Richmond has several places to buy foodstuffs, and the choices are only getting tonier with Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s coming to the far west-end by 2009.
This article from Richmond magazine covered some of the details.
(via RVA news (link)
Bacon Lettuce Tomato Salad
Combine lettuce, tomatoes, cheese, and onions with dressing, add bacon on top.
A colleague at work recently told me about a “Top 100” recipes featured at Bon Appétit magazine’s website. I’ve had a love/hate relationship with the magazine for a few years, alongside Gourmet (among my complaints is the amount of advertising, especially that geared towards “lifestyle” and not food), but needless to say, everytime I go to the Fresh Market, I see something so delicious on the covers of their food magazines, and I pick them up, only to be inspired. It will follow with a purchase, an online search, or perhaps some time at the local library where my “browsing” can take a more leisurely pace.
So, let’s take a look at some of these recipes.
Spicy Curry Noodle Soup with Chicken and Sweet Potato (recipe). Hmm. Doesn’t sound that good to me, sweet potato? But what I do like is that the recipe is augmented with procedure videos (how to chop garlic) and guides (how to prepare lemongrass). Not bad for a magazine website.
Their BBQ Ribs (recipe) looks good; this one features a molasses bourbon sauce. I don’t yet own an outdoor grill, so this recipe would likely be something I wouldn’t try (although I’ve found results in the oven can be good). Again, the added features, such as safety tips, a listing of required tools, and the social aspects (comments, ratings) are a good start.
The Bison Short Ribs flavored with coffee (recipe) also looks good. This is one I’d actually try (if I could find bison short ribs). They cook theirs in the oven after an initial browning (I’ve only made mine over the stove top) which looks like it might work-out, and they give instruction on how to do this “ahead” and reheat before your diners arrive.
So, to recap, Bon Appétit is now stepping into Web 2.0 with a new website with social features (podcasts, ratings, blog-like comments, and bonafide blogs). We’ll see how they do at bridging the worlds between magazine and website. For now, they’re offering up feature-enhanced versions of their favorite “Top 100” recipes online.
They also feature a blog devoted to two food fans who are cooking these 100 recipes. Smells like the Julie/Julia Project.
It’s an interesting time in this “web” world. Some folks are leery about following a food blog (say, like this one) and making the recipes we might post. They like the “institutional fortitude” of a food magazine, like Bon Appétit to prescribe some good foods. Some of us like the glossy picture spreads of the magazines. And still others prefer the more permanent calling of a cookbook.
Both Bon Appétit and Gourmet have come out with mega-sized cookbooks. I bought the one from Gourmet but not the Bon Appétit. It’s basically a “Best of the Best” collection of recipes that have appeared in their magazine over a wide span of years. I have not made even 50 recipes yet from my yellow Gourmet cookbook, but every one has been good.
My thanks to reader Renée for the tip on the Bon Appétit 100.
Today I had the opportunity to indulge in gustatory delights in a trip to Charlottesville, VA. It included a visit to my favorite dumpling shop, a purchase at Barboursville Vinyards, and dinner at the most excellent Oxo restaurant.
Among the highlights was an onion and arrugala bisque with truffle foam.
I think this is something I could reproduce at home: it was mildly sweet, nourishing, and the lemon “dust” was a nice accent.
The worst part of the 3-course dinner was the between-course of raspberry sorbet.
It was placed in a shallow, small plate and served with a mini-spoon. Actually trying to eat it was difficult; it slid around and you feared you’d push it out onto the table cloth.
I had a delicious entrée of herb-crusted salmon. I paired it with a delicious pinot noir, which was a nice balance to the sweet, exotic-spiced salsify in the dish.
The most delicious item? The dessert of rice pudding, pear, and chocolate-vanilla ice cream.
This had caramel, creaminess, texture, and vanilla. Yum-o. Very well done. I’ve never had such a satisfying rice pudding.
So, some 2 years since my first visit to Oxo, the dessert was still the best part. I’d recommend it to friends; it’s on Water Street near some other eateries, near the downtown mall.
Before dinner, I returned to Barboursville Vinyards in Orange County to pick up some of their excellent Octagon wine. It’s a carefully-mixed “best vintage” mixture. I picked up both O VII and O VIII (seventh and eighth versions, ever).
Lastly, I got to visit a nice little grocery off Ivy Street, Food of All Nations, and picked up some things I don’t typically have access to: some private-label olive oils, excellent-quality tea, etc.
So, if you have the opportunity to visit Charlottesville, there’s good food on the shelf and on the table! Makes for some excellent messy cuisine. Take a look at all the pictures.
Update (21 September 2008): We have found out that Oxo closed in late June. Too bad! We had a couple of great meals at Oxo.
This weekend I turned to fish. Unfamiliar with fish, I am not sure what to do with it—I need more experience. I chose some healthy halibut filets, tail side, and sautéed them in butter in a non-stick pan. Before cooking the fish, I applied salt, pepper, and a whisp of paprika.
Before they were completely cooked-through, I kept them warm in a 200-degree oven.
In the same non-stick pan, I created a buerre blanc sauce. I sautéed green onion (scallion) in butter, and then added white wine, reducing this mixture, then mounted it with a teaspoon or so of heavy cream. I reduced this further. Next, I added pats of cold butter, and stirred it briskly using a silicon spatula. I also added lemon zest. You basically keep adding melting butter over low heat, one pat at a time, and you build-up this creamy sauce.
Of course, this was my third beurre blanc and it too separated. I think my heat was too high. So… CRAP! But I still poured some on the fish, and it wasn’t a complete disaster; flavor was there, just not the texture.
For the spinach, I used one box frozen spinach, heated it up in hot water; then squeezed most of the water out. I cooked garlic in butter, added the hot spinach, and mounted this with more heavy cream, salt, pepper, and nutmeg. I pretty typical creamed spinach recipe.
The two together were very nice. Delicious, in fact.
