Where I'm Coming From - Richmond Edition

Last Friday we and a few others celebrated my parents' 50th wedding anniversary at Lemaire. A very memorable evening. Before Lemaire's renovation a birthday celebration had gone decidedly sour. On this night they were spot on. Chuck, our waiter extrodinaire, took care of our party of eight and made everyone feel special. Highlights included a wonderfully priced 2006 Grgich Hills Cabernet from Napa, Jumbo Scallops with White Beans and Ham Hock Broth, Ahi Tuna Martini, Jumbo Lump Blue Crab Cakes, and Grilled Beef Tenderloin. Thank you, Lemaire!

Breakfast at The Black Sheep. The Bay and Barn Breakfast Sandwich. Scrambled eggs mixed with crabmeat, country ham, green onion, and Swiss cheese on griddled Texas toast. We had not eaten here in a coon's age. We need to get our asses back soon for more scrumptiousness.

Bay and Barn at The Black Sheep

Last week a girlfriend and I went to Tastebuds American Bistro. While walking between my house and sitting down to dinner I lost an earring. This week Tastebuds contacted us to say they had found my earring! And get this. I had not told them I had lost it. This particular piece of jewelry was special. Hubby had given me the earrings on my 21st birthday. To reunite the pair was particularly sweet. And what a great excuse to have dinner. We enjoyed a black bean encrusted chipotle cheese cake that was stunning! And paired extremely well with the Millsreef Merlot/Malbec. The only possible improvement, according to hubby, would be to throw some crab into the mix. He also enjoyed the Pan Roasted Salmon while I had the Duck Spring Rolls. We always have a good time here.

Black Bean and Chipotle Cheese Cake

Pan Roasted Salmon

Duck Spring Rolls

I have finally joined the Twitter universe (@pjpink101). Still trying to figure things out. I started following Arcadia and mid-week they were offering a free Braveheart Beef Carpaccio. Wow! Twitter was already paying off. We went, enjoyed the carpaccio and went on to dine on rockfish and roasted onion soup. Very lovely. And the wine list is impressive because of the pricing. They feature a $20 list and a $30 list (they have a few higher-priced reserve items, too). We ordered an Alexander Valley Cab from the $20 list. This price is just a buck higher than retail. All of you restaurants charging exorbitant prices, listen up! Why would I want to patronize you if Arcadia has great food and much more wine reasonable prices? Speaking with the owner, who visited each table to check on the meal, he said because of his wine prices, most tables order a bottle and he has a constant turnover of wine.

Purple Rice Crusted Rockfish with Spinach Absinthe Cream

Last night after visiting the opening of Simply Photography 8 at Art Works, we headed over to Aziza's on Main for wood-fired oven pizza. We always like the Pepperoni and Peppers Pizza. It reminds us of the pizza we had in Florence, Italy. Yum. We also ordered a White Pizza and replaced the fontina with mozzarella and topped it with prosciutto. So. So. Good.

White Pizza with Prosciutto

My Favorite Dish from The Belvidere at Broad

White Bean Hummus a photo by pjpink on Flickr.

Organic White Bean Hummus Plate - Served with red peppers, feta cheese, kalamata olives and house made pita.

A heavenly dish!

The Belvidere at Broad

The Scribbler with Glass

The Scribbler with Glass a photo by pjpink on Flickr.

We had this Cabernet/Shiraz blend at Fleming's last week. Lots of in-your-face flavor.

A Bear of an Evening

I had bear last night. Let me correct myself. I cooked bear and ate bear last night.

Here's the story. A while ago one of our friends expressed an interest in finding some bear meat and asked if we would try it with him and his sweetie. We were willing, but, apparently, the cost proved exorbitant. Nothing more was said.

Hubby and I visit my parents for Christmas and guess what? A hunter had shot a bear on my father's farm and given him some bear meat. The "bear invasion" where my folks live was the talk of the entire county over the holidays. Now, my mother does not cook (or at least not much) and even if she did cook, no way would she even think about consuming bear. Thus, hubby and I were the lucky recipients of the much-talked-about meat.

The plot was then hatched. Have our unsuspecting couple over for dinner with enticements of pheasant (my father goes pheasant hunting on occasion and my mother does not cook pheasant, either). We set the date and now a slight case of panic ensues. How do I cook this hunk of meat?? What else do I serve with it? Maybe I should have a backup dish just in case?

We tossed out a few ideas and did a bit of research on the internet. Grilling had some drawbacks. Bear was supposed to be tough and it needed to be thoroughly cooked due to potential trichinosis (did you know that bear is part of the porcine family?). The hunting and cook what you shot websites were less than stellar in information, recipes, etc. I asked another hunter friend of mine and he found a bear burgundy recipe. This seemed acceptable. We then decided to prepare the bear two different ways. We looked to Indian cuisine and found a Rogan Josh recipe made with lamb and substituted bear instead.

The prep work began the Sunday before the dinner on Saturday. The bear had to thaw. On Thursday I prepared a white wine marinade with carrots, onions, and herbs (most of the internet advice stated that bear needed to be marinated at least a couple of days). The meat itself was a very dark red, almost purple. It reminded me of ostrich in some ways. I trimmed as much of the fat off as I could before marinating.

On Friday, I took half of the bear, dried it off, and cut it into chunks. I then placed it in a marinade of ginger root, garlic, and plain yogurt.

Saturday - the big day. The bear meat left in the white wine marinade was removed, dried off, and cut up into bite-sized pieces. I placed the meat in a heavy enamel pot, topped it with carrots and onions, and covered it with beef stock and red wine. The top was placed on the pot and into a 325 degree oven for about 3 hours. For the Rogan Josh I sauteed onions, added various spices (cardamon, coriander, cumin, chili powder, bay leaves), sauteed the bear, and added chopped tomatoes and tomato paste. Usually, this dish calls for braising on top of the stove. I covered the pot and placed it in the oven, instead to cook for more than 2 hours.

While all of that was hopefully making the bear tender, I worked on a pumpkin and shrimp bisque and a back-up dish: chicken with green olives and capers.

Our unsuspecting guests arrived. We planned it so all was hidden and we shooed them into the dining room for a bit of cheese and wine. I served the soup. A bit twangy due to the New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc I used, but decent. Hubby would have liked more shrimp in the dish.

After the soup we presented the chicken first and also wild rice. Puzzled faces appeared. This did not look like pheasant. We then presented the bear along with the story of our acquiring the meat.

The long slow cooking did the trick. The bear was tender and looked a lot like beef with a venison, slightly gamey flavor. Both dishes were tasty. We enjoyed a 2007 Cline Ancient Vines Zinfandel with the meal. Given the vast differences in cooking preparations, this wine served us well.

Bear Burgundy

Bear Rogan Josh

For dessert, our guests brought a pear, cranberry, and maple pie. Yummy!

So wow! We had bear. It was good. I'm not sure I would pay top dollar price for it, but if someone handed me some bear meat, I would not turn it down.

And our friend could cross another item off of his bucket list.

Steak Frites at Stronghill Dining Co

Steak Frites a photo by pjpink on Flickr.

Stronghill features small plates. The Steak Frites was plenty big with a nice plump sirloin and herbed fries. Pimento cheese can be served either on the side or atop the beef.

And kudos to our waiter. We ordered Manhattans and he let us enjoy our cocktails before he took our dinner order. I was much pleased.

Bacon Cheeseburger at OMG Cafe

Bacon Cheeseburger a photo by pjpink on Flickr.

A great tasting burger with cheese, bacon, and sauteed onions. Served up with a side of onion rings. OMG delicious.

Philippine Cafe

Growing up, my hubby had school friends who were Filipino. He regularly consumed pancit (a rice noodle dish) and lumpia (egg rolls). As he lost touch with his friends, he lost the source of this cuisine.

Yesterday he found it again as we lunched at Philippine Cafe on Courthouse Road. We went to lunch late and walked into an empty, neatly decorated establishment. We were warmly greeted and were invited to sit anywhere. We chose a cozy booth.

We ordered Pancit Bihon - rice noodles with chicken and pork and Egg Rolls with ground meat and veggies.

We consumed a generous portion of egg rolls served with duck sauce. A good balance of meat to vegetables. Very satisfying.

The pancit was not as dry as my hubby remembered, but still a nice flavor. The portions, again, were generous. While we wanted to scarf the entire dish on the spot, we refrained and took some home. We reheated it the next day and discovered it was even better. The flavors had infused the noodles and the reheating made the noodles drier. My hubby was transported back to his childhood.

Tales of Two Wine Dinners

Hubby and I were fortunate enough to attend two wine dinners in December.

Scallop, lamb chop, and rockfish stated the wine dinner menu. What had I gotten myself into? Tastebuds American Bistro was hosting their only wine dinner of the year and a sparkling one at that. We reserved spots before we saw the menu knowing it would sell out quickly. And then I received the list of courses. I am not a lamb fan and I tolerate fish. Hubby asked if I wanted to cancel. I said no. I had eaten fish at Tastebuds before (at a wine dinner) and raved about it. I just had to worry about the lamb.

We arrived, albeit a bit late. I was sure dinner started at 7 PM. It began at 6 PM. Thank goodness they called us at 6:05 PM. We live so close we were seated and having an amuse bouche cocktail (vodka, sparkling, lemon accompanied by an olive!) by 6:15PM.

Course 1
Charred Sea Scallop, Chimichurri of Watercress and Grapefruit, Cucumber Foam with Secco Brut from Italy

The non-traditional chimichurri was delightful and enhanced the flavor of the scallop.

Course 2
Salad of Artisanal Greens, Southern Fried Golden Beets, Cambozola Cheese, White Balsamic Pear Dressing with Castillo Perelada Rosado Cava Brut from Spain

So we did call the restaurant ahead of time to request no blue cheese of any type. It gives my hubby violent reactions. The dressing was wonderful and the lovely rosy Cava paired very well. The fried golden beets were unusual and I liked the inventive take on the dish.

Course 3
Pecan Crusted Lamb Chop, Butternut Squash-Cherry-Blue-Cheese Cobbler, Swiss Chard Gastrique with Grasparossa d'Castelvetro Lambrusco from Italy

The moment of truth: lamb chop. And my god, it was fantastic. No musky lamby taste at all. I enjoyed every tender morsel. The cobbler (sans blue cheese) I also raved on about. A wonderful savory cobbler that was perfect for the fall going into winter time of year. The gastrique was interesting. If the room had been a bit lighter, one could have really picked up the dark green color and I'm not sure that would have been a good thing. But the sauce looked more brown in the restaurant lighting. And you may be asking about the Lambrusco wine pairing. This was not your Ruinite from an '80's college dorm. It was deep red and dry. A hearty sparkling and the perfect accompaniment to the awesome lamb.

Course 4
Butter Roasted Rockfish, Little Neck Clams, Sweet Corn and Yukon Gold Puree, Warm Lemon-Pancetta Vinaigrette with Argyle Brut from Willamette Valley Oregon

Fish after lamb, you say? A bit unorthodox, but the dish was richer than the lamb given the butter roasting. An excellent assembly of flavors. I loved the rockfish and it was great to have a few little neck clams. The corn and potato puree added to the richness of the dish. The lemon and pancetta gave a counter-balance. With all of these essences the Argyle Brut was an excellent choice of sparkling. Argyle Brut is well made and one of the best, most accessible, nearest-to-real-champagne in the market today. It ably met fish, butter, lemon, and pancetta and enhanced the course. Well done!

Course 5
Goat Cheese Filled Beignet, Rhubarb-Apple Compote and Chocolate Lavender Ganache with Fitz-Ritter Riesling Sekt from Germany

Yummy! I particularly liked the use of sweetened goat cheese for the beignet.

This was the only wine dinner Tastebuds American Bistro had in 2011 and since they are open on Sundays now, it is hard for them to host a dinner of this type. I'm so glad we took the blind menu plunge.

For the other dinner, we knew the menu ahead of time and attended a Holiday Feast in Alsace at Amour Wine Bistro. We had never eaten at Amour. The menu featured sauerkraut and Alsatian wine (all white). Since this was a dinner with optional wine pairings, it was a bit different than what we were used to. Only three courses had wine pairings.

Mise en Bouche - Tarte Flambee - Onion, Bacon, and Cheese on Flatbread

A traditional Alsatian dish. Very tasty. I took the leaves off of the sprig of thyme and sprinkled it on the tarte and it was even better. No wine with this dish.

First Course
Saucisse de Strasbourg sur Choucroute - Strasbourg Sausage on a Bed of Sauerkraut paired with 2010 Fritsch Pinot Blanc

While I'm a bit timid about sauerkraut, this was lovely and mild. The sausage and other pork preparations were delicious. And the Pinot Blanc simply heavenly. The pairing with both the kraut and pork was sheer brilliance! I wished we could have had another glass of this heavenly nectar since the dish was fairly large portion-wise. A great example of traditional Alsatian fare.

Amuse Bouche - Grumbeerekiechle - Potato Pancake with Apple Compote

The apple compote was lovely. The potato pancake was a bit bland after the wonderful flavors of the first course. No wine with the amuse bouche.

Second Course
Coq au Riesling with Spaetzle - Chicken slowly cooked in dry white wine paired with 2009 Heimberger Riesling

This dish was bland which surprised me. We had been looking forward to this dish and had been the deciding factor in attending. The wine was a decent pairing, but overall we were not wowed.

Third Course
Munster en Croute - Munster Cheese in Puff Pastry

The pastry was flaky and the cheese strong. A great little course packed with flavor. Unfortunately, no wine was served with this course and the cheese was crying out (at the end, screaming) for some wine. I would loved to have seen which Alsatian wine could stand up to the cheese. An opportunity lost.

Fourth Course
Kougelhopf Glace au Kirsch, Beignets aux Pommes - Raspberry Ice Cream Confection with Apple Beignet paired with Cremant d'Alsace

Hubby ate the raspberry, since I am not a fan and he was happy to have a double helping. I liked the apple beignet and also enjoyed the sparkling wine for dessert.

This dinner had some highs and lows. Being a fan of wine and food pairings, I had expected a wine pairing with all of the dishes. They were large enough to warrant it. I was mightily impressed with the first course - the best part of the evening. Hubby and I will need to go to Amour for a regular dinner sometime soon to compare experiences.

A shout out to both establishments for being nominated for the 1st Annual Elby Awards! Amour Wine Bistro was nominated for Best Wine Program and Tastebuds American Bistro Chef Ryan Baldwin was nominated for Rising Culinary Star.

Close to Perfection

Dinner at Enoteca Sogno:

• Aperol Spritz
• Occhipinti SP68 - Red Wine from Sicily
• White Beans with Arugula and Onion
• Duck Ragu with Tagliatelle
• Marscapone Cheesecake with Maple

All wrapped up in personable service! Cheers!

Aperol Spritz

Here's Hoping You Got What You Wanted For Christmas!

Santa Ornament a photo by pjpink on Flickr.

Happy Holidays All! I'll be enjoying an herbed rib roast with duck fat roasted potatoes and cranberry orange green beans,

Later on, I'll have a bit of egg nog with vanilla-infused Wild Turkey!

A Merry Christmas, indeed!

Merry Bah Humbug

We experienced a lovely tasting dinner at Amuse. The amuse bouche was a tasty little bite of chopped peppers and olives with feta on crostini. Festive and delicious. A sparkling pear cocktail for me; a cider, ginger beer, and blackstrap rum for hubby. Decadent. A small, yet satisfying charcuterie plate with coppa, prosciutto, and speck with the cutest cornichons, A 2009 Textbook Cabernet Sauvignon to accompany the entree (the waiter butchered the cork with no apology). Luscious. We ordered the special: Pot Roast with kale, parsnips, and potatoes. A wonderful presentation of winter comfort food with a slab of herbed grilled bread.

Great food. We were feeling merry. And while our waiter did not pay enough attention to us to refill our wine glasses, we did not pay him any mind. It's Christmas after all.

And then, while I was still enjoying my meal (still had food on my plate), our bah humbug of a waiter had the audacity to interrupt my meal to ask if we wanted dessert. I still had food on my plate and was actively eating! I still had Textbook wine to enjoy! I said no and he remained at the table to ask if we wanted any coffee. Hello!!? I had not finished my wine (which he never asked if he could pour more) nor my food. I was not ready to think about coffee. And then this waiter asked if I had finished my plate. NO! I still had food on my plate! The only reason I had not finished was because he had interrupted me.

I was pissed and the evening tarnished. This person at Amuse had waited on us in times past and had always been a bit nonchalant. Tonight he was downright annoying.

A restaurant of this caliber and and price point should have better staff (and most of the other staff members who have waited on us in the past have been delightful).

The next time we make plans to eat at Amuse, which might be a while given our experience tonight, we will request to not be served by this bah humbug of a waiter.

SOJ 12/3/2011

The last South of the James Market for this year. The winter market begins next Saturday at Patrick Henry School. Lots of greens and yummy white turnips. Mrs. Yoder still had donuts and I needed one last fix before Spring.

I was extremely sad to hear that Fertile Crescent Farm is pulling up stakes and moving to Floyd to start a new adventure. I will miss your produce, particularly, the washed and bagged arugula. The best. Good luck with your new endeavor.

Here are a few photos:

Carmen is ready to be adopted. Contact Richmond Animal Care

If you have pics of any of the local markets, post them here.

T-Bone Prep

T-Bone Prep a photo by pjpink on Flickr.

To make herb-roasted T-Bone steak:

Chop up fresh parsley and oregano and a clove of garlic. Add just enough olive oil to mix and then add sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Rub the mixture on the steak and let rest at least 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

In a frying pan that can withstand high oven temps, heat on stove over medium-high. Place beef in frying pan and sear for about 2-3 minutes per side. Place pan in oven and roast for 20-30 minutes depending on how you like your steak. (Be careful pulling pan out of oven. Use oven mitts!)

SOJ 11/19/2011

Vendors still in abundance at the South of the James Market. We picked up our pre-ordered fresh turkey from Ault's yesterday. Quite a few vendors selling lovely looking lettuces and greens as well as persimmons and fresh ginger. Mrs. Yoder continues her donut reign. Two more Saturdays for the regular market. After that, the winter market kicks in.

Here are a few photos:

If you have local market photos, post them here.

Chasing Away the Marathon Blues

What does one do when the Richmond Marathon has one penned in on all sides? I'm glad that the marathon brings honor, glory, and, hopefully, some tourist dollars to our fair city. But I literally cannot go anywhere in a car until it's over.

This year we were smart and strolled over to Dot's Back Inn for brunch. After a Bloody Mary and a Mimosa we weren't caring that much about feeling trapped.

And then I had the Smithfield Benedict - English muffin, country ham, fried egg (over easy), and hollandaise sauce. Served with a side of home fries. Yummy!

Did Richmond have a marathon?

I want to thank the staff for making extra efforts to get to work. While they made us forget all about our brief inconvenience, they had to park quite a ways from Dot's and hoof it to work.