1 North Belmont - Four Star Food, One Star Service

It was the best for food; it was the worst for service. And thus begins my husband’s birthday dinner saga. We stopped at CanCan for pre-dinner Kir Royales. Refreshing, fruity, yummy. We then strolled over to 1 North Belmont. We had dined there a couple of years ago and had a delightful time. We started with a glass of wine – a 2003 Cotes du Rhone for him, a 2002 Cotes du Ventoux for me. Both very lovely as we poured over both the menu and the wine list. We lingered over our choices imagining wine and food pairings in our heads. At last consensus was achieved. For the wine we selected a 2002 Chateau Terrey-Gros-Cailloux Cru Bourgeois Saint-Julien. A bit shy at first, very reluctant to show off her considerable flavor and earthiness; but she made up for it after airing out a bit. As appetizers I chose a Vichyssoise de Cresson (watercress) served with Crème Fraiche and Crabmeat. This soup was true to tradition and served cold. I’ve discovered that I’m not a fan of cold soups. I think the flavors would have been more intense if heated and giving the crème fraiche an opportunity to meld with the liquid (but this is just my opinion and many diners enjoy cold soup). My spouse ordered Saumon Roulade Bellevue - Salmon, hot smoked right here in Urbanna, Virginia with Crème Fraiche Rolled in a Chive Crepe with Quail Egg & American Farm-raised Sturgeon Caviar. He truly admired the presentation. Unfortunately, he had to admire it for many minutes before tasting it. Alas, he was served the salmon and my soup was no where to be seen. It took our waiter many minutes to even notice. When I finally received it, no apology was forthcoming. It may have been at this point that the waiter decided to give up on good service at our table. We will never know. We do know that as the food increasingly became more delicious, the service increasingly became non-existent. For our main course we both selected the Entrecôte au Poivre Peppercorn-Crusted New York Strip with Pommes Frites & Cognac, Green Pepper Cream Sauce. Served medium rare and very tender. In fact, no steak knife required. The sauce was perfectly balanced. And the pairing with the wine, sublime! We reveled in our good fortune. But, after a few precious bites my husband ran out of wine and the waiter did not return for at least 10 minutes. The food began to cool and when our waiter finally did arrive, he did not even notice the empty glass. We needed to remind him. My husband’s glass emptied again, and, unthinkably, the same thing happened (except this time our waiter had another waiter pour for us).

At this point I need to elaborate on a little quirk of 1 North Belmont. This unusual behavior can have a stunning effect on the dining experience or it can totally ruin the meal. If a bottle of wine is ordered, the waiter opens the bottle and pours it for the table. The bottle is then whisked away to a buffet table at the back of the restaurant. This should ensure that the waiter pays greater attention to the table. The norm is that the wine consumer should not have an empty glass during the meal unless the bottle is empty. Let me say that we took part of our wine home with us (extremely unusual) due to the abysmal service.

As we pondered upon whether we should have gotten up from our meal and retrieved our bottle, we waxed philosophic on meal service. If an establishment has good food (but maybe not spectacular), great service will make up for the difference. Unfortunately, great food will not make up for poor service (especially at 1 North Belmont prices).

A Chilean I Can Rave About

In the last few years I have found few Chilean wines that have grabbed my attention. Too earthy, too light, too just plain bad. But those cheap prices are oh so seductive. Well, I ran across a hot one last night and I think I will keep him.

The 2003 Chilensis Reserva Syrah from San Rafael Valley won me over. The winery is named after the Jubaea Chilensis palm tree which is native to Chile. The wine itself was $9 (I believe it was purchased at Once Upon a Vine). Of course, the wine has an intense deep purple characteristic of the Syrah grape. Being easy on the eye is always a plus, but what about smarts and personality? Plummy fruit upfront with just a touch of rugged earthiness. Tart cherry on the finish with the memory sticking around for a while. Nice to sip or have with leftovers (such as Roma's pasta alla puttanesca!).

Cheap, handsome, and ready for a good time! Are there any more like him around?

Roma Ristorante Italiano

Yesterday, I became a duly sworn election officer, attending a 5 hour class that ended at 6 PM. I was in no mood to cook. My husband suggested that we try Roma’s. This Italian restaurant has been around a while. A couple of years ago they moved to a new location at the corner of Staples Mill and Hermitage. I also discovered that there are three other Roma’s (Tappahannock, Petersburg, and Sandston).

Roma’s boasts an Italian villa décor and Neptune (complete with fountain) greets guests as they enter. Rustic ceramic tiles and faux-plastered walls, tall sky-blue ceilings with clouds evoking an open-air atmosphere, street lamps lining the aisles – for the most part tastefully done (I’ve seen some very cheesy versions of this theme in other places). We were seated and handed a six page menu, a special drink list (including an impressive selection of Red Bull concoctions), and an extensive menu of mixed drink selections. After taking a few minutes to scan the offerings, we discovered that the wine list had not been included. Bill, our waiter, produced it forthwith. Compared to the mixed drinks, the wine list was tiny (about 15 wine offerings total) and contained Italian red standards – Ruffino Chianti Classico Riserva Ducale Gold for ~$75, Chianti Classico for ~$24, Col-di-Sasso Cabernet-Sangiovese for ~$19. We stuck with a middle of the road 2002 Volpaia Chianti Classico – bright fruit, easy to drink, and, of course, good pairing with all things tomato-esque.

We ordered garlic cheese bread to start. We were presented with a 12 inch sub roll split in half, slathered with artery clogging buttery garlic spread and topped with a good amount of melted mozzarella. It was served with a side of tomato sauce. For us it was comfort food of the Italian/American variety. The sauce went very well with the cheesy bread. Nothing too fancy, but a real crowd pleaser.

For the main course, my husband ordered Baked Ziti with meat sauce. I went out on a limb and selected Pasta alla Puttanesca. All entrees arrived in huge portions and steaming hot. Mine also came with a tossed salad – iceberg lettuce, chopped peppers and mushrooms, onion slivers, bacon bits, and Italian dressing in a little plastic cup. The Baked Ziti was good. My husband really liked the meat sauce and was very pleased that the mozzarella cheese was nicely browned on top. For the Puttanesca I was able to choose my own pasta (Bill, our waiter, only offered me two choices with some coaxing on my part, so I’m not sure if Roma’s only had two choices or if Bill didn’t know what the choices were). I selected the fettuccini. The menu describes this dish as “Hot and spicy! Chunks of tomatoes, black olives, hot peppers, and capers in its own special sauce.” The description did not disappoint. Lots of chopped black olives, but the sliced, pickled cherry peppers did not allow the olives to overpower the dish. And the peppers added spiciness which blended well throughout the dish. I was quite pleased. The dinner came with bread and butter, but after the garlic bread there was no way we could eat more bread. We ended up taking the dinner rolls, two-thirds of my dish and half of my husband’s dish home. Leftovers this week should be marvelous.

The only thing that seemed a little disturbing was how the tables were bussed. A guy would roll a utility cart filled with grey plastic bins over the tiled villa floor clinking glasses and silverware. Although I understand the efficiency of this practice, the visual and aural experience of the dining public is not very pleasant.

Both hubby and I thought Roma’s would be a great place to take relatives. Nice family atmosphere, decent decoration, great food, huge portions, and a lot of menu choices.

Crazy for El Toro Loco?

Last night my husband, our friend ET, and I had dinner at El Toro Loco. The place is located on Staples Mill Road and took over the old Sal Federico’s. As we were being seated we were promptly served the obligatory chips and salsa. And the service remained prompt and attentive for the entire evening. As for the chips – they were golden-hued, light and crisp. Very pleasing. The salsa, on the other hand left a little to be desired. A lot of tomato flavor (no tomato chunks – which is a plus for me), but scarcely any other tastes present. Other “chunky” salsa elements were missing – cilantro, peppers, onions, etc.

It being a Friday and the end of a long work week, margaritas were the beverages of choice. ET ordered a grande strawberry frozen margarita. She pronounced it as good and hard hitting. Hubby ordered a regular golden margarita on the rocks, no salt. He thought the margarita mix used was decent, but there was an absence of golden tequila (at least he was not able to really detect the agave nectar). I went for the grande golden margarita on the rocks, with salt. It came in more of a margarita bowl on a stem. I needed two hands to steady her. And even though I also could not find a distinctive golden tequila flavor, by the time I reached the bottom of the bowl, the tequila buzz effect had found me.

As we perused the menu for entrees, one thing stood out – El Toro Loco had ranked the hotness of dishes with no, one, two, or three chile designations. ET decided upon the Combo # 4, cheese enchiladas. She said that one could not mess up cheese enchiladas too much. She was pleased with the portion size, which was not huge. It was served with Spanish rice which lacked flavor and refried beans that were very tasty. My spouse opted for the Nachos Salad. The ground beef packed a lot of flavor, but the sour cream-like sauce was very runny and made the chips soggy. It seemed like he was eating his meal atop a thin tamale instead of chips. I made the riskiest move of the night and ordered Burritos Alegres – a one chile selection. It consisted of two marinated beef tip filled burritos smothered in melted queso cheese. The beef was very flavorful and the burritos were packed with meat. And it lived up to the one chile reputation – a little heat, but not overwhelming. My only disappointment was that the dish was not served with any sides. Some rice or beans would have been good to break up eating the beef.

Although we had a decent meal, it was run-of-the-mill Richmond Mexican restaurant fare. Crazy for El Toro Loco? Well…perhaps, not.

Herb Roasted T Bone Steak

Last night I roasted a T bone steak for my husband and myself to share. Probably the best steak I have ever cooked (and I do a good job with steaks). First of all I purchased a big honking T Bone from The Fresh Market. When I got home I minced up one garlic clove and mixed it with a few sprigs of fresh oregano (chopped). Then I added this Hawaiian black sea salt that I found a couple of weeks ago at Sur La Table. I then drizzled extra virgin olive oil over the mix (maybe two teaspoons) and stirred to incorporate. The herb mixture was rubbed all over the steak and placed in the refrigerator for about an hour. The wait afforded me the opportunity to pop open a bottle of Cray Brut 2001 Montlouis sparkling wine and mix it with a little cherry juice (the joys of cool refreshment on a stifling hot evening). A glass or two later, I took the steak out of the fridge and let it rest at room temperature for 15 minutes or so. I also turned the oven on to 450 degrees. In a frying pan (good enough to go into a hot oven) I placed a tiny dab of olive oil and turned the burner to medium high. When the pan became hot, in went the steak to sear, about 3 minutes per side. I then placed the pan and steak in the oven and roasted the steak for about 25 minutes. Carefully, using potholders (I had a run-in with a hot handle from the oven a few months ago), I took the pan out and placed it back on the burner and turned the burner to medium. Into the pan I poured about 1/2 cup of the sparkling wine and deglazed the pan and boiled the herby liquid down to a sauce consistency. I split the T bone with hubby and poured the sauce over the steaks. The flavors melded into each other divinely. For sides I prepared baked potatoes with chive sour cream and sauteed green beans with shallots. Because we knew we had something special going for the steak we pulled out a special bottle of red - 1994 Dry Creek Vineyard 25th Anniversary Cabernet Sauvignon. We both decided that the garnet nectar was at its drinking peak. Lots of body, the tanins had eased off, and the rich fruit burst through.

The Joys of Pillsbury Refrigerated Pie Crust

I grew up with Pillsbury dough – canned biscuits, crescent & cinnamon rolls, raw cookie dough. For the most part Pillsbury dough is ubiquitous. It all tastes the same. And I’ll pass on the canned biscuits, thank you. So, it was with extreme reluctance that I tried the refrigerated roll-up pie dough. And I have to admit that this time, Pillsbury has nailed it!

One day my husband requested that I make chicken pot pie. I make a mean chicken or turkey shepherd’s pie (with mashed potatoes serving as the crust), but I have never been successful at making pie crust. He knows this and suggested the Pillsbury version. I balked, but since he is a sweetie (most of the time), I took the plunge. The crust was perfect!

Of course, the refrigerated packages contain two crusts. What should I do with the other package? Well, I put it in the freezer to keep for a while. And in a just a little while I ran into the Westhampton Market on Patterson on the way home from work. On this day they had very ripe Anjou pears. The pears were almost bursting with juice. I purchased two along with some dried cranberries. At home, I took out the pie dough to thaw. I placed about ¼ cup of cranberries in a small pot; peeled, seeded, & sliced the pears; poured in a tiny amount of pear nectar and simmered the concoction until most of the liquid had evaporated. I turned the oven to 350 degrees. I covered an air bake cookie sheet with a piece of aluminum foil. I unrolled the dough and placed it on the cookie sheet. In the middle of the circle of dough I spooned out the pear-cranberry mixture. This left about 1 – 1 ½ inches of dough uncovered by the fruit concoction. I took the uncovered part and folded it over the mixture similar to a rustic tart look that was popular in the foodie magazines a while ago. I left a little hole in the middle with pear peaking out. Into the oven it went. I took it out when the crust was a soft golden color. Very nice indeed.

I now rave about Pillsbury pie crusts to others. And I’ve tried other variations – apples & cranberries, blackberries & pears. And served it with homemade whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Sangria

Lorikeet does make a great base for Sangria! Here's the recipe:

pjpink's sangria

1/4 to 1/2 cup orange flavored liqueur (I used Gran Gala, but Grand Marnier, Cointreau, or Triple Sec should serve you well)
1 to 2 cups orange juice (the fresh squeezed kind is preferable)
1 bottle Lorikeet Sparkling Shiraz (if you can't find the sparkling, select a very jammy Australian still Shiraz)
1 lemon, thinly sliced and deseeded
1 orange, thinly sliced and deseeded

Put everything in a pitcher and stir. Serve over ice. Repeat, if needed.

Lorikeet Sparkling Shiraz

Yes, it's sparkling from Australia, and it's red. I picked this up at Kroger for $10. After a wickedly hot day, this cold bubbly red seemed appropriate. Not sweet, but containing a jammy flavor that can be typical of Australian Shiraz. Unlike a true champagne, the bubbles dissipate after about 10 minutes, but we are talking about a $10 bottle. And, a little warning, if you are driving, don't drink this stuff. The alcohol content is 14%. I served it (at home) with roasted red peppers, fresh basil, and fresh mozzarella on ciabatta bread. I brushed the ciabatta with olive oil, piled up the toppings (mozzarella on top), added some fresh ground black pepper, and popped it into a 450 degree oven for about 10 minutes.

I also think this sparkling would make a great base for Sangria.

Book Club Supper

We spent a delightful evening discussing Marley and Me by John Grogan. Since the gathering was at my house, I prepared the food.

Chicken Casserole

1 or 2 tablespoons of olive oil

4 to 6 boneless chicken breasts, cut up into bite-sized pieces and salted & peppered

3 strips of darned good bacon, cut up into ~1/4 inch strips

1 sweet onion, chopped

5 to 6 carrots, diced

dried herbs of your choice (parsley, thyme, or lavender would be my choices – or any combination of the three)

¼ cup flour

2 to 4 cups chicken broth, heated (nuke for a couple of minutes before using)

4 to 6 Yukon gold potatoes, diced

salt

pepper

Warning: All measurements are approximate. Results may vary.

Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees. In a largish heavy bottom pot that can go into the oven (make sure it has a top – I like to use Le Creuset), pour in the olive oil. Heat oil to medium-high, dump in the chicken, and sauté for a few minutes. Use a nylon or silicon spatula to move the chicken bites around. At this point the chicken does not need to be done. Take the chicken out and put in a bowl out of the way. Dump in the bacon, onions, and carrots. Sprinkle some salt. Stir around and let cook until onions are tender. Make sure to stir occasionally so the onions do not burn (if you want to turn the heat down to medium, go ahead). Sprinkle in the herbs. Stir some more. Once the onions are tender, add the flour and stir some more. The flour will soak up the oil and juices and make things a little gloppy. This is a good thing. Before the mixture really browns the bottom of the pot, pour about 2 cups of chicken broth. Scrape the bottom of the pot and stir to incorporate the flour. Put the chicken back into the pot and dump the potatoes into the pot. Pour more chicken broth in until it’s about even with the height of the mixture. Turn the heat up and let the stuff come to a boil. When boiling, cover pot and place in the oven (please, use pot holders!). Keep in oven between an hour and an hour and a half. Take out and serve.

This dish was served with Italian peasant bread from the Metro Bakery and a salad made with my Famous Dressing. If you want my salad dressing recipe go to the pjpink’s famous salad dressing entry.

Dinner, Movie, & After-Dinner Drinks

Yes, you, too, could have a wonderful evening. Our evening began with an early dinner at Bin 22 at Betsy's. This wine bar located in Carytown was perfect for our movie agenda. We quaffed a 1/2 bottle of a Hess 2002 Cabernet Sauvignon ($22) and dined on paninis ($8 each). My pressed sandwich consisted of Black Forest ham, Gruyere cheese, and sliced pears. My husband had the smoked turkey, Gruyere cheese, and sliced apples. While hubby's had a tart flavor because of the apples, mine was more sublime with the pears melding into the ham. Both were accompanied by a mixed green salad with balsamic vinaigrette.

And, now, on to the movies. At the Byrd Theatre, of course ($2 per person). We watched Thank you for Smoking. Very tongue in cheek. Don't forget popcorn, beverages, and Snowcaps ($11). During the Byrd commercials, we espied an offer too good to let go: bring your ticket stub to CanCan after the movie and receive a 1/2 glass of house wine for free.

After the show we made a beeline to CanCan. We ordered the house red, a Cotes du Ventoux (free!). And while it would not be our top choice, Bob, the wine director, does a great job with selecting all of the wines for CanCan. The 1/2 glass pour was 3 oz. and people-watching and eavesdropping at the bar is always fun. Of course, CanCan gets you in the door and as we watch other orders being prepare, we want something else, too. My spouse ordered the Cafe Francais and I have a small Cafe Creme ($10 including a nice tip for the barkeep).

A great evening, all within Carytown. And all for ~$70. Yeah!

pjpink's famous salad dressing

What a scorcher yesterday! And, alas, only the beginning of wicked hot weather. So, salad time is upon us, and everyone should have a kick-ass salad dressing. This one is mine:

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
1/4 cup apple cider vinegar
1/4 cup sugar
1 garlic clove mashed
1 teaspoon dried basil or 1 tablespoon fresh basil, chopped (or more or less to taste)
salt and pepper to taste
2 heads Romaine lettuce, torn into bite size pieces
1/2 head radicchio, sliced very thin
1/2 cup cashews

Pour the oil and vinegar into a medium bowl and whisk until incorporated. Add sugar and whisk again. Add the rest of the ingredients and whisk. Place in refrigerator for half an hour or so.

Place lettuce and radicchio in large salad bowl. Whisk dressing one more time, extract the garlic, and pour over salad. Toss to coat. Sprinkle cashews over salad.

If someone asks you for the recipe, feel free to share, but please give pjpink some credit!

Kuba Kuba

We got take out from Kuba Kuba last night. Located in the Fan at Lombardy and Park and a staple of the community for years. I didn't feel like cooking and my spouse did not want to go out to eat. I love this hole-in-the-wall place. I walked in, put in my order, and sat on one of the counter stools and enjoyed a limeade while I waited. Kuba Kuba's limeades are more tart than the ones at Croaker's Spot. As I waited I surveyed the kitchy items on the wall and watched the laid back wait staff deftly handle more limeades, meals, and espressos. When I arrived home with the goods, we ate outside on our deck (probably one of the last times we will be able to eat outside without sweltering). Dinner was Cuban Pork sandwiches. It had been a while. Tender roast pork, thin slice of ham, melted cheese, sliced dill pickle, yellow mustard - what a great combination. And don't forget, everything is stuffed into a generous Cuban sub roll and then pressed. Panninis have nothing on this. We washed it down with a 2000 Muga Rioja Riserva. Divine. The only thing missing was the Cafe con Leche (with sweetened condensed milk) for dessert.

London Broil with Vegetable Medley

Vacations are behind me. The cook stove is once again a-burnin’. For tonight London Broil strikes my fancy (and hopefully, hubby’s, too!). And away we go…

Get yourself a London Broil. Mine tonight weighs about 1 1/3 pounds. Make slashes across the top of the slab of beef like so…///////. Don’t slash all the way through. Turn the meat over and repeat for the other side…///////. Set the beef aside. Grab 2-4 cloves of garlic; peel them and then smash them (I like to use a meat cleaver to smash the garlic. I think of it as a way to work off road rage tension.). Get a gallon size plastic zip-loc bag. Pour in about ½ cup of olive oil, then pour in about 2 tablespoons of red wine vinegar (all portions are approximate – you can also use other types of vinegar). Toss in the smashed garlic and then throw in some dried herbs (tonight, I am using dried rosemary sprigs that my sweetie grew for me last year). Mix everything up by gently shaking the bag. Be careful not to let it spill out, the oily mess is a bear to clean up. Put the London Broil in, seal up the bag, shake it around to coat the meat, set the bag on a plate or bowl, and set the stuff in the refrigerator. Leave it alone for about ½ hour and then flip it over. After flipping, let it stay put another ½ hour. Take it out of the refrigerator, flip again, place on the counter and let it come to room temperature (usually about ½ hour). Preheat the oven using the broil setting. Take the meat out of the marinade and place it on a broiler pan. Salt and pepper the up side. Broil for about five minutes. Flip the meat, salt and pepper that side, and broil for another five minutes. This should give you a medium rare hunk of beef. You can adjust to your tastes accordingly. Slice the London Broil as thick or as thin as you like (or as sharp as your knife is). Serve with veggies.

I’ll be serving this bad boy with a vegetable medley. My medley consists of onions, fresh white corn sliced off the cob, red bell pepper, and zucchini – all diced. When you dice up the zucchini, put the slices on a paper towel and sprinkle with salt; cover with another paper towel. This draws out some of the water and any bitterness in the green squash. Sauté the onions in a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt. Add the peppers. When the onions have softened (10-15 minutes, maybe?), add the corn. Keep stirring occasionally. At the very end add the zucchini and cook until the right tenderness for you.

Yummy!

Pork in Tomatillo Sauce with Cumin Rice

Here's what I'm fixing for dinner tonight:

First of all here are the ingredients (more or less) – 4 boneless country style pork ribs, 5 tomatillos (peeled – does one peel tomatillos? and cut in half), 4 cloves of garlic, fresh oregano sprigs, juice of one lime, chicken broth, jasmine rice, whole cumin seeds, salt, and pepper, peanut oil.

And here’s what I did: put tomatillos, garlic, and oregano in food processor and puree the stuff. Let it sit on the counter. Take a small pot (or a small frying pan with high sides) and pour in a little peanut oil, not too much. Turn the burner on medium high and let the oil heat up. While the oil is heating, salt and pepper the ribs, back and front. Place ribs in hot pan/pot and sear for about a minute a side (I used tongs to do this). Since my pot was tiny, I did one rib at a time. When the last rib has been seared and is out of the pot, immediately pour in the lime juice. Be careful! Don’t burn your self. When the juice is in and bubbling scrape up the left-behind pork bits with a wooden spoon/scraper/spatula. Put the ribs back into the pot. Add the tomatillo stuff and pour in a little bit of chicken broth to barely cover the ribs. Wait for the liquid to boil, put a top on the pot and leave it askew, and then turn the heat down to low. Let it simmer for about an hour.

Make some rice to serve with this concoction. Get another pot. Pour in a small amount of peanut oil. Add some whole cumin seeds. Heat the oil and seeds over medium high heat and stir. After about a minute (don’t burn the seeds!), add a cup of rice (no Minute Rice, please) and stir. When the rice is coated with oil, add 2 cups of chicken broth. Let mixture come to a boil, cover and turn the heat to low. The rice should be done in about 15-20 minutes depending on your stove.

Serve rice and pork separately or serve pork over rice, depending on how picky your family is. This dreamed up dish is good for about two people. And the verdict? My husband liked the fact that the pork was tender to the point of falling apart, yet the tomatillos added a bright freshness even after being cooked for an hour.

One more thing...what to drink? We are, generally, die-hard red wine drinkers. Tonight was no exception. We had a 2003 Savigny-Les-Beaune Les Picotins from Burgundy producer Domaine Jean-Luc DuBois. Very light with bright fruit. When accompanied by the pork and tomatillos, the fruit increased and the mouth feel seemed fuller. The changes to the wine were amazing with this unorthodox pairing. Experimentation can be a good thing.

Cookbook Raves

I enjoy cooking and wanted to share some of my favorite books with you.

THE book that taught me how to cook:
Essentials of Classic Italian Cooking by Marcella Hazan

For the first 7-8 years after I got married, I never cooked. If I attempted to cook, the results were disastrous and highly frustrating. One day I decided I wanted to make true spaghetti sauce from scratch, not from a can. I bought Marcella’s book (yes, we are on a first name basis) and tried one of her recipes which turned out to be a fabulous success. I have never looked back. She deftly weaves in culinary technique into her recipes. The other thing that I highly prized is that she would tell you what not to do or what to avoid and the reason why. I finally learned how to use real frying and sauté pans. Marcella introduced me to roasted red peppers, delicious roast beef, and the joy of zucchini. She also taught me how to pan fry a New York Strip. I now prefer to eat steak at home because my preparation is better than most restaurants (I can also imbibe a less expensive, but better wine with my meal). Here are some of my favorite recipes:

Roast Beef Braised with Onions

Tomato Sauce with Garlic and Basil

Sautéed Green beans with Parmesan Cheese

Sautéed Zucchini Rounds with Oregano

A cookbook I used to read before I learned how to cook and then actually used:
The Heritage of Southern Cooking by Camille Glen

I loved to read this book Camille Glen’s stories of a long-ago Southern past sprinkled about the old-timey recipes were tasty morsels that I sopped up with glee. The vintage photographs of this bygone era just add to the books charm. Some of the recipes that I enjoy making…

Windfall Apple Pie

Sour Cream Corn Muffins

Roast Quail with Country Ham

A German cookbook:
The New German Cookbook by Jean Anderson and Hedy Wurz

I have no idea what possessed me to buy this book years ago, but I’m happy that I did. Some of the recipes that I have bookmarked:

Braised Red Cabbage with Onions and Apples in Red Wine Sauce

Medallions of Pork with Mushrooms and Cognac-Cream Sauce

Shredded Carrots with Lime and Rosemary

The Ultimate French cookbook:
Mastering the Art of French Cooking, Volume One by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone Beck

I had been cooking for a few years before I purchased this book. How the recipes were organized was very different from most books. Everything seemed way too complicated. I finally made some time to really delve into the book and discovered how easy it was to make whipped cream. Growing up all we ever had was Cool Whip. Occasionally, I would have a taste of Redi-Whip at someone else’s house. I was flabbergasted at how easy it was to make…and how much better it tasted. A few items that made me and my husband shout “C’est magnifique!”:

Steamed Shrimp

Potage Parmentier (Leek and Potato Soup)

Coq au Vin

Boeuf Bourguignon

For the ultimate in smart-ass cookbooks:
Les Halles Cookbook by Anthony Bourdain

When describing how to prep a chicken he admonishes “Don’t rip the freaking skin!” One section is called “blood & guts” (not for the squeamish). In the middle of the directions for Coq au Vin he says “Have a drink. You’re almost there…” Yes, my kind of guy. If you like his style, check out Kitchen Confidential. If knowing what really goes on in a restaurant kitchen will forever change your dining habits, avoid at all costs.

My favorite wine book:
The New Sotheby’s Wine Encyclopedia by Tom Stevenson

I own the 1^st edition which was published in 1997. The 4^th edition came out in 2005. This is more of a wine reference than a what-to-buy-now guide. And that’s why it has stood the test of time. I particularly like the extensive French section which details each region and has blurbs on almost every AOC in the country along with varietal percentages and top producers. Since French wines can be so hard to decipher, this is a great book to have. We have also referenced Spanish and Italian wines. The North American section is not as robust, at least in the 1^st edition.

And finally, I just finished the novel The Food of Love by Anthony Capella. A story set in Rome intertwining food and romance. He even prefaces his sections with quotes from Marcella Hazan. Delicious!