Tuesday, October 30, 2007

Food Adventure #1: LA

Last week, I took my first trip to the Left Coast for a work conference in Los Angeles. Conferencing usually presents sparse opportunities for experiencing the local food scene, but this trip far exceeded my expectations. I stayed at the historic Biltmore hotel in downtown LA which is an absolutely spectacular, over-the-top building (seriously, every surface of this place is carved, gilded and frescoed to within an inch of its life) where the Academy Awards were once held. There are photos all down the hallway to the ladies' room of celebrities in the times that celebrities were classy: Clark Gable, Shirley Temple, Bette Davis... *swoon*


Well, I arrived in this grand location mid-afternoon (Pacific time) on Sunday having left Atlanta on a 10:30am flight and having eaten nothing but "discount airline pretzels" and Biscoff (which I hate) since about 8am (Eastern time). I was ravenous, but was meeting up with a friend from college later in the afternoon, so I needed something light. Not ravenous enough to go to Quizno's, the first place I walked past, or to Domino's, Quizno's next-door neighbor. I approached a tiny shop labelled a "superconvenience" and wrote it off as a candidate for my first meal ever on Pacific time, but as I walked by I spotted a large refrigerated island that appeared to have sushi and prepared sandwiches and I thought, "Famima!!, we have a winner!"


Famima!!, she is amazing. Part convenience store (one aisle of minitoothpaste and one-sleeve packs of Oreos), but the rest... Famima!! is to organic-eating young urban professionals what Sheetz is to rednecks and frat boys. Seriously. They have the largest array of unsweetened, calorie-free beverages I've ever seen. Having recently sworn off of aspartame after reading this book, this was key to my late lunching happiness. They've got Diet Coke too, mind you, but I have -- literally -- dozens of choices that won't put holes in my brain. I selected a delectable-looking seaweed salad, a brown rice cucumber roll and a bottle of "green tea drink" with no English on the label and 160 percent of my daily allowance of vitamin C. Other options included lovely premade salads (southwestern, greek, chef, etc), minimally soggy-looking sandwiches and Indian dishes which the Famima!! clerk will heat up for you behind the counter. At the counter, there was also a case of "steamy buns" filled with concoctions of pork, veggies or chicken. I decided that I would have to come back to try one of these delights (this will have to wait until my next excursion out west).


I settled down at a bistro table on the sidewalk to tackle my lunch. (Finally!) My (admittedly fish-free) sushi was phenomenal. The rice was moist and sticky with a slightly sweet hint of mirin, the cucumber crunchy. The seaweed salad was delightful: spicy and crisp with none of the sliminess I associate with seaweed salad. The "green tea drink" was great too. Famima!!, I think I love you. You should move to Atlanta!


I returned to the hotel and finally managed to corral my old friend, and we met for a drink at the Gallery Bar, a contender for the nicest hotel bar in America, I think. I had a gimlet; he ordered a Negroni (which Dr. Google informs me is a fancy concoction of gin, Campari and sweet vermouth). The bartender was subtle, classy and mixed a damned good cocktail. A far cry from my usual digs, but I could get used to this! I learned later that this bar is the last place the Black Dahlia was seen alive... so, the good, the bad and the ugly of Hollywood are all connected to this hotel. Way to go, conference planners!

From the bar, College Friend and I drove around town. LA is really quite beautiful, especially in the dark, but it has a certain plastic, groomed quality about it that I associate with model train villages. LA's beauty is all lights and sparkle and kitsch, not the older, wilder beauty of the East Coast places I'm used to.



After a turn through the jazz section of Amoeba Records (the most amazing/overwhelming record store I've ever been in), we settled into an adorable seafood restaurant called the Hungry Cat near the corner of Sunset and Vine. The decor was hip, and Loretta Lynn's Walk-of-Fame star was just a few feet outside the door. (Disclosure: Harry Carey's was too, but that doesn't sound nearly as hip as Ms. Lynn in her Jack-White-produced renaissance.) We immediately ran down the cocktail menu -- LA seems like a cocktail kind of town -- and I ordered the cucumber martini, a traditionalish gin martini blended with cukes. College Friend ordered the Hot Tamale, confidently selecting the "On fire" option rather than the less manly "Hot" version. This drink was a mixture of chile-infused tequila and some other stuff. HOT HOT stuff. They weren't joking with the "On fire" moniker. We discovered that the cool cucumber martini was an excellent chaser, and eventually ordered a second round of cuke-tinis (yum!).


This cat was pretty hungry at this point, so everything on the menu sounded even more delicious than usual. We had College Friend's odd (and lifelong) refusal to eat fruit to accommodate, so that took a few choices off the table. After rolling our eyes at the folks around the restaurant eating burgers at a seafood joint, we settled on sharing both the scallops and the ling cod. Entree #1 arrives, roasted scallops with fregola sarda, Smithfield ham and harissa aioli. OMG. The scallops were succulent and tender, perfectly paired with the spicy, tomatoey sauce and the fregola sarda, which are little puffs of pasta that roughly resembled chick peas. We were practically licking the plate by the time entree #2 arrived, ling cod with merguez sausage, potatoes and kale. This dish was just as delightful as the first, and by the time I placed the last forkfull in my mouth and lapped up the last drip of cucumber martini, I felt the internal sigh of the culinarily sated. If it hadn't been after midnight in my brain, a cat nap would have been in order (ba-dum-bum).


I went on to put away lots of fish (including some amazing happy-hour-special sushi at the Monsoon Cafe in Santa Monica), surprisingly good hotel/conference food and some middling microbrews. All in all, LA is a place that I would like to visit again. Maybe next time without the talking about education data to distract me from the food. ;)

Monday, October 29, 2007

The Cook's Library

Every cook, and even some lovers of food, but non-cooks, collect cookbooks. I have alot, and I only hope I amass more over the years. Some of them I received as gifts. Some I bought at yard sales. Some are classics and some are unknown treasures. I'm the sort of person who will sit down and read a cookbook cover to cover, imagining the parties I will have, or who I would cook a recipe for, or what time of year something would taste good. I also read food and cooking magazines, and they get a cover-to-cover work out as well. I used to tear out the pages of stuff I want, but now I share the wealth and photocopy and bind my findings, and then leave the magazines at work for my co-workers to play with. But back to the books. Here are a few of my favorites.

The Bible

Mastering the Art of French Cooking

Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle and Simone Beck

I have a 50th anniversary copy and just recently received a 1966 edition which belonged to my grandmother, then my mother, and now me!!!


Older than Dirt

What to have for Dinner

Fanny Farmer 1905

My boy bought this for me. I am afraid to open it as it has a leather spine. whoever owned it didn't cook, cause it is spotless, the paper smells so good and old. The typeface, makes me feel all cozy.


The Beloved

"Unnamed"

Fanny Farmer, sometime in the thirties

I have had this cookbook for a little over ten years. It is unnamed because the cover, and the first and last 25 pages have disappeared over the years...I have no idea what it is called.It has taught me all the basics about cooking and is filthy, falling apart and gross. I refuse to get rid of it, and it is the only cookbook that is allowed to stay in the kitchen. (The boy and I had a long discussion of how my books were taking over precious space in our less than 10 x 10 kitchen. The result was my cookbooks were banished to my library, but I got to keep the Beloved by my side)


The One Course

Splendid Soups

James Peterson

I belonged to a cookbook club for a bit, and this was one I picked. I guess deep down, I love soups, because I have cooked my way through this book, delighting in all the strange, homey, casual, decadent soups. Plus it has a lovely clear varnish spoon on it's solid black cover, and playful alternatives along the way with recipes.


The One Ingredient

One Potato, Two Potato

Roy Finamore

This was also a cookbook club purchase...and it's a little moldy cause I have used it alot. I always cringe when I open it up again after a while. But I LOVE potatoes, and they are sooo amazing and versatile. This book is a treasure, and answers everything you wanted to know about all varieties of potatoes, troubleshooting cooking them and every sort of possible way to prepare them from around the world.

I have some of the modern heroes: Martha Stewart, Nigella Lawson, Anthony Bourdain...but the aforementioned are my best loved. What's your favorite?

Don't even get me started on Culinary novels...whew...I am overwhelmed with how many good ones I have read lately...that's a post for another day.

The Girls Just Want to Have Fun

A most memorable evening in the company of Dames C and Z. The liquor was flowing and the conversation loud. Just what you'd expect, unless you are at The Albert. The dowdy brunette approached us from the side and announced that the management gave her the okay to tell us we were being too loud. Our jaws dropped, since when could you be too loud in a bar? We were not yelling, just a conversation between three dames... When we asked the bartender, he confirmed that we were talking loud and he neglected to remember or include but you're in a bar. As we were leaving, we saw the dowdy brunette talking to the owner. That is when I announced that I'd never go back and I let the dowdy brunette know just what I thought of her.

As for the food, The Wok Seared Green Beans are good, but not good enough to lure me back.

By the way, I'm familiar with the bar business since my husband is a bar manager, and he said that he won't ask someone to quiet down until they are literally screaming and I mean screaming.

Help SRH Win an MRI!

Not related to food...but important nonetheless..

Sumter Regional Hospital, a small hospital in rural Georgia and friends of mine, was destroyed by a March 1st tornado. The hospital serves a 10-county area which is one of the poorest regions in Georgia. Seimens is currently offering a free MRI in an online contest, and SRH wants to win this machine for its community. To vote, all you have to is go to www.winanmri.com and vote for SRH. You must go to the site and view the video to vote. You can vote once a day until Dec 31, both at home and at work. Please spread the word and thanks for your support! So far, our campaign has gotten 18,000 votes in one weekend through viral efforts...let's make sure we stay no.1!!!!

Friday, October 26, 2007

Herbi vs. Carni

This is a funny contrast of a post: herbivore vs. carnivore bliss.

Herbivore Bliss
The other day the boy wanted to make pizza. This is one of "his meals" and he normally makes the dough and dictates the toppings without any fuss from me. However, he never came home. So I worried he would be sad and went ahead and made his special dough recipe for him. When he came home very late and realized there was no pizza dough (it has to rise for like at least an hour), he was so sad...then I surprised him and said "it's ready to go!" He was happy, and I had also made a veggie crumble tomato sauce and gathered yet another eggplant from the garden, two tiny green peppers, some fresh basil and oregano and some onions for toppings. He decided midstream that we should make calzones instead of pizza. So we did. Just using the same dough and placing ingredients inside and folding over the dough . I brushed egg yolk on top to make it golden...oh, they were sooo lovely when they came out. And they were even better to eat. Though the boy determined I should never ever put cumin in the sauce again (even though it tasted great) because it "started to taste like chili"...but the veggies, cheese and sauce, the moist inside and crisp outside bread, were just wonderful. Wonderful.

General Notes on Preparation of this meal

Use this dough recipe

Our ingredients were: 1 eggplant, sliced, sprinkle slices with salt and let them sit while waiting to join the calzone ingredients, two small green peppers chopped, 1/2 onion chopped

Sauce: simmered 1/2 chopped onion, 3 gloves chopped garlic, 1/2 bag of Morningstar veggie crumbles, sauteed in olive oil till soft and moist. Add 1 13oz box or can crushed or diced tomatoes, (I used two cubes of frozen fresh herbs from my garden) but you can use as much basil, oregano, parsley fresh or dry as you like. Simmer for at least a half hour. If too wet, take lid off and simmer a bit till thickens up.

After you roll the dough per recipe and add ingredients (make sure not TOO wet) folded over top and brush with one egg yolk beaten.

Cook in preheated oven at 420 (heh) for 20 minutes. Handle carefully when you take it out and let it cool a bit before you dig in...

Carnivore
Today I got sucked into Trader Joes, and they really do have nice prices on fine meats, wine and some veggies. Amongst other things, I got two filet mignons, some haricots vert and a bottle (okay several), but this one was a $6 Il Valore Red Zin...very drinkable. I found the most genius way to prepare the filets, blanched the verts and whipped up (literally) a bearnaise to go with the steak. It was all PERFECT. Okay, not perfect, but sooooo good. The boy took too long coming to the dinner table, so the bearnaise broke emulsion, but it still tasted decadent; it just looked like a train wreck. I am still impressed by the steak. I never splurge on beef. I don't know why, and because I always buy poor cuts of it, we tend to always be dissatisfied with it. This time I bought a good cut, prepared it in an appropriate way, and the result was the best steak I have ever prepared in this house, perhaps the best ever. I sat and drank wine for a while contemplating the meal at the dinner table, even after the boy had left to work on school things. In this case, it really was the technique of preparation that made all the difference.

Steak
Take two filet mignons and rub them in olive oil, bring to room temp. Heat a heavy pan with 1tb olive oil in it to "screaming" hot. Meanwhile soften 2 tb butter and chop two garlic cloves, mix together. Drop your filets in the pan and cook exaclty 2 min on each side. No more. Take the pan off the heat, top the steak with the butter/garlic, and place tinfoil in a tent over the steaks. Let sit for 20-30 minutes. Touch to test doneness. If it leaves a fingerprint it is rare. If it leaves a fingerprint which springs back, it is perfectly med rare, how you want it.

Easy Bearnaise
2 tb tarragon vinegar + 2 tb sherry or red wine vinegar in saucepan
Simmer until reduced to 1tb, remove from heat and cool.
Whisk 3 egg yolks into vinegar.
Place pan over another pan of boiling water (of if you have a double boiler, use it)
Whisk 1 stick softened butter, 1 tb at a time into the yolk mixture.
After all butter is in, add 1 tb tarragon, 1 tb parsley and a tiny pinch of cayenne.
Serve immediately. If you let it sit, it may break. It is a persnickety sauce, but soooo good,

Haricots Vert
Snip ends. Wash. Bring pot of water to boil. Plunge beans for two minutes. Drain and serve, or drain and rinse with cool water, and then reheat when needed by sauteing with butter in a pan.


Today we are grateful for:
the boy was grateful for his paycheck which he lost and then found again. I am grateful for the recent opportunities I have had at work as well as the good prices on this filet mignon and the joy of shopping at Dollar Tree.

Sunday, October 21, 2007

A Better Bean Soup

When we first discovered this recipe for white bean soup we were absolutely awed by how amazing it was... and how laborious the recipe was. The boy made it first, and I was floored by what a good job he did. Later he admitted he had skipped steps and got mad it was taking so long. Later, I made a double recipe for a football party, met with the same irritating length of preparation, but felt redeemed by the overwhelming compliments and requests for the recipe. Well, to usher in fall this year, I asked the boy what he wanted me to make and he immediately requested "the white bean soup." I decided I was going to make it easier and healthier this time around. I also include options for a veggie version. This is what I came up with:


Creamy white bean and chorizo soup


3 cloves garlic

1 large onion

1 large carrot

2 celery stalks

2 tb olive oil


4 cups chicken/veggie broth

2 cups H20

2 cans cannellini beans, rinsed

1 sprig rosemary

2 tsps fresh thyme (or dried)

1 bay leaf


1 # chorizo (remove casings), ground Italian turkey sausage or soysage crumbles


1/4 c heavy cream, half and half or milk (richest flavor will be cream)

pinch of thyme, salt and pepper


Chop or throw in cuisinart first 4 ingredients. Chop coarsely.

Saute in olive oil about 8 minutes till veggies are soft. Watch the garlic so it doesn't burn.

Add next six ingredients and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low, and simmer for at least 1/2 hr and up to 2 hrs. The longer, the richer the flavor.

Meanwhile, cook your sausage in a pan and drain;I did mine (I use Italian turkey sausage) on the foreman grill. Let it cool and then chop up.

When you have determined your soup is done simmering, puree it carefully so you don't burn yourself and return to pot. You can leave it lumpy for a more "rustic" puree.

Add the sausage, pinch of thyme, cream and salt and pepper to taste.

Serve immediately.


If you need to have it wait a bit before serving, do everything but add the cream right before you serve.


Perfect for fall supper, with a crusty hot loaf of rustic bread, or toast. Better even with a good rich beer.


I am grateful for: beating the boy in fantasy football and being 6-1. The boy is grateful for aceing his test yesterday on research techniques.

Cripplingly Good

So maybe the title is not PC, but it is how we felt at our dinner at Shaun's in Inman Park the other night. I was worried because I have eaten there a million times, always had a superb meal, and recommend everyone to visit. A friend recently went and had a less than thrilling time, so I had to check in to see how things were. Now mind you I always seem to eat at the bar here, and the service is always wonderful, not sure how table service is.

I love the decor of the dining room and the patio though I have never made it physically into either...so light, airy, organic. Suits me. Somehow I just never make it past the bar. (Please no jokes.) I started with what turned out to be the best Pimm's cup ever. I love Pimm's and most places just don't have it. This version of the drink was so crisp, lemony and refreshing. I couldn't believe it, but we opted not to have wine with dinner,and we both ordered another drink. The boy had a Brooklyn Brewery Pumpkin Ale and a shot of jack...I admit I had a shot of Bushmills also.

oh goodness it was good. We had:

Cheese (Cripplingly good...we were doubled over groaning with lactic pleasure. We both agreed this has been a very good year for cheese for us.)
They had the Georgian sweetgrass green hill, so of course we got it.
The bartender also recommended the humboldt fog, a californian goat ashy cheese. We loved it, finding it somewhat less "footy" than my beloved cambazola, but with an ever more delicious rind, and several varying layers of complexity...
A single little flaky pastry bursting with raisony/datey/compotey stuff was a beautifully fruity rich accompaniment to the cheese.

#1 tuna tartare with dill cream, trout caviar and quail egg
...and it was #1. Our first thought was yay! It is the "toad in the hole" from Trois, but we were wrong. It was far superb. The tuna was the freshest we have had in town, including sushi joints. And there was even a hint of chopped pine nuts in this dish that lent a surprisingly pleasant little crunch texture...just a hint, but perfect.

Pommes frites "graisse de canard"
I get this every time I come here. Hand cut fries cooked in duck fat. I've had these elsewhere. But here they are like little ducks dancing around your tongue. The boy indicated they were not only as good as he imagined but "transporting" when sinfully dipped in fresh creamed butter. (I count the days to our first heart attacks.)

Homemade Biscotti with olive oil ice cream
Reminiscent of the "reconstructed olive" we had in Washington DC at the 20 course "Minibar", it was everything sensual about olive oil, and the very best of them, paired with cream. Soft and silky on the tongue, the biscotti was subtly sweet (and not teeth chippingly hard), soaking up the flavors and crumbling in the mouth at just the right moment. We are not big dessert folks, but mmmm...

And wow. That's it. It was enough. We couldn't believe it, but it was so rich and good. Just those few things. As an aside, I have also had the Flatbread, beef tartare, and wagyu burger, amongst others, but they do vary the menu seasonally. I have never been disappointed.Also, the sangria here is great in the warmer months, and I had a fabulous Pinot Noir, Samantha Starr here as well. I do believe Shaun's is in my top two restaurants in Atlanta.

I am bummed my friend's experience was not perfect, but I invite them to join us at the bar for a second chance.

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

la belle mangeuse's birthday eats: wasabi cake

La belle mangeuse requested months ahead of time that I make green tea ice cream for her birthday. I decided, since we were going up to the mountains for a girls' weekend, that I would try to find an appropriately Asian-ish flavored cake to give her a proper birthday, hopefully something not-too-sweet since both of us solidly prefer the savory spectrum. I wanted something rich and interesting. When I searched for "sesame" and "cake" on Epicurious, the first response was the Black Pearl layer cake, which contained, of all things, a WASABI ganache. This clearly was the one. I adapted a little from the original.


Black Pearl Layer Cake

This, like the ice cream, is a plan-ahead kind of dish. The ganache needs to be made a day ahead of time, and the ginger syrup needs to rest for at least an hour before use. All the ingredients can be prepared ahead except the whipped cream frosting. I made all of it at home and whipped up the frosting and put it together once we got to the cabin. The ganache needs about 4 hours to set after you assemble the cake.

serves lots and lots because it's super rich and flavorful -- a tiny piece is enough!


Black pearl ganache
6 oz bittersweet chocolate, chopped
3/4 c heavy whipping cream
1 t ground ginger
1 T wasabi powder or paste (You can probably do even more than this. I didn't think the wasabi flavor was that pronounced in the ganache, though I tripled the amount of wasabi called for in the original recipe.)
2 T black sesame seeds (I couldn't find black seeds, so I used brown ones. Not as pretty, but still delicious!)
1 T corn syrup
2 T (1/4 stick) butter, room temperature

Ginger syrup
1 c water
1/2 c sugar
5 T fresh ginger, peeled and coursely chopped
1 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

Cake
2 c boiling water
1 c unsweetened cocoa powder
2 3/4 c all-purpose flour
2 t baking soda
1/2 t baking powder
1/2 t salt
2 1/4 c sugar
1 c (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature
4 large eggs
1 t vanilla extract

Whipped cream frosting
2 c chilled heavy whipping cream
1/4 c plus 2 T powdered sugar
1/2 t vanilla extract
1/2 t ground ginger
Additional black sesame seeds


For black pearl ganache: Place chocolate in medium bowl. Bring cream, ginger and wasabi to boil in small pot. Pour hot cream over chocolate; cover with plastic wrap and let stand 15 minutes. Whisk cream and chocolate until smooth. Mix sesame seeds and corn syrup in small bowl to coat; stir into chocolate mixture. Let cool to lukewarm. Stir in butter. Cover and let stand at room temperature overnight to set.

For ginger syrup: Place 1 c water, sugar and ginger in small saucepan. Scrape seeds from vanilla bean into pan; add bean. I find it's easiest to do this with my fingernails. Don't worry, they're compulsively clean when I'm cooking! Stir over medium heat until sugar dissolves. Simmer 2 minutes; remove from heat. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour for flavors to blend.
Strain syrup into small bowl. Chop ginger finely. (Can be prepared 1 day ahead. Cover and refrigerate ginger and syrup separately.)

For cake: Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter and flour two 8-inch-square cake pans (or spray with Pam for baking). Line bottoms with parchment paper. Whisk 2 c boiling water, cocoa powder and reserved chopped ginger in medium heatproof bowl. Whisk flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until fluffy, about 1 minute. Add eggs 1 at a time, beating until incorporated after each addition. Beat in vanilla extract. Add flour mixture in 4 additions alternately with cocoa mixture in 3 additions, beginning and ending with flour mixture. Divide batter among prepared cake pans; smooth tops.
Bake cakes until tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 30 minutes. Cool in pans 5 minutes. Turn cakes out onto racks; cool completely. (Cakes can be prepared 1 day ahead. Wrap with plastic wrap and store at room temperature.)

For whipped cream frosting: Beat cream in large bowl until soft peaks form. Add sugar, vanilla and ginger. Beat until stiff peaks form.

Using long serrated knife, trim rounded tops off cakes to create flat surfaces. Place 1 cake layer, cut side up, on plate. Brush top with 1/2 the ginger syrup. Spread the ganache over top of cake. Place second layer, cut side up, atop first layer. Brush with the rest of the syrup. Spread sides and top with whipped cream frosting. Sprinkle top with black sesame seeds. Refrigerate until ganache is set, about 4 hours. Let stand at room temperature 30 minutes before serving. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Keep refrigerated.)

I've never made a cake this complicated before, but it was 100 percent worth it. It was delicious and perfect with the green tea ice cream. *drool* Happy birthday, Ms. Mangeuse!

la belle mangeuse's birthday eats: green tea ice cream



I made the green tea ice cream and the cake for la belle mangeuse's birthday. Here is what I did:



Homemade ice cream is SO worth the time. It is unbelievably better than commercial ice cream. This recipe is not an evening-of endeavour. You'll need to prepare the custard the night before in order for it to chill enough to properly freeze. You'll need an ice cream churn of some kind for this. I use the KitchenAid stand mixer attachment. The churning should happen at least a few hours before you plan to serve. If you don't have an ice cream churn, you can use two bowls, one that fits inside the other. The smaller one should be metal to facilitate cold transfer. Fill the big one with ice water and lots of salt, and stir the custard till your arm is about to fall off. By the time you've got ice cream, you'll have worked off enough calories to have earned it, and you'll have one set of buff biceps. :)



Green Tea Ice Cream

makes about 1 quart

1 1/2 c heavy cream
1 1/2 c whole milk
2 standard tea bags, green tea
3/4 c sugar
1/4 t salt
4 large egg yolks
2 T matcha (Japanese ceremonial powdered green tea*)

1. Position a strainer over a medium bowl set in a larger bowl containing ice water. You will use this in step 3. Heat the milk, cream, 1/2 c of the sugar and the tea bags over medium heat until steam appears and the milk is about 175 degrees.

2. Meanwhile, whisk the yolks and remaining sugar in a medium bowl until combined and pale yellow. Whisk half the warm milk mixture (be sure it's not too hot, or it will curdle the eggs) into the egg mixture 1/2 c at a time until combined. Whisk the milk-yolk mixture into the warm milk in the saucepan; set over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly until steam appears, foam subsides and the mix is slightly thickened ~ 180-185 degrees. DO NOT let this boil or the eggs will curdle.

3. Immediately strain the custard into the bowl set in the ice bath, and cool it to room temperature, stirring occasionally. Cover and refrigerate until it reaches 40 degrees or lower, 3-24 hours.

4. Prepare your ice cream churn. Remove the custard from refrigeration and stir well. Turn on churn and pour in custard. Freeze according to manufacturer's directions until it resembles soft-serve ice cream. Transfer to a freezer-safe container with a rubber or silicone spatula (to minimize the amount lost to the sides of the freezer). Cover (some folks recommend covering closely with plastic wrap). I save the containers from Chinese takeout soup for this purpose. Freeze for at least 2 hours. Will keep for a few days. If you freeze the ice cream solid, let it sit out for an hour before serving.


* In Atlanta, I found this sold by weight at Sevananda. It's freaking expensive -- about $45 a lb., but at Sev, you can just get the amount you need. I paid about $2. Sweet!

Eat at Cafe Lily!

Hi y'all. A number of things that I've cooked have been mentioned here, so I figured I'd give it a twirl writing about it myself. So, here goes.

Restaurant review: Cafe Lily, Decatur.

After our friend's book signing, we went to Cafe Lily on Sunday night with a party of about 12. My boy met us out. It was quite lovely. We sat in the Moroccan room which was cozy and just quiet enough to make conversation among a large group exciting. We started off with grilled toast with spiced olive oil, followed by their signature mussels which we ordered in a lovely spicy tomato-broth concoction. My boy gets freaked out by mussels...but he actually ate more than one of these!

I had a nice sauvignon blanc since I was eating shellfish and chicken. I should note that I don't usually care for whites, but this one was quite perfect for my food. I think it might have been from New Zealand, but I'm not sure. The boy tried one of their Zins with his lamb dish -- he was in heaven -- Cafe Lily specializes in Zin, his favorite grape, and easily half of their wine list was Zinfandel.

My chicken saltimbocca was great -- juicy, stuffed with proscuitto and fontina, served over a mound of mashed potatoes as big as my head. It looked like I hadn't even put a dent in them when I was done. They were slightly lemony, which was nice with the chicken and the mushroom-wine sauce and kind of surprising given that mashed potatoes are usually just sort of earthy. I also tasted the boy's lamb, which was quite good. It was served with these potatoes that tasted like apples, but I didn't remember reading about apples on the menu, so I went back to the menu as we were paying and noted that they were white sweet potatoes!

The friend who arranged the dinner noted that the reason they wanted to frequent the place is because the restaurant owner is very ill with cancer (in addition to it being yummy). So, go to Cafe Lily the next chance you get!

Saturday, October 13, 2007

Food Diary # 4 Blue Ridge Mountains

Errgh. I can't express enough what a wonderful weekend this was. It was my birthday and another friends, so six of us headed up to The Last Resort in the Blue Ridge Mountains. I stay here alot. The weekend started with massages on the porch in the lovely mountain air and was followed by days of cooking and drinking, laughing and drinking, eating and drinking, hottubs and drinking...and surprisingly no hangovers!

The TV never got turned on. Though the place was totally wired with speakers outside and over the hottub. This allowed us to have moments such as Marianne Faithful and memories with lunch, OutKast and Gorillaz for dancing maniacally in our socks and of course, Elvis Gospel with coffee Sunday morning on the porchswing...perfect.

To the food! oh..sigh...the food. We cooked everything fresh...We outdid ourselves. It makes me almost teary.

Friday lunch
Smoked Chicken (From my spatchcock!) wraps with edamame

Friday dinner
Pizza Dough for pizza and a giant misshapen calzone
Toppings: Basil, tomatoes, sheep's milk feta, garlic, olive oil
and Cappicola, fontina, garlic
Arugala salad with lemon

Friday birthday cake and ice cream
Homemade green tea ice cream with homemade chocolate cake with wasabi ganache and fresh whipped cream and sesame seed frosting (SOOOOOO GOOD, and I am NOT a cake or big chocolate freak)

Saturday early riser snack
Coffee and Candy Corn!!!

Saturday breakfast
L's famous Polish Potato Pancakes with sour cream and apple sauce
Kielbasa
Fried Eggs
Champagne


Saturday lunch
"No Knead" bread fresh out of the oven (gosh this was good)
Curried Sweet Potato Soup
I don't know if I can remember it all, but I will try: Cappicola, Busetto, krinos olives, cornichons, goat cheese, cheddar with whiskey, buffalo mozzerella, artichoke pate


Saturday dinner
Curried Chicken and Lamb Josh Rogan with basmati rice (This was good for dinner, lunch and breakfast...Not too spicey...perfect!!!!)

Sunday breakfast
Creme Brulee french toast (recipe from my boss!)
Kielbasa

To Drink...well I forgot to write them down as I was drunk the whole time, but about 25 bottles of wine, red and white, a bottle of jagermeister, three bottles of premium tequila and an assortment of beer including Dale's Pale Ale, a pumpkin ale and Bass.

I couldn't be more grateful for my friends. I love them very much and thank them for all they give me, their hearts, their ears, their friendship...and the joy of cooking and eating...and drinking with each other. I also thank god for how amazingly beautiful the mountains were...as usual. I swear I will live up there yet...

Wednesday, October 10, 2007

Rain and Sprigs

I took a client to lunch at Rumi's Kitchen on Roswell Road in Sandy Springs last week. It was pretty nice. The valet happily took my car in the rain and ushered me into a cozy little restaurant. I ordered hot tea, and though I was surprised that a Persian restaurant would only have earl grey to offer, I was delighted with the saffron sugar cubes that came with it.

The best part of the meal was the rather large amuse bouche: a plate of fresh sprigs of tarragon and basil, olives, walnuts, radish and cheese. Everything was almost cartoonish in flavor in this raw state. Bright! Bright! Bright! the fresh herbs were, especially in contrast to my sleepy tea and the fall rain.

An appetizer of
Dolmeh (pictured)- freshly mixed ground beef, rice, and mild herbs hand wrapped in grape vine leaves and simmered in a zesty sweet and sour pomegranate sauce, was very rich and succulent. Different in texture, temperature and flavor from the mostly greek dolmeh I have eaten.

My client had the
Bodenjoon - pan fried eggplant slow cooked on a special tomato based veal stew, served with a side of saffron Basmati rice and seemed to enjoy it. I had slow cooked lamb shank served with saffron Basmati rice mixed with dill weed and fava beans which was very good, but a little mild in seasoning for me, and I prefer my fava beans more alive then dead...they were a little gray and mushy for me. I really liked the rice, it had never occurred to me to mix dill with basmati.

The leftovers were of grand proportion, I had 1.5 shanks to take home to a happy boy. The meal, like Indian food, tasted even better the next day. I wonder how they can afford to be so generous in portion and amuse bouche at their prices which were surprisingly low. The service was excellent, if a tad bit overeager, but mostly the staff seemed like they were perhaps family members, or at least very much invested in their business.

I enjoyed myself. And obviously so do others. While I waited for the valet to bring me my explorer whose doors don't open and side mirror is glued on, a series of Mercedes parked in front shone harshly in my eye...I think Rumi's will do just fine here.

Tuesday, October 9, 2007

Definitely a "Muss"

Bizarre early weekday reservations followed speedracer like dodging of traffic in order to fill one's tummy prior to "Turandot" at the Atlanta opera. We were out of breath and pleasantly surprised by Muss and Turners located nearby the new Cobb Energy Arts Center.

Dang them, they were everything we had read and more. My only question was why hadn't I heard of them before? Our waiter was pleasant, thoughtful, attentive and more than helpful without being too visible. (Difficult as we were the only early diners.)

We decided, as usual to eat too much and drink too much. Note to self: Do not drink several beers and a bottle of wine prior to weekday Opera...coffee and Rockstar couldn't even keep us alive. Now to the food!

First course
Antipasto Plate of:
Roasted Beets with Laura Chanel Goat Cheese (Delicious, though I felt the beets were pickled versus roasted...more firm and piquant than sweet and luscious)
Asian Sesame Cucumber Slaw (Refreshing, Crunchy, Sweet, Light)
Greenless Green Salad with Feta Cheese (REALLY Good, Clean flavors allowing all ingredients to shine through, no overwhelming vinegar dressing...nutty feta...)
Domestic Jumbo Shrimp Salad Remoulade (Juicy, firm, light, not too saucy/creamy, the delicate marine flavor hinted at sea treasures)

Cheese Courses
Rocchetta - Sheep's milk from Italy with House made black truffle honey (The Sweetgrass Green Hill may have been replaced. This was orgasmic. We dueled with forks over it.)
Sweetgrass Thomasville - (Firm and flavorful, though doesn't beat the Green Hill.)

Main Course (More small plates)
Enslada Escabeche - Spanish mackeral, arugala, red wine vinegar, fingerling potatoes, basil, chimichurri, marcona almonds (Pungent, savory, clean...definitely something I have not tasted before, and would like to eat again.)
Charcuterie Plate - Chef's selection of cured meats (We have had tons of these, but usually there is only one, if one, standout on the plate...This entire plate had, robust, flavorful, meats, each with their own superb and unique personalities...delightful...and you can buy them in the case five feet away!)
Marinated Olives - Chef's Mix (Again...outstanding and for sale. We love olives, and there was several varieties here that we had not tasted before.)

To Drink
St. Bernardus Blanche Belgian Beer
Left Hand Oktoberfest Bavarian Beer
Trevor Jones "Boots" Grenache, S. Aussie, '03 (Describes as a "sexy gem" on the menu...it does not disappoint...I wish we could have sat all night...with a second bottle.)

In addition to the four star food, the excellent service, and the proximity and convenience of the charming deli, the interior was cheerful and clean. We loved the paintings in the dining area and as an added bonus, the boy excitedly pointed out that they included Chateau Yquem on the wine list, the wine Hannibal Lector gives Clarice Starling in "Hannibal." What more could you ask for?

We were charmed. And we will be back.