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Monday, July 23, 2012

Warm Scallop and Bacon Salad

Last night I made a simple salad with sea scallops and bacon. Served with rice pilaf, it's an easy and quick dinner. I got the rice cooking before starting anything else since the rest of the dish doesn't take long at all to cook and assemble.

Sea scallops (4-5 per person)
Bacon
Sea salt & black pepper
Bibb, Boston or Butter lettuce
Ripe Jersey tomatoes
Balsamic vinegar
Brown sugar

In a measuring cup add 1 cup of balsamic vinegar and mix in a heaping tablespoon of brown sugar. Set aside.

Put out your plates - arrange the lettuce and tomatoes on each, set aside.
Rinse and pat dry the scallops; salt and pepper each side.

In a large saute pan cook 4 to 6 pieces of bacon. Remove bacon from pan and set on paper towels to drain and cool. Once you can handle the bacon, chop or tear into bite size pieces; sprinkle generously over your lettuce/tomato.

In the still warm saute pan but the heat back up to high; with the bacon drippings still in the pan, saute your sea scallops (don't crowd the scallops; do in shifts if using a smaller pan). Cook 90 seconds and no more; flip over and 90 seconds on the other side. Remove immediately from the pan and place scallops on the lettuce, tomato, bacon.

Reduce the heat in the saute pan to medium, add in the balsamic vinegar. Using a wooden spoon, scape up the bits of on the bottom, deglazing as you go. When the mixture gets to a boil, reduce down to low and continue reducing for about 5 minutes.

Spoon the reduction sauce over your scallop salad and serve immediately.

The Peacock Inn, Krug Champagne Dinner

Last week Alan and I went to the Peacock Inn in Princeton with Mary & Steve for their Krug champagne dinner. This was our first time to the Inn. After a rather difficult time trying to get into the tiny parking lot, we arrived on time at 6:30pm and settled in at the bar (at a lovely corner, elevated seat) to have our first glass of bubbly and enjoy passed Hors d'Oeuvres.

The bar filled up fast with the forty or so people there for the private dinner and the champagne being poured was Domaine Chandon Etoile. Nice everyday champagne a bit on the simplistic side with a short finish but nice nose. To accompany the wine were four appetizers: shrimp "cocktail" with cocktail sauce en gelee, cucumber and lemon; cremini mushroom stuffed with oxtail, persillade and bone marrow; caviar blini with vodka spiked creme fraiche and red onion and a house gravlox on rye toast with apple and dill cream cheese.

The appetizers were better than expected with the shrimp and caviar blini as the standouts. I think we all liked the shrimp the best but unfortunately, it was the only one to make only a single appearance at our table in the corner.

Promptly at 7pm and proprietor escorted everyone to the main dining room and to our tables. We shared ours with another couple from the Princeton area that frequents the Inn regularly.

As with many Inns, the dining room looked like it was the original living room, expanded and converted to fit the dozen tables peppered throughout. There's a wonderful looking brick fireplace in one corner and many of the tables are against the windows looking out the front of the Inn. Overall a cozy and welcoming feeling permeated the space.

Our host for the evening, the Krug head of sales for LVMH, welcomed everyone and gave a brief but entertaining introduction to the champagne house and a few comments about our first Krug wine of the evening, the Grand Cuvee. He came back throughout the evening with notes about each wine being poured. I found listening to him one of the highlights of the evening.

The Grand Cuvee was served alongside our 1st course, Terrine of Hudson Valley Foie Gras with sweet pickled grapes, raisin puree, tarragon and brioche crisps.
I didn't like this course - - I really, really wanted to but there was something off about it. Almost bitter, like something was inadvertently tainting the flavor. Disappointing considering how much I love foie gras. The champagne was fantastic though and didn't have any problem being the star of the first course.

The second course was a warmed Beausoleil oyster with sea scallops, cauliflower foam and a caviar & leek butter sauce. This course was served with Krug Vintage 2000.
HOLY HAPPINESS!!! This course was outstanding! And the champagne, served in white wine glasses to allow the bouquet to fully open is basically perfection in crystal. The oyster was big and succulent with a wonderful consistency and flavor...not at all overpowered by the joyful mix of caviar, leek and butter but more living in blissful harmony. I could have climbed into that bowl and just lived there.

As this was going on in front of me, Mary was having a very different happy experience. With an allergy to shellfish (so sad) she was assured that restaurant could accommodate her while still making it dinner special. While we were noshing on oyster, Mary was fork deep in a plate of brown butter gnocchi with spring peas. Being Mary's closest neighbor at the table I was able to grab a bite. A wonderful, simple and earnestly comforting dish, the gnocchi was tender and fluffy. I loved the flavors. I saw longing in the eyes of Steve from across the table as he gazed upon Mary's dish - - disheartened to be too far away to score a taste for himself.

Next course up was the main dish...butter poached Maine lobster with aged sirloin "Surf & Turf" served with fondant potato, honshemijji mushroom and bone marrow sabayon. This was paired with the 1998 Vintage Krug.
My lobster was cooked just past opaque - tender and sweet. The sirloin was medium rare. While the beef didn't have anything super special about it, it was tender and easy to cut. I liked the potato and thought this dish was well thought out and well executed. Mary's dish was similar with two pieces of beef and no lobster.

Once again though the real star was the champagne. The 1998 vintage was perhaps even more balanced and sophisticated than the 2000 but I go back and forth on which I enjoyed more. They both could probably age for another ten years while still growing more and more elegant and smooth in the bottle.

For our final course of the evening I couldn't have cared less what was served for dessert. I just wanted to get my hands on the granddaddy of them all, the Krug Rose. One of my all time favorite champagnes, just the sight of this blush-hued baby gets me giddy with excitement.

The dessert course was a fennel-vanilla panna cotta with marinated strawberries, five spice chantilly and candied fennel. There were mixed reviews around the table from, "it's okay", "it's good", to, "ugh, I don't like it". I fell in the middle - it was ok. I liked the strawberries and didn't mind the fennel but I'm not a fan of the consistency of panna cotta or anything flan like. Luckily I had my glass of Krug Rose and didn't really have eyes (or taste buds) for anything else.
Overall it was a pleasant experience- a fun night out with good friends. The food was hit and miss though where they got it right they REALLY got it right. Since the focus was on the champagne - which was outstanding - the evening was a success.

I won't rate the restaurant as we didn't order anything off the menu. Based on this evening I would give the regular menu a try but probably wouldn't have my hopes up too high.

Wednesday, July 18, 2012

A Voce Columbus, NYC

We got our copy of the 2012 Grand Award Winners from Wine Spectator on Monday and decided to see if we could get a reservation at one of the new members, A Voce Columbus in NYC the following evening. Opentable.com showed lots of seats - we grabbed a 6pm reservation.

We arrived at the Time Warner Center in Columbus Circle a bit after 5pm wanting to relax and have a drink before dinner. We were one of the first patrons to arrive at the third floor restaurant; grabbing ideal seats at the comfortable, large bar located at the front of the restaurant. I ordered a glass of their 2011 Syrah, MourvĂ©dre, Counoise, Cape Bleue, Jean-Luc Colombo, Provence Rose from the by the glass menu while Alan opted for a cocktail. His was called a Capri - made with Absolut Citron, pineapple juice and other citrus flavors. It was a fantastic drink - one of the best we've ever had - so he had another.

After drinks we made our way to our table...given a lovely corner seat on the window overlooking Columbus Circle with a great views both into Central Park and into the restaurant for the added bonus of people watching. The restaurant steadily filled up over the course of the next hour and a half until all tables were occupied by a mix of young & old, business and social and even the potential daters.

Alan originally picked a bottle of Dolcetto to go with dinner thinking it would be lighter, fruity and easy to sip through the evening as well as pair with the fish & veal courses we were planning on ordering. But plans got sidetracked when the Sommerlier (a nice enough Italian gentleman) came over an offered a suggestion. The bottle he picked out was this 2010 Azienda Agricola Cos, Pithos from Sicilia. It had notes of black olive and pepper that actually overwhelmed the wine and made it not a great stand alone. It did a little better with the food but for two of my courses, wasn't a good match at all to the more delicate flavors.
Talking food now - we ordered two and half courses...appetizers, a shared pasta and then entrees. The menu is a touch on the small side and there were no additional courses offered not listed. For the first round I went with the course everyone online spoke so highly about- the Burratina; a creamy pugliese mozzarella with grilled apricots, watercress and almonds.
I was expecting to be blown away...I love burrata. But this cheese was not sweet and delicate as I was hoping for but a little on the bitter side, bland and requiring salt and it wasn't enhanced by the other ingredients on the plate. Not a great start for me.

Alan on the other hand ordered the signature dish; Pancetta of pork belly, figs, balsamic and pistachios. Presented as a log of happy pig, this course was the highlight of the evening. Perfectly prepared so the meat was pull apart tender and with a meaningful but not overwhelming fat layer to give that balance of succulence and meat. What a great, great dish.
Hoping the shared pasta dish would live up to Alan's appetizer, we were presented with the
Corzetti of hand crafted pasta coins, crab, speck and leeks. It was a pretty dish and smelled welcoming but that's where the happiness ended. The pasta was cooked al dente but something about the thickness of the coins made each bite of pasta seem rubbery and lacking any flavor. There was a visual promise of the crab but couldn't taste that either. This course was a pretty epic fail and so disappointing.
Coming off this lackluster course, my hopes were not high for the main course. I will throw in a few notes about the rest of what was happening around us. Busy, bustling restaurant with a pretty attentive wait staff. They didn't rush us at any point and the flow of the meal was perfect. The ambiance was a bit casual for a restaurant in Time Warner - an example, no table clothes and the chairs looked like the ones around conference rooms all over L'Oreal. While the total look was still relatively welcoming, it wasn't memorable. The view of the park and Columbus Circle were the most interesting things going on.

And onto the final course...our entrees. Alan ordered the Vitello; veal tenderloin, veal sausage,
zucchini, mint and pecorino. I ordered the Ippoglosso which was an olive oil poached halibut, peas and summer truffles.
The veal looked like it was cooked to the optimal level of cooked - lots of happy red on the inside. But there wasn't any flavor behind the pretty face. Just an okay course. And the halibut was flaky and I liked the summer peas but the truffles didn't incorporate well and I just couldn't get through the entire dish. This is very unusual considering it was fish but the oiliness made it seem to make it overly heavy, surprisingly so.

We skipped dessert, finished the wine and called it an evening. This is not somewhere we'd go back for the food but would definitely keep the bar and the cocktails on the list of fun places to kill some time and have some great drinks.

Jenn's Rating: 84
Zagat: 23-23-22
Michelin Rating: One star
Wine Spectator: Grand Award Winner

2012 Wine Spectator Grand Award Winners

The 2012 Grand Award Winners...
We've managed to get to 17 of these...how many have you been to and which was your favorite?


RestaurantLocationCountryCuisine
21 ClubNew York, NYUSAContemporary American
A Voce ColumbusNew York, NYUSAItalian
AcquerelloSan Francisco, CAUSAContemporary Italian
AddisonSan Diego, CAUSAFrench
Alain DucasseParisFranceFrench
American Hotel, TheSag Harbor, NYUSAContemporary French
Angus Barn, TheRaleigh, NCUSASteakhouse
Antica Bottega Del VinoVeronaItalyItalian
Athony's in the CatalinasTucson, AZUSAContinental
AtrioCaceresSpainSpanish
Auerole Las VegasLas Vegas, NVUSAContemporary American
Bern's SteakhouseTampa, FLUSASteakhouse
Billy Crews Dining RoomSanta Teresa, NMUSAAmerican
Bistro a ChamplainSte. Marquerite-du-Lac-Masson, QCCanadaFrench
Blackberry FarmWalland, TNUSAAmerican
BlantyreLenox, MAUSAFrench
CanlisSeattle, WAUSAPacific Northwestern
Commander's PalaceNew Orleans, LAUSACreole
Crabtree's Kittle HouseChappaqua, NYUSAContemporary American
DanielNew York, NYUSAFrench
Del PostoNew York, NYUSAItalian
DelmonicoLas Vegas, NVUSASteakhouse
Don Alfonso 1890MacaoChinaItalian
Eleven Madison ParkNew York, NYUSAAmerican / French
Emeril's New OrleansNew Orleans, LAUSAContemporary American
Enoteca PinchiorriFlorenceItalyItalian
Flagstaff House RestaurantBoulder, COUSAAmerican / French
French Laundry, TheYountville, CAUSAAmerican / French
GiltNew York, NYUSAContemporary American
GraycliffNassauBahamasFrench / Italian
Greenhouse, TheLondonEnglandFrench / Contemporary
Il Poeta ContadinoAlberobelloItalyItalian
Inn at Little Washington, TheWashington, VAUSAAmerican
Joel Robuchon RestaurantLas Vegas, NVUSAFrench
La PergolaRomeItalyMediterrean
La Tour D'ArgentParisFranceFrench
L'Atelier de Joel RobuchonLas Vegas, NVUSAFrench
Le CinqParisFranceFrench
Le Louis XV - Alain DucasseMonte CarloMonacoMediterrean
Left Bank  at Stonehedge Inn & SpaTyngsboro, MAUSAContemporary American
Les AmisShaw Centre, SingaporeChinaFrench
L'Escalier at the BreakersPalm Beach, FLUSAFrench
Marinus RestaurantCarmel Valley, CAUSACalifornia
Michel RostangParisFranceFrench
Montagna at the Little NellAspen, COUSARegional
Opus Restaurant on Prince ArthurToronto, ONCanadaContinental
Palais CoburgViennaAustriaInternational
Pappas Bros. Steakhouse DallasDallas, TXUSASteakhouse
Pappas Bros. Steakhouse HoustonHouston, TXUSASteakhouse
Park & Orchard RestaurantEast Rutherford, NJUSAInternational
PatinaLos Angeles, CAUSAFrench / California
PicassoLas Vegas, NVUSAFrench / Mediterranean
Piero Selvaggio ValentinoLas Vegas, NVUSAItalian
Pluckemin Inn, TheBedminster, NJUSAContemporary American
Post Hotel Dining RoomLake Louise, ABCanadaContemporary
Restaurant 301 at Hotel CarterEureka, CAUSAFrench / California
Restaurant Gary DankoSan Francisco, CAUSAFrench / California
Restaurant Guy SavoyLas Vegas, NVUSAContemporary French
Restaurant Jorg MullerSylt-WesterlandGermanyFrench / Italian
Restaurant LatourHardyston, NJUSAFrench / American
Restaurante RekondoSan SebastianSpainBasque
RN74San Francisco, CAUSAContemporary
Robuchon Au DomeMacaoChinaFrench
Rockpool Bar & GrillSydney, New South WalesAustraliaSteakhouse
Sierra MarBig Sur, CAUSACalifornia
SpagoBeverly Hills, CAUSACalifornia
TailleventParisFranceFrench
Topper's at the WauwinetNantucket, MAUSAContemporary American
Tribeca GrillNew York, NYUSAContemporary
TruChicago, ILUSAContemporary French
ValentinoSanta Monica, CAUSAItalian
VeritasNew York, NYUSAContemporary
Via Allegro RistoranteEtobicoke, ONCanadaItalian / French
Wild GingerSeattle, WAUSAAsian
WineSellar & Brasserie, TheSan Diego, CAUSAContemporary French

Halibut and Corn Hobo Packs with Herbed Butter

Looking for something new and easy for fish the other night, I tried a recipe from the August 2012 edition of Food & Wine magazine. It was quick to prepare and we loved the grilled bread with herbed butter that accompanied the dish.

Halibut and Corn Hobo Packs with Herbed Butter
Chives and tarragon are fantastic with both corn and fish. Here, Grace Parisi folds the herbs into softened butter and grills them with a mix of corn and halibut in a foil hobo pack.
Halibut and Corn Hobo Packs with Herbed Butter Recipe
  1. 1/4 cup snipped chives
  2. 2 tablespoons tarragon leaves
  3. 1 stick unsalted butter, softened
  4. Salt
  5. Freshly ground white pepper
  6. 2 ears of corn, kernels cut from the cobs
  7. 4 large shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and caps thinly sliced
  8. 4 skinless halibut fillets (6 ounces each)
  9. 8 baguette slices, cut on the diagonal
  1. In a mini food processor, pulse the chives and tarragon leaves until chopped. Add the butter and a pinch each of salt and white pepper and pulse just until the butter is bright green with flecks of herbs. Transfer the herb butter to a sheet of plastic wrap and form into a log. Freeze for about 5 minutes, until the butter is slightly firm. Cut the butter into 16 pieces.
  2. Arrange four 12-inch sheets of heavy-duty foil on a work surface and spray evenly with vegetable oil spray. In a medium bowl, toss the corn with the shiitake and season with salt and pepper. Mound the mixture in the center of the foil sheets and top each mound with a piece of the herb butter. Top with the halibut fillets and another piece of the herb butter and season with salt and pepper. Fold up the foil on all sides and pinch the seams to seal.
  3. Light a grill. Place the foil packets on the grill, close the lid and cook over high heat until the fish is cooked through and the mushrooms are tender, 8 to 10 minutes; let the packets rest for 2 minutes.
  4. Grill the baguette slices for 2 minutes, turning once. Top with the remaining herb butter, allowing it to melt. Open the packets and serve the fish and vegetables with the baguette toasts.
Make Ahead The herb butter can be wrapped in plastic and frozen for up to 1 month.