Sometimes folks like me are so enthusiastic and effusive about food and wine and our beliefs about what to eat (or not) that some of you may think we take ourselves (and our subject) too seriously. This post — with the help of our cartoonist friends from the New Yorker and elsewhere — is designed to dispel that notion.
Mushrooms: I love them. At the West Acton farmers market all Fall, one of the exciting vendors was Myco Terra Farm, a provider of fresh local gourmet mushrooms. Early this month I was shopping there, and I saw some mushrooms that were totally new to me: Lion’s Mane and Chicken Mushrooms. They could not be more different.
Lion’s Mane is delicate, looks like a small, shaggy brain, and needs to be cooked simply to bring out its charming flavor. Chicken mushrooms are firm, sturdy, and need to ne cooked more slowly for longer times, and indeed, they are reminiscent of breast of chicken. I thinly sliced the Lion’s Mane and sautéed it with olive oil until lightly browned in a skillet. Finished with a little lemon juice and Maldon sea salt, it made a delicious appertizer, reminiscent of the flavors and texture of crab meat.
On the other hand I cut moderately-thick slices of the Chicken Mushrooms and decided to braise them with vegetables and white wine. A very good choice.
Here’s my approach to the Chicken Mushroom recipe:
Each was marvelous, in its own way.
Next on the agenda was some Greek cooking. When in Portland, OR, I went to Powell’s Book Store, an amazing place. My only purchase there was a cookbook (naturally), in this case about the foods of the Greek islands. It kept me happily occupied on the coast-to-coast flight home, and it supplied several very good meals later. Here is one.
On a different night I made a greens and potato gratin, served with a Jan D’Amore-sourced Rossese di Dolceacqua from Liguria.
I’ve pretty much given up trying to keep this blog chronological. When I get behind, there’s so much material to share that I pull it up as best I can. This brief post is about some fine dishes during this October.
One of my favorite wines this year is Villa Creek’s 2013 Fiano, a Campania grape that somehow appears to do beautifully in Paso Robles, CA. The other night I needed a late night snack. The solution was pan-fried Shishito Peppers with sea salt from Ibiza, some slices of a vegan cheese (Chao), and two glasses of Fiano. Perfetto!
Another night I decided to use my favorite small French copper pot to braise some small white and red onions from our CSA. I bought the pot over 20 years ago at Dehillerin in Paris, and I have always loved how well it cooks. Here is the before and after braise views:
For a different dinner, Barbara and I collaborated to make Spinach and Tofu Wontons in Homemade Vegetable Broth, from Martha Rose Shulman in the New York Times. This is a superb recipe, and we were delighted with the results.
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The original target of these Spring travels was, in fact, Venice, so the last four days were dedicated to exploring that unique city. I hadn’t been there in 18 years, but then again, not much has changed in a lot … Continue reading
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Through my contacts in Cambridge and New York, I was able to arrange visits in Friuli, and to get a taste of their wonderful foods and wine. One winery, Edi Keber in Cormons, is partnered with my friend Jan, who … Continue reading
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This past Spring (late April, early May) I spent two weeks exploring food and wine in three places: Slovenia, Friuli, and Venice. I should not let much more time pass without sharing those delicacies with you now. Let’s begin in … Continue reading
Among our favorite friends and foodies are Pete & Pat, who live in Portland, when they are not in San Miguel. We took a day trip there (to Portland, not San Miguel) to visit them, see their new home, and enjoy the victuals. Here are a few highlights, which included a non-vegan lunch at the East Ender, a spectacular vegetable garden (at Journey’s End Farm) — where (with the blessings of their friends who own it) Pete and I picked all sorts of wonders , and the superb dinner we made in their new kitchen as a result.
East Ender at table
Fish Sandwich and fixins
Gnocchi with Mushrooms and Arugula Pesto
Journey’s End Farm
compost bins in a handy spot
dining table
Now for my shortest post of the year, here is almost all you need to know about a Paella, created from an array of vegetables, a good, homemade veggie stock, lentils, Bomba rice, and the traditional steel paella pan.
After our experience with the Orange and Olive Pizza at Osteria Pane e Salute, we were eager to try making pizza in our pizza oven with the lower temperatures suggested by Caleb. I did not go quite as low as he did (more like 550º vs. 465º). Since this was new and could possibly be a failure, I also prepared a small amount of pizza dough (a la Chris Bianco), rather than screw up the good 50% whole wheat crusts Barbara makes, so we could be sure of a good dinner, even if the experiment failed.
Not to worry; it worked very well, and we had plenty of both (including an orange and olive version), although the photos are just my mis-shapen white flour slices:
Not long after this, I wanted to capitalize on fresh wild mushrooms and greens from the farmers market, plus the superb Kite Hill vegan Ricotta cheese, made from almonds. The result was an almost-vegan baked lasagne (we used a little grated parmesan). The dish also required some Bechamel, and Barbara was able to make a nice vegan version, adapting the recipe below. Here are the results of that effort:
Last month I met a friend for lunch in Cambridge. She told me “Ames Street Deli“. There is such a place, and I later found out how good it is when I had an early morning breakfast there a few weeks later. But she actually meant Study Restaurant, which is adjacent to the deli; same management, same kitchen.
We had a fine meal, artfully prepared and served, and I couldn’t pass up a chance to share it with you. I had a beautiful squash salad and a roasted cauliflower plate. Eileen had a perfectly-made piece of Arctic Char, served with vegetables and a tasty sauce.
One irony: she is in the wine business. As we talked during the meal, she picked up one of the pads of paper and pencils provided for the ‘students’ (i.e. diners). As she opened it to write something, we found this little sketch from a previous diner:
This is definitely a place for return visits!
Waterlogue version
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