2941 restaurant

This is the story of an oasis. An oasis within an office building in suburban northern VA. Wherein, a classically trained French chef, who's previously worked with Daniel Boulud, now serves up innovative dishes using seasonal ingredients. I suppose I've lived in the city for too long. I've been under the false impression that any restaurant with valet parking and a thoughtful tasting menu couldn't possible be found in suburbia. I stand corrected.

Despite its odd location, 2941 Restaurant provides a serene and gorgeous backdrop to an upscale dinner experience. Easily a favorite with wedding parties, there are waterfalls, gardens, and koi ponds that help to create nice photo-ops.


We started with a salad of local baby beets, goat cheese, endive and chives. I enjoyed the addition of the chives, both for color and flavor. Beets are one of those foods that really sells itself- deeply rich in colors and earthy sweet.


The next course was a lMaine lobster claw, served two ways- poached, and chopped in a loster cake/nugget. It was served with a long bean and bibb lettuce salad with tamarind-anise vinaigrette. Amazing is really all I can say about this dish. I love long beans; they tend to be used more in home-style cooking and rather underused in restaurants. The lobster meat was sweet and supple.


The main course was a pan-seared halibut filet with braised baby carrots and sugar snap peas (from California), in a light sabayon sauce with morels. The sabayon was wonderful- light as air, and simply melted on your tongue. I've never seen morels paired with fish, but it works beautifully, like a double dose of umami for the tastebuds.


For dessert, a pear-almond cake, with a frangipane base, served with almond cream. The buttery crumb of the cake was delectable. My mom ordered the molten chocolate cake with vanilla bean ice-cream and a dark chocolate tuile. In general, the desserts were less impressive than everything else; they lacked a certain edge and creativity.


We ended our meal with coffee and the house's complimentary serving of citrus beignets, which were glazed (!), light, and just the right size. What I really miss is the ethereally light, cotton candy that 2941 used to serve to all its guests after dinner. Tall, freshly-spun, light blue mounds of fluffy cotton candy used to be a fun and whimsical part of the dining experience here, but not anymore.

2941 is a great special-occasion restaurant (my parents take me here for my birthdays), as well as an escape for a seriously nice lunch or a weekend brunch. The service gets slow on weekends when the place is usually quite busy. Reservations, as well as a jacket for the gents, are highly recommended.

Update: A new pastry chef was brought on in June 2008, and upon inspection of the new dessert menu, it looks to be a much more impressive selection of sweets. However, the cotton candy is still nowhere to be found. Please bring it back!

Note: The menu items from this review are from April 2008, and thus reflect the seasonal selections at that time.

napa, day 3, bouchon overload

Needless to say, the morning after the wedding was a late start, involving a Starbucks run, and a happy decision to drive up to Yountville for some culinary TLC at Bouchon.

Yountville turned out to be a very small town, but full of big names, thus the touristy feel. We drove down Washington Street and within 2 blocks passed by Ad Hoc, Bistro Jeanty, The French Laundry and Bouchon. It was my first visit to Bouchon, and the original one too, and Mr.S's second time (his first was at the Vegas locale, which I also reviewed). Now, it was midday, the sun streaming in through the open veranda to light the mosaic floor tiling, and our lovely meal to come.

this baguette has handles for me to grab onto

The folded, brown parchment paper menus were set on our plates, like a map waiting to be pressed open, to depict French bistro classics. The trouble was, I wanted to taste everything! Our neat and prim waiter announced the lunch specials to be a salmon tartare with red onion, capers, and hard-boiled egg, a puree of sweet carrot soup, and a lamb tartine sandwich with pickled red onion and watercress. I didn't want to be left eating a half dozen oysters by myself (Mr.S doesn't eat them) especially for my first meal of the day. I was truly tempted by the terrine of foie gras, but at $47, seemed like too much of a lunchtime splurge. The steamed mussels in white wine ($27.50) that came in a lovely covered, earthenware tureen was also an option, as was the salmon tartare ($16.50) with a side of the macaroni au gratin ($6.50).

I chose from the list of fromages to start, a ripe and nutty cow's milk cheese called Sea Stack. Made by Mt. Townsend Creamery in Washington state, Sea Stack is wonderfully mild and creamy that it reminded me of a cross between a ripened brie and good, salted butter. Today it was served with slices of walnut bread, and a spiced peach and pecan chutney. If you don't already know it by now, anything creamy is my weakness, and by the way the slice of cheese was oozing out of its ashen shell, I was in fromage heaven. The peach was nice, but a tarter fruit like apple or pear would have helped to balance out the butteriness too.

Our server expertly de-crumbed our table and brought us our plats principaux- my lamb tartine and Mr.S's Croque Madame. Since his came with a heaping mountain of frites, I substituted mine for a side of ratatouille. (I was curious as to how Keller's version tasted since he was the consultant chef on the set of the namesake movie, Ratatouille.) Though I found it to be somewhat greasy, I still managed to finish it off without difficulty. A good flavoring of fresh herbs here. My lamb was the star of my meal, served chilled over toasted levain and a light shmear of aioli. The meat was tender and had no trace of gaminess, and paired well with the sour pickles and bitter watercress.

At some point during my lamb euphoria, I tasted a bite of Mr.S's cheesy, eggy sandwich. It was sweet and mild, being that the brioche was wonderfully decadent and buttery. The whole thing was moistened with a light, but creamy, Mornay sauce, and topped off with a fried egg. I liked the fries the most, because I remember the first thought I had when tasting them was that it reminded me of McDonald's fries. Is that uncouth of me?? (I don't much care, as they were frickin' awesome.)

mmm eggy

Satiated and content, we wobbled next door to Bouchon Bakery. How clever (and evil) to tempt customers as they walk out of Bouchon with a sweeter, chocolatier version of Bouchon!

The pastries were all a lovely, cohesive shade of crackling, golden brown, some stuffed with chocolate, others fruit, and others still with nuts and pastes. Lining the back wall was a selection of artisan breads; like if you hadn't had enough of their chewy, delicate baguette from lunch, take one home! Or eat it in the car... There was a case full of cookie-like things, another of cakes, and a few pre-made sandwiches. Boxes of truffles and biscotti were also for sale.

At $3 per cookie, I knew I'd be limited in my decision making. I knew I wanted to try certain ones, so that's what I bought- the famous TKO (Thomas Keller Oreo), his version of the Nutter Butter, and the French mararons. Since I've made the TKO at home before, I knew what it'd taste like, and honestly speaking, mine tasted better. This one was too large, and didn't have enough filling for the huge amount of cookie it was sandwiched between.

My favorite was the Nutter Butter. At about 4 inches in diameter, this was a hefty old thing, probably with a whole half stick of butter in each one! No complaints there! There were chunks of peanut in the cookie, which was a nice touch. The best part was the filling- it tasted like a peanut ganache, rich but not overly sweet.

I picked out 3 flavors of macarons- pistachio, caramel and raspberry. There was also chocolate and vanilla to choose from. The texture was perfect, crunchy exterior with a chewy center. However, the I found the taste to be lacking. They were very sugary and I had trouble tasting the pistachio and the caramel flavors. The raspberry, on the other hand, tasted artificial. I think I prefer a smaller, more poppable, size macaron as opposed to these larger ones (about 1.5"). The best macaron I've tasted yet was not in France nor in a French pastry shop, but from an upscale delicatessan in Madrid called Mallorca. (The raspberry tasted like raspberries, and it was buttery and light.)

pistachio macaron

Thank goodness Mr.S offered to drive back to San Francisco, seeing as I was comatose, from good food. All that Bouchon was good, but it seemed like a far way to go when you live in the city to come all the way out to Yountville. Especially when there are numerous French bistros and bakeries equally on par in SF, in terms of taste, service, and menu offerings. It was a tasty experience, and next time I'm out here in Y-ville, it'll be for dinner at the French Laundry!

Bouchon

6534 Washington Street

Yountville, CA 94599

Bouchon Bakery
6528 Washington Street

Yountville, CA 94599

SF, day 1

Let me tell you, house hunting is a marathon event. It can really wear you down, especially when you have to walk everywhere (think hills in San Francisco). So, a girl's gotta keep up her energy by eating well!

After a late flight into SFO and a good night's sleep, I started the day off with a breakfast run to Whole Foods. Mr.S grabbed a flaky croissant and a danish. Me, I like to start my days with a strong, extra-hot, cappuccino. I also picked out a pot of St. Benoît honey yogurt, which turned out to be somewhat of a let-down, some locally made cranberry-almond granola, and a tub of fresh fruit. And it's off we went to go a-huntin'.

considered a food court at all, but more of a frickin' awesome group of really high-qualityFamished by lunchtime, we stopped in at the Westfield Mall Food Court, which can't really be foodstuffs stalls. After a lengthy stroll through displays of crepes, noodle bowls, fresh sushi, and the always enticing Bristol Farms, we settled on Mr. Hana for rice bowls. Mr.S had the beef bowl and I ordered the spicy tuna bowl. We both opted for the brown rice.


The portions were huge, and everything looked fresh and really good at this point since I was famished. My spicy tuna was wonderfully spicy, but perhaps a bit too processed. The texture was mushier than I would have liked. It came with many sides- seaweed salad, pickled ginger, avocado, marinated cucumbers, nori, and daikon sprouts. (It very much reminded me of bibim bap.)


I wolfed everything down quickly, but in between bites, I do remember it tasting pretty awesome. Everything was fresh, crunchy (if it had to be), and flavorful. Mr.S's beef bowl came with a generous side of stir fried shredded cabbage and carrots, which was overly greasy, but he really enjoyed the wokked beef. The prices were slightly on the high end, with his being $10 and mine $12. There were probably better food court deals out there, but we were happy with what we got (portions and taste).

Mr. Hana's menu also includes teriyaki chicken, unagi, and tempura bowls, a large serving of udon soup with thick noodles, nori, fish cake and fried tofu ($7.25), a poke tuna bowl with all the fixings ($12.95), and small plates of edamame ($3.49), chicken gyoza ($3.99), and miso soup ($1.50).

After lunch, we went right into dinner-planning mode. Always the OpenTable enthusiast, Mr.S made a quick reservation for us at Absinthe, a popular French brasserie in Hayes Valley, who serves up a knock-out brunch menu on weekends.


The interior was beautifully dark and mysterious, and reminded me of a sexier version of Petit Louis (and possibly slightly more promiscuous). It was like dining in old Paris, with all that gaiety and mirth, with whispers of the Moulin Rouge, and accented by upscale decor, and a very impressive looking oyster bar. I don't know if that paints the picture for you, but it surely made me want to break into some pain de campagne and salted butter. Which we got, along with an order of the pommes frites, served in a cone with a trio of Dijon mustard, malt vinegar, and rouille (a saffron-garlic mayonnaise dip). Very tasty, but it made me long terribly for the duck fat fries at Salt, with my favorite black truffle aioli. SIGH. (I must stop comparing everything to Baltimore!)


True to its name, there were 3 kinds of Absinthe on the drink menu, but I opted out for some champagne, as I was in no mood for the licorice-y "green-eyed monster" that evening. There was also an impressive selection of traditional cocktails- Sazerac, Sidecar, French '75, etc.

Mr.S raves about their French onion soup, but we were so satiated by the fries, we went right into the entrées. True, a table 3 down from us ordered the soup, and we could smell the pungent, melted Gruyère from where we were sitting. I ordered the grilled scallops that arrived on a bed of sauteed summer squash, cherry tomatoes, pea shoots, and sugar snap peas, flavored with nepitella, a fragrant oregano-like herb ($27). Amazingly fresh and bursting with summer flavors, I was in veggie-heaven. The scallops were also cooked just right, but there was a grittiness to their surface, like the sand hadn't been properly rinsed off. The only glitch of the evening.


Mr.S always seems to order something that I prefer over my own plate... why is that? His pork confit (which was huge, by the way) was wonderfully smoky and tender, sitting atop a mound of creamed corn, bacon, watercress salad, and buttery fingerling potatoes ($24). The pork shoulder had been slow-cooked in, what else but duck fat, had a nice char to it, and was fork tender and just lovely. We both really enjoyed the creamy corn and bacon action; it was serious comfort food. Really, all I needed was a big bowl of that, I would have been a happy (and greasy) girl all night.


Dessert? Why not? Though there was an interesting looking coconut très leches cake, I was dead set on tasting the warm chocolate tart served with salted caramel sauce and peanut butter ice cream ($8). (That ice cream was definitely the hook.) The combination of all the flavors was rich, but not heavy. The bittersweet chocolate was nicely paired with the sweet and salty caramel and ice cream, finished with crunchy candied peanuts. I wanted a tall glass of milk to round that off.


I am already flagging Absinthe as a late-night snack bar for Mr.S and me. I can already picture us at the bar (probably the best seat in the house), sipping on a couple of Ginger Rogers, snacking on spicy fried chickpeas, the Croque-Monsieur, and some brebis. And maybe throw in there the Absinthe burger with some frites. The crowd is diverse; the service was good, but slowed down toward the end of the night, and my server was more than generous with my glass of champagne. Next time we go, I'll definitely be having one of the many dishes with fried duck eggs (one of my favorite things to eat) and most likely that herbal tonic for which this intoxicating restaurant is named.

chocolate raspberry madeleines

There's something about afternoon tea that I love. The idea of sneaking in a whole other meal of sandwiches and biscuits, and calling it tea, is ingenious. Perhaps it is its ability to civilize even the most etiquette-challenged of individuals, at least for one afternoon. Madeleines, of course, are French, and probably would have never found their way into a British tea. But it's my tea party, and I'll make what I want to. Besides, madeleines are so delightful. Great for dunking, yet still elegant and refined.

I made this chocolate version for Easter dinner with Mr.S's family. Flavored with a dollop of raspberry preserves, they are nuanced with another layer of sweetness.


If anyone has suggestions on a good madeleine pan, or know of how to keep the pretty little cakes from sticking, please let know. Mine is from Williams Sonoma, heavy gauge steel with a non-stick finish. Any help would be appreciated!


Chocolate Raspberry Madeleines
loosely adapted from Cooks Illustrated
yields 12 madeleines

4 Tbsp all purpose flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
pinch salt
2 large egg yolks
1 large egg
1/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 Tbsp raspberry liquor, such as Chambord
4 Tbsp unsalted butter, melted
raspberry preserves

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Brush madeleine pan with melted butter; dust lightly with flour. Sift together flour, cocoa powder and salt in a bowl; set aside.

2. Beat yolks with egg on high until light and pale, about 5 minutes. Add in sugar and vanilla; continue beating for another 3 minutes until ribbons in the batter start to form. Gently fold in flour mixture, then melted butter and Chambord.

3. Spoon the batter into the molds, filling them halfway. Drop a dollop of raspberry preserves into the center of each, and finish by spooning the remaining half of the batter on top. The batter should come level with the rim of the mold. Bake for about 10-12 minutes, or until cakes spring back when gently pressed. Loosen each cake and turn out onto a dry towel; allow to cool completely.

quick cream dressing

I've had my eye on a certain cookbook for a long time now, and finally am able to call it my own. So I have to say that I am a huge nerd, and that's ok with me. On Saturday afternoons, nothing makes me happier than watching a bit of Maryland public television, and visiting my good friend Jacques Pépin. Fast Food My Way is a compilation of his recipes from this show, wonderfully simple French dishes, all quick enough to put together for a weeknight dinner, without sacrificing his usual elegance or flavor. What's particularly appealing is his incorporation of his childhood favorites from his mother's kitchen, one of which stood out to me for its simplicity. Pépin remembers his maman's salad that she would frequently serve the kids, a simple salad of bibb lettuce tossed with a cream dressing.

For this dish, use a high quality heavy cream, preferably not ultra-pasteurized, or else it will have difficulty thickening up. (I use cream from Trickling Springs Dairy; expensive yes, but you won't be sorry.) The sweet cream really shines through, light and velvety on the tongue. Fresh spring vegetables are recommended, all lush and verdant. I had some nice thick asparagus and fresh peas on hand. Blanched brussels sprouts would be especially tasty too.


Quick Cream Dressing
from Fast Food My Way
yields 4 servings

Be careful not to overwhip the cream. If overwhipped, the dressing will thicken quickly after the vinegar addition. It it thickens too much, dilute it with 1 tbsp water before tossing it with the vegetables.

1/4 cup good quality heavy cream
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground black pepper
1 1/2 tsp red wine vinegar

1. Just before serving, put the cream, salt, and pepper in a salad bowl and whip with a whisk for about 15 seconds, or just until frothy. Stir in the vinegar.

2. Add the vegetables or greens, and lightly toss in the dressing. Serve immediately.

the basics of brown sauces

Readers, don't be intimidated. It's only homemade stock, yes the good stuff, from roasted bones and overnight simmers. You'll pat yourself on the back at the end of it all, having accomplished something that your grandmothers probably did on a weekly basis, and now, only a handful of good restaurants. Stock is made from the bones, whereas broth is a less flavorful version made from just the meat. I know, I know, none of us really have the time to be standing in front of our stoves stirring around bones and chicken carcasses all the time, when buying a carton or can of the ready-made stuff from the supermarket is just so easy. But if you really want those deep, lustrous flavors that you get at that special Michelin-starred restaurant, you really must toss out the inferior canned broths. So tie on those apron strings and get out that wooden spoon. It's time to get back to the root of things.

Veal stock serves as the base of many sauces in basic French cuisine, with the most important of all being demi-glace. More on that later. Homemade veal stock starts with veal bones. Try to avoid using joint bones, as they have lower amounts of marrow. Pick out long bones (from the legs) that have been broken down by the butcher. I had a hell of a time finding good veal bones. After calling the meat departments at Wegman's, Whole Foods, Eddie's, Cierello's, Graul's, and H-Mart, I was ready to give up the search (though I hear that Graul's will rarely carry them), when I stumbled upon some loose packages (half to one pound each) at Giant! My advice would be to call ahead with your butcher and get a schedule of when they get veal shipments. Locating the bones is half the battle, the rest is really quite simple.

Veal Stock
from The Balthazar Cookbook
makes 1 to 1 1/2 quarts

5 lbs. veal bones
1/4 cup tomato paste
1 yellow onion, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1 celery stalk, including leaves
1 head of garlic, halved horiontally

1. Preheat oven to 450F. Heat a dry roasting pan in the oven for 15 minutes. Add the bones to the pan and roast until well browned, about 90 minutes. Turn the bones frequently during roasting.

2. When the bones are browned, add the tomato paste and vegetables. Toss to combine and continue roasting for another 30 minutes.

3. Transfer the contents of the pan into a large stockpot and fill with water (about 8 quarts). Bring to a boil and skim off any residue from the top. Lower the heat to maintain a gentle simmer for 6 hours. Strain the stock through a fine mesh sieve.

4. Cool and refrigerate for up to 3 days or freeze for up to 1 month.


What now, what next? Veal stock can be used in place of beef stock in many recipes, and serves as a rich base for stews and soups. I've used it in boeuf bourguignon and braised beef short ribs with great success. Many commercial grade demi-glaces nowadays are made the easy way, by taking the shortcut and simply reducing the hell out of large quantities of veal stock. Traditionally, demi-glace is equal parts veal stock and Espagnole sauce, reduced down. Espagnole sauce is another one of those quintessential French brown sauces that's so crucial to the cuisine it's considered a "mother sauce." Made with a dark roux, stock, and tomato paste, this is another long pain-staking process, but well worth it.


Espagnole Sauce
from The Escoffier Cook Book
makes 2 quarts

4 oz. (8 Tbsp) clarified butter
4 1/2 oz. all purpose flour
3 quarts veal or beef stock
1 lb. fresh tomatoes, roughly chopped
2 carrots, roughly chopped
1 onion, diced
2 stalks celery, roughly chopped
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 bay leaf

1. For the Brown Roux: Preheat the oven to 350F. Mix the flour and butter in a thick saucepan and place it in the hot oven, stirring occasionally. The roux will be done when it acquires a fine, light brown color and when it exudes an odor resembling that of toasted hazelnuts.

2. In a large stockpot, mix together 8 oz. brown roux with the 3 quarts stock. Let come to a boil and turn down the heat to simmer. Skim the residue off the top every 20-30 minutes over the course of 3 hours. (Add more stock if it reduces down too quickly.) You will have at this point, a much lighter colored stock than with what you started.

3. Add the remaining ingredients and stir. Simmer for another 2 hours. Skimming is not necessary during this time. After 2 hours, strain 3-4 times through a fine mesh sieve into a large tureen to keep and cool. To prevent a skin from forming, set a piece of wax or parchment paper over the sauce.

Espagnole sauce is made perfect through making a high-quality roux, a clear stock, and constant skimming. A good sauce will be clear and brilliantly lustrous. We can take it one step further here to make demi-glace, which means half glaze.


Demi-Glace
from Escoffier Cook Book

1 quart veal stock
1 quart Espagnole sauce
1/3 cup dry sherry
1 Tbsp butter

1. In a large pot, mix together the stock and Espagnole. Bring to a boil and lower the heat to simmer. Reduce down to 9/10 of a quart. Strain into a bowl, mix in the sherry and butter, and let cool to room temperature.


You can store the demi-glace in sealed containers, or as many chefs prefer, to pour it into an ice cube tray and freeze for individual size portions. Frozen demi-glace also keeps longer.

See, that wasn't so bad, was it? Well, at least you can't say I never taught you nothin'.

i love new york (no, not the show)

Oh, New York City at Christmas time, especially when it snows, just makes a girl glow with happiness. What a workout for our feet, and not to mention our wallets. Mr.S and I hit the city two weeks back for some holiday mayhem, and catching, just in time, the first snow of the season. At the end of the day, we rode the train back to Baltimore, tired and sore, only to be faced with 4 inches of ice and snow piled up on my car! No matter, since we returned with a fine collection of loot, treasures from our favorite stores...here is a quick rundown of what's on our NYC hotlist:

For a small space, Kid Robot packs a big punch. It's a unique toy store that carries vinyls and collectables, figurines and imports. We always walk out with a bagful of blind-box toys. I love the Ugly Dolls. Celebrity sighting #1: Timothy Roth.

French clothier A.P.C. is minimal with clean and classic silhouettes. Mr.S raves about their durable and well-fitted denim. I have my eye on a navy wool capelet and a belted white trench coat. Their Soho store is their first in the U.S.

I am in awe of Uniqlo, a Japanese H&M-like, but more upscale store. They are not afraid to use color and bold shapes, and are always on the cutting edge of what is trendy, with this season being skinny tapered jeans (of all sizes and washes) and oversize cashmere sweaters. The best deal ever: FREE tailoring and alterations, ready for you within an hour!

Mr.S adores Japanese import MUJI, a lifestyle store (once only available at the MoMA Store) that boasts a simple, minimalist design in the truest Japanese ways on everything from stationery to housewares to cotton tees to furniture. Everything is simple and functional, with clean lines. Check out the porcelain noodle bowls and soy sauce dispensers, perfect for a dinner of hot soba soup.

Next door to Muji is CB2, otherwise known as Crate and Barrel 2, a younger, hipper, even more affordable version of its original counterpart. Adorable design meets functionality, meets well, damn cheap pricetags! I walked out with olive platters, crescent-shaped appetizer plates, and simple porcelain oblong trays.

Who doesn't love ultra-trendy sportswear with an 80's gym-like flair? Co-owned by actor Jason Lee, WESC stands for WE are a Superlative Conspiracy. You'll find many an urban-chic sweatshirt, logo-emblazoned, and filmy tees with geometric designs and textiles.

And next door to WESC is Supreme, a small skate and bike shop with hard to find designer Nikes and one-of-a-kind boards. Definitely a boys club of sorts. Mr.S had his eye on a pair of gold Oakley Frogskins.

Even better than Sur la Table! And that's saying alot. I love Broadway Panhandler mecca for an emerging young chef or baker. In my cart at the end of the night were French casserole dishes, an egg topper, a slurry of miniature fluted pastry molds, uniquely shaped for its amazing selection of everything-you-would-ever-need cooking and baking supplies. A true cookie cutters, ring molds, loaf pans, and gold and silver leaf. Next time, I will go back for the Global cleaver and magnetic knife rack....drool. Note: BP has moved from Soho to the East Village. We mistakenly went to the original location...but we did find Celebrity sighting #2: Willam Dafoe.

Think eclectic, homey, upscale comfort food. Prune is the mastermind of chef ... , a collection of meals and dishes from her childhood, radishes with butter, roasted marrow, golden merveilles. I love quirky, heart-warming eateries that are innovative without trying so hard.

I was cold and hungry, and Balthazar provided a warm haven for lunch. Alas, it was not to be, since the Wednesday lunch wait was 2.5 hours! We walked away sad and disappointed, with the lingering image of golden pan-fried skate with brown butter and hazelnuts, and warm frites on our minds.

And so we stumbled upon another little treasure around the corner, the French Culinary Institute Restaurant, a teaching restaurant for the students in training of the famed school. The menu changes daily, with traditional and contemporary French dishes. The amuse bouche was a bite-size crabcake with a nice remoulade. I ordered the poached cod with braised leeks and smoked cod cheeks. The technique was perfect, but overall the spices and salt somewhat restrained, as the fish was merely bathed in cream...how very French. Mr.S had the pan-seared pork chop with roasted tomatoes and wilted spinach. Good, but yet again, very much "culinary school"-esque.



My favorite bakery in Chinatown is Fay Da Bakery. I have an ongoing list of pastries to try, but some must-haves are chestnut buns, cha shao (roast pork) buns, flaky taro pastry balls, coconut and green tea mochi balls, pineapple kaya buns, and all the bubble teas.

For dinner, Mr.S took me to Haru, a popular sushi spot with a few locations through out the city. Celebrity sighting #3: The Apprentice's Carolyn Kepcher. The lychee cocktail is a classic. The crispy duck appetizer could have been crispier, but still quite good, with a flavorful teriyaki-hoisin sauce over soft pancakes. The generous cuts of sashimi are fresh and well worth the price. The wait staff is attentive and a trip, our server was a young Laotian man who went by the nickname Captain Jack Sparrow.

french apple tart

Yesterday was my dad's birthday. I won't broadcast his age, but I can say that he still looks like a vibrant 45, with the athleticism of a 30-something year old. I hope those good genes run the family! He and my mom have logged almost 250 miles hiking this year! We went out to one of his favorite restaurants, Sweet Water Tavern, an upscale brewery that serves up eclectic southwestern dishes with a flair. We skipped dessert there, since I made everyone a special tart from all the apples that are sitting in the fridge from my apple-picking foray.

This is a recipe that produces a thin and buttery, lightly sweetened tart. It's not the best way to use up a lot of apples, definitely the opposite of a mile-high American apple pie. But it is a beautiful sight to behold, and so ethereally light on the palate.

We sat around the kitchen island, drinking tea and eating dessert, as we caught up on everything that happened this past week. It's been hellishly busy (hence why I have been blog-absent for the past week) with me logging many long distance miles on my car, attending a wedding, working on applications, tutoring, and planning my upcoming trip to China next week. So much to do, so little time to cook! It did calm me to get back in the kitchen to make this tart, peeling and slicing the apples, making the pastry...all so methodical and soothing for me. Kitchen therapy. Let's all try it.



French Apple Tart
adapted from Le Cordon Bleu Dessert Techniques

Pâte Sucrée:
1 2/3 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 sugar
3/4 cup unsalted butter, chilled (1 1/2 sticks)
2 egg yolks
pinch salt

3 baking apples (Granny Smith, Cameo, etc)
2 Tbsp melted butter, for brushing
1/8 cup sugar, for sprinkling

apricot jelly, for glaze

1. For the pastry dough: Mix together flour, sugar and salt. Cut the butter into small cubes and add to the dry mixture. With a pastry cutter, cut the butter into the flour, until it is evenly incorporated and the size of the small peas throughout. Make a well in the center of the mixture, add the yolks, and use your hands to work into a crumbly dough. Form into a ball, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Meanwhile, peel and core the apples. Cut into thin slices, about 1/8" thick. Toss with a few drops of lemon juice to stop them from browning.

3. Preheat the oven to 375F.

4. Roll out the dough between 2 sheets of plastic wrap or wax paper. Drape over the tart pan, gently press into the fluted sides, and trim the excess dough off the rims. Arrange the apples in a circular pattern in the tart. Brush with the melted butter and sprinkle on the reserved sugar. Bake for 45 minutes, or until golden.

5. Let tart cool completely to room temperature. Melt the apricot jelly with a bit of water in the microwave. Brush over the apples for a sweet glaze, and let it cool to set up. Cut and serve.

zucchini cheddar madeleines

Madeleines, for me, epitomize everything that is good and right about the biscuit. It is 1) highly dunkable, preferably in a steaming cup of coffee or tea, 2) the most perfect texture, crispy on the outside, soft on the inside, 3) so delicious and buttery with just the right amount of sweetness, and 4) elegantly shaped with scalloped ridges to soak up the aforementioned coffee or tea.

But what about a savory madeleine? Can it be done?

Why, yes! These madeleines are soft and porous on the inside, with the same crisp exterior, made even better with the addition of cheddar cheese. I added grated zucchini for flavor and texture. Have these as a dipping agent for soups, a side to salads, or just to munch on, warm straight from the oven. Of course, you can use any type of cheese you like, gruyere, parmesan, roquefort...along with any type of grated vegetable- try butternut squash or shredded carrot. Savory madeleines are the newest thing, I'm telling you first...


Zucchini Cheddar Madeleines
makes 24

3 zucchini, medium, shredded
4 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2 tsp salt
1 small onion, diced
1 cup flour
1 Tbsp baking powder
4-5 large eggs (more for a fluffier biscuit)
2 Tbsp milk
1 heaping cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 clove garlic, minced fine
1 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp black pepper

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Grease and flour 2 madeleine pans (standard, not mini size).

2. In a large bowl, toss zucchini with salt, and let stand for 30 minutes. Rinse the salt off with water, and in batches, use your hands to squeeze out any moisture.

3. In a skillet, heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil, and saute the onion until lightly browned. Let cool.

4. In a bowl, mix together flour and baking powder. In another bowl, whisk eggs, milk, remaining olive oil, cheddar, garlic, basil and pepper together until blended. Gently fold in zucchini and onion, then the flour mixture. Be careful not to overmix, as you are aiming for a tender batter.


5. Spoon the batter into the madeleine pans, to the rim of each. Bake for 15-18 minutes, or until golden and puffy. Cool for 10 mintues, and invert pans to loosen. Serve warm.

Give me more!

thomas keller's bouchon

We're one step closer to dining at the French Laundry, the pinnacle of the Thomas Keller restaurant totem pole. Well, technically just Mr.S, since he had the great pleasure of dining solo at the Las Vegas locale of Bouchon last week. For simplicity's sake, I will write from a first person account, as I live vicariously (all the while, green with envy) through his galloping adventures across Sin City.

You can't simply just stumble upon Bouchon whilst walking through the Venetian, and expect to get a table. *GASP, how uncouth. You must have a reservation to enter, as the restaurant is located on the top floor, across a sky bridge, and is only accessible by its own elevator.


The ambiance at the bar is just calling you to order a glass of Chimay, with its brushed pewter counter, mosaic tiles, and traditional antique lighting.

The menu at Bouchon is classic French bistro fare, with a twist here and there to include seasonal ingredients. Standouts include the fois gras terrine, boudin noir, duck confit, and steak frites. The cheese selection offers some of my favorite domestic West Coast choices such as the Pt. Reyes Blue and the Cypress Grove Mad River.

The requisite artisanal French baguette, presented here as an épi (to resemble a stalk of wheat):


For hors-d'oeuvres, chicken "drumstick" confit. Popular in the southwest of France, this snack dish is called gigolette. The meat of chicken wings are pulled back to resemble drumsticks, then fried. Served with a beet salad and horseradish cream:


Steak frites. Perfectly seared flatiron steak, topped with maître d'hôtel butter (compound butter of parsley and lemon juice), and served with crisp fries:


What a superbly satisfying dining experience, with exceptional food and on-point service. And not to mention the celebrity ambiance- sitting dangerously close were Ali Larter and Amy Smart, with their families.

In case you were wondering, "bouchon" refers to a type of traditional Lyonnaise restaurant in France that focuses on heavy meat dishes. You'd find anything but fine upscale dining here. It's traditional food served up in a laidback setting.


Bouchon
The Venetian Resort Hotel Casino
Venezia Tower
3355 Las Vegas Blvd. South
Suite 10101
Las Vegas, NV 89109