I was recently in Portland, Oregon, for a fencing tournament. The fencing went well, but the biggest thing that I remember was the food. The first night was a simple little bar and grill-type thing, but the second night was the one that really stood out for the weekend.
I had been wandering the city looking for a particular Cuban restaurant which, I was told, had an amazing pastry chef who did wonderful things with desserts. I thought I would give it a try. Unfortunately, after about an hour, and 25 blocks, I decided that I wasn't going to find it, and turned around. I remembered passing a Peruvian restaurant, and made that my final destination, rather than the Cuban restaurant.
The name was Andina restaurant, and they were able to squeeze me in a spacious, and still only half-full, dining room. My order was taken, and the Sangria appeared in front of along with my bread. The Sangria turned out to be ok. I prefer mine to come with the actual fruit in the glass, instead of the ice cubes which really only served to dilute the drink.
The bread, however, was a different story. Many places will give you butter, olive oil, or something else to flavor your bread with. This one was no different. Except that they gave me three choices, instead of just one. The first was a mildly spicy peanut dip. My least favorite, but still not too bad. The waitress mentioned that it goes quite nicely with Thai-style spring rolls, which I definitely believe. The next one was a passion fruit and habanero sauce. This was sweet with quite a kick. Finally, there was the jalapeño and vinegar sauce. This one was the spiciest, and by far my favorite. The freshness of the jalapenos really showed through.
Once I had finished my two or so baskets of bread (what...I was hungry, and the sauces were awesome!), it was time for my appetizer. something called Causa Mixta Nikkei. Apparently, Causa is a traditional Peruvian dish that is made mashed potato dumplings mixed with oil, lemon, chilis, and onions. This one had something similar to that as a base, topped with spicy tuna and crab salad. All in a smallish cake form. Perched atop all of that, sat a crispy fried shrimp. Now, the idea was great, and at times, so was the dish. The problem came when you ran out of the crispy shrimp, the rest of the cake just felt like mush in your mouth. However, when you did get a bite with everything, the taste, texture, and even sound were all spot on.
As a main course, I tried the Adobo de Cerdo (Pork adobo). In and of itself, this was excellent. Even the green apples that were served with it added a nice acid to the (not overwhelming) heat. The problem in this dish is with the butternut squash and gorgonzola ravioli. This just seemed entirely out of place on the plate. I am not the world's biggest fan of gorgonzola, nor am I by any stretch of the imagination a hater of the cheese, but I believe in "everything in moderation". The problem was that the cheese overwhelmed everything else that was presented, and left an "off" flavor in your mouth. That being said, I would probably not order this dish again.
Finally, it was time for dessert. Amongst the alfajores (little cookies) and flan, was the Plato de Crema Quemada. Three ramekins of creme brule, each highlighting a major Peruvian export. The first was the spiced orange. Then came vanilla. Finally a caramel espresso (which, I will admit, made me a little nervous as I don't drink any coffee). However, they were all spectacular. The caramel hid even the slightest bit of coffee aftertaste, making it taste the way that I wish all coffee-flavored desserts (or just plain all coffee) would taste.
I am looking forward to returning to Portland next year, and hopefully back to the Andina Restaurant where, while I would probably not get the same appetizer or entree, I would be happy to continue to explore the menu.
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Monday, April 14, 2008
The Chef as an Artist
What is art? What is beauty? What is yummy? The answers to all of these questions lies with each and every individual. I couldn't possibly even try to convince some people that I know that a food such as asparagus could be tasty. But, to me it can be. If it is done right.
This leads into a bigger question. Are chefs artists? I would argue that yes, they are. Now, I will grant you, there are some major differences. Chief among them is the fact that many artists are not popular until after they have died. I can't say that I would use that as an argument for a chef being an artist, as there are probably not too many things that would be good once the chef has died.
Chefs are given certain tools, many of which are available to the general public, and turn them into something fantastic. If anybody has watched the show "Top Chef", they will know that, for most of the menus, the chefs do their shopping at a Whole Foods-esque grocery store. To me, an artist is one who can harmoniously blend many different things (colors, notes, words) into one cohesive entity.
I could go on and on about this topic, but what I really want to discuss is the book "Culinary Artistry" by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page. They talk to some of the country's greatest chefs and ask the question - Why does the chef deserve to be considered an artist?
When they are not discussing what makes a chef an artist, they are providing hints to the reader as to how to become an artist yourself. This is done with many ingredient charts and tables with relevant data about the season that the ingredient is at its most prevalent, other ingredients that pair nicely with it, and even which cooking methods are the best for this ingredient.
Now, they are not even trying to come close to implying that they have presented an exhaustive list. There may be combinations that haven't been thought of. There are ingredients that they have not included (even though they do list many things - from kohlrabi to quince). However, this is a list of combinations that have been tested by chefs such as Rick Bayless and Alice Waters. It is something of the CliffsNotes for cooking.
While there are some recipes in the book, the bulk of the development is up to the reader. The authors don't want to tell you exactly what to make. Instead, they want to guide you down a path of, "Well, these two ingredients go nicely together, so work with them and see what else just happens to fall into the pan."
The road of an artist is seldom an easy one. It is nice to know, though, that with this book, you are getting the knowledge of the top chefs from around the country, and all those who came before them, as a map to help you on your journey.
This leads into a bigger question. Are chefs artists? I would argue that yes, they are. Now, I will grant you, there are some major differences. Chief among them is the fact that many artists are not popular until after they have died. I can't say that I would use that as an argument for a chef being an artist, as there are probably not too many things that would be good once the chef has died.
Chefs are given certain tools, many of which are available to the general public, and turn them into something fantastic. If anybody has watched the show "Top Chef", they will know that, for most of the menus, the chefs do their shopping at a Whole Foods-esque grocery store. To me, an artist is one who can harmoniously blend many different things (colors, notes, words) into one cohesive entity.
I could go on and on about this topic, but what I really want to discuss is the book "Culinary Artistry" by Andrew Dornenburg and Karen Page. They talk to some of the country's greatest chefs and ask the question - Why does the chef deserve to be considered an artist?
When they are not discussing what makes a chef an artist, they are providing hints to the reader as to how to become an artist yourself. This is done with many ingredient charts and tables with relevant data about the season that the ingredient is at its most prevalent, other ingredients that pair nicely with it, and even which cooking methods are the best for this ingredient.
Now, they are not even trying to come close to implying that they have presented an exhaustive list. There may be combinations that haven't been thought of. There are ingredients that they have not included (even though they do list many things - from kohlrabi to quince). However, this is a list of combinations that have been tested by chefs such as Rick Bayless and Alice Waters. It is something of the CliffsNotes for cooking.
While there are some recipes in the book, the bulk of the development is up to the reader. The authors don't want to tell you exactly what to make. Instead, they want to guide you down a path of, "Well, these two ingredients go nicely together, so work with them and see what else just happens to fall into the pan."
The road of an artist is seldom an easy one. It is nice to know, though, that with this book, you are getting the knowledge of the top chefs from around the country, and all those who came before them, as a map to help you on your journey.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
Hot Chocolate in Tallinn
Now that I have your attention, I want to tell you about the best hot chocolate that I have ever had. Jennifer and I were in Tallinn, Estonia, not too long ago, and, in an attempt to avoid the snow that was starting to fall, we wandered in to the "Cafe Chocolaterie". It was a quaint little place in old town that reminded me of what I always pictured Professor Trelawney's classroom to look like. The felt tablecloths, tassels, many candles, in a quiet and secluded area, it just felt mysterious. All that was needed were the crystal balls.
Now, I had been here once before, but I am not sure if they have changed their recipe, or it was just the company that made this a perfect glass of hot chocolate. As you can see from the picture, they first swirl melted chocolate along the inside of the glass, before adding their chocolate-y, creamy goodness. To top it all off, they give you a cinnamon stick to use as a swizzle stick. The best thing to do was to scrape some of the chocolate off the side and suck on the cinnamon stick, giving you a taste of all three components: melted chocolate, the hot chocolate liquid, and the cinnamon.
Now, they also had an assortment of truffles and cakes, one of which I tried. This was the richest, most powerful chocolate cake that I had ever tasted. It was a multi-level cake, held together with a chocolate frosting, and coated with a very shiny chocolate couverture. Halfway through I was ready to swear off chocolate for a week. Of course, right after I was done with that, I finished the cake.
Saturday, January 5, 2008
Banking on Bank
The history of a restaurant is as individual as the history of a person. No two are alike. Some are created specifically as a restaurant, while others have previous incarnations as gas stations or train stations.
I recently had the opportunity to try Bank restaurant in the Westin Minneapolis at 88 South 6th St. The story behind this restaurant is quite interesting in that it began its life as the Farmers and Mechanics Bank in the early 1900's, and Bank restaurant keeps this history alive in its dining room.
In order to enter the restaurant from the skyway, which is what I would recommend given this year's winter, you must travel through the dining room to get to the host's stand. On your way, you see multiple board rooms turned private dining rooms, as well as intricate wood carvings that are not normally seen in the food industry. There are also many booths with low couches and tables, in theory perfect for sipping on a happy hour drink, yet in practice a bit too deep, keeping the imbiber a bit too far from their much deserved refreshment.
As for the teller stations, they were turned into a dining bar that looks straight into the kitchens. Well, one kitchen, but three distinct sections of it. One of them being the hot food section (which was the busiest), while the second one did not seem to be used during the time that I was there. The final one, of course, was all about the desserts.
As for the vault, well, it still houses some of Bank's most prized possessions. It has been transformed into the restaurant's wine cellar, and diners can peek through the open doors and glass window to see everything from Veuve Cliquot (Yellow label) to Dom Perignon.
Enough about the surroundings, now onto the food.
The rather small menu (about 7 appetizers, 3 salads, 6 entrees, and 4 desserts) was presented, and I selected the good old American burger. Of course, this burger was made from American Kobe beef, wood-smoked bacon, and aged cheddar cheese.
The restaurant has obviously not lost the love of money that comes from having a previous life as a bank, since most of the entrees were priced between $10 and $15. From what I could tell, though, they are worth every penny of it. The $7 desserts, on the other hand, I'm still not too sure about.
This was, bar none, the best burger that I have ever tasted. It was moist to the point of being juicy, perfectly seasoned, and perfectly cooked. I have never tasted a better burger in my life, and I have eaten quite a few. The fries that accompanied it were tasty, but they didn't stand out in quite the same way the burger did.
Jennifer, who you will probably hear me talk quite a bit about as time goes by, ordered the mushroom risotto with creme fraiche and shaved Parmesan cheese. This was quite a rich dish, given all of the dairy products that were included in it, but it still broke into the top three in terms of mushroom risottos for her. Number one, of course, being served at Campiello in uptown Minneapolis.
Another favorite for the table was the roasted tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich. This soup was entirely vegetarian, and when I took a spoonful of it, I felt like I was biting into a vine-ripened tomato. The flavors were spot on. And, of course, there was the fact that it came with a grilled fontina sandwich. Who doesn't love grilled cheese? Particularly when it comes in the form of a two row high log cabin. That's right, they cut it into quarters the short way, and then stacked them nicely on the plate, two of the quarters on top of and perpendicular to the other two.
All of the dishes that were presented to us were visual masterpieces, and so far, they had all been home runs. Unfortunately, that would change with dessert.
We ordered the Frangelico chocolate pudding cake with a hazelnut florentine. Yeah. Try saying that three times fast. Anyways, it took about 15 minutes for them to assemble, and when it came out, it looked astonishing. It was a small (ramekin sized) cake, topped with a hazelnut florentine, which apparently is very similar to a tuile. Aside the florentine was a scoop of malt ice cream. And then there were the smears of chocolate all around the plate.
The only way that this dessert was palatable was with a large bite of ice cream with a small bite of the cake. The sweetness of the ice cream was needed to balance out the bitterness of the cake. The only problem was that there was only a small scoop of ice cream, and a comparatively large piece of cake.
In the end, Bank offers a high return on investment that is so hard to find in today's economy. I cannot wait to return.
I recently had the opportunity to try Bank restaurant in the Westin Minneapolis at 88 South 6th St. The story behind this restaurant is quite interesting in that it began its life as the Farmers and Mechanics Bank in the early 1900's, and Bank restaurant keeps this history alive in its dining room.
In order to enter the restaurant from the skyway, which is what I would recommend given this year's winter, you must travel through the dining room to get to the host's stand. On your way, you see multiple board rooms turned private dining rooms, as well as intricate wood carvings that are not normally seen in the food industry. There are also many booths with low couches and tables, in theory perfect for sipping on a happy hour drink, yet in practice a bit too deep, keeping the imbiber a bit too far from their much deserved refreshment.
As for the teller stations, they were turned into a dining bar that looks straight into the kitchens. Well, one kitchen, but three distinct sections of it. One of them being the hot food section (which was the busiest), while the second one did not seem to be used during the time that I was there. The final one, of course, was all about the desserts.
As for the vault, well, it still houses some of Bank's most prized possessions. It has been transformed into the restaurant's wine cellar, and diners can peek through the open doors and glass window to see everything from Veuve Cliquot (Yellow label) to Dom Perignon.
Enough about the surroundings, now onto the food.
The rather small menu (about 7 appetizers, 3 salads, 6 entrees, and 4 desserts) was presented, and I selected the good old American burger. Of course, this burger was made from American Kobe beef, wood-smoked bacon, and aged cheddar cheese.
The restaurant has obviously not lost the love of money that comes from having a previous life as a bank, since most of the entrees were priced between $10 and $15. From what I could tell, though, they are worth every penny of it. The $7 desserts, on the other hand, I'm still not too sure about.
This was, bar none, the best burger that I have ever tasted. It was moist to the point of being juicy, perfectly seasoned, and perfectly cooked. I have never tasted a better burger in my life, and I have eaten quite a few. The fries that accompanied it were tasty, but they didn't stand out in quite the same way the burger did.
Jennifer, who you will probably hear me talk quite a bit about as time goes by, ordered the mushroom risotto with creme fraiche and shaved Parmesan cheese. This was quite a rich dish, given all of the dairy products that were included in it, but it still broke into the top three in terms of mushroom risottos for her. Number one, of course, being served at Campiello in uptown Minneapolis.
Another favorite for the table was the roasted tomato soup with a grilled cheese sandwich. This soup was entirely vegetarian, and when I took a spoonful of it, I felt like I was biting into a vine-ripened tomato. The flavors were spot on. And, of course, there was the fact that it came with a grilled fontina sandwich. Who doesn't love grilled cheese? Particularly when it comes in the form of a two row high log cabin. That's right, they cut it into quarters the short way, and then stacked them nicely on the plate, two of the quarters on top of and perpendicular to the other two.
All of the dishes that were presented to us were visual masterpieces, and so far, they had all been home runs. Unfortunately, that would change with dessert.
We ordered the Frangelico chocolate pudding cake with a hazelnut florentine. Yeah. Try saying that three times fast. Anyways, it took about 15 minutes for them to assemble, and when it came out, it looked astonishing. It was a small (ramekin sized) cake, topped with a hazelnut florentine, which apparently is very similar to a tuile. Aside the florentine was a scoop of malt ice cream. And then there were the smears of chocolate all around the plate.
The only way that this dessert was palatable was with a large bite of ice cream with a small bite of the cake. The sweetness of the ice cream was needed to balance out the bitterness of the cake. The only problem was that there was only a small scoop of ice cream, and a comparatively large piece of cake.
In the end, Bank offers a high return on investment that is so hard to find in today's economy. I cannot wait to return.
Tuesday, December 11, 2007
Dinner in Richmond
I mentioned earlier that I would return to the travel part of things later. Well, later has become now. I suppose I should start with the fact that I am based out of the Twin Cities in Minnesota. I am a nationally ranked fencer, which means that I often have to travel to competitions around the country, as well as around the world (although, I usually stick to Europe).
Well, this past weekend I was in Richmond, VA for the first of three qualifying events for the Olympics in Beijing. The first night in Richmond, we ate at the Penny Lane Pub, http://www.pennylanepub.com/. We waited for about fifteen or so minutes in the crowded and smoky bar while a table was cleared and made ready for us. This was definitely an English style pub trying to make it in the US. Many of the TVs were tuned to soccer games for those wishing to feel like they are in London. If, however, you are too tired to make the trip across the pond, you merely need to turn to a different TV and you will see whatever basketball games happen to be going on at the time.
We were seated and eventually got to order (2 orders of the Dijon Baked Chicken, and one of the Fish 'n' Chips). I can only speak to the Dijon Baked Chicken, which was actually quite good, yet a bit small when compared with the size of the fish in the fish 'n' chips. The sauce was a lemon and dijon sauce which meshed quite nicely with the vegetables, a mix of Yellow Squash and Zucchini. They looked as though they had seen better days, but still tasted pretty good when eaten with the sauce. And then, on the side, there was a scoop of mashed potatoes and gravy, which tasted like mashed potatoes and gravy should.
Many people never get past the bar at Penny Lane Pub, with its numerous draught and bottled beers (of which, I am not even going to begin to describe at this time).
Penny Lane Pub is a good place to go if you happen to be in Richmond, VA, and looking for a faux British pub with decent food. That being said, I probably wouldn't go into the city specifically to eat there.
Well, this past weekend I was in Richmond, VA for the first of three qualifying events for the Olympics in Beijing. The first night in Richmond, we ate at the Penny Lane Pub, http://www.pennylanepub.com/. We waited for about fifteen or so minutes in the crowded and smoky bar while a table was cleared and made ready for us. This was definitely an English style pub trying to make it in the US. Many of the TVs were tuned to soccer games for those wishing to feel like they are in London. If, however, you are too tired to make the trip across the pond, you merely need to turn to a different TV and you will see whatever basketball games happen to be going on at the time.
We were seated and eventually got to order (2 orders of the Dijon Baked Chicken, and one of the Fish 'n' Chips). I can only speak to the Dijon Baked Chicken, which was actually quite good, yet a bit small when compared with the size of the fish in the fish 'n' chips. The sauce was a lemon and dijon sauce which meshed quite nicely with the vegetables, a mix of Yellow Squash and Zucchini. They looked as though they had seen better days, but still tasted pretty good when eaten with the sauce. And then, on the side, there was a scoop of mashed potatoes and gravy, which tasted like mashed potatoes and gravy should.
Many people never get past the bar at Penny Lane Pub, with its numerous draught and bottled beers (of which, I am not even going to begin to describe at this time).
Penny Lane Pub is a good place to go if you happen to be in Richmond, VA, and looking for a faux British pub with decent food. That being said, I probably wouldn't go into the city specifically to eat there.
Monday, December 10, 2007
Penne and Italian Sausage in a Vodka Sauce
I have been working on developing recipes that could possibly be put into a book someday, assuming that I can come up with more than just this one. I have been toying with a penne and sausage recipe ever since I ate at D'amico and Sons, and I think that I have come up with something. I will begin by putting the ingredients out there with some preparation steps and see if that generates any interest. If so, I will add amounts and such to flesh out the recipe. But, in a nutshell, here it is:
Italian Sausage - I like it spicy, but it also works with mild as well
Penne Rigate - Smallish tubes of pasta
Onion
Tomato Paste
Diced Tomatoes
Heavy Whipping Cream
Vodka
Chili Flakes
Oregano
Salt
Parmesan Cheese
Start by boiling a large pot of salted water (It should taste like the sea, or at least that's what they always said in school).
Saute the sausage in a non-stick pan with a little bit of olive oil (Trust me on the non-stick part). Remove the sausage and saute the onions until cooked to the desired tenderness, adding a bit more oil if necessary. Add the tomato paste and mix it with the onions, cooking for about a minute.
Your water should be boiling now, so go ahead and start cooking your penne.
Return the sausage to the pan and add the tomatoes. Cook for another minute or so. Add some cream, vodka, chili flakes, oregano, and salt, letting it simmer for about five minutes. Once the penne is cooked, drain it and toss it with the sauce and cheese. You are now ready for dinner. Bon Appetit!
If you are interested in getting more info about this, please let me know. To me, it is a quick and easy dinner idea, which comes up every couple months or so.
Italian Sausage - I like it spicy, but it also works with mild as well
Penne Rigate - Smallish tubes of pasta
Onion
Tomato Paste
Diced Tomatoes
Heavy Whipping Cream
Vodka
Chili Flakes
Oregano
Salt
Parmesan Cheese
Start by boiling a large pot of salted water (It should taste like the sea, or at least that's what they always said in school).
Saute the sausage in a non-stick pan with a little bit of olive oil (Trust me on the non-stick part). Remove the sausage and saute the onions until cooked to the desired tenderness, adding a bit more oil if necessary. Add the tomato paste and mix it with the onions, cooking for about a minute.
Your water should be boiling now, so go ahead and start cooking your penne.
Return the sausage to the pan and add the tomatoes. Cook for another minute or so. Add some cream, vodka, chili flakes, oregano, and salt, letting it simmer for about five minutes. Once the penne is cooked, drain it and toss it with the sauce and cheese. You are now ready for dinner. Bon Appetit!
If you are interested in getting more info about this, please let me know. To me, it is a quick and easy dinner idea, which comes up every couple months or so.
Wednesday, December 5, 2007
Who is the man behind the mystery
I figured that I should begin with a little bit of an introduction as to who I am and why I feel like I have any right to be a part of a blog that, hopefully, will have much to do with food, wine, and travel. Any number of things are bound to come up in addition to these topics, but as these are some of my favorites, I will start with them.
So. Why do I want to be a food writer? Well, I went to the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. Does this mean that my taste in food is any better than yours? Probably not. Does this mean that I have any better idea of good food than you do? Probably not. All that this means is that I did put in some time behind the scenes learning about techniques used to prepare food. It also means that I spend too much time looking for that ever elusive perfect burrito that I could always get in the Mission district (if anyone has suggestions for something that might compare to that, please let me know).
In terms of wine, I am still quite the neophyte. I did my internship at the San Francisco Chronicle, in their wine section. Every 2 weeks we were tasting up to 80 different wines. While there, I did learn an appreciation for good wine. I do believe that any varietal has the potential to be great, therefore I don't just make blanket statements such as "I hate Chardonnays". I have actually had quite a few decent ones, including the ones at Buena Vista vineyards, where I spent a week working with them to get some insight into the wine making process. That being said, if I am going to drink a red wine, Shiraz is my favorite, and if you are pouring whites, give me Gruner Veltliner.
I will get to travel in more detail later, but I have visited most Western European countries (the big ones, anyways), as well as a few Central and South American countries as well.
Stay tuned for more to come.
So. Why do I want to be a food writer? Well, I went to the California Culinary Academy in San Francisco. Does this mean that my taste in food is any better than yours? Probably not. Does this mean that I have any better idea of good food than you do? Probably not. All that this means is that I did put in some time behind the scenes learning about techniques used to prepare food. It also means that I spend too much time looking for that ever elusive perfect burrito that I could always get in the Mission district (if anyone has suggestions for something that might compare to that, please let me know).
In terms of wine, I am still quite the neophyte. I did my internship at the San Francisco Chronicle, in their wine section. Every 2 weeks we were tasting up to 80 different wines. While there, I did learn an appreciation for good wine. I do believe that any varietal has the potential to be great, therefore I don't just make blanket statements such as "I hate Chardonnays". I have actually had quite a few decent ones, including the ones at Buena Vista vineyards, where I spent a week working with them to get some insight into the wine making process. That being said, if I am going to drink a red wine, Shiraz is my favorite, and if you are pouring whites, give me Gruner Veltliner.
I will get to travel in more detail later, but I have visited most Western European countries (the big ones, anyways), as well as a few Central and South American countries as well.
Stay tuned for more to come.
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