodie with fine taste, but a restaurant food supplier, so it takes a little extra creativity to impress him.

Developing a menu for any dinner party is not always easy. I like to use seasonal ingredients and am a regular at my farmer’s market, so that is always my first inspiration. Then there is always the tastes and food constraints of the guests to keep in mind. In LA this can be particularly challenging. With fad diets coming and going, you never know when someone may not be able to eat carbs, red meat or dairy. I also have to keep in mind the oppressive summer heat, which encourages cool dishes (literally) and light meals.

One of the most overlooked things to keep in mind when planning a dinner party is prepping, which can determine whether your dinner is a success. Can the dish, or any of its components, be prepared ahead of time? Will you have the time to properly prepare all the intended items? Are you an organized enough person to be able to prepare efficiently? Have you varied cooking methods so you don’t have to squeeze everything into the oven or deep fryer? If you are honest with yourself, you can generally work around any time, space or ability constraints. The last thing you want is for guest to have to wait 2 hours before getting even a morsel of food. On the same token, you don’t want to cook everything so far in advance that the flavor/texture is off when reheating or being served cold.

Keeping all that in mind, I came up with the following menu:
(scroll further down for recipes)

Canapes

Cucumber Gazpacho shots
Tuna Tartar on water crackers
Crab Cakes with Tartar Sauce

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Zucchini Blossom Fritters with Frisee and Celery Leaf Salad

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Garganelli with Prawns, Zucchini & Cherry Tomatoes and Lemon Thyme Sauce

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Pan Roasted Lamb Chops with Minted Spring Vegetable Cassarole & Merlot Sauce

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Madelines

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Chocolate Cherry Shortcakes with Vanilla Ice Cream


**Don’t forget to have enough drinks on hand. The more alcohol people drink, the better they will think your food is.

I know the menu is long and doesn’t look so light. But, let me assure you with the right portions it is! I encourage everyone to make at least some, if not all, the recipes below.

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THE RECIPES

Cucumber Gazpacho
LA Times 8/9/06
Serves 6

Note: Dark, thin-peel Persian cucumbers are best for this recipe. You can use other thin-peel cucumbers, but the color won't be as pretty. If you use regular slicing cucumbers, peel them and remove the seeds.

8 (½” thick) slices stale baguette
2 pounds cucumbers
1 ½ ounces sorrel leaves, stems removed 1 ½ teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon salt
4 cups lowfat yogurt, plus more for garnish

1. Tear the baguette into rough pieces and put the pieces in a bowl with water to cover. Soak for at least 15 minutes.

2. Coarsely chop the cucumbers and place them in a blender in batches. Chop most of the sorrel leaves, reserving two for garnish. Add the sorrel leaves to the blender with the garlic, salt and yogurt, and puree until smooth.

3. Remove the bread from the water and squeeze dry. Add the bread to the blender and puree the mixture until perfectly smooth. Pour it through a strainer into a deep bowl, discarding any bits of bread caught in the strainer. The soup should be slightly thickened, about the texture of heavy cream. Cover the bowl tightly and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

4. To serve, season the soup to taste with more salt if necessary and ladle it into wide bowls. Use a large spoon to swirl in a streak of yogurt. Thinly slice the reserved sorrel leaves and scatter a few slices across the top of the soup.

Josey’s Note: tastes like cold cucumber juice. It’s nice and refreshing during the hot summer, but not a great recipe overall.

Tuna Tartare
Barefoot Contessa Parties by Ina Garten
Serves 6 to 8

3/4 pound very fresh tuna steak
4 tablespoons olive oil
Grated zest of I lime
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lime juice
½ teaspoon wasabi powder
½ teaspoons soy sauce 6 dashes Tabasco sauce
1 ½ teaspoons kosher salt
I teaspoon freshly ground pepper
¼ cup minced scallions, white and green parts (2 scallions) 2 teaspoons minced fresh jalapeno pepper, seeds removed
1 ripe Hass avocado
1 teaspoon toasted sesame seeds (optional)

Cut the tuna into ¼ -inch dice and place it in a medium bowl. In a small bowl, combine the olive oil, lime zest, lime juice, wasabi, soy sauce, Tabasco, salt, and pepper. Pour over the tuna, add the scallions and jalapeno, and mix well. Cut the avocado in half, remove the seed, and peel. Cut the avocado into ¼ -inch dice. Carefully mix the avocado into the tuna mixture. Add the toasted sesame seeds if using and season to taste. Allow the mixture to sit in the refrigerator for at least an hour for the flavors to blend. Serve on crackers.

Josey’s Note: This is really delicious, like all of Ina Garten’s recipes. The way the creaminess of the avocado coats the tuna, may even convert people who don’t like raw fish.

Crab Cakes
The Best Recipe by Cooks Illustrated
Makes about 20 mini crab cakes or 4 large ones

1 pound jumbo lump crabmeat, picked over to remove cartilage or shell
4 scallions, green part only, minced (about ½ cup) 1 tablespoon chopped fresh herb, such as cilantro, dill, basil, or parsley
1 ½ teaspoons Old Bay seasoning
2-4 tablespoons plain dry bread crumbs
¼ cup mayonnaise
Salt and ground white pepper
1 large egg
¼ cup all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons vegetable oil

1. Gently mix crabmeat, scallions, herb, Old Bay, 2 tablespoons breadcrumbs, and mayonnaise in medium bowl, being careful not to break up crab lumps. Season with salt and white pepper to taste. Carefully fold in egg with rubber spatula until mixture just clings together. Add more crumbs if necessary to bind.

2. Use tablespoon sized portions of crabmeat mixture and shape into miniature patties. Alternatively, divide into four portions and shape each into a fat, round cake, about 3 inches across and 1 ½ inches high. Arrange on baking sheet lined with waxed paper; cover with plastic wrap and chill at least 30 minutes. Can be refrigerated up to 24 hours.)
3. Put flour on plate or in pie tin. Lightly dredge crab cakes. Heat oil in large, preferably nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot but not smoking. Gently lay chilled crab cakes in skillet; pan-fry until outsides are crisp and browned, 4 to 5 minutes per side. Serve hot, with Tartar Sauce (recipe follows).

Tartar Sauce
Makes generous ¾ cup

¾ cup mayonnaise
1 ½ tablespoons minced cornichons (about 3 large), plus I teaspoon cornichon juice
1 tablespoon minced scallion
1 tablespoon minced red onion
1 tablespoon capers, minced

Mix all ingredients together in small bowl. Cover and refrigerate until flavors blend, at least 30 minutes. (Can be refrigerated for several days.)

Josey’s Note: This is hands down my favorite crab cake recipe and is always met with rave reviews. You too will never need another crab cake recipe again. The tartare sauce is the perfect (& classic) choice of sauces. I usually only make 1/3 of a recipe of sauce, and have some leftover

Zucchini Blossom Fritters

For recipe, see Stuffed Zucchini Blossom Fritters post below. I added 1/4 cup grated parmesan to the batter, and did not stuff the blossoms.

Frisee and Celery Leaf Salad

Sorry, no real recipe here. I just combine the pale green & white parts of the frisee lettuce, with the pale inner leaves of celery. For a dressing I made a simple vinaigrette with champagne vineagar, extra virgin olive oil, salt and pepper. It was tasty in its simplicity.

Garganelli Pasta with Spot Prawns and a Lemon and Thyme Butter Sauce

Lumiere by Rob Feenie

Serves 4

PASTA
2 ½ cups garganelli pasta olive oil

SAUCE
¼ cup rice vinegar
¼ cup dry white wine
4 sprigs thyme, plus 2 sprigs with leaves removed
1 tsp. heavy cream (optional) ¼ Ib. unsalted butter (1/2 cup)
1 tsp. lemon juice 1 tsp. fine lemon zest

PASTA GLAZE
1 cup chicken stock
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 tomato, peeled, seeded and finely chopped 1 Tbsp. chopped chives
2 Tbsp. julienned flat-Ieaf parsley
1 tsp. fine lemon zest

PRAWNS
12 large prawns, peeled 1 Tbsp. grapeseed oil 1 Tbsp. unsalted butter ¼ tsp. minced garlic
1 small shallot, minced

TO PREPARE: In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the pasta to al dente stage. Strain without rinsing the pasta. Toss with a small amount of olive oil. Spread on a flat baking sheet to air dry-this step allows the starch to remain on the pasta, which makes sauces cling better. You can do this ahead of time and store the pasta in resealable plastic bags.

SAUCE: In a small pot, combine vinegar, wine and the 4 sprigs thyme. Reduce to a syrupy consistency. Remove thyme sprigs. Whisk in cream-this step will prevent the sauce from separating. Remove from heat and whisk in butter a bit at a time. If sauce cools too much, return to low heat, but do not let it boil. When butter is incorporated, add lemon juice and zest along with thyme leaves to mixture. Season with salt. Keep warm.

PASTA GLAZE: In a large saute pan over medium heat, reduce stock by half. Whisk in butter. Add the pasta and toss to warm through. Add tomato, chives, parsley and lemon zest, and season to taste with salt and freshly ground white pepper.

PRAWNS: Season prawns with salt. In a nonstick frying pan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When the pan is lightly smoking, add the prawns and quickly saute. When prawns are pink on one side, add butter, garlic and shallot. Turn prawns and continue sauteing until cooked through. Remove from pan and keep warm.

TO ASSEMBLE: Over low heat, add the pasta and ¼ cup of the lemon and thyme sauce to the prawn juices. Toss until thoroughly warmed. Divide among 4 large bowls. Place 3 prawns on top of the pasta. Drizzle warm sauce on top of the prawns and around the plate.

Josey’s Note: Long, but easy, this was a tasty recipe. The sauce & glaze combo gave the dish a more nuanced flavor. I also added some sautéed zucchini to the pasta for an added summer touch. If you can’t find garganelli, try fresh fettucini or penne rigate pasta instead.

Lamb Chops

Sorry, no recipe here. I just seasoned and pan roasted chops.

Minted Spring Vegetable Cassarole

Sorry, no official recipe here either. I just blanched all the beans & legumes I could find at the market. Then I sauteed them with some spring onions, and finished it with a touch of cream and julienned mint.

Merlot Sauce (for the lamb)
Gotham by Alfred Portale
Makes about 1 ½ cups of sauce

Reserved meat and bone trimmings from 2 racks of lamb 1 tablespoon vegetable oil, plus more as needed
2 medium shallots, sliced
4 garlic cloves, peeled and crushed
¾ cup Merlot wine
1 teaspoon coarsely crushed whole black peppercorns
1 sprig rosemary
1 sprig thyme
1 ½ quarts White Chicken Stock

In a large saucepan, heat the oil over medium-high heat. In batches, if necessary, brown the lamb meat and bone trimmings for about 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl and set aside.

Pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the saucepan. Reduce the heat to medium. Add the shallots and cook, stirring often, until browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the garlic and stir until fragrant, about 1 minute. Return the browned trimmings and bones to the pan. Add the red wine, peppercorns, rosemary, and thyme. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until the wine is reduced to 1/4 cup, 10 to 15 minutes. Add the chicken stock and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer very slowly until the stock is reduced to about 1 quart, about 3 hours.

Strain through a fine sieve into a large bowl. Let stand for 5 minutes, then skim off the fat that rises to the surface. Return the stock to the cleaned saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Cook until richly flavored and reduced to about 1 ½ cups, 15 to 20 minutes.

Josey’s Note: I always use low-sodium (store bought) chicken stock in my recipes, but it is most important here when reducing it. Also I’d reduce the sauce a bit more than suggested so to give it more body.

Chocolate Cherry Shortcakes with Cherries Jubilee and Vanilla Ice Cream
Boulevard by Oakes, Mazzola, and Weiss

SERVES 8

CHOCOLATE CHERRY BISCUITS
2 cups self-rising flour
½ Cup Valrhona or other Dutch-processed cocoa powder ½ cup sugar, plus additional for dipping
¼ teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup dried Bing cherries or dried sour cherries
1 cup Valrhona (or other premium) bittersweet chocolate chips 2 cups heavy cream
6 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

CHERRIES JUBILEE
3 cups fresh Bing cherries, halved and pitted 1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons kirsch ½ cup sugar
3 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
½ cup brandy
2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Premium Vanilla Ice Cream

FOR THE BISCUITS: Preheat the oven to 400°F. Stir the flour, cocoa, sugar, and salt together in a large bowl until well combined, then stir in the dried cherries and chocolate chips. Add the cream and stir until the mixture comes together into a somewhat stiff dough. Turn out onto a clean cutting board and, with your hands, press the dough into a 6-inch square about 2 inches thick. With a long, thin knife, cut the dough into 9 (2-inch) squares. {Yes, you will have 1 extra} Dip the tops of the biscuits into the melted butter and then into sugar, pressing lightly so it adheres. Place the biscuits 2 inches apart on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for about 15 minutes, or until they're light gold and spring back when pressed lightly. Set aside at room temperature for up to 4 hours. ­

FOR THE CHERRIES JUBILEE: Combine the cherries and the 1/3 cup kirsch in a bowl and let macerate for 30 minutes, tossing occasionally. Put half of the cherries, the sugar, and lemon juice into a saucepan und simmer over medium heat for about 5 minutes, or until the liquid begins to thicken. Remove from the heat, add the brandy and, averting your face, carefully ignite the brandy with a long match. Let burn for about 1 minute to burn off the alcohol, then extinguish the flame by covering the pan. Remove the lid and continue to simmer the cherry mixture until it reduces to a syrup. With a slotted spoon, transfer the cherries to a bowl and reserve Add the remaining 2 tablespoons kirsch to the syrup and set aside or refrigerate for up to 2 days (along with the reserved cherries in a separate container).

TO SERVE: Preheat the oven to 350°F. Split the biscuits and put into the oven for about 5 minutes, or until warmed through. Heat the cherry syrup in a small skillet over medium heat, add the reserved cherries and the butter, and swirl the pan until the butter has melted and combined with the syrup. Center a warm biscuit bottom on 8 dessert plates or shallow bowls and put equal spoonfuls of the cherries and their syrup on each, reserving a cup or so. Place on a biscuit top, followed by a scoop of ice cream. Dollop the remaining cherries and syrup around or to the side of the biscuits.

Josey’s Note: This recipe is pretty good if you like not very rich chocolate desserts. Personally, I could have had a black forest cake instead (using the same chocolate/cherry combo), and been a lot more satisfied. Also, the original recipe has you making your own vanilla ice cream. Even though I love making ice cream, I feel like there is no point when there are plenty of good ones out there.

Madeleines
by Alain Giraud of 4 Star Private Cuisine, recipe was printed in LA Times
Makes enough for 15-25 people

3.5 oz. flour
3.5 oz. almond meal 8 oz. powdered sugar
1 cup egg white
8 oz. unsalted butter
grated zest from 1 orange ½ tsp. baking powder
1 oz. lavender honey*
1 vanilla bean

In a mixing bowl, combine all dry ingredients.

Split the vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out the seeds. Cook the butter in a saucepan with the split vanilla bean until golden brown, then reserve.

Add the egg whites to the dry ingredients and combine well. Add the honey. Add the brown butter after removing the vanilla beans. Add orange zest and mix slowly. Reserve and chill for a minimum of two hours.

Use a special non-stick madeleine mold, greased with cooking spray. Pipe the mixture just under the edge and bake for 10 minutes at 350°F. (If using a convection oven, bake at 325°F) Let rest one minute and unmold the madeleines. Be sure to store them separately, as they are delicate and will stick to each other.

*The lavender honey can be substituted with another type of honey.

Josey’s Note: This recipe is from the chef I work with out here in LA. These madeleines are DELISH! And I’m not just saying that because he’s my chef, they really are good, and the dough is really easy to work with. At first the dough may seem a bit slimy (like pate a choux), but stick with it, that’s how it should be. If served warm, you'll have none of these babies left!

You too could like salmon

Historically, I have hated salmon. I find it very fishy. But in an effort to eat healthier and increase my Omega-3 intake, I thought I'd give Salmon another try. Now, to clarify, I'm not talking about smoked salmon. I'm talking about salmon steaks or fillets. I tried the Asian Grilled Salmon recipe from Ina Garten's Barefoot Contessa Parties. And, I'm happy to report... I liked it!! It's a quick preparation and is full of flavor. The recipe calls for grilling on the BBQ, however, I sauted the fillets in an non-stick pan stovetop...worked very well.

Asian Grilled Salmon
Serves 6

1 side fresh salmon, boned but skin on (about 3 lbs) (note: I used skinless salmon... worked fine)

Marinade:
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons soy sauce
6 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon minced garlic (I used 1 teaspoon for more garlic flavor)

Whisk together mustard, soy sauce, olive oil, and garlic in small bowl. Drizzle half of the marinade onto the salmon and allow to sit for 10 minutes.

Place salmon skin-side down on the hot grill (or pan). Discard marinade fish was sitting in. Grill for 4 to 5 minutes or until cooked almost all the way through (fish will continue to cook a bit upon sitting).

Remove skin (if using salmon with skin). Spoon the reserved marinade on top. Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled.

Stuffed Zucchini Blossoms

If you have the good fortune to live near a farmer’s market or grow your own zucchini, then you are in luck. The blossoms that form either on the zucchini (if female) or on a stem (if male) are not only pretty, but delicious. When I was growing up, one of the only things my mother cooked well was zucchini blossom fritters from the blossoms we grew in the back yard. In the last few years, I’ve seen these blossoms come into favor with foodies, and have come across a number of recipes. But, I could never get my hands on the blossoms themselves. This year the produce gods were smiling upon me, since I found not only 1 but 2 vendors at the farmers market who sell the blossoms…yippie!. When I saw them I had to stock pile them, to make up for all those lost years. I tried to get the fritter recipe from my mother. She could only recall using a little of this and some of that, but wasn't completely sure. She put out the coll to some of her relatives in Italy, and fine tuned her initial "recipe", but still no quantities. Lucky for you, I have done the leg work. Below is a stuffed version of my mother's recipe. You could also omit the filling and just batter fry the blossoms, just like Mom did.

Stuffed Zucchini Blossom Fritters
Serves 4-6

12 zucchini blossoms, trimmed at base of blossom and pollen stem removed from inside (I suggest blowing on the flower opening to help keep it open).

For the filling:
1 cup ricotta cheese
1 egg
2 scallions, minced
2 tbsp. chopped parsley or basil
¼ tsp. freshly ground nutmeg
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste

For the batter:
1 cup flour
1 tsp. baking soda
Salt & freshly ground pepper to taste
¾ cup water

Extra virgin olive oil for frying (I usually wouldn't use it to fry, but it works here)

You should try to use the blossoms as soon as you get them home, for they only keep a few days in the fridge.

For the filling, combine the ricotta and egg in a bowl, and use a fork or whisk to form to a smooth mixture. Stir in the remaining ingredients. I like to taste the filling at this point, but with the raw egg, you may not want to. Using a teaspoon or piping bag, carefully fill each blossom with ricotta mixture leaving room at the end to twist blossom shut and hold in stuffing.

For the batter, combine the dry ingredients in a bowl, and whisk a little to remove any clumps. Slowly whisk in the water, forming a smooth batter. It should be the consistency of slightly thin pancake batter.

In a straight sided frying pan, add ½” extra virgin olive oil. Heat oil on medium heat until hot (about 350 degrees or batter sizzles on contact). Drop a few blossoms at a time into the batter. Using a spoon, coat the blossoms completely with batter, scoop out, and carefully slide into the hot oil. Be sure not to drop (from far above pan) into the oil for the hot oil will splash and burn you! Use the first blossom as a test for batter consistency and oil temperature, adjusting both as needed. Once golden brown, turn over and cook the other side until also golden. Removed with slotted spoon or spatula and place on paper towel lined plate. Sprinkle with a bit of salt while warm. Continue cooking the remaining the blossoms in this manner, being careful not to over crowd the pan. Serve warm, sprinkled with salt.

I suggest serving these along as a canape or plated with a little salad to cut the richness of the fritter.

Baby Broccoli Rabe?

Have you ever heard of "baby" broccoli rabe? Well, they are growing it here in large amounts and I was intrigued. It looks like any leafy green, but since I assumed the flavor was going to at least hint at the nutty, bitter delicious-ness that is the grown up variety, I decided to lightly sauté it with lots of garlic and olive oil and toss it with some ricotta gnocchi. DELISH!

Even my husband, who isn’t a generally a fan, was in heaven. I suspect that was because it isn't at all bitter, but it still has "lots of flavor". (Has Ina trademarked that yet?) Tonight I am trying it again with a farro pasta…and maybe some mushrooms or pancetta. Or maybe just a nice curl of parmesan. Can't decide. Full report on this preparation is TK. In the meantime, if you are looking to mix it up in the greens department and come across some, give it a whirl!

UPDATE: Went with just a curl of parmesan and a bottle of '04 Sabastiani Alexander Valley Cab. Stood up well to the greens and farro penne. Don't be afraid to let if rip with the garllic...as long as you brown it well. Hubby was happy, as was I. Yum!

UPDATED UPDATE: The folks at the farm where I buy these greens confirmed that they simply harvest the plants before they flower, so they really are "baby" brocollic rabe plants. Also, I made a wonderful pizza with these greens sauted in garlic (get it really brown and nutty) with some red onion and a Mecox Atlantic Mist cheese. The cheese is a lot like taleggio, but made on a nearby farm where I can literally drive by and see the cows!

SEATTLE (part 2)

The Restaurant Review:

Lark
www.larkseattle.com

This charming restaurant with its exposed wood beamed ceiling, white table clothed tables and simplicity of décor was warm and inviting. I was shocked to see denim and Birkenstocks on most of the patrons - gasp! In LA, I‘ve gotten used to seeing jeans worn to the best restaurants, but even that is usually done in a stylish rocker-chic way. This, on the other hand, was just crunchy granola, sans chic. Although the restaurant isn’t that fancy, the casual duds made it feel less special. The tapas style menu, on the other hand, impressed me with not only the number of options, but more importantly the seasonality of the items and nice mix of exotic and mainstream products.

We started with a nice Trailhead Tomme from Washington. Wonderful cheese….though not a drinker myself, Reno assured me that it went deliciously with the Washing Sauv Blanc he was having. The Spanish Mackerel with Fava Beans and Chorizo, was perfectly prepared and flavored. It is so rare to even see mackerel on a menu nowadays that I had to get it. The Sweetbreads varied from the traditional deep fried little nuggets usually served. Here they were kept whole so you could actually taste the creaminess of the organ. The meltingly tender pork belly with a pea medley was perfection. Often times restaurants will over/under cook pork belly or dry it out while re-heating, making it tough. Here the skin was nicely crisp, the pork fat soft and the meat tender. And the fresh peas just make you feel less guilty about eating all that rich pork. Farro (aka spelt) is a lesser used grain, that is now starting to gain popularity. Sauteed peas & morels were added to theirs at the end of the grain’s cooking. I was disappointed by the very al dente dish, trying my best to salvage just the morels and peas. Dessert was a mascarpone cheesecake with peaches and lime. The accompaniments sound a bit strange, but worked well to cut the rich creaminess of the cheesecake. All in all, it was a well prepared meal make with local seasonal ingredients. Some people may call it Alice Waters inspired, but I call it the standard.

Sitka & Spruce
www.sitkaandspruce.com

Located in one of the few strip malls in the outer, more residential parts of town, is nestled this little gem of a restaurant. When you step inside, the hip (if people are still using that word) vibe of the apple green paint and wall of wine crate labels make you feel as though you just walked into your cool friend‘s loft. The affable nature of the two Abercrombie & Fitch clad waiters/managers, along with the communal dining table, give you the feeling of being at casual dinner party with friends. The large open kitchen in back feels like a Julia Child equipped home kitchen. The menu is written on a chalkboard hung on a side wall and labeled Summah, and sets the tone of what’s to come.

Although the menu is short, it covers all the bases, and is also tapas style. The morel & pea salad (again?, well ‘tis the season!), is called a salad, but the ingredients are cooked and served warm and is delicious in its freshness. The smell of baked bread filled the room so we had to get the flatbread with razor clams. It was totally not what I expected. The clams were mixed with tomatoes, herbs and mayo like a salad and put on top of the very thin flatbread. This was a nice summer alternative to what I thought would be garlic and clams baked on top of flatbread. I would have preferred more thicker flatbread, though. The olive oil poached salmon oddly tasted a lot like canned tuna, but felt consistently summery with the touch of mint. It was served with farro (the now VERY popular grain), which was very al dente here too. Perhaps I have old lady teeth and need to stick to mushy foods, but anyway… Grilled flank steak, on a sliced tomato salad. The tomatoes were perfectly red through and through, a sign that they were truly vine ripened and sweet, and topped with very good olive oil and vinegar. The contrast of the cool tomatoes and hot, perfectly cooked meat, and parsley sauce was perfection. We thought for sure our salad with parmesan had been forgotten since it had not yet appeared. But we were wrong. They were serving it European style, at the end. As we’ve come to expect, the lettuce was fresh and young with the right amount of parmesan cheese. Many restaurants love to pile on the cheese, but it should be about the salad NOT the cheese. I would normally want a more substantial dessert at the end of such a “light” meal, but their rice pudding with poached cherries and shortbread (I combined the two desserts they offered to create this combo) was the perfect light ending to a perfectly prepared summer meal. I could eat like that every night.

Harvest Vine
www.harvestvine.com

We walked into this small, unassuming restaurant and saw just a few rustic tables and long bar. It wasn’t until we walked past them and down the stairs that we saw the main attraction, the wine cellar dining room. The dimly lit room with floor to ceiling wine racks, brick wall, and 200 year old Spanish doors, transported us back to our favorite tapas bar in San Sebastian, Spain. Even the menu was true to form.

True to theme, they offer a good selection of Spanish cheeses, which is a refreshing change from all the French & American ones commonly on menus. The tomato salad was simply sliced, drizzled with a fruity olive oil and a generous splash of sherry vinegar and sprinkled with salt. I could have made a meal of just that and the crusty bread. I don’t think I’ve mentioned it yet, but Seattle has the best bread. I’m not sure if it is because of the water or people devoted to making great bread. I digress… The next dish of piquillo peppers stuffed with a salt cod and potato puree topped with a brown sauce was a squishy mouthful of goodness. I’ll be damned if I didn’t have the exact same dish San Sebastian! The Txistorra, a Navarran style sausage, is a thin sausage tasting like a cross between chorizo and Kilbasa. It was served grilled with just a dipping sauce and grilled bread. Unlike the last two restaurants, Harvest Vine does not try to create small entrees of each dish, but instead serves genuine tapas where each dish focusing on one item. I usually shy away from lamb shanks because they can be gamey, but not here. They are fork tender from being braised in red wine for hours, and just meaty tasting - mmmm. For the first time on the trip we get two desserts, a pine nut torte and espresso flan. The torte is sweet and crunchy while the flan is creamy and smooth - with a kick. Both remind me of rustic cooking in general, where simple ingredients and techniques are elevated to create something more…a memorable meal.

Crush
www.chefjasonwilson.com

By the time we made it here, Reno & I had both gotten used to the uber casual attire and modified our outfits accordingly. So, of course, this was the one place where everyone dressed up. Like all the others, Crush is located in the outer part of the city in a converted Tudor house. The structure of the house and some architectural details seem to have been left intact, but the decor is modern, bordering on (1950’s) futuristic. The tables look like simple white IKEA pieces, but on closer inspection feel like some kind of molded plastic and probably v. expensive. Then there’s the chairs, amoeba-like white plastic shaped like a body silhouette (neck to floor), are more of a distraction than anything else. I think a better job could have been done of merging the old and the new styles. But, on to the food…

The bread arrived cold and on wavy plates. I fumbled trying to balance my butter knife on the wavy plate, but no luck. The bread set the tone for the whole meal. I looked forward to the prawns with chick peas and octopus, as few restaurants even serve octopus. Disappointing would be an understatement. The dish was under seasoned, the chick peas hard and the octopus mealy. Was the octopus past it’s prime or not cooked properly? Either way, to have three things wrong with an appetizer was remarkable. The other app was no better. It was an onion tart with poached egg & bacon, a slight departure from the more seasonal dishes we‘ve been ordering, but I was in the mood for change. Also disappointing. The onion should be the whole focus of the dish, but it’s flavor was MIA (missing in action). Then there is the issue of the mushy tart shell. Was it just not blind baked? Was the chef aware of these missteps or did he just leave the kitchen in the hands of an intern? I couldn’t believe I had read so many good things about this place. The duck restored my faith in the kitchen. It was perfectly cooked with the right amount of complimentary sweet in the sauce and savory in the farro (again, I know, and thankfully a bit less al dente). The gnocchi with pork cheeks were rich with pork flavor and tasty, although the gnocchi itself were tiny and as a result lacked a lot of the traditional chew. We were stuffed from these usual sized portions, and skipped dessert for the first time, opting only for coffee. Ironically, the coffee was lukewarm, like our dinner review.

Don't get me started.....

Oh, Josey...you are so very right about the rise of the Celebrity Chef. It is troubling to me that product licensing, book deals and a "portfolio" of restaurants where the marquee chef is barely present has become the accepted way to succeed in the business. As you know, I am a small business owner and I very much appreciate the need to expand to survive. But what happened to the notion of doing one thing really well, and being recognized and rewarded for that alone? What about the satisfaction of a job well done, even if you don't get to be on TV?

I've had the good fortune to have dined at a few truly wonderful two and three-star restaurants in Paris. And even the ones that fall into the "portfolios" of which I am somewhat suspicious, all seem to possess a level of pride in what they do that isn't about posturing, or what kind of water you will order, or how this place will help expand an empire.

It is about the work. Transforming ingredients into something far beyond what you could accomplish in your own kitchen (that’s art!). Ensuring that the room allows the art to be truly appreciated. And then making sure that you can adhere to these highest of standards and not go broke! I have tremendous respect for all these people who somehow, each day make it happen – from the gentlemen who invisibly fill water glasses to the pastry chef that cannot help but send love and more love in the form of confections to the table.

What a treat! What a thing to aspire to! What a shame that it seems as if this kind of experience so frequently gets conflated with the concept of “fancy” and all its negative valences. Worse still are the copycats in larger cities that offer none of the art…just artifice.

OK, I am probably being pretty hard on many restaurants. And I have obviously left out all the wonderful neighborhood establishments that feed us in simpler ways, but with just as much pride and love. My hat is off to them all. And I hope that in the coming years our attention will be turned away from those funny faces on the TV, and back to the real, live table.

The Degradation of TV...thanks Rachel Ray

I know that the purpose of the blog is to share my thoughts/ideas/observations on all things food. Although this observation isn't about food itself, it is about a food "personality." So, I think it qualifies...

Yesterday, I turned on the tv for my usual dose of the Today Show while getting ready. What I got instead was fake/forced laughing by none other than Rachel Ray. What was so funny, you might ask? A segment on her morning show, featuring her "funny/animal faces." Yes, that's right, Rachel contorts her entire face into different "faces" and throws in her hands for effect -she's so talented. Those faces, often reserved for professionals like Jim Carey or for entertaining babies, was the whole segement! She even had an assistant narrating the slide show of faces. Has she gotten so desperate for content that she has resorted to this? Or is she so enthralled with herself that she thought this would be really fun for the audience? Either way, it is more proof of the decline of television quality (as if we needed it) and of Rachel Ray herself.

I usually don't like to bash Ms. Ray, because I felt like she contributed to the greater good by encouraging people to cook instead of relying on fast/processed food. But that time has passed my friends, and she just gets more annoying as time passes. Thank God for Martha, who is definitely the ying to Ms. Ray's yang.

Eating Local?

I think that one of the things that we all have in common on this blog is the desire to eat well and enjoy ourselves in the process. I just finished reading Barbara Kingsolver's book ANIMAL, VEGETABLE, MIRACLE and it got me thinking about what "eating well" really means. Since my late teens, my eating style has ranged from devout vegetarian to “office vending machine Billy goat”. I safely landed somewhere in between, and over the last few years have avoided processed foods and meat and produce grown at industrial scale farms whenever reasonably possible. So, this book was a natural for me.

For those of you unfamiliar with the book, it recounts a year in Ms. Kingsolver’s life as she and her family try to eat only food that they produce on their small farm in rural Virginia. Unlike authors who have recently covered similar territory -- I’m thinking Pollen, Schlosser and Nestle -- the book isn’t doctrinaire or overwhelming. Sure, big agriculture is king these days and no, my husband and I are never going to become home farmers (especially where animal husbandry is concerned), but there is hope! With a big debt to Alice Waters, this book offers a way of thinking about our food choices that results in making ones that are kinder to the environment, to animals and to ourselves.

Right now I am in the perfect position to try my own version of Kingsolver’s style of eating, which is a far more rigorous version of my own. My husband and I are spending the summer smack in the middle of farm-stand country and just approaching the high season of northeastern produce. Between regular visits to buy what the local farmers have been growing, and the occasional "high-fuel cost" Niman Ranch order (I have yet to find a good local place for antibiotic-free, humane lamb, pork and beef…chicken and fish are covered, thankfully), the eating has been good. Every meal begins with what I found at the market, not the other way around. And each one has been simple, flavorful and somehow special because it came from land we are sitting on...or near, at least.

What I find interesting about this is that I am simply finding my way back to a way of eating that my ancestors practiced out of necessity. I grew up in a typical American suburban household, with a small twist: My Italian-American parents had families that hailed from small towns in Italy, where "eating local" was not a trend...it was the only option.

As we know, old habits die hard and when my family established themselves in the now-hip but then very un-hip neighborhoods of Williamsburg and Greenpoint, Brooklyn, setting up small gardens, making wine, putting up vegetables and yes, curing meats and making sausage, was just "what was done". The migration to the suburbs of Long Island changed very little -- at least for my Grandfather. In his small back yard, he grew what seemed like endless amounts of vegetables and herbs for good summer eating. And good winter eating. My Grandmother was a fairly accomplished pickler and canner, and when the season's bounty became too much, she got to work stocking the pantry and freezer.

How things can change in one generation. Two working parents and a bounty of food at the supermarkets of the 1970’s, eliminated the need for our own home garden. (Especially with Grandpa still bringing in an almost daily haul of fresh produce in the summer.) Still, my Mother cooked each night and there was always a fresh, if not local, vegetable on the table. But while soft drinks were verboten, there was a slow creep towards convenience foods as we marched into the 80’s. Today my Parents’ pantry is probably more typically American than theirs could have ever imagined. And mine -- even pre-local eating experiment -- has cast me into the role of the “slightly difficult one”. Oh, well. After thinking about it, I really see no reason to change. In fact, it is my hope that slowly things will begin to swing more my way. We shall see.

In the meantime, here I am gearing up for several more weeks of local eating and thinking about what to do when the harvest comes to an end. My husband and I have discussed getting a large freezer for our basement, which should cover us to a certain degree, but the prospect of canning and preserving brings me right into thoughts of trikinosis and non-dermatologist-induced botulism. But I would really like to keep eating this way and I know that at a certain point even the city's wonderful farmer's markets will offer little in the way of local produce. So, what's an ER-phobic girl to do?

Seattle (part 1)

Although I don’t consider myself at all part of the jet-set crowd, my “crowd” does like to travel, and not just over the state line. Between all of us, we’ve covered most of Europe, Asia and South America. Just going to Napa Valley, home of the best domestic wine and great food, would be considered low-key for us. So, when I told my friends that Reno & I would be going to Seattle, we raised few eyebrows to say the least. As Ricky Ricardo would say, “I had a lot of splaining to do." Other than rain, I didn’t know quite what to expect from Seattle. I just saw the trip as a nice get away, and anything more would be icing on the cake.

Day -1: Pike's Market (http://www.pikeplacemarket.org). We arrived at the famous market late in the morning -- and I was famished. We stopped at the first breakfast place we saw, Crepes de France. I was so taken by this authentic looking little café, with the small tiled floor, mismatched chairs and marble bistro-style topped tables. Alas, one bite of my bland and pasty spinach ricotta crepe revealed the true identity of the place -- trés Americaaan. It was an ominous start to our trip --- Reno & I were both afraid that this was a sign of meals to come.

Not 10 steps away from the crepe place was Daily Donuts, a donut booth that makes hundreds if not thousands of those little pillows of heaven fresh on the spot. They only have 4 flavors, plain, sugared, cinnamon and sprinkled. Like Krispy Crème, they have the deep fryer contraption front and center, with row after row of donuts moving through the cycle. First, the batter gets poured into the O shape by twos from a large funnel like contraption, fried to a perfect golden brown as it moves along a conveyor belt, then rolled out of the oil and into a large bowl with the others. Too full of crepe (no pun intended), I passed on the donuts and cursed myself for wasting a meal on the crepe. We did return, twice, devouring 1 dozen donuts between the two of us. They are served still warm in a plain brown paper sack. After taking my first bite of one, I knew I was in heaven. The light and airy cake gave way to a nicely chewy texture. The first went down so easily and quickly, I could have easily popped a full dozen on the spot. Luckily for my waistline, the lines were too long to go back for seconds. My recommendation - get at least a dozen.

The ground floor of the market was where all the food action was. They have gourmet shops, spice stores, produce vendors, dried fruit sellers, meat & fish purveyors, and the list goes on. Forget Wal-Mart, this is my idea of one-stop-shopping. You would have to look no further than Pike’s Market to create a dazzling meal. The spice & tea market alone had a wall of jars filled with every kind of spice, with 6 different peppercorns alone! I was amazed by the variety offered by the seafood market. It was more than just the expected salmon, even though smoked salmon is hawked by every Tom, Dick and Harry there. There was crab, halibut, clams, oysters, you name it. The fish looked like they just jumped out of the ocean and landed on the bed of ice, it’s that fresh. And yes, we did see the famous fish booth, where large salmon get thrown to and fro to a chorus of chanting. Of course, I was the only one to think the fish throwing is just a silly antic, as there were hoards of people gathered around to watch the spectacle with cameras in hand. Tourists!

Just across the street from the market is the famous Beecher’s Handmade Cheese shop. Half of the shop is glassed off and devoted to making cheese, with the large machines and vats, while the other half has food and cheese for sale. Although still full from the crepe, I managed to have a cup of the house mac & cheese. DELISH! I often lose interest in mac & cheese after the first two bites, because of the monotonous taste, but this one was different. It had the right amount of cheesy-creaminess (without being goopy), on perfectly cooked penne pasta with a touch of seasoning (paprika, I think). Their Panini looked really good too, but would have to wait for our next trip -- we still had more foodie places to explore.

Our snacking wasn’t over yet. As we walked through an alley near the market we hit Pike Place Chowder. Their award winning clam chowder was just as good as proclaimed. It was creamy in a nicely flavored not too clingy way, and you could actually taste the clams. The seafood chowder was also tasty. It had the right balance of tomato and cream making it taste light with plenty of salmon & squid. Surprisingly, the salmon didn‘t make the soup taste fishy as the fat in salmon sometimes can. The crab roll, however, was a whole different story. It was completely devoid of flavor, and only made edible thanks to the help of cocktail sauce. The bread, lettuce and tomato were okay, but the heaping crabmeat just wasn’t seasoned or dressed enough. What a waste of fresh crab!….I guess you can’t win them all.

Later that afternoon, we headed off to Salumi (http://www.salumicuredmeats.com/). For those of you not in the know or without my same food addiction, its the cured meat deli/store/trattoria owned by Mario Batali’s father, Armandino. After a long career as an engineer at Boeing, he followed in his son’s footsteps and went to Italy to learn butchery and meat curing techniques from real artisans who’ve been doing it for generations. Of course Mario raves about his father’s salami (no pun again), but I had to find out for myself. Luckily, we missed the crowds that often line up around the block, making a simple lunch seem like waiting for a ride at Disneyland. We tasted and bought two salami, the Salumi salami and the Dario. Ginger in a salami? I have never tasted giner in any Italian preparation either here or in Italy. But, in the Salumi salami it blended beautifully with the pork. The Dario, on the other hand, had an unusual nutmeg flavor. I assume this is an homage to Armandino’s teacher/mentor, Dario, in Italy who is single handedly trying to keep nutmeg rich renaissance cooking alive. What I love most about Armandino‘s salami is that you can taste the quality of the ingredients, the craftsmanship of the curing, and the creativity of the flavors. Definitely a must if you ever find yourself in Seattle.

Aside from the natural beauty of the landscape, the best part of Seattle is that it has not been overrun with franchises, except for a Starbucks on every corner (of course!). Instead it is overrun with people who are passionate about maintaining the integrity of food and the artisan approach to producing it. That is why wandering the streets of Seattle felt very much like being in a European city, without the hassle of currency, language and major time zone differences. I would guess that the lush nature of the region supplies the area with ample resources and encourages people to stay true to those resources. How could it not? By the end of the first day, I began to forget about the crappy-crepe and started thinking this would be a sign of good things to come…