Restaurant: Samar (a Stephan Pyles concept)

We've been eating out a lot, well, every day this week so I haven't posted any recipes (thus, more restaurant reviews than usual).  We'll be cooking up some new dishes this week so stay tuned!

About Samar. . .

Samar opened up a few years ago in downtown Dallas, and I'd been wanting to try it since I love Mediterranean, Spanish and Indian food.  I was thoroughly and completely disappointed.

While I understand that a restaurant can have an "off" night, when I told a friend of mine about my experience, she said that 2 of her friends (separately) told her that they had awful experiences as well.  While the restaurant is very intimate and beautiful, the food and service were the worst I've experienced at any restaurant.

The restaurant only holds maybe 75 people and wasn't busy, yet:

• It took over 15 minutes to get our drinks.
• Their 'Specialty Cocktail' menu only has 11 cocktails listed, and yet their bartender didn't know how to make one that our friend ordered.  It wasn't like he ordered an off-the-menu cocktail -- it was one that was listed ON the menu.  Their excuse was that another bartender had created the cocktail and didn't teach the other bartender how to make it.
• I wanted to order the Sherry Cobbler cocktail, but they were out of an ingredient.
• When the server brought the drinks out, he brought out the wrong ones or maybe he got confused.  There were 7 of us, and he set down 3 drinks and then took the other 4 back to who knows where.
• Our friends ordered a dish which they were out of.  Note: We went on a Thursday at 7pm when a restaurant should have a delivery, be prepared, and not be out of anything yet.
• The falafel, naan, hummus and chutney were all fine but nothing to write home about.
• We love foie gras and ordered the 'Potatoes and Chorizo' that has a fried organic egg on top and Hudson Valley foie gras.  It was by far the WORST foie gras in appearance and taste I have ever had.  If you didn't know what it was, you would've thought it was mistakenly placed on the plate ~ just a piece of fat thrown on the side. 
• I was really looking forward to the 'Seared Bay Scallops' -- and now that I'm looking at their menu again online and realize it was listed under their 'Small Plates,' I guess I can understand why the scallops were just 1/2 an inch in diameter.  I was expecting larger ones and at first thought (with excitement) that the olive oil poached potatoes were the scallops.  To my dismay, they weren't.
• Finally, dessert.  It's really hard to mess up dessert, but they managed to do so.  I ordered the 'Chocolate Samosa with Candied Rose Petal Sauce.'  The rose petal sauce was amazing in flavor and interesting in texture, but the samosa was hard as a rock.  It had the texture and consistency of something that has been baked or fried before and then was microwaved again.  The 'Dark Chocolate and Spiced Pecan Baklava' was hard to cut into and not flaky at all. 

All in all, it was the worst restaurant experience I've ever had.  While I usually try a restaurant 3 times before I give up on it, I won't be going back since others seem to have had similar experiences.

Translating Menu Descriptions

This New York Post article (2/21/12) by Carla Spartos has the following glossary for the "hungry, tired and befuddled."
http://www.nypost.com/p/entertainment/food/it_menu_mania_AbxhKJZXXpFFi1s88or8fO/1

• artisanal: “Not made by a big corporation, often refers to foods and beverages made in smaller quantities,” explain authors Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page. Frequently connotes something of Brooklyn or Portland, Ore., origin, though some experts argue the term has been rendered meaningless.
• bespoke: “A hoity-toity term for handmade,” says ICC’s Candy Argondizza. Often refers to cocktails specifically tailored to a customer’s tastes. But as Time’s Josh Ozersky points out: “Just because extra care is taken doesn’t necessarily make it better. Unless the guy who’s making it is a great bartender, it could be the mixology equivalent of getting your hair cut at barber college.”
• black label: “Refers to a special blend of beef used when making hamburgers, which was popularized by Minetta Tavern’s black-label burger made with Pat LaFrieda meats — but Wendy’s has since jumped on the black-label bandwagon,” say Dornenburg and Page.
• biodynamic wine: “A step beyond organic [with] very specific guidelines,” note Dornenburg and Page. The winemaking process may involve lunar cycles and burying cow horns packed with dung. We’re actually not kidding.
• degustation menu: Synonymous with a tasting menu. “You’re putting yourself into the chef’s — and, if you desire, the sommelier’s — hands to determine the menu, with a possible choice of a certain number of courses,” explain Dornenburg and Page.
• foraging: “It conveys the idea of this noble savage wandering in the forest,” Ozersky says of the movement pioneered by chef René Redzepi of Copenhagen’s Noma restaurant. “It does have legitimacy in high-level restaurants. But if you’re eating in Brooklyn, the last thing you may want is something growing in the backyard.”
• grass-fed: “Refers to cattle fed only grass and not corn, which is not part of its natural diet — the beef tends to be leaner and more flavorful,” say Dornenburg and Page. But Ozersky, who finds totally grass-fed beef “leathery,” argues that “all cows eat some grass. It’s a question of whether it’s finished with corn and grain.”
• heirloom: No, not your grandmother’s pearls, but veggies bred for flavor, not appearance. “Their beauty is their imperfection,” notes Argondizza. “Heirloom and [in the case of animals] heritage practices preserve agricultural variety and protect biodiversity,” add Dornenburg and Page.
• house-made: “The new homemade,” say Dornenburg and Page. Ubiquitous, yes, but a meaningful, verifiable term. “It says there are craftsmen in the kitchen — that there’s a lot of care taken,” says Argondizza. The term often modifies nouns such as “charcuterie” and “burrata.”
• line-caught: “Suggests it’s caught by a fisherman, not dredged up by evil, unsustainable methods,” explains Ozersky.
• locally sourced: “Cooking with ingredients available locally — whether within 100 miles or another limited radius,” say Dornenburg and Page. But not everyone is completely sold: “I’d rather have fresh cauliflower from a good produce store like Dean & Deluca then cauliflower from some farm that’s a week old,” says Ozersky.
• market table: “This is the same as ‘farm-to-table.’ It means you’re buying directly from the farm and cutting out the middle man,” says Argondizza. “That’s a big statement.”
• wood-roasted: “It lets the public know, ‘We have a wood-burning oven. Our food is going to have a rustic, roasted flavor,’ ” says Argondizza. A more precise term than the more meaningless and marketing-driven “fire-roasted.”

Restaurant: Panda Express (yes, the fast food place)

I never thought I'd say this, but this article makes me want to try Panda Express.  I'm not an orange chicken fan but would be willing to try theirs. 


http://www.npr.org/blogs/thesalt/2012/02/22/147256897/panda-express-takes-sweet-and-sour-beyond-the-food-court

Restaurant: Marquee Grill in Dallas

My new favorite bar in Dallas is Marquee Grill at Highland Park Village.  Note: It's a restaurant, but I LOVE the bar area.  The menu features new American cuisine from Executive Chef Tre Wilcox.  If his name sounds familiar to you, he was on Season 3 of Top Chef and has appeared on Iron Chef America.

About Marquee Grill and why it's fabulous:

• The food is friendly and complex (and I think it's so much better than the food at Fearing's and Stephan Pyles).
• The cocktail list is one of the best I've seen if you like complex classic cocktails.  My favorite is called 'Autumn Sonata' which has gin, poached pear puree, lemon juice and port wine.  I've ordered it there every time.
• I could eat dessert there every day.  The 'Marquee Chocolate Tart' in the photo above has caramel popcorn and salted butter ice cream that will change your life forever.  The chocolate has different 3 different textures ~ denser cake, a lighter cake, and a hard chocolate ganache shell on top that you have to break like with creme brulee.  We did try the 'Chocolate and Chile' dessert which is bittersweet chocolate cake, guajillo ganache and red corn tortilla ice cream.  My favorite part was the ice cream which was, well, interesting;  the cake wasn't anything to write home about and was a little too light and bland for me.
• The environment is cool and trendy but not overly pretentious -- and there's great people watching.  The patio upstairs overlooks Highland Park Village that still has lights in the trees, so it's lovely. 
• There is plenty of parking, and you can go shopping before or after stopping by the restaurant.

If you ever want to go, let me know and I'll meet you there!  I want to go there for brunch one day and get their bacon & waffles.
http://marqueegrill.com/

For all you Scrabble players out there. . .

For all you Scrabble players out there who love the game and love to cook, I highly recommend you get the Cooking Edition.  I guarantee that you will have a blast.  It's the same Scrabble game that we know and love, but there are bonus points for making cooking-related words and 'Recipe Cards' that put a twist to the game. 

For instance, one of the cards is called 'Microwave Oven' which says:  Play a word in 15 seconds and get a double word score. 

Another is called 'Ketchup' which says:  If you are in last place, add 20 points to your score.

Now, if only there was a Words with Friends Cooking Edition version. . .

Crepes A La Cart in Breckenridge

My Blue Lagoon Crepe
(Nutella, blueberries, brown sugar, Bailey's Irish Cream)

You can watch your crepe being made



Le Menu

Just got back from Breckenridge, and I must say that besides skiing, one of my favorite things of the trip was the crepes from a little cart (it was like a stationary food truck) called Crepes A La Cart.  I love crepes, and while they're easy to make, there's something special about them.  Maybe it's because there aren't many places around town in Dallas that serve them or that they can be intimidating and time consuming to make.  I made them once last year -- they turned out nicely but weren't as thin and beautiful as the ones from the cart which had a perfect texture and were crispy on the edges.

When I heard that there was a crepe cart in Breckenridge, I made sure to seek it out.  It was just a few blocks from where we stayed and became our afternoon snack after skiing.  I tried 'The Parisian' (melted brie with honey ham and Dijon mustard) which was savory and delicious and ordered 'Blue Lagoon' twice (blueberries with Nutella, brown sugar, and Bailey's Irish Cream).  There were so many I wanted to try, but I guess I'll have to make them myself.  Perhaps we'll throw a crepe party this spring and try out some of the other combinations. . .

Murray's Cheese Shop (at Kroger)

Dallasites, we are so very lucky to have a Murray's Cheese Shop at our Kroger (on Mockingbird & Greenville). 

Did you know that Murray's started in Greenwich Village and has been a NYC landmark since 1940?  Their mission is to offer the world's tastiest cheeses and specialty foods.  The company has a partnership with Kroger, so select Krogers have a Murray's Cheese Shop in their stores.  The people at the counter are so incredibly nice and will let you taste any cheese and will cut any amount you want.  In addition, their prices are good, so I prefer to shop there instead of Central Market. 

Check them out on the weekend because oftentimes, they'll have wine & cheese or beer & cheese pairings. 

http://www.murrayscheese.com/

Free Yogurtland Tomorrow (2/6) from 4-7pm!

This just in!  To celebrate National Frozen Yogurt Day on Feb 6th, Yogurtland is offering free frozen yogurt and toppings tomorrow from 4-7pm!

See here for details:
http://www.yogurt-land.com/

Starbucks Hot Cocoa, Cake Pop Mix and Blonde Roast

All right, everyone knows how much I love Starbucks, but three of their products I've tried recently haven't been stellar.  I think they needed some more research and feedback from their consumer insights team!

Starbucks Hot Cocoa
I didn't realize Starbucks sold hot cocoa in retail, so when I saw the 'toasted marshmallow' flavor on the shelf at Target (by the way, it's described as rich, velvety cocoa with fluffy, handcrafted marshmallow minis), I had to try it.

My description:  blunt, not sweet, anemic on chocolate flavor, really tiny marshmallows, and where's the toasted flavor?

Starbucks Cake Pop Mix
I received the cake pop mix for Christmas and made them yesterday with one of my friends.  Well, they were good, but really, you don't need the mix to make cake pops (or cake balls for that matter).  For those who don't bake very much, want a nice package with everything in it and haven't made cake pops before, this kit is perfect.  Note:  I don't think each cake pop is worth 230 precious calories.

Starbucks New Blonde Roast
Supposedly a lighter flavor, I don't think it is.  It tastes similar to Pike Place Roast.  Or, maybe the barista gave me the wrong coffee.  I'll try it again a few more times before I decide if I like it.

Recipe: Thomas Keller's ad hoc meatballs with pappardelle

Last night, we spent 3 hours cooking the meatballs with pappardelle recipe from Thomas Keller's ad hoc at home book.  We followed the recipe exactly and were, well, disappointed.  It was ok, but certainly didn't justify the amount of time it took to make it.  The sauce called for leeks and fennel which we thought would lend itself to a unique sauce, but in the end, it was flat.  The meatballs also needed more oomph.  I would've been disappointed had I paid an Ad Hoc price for this dish. 

The grandcruman (blog contributor) agrees.

Restaurant: Grimaldi's Coal Brick-Oven Pizzeria

I am in love with Grimaldi's pizza. 

There are a lot of specialty pizza places in Dallas -- Coal Vines, Picasso's, Fireside Pies, to name a few, and they're all fine.  Basic.  Nothing to write home about.  (At least to me.  I know others would argue otherwise.)  So, I wasn't planning to be blown away by the pizza at Grimaldi's when we met friends for dinner there on Friday.  Grimaldi's has been around in Dallas for a while, but I'd just never been.

The pizza was exceptional.  The crust was thin but not too thin;  chewy but just the right amount of chewiness.  And the ingredients were fresh, fresh, fresh.  I've not tasted tomato sauce and mozzarella on a pizza that was that good, ever.

I'd gone to the restaurant's website beforehand, and kind of chuckled at the fact that they go to such great lengths to make sure the composition of the water is similar to that in Brooklyn (even hiring a chemist to analyze and recreate the mineral content via a New York water pumping system) so that the pizza dough's integrity is maintained.  Apparently, the secret to true New York style pizza is the water.  They also have a special signature brick oven and use special coals (anthracite) from Pennsylvania.

I'm a believer that it makes 'the Grimaldi's difference.'

I'll be going back there soon since I just finished the leftover pizza today.

http://www.grimaldispizzeria.com/pizza

Recipes: Chicken Au Champagne; Cauliflower Gratin



I mentioned the book French Women Don't Get Fat in an earlier blog post and the recipe Chicken Au Champagne.  Voila!  We made it last night for the second time along with Mireille's (the author) Cauliflower Gratin.

The chicken is so flavorful and easy to make -- here is the recipe:
http://frenchwomendontgetfat.com/content/chicken-emau-champagneem
Note: We didn't use Champagne but instead some inexpensive sparkling wine.  I believe that cooking with good Champagne is such a waste!

For the Cauliflower Gratin, I threw in some broccoli as well and doubled the amount of cheese (so in the end, it wasn't low fat).  Interestingly, the Cauliflower Gratin recipe in the book is different from what's on Mireille's website. 

Cauliflower Gratin recipe on her website (looks tasty; is cheese-less; we'll try it next time):
http://frenchwomendontgetfat.com/content/cauliflower-gratin

Cauliflower Gratin recipe that we made that's in her book:  http://www.goodcooking.com/ckbookrv/spring_05/fat_bu05/fat_rev.htm

This is an easy meal to make during the weekday.

Drinks: Fever-Tree Ginger Beer

Do you love ginger?  If you do, read on!

I've found the most amazing ginger beer I've ever tasted.  Note:  ginger beer is non-alcoholic.  I was strolling down the 'ethnic' aisle in our local grocery store (Kroger) and found it there of all places, near the Italian food section.  I'd heard of Fever-Tree before, having had a drink made with its all-natural tonic but had no idea they made ginger beer as well.

I've had a hard time finding ginger beer in Dallas, only finding Reed's Extra Ginger Brew (all-natural Jamaican style ginger beer) at Central Market.  Fever-Tree's Ginger Beer blows it away by a long shot if you like a very strong, almost spicy, ginger flavor.  It makes Reed's taste like water.  Fever-Tree's Ginger Brew is made with all-natural ingredients and is only 88 calories per 6.8 oz bottle.  The only drawback is that it was $6.49 for 4 bottles, but it's well worth it.

For more info on Fever-Tree, go to: http://www.fever-tree.com/drinks.php
They tout Ferran Adria of El Bulli saying, "Fever-Tree is an outstanding mixer" and that their products are used in 7 of the 10 top restaurants in the world.

I'm going to have to try the Ginger Lemon Drop Sprizer recipe (ginger beer, Domaine de Canton ginger liqueur, vodka, lemon juice, minced ginger) tonight.  The recipe is within an article about chefs using ginger more and more in their cooking because of its great versatility.

Book: French Women Don't Get Fat

This book came out years ago, and while I bought it back in 2004, I only read it just recently as recommended to me by a friend.  I really enjoyed it -- it's a FUN, quick read and has changed how I view food.  In addition, the book has some wonderful, easy and tasty recipes like 'Chicken au Champagne.'

The author, Mireille Guiliano, is the former CEO of Champagne house Veuve Cliquot and relates the story of how she changed her relationship with food with the help of 'Dr. Miracle' who helped her easily lose weight when she was younger.  She gives tips on how to stay slim without dieting.

The premise of the book is all about changing your lifestyle bit by bit but still indulging in life's pleasures.  There are trade-offs you can make ~ for instance, taking the stairs instead of the elevator or cutting out a dessert if you're going to have a sweet after-dinner drink.  Little things added together (cutting a few calories here and there and gradually increasing exercise) can lead to easy weight loss.

While I'd encourage you to read the book, here is a summary of what Mireille thinks French women do differently compared to American women:

1. French women eat smaller portions of more things (each meal averages 3 courses).
2. French women eat more vegetables. 
3. French women love chocolate, especially dark chocolate.
4. French women honor mealtime rituals and never eat standing up, on the run, or in front of the T.V.
5. French women eat what's in season for maximum flavor, and know availability does not equal quality.
6. French women don't care for hard liquor.
7. French women walk wherever they can.
8. French women drink water all day long.
9. French women don't eat anything "fat-free", "sugar-free" or anything stripped of natural flavor. They go for the real thing IN MODERATION.
10. French women choose their indulgences and compensations.

Recipe: Thai-Style Beef with Noodles

I was trying to figure out what to make for dinner on Saturday and went on to epicurious.com to get some ideas.  They have 'top-rated recipe' categories like 'Best Burger Recipes,' 'Best Chicken Recipes,' etc.  I found the following recipe under 'Best Steak Recipes' which sounded really delicious but wasn't as flavorful as it could be (but then, we really like BOLD flavors).

The recipe has potential but wasn't great as-is.  I think the meat needs to marinate longer (a couple of hours rather than 20 min), and my husband suggested adding more sugar and also ginger to the marinade.  Next time, I might add some other vegetables as well and more scallions and more Thai green-curry paste.  As you can see from the photo, we used Sriricha sauce which added spice and helped saved the dish.

We'll make it again, and I'll update this post with our additional recipe tweaks.

Thai-Style Beef with Noodles
http://www.epicurious.com/articlesguides/bestof/toprecipes/beststeakrecipes/recipes/food/views/Thai-Style-Beef-with-Noodles-241478

Recipe: Potato and Celery Root Mash

We didn't do too much cooking this past week, but we did make this Potato and Celery Root Mash recipe to go with some brisket (that we'd previously made and froze).

I don't know if I can eat regular mashed potatoes from now on without thinking about this recipe.  It's easy to make and only involves 7 ingredients: potatoes, celery root, horseradish, sour cream, Dijon mustard, butter and salt.

We made half the amount (the recipe is for 6-8 servings) and used horseradish cream that's easily found in the grocery store instead of actual horseradish which our store was out of.  It was my first time cooking celery root -- which we had to go to Central Market, our specialty grocer, to buy.  It along with the horseradish added a nice dimension.  We'll definitely be making this again!

Bon Appetit Magazine, Dec 2011, p. 93
http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Potato-and-Celery-Root-Mash-368964

A Cool Gift: Alcohol Art

A research scientist at Florida State University tried to find novel ways to fund his research, and decided to take photographs of various alcoholic drinks under the microscope and sell them as art.

Here's how this unique art is made according to the website:
"BevShot images are made by first crystallizing the drink of choice on a lab slide. Using a standard light microscope with a camera attached, the light source is polarized and passed through the crystal. This creates the magnificent colors we see in our favorite drinks featured on this site."

Rum and Cola is my favorite, and I received it for Christmas.  I think it's a cool and unique gift!  You can buy them at:  http://bevshots.com

Recipe: Italian Wedding Soup

We've been eating leftovers (the Rick Bayless enchiladas I posted last weekend, more Martin Yan dumplings I made, and a beef daube stew my husband cooked up last weekend).  So, today it was time to make something new.  I was craving souffles and since we had some gruyere in the fridge, we made Gruyere and Parmesan Cheese Souffles.  I still get excited when the souffles rise beautifully.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Gruyere-and-Parmesan-Cheese-Souffle-103223

We also had some spinach that we needed to use up, and I'd seen Grace Parisi's recipe for Italian wedding Soup (that calls for spinach) in the new Food and Wine Magazine (Feb 2012) we received the other day.  On a cold day like today, it was perfect and a nice complement to the souffles.  We decided that the soup is  perfect if you need something hearty, basic and quick. 

http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/italian-wedding-soup

A few suggestions:

• Add herbs
• Saute the meatballs first to give them more flavor and color
• Use 3/4 orzo and double the amount of celery and carrots (we like hearty soups that can stand alone as a meal)

All About Champagne

While Champagne is especially apropos today (and of course, last night), I think it's great any and every day of the week.  Why not?

Don't know much about Champagne? 
Do you know how Champagne gets its bubbles? 
What are the 3 primary grapes used in Champagne? 
Did you know that Champagne was "invented" by a monk. . . Dom Perignon?

This informative article "Bubble by Bubble" by Lettie Teague at the Wall Street Journal is a nice primer:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204879004577108771968650542.html?KEYWORDS=bubble+by+bubble

Happy New Year!!!!

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!