Matters of Taste

Savoring the Seabourn Spirit......Again

The sad, and unbelievable, tale of the cruise ship Costa Concordia just won't go away.  More than a dozen passengers are still unaccounted for. The captain, a stereotypical “how-cool-am-I?" dude if ever there was one, keeps popping up on the evening news. And the expression “Get back on the boat, dammit,” barked by an Italian coast guard officer at the dithering captain, is destined to live on in infamy. (Loosely translated, it will forever mean “Quit whining and do your job, jackass.” )

Analysts claim the incident could impact the cruise industry's ability to attract passengers for 2012 cruises, saying that, in particular, first-time cruisers are re-thinking their plans.

But the whole kerfuffle has had the opposite effect on me, bringing back memories of the amazing  Seabourn Spirit cruise I took two years ago, and inspiring me to sign up for another.

For decades I had avoided cruises. I get seasick. I don’t like crowds. I’m terrified in water that’s over my head. But, we hadn’t even cleared the waters of Venice and I was already a convert.

For starters, there was the captain….Magnus Bengtsson, a huge Scandinavian bear of a man, handsome, erect, an imposing presence, friendly but with a no-nonsense reserve. This guy inspired confidence, big time. No one is ever going to bark “Get back on the boat, dammit” to Captain Bengtsson.

The accommodations were wonderful, about 100 spacious suites (meaning no more than about 200 people on a cruise) with sitting areas, huge windows, well-stocked bars and fresh fruit and flowers. (Other Seabourn ships are larger; some offer terraces off the rooms.)

The itinerary was great, too. Hvar, Croatia; Puglia, Taormina, Lipari Island, Sorrento and Rome, Italy. 

And the food?  Awesome. Every night I was blown away by the elegance of the cooking, the fresh, bold flavors, the stylish presentations. I marveled that Chef Bjoern Wassmuth could pull this off in the middle of the Mediterranean when most restaurant chefs can’t get it together on land, with dozens of purveyors at their beck and call.  

Among the highlights of our dinners: Chilled Corn & Lemongrass Soup (flecked with lobster salad and spicy shrimp oil) that tasted as if the corn had been snatched from the field moments before; grilled filet mignon with fresh chanterelles and a parmesan flan that practically floated off the plate; Crispy Corn Crusted Prawn with fennel slaw and romesco sauce; Jumbo Scallops on Potato Shallot Cake, with granny smith apple slivers, pistachios and a lemony vinaigrette; meringues, tarts and sublime homemade ice creams like those pictured here.

Among my favorite desserts were the "parade” of crème brulees – basil, white chocolate pistachio, and orange blossom; and a Milk Chocolate Peanut Butter Bombe with Toasted Marsmallow and Honey Caramel Sauce that is reason enough to book another Seabourn cruise.

In addition to the ship’s dining room, the Spirit features the outdoor Veranda Café where top-notch breakfasts are served each morning and a “theme” restaurant is staged each night as an alternative to

the main dining room; and a top-deck Sky Grill for burgers and other grilled specialties. Seabourn prices, which the Website today says start at about $2,000 per person, are all-inclusive. That means all food and beverages, 24/7, and all activities, save for select shore excursions. One afternoon while we were anchored in the Gulf of Squillace,  Chef Bjoern offered a cooking class for guests. Aided by a wise-cracking crew member, the affable German-born chef  whipped up al dente porcini risotto, flecked with bits of dried truffles that had been plumped in Port wine; and an ethereal lemon mousse made with yogurt, orange zest and Grand Marnier.

Here’s the recipe for the mousse,  adapted slightly (food editors simply can’t leave anything alone) and converted from Chef Bjoern’s metric measurements.

SEABOURN SPIRIT YOGURT LEMON MOUSSE with ALMOND BRITTLE & CRUSHED RASPBERRIES

2 cups heavy cream

2 cups whole milk

3 egg yolks

2/3  cup sugar

1 sheet gelatin, softened

1 teaspoon orange zest (the grated, colored part of an orange)

2 tablespoons Grand Marnier

1 ½ cups plain yogurt

Almond brittle, for garnish

Crushed fresh raspberries, for garnish

In a heavy saucepan, heat the cream and milk together slowly, being careful it does not come to a boil. In a bowl, beat the egg yolks and sugar with an electric mixer until pale  and fluffy. Pour 1/3 of the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture and whisk constantly until incorporated. Pour the egg mixture into the remaining cream/milk in the pan and stir over very low heat until it starts to thicken. Add orange zest and Grand Marnier, stirring constantly until the mixture coats the back of a spoon.

Remove from heat.  Add the softened gelatin to the hot mixture and stir until completely blended.

Strain mixture through a fine sieve, then cool mixture on a bowl of ice cubes and water. Add the yogurt and whisk until completely blended. Refrigerate until thoroughly chilled. Serve in tall parfait glasses or form into “egg” shapes and set on dessert plates. Garnish with crushed almond brittle and crushed raspberries.

Serves 4-6.

 

 

Best Cookbook of 2011

Well, technically, “Radically Simple” was released in 2010. But it wasn’t until January of 2011 – when judges in the James Beard Foundation’s prestigious cookbook competition received finalist cookbooks for evaluation– that I became acquainted with this brilliant volume.

And it was in 2011 that I looked like a genius in the kitchen, thanks to chef/author Rozanne Gold, whose wildly flavorful dinners usually were done in about the time I needed to me to open the mail and feed the dog.

I was hooked on "Radically SImple" from the very first dish – Chicken with Prosciutto, Tomatoes & White Wine.

A procession of equally successful creations followed. Cardamom Chicken with Chickpeas & Orange Couscous; Braised Black Sea Bass on Pancetta-Studded Cabbage; Chicken “Nuggets” with Sherry Vinegar & A Handful of Herbs; Bombay Turkey Sliders, Hurry-Curry Sauce; Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Medjool Dates; Chilean Sea Bass with Pistachio-Pesto Crust and Green Bean "Fries" (pictured here, photo by Quentin Bacon); and more. Not a dud among them.

I found Gold’s ideas inspiring. Her instructions, precise and easy to follow.  Her techniques, simple and highly effective

For example, who ever heard of baking panko-crusted cod on top of a bunch of peas, straight from the freezer?  Who knew that a slight pat of ground cumin and ground coriander would give tuna filets an irresistible “crust” with no fat, no salt and no effort?  Who would have thought to pair that tuna with a “sauce” of tahini, garlic and lemon juice, and spring greens dotted with pomegranate seeds. And, how about this one: Pasta Cooked in a Bottle of Wine that calls for 1 bottle dry white wine, 1 pound penne, ½ cup olive oil, ½ cup grated parmesan and some slices of prosciutto. Now that’s what I call thinking outside the box.

Subtitled “Brilliant Flavors with Breathtaking Ease,” the book’s 325 recipes also include imaginative salads – Fig, Fennel & Endive with Pistachio Vinaigrette is one of my favorites; hearty meat entrees such as Reddened Rib Eye with Pimiento Cheese;  and fanciful desserts that I couldn’t come up with in my wildest dreams. (Watermelon “Carpaccio,” drizzled with creme de cassis and dotted with shaved white chocolate and lime zest is a tasty case in point.)  In 28 years as Food Editor and Columnist for The San Diego Union-Tribune, I perused more than 400 cookbooks every year. Rarely did I find a book  that offered the unique combo of elegance and ease that this book exhibits. That’s why I gave it to each of my sons for Christmas this year.

Well, all this is making me hungry. I think I’ll go whip up Manchego Chicken with Prosciutto, Arugula & Pumpkin Seeds for dinner.  I think you should go on-line at Amazon.com and get the book for yourself.

Falling in Love with Caymus Cabernet Sauvignon

About that wine I dangled in front of you yesterday. The one that totally blew me away on one of the first evenings of the New Year. The one I fear I cannot live without, now that I’ve made its acquaintance. The one that will put me in the poorhouse if I don’t get over it, fast.

My discovery of Caymus “Special Selection” Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon 2005 was a doubly delicious surprise, given the fact that I am not a huge Cab fan and, in fact, probably don’t drink a dozen bottles of the varietal in a year. (I do, on the other hand, make a serious dent in the world’s production of Pinot Noir.) I was agog from the very first sip. The luscious fruit; the smoothness; the lively, concentrated,  come-hither aroma. I sensed the great character, elegance and all the other serious things, like body and acidity, that important wines are supposed to have. But all I really wanted to focus on was the delicious flavor.

The next day I did a little research and learned that Caymus winemaker Chuck Wagner believes that blending creates a ”friendly character in the bottle.”  This particular Napa Valley Cab is a blend of mountain fruit which lends structure and “enriches the sweet fruit of the Valley floor.” I also learned that the Wagner family, in Napa Valley since 1906 and making wine since 1972, also makes Meiomi Pinot Noir which fifth-generation winemaker Joseph J. Wagner calls a “pure-bred enjoyment wine” and which I call my house wine (I buy  it by the case at Costco for about $17).

The Wine Spectator had this to say about Caymus "Special Selection:" "Firm, intense and well-structured,  with a mix of spicy oak, red and black currant, mineral, sage and dusty berry. Turns elegant and refined, yet shows a sturdy backbone on the finish."

And Robert Parker weighed in: "A barrel sample of the 2005 Cabernet Sauvignon Special Selection offers terrific fruit intensity and purity, a more laid-back style, a meaty, chewy texture, and impressive opulence as well as length. It should evolve for 10-15 years." (For folks who care about the numbers, it gets 94 points from Wine Spectator; 92-94 from Parker.)

So now I know --- I’m a sucker for “laid-back” Cabs.

Unfortunately, it’s unlikely I’ll get to enjoy my new true love again soon, if ever. According to Web wine merchant K&L, a bottle costs $169.99. I was lucky enough to have a generous neighbor who brought the bottle to dinner at our house last week.

Alas, as the old saying goes: “Better to have drunk and lost than never to have drunk at all.”

 

 

 

 

Best of 2011 – Bites, Bottles, Books, Burgers, Boites & More

The year is just 10 days old and I’ve already discovered a wine I can’t live without, and a butternut squash bread pudding, served as an entrée, that is sure to be one of my go-to dinners of 2012.

More about them below.

But before we get any further into the New Year, it’s time to share the best of 2011, a remarkable food year that included everything from the Poquito Picante cocktail (at NYC’s Yerba Buena) and the Pepe Bianco (white clam pizza with bacon and onions at Boston’s Coppa) to shrimp ‘n grits in Charleston and a whopping cut of meat called Stinco de Vitello, enjoyed at a mountain hut high in the Dolomites.

Starting next week, I’ll highlight the most delicious meals I lucked into while traveling in 2011, as well as my favorite restaurants, most memorable hotel experiences, dynamite destinations, captivating cocktails and best new cookbooks of the year. Please come back and  check it out.

OK. Back to the bread pudding. Or, to be more precise, the Pumpkin Panade. That’s what Miami chef Michael Schwartz called it when he shared the recipe with the Wall Street Journal a couple of weeks ago. “Panade is just a fancy name for stuffing,” Schwartz was quoted as saying in the paper’s Slow Food Fast column. It’s a rustic French dish that involves stale bread, stewed onion, broth and shredded cheese.

I made it last night and served it as entrée alongside a large green salad dotted with goat cheese and toasted hazelnuts. But the beauty of this thing is that you can serve it as accompaniment to meat (it’d be great with braised pork loin, grilled chicken breasts or even the Thanksgiving turkey) or jazz it up with slivers of prosciutto or chunks of Applegate Fire-Roasted Red Pepper Chicken & Turkey Sausage (a staple in my kitchen; available at Whole Foods) and let it shine as entrée. (The photo is by Justin Walker for The Wall Street Journal.)

It's easy.  Saute sliced onion, toss in crushed garlic and cubed pumpkin or butternut squash and cook for about 15 minutes. Add the fragrant mix to chunks of stale bread, fresh herbs and grated Fontina cheese. Moisten it all with hot chicken broth and a bit of heavy cream, then pack it into a gratin dish, top with grated Pecorino or Parmesan and bake ‘til bubbly.

Here’s the recipe from The Wall Street Journal.

Cook-For-A-Day at the C.I.A.

The Culinary Institute of America, the prestigious non-profit culinary academy that opened in Hyde Park, New York in 1946, is renowned for turning out such superstar chefs as Todd English, Charlie Palmer, Grant Achatz, Rocco DiSpirito and Anthony Bourdain.

So it was with a sense of wonder and “what-the-heck-are-we-doing-here?” bemusement that my mother, my sister and I arrived at the Napa Valley branch on a recent sunny Saturday for a hands-on “Tastes of the Napa Valley” cooking class. (The school now has campuses in St. Helena, CA, San Antonio, TX and Singapore in addition to the Hyde Park property.)

We arrived mid-morning and joined seven other adventurers in one of the CIA’s massive professional kitchens. After listening to chef Sandy Dominguez explain the drill–- everyone works with a partner, wears a toque, grabs hot pan handles with a dishtowel, and cleans up as he goes -- we set to work. 

The personable Chef Sandy circulated among all the students, offering encouragement and sharing tips. (She showed how to easily remove the seeds from a messy pomegranate by submergin them in water and scooping seeds out with fingertips; and demonstrated a cool way of cleaning a hot grill with an old facecloth rolled and tied with string and dipped in vegetable oil.)  But, for the most part (and much to my amazement) she turned us loose with a stack of ambitious recipes, including Quinoa Croquettes; Mussels Steamed in White Wine with Romesco Sauce and Grilled Bread; Curried Sweet Potato Skewers with Curried Onion Dipping Sauce; and Lavender Shortbread. And she reiterated our goal: All dishes on the buffet table in 1 ½ hours.

And again to my amazement, the “students” performed impressively. No one in the group --- a  mother-son combo, a mother-daughter combo, a newly married couple, a mother of a CIA professional student, and my mother, sister and me --- had any training to speak of. I was probably the most proficient cook in the bunch, having covered cooking classes and restaurants for the San Diego Union-Tribune for 25 years. But even I felt challenged by the thought of whipping up Grilled Lamp Loin with Pomegranate Syrah Sauce (with toasted and ground coriander seeds, and bruised mint!) and Jeweled Couscous in a strange kitchen in under 2 hours. And my poor sister, Marcia, pictured right with chef Sandy Dominquez, had to create Olive Oil Crackers from scratch, and had her first run-in with a massive, man-eating Robot-Coupe in the process.

But, sure enough, the buffet table (pictured below) was laden and lovely at the appointed hour; the food was fabulous; and the cooks-for-a-day were giddy with the excitement of their accomplishments. 

Though cooking and learning at the C.I.A is a very serious business, the school does offer occasional classes for what they call “enthusiasts,” that being, euphemistically, someone with more enthusiasm than talent or commitment.

There are all-day classes, five-day “Boot Camp” adventures, two-day specialties such as BBQ Boot Camp, two-hour demonstration classes, and two-hour hands-on “food explorations” that end with a buffet of all the dishes cooked. I think it’s an ideal way to round-out a visit to California’s wine country; it’s also a great holiday gift idea.

Here are a couple recipes from our “Tastes of the Napa Valley” class to whet your appetite for a hand-on adventure of your own.

 JEWELED COUSCOUS

Serves 8

1 cup dried couscous

1 ½ cups water

½ cup fresh orange juice

2 tablespoons unsalted butter

1 tablespoon orange zest

2 teaspoons kosher salt

¼ cup black currants

1 red pepper, seeded and diced

3 scallions, thinly sliced on the bias

¼ cup golden raisins

2 tablespoons fresh Italian parsley, minced

Place the couscous in a large bowl. In a small sauce pan bring the water, salt and butter to a boil, then  pour the mixture over the couscous and cover with plastic wrap. Let sit for 10 minutes.

In another bowl, add the orange juice, orange zest, currants, red pepper, and golden raisins, and let them soak until plump.

Uncover the couscous and add the raisin mixture and fluff it with a fork, making sure to blend out the lumps.

To serve, place on a large platter and garnish with the scallions and minced parsley.

 

WILD MUSHROOM PATE

Makes enough to fill a 3-cup mold or dish

5 tablespoons butter

½ cup chopped shallots or green onions (white part only)

1 ¼ pounds thickly sliced fresh wild or cultivated mushrooms

2 teaspoons finely chopped garlic

2 teaspoons curry powder, or to taste

½ teaspoon ground cumin

1 cup toasted cashews, preferably unsalted

2 tablespoons toasted nut oil, such as walnut oil, or olive oil

2 tablespoons finely chopped mixed herbs such as parsley, chives and/or basil

2 teaspoons finely grated lemon zest

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

 

Heat the butter in a large saute pan over moderately high heat. Add the shallots, mushrooms, garlic, curry and cumin, and saute until mixture is just beginning to brown and all liquid has evaporated.

While mushrooms are cooking, add the cashews to a food processor and process until finely chopped. Add oil and continue to process to make a paste or butter. Add the mushroom mixture and process until smooth. Stir in the herbs and zest and season  with salt and pepper. Place in a 3-cup mold or other ceramic dish. Can be stored, covered, in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Allow to return to room temperature before serving.

 

Raves for Bottega Ristorante

How do I love Bottega Ristorante? Well, I need both hands to count the ways.

For starters, this three-year-old Michael Chiarello restaurant, in the heart of the Napa Valley hamlet of Yountville, is a totally captivating scene. The rooms are stylish, with lots of space, high ceilings, flattering lighting and a bustling open kitchen. From the instant you step inside the door, there’s an energy and joy that’s palpable. The staff is lively, attractive and adroit; Chiarello himself seems to be everywhere, meeting and greeting his guests; and the sophisticated, well-dressed crowd knows how to have a great time.

Then there’s Bottega’s food – it’s fabulous. There’s simply no other word to describe the single potato dough raviolo I enjoyed recently. The delicate pasta package was filled with spinach and ricotta cheese and topped with an organic, soft-cooked egg that mingled its vivid yolk with a brown butter sauce flecked with fresh sage. The perfect package was showered with fresh black truffles.

Fabulous would also describe the unique caramelle pasta that was filled with tiny dice of caramelized butternut squash and Bosc pears, and finished with brown butter, pecorino cheese and deep-fried sage leaves. The final flurry of poppy seeds and crushed Amaretti was fascinating. (The caramelle pasta shape was a new one to me; it’s a small, homemade tube pasta that gets twisted on each end and looks like a piece of salt water taffy.)

Our shared appetizers were also something to rave about: a perfect bite-size specimen of sushi-quality   tuna teamed with one paper-thin slice of crisped garlic and one fragrant basil leaf; and heavenly burrata with walnut pesto bruschetta, peppercress and a truffle vinaigrette infused with orange essence.

Brussels sprouts are the darling of wine country menus this season. We ate them at Bouchon in Yountville (with smoky bacon lardons); at Grace’s Table in Napa, where they were creamed with bacon and potatoes; and at Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen in St. Helena where a simple salt-pepper-butter version paired well with seared chicken breast.

But the shaved, caramelized sprouts at Bottega ended up stealing the show in a stylish salad (pictured here) that also included toasted Marcona almonds, wisps of prosciutto, citrus segments and an aged balsamic vinaigrette.

Bottega’s wine list is heavy on local, small-production wines which you’ll rarely see anyplace outside of the wine country. (There’s also an admirable roster of Italian wines but I can’t pass up a great wine made locally for a great wine that’s been schlepped 6,000 or more miles.)

And Bottega’s service is nothing short of superlative. Our server was a charming, professional young guy with joie de vivre to spare and no shortage of opinions. Another server (who joked that he was the oldest guy in the place) was equally endearing, appearing out of nowhere when my sister’s Black Pepper Bucatini alla Carbonara arrived at the table. He swooped in and picked up her knife and fork, eagerly tossing the hot noodles, broccolini and crisp guaciale with the barely cooked egg on top. “You don’t want the egg to cool before it’s mixed with the pasta,” was his basic message, delivered with a joy that was contagious.

Though we loved everything about our dining experience, the icing on the cake was just that --- icing on the cake. Or, more accurately, creme anglaise on the cake. Chef Chiarello graciously surprised us with the house signature dessert -- a luscious chocolate souffle cake, with molten chocolate center, hazelnut creme anglaise and candied hazelnut brittle -- to celebrate my mother’s 89th birthday. (The dessert requires 20 minutes to cook...plan ahead.)

Located in the atmospheric Marketplace 1870, a development of eateries and shops in a 140-year-old winery estate, Bottega Ristorante offers great options for an after-dinner walk. Stroll the V Estates or browse the windows in Yountville before heading home to bed.

Giving Thanks…..for Yummy New Things to Eat and Drink

The last champagne glass has been washed. The last return flight to the East Coast has landed. And the turkey soup is bubbling away on the stove. It’s time to give thanks for all the delicious things that friends and relatives brought to our Turkey Day feast --- new foods, wines and ideas that I’ll incorporate into the feasts of the future.

A Pumpkin By Any Other Name  

Forget the traditional apple and mincemeat pies. I am now totally hooked on Pumpkin Whoopie Pies.  These luscious treats incorporate all the flavors and aromas of Thanksgiving --- canned pumpkin, cloves, nutmeg, brown sugar and cinnamon. But, at the same time, they offer a touch of whimsy (and they’re great for breakfast the next day too).  

Our holiday Whoopie Pies came from a recipe on the captivating BrownEyedBaker Website. It calls for the soft, cake-like sandwich cookies to be filled with a fluffy mixture of butter, cream cheese, confectioner’s sugar and real maple syrup. (There are many versions of Whoopie Pies on-line, including the lovely creation, pictured here, from Bon Appetit magazine which uses marshmallow crème and maple extract in the filling.)

The pumpkin poufs were a huge hit at our turkey day dinner, even though they were going head-to-head with a “Cookies and Cream” cheesecake from Brooklyn Cheesecake and Dessert Company (one of our guests bought it on RueLaLa)  and my mother’s chocolate ice box cake (a "log" of Nabisco's Famous Chocolate Wafers and whipped cream) that’s been part of our family’s holiday for more than 60 years.

The 24 sated souls at our table also made room for the fabulous homemade toffee from Cups & Cakes, a boutique sweet shop in Rumson. NJ. Both the Almond and Chocolate-Pecan versions are amazing, with multiple layers of first-rate milk and dark chocolate and a buttery toffee with the perfect crunch (not too soft or too hard). The shop also does show-stopping “celebration” cakes and lovely gift baskets.

Calling All Coffee Connoisseurs  

I’m not about to trade La Jolla for Portland, Oregon any time soon, but  I sure would love for one of that city’s beloved coffee purveyors to open a shop close to me! Stumptown Coffee is the darling of coffee connoisseurs these days, with a handful of shops in Portland, two in Seattle and one in New York City (in the Ace Hotel).

Our Thanksgiving weekend breakfasts were happy times, indeed, thanks to the two Stumptown specials brought by a Seattle friend.  The Hair Bender, said to be the best blend for espresso, was a heady brew, full-bodied, yet with elegant layers of flavor. The cute little business card tucked into the bag told the story about this “complex sweet and savory blend” and promised flavors of milk chocolate, caramel, jasmine, Meyer lemon, apricot and pineapple. I got the milk chocolate and caramel flavors loud and clear, and loved them.  The other, Guatemala Finca el Injerto (Bourbon), was also  intriguing with its notes of roasted nuts and earthy chocolate.  I’m not a big fan of regular brewed coffee, but that’s how I prepared this coffee and it was fantastic with a double dose of half-and-half.  

The other beverages of note at our festivities were gifts of our Walla Walla WA friends -- four distinctive, delicious wines from the wineries of that up-and-coming area. My favorite, the Garrison Creek 2005 Syrah, was lip-smacking good. This wine had the heft to stand up to a rich turkey dinner with all the trimmings, but also an elegance that made us sit back and say "wow." The requisite Syrah black pepper notes were there, but also an abundance of lovely fruit.  We also drank a lush Leonetti Cabernet  Sauvignon. From Walla Walla's first winery, this is a sophisticated wine, with ripe fruits, spice and dried herbs dominating the flavor profile, and an impressively smooth mouth feel.

Piqueing the Palate 

Choosing the right hors d’oeuvre for Thanksgiving Day is a challenge. It has to be something unusual for this once-a-year extravaganza, it has to be satisfying; but at the same time it has to be light enough to leave us hungry for the main event. One of our guests brought a platter of crisp endive leaves stuffed with goat cheese, green onion, walnuts and mandarin orange bits. It was colorful, elegant, and delicious. You can find the recipe, which was adapted from an original “Cooking Light” recipe, at NaturalNoshing.com.

 

 

 

 

Lemon Meringue Pie Re-visited....at The Ivy Inn

Some desserts have really good PR machines. The chocolate lava cake, also known as molten chocolate cake, flourless chocolate cake and chocolate fondant cake, has been the hands-down darling of the past couple of decades. Diners can’t get enough of the stuff, even when it’s a mediocre rendition (sometimes a prepared, frozen product!) that’s coming out of the kitchen.

Then there’s lemon meringue pie. Not an ounce of drama, no cachet, no sensationalist articles in newspaper and magazine food pages. But the simple, glossy British-American classic has been pleasing its fans since the 19^th century.

Of course, my personal favorite is the one my mother made every year for my birthday (who said it had to be a birthday “cake?”) Hers was the condensed milk variety, a pale, smooth and creamy filling topped with fluffy egg white peaks bronzed in the oven.

But recently I found another version that I love, sorry Mother, just as much.  OK, OK. Almost as much.

That's the Lemon Meringue Ice Box Cake at the The Ivy Inn in Charlottesville, VA, where I dined a week ago with my husband and his college friends.

The elegant creation starts with a wafer-thin, buttery graham cracker crust and moves onward and upward with tangy, zest-infused lemon curd and caramel cream layers. On top, an ethereal cap of toasted meringue, along with barely-there pieces of candied lemon zest and coarse organic sugar. On the side, a delicate lemon lace cookie. And it's all framed by a fresh, fragrant lemon-berry coulis.

The combination of tastes and textures is awesome…which is why my husband and I went back to the Inn for a second dinner two nights later.  Professional food critics aren’t supposed to do that….with only three nights in Charlottesville, I should have dined in three different restaurants.

But the lemon meringue wonder, by pastry chef Jon Thornburg, lured me back to the Inn just as effectively as mythology’s Sirens seduced sailors to shipwreck on the rocky coast of their island.

And the fact that I had also flipped over chef-owner Angelo Vangilopoulos’ Puree of Butternut Squash
Soup on the first night made the repeat visit an easy call. (Yes, I ate the soup, swirled with scallion cream and dotted with smoked bacon bits and glazed, spiced pecans, on the second visit, too!)

Both dishes were in perfect sync with the Inn’s gracious, homey Virginia-horse-country vibe ---
sophisticated but understated. The original property – a multi-building estate – was built shortly after a fire destroyed the original building in 1815. Since then it has changed hands several times, including years of stewardship by the University of Virginia, whose “grounds” are a mile away. (The property was once called “Faulkner House” after William Faulkner, who was a distinguished University “Writer in Residence.”)

Since 1973 the quaint cottage surrounded by overgrown gardens, has been The Ivy Inn restaurant. (This photo is from the blog HarvestThymeHerbFarm.) In 1995 it was purchased by Vangelopoulos, who graduated from the Culinary Institute of American (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY, and trained at  Washington, D.C.’s Galileo restaurant and Cilantro’s in Del Mar, CA.Today he runs the restaurant with his wife, Farrell.

The rest of the menu, which changes frequently and features products from the central Virginia area, is as enticing as the dishes that hooked me. Consider Polyface Farms Slow Cooked Chicken with cloud-like gnocchi, local Andouille sausage and wild mushrooms;  Pumpkin-Seed Crusted Red Drum Fillet with couscous, avocado, lime and Carolina shrimp; Homemade Pumpkin Ravioli with crispy leeks, pumpkinseeds and fresh sage; Sticky English Toffee Pudding…then make a detour to this captivating academic town and check out The Ivy Inn.

(2244 Old Ivy Road, Charlottesville, VA; 434-977-1222. Appetizers $6-$12; entrees, $22-$36. Lemon Meringue Ice Box Cake, $8.)

 

THREE-PEAT: Cocktails at FIG, Charleston, S.C.

When was the last time I found myself in a bar downing Manhattans three nights in a row? Like, ah, never! Much as I love a good drink, hanging out in bars and belting back hard liquor is not my normal M.O.

But, I guess there’s a time and a place for everything, and last week in Charleston S.C. with about 50 fellow members of the Association of Food Journalists was clearly that time and place.

We were in the picturesque coastal town for our annual conference, four days of seminars, speakers, business meetings, tastings, field trips and fabulous meals. Straight off the plane on Tuesday night I headed to FIG (Food is Good) with two West Coast colleagues. We all knew about chef Mike Lata (who won “Best Chef Southeast” at the 2010 James Beard Awards) and our mouths were watering for such Lata specialties as Carolina Shrimp Escabeche and Tomato Tarte Tatin.

But the cocktail menu turned out to be a serious speed-bump.

For starters there was the list of Proprietary Cocktails that included the Marfa Daisy (Espolon Blanco tequila, elderflower liqueur, aquavit, grapefruit juice and grapefruit bitters) that was the sassy super-model of margaritas; and the Greenthumb (Cathead Vodka, green Chartreuse, lime, mint, cucumber and celery bitters).

Then there was the Make-Your-Own Manhattan extravaganza featuring 15 bourbons (and a few ryes), eight types of sweet vermouth, and 13 types of bitters, mostly homemade. Feeling like a kid in a candy store, I poured over the lists, then picked Old Overholt Rye (new to me but Lata' favorite), Dolin Rouge Vermouth (another new friend), and Angostura orange bitters. Served straight up in an old-fashioned “champagne” glass it was a delicious swirl of sweet, smoke, herb and tang.

The third page featured riffs on the Negroni, a classic Italian aperitif of Campari, sweet vermouth and   gin that was invented in Florence in the early 1900s. Calling it the “short and perfect aperitivo,” the menu lists nine versions including the Rhubarb Negroni with Farmer’s Gin, Zucca Rabarbaro (syrup) and Dolin Rouge vermouth;  the Negroni Sbagliato with Campari, sweet vermouth and Prosecco; and the Hummingbird (Beefeater, Campari, elderflower, Nouilly Pratt and crushed ice). (This photo is from a cool Website called Cocktails in Charleston that seems proof positive that I am not the only one who has spent time tippling in this historic town.)

Reporters being reporters, word about FIG’s creative cocktails and lively bar scene spread fast among AFJ members, each of whom by definition is obsessed with finding delicious things to eat and drink. So it was that I found myself back at FIG for nightcaps the next two nights, with colleagues who were equally smitten by the talented mixologists.

I’m now a big fan of subbing Prosecco for the gin in a regular Negroni (the sparkling wine makes for a lighter aperitif with no bite); and injecting a bit of the USA in the Italian drink with a splash of Buffalo Trace Straight Kentucky Bourbon. 

I'm also intrigued by Basil Hayden's minty bourbon; Blanton's "Original Single-Barrel Bourbon;" and Elmer T. Lee, the guy who makes Buffalo Trace. I now know that most sweet vermouths sold in the U.S. are Torino-style, and that there are a whole lot of new ones, such as Cocchi and Carpano, that I need to try.

And, I'm about to jump on the bitters bandwagon. There's been a surge if interest in these alcoholic sidekicks that are flavored with herbal essences and have a bitter or bittersweet flavor.  Today, homemade or small-batch orange, cherry, rhubarb and Aztec chocolate bitters are giving the old-fashioned Angostura a run for its money.   

Oh, yeah. FIG’s food. Fabulous.

The tomato tarte tatin (left),  “salted” with tapenade and smoothed with fromage blanc, managed to taste like mid-summer even though the season is just about over. The escabeche featured plump, tender fresh white Carolina fresh shrimp with the usual marinated vegetables and the unusual addition of grated ginger. 

We also flipped over the cloud-like ricotta gnocchi with Bolognese sauce; the local triggerfish with roasted cauliflower and caper; and the Coddled Sea Island Farm Egg that, when pierced, quickly swirled itself into the accompanying red wine-braised mushrooms and celeriac cream. On the side was a dish of chewy, pea- and prosciutto-dotted farro from Anson Mills that was so good I ordered packages of the grain on-line as soon as I got back to San Diego.

Dinner and drinks at FIG was a perfect introduction to Charleston, a town with only 300,000 people but a whole lotta knock-your-socks-off restaurants.

 

Bin 941 in Vancouver, B.C. --- Worth A (Bike) Journey

As you may know from my earlier posts, flank steak pizza and bumbleberry pie kept me going on the two-day, 200-mile RSVP bike tour (Ride Seattle to Vancouver & Party). But the biggest treat of all was the dinner awaiting me on the other side of the finish line.

After celebrating with fellow riders in the garden courtyard of Coast Plaza Hotel in downtown Vancouver –- the “Party” included live music and icy Molson Canadian draft (no beer has ever tasted better!) ---my son Nicholas and I got back on our trusty steeds and biked to the Fairmont Hotel. I had stayed at this grande dame during a food writers’ conference about a decade ago and really liked it. This time, after being in the saddle for 2 days and overnighting in a stuffy subterranean room at a Bellingham Best Western, I LOVED it ---the spacious room, the huge window overlooking bustling Georgia Street, the elegant bathroom, enveloping bathrobe, and comfy bed.

After a long shower and a short nap, I was ready to meet Bin 941, a restaurant my kids have been raving about for years.

It lived up to all the hype…and then some.

Since Bin 941, officially dubbed a “Tapas Parlour” doesn’t take reservations, we settled in at the eatery’s bar and celebrated our accomplishment with gin and tonics and the Goat Cheese House-Dried Tomato Salsa appetizer. One taste of the tangy spread, scooped up with outtasite Navajo Fry Bread, and I knew this meal would end up on my Best of 2011 list. (Photo by Bonny Makarewicz for The New York Times.)

Once seated at our Lilliputian, bare wood table, we opted for  “British Columbia Coastal Mussels, Fresh Daily” that were swimming in a sea of spectacularly flavorful coconut milk, lemon zest and garam masala. (Just thinking about this dish again right now is making me crazy.) The mussels were succulent; the hunks of dunked grilled focaccia were lip-smacking good. Forget Seattle, hell, I’d bike from San Diego to Vancouver to eat this dish again.(Photo from ShermansFoodAdventures.com.)

Equally impressive were the “Original Tijuana Caesar” with luscious grilled crouton; and the Angus   Beef Short Rib that was so tender I thought it might fall apart even before I prodded it with my fork. Served with parsnip puree, mushroom-studded spinach salad and a smooth but spunky peppercorn Cabernet jus, this was a unique take on a ubiquitous dish.

Bin 941 is a weensy place, with no more than 7 or 8 tables along with a dozen or so bar stools. The “décor” is funky; the attitude friendly and no-fuss; the food, fabulous.  (Salad & Such average $8; all main Tapatisers are $17.) It’s best to visit with a small group…that way you can order a greater variety of dishes. It's also wise to visit with a fun-loving bunch since this place turns into party-central later in the evening.

We wanted to order more --- fresh Pacific halibut with wild mushroom risotto; crab cakes with burnt orange chipotle sauce; olive-crusted lamb sirloin with potato latke; golden beets with truffled honey glaze. But the portions were large, the flavors intense, so we called it quits, leaving a lot of reasons to visit Bin 941 again.