The Dinner

Making our dinner selects was too easy.  Even before we made any decisions, John and I had caesar salad (with anchovies, of course) and beef tenderloin in mind.  Once we figured out there would be a seafood and vegetarian dish, I was leaning toward salmon, but it only took one bite of Madera's halibut and we were sold.  Seared to perfection on a generous bed of creamed corn and covered with mini heirloom tomatoes, I think the best part of the dish was the smoked pepper sauce peeking out from underneath like it would only be revealed to the one who discovered it!

Beef eaters were served medium rare tenderloin with broad beans and brussels sprouts over mashed potatoes.  Mushroom sauce and giant sea salt were the finishing touches.  For the veggies, we chose a spicy tomato ravioli that was so awesome I almost ordered it.  Roasted cherry tomatoes and fresh parmesan with a cream sauce topped some of the most tender ravioli I've tasted.

As impressed as we were during the tasting, I think our guests were surprised how amazing the food was.  Either that, or they know EXACTLY how to flatter this bride!  The best surprise however, has been that Madera was awarded a Michelin star less than a month after we hosted the wedding there!  Couldn't be more proud that we got to party there before they made it big.

Anchor & Hope

My fabulous CBA team at Goodby took me to a boozy lunch the day before I took time off for the wedding.  In addition to sparkling rose all around, fried calamari with a fantastically sweet thai chili sauce and caprese salad with thick balsamic, we savored A&H's signature Angels on Horseback: oysters wrapped in smoked bacon.  What's not to love about a combination of two of my favorite flavors and textures?  I opted for the lobster roll for lunch, such a treat whenever it's on the menu but especially at such an east coast seafoodery. 

Two months later and a new last name, we went back but for dinner this time.  In the cold and the dark, the space is much less designer dockside and much more coastal cabin chic.  I couldn't help myself ordering more sparkling wine, it just seems right when I know I'll be ordering fish!  To kick things off, we chose the grilled baby octopus (reminding us all of Greece) and shrimp with crispy eggplant.  The octopus were tiny, just like calamari but with a smoky, spiciness working well with pesto, but the best part was lemony white beans to cut the powerful flavors.  John and I ordered the same thing for the hundredth time, obviously fish and chips.  This particular dish is tough to judge because it's always either just right (aka just what I expected) or really really wrong (soggy, bone-y, mushy).  Extra crispy Smithwicks batter, firm cod—not too greasy—it was just right at A&H.  Even the tartar sauce was lemony goodness.

Carmel Clam Chowder

New England and Manhattan were already taken, so Carmel now has a signature clam-based chowder.

On a super cold, rainy night in Carmel with some of John's Alaskan salmon, I undertook my first chowder.  The best recipe I could find began with bacon.  What recipe which begins with bacon could possibly be mediocre?  The other major selling points were the cup of half and half (instead of boring old milk) and that I would be grating a carrot instead of chopping it.  What fun!

• 6 slices thick cut bacon, sliced into 1/4 inch strips
• 2 cups yellow onions, diced
• 1 large carrot, grated
• 3/4 cup celery, chopped
• 3 cups cooked potatoes, in 1/2 inch cubes
• 1 Tbs dill
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1/3 or 1/2 cup flour
• 3/4 cup dry white wine
• 3 cups clam juice
• 3 6.5 oz cans of chopped clams, juice included
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1 cup half and half
• salt and pepper to taste
• 3/4 lb fresh salmon, in 1/2 inch cubes
• (plus a good tablespoon of brandy for kick)

After the bacon is crispy and the veggies are softened with spices, you make a roux with the flour and bacon drippings and stir in all the liquids except the cream.  As it came to a boil, I put a bunch of chopped vegetables in the oven as a side dish.  Just before serving, sourdough rolls went into the oven to warm up, the half and half was stirred in, and finally this comfort food feast was ready to devour!

It was a wonderfully wintry meal, complete with a fire in the fireplace and rain pouring down outside.  I thought the soup itself was super creamy, almost to the point of being too much and when I warmed leftovers, I added a few cups of seafood stock and more sauteed vegetables (in bacon of course).  The dill really makes this soup, it's not a shocking combination of cream, salmon and dill, but it's certainly a time-tested classic.

Butternut Squash & Cinnamon Soup

One of the new, exotic items in my kitchen thanks to our wedding registry is a Bamix hand mixer, perfect for blending vegetables to make soup.  Given the autumn turn of the weather and upcoming Thanksgiving, comfort food like squash soup is often on my mind, so I sauteed a pan of butternut squash cubes in a bit of olive oil.  Adding white pepper, salt and cinnamon, the squash softened and slightly carmelized in the pan. As soon as I was sure they were cooking through, I added just enough chicken stock to cover the vegetables and brought it to a boil before letting it simmer for a few minutes.  Transferring hot liquid is not without a few splashes of terror, but once it was safely in a deep glass bowl, I was able to start using the Bamix to smooth into a soup.  The texture was pretty thick, so I added more stock until it was just right.  I was really happy with how the soup turned out and how quick it was to whip up!  Next time: burnt garlic and creme fraiche on top, or perhaps the "so hot right now" fried sage leaf and sage oil.

Joys of Cooking

Many things make the "art" of cooking especially gratifying: pleasing your taste buds, pleasing your guest's taste buds, successfully achieving a difficult result...others are less obvious; finding you have just the right ingredients already in the fridge, discovering a new, delicious sauce combination by accident...and my favorite today: filling the entire house with inviting, mouth-watering scents and using pristine cookware!

On a lazy, rainy Sunday, I was looking for a meal that would make for an extra challenging and enjoyable afternoon of cooking.  Beef Bourguignon?  Done!  This time I would follow Julia's "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" recipe to a T—hours of prep and all.  I wish I could somehow capture the aromas wafting around our apartment; fresh rosemary and thyme mixed with carmelizing cippolini onions, bacon, fresh pepper and wine...it's warmth and coziness in the form of food.

I must say, cooking with our new cookware makes the experience about doubly delightful.  Our knives are so sharp and adept, I was able to peel 25 cippolini onions in record time.  The giant le Creuset dutch oven John bought me for Christmas last year is a much better suited size for the 3 lbs. of beef.  The All Clad sautee pan is about as even a skillet as ever, allowing me to leave the onions carmelizing with herbs for 50 minutes without trouble.  We even have prep bowls to store chopped garlic and thyme!  And enough mixing bowls to set aside the bacon, meat, onions and mushrooms separately and sanitarily!  Oh, such joy of cooking!