Definition: Banger sausage

On Saturday, I went to Bowl & Barrel with some friends and ordered the Scotch Egg that was on their menu. 

Scotch Egg description:
our banger sausage around a farm egg, fried crispy on a bed of salad greens

The server said it was good and that they take a lot of time to make it right; I was curious about it since I'd seen a contestant on MasterChef make the dish. It was delish (though, a little salty) and didn't need the sweet BBQ-like sauce that came on the side.

I'd heard of bangers before but wondered. . .  what exactly is banger sausage?  Is it a specific type of sausage?

According to Wikipedia:
Although it is sometimes stated that the term "bangers" has its origins in World War II, the term was
actually in use at least as far back as 1919.  The term "bangers" is attributed to the fact that sausages, particularly the kind made during World War II under rationing, were made with water so they were more likely to explode under high heat if not cooked carefully; modern sausages do not have this attribute.

Recipe: Apple Pie Bars

Food & Wine Magazine's March 2013 issue is full of "all-time greatest recipes from legendary cooks."  This past weekend, I made the Apple Pie Bars recipe that's on p.78 -- named Best Apple Dessert. The photo in the magazine looks amazing.  The dessert is not so amazing.

Here are the issues with the recipe:

• There isn't enough apple filling.  I would've liked double the amount called for in the recipe.
• The apples do not take 20 minutes to cook/soften. 
• There's way too much topping.  I would've cut it by a third.
• There wasn't enough sugar in the topping.
• The dessert does not need to be baked for an hour.  Had I baked it the full hour, it would have completely burned!
• The crust needs to be par-baked, not fully baked -- it got a little too crispy and overbaked.
• In step 4, it doesn't say what to set the oven to.  I assumed 375 degrees as is mentioned in step 1 for the crust.  Perhaps that was the issue with the baking time?

For a super-time consuming recipe, this one isn't worth the time or the calories.  I love anything with apples, cinnamon, and oats, and this was a huge diasppointment.

Definition: Nicoise Salad

It's Monday definition day!

The first time I ordered a Nicoise salad, I was in college.  I don't remember how I pronounced it, and even today, I often stop myself before pronouncing it -- second-guessing myself.  The correct pronunciation is 'ni-swaz' (it's French).

The salad includes tomatoes, green beans, tuna and anchovies and is often accompanied with hard-boiled eggs and olives.  Traditionally, it included raw red peppers, shallots and artichoke hearts, new potatoes or other cooked vegetables.

Here is a recipe offered by Chef Alice Waters of Chez Panisse.

Restaurant: Bones in Denver

Pork Belly Steamed Buns

 

 

Udon:

Slow Cooked Pork Shoulder, Plum-Soy Broth,
Poached Egg, Scallion

 Yakisoba:

Crispy Chicken Thigh, Chinese Long Bean,

Jalapeño, Spicy Lemongrass Broth, Cilantro

Added a Poached Egg

One of my favorite restaurants in Denver is Bones.  The name doesn't sound appealing, but this 40ish seat restaurant is a gem in downtown Denver.  (I think the area it's in is actually Uptown.)  The restaurant is an Asian fusion noodle house, and the 3 times I've dined there, I've sat at the Chef's counter and watched the action unfold as orders are placed and the three cooks effortlessly coordinate and plate and garnish the orders.  The restaurant is small, very small and yet is interestingly quiet with the open kitchen being right there.

 

I'm craving the Pork Buns and the noodle bowls right now.  I've had their Ramen (Poached Lobster, Edamame, Beurre Blanc, Miso Lobster Broth, Scallion), but decided to try something new this time.  The Yakisoba and Udon didn't disappoint and were delicious.

 

The Asian-inspired drinks are really interesting (see below for some of the drinks from their menu).  Lost in Translation was one of the smoothest Manhattan-type drinks I've tasted, and I want to go back to try some of the others.  Alas, the next time I'm in Denver. . . .

---------------------------------

Lost in Translation Unique, (like the movie), stylized Manhattan: Suntory’s Yamazaki 12yr Whisky, Sweet Vermouth, House Orange bitters & a Colorado cherry.

Tsunami Simple, Surprising, Refreshing: Tozai Typhoon Sake, ginger beer & Leopold Blackberry Liqueur. Tall, Rocks.
 

Green Tea Classic Press House Infused Green Tea SKYY Vodka, Canton Ginger, splash of soda & ginger beer. Rocks.

Almond Blossom White Tea Infused Flor de Cana Rum, Leopold American Orange Liqueur, Orgeat, Lime, Rocks. 
 
Lychee Sidecar Espolon Tequila Blanco, Lychee Sour, Up. 

 

 

 

Restaurant: Sweet Basil in Vail

French Toast Dessert

For dinner in Vail, definitely go to Sweet Basil and be sure to make a reservation as soon as you know you're headed to the ski town.  You won't be disappointed by the atmosphere, apres ski drinks, wine list, service, and of course, food.  (Oh, and the people watching at the bar.)  

Check out their accolades.

We had some of the best appetizers ever.  For instance . . .

Saffron Gnocchi “Paella” Laughing Bird Shrimp, Razor Clams, Baby Octopus, Iberico Chorizo, Chorizo Spice, Grilled Fennel

Roasted Beet Salad Riesling Poached Apple, Citrus Blue Cheese Espuma, Arugula, Pistachio Vinaigrette

For my entree, I had by far the best pork chop I've ever had in my life.  It was served with a ricotta cornbread pudding, mustard greens and King Trumpet mushrooms.

And make sure to save room for dessert.  My French toast with carmelized bananas, cocoa puffs and cereal milk ice cream was good, but not as good as the sumptuous Sticky Toffee Pudding which is their signature dessert.

After a day of skiing, dinner here makes for a perfect day.

Architectural Digest's 10 Most Beautifully Designed New Restaurants

Wow, wow, wow.  Check out the slideshow of the 10 Most Beautifully Designed New Restaurants in the world from Architectural Digest.  They include:

Astor Grill, Doha, Qatar
Ma Cocotte, Paris, France
The Nomad, New York, New York
5-Cinco, Berlin, Germany
La Maison 1888, Da Nang, Vietnam
Trollveggen, Romsdal, Norway
Atera, New York, New York
Brasserie Zédel, London, England
Volkshaus Basel, Basel, Switzerland
French Blue, St. Helena, California

Definition: Clafoutis

Photo from wikipedia.com

Clafoutis is a dessert from the Limousin region of France, consisting of black cherries arranged in a buttered dish and covered with fairly thick pancake batter.  It is served lukewarm, dusted with sugar. Aas a rule, the cherries are not pitted but simply washed and stalked/stemmed since the kernals add their flavor to the batter during cooking.

The Academie francais, who had defined clafoutis as a "sort of fruit flan," was faced with protests from the Limoges and changed their definition to "cake with black cherries."  Nevertheless, there are numerous variations using red cherries or other fruits.  The word comes from the provincial dialect word clafir (to fill).

Source:  Larousse Gastronomique

Here is Julia Child's recipe on epicurious.com  (her recipe calls for pitted cherries)

Bistro 31's Cocktails

If you're in Dallas, check out the upstairs bar at Bistro 31 in Highland Park Village.  The cocktail list is extensive -- it's always hard to choose what to try! (Note: The menus haven't been updated on their website.)

The ones pictured above are:

Hadleigh's Punch
10 can rum, fresh blueberries, lychee syrup, lemon juice, garnished with basil

Chocolate Bullet
bulleit bourbon, licor 43, aztec chocolate bitters, garnished with fresh orange slice

Definition: Mace

I had to use mace in a recipe recently.  What is it?

Mace
This golden-brown spice has a sweet, warm flavor that is similar to—but stronger than—nutmeg. That is because the two are closely related: Nutmeg is the seed of the sour, apricot-like fruit of the tropical nutmeg tree; mace is the lacy membrane that surrounds the nutmeg seed. Mace is used in both sweet and savory foods. Mace, the spice, is not related to the self-defense aerosol spray, which is named after a club-like weapon.

Source:  BonAppetit.com