Ratamacue Stew

Single Malt Whisky Flavour Map

2011-12-28T11:04:00.000-05:00

Gingerbread Pudding with Orange Sauce

2011-12-17T19:12:00.000-05:00

I have a craving this Christmas for an English style gingerbread pudding with an orange sauce. I found a recipe, made a few modifications, and tried it out today in advance of Christmas Dinner to make sure it's ok. Trial run turned out great and with a few slight adjustments will make a great Christmas Dinner dessert everyone is sure to love!English Christmas "pudding" is really a dense, moist spiced cake. This gingerbread version is flavored with orange marmalade and topped with a traditional hard sauce — butter and sugar mixed with brandy (or Grand Marnier)

Yield: Makes 8 to 10 servings

Hard Sauce

1 1/2 cups powdered sugar
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 tablespoons brandy (or Grand Marnier)
1 teaspoon grated orange peel

Pudding

Nonstick vegetable oil spray
11/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup of dried currants
1/2 cup of diced crystallized ginger (optional)
1 tablespoon ground ginger
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
3/4 cup sugar
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3 large eggs
1/2 cup orange marmalade
1/4 cup mild-flavored (light) molasses
1 teaspoon grated orange peel

Preparation
For sauce:Combine all ingredients in small bowl; stir to blend well. (Can be made 4 days ahead. Cover and refrigerate. Bring to room temperature before serving.)

For pudding:Coat inside and center tube of 6 to 8 cup pudding mold or Bundt cake pan with nonstick spray, then generously with butter. Sift flour and next 7 ingredients into medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat sugar and butter in large bowl until well blended. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, then marmalade, molasses and orange peel. Add flour mixture and beat just until blended. Transfer batter to prepared mold. Cover mold tightly with foil.
Place steamer rack in large pot. Place pudding mold on rack. Fill pot with enough water to come halfway up sides of mold. Bring water to boil. Reduce heat to medium. Cover pot and steam pudding until tester inserted near center comes out clean, adding more boiling water as needed to maintain level, about 2 1/2 hours. Using oven mitts as aid, remove mold from pot. Uncover and let stand 10 minutes. Cut around top center and sides of pudding to loosen. Turn pudding out onto baking sheet and if not solid, finish it in the oven at 250 for about 20-25 mins. Remove and cool 20 minutes. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Cool completely) Transfer pudding to platter.

Serving
Cut pudding into wedges; serve with sauce and top with a dollop of creme fraiche

Slow Food - Good, Clean and Fair

2011-12-11T19:15:00.001-05:00

Cindee and I joined Slow Food West Michigan last year and as I speak with others about Slow Food and the things we're doing with our local chapter, I'm often asked what Slow Food is and what it's all about. I hadn't heard of the Slow Food movement before moving to Grand Rapids but as we learned more about it, we decided it was an organization we wanted to join as we shared many of the same values and philosophies. We've really enjoyed participating in the various events our local chapter sponsors and the friendships we've developed with other members. So, to educate you more about what Slow Food is, here's some information from our local chapter website.

Slow Food West Michigan is the West Michigan chapter of Slow Food, a non-profit, member-supported organization founded in 1989 to counteract fast food and fast life. We stand against the disappearance of local food traditions and people's dwindling interest in the food they eat.

What We Are

SFWM supports the mission of Slow Food, working closely with Slow Food USA, the national association headquartered in Brooklyn, NY.

Who We Are

Simply put, we are the members of Slow Food who live in and around West Michigan. We, the members of SFWM, designate a steering committee to represent us, and to run the chapter's events and affairs. SFWM is entirely organized and run by volunteers, drawing talent, expertise, and ambition from our members and friends around the region.

What We Do

We support those who contribute to a good, clean, and fair food system, both for-profit and not-for-profit. We do this through several means:

We plan educational and convivial events of eating, drinking, and socializing, where we learn to reclaim and evangelize the joys of the convivial table, and educate our taste.
We recognize and promote food producers, artisans, purveyors, chefs and restaurateurs who contribute meaningfully to the quality, authenticity, and sustainability of the food system that feeds West Michigan.
We support other like-minded organizations working towards a good, clean, and fair food system by promoting, volunteering and donating.

Slow Food Mission Statement:

“Slow Food USA envisions a future food system that is based on the principles of high quality and taste, environmental sustainability, and social justice—in essence, a food system that is good, clean and fair. We seek to catalyze a broad cultural shift away from the destructive effects of an industrial food system and fast life; toward the regenerative cultural, social and economic benefits of a sustainable food system, regional food traditions, the pleasures of the table, and a slower and more harmonious rhythm of life.”

Find Out More

You can learn much more about Slow Food right online, at both the Slow Food USA website and the Slow Food International website.

If you'd like to contact us to learn more about SFWM, please see the contact page of the SFWM website.

Or, just come to one of our events! Come chat with us and learn how you can join us, become a member, get involved, and start living Slowly.

Le Fou Frog

2011-12-02T21:52:00.001-05:00

I've traveled to Kansas City twice in the past several months. On my trip back in September, I found myself looking for a place to eat one evening as I was on my own for dinner that night. Kansas City is a great place for steaks as well as excellent barbecue but I wasn't really in the mood for either that night. So, I pulled out Yelp and started looking for a different type of place to eat.

Le Fou Frog came up in Yelp and the name immediately drew me in. The reviews on Yelp were positive and after taking a look at the menu decided I had to check it out. Kansas City is not the place I expect to find a french bistro and as my taxi approached the restaurant, admittedly I wondered if I had made the right choice. The restaurant is in a location not far from downtown but has a very plain facade and it's plain enough from the outside, it makes you wonder if you're in the right place and if a french bistro is really behind the door (as opposed to a bar with pub grub).

I was immediately at ease when I walked in. The decor has a decidedly French influence and I really did feel a bit like I walked into a Paris bistro. I had such a great dinner there that night (see the photos below) that on my most recent trip back to KC, I was able to convince my coworkers and our gracious vendor we were visiting to go back to the restaurant for dinner. We had 13 people there and while I think our group size was a bit of a challenge for a kitchen I suspect is more used to preparing for tables of two or four than 13, they did a great job and everyone really enjoyed the experience. We happened to show up on the monthly "Night of Song" and were entertained as several of the wait staff sang songs to the guests.

I have quickly grown fond of Le Fou Frog for both the food and the atmosphere. I will definitely make it a regular stop as my travels take me back to Kansas City. I ran across the following description of Le Fou Frog and think it's very fitting:

Le Fou Frog has been lauded in local and national newspapers as an authentic, hip, quirky, yet romantic French bistro. The Daily chalkboard of entre selections range from traditional Bistro fare such as: Steak au poivre, bouillabaisse, escargot, mussels and onion soup. Some of the offerings have a distinctive Southern French accent, being that the Chef owner hails from Marseille. However other entre offerings show the worldly influence showing impact on Chef Manos style. Diners have become accustomed to trying new and exotic offerings such as: Kangaroo with a sweet spice reduction sauce, or interesting pairings like sweetbreads and diver sea scallops in a truffle vinaigrette. Le Fou Frog is many things to many different people. There is always a happening at The Frog.

Prince Edward Island Mussels steamed in a broth
of white wine, bay leaf, mustard and cream

Duck Confit with lentils and mixed green
salad with a raspberry vinaigrette

Amuse-Bouche : pate mousse with chicken liver

Seared Kangaroo Loin in a game stock
reduction with sweet and savory spices

Tarte Tatin paired with a 2005 Le Tertre Du Lys D'Or Sauternes

Truffle

Tayberry Jam

2011-12-02T21:35:00.001-05:00

Several summers ago while on vacation in the Pacific Northwest, as we perused around Pike Place Market in Seattle, we happened upon a stand from Johnson Berry Farm. We tasted the samples they had out and one caught my fancy as the flavor was unlike I've had before. We purchased several jars of the jam and have since ordered more online. I just received a shipment in this week and it reminded me I should share this great find. The jam is a bit expensive considering the shipping charges and that you can get great local jams here in Michigan. But, this jam has such great flavor it's one to keep on the shelf for those lazy Sunday mornings when I'm looking for something to go along with my Earl Grey tea.

The description of Tayberry Jam is sure to make your mouth water!

Scottish Raspberry crossed with Aurora Blackberry, this dark red fruit has the best of both worlds. It was created in Scotland but loves our Washington climate, fabulous flavor! Extremely popular.

This one looks like a raspberry but is considered a blackberry. It's a little sweeter than the Loganberry and has great flavor. It's considered one of our most popular jams.

The Purple Pig - Encore

2011-04-17T10:26:00.000-04:00

A long weekend in Chicago over Spring Break afforded us the opportunity to visit The Purple Pig again. I took pictures this time of the various items we ordered. All of them fantastic as usual!

Slightly off topic, but the past two times we've been in Chicago for pleasure, I've used Priceline.com to get our hotel rooms. When searching on hotels in Chicago, I was able to identify the area of the city we wanted to stay in and then had Priceline search only for four-star hotels to ensure we'd get a good place to stay. I started at a ridiculously low price and kept inching the price up until my bid was accepted. For our most recent visit, we ended up staying at the Renaissance Hotel for $125/night. A great deal and right downtown on Wacker and State to boot!

Kobe Meatballs

Roasted Bone Marrow with Herbs

Charred Green Onions with Romesco Sauce

Jamon Serrano with Oyster & Trumpet
Mushrooms with Fried Egg over Grilled Bread

Wagyu Sirloin Tip with Fingerling Potatoes, Red Onions,
Olive & Bone Marrow Vinaigrette

Octopus with Green Beans, Fingerling
Potatoes, and Salsa Verde

Festa di Santa Lucia Crema
(Farro & Ricotta with Chocolate Sauce)
Accompanied by
Allegrini "Grappa Di Amarone" (left)
and Alvear "Asuncion" Oloroso sherry (right)

Panino con Nutella
(A Sweet Sandwich filled with a Chocolate Hazelnut
Spread, Marshmallow Cream & Bananas)

Glenmorangie Finealta

2011-03-12T10:58:00.000-05:00

The February 2011 edition of Wine Spectator has an entire section devoted to scotch called "A Wine Lovers Guide to Scotch". In their own words:

Scotch whisky’s evolution from a primitive product to its modern virtuosity has taken centuries, and you can spend a lifetime tasting and exploring the best. Here’s our guide to help you find your way.

With a large portion of the magazine focused on scotch, Wine Spectator presents a great overview fit for beginners and experts alike on the complexities of this fine spirit, its history, how it's made, and reviews of 64 single malts.

Among those reviews, one caught my eye. I've enjoyed many a dram of Glenmorangie but the recent addition of Glenmorangie Finealta to their stable of fine whisky's looked very intriguing. Incidentally, Finealta is Gaelic for 'elegant'. What makes this particular whisky is how the recipe for it came to be:

Glenmorangie Finealta is a painstaking recreation of a recipe dating back to 1903. Matured in a combination of American white oak casks and Spanish Oloroso sherry casks this whisky is unusual for its light touch of peatiness - a reminder of a time when Glenmorangie dried its barley in a peat fired kiln.

Distillery archives show that at this time, Glenmorangie Highland Single Malt was being served at The Savoy in London. Making this whisky a window onto a grander age, where optimistic young souls toasted sweeping changes within Art, fashion, and technology. And where society demanded a drink of both depth and distinction.

The tasting notes for this whisky are equally enticing and I can assure you from having tasted it myself, the notes are right on. This is one of my new favorites. Go out and get yourself a bottle or three. You won't be disappointed.

Aroma
Caramelised orange and peaches soaked in liqueur are instantly revealed before giving way to sugared almonds, raisins, lime and a hint of distant woodsmoke.

Taste
Mandarin, marmalade and hints of cherry brandy combine with the spiciness of nutmeg and ginger before icing sugar, chewy meringue and violet build up slowly on the palate.

Finish
Full, rounded aromatic smoke with chalky minerals lingers on top of subtle layers of powdery floral scents.

Colour
Deep Amber

Bacon Infused Bourbon

2011-02-26T11:07:00.000-05:00

Today, I'm going to make a batch of bacon-infused bourbon to use in PDT's Bacon-Infused Old Fashioned. It's quite a simple process and the image above is really all you need to know. But, there are a few added tidbits of information to make this process even easier. I use Neuske's Applewood Smoked Bacon which is by far the absolute best bacon I've ever eaten. The best part about this process is that not only are you using the bacon rendering for the bourbon but you get to eat the bacon in the process too!

FOR THE BACON-INFUSED BOURBON: Cook the bacon in a pan and reserve rendered fat. We cook bacon on a cookie sheet in the oven as it's a cleaner process than cooking it on the stovetop. (1) When bacon fat has cooled a bit, pour off one ounce from pan. (2) Pour the bourbon into a non-porous container. (3) Strain the bacon fat into the container and infuse for 4 to 6 hours at room temperature. (4) Place the container of infused bourbon in the freezer until all the fat is solidified. About an hour or so should do. (5) With a slotted spoon, remove fat and strain mixture back into the bottle.

FOR THE COCKTAIL: In mixing glass, stir 2 ounces bacon-infused bourbon, maple syrup, and bitters with ice. Strain into chilled rocks glass filled with ice. Garnish with orange twist.

PDT’s Bacon-Infused Old Fashioned

2 ounces bacon-infused bourbon

   1/4 ounce Grade B maple syrup
   2 dashes Angostura bitters
   Twist of orange

- or -

The Sloppy Swine

2 ounces bacon-infused bourbon

1/4 ounce Grade B maple syrup

Splash of Cola to taste

2 dashes Angostura bitters

Twist of orange

The Ravenous Pig

2011-02-25T18:26:00.000-05:00

Carrying on a bit of a swine theme, I had dinner earlier this week with my friend Dan at The Ravenous Pig in Winter Park, FL. The Ravenous Pig is an American gastropub experience, set against the backdrop of the cozy and comfortable neighborhood ambiance of downtown Winter Park. Their extensive menus range from traditional pub fare to raw bar offerings, creative salads, house-made pastas and the freshest seafood and bistro classics available anywhere.

I must say I really like the gastro pub scene. Whether it's The Green Well here in Grand Rapids, The Purple Pig in Chicago, or The Ravenous Pig in Winter Park, the food is fantastic, the ambiance is casual and relaxed yet trendy and energizing. Another great new venue Cindee and I have recently started frequenting that should also be mentioned among these other fine establishments is Brewery Vivant. It's a new brewery/pub here in Grand Rapids devoted to using local sources for ingredients and running their business according to the three pillars of sustainability; Environmental Integrity, Social Equity, and Economic Viability. But, I digress. I'm sure I'll come back to blog about Brewery Vivant in the future.

Back to dinner at "The Rav". Reservations are recommended as when I tried to make same day reservations, the earliest we could get a table was 8:45 (on a Wednesday night). We took our chances and went there hoping to be able to find a seat in the bar where we could eat from the full dinner menu. Luck was on our side and we were able to slip in to the last two seats in the bar without having to wait.

We started with drinks. I had The Ravenous Pig Old Fashioned which used bacon infused Buffalo Trace bourbon, vanilla maple syrup, and bitters. A very similar drink to one I make myself with my own homemade bacon infused bourbon. Dan had a Great Divide Espresso Oak Aged Yeti beer. It's from Denver, CO and is a Russian Imperial Stout infused with espresso and aged in oak barrels. A phenomenal beer to be sure. Later on I had a second drink, a Rye Mule, which is Michter's Rye, Captain Eli's Ginger beer, and muddled lime. Another familiar drink given I got my start with whisky drinking that traditional Canadian mixed drink, Rye & Ginger Ale before I eventually moved on to single malt's.

Below are pictures of what we had for appetizer's, dinner, and dessert. A note to Kathleen that Dan not only ate goat cheese at this meal but also one other night this week . . . . . and liked it! I wasn't supposed to tell you that. ;-)

Shrimp and Grits
local royal red shrimp, c & d mill grits,
green tomato chutney, chorizo oil

House-made Charcuterie and Artisan Cheese
sopressata, pepperoni, brown sugar fennel,
grilled speck-wrapped dates, chicken liver mousse,
smoked rabbit sausage, benon chalais soft cow's milk cheese,
beecher 'the truckle' reserve cheddar, lardo, house pickles, grain mustard

Veal Chop
wild mushroom bread pudding,
roasted garlic puree, porcini oil

Suckling Pig and Bay Scallops
lantern bay scallops and braised suckling pig,
king farms romanesco, apple salad

"Pig Tails"
warm cinnamon-sugar tossed fritters,
chocolate expresso sauce

Milk Braised Pork Shoulder

2011-01-13T20:30:00.001-05:00

In my previous post about The Purple Pig, one of the best items we ate was the Milk Braised Pork Shoulder. Lucky for me, the recipe for this dish is on the Purple Pig's website. I will be making an attempt at creating this dish in the way they did at the Purple Pig. If I can make it half as good as they did, it will be a raving personal success!!

Milk Braised Pork Shoulder
1 3 to 4 lb. Pork shoulder bone removed and cut into 8 oz. Pieces
1 small bunch fresh thyme
5 bay leaves
2 onion, peeled and quarted
1 carrot, peeled and kept in large pieces
2 gallons milk
2 gallons pork stock
salt
pepper
1 rib celery, cut into 3 large pieces
Tie a piece of string around each piece of pork to maintain a nice shape while cooking. In a large pot sear off pork shoulder (season liberally first). Add vegetables and herbs after meat is browned, add liquids and bring to a boil. Season and place in a 350° oven to braise. Should take 2-3 hours.

(Mashed Potatoes)
1 1/4 lbs. Peeled russet potatoes cut into 1 1/2 inch chunks
1/4 c. warm cream
4 teaspoons butter warm
salt and pepper
Place potatoes in a large pot, add cold water to cover and season aggressively with salt. Bring to a boil and cook till potatoes are tender. Drain potatoes, mash while still hot with rest of the ingredients, season and reserve.

The Purple Pig - Cheese, Swine, & Wine

2011-01-13T20:28:00.008-05:00

The Purple Pig

I was in Chicago on business earlier this week with several co-workers and we were pondering where to eat dinner on a Sunday night.

Being dressed in jeans, somewhat tired from the trip, and not wanting a formal dining experience, we contemplated our options. Aside from the typical steak houses which were easy to find and not very interesting to me personally, I consulted my trusty smartphone and looked to Yelp to provide a more diverse selection for us to consider.

As reliable as ever, Yelp spit back a myriad of choices and my eye caught The Purple Pig. While the name drew me initially, when I reviewed the menu I was sold. Next challenge, convince my work colleagues to agree to eat at this restaurant with me. Tolerant of my excitement and willing to take a risk trusting I wouldn't steer them wrong, we walked the 100 yards from our hotel to The Purple Pig.

Needless to say, by the end of the night, all three of my co-workers stated they were happy we went to The Purple Pig and that had I not suggested it, they would not likely have chosen it on their own. So, I took that as a compliment and was appreciative of their adventurous spirit to try something unique and unusual.

The menu is fantastic and we let our waiter create our dining experience by making our selections for us. He did not steer us wrong, gave us a number of the dishes we were interested in trying, and left me wanting for more as there were many things on the menu which I didn't have a chance to try.

The full menu the night we ate there is further down this blog post. I don't know how frequently the menu changes and wanted to remember the choices we had that evening. But, our dinner consisted of the following small plates:

- Salt-Roasted Beets with Whipped Goat Cheese & Pistachio Vinaigrette
(I actually didn't taste this one. I don't eat beats. They are poisonous!)

- Lardo Crostini

- Fried Cardoons

- Winter Squash Arancini & Sage Pesto

- Testa, Prosciutto di Parma, and Lingua Agrodolce (Cured Meats)

- Pork Neck Bone Rillette & Mostarda

- Mortadella, Balsamico & Pistachio

- Charred Green Onions and Romesco Sauce

- Jimmy's House Made Greek Sausage with Rapini & Grapes

- Jamon Serrano, Oyster Mushrooms, Fried Egg with Grilled Bread

- Moncilla Blood Sausage

- Milk Braised Pork Shoulder with Mashed Potatoes

- Lemon Panna Cotta with Pistachio Croccante

- Panino con Nutella

If you're in Chicago, I would highly recommend stopping at The Purple Pig. Bon Appetit magazine rated them one of the Top 10 New Restaurants of 2010 and I can certainly see why.

Here's their full menu:

Antipasti

Pork Fried Almonds with Rosemary & Garlic

Marinated Olives

Salt-Roasted Beets with Whipped Goat Cheese & Pistachio Vinaigrette
(Like I said, beats are poisonous, stay away . . . . )

Shaved Brussel Sprouts, Pecorino Noce & Parmigiano-Reggiano

Cauliflower, Granny Smith Apples, Walnuts & Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Butternut Squash, Pumpkin Seeds, Brown Butter & Ricotta Salata

Lardo Crostini

Olive Oil-Poached Tuna with Greek Lima Beans

Braised Baby Artichokes, Fingerling Potatoes, Asiago & Salami Toscana

Laughing Bird Shrimp & Clams with Rosamarina

Marinated White Anchovies with Puntarelle, Oranges & Arugula

Salad

Insalata Bianca with Crispy Arborio Rice & Shaved Parmigiano Reggiano

Mixed Greens with Feta, Watermelon Radishes & Red Wine Mint Vinaigrette

Castelfranco, arugula with Sunchokes, Hazelnuts & Apple Cider Vinaigrette

Fried Items

Chorizo Stuffed Olives

Prosciutto Bread Balls

Deviled Egg with Arugula & Caper Berries

Pig's Ear with Crispy Kale, Pickled Cherry Peppers & Fried Egg

Fried Brussel Sprouts with Thyme, Lemon & Chili Flakes

Winter Squash Arancini & Sage Pesto

White Bait "French Fries of the Sea" with Lemon Aioli

Sardines with Lemon Vinaigrette

Panini

Salami Toscana, Goat Cheese & Black Olive Tapenade

Coppa with Provolone Cheese, Pickled Cherry Peppers & Whole Grain Mustard

Porchetta with Salsa Verde

Cured Meats

Catalonian Fuet

Coppa

Sopressata

Testa

Lingua Agrodulce

Jamon Serrano

Prosciutto di Parma

Purple Pig Platter

Smears

Mortadella, Balsamico & Pistachio

Whipped Feta with Cucumbers

Pork Liver Paté

Pork Neck Bone Gravy with Calabro Ricotta

Pork Neck Bone Rillette & Mostarda

Wild Mushrooms with Vincotto

Prosciutto, Apples, Treviso & Apple Saba

Eggplant Caponata with Goat Cheese

Roasted Bone Marrow with Herbs

Cheese

Bucheron

Manchego

Fontina

Cabot Clothbound Cheddar

Capriole O’Banon

Morbier

Camembert Fermier

Valdeon

Gouda

Pecorino Noce

Podda

Parmigiano Reggiano

Prairie Breeze

Truffle Tremor

Quadrello di Bufala

Big Ed’s

Blu di Bufala

a la Plancha, etc.

Charred Green Onions with Romesco Sauce

Pig's Tails Braised in Balsamic

Jamon Serrano, Oyster Mushrooms, Fried Egg with Grilled Bread

Jimmy's House Made Greek Sausage with Rapini & Grapes

Milk Braised Pork Shoulder with Mashed Potatoes

Octopus with Green Beans, Fingerling Potatoes & Salsa Verde

Sepia with Almonds & Fried rosemary

Pork Saltimbocca with Rainbow Swiss Chard

Chicken Thigh Kebabs, Fried Smashed Potatoes & Tzatziki

Pork Blade Steak with 'Nduja & Honey

Scallop Spiedini with Chickpea Aioli

Wagyu Sirloin Tip with Fingerling Potatoes Red Onions, Olive & Bone Marrow Vinaigrette

Whole Grilled Snapper For Two

Fried Deviled Egg, Cauliflower Antipasti & Pork Saltimbocca available for Dinner Only. Enjoy!

Dolci

Lemon Panna Cotta with Pistachio Croccante

Sicilian Iris
{Ricotta & Chocolate Chip filled Fried Brioche}

House-made Italian Wedding Cookies Festa di Santa Lucia Crema

{Farro & Ricotta with Chocolate Sauce}

Panino con Nutella
{A Sweet Sandwich filled with a Chocolate Hazelnut
Spread, Marshmallow Cream & Bananas}

Soft Serve Ice Cream
{Espresso or Pistachio}

Affogato
{Shot of Espresso over Espresso Soft Serve}

Standing Rib Roast in a Dry Rub Crust

2010-12-30T21:50:00.000-05:00

For the second year in a row, and perhaps a new tradition in our household, we cooked a standing rib roast for Christmas Day dinner. The pictures below do the roast justice but for a bit more detail, here it is.

Start with a good dry aged standing rib roast. Each of the two years we've cooked this, we've purchased ours from Van Ball's Prime Beef butcher. A great shop with excellent meat, they are very helpful and provide excellent customer service. I have to order our roast in October to be sure we get it for Christmas as it's very popular this time of year.

I rub the outside of the roast with a dry rub consisting of the following:

Olive Oil - 3/8 Cup

Dry Thyme - 3 tablespoons
Dry Rosemary - 3 tablespoons
Garlic, Finely Chopped - 2 tablespoons
Coarse Ground Black Pepper - 3 tablespoons
Coarse Salt - 2 tablespoons

When you're done applying the rub, your hands are a mess. But are they ever finger licking good!

Cook the roast at 200 degrees for about four hours. I actually use a thermometer to monitor the roast and when it gets to an internal temp of 118 degrees, it's time to take it out of the oven and proceed to the next step.
With the roast out of the oven and covered up with tin foil, crank the oven up to 500 degrees and let it settle there for 15 minutes. Put the roast back in and cook for another 15 minutes to get a nice crust built up. Take the roast out of the oven and let it rest for 15-20 minutes before cutting and serving.

Roast w/Van Ball's Seasoning

Roast with Dry Rub

Cooked, Carved, and Ready to Serve

Gourmet Poutine

2010-12-18T10:00:00.000-05:00

Regular Poutine

If you don't know what poutine is, just ask your local Canadian. A staple in the Canadian diner cuisine, poutine is normally a greasy spoon bowl full of unctuous goodness. A simple recipe really: a bowl of french fries slathered generously with beef gravy and topped with fresh cheese curds. What's not to love! You may find slight variants of this recipe but the basic premise is the same. Or maybe not . . . . .

Enter The Green Well. The Green Well serves honest fayre with local flair in a green, neighborhood setting. Their innovative gastro pub is in a LEED® certified building, they have a creative ever-changing menu featuring a global range of eclectic flavors prepared with ingredients from local farmers, and their beverage offering includes a wide array of local craft brews and wines, all to support our local economy. It's a fantastic local neighborhood pub with wonderful food and a great atmosphere.

But I digress. Many months ago, Cindee and I were at The Green Well with some friends and I was very surprised to see poutine on a special menu they were running at the time. I've never seen poutine anywhere in Michigan (or the U.S. for that matter), only in Canada. Apparently, they had sponsored an appetizer contest and the two finalist were vying for a spot on the Appetizer menu as the winning prize. The two finalists dishes were poutine and a southern barbeque recipe. Poutine won and I enjoyed a mouthwatering and completely different approach to poutine than I had ever experienced before. On subsequent visits to The Green Well, I found that the poutine recipe had fallen off the menu but was available by request.

Fast forward to last night. Cindee and I decided to have dinner at The Green Well and I was again surprised to see poutine made it back on to the menu. Not just as an appetizer but a full entree. Titled 'Pot Roast Poutine', the entree was the very same dish I had enjoyed on numerous occasions with grilled asparagus added to round out the dish.

So, I encourage one and all to make their way to The Green Well for a Canadian delight stepped up to an entirely new level. If your mouth isn't watering at the thought of this dish, I'd check your pulse.

Pot Roast Poutine
slowly braised beef - mushrooms - grilled asparagus
truffle - cheddar fries - red wine gravy - fried egg

Naughty and Nice Buttered Rum

2010-12-12T19:57:00.001-05:00

With the first major storm of the season in full swing, the wind is whipping outside, snow is swirling around the trees, snow drifts cover the backyard, and it's a good day to be inside. Spending a late Sunday afternoon watching football, it seemed only appropriate to have a fire in the fireplace. Longing for something warm to drink to top of my football & fire afternoon, I made a drink that came from Food Network's Aaron "Big Daddy" McCargo. Below is the recipe that Cindee has proclaimed to be her new favorite drink. We will certainly be making more of it this holiday season.

Ingredients

1 tablespoon butter, softened
1 tablespoon brown sugar
Dash ground cinnamon
Dash ground nutmeg
2 ounces dark rum
Boiling water

Directions

Put the butter, sugar, and spices in the bottom of a mug. Muddle together with the back of a spoon. Add the rum and fill the mug with boiling water. Stir and serve, regardless if you've been naughty or nice!

Dominus Estate 2007

2010-11-10T19:28:00.002-05:00

The following is a description of an amazing wine I've had before and want to remember for future reference. It's pricey but if you have the chance to try it, you'll not be disappointed!

98 points - Robert Parker, 94% Cabernet Sauvignon, 3% Cabernet Franc, and 3% Petit Verdot. A prodigious example of Dominus, the 2007 represents a hypothetical blend of a Pomerol, Pauillac, and a Napa Cabernet Sauvignon. Deep ruby/purple-colored with a sweet nose of incense, cedar wood, black currants, black cherries, licorice, and a subtle hint of roasted herbs, it is an expansive, savory, opulent wine with a full-bodied mouthfeel, silky tannins, and sensational concentration. A legend in the making, it should evolve for 25-30 years, possibly longer given the fact that his vintages from the early eighties are still going strong, and the wines today are better made given Moueix's Napa experience and the estate winery he did not have 25 years ago.

Carolina Style Smoked Pork Shoulder

2010-09-06T13:26:00.000-04:00

I love barbeque. Plain and simple. Over the past several years, I've enjoyed experimenting with different types of meat on the smoker and learning how to create the perfect rub, the right baste, and the creation that results from hours upon hours over low indirect heat and the magical flavors that come out of this alchemy.

Recently, I have been particularly enamored with Carolina style barbecue. Or, in my terms, a yellow mustard based sauce that you mix in with pulled pork for a very tangy, smoky flavor. At work, they actually make a reasonably decent mustard based pulled pork recipe. Upon asking for and receiving the recipe, I was quite disappointed to find mass produced sauces used to make the barbecue I had come to love. No chance at repeating that recipe so I set out to find a similar one and was successful in doing so.

This Labor Day weekend, we decided to smoke a pork shoulder with the intent of making pulled pork sandwiches with my new found recipe. What resulted was a pork shoulder roast that was so good, we ate it sliced up in stead of shredded.

Start with a grill itching to go to work:

Add one pork shoulder:

Season pork shoulder with appropriate Rub:

Carolina Rub Recipe

2 tablespoons salt

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons ground cumin

2 tablespoons chili powder

2 tablespoons freshly ground black pepper

1 tablespoon cayenne pepper

1/4 cup paprika

You can spice up the rub by adding more cayenne pepper if you like it hot.

Smoke over low heat for four hours:

The picture does no justice to the smells this baby puts off.

Add mustard sauce to taste:

Spotted Cow Carolina Barbecue Sauce

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1/2 cup onions, finely minced

3 tablespoons sweet red pepper, finely minced

2 cloves of garlic, crushed and chopped

1 teaspoon crushed celery leaves

1 teaspoon finely ground black pepper

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 teaspoon dried thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon crushed rosemary leaves

1 cup prepared Dijon-style mustard

1/4 cup lemon juice

1/4 cup cider vinegar

1 cup dark brown sugar, firmly packed

2 teaspoons tomato paste

1 teaspoon powdered mustard

2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce

1 chicken boullion cube

2 glugs of New Glarus Spotted Cow beer

Plate and finish with homemade coleslaw:

Spotted Cow Carolina pork shoulder, homemade
coleslaw, and paired with a Napa Valley Petit Syrah.

Luce - San Francisco, CA

2010-09-06T12:56:00.000-04:00

While in San Francisco recently, I took my brother out for his birthday to Luce, a restaurant lead by Iron Chef competitor Dominique Crenn. She recently competed on Iron Chef America and beat one of my favorite chef's, Michael Symon. She wasn't at the restaurant the evening we ate there and since it was a Sunday, the tasting menu was also not available. That certainly didn't deter us from having a very enjoyable meal as you can see from the pictures below.

Sweet Corn Soup w/Basil Oil

2006 Opus One Meritage
(an exceptional wine)

Venison Tartare Lightly Flamed, Apple and
Cauliflower, Mint and Rye Bread Cream

Black Ink Trofiette "Carbonara", Baby Squid,
Smoked Pancetta, Slow Cooked Organic Egg

"12 Hours" Lamb Belly, Lamb Loin, Petite
Summer Squash and Fava Beans

Beef Tenderloin "Medium rare"
Summer Vegetable "Pot au Feu"

Peach Skin Porridge, Crushed Sesame,
Pistachio, White Peach Sorbet

Chocolate Ganache, Chocolate Soil, Chocolate
"Dehydrated", Chocolate "Ice", Basil and Mint

Voodoo Doughnut - Portland, OR

2010-08-23T22:16:00.000-04:00

Had I not seen it with my own eyes, I likely may not have believed it. But, yes, you are reading correctly, there is a place called Voodoo Doughnut and it's in Portland, OR. It's a great place for your morning coffee and doughnut fix or to pick up a doughnut voodoo doll to curse whatever or whomever ails you. Complete with a gothic sense of humor, this landmark institution has three locations in Portland. They also do weddings believe it or not!

The maple bacon doughnut was probably the most
unique one we had other than the voodoo doll doughnut.

Tilth - Seattle, WA

2010-08-21T22:15:00.005-04:00

While on vacation in the Pacific Northwest, the first night of our trip we had an opportunity to eat at another restaurant famed for the chef having been on Iron Chef America and beaten the Iron Chef competitor. Maria Hines was on just a few weeks ago and beat Morimoto. Inspired by her victory, we had to eat at her restaurant in Seattle.

Tilth features New American cuisine prepared with certified-organic or wild ingredients sourced from as many local farmers as they are able to support. The executive chef and owner, Maria Hines, is a James Beard Award winner for Best Chef of the Northwest as well as one of Food & Wine Magazine's 10 Best new Chefs of 2005. In 2008, the New York Times deemed Tilth one of the best new restaurants in the country. Tilth received its organic certification from Oregon Tilth, an unaffiliated organization that promotes sustainability.

Great food, great wine, family, and lots of laughter made this an evening we'll remember for a very long time.

Tilth is a modified Arts & Crafts home turned restaurant.

We sat outside on the deck for dinner.

Chick Pea Soup with Black Olive Compote

Broccoli Soup with Cucumber

Drink in the background is The Monk,

rye whiskey, benedictine, yellow chartreuse

Chilled Billy's Gardens Tomato Soup

basil, grilled cheese sandwich, heirloom tomato

paired with

2009 Triennes, Rose, Vin de Pays du Var, France

White Corn Flan

nasturtium, corn kernel, pop corn shoot

Mini Duck Burgers

fingerling chips, housemade ketchup, hot mustard

Watermelon Carpaccio

french melon, wild mint, feta

paired with

2009 Gobelsburger, Gruner Veltliner, Kamptal, Austria

House Made Pappardelle

fava bean, cipollini, sous-vide egg

paired with

2008 Pieropan, Soave, Italy

Pan Seared Wild Alaskan Halibut

artichoke barigoule, picholine olive, fregola

paired with

2009 Adelsheim, Rose, Willamette Valley, Oregon

Strawberry Lemonade

the best we've ever tasted

Pete Knutson's Sockeye Salmon

tomato water, currant tomato, romano bean

paired with

2008 Joseph Drouhin, Macon-Villages, France

Grilled Eel River Ranch Sirloin

fried green tomato, cheesy grits, chow chow

paired with

2007 Palacios Remondo, 'Vendimia', Rioja, Spain

Vino

Cowgirl Creamery Mt. Tam Cheese

truffle honey, truffle salt, cracker

paired with

2005 Domaine de la Fontainerie, Vouvray Demi-Sec, France

Single Origin Dark Chocolate Sorbet

shaved chocolate, holmquist hazelnut

Strawberry-Rhubarb Shortcake

strawberry chip, rhubarb coulis, chantilly

paired with

2008 Rosa Regale, Brachetto d'Acqui, Italy

Good Eats: Atlanta, GA

2010-03-05T11:11:00.031-05:00

While attending a conference, I had the opportunity to eat at two very good restaurants in Atlanta, GA. One I sought out as the Chef competed with his brother on Iron Chef America (more on that later). The other came as a recommendation from a friend. Both are excellent restaurants with fantastic food. I would highly encourage you to go to one or both the next time you are in Atlanta. I will certainly look for an excuse for a return visit.

Kevin Rathbun Steak

Steak houses in the U.S.A. are becoming somewhat of a cliche. Most have good, although predictable, food and atmosphere. You have your chain restaurants like Morton's, Ruth's Chris, Capital Grille, etc. You also have your one-stop shops that emulate the aforementioned national chains. Decent food, good steak, reasonable wine collection, but boring and unimaginative nonetheless.

Kevin Rathbun Steak is not one of these places. I sought out this steak house as I knew Kevin had competed with his brother Kent (Abacus) on Iron Chef America. In that competition, Battle Elk, they beat Bobby Flay. No small feat and the staff at Kevin's restaurant now call him the "Flay Slayer".

The atmosphere of the restaurant was fantastic. A beautiful bar complete with copper ceiling to mirror the darkened bar. The brick walls gave it that industrial look. We ate at the bar (which is full service) as it was packed the night I was there and we didn't make reservations ahead of time. Sampling many of their dishes, below are pics of the ones we had that night. Among the other libations consumed, we ordered a 2007 Elizabeth Spencer Cabernet to go with dinner. An excellent wine that paired well with all the dishes we had.

Baked Escargot
w/Parsley Garlic Butter & Crispy Shallots

Lobster Fritters
w/Lemon Zest Honey Mustard

Japanese Wagyu Beef

Grade A-5, 8-10 BMS

Maple Leaf Farms Duck Breast
Roasted Root Vegetables, Quince Mostarda

Smoky Braised Greens
w/ Kentucky Hog Jowl

Elbow Mac & Cheese Tart
w/ Truffle Crumbs

Caramel Brule

Baked Alaska
(Before Fudge Pour)

Baked Alaska
(After Fudge Pour)

Scott and Kevin

JCT Kitchen & Bar

Billed as "Southern Farmstead Cooking", I also was told this was a place to get traditional southern soul food. I'm now positive about the former and not so sure about the latter. I've never had soul food like I had at JCT. Whatever the case, the bottom line is that it was a fantastic meal. JCT takes the southern cooking style and ups it several levels with creativity, wonderful plating, and rich flavors. I chose a 2007 Henry Estate Pinot Noir to go with dinner. This worked fine for the lighter dishes. But, in retrospect, I think a fuller wine would have been better. A fruity California Cab or spicy Syrah would have stood up fine to the bolder flavors on the menu without overpowering the lighter fare given the richness in flavor of those dishes.

"Angry" Mussels
w/Peppered Bacon, Serrano Chile & Onion

Foie Gras & Chicken Liver Mousse
w/Apple Butter and Wood Grilled Bread

All Night Braised Short Ribs
Local Gouda & Sweet Potato Gratin,
Mushroom of the Moment, Thin Beans

Crispy "Duck & Dumplings"
Duck Leg Confit, Duck Meatballs,
Potato Dumplings, Local Greens,
and Crusty Bread for Sopping

Benton's Bacon Wrapped Georgia Rainbow Trout
Creamed Corn & Local Vegetable Succotash,
Crispy Farm Stand Okra, Pork Jus

Sweet Corn & Georgia Goat Cheese Filled Pasta
Parmesan, Preserved Tomatoes,
Brown Butter-Veal Jus

Wood Grilled 1/2 Chicken
"Almost Boneless", Duck Fat Crisped Heirloom Potatoes,
Lacquered Pork Belly, Local Honey

Georgia Apple & Pecan Fried Pies
w/ Cinnamon Ice Cream, Brown Butter Caramel

Warm Chocolate Truffle Cake
w/ Pistachio Ice Cream

Ginger Bread-Pudding
w/ Meyer Lemon Curd

Meyer Lemon Doughnuts
w/ Espresso Ice Cream

Scharffen Berger Chocolate

2010-02-22T21:17:00.010-05:00

While I'm on the subject of libations and other guilty

pleasures, dark chocolate came to mind tonight as Cindee and I were enjoying her membership in the Benziger wine club. We get two bottles shipped to us quarterly. Tonight, we were enjoying the Benziger Oonapais 2006 which is a particularly excellent Meritage (Bordeaux style blend). Benziger is one of our favorite Sonoma based vineyards and we enjoy everything they send us.

The Oonapais is a blend of Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Petit Verdot.

To finish off dinner, I often enjoy pairing a wine like the Oonapais with dark chocolate. My favorite dark chocoloate at the moment is the Scharffen Berger Mocha. A 62% dark chocolate with freshly roasted coffee infused throughout, you get a wonderful coffee flavor with the dark chocolate. Combined with the rich velvety touch of a balanced red wine (pick your poison - Meritage, Bordeaux, California Cab, Syrah, or Zin - they are all good), and much like the martini you have a match made in heaven. A great way to wind down after a long day at the office!

Hendrick's Gin

2010-02-22T20:10:00.008-05:00

I am a fan of the martini. Have been for a long time. There’s something comfortable and soothing about the ritual of mixing gin and dry vermouth in a shaker full of cold ice, shaking it (don’t bruise the gin), and pouring the elixir into a martini glass with blue cheese stuffed olives waiting to soak up the juniper goodness heading its way. I do like dry vermouth to soften the martini instead of a “pass the vermouth bottle by the glass” dry martini some prefer. My martini for two recipe is five parts gin to one part dry vermouth. Shake and pour over two blue cheese stuffed olives. Rinse and repeat.

For the longest time I had a preference for Beefeater gin. I had nothing against other gins. I just preferred Beefeater for both the flavor (I like London Dry Gins) and an irrational loyalty to the Crown given I'm 1/2 Canadian. If that last part doesn't make sense to you, understandable. Canada is still considered a Commonwealth country and has an allegiance to the British throne. But I digress.

Perhaps true to my real roots (I'm German, Scottish, and Irish), I bought a bottle of Hendrick’s Gin which is distilled and bottled in Scotland. I was immediately converted. Not because it's Scottish (although that does help!), but because of the amazing flavor. The description on the back of the bottle sums it up best:

"This handcrafted gin is distilled from a proprietary recipe which includes traditional botanicals such as juniper, coriander, and citrus peel. The "unexpected" infusion of cucumber and rose petals results in a most iconoclastic gin."

I couldn't have said it any better. The nose of this gin matches the quality of the flavor on the tongue. Pair it with a nice dry vermouth and you have a martini made in heaven.

Enjoy!

Rhubarb Mojito

2010-02-06T21:31:00.001-05:00

I'm a big fan of Mojito's. Ran across this food blog from one of Cindee's coworkers and it looks awesome. Definitely going to try it once the weather warms up.

Rhubarb Mojito

Bostwick Lake Inn

2010-02-03T18:15:00.003-05:00

As I look back on our food blog, most of the entries are from really nice restaurants or of food we've cooked at home that was fun, a bit unique, and tasted great. But, I think I've been doing a bit of a disservice to some of the small restaurants that produce great food albeit it not at the level of a Moto's. One such restaurant is the Bostwick Lake Inn. The Bostwick is a great place for a couple of reasons. One, being situated on Bostwick Lake, they have a great patio that is a fantastic place to wind down at during the warm months. Often during the week, live music is played out on the deck, you can look out over the lake at all the boats, skiiers, tubers, etc. and have a really good meal to boot not to mention a cold beer. It's also nice in the cold weather as the interior in warm and inviting and the wait staff is always pleasant and friendly. They have a reasonably good wine list and offer wine sales in the restaurant if you end up wanting to buy a bottle of what you had with dinner.

One of my favorite dishes they serve is pictured below. It's a classic meat loaf, baked in a pastry crust, served with Zinfandel jus, seasoned smashed red skin potatoes, and seasonal fresh vegetable.

The Zinfandel jus is fantastic and coupled with the puff pastry really makes the meatloaf shine. A great twist on an old classic. A meal that definitely sticks to your ribs during a cold winter's night. If you are in the Grand Rapids area, I would definitely recommend checking it out.

New Years Even 2010

2009-12-31T22:27:00.012-05:00

It's been several months since my last posting. While I've eaten at several nice restaurants the in the past several months, nothing has been "blog worthy" until tonight. As we close out 2009 and enter 2010, Cindee and I decided to have a culinary night for New Year's Eve as we ring in the new year. We made several great dishes and I decided they were blog worthy enough to share (despite my comments in my previous blog about being a so-so cook - I won't use the term chef). All of the courses we prepared were very good and our approach to the dishes was interesting and fun. We took several recipes and combined the best parts into what we ended up serving. This is what I would consider the start to becoming a better cook. Taking ideas, merging them with your own, and coming up with a new dish that doesn't fit a recipe found in a book and can be called your own.

Here is our menu for the evening (oh how good it did taste, too!)

Curried Mussels

Dijon/Herb/Panko Encrusted Lamb Chops with a
Frisee Salad with Maple Bacon Vinaigrette

The Aftermath - It Was Excellent!

Old Fashioned Cherry Pie

The appetizer is courtesy of a cookbook from one of our favorite restaurants in Ann Arbor called Eve. The main course and salad were combinations of recipes Cindee had from some of her cooking magazines. Dessert was plain old fashioned cherry pie.

Wines for the evening included:

2007 Rodney Strong Reserve Zinfandel
2006 Rodney Strong Reserve Syrah
The Black Chook Sparkling Shiraz

We wish everyone a Happy New Year and all the best for 2010!

Canadian Rockies Lake Trout

2009-08-26T22:14:00.015-04:00

I have never blogged about my own cooking up to this point. Frankly due to the fact that I'm not that good a cook. Mind you, I know my way around the kitchen, can follow recipes reasonably well, and am getting pretty good with my smoker. However, I haven't developed an ability to pair flavors together yet to a point where I'd consider myself a good cook. My wife is a better cook than I am and although I don't admit it to her very often (she'll be chuckling the first time she reads this post), I do learn from her when she's cooking as we explore new foods and flavors (her making and me eating).

On our vacation this summer, my son, my father-in-law, and I took a guided fishing trip for half a day on Lake Minnewanka in Banff National Park. We were fishing for lake trout. Lake Minnewanka is supposed to be one of the top 10 lake trout lakes in all of Canada. The record fish taken from this lake weighed in at a whopping 50 pounds!

We had a fun day on the water although the fishing was not as good as we'd hoped. However, I did catch two fish good enough to keep and they actually fed all seven of us for dinner. My son caught a small one that he threw back and unfortunately my father-in-law didn't get a bite at all.

The pictures below are the "before and after" showing the fish and then how I prepared them for dinner. The larger fish was about 4 lbs and the smaller in the 2 lb range.

To cook them, I simply grilled them on a gas grill on low heat for about 15 minutes. I made a tin foil baking pan and then squeezed lemon and lime juice on them, added a small amount of onion &garlic powder seasoning, cracked pepper, salt, and then topped them with slices of lemon and lime, a couple dollops of butter on each filet, and finished them off with fresh dill.

The fish were delicious. Light, flaky, and very tasty. Certainly an easy recipe I'll make again. We served the fish with garlic butter red skinned potatoes baked in the oven and paired the meal with a rose that balanced the citrus flavor in the fish nicely and the garlic in the potatoes as well.

Before

After

Grizzly House Restaurant, Banff

2009-08-21T23:05:00.021-04:00

In 2003, Cindee and I were in Banff to support a friend who was working on his Ph.D. and presenting at a conference. We came up, ostensibly, to attend his presentation to provide moral support. Truth be told, a long weekend in Banff to see the mountains and take in some skiing at Sunshine Village was certainly a contributing factor in our decision to come up. Although as it turned out, I was the only one to go skiing as Cindee was pregnant with Aedan and wasn't able to ski.

During our trip, we had dinner at a steak and fondue restaurant in Banff called The Grizzly House. We had no idea what to expect but the name sounded fun and fondue harkens back to the disco era of the 70's. We had a fantastic meal and a wonderful experience and vowed the next time we were in Banff we'd eat there again.

So, now in 2009 as we're enjoying our family vacation in the Canadian Rockies, we had The Grizzly House on our list of places to eat. We went last night and had an equally great evening in a very unique restaurant. This time, however, I took pictures. Among our group last night, we had the Hunter Fondue Bourguignonne, Exotic Fondue, Fondue Bourguignonne, and Seafood Fondue.

We had no room for dessert after this meal. Although the last time we were here we had the dessert fondue with melted Toblerone and fresh fruit.

All in all a great dining experience, fun with food as you cook on the stones, and a place you'll definitely want to check out if you have the chance to visit Banff.

A rustic, hunting lodge design to the restaurant.

Appetizer was a cheese fondue made up of swiss, emmenthal, and gruyere.

The sauces made for a nice array of flavors for the various meats.

The Exotic Fondue
(kangaroo, ostrich, rattlesnake, frog legs, buffalo, venison)

Cooking on 650 degree stones was great fun.

Excellent German Pinot Noir

2009-08-01T20:13:00.003-04:00

When I think of German wines, Pinot Noir is not usually the varietal that immediately comes to mind. But, a local wine store which we really like (The Crushed Grape) had a German Pinot Noir that I had purchased last year some time and really liked. When Cindee and I visited them recently, I remembered the wine and was able to buy their last two bottles. I'm hopeful they'll have more next time I'm in there.

In the meantime, if you're able to find it, I'd highly recommend picking up a bottle. You'll really enjoy it and I'm sure you'll look twice at the bottle to make sure it really does come from Germany.

Wine: 2005 Hans Lang Pinot Noir
Country: Germany
Region: Rheingau
Tasting Note from Cellar Tracker: Medium ruby color with a strong edge of cranberry...raspberry and cherry on the nose with a little baking spice. Very easy entry and medium fruit grip at mid palate with a very light sense of fruit sweetness underneath with a very light acidic counterpoint...demure and elegant.

Madison, WI

2009-02-15T12:35:00.006-05:00

Ate dinner at a very nice restaurant in Madison, WI last week. Harvest Restaurant is located on the Capital Square and has a great small restaurant ambience to it. Had the following for dinner:

First Course
Yellow Split Pea Soup, Moroccan Spices, Yogurt

Main Course
Braised Beef Short Ribs, White Corn Palenta, Apple and Celeriac Remoulade, Beef Jus

Sides (Shared): Anson Mills Spin Rossa della Valsugana Polenta, Potato Puree, Spinach and Garlic Confit, Hen of the Woods Mushrooms

Wine
Corteforte, Valpolicella Ripasso, Italy 2005
Expressive fruit notes of ripe plums and black cherry, excellent complexit

A good restaurant with great atmosphere and reasonable prices.

Chateau Hautes Ribes Vacqueyras

2009-01-23T13:43:00.006-05:00

I was down in Phoenix, AZ for work this past December and had dinner one night with my good friend Al (a sommelier). Al had a Rhone that I thought was amazing. Very reasonably priced ($12-$15) with a deep velvety color and rich flavor that Al said was due to the heat in Southern France where the vineyard is.

One I didn't want to forget about so here's the Cellar Tracker Link:

Chateau Hautes Ribes Vacqueyras

Al said it's kind of hard to come by so good luck to you if you happen to search for any.

Wine Spectator notes: Lovely red. Lots of pure, clean, ripe red and black fruit. Supple and sweet tannins. Medium body. Wonderful finish. Not overly complex, but great pleasure in a glass.

Cupertino, CA - 2009

2009-01-23T12:50:00.042-05:00

While traveling in the San Francisco area on business, I had the opportunity to eat at an excellent steakhouse called Alexander's Steakhouse. Alexander's is a classic American steakhouse with hints of Japanese influence laced into the menu.

Alexander's features Certified Angus Beef, corn fed from the midwest. They have their own dry-aging room which you can see immediately upon entering the restaurant. In addition to American beef, they also serve true Japanese imported Kobe beef of the A5 grade (the highest grade possible).

Great atmosphere, excellent wine menu (Wine Spectator Award of Excellence), fantastic presentation, and great flavors made for a very enjoyable evening.

Throughout the evening, we had the following wines:

2001 Chateau Beau-Soleil
2006 Domaine Drouhin
2004 Masi, Amarone Classico, Veneto

*Note: CellarTracker links are approximate to give you a feel for the wine. Specific vintages were not always available.

Here's what I had for dinner:

Pork and Prawns
Braised Pork Belly, Honey Roasted Kabocha Squash, Cocoa, Aioli
*Note: I think this is what this was, can't remember for sure.

Hamachi Shots
Grade 5 Hamachi, Red Chili, Frizzled Ginger,
Avocado, Truffled Ponzu

Smoked Salmon Pastrami
Dill, Gruyere Chips, Sauerkraut,
1000 Island, Rye Toast

Popcorn Crab
Jumbo Lump Crabmeat Fritters, Sansho,
White Pepper, Sriracha Mayonnaise

Rasberry Red Zinfandel Port Sorbet
Palate Cleanser Before the Main Event

Bone In Filet
One of the best steaks I've had in my life.

Rise 'N' Shine

Chocolate Souffle with

Creme Anglaise

And lastly, as if we hadn't eaten
enough already, they bring out this

Green Apple Cotton Candy. Delicious!!

So, if you're in the San Francisco area, I would definitely recommend giving Alexander's Steakhouse a try. Great food, great atmosphere, great fun, and a place where you'll make some memories with friends and family alike.

Las Vegas 2008

2008-11-18T11:55:00.005-05:00

I'm attending a conference in Las Vegas and benefiting from the hospitality of our hosts. A great opportunity to try some new restaurants.

Sunday - Sushisamba
A unique blend of Japanese, Brazilian and Peruvian cuisine, music and design made for a great dining experience. The menu is full of opportunity for a dining adventure and instead of having to choose what to eat and leave out something equally delicious, the wait staff prepared a "family style" dinner for us with a variety of selections from the menu. Five courses in all and probably too much food, it was a wonderful dining experience and a highly recommended restaurant to try out for some interesting fusion flavors.

Monday - B&B Ristorante
A Mario Bitale restaurant, had to stop for appetizers and dessert We had:

- Proscuitto San Daniele "Riserva" with Black Pepper "Fett 'unta"
- Calamari and Seppie Fritti
- Matsusake Carpaccio (doesn't appear on this particular menu)
- Cioccolato w/Braised Huckleberries

Had a good super Tuscan: 2005 Campo di Sasso Toscana IGT

An intense young red, with violet, black fruit and light toasty oak character on a medium body, with fine tannins and a medium, espresso-tinged finish.

Tuesday - Nobu

Located in the Hard Rock Hotel, Japanese Restaurant Owner and Chef, Nobu Matsuhisa, is highly recognized for his groundbreaking modern and authentic Japanese cuisine; the sushi is fresh as is all the seafood and most entree's will introduce a guest’s taste buds to delirium. Signature dishes to satisfy any palate include the Lobster Ceviche infused with citrus flavors that give guests the reminiscent feel of the tropics; Shrimp and Main Lobster drizzled with tangy lemon sauce and the Scallops in Spicy Pepper. Other exotic offerings are the Assorted Sashimi flavored with garlic, ginger and sesame seeds, slivers of Red Snapper with chili paste or for the more adventurous type, the Yellowtail with jalapeno. The house specialty is a Three-day Marinated Cod seared and served with sweet miso sauce.

Aside from the fine cuisine found at Nobu, the interior design features bamboo pillars, wooden birch trees, a black river rock wall and a seaweed wall, replications of the décor found in Chef Nobu’s New York restaurant, TriBeCa. Other impressive details include the burnt ash tabletops to match the bamboo feature and a black rock at each table setting to hold chopsticks.

Wednesday - Aureole

We spent our last night in Vegas at Aureole which is located in Mandalay Bay. A dramatic space with urban sophistication, serene elegance and world-class cuisine. "Wine angels" fly through the four story wine tower retrieving wine from a selection equal to most in Vegas. The wine menu itself is presented to you on a wireless tablet PC with sorting and search capabilities to let you hone in on your favorite country, region, varietal, etc.

The menu was excellent and offers two prix fixe choices and one a la carte three course menu. The entire table must order the same menu so if you have some with you who aren't adventurous with their taste buds, beware that you may not get all that you are wanting when choosing from the menu. In our particular party, we had a stickler who didn't like sushi or duck (I think he's crazy personnally) and that kept us from the prix fixe menu we wanted. But, we were not disappointed in the menu we did have and thoroughly enjoyed our evening. We paired dinner with a 2004 Chateau Lascombe Bordeaux. Below are pictures of the dishes I had.

Appetizer - Ahi Tuna and Cured Salmon Composition

w/American Caviar and Lemon Creme Fraiche

Main Course - Ahi Tuna and Veal Shank "Surf and Turf",
Puttanesca Flavors, Basil Pesto

Dessert - Fallen Bittersweet Chocolate and Blackberry Souffle,
Blackberry Cheesecake Ice Cream, White Chocolate Foam

Napa Valley 2008

2008-11-01T00:10:00.003-04:00

Some of the choice pickups we made on our trip to Napa Valley this past October:

2005 Arrowood Cote de Lune Rouge
2005 Benziger Family Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Gordenker Vineyard
2005 Benziger Family Winery Tribute
2007 Elizabeth Spencer Sauvignon Blanc Proprietor Selected Special Cuvée
2005 Hopper Creek Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Clos Valmi
2005 Hopper Creek Winery Merlot
2004 Reynolds Family Winery Cabernet Sauvignon Estate Select
2005 Rodney Strong Cabernet Sauvignon Reserve
2006 Rodney Strong Pinot Noir Reserve
2004 Rubicon Estate / Niebaum-Coppola Cabernet Sauvignon

Below is a photo I took at the Benziger Winery. We were there during harvest so the colors were amazing and it was great to see the wineries in full swing with the fall crush.

Vancouver, BC

2008-05-08T00:46:00.005-04:00

Dinner at Diva

Spring Asparagus Soup w/Mock Truffle
Canadian Striploin with wild mushroom saute, braised cipollini, crispy pave, red wine jus
Warm Chocolate Souffle with Pistachio Ice Cream and Chocolate Sauce

Wine - Blue Mountain Pinot Noir Okanagan Valley 2006

Château Puygueraud Côtes de Francs 2005

2008-04-06T21:28:00.005-04:00

Shows lovely black currant, floral and black licorice notes. Full-bodied, with velvety tannins and a tight bead of fruit and mineral throughout. Has a long finish. Best after 2009. 10,830 cases made.

Score: 92
Release Price: $18

One of the recommendations from Wine Spectator for the 2005 Vintage of the Century.

Sineann Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Resonance Vineyard 2006

2008-04-06T21:01:00.007-04:00

Sineann Pinot Noir Willamette Valley Resonance Vineyard 2006

Bright and juicy, with crisp acidity to carry the fresh dark berry flavors. Not as profound or complex as some vintages, but its impressive length suggests that cellaring might add some depth. Drink now through 2012. 450 cases made.

Score: 89
Release Price: $48

Moto

2008-04-06T18:59:00.023-04:00

How was Moto? Wow, what can we say? A co-worker of Cindee's (see Tammy's Tastings Blog) recommended this restaurant to us for our Chicago weekend. We were eager with anticipation and Moto certainly didn't let us down. We had the 10-course dinner with an extra course of the Flapjacks thrown in when I asked them about them at the end of the meal. Great minimalist decore, friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable wait staff, and amazing food.

The menu is essentially three choices. 5-course, 10-course, and GTM (Grand Tasting Moto). We had the 10-course with the wine pairing.

I had my iPhone with me so I took as many photos as I could. Due to ambient lighting, the pictures are somewhat blurry. But, you get the gist of the genius of Homaro Cantu.

Edible Personalized Menu

Not only is it a menu but it's a rebus.

So, you have to think at the same time

you're reading the menu. Along with

the menu which was delicious, we started

with a rose brut champagne. Very nice!

Greek salad

The chip on top was "chilled" in liquid
nitrogen. On top, Octopus with an
avacado puree of some type (I think).
Wine Pairing: Warwick Sauvignon
Blanc Simonsberg-Stellenbosch

Professor Black 2007

Greek salad/liquified
A consume of tomato, cucumber, and a

type of olive oil that I don't remember.

Amazing flavor explosion when you "shoot"

this dish. Palate cleansing and very refreshing.

Nitro pineapple
Upper left hand corner is a stainless steel
serving platter on which were two chunks of

pineapple in jerk sauce. Lower right is a piece

of opakapaka. Served with water cress.
Wine Pairing: Murai Family, Nigori Genshu, Aomori, NV Saki

Next Course: Smoked Pork with collard greens (no picture)
Wine Pairing: Sineann Pinot Noir
Willamette Valley Resonance
Vineyard 2006

Pasta & Quail

Wine Pairing: Betts and Scholl
Grenache Barossa Valley The O.G. 2005

Roadkill of big game
Venison in beet puree. Notice lane
divider marker down middle of plate.
Lower left is some type of liver and a
light cheese with peppercorn salt as
the gravel on the road.
Wine Pairing: Richard Partridge Cabernet
Sauvignon Napa Valley 2003

C O-two Fruit

Carbonated fruit (grapes and apple)
with other assorted goodies I don't remember.

Gin and Tonic
Under spoon is grapefruit. Lower left is
grapefruit foam with a thin cookie. Spoon
has a membrane with a print of a grapefruit
on it. Inside the membrane is the gin & tonic.
When you bite in, it gushes out.

S'Mores

Wine Pairing:
Sutton Cellars, Pagano Vineyard Zinfandel Port
Zinfandel, Russian River Valley 2005

Flapjacks

Cooked on an "anti-griddle" fresh
from a liquid nitrogen bath.

Flapjack is served in a spoonfull of
bourbon barrel aged maple syrup.

We highly recommend you try out Moto. You won't be disappointed!

Vivere

2008-04-06T18:31:00.004-04:00

This past Friday, Cindee and I had dinner at Vivere in Chicago. Part of the Italian Village, we had seen this restaurant featured on the Food Network and were eager to eat there. We were not disappointed at all and found the ambience, wait staff, food, and wine selections outstanding. For our dinner we had:

Antipasti Freddi
Carpaccio di Cervo con Formaggio Tartufo Bianco
- thinly sliced raw Venison, white truffle chees, truffle oil, Michigan peaches, micro greens

Antipasti Caldi
Gnocchi di Tartufo Nero con Astice e Spinaci
- Homemade potato and black truffle dumplings, lobster, spinach, white wine shallot sauce

Paste
Agnolottini di Fagiano
- Homemade pheasant filled pasta; butter, sage, Parmigiano-Reggiano
Tordelli Di Coniglio E Porcini
- Tuscan style pasta filled with braised rabbit; and Prosciutto di Parma, wild mushrooms, butter, spinach.

Secondi
Capesante con Crosta di Porcini ai Ferri
- Seared sea scallops dusted with porcini powder and star anise; soft polenta, beluga lentils, shallot-wine sauce
Petto d'Anatra Arrostito con Mandorle
- Pan roasted duck breast encrusted with candied almonds; roasted butternut squash, mission figs, port reduction.

With dinner we had an excellent Barolo: 1999 Franco Molino Rocche dell'Annunziata