Dinner for the Folks March 28, 2008

Often when my parents have relatives or friends visiting they ask me to cook dinner for them. My immediate answer is usually maybe since I would have to give up a chunk of my leisure hours to undertake the project. But then my mind gets churning with ideas and I start thinking of menus. There’s no turning back at that point. Plus since my parents would be paying for the ingredients I have an opportunity to be a bit more extravagant than usual [although trying to convince my parents they must have Champagne and caviar on their menu hasn't come to fruition]. My great aunt and uncle were visiting recently and here is what I cooked for them and my parents…

Gougere - Lillet Blanc

I started off the meal with hot gougeres straight from the oven accompanied by a glass of lillet blanc on ice. Gougeres will be the death of me - I inhaled three as soon as they were puffed, browned, and crusty on top. As you can see these were huge.

Scallops, Forbidden Rice, Braised Endive, Vandouvan Butter - Donna Luna Fiano

Next was seared scallops served on forbidden rice with braised endive and a drizzle of vadouvan butter. To my delight Julie got me a bag of vadouvan, a French curry mix, from Le Sanctuaire for my birthday which inspired this dish. I paired this with Donna Luna Fiano which I previously had with my truffle butter pasta. The medium body of the fruity wine and the touch of acidity paired well with the butter sauce and the touch of citrus in the curry spice mix.

Romanesco Veloute, Foie Mousse, Crispy Pork Belly - Domaine La Bastide Roussane

For the third course I served romanesco veloute with a quenelle of foie mousse and deep fried slivers of pork belly. I was planning to make the foie mousse myself but once I got to the store they told me I had to preorder them. Duh! So instead I got premade foie mousse I think from D’Artagnan, which actually saved me some time and sanity. For the soup I made a light veloute sauce in which I simmered the romanesco florets. Once tender I put the mixture through the blender and sieve to ensure a velvety texture. Then finished it with butter, cream, and egg yolks to enrich and thicken it. This dish was inspired by the veloute and royale I had a Manresa. Taking a cue from their wine pairing I wanted to pair my veloute with a Roussanne also. Simon over at Larchmont Village Wines chose the inexpensive Domaine La Bastide for me which went great with the velvety soup and the bit of rich foie mousse.

Red Wine Braised Beef Tenderloin, Aligot, Shiitake Frites - Red Shed Cabernet Franc 2004

The final savory course was beef tenderloin that I had seared and braised in red wine and beef stock. I served it with aligot potatoes and “frites” for a meat & potatoes or steak & frites kind of deal. Aligot is a potato dish from Auvergne, France, made with tomme cheese and beat into an elastic texture that leaves it with a cheesy-stringy texture. I substituted Cantal since I could not find tomme d’Auvergne. I didn’t achieve the correct texture perhaps because I didn’t put enough cheese in. For about 2lbs of potatoes I put in 1/2lb of cheese. However the potatoes were soooo tasty. I mean really tasty. The “frites” were made my dredging shiitake slices with panko and deep frying them. I salted them when they came out of the oil. Simple as that and also very addicting.

Cowgirl’s Creamery Red Hawk & Gruyere

I added a small cheese course and served Cowgirl Creamery’s delicious triple creme Red Hawk and Gruyere.

Boca Negra with Dark Chocolate-Orange Ganache, Pistachio

Then finally dessert. I stick to easy things when baking since I’m really more of a savory person. I baked a boca negra which is a flourless chocolate cake loaded with chocolate and eggs and also a good amount of booze, in this case it was whiskey. I topped it with a warm dark chocolate ganache flavored with orange zest and sprinkled toasted and chopped pistachios on top.

There was a lot of room for improvement but in the end I was happy with what I cooked because more importantly the diners were happy.

Comfort in a Dish - Meatloaf December 28, 2007

The Girls and I got together for a midweek holiday dinner and I offered to bring dinner. I wanted to stick to something comforting and simple so decided on meatloaf, one of my favorite comfort dishes. I went with my favorite turkey meatloaf recipe adding a twist with a version of ras el hanout, a Moroccan spice blend (or as Wiki more accurately states “a popular blend of herbs and spices is used across the Middle East and North Africa”). I added chopped red bell pepper, parsley and cilantro to the meat mixture while leaving out the tomato paste, Worcestershire, and thyme. I kept the ketchup glaze on top of the meatloaf. That’s a must!

I made a vegetable stew made with chickpeas, zucchini, carrots and tomato. I also spiced this with the ras el hanout I made for the meatloaf. This stew was simple, rustic and delicious with the warm spices running through it. I think this is going to be a stew I’m going to turn too often when I need something fast and simple.

To sop up any juices couscous was in order. I would love a couscousier someday, perhaps when I get more acquainted with Moroccan cuisine. But until then I applied the quick method of pouring hot water over a bowl of couscous, sealing it with plastic wrap and letting it steam. I added chopped parsley and cilantro to it after fluffing it with a fork.

I packed everything up and off I went to the dinner house. The Girls loved it! Great company, comfort food, and a relaxing time - what holidays should really be about.

*Take a look at the beautiful dessert my friend brought to dinner!

A Light & Casual Wedding Lunch Affair May 24, 2007

About two and a half weeks ago my brother’s friends Sarvi and Aaron contacted me about catering for their wedding party. It was supposed to be a more casual event held at a artsy and hip neighborhood bar/art gallery, providing guests with a light lunch. I was free so I took on the task with the help of my friend Ellen. So I began the menu planning keeping in mind that the food would have to be finger food so guests can eat easily while standing and drinking, the food would have to go with some nice wine, and of course something delicious.

The menu:

Hummus, Muhammara & California Harissa with Fresh Baguette Slices

Marinated Feta & Olives with Rosemary & Lemon Zest

Bacon-wrapped, Parmesan-Stuffed Dates

Goat Cheese Mousse Tartlets with Candied Pepitas

Romesco Pulled Pork Canape with Pecorino Salsa Verde

Tuna Tartar with Pickled Red Onion & Chives (Ellen’s hor d’oeuvre)

Prosciutto di Parma, Buffalo Mozzarella, Basil & Wild Arugula Sandwich

Balsamic Roasted Onion, Sun-dried Tomato, Ricotta & Wild Arugula Sandwich

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Hor d’oeuvres would work great for this event since they are finger food but the menu also needed other items to round it out. So I made a trio of dips - muhammara, California harissa and hummus. I made the hummus using Clifford A. Wright’s recipe by using dried chickpeas, not canned. This was the first time I made hummus from dried chickpeas and although a bit laborious due to the peeling of the beans the results were very delicious. As with many dishes made from scratch for the first time, you realize how much you’ve been missing out.

I used Paula Wolfert’s recipe for the muhammara which was so delicious! Muhammara is an eastern Mediterranean dip made from roasted red peppers, chili, walnuts and pomegranate molasses. The whole roasted serrano chili I added gave a real nice kick to it. Yup I added seeds and all since the recipe said add to taste. Nutty, sweet, savory and lightly spiced, this is definitely one of my favorite dips now.

The California harissa is Suzanne Goin’s recipe which I’ve used in so many different recipes and dishes. She is like the goddess of flavor combinations and the most flavorful rustic sauces. Just in this menu I used three of her sauces. Once you get a few of her recipes down the combinations are endless since the sauces are so versatile. But they are also delicious on their own with some fresh rustic bread.

I also made some marinated olives and feta and served them in this great elongated dish I picked up at Ross for only $6. Yeah, I am a discount dish junkie. It does pay off to keep your eyes open at these discount places because you can find quality stuff once in a while for very cheap - like $0.99 for a Le Creuset ramekins. Back to the food - I marinated the olives and feta in olive oil, rosemary, lightly crushed garlic just to infuse the oil, and lemon zest.

I’ve never met anyone who didn’t adore A.O.C.’s roasted dates, so I put them on the menu, and as expected people went crazy for them. Ellen made about 120 pieces of these and they were all gone. This is a super easy recipe so if you love A.O.C.’s dates or you love bacon or parmesan do make these at home. All you need are pitted dates, parmesan, and thinly sliced American bacon from the deli. Now stuff, wrap with half a slice of bacon, and roast at a high temp.

Romesco is one of my favorite condiments and I always turn to Suzanne Goin’s version (what can I say, she is awesome). Pork is another one of my favorite things, as a hunkin piece of meat and in all its cured, salted, smoked incarnations. Romesco is a great condiment for any meat but I thought pulled pork tossed with romesco would be meaty and delicious. Normally I would have made feta salsa verde to top the canape but since I already had the marinated feta I turned to pecorino romano.

I made the base from wonton skins which I greased and baked in mini muffin pans. I ran out of spray oil at about the 60th skin out of the 140 I needed to make. Doh! I thought just brushing on the oil would be the same but for these wonton shells spray oil is really the method of choice because it coats it a lot lighter. After baking all of em I brush off the excess flour on each wonton skin with a pastry brush, a step which I didn’t take the last time I made these shells which made them sorta floury.

The pulled pork was juicy and the romesco added such a great nutty chili flavor to it. Serious yum. I froze the chunk of leftover pork since I won’t have time to eat it this week. But a romesco pulled pork sandwich will surely rear its beautiful head sometime in the near future.

For my second hor d’oeuvre I turned to the always dependable and delicious goat cheese mousse which I’ve served many times since I came across Thomas Keller’s recipe which actually calls for beautiful parmesan crisp baskets. I knew it would be way too time consuming and insane to make 120 parmesan crisp baskets because of their delicate nature and the crazy speed required to form the baskets immediately after they come out of the oven. So instead phyllo dough was used to form the base. Ellen took over the duty of the phyllo shells, which would have been impossible for me to do with my oven being invaded by the baking of all the wontons, the roasting of the pulled pork, and the roasting of the balsamic onions for the sandwiches. I added my own touch to the goat cheese mousse by sprinkling candied pepitas (also Goin), which were made with butter, sugar, cinnamon, paprika, and cumin. I love the sweet and saltiness of the seeds, accented by warm spices.

I originally had cauliflower soup shooters on the menu but soon took it off because we weren’t able to find a good-sized disposable shot glasses and since the bar didn’t have a full kitchen and no servers were hired for the small event renting shot glasses for the event would prove some difficulties. In its place Ellen offered up her version of Emeril’s tuna tartar, flavored with shallots, dijon, olive oil, and wasabi creme fraiche. Pickled red onion was added for a nice crunch and tartness along with a garnish of chives. The tartar was served on sesame crackers.

To add some heft to the menu, we offered some delicious Italian sandwiches which we made with freshly baked Bay Cities bread. One had beautiful prosciutto di parma, creamy soft buffalo mozzarella, fresh basil and wild arugula from Maggie’s Farm. The vegetarian offering had roasted onion marinated in balsamic onion, sun-dried tomatoes, creamy ricotta, and likewise some peppery wild arugula.

All the guests were very happy with the food and more importantly Saarvi and Aaron were super happy. It was an honor to be hired for their special day considering they’ve only had my food a few times at my brother’s gatherings. It was a great time and the event was a breeze and with guests saying the food was “incredible”, “amazing” and “so delicious” it makes all the effort worth it. And thanks to Ellen for helping out with making the hundreds of pieces of the dates, phyllo shells and the tuna tartar!

A Gift of Food April 2, 2007

Way back in August last year I was contacted by BD who was kindly referred to me by Anne of Tuna Toast (thanks Anne!). BD was interested in getting his newly married friends P&T a private dinner as a wedding present. I emailed him a few example menus, he liked them, and we were set. Now all I had to do was wait until P&T contaced me to set up a date.

I didn’t hear from anyone for months and I had kind of forgotten about the dinner, but P&T finally called me last month! Here is what I cooked for them this past Sunday…

Seared Scallop “Croque Madame” with Brown Butter Salsa Verde

This dish was inspired by Hatfield’s Hamachi Croque Madame. It’s not really a croque madame, hence the quotations, but an interpretation. But in form and idea it’s clever, and topped with the cute little fried quail egg, it makes for a delicious and eye candyful amuse bouche.

I cut out little rounds from brioche slices and toasted them in butter over a medium heat. I kept them warm in a 200 degree oven while I got onto the brown butter salsa verde and scallops. The brown butter salsa verde is Suzanne Goin’s recipe from Sunday Suppers at Lucques cookbook. I gotta say she is the queen of condiments. I love all the ones I’ve tried so far and they are so versatile, you can use them in so many different dishes.

I made the salsa verde in the morning using my huge mortar and pestle. Pounding away getting the flavor and oils out of the parsley and mint. Then adding anchovies, garlic, capers, and olive oil, plus a squeeze of lemon to brighten up the mix. After browning a tablespoon or so of butter, I added a spoonful of the salsa verde in to sizzle. When the scallops were nicely seared I placed them on a brioche round, topped it with the brown butter salsa verde, another brioche round, then a fried quail egg.

Quail eggs are difficult to crack! Anyone has tips? They are pretty fragile but at the same time don’t crack clean like regular sized eggs. I liked how these turned out. I liked the combination of the tender scallops and the nutty brown butter combined with the herby salsa verde. The brioche rounds were buttery and crisp and a great textural complement to the juicy scallops. And topped with a cute fried quail egg with just the right amount of warm yolk to pop over the whole thing. Yum.

Seared Polenta with Sauteed Bloomsdale Spinach, Pancetta, Romesco & Feta

I got the idea for this dish when I came across a Zuni Cafe’s Shrimp Cooked in Romesco with Wilted Spinach recipe. Spinach cooked with romesco sounded really delicious. You know I’m a polenta lover, so I combined the two. First time I tried out the combination I served soft creamy polenta with the sauteed spinach mixture generouly placed right in the middle of it. It’s delicious both ways.

For the polenta I used a 1:4 polenta to water ratio and cooked it for about 20 minutes, constantly stirring it over low heat. I flavored it simply with rosemary, chile de arbol, and a few tablespoons of butter. I let it set then cut out triangle pieces. While the polenta was searing I cooked some pancetta lardons in another pan with a tiny bit of olive oil. When the pancetta was brown on the edges and had rendered out some delicious pork fat, I put the clean spinach with a few tablespoons of water. When wilted I added romesco and tossed the whole pan gently.

I used my newly beloved Bloomsdale spinach which I got at the South Central Farms stand at the Hollywood Farmer’s market. So far they’re the only ones I’ve seen that carries Bloomsdale. I highly recommend using savoy or semi-savoy spinach (crinkly leafed ones) for this dish. The spinach retains a great texture even after sauteeing and it’s so much flavorful than regular spinach.

When the polenta crisped up nicely I topped it with the warm romesco spinach and salty tangy feta.

Braised Beef Short Ribs with Potato Puree, Horseradish Cream, and Chard

For the third and last course of the dinner I turned to Suzanne Goin’s recipe that Lucques is famous for - the braised shortribs. The braising method is really moving up in my books. Deep flavors, tender meat, long cooking time most of which takes place slowly in the oven while you relax. You just have to be patient when browning your meat and trying to not go crazy when the deep aroma of beef braising in stock and wine fills up your kitchen. But what a delicious method.

The recipe calls for 6 14-16oz short ribs. So each piece should be around 1 pound for a total of 6 pounds? Seems like big short ribs to me. I picked mine up at the Galleria market - four point something pounds for $30. There were a total of about 10 short ribs, not a pound each but in aggregate a good amount. I’ll have to look for the “center cut” big boys somewhere else next time.

I browned the short ribs on all the meaty sides in my handy, and very heavy, Le Creuset dutch oven. When the ribs were nicely browned I took them out onto a plate and cooked some mire poix in the meat dripping. Then deglazed the pan with red wine, port and balsamic vinegar. I couldn’t find beef stock at any of the places I shopped at (and no I don’t have containers of homemade beef stock sitting in my freezer) so I got beef bouillon and combined this with chicken stock for my liquid. The short ribs were braised for 3 hours at 325 degrees.

The recipe called for 3 dozen pearl onions to be roasted and popped out of their skins. They didn’t really pop out like I imagined. I had to peel the skin away. Boo. Next time I think I’ll try cutting off a thin slice of the root end for an easier exit. The pearl onions were sauteed with the chard.

The third component of the dish is the potato puree. This thing is no joke. For 3 lbs of potatoes the recipe called for 3/4 cup cream, 3/4 cup milk, and 2 sticks of butter. It was good though. But someone else better eat the leftovers. I’m trying to eat healthier, which may be kind of difficult for this week with the leftover beef, potato puree, creme fraiche. At least my taste buds will thank me.

I served my version of the horseradish cream on the side. I say my version because I couldn’t find grated horseradish anywhere. Only creamed ones which kind of gross me out. But I had some horseradish mustard so I combined that with the creme fraiche.

The dish came out really delicious. A great combination of tender flavorful beef, delectably rich potato puree, and a pop of green with the sauteed chard. And you can’t forget about the tangy slightly spicy creme fraiche. True comfort food done well.

I hope P&T enjoyed their dinner. ‘Cause I enjoyed cookin it!

Beer Pairing Dinner for Birthday Boy March 1, 2007

Back in the middle of December Boy added another ring to his tree trunk. We usually take each out for birthdays but I wanted to do something a little bit more special, something a bit more tailored to what he loves.

To put it simply, the Boy loves beer.

Hmmm, at first I thought about getting him a case of Westvleteren Trappist ale which is not available in the states but I decided against that when the mailing seemed a bit dodgy. What if it never showed up? (Which has happened to Boy before with international purchases). So instead I got him a case of delicious domestic beer. Now this is not just any domestic beer, but Stone Brewery’s 10th Anniversary IPA. Only a limited batch was released and lucky me, I picked up the last full case of these at Beverage Warehouse.

But the real gift was a dinner - a five-course beer and food pairing dinner plus the addition of a special pre-dinner nibbly. Here’s the menu:

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Zonin Prosecco & Iberico Bellota Lomo

I got the lomo from the first batch of em (after FDA approval) that was sent over to the U.S. back last summer. It is seriously stupendous. I love pork. Especially the cured kind.

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Marshmallow-Stuffed Sweet Potato Croquettes with Cranberry Chutney - Kiuchi Brewery Hitachino Nest White Ale

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Bacon Croque Madame - Ommegang Witte

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Roquefort & Roasted Garlic on Charcoal Cracker - Moylan’s Old Blarney Barleywine Style Ale

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Skirt Steak with Arugula, Harissa & Ricotta Salata - Alesmith YuleSmith
Sorry, I forgot to take pics for this one!

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Ricotta Fritters with Prosecco Berry Compote - Girardin 1882 Gueuze Black Label

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Overall the dinner went really well and Boy proclaimed “This is the best meal I’ve ever had!” Of course we know what really won him over is the overflowing of all sorts of delicious beers. And the croque madame.