Did You Say Football-Sized Cacao Beans?

Here is the original Time article

Yes, yes I did.

I would be a very bad foodie indeed if I didn't share this exciting bit of news. An ancient cacao bean, thought to be extinct, was recently found in the wilds of Ecuador by a group of adventurous Americans. This bean is "the most genetically pure expression of cacao ever found." Apparently, when roasted, this bean gives the least bitter, yet most chocolaty flavor possible.

It's going to be incredibly expensive, I'm sure. There wont be any brownies or chocolate chip cookies, made with the stuff... actually scratch that. I have every confidence that the king of chocolate, Jacques Torres, will be offering ancient chocolate ship cookies for $10 a pop.

And yes, I'm just enough of a chocoholic to give in and get a bag.

I don't know when it will hit our shores, or in what form it will arrive, but here's hoping that Jacques will leave the masses enough to try it for themselves.

Age-ing is Sage-ing

The simplicity and elegance of Japanese food can be deceiving. As any woman worth her salt can attest, putting on make-up that comes across as, "natural," is more difficult than slapping on some blue eye shadow. The same can be said of seemingly simple foods. As I grow as a foodie and cook, I'm pushing myself to prefect "the natural look." It's all well and good to make a divine Coq Au Vin when you have things like bacon and red wine to make it delicious, but what about one, single, lonely shrimp? How do you strip down your foodie instincts to enhance that solitary bit o' protein? Enhance being the critical word here. Because in fact, that's the key to a cuisine like Japan's... enhancing.

It starts with the best, freshest ingredients. That doesn't mean the most expensive, either. The monetary difference between a frozen and fresh chicken breast is most likely pennies, but the difference in texture and sometimes even flavor, can be dramatic.

It's one thing to wax poetic about food philosophies and another thing entirely to cook them, however. So, in my own, informed way, I'm navigating the calm, simple culinary waters. Below is my own take on two very classic Japanese dishes that are beautiful and easy to make at home. I urge you, as always, to make your own additions and versions.

Tofu Agedashi, Duchess-Style
Firm Tofu (not extra firm or regular, but firm)
Diakon Radish
Asian Pear (sometimes Asian Apple)
Scallion
Enoki Mushroom (optional, for garnish)
Ponzu
Corn starch
Oil, for frying
Lime Zest

-The most important step is to drain and dry the tofu well. Wrap up the tofu block in either paper towel or a dish towel, then weigh it down making sure its not so heavy as to break the tofu block. Repeat this as many times as necessary to wick-away all the moisture.
-While the tofu is being pressed, using a mandolin, slice the Daikon. Core the pear and also using the mandolin, slice it. Mix together, cover with plastic wrap to retain the moisture, and set aside (you can refrigerate if you like, too). Slice scallion in thin strips or coins and set aside.
-Put about two or three inches worth of oil in a pot and heat. Slice the tofu into approximately two inch cubes. Cover in corn starch and shake off excess, then fry. This is a quick fry, no more than three minutes. The point isn't to color the tofu, but to crisp the outside.
-Compile your bowl. Place a nice pile of Daikon and pear on the bottom, then pour a tablespoon or so of Ponzu over it. Place the tofu on top, then garnish with scallion and Enoki. Zest lime directly over the entire dish. Serve.

Soba Noodle Soup, Duchess-Style
Soba noodles
Vegetable or Chicken Broth
Soy Sauce
Miso Paste (red or white. I prefer red - it has a more intense flavor)
Shrimp*, peeled and de-veined
Chicken, sliced in thin strips
Shitake mushrooms, sliced
Scallion, sliced

-Boil Soba noodles according to package. Drain and immediately rinse in cold water. Set aside.
-Dissolve two parts Miso paste to one part water in pan. Sautee the chicken and shrimp in concentrated slurry, then set aside.
-Bring the stock to boil with mushrooms and 3/4 scallions. Add soy to your liking.
-Compose soup in serving bowl with noodles, broth (containing the mushrooms and scallions), chicken, and shrimp. Garnish with a little raw scallion and serve. This can be done with any protein you like.

*Just a quick word about shrimp. Unless you live someplace where shrimp is farmed or fished daily, buy frozen. Most of the shrimp you find in fish stores or grocery stores was frozen anyway. Fresh shrimp is caught and frozen immediately, usually on the actual boats they were fished from. It's as fresh as you'll get away from the shore. 

Quality Meats

I want to start this post off with a couple of notes and admissions...

First:
The pictures are not fabulous, I know this. But to be fair, it was my first time taking pictures in a restaurant and oh man its hard! You don't want to annoying to your fellow diners, you don't want to annoy the establishment, you have to deal with the lighting (or more to the point, lack thereof), you have to deal with a possibly wobbly table (which we had), and you have to deal with lack of angles since you can't just pop up and moves everything around until its perfect.

Second:
I'm not a huge fan of restaurant reviews in blogs. If I don't live in your city or town and have no plans to be there shortly, it just sort of feels like some kind of foodie torture you know? Oh really, it was hands down the best risotto you have ever had in your life? That's awesome except you're in Chicago and I'm in Brooklyn! Not fair.

Third:
Since I had absolutely no hand in prepping or even buying the items for the meal, I feel sort of like I'm cheating here. I think I'll get over this one though.

It's restaurant "week" in NYC right now. I use the term "week" lightly since in fact its more like month, but that's neither here nor there. What is important is that some of the best eateries in all of New York are offering pre-fixe menus for lunch at $24.07 and dinner at $35.00. Thanks to years past I've been able to eat at places that would have otherwise cost me a few month's salary.

I went to Quality Meats, a place in midtown near my office, with a couple of ladies from my office. We chose Quality partially because the menu looked wonderful, but also partially because all of our bosses take their clients to lunch there and we wanted to know what all the fuss was about. The appeal was almost immediate... there is no fuss. That's whats so damn nice about it. No silly frilly decor, nothing pretentious, no techno or oddly Japanese-like or is it Indian, music playing. Nope, just a place with exposed brick, comfy wooded chairs, and some wonderful lighting, which sadly didn't photograph well.

Our App choices were a Cesar salad, a butternut squash soup with gingerbread croutons (great idea that, I'll have to borrow it), and steak tartar. Never one to pass up raw meat and eggs, I chose the tartar and I'm so glad I did. It was probably the tastiest steak tartar I've ever had and I'm sorry to my fellow Chicago foodies who won't be having it tonight.

For main the options were: grilled chicken salad (boring), skirt steak with brandied cherries (which one of us had, it was nice if not a little too sweet), and  baby back ribs. Now I had originally thought about the steak, but my waitress convinced me otherwise - she was right. These ribs were fantastic! They had a spicy Thai rub on them and were doused in honey. They were sticky, tender, sweet, and spicy. So damn good. I just might have to go back for those someday.

Desserts were cute. They make their own ice creams over there and I chose "Coffee & Donuts" not entirely sure what I would be getting. It happened to be coffee ice cream, with chocolate donut pieces, and chocolate sprinkles... a mini chocolate donut on top. I really don't have to tell you that it was clever and charming and delicious, but I will. What a fun idea and there is nothing as yummy as homemade ice cream. All in all, it was a very happy tummy day.

The Campaign for a Better Chicken Sandwich

I was sick, really miserably sick for about 10 days. It started with strep throat, evolved to an ear infection, and just for fun, ended as a sinus infection. I was out from work, (and obviously didn't post anything either), for entire week and due to copious hours in bed, I'm pretty sure I lost bone mass too. Of course I was on antibiotics which only means that while the meds were killing the various bugs inside me, it was also killing my stomach. I couldn't stand eating much more than toast, yogurt, and plain pasta.

Yesterday was the first day in a long time I felt human again. I'd finished my course of medication and was ready for some real food. I was craving a chicken sandwich. I got a chicken sandwich.... man oh man am I sorry about that. I've said it before, but it deserves repeating: grilled chicken sandwiches are awful. I have yet to meet one that wasn't dry, boring, insipid, uninspired, dull, and any other word that means "blah" you can think of. It is never satisfying in any way unless you hide the useless bit of poultry under tons of bacon, mayo, various cheeses, and veggies.

So last night, still craving a real chicken sandwich, I made one (okay, I made two), the only way it should ever be made, with ROASTED CHICKEN. Really, why even bother with an awful grilled chicken sandwich when a roasted one is moist, flavorful, and actually tastes like something. Avocado, tomato, watercress, Dijon, low-fat mayo, salt & pepper, and I'm in heaven. And if you're worried about calories, spare me. The difference between a piece of roasted chicken and grilled chicken is minimal enough to warrant the pleasure.

I hope you'll join me in my campaign to rid the world of the grilled chicken sandwich. Together we can accomplish anything!

Cooking Like a Celebrity

I'm having a Seinfeld-moment... let me explain. This morning a friend sent me a link with the tag line "Not good. Not good at all." It just so happens that the not-so-good situation she was speaking of was Paula Deen's new line of cookware that looks like - wait for it - buttered popcorn. Wasn't expecting that either huh?

Now back to my Seinfeld moment: What's the deal with these celebrity cookware lines?

The celebrity chef's I get. That Mario Batali, Chef Chen, and Emeril Lagasse have cookware lines makes sense in the same way that athletes have their own athletic gear. If Shaq can have sneakers then Rick Bayless can have his Mexican bean pots, fair is fair. That being said, why do I want to cook in pots that already look they're smeared with grease and yellowed? Paula, I love you. I fall for the southern charm-thing hook, line, and sinker. You have three boys who love you to bits, a big teddy bear of a husband who I'd want to hug too, and bless you and your fried biscuits. But were the buttered popcorn pots and pans necessary?

While we're on the topic, I don't think Rachel Ray needs her own brand of chicken and beef stocks. There is nothing you could say to convince me that paying more for chicken stock that has her face on it is worth it. Meanwhile, Giada De Laurentis doesn't need her own branded measuring spoons. Giada, you are so very pretty and lovely but I seriously doubt that using your mixing bowls will make my meringues any more fluffy.

Let me make one thing clear though, these celebrities with their own TV shows have a place in the culinary word; there is no doubt about that. Anytime someone watches Garten, or Lawson, or Deen and gets inspired to cook a meal, that's a great accomplishment in my book. These ladies and gentleman have only added to the culinary education of this country and that, as Martha would say, is a good thing. But what's next? A Guy Fieri, flame embossed knife called something silly like, oh I don't know, a dragon dagger?

What? Really? You're kidding! 

Guy Fieri's Dragon Dagger Knife

Giada bowls and measuring spoons

Rachel Ray Stock

Paula Deen's Popcorn Cookware

Project Food Blog

You may have noticed a nifty widget directly to the right of this entry. I have joined over one thousand others in Foodbuzz's search for the next great food blogger. I'm excited, I'm nervous, and I'm dying to know how far I can get. With your help, maybe to the top. There's public voting allowed, in fact the person with the most public votes, automatically gets pushed forward to the next challenge.

So I hope I can count on your vote for Governor of - I mean food blogger extraordinaire. If nothing else its a wonderful challenge and opportunity to reach more people. I'll let everyone know when the voting opens, but here is a link. Also, follow on me twitter (@duchessinbk) for updates as well. So there it is, short and sweet, vote for me - lets see where this little blog can go!

Small Things

Fresh figs.

I couldn't resist sharing my sensual, sweet, and perfect dessert today...

 (mind the pictures, I had to take them with my phone while at the office!)

30 Lessons

I turned 30 this past weekend. It was a wonderful and quiet event; in the Hampton's, with my parents and husband, gorging ourselves on lobster in a shack on the water in Montauk... perfection.

As I was trying to think of something wise to say, some epiphany about my short, yet informative 30 years on this planet and absolutely nothing came to mind that you haven't heard before. I have too much to learn and experience, too many places to visit, people to meet, things to eat...

I'm glad that my 20's are behind me, though. Somehow, I feel refreshed. It's as if the mis-steps I made are gone and only the lessons learned are allowed to follow me now. So what is there to say? Well, rather than wax poetic, I'm going to be practical. I thought I'd share a few things that I've learned from my food mistakes. Lessons from burning things, from those epic failures, and also from those surprising successes.

Thank you in advance for indulging my little list.

1. When in doubt K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Stupid).

2. Salt. Water. Well. Not sure if it's salty enough? Taste it, it should taste like, you guessed it: salt water.

3. Eat seasonal foods. Not only will they taste better, but you support the right kind of people, who are growing the right things, at the right times. Right? Right.

4. Think across lines. Soy sauce isn't just for Asian food. Tortillas aren't just for burritos. Soy sauce is salty, tortillas are made from flour -- you can think of 101 ways to use salt and flour.

5. In baking, there are decent substitutions for almost everything except sugar. Nothing else is sugar.

6. Good knives and proper usage of said knives, are extremely important. You can get away with cheap pots and pans, but nothing is a good quality knife.

7.Cheap, no-name brand bacon is almost always better than expensive bacon. It cooks better, has better flavor, and... its cheaper.

8. If it's not good, don't serve it. Keep it around to prove to your friends that you tried, but do them a favor and order a pizza.

9. Patience is a virtue. Yes, it takes better part of an hour to chop up everything you need for a truly stellar guacamole but, it's always worth it.

10. Careful with those flavored oils, a little bit goes a very long way.

11. Careful with those essences... see above.

12. People will forgive paper plates, plastic utensils, and cups, but only if the food is yummy.

13. Cheap doesn't always mean crappy & expensive doesn't always mean wonderful.

14. Don't turn your nose up at people's cultural delicacies. Not only is it rude, you do yourself a disservice.

15. They key to good pastry isn't butter, it's MORE BUTTER!

16. It's ok to buy pre-made pie dough, filo dough, puff pastry, and stocks. We can't all be Martha Stewart.

17. Find a chef or fellow foodie to be inspired by. My first foodie inspirations were the Two Hot Tamales. It wasn't about the kind of food they made, it was how much life they brought to the food, their passion and humor.

18. A lesson learned from said Tamales: use your hands whenever possible. Touch your food, mix with your hands, get a little dirty.

19. Let poultry and meats get to room temperature before cooking. If you cook meats when they are still cold or even cool, you steam the meat before you actually start cooking it. That being said, if you are steaming your meat, then it really doesn't matter.

20. Always be respectful of peoples food preferences, political views, and choices, but don't cater to them. It was their choice to eat that way, not yours. (Caveat to that is allergies, make sure people with allergies can eat something.)

21. Chicken soup really does heal.

22. Learn to make at least one thing really, really well.

23. If a host or hostess asks that you not bring anything food-wise, please listen to them. They have a plan and a menu, and feeling obliged to serve whatever you brought, may not be a part of that. Wine, liquor, flowers, or even thank you cards are always welcomed.

24. You can always buy dessert instead of making it. 

Even if it's ice cream, people will be more than thrilled with that.

25. Homemade, fresh whipped cream, is always better.

26. Necessity is the mother of invention; how true! Sometimes, when you only have pasta, eggs, and onions left in the kitchen, you make the greatest food discoveries.

27. Don't over sauce things. Nothing is worst than food swimming in sauces. Put enough on the dish to make things glisten and moist, then serve the rest to the side. Same holds true for salad dressing.

28. Everyone likes popcorn. You can dress it up and down, make it sweet or savory.

29. Acid, it's a good thing. A squeeze of lemon juice, or a dash of vinegar will do wonders.

30. Be brave! After all, you don't have to like it, but you have to try it.

Pop, Pop, Fizz, Fizz

Crows like shiny things, I like bubbles. I love seltzer, sparkling water, fizzy water - anything with a bubble and I'm sold! So as soon as I had my husband hooked on bubbles as well, the hunt was on for something to crave the bubble-mania. I knew that there were soda makers out there, but it wasn't until we were in a Sur La Tab-luh (Sur la Table) that we found what we were looking for.

I want to backtrack for a second though to mention how much money just two people can spend on beverages. We're not big beer or wine drinkers, neither of us drink juices unless we're sick, and the only milk I have in the house is heavy cream for cooking. Between the two of us though, we spent a small fortune on seltzer and soda. Even though we would buy flats at Costco, by week two they were finished and were back to buying bottles of the stuff for almost $2 each. Just one bottle of seltzer a day for one week would have been $14 - it really added up.

Fast forward to Valentines day. We had just done a movie and late lunch thing when we decided to walk a bit. Since I can't resist kitchen/dining stores, we walked into the Sur la Tab-luh in Soho and there was a lovely display by a company called Sodastream. It turns out to be an Israeli company that expanded across Europe then to Canada and finally blessed the US with its presence.

Warning: I'm about to gush over a machine... 

Not only has Sodastream saved us a lot of money better spent on chocolate, but its been fun too! They have a slue of wonderful soda flavors, some of which are better if not indecipherable from the major brands. Although we only buy the diet brands (all made with Splenda), the non-diet are all made with 100% sugar, no crazy chemicals or syrups. In fact, you would recognize every ingredient in their mixes - no thirty-letter words. They also have three essences, lemon, orange, and mixed berry wich are so delightful and just give you a hint of flavor to your bubbles.

They have a few different kinds of machines, the one we got is slim and hardly noticeable in our hole-in-the-wall kitchen.The canisters are easily replaceable at various locations or you can send away for them as well. Besides the money and fun of it all, it also happens to be environmentally friendly. The bottles are re-usable and the canisters are all recycled, the gas is just refilled. So we got a money saver, fun, yummy, and good for mama earth. I know I sound like a info-mercial, but sometimes you just gotta share!

So now that sharing is over, I think it's time for a sparkling pink grapefruit break...

Educational Purposes

The eternally wise Mary Poppins gave us Supercalifragilistic.
Emeril Lagasse gave us Bam!
And I would like to add Educational Purposes to the mix...





In 1993 I was on vacation with my parents in Spain. It became very clear, very early on, that restraint and Spain were two things that simply could not exist together. Spain is a culinary bastion. Besides the riches of the earth and sea around them, the cultural influences from the Middle East, South America, and Africa to name a few, make the food in Spain particularly incredible. From Gambas A La Plancha (roasted shrimp), to various cured meats, to flan, the temptations were everywhere. Indeed the temptations were so great that it became increasingly difficult for us to settle on one version of a dish when look! They have another kind of paella over there that we haven't tried!

Enter: Educational Purposes.

It was my mother who created our lovely little mantra. We just had Jamon Serrano (an aged, cured ham) from the butcher down the block, but those guys over there had been making it for thirty years longer, hmmm, what to do? I mean really, could one beautifully marbled and cured slice of pig be better than another? There was only one way to find out. But what of guilt and excess? Guilt be gone, this had nothing to do with greed and everything to do with exploration and broadening horizons. (Well, maybe a little greed, but mostly lofty intentions.)

The mantra popped up again the first time my Father and I went to Philly. We had our cheesesteak at Pat's but we also had to have one at Gino's - after all it's one of the oldest food rivalries on the East Coast, we simply had to put in our two cents. I like a Philly cheesesteak as much as the next gal, but isn't one cheesesteak basically as good or bad as the next? Yes probably, but we did it anyway for Educational Purposes and if nothing else, it was a hell of a lot of fun.

I'd implore you to not abuse the magic of  Educational Purposes though. This is NOT permission to eat an entire pizza and breadsticks, and curly fries, and a pint of ice cream. Instead, this is permission to explore. Not sure which place has the better empanada? Educational Purposes, try one from both. Exploring Chinatown and see that two bakeries have the same pastry that you just discovered you like? Educational Purposes - check out both.

In fact, I give you permission to be as adventurous as you want! Go to that weird Balinese place down the street. Ask questions and try something new for Educational Purposes. You didn’t like that dish there? Don’t let that stop you - you cross the street and try it over there instead. Let the magic take over and make you that gutsy eater you always wanted to be. And remember, as always, you don’t have to like it, but you have to try it.

Heard: @ Spice Market

It was an "only in New York" moment. The kind of moment that was so wonderful, I simply had to share.

My Mother and I spend this past Saturday together. We walked the Highline. It was my first time walking it and I have to say was a fabulous addition it is to NYC! You must go and visit if you can. We shopped a bit at Chelsea Market, a place that it is so wonderful its hard not to drop every penny you've earned there. We watched the new Sex in the City movie, which much to our surprise was not awful at all, it was entertaining although ultimately disappointing I'm afraid. We also had lunch at Spice Market:

Spice Market is inspired by the street food Jean-Georges Vongerichten enjoyed while traveling in Asia. 

Authentically uplifted versions of flavorful street foods are served family-style, 

with dishes arriving continuously throughout the meal for all to share. 

The place is stunning. The food is wonderful, although might I suggest NOT ordering the Crispy Salt & Pepper Skate - it sounded like a good idea but it too, like the movie, was disappointing. I will suggest the Char-Grilled Chicken in Kumquat & Lemongrass Dressing though, it was wonderful. The portions are made to be shared and the prices are so very do-able, especially with a friend. Highly recommended if your in the meat-packing area.

My mother and I had finished our meal and were waiting for the check. Two tables down from us was a older couple, obviously tourists, obviously not English speakers, and obviously highly confused by the menu. Their waiter spoke slowly, repeating things as necessary and tried everything he could to communicate. At one point my Mother, who speaks three languages fluently and probably enough of three others to get a point across with, even tried helping out, but to no avail. Finally the waiter asked what language they spoke... Portuguese. Haha! Of all the six languages Mum speaks or can fake - Portuguese is definitely not one of them.

Imagine our surprise then, when instead of shrugging and suffering along with the patrons, the waiter simply said "one moment." This was the point when Mum and I looked at each other and said, " not possible!" Ahh, but this is New York and anything is possible. A minute later our own waiter, who happened to be a very cute, all-American, buzz cut wearing, blue eyed, Nebraska looking farm boy complete with dimples, came to the couple's table.

Well, I'm sure you can figure the rest, but out of Mr. Nebraska's mouth came perfectly fluent Portuguese much to the couple's and our delight as well!

Gotta love this city!

The 100

Very Good Taste, a British blogger, created "The Omnivore's 100." It's a fun idea. One hundred items that VGT feels every Omnivore, worth their salt, should try once. I think it's a cool check list, but I also think since it's not all meats, poultry, or fish items, it should be re-named, but that's neither her nor there. Personally, I've had all but nine items on the list: Lobster Thermidor, horse, tasting menu at a three-Micheline-star restaurant, baijiu, roadkill, Louche absinthe, Fugu, Brunost, and whole insects - but I'll get to them (well, maybe all except roadkill?)

In honor of the clever idea, I've made my own list. It's filled with things that everyone should allow themselves  the pleasure of eating. Not all of them are odd, or rare, and I won't be grading you on this, kiddies. Instead, do yourself a favor one day and try something on the list you've never had. There's nothing odd for odd's sake and no status items here (except maybe caviar). These are just things I love that might not be an everyday item... things that ultimately make me a happy foodie.

What I'd love is your additions. What food makes you smile? What's something that everyone should have the pleasure of tasting, even just once? Let me know.

In no particular order:

The Duchess 100

1. Rose water & Orange Blossom water

2. Black licorice tea

3. Manchego 

4. Fiddlehead Ferns (above)

5. Garlic chives

6. Fresh Mozzarella, still warm, from its water bath

7. Sunset Ale (from Key West, Florida)

8. Russian/Iranian Caviar

9. Soft Shell Crabs

10. Pastrami Sandwich from Katz's Deli

11. Fresh corn, picked, boiled, and eaten within 10 minutes

12. Squash Blossoms (pic below)

13. Shad Roe

 14. Smoked mackerel

15. Cold Noodles with Sesame Sauce

16. Avocado's with white onions, lemon, and salt

17. Salt & Pepper Squid (classic Chinese dish)

18. Fresh shrimp, pulled from water, then boiled

19. An original Nathan's hot dog from the original Nathan's on Coney Island

20. Heirloom tomatoes

21. Philly Cheese-steak in Philly

22. BBQ Baby Back ribs

23. A crisp apple, in October, with sharp cheddar cheese

24. Guava paste with cream cheese

25. Raspberries and blackberries off the bush

26. Peking Duck

27. Warm chocolate chip cookie

28. Ricotta cheesecake (aka Italian cheesecake)

29. Bloody Mary

30. Fish & chips in newspaper

31. Hummus with warm pita

32. Root beer float

33. 70% dark chocolate

34. Watermelon sprinkled with salt

35. Pesto

36. Mint Lemonade

37. Coconut rice

38. Brown sugar-baked bacon

39. Chinese broccoli in oyster sauce

40. Fresh pasta

41. Excellent French butter

42. Crusty fresh baguette (especially with said butter)

43. Melt-in-your-mouth Toro (tuna) sushi

44. Cous Cous

45. Pine nuts

46. Fresh Lychee nuts (at bottom)

47. Flan

48. Nocciola (hazelnut) gelato

49. Lobster roll

50. Snow cone / shaved ice with syrup

51. Roasted chestnuts

52. Candied flower petals

53. Turkish/Greek/Cuban Coffee

54. Korean BBQ

55. Excellent Greek Olive Oil

56. Tostones & Maduros

57. Fresh whipped cream

58. Spit roasted pig

59. Skate with capers and brown butter

60. Dim Sum

61. Tart Tatin with creme friache

62. Mussels Mariniere

63. Salty black licorice

64. Persimmons

65. Cadbury Cream Egg

66. Sausages from around the world (Chorizo, Meguez, Chinese dry, etc)

67. Homemade fresh cheese

68. Terry's Chocolate Orange

69. Taramosalta

70. Bubble Tea

71. Baci Chocolate

72. Goi du du

73. Grilled bread

74. Wrapped Amaretti cookies

75. Gravlax

76. Bacalaitos

77. Kirby cucumber

78. White hot chocolate

79. Katsudon

80. Crepe with Nutella

81. Coconut water

82. Warm buttered egg noodles

83. Fresh peas

84. Baked brie

85. Jasmine rice

86. A real Cherry Coke made with syrup

87. Shropshire Blue cheese

88. Warm maple syrup

89. Myer lemon

90. Cipollini onion

91. Salt water taffy

92. Tarragon vinegar

93. Country style pate with cornichon

94. Malbec

95. Grilled blood sausage

96. Lapsang Souchong tea

97. Pan seared foie gras

98. Kettle corn

99. Lemon mint

100. Citrus curds

A Foodie Musing

My partner in love, life and food aka: hubby, said something both very funny and very true last night. It was a lament for the bygone days of  "the dish."  Foods today, he said, don't have actual names. They're just a list of ingredients, he elaborated. And ain't that the truth? Besides ethnic restaurants or recipes (and even then its no guarantee), the modern-day menu item is simply a clever little summary of what you're about to eat.

Gone, gone, gone, are the days of the Parfait, Reuben, or even the Pavlova! In today's terminology they would be: Cream Layered with Sorbet, Gelatin, and Syrup. Corned Beef with Sauerkraut and Melted Swiss Cheese on Toasted Rye, and Whipped Egg Whites Covered in Fresh Whipped Cream and Seasonal Berries. Now after all that, wouldn't it be more joyous to simply call it a Pavlova? (A dish by the way that was named after a Russian Ballerina, Anna Pavlova, in the 1920's - isn't that a charming little detail?)

So assignment time: name a dish. That chocolate cake that you make for your sister's birthday? It is officially now her cake, Annie's Cake. That amazing dip you bring to every party? It is being reborn as Fiesta-Fun Dip. In fact, I hereby re-name my Egg Salad Sandwich, The Eggy Duchess. Yes, I like that.

Your turn. I'd love to hear your modern list-o-ingredients dish and then its fabulous rebirth! Extra points for frivolity - after all, the only reason we still eat "Steamed Suet Pudding with Dried Fruit" is because its actually called... Spotted Dick.

Linen: An Interlude

 Tea Time, by Robert Emil Stubner

 
The year is 2010, but sometimes, just sometimes, I wish it were1910.

We're getting a new dining table. A very sleek modern number that expands to seat 6. It's all glass, metal legs, and a natural oak inset that's very Ikea if Ikea were just slightly pricier. It's very cool if I do say so myself. That being said, sometimes glass, metal and cool isn't what's called for. Sometimes, I want to take out my German Art Deco tea set and serve pavlovas and finger sandwiches. Sometimes, I want a little opulence - brilliant flowers overflowing from my good crystal vase. Sometimes I want a crisp white linen tablecloth beneath my vintage plates that I've lovingly collected over the years.

Sure, we have a bright orange couch and huge 46" flat screen across the room, but maybe just for one afternoon, I can pretend. Remember pretend? Remember when all you needed were plastic yellow tea cups with daisies on them, a fake tiara, and your favorite teddy bear? It was tea time and I was a Duchess taking tea with with the Queen. I miss those tea parties. And so, I decided that what I needed was a linen tablecloth. Something crisp, white, classic and lovely...

My search has been depressing though. I can tell you that I actually found a linen tablecloth that was over a thousand dollars, and no it wasn't made from Mermaid hair. I have found every manner of polyester table covering you could ever want, plastic is also really popular, and almost any tablecloth made of a natural fiber is some god-awful heavy brocade nonsense that wreaks of dinner parties at a wealthy Texan's -  that is if it comes in white or ivory. You'll find that various shades of  reds and golds are all the craze these days - oh, that and roosters. Christmas themes are immensely popular as well as sunflowers which I think is supposed to be some semblance of French Provincial?

I did eventually find some simple white tablecloths. But now I find that purchasing a tablecloth online defeats the purpose. If the point of my little foray into "pretend" is perhaps capturing something of a bygone era, than I'm approaching it all wrong aren't I? I need to feel the linen between my fingers. I need to assess the weight, see the imperfections. I need to scour the flea markets and antique stores. I need to physically find my little piece of the past. After all, what good is wishing for 1910 while shopping in 2010?

When I find my perfect linens I'll make sure to post the table resplendent with tea set, flowers, and pavlovas. And then dear readers, pretend is once again open for business.

How the Mighty are Falling...

Oh Tony! WHY?

The Hubs and I were watching the latest No Reservations last night in which Tony travels to Istanbul (thank you, DVR). Things were going well, very well. We were hungry and ready to book our flights when GASP! Out of nowhere we were confronted with an awful, terrible, realization... Anthony Bourdain has sold out?

I know he has done some credit card commercials in the past which I was willing to overlook, because in this day and age, you can't look the corporate sponsor gift horse in the mouth. That being said, when Tony said he'd "pay for dinner" and whipped out the Chase Sapphire Card; and when the camera paused on the card, freezing-framing it perfectly, both my and the Duke's jaws dropped in abject horror! NOOOOOOO! The last bastion of snarky, anti-establishment, bad boy foodies has just succumbed to the Rachel Ray effect.

I can't imagine he was all that thrilled with the moment either, but that's neither here nor there since the painful, cringe-worthy shot made its way on screen. I won't stop watching because lets be honest, he's still awesome - but man-oh-man he ain't gonna make it easy for me. Now every time I watch, I'll be waiting for the offensive Chase Sapphire moment. It's kind of like waiting for Jack Nicholson to burst through the door in The Shining and yell "heeeere's Johnny!" Oh, you know it's coming... you just can't remember exactly when because it's been a while since you last watched it.

I was pondering all that this morning and a wonderful comedy moment came to mind. There was a brilliant bit that Dennis Leary did years ago (1997 to be exact) about coffee flavored coffee. Since I couldn't find a still of the offending No Reservations moment, I've posted this instead. I hope you enjoy the simple truth and perfect snark of the bit, because my friends, snark's days are apparently numbered.

PS the clip isn't censored, there is explicit language and behavior.

Pondering Foam or: Get That Scum Off My Steak!

I find myself of two minds when it comes to foams, essence, and Molecular Gastronomy in general. On the one hand, isn’t it just a natural evolution of culinary exploration? On the other, why do I need flash frozen celery root puree on my plate?

More and more there seems to be two teams when it comes to modern cooking. The first is the back to the farm route. Let’s re-discover the local veggies together. Let’s lovingly feed and take care of dear old Betsy before we slaughter her humanely and grill her up on Sunday. I love that restaurants now have their own gardens that they pick from and that attention is finally being paid to the local fish monger and cheese maker. Let’s not mess with nature more than necessary and please let me simply roast that chicken and present it with grilled heirloom tomatoes on the side. Yes, say’s I - I’d enjoy that greatly!

The second camp is also equally thrilled to have Farmer Joe supply them with the most superb fresh and seasonal goodies. Camp two, however, would sooner make that farm fresh spring chicken taste like salmon than let it be. Gasp at the simplicity! Roasted? What, that’s it? No mango essence or shitake gelatin? For my money, if I wanted chicken that tasted like salmon I’d have salmon thank you very much! To many though, the novelty of it all is too appealing.

Am I being fair though? Is it more than novelty? To me the foams wreak of self indulgence… the bad kind. Nothing screams more of ‘ooo Mommy, look what I can do!’ than sweet potato foam on your perfectly lovely untainted Leek Soup. But then again, I could say that about many things – the I-Phone for example. Let’s be truly honest with ourselves. Do we actually need a phone that can calculate how much the tip for your grilled cheese and ginger ale would be in Dubai? No, no of course you don’t. That didn’t stop you from finding out though, did it? (I’ll give you a minute to open your tip calculator…)

Why is it that I so readily accepted upgrading everything to Blu-Ray, but the words ‘Molecular Gastronomy’ make me wince? I think answer is pretty simple. A movie actually does look better in 1080-I, the experience is absolutely enhanced. However, since when has an oyster been improved by being suspended in a passion fruit jelly that has been infused with lavender as Heston Blumenthal, Michelin rated chef of ‘The Fat Duck’ in England has done? I can’t say very much, but then again, having never indulged in such foppery, I can’t rightfully comment on the matter.

I will say this: I think the Molecular Gastronomist is a brave and creative soul. In terms of thinking outside the box, they all get a well deserved A+. They also may very well be the future of the culinary world, some would argue they already are. All that being said - when the foam deflates, the flash frozen celery root purée melted, and mango essence turns bitter, wouldn’t you rather have a chicken that taste like… a chicken?

Crab Legs Anyone?

Here’s the thing about Vegas… it’s a blast! I went thinking that we’d spend a little too much money on slots, eat some awful yet plentiful food, and have some fun staring at the parade of drunken college kids. Well, we did in fact spend a little too much on the slots, but the rest of my assumptions were thankfully, completely wrong.

I’m comfortable enough with myself to let you know that I am a complete snob. I openly admit it though, which takes some of the sting away right? I am open minded to a fault, and willing to try anything once, and I don’t judge people by their covers, but places, specifically places that aren’t NYC, well that’s when my inner snob rears her perfectly coiffed head and puffs smoke in your face. It’s the Pine Nut Test: if I can’t easily get pine nuts at the grocery store, what the hell am I doing there?

We arrived after midnight (which was actually 3am for us), and fell into a cab. As we drove away from the airport, the lights of Vegas could suddenly be seen. When we turned the corner onto Las Vegas Boulevard, I had to laugh. It was every scene in every movie about Vegas you’ve ever seen. There’s the Flamingo, there are the girls, girls, girls, there are the fountains of the Bellagio - it was almost surreal. Our sweet cab driver who had moved from Lancaster Country, Pennsylvania just 3 years earlier because he loved the heat, told us that our first night in Vegas we should stay up to watch the sunrise. We did. It was spectacular.

Our first Vegas mistake was the Breakfast Buffet. Don’t get me wrong, it was amazing. No joke, simply amazing. I had some of the best Gravlax and Smoked Salmon of my life that morning. By the way, excellent Gravlax and Smoked Salmon rate very high on the Pine Nut Test; by the way again, spell check does NOT because it didn’t have “Gravlax” in its database… booooo! Piles of crispy bacon, made-to-order omelets and surprisingly good coffee are never a bad thing. So, our mistake was not going to the Breakfast Buffet; our mistake was eating ourselves into a food coma. We somehow managed to wiggle out of our chairs, stand up, and with the clarity and determination of the greatest Olympic athlete, cross the street, go up the elevators, peel off our clothes, and collapse on the bed until we could breathe again. We wound up not eating for the rest of day.

Lesson learned, we planned our days around those crazy buffets. In-between meals we walked and walked and walked. Vegas is an excellent lesson in Urban Planning. Created from nothing in the middle of nowhere, a very well organized city emerged. To make navigating easier, wonderful pedestrian bridges have been erected. It means that you very rarely have to cross the street; in fact Vegas police discourage it. These elevated walk-ways complete with escalators are wonderful and I only wish they could be installed across the country.

The hotels of Vegas are feats of engineering. The Paris hotel, really does feel like parts of France. New York, New York really captured the streets and neighborhoods, and even Caesar’s Palace has created a fantasy of opulence that one could just imagine ancient Rome being. It truly is Disney Land for adults. As I said, we walked a lot. It was a good thing too because something happens to the brain around that much food – you eat it all.

Besides the hotels, there are fantastical free shows on the strip. The pirate ships at Treasure Island, the volcano at the Mirage, and then there are the fountains of the Bellagio. They are a marvel - so beautiful and yet so ridiculous at the same time. Watching water dance to “Proud to be and American,” followed by Andrea Bocelli singing “Time to Say Goodbye,” is definitely ridiculous. But it’s also complexly irresistible.

We decided we needed to have one really good meal. The choices were endless, but we tend to celebrate with excellent steak dinners (or Peking Duck, but that was definitely going to be better in NYC), so I did my research. In the end it was between Tom Colicchio’s Craft Steak or a place off the strip, not associated with a hotel called, Del Frisco’s. Del Frisco’s has lots of locations around the country, but the reviews at the Vegas location were phenomenal.

Del Frisco’s is a 5 minute cab ride from the strip, but you do need to drive. It’s behind the strip amongst the office buildings and company headquarters based in Vegas. Wood paneling, very friendly staff, and dear lord what a steak! I took a picture of it with my camera phone because both my husband and I felt self conscience pulling out the camera, so of course the pic didn’t do our meal any justice and I’m not posting it either, sorry. But you can go to their website to take a gander.

Del Frisco’s is known for their double steaks. That means that while the average steak is something like 2 - 2½ inches thick, ours were 4 – 4½ inches. It was a lot of meat, but good god it was amazing. We don’t eat steak often, and when we do, we spend the right kind of money for them. We got our money’s worth. And, without any exaggeration, I can say these might have been the best steaks we had ever had. The only downside was the rest of the menu. It was just average in inspiration and flavor, but that didn’t matter at all. What mattered was that the main attraction was “like buttah!” as Ms. Streisand would say.

We were never disappointed with Vegas. And I was constantly surprised by the level of sophistication that was around every corner. Sure you could find the drunken frat boys, and people walking around with their fanny packs and frozen margarita’s in two foot long plastic cups, but you could just as easily turn a blind eye and walk through the Bellagio or better yet, the Wynn. The Wynn has no theme, is at the end of the strip, and is by far the most elegant and beautiful of the Vegas hotels. We had lunch there on the patio overlooking the pool, and we could have easily been in Spain or Saint Trope, or some equally elegant location. Damn the cost (which I’m sure is steep), next time we stay at the Wynn.

Our final night in Vegas we had tickets to see Cirque Du Soleil’s “Love.” We had yet to do a proper buffet dinner and decided that was the night. We went to the Bellagio, which is considered one of the best buffets in Vegas, and were greeted by piles of crab legs, mounds of shrimp, acres of beef Wellington, platters of fresh sushi, and the prettiest display of desserts we had seen all trip. Of course, we over did it a bit. I don’t think I’ll be able to eat another crab leg for a few years… not to mention crème brule. There was even chocolate mouse (which unfortunately was not set well) in miniature brandy snifters, the effect of which so cute and perfect, I’m determined to find some for myself.

Capping of the trip with “Love” was perfection. I only wish the show toured because it’s a shame that everyone can’t see it. It was a joyous and heart felt show that was a true spectacle in the best sense of the word. Wonderful visuals, amazing talent, and all the things you’d expect from Cirque, with the added pleasure of an amazing soundtrack provided by the boys from Liverpool. If you go to Vegas, you simply have to see it. No, no, I insist.

Vegas was a very happy surprise. It was colorful and fun. It has wonderful food and amazing choices everywhere you look. And rest assured, it passed the Pine Nut Test with high flying, glittering colors that blink through the night.