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

Definition: Schnapps vs. Liqueur

I noticed that we have both peach schnapps and peach liqueur in our home bar, and they taste pretty different.  What's the difference between schnapps and liqueur?  I was still a little confused by the Wikipedia definitions below so found this answer on a couple of websites.

Schnapps are fermented and distilled; liqueurs are simply fruits steeped in an alcohol which has already been fermented and distilled.

From Wikipedia:

Schnapps
In general, it refers to any kind of strong alcoholic beverage.

American schnapps are alcoholic beverages that are produced by mixing neutral grain spirit with fruit flavors or with other flavors. This mixture is then bottled with added sugar and (usually) glycerine, producing a smooth, syrup-like drink. Their alcohol content can be between 15% and 50% ABV (30–100 proof).  These drinks technically fall into the category of liqueurs because of their added sugar content.

Liqueur
It's an alcoholic beverage made from distilled alcohol that has been flavored with fruit, cream, herbs, spices, flowers or nuts and bottled with added sugar. Liqueurs are typically quite sweet; they are usually not aged for long but may have resting periods during their production to allow flavors to marry.

In the United States and Canada, where spirits are often called "liquor", there is often confusion over liqueurs and liquors, especially as many spirits today are available in flavored form (e.g. flavored vodka). The most reliable rule of thumb is that liqueurs are quite sweet and often syrupy in consistency, while liquors are not.  In parts of the United States, liqueurs may also be called cordials or schnapps.

Definition: Mirepoix

Mirepoix

Pronounced meer-PWAH. 

A culinary preparation created in the 18th century by the cook of the Duc de Levis-Mirepoix, a French field marshal and ambassador of Louis XV.  It consists of a mixture of diced vegetables (carrot, onion, celery);  raw ham or lean bacon is added when the preparation is au gras (with meat).

A mirepoix is used to enhance the flavors of meat, game and fish, in the preparation of sauces, and as a garnish for dishes.

When a mirepoix is used in braised or pot-roasted dishes, it should be simmered gently in a covered pan until all the vegetables are very tender and can impart their flavor to the dish.

Source:  Larousse Gastronomique

Bon Appetit's 20 Most Important Restaurants in America

Bon Appetit has announced it's 20 Most Important Restaurants in America.

Here, Andrew Knowlton (Bon Appetit's The Foodist columnist) explains it all.

The 20 Most Important Restaurants in America

1. Momofuku, multiple locations
2. The Restaurant at Meadowood, Napa, CA
3. Husk, Charleston, SC
4. Alinea, Chicago, IL
5. Manresa, Los Gatos, CA
6. Roberta's, Brooklyn, NY
7. Eleven Madison Park, New York, NY
8. Pok Pok, Brooklyn, NY and Portland, OR
9. Mission Chinese Food, New York, NY and San Francisco, CA
10. Uchi/Uchiko, Austin, TX
11. Animal, Los Angeles, CA
12. Avec, Chicago, IL
13. Le Bernardin, New York, NY
14. Cochon, New Orleans, LA
15. The Walrus and the Carpenter, Seattle, WA
16. Shake Shack, multiple locations
17. Franklin Barbecue, Austin, TX
18. Balthazar, New York, NY
19. Primo, Rockland, ME
20. Swan Oyster Depot, San Francisco, CA 

He mentions these as Hall of Famers:

• Daniel, NYC
• Jean-Georges, NYC
• WD~50, NYC
• The Spotted Pig, NYC
• Zuni Café, SF
• Chez Panisse, Berkeley, CA
• Frontera Grill, Chicago
• The French Laundry, Yountville, CA
• Canlis, Seattle
• Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Pocantico Hills, NY
• Craft, NYC
• Spago, Los Angeles
• Babbo, NYC

 

Do you think his list is missing any restaurants?

 

 

 

Chipotle testing a new vegetarian menu item "Sofritas"

Chiptole plans to test a new vegetarian menu item called "Sofritas" in seven San Francisco Bay Area restaurants starting today:

• 525 Market in San Francisco
• 121 Fourth St. in San Francisco
• 126 New Montgomery in San Francisco
• 2019 Chess Drive in San Mateo
• 251 East 3^rd Ave. in San Mateo
• 180 El Camino Real in Palo Alto
• 135 El Camino Real in Millbrae.

What are Sofritas?  They're shredded tofu braised with chipotle chilis, roasted poblanos and a blend of aromatic spices made with organic, non-GMO tofu from Oakland's Hodo Soy.

Sofritas will be available in burritos, tacos, burrito bowls and salads and can be combined with other signature ingredients, including white or brown cilantro-lime rice, pinto beans or vegetarian black beans, house-made salsas and guacamole, and cheese or sour cream.

The test may be expanded to additional markets in the future.

I'm curious to taste these so-called Sofritas.

Definition: Bisque vs. Chowder

I think I'm going to have Mondays become "Definition Days" here on the blog.

Today's words are:  BISQUE and CHOWDER.

What is the difference between a bisque and a chowder? 

bisque
A seasoned shellfish puree flavored with white wine, Cognac and fresh cream, used as the basis of a soup.  The flesh of the main ingredient (crayfish, lobster, crab, etc.) is diced as for salpicon and used as a garnish.  The shells are also used to make the initial puree. 

It is thought the name is derived from Biscay, as in Bay of Biscay, but the crustaceans are certainly bis cuites "twice cooked" (by analogy to a biscuit) for they are first sautéed lightly in their shells, then simmered in wine and aromatic ingredients, before being strained, followed by the addition of cream.

In case you were wondering what "salpicon" is:
salpicon
Ingredients that are diced (often very finely), then bound with sauce (in the case of vegetables, meat, poultry, game, shellfish, fish or eggs) or with syrup or cream (for a fruit salpicon).  The word comes from Spanish sal (salt) and picar (cut).

So. . . Tomato Bisque is probably a misnomer unless there's shellfish in it.  It likely should be called a Tomato Soup or Tomato Cream Soup.  I guess "bisque" just sounds fancier.

chowder
A seafood or vegetable stew (or thickened soup), often served with milk or cream and mostly eaten with saltine crackers. Chowder is usually thickened with broken up crackers, but some varieties are traditionally thickened with crushed ship biscuit. New England clam chowder, perhaps the best known chowder, is typically made with chopped clams and diced potatoes, in a mixed cream and milk base, often with a small amount of butter. Other common chowders include Manhattan clam chowder, which substitutes tomatoes for the milk and cream and typically omits potatoes; corn chowder, which uses corn instead of clams; a wide variety of fish chowders; and potato chowder, which is often made with cheese.

The origin of the term chowder is obscure. One possible source is the French word chaudière, the type of pot in which the first chowders were probably cooked. (This, if true, would be similar to the origin of casserole, a generic name for a set of main courses originally prepared in a dish called a casserole.)

Source: Larousse Gastronomique, Wikipedia.com

The World's Most Expensive Cocktail

The Guinness Book of World Records has a new "World's Most Expensive Cocktail."  The cocktail cost $12,916, and the anonymous buyer apparently only took a few sips, paid for it and left!

The cocktail has 2 shots of 154-year Croizet cognac as well as Grand Marnier Quintessence, Chartreuse Vieillissement Exceptionnellement Prolongé and a dash of Angostura Bitters.

A bottle of the cognac has a $157,000 value and it goes for $6,000 per shot.  (That makes Louis XIV look cheap!)

Here's the article from the Wall Street Journal:  A $13,000 Cocktail Goes to Waste

Recipe: Arugula, Grape and Almond Salad with Saba Vinaigrette

We made the Arugula, Grape and Almond Salad with Saba Vinaigrette recipe in the Nov 2012 issue of Bon Appetit (p.108) this past week.  This is now my FAVORITE salad ever.  So easy to make, and the flavors just meld and complement each other so nicely.

Tips:

• Make sure the grapes are seedless and sweet.
• We used a spring mix of lettuce that included arugula.
• Since we didn't have saba which is a "cooked grape juice,' we used aged balzamic vinegar as the recipe suggested.
• Manchego and sliced almonds worked quite nicely.

You must try this recipe!!!

Make room for Champagne!

I was reading an article in Food and Wine Magazine by Ray Isle "A Wine-Buying Strategy for Every Personality" (Jan 2013, p. 70).  I love how he ends the article:

And one final note:  No matter what kind of life you lead, leave room in your fridge for at least one bottle of Champagne.  Bottles of Champagne are like umbrellas:  The day you don't have one on you is always the day that you absolutely, positively need one.

I second that! 

Send your loved one a chocolate heart for V-Day. . . or maybe not

This is just weird and a little creepy.

Dude, Sweet Chocolate, a chocolatier in Dallas is taking orders for a chocolate (anatomically correct?) heart.

2 lbs. of South American Chocolate Love... Studded with Cocoa Puff Marshmallows, Crack in The Box & Crumbled Waffle Cone.
$45.00

They are taking pre-orders now if this floats your (or your significant other's) boat.

http://dudesweetchocolate.com/main.sc

Recipe: Classic French Onion Soup

I cut the bread a little too thick.
Cut them into 1/2 inch slices.

This past weekend, I made America's Test Kitchen's Classic French Onion Soup recipe. 

So flavorful.  So delicious.  But it took a lot of time. . . 3 1/2 hours.  (Active cooking time was only about an hour and a half.)  It was worth all of the time and effort.

The soup was a great winter dinner and wasn't that unhealthy as I usually think French Onion Soup to be.  For a large pot of soup (6 servings), here were the ingredients:

• 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into 3 pieces
• 6 large yellow onions (about 4 pounds), halved and cut pole to pole into 1/4-inch-thick slices
• table salt
• 2 cups water, plus extra for deglazing
• 1/2 cup dry sherry
• 4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups beef broth
• 6 sprigs fresh thyme, tied with kitchen twine
• 1 bay leaf
• ground black pepper
• 1 small baguette, cut into 1/2 inch slices
• 8 ounces shredded Gruyere cheese (about 2 1/2 cups)

TIP:  How to prevent shedding tears while chopping onions
I have The Complete America's Test Kitchen TV Show Cookbook, and on p.251 "Behind the Scenes," it says that if you light a candle near where you're cutting the onions, the flame changes the activity of the thiopropanal sulfoxide (the volatile compound that causes tearing) by completing its oxidation, and you won't tear up.  I lit a tealight candle, near my chopping board, and it worked!  I didn't "cry" at all.

Floaties

 

 

I think that if we bought these pool floats (each $18 at Urban Outfitters), I'd be hungry all the time in the pool.