What We Eat

Christmas Eve and Christmas Dinner

2011-12-24T20:08:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve:

Oysters on the half shell with green apple and horseradish
Deviled eggs with chives, smoked paprika, and piment d'espelette
Roasted head-on shrimp
Garlic bread
Champagne and eggnog

Christmas Day:

Porchetta roast
Creamed onion gratin
Roasted potatoes

Washington DC: Komi

2011-02-10T09:31:00.000-08:00

I was in DC for two weeks during late January and early February. For a nice weekend, Andy made the trek out so we could eat some of what DC has to offer. The city did not disappoint!

By far the stand-out restaurant was Komi, located in the Dupont Circle neighborhood. Komi has no menu and a set price. I really love restaurants that work in this fashion and love the surprise of not knowing what you are going to get next. I took notes and the chef and somelier were nice enough to write menus for us after the meal.

Courses were as follows:

Taramosalata: Steamed bun with Greek yogurt and smoked trout row
Crudo trio-Hamachi with onion, Madai (snapper) with sumac and caper berry, and Kindai (tuna) with wasabi
Scallop trio
Lobster, uni, buttermilk, and celery (basically a deconstructed lobster roll!)
Spanikopita
Egg ravioli with bonito
Cured and smoked fois gras with onion jam and cranberry
A half-smoke with ramp relish and spicy mustard (still thinking about this dish!)
Dates stuffed with marscapone and sprinkled with sea salt
Casarelli-Curly pasta with lacinato kale
Roasted baby goat (with the crispiest skin imaginable!) with condiments and fresh pita
Myzithra-Greek cheese biscuit with quince and apple
Caramel
Baklava-Greek donuts
Lollipops made with lime and salt

We also went for the wine pairings and that was a really good choice. We tried:

Sparkling Moscofilero "Amalia" Ktima Tselepos Tesea, Greece
Givry "Les Grognots" Michel Sarrazin, Burgundy, France, 2008
Loedo Beniaka, Japan
Brunello Di Montalcino Armilla, Tuscany, Italy, 2004
Rioja Gran Reserva, Beronia, Spain, 2001
Moscato Blend "Bigaro" Elio Perrone, Italy, 2009

Other dinners were had at Ray's Hell Burger and Central Michel Richard. We also had brunch at Cafe Atlantico and lunch at Ben's Chili Bowl.

2011-01-03T13:10:00.001-08:00

(Andy at Lexington #1, Lexington, NC)

I haven't posted since April. I kind of forgot about you blog! I'm sorry.

We did a lot of good eating in 2010, from dinners out to barbecue at home. Christmas was especially nice, as was our trip to the Carolinas that I did not post about. Talk about good barbecue! And biscuits! And country ham! And seafood!

For my birthday, I had peel-and-eat shrimp boiled in Old Bay with butter on the side at a bar on the North Carolina coast, along with crab claws and a couple of beers. Perfect really.

Some restaurant standouts:

Tanuki in Portland for Izakaya (I think this was my favorite meal of the year)

Bisato with a seat at the bar

Sushi at Maskiko with good friends Mia and Ryan

The lovely light coming in to the restaurant at Spinasse and the best egg pasta anywhere

Dinner at Staple and Fancy and not having to choose just a few things off the menu

I have also discovered my new found love for a good whiskey cocktail, particularly the Old Fashioned and that will be a good remembrance for the end of 2010.

So definitely looking forward to 2011! I have a trip planned to Washington DC and some great reservations already in the works. I think 2011 is going to be starting strong.

Las Vegas

2010-04-15T11:00:00.001-07:00

, originally uploaded by gayle kingston.

Las Vegas was fun. Except for the food poisoning. Thanks RM Seafood! You will not be forgotten.

We made a quick weekend trip to Las Vegas to meet friends and EAT. And we did a lot of eating, especially a lot of good eating.

Places we tried:

RM Seafood
The Ice Bar
Lotus of Siam
Bouchon
Golden Steer Steakhouse
Several bars in several Casinos
Burger Bar

The highlight of the trip was definitely the Golden Steer. It's an old school steakhouse with red leather booths and pictures of John Wayne on the walls. We ate in the Burt Reynolds booth! I had a petite fillet, a baked potato, and Cesar salad made table side. So good! So retro! So awesome!

Second favorite meal was Bouchon. We went for brunch and I had a lovely fluffy waffle and country ham. Andy's chicken and waffles were by far the stand-out dish. Also the cocktails were very good. We went back a second time just to get pastries and coffee, which was also really nice. The cherry jam was a standout.

Because it is Las Vegas, we also paid to go to the Ice Bar in Mandalay Bay where they make you put on boots and a coat so you can have the pleasure of having a cocktail served to you in a glass made of ice and sit on ice chairs and drink at an ice table. It was ridiculous and also a lot of fun.

Other things consumed: Spicy Tuna roll and Seafood Escabeche at RM Seafood; Northern Thai Larb and Seafood Noodles at Lotus of Siam, a really great veggie burger at Burger Bar (actually probably the best veggie burger I have ever had), and lots and lots of ginger ale to make my stomach feel better!

Portland

2009-09-26T22:19:00.000-07:00

Best dinner tonight at Le Pigeon.
September 26, 2009

Little gem lettuce, green goddess,cherry tomatoes
Foie Gras, gewürztraminer, grapes

Lamb Neck, macaroni, corn, chanterelles
Beef Cheek Bourguignon

Corn meal cake with apricots, bacon, and maple ice cream

Brut -- Methode Traditionnelle -- Charles Bove -- NV Loire
Crémant de Limoux Rosé -- Domaine Collin -- NV Languedoc

Beaujolais -- L’Ancien, Vieilles Vignes -- Jean-Paul Brun -- ‘08 Beaujolais

Chicago

2009-08-24T09:04:00.000-07:00

Mado
Chicago, IL
August 16, 2009

Best meal of the Chicago trip: There were 6 of us and we shared everything so we all got a bite or two of each plate, plus our own entrees. The standouts were the pork rilette, my white fish, and the vanilla pudding, which was like creme brulee with a little rice stirred in. The restaurant was BYOB so we had some great wines to go with the meal. Good times!

Charcuterie platter with pork rilette, tuscan chicken liver paté, and country paté plus accompaniments

beets with ras el hanout crème fraiche and pistachios

shishito peppers fried in olive oil with sea salt

whitefish baccala with spring onion and chilies

wood roasted pig’s head, pickled white peaches and wild amaranth

whitefish with cucumbers, pea shoots and mint

mixed grill of pork sausage and pork heart with frisée, pickled cherry peppers and nectarine

vanilla bean rice pudding with raspberries

almond and cornmeal cake with apricot jam, goat cheese - mascarpone cream and candied almonds

migas bark

Other standouts from the trip, Hot Doug's, Lou Malnati's, Manny's and Pollo Express.

My new favorite drink that I concocted tonight

2009-05-21T18:15:00.000-07:00

Juice of 1 blood orange
Shot of good Gin (I used Dryfly)
Shot of Cointreau
Splash of Grenandine
Splash of Rosie's
Ice and Tonic to fill the glass

I would pay $$$ for this drink!

Spring Indian Dinner

2009-04-21T10:49:00.000-07:00

This may not look like much, but it was a fantastic Indian dinner we made last Sunday night. Andy made the halibut from the "Summer Yellow" menu from A Platter of Figs by David Tanis. He also made the accompanying yogurt sauce, but added shredded cucumber and radish to the sauce. Delicious, with a nice added texture. The fish marinates in Indian spices and then is grilled or broiled, ending up with a nice yellow color from the turmeric. On the side we had fresh okra sauteed with shallot and Indian spices. The recipe was from a Madhur Jaffrey cookbook, but was so simple that really no recipe is needed to make them. I contributed to the meal by opening the rose wine and making the naan bread, which was easy to do and the recipe I used made a ton! We now have extra bread in our freezer to pull out for our next Indian meal. I don't think I will buy naan again.

Valentine's Day Dinner

2009-02-17T08:22:00.000-08:00

Andy really did something special for me for Valentine's Day this year. He knows how much I love Mexican food and well, that is what he made for me!

First Course: Bay Scallop Ceviche with Avocado and Chipotle

Second Course: Turkey in Mole sauce with Pueblo Rice

Dessert: Mexican Chocolate flan with Pepita Brittle

For drinks, we had 2007 Mas Pouperas Cote du Rhone Villages “Funambule” and a bubbly Cava from Spain.

Yum!

Barak O'Lantern

2008-10-31T21:50:00.001-07:00

Barak O'Lantern, originally uploaded by gayle kingston.

Happy Halloween!

2008-10-22T09:45:00.000-07:00

The next time I am in New Orleans, I must make a visit to the Southern Food & Beverage Museum. Better yet, I think I should work there! Except for never getting anything done because I am reading cookbooks all day, I think it would be a perfect fit.

Recently

2008-10-15T12:28:00.000-07:00

It is beginning to be that time of year and we are cooking more at home. Of course no week goes by without a trip to the farmer's market, which has become our Saturday morning ritual. My new favorite thing is to stop by Foraged and Found Edibles for their bags of dried mushrooms. Seriously the best pizza topping in the world, with a little provolone and parmesan thrown on with them.

My birthday was earlier this month and I elected to go to Cremant, a favorite French restaurant of mine. We brought our own wine (a great way to make friends with your waiter!) and had a great time. I tried absinthe for the first time, ate some lovely cured salmon with celeriac, duck breast with polenta, and many stinky cheeses for "dessert." After dinner, I had a wonderful slice of birthday coconut cake.

Andy made choucroute last weekend and we had a fun time going down to the market to visit the German ladies at Bavarian Meats. They are too nice!

I also made the "French Style Pot Roast" from the Nov. 2007 issue of Cook's Illustrated. It took the better part of an afternoon, but the results were worth it. Not quite like my mom's pot roast recipe, but good in a different way.

Next up, butternut squash and sausage bake for dinner tonight and possibly next week, some saffron risotto with butternut squash.

Elemental at Gasworks

2008-08-21T08:40:00.000-07:00

I am still recovering from dinner there two nights ago. Ugh. Talk about overkill. We counted after this dinner and realized we had been served a before dinner shot, a cocktail, 10 glasses of wine (!), an aperitif, and a digestif! Obviously I didn't drink all that, nor do I think anyone should attempt it. Maybe they were just being generous that night, but all that alcohol is really not necessary. After about the fourth glass of wine, I don't remember what I ate!

However, I do like the concept of this restaurant. Menus will be provided if you ask, but you realize very quickly that they would rather do it their way. Meaning, they are in complete control and cook what they feel like and send it to your table as soon as it is ready. They are nice enough to ask if there is anything you don't eat and all of the wines they choose are paired with the food for you. All of our dishes were served family style. We got there at 5pm and didn't leave until 9:30. Definitely an experience.

The restaurant is small and very comfortable. The kitchen is open and there is a bar.

We started with a shot. No idea what it was. Maybe Lillet Blanc? Something pretty light.

Then, they brought us a very nice bowl of truffled popcorn. This came with our cocktail. We each had different cocktails and I know mine had Pimm's in it, but not sure what else.

Then, huge slices of fresh yellow tomatoes with a Parmesan flan. There was bread on the side. This was fantastic and light and fresh. A nice way to start the meal.

Next, was a small plate of freshly grilled shrimp with spicy chipotle guacamole. This was good, but didn't really go with the rest of the dishes.

Next, we had crepes filled with lamb and a soft cheese. These were simple and also really good.

Next, ravioli filled with cheese and small slices of grilled veal.

Next, grits with an egg yolk. (We had a debate whether it was a duck egg or a chicken egg. Whichever, it was rather large.)

Next, a wonderful salmon, medium rare, with green beans.

Next, steak. (I don't actually remember this course. Too much wine by this point.)

Next, a rather large cheese plate with several cheeses.

Next, three full-size desserts. A raspberry sorbet, a chocolate mouse, and a fruit tart. I had a bit of each....and that is where I started to feel really sick.

The rest of the night was a blur, and not in a good way. When we left, there were three full glasses sitting in front of me and there was no way I could have finished those without getting sick.

Prices were reasonable for such a feast, but still, overkill!

Maybe I will look at the menu next time, if there is a next time.

P.S. I also just remember a course of tiny crab cakes! Those were good too!

cherries

2008-07-24T21:33:00.001-07:00

cherries, originally uploaded by gayle kingston.

Sour cherries. Pie cherries. What ever you want to call them, they are delicious.

The menu at Sitka & Spruce

2008-07-15T12:56:00.001-07:00

, originally uploaded by gayle kingston.

We took our visiting friends Mike and Janet to dinner at our favorite restaurant Sitka & Spruce. I snapped a photo of the menu and the top of Janet's head. :)

Lemon Olive Oil Cake

2008-07-05T20:37:00.000-07:00

I was bored today and thought I would bake something. I remembered this cake, which I have made a few times before, and knew it would be perfect for a lazy Saturday afternoon baking session. I can't quite remember how I stumbled upon the recipe, but it comes from Gourmet magazine and I was so pleasantly surprised the first time I baked it, I have been making it ever since. It is the perfect easy-to-throw-together cake and has become one of our favorites when we want a quick dessert. I always have the ingredients on hand, which is nice , and it is not fussy. Just mix everything and throw it in the oven. Dead simple.

What you get is an incredibly moist cake with bright lemon flavor and because of the extra virgin olive oil I used, a very fruity olive note in the background. Served with either cream or ice cream, it is perfect. It does not stay around too long, so I never have to worry about it going to waste. I bet it would also be fantastic with fresh fruit or even preserves.

Iowa Eats

2008-05-30T11:42:00.000-07:00

We went to Iowa last weekend for a family reunion of sorts, but that didn't stop us from sampling some of Iowa's best eats.

The highlight of course was Sage, in Windsor Heights, Iowa. It is an upscale restaurant (for Iowa) and the chef was nominated for a James Beard award last year. I was sad to see so few people in the restaurant on a Friday night, but the food was great! Hopefully it was because of the holiday weekend. I had the ribeye (what else do you order in Iowa, except maybe pork?) with truffle mashed potatoes and green beans. Andy had the duck breast with duck confit, tart cherry risotto, and duck jus. Some of the best duck I have tried!

Also, there was Maid Rite for lunch, which I have never tried before, but was something new. Andy and I split a tenderloin and a maid-rite classic, a loose meat sandwich on a hamburger bun. The classic came with mustard, ketchup, pickles, and raw onions. I liked it!

Another lunch took place at The Machine Shed for more tenderloin and roasted pork. We certainly got our fill of pork and that's pretty much it!

Make this Pizza

2008-05-12T17:52:00.001-07:00

Good Crust
Taleggio Cheese
Sauteed Mushrooms
Truffle Oil
Sea Salt!

from Gourmet April 2008

Beets

2008-04-29T12:57:00.001-07:00

Andy made pickled beets this weekend. I took a picture.

How to Cook a Wolf

2008-04-19T07:20:00.000-07:00

I've never read the book by M.F.K. Fisher, but I can appreciate a restaurant with such an interesting name, with food that makes you want to read the book!

We treated ourselves to dinner last night and it was very pleasant, except for when they had to open the door to let smoke out of the restaurant! Brrr!

You see, the place is very small (this seems to be a Seattle trend), with maybe 10 tables and 10 bars seats, no reservation list, and a big open kitchen. We got there early, and lucky for us, because people showing up 30 minutes later than we did were told the wait would be 2 hours! Our table was near the windows and we got a very nice view of the street with the snow coming down outside. It made me want to eat warm, wintery food, and that is exactly what we did!

To start, we had a very nice glass of red Italian wine, and a bowl of roasted almonds to snack on. We were also brought a plate of soft boiled eggs with anchovy mayonnaise, good bread, and even better olive oil. The eggs were fantastic....soft in the middle with the salty fishy mayo on top. The flavor reminded me of a deviled egg that had been stripped down to its most essential parts. Not too salty, not too gummy. I will definitely try to recreate this dish at home, it was so simple.

Next, a plate of beef carpaccio, with paper thin pieces of beef, reggiano, parsley, fava beans, the thinnest shallots, and good olive oil with a hint of lemon. Really fresh and an excellent flavor. I always have a camera with me, but usually forget until I am half-way through something that I should take a picture. Here is the beef carpaccio on a dirty plate! Yum!

Anyway, next was a bowl of bucatini pasta with a fresh tomato sauce and guanciale that we shared. The pasta is made fresh in the restaurant and you could really tell. It was great.

Finally a piece of montasio cheese with mostardo and we were happy.

We will definitely be back to try a few more things, especially this summer when the weather will be cooperating and the windows will be open for good reason!

Lately

2008-04-04T08:45:00.000-07:00

I had a terrible week a few weeks ago with a planned tripped being postponed and drama at work. The night before I was supposed to leave, finally, Andy and I celebrated with a trip to Quinn's in Capitol Hill. I had a giant martini and all was well with the world. Andy tried the bone marrow and boar meatball sliders. I finished up my meal with the burger, medium rare. All very tasty.

Next, Andy's work took him out of town where he had some terrible meals, and when I went to pick him up from the airport, he was ready for something good. Cafe Presse was our answer. It was like being in a Paris cafe, without the weak dollar. I had the duck and Andy had the croque madame. All good and simple. We'll be back.

There's more of course. We've been cooking a lot and I just ordered the Lee Brother's Southern Cookbook. Can't wait to look through it. Also, we have been on the lookout for anything from the Time-Life "Good Cook" series that was put out in the 80's. Richard Olney and great recipes. So far we have two but are looking for more!

Sitka & Spruce

2008-02-27T11:52:00.000-08:00

Andy and I have a list of places we want to try in Seattle and we decided on a whim that it was time to try Sitka & Spruce last night. Judging from just one meal, this is my new favorite restaurant in Seattle.

I had heard that it could fill up quickly (20 seats only!), so we got there early and decided to take a walk around the block. When we returned and a line had started to form outside, we knew these people were serious! Not even 5:30 on a Tuesday and there were people lining up!

When the restaurant did open, there were at least 10 of us outside and we filled half the restaurant. We sat ourselves at a little two-person table and waited with suspense.

The staff was extremely friendly and we quickly ordered a bottle of Bourgueil, Trinch! Catherine & Pierre Breton 2006, which was light, fruity, and a very good deal.

After looking over the menu, we started with a beet and watercress salad that was topped with a Spanish cheese that was similar in texture to Parmesan, but tasted like a really nice aged cheddar. Lightly dressed, it was simple but absolutely fantastic.

Next, was the octopus salad with garbanzo beans in "green sauce." The octopus was charred on the outside but not rubbery (the only kind of octopus I've ever had) and the beans had been sauteed in oil and they were slightly crunchy. The green sauce was bright and fresh and I could taste basil, cilantro, and possibly some dill. This dish was by far my favorite.

Next, we had the tagliatelle with yellow foot mushrooms, sunchokes, and parsley. It was creamy and the mushrooms were cooked and seasoned perfectly.

Next, we tried the hangar steak with watercress, baked potatoes, and cream. Also delicious and simple.

And finally, a piece of meyer lemon tart to share that came with a lavender marshmallow.

I told Andy that if we had been the only people in the restaurant, I would have licked each of the plates clean. It was that good.

2008-02-26T12:13:00.000-08:00

Just One Plate

2008-02-22T18:51:00.001-08:00

, originally uploaded by gayle kingston.

Their drinks may be somewhat weak most of the time, but the Tin Hat sure has a cool menu.

Recent Eats

2008-02-22T09:37:00.000-08:00

Tamarind Tree: Will definitely be going back for the spring rolls and pretty much everything else we tried!

Brouwer's: This was special. I went to Belgium in 2000 and had a fantastic beer there, Leffe Dark, which you cannot get anywhere in the states. Except, apparently Brouwers! They had it on tap. I was sure it must have been a mistake. I was worried about ruining my memories by having a pint, but I did, and it was good, and they were not ruined. In fact, I can still say it is my favorite beer.

The Jones Bistro
Actual Valentine's was spent here. The had a special of tenderloin, truffle risotto, and fried parsnip chips. If no one else had been there, I would have licked the plate right in the middle of the restaurant.

Valentine's Dinner: Five courses prepared lovingly by Andy (He even had menus printed!) that all contained some form of chocolate. I will elaborate later.

Grace

2008-02-05T08:28:00.000-08:00

Jessi's birthday was Saturday and we took her to Grace in Beverly Hills for dinner.

I had:

Roasted Beet Salad
Humboldt Fog goat cheese, grilled radicchio, pistachios, onion marmalade, arugula

Braised Pork Shank
garlic rapini, smoked shallot & chorizo home fries, cider sage sauce

Glazed Doughnuts
hot chocolate, caramel, cinnamon ice cream

Also:

2004 Keller Estate Pinot Noir, La Cruz Vineyard
Sparkling Blood Orange Vodka drink

Copper Gate

2008-01-16T14:58:00.000-08:00

We met Mia, Ryan, and Chris last night for a happy hour dinner at Copper Gate, a strange and interesting restaurant/bar in Ballard. The decor is Viking meets boobies, with a bar shaped liked a Viking ship and walls that are covered with picture after picture of naked ladies. The food is Scandinavian small plates, with a long list of interesting cocktails that rely heavily on Aquavit.

We had the gravlax with brown bread and mustard, the Swedish meatballs with potato and celeriac puree, and a plate of fries with curry ketchup. The gravlax was fantastic, very dilly and not too fishy. It was also really pretty on the plate. The meatballs were good, but not fantastic. (I make better Swedish meatballs!) but the potato puree was great, very creamy and smooth. The fries were more like Belgian frites, short and stubby, but very crispy. The one thing I didn't like was the curry ketchup, but our waitress was nice enough to bring us regular ketchup and all was made better.

We each had a few drinks as well. I had a kir cocktail made from the Scandinavian version of kirsch mixed with sparkling wine. It was really nice, not too boozy, but not too fruity either. I also had a juniper berry cocktail that was made with grapefruit. It was tart and not too sweet, just how I like my drinks. Andy tried a couple of beers, one from Belgium and one from Quebec. Both were decent.

The prices were good because of happy hour, but I am not sure I would ever want to pay full price for anything but a plate of fries here. The decor was interesting, something to keep the conversation going, but somewhat weird with the tall partition wall blocking the view of most of the restaurant. Good for privacy, but I am a people watcher and like to be able to see everything! Nevertheless, I'm sure we'll be back for some more happy hour goodness.

More about the bread

2007-12-27T11:02:00.000-08:00

It was a huge success and the entire thing got eaten pretty quickly. I think I only had a slice myself. Andy has requested that I make this bread every weekend for the rest of eternity, which I take as a huge compliment. It really wasn't me, it was the recipe, which was easy. Next time I make it (this weekend?) I'll try cooking it in my big red Staub pot instead of the metal Cuisinart. The bread browned pretty quickly in the thinner metal pan so I am interested to see how it will work out in a cast iron black lined pan.

No Knead Bread 2.0

2007-12-25T14:13:00.001-08:00

No Knead Bread 2.0, originally uploaded by gayle kingston.

Easy, easy, easy to make. Haven't tried it yet because it still has to cool! This is from the latest issue of Cook's Illustrated and we will be serving it tonight as part of Christmas dinner!

Christmas Dinner at Union

2007-12-22T08:09:00.000-08:00

We've stopped giving each other Christmas gifts and have started making dinner reservations instead. It works out because all you have to worry about is where you want to go for dinner!

By the way, our tasting menu at Union was fantastic. All of these dishes were paired with wine but they were all chosen for us by the Sommelier, so I don't remember what they were.

Totten Virginica Oysters
with Horseradish, Lemon, Trampetti Olive Oil

Mackeral Crudo
with Apple, Spoonbill Caviar, Chive

Seared Moi
with Marinated Beets, Arugula, Blood Orange

Rabbit Loin
with Roasted Fennel, Meyer Lemon, Olive Jus

Moulard Duck Breast
with Celery Root Puree, Chestnuts, Prunes

Gaperon
with Cipollini Onion Agrodolce

Lemon Curd Cake
with Citrus Confit

Finalized Christmas Menu and Two New Cookbooks

2007-12-14T15:22:00.000-08:00

Mia, Ryan, and Chris are coming over.

What we have so far:

Homemade Bread (no-Knead Bread 2.0 from Cook's Illustrated) with Bleu d'Auvergne cheese and truffle butter

Smoked Trout Rilettes that Andy will be making

Cassoulet with homemade sausage and duck confit

Apple and Fennel Tart

Drinks consist of before dinner pastis, wine with dinner, and a warm juniper and berries cocktail with dessert.

Recipe for Juniper and Berries Cocktail
Adapted from Daniel

1 ounce gin
1 ounce crème de cassis
2 ounces apple juice
3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon maple syrup
Lemon peel and 3 cloves
Fresh red currants

Put liquid ingredients in a saucepan. Add lemon peel, pierced with the cloves. Warm for about two minutes over medium flame, but do not boil. Strain. Serve in a tempered-glass mug. Garnish with currants.

Also, we both got new cookbooks for Christmas from my mom. Andy requested Happy in the Kitchen by Michel Richard and I got the new Veganomicon for days when Andy is not home for dinner and I want to make something just for myself. I made the Snobby Joes last night and they were pretty good. Could have used a little more spice, but definitely not bad for how little time they took and how good they actually are for you.

2007-11-19T13:35:00.000-08:00

Dinner at Veil last night with Andy, Mia, and Ryan. It was fun to drive the new car over.

Veil is a pretty shi-shi looking restaurant, if you ask me. All white interior with thin gauzy curtains and stark white tables. We sat at a table that was as long as the room on big black leather chairs. Other areas of the tiny restaurant were separated by more gauzy curtains. I'm sure it was all designed by someone extremely famous.

Originally we had started out in the bar where I had a really great gin and tonic. Then we moved into the dining room for dinner. We all opted for the three course prix-fixe menu and while sometimes that can mean the food will not be as good, this was all pretty fabulous. With wine pairings, it was even better.

Here was my menu:

Hard Shell Squash Risotto, mascarpone and Parmesan cheeses, chive oil (2005 Westwood Syrah)

Ruby Trout, roasted yams, green apple, bacon, apple cider puree (2006 San Marizano Pinot Grigio)

Warm Cream of Almond Soup, cinnamon rice pudding, roasted pears, toasted orange blossom marshmallow (Muscat)

Andy had:

Celery Root Soup, rosemary marshmallow and balsamic vinegar

Drake Duck Confit , root vegetable hash, sherry vinegar and caramelized vegetable sauce

Salted Peanut Butter Ice Cream, cocoa nip crunch and milk chocolate pastry cream

My dessert was just so-so. In fact, it was a bit too rich and I couldn't even finish it. But the rest of the meal? Fantastic. The risotto was cooked perfectly and the little bits of squash were not mushy at all, but still had a bit of bite. I really liked that they left the skin on the delicata squash. The rice was also perfectly al dente and not soupy. The trout was slightly crispy on the outside and the fish was tender and flaky. The accompaniment to the fish was extremely yummy and the sauce tied everything together.

I would say a winner of a meal.

Tourtière and Pâté chinois

2007-10-30T14:51:00.000-07:00

Andy made Tourtière for dinner on Sunday and he asked me to make the crust for the pie since he doesn't like baking or dealing with dough. I used the Alton Brown pie crust recipe from his "I Pie" episode. It was without a doubt the best pie crust I have ever tasted. When people describe pie crust as light and flaky they have no idea what they are talking about unless they are using butter and lard in their pie crusts. I won't use another recipe ever again.

What was interesting about this meal was that it got me thinking about a dish my dad used to make that I imagine was something from his childhood. It was a layered casserole with ground meat, vegetables, and mashed potatoes on top. He called it "par-twis-ian-oir" which I have learned was his pronunciation of Pâté chinois, a pretty benign dish, but apparently a staple of Québécois cuisine.

Here is a recipe for Pâté chinois.

Sometimes I impress myself

2007-10-23T09:23:00.000-07:00

We went to a blind wine tasting at Maple Leaf last Saturday. They poured the glass and then you had to choose from four different varietals for each taste. The ones that were hardest for me were the red wines, but I got 5 out of 8 correct! Go me! I think Andy only got three or four. After the tasting, we went to the Jones Bistro down the street. It's really one of my favorite restaurant in Seattle. The food is super good and not that expensive. Their burger is second best to the one at the Palace Kitchen for sure. Also, their fries are great!

The Friday before, we went over to Mia and Ryan's for chili, cornbread, and a bit of a poker game. After such a terrible week with the car and everything, it was just what I needed. I need to get her chili recipe!

2007-10-16T15:54:00.000-07:00

Andy called and made reservations for us at Union for our annual fancy Christmas dinner. 7 course tasting menu with wine pairings. I'm pretty excited about all this. We won't know what is available food-wise until the week before our dinner, since the menu changes daily. But, they will call us and give us an idea of what we can expect. December 22 can't come soon enough!

Andy's Birthday at Lark

2007-09-24T16:11:00.000-07:00

Cheese Plate:
Herb Crusted soft cheese, sheep?
Humboldt Fog, Arcata, CA
Buttermilk Blue

Sweet Corn Soup with prawns, peppers, and corn
Pommes de terre "Robuchon"

Pork rillettes
with green tomato marmalade

Mackerel with chorizo

Rotisserie pork belly
with Oxbow carrots and sweet corn

Black fig tarte tatin
with grappa caramel and honey ice cream

Red Wine and Coffee