Valentine's Day is a day that celebrates love, both of the romantic kind as well as the Platonic. The holiday has a few specific icons associated with it including Cupid, red roses and not least amongst them, chocolate. I happen to love chocolate and it is my favorite icon of all those associated with Valentine's Day.
I first noticed these wonderful little Australian citrus fruits in L.A. in early December. They appeared in dishes at a Wolvesmouth dinner, in cocktails at The Library Bar at The Roosevelt Hollywood Hotel and again at Providence, all to great effect, working like a burst of lime caviar to accent the dishes with both flavor and texture. Since then, I've noticed them n a number of menus and had them at Roberta's in Brooklyn. I bought some at the Santa Monica Farmers Market. The limes in the photo are some of the last remaining from my purchase. They held up well as I used them yesterday in a dish of piquillo peppers stuffed with turkey, chevre, saffron, peas and citrus and covered with Hollandaise. I would not be in the least surprised to see finger limes become the hot ingredient of 2011 much like hay and pine were in 2010.
Which one? Christmas 2010
I don't understand why goose is not more popular than it is on American dining tables whether it be at home or in restaurants. Like duck and ostrich, these are very meaty, beefy birds. The breast meat is every bit as red as beef or lamb and the fat is simply the best. If one considers the rich deliciousness of a goose egg too, I would think they would be amongst the most popular menu items out there. Somehow, that just isn't the case, though.
For the second holiday season in a row, I bought a freshly killed goose from Mary & Bob Pratt of Washington County's Elihu Farm (more information below *) at the Saratoga Farmers Market this past Saturday. Last year, I roasted it whole in my CVap. It was delicious. This year, I decided I would try something different. I butchered it to cut out the boneless breasts from the carcass and separated the wings and the thighs with the legs as well. I took the skin and most of the fat to render the fat and make goose cracklings. I used the fat to confit the thighs and legs and am making a prosciutto from one of the breasts. The carcass and neck are being saved to make a goose stock.
For the remaining breast, I cooked it in my CVap Cook and Hold for 2.5 hours at 135ºF on a cedar plank with browning off. I then finished it on the cooktop searing it in a little butter. The meat was perfect! To complement the rich goose I made a sauce using Red Sour Cherry Preserves & Topping from Chukar Cherries. The cherry preserves were too sweet to use on their own, but with the addition of a generous helping of freshly ground juniper berries, salt and the juice of half a lemon, they made an excellent sweet and sour sauce to complement the meaty goose.
Yes, when I eat something as delicious and reasonably easy to make (I realize that there are few CVaps outside of restaurant kitchens. The breast with skin and fat attached can be seared just like a duck breast to the same wonderful end), I don't understand why it isn't more popular. Is it just a question of opportunity? If so, then I suggest that opportunities be found or made. goose is that good!
*From Elihu Farm:
Raising the Geese. The goslings, all gray and white Toulouse (a heritage breed), arrived onelovely morning in May as day-olds, peeping away in four large boxes at our local Post Office. Right away,we dipped their bills in fresh water as we counted and transferred to larger containers. Then it was off tothe sheep barn for “goose starter,’ grain mix, and lights for warmth, and more water, water, water.
They soon learned we were t-h-e meal ticket, and chattered away when we were nearby. As theygrew, their pen grew, until they were large enough to explore the grass near the barn. Geese love grass,and are excellent lawn mowers.
In a short time, we ‘weaned’ from the brooder, and soon put them to pasture all the time,surrounded by electric netting for protection. Vigorous healthy birds, they love their grass, and love theirwater and more water and more water. They still eat some grain for carbohydrates to keep them warm.
Goose for Dinner. There’s nothing quite like the flavorful dark meat from goose, which is lower infat than beef or lamb. The fat is semi-solid, containing over 50% of the beneficial monounsaturated oleicfatty acid, an Omega-3. Rendered goose fat is excellent for sautéing vegetables or roasting potatoes. Weexpect our geese to be leaner than conventionally raised birds.
Ordering. The geese run from about 7-1/2 to 10 pounds, dressed, and cost $7.95/lb. Pick up onthe farm or at the Saratoga Springs Farmers’ Market. Delivery to Albany may be available. Contact Maryand Bob Pratt, [email protected], 518-753-7838, 518-744-3947.
I have been reveling in the quality of both the sea and bay scallops that I have been getting at Pura Vida Seafood from Suffolk County, Log Island at the Troy Farmers Market. I made this as an appetizer course recently to celebrate my eldest son's being home from college.This would do well on a holiday menu.
Ingredients:
Sea Scallops (preferably diver) 1lb
Spinach 8oz cleaned
Parmiggiano-Reggiano 4oz in small chunks
Heavy Cream 2oz
Pine Nuts 2oz toasted
Pimentón 0.4oz
garlic 2 large cloves roasted or pan-fried until just brown
Butter 1oz
salt and pepper to taste
Procedure:
Preheat the oven to 350ºF.
Wilt the spinach over medium heat then combine with all the other ingredients except scallops and butter in a narrow container and puree with a stick blender or use a food processer to achieve a nice smooth blend.
Spoon the mixture into 8 small ramekins making sure that it is evenly apportioned.
Place the filled ramekins in the hot oven for 5 minutes.
While the ramekins are baking, pan-sear the scallops in the brown butter so that both sides are nicely seared and sprinkle with fleur de sel or other high quality salt and fresh ground pepper per your preference.
Remove the ramekins from the oven and portion the scallops evenly amongst them. For additional holiday cheer, halved grape tomatoes or julienned piquillo peppers can be added on top along with the scallops.
If one isn't comfortable using the cream, good olive oil can be substituted to make a variation of a spinach pesto. Both work well.
Thanksgiving is the universal American family holiday. It is a holiday of tradition. The exact traditions followed may vary from family to family and those traditions within a family may evolve over time, but there isn't a holiday in the United States more wrapped in tradition than Thanksgiving. From turkey to cranberry sauce to pumpkin pie to laying on a couch in a food coma to football to the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade and more, the traditions of the day come in many guises. For me, one of the earliest and best is watching Laurel and Hardy's The March of the Wooden Soldiers on Thanksgiving morning. I still get goosebumps when Stan and Ollie get hit with the inspiration to press the soldiers' buttons and they start marching out into Toyland. When I was a child, I was dependent on the television programming schedule, then I bought a DVD. I still have the DVD, but people today might be just as likely to stream it from the internet. It has been fun to instill this tradition into my family and share it with my wife and children. Hopefully, they will continue the tradition when they have their families. What are some of the special Thanksgiving traditions in your families?
Lunch at Jean-Georges has often been called the best value in fine dining in NYC if not the world. I have been one to consider it as such, at least within my experience. The first time I had lunch at Jean-Georges, in December of 2005, the cost was only $24 for a minimum of two courses with $12 for each additional savory course and $8 per dessert course. Over recent years the price has climbed a little bit, but it still remains very approachable at $29 for the first two courses and $14.50 for each additional course. Desserts remain at $8 per course.
While my wife and I have dined together previously several times at Nougatine, the more casual off-shoot, directly adjacent to the Jean-Georges dining room and sharing the same kitchen, she had never previously eaten at Jean-Georges itself. With our son coming home from Europe after three months and flying in to JFK on the evening of our wedding anniversary, we needed to pick him up and decided to celebrate with a late lunch at Jean-Georges. The day also happened to be Memorial Day, the main advantages of which included the day off from work and little to no traffic in the City. That fact did not prevent the restaurant from being quite busy when we arrived for our 2:30PM reservation.
With a table in the corner directly opposite the entrance to the restaurant, we each ordered a cocktail to settle us after our long ride down from upstate. I had the "Passion" which had Makers Mark bourbon, passion fruit juice and ginger ale, while my wife had the classic ginger Margarita. While I enjoyed my cocktail, it wasn't as enjoyable as I expected. I did not get much passion fruit flavor. Instead, it reminded me much more of orange juice. I didn't finish it. My wife's Ginger Margarita was much more satisfying. It took a while for the cocktails to come out, with our amuses following shortly after. This was one reason why I didn't finish it. Nevertheless, I was able to relax and begin to enjoy our afternoon celebration.
The amuses were divine. The plate consisted of three small tastes; fluke tartare with scallions and lime-oil, carrot-miso soup and a "breakfast" radish crostino with creme fraiche. each of the three was special, with the soup supplying an explosion of wonderfully concentrated flavor.
My wife ordered three courses, while I being the glutton I am, ordered four. Her first course was the J-G classic Sea Scallops, Caramelized Cauliflower and Caper-Raisin Emulsion, a dish that I had on my first visit to the restaurant. While the flavors were spot on, she found the scallop to be a little bit too cooked and slightly tough. The piece I tried was fine.
I started with the Coach Farms Goat Cheese Gnocchi, Caramelized Baby Artichokes, Lemon and Olive Oil. The gnocchi, really puffs of goat cheese were ethereally light, while the crisp artichoke slivers exuded the essence of that thistle flower, all the while ever-so-lightly balanced by the lemon and olive oil. Paired with a nice "taste" of Alsatian Pinot Gris, this was a nice entry into the menu.
My wife followed with a bowl of essence of spring, otherwise known as Sweet Pea Soup with Croutons and Parmesan. The bowl arrived with a base of parmesan cream with croutons. The vivid spring green pea soup was poured over the parmesan cream, while the two liquids were mixed together. The soups at Jean-Georges have always satisfied from the very first one I ever tried, the Garlic Soup with frog's legs.
My second course was Broiled Shrimp with Mousseron Mushrooms, Herbal Infusion and Lime. The dish was beautiful and tasty with the mushrooms prepared into crisp discs that rested atop each shrimp. Overall the dish was delicious, but more subtle than bright. The lime provided less acid zing than I am used to finding in Chef Vongerichten's cooking. Visually, it was rather similar to the scallop dish, albeit with a different sauce composition and a different underlying plate.
For my third course, I ordered the Roasted Halibut with Aromatic Spice Broth and Spring vegetables. The spice broth, a mild curry was nice, but failed to really supply any real zing. The spring vegetables consisted of fiddleheads, favas and ramps generously strewn across the top of the fish. Unlike most of the other dishes I have had at Jean-Georges, based on this taste, I would not be in a hurry to order this one again.
For our final course, my wife and I both had Sweatbreads with Alsatian Potato Salad with Mache and Radishes. The sweatbreads were perfect - crisp on the outside, well seasoned and unctously tender on the inside. The potato salad had the jolt of acid that I love in JGV's food. This was all balanced by the coolness of the mache. This was my favorite savory dish of the day.
I have always been a fan of Johnny Iuzzini's desserts and they did not disappoint. Johnny, a friend, comped us a special dessert platter that included the classic warm chocolate cake with Madagascar vanilla bean ice cream; macha green tea semi-freddo with Seville orange, candied kumquats and soy-caramel glaze atop an almond praline with pop-rocks; strawberry-rhubarb soup with mango and passion fruit; and chocolate mochi, blackberry roll and hazelnut.
The warm chocolate cake was popularized in this country by Jean-Georges and became so popular at J-G and elsewhere that it became a bit of a cliche. That does not make it any less delicious and the version at Jean-Georges has always been special and is always welcome in front of me. There is a reason it became as popular as it did and a signature for Jean-Georges. Sometimes in a quest for the new, we overlook the tried and true.
Not that there is anything wrong with new: the semi-freddo was spectacularly good with perfect balance- just enough, but not too much sugar and great acidity. In contrast to the warm chocolate cake, the flavors were new to me and they were also delicious. Having the pop-rocked praline underneath was a true master-stroke, adding an additional dimension of pleasure. Pop-rocks in dessert have become quite popular since Oriol Balaguer first put them in his gianduja bon-bons, but this was one of the best uses I have experienced since the amazement I had upon first tasting Balaguer's explosively delicious chocolates. I could easily see this becoming a new classic and a new signature. I won't enjoy it any less either.
The soup was sweet and sour in the best of ways, full of bright, refreshing flavor, another absolute winner. The last portion of the dessert, the chocolate, blackberry and hazelnut, while good, was the least exciting dessert component to me.
Just as we were starting to come up for air after that dazzling display of pastry prowess, yet another came away, but this one was even more special - it was an anniversary dessert with Happy Anniversary written on marzipan. It was a citrus and sesame sponge cake with strawberry red wine sorbet over strawberry compote. Together we blew out the candles and stuffed ourselves even more.
Of course that wasn't all, as Jean-Georges signature marshmallow ribbon cart was rolled up with vanilla bean marshmallows cut for us. In addition, we received the strawberry macarons and chocolate petit-fours. All were magnificent with the smoked tea chocolate my particular favorite.
Truth be told, despite some wonderful flashes and the specialness of the occasion, this was not the absolute finest meal I have had at Jean-Georges. The usual zing of the savory dishes was not quite as bright as I have become accustomed to there with the exception of the Alsatian potato salad that accompanied the sweetbreads. That being said, it was a holiday Monday and still a lovely lunch that for the price remains a world-class bargain. Whether it remains the absolute best value in fine dining, however, is now subject to reasonable debate as restaurants like Eleven Madison Park and others also offer similarly priced degustations of incredible quality. The beauty is, that is an argument to happily explore.
In honor of those who have fallen for our freedom, may it never be in vain.
It's Memorial Day Weekend - traditional grilling season! On today's menu - grilled leg of chevon (kid) from Sweet Springs Farm via the Saratoga Farmers Market.
Happy grilling to you and yours!
It was also Mothers' Day when my family celebrated my wife's milestone birthday. Other than celebrating several important events at the same time, the fact meant that there would be major traffic around the New York metropolitan area. After a night staying with friends in Manhattan, we drove out to La Guardia Airport Sunday morning to pick up our son, who had flown up from New Orleans. With time to kill before our 3PM early family dinner at L&B Spumoni Gardens, we decided to take a ride out to Jersey to pay a visit with my father-in-law. Having had a nice visit, we left for Brooklyn with what we thought would still be plenty of time even accounting for some traffic. Unfortunately, we had forgotten what holiday traffic could be like around NYC. A trip that should have taken less than an hour took over two.
My siblings and I have had a tradition when each of us or our spouses turned 50 of treating each other and our spouses to dinner at a restaurant of the birthday celebrant's choosing. Past restaurants have included Aldea, Il Mulino, The Four Seasons, Jean-Georges, Molyvos and Windows on the World amongst others. Despite the illustrious names mentioned, my wife didn't want anything too fancy, elaborate or expensive. What she desired was a restaurant that would bring back memories of family dining experiences we shared back in the '80's when we were dating. My family would get together to share meals at some Brooklyn Italian-American classics like Monty's in Carroll Gardens. They were meals at which we could enjoy good food and each other's company and they were good times that brought my non-Italian-American wife into the fold.
We were late thanks to the rubber-neckers in Staten Island and food was already on the table. My tension from driving through stop-and-go traffic started to dissipate as I dove into the baked clams, LB's famous Sicilian style pizza, fried shrimp, mozzarella en carrozza and amazingly good marinated roasted artichoke hearts. At this point, I didn't bother with the salad, as spaghetti with white clam sauce and another pasta with a Bolognese came to the table for, what else?, family style service. With great comradery with family and friends (including family friend Tommy Accariello and his family), plenty of fine food and a relaxed environment, we toasted my wife for her birthday and all the mothers of the family present and not for Mothers' Day with a special magnum of Pol Roger 1990 Millenium Special Edition I brought for the occasion.
Appetizers and pastas are not enough for an Italian-American family on a special occasion. These were followed by halibut francese, veal marsala and grill-roasted steaks to rival the best NYC steakhouses. Sides accompanied these dishes including mashed potatoes (more starch!) and Swiss chard. Reeling from all this food, we were still powerless to stop the onslaught of dessert, spumoni, ice cream, whipped cream, cheese cake, mud cake and a special Italian custard cake from Tommy!
The food was wonderful (we bought two pizzas to bring home and freeze) and the nostalgia was strong. My wife got what she wanted - a dinner to be enjoyed as a family, to reminisce and to create new memories.
Today is my wife's actual birthday. Happy birthday, my love! I love you so, so much!!!!
To all mothers everywhere, may your entire day be filled with the special brightness of morning sunshine!
Happy Mothers' Day!May your day be as sweet and romantic as this strawberry passion bon bon from The Chocolate Mill!
I recently took the opportunity to buy a goose for the holidays from Mary Pratt of Elihu Farm at The Saratoga Farmers Market. The goose was an American heirloom variety - a Buff. I cooked it following instructions from Julia Child with a variation in that rather than steam it in a Dutch Oven, I cooked it in the CVap oven. As wonderful as the flesh turned out, the fat was even more special. I could not make enough roasted potatoes when they were cooked in the fat along with some salt and ground cumin.
Ah, Christmas week! Is there a better week for riotous, extravagant eating? Sure, Thanksgiving is wonderful, but that is all about the bird and its fixings and is really centered on that one day. While there may be some latitude with tradition, by and large, tradition keeps that week pretty fixed culinarily. Meanwhile, for someone such as myself, who enjoys spending time with my family and friends as much as great eating, Christmas Week, during which tradition is prominent, but ultimately anything goes, is the epitome – at least it usually is.
This week started out promisingly enough with a wonderful Greek dinner party held by that fabulous Greek Goddess herself, Pat Sheldon and her wonderful husband, Albert that featured a succulent Greek style leg of lamb and a number of different “kopitas” amongst other delights. By a certain view, that lamb should probably have been my taste of the week, as it turned out to be the tastiest meal that I actually ate over the course of the week.
You see, by Wednesday, I began to get sick, very sick, with a nasty GI bug. I was supposed to be at work, on-call that night, but though I tried, I couldn't physically do it and had to rely on a generous colleague to cover me. By the next morning, Christmas Eve, I thought I was doing a little better and rather than stay home alone for Christmas (I'm no McCauley Culkin), I made the decision to go with my family to drive to New Jersey, where we would spend Christmas Eve with my family and their Italian based goodies (it was for there that I had ordered cheese, but that is a story for another time – if we are friends on facebook or you follow me on Twitter, you already likely have an idea about this), and Christmas Day with my wife's family, where another fine meal was planned. It was going to be especially convenient this year since both celebrations were in the same town with the homes literally no more than 5 minutes from each other.
When I arrived at my niece's house on Christmas Eve, mistaking the feeling in my tummy for hunger, I started sampling some of the delights including crab, lobster and shrimp cocktails, fresh mozzarella and baked clams. I didn't actually have much of any of them though, as it turned out that my taste was way off. Of the various things I tried, only my brother's shrimp cocktail tasted "right" to me (I don't know if that meant it was good or bad). In addition, I was no longer feeling better, but returning to chills and fever and frequent visits to my namesake. I had no energy and plenty of abdominal cramps as well. It was no fun and I was no fun, so ultimately, I slunk away and rested in a guest bedroom with an adjacent bathroom for the bulk of the evening.
With the help of ES Tylenol and Immodium, I made it through the night with only a few disturbances and I spent the bulk of Christmas Day in bed sleeping, while my family was out at my wife's brother's house for brunch. I managed to join the land of the living for dinner, but while they enjoyed beautiful beef tenderloin, I feasted with orange gatorade. That orange gatorade was my staple all that day and for a good part of Saturday as well. For a long time, it appeared that it would actually be my taste of the week.
Fotunately though, it didn't have to be as I was well enough Saturday night when we arrived home to take nourishment in the form of a goose-stock enriched chicken soup. I like a good chicken soup, but it has been some tiome since a relatively plain broth tasted so good to me or was appreciated so much by me. For that reason, my wife's home-made goose-chicken soup is clearly my Christmas Week Taste of the Week!
As with many things associated with Christmas, the most appreciated items don't always come in the prettiest packages.
I'm a practicing Anesthesiologist and family man who enjoys all things culinary.
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