Food: Feasts Under $5 – Grilled Cheese with Apple
I love grilled cheese. I’ve loved grilled cheese since I was a little kid and my mom made grilled cheese and Spaghettios. I love grilled cheese now when my mom makes grilled cheese with tomato and bacon. And I will continue to love grilled cheese even after this “grilled cheese restaurant” and “grilled cheese food truck” fad passes. What follows is a recipe for a slightly upscale, seasonal recipe that includes slices of apple, gouda, and cheddar. If you want to get really fancy you can add a little Dijon mustard, or some apple butter to the bread.
Apples are in season right now, and in New England you can get them locally, pretty much anywhere. Take the opportunity to go apple picking with friends and grab a bunch, or hit up a local farmers market, or even just your regular grocery store. Cortlands, Granny Smiths, or any slightly tart apple works really well in this sandwich.
A great accompaniment to grilled cheese is a bowl of tomato soup, or my Squash and Parsnip Soup. (Plus, the sandwich and soup together are less than $22 for the meal – $12.20 for the sandwiches and $9.58 for the soup!)
Grilled Cheese with Apple:
(yields 4 sandwiches)
1 loaf sourdough bread
1/4 stick unsalted butter (for greasing pan)
1 apple, peeled and sliced very thin
1/2 lb sharp cheddar, sliced
1/4 lb red wax gouda, sliced
optional: mustard, apple butter
Butter a pan, arrange cheese and apple slices evenly on bread. Add mustard or apple butter to one slice of bread, if desired. Cook sandwiches slowly until bread is browned and cheese is melted, flipping once. Re-butter pan between sandwiches.
Financial Analysis:
Bread: $4.00
Gouda: $2.30
Cheddar: $5.00
Apple: $.90
Total: $12.20 or 3.05 per serving
(This assumes pantry staples.)
Food: Feasts Under $5 – Chicken Salad with Grapes and Rhubarb
It’s easy to forget that grapes are in season right now, and available to buy from local growers (Concord MA). They play a sweet counterpart to the sour rhubarb in this chicken salad, and their chewy texture balances the creaminess of the yogurt. I use non-fat Greek yogurt because it’s one of the few foods that tastes exactly the same with fat or without, and it has a very similar texture to mayonnaise. If you’re interested in this and other local, seasonal recipes that fit into the Feasts Under $5 category, check me out at the Boston Local Food Festival this Saturday at 11:15! Voila.
Chicken Salad with Grapes and Rhubarb:
1 lb chicken breast, cooked and diced
16 oz (most of 1 large container) non-fat Greek Yogurt
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup rhubarb
1/2 cup celery
3/4 cups concord grapes, halved
Combine celery, rhubarb, yogurt, lemon juice, grapes, and tarragon in a bowl. Mix in chicken to coat. Chill for 1 hour. Serve over lettuce, on bread, or just in a bowl.
Financial Analysis:
1 lb chicken breast: $8.50
Greek Yogurt: $3.79
Celery stalk: $0.20
Rhubarb stalk: $0.65
1 lb grapes: $4.00
Total: $17.14 or $4.28.
(Assumes use of pantry staples.)
Frame: Mark Bittman Stole My Idea
So not only does Mark Bittman have my dream career, several cookbooks, an iPhone app, fame, fortune, and cooking segments on JetBlue TV, he’s also gone and stolen my idea. In last Sunday’s New York Times, his article, “Is Junk Food Really Cheaper?” makes my point that eating healthy is NOT more expensive than junk food, and he even uses the same McDonald’s value meal comparison. To add insult to injury, he then goes on to cook several inexpensive, home-cooked meals, and do a financial analysis. (Sound familiar?) Finally, he ends by making the point that yes, you do have time to cook, and we should all think of cooking and tinkering in the kitchen as something fun.
I’m beginning to think (hope?) Bittman reads my blog.
Food: Feasts Under $5 and Meatless Monday – Squash and Parsnip Soup
I’m so excited for fall that I’ve already started wearing sweaters, even though it’s been unseasonable warm here in Boston. I’m ready for stew and roasts and meatballs and pie, and I’m sick to death of fruit salad. To further the fall weather along, I’ve put together a recipe for Squash and Parsnip Soup, which I’ll also be discussing during my demo at the Boston Local Food Festival on Saturday. This soup is really easy, but you do need a good blender to get the right consistency (I use my beloved Vitamix).
Squash and parnsips are readily available at most local farmer’s markets right now, or they are in season at your neighborhood grocery store. The natural creaminess of the squash lets you forego actual cream, but I do add a little butter for the texture. If you wanted to make this vegan, just forget about the butter and use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth.
Butternut Squash and Parsnip Soup:
2 cups butternut squash, chopped
2 cups parsnips, chopped
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 small shallot
3 tbsp unsalted butter
2 cups chicken broth (plus one cup in case you want to thin the soup)
1/2 tsp salt
Place chopped squash, shallot, and parsnips on a cookie sheet. Break thyme sprigs in half and crumble over vegetables, then roast for 30 minutes at 350. Put vegetables, butter, broth, and salt in a blender, blend on high until smooth. Add more chicken broth in 1/4 cup increments, if needed.
Financial Analysis:
Squash: $2.00
Parsnips: $2.00
Fresh Thyme: $2.69
Shallot: $.50
Chicken broth: $2.39
Total: $9.58 or $2.39 per serving.
As always, I assume you have pantry staples.You could cut out $2.69 by using dried thyme from your pantry, but this is a case where fresh herbs make a difference. Plus, the fresh thyme will keep for at least two weeks in your fridge (seal it in plastic and push out the air) or you can dry it and use it for months.
This soup is pretty filling on its own, but a few inexpensive additions to the meal could be:
Loaf of bread, grilled: $3
4 apples and 1 onion, sliced and sautéed with butter and cinnamon: $4
4 baked potatoes and sour cream: $5
Voila.
Frame: Boston Local Food Festival
I’m really excited to be included in the group of demonstrators at the Boston Local Food Festival next Saturday, October 1st. I’ll be in the DIY booth with my friends at Local In Season, talking about my Feasts Under $5, and teaching onlookers how to incorporate local and seasonal ingredients into inexpensive, delicious meals.
Over the next week I’ll be posting some of the recipes I’ll be talking about at the festival, but I’m also open to suggestions for meals you’d like to see, or ingredients you’d like me to use – either at the festival or on the blog. Leave a comment or send me an email, and I hope to see you at 11:15am next Saturday!
Food: Feasts Under $5 – Vegetable Korma
A few weeks ago, after a great meal at Mela, I decided to cook Indian food. I fully expected my attempt to be a bust – I’m not very familiar with the components of Indian food or the techniques in Indian cooking. But it turns out that Vegetable Korma is pretty easy to make – just a lot of chopping and simmering. The most important element is the spice blend – the measurements I use below lead to a mildly spiced dish, so I suggest starting there. If you want more intense flavor, add more of each spice – in equal parts – after the cream has simmered.
Vegetable Korma – serves 4
1/2 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
1 pint heavy cream
1 small can (6-8 0z) tomato sauce
1 cup frozen peas
1/2 red pepper, sliced
1/2 green pepper, sliced
1/2 jalapeno, seeded and chopped
1/2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
3 gloves garlic, pressed or grated
2 small waxy potatoes, cubed and blanched for 5 minutes
1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 large carrot, cubed
1 medium onion, diced
Saute onion over medium heat in a few tbsp of olive oil or vegetable oil. Add ginger and garlic, stir and saute until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add tomato sauce, potatoes, carrots, and jalapeno, stir to combine. Add cumin, turmeric, curry powder, and salt, stir and simmer for 2-3 minutes. Add cream, peppers, peas, and chick peas, simmer for 10 minutes. Taste, adjust spices (adding more of each in equal parts) if necessary. Serve plain or over rice.
Financial Analysis:
Tomato Sauce: $.99
Chick Peas: $.1.39
Onion: $1.00
Peas: $1.49
Potatoes: $1.20
Peppers: $2.00
Jalapeno: $.50
Cream: $3.49
Basmati Rice: $3.00
Ginger: $.30
Carrot: $1.00
Turmeric: $2.39
Total: $18.75 per meal, $4.68 per serving.
Turmeric adds a nice flavor element to the dish, which is why I included this spice (and its cost) in the recipe. You could substitute Garam Masala instead of Curry Powder, but Curry Powder was already in our pantry. While this dish isn’t protein heavy, the chick peas and peas contribute a fair amount. And yes, there is a lot of cream in this meal, but I like to think it is balanced by the vegetables. If you want to lighten it up, you can substitute a mixture of light coconut milk and vegetable broth, just be aware that the consistency will be runnier and the flavor will be significantly different.
Remember, the cost of this meal assumes you already have pantry staples.
Ultimate Feast: The French Laundry
Recently I made a note of restaurants I want to visit before I turn 40, but let’s face it, this list would be a feat for anyone to accomplish in a lifetime. At the very top of the list is The French Laundry, Thomas Keller’s iconic Yountville eatery. This is a place people fantasize about, a place people stay on a perpetual waiting list for, a place Anthony Bourdain says you must eat before you die. My dad has always been in the business of making his daughter’s dreams come true, so last Saturday night he and I drove to the unassuming, vine and flowered covered laundry, and stepped inside a dream.
If you are expecting an ultra atmosphere at The French Laundry, you won’t get it. The garden is tasteful, the foyer is lovely, the tables are nicely dressed in plain white table cloths with clothespins clutching the napkins. As we walked to our table for two upstairs, I noted that the restaurant really does feel like an old residence made over into an upscale yet cozy restaurant. If you want ultra, just want until service starts.
Our host – calling him a “waiter” would seem blasphemous – was attentive but didn’t hover, answered any questions we had, and did not flinch when we only ordered a half bottle of wine. He coordinated our meal impeccably, each course arriving at a perfect interval from the one before it. But more impressive than our own host (Dad and I were relatively low maintenance) was watching how each group of diners – an eclectic bunch to say the least – was kindly and enthusiastically served. The table of haughty, “we eat here all the time,” aristocrats got exactly the same service as the pair in the corner, who had clearly been saving up for a lifetime, and was celebrating some milestone. Anyone that had a question about the menu was given an animated explanation, sometimes including props brought in from the kitchen. For the larger tables, a line of servers marched in unison with each dish, delicately setting them at each person’s fingertips.
And the food…oh, the food. One chooses between a 9 course regular tasting menu, or a 9 course vegetable (not vegetarian) tasting menu. There is also a 20 course tasting menu, but that’s only if you actually want to explode at the end of your meal. You can also check out the extensive ipad wine list, but for this meal I wanted to concentrate on food.
Once you make your choice your menus are whisked away and two pre-courses are set in front of you: traditional Gougeres and the famous French Laundry Cornets – smoked salmon tartare cones. I’ve had Gougeres before, and always thought of them as dry, bland puffs. But of course, these were light yet filled with a creamy cheese mixture. The Cornets – long imitated at Cuchi Cuchi in Central Square – were a reason to visit, all by themselves. After a visit from our host with a tray of bread selections from the nearby Bouchon, we were ready to begin our meal. I’ll list the courses below, in order of appearance. I’ve only included select pictures as, unfortunately, the quality is not as good as I’d like. While The French Laundry was very generous in allowing pictures, I just couldn’t be “that guy” with a flash on my camera.
1. Oysters and Pearls – Sabayon of Pearl Tapioca with Island Creek Oysters and White Sturgeon Caviar. One of my favorites of the evening, the creaminess of the tapioca with the saltiness of the caviar and the ocean freshness of the oysters will stick with me for years.
2. Salad of Hawaiian Hearts of Palm with Asian Pear and Silverado Strawberries
OR
Moulard Duck Foie Gras au Torchon with Huckleberry Relish, Eureka Lemon, Tokyo Turnips and Watercress- served with toasted bread and three different types of salt.
While my hearts of palm were delicious, DoSB’s foie gras was decadence embodied. The salt and bread accompaniments, as well as the huckleberry relish, cut through the heaviness of the pate to balance everything perfectly.
3. Abalone with Jinglebell Peppers, Chicken, and Corn “Pudding.” I had never had Abalone before, and this was the perfect vehicle for it. Arriving in a glass terrarium, it’s chewy texture and mild flavor was complemented by the sweet corn and smokey chicken.
abalone
4. Sweet Butter Poached Maine Lobster “Mitts” with Hobbs’ Bacon, Hass Avocado, Baby Beets, Romaine Lettuce and Tarragon Creme Fraiche. I hated this dish. I hated it because the second I tasted the absolute succulence of the lobster, I was ruined on lobster rolls for life. Nothing, nothing can compare to this.
5. Raviolo de ris de Veau with French Laundry Garden Pumpkin, Celery Branch, Black Truffles, and Sauce Blanquette with Parmesan Tuile. It was at this point in the meal that I started to slow down. The minced veal in the ravioli seemed to find every empty corner of my stomach and cling to it.
life altering lobster
6. Snake River Farms Calotte de Boeuf Grillee with Bone Marrow “Pudding,” Spinach Subric, Matsutake Mushrooms, Nantes Carrots and Sauce Bordelaise. It was at this point in the meal when I started to feel euphoric. I’ve heard about runner’s highs, they say that if you eat extremely spicy food you feel a certain thrill. But it’s perfectly cooked beef that instills rapture in Sliced Bread.
7. Mimolette – Royal Blenheim Apricot Membrillo, Fennel Bulb, Nicoise olive paste, Pine Nuts and Sorrel. I was prepared to be disappointed by the cheese course, as I know Mimolette and have never been excited by its fairly bland flavor. However, this had been aged well, and accompaniments brought out flavor I never knew existed. I wish I could have bought a block of the membrillo and a jar of the olive paste.
8. Jacobsens’s Farm Apple Sorbet– Champagne Gelee and McIntosh Apple Puree. A welcome refresher, and the kind of thing you would want to eat gallons of, if you weren’t already groaning at the seams.
9. Caramelized White Chocolate Namelaka – Black Mission Fig, Toasted Oat Tuile, and Piedmont Hazelnuts
OR
Nectarine Melba – Sicilian Pistachio Pain de Gene, Andante Dairy Yogurt, Biscotti Tuile, and Raspberry Sorbet
I had the Nectarine Melba, DoSB had the Chocolate Namelaka. Both desserts were unique, not too rich, and brightly flavored with the sweet, creamy note of The End. The sliced nectarines on my melba were so crisp they snapped, and the raspberry sorbet popped on my tongue, waking up my now exhausted palate.
And if that weren’t enough…
9+ A tray of homemade chocolates – flavored with olive oil, sea salt, peanut butter and jelly, and more – were brought to the table, as were packages of shortbread. As gauche as I knew it was, I had to ask to have them wrapped, I just couldn’t fit another morsel in my mouth. But we did relax a bit before the drive home, ordering Cranberry Orange tea that was brewed in a silver pot and brought to the table along with french pressed coffee and warm, frothed cream.
- rapture worthy beef
It’s taken me a few days to finish the write-up of this meal because each time I begin, I start to feel full again. And I’m sure this feeling of full, decadent happiness will linger with me forever – not just because of the food, but because of the memory of the meal with my Dad, our weekend in Napa, and the fun we had together.
Foray: Napa, Day 3 – “Oh, We Party”
Yesterday I wondered out loud about what kind of training it must take to be a wine tour/tasting guide. How much do they get paid, what is their lifestyle like, do they eventually get sick of all wine, all the time? Today, we got the answers to all of these questions, albeit from a small sample size.
We started our day at Rudd Winery, where I took copious amounts of pictures trying to capture the vineyards,
Rudd vineyards
the gardens,
Rudd gardens/fountain
and the wine caves.
tables in wine caves at Rudd
We were led by a wine guide whose name I can’t remember – let’s call him Totally Gavin, because the first word of each of his sentences started with “totally,” and I think maybe his name was Gavin.
TG was knowledgeable, pleasant, and very laid back as he gently led us around the property. He quietly recited the history of Mr. Rudd, and plucked pieces of spearmint and sage for us to eat as we walked through the gardens. He showed us the warehouse where they press their grapes, and then he took us down to the caves. At the end of a labyrinthine hallway filled with barrels of wine, sat two long wooden tables. I assumed these were for gatherings or wine club dinners, so I asked TG, “Do you do events down here?”
TG suddenly became extremely serious. “Oh, we party” he said, looking me straight in the eye with the glassy gaze of someone who always votes to legalize marijuana. “I mean, the people that work here. We have fun down here.” So, what’s the lifestyle of a wine guide like? Pretty relaxed, I’d say.
At Rudd I also realized that, at a group wine tasting, you are either The People That Know About Wine or The Other People. The People That Know About Wine are usually louder and more opinionated – and I’m not saying this in a derogatory way. These people usually get to taste more wine, and better wine, as the guides connect with them (and see more of a chance to sell wine). The Other People are usually quieter, and it doesn’t mean that they don’t know anything about wine. It can mean they don’t particularly like the wine they’re drinking, or they’re silently making fun of their loud group-mates, or they’re just tired. DoSB and I fell into both of these groups at various times this weekend. At the Rudd tasting, we were The Other People, but only because we couldn’t help but chuckle about TG and the rest of our group, who went on and on about the virtue of vertical collections.
The Rudd wine, by the way, was fantastic. We tasted a Sauvignon Blanc and two Cabs, one a 2007 – apparently THE year for wine.
After lunch, we went to Pine Ridge and tried some of my favorites of the trip. Their Merlot, Tessitura, and Onyx were all unique in the best possible way. And our wine guide was quick, enthusiastic, and very open about the fact that he’d had a bit too much and needed a break to get some water. So, do wine guides ever get sick of wine? Nope, they just get drunk on the job.
For our final Napa dinner (I haven’t had a chance to finish my write up of The French Laundry from last night) we chose Michael Chiarello’s Bottega. Located on restaurant row in Yountville, Bottega specializes in modern Italian cuisine. Classics like Bolognese are there, but with Red Wheat Fettucine. Basic Marina becomes Angry Heirloom Tomato Sauce with Calabrian Chilies and Orange Essence, and my favorite appetizer was a Yellowfin Tuna with lemon agrodolce. Fresh, tender, and worthy of any well-known sushi bar, much less a high-end Italian restaurant.
My order of the rigatoni with caramelized mushrooms, rabbit ragu, and housemade riccotta was a winner, the homemade pasta’s firm texture matching that of the chewy rabbit. DoSB had shortribs that just fell apart- he ate them with the same spoon he used for his sorbet at the end of the meal. We sat on Bottega’s porch, which is generally quieter and preferable to the inside of the restaurant. However, tonight there was a wedding reception taking place a mere 50 feet away, and we got to hear everyone’s toasts to the bride and groom. I didn’t mind – it was funny, and not so loud that it took away from our meal or conversation. But I wonder if the wedding speakers knew a whole restaurant was listening to their anecdotes about Johnny’s football days and Betsy’s dream of 2.5 children.
Ah Napa, it’s a shame to have to leave your gorgeous hills, fantastic wine, and peerless food. But taking a lesson from Totally Gavin, I’ll be going home even happier, more educated about wine, and always ready to look at life as a party.
Foray: Napa, Day 2
Sometimes I look at my cat, who is on her third nap of the day at 10am, and say something like “wow, it must be really tough to be you. You have a really hard life.”
Today, DoSB and I had to keep a tight schedule of three wine tastings and lunch at Bouchon. It’s really tough to be me in Napa. I have a really hard life.
We started with breakfast at the Oakville Grocery, one of those specialty shops with everything -wine glasses, olive oil, chicken salad, sweatshirts, wine, fresh strawberries, and muffins. You can’t go to a 10:30am wine tasting without something in your belly.
strawberries at oakville grocery
Crocker & Starr, our first visit of the day, is an unassuming site – no huge granite sign promoting their brand. They don’t need it – their wine is *that* good. Mark Simon spent over an hour with just my dad and I, talking earnestly and excitedly about the history of Crocker & Starr, the wine maker Pam Starr, and Napa in general. Unfortunately the winery is sold out of their Sauvignon Blanc, but it didn’t stop us from enjoying a tasting glass, or from purchasing some of their impressive Cabernet Franc.
Next stop, Bouchon for lunch, in Yountville.
Ok here’s the thing: when you know you have a highly coveted reservation at The French Laundry for dinner, it’s really hard to care about food for the rest of the day. So I have to apologize to Bouchon, which has an awesome attached bakery, a gorgeous looking raw bar, and a really cool Parisian atmosphere. The rich, French dishes everyone around me was ordering looked amazing, but all I could manage was a Croque Madame – grilled ham and cheese with a fried egg. And my primary reason for ordering that sandwich was to get some fries. And the fries were among the best I’ve ever had – the aioli alone was worth the price of admission. But no one should go to Bouchon the same day that they have French Laundry on the brain.
After lunch, we continued our wine tour with Chateau Montelena. Montelena was featured in the movie Bottle Shock for its then-surprising win at the 1976 Paris wine tasting, so I was moderately worried that it would be too commercial, to ubiquitous, too full of itself. Make no mistake, Chateau Montelena thinks highly of its wines, but the head of our library wine tasting – the lovely Jennifer – made it clear that it’s all in what you like. If you prefer their $26 Sauvignon Blanc over their $145 estate Cabernet, then that’s what you should drink. My choice was their Chardonnay, but I particularly liked the folder of materials and interactive nature of the tasting. What can I say, I’m a student at heart.
And if that weren’t enough, we rounded out the day at Cade. LEED certified, Cade is nothing if not visually impressive. Sitting around a large wooden table, a group of us were treated to a string of excellent wines. But, more interesting than the wines, were Cade’s environmental politics. An upscale winery, they’ve taken a stand on the cork issue, choosing to bottle many of their wines with screw caps, even though the cost is greater (to put the screw marks on the bottle) and those that aren’t in the know may immediately dismiss them as “cheap.” I really appreciated their committment to a green mission, and look forward to visiting their sister winery, Plumpjack, tomorrow.
Voila.
view from Cade
Foray: Napa, Day 1
courtyard at Don Giovanni
DoSB and I are on a trip, a foray to Napa Valley to taste some wine and eat some really, really good food. We arrived today, and our first stop was Bistro Don Giovanni for lunch. This is the kind of place that always surprises me on the West Coast- it looks like a cheesy chain restaurant from the road (it’s right off the highway), but once you walk in it’s gorgeous, with sunflowers and well-tended greenery in a central garden. In the middle of a crowded porch, a well fed tabby cat was stretched out, napping on a bench. By the time we left he’d acquired a napkin pillow and been lovingly covered with a napkin blanket. This is California.
Don Giovanni’s was not on our agenda for the day – we were hungry and tired from our cross-country flights and we needed something close to our hotel to tide us over before check-in. Iphone search brought up Giovanni’s, and the Yelp’ers claiming it had phenomenal pizza and pasta were correct.
After a nap, a jog around Napa, and some window shopping in St. Helena, we were ready for dinner at Cook. Small and welcoming, Cook proves my point about California – you can get great food anywhere, and it won’t cost you a fortune. I had caprese salad with “golden” balsamic – sweeter than regular balsamic, almost honeyed. DoSB had linguine with baby clams, just as good as my pappardelle with pork ragu. And for dessert I had a “mundae” – strawwberry and chocolate gelato topped with whipped cream, olive oil, balsamic vinegar, and grey salt. The balsamic and salt were great with the chocolate, though too strong with the strawberry, and the olive oil was interesting, but after a few bites I had to cleanse my palate with some of DoSB’s white peach sorbet. Not something for everyday consumption, but definitely a must-try.
Tomorrow: Cade, Crocker Starr, and Chateau Montelena Wineries, plus Bouchon and The French Laundry. Voila.
"mundae"
Feast: Five Horses Tavern
light fixture at 5H, picture from This Week in Boston
Each time a new restaurant opens up in Davis Square, I think: this will be the one. Finally, a good place to eat in Davis. It won’t be super crowded and cramped (Boston Burger Company), it will find a middle ground between trying-too-hard-to-be-hip (Foundry, Joshua Tree) and dive (Burren, Red Bones), the drinks selection will be varied, and the food will be worth the price.
I wished for all of these things when I tried Five Horses Tavern last weekend. Unfortunately, the music was so piercingly loud when I arrived at 6:30pm, that I had to abandon all hope and concentrate on basic communication. I whipped out the few words I know in sign language (flower, eat, and car), but ultimately my group resorted to text messaging our conversations to each other. This is only a slight exaggeration.
Five Horses does have its good points – the extensive drink menu looks great, and my glass of wine was thoughtfully selected and priced. The jalapeno-cheddar mashed potatoes were fantastic, and the Fried Chicken Salad and Pea Salad were quite good. The menu is afforable and, from the looks of the macaroni and cheese on another table, I think Five Horses may find its niche in comfort food this winter. The pizza dough on the vegan pizza was great, but the toppings – whipped tofu among them – were not. It’s nice that Five Horses boasts multiple vegetarian/vegan offerings, but if they can’t do them well, they probably shouldn’t bother.
The decor hasn’t changed much since the restaurant’s last incarnation as Sagra, which means it’s a little confused – is this a club? Is this a restaurant? Is this a bar? What level am I supposed to be on? It seemed that the wait staff – we were served by at least 4 different people, slowly – were also confused as to where they should be, and when. The atmosphere did little to solve any mystery- at 6:30pm it was much more “midnight club scene” than “early dinner.” I respect Five Horses’ right to be available for both drinking and eating, and many places achieve mastery of each. But you can’t do both at once. I actually found myself yelling to get my servers attention, and having to repeat myself 2 or 3 times to my friends sitting across the table. This tells me the managers at 5H are only catering to the people sitting or standing at the bar, talking directly into each other’s ears.
I still think Five Horses has potential, but I hope someone tips them off to the following:
1) Revise the operations a bit. Give your staff more training. And don’t make them wear those plaid shirts. Ditch the cowboy theme, if that’s what you’re going for.
2) Figure out what you’re good at and stick to it. If that means paring down the menu to a few amazing, homey dishes, so be it. Tinker with the vegan offerings, or abandon them.
3) Keep the music at normal (read: conversational) levels until 9:15, when serious diners will be gone or settling up the tab. After that, party on.
Feast (NH): Red Arrow Diner
The Red Arrow Diner is one of those places that makes a grilled cheese very similar (though still not as good) as the one your mom makes. Their turkey gravy is real, not from a powder. They have a cold case filled with homemade whoopie pies and twinkies, and signed celebrity pictures (Sarah Silverman, Adam Sandler, Guy Fieri) line the walls. Everything that comes out of the service window is steaming hot, and looks great in that sticky, saucy, greasy diner way. And if you can handle the silly broke teenagers that will sit for hours and share one cup of coffee, you can even come at 2 am – Red Arrow is open 24 hours. Voila.
grilled cheese and french fries
counter at red arrow
Food: Caramelized Pear Ice Cream
Some might say that, as summer draws to a close, ice cream season also ends. False. Ice cream is always in season, and to prove it, here is a very fall flavored ice cream. Voila.
Caramelized Pear Ice Cream
4 RIPE bartlett pears, peeled, cored, cut into chunks
1/2 cup sugar plus 2 cups sugar
4 cups half and half
1/2 vanilla bean, scraped
5 egg yolks
1 1/2 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp nutmeg
1 ice cream maker
Combine pears, nutmeg, cinnamon, vanilla bean seeds, and 1/2 cup sugar in a bowl, mix with hands until coated. Put mixture in a saucepan and cook over medium heat until pears are tender and sugar is a bubbling sauce. Pour mixture into a blender, blend until smooth. Combine half and half and 2 cups sugar in a large saucepan, bring to a simmer over medium heat, whisking periodically. Meanwhile, whisk egg yolks in a small bowl. Add 1 cup of the simmering liquid mixture to the yolks and whisk until smooth, then add yolk mixture to saucepan and whisk until incorporated. Bring liquid back to a simmer (whisking periodically) and cook for 4-5 minutes, until mixture coats the back of a spoon. Remove from heat and stir in pear mixture. Whisk until smooth. Pour the mixture into a large bowl and put a piece of plastic wrap directly on top (to prevent a skin from forming). Let the mixture cool completely – this will take at least a few hours. Pour mixture into ice cream maker and process according to your machine’s instructions. Voila!
Food: Feasts Under $5 – Lemon Herb Pasta with Burrata
For this week’s Feast Under $5, I’m cooking Lemon Herb Pasta with Mushrooms, Tomatoes, and Burrata, a fresh Italian cheese made of mozzarella and cream. Burrata looks like a large ball of mozzarella, but it is softer in texture and, unlike regular, bland mozzarella, is sweeter in taste. I also use the optional addition of truffle salt, which adds another layer of depth to this dish. Truffle salt – usually $5 for a small jar – is about half as expensive as truffle oil, and lasts a long time because you only need a dash. You don’t have to use it, just as you could substitute less expensive (though less interesting) mozzarella for burrata, but I want these Feasts Under $5 to be fun. Cheap food can be boring, and when people think “healthy” they often think “bland,” but I want to prove that it doesn’t have to be. Trying something you’ve never had before – like burrata – can make anyone more excited about shopping, cooking, or eating. I wish everyone was so excited about eating that just looking at a McDonald’s burger made them want to gag.
Lemon Herb Pasta with Burrata – serves 4
1 ball of burrata, cut or torn into small pieces (or substitute regular fresh mozzarella, cubed)
2 tbsp lemon juice
4 oz mixed mushrooms, sliced
1/4 cup fresh basil, chopped
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
1 small shallot, minced
1 lb pasta
6 tbsp butter
2 tbsp olive oil
2 fresh tomatoes, diced
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 cup white wine
*optional: 1/4 tsp truffle salt (not included in cost)
In a large saucepan over medium heat, saute shallot, mushrooms, lemon juice, basil, and parsley in the oil and butter until shallot is translucent. Add wine and simmer for 3-5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. If using truffle salt, add now In the meantime, cook 1 lb of pasta (preferably fettucine) in salted water. Drain cooked pasta, add to saucepan, stir. Add burrata or mozzarella, stir to distribute. Portion into bowls and top with tomatoes.
Financial Analysis:
Burrata: $8.99 (or substitute regular mozzarella, $4.99)
Mushrooms: $3.99
Shallot: $.50
1 lb dried Pasta: $1.99
Basil: $.75
Parsley: $.25
Tomatoes: $2.00
Wine: $1.27
Total: $19.74, or$4.93 per serving.
Again, this assumes you’ve already invested in the pantry staples.
Fluid: Tolloy Sauvignon Blanc, 2008
I’m still learning about wine, and I’ll admit that sometimes I just don’t get the cherry, tobacco, or wildflower flavor that claims to live in the bottle. But every so often I find one that I can just nail. Blindfolded in a cave with a cold I could tell you that Tolloy Sauvignon Blanc tastes of the best peach you’ve ever eaten, with a little bit of apple thrown in. And it retails for under $10. Voila.
Note: I found this wine at Central Kitchen, one of my favorite restaurants in Cambridge.
The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread 