Archives for 2011

11 August 2011 2010 Brancott Sauvignon Blanc

2010 Brancott Sauvignon Blanc

August 11, 2011 By

This Sauvignon Blanc from Marlborough, New Zealand displays what is typical of the region for this varietal – burst of bright fruit with a tangy finish.

I first sampled this Brancott Estate wine when it was really cold and some of its aromas and flavors were masked.  As it warmed up a bit, the nose was bright pink grapefruit.  For those wine drinkers who can’t easily identify aromas displayed by certain wines, the grapefruit is prominent and easy to pinpoint on this Sauvignon Blanc.  The citrus notes continue in the mouth with lemon and lime flavors that finish with zippy acidity.

Great summer white at a very affordable price point.

Around $12.

Filed Under: New Zealand, Sauvignon Blanc, White Wine, Wine Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,
8 August 2011 Prairie Grass Café – Chicago North Shore Food by Award Winning Chefs

Prairie Grass Café – Chicago North Shore Food by Award Winning Chefs

August 8, 2011 By

Prairie Grass Cafe Foyer

Two-time James Beard award-winning chef and co-owner, Sarah Stegner, turns out inventive, high-quality food in the Chicago North Shore suburbs town of Northbrook, and I’m thrilled to have had the opportunity to dine at her establishment, Prairie Grass Cafe.

Chef Stegner supports Green City Market and local sustainable farms.  She selects the freshest seasonal ingredients to create homemade products like her handcrafted sausages, outstanding salad dressings, rich ice creams and sinful desserts.

The space is large, friendly and warm with dark woods and exposed brick.  I immediately feel relaxed when I walked through the door.  The lounge area is large and features a horseshoe bar where mixologists pour sexy cocktails and many wines by the glass.

At Prairie Grass Café, the concept is to use fine dining cooking techniques to produce approachable, casual food.  Quality ingredients are front-and-center for Chef Stegner and co-chef / partner George Bumbaris and their team and it’s evident in all the dishes I’ve sampled during my many visits.

Amish Blue Cheese & Grape Salad

Some must-try starters are the Amish Blue Cheese and Grapes Mixed Green Salad and the Homemade Paté in a Crock.  The salad is tossed with tangy balsamic dressing and features a slice of grape-stuffed Amish blue cheese that’s then rolled in candied walnuts.  It’s to die for and beautifully presented.  The Paté is rich, velvety and served with an apple and Port balsamic reduction.  Amazing flavors.  Starters range from $6 for the vegetable spring rolls to $15 for the Peeky Toe crab cake.

Blue Cheese Crusted Sirloin Burger

Entrees that I’ve had an opportunity to sample are the handcrafted Mint Creek Farms lamb sausages, the crispy half duck from Maple Leaf Farm and the top sirloin burger with mild blue cheese topping.  The lamb sausages are juicy and served over perfectly creamy polenta.  The crispy duck is outstanding and some of the best I’ve had.  I crave it even after Peking duck dinner in Manhattan’s Chinatown.  The burger is fabulous and its blue cheese ‘crust’ is a perfect complement to the top quality meat.  Entrees ranged from $14 for the penne pasta with basil-tomato-meat sauce to $38 for the Niman Ranch New York strip steak.

Desserts, all priced at $7.50, aren’t an afterthought at Prairie Grass Café.  The seasonal pies are stellar, the chocolate chips cookie with homemade vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce is divine and the strawberry crepe with Grand Marnier sauce is decadent.  Don’t pass up dessert, no matter how satisfied you are by the fabulous starters and entrees.

The restaurant currently serves lunch, brunch and dinner. Lunch is served Monday through Friday; dinner is served Monday through Sunday.  Brunch is served Saturday and Sunday.

Prairie Grass Café and Chef Stegner are active on social media networks so “like” or follow them:

www.facebook.com/prairiegrasscafe

www.twitter.com/SarahStegner

601 Skokie Blvd

Northbrook, Illinois 60062
(847) 205-4433

www.prairiegrasscafe.com

Filed Under: Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , ,
4 August 2011 Kosher Comfort Food at Ben’s Kosher Deli

Kosher Comfort Food at Ben’s Kosher Deli

August 4, 2011 By

Cole Slaw and Pickles

I must have had a Jewish grandma in a previous life because I love Jewish / Kosher comfort food.  My routine at Ben’s Kosher Delicatessen is to sit at the kitchen counter and watch the action behind the deli counter.  Four or five employees expertly work the slicers in the frenzied space.  Cases are filled with homemade pastries and desserts – Rugulach, Babka, strudels and pies.  All look delicious.  A special treat for everyone dining at Ben’s is the complimentary plate of creamy cole slaw and pickles.

Beef Brisket Sandwich

Ben’s has been serving delicious Eastern European food for nearly 40 years.  The menu is extensive and features client-favorites like chopped liver, beef tongue, stuffed cabbage, knishes and overstuffed sandwiches.  The chopped liver is rich, smooth as silk and delectable when served on Ben’s warm rye bread.  Of all the overstuffed sandwiches including pastrami, corned beef, chicken / egg / tuna fish salad, my favorite is the fatty (in a good way), tender, juicy beef brisket.  When paired with a house made soup, each sandwich can be served as a half, which is more than enough for most diners.

Matzo Ball Soup

I’ve sampled Matzo ball soup at many restaurants and enjoy Ben’s version very much.  The huge soup bowl is filled with tiny egg noodles and a giant Matzo ball.  The broth is rich and flavorful, the noodles ultra-soft (the one instance I want noodles not done al dente), and the Matzo ball is tender and light, like it should be.

For those looking for outstanding catering services, Ben’s an affordable, dependable and delectable option.

Ben’s opened its first location in Baldwin, NY in 1972 and has grown to six, full-service locations in Long Island, Queens, Manhattan and Boca Raton FL.  I feel fortunate to have a location right in the heart of midtown to visit for lunch.

209 West 38th Street

New York, NY 10018

http://www.bensdeli.net/

Ben’s delivers!

Filed Under: Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,
1 August 2011 4-Course Fish and Seafood Tasting Menu Dinner

4-Course Fish and Seafood Tasting Menu Dinner

August 1, 2011 By

Those of you who follow my blog have read about the tasting menu dinners I sometimes host at my home.  This weekend, I decided to do a four-course fish and seafood tasting menu dinner for two featuring some fresh produce and herbs from my garden.

Here are the dishes I served:

Lump Crab & Yellow Tomato Coulis Shooter

Course #1:  Yellow Tomato Coulis and Lump Crab Shooter

I have beautiful yellow tomatoes ripening in my yard that I absolutely love.  They are sweet and fresh and simply delicious.  For this easy starter, I pureed a couple medium yellow tomatoes with excellent olive oil, a few basil leaves, sea salt and freshly cracked pepper in a food processor.  I served about ¼ cup of this golden elixir in a shot glass topped with a tablespoon of lump crab meat and a tiny basil leaf.

Scallop Crudo

Course #2:  Scallop Crudo

I love crudo (“raw” in Italian) dishes in the summer.  In essence, crudo dishes feature raw fish or seafood ‘cured’ in citrus juice, olive oil, salt and sometimes vinegar.  For those who are not fans of raw fish or seafood, this preparation allows the seafood or fish to cook in the acidic liquid, so give it a try!

I sliced large scallops thinly then cured the slices in a combination of orange and lime juices, a splash of red wine vinegar, sea salt, top quality olive oil, thinly sliced Thai chilies and fresh cilantro leaves.  Absolutely fabulous!

Lobster Tail Risotto

Course #3:  Lobster Tail Risotto

Risotto is uber popular at my home, so knew I had to prepare it for this special meal.  I grilled a 10-ounce lobster tails for 5 minutes, then removed from the shell and sliced carefully.  I made risotto with tons of butter, olive oil, elephant garlic and yellow onion, and then topped the luscious concoction with the lobster tail slices.  Not a bad dish!

Fish Three Ways

Course #4:  Fish Three Ways

I love the idea of serving three fish dishes on one plate. I opted for cod, salmon and yellow fin tuna – pale white to deep red fish.  The cod was marinated in sesame oil, miso and ponzu then lightly sautéed and served over steam soy beans.  The salmon was Dijon mustard and maple syrup-glazed and grilled on a cedar plank then served over leftover glaze.  The tuna was marinated for a short while in steak sauce then grilled to medium rare and served over Taboule salad.  Great flavor and visual contrasts!

Doing this type of meal for two people or six people isn’t difficult.  One needs to make a list of the dishes and accompaniments to be served, make as many of the dishes in advance (or at least prep the dishes) as possible and know what you’ll plate everything on!

Let me know if you try your own tasting menu dinner – cheers!

Veronique

Filed Under: American, Asian, Entrees, Fish, French, Italian, Japanese, Pasta, Seafood, Starters, Vegetables Tagged With: , , , , ,
27 July 2011 Opa Burgers

Opa Burgers

July 27, 2011 By

Opa Burger

If you follow my blog, you must know by now that I love Greek food, and wines.  I try to incorporate typical Greek flavors in many of the food I make and when it came time to create a special burger to pair for a wine tasting, I opted for a Greek version of the American classic.

Burger Ingredients:

  • 1 pound ground lamb
  • 2 Tbsps. fresh mint, chopped
  • 2 large garlic cloves, minced
  • ½ tsp. each, salt and pepper
  • 2 Tbsps. olive oil, preferably Greek
  • 4 small pita pocket bread, often referred by the name Pitettes, sliced in halves horizontally

Topping ingredients:

  • 8-ounce block of Halloumi cheese, cut into 8 slices then lightly coated in olive oil
  • 8 tsps. Tzatziki sauce, homemade or store-bought
  • 1 heirloom tomato, cut into 4 slices

Directions:

  1. Heat a gas or charcoal grill to medium-high.
  2. In a medium bowl, combine the lamb, mint, garlic, salt and pepper and form into four medium patties. Be sure not to overwork the meat causing it to be tough after grilling.
  3. Lightly coat the four patties with the olive oil, and then grill for 3 minutes on each side.
  4. While lamb patties are grilling, place the eight slices of Halloumi cheese on the grill and sear for one minute on each side.
  5. Lightly toast each of the Pitettes halves on the grill.
  6. To assemble, place a lamb patty on a Pitette half, top the meat with two teaspoons of Tzatziki sauce, 2 slices of Halloumi and a slice of tomato. Top with another Pitette half.  Assemble the remaining three burgers.

Makes 4 burgers.

Notes:  Halloumi cheese is ideal for this burger but it can be replaced with crumbled Feta if unavailable.  There are many good quality Tzatziki sauces in the supermarket deli section, so don’t pass on making this burger because you don’t want to make a homemade batch.

Filed Under: American, Cheese, Entrees, Greek, Lamb, Sandwiches Tagged With: , , , , ,
26 July 2011 2008 Joel Gott Cabernet Sauvignon 815

2008 Joel Gott Cabernet Sauvignon 815

July 26, 2011 By

Enjoyed this wine with grilled steaks dusted with sea salt and it was super.  It was perhaps even better than the cult California cab I picked as our lead wine, which was more than double its price.

In the glass, the 2008 Joel Gott Cabernet Sauvignon 815 is dark purple and very handsome.  In the mouth, it’s juicy ripe berries, vanilla and dark chocolate.  The finish is sweet and long with some tannins that made me crave another sip.

Around $17.

Filed Under: Red Wine, Wine Reviews Tagged With: , , ,
25 July 2011 2006 Stag’s Leap Artemis Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

2006 Stag’s Leap Artemis Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon

July 25, 2011 By

I uncorked this California Cabernet Sauvignon on vacation in Maine as we grilled some thick, juicy, peppery rib eye steaks.  This is what you should pair this wine with.

The wine is dark ruby in the glass and initially pretty tart on the nose making me wish I had brought a decanter on my beach vacation.  In the glass, this wine offers allspice and dark fruit.  In the mouth, the 2006 Stag’s Leap Artemis Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon is rich and full-bodied with vanilla and butterscotch notes. Really long finish with lingering spice.

Really nice wine that could have used a little decanting.

Around $40.

Filed Under: Red Wine, Wine Reviews Tagged With: , , ,
21 July 2011 2008 Enzo Boglietti Dolcetto d’Alba

2008 Enzo Boglietti Dolcetto d’Alba

July 21, 2011 By

Enjoyed this Dolcetto at an outstanding Italian restaurant in Brooklyn, NY called Locanda Vini e Olii where it was served as what I’ll call the house wine.

This wine from Piedmont is light-medium bodied and is a good option at dinner where it must be paired with various dishes.

On the nose, the 2008 Enzo Boglietti Dolcetto d’Alba is fruity, a little musty and earthy. In the mouth, it’s not as light, fruity and sweet (Dolcetto translates to “little sweet one”) as this varietal typically is.  It’s more structured with a good amount of tannins with unexpected earthy, wild raspberry and smoky flavors.

Nice (and somewhat atypical), no-nonsense Dolcetto that should please a wide array of palates.

Around $17.

Filed Under: Red Wine, Wine Reviews Tagged With: , , , , ,
18 July 2011 Locanda Vini e Olii – Italia in the Heart of Brooklyn

Locanda Vini e Olii – Italia in the Heart of Brooklyn

July 18, 2011 By

I’m typically the one to take the lead on planning our dinners out among my friends, so when someone else researches and books a reservation at a new place, I am thrilled.  One of my girlfriends did just that this past weekend: she asked for recommendations for a foodie-worthy restaurant in Brooklyn, and we ended up at Locanda Vini & Olii in Clinton Hill.

The restaurant is located on a mostly residential street with no sign outside beyond the old drug store sign still hanging memorializing its 103 years in business.  I immediately know I will love this place.  The space is cozy and every guest is made to feel like family.  When I say you will feel like family here, I do not mean like a popular chain of “Italian” restaurants says you will, I mean that the whole staff is truly here to cater to its clientele.

The wine list is featured on the labels of three wine bottles: a white list, a red list and a reserve list.  There are many affordable options to consider, even on the reserve list, and the Sommelier and Part-Owner, Rocco Spagnardi, recommended a magnum of 2009 Enzo Boglietti Dolcetto d’Alba Tiglineri ($82) that he says will be more affordable than two standard size bottles.  The restaurant apparently stocks up on magnums, and although I typically do not lean towards large format bottles (except for sparkling wine), we opt for this recommendation.  The wine is nice with an enjoyable dry finish.

The chef and Part-Owner, Florence native Michele Baldacci, offers a four-course, $45 tasting menu where he will prepare dishes for the table to share of his own liking.  What a super, and affordable, idea.  I’ll be sure to select this on my next visit.  Our table of five diners opted for a variety of antipasti and a few primi and secondi dishes.  The portion sizes are perfect and reflective of what you would find in Italy – hurray!

Charcuterie Della Terra

For our antipasti, we selected the Beef Tongue ($9), the Charcuterie Del Mare ($18) and the meat version, Charcuterie Della Terra ($18).  The tongue, served with salsa verde, was perhaps the best interpretation I have had.  Both the seafood platter with its octopus Sopresatta and the meat platter with its succulent duck and prune terrina feature top quality items, not typical of most antipasti found in America.  The beef served at Locanda Vini & Olii is Certified Piedmontese Beef and the chef only uses free-range meats and eggs.

Some outstanding primi options are the Saffron Guitar Strings ($14.25) and the Tagliatelle Al Ragu with Orange Zest ($15.25).  The guitar strings pasta dish features mashed fresh sardines, pine nuts and raisins – what a dish!  The Tagliatelle is paired with a rich meat sauce encompassing braised Piedmontese beef and Berkshire pork – layers of amazing flavors.

For the secondi, we selected the Branzino with Shallots ($26.50) and the Seafood Stew ($25).  The Branzino is served over braised fennel and the seafood in the stew was very fresh and prepared expertly by Chef Michele in the open kitchen.

Ten years after its opening, Locanda Vini & Olii still offers a modern twist on Italian favorite desserts and also a cheese plate ($14) featuring a four-cheese selection of perfectly room-temperature stars.  This might be the best cheese plate I have had outside of Italy.

The wait staff is extremely courteous and exudes a real passion for the food masterly-prepared by the talented chef and his crew.  We had the pleasure of meeting Chef Michele as he left the bustling kitchen to come greet us.  What a humble guy who appears truly happy to be preparing his type of food in such an inviting atmosphere.

Is there an Italian restaurant serving better, non-fussy, rustic and delicious fare in Brooklyn?  I doubt it.  Is Locanda Vini & Olii worth the drive from Manhattan (or anywhere for that matter)?  Absolutely.

129 Gates Ave (@ Cambridge Place)

Brooklyn, NY 11238

(In the old “Lewis Drug Store”)

718-622-9202

Filed Under: Restaurant Reviews Tagged With: , , , , , ,
15 July 2011 Strawberry and Nutella-Stuffed Crepes

Strawberry and Nutella-Stuffed Crepes

July 15, 2011 By

My Niece Maude

I recently spent the weekend in my native Quebec where I got a chance to breakfast with my two young nieces.  Like their mom, my sister Josée, they love the combination of strawberries and Nutella, the chocolate hazelnut spread.

On the first morning of my weekend back home, the girls enjoyed Strawberry Nutella Treats.  On the second morning, I brought the Basic Crepe Batter I’d made the evening before and fixed Strawberry and Nutella-Stuffed Crepes.  The crepe batter is prepared in advance in a jiffy and the stuffed crepes are simple to fix for the whole family, even on busy mornings.  On this occasion, I added a few freshly-picked blueberries to the strawberries.

Ingredients:

  • Basic Crepe Batter
  • 4 Tbsps. butter
  • 8 Tbsps. Nutella
  • 1 pint of ripe strawberries, sliced
  • Whipped cream (optional)

Directions:

  1. In a large skillet (or crepe pan), melt 1 tablespoon of butter over medium-high heat until golden.
  2. Add ¼ of the crepe batter to the skillet and spread it evenly over the entire surface of the pan by tilting the skillet around.  Cook the crepe until the surface is mostly no longer wet, about 45 seconds.  Flip with a spatula and cook the second side for about 30 seconds.

  3. Strawberry Nutella Crepe

    Remove the crepe to a plate.  Spread 2 tablespoons of Nutella over the crepe then top with ¼ of the slices strawberries.  Roll the crepe, jellyroll-style and served with whipped cream, if using.

  4. Repeat steps 1-3 for the three remaining crepes.

Makes 4 crepes.

Notes:  The batter can easily be doubled or tripled if serving more guests.  The crepes can be stuffed with any berries, and another favorite of mine is stuffing them with a combination of raspberries and blueberries.

Filed Under: American, Breakfast, Canadian, Chocolate, Desserts, Fruits Tagged With:
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