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Soup of the Evening
From a kindly reader a great tip about a terrific restaurant: Regarding your soup article: you really should try the soup at the Farm House Cafe! In terms of cream of mushroom, FHC served an amazing mushroom chestnut soup for their New Year's Eve dinner. Creamy without being overly rich, it beautifully paired the umami flavor of the mushrooms with the nuttiness of the chestnuts...and there was a little bleu cheese in there too. Absolutely delicious! The soups change frequently- when the potato leek is on the menu, it is not to be missed- silky, pleasantly herbal, comforting and soothing.— January 7, 2010 5:44 p.m.
Letters
Re: "Fish Flakes" I am sorry you disliked a restaurant I recommended. In its defense, however, I notice that your complaint involves SMOKED salmon pasta. Smoked salmon (unless otherwise specified) normally refers to salt-cured, cold-smoked deli salmon, best known in the US as lox (e.g., "bagels and lox," favorite New York Sunday breakfast, with a thick shmear of cream cheese topped with ultra-thin slices of the fish). It's also a favorite treat in Scotland, Norway, France, and, I think, Ireland, and seems to have moseyed down to Italy lately as a chic pasta garnish. Unlike fresh salmon, cold-smoked salmon is never, ever, anywhere, eaten as a whole fillet -- the curing and smoking reduce the salmon in size and intensifies its flavor, richness and saltiness. (That's why it's quite expensive --the fish loses a lot of weight.) New York deli countermen compete on how thin they can slice it -- because the thinner it is, the silkier the texture! In pasta, it's typically served in slivers in a cream sauce -- it's used purely as a flavor, not a protein. As for the 20% service charge, you were probably a party of six or more. As it says on the menu, parties of that size have a 20% tip added to the bill. This is standard practice in most fine-food restaurants, ensuring that servers don't get stiffed when a large group includes a cheapskate or two. As an ex-waitress myself, I think it's the best idea since -- sliced smoked salmon.— January 6, 2010 7:28 p.m.
Milan Modern
Re #1 -- Hey, any guy named Vinny Paesano ought to know what he's talking about re Italian food! (Hope you don't mind a trifle teasing, Vinny.)— January 1, 2010 8:01 p.m.
The Year in Restaurants
First -- two important corrections. 1. While Argentine tapas definitely made my "boca" very "alegre," the name of the Argentine tapas place that made a happy-happy hour is Puerto La Boca (not Puerto Alegre). It's at 2060 India St., (at Hawthorn), Little Italy, 619-234-4900; www.puertolaboca.us. And I'll repeat about it -- if you're looking for a loud bar scene with shrieking blondes, etc., this is not the place. Just great food, yummy wines, and a non-tourist South American atmosphere. 2. Sorry to say that after coming back from the dead, Chilango's expired again. Damn, damn, damn! (By the way, the obits list was truly incomplete. Saw 5 more deaders en route to the Gaslamp two days ago. Mainly no great losses on that route.) Okay, now -- Cantina Mayahuel. I ate there in April. Obviously, they've raised prices since then. I didn't see how they could survive on their low prices, and apparently, they realized the same. I swear to you, my Margaritas cost $5 each -- I had three of them, I should know! (And was still able to walk, talk, and then take notes perfectly well, so they may have been a bit weak, if delicioso.) All I ate were the $10 specials, as I'm not real excited about tacos (as a 10-year resident of scenic central Golden Hill, I don't need no stinkin' tacos -- they were about all you could get here before the blessed Luigi's Pizza came to the rescue.) But I am always excited about serious mole saucss, and was very impressed. But yeah, millerowski, could be everything has gone up (prices) or down (food quality) -- eight months is a long time in the life of a barebones restaurant struggling to survive. Happy new year everyone. May this decade be better than the last one -- Peace on Earth, clean water to the third world, respect and freedom for women everywhere and good health care to everyone. NW— January 1, 2010 7:26 p.m.
Back to Kathmandu
Piscetarian alert to S Daniels and ilk: Just found fish-eater hog heaven at the new Westgate Room at Westgate Hotel. Splurgy and lush-looking but not really excessively spendy (e.g., less than steakhouses, for instance) and "biz casual" clothes will do. Ahi sashimi with "shock and awe" brilliant garnishes, almost unearthly Pacific Sea Bass. Wine: For $40, I can't believe Chateau St. Jean has grown up into this big, plump, luscious gal with Bette Grable legs -- if you like your whites rich and bold, it's just so right for these dishes. Who'd'a thunk it at the Westgaste? Review to follow in a few weeks but wanted to put out the rave ahead of time in case you've got relatives coming to town during the holidays to impress and placate. Or, of course, your own selves.— November 20, 2009 12:25 a.m.
Rare Burgers? Rarely
Oh, I forgot to say: That armadillo recipe way up there a bunch of posts ago is likely to be very good. Looking it over, realized it's the classic French recipe for rabbit. Ate it my first night in Beaune (rabbit version, not armadillo). That was way back (seventies) but I still savory the memory. Armadillo version oughta be just as good. Any chance, you think, Von's will carry th meatt?— October 20, 2009 12:42 a.m.
Rare Burgers? Rarely
Faux-Persian Fruited Rice To simplify Persia's wonderful but elaborate rice dishes down to the bone (because it's late at night and I'm ready for beddy-bye, not cookbook searches), here's a version that I sometimes use in a hurry, simplified to pilaf rather than Iran's great polos (developed by wives often wearing niqabs, forbidden to even take a walk alone much less work outside the home ...): In a heavy pan with a tight lid, lightly soak dried fruit of choice (sour cherries, barberries, currants, whatever) in water until semi-soft, and drain. Chop some onion and saute in lotsa unsalted butter, stirring often so butter doesn't brown. Add a great long-grain rice (basmati, say), pre-soaked and drained if the package says so. Very gently let rice cook in butter until translucent. Dust with a little allspice and stir in fruit. Add precisely twice as much liquid (e.g., chicken stock, but water if you must) as the amount of rice. Rapidly bring to a boil, stir once, clap on a tight lid, lower heat to a simmer, and simmer about 25 minutes. Let stand off heat 5 minutes (vital!) Serve -- sprinkled with a little ground sumac for color and a touch of tart flavor. (For bfown Jasmine or basmati, you'll probably need a little more liquid and more cooking time --say, 2 1/4 proportion, and 35 minutes before the rest period.) Oh, well -- now I keep thinking about Qabuli, common to North India, Persia and Afghanistan: That's the one with minced carrots, cashews, raisins and/or currants (and saffron if you can afford it, and peas if you want): For that one, you saute the rice without the onions in some butter, and you saute the fruit separately, with onions, carrots and cashews in plenty more butter, until the carrots are semi-soft, and stir it into the rice when the rice is done. A very little turmeric with the rice liquid or the fruit-fry givew a golden color if you can't spring for real saffron. As Julia told her little doggie: Bone appetit!— October 20, 2009 12:24 a.m.
Rare Burgers? Rarely
Ah, SDaniels, flattery will get you everywhere. I usually go for mango salsa with fish, and have never tried a cherry glaze, but I do know what liquor to use for the latter. Cognac, of course! If you want it even sweeter than the cherries (remember that old R&B song, "sweeter than the cherries, sweeter than the juice, if it gets any sweeter, it ain't no goddamn use..."?) think about kirsch. But, know what? Think about pomegranate instead for salmon and gamey fish -- the tartness might work better, and you've got over a thousand years' worth of good cooks backing you up on that. You can buy "pomegranate molasses" (a thick reduction) in Middle Eastern markets or a lot of gourmet markets, and it lasts in the fridge almost forever, given the thickness and tartness. Some brands are so thick, they have to be cut with something or you'll end up with a big sour MROWR on your mouth. Without dragging out my ten-ton cooking notebooks for recipes right now (look at the time!) I'm thinking about cutting it with water or white wine and a touch of soy sauce and nam pla for the umami we're looking for. Minced Italian parsley leaves an thyme. And of course, you can buy bottled POM juice and just reduce it on the stove. The Persians are the big pomegranate users (along with the Georgians) and they're the world's experts on combining dried fruits with rice. Go to Bandar's website and look at the menu to get the names of several such rice dishes (Shireen Polo, Qabuli, etc.), then fish on google for recipes for the ones you want.— October 20, 2009 12:21 a.m.
99 Years of Seduction
This was signed, sealed and delivered before the good reader comment from an Istrian about "speck" (see Cucina Urbana comments.) It's not really Austrian prosciutto (different part of the pig, not the same way of making it) but it does taste similar.— October 19, 2009 10:45 p.m.
99 Years of Seduction
Last week S. Daniels requested a fish recipe. Just got around to it. Copper River Salmon with Morels is posted on last week's comments.— October 14, 2009 7:38 p.m.