Archive for November, 2008

Once again, we made beef short ribs. I learned a thing or two, listening to Lynne Rosetto Kasper on American Public Media via podcast: can’t braise your beef above 170 degrees for too long, or else you won’t get that “fall off the bone” wet texture. I didn’t choose the oven method, but did keep a watchful eye on the cooking on the stove top.

We also had a salad with tomatoes, red pepper, and small mozzarella balls. The dressing was made from honey-mustard, EVOO, and the tomatoes were dressed in balsamic glaze and sea salt.

Brown the short ribs in fat, then cover in liquid. I used red wine, chicken stock, and vegetables: celery, carrot, onion, tomatoes; herbs.

Alongside was the strong taste of a polenta with truffled cheese, truffle oil, porcini and chanterelle mushrooms, and of course, a little parmesan, It was delicious.

I also made a sauce for the meat from the braising liquid, demi-glace, and Vincotto, a syrupy Italian condiment sauce made from grape must.

Dessert was an apple pie.

I augmented the 4 different apple types with rum-soaked raisins.

While in the D.C. area recently, I had lunch at La Chaumière, which as you may have guessed, serves French food.

As other descriptions may foretell, the atmosphere here is a little cozy. We got to sit adjacent to the fireplace which sets in the center of the restaurant, among the tables. The smell, the mild heat, and the wood-beam ceilings made us feel as if we were not just off a busy street in Georgetown, but rather, tucked away someplace remote and European.

The lunch menu looked dated, a tad, with some standard faire. But that doesn’t mean the food was less than delicious. Trendy, this place was not; dependable, likely would be the better modifier.

We had just had coffees at the near-by Dean and Deluca, so we skipped appetizers and went straight for two lunchtime entrées: crab salad and white sausages.

The crab salad was fresh tasting, light, yet satisfying with an intense scallion flavor. To my palate, it tasted as though it looked… a light bite of citrus, the richness of the crab, and light notes of vegetables.

The sausages were served alongside sautéed apples and vegetables. These were fresh pork and chicken sausages, with a very light texture, almost like a mousse. The sauce, the apples, and the purée of cheesy potatoes were all good flavor combinations, and I enjoyed each and every bite.

The atmosphere here is relaxed. Service was simple, not fussy or complex, and I’d likely return for another meal.

Recommended!

Some weeks ago, I visited Chapel Hill, NC, and their venerable fancy food store, A Southern Season. I stayed long enough for dinner at their restaurant, The Weathervane.

I didn’t much care for where we were seated. The best room, I think, is the first one, with a view of the kitchen. The larger room further back was kind of lonely.

But that was made up by a great server. I forget her name, but she was chatty, friendly, and cool to talk with. Not someone who sticks around too long, but someone who takes their time, explains things, and gave a few recommendations.

The entrée I had was their veal-stuffed tortelloni with Italian sausage. It was good. And for their prices, I thought it was reasonably priced for the quality.

The store that night seemed a little desolate, and the restaurant was not packed, but they did have a fair number of patrons. I’d certainly recommend it on the account of what we had.

I’ve been shamelessly listening to the most excellent radio program, The Splendid Table now for a couple of months, relishing in host Lynne Rossetto Kasper’s more recent episodes, and of course, going back for more that were previously recorded. You can listen to her Saturday American Public Media show now via podcast.

And today, I picked up her book that came out this late summer, How to Eat Supper. At first glance, there are a lot of delicious-looking recipes that each look easy to make. I think I’m going to like this one.

If you’d like to help support MessyCuisine, from the restaurant reports to the home-grown recipes, consider buying Kasper’s book via the link below with Amazon.

Tonight in the MessyChef kitchens, a rustic minestrone. If it turns out to be something special, I’ll post photos.