Back in action - Gordon Ramsay.

After a harrowing end of semester push and extravagant multi-city, worldwide romp: I'm BACK. That's right, friends, and I have goodies for you. My dear friend, Tom, took me to Gordon Ramsay in London for my first ever 3-Michelin star tasting menu experience. (Un)fortunately, it was an utter surprise so I was the most under dressed person there and didn't bring a camera. I mean, how could he?

Really though, it was one of the best, most surprising surprises of my life. Tom and I met while backpacking in Thailand and traveled together for some time. We were both on rather tight budgets, but by the end of my 5-week tenure in SE Asia, I was ready for a lavish meal. In Bangkok, that meant a large air-conditioned room with functioning western toilets in the restrooms. Oh, and unlimited foie gras, lobster, and wine pairings. It was delicious and extravagant, but definitely nothing near the refinement Tom later treated me to.

I recently finished my first year of law school and decided to treat myself to a European vacation (I'm a lucky one, I know). Tom met me in London and showed me around his lovely hometown. I've been to London several times before, but he was able to take me away from tourist destinations and into locals only spots - best tour guide ever. On our last night there, He told me he wanted to take me on a nice meal. Tom's a tricksy one though. He tried to keep my aspirations for the dinner low thoughout the day; constantly telling me not to get my hopes up and that I shouldn't dress up too much. Gordon Ramsay's flagship restaurant is very small and discrete, holding only 45 diners per seating. It's easy to pass over thinking it nothing more than an unmarked shop window.

 But decadent delights lie within. Gordon Ramsay is not the most likable figure, in fact his PR team hopes you hate him, but secretly and begrudgingly respect him. He's an amazing chef. He comes in third place for the most Michelin stars held by a single chef in the history of the guide - with 9, to be exact. Three belong to his crown jewel: Gordon Ramsay Restaurant. It's doubtful that I'll ever have the opportunity to enjoy such a feast again, but I'll savor this one for a lifetime. A three Michelin star tasting menu topped my bucket list, so now I can rest easy knowing I have now eaten multiple sticks of artisanal butter crafted by a worldclass chef in a single night. Love.

So let's start with the butter: There was a goat's butter with flaked sea salt and some other delicious hand churned butter with a smoked salt gracing the table. A server comes around with an enormous jewelry box full of fresh baked breads for diners to choose from. I believe there was a honey butter, olive, raisin/nut, and baguette. I was still stunned into silence at this point so I can't remember exactly.

(Sorry about the iPhone photos, it was all I had at the time)

Tom spared no expense and insisted on the menu prestige + wine pairings for the both of us. I got a few seasonal items so we wouldn't have exactly the same meal. The multiple amuse bouches were left largely unphotographed, but let me assure you the crab cornell with avocado creme won the prize. The others included a potato crisp filled with some sort of parm mixture and sage and a fried, lollipopped frog's leg in a garlic scape soup. That's right, anything can become a verb with the judicious use of "ed".

Gordon's most famous dishes are featured on his prestige menu. It's perfectly balanced - you leave full and happy but not groning and in physical pain. Yes, I will eat until the point of pain. See this clip from Louis C.K for more details (start at 0:50 and end around minute 4; restart around 6:15 for his epic treaties on the cinnabun demographic): Louis C.K. on eating (not for the faint of heart).

I had some items off of the seasonal menu and specials as well:

Tom and I both had Pressed Foie Gras with Maderia jelly, smoked duck, rhubarb and walnut crumble served alongside a lightly toasted Texas sized slice of Brioche. Brought back memories of our inflated bellies and painful last meal in Bangkok.

Ravioli of Lobster, Langoustine, and Salmon with tomato chutney, vinagrette.

Fillet of turbot with braised baby gem lettuce and cep sauce. So good, and the tiny lettuce leaf was surprisingly the most memorable and integral component.

cannon of cornish lamb with confit shoulder, ratatouille and thyme jus

Roasted pigeon from Bresse with grilled polenta, smoked pork belly and date sauce - best dish of the meal, though it closely competes with the Scallop dish.

Roasted loin of monkfish with chorizo cous cous, baby squid, artichoke and spiced tomato jus

Pan fried sea scallops from the Isle of Skye with leek and pancetta ballottine sage gnocchi and caper buerre noisette - I still think about this dish at least once a day and it's been almost a month.

CHEESE TROLLEY - need I say more.

That's right. You pick five (5!) of these cheeses - obviously I went for the runny one that has to be dammed up with bricks in the front. Served with house made crackers and fruit accouterments. I'm a little obsessed.

See that in the upper left? That's a creme brulee with fresh granny smith apple juice.

pineapple soup with toasted coconut and rum. I usually hate coconut but this made me change my mind.

bitter chocolate and hazelnut cylinder with ginger mousse and black currant granite

Dark chocolate truffles gilded with edible silver and jasmine tea.

Strawberry bon-bon like ice cream spheres kept cold by dry ice. Served alongside house made turkish delights. Terrible photo quality, epic flavor.

Needless to say. This was a very happy time in my life. If I were ever motivated by money, it would purely be to repeat this experience. 18 Different dishes. One night. I hope to bring this to all of you too someday. Soon to come: Thomas Keller weekend. An entire weekend of dishes made from the Ad Hoc and French Laundry cookbooks.

Aloo Gobi

Continuing the Indian food tour, I give you Aloo Gobi. It's cliched and common, but damn do I love it. I order it whenever I have the chance. I once tried to order it in an Indian restaurant in Jerusalem (your head is spinning with cross cultural bastardization now) but was told the kitchen could not "get any Kosher cauliflower today." I was perplexed, as I'm sure you are, as to what constitutes "Kosher" cauliflower. So apparently, every seventh year Kosher laws dictate that no Jew can buy food that was grown by a Jew on Jewish land. For this entire year, most Israeli farmers lease their land to teh gentiles. I guess it mirrors the Sabbath seven increment cycle? I'm not versed in the intricacies of this tradition, but needless to say, I wish I had some aloo gobi that day. Lucky for you, you can now make it at home...

Aloo Gobi
from ecurry.com

1 Head Cauliflower, Kosher or otherwise
3 Medium Potatoes, peeled and cubed
1 Small Onion, Halved and sliced thin into half moons
3″ Fresh Ginger, grated/minced/made into a paste
3-4 Green Hot Peppers, sliced
1 Large Tomato, grated/pureed
1 Teaspoon Turmeric, divided
1″ stick of Cinnamon
2 Cloves
2 Green Cardamon
1 Teaspoon Coriander Powder
1 Teaspoon Cumin Seeds
Salt
1 Tablespoon Red Chili Powder (Optional)
Fresh Cilantro, chopped for garnish
1/4 Cup Oil, divided + 1/4 Cup Oil

Wash and drain the cauliflower florets. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and salt on the florets and give them a good shake so the turmeric and salt roughly coats them.

Wash and drain the potatoes. Sprinkle 1/2 teaspoon turmeric and salt on them and give them a good shake so the turmeric and salt roughly coats them.

Take 1/4 cup of oil and pour about half of it in a thick bottomed pan. Heat the oil and saute the cauliflower florets in the oil at medium heat for about 5-7 minutes, while tossing frequently, till there are light brown spots on some of the florets. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside.

Heat the rest of the oil (the other half of the 1/4 cup) in the same pan. Saute the potatoes the same way you did the cauliflower. Remove and set aside.

Heat the rest of the oil (the 1/4 Cup). Add the cinnamon, cloves and cardamom; when a sizzle and get fragrant add the cumin seeds. When the seeds sizzle add the onion slices and fry at medium heat till they are clear and soft. Add the ginger, peppers and the tomatoes and fry for about 2-3 minutes everything gets mushy and soft. Add the salt and the coriander powder and fry some more for about a minute or two; you will see the oil separate on the sides and entire mix will slightly bubble.

Add the pre sauteed  potatoes to the pan and toss well along with all the cooked ingredient mix to combine well.  Cover and cook  at low to medium till the potatoes are about half cooked. Now add ll the florets  of the cauliflower to the pan and toss well; all the pieces should be well coated with the mix.

Add 1/2 cup warm water to the pan and cover; cook at low to medium heat till the cauliflower florets and the potatoes are fork tender. Check to see that they do not get mushy.

Once they are fork tender, uncover, increase the heat and cook at high heat till there are almost no liquid left in pan. This is kind of dry dish and whatever spice mix remain will just coat the potatoes and florets; there should no liquid sauce left in the pan.


My Grade: B, I was so afraid of it getting mushy that I undercooked it. At least the leftovers will be better?
Recipe grade B kind of scattered and the original recipe said to add 2 half portions (okay) of tumeric, but then later says to add more tumeric?
Diagnosis - needs a better recipe because I know I'll be making this more often

Lamb Shahi Korma and Naan

Lamb, as I've noted before, is my favorite meat. I know pork brings bacon and chops, and chicken offers versatility and economy... but lamb still wins. If you weren't sold on the braised lamb shanks presented in exhibit A, turn your attention to Exhibit B: Lamb Shahi Korma.

Just to put it out there: This is a rich, fattening dish. Don't make this if you're on a diet. Or if you're vegetarian. Or if you're allergic to nuts. Or if you're lactose intolerat. Or if you don't like spicy food. Basically, if you have some hang ups about eating - this dish might not be for you. If you're everyone else, set aside 3 hours (+1 day because it's better after it sits) of your weekend to make this dish.

Okay, so this isn't the most approachable meal, but it's really wonderful and worth the effort. And if you don't want to go through the trouble, please eat mine. I probably don't need to down thousands of calories of curry at every meal. Probably.

Lamb Shahi Korma
Adapted from Tigers and Strawberries

Step 1
2T light oil
1 pound boned leg of lamb, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1″ cubes
1 pound boned lamb shoulder, trimmed of excess fat and cut into 1″ cubes
2 bay leaves
1 2” stick cinnamon
1 cardamom pod
4 whole cloves
water as needed

Step 2
4 T light oil
4 c thinly sliced peeled yellow onions
1 t salt
2″ cube fresh peeled ginger
6 cloves peeled garlic
1″ stick cinnamon
6 whole cloves
1 t black peppercorns
2 dried Indian chilies
6 whole green cardamom pods
1 t fennel seeds
2 t pepper flakes
1/2 t cumin seeds
2 t coriander seeds
1 cup toasted almond butter, creamy
1 cup toasted cashew butter, creamy
2 teaspoons ground turmeric
2 teaspoons paprika
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup full fat or greek yogurt
salt to taste
toasted sliced almonds, cashew halves and pistachios for garnish
roughly chopped cilantro and mint for garnish

Step 1:
Add 2T to a heavy bottom pot on medium high. Sear the lamb in batches. After all pieces are appropriately brown and crusty, add the spices from step 1 and cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for about 30-45 minutes, or until the meat it is tender, but not totally falling apart tender. This will continue to cook in the sauce later so you don’t want it to disintegrate.

Step 2:
In another deep Dutch Oven, put the second measure of oil, and heat it on medium high heat. Add the onions, and spread them out into as thin a layer as possible, and sprinkle the salt evenly over them. Cook, stirring until the onions turn a deep reddish brown. Meanwhile, grind the spices in a spice grinder/coffee grinder until fine. If you try to grind everything together you will end up with big chunks of spices which is not delicious. When the onions are brown, scrape them out of the pot into a food processor and grind. Add to them the ginger, garlic, and spices, and grind into a thick paste.

Skim most of the fat from the lamb broth and strain it to remove the whole spices. Discard the spices.

Put the pot you cooked the onions in back on the stove on medium heat and deglaze with one cup of the lamb broth. Add the spice paste, and cook, stirring, until it is fragrant. Add the nut butters, and continue cooking, stirring, for another couple of minutes. Stir about two cups of lamb broth, and simmer to reduce by half. Add the cream, and the lamb, and cook, stirring, until the lamb is heated and the sauce is thick. Add the yogurt, in two tablespoon increments, stirring thoroughly between each addition. Allow each addition of the yogurt to incorporate fully into the sauce before adding the next addition.

You might want to give it a taste, if you haven't already licked every spoon that's gone into the pot, to test the consistency. It should be creamy. Like, a heavenly, thick puddle of flavored cream. If there are errant chunks of spices and nuts, you can remove the meat and puree the sauce in a food processor. I ended up doing this and my curry was better for it. You can hold the korma at serving temperature (141 degrees F) for several hours before serving to let the flavors meld, or you could cool it, and store it in the refrigerator for a day or two before reheating it to serve.In either case, it will taste lovely, though it will be best after a day in the fridge.

My Grade: A+. I am so smug.
Recipe grade: This recipe is heavily modified because I went through many additional steps to fix the original. The recipe itself isn't that different, but the differences are key. I'd give this one a B+, mostly because I haven't made it exactly according to what's written yet.
Diagnosis: Best served with basmati rice or...

Naan
1 (.25 ounce) package active dry yeast
1 cup warm water
3T  sugar
3 tablespoons milk
1 egg, beaten
2 teaspoons salt
4 cups bread flour (maybe an extra 1/2 c but probably won't need it)
2 teaspoons minced garlic (or more)
1/4 cup butter, melted

1.  In a large bowl, dissolve yeast in warm water. Let stand about 10 minutes, until frothy. Stir in sugar, milk, egg, salt, and enough flour to make a soft dough. Knead for 6 to 8 minutes on a lightly floured surface, or until smooth. Place dough in a well oiled bowl, cover with a damp cloth, and set aside to rise. Let it rise 1 hour, until the dough has doubled in volume.
2.  Punch down dough, and knead in garlic. Pinch off small handfuls of dough about the size of a golf ball. Roll into balls, and place on a tray. Cover with a towel, and allow to rise until doubled in size, about 30 minutes.
3. During the second rising, preheat grill to high heat.
4.  At grill side, roll one ball of dough out into a (very!) thin circle. Lightly oil grill. Place dough on grill, and cook for 2 to 3 minutes, or until puffy and lightly browned.

Brush uncooked side with butter, and turn over. Brush cooked side with butter, and cook until browned, another 2 to 4 minutes. Remove from grill, and continue the process until all the naan has been prepared.


















My grade: B, it really should've been thinner.
Recipe grade: as modified, probably a B+. The original was shit though.
Diagnosis: this is something that you have to work at perfecting. It's just probably not something you're going to get right the first time. But who wouldn't keep trying to eat fresh naan all the time. Even mediocre naan is still naan.

Foodie: +/- snob.

Food admiration takes people down many paths. Some love all food, regardless of origin, and end up with flabby memories of their love. Some take the Anton Ego "I only swallow food if my overly refined palatte accepts it as gourmet" route. Still others bury themselves waste deep in manure to grow their own produce. Then, there's the "foodie".

Foodies are a rare yet easily distinguishable breed. They are easily spotted traveling in droves to the latest molecular gastronomy eatery. They speak of big abstract food ideas, like land conservation and anything Michael Pollan has written about, but generally never recycle or implement any of their ideas unless convenient. No matter what you say, they will always one up you. Say you bought some Oregon white Truffles, they will tell you about their trip to Abruzzo to forage for truffles with a local hunter. Say you got some jamon iberico, they will detail the specs of the new meat curing locker they've specially ordered to make their own cured meats. It pains me to talk to people who label themselves "foodies". Friends often stick me with this label - I hate it. I appreciate food. I love learning about food and all its aspects. However, I HATE the food snobbery that so often accompanies food appreciation. My whole life, i.e. law school, is built around competition. Cooking and food are my hobbies - for christ's sake don't make them a competition too.

Just a little quibble I have. Food should be about happiness and community, not exclusiveness. It's not that I don't enjoy the finer things in life - I indulge a bit too often actually - but I want food to be a positive aspect of people's lives. Ya shouldn't feel uneasy about food.

Speaking of food, I've made quite a lot since my last post. My schedule's a little nuts though so all I have are pictures for you. Recipes maybe possibly hopefully coming soon...

Remember that delicious Lamb Shank? Here's its reincarnation - shred up the meat and heat with the braising liquid, boil some pappardelle to just under al dente, cook the pasta until al dente in the lamb/sauce, grate over pecorino and sprinkle with herbs (parsley or fresh mint)

 I love poppy seeds. Hopefully none of my job prospects give me a pee test because they will think I am a serious heroin addict. I ate this entire batch (12) of lemon poppy seed muffins in 4 days. I'm a winner.

I'm always straining to make tasty, quick breakfasts for myself. Most mornings I'm too clumsy and late to make anything worthwhile so I tend to make lots of meals on the weekend. These mini vegetable fritattas keep very well in the fridge. Eat them cold, hot, or wrapped up in a tortilla with salsa.

While making said fritattas I was truly disturbed by my carton of eggs. Each and every egg of the dozen had double yolks. The fritattas were extra rich and every bite made me uneasy and suspicious of whatever hormones I was ingesting (hormone free, free range my ass).

 Vietnamese Chicken Salad - Chargrilled lemon grass marinated chicken thighs with nuc mam sauce

Chickpeas

Who’s shucked a fresh chickpea? Who’s eaten one? I’d venture to guess no one, and I’m kind of baffled as to why; they’re delicious! Someone from the chickpea marketing team really slipped up in not promoting them as a fresh vegetable. I just had my first (of many, hopefully) fresh chickpea experiences this past weekend. They come in a little green jacket, like an English Pea, which is peeled away to reveal one (sometimes two, if you’re lucky) bright green chickpeas.

Apparently they come in both a green and white varietal, but the green is the easiest to find fresh. Though they look like peas, it is in fact a legume. In their fresh state chickpeas don’t take much in the way of preparation and actually don’t taste half bad raw. Lightly steam them and drizzle with a touch of sea salt and super fruity olive oil and you’ve got an interesting and easy side dish.

My Grade: A
Recipe Grade: A, it's not even a recipe really.
Diagnosis: MUST try.

Christine had a little lamb...

I have a slight obsession with lamb. Whenever there’s an occasion to celebrate or some excuse for an ornate meal, I turn to lamb. Whether it’s shanks, rack, loin, shoulder, leg… I love it all! I think my love of lamb has stunted my culinary growth a bit though. When faced with the choice of the choicest meats, I can’t help myself. Why would I make a three-bone prime rib roast for $100 when I can make rack of lamb for 8 for $60? Serving lamb reaps a level of impressiveness that plain ol’ filet mignon will never attain.  Plus, it objectively tastes better. Because my taste is the true measure of good taste, obviously.

Pomegranate Braised Lamb Shanks

So here is my latest rendition of braised lamb shanks. I think I’ve made braised lamb shanks more than any other meat dish. In Ad Hoc, Thomas Keller expounds on the virtues of perfecting a recipe through repetition. If you make a dish over and over, you know the ins and outs of the ingredients and can actually tweek it rather than wholly categorizing the recipe as good or bad then moving on. I have to say, this is one of the first complex recipes I've ever developed by repetition. Diners always rave about it, even my ex-roomie who is generally a vegetarian will eat it. Though it takes 3 hours, it’s not a difficult dish to make. If you have a big pot and some time, you can do it.

3-4 large lamb shanks
2 stalks of celery
2 carrots
1 small onion
3 cloves of garlic confit (regular fresh garlic would be okay, but maybe just 2 cloves)
S & P
1 bay leaf
3 T flour
2 T olive oil
½ bottle of dry red wine
2 T Pomegranate Molasses
3 c chicken broth
1 small can of tomatoes (San Marzano, please)

Season and sear the shanks on all sides in a large heavy pot (like a le Creuset). It will take at least 5 minutes on each side on medium heat to appropriately brown each side. Meanwhile, clean all vegetables and cut into roughly 3” pieces (just to make it easier to blend). Process in a food processor with the flour until finely minced (almost to the point of baby food, but still confetti like).

 

Remove the shanks from the pot and sauté the processed flour and vegetables until lightly browned. Deglaze with the wine, add the stock, bay leaf, tomatoes, pomegranate molasses, and seared shanks. Season with salt and pepper (but not too too much because the sauce will reduce down). Bring to a simmer, cover, and stash in your oven at 225F for three (3!) hours, turning and basting it at least every hour.

At the end of the cook time, either remove the shanks from the pot if you dare (because they will crumble into a tender mass of meaty perfection at the slightest touch of your tongs) or take the lid off and simmer on the stove until the liquid has reduced by half. You may want to baste the shanks often to ensure maximum moistness.

Serve with only a fork and you will be very happy. Serve with baba ghanoush and fresh chickpeas doused in your finest olive oil, and you will be unnaturally happy – the kind of happy that usually only comes in pill form.

Recipe Grade: A
My Grade: A+ (my first!)
Diagnosis: Good for special occasions.

Baba Ghanoush

For some reason, Baba Ghanoush is often overlooked and hummus reigns supreme in Western refrigerators. Baba Ghanoush is a smoky, savory mix of eggplant and tahini that I generally prefer over hummus. Most hummus you get in America is a) cold b) flavorless and c) from a hermetically sealed package. If the hummus has just been made (i.e. hot because you actually boiled the chickpeas yourself) with good tahina (I “imported” mine while on a trip to Israel) and extremely smooth, then I love the stuff. Otherwise, save yourself a night of soaking chickpeas, an hour of boiling the beans, and 10 minutes of your poor food processor’s motor, and instead make Baba Ghanoush. You can make it in a bowl with a fork/masher if you want to, or you can be lazy and put it in the food processor.

Baba Ghanoush

1 medium/large eggplant
2T tahina
½ large lemon
1T parsley
1T olive oil

Prick the eggplant with a fork all over its exterior. If you have a gas stove, turn it on to medium high heat and roast the eggplant over the flame for 3-5 minutes. I roast it for longer, but I like really smoky things which most people do not. If you don’t have a gas stove, put the eggplant under your broiler and turn it occasionally. Afterward, put the charred eggplant on a baking sheet and bake in the oven for 40-50 minutes at 400F. Do not (NOT!) cut the eggplant’s stem off at any point before or during the baking process. After the eggplant is completely soft, remove its stem and skin and process it with the other ingredients. Some people like it to be really smooth, some like it chunkier. I personally like it fairly smooth, but still with some mouth feel.

My Grade: B, I really like the smokiness but 10 minutes on an open flame is too much for most people
Recipe grade: A-, it's too simple to mess up
Diagnosis: if you like hummus but are a little bored by it, try baba ghanoush.