King Ice Cube Tray -- and an Apple Pie Cocktail

Happy New Year's Eve!

For your New Year's bash tonight, impress your guests with William-Sonoma's 'King Cube Silicone Ice Cube Trays'.  A set of 2 trays (8 cubes) is $14.95.  The 2" cubes will keep their drinks colder and won't water down their drinks as fast.  Plus, large ice cubes look cool.

The cocktail I made in the photo is an Apple Pie Cocktail:

• 1.5 oz Stoli Apple Vodka
• 2 oz Apple Juice
• Pinch of Cinnamon

Shake all 3 ingredients in a cocktail shaker over ice and strain into a glass.  Enjoy!

Recipe: Vietnamese Caprese (from Chef Anthony Myint of Mission Street Food)

"Vietnamese Caprese?," you say.  Intrigued?

This recipe from Chef Anthony Myint of Mission Street Food in San Francisco is one of my favorite healthy recipes we make.  While it's a more fitting summer dish, I was craving it last night.

I love this description of the dish from Food and Wine Magazine.  "Unexplored synergies" is the perfect way to describe the combination of ingredients and how well they work together:

Chef Anthony Myint likes to play with "unexplored synergies" in food. For this noodle salad, he combines the Italian trinity of tomato, basil and mozzarella with Asian rice noodles and a version of the classic Vietnamese noodle sauce nuoc mam, made with fresh tomato juice. You could also call the dish an Asian-inflected take on spaghetti and meatballs.

Couple of tweaks we made:

• Instead of thai chilis, I used 1 serrano pepper.  I love SPICY!
• It's not completely necessary to chill the meatballs overnight (we chilled them for an hour or so).
• It also wasn't necessary to allow the tomato mixture to strain overnight (an hour worked for us).
• The photo is missing basil.  I went to 3 grocery stores last night to look for the ingredient, and everyone was sold out.  Yet another reason that we need to grow our own!

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/vietnamese-caprese

Food and Wine Magazine, July 2011 p.102

Food Truck: Ssahm BBQ (Korean)

Food trucks on Flora St. in downtown Dallas
next to the Nasher Sculpture Center

A daeji (pork) taco and kimchee fries!

What a huge surprise to see food trucks lined up next to the Nasher Sculpture Center during lunch today!  We were planning on grabbing lunch at Mia's on Lemmon, but opted to support the food trucks and try out their fare.  We tried a couple of things from Ssahm BBQ, and they were delicious especially the kimchee fries.

Daeji Taco:  pork, sesame soy vinaigrette salad, caramalized kimchee, cilantro & onion, salsa roja, served on 2 corn tortillas.

Kimchee Fries:  fresh handcut potatoes, monterey jack & cheddar cheeses, cilantro & onion, caramelized kimchee, spicy majo.

Ssahm BBQ (and other food trucks) are often in the Arts District in Dallas, so check them out!  They'll let you know where they are if you follow them on Facebook or Twitter.
http://www.ssahmbbq.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/SSahm-BBQ/199298540108401?sk=wall#!/pages/SSahm-BBQ/199298540108401?sk=wall

For those unfamiliar with kimchee, here is how Wikipedia defines it:
"Kimchi also spelled gimchi, kimchee, or kim chee, is a traditional fermented Korean dish made of vegetables with varied seasonings.  There are hundreds of varieties of kimchi made with a main vegetable ingredient such as napa cabbage, radish, green onions or cucumber.  It is the most common banchan, or side dish, in Korean cuisine. Kimchi is also a main ingredient for many popular Korean dishes such as kimchi stew (김치찌개; kimchi jjigae), kimchi soup (김칫국; kimchiguk), and kimchi fried rice (김치볶음밥; kimchi bokkeumbap)."

Recipe: Martin Yan's Shrimp-and-Pork Dumplings with Bamboo Shoots

We can cook, so can you!  [channeling my Martin Yan]

For dinner tonight, we made the Shrimp-and-Pork Dumplings with Bamboo Shoots recipe from Food and Wine Magazine (Jan 2012, pg. 52)  Easy and delicious, seriously -- you just need a handful of ingredients.  Shrimp, pork, bamboo shoots (found them at our local Kroger!), canola oil, sesame oil, salt, white pepper, and wonton wrappers.  We added about 4 oz of pork intsead of 2 to make them more 'porky' (ha ha)!  The next time we make them, I'm going to add some green onion.

We had Ginger Garlic Green Beans on the side but without the garlic (because raw garlic = awful breath later) and added sriracha sauce to it.

Shrimp-and-Pork Dumplings with Bamboo Shoots
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/shrimp-and-pork-dumplings-with-bamboo-shoots

Ginger Garlic Green Beans
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Ginger-Garlic-Green-Beans-354956

For the dumpling dipping sauce, I concoted the following:

• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tsp sugar
• About 1 tbsp grated peeled fresh ginger
• About 1 tbsp chopped green onion
• Sriracha sauce to taste

Believe me, fresh dumplings are a million times better than the ones found in the freezer section of the Asian Supermarket.

For more on what Sriracha Sauce is, click here.  You can probably find it at your local grocery store if your store has an aisle dedicated to ethnic foods.  Interestingly, the ingredient was named 'Ingredient of the Year' in 2010 by Bon Appetit Magazine.

Drink Recipe: Blood and Sand

We went to a party recently, and one of the two specialty cocktails they were serving for the event was called Blood and Sand. 

I did some research on the name (it sure doesn't sound appetizing), and on Dewar's website, it says, "Tommy Dewar loved film.  This delicious cocktail takes its name and inspiration from the 1922 silent movie with Rudolph Valentino.  In the film, he plays a matador who dies in the arena by his own reckless behavior having lost his true love."

The recipe on Dewar's site shows this as a martini, but we use a double-old fashioned and build it over ice.

2 parts Dewar's White Label Scotch Whiskey
1 part cherry liqueur (we use Heering)
1 part sweet vermouth
1 part fresh squeezed orange juice
Add orange twist

This cocktail is complex and surprisingly drinkable for someone like me who is more of a vodka and gin drinker.  Drink this and you'll feel like Don Draper.

Recipe: Apple Cider Cream Pie

I love apple pie, so this recipe caught my eye in November's issue of Food and Wine Magazine.  It's absolutely incredible if you love apple desserts.  I made this a second time the other day and offer these suggestions:

1. I was a little short on dough for the crust, so I would make a tad more next time.
2. It took me about 15 minutes to reduce the apple cider down to half a cup.
3. To give the dessert more texture reminiscent of apple pie, dice up 1 large Golden Delicious apple and 1 small Granny Smith apple and bake it in the custard.

If you figure out how to get the apple garnish on top to look like the Food and Wine Magazine photo, please let me know!

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/apple-cider-cream-pie

Enjoy!

Recipe: Gingerbread Cheesecake

This Betty Crocker recipe was a hit and so easy to make.  Not wanting to make the typical gingerman cookies, I found this recipe on the back of the packaged mix and decided to try it out.  There's a gingerbread cookie bottom, cheesecake topping and crumbled gingerbread cookies on top.

Recipe: Gordon Ramsay's Beef Wellington (photos & videos)

Per request, here are a few photos and videos to show how we made the Beef Wellington recipe (see the blog post on Dec 18th for a link to the recipe).

Lay prosciutto on cling wrap



Spread mushroom paste over the prosciutto

Roll the prosciutto & mushroom around the seared filet mignon

Wrap the filet mignon in puff pastry

Wrap the filet mignon in puff pastry (cont'd)
Then score the pastry

Voila!

Recipe: Apple Turnovers (using leftover puff pastry scraps)

When we made the Beef Wellingtons last week, we had quite a bit of leftover puff pastry scraps (that of course, did not touch the beef).  Alas, we did not want to waste the puff pastry, so I made Apple Turnovers last night using the following recipe:

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/French-Apple-Turnovers-em-Chaussons-Aux-Pommes-em-350419

They were easy, easy, easy.  I made 2 adjustments -- added more sugar and some cinnamon to the filling and baked them for less time than the recipe required because they were pretty brown when I checked on them after about 20 minutes.

The Girl Who Couldn't Eat

Can you imagine not being able to eat?  This short article was in Parade Magazine last week and caught my eye.  Matisse Reid, now a 5th grader, was born without a functioning digestive system and lived off of a feeding tube until last year when she received a large & small intestine transplant.  Even when she wasn't able to eat, she cooked, created recipes, watched the Food Network, and started a cooking blog.  She is ok now but will always be on anti-rejection medication.  Seeing food and not being able to eat it would be torture for me.

Read the short article to find out what she chose for her first meal:
http://www.parade.com/news/2011/12/the-girl-who-couldnt-eat.html

Here is her blog:
http://matisseskitchen.blogspot.com/

Recipe: Gordon Ramsay's Beef Wellington

Our perfect Beef Wellington
on the 1st try

After watching Hell's Kitchen for so many years (I don't even know how many seasons it's been on) and watching the crazy contestants make Beef Wellington during just about every dinner service, we decided to look for Gordon Ramsay's recipe and make it for our guests last night.  While going against our rule of making a recipe for the first time for guests, we decided to give it a try (plus, our foodie friends were open to being our guinea pigs).

It was one of the most impressive, mouth-watering, craveable beef dishes we've made, and I can't wait to make it again (let alone eat the leftovers tonight).  What's tricky about the recipe is that the filet is wrapped in puff pastry, so it's easy to under or overcook it. 

Interestingly, the beef is wrapped in Parma ham (or prosciutto) and has a mushroom paste surrounding it -- both of which aren't completely detectable if you were tasting it blind.

Here is the recipe, and I've included the conversions below:

http://www.goodtoknow.co.uk/recipes/164868/Gordon-Ramsay-s-beef-Wellington

400 g = 0.88 lb

750 g = 1.6 lbs

500 g = 1.1 lbs

Try it -- you'll like it, or rather love it!

Product: Hide Your Booze

I'm considering buying this. . .

http://benderbound.com/

Australia approves laxative agent as wine additive

Oh me, oh my. . . .

Australia approves laxative agent as wine additive
Source: News10
By: Susanne Rust
Dec 6, 2011

The Australian government has given the nod to winemakers to begin using a chemical contained in laxatives.  While the chemical, sodium carboxymethyl cellulose, has long been prized by the medical world for its anti-bulking and laxative properties, food scientists have discovered that, in small doses, it can be used to stabilize and thicken beverages and foods.

In the case of wine, the chemical prevents crystallization and cloudiness in white and sparkling varieties.  "I don't think the levels that are approved for use in wine in the EU and Australia will give that laxative effect," said Wendell Lee, general counsel for the Wine Institute, the trade group for California's wine industry.

The Winemakers' Federation of Australia appealed to its government to approve the chemical, arguing that the additive would save energy and money. That's because traditional methods for preventing crystallization - cooling and filtration - can be highly energy intensive.

The chemical has not been approved for use in wine produced in the United States. However, an international agreement among several nations - including Australia; the European Union, where it is approved; and the U.S. - means that it is legal in imported wines.

But because there are no labeling requirements for food additives in wine, U.S. drinkers will remain in the dark as to its presence.

"There's nothing you can do," said Roger Boulton, professor of viticulture and enology at UC Davis. "There's no way of knowing. If it's imported and it's an approved additive elsewhere, the consumer won't know."

According to both the EU and Australian government, the chemical does not alter the taste or consistency of wine, and it poses no harm to human health.

The U.S. Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, which oversees labeling and food additives in wine, has approved more than 50 wine additives, including soy flour, which helps with fermentation; potassium metabisulfite, which is used to sterilize and preserve wine; and copper sulfate, to remove hydrogen sulfide.

Lee, the Wine Institute's general counsel, said that while labeling information such as allergen content or carbohydrates might be helpful to consumers, "disclosing other substances that don't have a health impact may not be worthwhile."

"Do consumers need to be told about the substances that go into wine production?" Lee asked. "I'm not sure there's a lot of useful information in that."

In its ruling, the Australian government wrote that "use of the additive to stabilise wine and sparkling wine is technologically justified and would be expected to provide benefits to wine producers and consumers as an alternative to current treatments."

As of Nov. 17, winemakers in Australia are allowed to add the chemical to their products.

Recipe: Smoked Gouda and Chipotle Grits

We made this recipe this evening and had spicy shrimp on the side.  The shrimp were seasoned with salt & pepper, paprika, chipotle chili and cayenne and were sauteed.

I'm not sure where this grits recipe came from.  We had clipped it from a magazine, but I searched epicurious.com and foodandwine.com, and it didn't come up.

Note:  The recipe makes 10 servings (or more!).  Making half the recipe is more than enough for 2 people plus leftovers for the week.  We love making cheesy grits and never thought to add adobo which gave it a nice bit of heat and flavor.

Smoked Gouda and Chipotle Grits

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp (1/4 stick) of butter
• 2 cups fresh corn kernels or frozen, thawed
• 1 medium onion, chopped
• 5 cups water
• 2 cups whole milk
• 1 tsp coarse kosher salt
• 1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• 1.5 cups quick-cooking white hominy grits
• 2 cups (packed) coarsely grated rindless smoked Gouda cheese (about 8 ounces)
• 1 tbsp chopped canned chipotle chiles in adobo
• Chopped fresh cilantro

1. Melt butter in heavy large saucepan over medium-high heat.
2. Add corn and onion.
3. Saute until onion is golden, about 10 minutes. 
4. Add 5 cups of water, the milk, 1 tsp coarse salt, and 1 tsp pepper to pan; bring to boil.
5. Gradually add grits, whisking until mixture is smooth and comes to a boil.
6. Reduce heat to low and simmer until grits are thick and tender, whisking often, about 15 minutes.
7. Mix in cheese and chipotle chile.
8. Stir until cheese melts.
9. Transfer grits to shallow bowl.  Sprinkle with cilantro and serve.

Top 5 restaurants I want to visit

I didn't know a whole lot about David Chang until I saw this article today.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/30/david-chang-ramen_n_1121454.html


It made me think about the restaurants I want to dine at during the next 5 years.  Here are mine:

1. Thomas Keller's The French Laundry - Yountville
2. David Chang's Momofuku Noodle Bar (and Milk Bar and Ko) -- it could be a Momofuku day in NYC
3. Grant Achatz's Alinea - Chicago
4. Eric Ripert's Le Bernadin - NYC
5. Thomas Keller's Per Se - NYC

And if we can swing it to Copenhagen, then Rene Redzepi's Noma.

Who wants to join?  What restaurants are on your list?

Oooh. . . thinking about Momofuku Milk Bar made me think of their Compost Cookies.  I should make some of those this weekend!  Will post the recipe.

Yao Ming + Wine = Yao Family Wines

Is this as funny to you as it is to me?


Yao Ming Courts China's Wine Boom
Source: WSJ
By JASON CHOW
Nov 28th

Chinese NBA star Yao Ming is launching his own California winery as China's thirst for wine intensifies. The former basketball pro speaks to The Wall Street Journal's Jason Chow.

While Yao Ming was growing up in Shanghai, wine was served with ice cubes. It wasn't until the 7-foot-6-inch Chinese basketball star spent time with National Basketball Association teammate Dikembe Mutombo, a 7-foot-2-inch Congolese player, that he began to appreciate wine.

"I always watched him at our dinners and I'd sometimes ask him 'Why are you doing that?'" said Mr. Yao, swirling an imaginary glass. "I was just trying to copy him."

Now retired and living in his native Shanghai, Mr. Yao is an unlikely connoisseur and a trailblazer on the Chinese wine scene. The 31-year-old is launching his own Californian winery geared exclusively for the Chinese market this week called Yao Family Wines.

Distributed by French beverage giant Pernod Ricard SA, bottles in the first 5,000-case run will be labeled simply Yao Ming and aimed at the top end of the market.

The wine, made from cabernet sauvignon grapes harvested in 2009 from California's Napa Valley, is priced at 1,775 yuan (US$289) a bottle. (The price includes a 27% import duty and a 17% sales tax.) A second wine, called Yao Family Reserve, will be released later this year, and its small 500-case production will be even pricier.

"I really like Napa Valley," said the former center. "California represents vacation, casual [living], sunshine-everything related to a good quality of life."  Yao Family Wines currently doesn't own any vineyards in California, but is aiming to acquire land in the next few years.

California couldn't have a better pitchman in China than Mr. Yao. He is one of the country's biggest stars and is credited with boosting China's interest in the NBA. During his nine seasons with the Houston Rockets, his games were broadcast on national television in China, and he was selected to carry China's flag during the opening ceremonies at the 2008 Olympics in Beijing. He has endorsed everything from Apple Inc. products to his father's Chinese restaurant in Houston.

Mr. Yao's appreciation for wine grew in parallel with its acceptance in his home country-wine consumption in China doubled from 2005 to 2009. But wine imported into China came predominantly from France, and he spotted a market opportunity for Californian wines.

Mr. Yao asked BDA Sports International, the agency that represents him, to explore the idea of starting his own Napa Valley winery. In 2009, with BDA's assistance, he found a team of wine experts to help him realize his vision, including winemaker Tom Hinde, who had made wines for Flowers Vineyard and Winery and Kendall-Jackson Wine Estates. "We tasted a lot of wine together and got to know him in a way so I could express his personality in the wine," said Mr. Hinde. "He's physically imposing, but he's also very personable and gentle. We wanted to capture that in the wine."

Mr. Hinde insists Yao Family Wines isn't a short-lived bid to capitalize on China's wine boom and the star's celebrity before either of them wane. He said the business plan is based on a 10-year timeline.

Mr. Hinde and four others involved with the winery are minority shareholders in the venture, while Mr. Yao is the principal owner. Neither Mr. Yao nor his winemaking team disclosed how much has been invested, though wine-industry experts estimate that it requires $2 million to $5 million to get a winery to reach full production.

While most of the wine sold in China is from domestic sources, the imported market has grown dramatically. Bottled-wine imports-as opposed to cheap bulk wine that is imported in large tanks for bottling in China-grew 240% from 2008 to 2010, according to data from China Customs.

China has a heavy bias toward French wines. Last year, France led bottled-wine imports with a 47% market share. Australia ranked a distant second with 16% of the market. The U.S. came in sixth, trailing Italy, Spain and Chile, with a 6.4% share.

Chinese collectors have bid top dollar for the world's most sought-after bottles of Bordeaux and Burgundy at auctions in Hong Kong, putting the city ahead of London and New York in sales.  In September, an anonymous Chinese bidder spent $539,280 on a single lot of 300 bottles of Château Lafite-Rothschild wine at a Sotheby's wine auction in Hong Kong.

Mr. Yao's new winery isn't his only business venture. He is the owner of his first professional basketball team, the Shanghai Sharks, and an investor in a digital-music site called Top100.cn.  Mr. Yao is also attending classes at Shanghai Jiaotong University. He is going to miss a day of school this week for one of the many launch events scheduled for the new winery.

"I'll need an extra bottle for my history professor so he can give me a good grade and let me skip his class," Mr. Yao said.

Le Poulet du Ad Hoc . . . and Snickers Cake

This evening, we made our first recipe out of Thomas Keller's ad hoc at home cookbook -- and it was amazing!!!

A note 'To the Woman Who Ate Everything' blog contributor:  You were absolutely right.  The Whole Roasted Chicken on a Bed of Root Vegetables recipe was easy and absolutely delicious.  There is no reason for us to buy rotisserie chicken ever again!  Next on my list is the ad hoc chicken potpie recipe that you've been talking about for at least a year.

I have to admit that I was a bit wary about making the recipe, not having roasted a chicken before and thinking it might be dry, but no, it was JUICY, and the roast vegetables were fabulous.  We had the chicken & vegetables along with mac & cheese a la the America's Test Kitchen classic recipe.

For dessert, it was Snickers Cake which took literally 3 hours to make (I started the cake yesterday).  I would make the cake part of the recipe again, but not the buttercream -- like one of the reviewers on epicurious noted, it was TOO buttery.  I added 6 more oz of chocolate just to tone down the buttery texture and flavor.  I mean, I love butter, but this buttercream frosting just wasn't as great as other buttercream frostings I've had (plus, it took a long time to make).
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Snickers-Cake-2750

Whole Roasted Chicken on a Bed of Root Vegetables

Snickers Cake

An Italian Thanksgiving Feast

Last year, we had a Texas Thanksgiving with brisket, cole slaw, mac 'n cheese, and blueberry cobbler.

This year it was Festa Italiana -- complete with homemade pasta.

Need a place to dry your pasta?
We stuck cooking utensils under the plates in our cabinets.

Prosciutto, Parmesan & Breadsticks

Panzanella Salad
Fresh Pasta w/Spinach, Mushrooms and Parmesan
in a Beurre Blanc Sauce

Steaks in a Mushroom and Gorgonzola Sauce

Pannacotta w/Balsamic Raspberries
Chocolate Biscotti

I realized yesterday that we forget to serve Limoncello with dessert!

Panzanella Salad Recipe
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Grilled-Panzanella-366695
Notes:  Added romaine lettuce and black olives; didn't use as much lemon zest & lemon juice (too acidic); made large croutons with the sourdough bread by cutting the bread into cubes and broiling them.

Pannacotta w/Balsamic Raspberries
Food Fiend:  I need your recipe for this and the biscotti!

Oyster Ice Cream: A Thanksgiving Tradition Mark Twain Could Get Behind

Something to consider for your Thanksgiving meal. 
Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!

the salt (NPR's food blog)
11/23/2011

Chef José Andrés grew up in Spain, but he has embraced Thanksgiving as a window into American history. That's why the guests at his Thanksgiving dinner might be starting off with oyster ice cream.

Oyster ice cream was a favorite of Mark Twain's, Andrés explains on NPR's Tell Me More, and it shows up in Tom Sawyer. Now, the dish is featured at America Eats Tavern in Washington, D.C. That's a collaboration between Andrés and the National Archives, and is designed to explore classic American dishes and how they have changed through history.

Oyster ice cream may taste less peculiar than it sounds. The base is made by gently heating oysters and cream, "almost like you make the oyster stew," Andrés says in his accented English. "You will get that cream, with the beautiful oyster salty, briny flavor." Run it through an ice cream freezer, and he says the result is "this amazing oyster-flavored ice cream" – one that's savory, not sweet.

Oysters hold a prominent place in American food history, as NPR's Eliza Barclay has reported. New York City was Oyster Central in the 18^th and 19^th centuries, with oysters sold on street corners and at huge open markets. A dish of oyster ice cream topped with a single raw oyster on the half-shell "would be an amazing snack to start your Thanksgiving celebration," Andrés says. "That might seem very modern, but it is almost 200 years old."

Andrés also finds inspiration in Amelia Simmons, who wrote what is considered the first American cookbook, American Cookery, in 1798. "Many books at the time were copies of English textbooks. But she put her own take on those recipes," he says.

He is charmed by her "pompkin" pudding, a precursor of the pumpkin pie made with cream, eggs, nutmeg, ginger and mace. It's not unusual to see ingredients persevere through history, Andrés says. "But technique allows us to make recipes that are lighter, more flavorful."

Simmons also describes how to use cranberries to make a tart, rather than the traditional cranberry sauce. "The recipe is very simple, only three lines," Andrés says. Simmons strained the cranberries into a thick sauce, put them in a crust, and popped it into the oven.

And even though Andrés is a fan of turkey, he won't be serving it this Thanksgiving.  "This year, I'm making a baby roasted pig," Andrés says. "Traditions are there to be kept. But also traditions are there to be created. So I don't want to feel guilty, but sometimes, [it's] not only honoring the tradition of turkey but bringing new foods and items to the Thanksgiving menu."

Source:  http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2011/11/23/142669973/oyster-ice-cream-a-thanksgiving-tradition-mark-twain-could-get-behind

Recipe: Vietnamese Bahn Mi Burgers

I thought this 'burger' version of the Bahn Mi sandwich looked interesting.  We made it last night for dinner, and it was easy, fast and delicious.

Modifications I made:
- Made half the amount of mayo spread and still had more than enough
- Used sriracha instead of Tabasco
- Instead of making burger patties, cooked the beef (crumbled)

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/vietnamese-style-banh-mi-burgers

Recipe: The Best Tortilla Soup Recipe Ever

Living in Texas, I've eaten a lot of tortilla soup.  This recipe from America's Test Kitchen is the best ever!  I like it because it has complex flavors and a nice kick to it.  I added shredded cheddar cheese to my soup (in addition to the cotija).

Here's the America's Test Kitchen recipe I found on someone else's blog:
http://www.cookography.com/2007/tortilla-soup

Recipe: Spicy Green Bean and Tofu Stir-Fry with Ground Bison

Just made this for dinner tonight. 

Spicy Green Bean and Tofu Stir-Fry with Ground Bison
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/spicy-green-bean-and-tofu-stir-fry-with-ground-bison
(from the Nov 2011 issue of Food and Wine Magazine)

We used ground beef instead of ground bison, and I added sriracha sauce to my own plate to add some heat.  It was EASY, delicious and healthy!

Creative Uses of Foie Gras

Foie gras martini @ Andre's at the Monte Carlo
Foie gras peanut butter & jelly sandwich @ Michael Mina at the Bellagio

I'd be interested in trying these menu items -- they sound intriguing.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/lisamogensen/2011/10/13/foie-gras-martini-anyone/

"Restructured Meat" ~ includes the McRib, chicken nuggets, meat the U.S. military buys. . .

I had never heard of restructured meat.  While it sounds gross, it is just a meat technology.  It's a process where salt is used to extract proteins from the muscle.  The proteins become an emulsifier that holds all the little pieces of meat together in whatever shape is desired.

http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2011/11/04/142018151/from-nebraska-lab-to-mcdonalds-tray-the-mcribs-strange-journey?ft=1&f=1053

I'm getting the hang of making souffles

Here's my cheddar, scallion, sausage & bacon souffle with a side salad.  The souffle is deflating already, though, as I'm taking the photo.  You know, I don't understand the fear people have of making souffles -- it's really not difficult!

I'd recommend this one if you're in a breakfast-y mood:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Cheddar-Bacon-and-Scallion-Souffle-12789

And the Yogurtland Late Fall Flavors Are. . .

Chocolate Hazelnut
a rich, smooth chocolate base is blended with the distinctive flavor of roasted hazelnut just like the creamy and popular spread

Cranberry Raspberry Tart
a sweet and tart combination of cranberries and raspberries made with real Ocean Spray fruit juice

Snowflake Mint
a refreshing sweet taste of cooling peppermint flavor

These flavors will be available tomorrow, Nov 5th!

The Most Amazing S'mores Dessert

I had the most amazing S'mores dessert today.  It was the S'more Brownie -- homemade graham cracker crust, decadent brownie, topped with marshmallow and some amazing graham cracker cookies and a side of marshmallow ice cream.

The restaurant had some really interesting drinks too. . .
http://craveamerica.com/drinks_westend.html

Recipe: Tired of the same 'ol burger?

I'm not sure which magazine clipping these burger ideas came from (I think it was InStyle Magazine from a while back).  We made the first 2 which were simple and tasty.  We haven't tried the other 2, so if you do, let me know how they turn out!

1.  Sriracha hot chili sauce, roasted red pepper and grilled pineapple (left, in photo)
     Inspired by The High on Fire at Kuma's Corner, Chicago

2.  Burger with brie, fig jam, arugula and caramelized onions (right, in photo)
     Inspired by The Six Weeker at Stout, Los Angeles

3.  Organic free-range egg, aged white cheddar and sweet chili sauce
     Inspired by The Sunny Side at Roam Artisan Burgers, San Francisco

4.  Prosciutto, red-onion marmalade and brie
     Inspired by The Mustang Sally at Burger and Beer Joint, Miami

Happy Halloween, everyone!

"Sex. Coffee. Two things we can't seem to live without."

"The Coffee Wars Get Recaffeinated"
http://www.forbes.com/sites/patrickhanlon/2011/10/26/the-coffee-wars-get-recaffeinated/

Interesting Forbes article on the coffee wars -- I love the last line which is the title of this blog entry.
Personally, I still love Starbucks as my 'third place,' but then again, there aren't any other options other than Dunkin' Donuts here in town (which is so sterile and uncomfortable to me).

Another Souffle Success!

Woohoo!!!  Another souffle success!  We made Gruyere and Parmesan Cheese Souffles for dinner last night.  Had a simple greens & tomato salad with red wine/olive oil/shallot/salt/pepper dressing and a bottle of Stag's Leap Wine Cellars Karia Chardonnay.  I am now confident that I can make souffles for guests.  Who wants to come over for dinner?  : )

I made half of this recipe:
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Gruyere-and-Parmesan-Cheese-Souffle-103223

I love beets; and my first souffle ever!

I went through the Nov's Food and Wine Magazine and saw the recipe for Roasted Beets & Carrots with Goat Cheese Dressing.  We made it last night with steak & frites and will definitely make it again!  We cut the recipe by half and also skipped step 4 since I didn't want to eat the beet tops.  I love beets.
http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/roasted-beets-and-carrots-with-goat-cheese-dressing

For dessert, I wanted to try my hand at making a souffle.  It was success, and my souffles rose!!!!  So exciting.  We did a quarter of the recipe for this one since I only wanted to make 2. 
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Warm-Milk-Chocolate-Souffles-with-Vanilla-Ice-Cream-107329

Tonight, I'm going to make a Parmesan & Gruyere Souffle.  Yummy!

If you're in Denver, check out 2 places

Just got back from Denver, and I have 2 places that I'd HIGHLY recommend going to.

For Late Night Drinks
The first is Green Russell which was recommended to me.  It's in Larimer Square, and is a little hard to find because it's down a corridor and then down some stairs.  Thank goodness I asked the hostess exactly where it was when I made a reservation (reservations are a must to get in) because I think it'd would've taken us some time to find the place. We went down the stairs and thought we were in the wrong place because there wasn't any signage with the 'Green Russell' anywhere.  We almost went back up to make sure we were in the right place until the hostess came and got us.  She took us through a swinging 'pie shop' door and led us into a super cool, dark, Prohibition-feel underground SPEAKEASY! 

I wish I could've taken photos, but cell phones were only allowed in a phone booth.  The bartenders all dressed in Prohibition-era wear and were extremely skilled.  While there were a number of cool drinks ~ mainly brown spirits based on the menu, the server said that we could talk to the bartender who would concoct a drink based on our preferences.  A couple of people with me did this and enjoyed their drinks so much so that they ordered another.  I ordered a drink that had chartreuse, lime juice, bitters, gin (or maybe it was vodka), ginger beer, alldram spice, and some other things I wasn't familiar with.  It was amazing. . . had all of my favorite things in it (ginger, lime, and spice).  The ice in my drink was a ball that they had chipped from a large block of ice.

We also ordered a slice of banana pie which they're known for which was delish.

By the way, the restaurant is named after William Green Russell, a Colorado gold miner from the 1850s.

For Breakfast, Lunch or Dinner
For breakfast, lunch or dinner, check out Panzano at the Hotel Monaco (a Kimpton hotel) downtown.  It was the 'perfect restaurant' -- hip and trendy but very comfortable and not pretentious; and the service and food were amazing.  Wish there was a restaurant like that near where we live.  It was an interesting layout with the bar on one side, the open kitchen in the middle with some tables in front of it, and then the rest of the dining room with another open kitchen on the other side.  While I only went for breakfast twice, the food was great.  They serve organic and locally sourced food. 

Their website says:
Named one of "America's Top Restaurants 2011" by Zagat, given "4 Stars" by 5280 magazine and called "Best Italian Restaurant" by Denver Westword, the awards and accolades are ever-growing for Panzano and Chef Elise Wiggins. And it's no wonder Denver loves Panzano's fine dining. Northern Italian dishes show contemporary flair, showcasing local ingredients while award-winning wines from Italy and beyond grace the wine list. Signature cocktails shine and savvy service prevails in the lively dining room.




The interior from where I was sitting.

 



Goat cheese, pepper, onion omelette
w/hash browns, fresh-squeezed
grapefruit juice, Lavazza cappuccino



Granola, yogurt and fresh berry parfait,
spicy AMAZING sausage that I couldn't stop eating,
 fresh-squeezed grapefruit juice, Lavazza coffee

 



There's a job for everything. . .

Here’s a fascinating article about how food commercials are produced. 

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/10/09/business/in-food-commercials-flying-doughnuts-and-big-budgets.html?pagewanted=1&_r=2

I’ve never been to a TV food shoot, but food photography shoots are NOT glamorous at all.  It’s like, as my boss would say, “watching paint dry” – it would take at least 2 hours per shot.

If you read this article (again, I’d highly recommend it), read it to the end – they interview a guy who builds food-tossing devices.  There’s job for everything. . .

Recipe for a Crab or Ahi Tuna Rice Tower?

For dinner this evening, we made the Crab & Lemongrass Jasmine Rice Tower from the Mahatma Rice website.  I mean, it was fine but not absolutely amazing.  I felt like it was missing an ingredient especially in the gazpacho. 
Does anyone have an amazing rice tower recipe that they could share?

Crab Part:  crabmeat, evoo, s & p
Rice:  Rice, rice wine vinegar, evoo, lemongrass (which we didn't use)
Avocado Salsa:  jalapeno, lime juice, avocado, cilantro, s & p
Gazpacho:  tomatoes, onion, garlic, cucumber, s & p

$1,250 Lunch for Two in London: Welcome to the French Laundry

The French Laundry at Harrods, which opened on Saturday and lasts just 10 days, might politely be described as a phenomenon. Hundreds are on the waiting list each day at this pop-up restaurant, the managers say, undeterred by a price tag of $387 per person, plus service and wine.

http://frenchlaundry.harrods.com/

Here's the article about what we're missing out on:

$1,250 Lunch for Two in London: Welcome to the French Laundry

By Richard Vines

Oct. 4 (Bloomberg)

The French Laundry at Harrods, which opened on Saturday and lasts just 10 days, might politely be described as a phenomenon.

Hundreds are on the waiting list each day at this pop-up restaurant, the managers say, undeterred by a price tag of 250 pounds ($387) per person, plus service and wine. Throw in a generous serving of matching wines and your lunch bill for two may reach 805 pounds -- or $1,250 -- as mine did.

What do you get for your money? Ten courses of exquisite food prepared by Thomas Keller, one of the world’s most respected chefs. He’s brought over about 15 members of his team from the French Laundry, in Yountville, California. If you’re familiar with his U.S. restaurants, you may spot staffers from Per Se, in New York, and from the various Bouchon outlets.

Harrods has constructed a special dining room on the fourth floor, with a version of the facade of the French Laundry. Diners eat from tableware that has also made the trip from the U.S., as have many of the ingredients. A booklet distributed to customers lists the suppliers, from Sterling Caviar of Sacramento, California, to the Chef’s Garden, of Huron, Ohio.

It feels as though no expense has been spared, as you might expect at these prices. The restaurant conducted three practice services -- for friends and family, chefs and journalists -- before opening to the public on Oct. 1. I attended one of these meals on the night before the opening (for which diners weren’t charged) and lunch on the first day, for which I paid.

Hartnett, Perry-Lang

(I went along for the latter meal with chef Angela Hartnett and was impressed both with the dishes Keller sent out for her to try and with the fact he varied my menu so I wouldn’t eat all the same things twice. I went to the preview with Adam Perry Lang, who is Jamie Oliver’s partner at Barbecoa. Both chefs commented repeatedly on the quality of the cooking.)

The service was immaculate from start to finish, as if the French Laundry at Harrods had been running for years, the food brilliant. Keller, 55, was there in the kitchen, checking every dish -- I went in to take a look -- and only emerged into the dining room when everyone had been served.

The menu features several classic Keller concoctions, my favorite of which is Oysters and Pearls: a sabayon of pearl tapioca with oyster juice is served with Maldon oysters and Sterling White Sturgeon caviar. It’s creamy and smoky and rich.

The menu alternates between indulgent treats and lighter dishes, such as the salad of Hawaiian hearts of peach palm, which contains Medjool date, young coconut, French Laundry garden carrots, red radish, and candied pili nuts.

Miniature Perfection

While this might not sound light -- it even contains a hint of Madras curry -- the radish is the smallest I have ever seen, about the size of a baby’s fingernail, the carrot is shaved as thin as an ungenerous chef’s white truffle. The elements are tiny, the whole harmonious as a barbershop quartet. It’s perfection in miniature: bonsai gastronomy.

Other standouts include Poularde en Brioche, with Moulard duck foie gras, warm Sauternes jelly, Tokyo turnips, green apples and Perigord truffle coulis. A few of the courses play on classic dishes, such as chowder (with Sacramento River sturgeon, razor clams and sweet corn) and a peanut-butter dessert.

The dishes are imaginative without being pretentious and amusing without being silly. Their beauty is striking and the cooking of every element is faultless. Only a couple of ingredients detract from the perfection of the whole: the Maine lobster is an advertisement for the flavor of its Scottish cousin and the beauty of the beef (with black trumpet mushrooms, pumpkin and fennel) was mainly in the seasoning.

Michelin Stars

Keller is an outstanding and original chef who deserves all seven of the Michelin stars he holds, including three for the French Laundry, which won the World’s Best Restaurant title in 2003 and 2004. The pop-up is a triumph for him and for Harrods.

It’s an event that will be talked about in the culinary world for years to come. Eating there is like getting a ticket for the 100 Meters in the Olympic Games. (You can pay 725 pounds for that final in London.)

In that sense, dining there isn’t about the cost, and if you want to go and can afford it and can get a reservation, you should go. But it is a pop-up and it just whetted my appetite for a first visit to the mothership in California.

French Laundry at Harrods, 4th Floor, 87-135 Brompton Road Knightsbridge, Greater London SW1X 7XL. Harrods store inquiries: +44-20-7730-1234, http://www.harrods.com/.

The Bloomberg Questions

- Cost? 250 pounds.

- Sound level? Hushed, 65 decibels.

- Inside tip? Take your bank manager.

- Special feature? It’s the French Laundry.

- Will I be back? Sadly no.

- Date place? It’s a place to propose.

- Rating? ***1/2.

Sound-Level Chart (in decibels): 65-70: Office noise. 70- 75: Starbucks. 75-80: London street. 80-85: Alarm clock at closest range. 85-90: Passing bus. 85-95: Tube train.

(Richard Vines is the chief food critic for Muse, the arts and leisure section of Bloomberg News. He is U.K. and Ireland chairman of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants awards. Opinions expressed are his own.)

--Editors: Mark Beech, Jim Ruane.
http://www.businessweek.com/news/2011-10-03/-1-250-lunch-for-two-in-london-welcome-to-the-french-laundry.html

Starbucks Tee's for $85

Everyone who knows me knows that I love Starbucks, but I don't think I'm going to be purchasing the t-shirts they're selling for $85?!

To celebrate their 40 years in the coffee business, you can purchase trendy t-shirts by up-and-coming designers Alexander Wang, Sophie Theallet, and Billy Reid, the recipients of the past three annual CFDA/VOGUE FASHION FUND awards.

http://www.starbucksstore.com/apparel/apparel,default,sc.html

$85 is a bit much and can buy me at least 17 drinks at Starbucks.

Don't sit on my couch. . . I mean, cake!

Have you seen this couch before?  It's the Barcelona Couch by Mies van der Rohe.  You can buy the non-cake version of it at Design Within Reach (http://www.dwr.com/) on sale now for $7,527 (previously $8,856).

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe (1886-1869), a German architect, is widely regarded as a pioneer of modern architecture.  Many of his iconic buildings are in Illinois like the Farnsworth House, the Illinois Institute of Technology, and the Seagram Building and 860-880 Lake Shore Drive in downtown Chicago.  He also designed 2 buildings for the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, TX.

Drink Recipe: Italian Cider

This drink may sound strange when you read the ingredient list, but if you like cider-like drinks, you'll love this fall cocktail.  The ingredients work surprisingly well together.

Ingredients

• 3/4 oz Tequila (reposado)
• 3/4 oz Limoncello
• 1/2 oz Tuaca
•  3 1/2 oz Apple Juice

Build

• Shake all ingredients with ice in a shaker.
• Strain into a martini glass.
• Garnish w/a cinnamon stick.

As you can see from the photo, I didn't strain it into a martini glass but made it into a cocktail in a highball glass and then sprinkled some cinnamon on top.

Cheers!

Off the Grid - Food Truck Experience

I had my first food truck experience Friday night at the Off the Grid event in San Francisco.  It was packed with people, food trucks, food & drink vendors and a band.  I absolutely loved it and had a great time.

What's interesting to me is that food trucks aren't a new phenomenon.  I've seen them at construction sites selling breakfast burritos, hot dogs, tacos -- and then, there's the ice cream truck that used to come around our neighborhood.  It's just the aspect that the food is now gourmet.

There was gourmet food galore, and I wanted to try it all.  I limited myself to just the following:

• Mac 'n Cheese Spring Rolls  [interesting concept; really rich]
• Chairman Bao's Baked Bun w/Tender Pork Belly and Pickled Daikon  [I'm not a huge fan of daikon, but the flavors melded so well together]
• Chairman Bao's Steamed Bun w/Braised Pork with Savoy Cabbage and Preserved Mustard Seeds  [so delicious, with again, the flavors melding perfectly together -- there's a reason Chairman Bao's food truck had one of the longest lines]
• Cupskates' Gingerbread w/Lemon Frosting Cupcake
• Cupskates' Salted Caramel Cupcake

 

Mac n' Cheese Spring Rolls w/Cheese Fondue

Chairman Bao's Steamed Bun: Braised Pork w/Savoy Cabbage and Preserved Mustard Seeds
Chairman Bao's Baked Bun: Tender Pork Belly and Pickled Daikon

In short, it was an absolutely delicious meal that beats many of my fine dining experiences.

OpenTable's Top 50 Restaurants for Foodies in the U.S.

Alas, no restaurants in Dallas made the list.
Am excited that we're going to try Gather on Saturday!

Abattoir – Atlanta, Georgia
Ad Hoc – Yountville, California
Aldea – New York, New York
Annisa – New York, New York
Bergamot – Somerville, Massachusetts
Bibou – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Blackbird – Chicago, Illinois
Blue Hill – New York, New York
Bonsoiree – Chicago, Illinois
Camino – Oakland, California
Canteen – San Francisco, California
Cascina Spinasse – Seattle, Washington
Coi – San Francisco, California
Commis – Oakland, California
Commonwealth – San Francisco, California
Craigie on Main – Cambridge, Massachusetts
Dirt Candy – New York, New York
FIG – Charleston, South Carolina
Fond – Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Forage – Salt Lake City, Utah
Frances – San Francisco, California
Frasca Food and Wine – Boulder, Colorado
The French Laundry – Napa, California
Gather – Berkeley, California
Girl & The Goat – Chicago, Illinois
Graham Elliot – Chicago, Illinois
Hatfields – Los Angeles, California
Haute Dish – Minneapolis, Minnesota
Heartland Restaurant & Farm Direct Market – Minneapolis, Minnesota
Hungry Mother – Cambridge, Massachusetts
Local 127 – Cincinnati, Ohio
Menton – Boston, Massachusetts
Mistral Kitchen – Seattle, Washington
noca – Phoenix, Arizona
o ya – Boston, Massachusetts
Osteria Mozza – Los Angeles, California
Park Kitchen – Portland, Oregon
Piccolo – Minneapolis, Minnesota
The Publican – Chicago, Illinois
Range – San Francisco, California
Saffron Restaurant & Lounge – San Francisco, California
Saison – San Francisco, California
Sprout – Chicago, Illinois
Spur Gastropub – Seattle, Washington
Staple & Fancy Mercantile – Seattle, Washington
The Tasting Kitchen – Venice, California
Tilth – Seattle, Washington
Ubuntu – Napa, California
wd-50 – New York, New York
Wexler's – San Francisco, California

http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/opentable-diners-reveal-the-top-50-restaurants-for-foodies-in-the-us-130262703.html