....I've officially moved in at http://winemedinemecincinnati.com
This site will stay up, but it's 100% mirrored at the above URL. Please change your bookmarks and RSS feeds-- though the Feedburner feed I use will transfer quite easily.
See you over there-- it's still being updated.
(And that's not the big news. Check out the new website soon, where I'll announce the ACTUAL big news. Aren't you excited? I am.)
Sunday, October 26, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
News: Bootsy Ruby's
You've all heard that Bootsy Ruby's is opening, but I chatted with Bowie over at Jeff Ruby's Culinary Entertainment and got some more details:
It's opening on December 1st, but won't open to the public until Thursday, December 3rd. They expect to seat 100-150.
Chef Mark Bohr will be the Executive chef-- new blood from Sarasota, FL and Chicago.
They will be featuring tapas, sushi, and signature cocktails with a Latin flair-- influences include Spain, Latin America and South America.
Around 10-11 PM, the restaurant will transition to the lounge. There will be a resident DJ (not yet announced) and an area of the restaurant that is cocktail-only, as well as an area that is bottle service only. Bowie emphasized that Bootsy Ruby's, unlike other venues in what has become the new bar district, will be a restaurant first and a lounge second.
You can expect to spend $40-50 per person to have dinner, but with plates running between $7-13, you can get a quick bite before a show or something after a show as well and not break the bank. This seems like a nice, high-end alternative to a lot of the more expensive restaurants in that block-- it seems like it will fit in, but maybe be slightly more affordable, depending on how much you eat/drink.
Watch this space-- you'll be seeing a little bit more about Bootsy's sometime soon.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Review: Relish Modern Tapas
Every once in a while, a few of us at work get a wild hair to go someplace that isn't "cheap chinese" (AKA Chan's Asian Wok, which is both cheap AND good, a rarity in Mason). Someone suggested Relish (I think it was Susannah) and I jumped on the chance. We piled into my car and headed over.
Relish's surroundings are interesting-- very modern, with high ceilings, lots of light, and lots of sharp angles. It's very different than the usual decor of the chains in Mason-- a nice change.
The one thing that I noticed about the menu is that there isn't a whole lot of continuity. Unlike menus that have a theme (and this one is supposedly tapas), this seemed more like small portions of a whole lot of different dishes. To test this theory, the five of us tried a pretty wide variety of dishes, off of both the lunch and regular menu.
My coworkers are such good sports.
Steve and I both ordered grilled cheese and soup. The soup choices were shrimp drop and French onion. I got the shrimp, he got the onion.
The onion soup, according to Steve, was pretty authentic-tasting, and didn't taste prepackaged. There was enough cheese on top-- but not too much-- and a generously sized crouton.
The garnish for both soups were strips of tortilla (either the natural yellow corn color, or colored bright blue or bright red, how...patriotic?) and a lot of balsamic reduction.
The shrimp drop soup was excellent-- well seasoned, a lot of shrimp, strands of eggs, and vegetables. I think it was probably my favorite dish of anything I tried, and soup is rarely a "winner" in most meals.
There was balsamic reduction on everything, we'd soon discover. It covered every flat surface. It garnished everything. It was so overdone that at least one of us got some on a sleeve.
The grilled cheese sandwich, unfortunately, wasn't great. At a restaurant such as Relish, I expect a grilled cheese sandwich to be somewhat inventive-- good quality bread, cheese-- something. It was thick-cut white bread, american cheese, applewood bacon (which was not as crisp as it could have been) and a slice of tomato. I could have made it at home, and probably better. The potatoes served with the dish were good, crunch on the outside and soft on the inside, but the combination was not worth $7.75, even with the soup.
I also ordered some tapas for the table. The menu needs to be clarified a bit. The servings are of similar size, but the "large" plates are what they consider "entrees", the "small plates" could be appetizers and the "petite plates" are more like sides. The lunch menu are for people who dont' want to share at lunchtime (thus completely negating the appeal of tapas). It's very confusing. I ordered the Signature Relish Chorizo and medjool dates wrapped in smoked bacon. I had the idea in my head that it was dates stuffed with chorizo and wrapped in bacon, but instead these were chorizo meatballs wrapped in bacon, with little to no hint of date. They were good, but a lot heavier and richer than I expected, and I really wanted to taste the dates, which I didn't. It was also swimming in the grease from the chorizo. I wouldn't order it again.
My coworker John ordered the tuna tartare for the table, as well as a Reuben. The tuna tartare was excellent-- very fresh, simple but great flavors, and a good portion size. The soy and lime made it very bright and fresh, while the capers added an edge of salt. I'd definitely order this again. I didn't try his Reuben, but he said it was a traditional Reuben and a lot of food-- a good value for lunch.
Susannah, the vegetarian, ordered the potato spheres and some grilled asparagus. She said the asparagus was perfectly grilled (always good!) and the goat cheese was a nice complement. I tried a potato sphere-- it's basically deep fried potato balls. Perhaps I'm used to potato spheres being the molecular gastronomy sort; a suspension of potato puree encased in a sphere, but I thought these would be different. They weren't bad (deep fried potato anything can't be bad) but the name was misleading. The wasabi cream tasted more like tzatziki, but worked well with the dish, even though there was a drop of balsamic reduction on it, too.
Nick got the mini cheeseburgers and some zucchini. I tried the zucchini-- well-flavored, not overdone, a really good choice (and I'm a big fan of zucchini). Nick liked the cheeseburgers-- said they were a good value (he's a value minded kinda guy) and tasty, on good bread with fresh toppings. Say no more.
Last but not least, dessert. Every meal comes with some complimentary almond and sesame lace cookies. I need the recipe, they were great. We fought over the last one. There was no balsamic reduction on that plate. I was shocked.
I'd go back, but I would have a few bits of advice: garnish is lovely, but garnishing every dish with balsamic reduction is overdoing it. Get some continuity to your menu-- it seems a little random. The tapas don't seem modern, but instead, scattered. Get a writer in who can redo things unambiguously (I'm for hire..) because several parts of it are confusing and some of the descriptions are downright misleading. If you're going to do a lunch menu, do it tapas-style. The average customer you will get, even at lunchtime, is not going to want an American cheese sandwich. Even just a change of ingredients-- crusty bread, smoked gouda, whatever-- would really make a huge difference in that lunch menu.
And two cookies per person, please. Darn, those were good.
Relish's surroundings are interesting-- very modern, with high ceilings, lots of light, and lots of sharp angles. It's very different than the usual decor of the chains in Mason-- a nice change.
The one thing that I noticed about the menu is that there isn't a whole lot of continuity. Unlike menus that have a theme (and this one is supposedly tapas), this seemed more like small portions of a whole lot of different dishes. To test this theory, the five of us tried a pretty wide variety of dishes, off of both the lunch and regular menu.
My coworkers are such good sports.
Steve and I both ordered grilled cheese and soup. The soup choices were shrimp drop and French onion. I got the shrimp, he got the onion.
The onion soup, according to Steve, was pretty authentic-tasting, and didn't taste prepackaged. There was enough cheese on top-- but not too much-- and a generously sized crouton.
The garnish for both soups were strips of tortilla (either the natural yellow corn color, or colored bright blue or bright red, how...patriotic?) and a lot of balsamic reduction.
The shrimp drop soup was excellent-- well seasoned, a lot of shrimp, strands of eggs, and vegetables. I think it was probably my favorite dish of anything I tried, and soup is rarely a "winner" in most meals.
There was balsamic reduction on everything, we'd soon discover. It covered every flat surface. It garnished everything. It was so overdone that at least one of us got some on a sleeve.
The grilled cheese sandwich, unfortunately, wasn't great. At a restaurant such as Relish, I expect a grilled cheese sandwich to be somewhat inventive-- good quality bread, cheese-- something. It was thick-cut white bread, american cheese, applewood bacon (which was not as crisp as it could have been) and a slice of tomato. I could have made it at home, and probably better. The potatoes served with the dish were good, crunch on the outside and soft on the inside, but the combination was not worth $7.75, even with the soup.
I also ordered some tapas for the table. The menu needs to be clarified a bit. The servings are of similar size, but the "large" plates are what they consider "entrees", the "small plates" could be appetizers and the "petite plates" are more like sides. The lunch menu are for people who dont' want to share at lunchtime (thus completely negating the appeal of tapas). It's very confusing. I ordered the Signature Relish Chorizo and medjool dates wrapped in smoked bacon. I had the idea in my head that it was dates stuffed with chorizo and wrapped in bacon, but instead these were chorizo meatballs wrapped in bacon, with little to no hint of date. They were good, but a lot heavier and richer than I expected, and I really wanted to taste the dates, which I didn't. It was also swimming in the grease from the chorizo. I wouldn't order it again.
My coworker John ordered the tuna tartare for the table, as well as a Reuben. The tuna tartare was excellent-- very fresh, simple but great flavors, and a good portion size. The soy and lime made it very bright and fresh, while the capers added an edge of salt. I'd definitely order this again. I didn't try his Reuben, but he said it was a traditional Reuben and a lot of food-- a good value for lunch.
Susannah, the vegetarian, ordered the potato spheres and some grilled asparagus. She said the asparagus was perfectly grilled (always good!) and the goat cheese was a nice complement. I tried a potato sphere-- it's basically deep fried potato balls. Perhaps I'm used to potato spheres being the molecular gastronomy sort; a suspension of potato puree encased in a sphere, but I thought these would be different. They weren't bad (deep fried potato anything can't be bad) but the name was misleading. The wasabi cream tasted more like tzatziki, but worked well with the dish, even though there was a drop of balsamic reduction on it, too.
Nick got the mini cheeseburgers and some zucchini. I tried the zucchini-- well-flavored, not overdone, a really good choice (and I'm a big fan of zucchini). Nick liked the cheeseburgers-- said they were a good value (he's a value minded kinda guy) and tasty, on good bread with fresh toppings. Say no more.
Last but not least, dessert. Every meal comes with some complimentary almond and sesame lace cookies. I need the recipe, they were great. We fought over the last one. There was no balsamic reduction on that plate. I was shocked.
I'd go back, but I would have a few bits of advice: garnish is lovely, but garnishing every dish with balsamic reduction is overdoing it. Get some continuity to your menu-- it seems a little random. The tapas don't seem modern, but instead, scattered. Get a writer in who can redo things unambiguously (I'm for hire..) because several parts of it are confusing and some of the descriptions are downright misleading. If you're going to do a lunch menu, do it tapas-style. The average customer you will get, even at lunchtime, is not going to want an American cheese sandwich. Even just a change of ingredients-- crusty bread, smoked gouda, whatever-- would really make a huge difference in that lunch menu.
And two cookies per person, please. Darn, those were good.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Mini Review: The Madison, buffet
The Madison, buffet
Originally uploaded by winemedineme
I recently attended a wedding at The Madison in Covington. It's awfully easy to take pictures of food at weddings-- no one thinks ill of you for having a camera out.
I've been to several weddings at the Madison-- it's a gorgeous facility, as far as reception halls are concerned. The food isn't bad for reception hall food-- they have a lot of choices, and their "basic" menu isn't bad.
The usual choices are chicken and beef tenderloin. Chicken's hard to keep from getting rubbery on a steam table, so I went with the carved tenderloin. It was pretty good-- not as rare as I would like, butnot cooked to death, either. The vegetables (green beans and a squash/carrot mix) were good and not overcooked. The mashed potatoes were made out of actual potatoes (I went to one wedding where there were still lumps of potato flakes in the potatoes-- yuck!) and not bad either. The white sauce is horseradish cream (a bit m ore than I would have liked) but was pretty tasty.
There was also a cheese tray, cocktails, bread with cinnamon and regular butter and, of course, wedding cake (and I have no idea who DID the wedding cake-- must inquire). Their per person charge also includes wine and beer, so it's a beautiful spot and not a bad value, either. Weddings are so darn expensive.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Shameless Plug: The Boys Next Door
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I have been so busy for the past few weeks that I forgot to shamelessly plug Falcon Theatre's The Boys Next Door, which just got a great review in City Beat. And if you come tonight (we have tickets left!) you'll see me working house. What a deal, huh?
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Recipe: Chicken Satay, Chicken Salad and Apple Tarte Tatin
On Monday night, I was in a real mood to cook. I have no idea why, but it overcame me. Earlier that day I read smitten kitchen and was inspired to make an apple tarte tatin. I had all of the ingredients except the apples. I couldn't just go to the store for apples, so I also decided that chicken Satay sounded good. About $20 and two hours later, I had a pretty tasty dinner.
First, the apple tarte tatin. If you're not familiar, its basically a French, upside-down apple pie. You cook the apples in butter and sugar, then top it with pate brisee, a butter-based pastry, and bake it. It sounds really difficult, but it isn't!
Molly's directions are so darn great, I can't improve upon them. I will give you a few additional tips: make sure that the crust is slightly BIGGER than the pan so you can tuck it in, and also make sure you've separated the pastry from the pan. Really. It'll still taste good if it falls apart.
The chicken satay was really easy as well. I used Tyler Florence's recipe and doubled it. One batch was made with hot madras curry and the other with Thai yellow curry. You see, Terry doesn't like curry-- he had a bad experience involving Air India and food poisoning. I'm convinced he just needs to try it in ways that don't involve airline food. After eating three skewers' worth of chicken, he said, "Wow, these are good, what's in them?" Turns out, he liked the curry!
Yum. I served them with couscous, peanut sauce, and sweet chili sauce. My upstairs neighbor, Ilan, came down to see what smelled so good and I sent him home with some satay and peanut sauce. He liked it too!
Since I had a ton of chicken left, I did what I love to do with leftover chicken: make chicken salad. My favorite is curried chicken salad, also known as Coronation Chicken. Mine's not terribly traditional, but I still think it's great-- and a great use for leftover chicken.
There aren't a lot of measurements here-- I hate to be Rachael Ray and say "eyeball it", but that's what I do-- taste and eyeball.
1 pound of cooked chicken, chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon (or to taste) curry powder
handful of chopped cilantro
Mayonnaise (I use Light Hellman's), about a half cup, or enough to moisten the chicken
Mix it all together. Easy, peasy. Let it sit in the refrigerator for the flavors to develop. It tastes great alone or on some nice, crusty bread.
First, the apple tarte tatin. If you're not familiar, its basically a French, upside-down apple pie. You cook the apples in butter and sugar, then top it with pate brisee, a butter-based pastry, and bake it. It sounds really difficult, but it isn't!
Molly's directions are so darn great, I can't improve upon them. I will give you a few additional tips: make sure that the crust is slightly BIGGER than the pan so you can tuck it in, and also make sure you've separated the pastry from the pan. Really. It'll still taste good if it falls apart.
The chicken satay was really easy as well. I used Tyler Florence's recipe and doubled it. One batch was made with hot madras curry and the other with Thai yellow curry. You see, Terry doesn't like curry-- he had a bad experience involving Air India and food poisoning. I'm convinced he just needs to try it in ways that don't involve airline food. After eating three skewers' worth of chicken, he said, "Wow, these are good, what's in them?" Turns out, he liked the curry!
Yum. I served them with couscous, peanut sauce, and sweet chili sauce. My upstairs neighbor, Ilan, came down to see what smelled so good and I sent him home with some satay and peanut sauce. He liked it too!
Since I had a ton of chicken left, I did what I love to do with leftover chicken: make chicken salad. My favorite is curried chicken salad, also known as Coronation Chicken. Mine's not terribly traditional, but I still think it's great-- and a great use for leftover chicken.
There aren't a lot of measurements here-- I hate to be Rachael Ray and say "eyeball it", but that's what I do-- taste and eyeball.
1 pound of cooked chicken, chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon (or to taste) curry powder
handful of chopped cilantro
Mayonnaise (I use Light Hellman's), about a half cup, or enough to moisten the chicken
Mix it all together. Easy, peasy. Let it sit in the refrigerator for the flavors to develop. It tastes great alone or on some nice, crusty bread.
Blog Action Day: Poverty
Have you ever been hungry? Truly hungry. Not just "I forgot to eat today! Oops!" hungry. Or "I'm on a diet and eating less than I used to" hungry. Or "What's in my pantry to last until payday?" hungry. We've all experienced those sorts of hunger.
I mean "not knowing where your next meal is coming from" hungry. "My children go to bed without dinner" hungry. They have no ramen to squeak by on, no PBJs to get tired of. Their pantries are bare, their freezers unstocked, and
With the economic downturn, people who have never experienced hunger may experience it for the first time. Hunger is not limited to the inner city and the homeless. 40% of the people who use the non-profit organizations associated with the FreestoreFoodbank are from suburban or rural areas. 57% have at least a high school education. 28,600 different people receive services per week.
This is just in Cincinnati.
Worldwide, 16,000 children die daily of hunger related issues. 923 million people are hungry daily. Poverty, the focus of Blog Action Day 2008, finds its most extreme form in hunger. Food is our most basic need, and not being able to eat is something that is unfathomable to most Americans.
Food costs are up. Inner city areas often don't have the same kind of access to fresh food that suburban areas do. People who don't have cars, can't afford public transit, and are limited to convenience stores aren't even eating real food. Hypertension, diabetes, and obesity-related diseases are caused by this malnutrition. Hungry? No. Well-fed? Not really.
So what can you do? Start local. Help your neighbors.
1. Support the FreestoreFoodbank. It's easy-- you can donate online. You can organize your own food drives. You can even donate to the virtual food drive, which allows you to buy things that are truly needed. It's sort of like online shopping, with free shipping and everything goes to a great cause. Myrita Craig, spokesperson for FreestoreFoodbank says, "When we feed someone, we earn their trust, and we use that trust to talk about how else we can help them by utilizing any of our programs (housing, foodstamps, medicaid, job training, bus tokens, work clothes, etc.) It is our mission to help people become more independent and self-reliant, and food is the catalyst for that change. Food is where our work begins, not where it ends."
2. Replate. This one's a little off the wall-- but makes so much sense once you think about it, particularly if you live in an urban area.
It's a pretty simple movement: you're walking down the street in your urban metropolis, burrito or sandwich or bagel in hand. Considering the way portions have gotten out of control, chances are you won't be finishing that item that's approximately as large as your forearm. So here are your choices:
1) Wrap it up, put it in your bag, and save it for later (whenever I do this, it either ends up leaking in my bag or I end up throwing it out anyway. Yuck.)
2) Throw it out in the nearest garbage can.
or..
3) Go to that garbage can, and instead of tossing it in... put it on top.
Pretty simple, huh?
I'm not saying to leave tins of mayonnaise-laden tuna salad to rot in the sun and give people botulism. I'm not saying to leave a full meal on top of a garbage can in a bag (though if you want to, hey, bully for you!). Just be thoughtful about your leftovers and their eventual demise, and maybe help out someone who would really appreciate what we throw away.
For some ideas about what you can eat on a limited budget, check out The Hunger Challenge.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
News: Top Cheftestant from Jag's!
A big ol' wine me, dine me shout out to Lauren Starling Hope, who is Chef Tournant at Jag's Steak and Seafood in West Chester. She's a cheftestant on Top Chef this season. I watch this show anyway, but hey, now I have a local to root for! I'll be interested to hear her story unfold on the show.I also need to try out Jag's for more than just cocktails-- I've heard great things. I just never get up to West Chester!
Friday, October 10, 2008
News: New York Times Magazine Food Issue
Ooh, I'll be running out to grab the NYT on Sunday-- the Magazine looks fascinating. Locavorism, Kosher (I am fascinated by Kashrut laws, and ecological Kashrut vs. strict Halachich Kashrut), "What's In Your Fridge", which I think needs to be a blog post here...
Discuss!
Discuss!
 clipped from www.nytimes.com
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Recipe: Breakfast Casserole
Breakfast Casserole
Originally uploaded by winemedineme
Terry loves to talk about breakfast casseroles, because he loves breakfast (He recently discovered that he loves cooking breakfast for me. How it took this long to figure it out is beyond me!) and because they're so easy. My grandma used to make one that involved Swiss cheese, ham, powdered mustard, white bread, and eggs. Terry says he's always made them with sausage. We decided to take last Sunday as a "barely leave the house" day before a busy week, so a breakfast casserole is perfect; just pop it in the oven for an hour, directly from the refrigerator. The recipe he found randomly on the internet sounded pretty good, but we made a few changes and clarified the directions (which were, and I quote, "mix all ingredients together. Pour into a casserole and bake at 325.").
Breakfast Casserole
6 eggs, beaten lightly
8 slices bread, torn into large chunks
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 pound sausage, cooked and drained
1 small sweet onion, diced and sauteed
1 red pepper, diced and sauteed (the sauteeing is optional. We didn't. I think it would taste better if we did.)
salt and pepper to taste
Combine sausage, cooked onion and red pepper and bread in a bowl. Mix milk, eggs, cheese and mustard together, then combine with sausage mixture. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a greased casserole dish, cover, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, preheat oven to 325 and bake, uncovered for an hour.
Review: Bar Food and Chimay Tasting at Morton's
Morton's and I have had a tumultuous relationship. One of my very first posts here was about a mediocre experience there back in January. A friend, however, is quite a regular there and encouraged me to go-- at least to try the bar food. The bar food, he emphasized, was really good. So, two weeks ago, we decided to try it-- we had also heard that they were showing the Vice Presidential debates.
Morton's has a fantastic happy hour, with $5 bar bites both right after work (5-6:30) and late night (9:30-11). We were there for the latter.
We picked up three appetizers: prime mini cheeseburgers, as suggested by my unnamed associate; blue cheese fries, because you can't go wrong with potatoes and blue cheese; and the crab cakes.
The mini cheeseburgers were very good-- fresh bread with a nice crust, well-seasoned, flavorful meat, and nice, fresh toppings. I was very generous and let Terry eat the last one (as there are three on the plate).
The blue cheese fries were okay-- again, can you really go wrong with blue cheese and potatoes-- lots of blue cheese and a cream sauce over their regular fries. Their regular fries are only OK, if Morton's did pommes frites, I'd probably have rated them as over-the-top.
The crab cakes were stellar-- big chunks of crab, good flavor, nice remoulade-- they were little bites of crabby goodness. I'd definitely order these again; I could easily make a meal out of them.
To drink, I had their pineapple vodka, which, in the words of a certain friend on Twitter, is "guzzleable". She's not kidding-- sweet, pineapple-y, and goes down easily. Too easily. Downside? A little expensive for just vodka and fruit on the rocks-- $12. But it's Morton's, so you forgive them, and probably order another.
That great experience made me much less hesitant-- in fact, I was enthusiastic-- about attending the Beer for Bloggers event at Morton's on Tuesday. I was joined by 5chw4r7z, Ms. 5chw4r7z, Evan and his girlfriend from Buy Cincy, Michelle and Kevin, and K and her husband. They did this to promote a Chimay-based event on October 24, which will feature the menu we tasted, three different kinds of Chimay presented by a Chimay representative, and a $5 donation to Make-a-Wish Foundation for $45. Not a bad deal.
I'll leave the beer tasting notes to Michelle and Kevin, but I must admit that I really love Belgian wheat beers, and the story of Chimay is pretty interesting. Plus the glasses are cool-- they're designed so you really get full appreciation of the nose.
Three Chimay varieties were served: Chimay Grand Reserve (blue), Chimay Cinq Cents (white), and Chimay Premiere (Red). My favorite was the Grand Reserve, but I loved how the premiere paired with the chocolate cake.
But on to the food...
We were welcomed with a presentation of smoked salmon with horseradish, onion, capers and lemon with grilled bread. The salmon was lovely, and I love the classical presentation.
The tuna tartare was interesting-- the combination of wasabi cream, cucumber tuna and avocado made it reminiscent of a California roll. I liked it quite a bit, and it paired well with the crisp Chimay White. It's one of those things I want to go home and recreate.
The filet sandwiches were good, but not as good as the mini burgers I'd had two weeks before. Though the steak is undeniably good, the presentation-- a little mustard mayonnaise and some very soft, unimpressive bread leaves a bit to be desired. Tasty, but it did not blow me away. I realize that Morton's is limited by their corporate menu, but other chains give their chefs a bit of leeway-- I'd love to see that happen at Morton's. This was paired with the Chimay Blue, which was my favorite of the night-- a bit heavier in body to pair with the beef, but not overwhelming. Yum.
Chocolate sponge filled with thick, gooey chocolate sauce. How can you go wrong? Michelle had a whole one and Kevin and I split a half. It was pretty good-- and half was more than enough for me. The Chimay Red was lighter than I thought it would be, and cut the richness of the chocolate cake well.
Morton's treated us very well-- I talked with their marketing manager, Jason, about prior experiences and he was receptive to criticism and invited me back to try again. I probably will. In fact, I ended up at the bar afterwards, sipping a Negroni (my new favorite drink) with some friends.
Thanks to Annemarie and Jason from Morton's and Lauren from Wordsworth for the experience!
Full Disclosure: Yes, this was free, and I have received comped meals before. If this happens, I will always tell you, the reader, and I will always be honest-- there's no reason not to be.
Morton's has a fantastic happy hour, with $5 bar bites both right after work (5-6:30) and late night (9:30-11). We were there for the latter.
We picked up three appetizers: prime mini cheeseburgers, as suggested by my unnamed associate; blue cheese fries, because you can't go wrong with potatoes and blue cheese; and the crab cakes.
The mini cheeseburgers were very good-- fresh bread with a nice crust, well-seasoned, flavorful meat, and nice, fresh toppings. I was very generous and let Terry eat the last one (as there are three on the plate).
The blue cheese fries were okay-- again, can you really go wrong with blue cheese and potatoes-- lots of blue cheese and a cream sauce over their regular fries. Their regular fries are only OK, if Morton's did pommes frites, I'd probably have rated them as over-the-top.
The crab cakes were stellar-- big chunks of crab, good flavor, nice remoulade-- they were little bites of crabby goodness. I'd definitely order these again; I could easily make a meal out of them.
To drink, I had their pineapple vodka, which, in the words of a certain friend on Twitter, is "guzzleable". She's not kidding-- sweet, pineapple-y, and goes down easily. Too easily. Downside? A little expensive for just vodka and fruit on the rocks-- $12. But it's Morton's, so you forgive them, and probably order another.
That great experience made me much less hesitant-- in fact, I was enthusiastic-- about attending the Beer for Bloggers event at Morton's on Tuesday. I was joined by 5chw4r7z, Ms. 5chw4r7z, Evan and his girlfriend from Buy Cincy, Michelle and Kevin, and K and her husband. They did this to promote a Chimay-based event on October 24, which will feature the menu we tasted, three different kinds of Chimay presented by a Chimay representative, and a $5 donation to Make-a-Wish Foundation for $45. Not a bad deal.
I'll leave the beer tasting notes to Michelle and Kevin, but I must admit that I really love Belgian wheat beers, and the story of Chimay is pretty interesting. Plus the glasses are cool-- they're designed so you really get full appreciation of the nose.
Three Chimay varieties were served: Chimay Grand Reserve (blue), Chimay Cinq Cents (white), and Chimay Premiere (Red). My favorite was the Grand Reserve, but I loved how the premiere paired with the chocolate cake.
But on to the food...
We were welcomed with a presentation of smoked salmon with horseradish, onion, capers and lemon with grilled bread. The salmon was lovely, and I love the classical presentation.
The tuna tartare was interesting-- the combination of wasabi cream, cucumber tuna and avocado made it reminiscent of a California roll. I liked it quite a bit, and it paired well with the crisp Chimay White. It's one of those things I want to go home and recreate.
The filet sandwiches were good, but not as good as the mini burgers I'd had two weeks before. Though the steak is undeniably good, the presentation-- a little mustard mayonnaise and some very soft, unimpressive bread leaves a bit to be desired. Tasty, but it did not blow me away. I realize that Morton's is limited by their corporate menu, but other chains give their chefs a bit of leeway-- I'd love to see that happen at Morton's. This was paired with the Chimay Blue, which was my favorite of the night-- a bit heavier in body to pair with the beef, but not overwhelming. Yum.
Chocolate sponge filled with thick, gooey chocolate sauce. How can you go wrong? Michelle had a whole one and Kevin and I split a half. It was pretty good-- and half was more than enough for me. The Chimay Red was lighter than I thought it would be, and cut the richness of the chocolate cake well.
Morton's treated us very well-- I talked with their marketing manager, Jason, about prior experiences and he was receptive to criticism and invited me back to try again. I probably will. In fact, I ended up at the bar afterwards, sipping a Negroni (my new favorite drink) with some friends.
Thanks to Annemarie and Jason from Morton's and Lauren from Wordsworth for the experience!
Full Disclosure: Yes, this was free, and I have received comped meals before. If this happens, I will always tell you, the reader, and I will always be honest-- there's no reason not to be.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Reader Question: Where would you go for your last meal in Cincinnati?
Our lovely Cin Twin, aka Amber, is leaving town for Denmark in just a couple of days. She chose her last meal in Cincinnati: Via Vite.
So I'm wondering... what's YOUR ideal last meal in Cincinnati? If you were to leave and never go back (or were on death row, or whatever), what would you eat?
I'll reveal my choice in a bit-- I have a feeling you'd guess, though.
So I'm wondering... what's YOUR ideal last meal in Cincinnati? If you were to leave and never go back (or were on death row, or whatever), what would you eat?
I'll reveal my choice in a bit-- I have a feeling you'd guess, though.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Mini Review: Starbuck's Signature Hot Chocolate, Salted Caramel
Bearista
Originally uploaded by winemedineme
Even the avowed non-chain person likes Starbucks. I do. When I can, I go to Coffee Emporium or Sitwell's, or any number of my favorite local coffee spots, but since there aren't any (that I've found) within a few minutes of my office, I had to settle with Starbucks. Settle indeed-- I wanted to try their Salted Caramel hot chocolate before I hunkered down for a conference call at noon. I guess you could say I drank my lunch!
It wasn't bad. I got a grande, but a tall is more than enough. It's not as sweet or as thick as the Chantico (remember that? Like hot pudding!) and not quite salty enough. I realize that it's supposed to be just a hint of salty-sweet, but instead you get just a few hints of salt in the first few sips. All in all, pretty tasty, ethically produced cocoa and vanilla extract, and I got that cute bear (I love the Starbucks bears, particularly the Halloween ones. I'm apparently 5) to boot.
What's your favorite coffee beverage-- Starbucks or not?
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Review: Taz, Mason
My friend Dave IMd me the other night. "Have you tried Taz?" he asked. "Nope. Where is it?" "Mason," he replied. "And it's better than Mythos."
Mythos, as many of you know, is the gold standard when it comes to gyros for a lot of people in Cincinnati. Me, I've always been a loyal Sebastian's fan, but as I have had gyros elsewhere, I've found theirs to be lacking: watery tzatziki, not a lot of meat, clear across town. I don't think I've had Sebastian's once since I moved to OTR.
For additional motivation, Dave added, "And they're 7.50 with a drink and fries." Sold!
Steve (who seems to be my at-work blog companion these days) and I headed over to Taz for lunch today. It's on Mason-Montgomery Road, next to Pizza Tower and behind Frisch's in an old Fazoli's. The owners have redecorated the Fazoli's with tapestries, sheer curtains and pillows to make it feel like you're dining in the classic, storybook Sultan's palace. Not bad for Mason.
We each got the same thing-- Gyros Supreme with fries. The difference between the regular Gyros and the supreme is the addition of some feta. Honestly, there wasn't enough feta on it to taste, so next time I'll just go with regular Gyros.
This was the biggest Gyro I've ever seen. It was absolutely stuffed with meat, tomatoes, onions, and thick, creamy tzatziki-- not watery at all. We could have easily split the gyro and been more than full. The meat was well seasoned, particularly good for what is probably the standard gyro meat and the bread was slightly crispy, warm, and delicious. The tomatoes were pretty fresh-- sometimes they can be tasteless, but these were obviously in season. The fries were okay, the kind with the slightly crunchy coating. Not bad.
Their dinner menu is pretty impressive, too. I'd love to come here for a Lebanese/Greek feast (their menu borrows liberally from both cuisines). For $10, with tip, this place is a steal. Taz may have stolen my gyro heart.
Mythos, as many of you know, is the gold standard when it comes to gyros for a lot of people in Cincinnati. Me, I've always been a loyal Sebastian's fan, but as I have had gyros elsewhere, I've found theirs to be lacking: watery tzatziki, not a lot of meat, clear across town. I don't think I've had Sebastian's once since I moved to OTR.
For additional motivation, Dave added, "And they're 7.50 with a drink and fries." Sold!
Steve (who seems to be my at-work blog companion these days) and I headed over to Taz for lunch today. It's on Mason-Montgomery Road, next to Pizza Tower and behind Frisch's in an old Fazoli's. The owners have redecorated the Fazoli's with tapestries, sheer curtains and pillows to make it feel like you're dining in the classic, storybook Sultan's palace. Not bad for Mason.
We each got the same thing-- Gyros Supreme with fries. The difference between the regular Gyros and the supreme is the addition of some feta. Honestly, there wasn't enough feta on it to taste, so next time I'll just go with regular Gyros.
This was the biggest Gyro I've ever seen. It was absolutely stuffed with meat, tomatoes, onions, and thick, creamy tzatziki-- not watery at all. We could have easily split the gyro and been more than full. The meat was well seasoned, particularly good for what is probably the standard gyro meat and the bread was slightly crispy, warm, and delicious. The tomatoes were pretty fresh-- sometimes they can be tasteless, but these were obviously in season. The fries were okay, the kind with the slightly crunchy coating. Not bad.
Their dinner menu is pretty impressive, too. I'd love to come here for a Lebanese/Greek feast (their menu borrows liberally from both cuisines). For $10, with tip, this place is a steal. Taz may have stolen my gyro heart.
Monday, September 29, 2008
News: Iron Horse Inn Reopened
Looks like my buddy Drew wrote about the Iron Horse Inn reopening. Awesome! I can't wait to try it out-- I've heard their wine dinners used to be fabulous. I hope they restart them!
(Real content later, I promise.)
(Real content later, I promise.)
Friday, September 26, 2008
Review: Trattoria Roma
Do you guys ever watch Kitchen Nightmares? I love that show. It would be fun to make a drinking game from it: every time Gordon drops the f-bomb, drink a tequila shot. I'd be down for the count by the first commercial break.
It's also helped me, in a small way, to become a critical diner. It's not that I subscribe to WWGRD? (What Would Gordon Ramsay Do?), but there are some things he's pointed out that I agree with-- one of which is, if available, use high quality ingredients.
Trattoria Roma has been a favorite of mine for years. I'd never ventured much past pasta with them-- I loved their tortellini alla vodka (which is off the menu but supposedly you can ask for it) and their tiramisu (which I liked until I had better tiramisu). Trattoria Roma feels really fancy when you're 18 and you've not spent a lot of time downtown. Now, it feels just a tiny bit dingy, but in a charming way. It is incredibly slow if there's nothing going on at the Aronoff, but when there is, you're greeted buy a maître d' who is straight out of the Godfather, slicked back hair, Italian accent and all. At times you wonder if someone is going to burst in with a tommy gun and take people out, St. Valentine's Day Massacre-style.
Our first problem with the high-quality ingredients? The "Mediterranean salad". It looked like a good idea-- mozzarella, olives, and red pepper with Balsamic vinaigrette. Its execution, however, wasn't. The black olives were the big ones that come in a can, and the red pepper wasn't freshly roasted, but also jarred. The mozzarella was tasteless, and it was all served atop iceberg lettuce. This is a "dump" salad-- dump a can of this and a can of that. Really not worth the $10. Gordon would send it back. He might even throw things around and make the chef cry.
Pasta? Come here for pasta. Terry got veal Parmigiana, which was good, if overly sauced with a very good, richly flavored tomato sauce. There's not a lot of subtlety here-- big flavors, big portions, moderate price tag. If you think about the owners targeting their clients, which is the theater crowd, it makes sense. The theater crowd is looking for something fast, fancy (but not too fancy) and familiar (but maybe slightly exotic). You can take your grandma here, and you can take a date here. It won't blow them away, but it's not chain Italian, either. Gordon would probably be OK with it, but comment on the oversaucing.
I got the tortellini in cream sauce with artichokes and peas. This is where we get into the "use quality ingredients". The peas and the artichokes were canned. Frozen would have been better-- and understandable-- but it didn't detract from the very nice cream sauce. Gordon would cut out the peas and artichokes and just call it tortellini Alfredo.
In all? This is a totally safe restaurant. It's not amazing, but would probably please someone with simple tastes. It fills the "downtown, traditional Italian" craving pretty well, and it is a good pre-theater choice. Is it Nicola's? No. It's not trying to be. It could be improved with fresh ingredients, but for a simple bowl of pasta, this is a good choice.
It's also helped me, in a small way, to become a critical diner. It's not that I subscribe to WWGRD? (What Would Gordon Ramsay Do?), but there are some things he's pointed out that I agree with-- one of which is, if available, use high quality ingredients.
Trattoria Roma has been a favorite of mine for years. I'd never ventured much past pasta with them-- I loved their tortellini alla vodka (which is off the menu but supposedly you can ask for it) and their tiramisu (which I liked until I had better tiramisu). Trattoria Roma feels really fancy when you're 18 and you've not spent a lot of time downtown. Now, it feels just a tiny bit dingy, but in a charming way. It is incredibly slow if there's nothing going on at the Aronoff, but when there is, you're greeted buy a maître d' who is straight out of the Godfather, slicked back hair, Italian accent and all. At times you wonder if someone is going to burst in with a tommy gun and take people out, St. Valentine's Day Massacre-style.
Our first problem with the high-quality ingredients? The "Mediterranean salad". It looked like a good idea-- mozzarella, olives, and red pepper with Balsamic vinaigrette. Its execution, however, wasn't. The black olives were the big ones that come in a can, and the red pepper wasn't freshly roasted, but also jarred. The mozzarella was tasteless, and it was all served atop iceberg lettuce. This is a "dump" salad-- dump a can of this and a can of that. Really not worth the $10. Gordon would send it back. He might even throw things around and make the chef cry.
Pasta? Come here for pasta. Terry got veal Parmigiana, which was good, if overly sauced with a very good, richly flavored tomato sauce. There's not a lot of subtlety here-- big flavors, big portions, moderate price tag. If you think about the owners targeting their clients, which is the theater crowd, it makes sense. The theater crowd is looking for something fast, fancy (but not too fancy) and familiar (but maybe slightly exotic). You can take your grandma here, and you can take a date here. It won't blow them away, but it's not chain Italian, either. Gordon would probably be OK with it, but comment on the oversaucing.
I got the tortellini in cream sauce with artichokes and peas. This is where we get into the "use quality ingredients". The peas and the artichokes were canned. Frozen would have been better-- and understandable-- but it didn't detract from the very nice cream sauce. Gordon would cut out the peas and artichokes and just call it tortellini Alfredo.
In all? This is a totally safe restaurant. It's not amazing, but would probably please someone with simple tastes. It fills the "downtown, traditional Italian" craving pretty well, and it is a good pre-theater choice. Is it Nicola's? No. It's not trying to be. It could be improved with fresh ingredients, but for a simple bowl of pasta, this is a good choice.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Recipe: Simple Salsa
Salsa
Originally uploaded by winemedinemeI seriously don't know why I buy salsa in a jar anymore. It's so darn easy to make it myself, particularly in tomato season (unfortunately, as I've heard from many of the farmers down at Findlay, tomato season has been cut short by the storms from last week). When it isn't tomato season, cherry tomatoes make a great substitute as they tend to be sweeter and more flavorful even "off-season". My friend Maria got this recipe from another friend, and I've made it several times in the few weeks since she shared the recipe with me and it's gotten rave reviews, including "the best salsa I've ever had!" Awesome.
Most of the recipes I post are up for interpretation; change it to your tastes. This is how I've been making it lately. I like a lot of onion and cilantro in mine.
1 container of cherry tomatoes, or 6 or so homegrown tomatoes. Heirlooms work well, and look so pretty, with all of their different colors!
1 red or white onion, chopped semi-coarsely
1-2 jalapenos, chopped finely. I use 1, some people like it super spicy. I am not one of those people.
1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped. This is also to taste. I like a ton of cilantro, but some people say it tastes soapy. I think it tastes fresh.
1-2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely. I love garlic, so I use 2.
Zest and juice of 1 lime.
Salt to taste
This is so easy and a great way to practice knife skills. You just chop everything up, throw it in a bowl, juice the lime over the top of it, zest the lime over the top of it and mix it up. Taste it-- it probably needs salt. Add some. Taste it again.
You could easily modify this recipe to be more or less spicy, more or less citrusy, add some peaches or pineapple or corn or beans or whatever. It tastes best if it's sat around for an hour or two. You can take a half cup or so of it and add it to some mashed avocado for guacamole. It's just tasty stuff-- you'll never go back to the jar.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Review: OK 218, Chinatown
It's taking me forever to get these New York posts out, but they're so fun I just can't not post them.
I knew that when we ended up in Chinatown, I wanted to find some Peking duck. I can't think of a single restaurant in Cincinnati that does an authentic Peking duck-- many do roasted duck prepared Peking-style, but I wanted the exceptionally crispy skin that you can only get with proper preparation. As we walked up Grand Street, I saw a place with ducks hanging in the window. That's probably not the best way to judge a restaurant in New York, but it was there, and Terry had never had Peking duck, so it was an easy judgment.
OK 218 is a restaurant that serves the community. We were definitely the only tourists there, and to be honest, our service wasn't fantastic. It consisted of me ordering and the waiter bringing us tea--unasked for but expensive-- and then efficiently (if not artfully) preparing the Peking duck in front of us. If you're looking for a fancy, white tablecloth Chinese experience, you will not get it here. But that really shouldn't matter: it's really good.
Peking duck is served in little packages of pancakes, skin, scallions, a bit of meat and Hoisin sauce. The crispy skin appears due to a multi-step process, including blowing the duck's skin away from the muscle with air, boiling the whole duck briefly, then covering the duck with maltose syrup in order to make it shiny and brown. And tasty. Did I mention tasty?
Peking duck for two with nothing but duck, pancakes, scallions and sauce was $14. A complete dinner, with side dishes, was $28. If you happen to walk down Grand and want some duck-- try it!
I knew that when we ended up in Chinatown, I wanted to find some Peking duck. I can't think of a single restaurant in Cincinnati that does an authentic Peking duck-- many do roasted duck prepared Peking-style, but I wanted the exceptionally crispy skin that you can only get with proper preparation. As we walked up Grand Street, I saw a place with ducks hanging in the window. That's probably not the best way to judge a restaurant in New York, but it was there, and Terry had never had Peking duck, so it was an easy judgment.
OK 218 is a restaurant that serves the community. We were definitely the only tourists there, and to be honest, our service wasn't fantastic. It consisted of me ordering and the waiter bringing us tea--unasked for but expensive-- and then efficiently (if not artfully) preparing the Peking duck in front of us. If you're looking for a fancy, white tablecloth Chinese experience, you will not get it here. But that really shouldn't matter: it's really good.
Peking duck is served in little packages of pancakes, skin, scallions, a bit of meat and Hoisin sauce. The crispy skin appears due to a multi-step process, including blowing the duck's skin away from the muscle with air, boiling the whole duck briefly, then covering the duck with maltose syrup in order to make it shiny and brown. And tasty. Did I mention tasty?
Peking duck for two with nothing but duck, pancakes, scallions and sauce was $14. A complete dinner, with side dishes, was $28. If you happen to walk down Grand and want some duck-- try it!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Tweets about Quacks
Terry and I visited Terry Lee at Outside on 12th street in Over the Rhine on Saturday. You see, both Terrys are from Alabama-- within an hour or two of each other-- and spent a good amount of time talking about stuff from home. By then end of an hour, Terry Lee got invited to my Thanksgiving dinner, we all got a hankering for barbecue, and Terry was sent home with some maple chips for his smoker.
After a big lunch at Pit to Plate, we drove up to Jungle Jim's and picked up a duck. They had frozen ducks, completely prepared, but since we wanted to smoke the duck tomorrow, we went with a non-frozen duck: a Confucian duck.
That means it was a whole duck, just defeathered and, you know, dead. I had the butcher chop off the head (sorry, I'm not too squeamish but the head is a little much) and we took it back to Terry's to become a yummy smoked duck, as he's the one with the smoker and I didn't want to find the cats playing with duck guts. You think they wouldn't.
I decided to tweet about the experience, because it was pretty darn amusing.
Smoking a duck today. Only wine to touch my lips will be the stuff the duck is marinated in. I SWEAR. I have to eviscerate a duck today. Maybe I will be drinking wine. Google "eviscerate duck" No. "prepare duck". No. "gut duck". Hot damn! I can't get my hand up this duck's ass. Dammit. 38 minutes ago from TweetDeck
Duck frozen inside. While up to my wrist in duck guts, BF hands me garbage can: "For the duck's guts or yours, whichever come up first." Duck update: Bought duck because it was not frozen. LIARS. Finishing up gutting once upper duck anatomy is thawed. Drinking wine now. Back to the duck gutting. 01:41 PM September 07, 2008 from TweetDeck
OK. Backbone removed, heart and lungs removed (lungs HARD. really.). Soaking in milk. Relax time! @YatPundit If you check back in my tweets, you'll see today's Duck Saga. Julie 1, Duck 0. @ChasingPolly Jungle Jim's has nothing on duck guts. It was this or watch the Bengals lose. I choose duck guts. Duck nearly finished with its milk bath. Big bowl of milk and blood. Call me Elizabeth Bathory. Duck now drying. Preparing rub. In my excitement to take out the backbone, I did it backwards. It was a very skilled de-breast-boning, because the breasts are intact. Whew
Duck now on smoker with maple chips, apple juice and beer. Happy duck. 03:32 PM September 07, 2008 from TweetDeck
naptime while smoking happens. Great. Water in the smoker is boiling, but temp gauge only says 200. We'll see how this works out. Hands still smell like duck blood, despite loads of washing. Or is it my guilty conscience making me imagine things? Out, damn spot! Duck is out of the smoker, about to go into the oven for a few minutes to crisp the skin. 07:03 PM September 07, 2008 from TweetDeck
Currently eating duck. Slightly overdone (will tweak times next time) but OH so great. Worth the duck guts. 08:35 PM September 07, 2008 from TweetDeck
As you can see, yes, it was overdone and yes, it was boned incorrectly, but it was good all the same. The sauce is apple cider and granacha (the smoking liquid), reduced and thickened with a bit of flour. Terry deemed it a bit too sweet upon first tasting, but it went well with the duck. The maple in the smoker added a nice complexity that was subtle and not overwhelming.
I'll definitely be smoking duck again, but I think next time I'll leave the gutting to the professionals. I'm sure that my Twitter friends will appreciate it.
After a big lunch at Pit to Plate, we drove up to Jungle Jim's and picked up a duck. They had frozen ducks, completely prepared, but since we wanted to smoke the duck tomorrow, we went with a non-frozen duck: a Confucian duck.
That means it was a whole duck, just defeathered and, you know, dead. I had the butcher chop off the head (sorry, I'm not too squeamish but the head is a little much) and we took it back to Terry's to become a yummy smoked duck, as he's the one with the smoker and I didn't want to find the cats playing with duck guts. You think they wouldn't.
I decided to tweet about the experience, because it was pretty darn amusing.
Smoking a duck today. Only wine to touch my lips will be the stuff the duck is marinated in. I SWEAR. I have to eviscerate a duck today. Maybe I will be drinking wine. Google "eviscerate duck" No. "prepare duck". No. "gut duck". Hot damn! I can't get my hand up this duck's ass. Dammit. 38 minutes ago from TweetDeck
Duck frozen inside. While up to my wrist in duck guts, BF hands me garbage can: "For the duck's guts or yours, whichever come up first." Duck update: Bought duck because it was not frozen. LIARS. Finishing up gutting once upper duck anatomy is thawed. Drinking wine now. Back to the duck gutting. 01:41 PM September 07, 2008 from TweetDeck
OK. Backbone removed, heart and lungs removed (lungs HARD. really.). Soaking in milk. Relax time! @YatPundit If you check back in my tweets, you'll see today's Duck Saga. Julie 1, Duck 0. @ChasingPolly Jungle Jim's has nothing on duck guts. It was this or watch the Bengals lose. I choose duck guts. Duck nearly finished with its milk bath. Big bowl of milk and blood. Call me Elizabeth Bathory. Duck now drying. Preparing rub. In my excitement to take out the backbone, I did it backwards. It was a very skilled de-breast-boning, because the breasts are intact. Whew
Duck now on smoker with maple chips, apple juice and beer. Happy duck. 03:32 PM September 07, 2008 from TweetDeck
naptime while smoking happens. Great. Water in the smoker is boiling, but temp gauge only says 200. We'll see how this works out. Hands still smell like duck blood, despite loads of washing. Or is it my guilty conscience making me imagine things? Out, damn spot! Duck is out of the smoker, about to go into the oven for a few minutes to crisp the skin. 07:03 PM September 07, 2008 from TweetDeck
Currently eating duck. Slightly overdone (will tweak times next time) but OH so great. Worth the duck guts. 08:35 PM September 07, 2008 from TweetDeck
As you can see, yes, it was overdone and yes, it was boned incorrectly, but it was good all the same. The sauce is apple cider and granacha (the smoking liquid), reduced and thickened with a bit of flour. Terry deemed it a bit too sweet upon first tasting, but it went well with the duck. The maple in the smoker added a nice complexity that was subtle and not overwhelming.
I'll definitely be smoking duck again, but I think next time I'll leave the gutting to the professionals. I'm sure that my Twitter friends will appreciate it.
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Sunday, October 26, 2008
Movin' on up...
....I've officially moved in at http://winemedinemecincinnati.com
This site will stay up, but it's 100% mirrored at the above URL. Please change your bookmarks and RSS feeds-- though the Feedburner feed I use will transfer quite easily.
See you over there-- it's still being updated.
(And that's not the big news. Check out the new website soon, where I'll announce the ACTUAL big news. Aren't you excited? I am.)
This site will stay up, but it's 100% mirrored at the above URL. Please change your bookmarks and RSS feeds-- though the Feedburner feed I use will transfer quite easily.
See you over there-- it's still being updated.
(And that's not the big news. Check out the new website soon, where I'll announce the ACTUAL big news. Aren't you excited? I am.)
Thursday, October 23, 2008
News: Bootsy Ruby's
You've all heard that Bootsy Ruby's is opening, but I chatted with Bowie over at Jeff Ruby's Culinary Entertainment and got some more details:
It's opening on December 1st, but won't open to the public until Thursday, December 3rd. They expect to seat 100-150.
Chef Mark Bohr will be the Executive chef-- new blood from Sarasota, FL and Chicago.
They will be featuring tapas, sushi, and signature cocktails with a Latin flair-- influences include Spain, Latin America and South America.
Around 10-11 PM, the restaurant will transition to the lounge. There will be a resident DJ (not yet announced) and an area of the restaurant that is cocktail-only, as well as an area that is bottle service only. Bowie emphasized that Bootsy Ruby's, unlike other venues in what has become the new bar district, will be a restaurant first and a lounge second.
You can expect to spend $40-50 per person to have dinner, but with plates running between $7-13, you can get a quick bite before a show or something after a show as well and not break the bank. This seems like a nice, high-end alternative to a lot of the more expensive restaurants in that block-- it seems like it will fit in, but maybe be slightly more affordable, depending on how much you eat/drink.
Watch this space-- you'll be seeing a little bit more about Bootsy's sometime soon.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Review: Relish Modern Tapas
Every once in a while, a few of us at work get a wild hair to go someplace that isn't "cheap chinese" (AKA Chan's Asian Wok, which is both cheap AND good, a rarity in Mason). Someone suggested Relish (I think it was Susannah) and I jumped on the chance. We piled into my car and headed over.
Relish's surroundings are interesting-- very modern, with high ceilings, lots of light, and lots of sharp angles. It's very different than the usual decor of the chains in Mason-- a nice change.
The one thing that I noticed about the menu is that there isn't a whole lot of continuity. Unlike menus that have a theme (and this one is supposedly tapas), this seemed more like small portions of a whole lot of different dishes. To test this theory, the five of us tried a pretty wide variety of dishes, off of both the lunch and regular menu.
My coworkers are such good sports.
Steve and I both ordered grilled cheese and soup. The soup choices were shrimp drop and French onion. I got the shrimp, he got the onion.
The onion soup, according to Steve, was pretty authentic-tasting, and didn't taste prepackaged. There was enough cheese on top-- but not too much-- and a generously sized crouton.
The garnish for both soups were strips of tortilla (either the natural yellow corn color, or colored bright blue or bright red, how...patriotic?) and a lot of balsamic reduction.
The shrimp drop soup was excellent-- well seasoned, a lot of shrimp, strands of eggs, and vegetables. I think it was probably my favorite dish of anything I tried, and soup is rarely a "winner" in most meals.
There was balsamic reduction on everything, we'd soon discover. It covered every flat surface. It garnished everything. It was so overdone that at least one of us got some on a sleeve.
The grilled cheese sandwich, unfortunately, wasn't great. At a restaurant such as Relish, I expect a grilled cheese sandwich to be somewhat inventive-- good quality bread, cheese-- something. It was thick-cut white bread, american cheese, applewood bacon (which was not as crisp as it could have been) and a slice of tomato. I could have made it at home, and probably better. The potatoes served with the dish were good, crunch on the outside and soft on the inside, but the combination was not worth $7.75, even with the soup.
I also ordered some tapas for the table. The menu needs to be clarified a bit. The servings are of similar size, but the "large" plates are what they consider "entrees", the "small plates" could be appetizers and the "petite plates" are more like sides. The lunch menu are for people who dont' want to share at lunchtime (thus completely negating the appeal of tapas). It's very confusing. I ordered the Signature Relish Chorizo and medjool dates wrapped in smoked bacon. I had the idea in my head that it was dates stuffed with chorizo and wrapped in bacon, but instead these were chorizo meatballs wrapped in bacon, with little to no hint of date. They were good, but a lot heavier and richer than I expected, and I really wanted to taste the dates, which I didn't. It was also swimming in the grease from the chorizo. I wouldn't order it again.
My coworker John ordered the tuna tartare for the table, as well as a Reuben. The tuna tartare was excellent-- very fresh, simple but great flavors, and a good portion size. The soy and lime made it very bright and fresh, while the capers added an edge of salt. I'd definitely order this again. I didn't try his Reuben, but he said it was a traditional Reuben and a lot of food-- a good value for lunch.
Susannah, the vegetarian, ordered the potato spheres and some grilled asparagus. She said the asparagus was perfectly grilled (always good!) and the goat cheese was a nice complement. I tried a potato sphere-- it's basically deep fried potato balls. Perhaps I'm used to potato spheres being the molecular gastronomy sort; a suspension of potato puree encased in a sphere, but I thought these would be different. They weren't bad (deep fried potato anything can't be bad) but the name was misleading. The wasabi cream tasted more like tzatziki, but worked well with the dish, even though there was a drop of balsamic reduction on it, too.
Nick got the mini cheeseburgers and some zucchini. I tried the zucchini-- well-flavored, not overdone, a really good choice (and I'm a big fan of zucchini). Nick liked the cheeseburgers-- said they were a good value (he's a value minded kinda guy) and tasty, on good bread with fresh toppings. Say no more.
Last but not least, dessert. Every meal comes with some complimentary almond and sesame lace cookies. I need the recipe, they were great. We fought over the last one. There was no balsamic reduction on that plate. I was shocked.
I'd go back, but I would have a few bits of advice: garnish is lovely, but garnishing every dish with balsamic reduction is overdoing it. Get some continuity to your menu-- it seems a little random. The tapas don't seem modern, but instead, scattered. Get a writer in who can redo things unambiguously (I'm for hire..) because several parts of it are confusing and some of the descriptions are downright misleading. If you're going to do a lunch menu, do it tapas-style. The average customer you will get, even at lunchtime, is not going to want an American cheese sandwich. Even just a change of ingredients-- crusty bread, smoked gouda, whatever-- would really make a huge difference in that lunch menu.
And two cookies per person, please. Darn, those were good.
Relish's surroundings are interesting-- very modern, with high ceilings, lots of light, and lots of sharp angles. It's very different than the usual decor of the chains in Mason-- a nice change.
The one thing that I noticed about the menu is that there isn't a whole lot of continuity. Unlike menus that have a theme (and this one is supposedly tapas), this seemed more like small portions of a whole lot of different dishes. To test this theory, the five of us tried a pretty wide variety of dishes, off of both the lunch and regular menu.
My coworkers are such good sports.
Steve and I both ordered grilled cheese and soup. The soup choices were shrimp drop and French onion. I got the shrimp, he got the onion.
The onion soup, according to Steve, was pretty authentic-tasting, and didn't taste prepackaged. There was enough cheese on top-- but not too much-- and a generously sized crouton.
The garnish for both soups were strips of tortilla (either the natural yellow corn color, or colored bright blue or bright red, how...patriotic?) and a lot of balsamic reduction.
The shrimp drop soup was excellent-- well seasoned, a lot of shrimp, strands of eggs, and vegetables. I think it was probably my favorite dish of anything I tried, and soup is rarely a "winner" in most meals.
There was balsamic reduction on everything, we'd soon discover. It covered every flat surface. It garnished everything. It was so overdone that at least one of us got some on a sleeve.
The grilled cheese sandwich, unfortunately, wasn't great. At a restaurant such as Relish, I expect a grilled cheese sandwich to be somewhat inventive-- good quality bread, cheese-- something. It was thick-cut white bread, american cheese, applewood bacon (which was not as crisp as it could have been) and a slice of tomato. I could have made it at home, and probably better. The potatoes served with the dish were good, crunch on the outside and soft on the inside, but the combination was not worth $7.75, even with the soup.
I also ordered some tapas for the table. The menu needs to be clarified a bit. The servings are of similar size, but the "large" plates are what they consider "entrees", the "small plates" could be appetizers and the "petite plates" are more like sides. The lunch menu are for people who dont' want to share at lunchtime (thus completely negating the appeal of tapas). It's very confusing. I ordered the Signature Relish Chorizo and medjool dates wrapped in smoked bacon. I had the idea in my head that it was dates stuffed with chorizo and wrapped in bacon, but instead these were chorizo meatballs wrapped in bacon, with little to no hint of date. They were good, but a lot heavier and richer than I expected, and I really wanted to taste the dates, which I didn't. It was also swimming in the grease from the chorizo. I wouldn't order it again.
My coworker John ordered the tuna tartare for the table, as well as a Reuben. The tuna tartare was excellent-- very fresh, simple but great flavors, and a good portion size. The soy and lime made it very bright and fresh, while the capers added an edge of salt. I'd definitely order this again. I didn't try his Reuben, but he said it was a traditional Reuben and a lot of food-- a good value for lunch.
Susannah, the vegetarian, ordered the potato spheres and some grilled asparagus. She said the asparagus was perfectly grilled (always good!) and the goat cheese was a nice complement. I tried a potato sphere-- it's basically deep fried potato balls. Perhaps I'm used to potato spheres being the molecular gastronomy sort; a suspension of potato puree encased in a sphere, but I thought these would be different. They weren't bad (deep fried potato anything can't be bad) but the name was misleading. The wasabi cream tasted more like tzatziki, but worked well with the dish, even though there was a drop of balsamic reduction on it, too.
Nick got the mini cheeseburgers and some zucchini. I tried the zucchini-- well-flavored, not overdone, a really good choice (and I'm a big fan of zucchini). Nick liked the cheeseburgers-- said they were a good value (he's a value minded kinda guy) and tasty, on good bread with fresh toppings. Say no more.
Last but not least, dessert. Every meal comes with some complimentary almond and sesame lace cookies. I need the recipe, they were great. We fought over the last one. There was no balsamic reduction on that plate. I was shocked.
I'd go back, but I would have a few bits of advice: garnish is lovely, but garnishing every dish with balsamic reduction is overdoing it. Get some continuity to your menu-- it seems a little random. The tapas don't seem modern, but instead, scattered. Get a writer in who can redo things unambiguously (I'm for hire..) because several parts of it are confusing and some of the descriptions are downright misleading. If you're going to do a lunch menu, do it tapas-style. The average customer you will get, even at lunchtime, is not going to want an American cheese sandwich. Even just a change of ingredients-- crusty bread, smoked gouda, whatever-- would really make a huge difference in that lunch menu.
And two cookies per person, please. Darn, those were good.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Mini Review: The Madison, buffet
The Madison, buffet
Originally uploaded by winemedineme
I recently attended a wedding at The Madison in Covington. It's awfully easy to take pictures of food at weddings-- no one thinks ill of you for having a camera out.
I've been to several weddings at the Madison-- it's a gorgeous facility, as far as reception halls are concerned. The food isn't bad for reception hall food-- they have a lot of choices, and their "basic" menu isn't bad.
The usual choices are chicken and beef tenderloin. Chicken's hard to keep from getting rubbery on a steam table, so I went with the carved tenderloin. It was pretty good-- not as rare as I would like, butnot cooked to death, either. The vegetables (green beans and a squash/carrot mix) were good and not overcooked. The mashed potatoes were made out of actual potatoes (I went to one wedding where there were still lumps of potato flakes in the potatoes-- yuck!) and not bad either. The white sauce is horseradish cream (a bit m ore than I would have liked) but was pretty tasty.
There was also a cheese tray, cocktails, bread with cinnamon and regular butter and, of course, wedding cake (and I have no idea who DID the wedding cake-- must inquire). Their per person charge also includes wine and beer, so it's a beautiful spot and not a bad value, either. Weddings are so darn expensive.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Shameless Plug: The Boys Next Door
I have been so busy for the past few weeks that I forgot to shamelessly plug Falcon Theatre's The Boys Next Door, which just got a great review in City Beat. And if you come tonight (we have tickets left!) you'll see me working house. What a deal, huh?
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Recipe: Chicken Satay, Chicken Salad and Apple Tarte Tatin
On Monday night, I was in a real mood to cook. I have no idea why, but it overcame me. Earlier that day I read smitten kitchen and was inspired to make an apple tarte tatin. I had all of the ingredients except the apples. I couldn't just go to the store for apples, so I also decided that chicken Satay sounded good. About $20 and two hours later, I had a pretty tasty dinner.
First, the apple tarte tatin. If you're not familiar, its basically a French, upside-down apple pie. You cook the apples in butter and sugar, then top it with pate brisee, a butter-based pastry, and bake it. It sounds really difficult, but it isn't!
Molly's directions are so darn great, I can't improve upon them. I will give you a few additional tips: make sure that the crust is slightly BIGGER than the pan so you can tuck it in, and also make sure you've separated the pastry from the pan. Really. It'll still taste good if it falls apart.
The chicken satay was really easy as well. I used Tyler Florence's recipe and doubled it. One batch was made with hot madras curry and the other with Thai yellow curry. You see, Terry doesn't like curry-- he had a bad experience involving Air India and food poisoning. I'm convinced he just needs to try it in ways that don't involve airline food. After eating three skewers' worth of chicken, he said, "Wow, these are good, what's in them?" Turns out, he liked the curry!
Yum. I served them with couscous, peanut sauce, and sweet chili sauce. My upstairs neighbor, Ilan, came down to see what smelled so good and I sent him home with some satay and peanut sauce. He liked it too!
Since I had a ton of chicken left, I did what I love to do with leftover chicken: make chicken salad. My favorite is curried chicken salad, also known as Coronation Chicken. Mine's not terribly traditional, but I still think it's great-- and a great use for leftover chicken.
There aren't a lot of measurements here-- I hate to be Rachael Ray and say "eyeball it", but that's what I do-- taste and eyeball.
1 pound of cooked chicken, chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon (or to taste) curry powder
handful of chopped cilantro
Mayonnaise (I use Light Hellman's), about a half cup, or enough to moisten the chicken
Mix it all together. Easy, peasy. Let it sit in the refrigerator for the flavors to develop. It tastes great alone or on some nice, crusty bread.
First, the apple tarte tatin. If you're not familiar, its basically a French, upside-down apple pie. You cook the apples in butter and sugar, then top it with pate brisee, a butter-based pastry, and bake it. It sounds really difficult, but it isn't!
Molly's directions are so darn great, I can't improve upon them. I will give you a few additional tips: make sure that the crust is slightly BIGGER than the pan so you can tuck it in, and also make sure you've separated the pastry from the pan. Really. It'll still taste good if it falls apart.
The chicken satay was really easy as well. I used Tyler Florence's recipe and doubled it. One batch was made with hot madras curry and the other with Thai yellow curry. You see, Terry doesn't like curry-- he had a bad experience involving Air India and food poisoning. I'm convinced he just needs to try it in ways that don't involve airline food. After eating three skewers' worth of chicken, he said, "Wow, these are good, what's in them?" Turns out, he liked the curry!
Yum. I served them with couscous, peanut sauce, and sweet chili sauce. My upstairs neighbor, Ilan, came down to see what smelled so good and I sent him home with some satay and peanut sauce. He liked it too!
Since I had a ton of chicken left, I did what I love to do with leftover chicken: make chicken salad. My favorite is curried chicken salad, also known as Coronation Chicken. Mine's not terribly traditional, but I still think it's great-- and a great use for leftover chicken.
There aren't a lot of measurements here-- I hate to be Rachael Ray and say "eyeball it", but that's what I do-- taste and eyeball.
1 pound of cooked chicken, chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon (or to taste) curry powder
handful of chopped cilantro
Mayonnaise (I use Light Hellman's), about a half cup, or enough to moisten the chicken
Mix it all together. Easy, peasy. Let it sit in the refrigerator for the flavors to develop. It tastes great alone or on some nice, crusty bread.
Blog Action Day: Poverty
Have you ever been hungry? Truly hungry. Not just "I forgot to eat today! Oops!" hungry. Or "I'm on a diet and eating less than I used to" hungry. Or "What's in my pantry to last until payday?" hungry. We've all experienced those sorts of hunger.
I mean "not knowing where your next meal is coming from" hungry. "My children go to bed without dinner" hungry. They have no ramen to squeak by on, no PBJs to get tired of. Their pantries are bare, their freezers unstocked, and
With the economic downturn, people who have never experienced hunger may experience it for the first time. Hunger is not limited to the inner city and the homeless. 40% of the people who use the non-profit organizations associated with the FreestoreFoodbank are from suburban or rural areas. 57% have at least a high school education. 28,600 different people receive services per week.
This is just in Cincinnati.
Worldwide, 16,000 children die daily of hunger related issues. 923 million people are hungry daily. Poverty, the focus of Blog Action Day 2008, finds its most extreme form in hunger. Food is our most basic need, and not being able to eat is something that is unfathomable to most Americans.
Food costs are up. Inner city areas often don't have the same kind of access to fresh food that suburban areas do. People who don't have cars, can't afford public transit, and are limited to convenience stores aren't even eating real food. Hypertension, diabetes, and obesity-related diseases are caused by this malnutrition. Hungry? No. Well-fed? Not really.
So what can you do? Start local. Help your neighbors.
1. Support the FreestoreFoodbank. It's easy-- you can donate online. You can organize your own food drives. You can even donate to the virtual food drive, which allows you to buy things that are truly needed. It's sort of like online shopping, with free shipping and everything goes to a great cause. Myrita Craig, spokesperson for FreestoreFoodbank says, "When we feed someone, we earn their trust, and we use that trust to talk about how else we can help them by utilizing any of our programs (housing, foodstamps, medicaid, job training, bus tokens, work clothes, etc.) It is our mission to help people become more independent and self-reliant, and food is the catalyst for that change. Food is where our work begins, not where it ends."
2. Replate. This one's a little off the wall-- but makes so much sense once you think about it, particularly if you live in an urban area.
It's a pretty simple movement: you're walking down the street in your urban metropolis, burrito or sandwich or bagel in hand. Considering the way portions have gotten out of control, chances are you won't be finishing that item that's approximately as large as your forearm. So here are your choices:
1) Wrap it up, put it in your bag, and save it for later (whenever I do this, it either ends up leaking in my bag or I end up throwing it out anyway. Yuck.)
2) Throw it out in the nearest garbage can.
or..
3) Go to that garbage can, and instead of tossing it in... put it on top.
Pretty simple, huh?
I'm not saying to leave tins of mayonnaise-laden tuna salad to rot in the sun and give people botulism. I'm not saying to leave a full meal on top of a garbage can in a bag (though if you want to, hey, bully for you!). Just be thoughtful about your leftovers and their eventual demise, and maybe help out someone who would really appreciate what we throw away.
For some ideas about what you can eat on a limited budget, check out The Hunger Challenge.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
News: Top Cheftestant from Jag's!
A big ol' wine me, dine me shout out to Lauren Starling Hope, who is Chef Tournant at Jag's Steak and Seafood in West Chester. She's a cheftestant on Top Chef this season. I watch this show anyway, but hey, now I have a local to root for! I'll be interested to hear her story unfold on the show.I also need to try out Jag's for more than just cocktails-- I've heard great things. I just never get up to West Chester!
Friday, October 10, 2008
News: New York Times Magazine Food Issue
Ooh, I'll be running out to grab the NYT on Sunday-- the Magazine looks fascinating. Locavorism, Kosher (I am fascinated by Kashrut laws, and ecological Kashrut vs. strict Halachich Kashrut), "What's In Your Fridge", which I think needs to be a blog post here...
Discuss!
Discuss!
clipped from www.nytimes.com
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Recipe: Breakfast Casserole
Breakfast Casserole
Originally uploaded by winemedineme
Terry loves to talk about breakfast casseroles, because he loves breakfast (He recently discovered that he loves cooking breakfast for me. How it took this long to figure it out is beyond me!) and because they're so easy. My grandma used to make one that involved Swiss cheese, ham, powdered mustard, white bread, and eggs. Terry says he's always made them with sausage. We decided to take last Sunday as a "barely leave the house" day before a busy week, so a breakfast casserole is perfect; just pop it in the oven for an hour, directly from the refrigerator. The recipe he found randomly on the internet sounded pretty good, but we made a few changes and clarified the directions (which were, and I quote, "mix all ingredients together. Pour into a casserole and bake at 325.").
Breakfast Casserole
6 eggs, beaten lightly
8 slices bread, torn into large chunks
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 pound sausage, cooked and drained
1 small sweet onion, diced and sauteed
1 red pepper, diced and sauteed (the sauteeing is optional. We didn't. I think it would taste better if we did.)
salt and pepper to taste
Combine sausage, cooked onion and red pepper and bread in a bowl. Mix milk, eggs, cheese and mustard together, then combine with sausage mixture. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a greased casserole dish, cover, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, preheat oven to 325 and bake, uncovered for an hour.
Review: Bar Food and Chimay Tasting at Morton's
Morton's and I have had a tumultuous relationship. One of my very first posts here was about a mediocre experience there back in January. A friend, however, is quite a regular there and encouraged me to go-- at least to try the bar food. The bar food, he emphasized, was really good. So, two weeks ago, we decided to try it-- we had also heard that they were showing the Vice Presidential debates.
Morton's has a fantastic happy hour, with $5 bar bites both right after work (5-6:30) and late night (9:30-11). We were there for the latter.
We picked up three appetizers: prime mini cheeseburgers, as suggested by my unnamed associate; blue cheese fries, because you can't go wrong with potatoes and blue cheese; and the crab cakes.
The mini cheeseburgers were very good-- fresh bread with a nice crust, well-seasoned, flavorful meat, and nice, fresh toppings. I was very generous and let Terry eat the last one (as there are three on the plate).
The blue cheese fries were okay-- again, can you really go wrong with blue cheese and potatoes-- lots of blue cheese and a cream sauce over their regular fries. Their regular fries are only OK, if Morton's did pommes frites, I'd probably have rated them as over-the-top.
The crab cakes were stellar-- big chunks of crab, good flavor, nice remoulade-- they were little bites of crabby goodness. I'd definitely order these again; I could easily make a meal out of them.
To drink, I had their pineapple vodka, which, in the words of a certain friend on Twitter, is "guzzleable". She's not kidding-- sweet, pineapple-y, and goes down easily. Too easily. Downside? A little expensive for just vodka and fruit on the rocks-- $12. But it's Morton's, so you forgive them, and probably order another.
That great experience made me much less hesitant-- in fact, I was enthusiastic-- about attending the Beer for Bloggers event at Morton's on Tuesday. I was joined by 5chw4r7z, Ms. 5chw4r7z, Evan and his girlfriend from Buy Cincy, Michelle and Kevin, and K and her husband. They did this to promote a Chimay-based event on October 24, which will feature the menu we tasted, three different kinds of Chimay presented by a Chimay representative, and a $5 donation to Make-a-Wish Foundation for $45. Not a bad deal.
I'll leave the beer tasting notes to Michelle and Kevin, but I must admit that I really love Belgian wheat beers, and the story of Chimay is pretty interesting. Plus the glasses are cool-- they're designed so you really get full appreciation of the nose.
Three Chimay varieties were served: Chimay Grand Reserve (blue), Chimay Cinq Cents (white), and Chimay Premiere (Red). My favorite was the Grand Reserve, but I loved how the premiere paired with the chocolate cake.
But on to the food...
We were welcomed with a presentation of smoked salmon with horseradish, onion, capers and lemon with grilled bread. The salmon was lovely, and I love the classical presentation.
The tuna tartare was interesting-- the combination of wasabi cream, cucumber tuna and avocado made it reminiscent of a California roll. I liked it quite a bit, and it paired well with the crisp Chimay White. It's one of those things I want to go home and recreate.
The filet sandwiches were good, but not as good as the mini burgers I'd had two weeks before. Though the steak is undeniably good, the presentation-- a little mustard mayonnaise and some very soft, unimpressive bread leaves a bit to be desired. Tasty, but it did not blow me away. I realize that Morton's is limited by their corporate menu, but other chains give their chefs a bit of leeway-- I'd love to see that happen at Morton's. This was paired with the Chimay Blue, which was my favorite of the night-- a bit heavier in body to pair with the beef, but not overwhelming. Yum.
Chocolate sponge filled with thick, gooey chocolate sauce. How can you go wrong? Michelle had a whole one and Kevin and I split a half. It was pretty good-- and half was more than enough for me. The Chimay Red was lighter than I thought it would be, and cut the richness of the chocolate cake well.
Morton's treated us very well-- I talked with their marketing manager, Jason, about prior experiences and he was receptive to criticism and invited me back to try again. I probably will. In fact, I ended up at the bar afterwards, sipping a Negroni (my new favorite drink) with some friends.
Thanks to Annemarie and Jason from Morton's and Lauren from Wordsworth for the experience!
Full Disclosure: Yes, this was free, and I have received comped meals before. If this happens, I will always tell you, the reader, and I will always be honest-- there's no reason not to be.
Morton's has a fantastic happy hour, with $5 bar bites both right after work (5-6:30) and late night (9:30-11). We were there for the latter.
We picked up three appetizers: prime mini cheeseburgers, as suggested by my unnamed associate; blue cheese fries, because you can't go wrong with potatoes and blue cheese; and the crab cakes.
The mini cheeseburgers were very good-- fresh bread with a nice crust, well-seasoned, flavorful meat, and nice, fresh toppings. I was very generous and let Terry eat the last one (as there are three on the plate).
The blue cheese fries were okay-- again, can you really go wrong with blue cheese and potatoes-- lots of blue cheese and a cream sauce over their regular fries. Their regular fries are only OK, if Morton's did pommes frites, I'd probably have rated them as over-the-top.
The crab cakes were stellar-- big chunks of crab, good flavor, nice remoulade-- they were little bites of crabby goodness. I'd definitely order these again; I could easily make a meal out of them.
To drink, I had their pineapple vodka, which, in the words of a certain friend on Twitter, is "guzzleable". She's not kidding-- sweet, pineapple-y, and goes down easily. Too easily. Downside? A little expensive for just vodka and fruit on the rocks-- $12. But it's Morton's, so you forgive them, and probably order another.
That great experience made me much less hesitant-- in fact, I was enthusiastic-- about attending the Beer for Bloggers event at Morton's on Tuesday. I was joined by 5chw4r7z, Ms. 5chw4r7z, Evan and his girlfriend from Buy Cincy, Michelle and Kevin, and K and her husband. They did this to promote a Chimay-based event on October 24, which will feature the menu we tasted, three different kinds of Chimay presented by a Chimay representative, and a $5 donation to Make-a-Wish Foundation for $45. Not a bad deal.
I'll leave the beer tasting notes to Michelle and Kevin, but I must admit that I really love Belgian wheat beers, and the story of Chimay is pretty interesting. Plus the glasses are cool-- they're designed so you really get full appreciation of the nose.
Three Chimay varieties were served: Chimay Grand Reserve (blue), Chimay Cinq Cents (white), and Chimay Premiere (Red). My favorite was the Grand Reserve, but I loved how the premiere paired with the chocolate cake.
But on to the food...
We were welcomed with a presentation of smoked salmon with horseradish, onion, capers and lemon with grilled bread. The salmon was lovely, and I love the classical presentation.
The tuna tartare was interesting-- the combination of wasabi cream, cucumber tuna and avocado made it reminiscent of a California roll. I liked it quite a bit, and it paired well with the crisp Chimay White. It's one of those things I want to go home and recreate.
The filet sandwiches were good, but not as good as the mini burgers I'd had two weeks before. Though the steak is undeniably good, the presentation-- a little mustard mayonnaise and some very soft, unimpressive bread leaves a bit to be desired. Tasty, but it did not blow me away. I realize that Morton's is limited by their corporate menu, but other chains give their chefs a bit of leeway-- I'd love to see that happen at Morton's. This was paired with the Chimay Blue, which was my favorite of the night-- a bit heavier in body to pair with the beef, but not overwhelming. Yum.
Chocolate sponge filled with thick, gooey chocolate sauce. How can you go wrong? Michelle had a whole one and Kevin and I split a half. It was pretty good-- and half was more than enough for me. The Chimay Red was lighter than I thought it would be, and cut the richness of the chocolate cake well.
Morton's treated us very well-- I talked with their marketing manager, Jason, about prior experiences and he was receptive to criticism and invited me back to try again. I probably will. In fact, I ended up at the bar afterwards, sipping a Negroni (my new favorite drink) with some friends.
Thanks to Annemarie and Jason from Morton's and Lauren from Wordsworth for the experience!
Full Disclosure: Yes, this was free, and I have received comped meals before. If this happens, I will always tell you, the reader, and I will always be honest-- there's no reason not to be.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Reader Question: Where would you go for your last meal in Cincinnati?
Our lovely Cin Twin, aka Amber, is leaving town for Denmark in just a couple of days. She chose her last meal in Cincinnati: Via Vite.
So I'm wondering... what's YOUR ideal last meal in Cincinnati? If you were to leave and never go back (or were on death row, or whatever), what would you eat?
I'll reveal my choice in a bit-- I have a feeling you'd guess, though.
So I'm wondering... what's YOUR ideal last meal in Cincinnati? If you were to leave and never go back (or were on death row, or whatever), what would you eat?
I'll reveal my choice in a bit-- I have a feeling you'd guess, though.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Mini Review: Starbuck's Signature Hot Chocolate, Salted Caramel
Bearista
Originally uploaded by winemedineme
Even the avowed non-chain person likes Starbucks. I do. When I can, I go to Coffee Emporium or Sitwell's, or any number of my favorite local coffee spots, but since there aren't any (that I've found) within a few minutes of my office, I had to settle with Starbucks. Settle indeed-- I wanted to try their Salted Caramel hot chocolate before I hunkered down for a conference call at noon. I guess you could say I drank my lunch!
It wasn't bad. I got a grande, but a tall is more than enough. It's not as sweet or as thick as the Chantico (remember that? Like hot pudding!) and not quite salty enough. I realize that it's supposed to be just a hint of salty-sweet, but instead you get just a few hints of salt in the first few sips. All in all, pretty tasty, ethically produced cocoa and vanilla extract, and I got that cute bear (I love the Starbucks bears, particularly the Halloween ones. I'm apparently 5) to boot.
What's your favorite coffee beverage-- Starbucks or not?
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Review: Taz, Mason
My friend Dave IMd me the other night. "Have you tried Taz?" he asked. "Nope. Where is it?" "Mason," he replied. "And it's better than Mythos."
Mythos, as many of you know, is the gold standard when it comes to gyros for a lot of people in Cincinnati. Me, I've always been a loyal Sebastian's fan, but as I have had gyros elsewhere, I've found theirs to be lacking: watery tzatziki, not a lot of meat, clear across town. I don't think I've had Sebastian's once since I moved to OTR.
For additional motivation, Dave added, "And they're 7.50 with a drink and fries." Sold!
Steve (who seems to be my at-work blog companion these days) and I headed over to Taz for lunch today. It's on Mason-Montgomery Road, next to Pizza Tower and behind Frisch's in an old Fazoli's. The owners have redecorated the Fazoli's with tapestries, sheer curtains and pillows to make it feel like you're dining in the classic, storybook Sultan's palace. Not bad for Mason.
We each got the same thing-- Gyros Supreme with fries. The difference between the regular Gyros and the supreme is the addition of some feta. Honestly, there wasn't enough feta on it to taste, so next time I'll just go with regular Gyros.
This was the biggest Gyro I've ever seen. It was absolutely stuffed with meat, tomatoes, onions, and thick, creamy tzatziki-- not watery at all. We could have easily split the gyro and been more than full. The meat was well seasoned, particularly good for what is probably the standard gyro meat and the bread was slightly crispy, warm, and delicious. The tomatoes were pretty fresh-- sometimes they can be tasteless, but these were obviously in season. The fries were okay, the kind with the slightly crunchy coating. Not bad.
Their dinner menu is pretty impressive, too. I'd love to come here for a Lebanese/Greek feast (their menu borrows liberally from both cuisines). For $10, with tip, this place is a steal. Taz may have stolen my gyro heart.
Mythos, as many of you know, is the gold standard when it comes to gyros for a lot of people in Cincinnati. Me, I've always been a loyal Sebastian's fan, but as I have had gyros elsewhere, I've found theirs to be lacking: watery tzatziki, not a lot of meat, clear across town. I don't think I've had Sebastian's once since I moved to OTR.
For additional motivation, Dave added, "And they're 7.50 with a drink and fries." Sold!
Steve (who seems to be my at-work blog companion these days) and I headed over to Taz for lunch today. It's on Mason-Montgomery Road, next to Pizza Tower and behind Frisch's in an old Fazoli's. The owners have redecorated the Fazoli's with tapestries, sheer curtains and pillows to make it feel like you're dining in the classic, storybook Sultan's palace. Not bad for Mason.
We each got the same thing-- Gyros Supreme with fries. The difference between the regular Gyros and the supreme is the addition of some feta. Honestly, there wasn't enough feta on it to taste, so next time I'll just go with regular Gyros.
This was the biggest Gyro I've ever seen. It was absolutely stuffed with meat, tomatoes, onions, and thick, creamy tzatziki-- not watery at all. We could have easily split the gyro and been more than full. The meat was well seasoned, particularly good for what is probably the standard gyro meat and the bread was slightly crispy, warm, and delicious. The tomatoes were pretty fresh-- sometimes they can be tasteless, but these were obviously in season. The fries were okay, the kind with the slightly crunchy coating. Not bad.
Their dinner menu is pretty impressive, too. I'd love to come here for a Lebanese/Greek feast (their menu borrows liberally from both cuisines). For $10, with tip, this place is a steal. Taz may have stolen my gyro heart.
Monday, September 29, 2008
News: Iron Horse Inn Reopened
Looks like my buddy Drew wrote about the Iron Horse Inn reopening. Awesome! I can't wait to try it out-- I've heard their wine dinners used to be fabulous. I hope they restart them!
(Real content later, I promise.)
(Real content later, I promise.)
Friday, September 26, 2008
Review: Trattoria Roma
Do you guys ever watch Kitchen Nightmares? I love that show. It would be fun to make a drinking game from it: every time Gordon drops the f-bomb, drink a tequila shot. I'd be down for the count by the first commercial break.
It's also helped me, in a small way, to become a critical diner. It's not that I subscribe to WWGRD? (What Would Gordon Ramsay Do?), but there are some things he's pointed out that I agree with-- one of which is, if available, use high quality ingredients.
Trattoria Roma has been a favorite of mine for years. I'd never ventured much past pasta with them-- I loved their tortellini alla vodka (which is off the menu but supposedly you can ask for it) and their tiramisu (which I liked until I had better tiramisu). Trattoria Roma feels really fancy when you're 18 and you've not spent a lot of time downtown. Now, it feels just a tiny bit dingy, but in a charming way. It is incredibly slow if there's nothing going on at the Aronoff, but when there is, you're greeted buy a maître d' who is straight out of the Godfather, slicked back hair, Italian accent and all. At times you wonder if someone is going to burst in with a tommy gun and take people out, St. Valentine's Day Massacre-style.
Our first problem with the high-quality ingredients? The "Mediterranean salad". It looked like a good idea-- mozzarella, olives, and red pepper with Balsamic vinaigrette. Its execution, however, wasn't. The black olives were the big ones that come in a can, and the red pepper wasn't freshly roasted, but also jarred. The mozzarella was tasteless, and it was all served atop iceberg lettuce. This is a "dump" salad-- dump a can of this and a can of that. Really not worth the $10. Gordon would send it back. He might even throw things around and make the chef cry.
Pasta? Come here for pasta. Terry got veal Parmigiana, which was good, if overly sauced with a very good, richly flavored tomato sauce. There's not a lot of subtlety here-- big flavors, big portions, moderate price tag. If you think about the owners targeting their clients, which is the theater crowd, it makes sense. The theater crowd is looking for something fast, fancy (but not too fancy) and familiar (but maybe slightly exotic). You can take your grandma here, and you can take a date here. It won't blow them away, but it's not chain Italian, either. Gordon would probably be OK with it, but comment on the oversaucing.
I got the tortellini in cream sauce with artichokes and peas. This is where we get into the "use quality ingredients". The peas and the artichokes were canned. Frozen would have been better-- and understandable-- but it didn't detract from the very nice cream sauce. Gordon would cut out the peas and artichokes and just call it tortellini Alfredo.
In all? This is a totally safe restaurant. It's not amazing, but would probably please someone with simple tastes. It fills the "downtown, traditional Italian" craving pretty well, and it is a good pre-theater choice. Is it Nicola's? No. It's not trying to be. It could be improved with fresh ingredients, but for a simple bowl of pasta, this is a good choice.
It's also helped me, in a small way, to become a critical diner. It's not that I subscribe to WWGRD? (What Would Gordon Ramsay Do?), but there are some things he's pointed out that I agree with-- one of which is, if available, use high quality ingredients.
Trattoria Roma has been a favorite of mine for years. I'd never ventured much past pasta with them-- I loved their tortellini alla vodka (which is off the menu but supposedly you can ask for it) and their tiramisu (which I liked until I had better tiramisu). Trattoria Roma feels really fancy when you're 18 and you've not spent a lot of time downtown. Now, it feels just a tiny bit dingy, but in a charming way. It is incredibly slow if there's nothing going on at the Aronoff, but when there is, you're greeted buy a maître d' who is straight out of the Godfather, slicked back hair, Italian accent and all. At times you wonder if someone is going to burst in with a tommy gun and take people out, St. Valentine's Day Massacre-style.
Our first problem with the high-quality ingredients? The "Mediterranean salad". It looked like a good idea-- mozzarella, olives, and red pepper with Balsamic vinaigrette. Its execution, however, wasn't. The black olives were the big ones that come in a can, and the red pepper wasn't freshly roasted, but also jarred. The mozzarella was tasteless, and it was all served atop iceberg lettuce. This is a "dump" salad-- dump a can of this and a can of that. Really not worth the $10. Gordon would send it back. He might even throw things around and make the chef cry.
Pasta? Come here for pasta. Terry got veal Parmigiana, which was good, if overly sauced with a very good, richly flavored tomato sauce. There's not a lot of subtlety here-- big flavors, big portions, moderate price tag. If you think about the owners targeting their clients, which is the theater crowd, it makes sense. The theater crowd is looking for something fast, fancy (but not too fancy) and familiar (but maybe slightly exotic). You can take your grandma here, and you can take a date here. It won't blow them away, but it's not chain Italian, either. Gordon would probably be OK with it, but comment on the oversaucing.
I got the tortellini in cream sauce with artichokes and peas. This is where we get into the "use quality ingredients". The peas and the artichokes were canned. Frozen would have been better-- and understandable-- but it didn't detract from the very nice cream sauce. Gordon would cut out the peas and artichokes and just call it tortellini Alfredo.
In all? This is a totally safe restaurant. It's not amazing, but would probably please someone with simple tastes. It fills the "downtown, traditional Italian" craving pretty well, and it is a good pre-theater choice. Is it Nicola's? No. It's not trying to be. It could be improved with fresh ingredients, but for a simple bowl of pasta, this is a good choice.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Recipe: Simple Salsa
Salsa
Originally uploaded by winemedinemeI seriously don't know why I buy salsa in a jar anymore. It's so darn easy to make it myself, particularly in tomato season (unfortunately, as I've heard from many of the farmers down at Findlay, tomato season has been cut short by the storms from last week). When it isn't tomato season, cherry tomatoes make a great substitute as they tend to be sweeter and more flavorful even "off-season". My friend Maria got this recipe from another friend, and I've made it several times in the few weeks since she shared the recipe with me and it's gotten rave reviews, including "the best salsa I've ever had!" Awesome.
Most of the recipes I post are up for interpretation; change it to your tastes. This is how I've been making it lately. I like a lot of onion and cilantro in mine.
1 container of cherry tomatoes, or 6 or so homegrown tomatoes. Heirlooms work well, and look so pretty, with all of their different colors!
1 red or white onion, chopped semi-coarsely
1-2 jalapenos, chopped finely. I use 1, some people like it super spicy. I am not one of those people.
1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped. This is also to taste. I like a ton of cilantro, but some people say it tastes soapy. I think it tastes fresh.
1-2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely. I love garlic, so I use 2.
Zest and juice of 1 lime.
Salt to taste
This is so easy and a great way to practice knife skills. You just chop everything up, throw it in a bowl, juice the lime over the top of it, zest the lime over the top of it and mix it up. Taste it-- it probably needs salt. Add some. Taste it again.
You could easily modify this recipe to be more or less spicy, more or less citrusy, add some peaches or pineapple or corn or beans or whatever. It tastes best if it's sat around for an hour or two. You can take a half cup or so of it and add it to some mashed avocado for guacamole. It's just tasty stuff-- you'll never go back to the jar.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Review: OK 218, Chinatown
It's taking me forever to get these New York posts out, but they're so fun I just can't not post them.
I knew that when we ended up in Chinatown, I wanted to find some Peking duck. I can't think of a single restaurant in Cincinnati that does an authentic Peking duck-- many do roasted duck prepared Peking-style, but I wanted the exceptionally crispy skin that you can only get with proper preparation. As we walked up Grand Street, I saw a place with ducks hanging in the window. That's probably not the best way to judge a restaurant in New York, but it was there, and Terry had never had Peking duck, so it was an easy judgment.
OK 218 is a restaurant that serves the community. We were definitely the only tourists there, and to be honest, our service wasn't fantastic. It consisted of me ordering and the waiter bringing us tea--unasked for but expensive-- and then efficiently (if not artfully) preparing the Peking duck in front of us. If you're looking for a fancy, white tablecloth Chinese experience, you will not get it here. But that really shouldn't matter: it's really good.
Peking duck is served in little packages of pancakes, skin, scallions, a bit of meat and Hoisin sauce. The crispy skin appears due to a multi-step process, including blowing the duck's skin away from the muscle with air, boiling the whole duck briefly, then covering the duck with maltose syrup in order to make it shiny and brown. And tasty. Did I mention tasty?
Peking duck for two with nothing but duck, pancakes, scallions and sauce was $14. A complete dinner, with side dishes, was $28. If you happen to walk down Grand and want some duck-- try it!
I knew that when we ended up in Chinatown, I wanted to find some Peking duck. I can't think of a single restaurant in Cincinnati that does an authentic Peking duck-- many do roasted duck prepared Peking-style, but I wanted the exceptionally crispy skin that you can only get with proper preparation. As we walked up Grand Street, I saw a place with ducks hanging in the window. That's probably not the best way to judge a restaurant in New York, but it was there, and Terry had never had Peking duck, so it was an easy judgment.
OK 218 is a restaurant that serves the community. We were definitely the only tourists there, and to be honest, our service wasn't fantastic. It consisted of me ordering and the waiter bringing us tea--unasked for but expensive-- and then efficiently (if not artfully) preparing the Peking duck in front of us. If you're looking for a fancy, white tablecloth Chinese experience, you will not get it here. But that really shouldn't matter: it's really good.
Peking duck is served in little packages of pancakes, skin, scallions, a bit of meat and Hoisin sauce. The crispy skin appears due to a multi-step process, including blowing the duck's skin away from the muscle with air, boiling the whole duck briefly, then covering the duck with maltose syrup in order to make it shiny and brown. And tasty. Did I mention tasty?
Peking duck for two with nothing but duck, pancakes, scallions and sauce was $14. A complete dinner, with side dishes, was $28. If you happen to walk down Grand and want some duck-- try it!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Tweets about Quacks
Terry and I visited Terry Lee at Outside on 12th street in Over the Rhine on Saturday. You see, both Terrys are from Alabama-- within an hour or two of each other-- and spent a good amount of time talking about stuff from home. By then end of an hour, Terry Lee got invited to my Thanksgiving dinner, we all got a hankering for barbecue, and Terry was sent home with some maple chips for his smoker.
After a big lunch at Pit to Plate, we drove up to Jungle Jim's and picked up a duck. They had frozen ducks, completely prepared, but since we wanted to smoke the duck tomorrow, we went with a non-frozen duck: a Confucian duck.
That means it was a whole duck, just defeathered and, you know, dead. I had the butcher chop off the head (sorry, I'm not too squeamish but the head is a little much) and we took it back to Terry's to become a yummy smoked duck, as he's the one with the smoker and I didn't want to find the cats playing with duck guts. You think they wouldn't.
I decided to tweet about the experience, because it was pretty darn amusing.
Smoking a duck today. Only wine to touch my lips will be the stuff the duck is marinated in. I SWEAR. I have to eviscerate a duck today. Maybe I will be drinking wine. Google "eviscerate duck" No. "prepare duck". No. "gut duck". Hot damn! I can't get my hand up this duck's ass. Dammit. 38 minutes ago from TweetDeck
Duck frozen inside. While up to my wrist in duck guts, BF hands me garbage can: "For the duck's guts or yours, whichever come up first." Duck update: Bought duck because it was not frozen. LIARS. Finishing up gutting once upper duck anatomy is thawed. Drinking wine now. Back to the duck gutting. 01:41 PM September 07, 2008 from TweetDeck
OK. Backbone removed, heart and lungs removed (lungs HARD. really.). Soaking in milk. Relax time! @YatPundit If you check back in my tweets, you'll see today's Duck Saga. Julie 1, Duck 0. @ChasingPolly Jungle Jim's has nothing on duck guts. It was this or watch the Bengals lose. I choose duck guts. Duck nearly finished with its milk bath. Big bowl of milk and blood. Call me Elizabeth Bathory. Duck now drying. Preparing rub. In my excitement to take out the backbone, I did it backwards. It was a very skilled de-breast-boning, because the breasts are intact. Whew
Duck now on smoker with maple chips, apple juice and beer. Happy duck. 03:32 PM September 07, 2008 from TweetDeck
naptime while smoking happens. Great. Water in the smoker is boiling, but temp gauge only says 200. We'll see how this works out. Hands still smell like duck blood, despite loads of washing. Or is it my guilty conscience making me imagine things? Out, damn spot! Duck is out of the smoker, about to go into the oven for a few minutes to crisp the skin. 07:03 PM September 07, 2008 from TweetDeck
Currently eating duck. Slightly overdone (will tweak times next time) but OH so great. Worth the duck guts. 08:35 PM September 07, 2008 from TweetDeck
As you can see, yes, it was overdone and yes, it was boned incorrectly, but it was good all the same. The sauce is apple cider and granacha (the smoking liquid), reduced and thickened with a bit of flour. Terry deemed it a bit too sweet upon first tasting, but it went well with the duck. The maple in the smoker added a nice complexity that was subtle and not overwhelming.
I'll definitely be smoking duck again, but I think next time I'll leave the gutting to the professionals. I'm sure that my Twitter friends will appreciate it.
After a big lunch at Pit to Plate, we drove up to Jungle Jim's and picked up a duck. They had frozen ducks, completely prepared, but since we wanted to smoke the duck tomorrow, we went with a non-frozen duck: a Confucian duck.
That means it was a whole duck, just defeathered and, you know, dead. I had the butcher chop off the head (sorry, I'm not too squeamish but the head is a little much) and we took it back to Terry's to become a yummy smoked duck, as he's the one with the smoker and I didn't want to find the cats playing with duck guts. You think they wouldn't.
I decided to tweet about the experience, because it was pretty darn amusing.
Smoking a duck today. Only wine to touch my lips will be the stuff the duck is marinated in. I SWEAR. I have to eviscerate a duck today. Maybe I will be drinking wine. Google "eviscerate duck" No. "prepare duck". No. "gut duck". Hot damn! I can't get my hand up this duck's ass. Dammit. 38 minutes ago from TweetDeck
Duck frozen inside. While up to my wrist in duck guts, BF hands me garbage can: "For the duck's guts or yours, whichever come up first." Duck update: Bought duck because it was not frozen. LIARS. Finishing up gutting once upper duck anatomy is thawed. Drinking wine now. Back to the duck gutting. 01:41 PM September 07, 2008 from TweetDeck
OK. Backbone removed, heart and lungs removed (lungs HARD. really.). Soaking in milk. Relax time! @YatPundit If you check back in my tweets, you'll see today's Duck Saga. Julie 1, Duck 0. @ChasingPolly Jungle Jim's has nothing on duck guts. It was this or watch the Bengals lose. I choose duck guts. Duck nearly finished with its milk bath. Big bowl of milk and blood. Call me Elizabeth Bathory. Duck now drying. Preparing rub. In my excitement to take out the backbone, I did it backwards. It was a very skilled de-breast-boning, because the breasts are intact. Whew
Duck now on smoker with maple chips, apple juice and beer. Happy duck. 03:32 PM September 07, 2008 from TweetDeck
naptime while smoking happens. Great. Water in the smoker is boiling, but temp gauge only says 200. We'll see how this works out. Hands still smell like duck blood, despite loads of washing. Or is it my guilty conscience making me imagine things? Out, damn spot! Duck is out of the smoker, about to go into the oven for a few minutes to crisp the skin. 07:03 PM September 07, 2008 from TweetDeck
Currently eating duck. Slightly overdone (will tweak times next time) but OH so great. Worth the duck guts. 08:35 PM September 07, 2008 from TweetDeck
As you can see, yes, it was overdone and yes, it was boned incorrectly, but it was good all the same. The sauce is apple cider and granacha (the smoking liquid), reduced and thickened with a bit of flour. Terry deemed it a bit too sweet upon first tasting, but it went well with the duck. The maple in the smoker added a nice complexity that was subtle and not overwhelming.
I'll definitely be smoking duck again, but I think next time I'll leave the gutting to the professionals. I'm sure that my Twitter friends will appreciate it.
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Sunday, October 26, 2008
Movin' on up...
....I've officially moved in at http://winemedinemecincinnati.com
This site will stay up, but it's 100% mirrored at the above URL. Please change your bookmarks and RSS feeds-- though the Feedburner feed I use will transfer quite easily.
See you over there-- it's still being updated.
(And that's not the big news. Check out the new website soon, where I'll announce the ACTUAL big news. Aren't you excited? I am.)
This site will stay up, but it's 100% mirrored at the above URL. Please change your bookmarks and RSS feeds-- though the Feedburner feed I use will transfer quite easily.
See you over there-- it's still being updated.
(And that's not the big news. Check out the new website soon, where I'll announce the ACTUAL big news. Aren't you excited? I am.)
Thursday, October 23, 2008
News: Bootsy Ruby's
You've all heard that Bootsy Ruby's is opening, but I chatted with Bowie over at Jeff Ruby's Culinary Entertainment and got some more details:
It's opening on December 1st, but won't open to the public until Thursday, December 3rd. They expect to seat 100-150.
Chef Mark Bohr will be the Executive chef-- new blood from Sarasota, FL and Chicago.
They will be featuring tapas, sushi, and signature cocktails with a Latin flair-- influences include Spain, Latin America and South America.
Around 10-11 PM, the restaurant will transition to the lounge. There will be a resident DJ (not yet announced) and an area of the restaurant that is cocktail-only, as well as an area that is bottle service only. Bowie emphasized that Bootsy Ruby's, unlike other venues in what has become the new bar district, will be a restaurant first and a lounge second.
You can expect to spend $40-50 per person to have dinner, but with plates running between $7-13, you can get a quick bite before a show or something after a show as well and not break the bank. This seems like a nice, high-end alternative to a lot of the more expensive restaurants in that block-- it seems like it will fit in, but maybe be slightly more affordable, depending on how much you eat/drink.
Watch this space-- you'll be seeing a little bit more about Bootsy's sometime soon.
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Review: Relish Modern Tapas
Every once in a while, a few of us at work get a wild hair to go someplace that isn't "cheap chinese" (AKA Chan's Asian Wok, which is both cheap AND good, a rarity in Mason). Someone suggested Relish (I think it was Susannah) and I jumped on the chance. We piled into my car and headed over.
Relish's surroundings are interesting-- very modern, with high ceilings, lots of light, and lots of sharp angles. It's very different than the usual decor of the chains in Mason-- a nice change.
The one thing that I noticed about the menu is that there isn't a whole lot of continuity. Unlike menus that have a theme (and this one is supposedly tapas), this seemed more like small portions of a whole lot of different dishes. To test this theory, the five of us tried a pretty wide variety of dishes, off of both the lunch and regular menu.
My coworkers are such good sports.
Steve and I both ordered grilled cheese and soup. The soup choices were shrimp drop and French onion. I got the shrimp, he got the onion.
The onion soup, according to Steve, was pretty authentic-tasting, and didn't taste prepackaged. There was enough cheese on top-- but not too much-- and a generously sized crouton.
The garnish for both soups were strips of tortilla (either the natural yellow corn color, or colored bright blue or bright red, how...patriotic?) and a lot of balsamic reduction.
The shrimp drop soup was excellent-- well seasoned, a lot of shrimp, strands of eggs, and vegetables. I think it was probably my favorite dish of anything I tried, and soup is rarely a "winner" in most meals.
There was balsamic reduction on everything, we'd soon discover. It covered every flat surface. It garnished everything. It was so overdone that at least one of us got some on a sleeve.
The grilled cheese sandwich, unfortunately, wasn't great. At a restaurant such as Relish, I expect a grilled cheese sandwich to be somewhat inventive-- good quality bread, cheese-- something. It was thick-cut white bread, american cheese, applewood bacon (which was not as crisp as it could have been) and a slice of tomato. I could have made it at home, and probably better. The potatoes served with the dish were good, crunch on the outside and soft on the inside, but the combination was not worth $7.75, even with the soup.
I also ordered some tapas for the table. The menu needs to be clarified a bit. The servings are of similar size, but the "large" plates are what they consider "entrees", the "small plates" could be appetizers and the "petite plates" are more like sides. The lunch menu are for people who dont' want to share at lunchtime (thus completely negating the appeal of tapas). It's very confusing. I ordered the Signature Relish Chorizo and medjool dates wrapped in smoked bacon. I had the idea in my head that it was dates stuffed with chorizo and wrapped in bacon, but instead these were chorizo meatballs wrapped in bacon, with little to no hint of date. They were good, but a lot heavier and richer than I expected, and I really wanted to taste the dates, which I didn't. It was also swimming in the grease from the chorizo. I wouldn't order it again.
My coworker John ordered the tuna tartare for the table, as well as a Reuben. The tuna tartare was excellent-- very fresh, simple but great flavors, and a good portion size. The soy and lime made it very bright and fresh, while the capers added an edge of salt. I'd definitely order this again. I didn't try his Reuben, but he said it was a traditional Reuben and a lot of food-- a good value for lunch.
Susannah, the vegetarian, ordered the potato spheres and some grilled asparagus. She said the asparagus was perfectly grilled (always good!) and the goat cheese was a nice complement. I tried a potato sphere-- it's basically deep fried potato balls. Perhaps I'm used to potato spheres being the molecular gastronomy sort; a suspension of potato puree encased in a sphere, but I thought these would be different. They weren't bad (deep fried potato anything can't be bad) but the name was misleading. The wasabi cream tasted more like tzatziki, but worked well with the dish, even though there was a drop of balsamic reduction on it, too.
Nick got the mini cheeseburgers and some zucchini. I tried the zucchini-- well-flavored, not overdone, a really good choice (and I'm a big fan of zucchini). Nick liked the cheeseburgers-- said they were a good value (he's a value minded kinda guy) and tasty, on good bread with fresh toppings. Say no more.
Last but not least, dessert. Every meal comes with some complimentary almond and sesame lace cookies. I need the recipe, they were great. We fought over the last one. There was no balsamic reduction on that plate. I was shocked.
I'd go back, but I would have a few bits of advice: garnish is lovely, but garnishing every dish with balsamic reduction is overdoing it. Get some continuity to your menu-- it seems a little random. The tapas don't seem modern, but instead, scattered. Get a writer in who can redo things unambiguously (I'm for hire..) because several parts of it are confusing and some of the descriptions are downright misleading. If you're going to do a lunch menu, do it tapas-style. The average customer you will get, even at lunchtime, is not going to want an American cheese sandwich. Even just a change of ingredients-- crusty bread, smoked gouda, whatever-- would really make a huge difference in that lunch menu.
And two cookies per person, please. Darn, those were good.
Relish's surroundings are interesting-- very modern, with high ceilings, lots of light, and lots of sharp angles. It's very different than the usual decor of the chains in Mason-- a nice change.
The one thing that I noticed about the menu is that there isn't a whole lot of continuity. Unlike menus that have a theme (and this one is supposedly tapas), this seemed more like small portions of a whole lot of different dishes. To test this theory, the five of us tried a pretty wide variety of dishes, off of both the lunch and regular menu.
My coworkers are such good sports.
Steve and I both ordered grilled cheese and soup. The soup choices were shrimp drop and French onion. I got the shrimp, he got the onion.
The onion soup, according to Steve, was pretty authentic-tasting, and didn't taste prepackaged. There was enough cheese on top-- but not too much-- and a generously sized crouton.
The garnish for both soups were strips of tortilla (either the natural yellow corn color, or colored bright blue or bright red, how...patriotic?) and a lot of balsamic reduction.
The shrimp drop soup was excellent-- well seasoned, a lot of shrimp, strands of eggs, and vegetables. I think it was probably my favorite dish of anything I tried, and soup is rarely a "winner" in most meals.
There was balsamic reduction on everything, we'd soon discover. It covered every flat surface. It garnished everything. It was so overdone that at least one of us got some on a sleeve.
The grilled cheese sandwich, unfortunately, wasn't great. At a restaurant such as Relish, I expect a grilled cheese sandwich to be somewhat inventive-- good quality bread, cheese-- something. It was thick-cut white bread, american cheese, applewood bacon (which was not as crisp as it could have been) and a slice of tomato. I could have made it at home, and probably better. The potatoes served with the dish were good, crunch on the outside and soft on the inside, but the combination was not worth $7.75, even with the soup.
I also ordered some tapas for the table. The menu needs to be clarified a bit. The servings are of similar size, but the "large" plates are what they consider "entrees", the "small plates" could be appetizers and the "petite plates" are more like sides. The lunch menu are for people who dont' want to share at lunchtime (thus completely negating the appeal of tapas). It's very confusing. I ordered the Signature Relish Chorizo and medjool dates wrapped in smoked bacon. I had the idea in my head that it was dates stuffed with chorizo and wrapped in bacon, but instead these were chorizo meatballs wrapped in bacon, with little to no hint of date. They were good, but a lot heavier and richer than I expected, and I really wanted to taste the dates, which I didn't. It was also swimming in the grease from the chorizo. I wouldn't order it again.
My coworker John ordered the tuna tartare for the table, as well as a Reuben. The tuna tartare was excellent-- very fresh, simple but great flavors, and a good portion size. The soy and lime made it very bright and fresh, while the capers added an edge of salt. I'd definitely order this again. I didn't try his Reuben, but he said it was a traditional Reuben and a lot of food-- a good value for lunch.
Susannah, the vegetarian, ordered the potato spheres and some grilled asparagus. She said the asparagus was perfectly grilled (always good!) and the goat cheese was a nice complement. I tried a potato sphere-- it's basically deep fried potato balls. Perhaps I'm used to potato spheres being the molecular gastronomy sort; a suspension of potato puree encased in a sphere, but I thought these would be different. They weren't bad (deep fried potato anything can't be bad) but the name was misleading. The wasabi cream tasted more like tzatziki, but worked well with the dish, even though there was a drop of balsamic reduction on it, too.
Nick got the mini cheeseburgers and some zucchini. I tried the zucchini-- well-flavored, not overdone, a really good choice (and I'm a big fan of zucchini). Nick liked the cheeseburgers-- said they were a good value (he's a value minded kinda guy) and tasty, on good bread with fresh toppings. Say no more.
Last but not least, dessert. Every meal comes with some complimentary almond and sesame lace cookies. I need the recipe, they were great. We fought over the last one. There was no balsamic reduction on that plate. I was shocked.
I'd go back, but I would have a few bits of advice: garnish is lovely, but garnishing every dish with balsamic reduction is overdoing it. Get some continuity to your menu-- it seems a little random. The tapas don't seem modern, but instead, scattered. Get a writer in who can redo things unambiguously (I'm for hire..) because several parts of it are confusing and some of the descriptions are downright misleading. If you're going to do a lunch menu, do it tapas-style. The average customer you will get, even at lunchtime, is not going to want an American cheese sandwich. Even just a change of ingredients-- crusty bread, smoked gouda, whatever-- would really make a huge difference in that lunch menu.
And two cookies per person, please. Darn, those were good.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Mini Review: The Madison, buffet
The Madison, buffet
Originally uploaded by winemedineme
I recently attended a wedding at The Madison in Covington. It's awfully easy to take pictures of food at weddings-- no one thinks ill of you for having a camera out.
I've been to several weddings at the Madison-- it's a gorgeous facility, as far as reception halls are concerned. The food isn't bad for reception hall food-- they have a lot of choices, and their "basic" menu isn't bad.
The usual choices are chicken and beef tenderloin. Chicken's hard to keep from getting rubbery on a steam table, so I went with the carved tenderloin. It was pretty good-- not as rare as I would like, butnot cooked to death, either. The vegetables (green beans and a squash/carrot mix) were good and not overcooked. The mashed potatoes were made out of actual potatoes (I went to one wedding where there were still lumps of potato flakes in the potatoes-- yuck!) and not bad either. The white sauce is horseradish cream (a bit m ore than I would have liked) but was pretty tasty.
There was also a cheese tray, cocktails, bread with cinnamon and regular butter and, of course, wedding cake (and I have no idea who DID the wedding cake-- must inquire). Their per person charge also includes wine and beer, so it's a beautiful spot and not a bad value, either. Weddings are so darn expensive.
Friday, October 17, 2008
Shameless Plug: The Boys Next Door
I have been so busy for the past few weeks that I forgot to shamelessly plug Falcon Theatre's The Boys Next Door, which just got a great review in City Beat. And if you come tonight (we have tickets left!) you'll see me working house. What a deal, huh?
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
Recipe: Chicken Satay, Chicken Salad and Apple Tarte Tatin
On Monday night, I was in a real mood to cook. I have no idea why, but it overcame me. Earlier that day I read smitten kitchen and was inspired to make an apple tarte tatin. I had all of the ingredients except the apples. I couldn't just go to the store for apples, so I also decided that chicken Satay sounded good. About $20 and two hours later, I had a pretty tasty dinner.
First, the apple tarte tatin. If you're not familiar, its basically a French, upside-down apple pie. You cook the apples in butter and sugar, then top it with pate brisee, a butter-based pastry, and bake it. It sounds really difficult, but it isn't!
Molly's directions are so darn great, I can't improve upon them. I will give you a few additional tips: make sure that the crust is slightly BIGGER than the pan so you can tuck it in, and also make sure you've separated the pastry from the pan. Really. It'll still taste good if it falls apart.
The chicken satay was really easy as well. I used Tyler Florence's recipe and doubled it. One batch was made with hot madras curry and the other with Thai yellow curry. You see, Terry doesn't like curry-- he had a bad experience involving Air India and food poisoning. I'm convinced he just needs to try it in ways that don't involve airline food. After eating three skewers' worth of chicken, he said, "Wow, these are good, what's in them?" Turns out, he liked the curry!
Yum. I served them with couscous, peanut sauce, and sweet chili sauce. My upstairs neighbor, Ilan, came down to see what smelled so good and I sent him home with some satay and peanut sauce. He liked it too!
Since I had a ton of chicken left, I did what I love to do with leftover chicken: make chicken salad. My favorite is curried chicken salad, also known as Coronation Chicken. Mine's not terribly traditional, but I still think it's great-- and a great use for leftover chicken.
There aren't a lot of measurements here-- I hate to be Rachael Ray and say "eyeball it", but that's what I do-- taste and eyeball.
1 pound of cooked chicken, chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon (or to taste) curry powder
handful of chopped cilantro
Mayonnaise (I use Light Hellman's), about a half cup, or enough to moisten the chicken
Mix it all together. Easy, peasy. Let it sit in the refrigerator for the flavors to develop. It tastes great alone or on some nice, crusty bread.
First, the apple tarte tatin. If you're not familiar, its basically a French, upside-down apple pie. You cook the apples in butter and sugar, then top it with pate brisee, a butter-based pastry, and bake it. It sounds really difficult, but it isn't!
Molly's directions are so darn great, I can't improve upon them. I will give you a few additional tips: make sure that the crust is slightly BIGGER than the pan so you can tuck it in, and also make sure you've separated the pastry from the pan. Really. It'll still taste good if it falls apart.
The chicken satay was really easy as well. I used Tyler Florence's recipe and doubled it. One batch was made with hot madras curry and the other with Thai yellow curry. You see, Terry doesn't like curry-- he had a bad experience involving Air India and food poisoning. I'm convinced he just needs to try it in ways that don't involve airline food. After eating three skewers' worth of chicken, he said, "Wow, these are good, what's in them?" Turns out, he liked the curry!
Yum. I served them with couscous, peanut sauce, and sweet chili sauce. My upstairs neighbor, Ilan, came down to see what smelled so good and I sent him home with some satay and peanut sauce. He liked it too!
Since I had a ton of chicken left, I did what I love to do with leftover chicken: make chicken salad. My favorite is curried chicken salad, also known as Coronation Chicken. Mine's not terribly traditional, but I still think it's great-- and a great use for leftover chicken.
There aren't a lot of measurements here-- I hate to be Rachael Ray and say "eyeball it", but that's what I do-- taste and eyeball.
1 pound of cooked chicken, chopped
1/2 cup golden raisins
1 tablespoon (or to taste) curry powder
handful of chopped cilantro
Mayonnaise (I use Light Hellman's), about a half cup, or enough to moisten the chicken
Mix it all together. Easy, peasy. Let it sit in the refrigerator for the flavors to develop. It tastes great alone or on some nice, crusty bread.
Blog Action Day: Poverty
Have you ever been hungry? Truly hungry. Not just "I forgot to eat today! Oops!" hungry. Or "I'm on a diet and eating less than I used to" hungry. Or "What's in my pantry to last until payday?" hungry. We've all experienced those sorts of hunger.
I mean "not knowing where your next meal is coming from" hungry. "My children go to bed without dinner" hungry. They have no ramen to squeak by on, no PBJs to get tired of. Their pantries are bare, their freezers unstocked, and
With the economic downturn, people who have never experienced hunger may experience it for the first time. Hunger is not limited to the inner city and the homeless. 40% of the people who use the non-profit organizations associated with the FreestoreFoodbank are from suburban or rural areas. 57% have at least a high school education. 28,600 different people receive services per week.
This is just in Cincinnati.
Worldwide, 16,000 children die daily of hunger related issues. 923 million people are hungry daily. Poverty, the focus of Blog Action Day 2008, finds its most extreme form in hunger. Food is our most basic need, and not being able to eat is something that is unfathomable to most Americans.
Food costs are up. Inner city areas often don't have the same kind of access to fresh food that suburban areas do. People who don't have cars, can't afford public transit, and are limited to convenience stores aren't even eating real food. Hypertension, diabetes, and obesity-related diseases are caused by this malnutrition. Hungry? No. Well-fed? Not really.
So what can you do? Start local. Help your neighbors.
1. Support the FreestoreFoodbank. It's easy-- you can donate online. You can organize your own food drives. You can even donate to the virtual food drive, which allows you to buy things that are truly needed. It's sort of like online shopping, with free shipping and everything goes to a great cause. Myrita Craig, spokesperson for FreestoreFoodbank says, "When we feed someone, we earn their trust, and we use that trust to talk about how else we can help them by utilizing any of our programs (housing, foodstamps, medicaid, job training, bus tokens, work clothes, etc.) It is our mission to help people become more independent and self-reliant, and food is the catalyst for that change. Food is where our work begins, not where it ends."
2. Replate. This one's a little off the wall-- but makes so much sense once you think about it, particularly if you live in an urban area.
It's a pretty simple movement: you're walking down the street in your urban metropolis, burrito or sandwich or bagel in hand. Considering the way portions have gotten out of control, chances are you won't be finishing that item that's approximately as large as your forearm. So here are your choices:
1) Wrap it up, put it in your bag, and save it for later (whenever I do this, it either ends up leaking in my bag or I end up throwing it out anyway. Yuck.)
2) Throw it out in the nearest garbage can.
or..
3) Go to that garbage can, and instead of tossing it in... put it on top.
Pretty simple, huh?
I'm not saying to leave tins of mayonnaise-laden tuna salad to rot in the sun and give people botulism. I'm not saying to leave a full meal on top of a garbage can in a bag (though if you want to, hey, bully for you!). Just be thoughtful about your leftovers and their eventual demise, and maybe help out someone who would really appreciate what we throw away.
For some ideas about what you can eat on a limited budget, check out The Hunger Challenge.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
News: Top Cheftestant from Jag's!
A big ol' wine me, dine me shout out to Lauren Starling Hope, who is Chef Tournant at Jag's Steak and Seafood in West Chester. She's a cheftestant on Top Chef this season. I watch this show anyway, but hey, now I have a local to root for! I'll be interested to hear her story unfold on the show.I also need to try out Jag's for more than just cocktails-- I've heard great things. I just never get up to West Chester!
Friday, October 10, 2008
News: New York Times Magazine Food Issue
Ooh, I'll be running out to grab the NYT on Sunday-- the Magazine looks fascinating. Locavorism, Kosher (I am fascinated by Kashrut laws, and ecological Kashrut vs. strict Halachich Kashrut), "What's In Your Fridge", which I think needs to be a blog post here...
Discuss!
Discuss!
clipped from www.nytimes.com
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Recipe: Breakfast Casserole
Breakfast Casserole
Originally uploaded by winemedineme
Terry loves to talk about breakfast casseroles, because he loves breakfast (He recently discovered that he loves cooking breakfast for me. How it took this long to figure it out is beyond me!) and because they're so easy. My grandma used to make one that involved Swiss cheese, ham, powdered mustard, white bread, and eggs. Terry says he's always made them with sausage. We decided to take last Sunday as a "barely leave the house" day before a busy week, so a breakfast casserole is perfect; just pop it in the oven for an hour, directly from the refrigerator. The recipe he found randomly on the internet sounded pretty good, but we made a few changes and clarified the directions (which were, and I quote, "mix all ingredients together. Pour into a casserole and bake at 325.").
Breakfast Casserole
6 eggs, beaten lightly
8 slices bread, torn into large chunks
2 cups milk
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese
1 tablespoon dry mustard
1 pound sausage, cooked and drained
1 small sweet onion, diced and sauteed
1 red pepper, diced and sauteed (the sauteeing is optional. We didn't. I think it would taste better if we did.)
salt and pepper to taste
Combine sausage, cooked onion and red pepper and bread in a bowl. Mix milk, eggs, cheese and mustard together, then combine with sausage mixture. Salt and pepper to taste. Pour into a greased casserole dish, cover, and refrigerate overnight. In the morning, preheat oven to 325 and bake, uncovered for an hour.
Review: Bar Food and Chimay Tasting at Morton's
Morton's and I have had a tumultuous relationship. One of my very first posts here was about a mediocre experience there back in January. A friend, however, is quite a regular there and encouraged me to go-- at least to try the bar food. The bar food, he emphasized, was really good. So, two weeks ago, we decided to try it-- we had also heard that they were showing the Vice Presidential debates.
Morton's has a fantastic happy hour, with $5 bar bites both right after work (5-6:30) and late night (9:30-11). We were there for the latter.
We picked up three appetizers: prime mini cheeseburgers, as suggested by my unnamed associate; blue cheese fries, because you can't go wrong with potatoes and blue cheese; and the crab cakes.
The mini cheeseburgers were very good-- fresh bread with a nice crust, well-seasoned, flavorful meat, and nice, fresh toppings. I was very generous and let Terry eat the last one (as there are three on the plate).
The blue cheese fries were okay-- again, can you really go wrong with blue cheese and potatoes-- lots of blue cheese and a cream sauce over their regular fries. Their regular fries are only OK, if Morton's did pommes frites, I'd probably have rated them as over-the-top.
The crab cakes were stellar-- big chunks of crab, good flavor, nice remoulade-- they were little bites of crabby goodness. I'd definitely order these again; I could easily make a meal out of them.
To drink, I had their pineapple vodka, which, in the words of a certain friend on Twitter, is "guzzleable". She's not kidding-- sweet, pineapple-y, and goes down easily. Too easily. Downside? A little expensive for just vodka and fruit on the rocks-- $12. But it's Morton's, so you forgive them, and probably order another.
That great experience made me much less hesitant-- in fact, I was enthusiastic-- about attending the Beer for Bloggers event at Morton's on Tuesday. I was joined by 5chw4r7z, Ms. 5chw4r7z, Evan and his girlfriend from Buy Cincy, Michelle and Kevin, and K and her husband. They did this to promote a Chimay-based event on October 24, which will feature the menu we tasted, three different kinds of Chimay presented by a Chimay representative, and a $5 donation to Make-a-Wish Foundation for $45. Not a bad deal.
I'll leave the beer tasting notes to Michelle and Kevin, but I must admit that I really love Belgian wheat beers, and the story of Chimay is pretty interesting. Plus the glasses are cool-- they're designed so you really get full appreciation of the nose.
Three Chimay varieties were served: Chimay Grand Reserve (blue), Chimay Cinq Cents (white), and Chimay Premiere (Red). My favorite was the Grand Reserve, but I loved how the premiere paired with the chocolate cake.
But on to the food...
We were welcomed with a presentation of smoked salmon with horseradish, onion, capers and lemon with grilled bread. The salmon was lovely, and I love the classical presentation.
The tuna tartare was interesting-- the combination of wasabi cream, cucumber tuna and avocado made it reminiscent of a California roll. I liked it quite a bit, and it paired well with the crisp Chimay White. It's one of those things I want to go home and recreate.
The filet sandwiches were good, but not as good as the mini burgers I'd had two weeks before. Though the steak is undeniably good, the presentation-- a little mustard mayonnaise and some very soft, unimpressive bread leaves a bit to be desired. Tasty, but it did not blow me away. I realize that Morton's is limited by their corporate menu, but other chains give their chefs a bit of leeway-- I'd love to see that happen at Morton's. This was paired with the Chimay Blue, which was my favorite of the night-- a bit heavier in body to pair with the beef, but not overwhelming. Yum.
Chocolate sponge filled with thick, gooey chocolate sauce. How can you go wrong? Michelle had a whole one and Kevin and I split a half. It was pretty good-- and half was more than enough for me. The Chimay Red was lighter than I thought it would be, and cut the richness of the chocolate cake well.
Morton's treated us very well-- I talked with their marketing manager, Jason, about prior experiences and he was receptive to criticism and invited me back to try again. I probably will. In fact, I ended up at the bar afterwards, sipping a Negroni (my new favorite drink) with some friends.
Thanks to Annemarie and Jason from Morton's and Lauren from Wordsworth for the experience!
Full Disclosure: Yes, this was free, and I have received comped meals before. If this happens, I will always tell you, the reader, and I will always be honest-- there's no reason not to be.
Morton's has a fantastic happy hour, with $5 bar bites both right after work (5-6:30) and late night (9:30-11). We were there for the latter.
We picked up three appetizers: prime mini cheeseburgers, as suggested by my unnamed associate; blue cheese fries, because you can't go wrong with potatoes and blue cheese; and the crab cakes.
The mini cheeseburgers were very good-- fresh bread with a nice crust, well-seasoned, flavorful meat, and nice, fresh toppings. I was very generous and let Terry eat the last one (as there are three on the plate).
The blue cheese fries were okay-- again, can you really go wrong with blue cheese and potatoes-- lots of blue cheese and a cream sauce over their regular fries. Their regular fries are only OK, if Morton's did pommes frites, I'd probably have rated them as over-the-top.
The crab cakes were stellar-- big chunks of crab, good flavor, nice remoulade-- they were little bites of crabby goodness. I'd definitely order these again; I could easily make a meal out of them.
To drink, I had their pineapple vodka, which, in the words of a certain friend on Twitter, is "guzzleable". She's not kidding-- sweet, pineapple-y, and goes down easily. Too easily. Downside? A little expensive for just vodka and fruit on the rocks-- $12. But it's Morton's, so you forgive them, and probably order another.
That great experience made me much less hesitant-- in fact, I was enthusiastic-- about attending the Beer for Bloggers event at Morton's on Tuesday. I was joined by 5chw4r7z, Ms. 5chw4r7z, Evan and his girlfriend from Buy Cincy, Michelle and Kevin, and K and her husband. They did this to promote a Chimay-based event on October 24, which will feature the menu we tasted, three different kinds of Chimay presented by a Chimay representative, and a $5 donation to Make-a-Wish Foundation for $45. Not a bad deal.
I'll leave the beer tasting notes to Michelle and Kevin, but I must admit that I really love Belgian wheat beers, and the story of Chimay is pretty interesting. Plus the glasses are cool-- they're designed so you really get full appreciation of the nose.
Three Chimay varieties were served: Chimay Grand Reserve (blue), Chimay Cinq Cents (white), and Chimay Premiere (Red). My favorite was the Grand Reserve, but I loved how the premiere paired with the chocolate cake.
But on to the food...
We were welcomed with a presentation of smoked salmon with horseradish, onion, capers and lemon with grilled bread. The salmon was lovely, and I love the classical presentation.
The tuna tartare was interesting-- the combination of wasabi cream, cucumber tuna and avocado made it reminiscent of a California roll. I liked it quite a bit, and it paired well with the crisp Chimay White. It's one of those things I want to go home and recreate.
The filet sandwiches were good, but not as good as the mini burgers I'd had two weeks before. Though the steak is undeniably good, the presentation-- a little mustard mayonnaise and some very soft, unimpressive bread leaves a bit to be desired. Tasty, but it did not blow me away. I realize that Morton's is limited by their corporate menu, but other chains give their chefs a bit of leeway-- I'd love to see that happen at Morton's. This was paired with the Chimay Blue, which was my favorite of the night-- a bit heavier in body to pair with the beef, but not overwhelming. Yum.
Chocolate sponge filled with thick, gooey chocolate sauce. How can you go wrong? Michelle had a whole one and Kevin and I split a half. It was pretty good-- and half was more than enough for me. The Chimay Red was lighter than I thought it would be, and cut the richness of the chocolate cake well.
Morton's treated us very well-- I talked with their marketing manager, Jason, about prior experiences and he was receptive to criticism and invited me back to try again. I probably will. In fact, I ended up at the bar afterwards, sipping a Negroni (my new favorite drink) with some friends.
Thanks to Annemarie and Jason from Morton's and Lauren from Wordsworth for the experience!
Full Disclosure: Yes, this was free, and I have received comped meals before. If this happens, I will always tell you, the reader, and I will always be honest-- there's no reason not to be.
Wednesday, October 8, 2008
Reader Question: Where would you go for your last meal in Cincinnati?
Our lovely Cin Twin, aka Amber, is leaving town for Denmark in just a couple of days. She chose her last meal in Cincinnati: Via Vite.
So I'm wondering... what's YOUR ideal last meal in Cincinnati? If you were to leave and never go back (or were on death row, or whatever), what would you eat?
I'll reveal my choice in a bit-- I have a feeling you'd guess, though.
So I'm wondering... what's YOUR ideal last meal in Cincinnati? If you were to leave and never go back (or were on death row, or whatever), what would you eat?
I'll reveal my choice in a bit-- I have a feeling you'd guess, though.
Friday, October 3, 2008
Mini Review: Starbuck's Signature Hot Chocolate, Salted Caramel
Bearista
Originally uploaded by winemedineme
Even the avowed non-chain person likes Starbucks. I do. When I can, I go to Coffee Emporium or Sitwell's, or any number of my favorite local coffee spots, but since there aren't any (that I've found) within a few minutes of my office, I had to settle with Starbucks. Settle indeed-- I wanted to try their Salted Caramel hot chocolate before I hunkered down for a conference call at noon. I guess you could say I drank my lunch!
It wasn't bad. I got a grande, but a tall is more than enough. It's not as sweet or as thick as the Chantico (remember that? Like hot pudding!) and not quite salty enough. I realize that it's supposed to be just a hint of salty-sweet, but instead you get just a few hints of salt in the first few sips. All in all, pretty tasty, ethically produced cocoa and vanilla extract, and I got that cute bear (I love the Starbucks bears, particularly the Halloween ones. I'm apparently 5) to boot.
What's your favorite coffee beverage-- Starbucks or not?
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Review: Taz, Mason
My friend Dave IMd me the other night. "Have you tried Taz?" he asked. "Nope. Where is it?" "Mason," he replied. "And it's better than Mythos."
Mythos, as many of you know, is the gold standard when it comes to gyros for a lot of people in Cincinnati. Me, I've always been a loyal Sebastian's fan, but as I have had gyros elsewhere, I've found theirs to be lacking: watery tzatziki, not a lot of meat, clear across town. I don't think I've had Sebastian's once since I moved to OTR.
For additional motivation, Dave added, "And they're 7.50 with a drink and fries." Sold!
Steve (who seems to be my at-work blog companion these days) and I headed over to Taz for lunch today. It's on Mason-Montgomery Road, next to Pizza Tower and behind Frisch's in an old Fazoli's. The owners have redecorated the Fazoli's with tapestries, sheer curtains and pillows to make it feel like you're dining in the classic, storybook Sultan's palace. Not bad for Mason.
We each got the same thing-- Gyros Supreme with fries. The difference between the regular Gyros and the supreme is the addition of some feta. Honestly, there wasn't enough feta on it to taste, so next time I'll just go with regular Gyros.
This was the biggest Gyro I've ever seen. It was absolutely stuffed with meat, tomatoes, onions, and thick, creamy tzatziki-- not watery at all. We could have easily split the gyro and been more than full. The meat was well seasoned, particularly good for what is probably the standard gyro meat and the bread was slightly crispy, warm, and delicious. The tomatoes were pretty fresh-- sometimes they can be tasteless, but these were obviously in season. The fries were okay, the kind with the slightly crunchy coating. Not bad.
Their dinner menu is pretty impressive, too. I'd love to come here for a Lebanese/Greek feast (their menu borrows liberally from both cuisines). For $10, with tip, this place is a steal. Taz may have stolen my gyro heart.
Mythos, as many of you know, is the gold standard when it comes to gyros for a lot of people in Cincinnati. Me, I've always been a loyal Sebastian's fan, but as I have had gyros elsewhere, I've found theirs to be lacking: watery tzatziki, not a lot of meat, clear across town. I don't think I've had Sebastian's once since I moved to OTR.
For additional motivation, Dave added, "And they're 7.50 with a drink and fries." Sold!
Steve (who seems to be my at-work blog companion these days) and I headed over to Taz for lunch today. It's on Mason-Montgomery Road, next to Pizza Tower and behind Frisch's in an old Fazoli's. The owners have redecorated the Fazoli's with tapestries, sheer curtains and pillows to make it feel like you're dining in the classic, storybook Sultan's palace. Not bad for Mason.
We each got the same thing-- Gyros Supreme with fries. The difference between the regular Gyros and the supreme is the addition of some feta. Honestly, there wasn't enough feta on it to taste, so next time I'll just go with regular Gyros.
This was the biggest Gyro I've ever seen. It was absolutely stuffed with meat, tomatoes, onions, and thick, creamy tzatziki-- not watery at all. We could have easily split the gyro and been more than full. The meat was well seasoned, particularly good for what is probably the standard gyro meat and the bread was slightly crispy, warm, and delicious. The tomatoes were pretty fresh-- sometimes they can be tasteless, but these were obviously in season. The fries were okay, the kind with the slightly crunchy coating. Not bad.
Their dinner menu is pretty impressive, too. I'd love to come here for a Lebanese/Greek feast (their menu borrows liberally from both cuisines). For $10, with tip, this place is a steal. Taz may have stolen my gyro heart.
Monday, September 29, 2008
News: Iron Horse Inn Reopened
Looks like my buddy Drew wrote about the Iron Horse Inn reopening. Awesome! I can't wait to try it out-- I've heard their wine dinners used to be fabulous. I hope they restart them!
(Real content later, I promise.)
(Real content later, I promise.)
Friday, September 26, 2008
Review: Trattoria Roma
Do you guys ever watch Kitchen Nightmares? I love that show. It would be fun to make a drinking game from it: every time Gordon drops the f-bomb, drink a tequila shot. I'd be down for the count by the first commercial break.
It's also helped me, in a small way, to become a critical diner. It's not that I subscribe to WWGRD? (What Would Gordon Ramsay Do?), but there are some things he's pointed out that I agree with-- one of which is, if available, use high quality ingredients.
Trattoria Roma has been a favorite of mine for years. I'd never ventured much past pasta with them-- I loved their tortellini alla vodka (which is off the menu but supposedly you can ask for it) and their tiramisu (which I liked until I had better tiramisu). Trattoria Roma feels really fancy when you're 18 and you've not spent a lot of time downtown. Now, it feels just a tiny bit dingy, but in a charming way. It is incredibly slow if there's nothing going on at the Aronoff, but when there is, you're greeted buy a maître d' who is straight out of the Godfather, slicked back hair, Italian accent and all. At times you wonder if someone is going to burst in with a tommy gun and take people out, St. Valentine's Day Massacre-style.
Our first problem with the high-quality ingredients? The "Mediterranean salad". It looked like a good idea-- mozzarella, olives, and red pepper with Balsamic vinaigrette. Its execution, however, wasn't. The black olives were the big ones that come in a can, and the red pepper wasn't freshly roasted, but also jarred. The mozzarella was tasteless, and it was all served atop iceberg lettuce. This is a "dump" salad-- dump a can of this and a can of that. Really not worth the $10. Gordon would send it back. He might even throw things around and make the chef cry.
Pasta? Come here for pasta. Terry got veal Parmigiana, which was good, if overly sauced with a very good, richly flavored tomato sauce. There's not a lot of subtlety here-- big flavors, big portions, moderate price tag. If you think about the owners targeting their clients, which is the theater crowd, it makes sense. The theater crowd is looking for something fast, fancy (but not too fancy) and familiar (but maybe slightly exotic). You can take your grandma here, and you can take a date here. It won't blow them away, but it's not chain Italian, either. Gordon would probably be OK with it, but comment on the oversaucing.
I got the tortellini in cream sauce with artichokes and peas. This is where we get into the "use quality ingredients". The peas and the artichokes were canned. Frozen would have been better-- and understandable-- but it didn't detract from the very nice cream sauce. Gordon would cut out the peas and artichokes and just call it tortellini Alfredo.
In all? This is a totally safe restaurant. It's not amazing, but would probably please someone with simple tastes. It fills the "downtown, traditional Italian" craving pretty well, and it is a good pre-theater choice. Is it Nicola's? No. It's not trying to be. It could be improved with fresh ingredients, but for a simple bowl of pasta, this is a good choice.
It's also helped me, in a small way, to become a critical diner. It's not that I subscribe to WWGRD? (What Would Gordon Ramsay Do?), but there are some things he's pointed out that I agree with-- one of which is, if available, use high quality ingredients.
Trattoria Roma has been a favorite of mine for years. I'd never ventured much past pasta with them-- I loved their tortellini alla vodka (which is off the menu but supposedly you can ask for it) and their tiramisu (which I liked until I had better tiramisu). Trattoria Roma feels really fancy when you're 18 and you've not spent a lot of time downtown. Now, it feels just a tiny bit dingy, but in a charming way. It is incredibly slow if there's nothing going on at the Aronoff, but when there is, you're greeted buy a maître d' who is straight out of the Godfather, slicked back hair, Italian accent and all. At times you wonder if someone is going to burst in with a tommy gun and take people out, St. Valentine's Day Massacre-style.
Our first problem with the high-quality ingredients? The "Mediterranean salad". It looked like a good idea-- mozzarella, olives, and red pepper with Balsamic vinaigrette. Its execution, however, wasn't. The black olives were the big ones that come in a can, and the red pepper wasn't freshly roasted, but also jarred. The mozzarella was tasteless, and it was all served atop iceberg lettuce. This is a "dump" salad-- dump a can of this and a can of that. Really not worth the $10. Gordon would send it back. He might even throw things around and make the chef cry.
Pasta? Come here for pasta. Terry got veal Parmigiana, which was good, if overly sauced with a very good, richly flavored tomato sauce. There's not a lot of subtlety here-- big flavors, big portions, moderate price tag. If you think about the owners targeting their clients, which is the theater crowd, it makes sense. The theater crowd is looking for something fast, fancy (but not too fancy) and familiar (but maybe slightly exotic). You can take your grandma here, and you can take a date here. It won't blow them away, but it's not chain Italian, either. Gordon would probably be OK with it, but comment on the oversaucing.
I got the tortellini in cream sauce with artichokes and peas. This is where we get into the "use quality ingredients". The peas and the artichokes were canned. Frozen would have been better-- and understandable-- but it didn't detract from the very nice cream sauce. Gordon would cut out the peas and artichokes and just call it tortellini Alfredo.
In all? This is a totally safe restaurant. It's not amazing, but would probably please someone with simple tastes. It fills the "downtown, traditional Italian" craving pretty well, and it is a good pre-theater choice. Is it Nicola's? No. It's not trying to be. It could be improved with fresh ingredients, but for a simple bowl of pasta, this is a good choice.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Recipe: Simple Salsa
Salsa
Originally uploaded by winemedinemeI seriously don't know why I buy salsa in a jar anymore. It's so darn easy to make it myself, particularly in tomato season (unfortunately, as I've heard from many of the farmers down at Findlay, tomato season has been cut short by the storms from last week). When it isn't tomato season, cherry tomatoes make a great substitute as they tend to be sweeter and more flavorful even "off-season". My friend Maria got this recipe from another friend, and I've made it several times in the few weeks since she shared the recipe with me and it's gotten rave reviews, including "the best salsa I've ever had!" Awesome.
Most of the recipes I post are up for interpretation; change it to your tastes. This is how I've been making it lately. I like a lot of onion and cilantro in mine.
1 container of cherry tomatoes, or 6 or so homegrown tomatoes. Heirlooms work well, and look so pretty, with all of their different colors!
1 red or white onion, chopped semi-coarsely
1-2 jalapenos, chopped finely. I use 1, some people like it super spicy. I am not one of those people.
1/2 bunch of cilantro, chopped. This is also to taste. I like a ton of cilantro, but some people say it tastes soapy. I think it tastes fresh.
1-2 cloves of garlic, chopped finely. I love garlic, so I use 2.
Zest and juice of 1 lime.
Salt to taste
This is so easy and a great way to practice knife skills. You just chop everything up, throw it in a bowl, juice the lime over the top of it, zest the lime over the top of it and mix it up. Taste it-- it probably needs salt. Add some. Taste it again.
You could easily modify this recipe to be more or less spicy, more or less citrusy, add some peaches or pineapple or corn or beans or whatever. It tastes best if it's sat around for an hour or two. You can take a half cup or so of it and add it to some mashed avocado for guacamole. It's just tasty stuff-- you'll never go back to the jar.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Review: OK 218, Chinatown
It's taking me forever to get these New York posts out, but they're so fun I just can't not post them.
I knew that when we ended up in Chinatown, I wanted to find some Peking duck. I can't think of a single restaurant in Cincinnati that does an authentic Peking duck-- many do roasted duck prepared Peking-style, but I wanted the exceptionally crispy skin that you can only get with proper preparation. As we walked up Grand Street, I saw a place with ducks hanging in the window. That's probably not the best way to judge a restaurant in New York, but it was there, and Terry had never had Peking duck, so it was an easy judgment.
OK 218 is a restaurant that serves the community. We were definitely the only tourists there, and to be honest, our service wasn't fantastic. It consisted of me ordering and the waiter bringing us tea--unasked for but expensive-- and then efficiently (if not artfully) preparing the Peking duck in front of us. If you're looking for a fancy, white tablecloth Chinese experience, you will not get it here. But that really shouldn't matter: it's really good.
Peking duck is served in little packages of pancakes, skin, scallions, a bit of meat and Hoisin sauce. The crispy skin appears due to a multi-step process, including blowing the duck's skin away from the muscle with air, boiling the whole duck briefly, then covering the duck with maltose syrup in order to make it shiny and brown. And tasty. Did I mention tasty?
Peking duck for two with nothing but duck, pancakes, scallions and sauce was $14. A complete dinner, with side dishes, was $28. If you happen to walk down Grand and want some duck-- try it!
I knew that when we ended up in Chinatown, I wanted to find some Peking duck. I can't think of a single restaurant in Cincinnati that does an authentic Peking duck-- many do roasted duck prepared Peking-style, but I wanted the exceptionally crispy skin that you can only get with proper preparation. As we walked up Grand Street, I saw a place with ducks hanging in the window. That's probably not the best way to judge a restaurant in New York, but it was there, and Terry had never had Peking duck, so it was an easy judgment.
OK 218 is a restaurant that serves the community. We were definitely the only tourists there, and to be honest, our service wasn't fantastic. It consisted of me ordering and the waiter bringing us tea--unasked for but expensive-- and then efficiently (if not artfully) preparing the Peking duck in front of us. If you're looking for a fancy, white tablecloth Chinese experience, you will not get it here. But that really shouldn't matter: it's really good.
Peking duck is served in little packages of pancakes, skin, scallions, a bit of meat and Hoisin sauce. The crispy skin appears due to a multi-step process, including blowing the duck's skin away from the muscle with air, boiling the whole duck briefly, then covering the duck with maltose syrup in order to make it shiny and brown. And tasty. Did I mention tasty?
Peking duck for two with nothing but duck, pancakes, scallions and sauce was $14. A complete dinner, with side dishes, was $28. If you happen to walk down Grand and want some duck-- try it!
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Tweets about Quacks
Terry and I visited Terry Lee at Outside on 12th street in Over the Rhine on Saturday. You see, both Terrys are from Alabama-- within an hour or two of each other-- and spent a good amount of time talking about stuff from home. By then end of an hour, Terry Lee got invited to my Thanksgiving dinner, we all got a hankering for barbecue, and Terry was sent home with some maple chips for his smoker.
After a big lunch at Pit to Plate, we drove up to Jungle Jim's and picked up a duck. They had frozen ducks, completely prepared, but since we wanted to smoke the duck tomorrow, we went with a non-frozen duck: a Confucian duck.
That means it was a whole duck, just defeathered and, you know, dead. I had the butcher chop off the head (sorry, I'm not too squeamish but the head is a little much) and we took it back to Terry's to become a yummy smoked duck, as he's the one with the smoker and I didn't want to find the cats playing with duck guts. You think they wouldn't.
I decided to tweet about the experience, because it was pretty darn amusing.
Smoking a duck today. Only wine to touch my lips will be the stuff the duck is marinated in. I SWEAR. I have to eviscerate a duck today. Maybe I will be drinking wine. Google "eviscerate duck" No. "prepare duck". No. "gut duck". Hot damn! I can't get my hand up this duck's ass. Dammit. 38 minutes ago from TweetDeck
Duck frozen inside. While up to my wrist in duck guts, BF hands me garbage can: "For the duck's guts or yours, whichever come up first." Duck update: Bought duck because it was not frozen. LIARS. Finishing up gutting once upper duck anatomy is thawed. Drinking wine now. Back to the duck gutting. 01:41 PM September 07, 2008 from TweetDeck
OK. Backbone removed, heart and lungs removed (lungs HARD. really.). Soaking in milk. Relax time! @YatPundit If you check back in my tweets, you'll see today's Duck Saga. Julie 1, Duck 0. @ChasingPolly Jungle Jim's has nothing on duck guts. It was this or watch the Bengals lose. I choose duck guts. Duck nearly finished with its milk bath. Big bowl of milk and blood. Call me Elizabeth Bathory. Duck now drying. Preparing rub. In my excitement to take out the backbone, I did it backwards. It was a very skilled de-breast-boning, because the breasts are intact. Whew
Duck now on smoker with maple chips, apple juice and beer. Happy duck. 03:32 PM September 07, 2008 from TweetDeck
naptime while smoking happens. Great. Water in the smoker is boiling, but temp gauge only says 200. We'll see how this works out. Hands still smell like duck blood, despite loads of washing. Or is it my guilty conscience making me imagine things? Out, damn spot! Duck is out of the smoker, about to go into the oven for a few minutes to crisp the skin. 07:03 PM September 07, 2008 from TweetDeck
Currently eating duck. Slightly overdone (will tweak times next time) but OH so great. Worth the duck guts. 08:35 PM September 07, 2008 from TweetDeck
As you can see, yes, it was overdone and yes, it was boned incorrectly, but it was good all the same. The sauce is apple cider and granacha (the smoking liquid), reduced and thickened with a bit of flour. Terry deemed it a bit too sweet upon first tasting, but it went well with the duck. The maple in the smoker added a nice complexity that was subtle and not overwhelming.
I'll definitely be smoking duck again, but I think next time I'll leave the gutting to the professionals. I'm sure that my Twitter friends will appreciate it.
After a big lunch at Pit to Plate, we drove up to Jungle Jim's and picked up a duck. They had frozen ducks, completely prepared, but since we wanted to smoke the duck tomorrow, we went with a non-frozen duck: a Confucian duck.
That means it was a whole duck, just defeathered and, you know, dead. I had the butcher chop off the head (sorry, I'm not too squeamish but the head is a little much) and we took it back to Terry's to become a yummy smoked duck, as he's the one with the smoker and I didn't want to find the cats playing with duck guts. You think they wouldn't.
I decided to tweet about the experience, because it was pretty darn amusing.
Smoking a duck today. Only wine to touch my lips will be the stuff the duck is marinated in. I SWEAR. I have to eviscerate a duck today. Maybe I will be drinking wine. Google "eviscerate duck" No. "prepare duck". No. "gut duck". Hot damn! I can't get my hand up this duck's ass. Dammit. 38 minutes ago from TweetDeck
Duck frozen inside. While up to my wrist in duck guts, BF hands me garbage can: "For the duck's guts or yours, whichever come up first." Duck update: Bought duck because it was not frozen. LIARS. Finishing up gutting once upper duck anatomy is thawed. Drinking wine now. Back to the duck gutting. 01:41 PM September 07, 2008 from TweetDeck
OK. Backbone removed, heart and lungs removed (lungs HARD. really.). Soaking in milk. Relax time! @YatPundit If you check back in my tweets, you'll see today's Duck Saga. Julie 1, Duck 0. @ChasingPolly Jungle Jim's has nothing on duck guts. It was this or watch the Bengals lose. I choose duck guts. Duck nearly finished with its milk bath. Big bowl of milk and blood. Call me Elizabeth Bathory. Duck now drying. Preparing rub. In my excitement to take out the backbone, I did it backwards. It was a very skilled de-breast-boning, because the breasts are intact. Whew
Duck now on smoker with maple chips, apple juice and beer. Happy duck. 03:32 PM September 07, 2008 from TweetDeck
naptime while smoking happens. Great. Water in the smoker is boiling, but temp gauge only says 200. We'll see how this works out. Hands still smell like duck blood, despite loads of washing. Or is it my guilty conscience making me imagine things? Out, damn spot! Duck is out of the smoker, about to go into the oven for a few minutes to crisp the skin. 07:03 PM September 07, 2008 from TweetDeck
Currently eating duck. Slightly overdone (will tweak times next time) but OH so great. Worth the duck guts. 08:35 PM September 07, 2008 from TweetDeck
As you can see, yes, it was overdone and yes, it was boned incorrectly, but it was good all the same. The sauce is apple cider and granacha (the smoking liquid), reduced and thickened with a bit of flour. Terry deemed it a bit too sweet upon first tasting, but it went well with the duck. The maple in the smoker added a nice complexity that was subtle and not overwhelming.
I'll definitely be smoking duck again, but I think next time I'll leave the gutting to the professionals. I'm sure that my Twitter friends will appreciate it.
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