Madera, Take Two

For Julie's 30th birthday, we all went back to the Rosewood for an amazing dinner at Madera.  I love how close the hotel is, yet how removed from daily life it feels just being on the property.  It might have something to do with the dazzling wedding memories that make me spin with delight before I can even catch myself reminiscing!

After some time by the pool where we were served spa-tastic cucumber water, we retreated to John and Julie's hotel room to sip champagne.  The shrimp cocktails we ordered were kind of incredible: the shrimp were each about the diameter of John's thumb (at the thick part) and nearly wrapped around my wrist!  The cocktail sauce was spicy with horseradish and sweet, but my favorite part was how they were served on a bed of crushed ice, giant rock salt, and seaweed.  There was a raw saltiness flavor added back to the shrimp by the seaweed and salt that hinted at the sea but was more cultivated than the way a raw oyster tasted like the sea.

The atmosphere in the Madera dining room is simultaneously modern (the way a museum is modern) and comfortable (the way an old-timey B&B is comfy) and I'm not sure how they pull it off.  There is artwork on the walls that, in any other setting might be so post-modern no connection to it could be formed, but somehow amidst wood beams, country-style chandeliers and glass sculpture, it works.  The green to grey to purple rolling hills out the window lent something special too.

Dinner was lovely.  Just that.  My artichoke soup was velvety with chewy cheese gnocchi and a pesto made from something like arugula.  For the main course, the halibut sounded amazing (bacon was listed as part of the sauce) but since Julie was ordering it, I thought to mix it up.  John was clever enough to ask the waiter for his recommendations and when I heard him say "stuffed with melted goat cheese" I wasn't sure what was stuffed but determined I needed to order it!  It turned out to be red wine arancini (fried rice balls) injected with the goat cheese so it was hot, melty and delicious.  On a bed of greens, I pretty much liked my plate clean.  It was pretty rich fare, but that's to be expected I think.

We were so stuffed after our mains that we declined dessert but that didn't stop the kitchen.  Four desserts arrived to celebrate Julie's birthday, including the pine nut cake and beignets with rhubarb compote.  They even brought out a bottle of champagne for us, on the house.  I'm so glad to have so many great experiences at Rosewood—it's definitely for special occasions only, but always memorable.

Mama Thira

Our first night in gorgeous Santorini, we ventured only 50 ft outside Firostefani to Mama Thira.  Overlooking the caldera with two-story, unobstructed views, our table was set at a diagonal so we could both face the windows and the stunning scenery below.  Our diet of lamb—in many and any form—led us to discover Kleftiko, a lamb and yogurt baked dish.  We read that Kleftiko translates to 'bandit's lamb' because when times were tough, thieves would steal fresh lambs and cook them inside a closed pot so the farmers couldn't smell or see the savory smoke!  Add some potatoes, carrots, yogurt and tomato, and this clay pot is seriously delicious.

Firostefani by night

It was perhaps backwards for us to try Kleftiko for the first time at Mama Thira, since their version was a culinary event: deconstructed to a layered masterpiece of crispy scalloped potatoes, soft cubed potatoes, carrots, fresh tomato, bite-sized and oh-so-tender lamb in all the comforting Greek spices.  On top, tzatziki was generously drizzled and garnished with parsley and parmesan.  Simple and traditional comfort food made beautiful.  And the presentation was only half the event: the cubed lamb was impossibly tender on the inside while crispy and herb-encrusted on the outside.  Each bite was a mix of oregano, dill and garlic with that significant olive oil flavor that only seems possible to achieve in the Mediterranean.

"Deconstructed" Kleftiko at Mama Thira

Mama Thira initially drew us in with their appetizer sampler of my three favorite spreads: tzatziki, taramosalata and melezane.  Tzatziki was a staple at every meal of ours with creamy, garlicky yogurt often filled with shredded cucumber, mint and sliced garlic.  A drizzle of fragrant olive oil and I'm in heaven.  John wasn't as big a fan of the Tarama, salty fish roe pureed with potato and yogurt, but I'm a sucker for that salty sea flavor.  The melezane, typically roasted eggplant with garlic and roasted red bell pepper, was especially good without being overly oily.  My ouzo paired magnificently with the powerful garlic in each spread.

Tzatziki, Melezane & Tarama

We loved our experience so much, we decided (pretty much on the spot) that we would be back again before we left Santorini.  Only our last night on the island seemed fitting!

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.

The Cake

 One of the many remarkable things I learned in the process of wedding planning was that pastry chefs across the board expect a bride to know exactly what kind of cake she imagines cutting into as a freshly minted wife.  Seven layers with a different cake/frosting combination on each tier, tropical cocktail-inspired flavors, buttercream versus fondant, flowers made from sugar, silk or real ones!  As you may be able to tell from the lack of dessert-specific posts on this blog, I don't have a big preference when it comes to cakes.  The more I thought about it, the more options I saw online, the more I pictured a simple white cake!  And what's white?  Vanilla!  It just works.  Biting into an almond croissant on the way to meeting the catering manager one morning, I realized the filling is one of my favorite flavors and a light bulb went off; the cake would have to involve almond, somehow.


In the end, the cake we saw on our wedding night was beautiful and I think the cake itself was almond flavored!  My first bite was memorable too, mainly because it was giant and all I could think about were all the flashes going off and how embarrassing it would be if I dribbled frosting on my chin!

The Cupcakes

 At the tasting, the pastry chef brought out six different flavor combinations for our cupcakes.  We couldn't decide on three so we served all six!

1. Almond cake with vanilla bean frosting (and gold leaf!) matched the wedding cake
2. Pistachio cake with dulce de leche frosting and fleur de sel caramel
3. Chocolate cake with espresso frosting
4. Banana walnut cake with toffee frosting
5. Red velvet cake with cream cheese frosting
6. Lemon cake with meringue!

All were to die for, but my personal fave was the pistachio with its sweet n saltiness.  YUM!!  Nice work, Rosewood ;)

Mrs!!

I've been a newlywed for 3 weeks!  3 weeks of culinary bliss, to boot.  After watching what I was eating for six months to fit into the white dress, I was in heaven tasting my way through the Greek Islands.

Being married is about the same as living with my boyfriend of 5 years but the excitement of being family—for real—is lovely to get lost in.  While we're waiting for the official shots of food from the wedding, here's a sneak peek at the table setting.

Fiesta Time!

To kick off my amazing Seattle weekend with the girls, Sherry hosted a fiesta on her fab "new" deck.  I couldn't believe how lucky we got with the weather—sitting outside all afternoon across the street from Greenlake, sipping margs and powering through months of much-needed girltalk catch-up.

She began with homemade shrimp ceviche loaded with spicy onions, jalapeno, tomato and bell pepper.  If this wasn't impressive enough, Melissa chimed in with her now-famous hummole (guacamole hummus!)  By dinnertime, I was expecting simplicity given the obvious trouble of the ceviche, but it only got better!  Tamales FROM SCRATCH!!  Amazing and so delicious with pork, potato and the creamiest cornmeal.

The piece de resistance was a chipotle brownie with basil-infused mango sorbet.  Sherry, you've outdone yourself.

Seattle Wedding Shower

Since the most amazing women in my life are spread out all over the world, my mom and my aunt hatched a plan to host a few of them in Seattle last month.  Wendy sent out the most adorable invitations, enticing guests to celebrate not just my upcoming wedding but to do it with my favorite kitchen color: red!  As you must have guess by now, everything we registered for is food-related, whether for entertaining or for cooking.  Too fun!

Three of my four aunts were on hand, as well as my cousins and bridesmaids (all except my maid of honor in London, but we'll get there soon enough).  Wendy put together a gorgeous spread of spinach-bacon quiche, fruit salad, tomato salad, cheese (obvi) and cupcakes.  There's nothing more comforting than warm quiche for a late brunch.  Pair it with a coffee and glass of Walla Walla white wine and I'll be happy as a clam!  She did a really nice job with the presentation too, tomato slices roasted on top and a flaky, just-made crust.

The cupcakes were a different story.  I'm not usually a fan of sweets, but the frosting was lavender-flavored, and they were from Cupcake Royale so I had to give them a try.  Having been one of those enticed by the adorable ceramic pots of "cooking lavender" at Williams Sonoma, I've been constantly trying to find the right place to use it.  I've added to a quiche with herbs de Provence, coq au vin, all those funky French dishes in which flavors can be distracting from the ultimate goal.  So while I have all kinds of hopes for this floral "herb," I've yet to experience its mastery.  Until the shower!  The frosting was unreal, a sort of gentle lavender flavor with crunches of candied lavender seeds—just enough to make you hope you get one in the next bite but not enough to overpower.  Done right.

Bachelorette Dinner

Most girls plan a night of partying and drinking—my bridesmaids knew me well enough to know what I really wanted: amazing food!  They took me to Toulouse Petit, a new restaurant in Seattle, well, new enough to be new to an out-of-towner.  Atmosphere was totally conducive to a fab girls night out: buzz of conversation without being too loud, fun music (Journey!) even candlelight to put us in the best light.

I somehow convinced them to order a bowl of clams dripping with butter and garlic.  They must have agreed we didn't need to worry about our breath tonight!  A side of frites with aioli was the perfect accoutrement and what crispy, flavorful fries they were.  We attempted to soak up the remaining white wine, garlic, butter deliciousness from the clams with bread but our overeager waiter scooped it right out from under our dipping fingers.

I went for some fresh halibut for my main, delivered in a light lemon sauce with roasted cherry tomatoes, cippolini onions and al dente artichoke hearts.  This paired quite well with my champagne and cucumber-infused vodka martini, if I do say so myself.

By the time we departed, I was feeling light as air yet happily satiated.  I was actually really impressed with how good all of our food was considering the atmosphere is clearly the draw here.  It was even reasonably priced, so it's definitely recommended and a spot I'll look forward to coming back to for happy hour when the New Orleans French menu gets even more exotic!

This is my life

Warning: Not about food.  In fact, about foot.  Pretty close, eh?

First this.

Then this. 

For the past 3 months, this has been my life.  Wanted to document my lack of fine dining these past weeks.  I've not been able to cook or make it out much at all!  But I am getting back in the saddle right away now that my feet are behaving normally for the most part.  Stay tuned.

Our Gamine

The past few months have been a swirl of wedding planning, feet-icing, and generally keeping busy.  To put the world on hold for an evening, John and I planned a night at our favorite romantic bistro.  When I first visited John in SF, it was called Chez Maman, but today it's Gamine, finally owned and operated by the friendly Frenchman who always chats us up en Français.  We didn't arrive until after 9pm and as reservations aren't accepted, the tiny space was full for another 45 minutes.  Absolutely not put off, we claimed a couple chairs outside, a glass of Burgundy and some warm bread.

Once our table was ready, we didn't need to review the menu in order to make our selections.  At this point I've probably tasted everything on the menu and there are some gems.  However, given the length of time since my last visit, I couldn't wait to indulge in my favorites.  There is nothing better than a restaurant specializing in timing.  Each dish arrived perfectly timed to our progress through the previous bit, our conversation, held hands and sips of wine.  After dinner, the owner brought us a congratulatory chocolate mousse, light as air.  He seemed to like hearing that our courtship began at their restaurant, right about the time it opened!  The place really does evoke romance in my mind and what fun to have a special spot we can always return to for a special night.

Squaw Creek

When we arrived at the Squaw Creek Resort back in December, the halls were thoroughly decked with Christmas cheer. Since we got in so late and it was so cold, we happily ordered pizza and sat by the fire, reminiscing about our first few dates which ALL consisted of ordering pizza. For a nice dinner out the next night, we carried a luscious bottle of Prevail 2004 down to the Six Peaks restaurant in the resort. The menu was interesting with "New Cuisine" taking up a full page. Upon asking, I learned that liquid nitrogen would be used to slowly cook the food...so obviously I had to try it. Rather than try to pigeon-hole this celebratory meal with a beginning, middle and end, I ordered three delicious-sounding appetizers.
The butternut squash soup tasted like Christmas. The menu said candy cane and blackberry marshmallow but it tasted more like poetic sugared plums. A little crunch, a little sugar, a little squash. Ok, it was, um, interesting. But I was having too much fun. My next "New" course was the foie gras (as if I could pass that up on the menu). I think foie gras tastes best in Europe. Just sayin. This version was pretty light on flavor but had the texture nailed. The menu read cranberry air, currant caviar and cinnamon apple pancake. In any case, it was sweet, creamy, had elements of cooked currants that really did pop in my mouth like caviar and the delicious fluff of real pancake.

When the waiter brought out John's elk steak (yes, that is how he celebrates) I got my lobster pot pie. This is my new obsession. And why not? Lobster. Pot pie. This version was like soup but oh so delicious. I could taste what I think was brandy in the cream sauce - it was superb. It was so nice to stretch out the evening through three courses. Being engaged has major perks too! Our corkage was comped and nearly all of the staff stopped by to say congratulations. It was snowing outside but we were radiating with excitement!

Never Forget!

...To eat well! Over the past month and a half, I've enjoyed some memorable meals that I can't wait to get back in the saddle and write about. The reason for my absence? John and I got engaged! We've been so enthusiastically celebrating and planning that my precious free time has been spent sifting through pages of stationery stock and venue choices instead of recounting my favorite pastime: food. And because it remains the most fun I have besides actually eating, I'm back and happy to relieve stress and relive dining.