East by Northeast

A play on the inspiration for dinner tonight.  Started with flank steak--simple prep of salt, pepper, medium rare on a grill pan.   It's peak produce season (or a good time, anyway), so we have a ton of good fruit and veggies.  Decided first to do a blueberry sauce for the steak.  I ended up adding  fresh garlic, wine, and butter, along with dark (read slightly sweet, viscous) soy sauce and cinnamon.  It made for a slightly Asian flavored sauce that had nice balance of sweet, salty, and acidity.  For starch, I parboiled some new potatoes and two Hakerai turnips right out of our garden, and then roasted them with a few spring onions and some chopped garlic.  And the veggies--that was the best--green beans, blanched, and then sauteed with shiitake mushrooms and more young garlic, and finished with a touch of regular soy sauce.  One of the best (and most complex) things I've cooked lately.

Goat

Yes, Goat meat.  It's what was for dinner tonight.  Goat shanks, to be exact.  A lot like lamb shanks in texture and flavor, but a bit sweeter, a bit leaner, and overall, maybe even better.  Or at least, different.  We cooked them in a long low braise, a Jamaican curry.  That meant curry powder, some jerk powder, a ton of allspice, some coconut milk, thyme, honey, and of course, some hot pepper.  It came out remarkably well, paired with fingerling potatoes and Christmas Lima beans.  Yummy.  I want to cook more goat.

Cassoulet

Tonight was a classic "duck dinner"--as in, cassoulet. Seven of us got together for a fun dinner and wines. We started with some vintage champagne from 1998 and 2000 vintages. We then shared in this beautiful dish, paired with 1998 and 2004 Rhone wines, and a 2005 Madiran. We followed this with a salad course (very European), paired with a 1999 German Riesling Kabinett. Dessert was a chess pie, paired with an AMAZING 1969 Tokaji Aszu. What a dinner! And great company. I gained a number of fascinating insights tonight from all of this.

First, duck confit, pork belly, and sausage, paired with beans, baked for a couple hours with copious duck fat is downright amazing. And, perhaps, requiring some statins... :-) It pairs extraordinarily with a 2005 Madiran, which is still a baby. The 2004 Ste. Anne CDR-St. Gervais was beautiful, lighter, more acidic, and rather "feminine", if you can really use that to describe a wine. The 1998 Cotes du Rhone shows that a good vintage and a good producer (Grand Prieur) can lead to amazing aging on an inexpensive wine such as this.

Second, this riesling was amazing--it had such a nose of petrol/gasoline (in a very good way), and a crisp, acidic cut, with a long mineral finish. This blew me away.

Third, drinking a 43 year old sweet wine is an experience of unforgettable proportions. This goes down as a 10 most memorable wines of life. This Hungarian wine had incredible acid (STILL), great minerals, a somewhat oxidative note of good dry sherry or Madeira, nutty, sweet, mild fruit, and an ongoing finish.

I am fortunate enough to get to taste and drink a lot of good wine--even quite a bit that borders on great. But I am seldom so surprised by so many bottles in one setting; I seldom learn as much in one setting; and, rare indeed is a bottle that I will be remembering for years to come. To find two of those in an evening--that is extraordinary. Now, most of my favorite wines come from France, as do virtually all of my most memorable wines. So, to have two in a row that were NOT from France--surprising as can be.

Lamb Cheeks

Last night, I managed to cook up a meal that is near the top of all time in my view. Now, my wife was not a fan of this for flavor and texture reasons, so universal praise was not part of the picture here... But here's the scoop:

Sparrow Market, an Ann Arbor classic grocery and meat market, had lamb cheeks on sale. Now, who has ever eaten lamb cheeks? Well, I've had pork and beef cheeks, and I find the texture and strong flavors enticing, so I figured, what the heck, let's try this out. I didn't come home with any particular plan, other than figuring I needed to braise them for a couple hours. A classic sauce with a variety of lamb dishes is a Provencal style sauce--so I built on that theme. After browning the cheeks stove-top, I sweated mirepoix (onion, carrot, celery) plus garlic, added a couple tablespoons of tomato paste, and cooked that for maybe 5 minutes. I deglazed with white wine, added some lamb stock tossed in a bay leaf, a few sprigs of thyme and rosemary, supplemented with a dash of Aleppo Pepper. After bringing to a boil, the cheeks went back in, and the whole cast iron Le Creuset business went into a 325 degree oven for 2 hours.

Meanwhile, I needed a side dish--and risotto seemed the perfect choice. So, out came some chicken stock, some Arborio rice, a bit of butter and shallot and Parmesan cheese. This is such a yummy, but easy, rice dish, I don't know why people are so afraid of it. Yes, you spend 20 minutes stirring a lot. Yes, you add stock gradually, deciding when the rice is at a doneness you like. Is it technically hard? Not at all. No fancy knife skills. No balancing 8 pots cooking at once. Just a bit of patience and attention to what you're doing.

As the risotto finished up, I removed the cheeks from the cast iron, strained the sauce to remove veggies and herbs, and reduced it by about half. I finished it off with a pat of butter, rewarmed the cheeks in the sauce, and sat down to a delicious dinner. I got out a 2006 Tourade Vacqueyras to accompany. It worked pretty well, although I think the wine is in a bit of a closed, awkward phase right now--there's still a lot of structure, fruit buried under it, and I think it'll be a very pretty bottle in a couple years. Right now, it's not bad at all, but not showing gorgeously yet. So, 5 more bottles to watch over 3-8 years.

The Brinery

It's been WAY too long... Ann Arbor's "The Brinery" deserves a shout-out. These guys make naturally fermented products--sauerkrauts, kimchis, pickles, and the like. Each batch is unique based on inputs and conditions--and I love that about it. It's much like fine wine--not a mass-produced, factory processes food intended for uniformity above all else. Now, these are not $2 jars of pickles--if you want that--well, Meijer or Wal-Mart or your local mega-mart will take care of you. But the product is worth every $.

Today's newest offering is called "Mountain Elder"--a locally grown, locally fermented red cabbage with a nice seasoning of ajowain. It's got a citric, umami, smoky note that is unbelievable. It would be classic with Mediterranean and middle eastern yogurt sauces with grilled meats, I think--we'll know more later in the week. But more broadly, the krauts (at least 3 or 4 types most weeks--some green and some red) are all pretty amazing. The owner and fermentation master, David, adds various appropriate flavors--caraway, juniper berry, and so on--to varying types of cabbage. The creativity is amazing, and I've not had one bad offering.

The pickles are what good fermented deli pickles SHOULD be, but so often fail at. The texture varies from crisp to a bit softer, the flavors vary a bit each time, but the dill and the garlic and the salt always make for a wonderful experience. The pickled turnips are also a good standby.

For me, the kimchis are often hotter than I personally care for--but then again, so is most Korean kimchi. David often has one or more milder offerings in that realm too. The hotter varieties seem remarkably authentic, complete with the fermented fish sauce.

So, next time you get a chance--check out Ann Arbor's best fermented, pickled products--all from The Brinery

Graham Elliot

Graham Elliot is a relatively new top-flight Chicago restaurant. Young chef, good reviews, eclectic and creative menu, and a single Michelin star--in short, a good place. So, on a recent trip, we had to stop in to try it out. They have surpassed all expectations with their blend of creativity and courage with the foods and drink pairings, and provided one of the best restaurant experiences of my life. Now, within the last couple months I've eaten at two of Las Vegas's Michelin starred restaurants (Guy Savoy, a 2 star, and Le Cirque, a 1-star)--saving those comments for later. But suffice it to say, Elliot blew both out of the water with their creativity and daring, and equalled them in service. Now, I grant you, some of this is comparing apples and oranges. Both Vegas establishments are classic French places, so creativity could only go so far. But they leaned heavily on caviar, black truffles, and foie gras--all in classic style--to make a good menu. Well, with ingredients like that, not a whole lot to do, other than not screw it up. The wine pairings in Vegas were, of course, all French, and depended heavily on moderately well-known labels, albeit from tougher vintages often. Many were clunky, often served ridiculously young, and seemed more intended to impress with their label than to match the food exquisitely.

In contrast, Graham Elliot calls themselves Chicago's first "bistronomic restaurant", with a goal of serving great cuisine in a creative, accessible manner. They do that to a tee. And then some. Not only is the food fun, it makes you think about food, not just consume it. On the table when you arrive is popcorn with parmesan and truffle oil. Good, but not great--only because it wasn't quite as crispy and hot as you'd hope, but great flavor. But the smell of truffle to wake up the taste buds in incomparable. We started with one of their classics--a foie gras mousse lollipop coated with watermelon pop rocks. Playful, dancing in the mouth, playing on the classic combination of foie gras and fruit, with a decidedly lighter interpretation. The pairing was a sparkling Alsatian wine--a blend of pinot blanc, pinot gris, maybe riesling, and who knows what else--point is, it was somewhat sweeter, certainly more fruit driven than champagne, but still with tons of acid cut--and it paired exquisitely with the foie gras. Champagne may well have lacked the fruit and body to pair with the foie. Great kudos ot the beverage staff. That was followed by an amuse bouche of granny smith jelly with Wisconsin cheddar on a housemade cracker--a tasty bite. Then, a deconstructed Caesar salad--a block of quality lettuce with an anchovy on top, beside a fried mascarpone stuffed brioche "Twinkie", tied together with a more or less classic dressing. Wow. What a creative approach. And, paired with a fairly grassy/chivy 2009 Graves blanc, they brought out each other's herbal nature, and cut through the oil in the dressing and fish and crouton. Spot on. Then, on to a deconstructed chicken soup--with a veloute (nearly a gravy) poured into a shallow bowl tableside from a classic lab flask. In the bowl: A mix of thyme tagliatelle, a carrot marshmallow, I think a slice of chicken sausage, and other goodies. Tasted much like chicken soup. On steroids. Wow. And the beverage pairing was a fascinating goose island pepe nero, a dark beer brewed with black pepper, and a large piece of lemon rind in it--all served in a chemistry beaker. Nice. Creative. Outside the box.

Now, onto the protein: First, a black bass with a smoked leek cross section, served with almonds, tomato marmalade, a leek reduction, a vinegar reduction, tomato powder. Very nicely done, maybe a bit "much" going on, but I honestly don't know what I'd have not put on the plate, and it was SO tasty. Here, the wine pairing was positively out of the box--and perfect. A 2000 white Rioja from Spain--very old school, oxidized (intentionally) flavor, big, bold, and ideal with the Spanish nods to the dish. That was an inspired, and bold pairing if I've ever seen one. Then, a small course--razor clam with pernod-licorice foam and a hint of dill. Just 2 or 3 bites, great to cleanse the palate coming into the meat course. Again, wow. Then, meat time--wagyu beef flank steak, medium rare, with truffled trumpet mushrooms, a slice of roquefort panacotta, and salsify fries--a real play on steak frites, with nearly a nod to tournedos rossini (just missing the foie gras). It was a great play on teh classic pairing, too, of beef, earthy mushrooms, and bleu cheese. And, most sommeliers would haul out the bordeaux--probably too young of an age, or worse, a California cabernet. But no. A 2006 Lucien le Moine Bourgogne rouge. "Just" a baseline burgundy--and who ever heard of pairing any pinot, much less AOC BURGUNDY, with steak? Well, it sure worked. The acidity in the wine cut through the fatty richness of the dish, refreshing after each bite. The earthy mushroom notes of the wine amped up the truffles and black trumpets. The acrid Roquefort played with the natural funk of the wine. In short, WOW.

Then, on to the sweeter stuff. A light granita of grapefruit and campari--great acidity and flavor to once again, clear the palate, refresh things for a big dessert. Which was a cocoa cake crumble with a cardamom creme, vanilla salt, cinnamon gelato, a cinnamon tuile, just complex as could be. Tasty, and interesting. And paired well with a 10 year Tawny port from Quinta de infantado. What a dinner!

Throughout it all, the service was as near "perfect" as any I've ever received. The sommelier was knowledgeable, excited to talk wines. The waiters explained dishes well, but were not intrusive at all. Best of all, after dinner, we were invited to a quick kitchen tour--mid service on a Friday night. Whoa. These guys are good. THey know how to impress. And I will be back--to try out the new menu in a few weeks, or to try out the "bigger" 9 or mroe course dinners. These are deadly serious people when it comes to their food, but they have so much of a flair for playing with it, making it fun and creative. And, in the process, they really do make you think about what food is all about. And, best of all, they have a beverage program that doesn't give two craps about what the label is, but about how the food and beverages taste together. They think seriously outside the box, and as a result, the diner gets a meal that really works together, where nothing is an "afterthought". Because we were doing a tasting menu, I did not get to discuss the wine list at length with the sommelier. But based upon his ability to pair wines, at a reasonable price point, with challenging foods, he is clearly a rare talent. The wine list is an amazing blend of named labels and eclectic, off the beaten path, producers and appelations. I know I would love to taste through some wines with this guy--I think we'd have a lively conversation, to put it mildly.

I would not say that this is an inexpensive restaurant, but a five course (that was what this was considered) tasting menu listed at $75/head. The wine pairings were $40. For this level of restaurant, for this kind of food and wine, it's a bargain. Is it everyday dining? Not for most of us mere mortals. In fact, for most of us, it's a bit of a splurge. And, probably, it shouldn't be everyday dining for anyone. No one should take such an exquisite approach to food for granted. Will this restaurant get a 2nd or 3rd Michelin star? I don't know. Their food departs remarkably from the classics, and they take a lot of risks. I happen to like that--even love it. For me, this is one of the most memorable meals I've had in a very long time, and I hope these guys keep up the phenomenal work, and keep taking the risks.

Julie's Birthday dinner

Tomorrow is my wife's birthday, and I've agreed to cook a nice (5-course) dinner for us, including having Julie decide ahead of time what she wants for each course (I have done surprises before, but this way, she gets more or less exactly what she wants). I've been working since Saturday to get the pieces of it done--from shopping at the farmer's market, to prep and early cooking. So, here's the menu:

Appetizer: Mac and Cheese Croquettes

L. Mawby Blancs de Blancs Michigan Sparkling wine

Soup: Thai Curry Squash Soup

Lucien Albrecht 2006 Gewurztraminer

Intermezzo: Pear-honey sorbet

Meat: Beef Wellington, scalloped potatoes, and roasted Brussels sprouts

Rex Hill 2000 Seven Springs Pinot Noir

Dessert: Tres Leches cake

Since I work all day, and Julie's birthday is on a Tuesday... as in tomorrow... most of this is already made at least in some form. The mac and cheese is made, just needs to be cut into little shapes, breaded and fried. The soup needs to be warmed, have some coconut milk, fish sauce, and lime juice added, garnished with some fried ginger, and served. The sorbet simply needs frozen, scooped, maybe garnished with a slice of pear and drizzle of 18-year-old balsamic vinegar. The cake is baked, but needs the milk added, then the topping on. And, of course, the main mostly requires me to work on it tomorrow. Not bad, though--I should be able to manage that without too much trouble.

The thing about this menu is that most of it is really easy cooking, in spite of the fancy names and so on... Mac 'n cheese from scratch is easy--boil water, cook the pasta, make a roux (butter, flour in equal portions), add dairy, add seasoning, add cheese. Combine, bake for ~ 30 minutes. Sorbet is simple, too. Peel and chop pears, add to mix of sugar and liquid--in this case, a mix of white wine, brandy, water, and honey. Puree, chill, then freeze. The soup is bit more complicated, but not much. I wanted extra "squash" flavor, so I roasted the squash before adding to the soup. But the soup started as a typical base--a couple onions, sweated in butter and oil, added carrots, finely chopped. Then, the Thai take--a mix of Thai Red Curry paste (yes, from a jar), and a spice paste I made from ginger, garlic, galangal, turmeric, lime zest (just the outsize green stuff), and palm sugar. These are added to the butter adn veggies and cooked a bit. Then, in goes the squash, then a few cups of stock, a can of coconut milk, and cook for a while. Puree with a stick blender to desired texture. Finish with more coconut milk, fish sauce, and lime juice; garnish with fried slices of ginger, if you like. Dessert starts with a pretty typical cake--flour, sugar, eggs, baking powder, vanilla... Then add the "tres leches"--or three milks--condensed, evaporated, and cream, let it soak into the cake for a few hours. Then frost/glaze the cake with a powdered sugar frosting. Not so bad, eh?

The tricky part will be the main. Of course, scalloped potatoes are easy--slice the taters, add some onion and garlic to cream, and scald it, pour it over the layered potatoes and cheese. Bake for an hour or so. The Brussels sprouts should be easy--cut in half, coat in olive oil, season, and bake. Add ground nuts if desired. But Beef Wellington is, well, futzy. It's a hunk of tenderloin, coated in a pate of foie gras and mushrooms, wrapped in puff pastry. You have to brown the meat before wrapping, and then finish it to desired doneness in an oven. Not terribly hard, but futzy, and challenging to make it look right and have good texture. Getting those, and hte veggies, all done at the same time--that iwll be the one real challenge, other than doing the copious dishes resulting from such a project.