She's Like a Rainbow

Inspiration is coming from all sorts of various stimuli these days; farmers markets, psychic Ipods, Facebook friends and changeable weather conditions... Tuesday evening, I took a walk to the DelSo Farmer's Market and was magnetically drawn to the Asian eggplant.  They were so beautiful that I had no choice but to scoop some up and bring them home with me.  At the time, I imagined a stir-fry, perhaps with a sauce of coconut milk and maybe some red curry paste.  Today's overcast skies caused me to change direction however, and I decided instead to cozy up the kitchen by turning the oven on and doing some roasting.  And when my Ipod tossed me some vintage Rolling Stones, well, it just seemed to sum up the kind of eating late summer/almost fall offers us here in the gorgeous Northeast: 

"She comes in colors everywhere;

She combs her hair

She's like a rainbow..."

How pretty are these?

The  prep for these beauties was blissfully simple - slice them in half lengthwise and place them, cut side down, in your favorite roasting pan.  You do have a favorite roasting pan, right? The one I use time and time again was a gift (along with my shapely legs ;) from my mother, and my friend swears it is a "magic" pan - it always does the trick.  Anyway, I digress!  Drizzle the eggplant with sesame oil and kecap manis  (you did add kecap manis to your pantry, right?)  and then top with some chopped Thai basil.  That was it - I didn't even use salt or pepper.  Roast in a 375 oven for about 30 minutes and then prepare to swoon. 

Perhaps not as pretty, but damned tasty.

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly

image from Hollywood.com

Are you familiar with this classic Clint Eastwood movie?  It seems like I grew up watching it, along with a Fistful of Dollars and Hang Em High, of course  What can I say?  We liked spaghetti Westerns at my house and Clint could rock a poncho like no one else - except my good friend Aloysius, perhaps.  The movie, like myself, premiered in 1966.  Maybe that fact, along with an excellent  theme song*, are why I am always willing to invest nearly 3 hours watching this terrific film. 

I haven't done much cooking in recent weeks, but three things I recently attempted personified The Good, the Bad and the Ugly.  I thought I should share my failures with you as well as my culinary successes - a gentle reminder that none of us (other than Barbara Lynch) are perfect.

The Good

Let's begin with The Good - not only is that consistent with the title, but you all know I'm an optimist at heart.  Today was my first 5:30 a.m. wake-up call for the school year, and I used my time wisely by preparing dinner 12 hours early.  I've done brisket a number of ways, with varying degrees of success, but this "technique" always results in tender, falling apart, flavorful meat.  And, talk about easy!  Combine a can of beef broth with a jar of chili sauce in a slow cooker.  Add brisket (Get one bigger than you think you'll need - it cooks down and you'll want leftovers.) and top with some sliced onions, toss in some carrots if you have them, chopped potatoes would be lovely, too.  Cover.  Turn on low and cook for 10 or 12 hours.  There you go - delicious, easy dinner in one-pot.

The Bad

And now for The Bad...we had a surplus of red and yellow peppers in the crisper drawer so I decided to toss them on the grill and roast them.  Which I did.  For a long, long time because I completely forgot about them.  What I ended up with were absolute fossilized peppers - they were completely charred and lacking even the slightest amount of liquid. Aren't they kind of cool looking though?  Obviously they were inedible, but I'd like to think that the neighborhood squirrels ate them and became really sick.  Squirrels, too, are Bad.

The Ugly (but delicious)

After an August filled with succulent tomatoes and sweet corn, I'm ready to begin enjoying root and cruciferous vegetables.  One of my favorite cooler weather veggies is cauliflower.  Ugly is perhaps too  strong a word but work with me here, ok? Compared to perfectly round, glossy tomatoes and corn with shiny silk, cauliflower just isn't as visually appealing to many folks. After years of attempting to replicate my mother's mustard sauce, I've abandoned that folly and decided that I am more than happy with roasted cauliflower - again one pan and very little attention required.  Perfect. Break up your head of cauliflower into florets and toss into your favorite roasting pan.  Drizzle with  olive oil and liberally season with coarse salt.  Roast at 400 for about 40 minutes, occasionally shaking the pan to toss the cauliflower.  Remove from the oven and enjoy - tastes great hot or cold or even pureed as the foundation of a soup.  Don't they say the ugly girl is usually the nicest?

* Because of some ridiculous pissing match between Apple and Adobe (which I obviously don't understand) I can't embed the song here, but click here for your listening and viewing pleasure.

Epic Dinner at Restaurant Menton

I'm just emerging from the food and wine induced coma I have been in since departing Menton Restaurant last night (this morning?) at 1:15 a.m. and wanted to share the experience before a single detail becomes lost.  Things definitely got a little fuzzy towards the end of our meal, but I did my best to take good notes and I invite you to share our memorable evening's repast.  Hope you have some time - this is looonnngg.

We were in Boston for Labor Day weekend to celebrate our (sweet) 16th anniversary .  For those of you considering marriage in the future, I highly recommend planning your nuptials on a holiday weekend -it makes it much easier to get out of town to celebrate!  After seeing Menton named by Bon Appetit (Sept 2010) as one of the 10 best new restaurants in the country, we decided to make a reservation and prepared for an over the top dining adventure.  What we got was without a doubt one of the best meals we've ever had - absolutely on par with the French Laundry, Gramercy Tavern and The Modern.

Amuse Bouche

When I made the reservation using Open Table I mentioned that we were restaurant industry professionals celebrating an anniversary and asked for any possible professional courtesies in terms of a romantic table.  When we arrived for our 8 pm reservation we were immediately ushered to a fabulous corner table in the elegantly plush dining room.  Within moments we were presented with glasses of Aubrey Champagne and offered the evening's menu options.  We selected  the 7-Course Chef's Tasting Menu ($145) rather than the 4-Course Prix Fixe menu ($95) and settled in with the wine list, which Tom immediately fell in love with - Cat Silirie may be my newest rival for Tom's affection.  There was an absolute army of servers - or perhaps they're a cult.  They all seemed to be true believers in their mission and delivered service which was professional, warm and completely on mark.

Rock Crab Salad

Bluefin Tuna Tartare

We began with an Amuse Bouche of tuna served with pickled huckleberries, Asian pear and a candied flower and I literally felt my taste buds awaken - a fantastic start.  Tom selected a half bottle of Nigl Gruner Veltliner Privat", 2007, to get us through the preliminary courses and it was a wonderful accompaniment to the first three courses which were all fish focused.  The Rock Crab Salad was incredible -  flawlessly shelled crab amazingly bound by almonds, on a tart grapefruit gelee with a luscious layer of white sturgeon caviar - I mean, really, Barbara? The textures were so seemingly disparate and the flavors, which could easily be in conflict in a lesser chef's  hand, were so balanced and harmonious...phenomenal.  Wow - talk about an exemplary marriage! 

Served next was the Clean Seas' Bluefin Tuna Tartare with heirloom tomato, lemon cucumber and Greek yogurt.  The tuna was the perfect temperature - not cold, not warm, but an ideal place in between, and the flavor just exploded in my mouth.  There was a crisp wafer separating the fish from the vegetables, but I made it my goal in life to make forkfuls that combined all of the ingredients in a single bite.  The  cucumbers were pickled and the tomato was possibly the sweetest tomato I've had the pleasure of meeting.  There were also fennel flowers, which are the most delicate flowers to admire but possess an intense flavor that directly contradicts their appearance.  When this course was served to our neighboring table I overheard the diner ask "Did I just have fennel?," followed by a moan.  She was definitely having a culinary climax, shall we say.  It is that kind of food.

Maine Lobster

Next was a signature dish - Maine Lobster, pain perdu ("lost bread"), grilled local romaine and dill.  We've had poached lobster before, but this was ethereal - tender, sweet and succulent.  The pain perdu was topped with small pieces of cucumber and dill, while the romaine provided an earthy foundation to the dish.  Now, we all know that dill and cucumbers are friendly, but this dish proves they are in fact lovers - oh my god. At this point in the meal I realized that one of the four women at our neighboring table was chef-owner Barbara Lynch,  dropping colorful comments, as she enjoyed a meal with friends.  What most impressed me (aside from the fact that we had the best table in the room) were her interactions with her staff.  I've waited on many chef-owners over the years and it is unfortunately rare to see the "boss" relate to her staff in a mutually respectful manner, without pretension or hesitation.  The team who served Barbara Lynch completely convinced me that we were equally important in their eyes and there was none of the awful fawning over the owner that I have witnessed too often in other restaurants.  

Carnaroli Risotto

Our red wine was served, a 2006 Peay Pinot Noir "Pommarium," Sonoma Coast, which Tom thoughtfully selected, instead of a more bold Italian red which he knew would be too tannic for me to enjoy.  An aside - we were four courses in and  had not yet looked once for the conspicuously absent salt and pepper.  If you're going to season food this perfectly there's no reason to clutter the table with extraneous items.  We were presented with an unexpected pasta course next - Carnaroli Risotto with summer vegetables and lobster mushrooms.  It was a delightful preparation, the pasta perfectly al dente and the seasonal vegetables were showcased perfectly.  

Hudson Valley Foie Gras

A thick slice of Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras served on brioche with wild Maine blueberries, pickled blueberries, candied Meyer lemon and basil flower was next - and we agreed that if there were an apocalyptic event following this course, we would die happy.  We were poured glasses of NV Velenosi Lacrima di Morro d'Alba "Visciole," which is an Italian wine that has been flavored with sweet cherries.  Are you imagining the wild blueberries, the sweet cherries, the lemon, both sweet and tart , and the basil?  Yes, yes, yes.  This course required a restraint not prompted by other courses - I actually gave Tom my last bite (Happy Anniversary!) rather than risk becoming too full to continue.  Note to any potential executioners: If I were being led to the gallows - this would be what I would want to eat.

St. Canut Farm's Porcelet

Next up was St. Canut Farm's Porcelet - prepared three ways; pork loin, pork belly and panko encrusted, served with green tomato jam, fava beans and rapini.  The pork belly was incredibly light without the intrusion of smoke, while the loin was smooth with a slight saltiness which the server attributed to the youthfulness of the pig.  The panko added a wonderful textural contrast to the smoothness of the other preparations and the rapini and beans offered a wholesome simplicity to the entire dish. 

Strip Loin of Beef

Pt Farm was the purveyor of the Strip Loin of Beef served with carrot, Langue de Boeuf, sauce Perigeux.  What can I say  (other than apologize for the blurry image)? The Napa cabbage (on the left) was perfectly matched by the potato which was cooked just a half a step beyond crunchy to a done-ness that lent a new flavor to a familiar vegetable.  The dining room was becoming less populated and we began to chat with our neighboring table as we all became increasingly hypnotized by the food, the  wine, the soft, yet distinct music, the bathroom's fragranced candle...an absolute seduction was taking place.  This is what fine dining is all about and the un-frilled dining room managed to be feminine to an extreme without obvious artifice - I can't describe it any better than that.

Cheese, wonderful cheese

Oeufs a' la Niege

Naturally, we felt a tremendous need to indulge in some cheese from this beautiful array of artisanal choices - we selected a triple cream (Delice de Bourgogne, Burgundy), an assertive sheep's milk blue (Blu di Capra, Piedmont) and an aged Vermont goat cheese  (Manchester Consider Bardwell Farm) that transported me back to Tuscany.  The cheeses were served with a fig compote, delicate honey and sourdough crostini and we particularly enjoyed the honey with the triple cream and the figs with the blue cheese.  

We were served another unexpected course  - an intermezzo which was a play on Oeufs a' la Neige (or Eggs in the Snow).  Seriously, by this point I was so unbelievably over stimulated by food that my note-taking diminished...there was meringue, creme anglaise, caramelized sugar...I remember being surprised by the refreshing qualities of this simple palate cleanser and actually becoming excited for... another course!  Dessert.

Chocolate cake

Our final course, Chocolate Cake, vanilla glace, cherry, marcona almond was presented with thoughtfully personalized plates and accompanied by a delicious, softly sparkling Piedmont rose.  I hope you'll forgive my lapse in detail in light of the fact that our evening at Menton occupied a full five hours.  If I had to express my ultimate impression of this fantastic restaurant, I would have to say that I was completely blown away by the respect shown to each individual ingredient without an iota of preciousness present.  I can't wait to go back to Boston (never thought I'd say that) to experience Barbara Lynch's other restaurants.  I can't imagine an evening more perfect, nor a place I'd be more happy to spend an amount of money which hovers between a car payment and a mortgage payment.  Thank you, Chef Lynch's staff, Barbara, Terri , Annie and Kristin for an unforgettable celebration.

Judge Helena Heath-Roland for Surrogate Court - and Matt Baumgartner for Mayor!

Earlier this week I went to drink vodka  an event to support City Court Judge Helena Heath-Roland's bid for a seat on the Albany County Surrogate Court.  You all probably remember that Judge HHR provided me with the letter "J" when I did the DelSo A-Z a couple of weeks ago and, in case you're unaware, she is a smart, compassionate and experienced judge who would do wonderful things on the Surrogate Court. Primary Day is September 14th - don't forget to vote!

Niko was an extremely gracious host.

The fundraiser was co-hosted by Matt Baumgartner and Tess Collins and was held downtown at Matt's amazing home.  There was a great turnout, plentiful and delicious food made by Shy, (the former cook at the Lark Tavern) who will be heading the kitchen at McGeary's, and lots of lovely Stolichnaya.  I had the opportunity to see some old friends, as well as meet some new people, including Albany Jane and Albany John, and I thoroughly enjoyed myself.

Lark Street Hospitality Mavens, Tess & Deb

Matt's home is in an area of Albany that is more well known as a former industrial area  than a residential hub.  For those of you familiar with NYC, if you're wearing your pinkest rose-colored glasses, the sweet little street he lives on could almost be imagined as Albany's very own Washington Mews - it really does have that kind of potential.  As you would expect, Matt's place is filled with warmth and style and art and if he ever needs a dog sitter, I'd like to be considered for the position.  

Now, about my ultimate plan for Matt to be mayor...it sure would be nice to have a mayor who developed businesses and had more of an interest in improving a place than in leaving a (Convention Center) mark.  Perhaps, if we all encourage Matt, and pool our Valium supply and make it available to him, he'll start taking me more seriously.  Until then, please support your favorite candidates in the upcoming elections.

Yes, please.

Hello, Secret Garden anyone?

Still life

An inspiring candidate

Yellow roses and pick-up trucks - my favs!

Bovine & Balls

Chocolate milk cow.

Which came first - the cow or the clothes?

My husband does not go to fairs or carnivals - ever - which is kind of ironic since he saw like 300 Grateful Dead shows, and really, what were those other than carnivals with music and hallucinogenics? Whatever.  I've grown accustomed to the idea that I am the boys' only hope if they want to eat fried dough, gawk at animals and get their feet impossibly dirty.  So, it was off to Syracuse and the NYS Fair for us on a recent sweltering day.  Fortunately, my brother lives in Syracuse and is usually up for a Fair visit.  And he has a pool.  Bonus!

After our recent visit to the Great Escape, I was a little apprehensive about what the crowd was going to be like.  I probably can't say this without sounding impossibly snobby, but... sometimes fairs attract a crowd long on Nascar gear and short on teeth.  I don't know how to break it to you, nor what the social ramifications are for the greater Capital Region, but the folks at the fair definitely were a better looking group than those we mingled with in Lake George.  Just saying.  And we weren't even there on Justin Bieber night.  

Mint chocolate milk!

I don't know if you've been to this annual fair, but it is really big.  The weather being what it was (95+), we decided to linger at my brother's pool rather than make any attempt at doing the fair in a comprehensive way.  In all honesty, we just wanted to get some greasy fair food and maybe take in a few exhibits, and a couple of the more sturdily put together looking rides.  We splurged on the $10 parking across the street rather than the $3 parking across the tracks (literally) and were at the gate, and in,  5 minutes later.  Under twelves are admitted free, so it was just $20 for me and three boys to get in.  Did I mention my brother is a doctor?  He paid his own way.  

I swear it wasn't our plan, but somehow, like always,  we began our fair experience by visiting the Bovine Barn.  It actually may not be called that exactly, but that's how we like to think of it.  The smell is pretty intense, and you have to be careful where you step, but we always enjoy seeing the beautiful cows - and they have the most awesome milk machine ever.  Flavored milk is also the perfect beverage to coat a stomach before the real fair food gets consumed - gourmet items like bar-b-q pork sandwiches, locally made sausage heroes and fried pierogi with onions.  Yum.  And, since we are all fans of bringing things full circle, the natural conclusion to a fair feeding frenzy is... ice cream.  Although I did not take photos of any of the food we ate, don't be fooled  - it was the reason we were there.

Boy in a bubble.

Getting his balance.

I fully expected to be sucked into visiting the midway for some cheesy rides, but the boys weren't really interested, at least not after they spent some quality time in these European Bubble Ball things.  I hesitated a moment before shelling out $8 per child for their opportunity to potentially suffocate in  public, but, I must admit, I felt like we all got our money's worth.  It was a bit disturbing to watch two of my children climb into un-inflated plastic balls in a pool of water (particularly in a world which consistently warns that plastic bags are not toys!), but the folks in charge of the attraction were very nice and gave the boys a very long time to practice their best hamster moves.  And they were so damn hot and tired when they finally were released from their plastic pods, that cutting out and going back to Uncle Tom's for a swim was more appealing than hitting up the midway.  Perfect!  Excellent value for $16. 

While we didn't begin to see everything - or even very much of anything, we had a great time and will hopefully expand our explorations next year by venturing into more of the display areas and perhaps going with an actual agenda.  And, of course, if the weather is more inviting, we'll try to get an earlier start so we can enjoy lunch and dinner at the fair.

KO'd by Kindergarten Orientation

Coloring the world.

This afternoon Quinn and I went to his Kindergarten Orientation at the Albany School of Humanities.  Quinn is my youngest child, the one I worked hardest to have and the one whose childhood I've been most ferocious about hanging onto.  You'd think that by now, I'd be accustomed to the fact that children grow up and become school aged, but walking through those hallways today with their shiny tiles, Quinn looked impossibly small to be taking such a big step into his future.  I must getting more sentimental as I get older or maybe it is just the knowledge that he is my last baby, but I suspect there might be some tears Tuesday morning.  And not just because it will mark the end of my fun-filled summer, either.  Why is it that the more children you have, the faster they grow?

Pedaling towards me still, not away.  Yet.

As I turned the proverbial calendar to a fresh new page, I reflected that all endings can also be considered beginnings, right? While Quinn's confident stride into the world of elementary education effectively ends a chapter in parenthood (and our days of daycare expenses) a whole new world is opening up to my little man.  A new world complete with labeled cubbies, friends waiting to be made and experiences that will impact and inspire my child.  

And so, Tuesday morning I will be going into work a little late, perhaps with some evidence of recent tears remaining upon my face, and I will focus on the start of wonderful new things for Quinn rather than an unofficial end to a tender stage of parenting .  No need to be knocked out by thoughts of my baby growing up when I possess the knowledge that each day will continue to end with him giving me the special kiss he created just for  us: cheek, cheek, forehead, nose, lips.  And, for now, I'll remain still standing.

Lou Bea's is Back!

Between a lack of decent pizza and an excess of road construction, we've suffered here in the DelSo for many long months.  I am happy to report that there is a light* at the end of the tunnel and it is getting closer.  To begin, family favorite Lou Bea's Pizzeria, has reopened almost a year after a serious fire.   The interior has been reconfigured and there are some nice high-top tables if you're looking to have your meal to stay rather than to go. The boys and I hit it up the other night, for take-out, and are happy to report that the pizza tastes exactly the same! Crisp crust, appropriate amount of cheese, nicely seasoned tomato sauce ...same as  it ever was.  When I arrived to pick up our order, I was a little perturbed to discover they were offering a special which would have easily fit into our dinner plans - 18 wings, large cheese, 2 liter bottle of soda all for $18.50.  Note to self: when ordering, inquire if they are offering a daily special.  No biggie - the boys devoured the pizza and the dozen wings we ordered (at a couple more $$ than the special) and Lou Bea's has regained its spot at the top of their list for pizza takeout.  Just in time for football season!  The wings were okay for me, but I really can't judge a place on mild wings and that is how the boys take them.  I did like the dryness of the wings - I don't like an overly sloppy wing and these definitely were not too messy. 

I personally still prefer Pasquale's for pizza, but, since it is a bit pricey, I'm happy to once again have a wonderful neighborhood option.  We're also looking forward to giving the new kid in town, Pizzalo (the former location of Papa Gallo's and most recently Vinnie's, aka the worst pizza I've ever had) a shot.  Their sign still says "coming soon," but walking by, it looks ready to go.  The dining options in the DelSo continue to expand, and, since we've got such a marvelously walkable neighborhood, there's no reason for our waistlines to expand.  Way to go, DelSo!

*Speaking of light(s) - have you seen the beautiful new lampposts being installed along Delaware Avenue?  Gorgeous!