Feast and Fluid: A Night at Stir Boston
Lotte A L’Armoricaine
Last Thursday I collected on a very generous birthday present: Dave and I went to Stir Boston. If you haven’t already heard about Stir, I can tell you without hesitation that it is the most luxurious cooking class I have ever taken. You won’t do any chopping at this class, no whisking, peeling, sautéing – heck, you won’t even stand. You’ll sidle up to the kitchen island with 9 other people, drink a glass of champagne poured by the Sommelier, and watch your animated and knowledgeable chef prepare a fantastic meal, which she’ll serve to you, course by course.
The Stir Boston space is very small, with barely room for 10 around the table. However, rather than feeling cramped, it is cozy, with one wall in the room devoted entirely to cookbooks. During the evening you’ll enjoy great wine (extremely thoughtful pairings- oenophiles rejoice) and verbally mingle with your fellow diners as well as the chef. Our French Country Comfort Food class went from 7-9:45pm and included 6 small courses, 4 glasses of wine, and a pleasurable crowd of people. The amiable group was important, a class experience at Stir could be marred – if not ruined – by one or two overbearing personalities. We were lucky to have a few Stir regulars at our class who already knew the chef (Stephanie) and the drill (“Now we vote on our favorite course! I’ll write down everyone’s choices!”). These experienced guests drew out the newbies, asking us questions about ourselves and our interest in French food. By the second glass of wine everyone felt comfortable asking Stephanie questions about what she was cooking, why she was using certain ingredients, and how we could incorporate her techniques into our own meals at home.
Depending on the crowd, an evening at Stir could feel more like a social event than an educational experience, so if you’re looking for a very serious, hands on class, this is not for you. However, even from the comfort of my stool and with an arm around my date, I picked up a few tips (noted below). Check out the rest of this post for some pictures, the run down of our food for the evening, and the recipe from my favorite course, a monkfish stew.
Tips from Chef Stephanie:
-Stephanie used Grapeseed oil for all of her sautéing, citing its high smoke point and mild flavor. Who knew?
-She also finished many of her dishes with White Balsamic Vinegar. White Balsamic is less sweet than regular Balsamic, and doesn’t have the syrupy texture. It added a subtle brightness without salt – I went out and bought some the next day.
-When making a sauce, Stephanie ran her finger down a ladle and said, “We’re looking for the ‘nappe,'” which she explained is the stage of a sauce when the liquid will coat a spoon.
-When a liquid is boiling with fast bubbles, it means there is a lot of water in it. When the bubbles slow, it means the sauce is reducing and thickening.
-If you put mushrooms in meatballs, you will keep them moist.
Tartiflette
Armchair Travel: French Country Comfort Food
First: A trio of Madelines – chive, chorizo, and comte (Pairing: NV Roderer Champagne Brut*)
Second: Quiche Lorraine: greens, bacon, and Comte
Third: Lotte a L’armoricaine -stew with monkfish, saffron, and Cognac (Pairing: 2009 Mas Christine Cotes du Roussillon Blanc – buttery, smooth, amazing)
Fourth: Tartiflette – potato, ham and reblochon (Pairing: 2009 Thinvin Brouilly Beaujolais – very smooth, cut the rich umami of the cheese)
Fifth: Coq au Vin Crepinette – red wine mushrooms, meatballs and pearl onions
Sixth: Apple Tarte Tatin – orange, lavender and creme fraiche (Pairing: 2008 Chateau Bel Air Sainte Croix du Mont)
Chef Stephanie
Lotte A L’Armoricaine
1 ½ pounds monkfish, or other firm fish, cut into large pieces
1 teaspoon minced garlic
2 tablespoons minced shallot
1 cup seeded & diced tomato
½ teaspoon saffron
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 teaspoon thyme
2 teaspoons parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons cognac
4 tablespoons dry white wine
1 cup clam juice
¼ cup heavy cream
kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper
grapeseed oil
In a large pan with deep sides, drizzle the bottom with grapeseed oil, and place over medium-high heat. Add the fish, and cook for about 3 minutes, until the fish has begun to brown and slightly cook. Adding more oil if necessary, add the shallot and garlic, cooking for 1-2 minutes, until tender and translucent, but not brown. Add the tomato paste and diced tomato, and cook for about 3 minutes. Add the saffron, thyme, and parsley, and stir to combine.
Pour in the wine and cognac, making sure to stir and scrape up any brown bits that have started to stick to the bottom. Cook until the wine and cognac have reduced and there is barely any liquid left in the pan. Add the clam juice and cream, cover, and reduce the heat. Allow to simmer for about 8 minutes.
Tangent: “Good” Customers
In my line of work, I’m often approached by someone who starts off a tirade by saying “I’m a good customer.” This is when I know I’m in trouble. When the person announces themself as a “really good” customer, it’s just that much worse. And when I’m in the presence of an “excellent” customer, I just give up immediately.
Here is how these people typically define “good”:
–Rich. As in “I’m a good customer. I spend over $300 a week here.” Gosh, that’s great that you have all that money. Perhaps you should spend some on therapy instead of railing against me every time our chicken wings aren’t to your liking.
–Bored. As in “I’m a good customer. I’ve read everything there is to read about your company.” Really? You’ve read everything? If you have that much free time, I could really use a hand with some stuff out back. Unlike you, I don’t have an hour to listen to someone whine about how they disagree with our CEO’s philosophy on white sugar.
-Well-Educated. As in “I’m a good customer. I went to Harvard.” I could seriously give a shit. Normally, I don’t swear on this blog, but this one really gets me. I’m well-educated too. But you don’t hear me throwing it in your face every time I want a gift card or a free muffin.
–Altruistic. As in “I’m a good customer, and I need to bring something to your attention.” Usually what this person is bringing to my attention is that “that guy who works in Grocery doesn’t speak English, he can’t understand me and now I need your help to find my tortilla chips.” False. That gentleman’s name is Mike, and he’s just quiet. He’s quite smart, he speaks perfect English, and if you actually took a second to listen, you’d know that. But instead, you’ve made yourself look like a racist ass. Have a great day!
–Generally Superior to Me in Every Way. As in “I’m a good customer. I used to work in engineering/psychology/air travel [insert any profession with more cache than retail] and you are doing things [insert anything and everything] wrong here. I will now tell you how to do your job.” The amount of engineers who have taken precious time out of their days to share with me their long career history and chastise me for being an idiot (and, no doubt, a woman) is simply astounding. I should send all of them a thank you note for trying to put some semblance of order into my otherwise floundering organization. I could just cry for all the good these people try to do in the world. [Read: F Off.]
Here is how I define a “good” customer:
-Kind. Someone who treats my staff well, and who sticks up for my staff when someone else is treating them badly. (These people, I love. I will shower these people with gifts when I see them in the act.) Someone who lets the customer with 1 item go ahead of them and their overflowing cart.
–Considerate. Someone who makes an effort to help clean up the blueberries they spill all over the cart, or the soup their kids threw all over the floor. Or, at the very least, apologizes for leaving a mess.
–Conscientious. Someone who nicely brings important things to my attention. As in “Your clerk gave me turkey bologna instead of turkey salami, and I’m allergic to bologna.” Allergies are important, and I appreciate you telling me, especially because you did not end by saying “…and I think your clerk is retarded/foreign/generally stupid.” We all make mistakes.
If you ever want to start a conversation like this, first stop and figure out if you really are a good customer. And if you’re not a good customer, just remember: You are not faceless.
If you throw a fit, I will remember you.
If you make someone on my staff cry, I will remember you.
If you make me cry (later, in private, in the dark), I will hate you. And remember you.
And the next time you try to tell me that you are a good customer, I will turn around and walk away.
Happy Valentine’s Day!
Valentine’s Day Food: Cocoa Dusting Taste Test
before.
I’ve noticed that chocolate dipped items have been taking a backseat to “cocoa dusted” treats for the past few years. This is alarming. We’ve been dipping things in chocolate for centuries- strawberries, bananas, pretzels, cookies, bacon. These things are good all year round, but they get the undeniably delicious spotlight on Valentine’s Day. But… cocoa dusted scallops? Google it – there are tons of recipes for this. Why?
In the spirit of making the most out of Valentine’s Day, I decided to keep an open mind and do a taste test. I chose 3 items that I’ve seen increasingly powdered – Scallops, Steak, and Goat Cheese, and then picked three more that I was curious about – Potato, Pork, and Mushrooms. I rolled everything lightly in high quality, dutch processed cocoa powdered and cooked the ingredients in a small skillet with butter (except for the goat cheese, which I did not cook). Here are the results:
Scallops: Nope, I hate this. The cocoa powder was too much, and really took away from the flavor. In fact, I thought it made the scallops taste fishy. If I was to try this again I’d mix the cocoa with panko breadcrumbs.
Potato (Yukon Gold, thinly sliced): This was surprisingly tasty. The cocoa complements but doesn’t overwhelm the musky flavor of the potatoes.
Steak: The cocoa blends so well with the steak flavor that you don’t really taste it. Although, this makes sense- same idea as the popular Steak Mole.
Mushroom: Like the potato, the cocoa blended well with the earthy taste of the mushroom. I liked it.
Pork: Bad. Just bad. Don’t.
Goat cheese (rolled not cooked): My favorite! The tang of the goat cheese and the bitterness of the cocoa are actually great together, a really surprising fit.
All in all, I’d rather have some chocolate dipped bacon, but a cocoa dusting taste test is a cool activity to do with your Valentine. Voila.
after.
Valentine’s Day Food: Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies
Red Velvet is one of those festive, special tastes that works well for Valentine’s Day. Or it would be if you couldn’t get it everywhere these days. Nonetheless, I found this recipe at Sweet Pea’s Kitchen, and adapted it only slightly – it didn’t really need improving. These aren’t particularly chocolate-y “brownies,” the emphasis is on the cheesecake and the “velvet.” And, they are cake-y rather than fudge-y, but they are fantastic.
Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies
1/2 cup butter
2- 4 oz semi-sweet chocolate chips (depends on how chocolate-y you want these)
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/2 tsp red food coloring OR 2 tbsp red decorative sugar
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
Cream Cheese Layer:
1 package cream cheese
1/3 cup sugar
1 and 1/2 large egg (it’s a hassle to use half an egg, yes, but otherwise the mixture is too clumpy)
1 tbsp vanilla extract
Preheat oven to 350. Liberally butter the bottom and sides of a 8 inch baking pan. Line with parchment paper if desired.
In a small bowl, melt butter and chocolate together (can be done in the microwave). Stir until combined, cool for a few minutes.
Whisk together sugar, eggs, vanilla and red food coloring. Add chocolate mixture and stir until smooth. Add flour and stir until just combined. Pour into prepared pan and spread into an even layer.
To prepare cheesecake mixture, beat cream cheese, sugar, eggs and vanilla extract in a bowl until smooth. Distribute the cheesecake mixture in dollops over batter in the pan, swirl in with a knife or spatula.
Bake for 35-40 minutes, until brownies and cheesecake are set. Let cool before cutting. Voila!
Valentine’s Day Food: Fallen Chocolate Cakes
Valentine’s Day is upon us, and for many people this means baking something lovely for their sweetheart. But based on my history of baking failures (too long to list) my sweetheart would probably prefer I just brought over some Just Jimmies. Not this time, pal.
I have been working on a few recipes, and this one seems fool-proof, and much more impressive to look at than it is difficult to make. You can even put it together while you are washing the dishes from the last thing you made. (I’m still not quite there with my new year’s resolutions…) Granted, when I popped mine out of the ramekin the bottom fell out immediately and oozed onto the plate, but it was still photo-worthy and delicious. You can use any spices that you want with this – nutmeg, cayenne, clove, etc., but I like cinnamon and all spice. Top the cakes with a pinch of high quality sea salt or a little whipped cream and berries and your Valentine just may swoon.
Fallen Chocolate Cakes (makes enough for 4 small ramekins or 2 large ramekins with a fair amount of batter left over)
1 stick unsalted butter
2 teaspoons granulated sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon all spice
6 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1 1/4 cups powdered sugar, plus more for dusting
3 large eggs plus 3 egg yolks
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
for finishing: pinch nice sea salt, powdered sugar, whipped cream, raspberries (optional)
Preheat oven to 400. Butter ramekins and sprinkle each with granulated sugar. This is important, do not skip this step.
Combine cinnamon, all spice, butter and chocolate in a saucepan over low heat until melted. Whisk the flour, powdered sugar, eggs and yolks, and vanilla in a bowl until creamy. Whisk in the melted chocolate mixture. Divide among the prepared ramekins.
Bake until the tops are stiff (though centers will still look jiggly), 12 to 14 minutes. Remove from the oven and let cool 5 minutes. Loosen the edges of the cakes with a knife and transfer to plates. Top as you desire. Voila.
Frame: Food Fighters
When I was a kid, a line of action figures called Food Fighters was a much less successful precursor to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle franchise. Food Fighters came in two teams: the noble Kitchen Commandos headed by Burger-dier General, and the nasty Refrigerator Rejects, led by Mean Weiner. Back in those days, Lieutenant Leg (a drumstick) would valiantly fight against Short Stack (a stack of pancakes), a classic battle against good and evil. But these days it’s relatively mundane foods like ginger, turmeric, pumpkin, and apple cider vinegar that fight against physical ailments, and even cancer. (Note: “Private Pumpkin” was never an actual Food Fighter.)
In particular, there is mounting evidence that Turmeric has anti-inflammatory properties that help to prevent pre-cancerous growths from maturing. But, turmeric has to be “stabilized” in oil before being absorbed, so this potato recipe – adapted from How To Eat Supper – is perfect. These potatoes are full of flavor and require very little work. Chop up the leftovers and sauté with some green peppers for awesome home fries.
Turmeric Potatoes
2 lbs yukon gold potatoes, sliced thin (skins on)
good quality olive oil
1 yellow onion, sliced
2 tbsp chicken broth
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
salt and pepper
Generously spread olive oil over the bottom of a 4 quart saucepan with a lid. Set pan over medium heat. Layer in the onion, turmeric, salt and pepper, then top with potatoes and more salt and pepper. Let mixture cook without stirring until onion starts to soften and brown. Don’t stir, but poke underneath to check to make sure onions aren’t burning. Add broth and reduce heat to medium-low, cover pan. Don’t stir, but shake pan occasionally. Cook for 20-25 minutes, adding more liquid if needed. Potatoes are done when they are tender. Pull pan off heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. A sprinkle of lemon or lime juice is a nice finish, but not necessary. Make sure to get the onion glaze off the bottom of the pan to top the potatoes before serving. Voila.
Food: Feasts Under $5 -Tarragon Chicken with Leeks
It’s been awhile, but I’ve discovered another contender for Feasts Under $5 in one of my new cookbooks, How To Eat Supper. This is easy, cheap, and surprisingly healthy- you don’t use any oil on the chicken, and while there is butter in the recipe, you could half the amount, or even eliminate it if you wanted to. The best part of this is the fresh tarragon flavor – unexpected and fresh, a nice wake up to winter food.The recipe is widely available online (and in the book) but here is the cost breakdown, if you were wondering:
4 Chicken Breasts: $12
1 Bunch Leeks: $3
32 oz Chicken Broth: $2.39
1 lemon: 1.00
1 package fresh tarragon: $2.50
Total: $20.39 or $5.09
(Butter, salt, and pepper are pantry staples and thus not included in the cost.)
Frame: Simplicity
mushrooms from Ad Hoc at Home
I now proudly own two Thomas Keller cookbooks, Ad Hoc at Home and The French Laundry. And I’m surprised that the main lesson I’m learning from both of them is “simple is better.” That’s one of those tenets that I generally accept, but it feels nice to be reminded now and again.
Last night I made mushrooms from Ad Hoc at Home. The ingredients were mushrooms, 1 shallot, butter, chicken broth, and a tiny bit of red wine vinegar. They were probably the best mushrooms I’ve ever made, and they were incredibly simple. True, Keller’s method has something to do with it – choosing the right size pan for the mushrooms, cooking them in batches if you need to, whisking in the butter to emulsify. But still, nothing crazy.
So just remember, simple is better.
Feast (Maine): Maine Diner
Chowder is rarely bad, but it’s rarely noteworthy. You might like it thicker, or more milky, you might have a preference for or against the inclusion of potatoes. The amount of seafood is usually skimpy, and the broth can sometimes be bland. But the Maine Diner has a Seafood Chowder that makes you want to sink yourself into a pile of scallops, shrimp, clams, and broth that was clearly homemade from real fish stock. This is not “I’m hungry and I’m in Maine so I should order seafood” chowder, this is “I’d drive up from Boston just to eat this” chowder. And yes, Guy Fieri agrees.
The diner is in Wells, ME, right outside of Kennebunkport, and it’s one of the few places open at this time of year. Still, at 10:30am on a Sunday we were seated right away and the service was friendly and quick but not rushed. We unwittingly ordered a mountain of food, all of it so fantastic we seriously contemplated coming back for second helpings the next day.
Here’s what we ate:
1 blueberry muffin (served warm, sweet but not sugary, nicely crusted top)
1 cup seafood chowder (best I’ve ever had)
1 lobster pie with coleslaw and french fries (freshly picked lobster meat, perfect amount of butter and crackers)
1 slice blueberry pie with vanilla ice cream (pie was good not great, ice cream was great)
(everything above came as one order, the “Fisherman’s Special”)
1 order smoked mozzarella and bacon macaroni and cheese (decadent and smooth, could imagine being served this dish in a much fancier restaurant)
2 cups coffee
1 diet coke
The total was $42. I don’t think I could have purchased the amount of seafood we ate for $42 in Boston. Go. Go now. Get the seafood chowder. Voila.
Feast (Newport): 22 Bowen’s Wine Bar and Grille
The measure of a good steak house is their tuna tartare. At 22 Bowen’s Wine Bar and Grille, the tuna is fresh, sans membrane, tender, and the perfect temperature. The steak is also very good.
22 Bowen’s is right on the wharf in Newport, a quick walk from the town center. The customer base is eclectic, at least in the off-season – couples of all ages, “girls night out” packs, single guys looking for a hot date. The menu is just as varied, in a good way – this is not a place that forces you to eat a “king cut” with a tub of mashed potatoes before they wheel you out on a stretcher. Granted, they do serve truffled mac and cheese (did not try it, too bad), but they also have sherry roasted mushrooms (did try, delicious) or even just a plain baked potato. Steaks are very reasonably priced and come with your choice of sauce – hollandaise, horseradish cream, flavored butter, red wine demi-glace. For my 8 oz filet mignon (expertly crusted and seasoned) I chose a béarnaise, much nicer than the red wine demi-glace Dave picked. His Delmonico steak, however, was perfect.
Dessert was the only downer of the evening, our piece of chocolate cake was huge but dry. The next time I go, I’ll just have the truffled mac and cheese for dessert, and roll myself out the door. Voila.
Feast (Newport): Vanderbilt Grace
The Vanderbilt Grace is a landmark hotel nestled in the middle of downtown Newport, up a cobblestone hill. I’m sure the hotel itself is lovely but all we really cared about were the oysters.
We had lunch in the sun room, which was quiet, warm, and relaxing – the perfect place for a little celebration. The hostess gave us ample time to review the drink menu, ask questions, and generally sink into our seats. And then a new waitress manically dumped a basket of bread on our table, pointed at Dave, and insisted several times that he’d eaten there before. Crazy was carted away. Too much energy for the Vanderbilt.
The oysters were beautifully presented. The bison burger was beautifully presented. The crab cake was topped with butternut squash relish, and thus beautifully presented. I had a glass of champagne. It was all we could do not to nap on the table by the end of our meal, but then we ordered dessert and Crazy returned, shouting just one word: “DESSERT!” before leaving our (phenomenal – and beautifully presented) pound cake and bouncing away.
Voila.
Frame: Food Trends for 2012
It’s January, and food trend articles are rampant. Everything from in-house ricotta to dinosaur kale is predicted to hit the big time. Even artisanal jerky is on a few lists. Goat jerky? I’m skeptical.
Here are my top 5 Food Trend Predictions for 2012. Or at least 5 foods/things I’m planning to eat more/less of.
1) Anti-Dairy Sentiment: Yeah, it’s not looking good for milk. I’ll never say goodbye completely, but dairy is being increasingly scrutinized for causing asthma, migraines, cancer, hangnails – you name it. I bet most of us will add almond, soy, coconut, or hemp milk to the mix at some point this year.
2) Food as Drugs: No, not magic mushrooms, I’m talking about the trend toward using natural remedies instead of feeding Big Pharma. In particular, Apple Cider Vinegar has actually been proven to kill cancer cells and fight diabetes and obesity. Turmeric is also an anti-cancer agent. Why wouldn’t I try to work these into my diet?
3) Farmshares/CSAs: Grabbing a weekly box of fresh, local produce from your neighborhood farm or grocery store is growing in popularity. Once you spend the money you basically HAVE to eat your veggies, and it forces you to create new recipes as well. If you think that’s too much produce for one person, split the cost with friends.
4) “Family Meal”: More and more restaurants are adding this to their menus and their cookbooks. Usually hearty and relatively simple, “Family Meal” is what chefs typically call the meal they cook for their staff before dinner service. In Thomas Keller’s French Laundry Cookbook, he has a recipe for Family Meal lasagna, and the whole trend goes along with the recession-popularity of slow cookers and comfort food.
5) Middle Eastern Food: Spices like Za-atar, sumac, and ras-el hanout are much easier to find these days, and at this point every grocery store you visit has about 60 varieties of hummus. I’m not complaining, I’ve been a fan of Oleana for quite some time.
Let’s check back next year and see how I did. Voila.
Feast: Za Restaurant
Mac and Cheese Pizza
Za Restaurant takes reservations, sort of. Unfortunately “sort of” is kind of sucky when it’s 20 minutes past your call time and you’re standing by the hostess booth, gnawing on your menu. The day after our dinner, when I remembered how frustrating it had been to watch large groups led to their tables while we silently pondered the meaning of the word “reservation,” I called to clarify the policy. “We only do call ahead reservations,” they told me. I’m still confused. I called ahead, and I made a reservation, and the hostess said it would be fine. What?
But on to the food. Za makes a big deal about its composed salads, but the Butternut Squash special tasted as if it had been infused with smoke, or some chemical. Maybe the composing mold wasn’t properly rinsed? Fortunately the Avocado Salad was great, but would have been better as a guacamole. The pizza with shiitake mushrooms and truffle oil was good, though in need of salt. The basic pizzas were fine, but not notable. However, the Mac and Cheese Pizza is definitely a reason to brave the trying yet pleasant atmosphere at Za. Noodles on pizza dough is not usually the kind of thing you can perfect at home, and it is pretty unique.
Finally, we did learn – during our annoying, reservation-flummoxing wait – that Za is a popular take-out place. At least 4 people picked up pizzas in the span of 30 minutes. I think that’s the secret to this place: get in, get out, get the Mac and Cheese Pizza.
Feast: Greek Corner
Much like Zoro, when Guy Fieri visits a Diner, Drive In, or Dive, he leaves his mark. Unfortunately, Guy’s mark is a life-sized photo featuring his spiky blonde tips and sunglasses. At least Greek Corner has the good sense to hide it in the back, across from a painting of the Aegean Sea (startlingly blue) and rows of small, polished Mandolins.
The restaurant was packed on Friday at 6:30pm, but starting to clear out by 8 – so don’t try to beat the rush by going early. The servers are friendly and banter with each other as they squeeze through narrow aisles to get to their tables. All manner of customers like the Corner- parents with little kids, Cambridge super-nerds on double dates, big Greek families, even a few hipsters (must have wandered in by mistake). The menu features everything you’d hope for – dolmas, Avgolemono, Pastitsio, Moussaka, so it’s really just a question of how much you can shove down your throat.
We started with the Sampler Plate – mediocre spinach pie, passable dolmas, but fantastic hummus, tzatziki, feta, eggplant salad, and tabouleh. The star was the taramosalata, caviar blended with bread and spices. Smooth, salty, and a lovely shade of pink. I washed that down with a nice glass of Chardonnay (made even more agreeable by its $5 price tag) and started on my Gyro with fries and ubiquitous Greek Salad. The Gyro was great, not over-sized but still plentiful, and a good ratio of meat to sauce. The pita was particularly good, the Greek version of an english muffin on the griddle – soft and warm with a sheen of seared butter on the oustide.
Bottom line: some really good Greek food, at really good prices. Voila.
The Best Thing Since Sliced Bread 