Duck foie de deux.

When Nick and I set the date for our wedding, he solemnly vowed to celebrate our anniversary and my birthday (less than a week later) independently every year. Exceptions should certainly be made, however, in the event of edibles which can be enjoyed very differently across both occasions.

This year my parents sent a delightful package of treats from D'Artagnan, purveyor of many things decadent and delicious. We've squirreled most of them away for enjoyment over the winter...but not without trying a bit of everything first. The theme:

Image from reddit.com

Duck can be a little daunting to cook - it's bigger and tougher than chicken, and quite the workout to break down a whole one ("Can you even conceive of boning a duck???" - Julie & Julia). Having made my own confit before, I know how much work it can be. Fortunately our friends at D'Artagnan make it easy to celebrate the season - flavorful confit, rich sausage, and even a medallion of truffled foie gras. We ate like kings for a week, savoring and highlighting the ingredients in two ways:

#1: Fancy picnic (after a long week at work, didn't really feel like firing up the stove on a Friday night):

L plate: the last of the summer peaches with creamy Brillat-Savarin and challah; R plate: duck foie medallion spread on toast and served with balsamic-roasted figs

As the photographer said, "Hmm, foie gras is best admired from afar."

Our local wine store team's recommendation: a dessert wine alternative to the classic Sauternes (somewhere between a Port and an ice wine)

#2: Dumplings and noodles in soup (a weekend experiment with our favorite newlyweds, my sister and her husband):

Chopping duck confit for Confit-Foie-Morel ravioli filling...

...Mixed up with the remaining foie medallion and some chopped morels:

A little assistance from Whole Foods pasta sheets (no shame!):

Brushed with egg wash to seal the edges:

The biscuit cutter returns!

Waste not - trimmed pasta sheet remnants make rustic noodles in the mushroom broth:

We reconstituted the dried morels in vegetable stock; the Chemex proved useful in filtering out mushroom sand:

Mini morels for garnish, so you know what's inside:

Because a flavorful broth makes everything better:

Surprise! a dusting of porcini powder for an extra flavor punch:

Between the two preparations, it's hard to say which I liked better - picnic-style was all about highlighting flavors, while the dumplings were more about texture (and an excuse to make and eat dumplings).

(W-L) Pats 3-1, (Sunday Home Game Braises) Bev 2-0

Tom yum(my) in my tummy.

 

Hard to believe the summer is almost over: farm share veggies start transitioning, the morning commute is suddenly dense with school traffic, and all the Oktoberfest beers appear on shelves. That and our two months of nonstop travel and hosting come to a close. We've been cooking up a storm as usual (backlog of summer posts to come), but last weekend, we did something we rarely do: ordered food in. I had to text my sister to ask for a good Thai takeout place in our area, and then I was unsure of how to handle the payment ("Do you have cash? Do you tip the driver??"). But after weeks of nonexistent Friday evenings to relax, we figured we had earned the right to lay low.

The Similans: authentic Thai with a delivery radius that includes our address. We ordered

• Scallion pancakes: order again for sure (crispy and fulfilling)
• Spicy ravioli: will try fried next time (the wrapper was a little thick for my taste)
• Tom Yum noodle soup (which I spotted on the lunch menu and they were willing to do for dinner - very spicy, chock full of seafood)
• Country style Pad Thai: I would tell you about it firsthand, but Nick devoured it all (always a good sign, I suppose)...he said it was delicious

We opened a bottle of wine and spent the evening cuddled up with Ryan, Marissa, Summer and Seth. It was perfect.

New life, in pictures.

My first week here in Boston has been -- like the rest of the summer -- quite a whirlwind. Between starting a new job and installing myself temporarily in my sister's apartment (until mine opens up in October), I've seen old friends and made new ones. A quick recap:


Restaurant Week (surprise!), pt. I at Upstairs on the Square: reunited with a good friend/former roommate and her sister, at the first "fancy" restaurant I ate at in Boston (age 16, visiting sisters in college) with my good friend/former roommate (corn veloute with a seared Diver scallop, soupe au pistou with black bass and Sweet 100 tomatoes, dark chocolate mousse with Port-poached cherries).

Restaurant Week, pt. II at T.W. Food: a new spot for Nick and me, with an adventurous take on classic dishes (charcuterie, duck heart ragu over pasta with a miso-cured duck egg, fruit ile flottante).

First Family Dinner: chicken with lemon-arugula spaghetti

Barbecue and sailing on the Charles: grilled peaches, burgers, hot dogs, s'mores.

Drinks at the Liberty Hotel: perfect evening weather for a Hendrick's G&T.

Birthday lunch and shopping with another good friend/former roommate: my first trip back to the 'burbs to the ENORMOUS Natick mall and the delicious Nordstrom restaurant.

BASTA. PASTA. My old college favorite and sensational Italian spot. I finished my mountain of legendary bolognese, of course.

Tonight's Family Dinner: seared bay scallops in a lemon-herb cream sauce over fresh fettuccine, with local ratatouille (Cait's CSA box had some gorgeous corn, so we added that. Cait's CSA box also had fresh mint, so we made mojitos, of course.)

More posts as the dust settles!

Bev's Place.

When I was little, I was the executive chef of a fabulous restaurant. I wrote the menus (my specials were always spaghetti or mac and cheese) and designed the decor (the finest plastic serveware I could get). While my mom would cook dinner, I would chop, saute, and braise in my Fisher Price kitchen. My restaurant was called "Bev's Place," and our clientele included A-list celebrities such as Winnie the Pooh, Piglet, and the rest of my army of stuffed animals...with an occasional guest appearance by a babysitter or an older sister's American Girl.It was my childhood dream to become a chef.

Two decades later, as you know, the chef thing didn't exactly happen, but I still love to cook for friends and family. Last weekend, I cooked my first "tasting menu," a thesis of sorts: it was the final result after years of being a sous chef to my mom, studying menus and flavors in great restaurants, and taking copious mental notes while watching the Food Network and Top Chef. Inspired by the special meals I've been fortunate to try as well as the favorite foods of a Special Someone, I presented my first degustation (and you'd better believe mac and cheese was on the menu).

I planned ahead quite a bit and managed to prepare many of the sauces and components (including a few ice creams) several days in advance. Still, the trouble with being the executive chef, sous chef, saucier, sommelier, waiter, and maitre d', is that these multiple roles make it nearly impossible to be your fellow diner's date...next time, perhaps I'll hire wait staff. The presentation was a little rough around the edges, but all things considered, I surprised myself and was thoroughly pleased with the final result (doneness, temperature, and flavors -- it was all there). I had so much fun creating the menu, and most importantly, Nick loved it all.

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Amuse-bouche: Summer asparagus soup shooter with truffle-buttered brioche toasts and a fried quail egg with black truffle salt.
The inspiration: A bite-sized play on the classic asparagus-egg combo (asparagus being Nick's favorite vegetable).

First course: Shiitake dumplings in a ginger-bacon broth.
The inspiration: A play on a dumpling-dashi dish I once had, substituting smoky bacon (Nick's other true love) for smoky bonito.

Fish course: (apologies for the hasty photography -- you know how I feel about cold fish) a seed-and-nut-crusted halibut filet over a rosemary-lima bean puree drizzled with mushroom beurre-noisette, served with hand-rolled herb gnocchi.
The inspiration: A slight twist on a recipe from my new favorite cookbook, Jean-Georges' Simple to Spectacular, accompanied by Nick's favorite, gnocchi (here's a recipe for the base: I added fresh oregano and chives).

Palate cleanser: Meyer lemon sorbet.
The inspiration: A similar dish (I swapped Meyer lemons for the original oranges), also from Simple to Spectacular.

Meat course: Seared filet mignon with a balsamic reduction, white truffle mac and cheese.
The inspiration: A twist on a classic steakhouse meal (since Nick and I both have a soft spot for mac and cheese, the old Bev's Place stand-by was right at home).

Chocolate dessert: Homemade ice cream duo: peanut butter ice cream in an edible chocolate cup with honey roasted peanuts; salted caramel-bacon ice cream.
The inspiration: Nick's all-time favorite dessert combination (chocolate and peanut butter) and his latest flavor-fav, salted caramel (which obviously called for bacon as well).

Fruit dessert: Meringue-berry "pizza."

The inspiration: It's not an homage to Nick's favorites unless there's pizza involved; a white meringue disk with fresh raspberry coulis and blackberries.

East meets Central.

Introducing Moksa, a new(ish) pan-Asian, pan-entertainment establishment in Central Square. The place is, literally, a long, narrow set of rooms beginning with a bar in the front, a middle restaurant space, and a dance club in the back. Moksa serves up unique cocktails (each created for an animal in the zodiac) and artistic small plates sampling Indian, Malaysian, Szechuan, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Korean cuisine.

Before we get to the food, it's important to note that they got the zodiac-cocktails just right: Nick's "Eye of the Tiger" was Scotch-based, and my delicious "Shanti Shanti" included sparkling wine, Campari, and grapefruit sugar.


Thai green mango and papaya salad with tangy lime and crunchy peanuts (ribbons of color and flavor):

Fried chicken and mushroom wontons (a crowd-pleaser):

Miso-braised shortrib roti with ginger scallion sauce (so much umami, you don't even know):

Hand cut ramen noodles with pork belly and a five-minute egg (thick, chewy noodles, just as we like them; and a perfect egg).

Still curious, we added on a dan dan mein with spicy pork-mushroom ragu (a bit more hot than spicy)...and evidently I was so busy eating that I didn't capture it on my camera.

Conveniently located in Central Square, we'll definitely be back.

Hungry members only.

As you know, I've always had a weakness for crisp layers of buttery pastry. Sweet or savory, I'll eat anything with pie crust. Which is why when Nick and I went to Back Bay Social Club in Boston, my lobster pot pie was an obvious choice.

Back Bay Social Club is a large but cozy dining room with a fun vibe, smart cocktails, and elevated comfort food (at a surprisingly reasonable price!). We were going to the symphony, so in retrospect cocktails and rich food were probably not the best choice...fortunately even our heavy-looking dishes were balanced with bright notes of acidity and fresh herbs. We started the evening with drinks (his Whiskey Smash and my "Gin Somethin"):

Crisp, buttery, mini duck panini triangles with arugula, swiss cheese, and a tart cherry compote:

Spinach salad with crispy fried goat cheese and delightfully sour pickled apples:

Chicken and waffles with homemade tangy barbecue sauce and maple syrup (pardon the shaky photography, I was in a hurry to get to my crust):

...And of course my insane lobster pot pie (with 5 oz. of lobster!!), pictured above. The bubbling cream sauce was chock full of steamed lobster, vegetables, and potatoes, topped off with a perfectly crunchy pastry hat.

I'd say our trial membership was a success.

Boston dream pie.

Sorry to be MIA for a while! I was in Boston seeing former roommates, professors, and attending the annual formal event Nick's graduate program throws. This will be another short post before a whirlwind weekend, but I just wanted to share with you the amazing dessert served at the Gala: (appropriately) Boston cream pie. Place settings alternated between the cream pie and a New York-style cheesecake; the cream pie was definitely the winner, and I definitely stole a few over-sized nibbles from my date.

Traditionally a yellow sponge cake filled with vanilla custard and glazed with chocolate, Boston cream pie is Massachusetts's state dessert. The rich, fluffy confection was created in 1856 at the Parker House Hotel, the home of another one of my very favorite baked goods, the Parker House Roll (the product of sinful amounts of butter at every step: there's butter in the dough itself, more added when kneading/shaping/proofing, and then some more brushed on before baking...all before it lands on your bread plate with more butter still).

The Gala was my favorite in three years -- excellent swing band for the first half, followed by an obliging DJ and lively company. More on the Boston trip to come!

Fish upon a star (anise).

(I'm so sorry, I had to.)

I've been trying to work more seafood into my life. I've been pleasantly surprised by the selection of frozen (yes, frozen) fish available at the Harris Teeter, which I've found to be quite tasty and fresh. The lady at the fish counter tipped me off once when I stopped in for halibut and she was fresh-out. "You know," she said, "A lot of times we get it frozen here anyway and defrost when it goes into the window. The stuff in the packages is frozen immediately after it's caught, so just defrost and it'll be fine." She was right! I've successfully made oven-roasted halibut, pan-seared cod, and even sesame-crusted Ahi tuna steaks. A few tips on using frozen fish:

1. Try to get it on sale! You can put it straight into your freezer and it will keep for quite some time.
2. Just like other proteins, DO NOT defrost and then re-freeze.
3. Don't ever force-defrost; the vacuum-packed fillets defrost fairly quickly in a bowl of cold water in the fridge (give it 2-3 hours if you have time, changing the water frequently for a faster defrost).

My mom sent me a fabulous recipe for turbot with a creamy Jasmine rice and aromatic broth -- it's easily my new favorite. The broth involves coriander and star anise, and the rice is flavored with cilantro; I'm not used to using these herbs and spices, but the result is an amazing, restaurant-quality dish that's easy to replicate. The rice and broth can be frozen separately and will keep nicely, so I'd highly suggest making multiple servings of those and only enough fish for the immediate diners -- you can always sear another fillet when you need it, and I find that reheated fish is never any good.

I was astonished at how the broth transformed the whole plate...the cayenne is almost more of an effect or after-taste (as opposed to being spicy), and the cool heat from the coriander and subtle star anise (you literally use only half a star) perfumes the fish and rice beautifully. I served the broth tableside in a little cream pitcher to feel fancy. I'm generally a huge fan of broth over fish because it's a light way of imparting flavor and also keeps the fish piping hot even longer. (Try other variants of aromatic broths with fish, including ginger and shallots, just adding flavorful ingredients to chicken or vegetable broth.)

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Seared Fish with Creamy Jasmine Rice and Coriander Broth

Rice and broth serve six, fish is for two

2 6-oz fillets turbot or halibut

3½ c chicken broth

1 T coriander seeds

2 t fennel seeds

half a star anise

½ pinch cayenne pepper

salt

freshly ground white pepper

3 c water

1½ c Jasmine rice

1 T canola oil

¾ c heavy cream

3 T grated lemon zest (about two lemons)

2 T cilantro, julienned

Bring chicken stock to a boil over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Add coriander, fennel seed, star anise, and cayenne pepper, and simmer for 20 min. Season to taste with salt and pepper, strain, and set aside.

Meanwhile, place 2¾ c of the water in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Add 1 t salt and 1/8 t pepper, then add the rice and lower to a simmer. Cook until underdone, still with a bit of crunch, 6-8 min. Drain and set aside.

Heat canola oil in a nonstick pan. Dry the fish with paper towels and season on both sides with salt and pepper. When the oil is hot, add fillets. Cook until nicely browned on the first side, 4-6 min. Turn the fillets over and cook until done, about another 2 min.

Meanwhile, combine the remaining ¼ cup water and the heavy cream in a pan and bring to a simmer. Add the rice and stir to incorporate. Add just the seasoning. Add about 2 T of the lemon zest and the cilantro and stir to incorporate. Gently reheat the sauce and add the remaining lemon zest.

To serve, place about ½ cup rice in the center of each plate (I used a little biscuit cutter to make a pretty cylinder/to be fancy). Pour sauce over fish and rice, and serve immediately.

Top chef, D.C.

As you may have guessed, one of my top DVR spots belongs to the popular TV series, Top Chef. Hosted by Tom Colicchio, Padma Lakshmi, and Gail Simmons, and guest judged by the likes of Eric Ripert, Anthony Bourdain, and Emeril Lagasse; Top Chef brings together up-and-coming chefs from across the country to battle in the kitchen for fame and glory (and, of course, the coveted title of "Top Chef"). Across the years, several chef-testants have come from/own restaurants the D.C. area including Carla Hall, the Voltaggio brothers, Mike Isabella, and Spike Mendelsohn.

Though Top Chef restaurants appear to be all around the neighborhood, after over two years, I had only been to Spike's Good Stuff and We, the Pizza near Capitol Hill. I checked one more off the list last week with a visiting friend in town for a conference. Offering a variety of beers and even prosecco on tap, Mike Isabella's Graffiato is an Italian-inspired, contemporary American spot in Chinatown/Penn Quarter. I would sum up our experience in two words: crispy and flavorful. Everything, even the pillow-soft gnocchi, had an amazing golden crust.

We started off the meal with (crispy) flatbread and Mike's famous pepperoni sauce that he made for the All-Stars Finale:

 Then we moved on to roasted brussel sprouts with pancetta and maple (the brussel sprouts were so crisp, they were like chips):

Wild mushroom gnocchi with creamy stracciatella:

A baked suckling pig (!) lasagna with rich ricotta and what I swear was lemon:

Wild mushroom bisque with smoky mushroom arancini:

A wildly popular burrata with honey glazed onions:

...And we finished off the meal with a wood oven-roasted striped Atlantic bass with smoked eggplant and pine nut relish:

Definitely a Top Chef experience. The only problem was that I spent a quarter of the time craning my neck toward the kitchen hoping Mike Isabella was in.