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

Good Eats in Oakland

To 'the woman who ate everything' blog contributor and my friend . . .  thank you for your wonderful company and for taking me to such amazing places to eat in Oakland.  I'm posting this just so I remember the delicious food we had -- you're so lucky to have these great independent restaurants nearby.

Plum
"Our interpretation of California cuisine"
http://www.plumoakland.com/

How cool it was to sit and watch the chefs cook & plate all the dishes made with fresh, local ingredients.  I felt like I was sitting at someone's kitchen counter.

• Eggplant - farro, summer beans, sungold, pinenut, padron vinaigrette
• Smoked Farm Egg - quinoa, summer squash shishito, blossom

I should've taken a menu because I can't remember the descriptors of the other items we had, and the menu online has changed already.

• Chickpea Fries
• Pork Belly & Squid
• Fudge Cake - chocolate fudge cake w/olive oil ice cream, figs, pistachio, chocolate crisps
• Bourbon Drink (that gave me a headache this morning, by the way, probably because I don't usually drink bourbon) - bourbon, lime juice, ginger beer, simple syrup, bitters, nice orange peel and herb garnish

Hawker Fare
"Southeast Asian street food, predominately it’s a rice bowl shop.  The cuisine is humble, innovative and personal while still paying homage to classics and tradition utilizing local, sustainable, and organic ingredients as much as we can.  We are cooking it up with passion with being honest in our approach."
http://www.hawkerfare.com/menu/

• Our "Kao Mun Gai" - a classic, poached chicken served with salted mung bean sauce and fresh cucumber
• 24hr Pork Belly - "tom khem" style with our own five spice, sweet soy and preserved vegetable mustard (+ added a fried egg to mine)

I'll have to come back one day to try the Hawker Sundae (soft serve with salted palm sugar caramel with candied red beans and puffed rice, lime whip) when the soft serve machine is working.  It sounds amazing.  PLEASE post a photo of it the next time you order it. 

I can't wait to see what else is in store for us in this foodie capital of the U.S.

The Next Thing: Nordic Cuisine

Reindeer Blood and Sheep Sorrel

Shrimp & Sea Urchin Powder

Trout Roe in Pig's Blood Pastry

Wild Greens with Dried Cod Roe and Sheep's Cream

Interesting dishes.  I keep reading about Nordic Cuisine . . . Chef Rene Redzepi (and his restaurant Noma) and Chef Magnus Nilsson (and his restaurant Faviken Magasinet).  There's a big story on Faviken Magasinet in the September issue of Bon Appetit. 

Below are a couple of excerpts from a recent New York Times article on Nordic Cuisine.  I wonder how the it will translate here in the U.S.  Does anyone know of a restaurant employing these ideas/techniques?

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/24/dining/new-nordic-cuisine-draws-disciples.html?_r=3&ref=dining

The style of cooking is most closely associated with FoodCamp’s host chef, René Redzepi of Noma in Copenhagen. It is sometimes called “new Nordic,” although he and some other chefs from the region prefer the broader label “authentic cuisine.” It is earthy and refined, ancient and modern, both playful and deeply serious. Instead of the new (techniques, stabilizers, ingredients), it emphasizes the old (drying, smoking, pickling, curing, smoking) with a larger goal of returning balance to the earth itself.

Using rutabagas and whey; pine and juniper; and shells, hay, and twigs as its kitchen tools, it seeks to turn the culinary dial back toward the natural world.

Evidence of the Nordic invasion is everywhere, once diners know the signs: cellared vegetables, unripe fruit, conifers, buttermilk and whey; rocks, shells and twigs used as serving pieces; garden scraps like radish leaves, turnip tails and nasturtium pods whorled, piled and clustered on the plate as if by waves or wind. In the era of El Bulli, high-end plates looked tight, geometric, slicked-down; the new Nordic dishes have bed head, with artfully ruffled herbs and tufts of grass sticking out everywhere.

If you like ginger, you'll like this drink

 

 

I'm on a ginger kick and had a Dark 'n Stormy cocktail that was a little different from the recipe below. The one I had included Gosling's Black Seal rum, lime juice, simple syrup, ginger puree and club soda.

 

Has anyone ever made ginger puree?  I think I'll try this recipe I found online:

http://www.buzzle.com/articles/frozen-ginger-puree.html

 

About Dark 'n Stormies:

Dark 'n Stormy is the unofficial national drink of Bermuda. Gosling owns the trademark on the actual recipe, meaning you cannot use a different brand of rum and call it a Dark 'n Stormy.

 

There is a variation nicknamed the Light 'n' Stormy which uses 10 Cane, a light rum.

 

Ingredients

• 2 oz Gosling's Black Seal rum
• 3 oz Barritt's ginger beer
• lime wedge for garnish if desired

Preparation

1. Build the ingredients in a highball glass filled with ice cubes.
2. Garnish with the lime wedge.

Oatmeal Cookie Frozen Yogurt

I love Yogurtland, and I love them even more now that they have Oatmeal Cookie frozen yogurt!  Top it with some granola, and it's delicious.

I like to think it's healthy since it has:

• Calcium
• Live & active cultures
• Is lowfat
• Uses real oatmeal cookies

Plus, it's only 30 calories per 6 oz.

BTW, they also have a PB&J frozen yogurt which was great as well.  I wonder what flavors they'll have this winter.  Eggnog and a peppermint chocolate would be my vote.

Absolut Tune: Sauvignon Blanc Vodka

What do you think Sauvignon Blanc Vodka tastes like?  I'm going to have to try this.

Absolut and Brancott produce vodka-Sauvignon blend
Source: Decanter
by Rebecca Gibb in Auckland
Tuesday 13 September 2011

Swedish vodka producer Absolut has paired up with Pernod Ricard stablemate Brancott Estate to produce a 'sparkling fusion' of vodka and Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc.  A spokesman for the new blend, called Absolut Tune, said he would not be 'sharing the specifics' on how the sparkle was created other than that it was a 'fusion process'.

A blend of 60% vodka and 40% Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, the final alcohol level is 14%.

The product was launched in three bars in Sydney, Australia as part of a month-long trial.  Absolut would not comment on its future beyond a limited edition bottling.  No-one from the three bars trialling the product responded to Decanter.com's requests for a verdict on the product; Decanter.com is currently awaiting a sample from Australia.

The company's press release says, 'The first taste of Absolut Tune reveals vibrant, fresh tropical fruits with a balanced sweetness through the front and mid palate which is brought to life through the bubbles...and with a persistent medium strength Absolut vodka flavour and balanced sweetness leading on to a dry finish.'

Guest Post (The GrandCruMan): Purple Potatoes??

Well the Taster and I were browsing at Central Market in advance of Sunday's dinner and we were on a mission for good steaks. Luckily CM's New York Strip was on sale. And as we walked through the produce section I spied the purple potatoes and had to have some. I made a simple mash with cream and butter and was left wondering....were they better than russets or Yukon golds?

Turns out my taste buds said no, not better. So I did a little research. Turns out the purple potato is an heirloom variety; all cultivated potatoes belong to Solanum Tuberosum. That's not my answer to do they taste better or have better nutritional value? According to specialtyproduce.com the purple potato is similar to white potatoes but has a much higher concentration of anthocyanin, the same antioxident in blueberries or other blue/black fruits. So I conclude it is more nutritious, but not as delicious! It wasn't as creamy as a Yukon gold or fingerling for sure.

Restaurant: Marco's Meal for Two at Maggiano's

I received an e-mail from Maggiano's about their new "Marco's Meal for Two."  It's not a limited time promotion because we went to the restaurant and saw it IN the menu.  Depending on what appetizer/flatbread/side salads you order, this can save you a few $.  It's a pretty good deal especially considering the completely new pastas you get to take home with you.