Truffles Galore

Everyone wants a little something to munch on. When you arrive at 1243 beacon (for fancy dinner), that little something is truffled popcorn. I bought some truffle salt last time I was in San Francisco, and have since sprinkled it on anything and everything - mac and cheese, potatoes, chicken, chowder... My favorite, and least time consuming option, is popcorn. I just pop some kernels on the stove in olive oil, and then sprinkle the truffle salt on top when it's done. Yum!

People always ask me how they get their hands on some, and I say, "At the mushroom store, in the Ferry Building, in San Francisco." Duh. Well, apparently that's not helpful. So I did a little web savvy research (I googled it and looked for a picture that matches the one I have) - it's Casina Rossa Truffle & Salt, and you can buy it online!

It was shared with me by the clerk at the mushroom store like this: "Do you like truffles?" Me: expectant nod. Clerk, "Ok, lick this." Me: quizzical WTF?

Luckily I had no trouble licking the potion off my not so clean hands because now I'm sharing it with you. Go find some and lick it!

June 27: The Big Apple

Sissy's birthday + we're both in NYC means 4x4 birthday brunch. It also means lobster rolls from Luke's Lobster and it should mean Cambodian pork belly banh mi as well, but that's besides the point. Anyway, since Ranyee likes making desserts much more than I do, I only had to make 3 courses! Which was actually really fortuitous because I was alternating between passed out on the couch from too much benadryl and soaking my feet in ice water. Long story short, I was viciously attacked by no-see-ums on a rafting trip to Maine a few days prior and those are itchy little buggers. I am surprisingly alert and not grumpy in this shot on the left. But that's enough about me and my hardships. Moving on....

There were pictures being taken, but I'm pretty sure Ranyee's subsequent marriage and honeymoon got in the way of me getting a copy of them. In the meantime, I stole some from Mike's facebook to put here. I think it's allowed because we technically walked down the aisle together too.

= stealing pictures is acceptable (thanks Mike!)



We have some repeats here from previous dinners, so I'll go over the menu quickly. We had beet and cantaloupe soup, chicken salad and almonds on mixed baby greens, seared scallops with miso slaw, and liege waffles with roasted cherries.

I'll end with - I need to get me some stainless steel cookware. It could open the doors to a world of searing and deglazing that is not accessible with my non-stick hodge podge. But that'll have to wait until I have my own kitchen.

July 16: Marshview Farm

Pancetta and Arugula Flatbread
dijon cream, queso fresco
Dancing Coyote Albarino

Corn and Avocado Salad
marshview farm lettuces, stillmans farm corn
David Hook Viognier

Scallops with Lemon Risotto
chard and beet greens from marshview farm

Bertinerie Sauvignon

Peach Blueberry Crisp
vanilla ice cream

Nashoba Valley After Dinner Peach

I had a delicious corn and cabbage salad at Oleana a few days before this that I wanted to replicate. It was a mini-tower of tasty bits: mixed baby greens, something fried and crispy, corn/cabbage delight, crumbled cheese. My version was going to be: lettuce, fried green tomato, corn and avocado salsa, queso fresco. But after calling every grocer in the area looking for green tomatoes 5 hours before dinner, I had to call that layer a fail. Why do stores not stock barely edible unripe fruit-veggies?? I have no idea. Then we have the queso fresco, which I double booked for the flatbreads too. Oh well, pizza wins, and the salad is down to 2 items. Dress the salad with a bit of olive oil, chopped cilantro, and the left over lime juice, scoop the corn and avocado on the top. And there you have it: sweet, simple, summer.

Since I'm still convinced it would've been better with green tomatoes, here's the recipe I was hoping to use. If you get your hands on some hard, green lumps, try them out. Or share with me!

4 large, firm green tomatoes, cut crosswise into 1/2-inch slices
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
1 cup finely ground cornmeal
1 teaspoon paprika or pimentón (a Spanish smoked paprika, available at latienda.com)
2 eggs
Vegetable oil

1. Sprinkle the tomato slices with the salt and pepper; set aside.
2. Combine the cornmeal and paprika in a shallow bowl. In another bowl, beat the eggs.
3. Cover the bottom of a heavy skillet with 1/2 inch of oil, then place it over medium-high heat.
4. Coat the tomato slices in the egg, then dredge them in the cornmeal mixture.
5. Fry as many tomatoes as fit comfortably in the pan until nicely browned, about 2 minutes a side.
6. Transfer them to a paper towel-lined platter. Repeat until all the tomatoes are cooked.

http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Fried-Green-Tomatoes-242647#ixzz0utcrZ7kW

Only change I would make is to pat the sliced tomatoes in seasoned flour before the egg. Oh, and cut them thinner.

Steak tips, anyone?

I just went to Appleton Farms in Ipswich, and picked up some steak tips. Made from happy, grass loving cows. Mmm. That reminded me that I promised I would put up the marinade recipe I used last time.

Without further ado, the Southwestern Marinade recipe from Cook's Illustrated's "The New Best Recipe" (for 2 lbs of steak tips):

1/3 c soy sauce
1/3 c veggie oil
3 minced/pressed garlic cloves
1 T dark brown sugar
1 T tomato paste
1 T chili powder
2 t ground cumin
1/4 t cayenne pepper

Mix together with whatever quantity adjustments you feel like at the time, and then let it sit for at least an hour (I left it overnight).

Enjoy!

The 2010 Summer Tour

I'm organizing shopping prep for 4x4 in Manhattan! That's it. That's the tour. But, this makes me an almost-caterer. I'm going to NY for a family event, and since it's my sister's birthday, we decided (she decided) there should be a four course brunch. I'm looking forward to:

- A bigger kitchen (yes, NY beats Boston in this regard)
- Matching dinnerware (my sister's getting married soon, and registry items are pouring in)
- Seeing reactions from non-friends (sorry friends, but I think you all might be biased - and that's why I like you so much)

Currently working on: How do I get all this food down to NY without giving everyone food poisoning?? Don't worry, I have a lead.

As for back in Boston, I was trying to have 2 dinners in July, but stupid, stupid summer school is turning out to be more work than anticipated. So, just Friday July 16 for now. You'll get an email. If I can squeeze in another date, it'll be either the Saturday before or after.

June 15: Sweet Summer

Beet and Melon Soup
Ilauri Lume Trebbiano

Chicken Salad in Endive
La Dote Semillon

Southwestern Steak Tips
mashed potatoes and sauteed broccoli slaw
I Selvatici Ser Pepo Chianti

Strawberry Shortcake
Cambas Mavrodaphine


I'm so excited that summer is here! My CSA (community supported agriculture) deliveries started just in time, and I got to use the beets, arugula, and some strawberries in this dinner. And I have already been thinking up dishes to use other fruits and veggies this summer as they come into season. The growing season in New England is really short, so I'll need to squeeze in as many dinners as possible into the next couple of months. If only I didn't have so much other stuff going on! Like summer school. Booo. That means no dinners Mon-Thurs until August. Double boo. I'll try not to let an entire month pass again, but it's getting tricky!

Also, I followed two recipes from my cookbooks this time. I'm really proud of myself; it doesn't happen...ever. They were both from a book by America's Test Kitchen. I figured I could trust that their recipes would be delicious because they are food nerds dedicated to testing their hypotheses. Turns out to be true, except that 1. I'm bad at following directions (something about reserving half the sugar to sprinkle on top), and 2. I probably need regular table salt. Using sea salt when baking leads to biscuits with salt pockets. Baking is just not my thing. Steak tip marinade though... delicious. If I remember to, I'll post the recipe since I actually added everything as directed.

May 17: A Dozen Mouths to Feed

Memphis Ribs
Trace Zinfandel

Eggplant Rollatini
angel hair pasta
Pomine P35 Toscana

Sesame Seared Tuna
jicama slaw with miso dressing
Moulin de Toulot White

Honey Lavender Profiteroles
Ipsus Passito de Pantelleria

Phew! This dinner was hard! Part of my exhaustion was probably from hiking all day on Saturday and then cleaning the Charles River on Sunday before I could even begin my grocery shopping. I definitely did my zombie stare into the tv for a good 2 hours before I got up the energy to go to the store(s). That left me in desperate need of a nap, but I tried to get a head start on my task list instead.

Not only was I super busy, but this was the hardest menu I've come up with (oops) - and I had 12 people coming to eat. On Sunday night, I intended to dry rub the ribs, roast eggplant, julienne veggies, make profiteroles, make ice cream, make miso dressing, and finally roll ricotta cheese into eggplant. I didn't quite finish everything, which just meant more work for the big night. ack!

I had a worse night sleep on Sunday night than I did before I took the GMAT. Then I spent all day at work stressing about how much I had to do, but as soon as I got home I realized everything would get done in time. I don't know what's wrong with me. I had a little help setting the table, but by the time people started showing up I had time to sit and hang out with everyone.

A Delayed Wine Orgasm

I'll admit, I know almost nothing about wines. Therefore, I find the task of wine pairings daunting. There was an easy solution though, I just go to the Wine Gallery and stand in front of their wine jukebox, tasting wines while discussing my menu with the attendant. I always have my arms full of wine in no time, and I feel like I am making informed decisions for every course.

As with the Casalone Mariposa, sometimes I am not given any freedom when pairing wines. As soon as I mentioned my intentions to make chocolate mascarpone mousse, my wine guru started moaning with delight (about the wine, not the mousse) and led me straight to this bottle of sparkling red dessert wine. I hesitated at the price, but she shoved it into my hands anyway, exclaiming that this would be the wine I served. Uncomfortable with her effusive reaction, I just took the bottle and made a run for it.

Later, at the dinner, I was making a comment about how overly excited people at the wine store were about this particular pairing. I couldn't understand how someone could react so strongly about a wine pairing. But, a few minutes later, there were in fact moans and groans from around the table as people experienced this for themselves. It turns out that the guru's response was completely legitimate and I only wish that I could've been more appreciative when she was giving me the original description of strawberry and chocolate heaven.

Logo?

Recently I've been taking a printmaking class, and this week we've started talking about printing words and a technique that allows you to print many copies with minimal supplies using the same plate. You just need paint, sticky styrofoam paper, and a roller. I drew a blank on what I could print. I don't have much to say that I think is worth printing. So I started fiddling around with a design for my dinner project. Here's what I came up with. What do you think? Is it worth printing? This is probably not necessary and I don't know what I would do with it, but I need something to do in my class!

April 25: I can't wait a month!

I tried and tried, but I just couldn't wait any longer to have another dinner.

Springtime Asparagus Soup
served with creme fraiche and garlic rubbed crostinis
Fondarzac White '07

Shrimp and Mango Summer Rolls
Poppy Chardonnay

Braised Lamb Shank
with farro risotto
Terramater Cab Sav

Chocolate Mascapone Mousse
on a chocolate shortbread
Casalone Mariposa

Three quick notes on this meal:

I'm glad that I had my friends over for dinner. That way, if I do something like roll ugly summer rolls, I can still serve them! Hopefully the taste made up for the way they looked.

This was my first time cooking lamb. You will probably see more slow roasted meats on my menu. It's nice to have something you can throw in the oven for a couple hours while working on other dishes. And no one can say no to meat that's so tender it is falling of the bone.

Farro risotto is my new favorite. I always have it at my hotel in Philadelphia when I go for interviews. It's smooth and creamy, and it still has a bite to it when all is done. Maybe it's better for you than arborio rice too, I don't know. All i know is that it's delicious, and I want more!

More about our dessert wine later. That will get it's own post...

April 1: Take 1

We're actually back tracking here, because I've already been doing this for a month and a half. So let me just show you what we had:

Salad from Spain
jamon iberico, manchego cheese, poached raisins, almonds, arugula
Vina Aljibes Rosado

Wild Mushroom Neopolitan
with chevre mousse
Vazisubani Dry White Wine

Chicken in Riesling
over wild rice and haricot vert
Crossroads Savignon Blanc

Lemon Meringue Tart
Blanc Fetzer Gewurztraminer

Coming up with a menu with wines is a lot trickier than I thought it would be! You want to put your food in an order that makes sense, not repeat ingredients, and have a progression with the wines. It was a giant food puzzle, but it worked out in the end. I had 5 people over, and everyone survived! I will definitely need more people though, 4 wines is too much for 5 people to finish when that much food is involved.

One little secret, dessert wasn't supposed to be a lemon meringue tart. I fell asleep while baking the lemon tart on my dinner's eve. The buzzer was going off, but I was just too tired to realize. When I finally took it out of the oven (it woke my roommate), there were giant cracks in the lemon custard (oh no!). My original plan was to just put a dallop of whipped cream on each slice. Now that wouldn't be enough. I spent all day at work trying to decide if i should make a new one, or cover it up. I only had 2 hours to cook everything before people started coming over. In the end I decided the quickest save was to whip up some egg whites and make it a lemon meringue tart. Phew!

It Begins

Someone told me to start a blog, so here it is. If only everything were that easy. Anyway, this is how it all began.

I decided that my life needed a few things: A budget to cook fancier food than I can normally afford. People to feed these things to (cooking for one can get pretty boring). More wine. A way to meet people. Another hobby.

Thinking, thinking, tinkering, thinking...

Ah ha! Along the lines of Bowdoin's Dinner with 6 Strangers, people can sign up to have dinner at my house. You pay, I cook, and you take your chances on your dining companions and menu that particular evening. With your money in my pocket, I'll have so many delicious ingredients at my fingertips.

So, let's say we have dinner at least once a month. Four course chef's (that's me!) tasting menu with wines paired with each course.

Humor me, I promise it'll be tasty.