Brandade and Blanc

The image above is from this website.

Last night my food education continued during dinner with Randy & Kim. The entrée consisted of steak, homemade shoestring fries, and arugula salad - nothing too exotic there (but very delicious). The lesson was in the appetizer: brandade made with salted cod, served with French bread, and paired with a Roux Père & Fils Mâcon-Villages Blanc wine.

According to Wikipedia, "brandade is an emulsion of salt cod and olive oil eaten in winter with bread or potatoes." Randy's version contained heavy cream, potatoes, and garlic, and was garnished with fresh parsley and a lemon slice. It had the consistency of a creamy dip, and I was surprised when he said it contained no cheese. It's a slightly salty and kinda heavy dish - perfect for a cool fall evening.

You can find recipes from ....

• The New York Times
• Bobby Flay on Food Network
• Telegraph (UK)
• Saveur
• Gourmet Traveller
• Food & Wine (made with smoked trout)

That last recipe from Food & Wine uses smoked trout instead of salt cod. As Serious Eats explains, "Salt cod is a wonderful ingredient, but one that's a bit of a hassle to use, requiring soaking and planning ahead." Indeed, the cod must be soaked for at least 24 hours ahead of time, and the water should be changed 3-4 times.

Although we ate ours as an appetizer, Serious Eats suggests that it's "... sort of perfect as a light meal with a huge salad." Sounds good to me!

Fall Getaway: Mahoney's

After driving all day on Friday from Philadelphia to Cape Cod, we weren't really up for a fancy dinner out. So we decided to cook (Anne graciously let us stay at her grandparents' house).

Or rather, Anne and I drank margaritas while Topher cooked for us (isn't he wonderful?!). That evening we enjoyed seared scallops, sautéed Brussels sprouts, and spaghetti squash. Afterwards we curled up in the living room with mugs of hot chocolate with amaretto (a great way to warm up).

The next evening we were a little more rested (after our morning at the spa) and ready for something festive. Leave it to my husband to find the fanciest restaurant in Cape Cod that's still open in the off season. :)

What I Ate:

• Proscuitto-wrapped scallops
• Atlantic steaming bowl: classic bouillabaisse with shrimp, scallops, squid, haddock, littleneck clams, and mussels in a tomato saffron broth served over angel hair pasta
• Pear, Ginger, & Cranberry Crisp: Fresh pear, ginger, & dried cranberries crowned with a toasted pecan, oatmeal, and brown sugar strudel served warm with vanilla ice cream
• ... and to drink: a Cape Cod martini and a limoncello

The Scoop:

Mahoney's Atlantic Bar & Grill is located at 28 Main Street, Orleans, MA. They generally do not take reservations except for parties of 12 or more. They are open seven days a week, 5-9pm.

End of Summer, Beginning of Fall

Last Friday night Topher & I celebrated the end of summer and the beginning of fall with our friends Randy & Kim. We dined on an entree of fish tacos (a quintessentially summer dish) with a dessert of pumpkin pie (very autumnal).

What We Ate:

• fish tacos: grilled halibut (marinated in olive oil & lime juice), chipotle crema (sour cream + chipotle peppers in adobo sauce), shredded green cabbage, & cilantro - I love Topher's fish tacos (he used to fry the fish, which was great, but I think it's even better grilled), and they work with any white/light fish: halibut, grouper, tilapia, catfish, flounder, mahi mahi, etc.
• jicama salad: julienne jicama, carrots, red onion, & green bell pepper (a variant of this recipe) - since I'd never seen or eaten one before, it took me quite a while to find a jicama at the grocery store!
• refried black beans with a dollop of sour cream, and black rice
• to drink: a paloma
• for dessert: a slice of pumpkin pie with homemade whipped cream

Afterwards we watched another film by Swedish director Ingmar Bergman: "Through a Glass Darkly" (1961), the first in his trilogy on faith and God. The film centers on four characters - Karin (who suffers from schizophrenia), her husband Martin, her father David, and her brother Minus - as they try to relate to one another during vacation on a remote island. It won the 1962 Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, and the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film.

It's definitely a film of conversations, not events. I must admit that I'm still processing it, but I can say that I liked the music: Bach's Sarabande from Suite No. 2 in D minor. And one of Karin's schizophrenic episodes reminded me strongly of Charlotte Perkins Gilman's short story "The Yellow Wallpaper," a disturbing but good read from 10th grade.

Feeding the Tarpon at The Wharf

On the last night of our Grand Cayman trip we went to The Wharf, a seafood restaurant recommended to me by a coworker. It did not disappoint! We were joined by my cousin Brad & his wife Heidi and our friends Andy & Bonnie McNabb.

We were seated outside on a huge white deck overlooking the ocean. From there we could see the lights of the cruise ships docked in Georgetown - it was gorgeous.

At 9pm, a staff member brought out some fish scraps to feed a school of tarpon swimming below the dock - what a frenzy! We couldn't believe the hundreds of tarpons, all jumping over each other and out of the water to catch the leftovers.

What I Ate:

• appetizer: seared yellowfin tuna w/avocado salad - some of the best tuna I've ever eaten
• entree: basil & pistachio crusted sea bass in champagne sauce
• for dessert: mango cheese cake w/blueberries & raspberries
• to drink: Cakebread Cellars sauvignon blanc

The Scoop:
The Wharf Restaurant and Bar is located on W. Bay Rd. in West Bay on Grand Cayman. They serve dinner daily from 6pm to 10pm. Reservations are available online.

Heidi, me, & Bonnie at the Grand Old House

A Blonde Moment at 456 Fish

Topher and I stayed in Norfolk after work this afternoon to do some shopping, and afterwards we decided to use a gift card that my aunt and uncle gave me for birthday for dinner at 456 Fish, another place that's on my summer "to dine" list.

We thoroughly enjoyed our meal, knowing that we had a gift card for half the bill. The check came, we gave the waitress the gift card and our credit card, and away she went. She returned to the table less than a minute later and said very apologetically, "I'm sorry, but this gift card is for a different restaurant."

Sure enough, the gift card is for One Fish Two Fish, a nice seafood restaurant in Virginia Beach near my aunt & uncle's house. OOPS! Needless to say, I was mortified, but Topher thought it was hilarious. I think his exact words were, "Baby, you're the smartest dumb blonde I've ever met."

What We Ate:

• appetizer: fried calamari with plum tomato sauce and basil aioli - the basil aioli was amazing: it tasted like a pesto cream sauce, only not as spicy - yum!
• Topher's entrée: Pan roasted red snapper over spaghetti squash, topped with herb malted pomme frits and applewood bacon crumbles
• my entrée: Catch of the Day (red snapper) pan roasted in olive oil, salt & pepper, with sautéed garlic spinach, over coconut risotto (to drink: Lagaria pinot grigio)

The Scoop:
456 Fish is located in downtown Norfolk near Waterside, at 456 Granby Street, Norfolk, VA 23510. They serve dinner on Sun-R 5-10pm, F-Sat 5-11pm; brunch is served on Sun 11am-3pm. Reservations are available by calling (757)625-4444. Find them on Facebook here.

Birthday Dinner at Tautog's

My good friends Heather & Ally have birthdays only four days apart this week, so we celebrated together yesterday in Virginia Beach. The three of us laid by the pool for a couple of hours and read, then met up with our husbands for dinner at Tautog's.

Housed in the wood-shingled Winston Cottage just a block from the oceanfront boardwalk, Tautog's has a cozy atmosphere – a cute screen porch out front, lots of dark wood décor inside, and a friendly, laid back wait staff.

The regular menu includes standard "seafood at the beach" fare: crab cake sandwich, salmon salad, cornmeal-coated oven-fried catfish, tilapia au gratin with asparagus, and Mid-Atlantic pasta (penne tossed with shrimp, artichokes, zucchini, and portabella mushrooms in marinara sauce). Last night the specials looked amazing, so we decided to go with those.

They also have a pretty decent wine list, including quite a few from California (Seghesio, Frog's Leap, Hendry, Honig, Cakebread, and Chateau St. Jean). Topher chose a bottle of Nautilus for the table – a nice crisp, citrus-y New Zealand sauvignon blanc that went well with the fish.

The Appetizers:

• Spinach artichoke dip, served with corn chips – much better than the average dip! Made with cream cheese and large leaves of spinach
• A dozen steamed shrimp, served with butter & cocktail sauce
• She-crab soup – Ally's favorite that she generously let us taste – rich & creamy!

The Entrées:

• Topher: Pepper-seared mahi, served over pasta with homemade spicy red sauce, topped with chopped fresh herbs & lemon butter
• Ally, Heather, & Reid: Oven-baked salmon, served over Kahlua sweet potato hash and sautéed green beans, topped with saffron hollandaise
• Me & Seth: Oven-baked tilefish, served over buttermilk mashers and cauliflower infused with smoked apple wood bacon and parmesan, topped with Old Bay beurre blanc

The Dessert:

• Key lime pie

The Scoop:
Tautog's Restaurant at Winston's Cottage is located at 205 23rd Street, Virginia Beach, VA 23451. Their hours are Sun-W 5:30pm-12am, R-Sat 5:30pm-2am. Reservations (recommended) are available by calling 757-422-0081.

Three notes about my entrée:

1. I had never had tilefish before, so the guys enjoyed using their Blackberrys and iPhones to educate me on the spot: tilefish is a mild, firm white fish similar to flounder or tilapia. While delicious, it's not recommended for pregnant or nursing moms, due to concerns about its mercury content.
2. I feel that cauliflower is an overlooked and often neglected vegetable, kind of like the forgotten stepsister of broccoli. I appreciate a chef that can bring out its subtle flavors. :)
3. As the photo below attests, my entire dinner plate was white!

Recipe: From Inspiration to Reality

Do you read Real Simple? My aunt has given me a gift subscription for Christmas the past several years, and I absolutely love it. I got the June 2010 issue in the mail today - a nice "welcome home" after a three-day business trip to DC. The food section, near the end of the magazine, is one of my favorites. Whoever does their photography is incredibly talented: every dish looks amazing!

As I've mentioned before, I'm not a cook. My husband is the one with the culinary skills in our marriage. So as beautiful as the pictures in the magazines might be, it's a rare occasion that I turn that inspiration into reality. But there's one recipe that I was brave enough to try and now make on a regular basis.

Roasted Tomatoes with Shrimp and Feta

by Cynthia Nicholson, Real Simple, Sept 2004

Ingredients

5-6 large tomatoes, cut into eighths

3 tablespoons of olive oil

2 tablespoons of minced garlic

3/4 teaspoon of kosher salt

3/4 teaspoon of freshly ground black pepper

1 1/2 pounds of medium shrimp, peeled & de-veined

1/2 cup of chopped fresh parsley

2 tablespoons of lemon juice

1 cup of crumbled feta

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Place the tomatoes in a large baking dish. Spoon the olive oil and garlic over the tomatoes. Sprinkle with the salt and pepper, and toss. Place on top rack of oven and roast for 20 minutes.

2. Remove baking dish from oven and stir in the shrimp, parsley, and lemon juice. Sprinkle with the feta.

3. Place back in the oven for another 10-15 minutes or until the shrimp are cooked.

The original recipe says to "serve warm with crusty bread," but I like to use a little extra olive oil & garlic to make a juicier sauce, then serve the dish over pasta -- linguini, spaghetti, or angel hair -- with a spinach & arugula side salad. Delicious, and pretty healthy too!