In the Headlights

Steak Au Poivre

Watching "Ratatouille" reminds me that I haven't told you about a wonderful (and simple) French dish I had at Benson's Steak House.  Early in December, before it got brutally cold in the Northeast, Shawn and I found ourselves in Manhattan, and one thing I like to do when I get there is make a beeline for Benson's.  I've been there five or six times now.  The first time, I was walking around in the cold, trying to decide where to eat, and liked the menu in the window and the inviting look of the place.  I walked in, asked if they could fit in a single with no reservation, and they gave me a small table by the wine cooler with a view of the dining room.  Each time I've gone in by myself, they've made room for me, even though the place is always packed.

Shawn and I had a charming table in the crowded restaurant, and I had, as I have before, one of the biggest Gibsons I've had anywhere.  No mistaking my order and bringing me a vodka martini here!  Our waiter was charming, and even let Shawn take his picture.

I ordered a full-sized tenderloin done au poivre, cooked rare.  It was luscious.  The fact that it sat like a gut bomb afterward is neither here nor there.  It was either that or the basket of bread I ate waiting for the steak and creamed spinach to arrive.

Shawn had a tenderloin and a delicious potato dish.  We shared the potatoes and spinach.

Steak au poivre (sometimes called "pepper steak", but not to be confused with the "pepper steak" that denotes beef cooked with green bell peppers) involves pounding crushed (not ground) peppercorns into the steak at room temperature, then searing it over high heat, and deglazing the pan with cognac and cream, which is then poured over the steak. 

Every tender bit, dragged through the sauce.  Succulent.  Savory.   

And the service was great.  It was fun to watch the waiters navigate the crowded room with dessert carts, huge lobsters, trays of drinks.  No wonder I like going back there.

Ratatouille!

Ratatouille used to mean a French peasant dish made with various vegetables.  When I was growing up, Mom would make it by grilling eggplant, green peppers, onions, and slicing tomatoes, then layering the whole thing with ham and Swiss cheese, herbs, salt and pepper, then baking it.  Served with a crispy baguette and butter, it was a delightful Summer dish.  Now it refers

Now, no one has to remember the dish, though it adds a layer to the title of this movie (and is featured at the end of the movie), which centers on a beguiling little rat named Remy with a distinct culinary gift. The Pixar animation is truly wonderful, not only of the characters, but of the beauty of Paris and the French countryside.  Disney and Pixar collaborated on this film.  Animators spent time in culinary schools, to understand the workings of the kitchen, and they went to Paris to appreciate the beauty and spirit of that city.

Remy comes to Paris from the countryside and goes to visit the restaurant of his culinary god, Gusteau,  only to find that the reknown chef has died.  Not to worry, though, Remy gets to commune with his spirit.

When Alfredo Linguini, the janitor spills the soup special, he attempts to cover it up by throwing ingredients into the pot.  Remy can't stand by and watch, and fixes the soup.  Linguini discovers Remy, and they form a partnership.  Remy hides under Linguini's toque and pulls on his hair to direct his movements. It's adorable.

The plot is complicated by sous-chef Skinner's desire to profit from Gusteau's name, the hitherto unknown fact that Gusteau had an heir, a romance between Linguini and chef Colette, and malevolent critic named Anton Ego. Not to mention the ethnic tension between humans and rats, and the rat genocide taking place all the while.  A restaurant is not a safe place for a young rat, as is amply demonstrated every time Remy's cute little nose shows itself.

Definitely a charming, fun movie. Pixar does it again!

Cheesy Sculpture

 

Interesting sculpture carved from a wheel of parmigiano Reggiano, in the lobby of the hotel we stayed in in New York.  I doubt they'll ever grate that puppy to put on top of my pasta...

The Perfect Gin?

At Kathie's house, one bridge Saturday last year, there was a small, dark bottle sitting on the counter.  At bridge, I usually stick to wine, because I know I'll be driving later, and switch to club soda after a couple of glasses.  But this night, I looked closer at the bottle.  Hmmm.  A gin I'd never heard of.  Well, I had to take a little taste.

  It was like flowers exploding in my mouth.  In a good way, I mean.  Or maybe juniper berries exploding.  Anyway, it was a very dry gin, but extremely flavorful. 

I enjoy the occasional martini, something I learned at my parents' knees.  Gordon's is the gin of choice at their house, and a good one it is.  but Hendrick's has a whole symphony of flavors I never noticed in other gins. "Made with a free and imaginative spirit, Hendrick's Gin is instilled with coriander, juniper and citrus peel--and infused with rose petal and a curious yet marvelous hint of cucumber."  Yeah, that's what I was thinking...

It's made in Ayrshire, Scotland.

From the little flyer attached to the neck of the bottle:

"Loved by a tiny handful of people all over the world.  Hendrick's:  It is not for everyone."

It was selected "most flavorful" by the Wall Street Journal, August 2003.

Preferred by 1 out of 1000 gin drinkers...Join the tiny yet oddly growing handful of individuals all over the world and visit:  Hendricksgin.com.  (It's a cute website.)

Yum.

[Image from Weinquelle]

Joy of Fruitcake

I know fruitcake is a joke.  I know no one eats it, and they send the same one to each other every Christmas.  For generations.

This fruitcake is different.  Yeah.  I also know that's what they all say.  Hear me out.

Dresdener Stollen is a sweetened yeast bread to which you add rum or brandy-soaked candied fruit and raisins.  You sprinkle it with powdered sugar, or do what Red used to:  slather it in butter.  It is delicous.  Suitable for giving or consuming.  I'd recommend the latter.  I guarantee you won't get it back next year.

My Mom made some recently.  I took these pictures at her house, with my trusty cell phone (Cingular 8525).  The recipe is from Time-Life Foods of the World, The Cooking of Germany.

Makes two 13-inch loaves

1/2 cups seedless raisins
1/2 cup dried currants
1 cup mixed candied citrus peel
1/4 cup candied angelica, cut into 1/4-inch dice
1/2 cup candied cherries, cut in half
1/2 cup rum
1/4 cup lukewarm water (110-115 degrees)
2 packages of yeast
3/4 cup plus a pinch of sugar
5 1/2 cups plus 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1/2 teaspoon finely grated fresh lemon peel
2 eggs, room temperature
3/4 cup unsalted butter, cut into 1/4-inch bits and softenend
8 tablespoons melted unsalted butter
1 cup blanched slivered almonds
14 cup confectioners' sugar, sifted

Combine the raisins, currants, candied citrus peel, angelica and cherries in a bowl.  Puor the rum over them, tossing the fruit about to coat the pieces evenly.  Soak for at least 1 hour.  (You may not be able to find angelica.  If not, substitute an equal amount of another favorite candied fruit.)

Pour the lukewarm water into a small bowl and sprinkle it with the yeast and a pinch of sugar.  Let the mixture stand for 2-3 minutes, then stir to dissolved the yeast completely.  Set the bowl in a warm, draft-free place (such as a turned-off oven...I put mine on 200 for a few minutes, then turn it off...chance are you don't have a pilot light anymore) for about five minutes, or until the mixture almost doubles in volume.

Meanwhile, drain the fruit, reserving the rum, and carefully pat the pieces completely dry with paper towels.  Place the fruit in a bowl, sprinkle it with 2 tablespoons of the flour, and turn it about with a spoon until the flour is completely absorbed.  Set aside.

In a heavy 1 1/2 to 2-quart saucepan, combine the milk, 1/2 cup of the sugar and the salt.  Heat to lukewarm (110-115 degrees) stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves.  Off the heat, stir in the reserved rum, the almond extract and fresh lemon peeo, and finally the yeast mixture.

Place 5 cups of the flour in a large bowl and with a fork, stir in the yeast mixture, a cup or so at a time.  Beat the eggs until frothy, and stir them into the dough, then beat in the bits of softened butter.  Gather the dough into a ball and place it on a board sprinkled with the remaining 1/2 cup of flour.  Knead the dough (or use your Kitchenaid or other mixer and a doughhook)  by pushing it down with the heels of your hands, pressing it forward and folding it back on itself.  Continue the kneading for about 15 minutes, or until all the flour is incorporated and the dough is smooth and elastic.  Flour your hands lightly from time to time.  Now press the fruit and almonds into the dough, 1/3 cup or so at a time, but do not knead the or handle it too much, or the dough will diwscolor.  Coat a deep bowl with 1 teaspoon of melted butter and drop in the dough.  Brush the top of the dough with another 2 teaspoons melted butter, drape a towel over the bowl and set it in a warm, draft-free place (guess where) for 2 hours, or until the dough doubles in bulk.

Punch the dough down and divide it into two equal pieces.  Let them rest for 10 minutes, then roll the pieces out into strips about 12 inches long, 8-inches wide and 1/2 inch thick.  Brush each strip with 2 tablespoons of the remaining butter and sprinkle each with 2 tablespoons of sugar.  Fold each strip lengthwise in the following fashion:  bring one long side over to the center of the strip and press the edge down lightly.  Then fold the other long side across it, overlapping the seam down the center by about 1 inch.  Press the edge gently to keep it in place.  With lightly floured hands, taper the ends of the loaf slightly and pat the sides gently together to mound it in the center.  The finished loaf should be about 3 1/2 to 4 inches wide and 13 inches long.

With a pastry brush and 1 tablespoon of melted butter, coat the bottom of an 11-by-17 jelly-roll pan.  Place the loaves on the pan and brush them with the remaining 2 tablespoons of melted butter.  Set the loaves aside in a war draft-free place for about 1 hour, or until doubled in bulk.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.  Then bake the bread in the middle of the oven for 45 minutes, or until golden brown and crusty.  Transfer the loaves to wire racks to cool completely.  Just before serving, sprinkle the loaves with the sifted confectioners' sugar.

The Wedding

I got back Sunday afternoon from the wedding of Steve and Melissa, in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Mike and Vicky and I drove up (more specifically, Mike drove, Vicky and I entertrained ourselves in many ways).

The wedding weekend was great.  The weather was chilly but beautiful.  We stayed at the Marriott, and the rooms were lovely, great beds, showers, decor, and reasonable.

We got there Friday afternoon, and went to the groom's parents' house for a barbecue rehearsal dinner.  Actually, there was no rehearsal, but lots of wine and fabulous barbecue.  The house was huge and decoreated in fantastic eclectic antiques, paintings, pottery.  The party itself was held in an outside area which was tented in.  The heaters were few and far between, but we all managed to stay warm, migrating into the house for another libation when we got too cold.

After sleeping one party off, the next morning was a wedding brunch given by the groom's aunt uncle.  Omelet station, eggs benedict, cheese grits and shrimp, mimosas, bloody marys, screwdrivers, tenderloin and ham.  All this with the wedding to come in the evening.

That evening was cold again.  The wedding took place outside, in the same place that the rehearsal dinner had been.  Wonderful, again. Beautiful short ceremony.  The bride, who is gorgeous to begin with looked so beautiful.  Her sisters had done her hair and she wore a $129 Isaac Mizrahi gown from Target (the one in the illustration).  Melissa's slim and looked great in the dress.  Now both sides of the family have money as do the bride and groom in their own right.  So this was a decision consciously made.  And she couldn't have looked better if they'd spent thousands.

A few lovely toasts  "the first time I took Melissa out, I knew we were dating.  It just took her eight months to realize it," said Steve.

It was wonderful meeting both sides of the new family, as well as lots of their old friends.  What a great celebration.

So the drive up Friday and back Sunday was a bit much, but I got to read the Sunday New York Times and work the puzzle on the trip back.  We also listened to James Patterson's Sam's Letters to Jennifer on audiobooks.  I was afraid it was going to be blood, gore and serial killers.  Sadly, it was not.  Instead, it was a calculated, treacly tear-jerking mess.  I kept busy waiting for it to redeem itself somehow.  No such luck, but it did pass the time.

Department of Wretched Excess

Laura suggested that if you indulge like this today,

Not on carrots, but you know what I mean.

You'll look like this before the football game is over.

That may be me.  I don't intend to, but who knows.

I'm exhausted.  Long days at work this week, a lot of people taking vacation.

I just cooked some fresh cranberries in sugar and water, and put a 7-lb. turkey breast on to brine.  The folks don't usually like turkey, but I made it this way last year to rave reviews.  I put a gallon of water in a deep pot with a cup of kosher salt and a half cup of sugar.  Swished it around and dropped in the turkey breast.  Put a lid on it and back in the fridge.  The sugar adds a caramelization that's lovely, and the brine makes it moist.  I'll slather it in butter and pepper (no salt!) in the morning, and bake it about three hours at 325 degrees.

What else?  I got some beautiful shrimp from Fresh Market for shrimp cocktail, along with a baguette.

Sweet potatoes and baking potatoes to boil and mash together with butter and cream. 

Creamed spinach:  saute some shallots in butter, add enough flour to make a roux,  and add some sour cream, salt and pepper and fresh nutmeg.  In the meantime, nuke and drain a big bag of spinach leaves and add it to the cream sauce.

Salad:  your choice.  Mine's balsamic vinaigrette.

Dessert, strawberry chiffon pie.  Graham cracker crust, follow the instructions on the box.  Whip some cream and sugar.  Throw a bag of thawed frozen strawberries in a blender and puree.  Soften some gelatin in water and add to the strawberries.  Fold in the whipped cream, and add to one or two pie crusts. 

Yeah.  I'll look like the bottom picture by the time I'm done.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Dinner on the Run

<30 minute meal.  Wonder if I could get a show on the Food Channel.

I picked up a piece of cooked salmon at the Fresh Market.

When I got home, I put on salt water to cook the tagliatelle.

Got out a bowl and put in a chunk of butter (I had some garlic/parsley butter, so used that) and about a quarter cup of heavy cream.  Maybe a tad more.

Put the noodles in the water.  Nuked the cream and butter for a minute to heat it up.

Broke the salmon up into chunks in the bowl with the cream and butter.

When the pasta was about done, I added a few frozen shrimp I had, and let them cook the last minute or so. 

Drained the pasta and tossed it with the cream mixture.

Then I sat down with a glass of Kim Crawford Marlborough Sauvignon Blanc, my pasta, and a dish of parmesan.  I didn't photograph the parmesan, because I'm always told that seafood dishes shouldn't have cheese added, but dang, it just tastes so good.

I have some frozen artichoke hearts in the fridge too.  Next time I make this, I'm adding some of them to the pasta water when I add the shrimp.  Yum.

My New Favorite Screw (Cork, that is)

I had a favorite corkscrew.  It is a nice little hinged- lever corkpull.

But lately, I've fallen for a little racing number I picked up at the Biltmore wine store.

   

Instead of a lever to grab the neck of the bottle, the little silver piece moves forward and engages the lip.  Simple and elegant.

 

Simple, elegant, matte black.

Coutale Waiter's Corkscrew.

 

The image is from Framara. 

Here's a great deal.  You can order them at closeout prices from Bar Parts:  six for $19.95!

Great stocking stuffer.

Dine.com

Next time you travel to a new city, you can go to Dine.com to find restaurant reviews submitted by eaters like you.  There are almost 300,000 reviews of almost 200,000 restaurants, so you're sure to find something you like.

The downside?  They don't have my favorite special occasion restaurant, Matthew's listed.  So not all restaurants make the guide.  It just gives you a selection to choose from so at least it won't be awful.

Here's the review for our local Ruth's Chris Steak House.  There's probably one near you as well.  A fair variety of comments, a couple of dissenters, but the most recent is from almost a year ago.

Still, try it.  Knowledge is power.

[Image from Matthew's from blogs.move.com]