KitchenSavvy

I am Stunned

A few years ago, I went with my wife, Pat, and my brother and his wife to the Okanagan Fall Wine Festival in the Okanagan Valley, British Columbia, Canada.  This is a trip worth doing just about any time.  Some Okanagan wines are simply amazing.  Many have won Silver and Gold medals at international wine competitions.  But one thing that made this trip absolutely stellar was a visit to Fresco Restaurant and Lounge in Kelowna, BC.

Looking back on my food journal, the entry starts this way, "I am stunned!!! No other words."

Here are a few of the tastes, and the notes from my journal:

Roasted Dungeness Crab "Cappuccino" -- Crab bisque finished with steamed milk, garnished with fried fennel top and fish roe, presented in a cappuccino cup.  Smooth, sharp, complex flavors.

Puree of Quail's Farm Organic Squash, Cardamom Essence, Candied Squash, Spiced Yogurt -- Smooth creamy squash accented by the tang of yogurt with just a quick, guest appearance by the cardamom.  After the initial taste, the cardamom shows up and then quickly fades.  It is so easy for cardamom to dominate a dish, but somehow this time it doesn't.

Roasted Rack of Range Fed Lamb -- the lamb was done for once the way lamb is meant to be.  Soft, succulent, distinctive, but not gamey.

Blueberry Tart with Mascarpone Ice Cream -- The Mascarpone ice cream was like a frozen cheese cake topping a wonderful blueberry tart on an puff pastry shell.

To start, we were served an Amuse Bouche of chilled snap pea puree with a hint of mint and to finish, roasted Italian plums with white chocolate swirl and raspberry chocolate sauce.

Service was excellent, with a very knowledgeable and helpful waiter.  As each course was brought, you could see the wait staff muster at the pass and then converge on the table, each serving one or two of us, and giving each diner a short description of the details of the dish as it was presented.

The kitchen was open to the dining room so that you could see the cooks at work.  At times they appeared almost Zen-like in their concentration preparing a dish.  There was none of the hustle and screaming that food television, and some food writers, would have you believe is necessary in the kitchen.  In my opinion, the calm of the kitchen showed in the quality of the food.

The Chef/Proprietor is Rod Butters.  A native of my home province, I might point out.

Since that visit, I have recommended Fresco to several friends, all of whom have reported having equally wonderful meals.  Now, you know about it, too:

Fresco Restaurant and Lounge
1560 Water Street
Kelowna, BC  V1Y 1J7
Phone: 250-868-8805
Fax: 250-868-2285
www.frescorestaurant.net

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If you have food or cooking questions, send them to Questions@KitchenSavvy.com
Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward

Angst, Anger and Food

If you are like me, you probably enjoyed the recent Food TV program Top Chef.  In the final episode of Season 1, Lorraine Bracco of The Sopranos fame and owner of Bracco Wines, said that she didn't care about the drama behind the scenes, and that the back story really doesn't mean anything, that it is what she was served that counts.  OK, if what she was served was flawless in every way, I couldn't disagree.

My experience, however, in cooking and in dining out is quite the contrary.

I recall one memorable meal at a restaurant in Regina, Saskatchewan, where chef and waitress were, as they say, having at it tooth and nail, yelling at each other.  First, in terms of atmosphere, as a customer I was unsettled by the tension in the air.  The waitress was far too stressed to be the least bit nice at the tableside.

The food was equally unsettled.  Little attention had been paid to plating.  Instead the food was lumped onto the plate.  Flavors weren't balanced.  The food was over-cooked.  To me, it seemed that the chef was  too distracted by what was happening outside of cooking to pay attention to the immediate task.  The mood of the restaurant had invaded the food of the restaurant.  The two were unavoidably bound together by the staff.

If matters get too out of hand in a restaurant, staff will start to sabotage each other, in subtle or direct ways, completely undermining the  quality of the food and the restaurant itself.

When cooking, I find that if I am rushed, or upset, or fail to leave the office at the office, then the food I prepare suffers.  Without thinking, I throw in a little too much of one herb and it overpowers the dish; my timing is off and one dish burns while I am working on another; I'm not focused and knock over the oil, making a mess of the kitchen.

Preparing good food requires in-the-moment attention to details, with complete focus, without outside distractions and without having to worry about figurative or literal knives that may be aimed your way.

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If you have food or cooking questions, send them to Questions@KitchenSavvy.com
Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward

Sometimes, It's the Waiter

Have you considered giving easy and convenient Amazon Gift Certificates for the Holidays this year?

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Memorable Meals III

Sometimes, it is the waiter that makes a meal memorable.

My wife and I recently took her parents out to Carver's Steakhouse in Saskatoon to celebrate their 55th wedding anniversary.  What can I say?  It's a steakhouse.  You can count on getting a good piece of beef cooked any number of ways with some options for sides, salads and desserts.  For variety, there are some fish, lobster and other dishes.  Nothing too elaborate, but good tasty food.

I'll tell you what I can say.

This time, it was the waiter that made the meal.  Tony was a delight.  He was immediately warm and friendly, and willing to be with his customers rather than aloof.  Pat and I are always looking for waiters who are "willing to play," meaning that they build a relationship with the clients and don't take themselves, or the waiter/customer relationship, too seriously.  Tony was willing to play!

While making table-side Caesar Salad, one of those steakhouse staples, he told us that he never makes it at home for his wife.  He says she makes a better salad than he does.  Meanwhile, he still made sure there was enough garlic and Parmesan for our likes and asked if we preferred to have anchovies in the dressing.  When it came time to put the romaine into the bowl, he excused himself for a moment and came back with a bit more lettuce.  He didn't think what was set out would be enough.

He  adopted names for each of us during the course of the meal, at one point leaning over to "The Lady" (Pat) to tell her that "Mom's" side of vegetables would be out immediately.  For some reason, I was "Super."

Tony was there to take care of us when needed, and away when not.  At the end of the meal, none of us felt like dessert but moments after serving coffee Tony returned with a small dish of gelato with a caramelized sugar garnish and a candle.  After all, you can't celebrate 55 years without something for dessert!

Now, some of you may cynically say that Tony was playing to his audience to get a bigger tip, and that's all right with me.  I say that when we go out to eat, we want an experience, which includes being cared for and, at least to some extent, entertained.  Thank you, Tony, for helping to make my in-laws' anniversary a Memorable Meal.

And congratulations again, Ruth and Norm.

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If you have food or cooking questions, send them to Questions@KitchenSavvy.com
Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward

Chez Plumeau

Memorable Meals II

Picture this -

A warm, sunny spring day in Paris.

Lunch outdoors at a restaurant just off the Place du Tertre in Montmartre within blocks of Sacre Coeur.

A musician playing contrabass in the courtyard just outside.

My bride of 30 years sitting beside me.

Lunch was Brie Pané (breaded Brie) with a salad of mixed greens, serve with slices of fresh baguette.  The salad was dressed with a light vinaigrette that complemented the flavors of the cheese and the greens without trying to take center stage.  To accompany, a glass of white burgundy wine, suggested by the waitress.  A perfect match to the meal.

Have you ever experienced a moment where your entire world is perfectly balanced?  Where elegance, simplicity and joy are in such equal measure that it brings tears?  This was just such a moment.  Wouldn't you know for a dyed-in-the-wool foodie like me that there had to be a great meal involved.

The restaurant was:

Chez Plumeau
4 Place Du Calvaire
75018 Paris, France

The musician was Jean-Pierre Lignian.

The moment was ... Perfect!

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If you have food or cooking questions, send them to Questions@KitchenSavvy.com
Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward

Heaven, I'm in Heaven!!!

If you are lucky, at least once in your life you have had one of those meals that is so outstanding that it stands as a landmark, showing what really great food can be.  This article is the first in a series recounting some of my most Memorable Meals.

Signatures Restaurant, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
Signatures Restaurant has received a Five Diamond rating from the Canadian/American Automobile Association (CAA/AAA). A Five Diamond rating is the highest honour bestowed upon restaurants by the CAA/AAA, and signifies world-class excellence.   They have also received three stars (the highest possible ranking) from the prestigious Where to Eat in Canada, and have maintained this ranking as one of the top 22 restaurants across Canada.  Le Cordon Bleu has been the recipient of two Ottawa Epicurean Awards, for “Best Service” and “Best Wine List Matched to the Menu”.

When I visited Signatures in 2001, I believe it was the only restaurant associated with a Cordon Bleu cooking school in the world.  I was in Ottawa on business and went to Signatures alone.  The following comes from an email titled "Heaven, I'm in Heaven!!!" which I sent my wife immediately after that meal.

To start, I had an apéritif of champagne, strawberry brandy and Cointreau.  A delightfully refreshing start.  Then, before the menu came a small amuse-bouche [literally a "mouth pleaser"] of warm, savory Sabayon with Foie Gras and Sun Dried Truffle.   It was served in a small silver cup, little more than a thimble in size, but I will admit that this little taste did exactly what it was meant to do.  It piqued my interest in the menu and made me look forward to the meal ahead.  I recall deliberately making a decision to set aside budget and enjoy a once in a lifetime meal.

And that it was!

Next I had a Cold Lobster Souffle with Caviar and greens served with three different sauces - reduced balsamic, white cheese, and carrot.  The flavor changed with each sauce.  It was as if the chef was giving me a short course in the effect that sauces can have on a dish.  I kept moving back and forth, tasting with one sauce and then another, sometimes with none at all, enjoying how each sauce brought forward a different character.

Following this, I ordered Oxtail Boullion, which came with beef marrow and a small puff pastry containing duck confit.  I remember eating marrow as a kid, spooning it straight out of the roasted bone.  It was probably one of the smoothest and richest foods I had ever eaten.  This time, it was poached in the boullion.  The taste of the confit was a perfect match to the hearty flavor of the broth.

For the main course, I had Loin and Tenderloin of Lamb with Rosemary, Eggplant Compote and Parmesan Gnocchi.  Again, the balance of flavors was outstanding.  The depth of the eggplant offset the slightly gamy taste of lamb and the solid taste of rosemary.  The gnocchi completed a palate of rich, deep tastes.  Regrettably, I can't remember the name of the wine I had with this meal, but recall that it was a hearty French red that suited the dish.

Dessert was a Apple Tart Tatin with Homemade Vanilla Ice Cream and a Thyme Caramel Sauce(!!!!) with coffee served in a French press.  What a surprise to find the subtle hint of thyme in a dessert.

As if that wasn't enough, they brought a plate of Petit Fours ... a small Fruit Tart, an Almond Cream on Pate Brisée and a Chocolate Cake Square

The service was great, the waiter friendly and the atmosphere Victorian.  The only downside was that the meal with tip cost $140 Canadian for just one person, but as I said at the outset, it was a once in a lifetime experience, one I am still reliving years later.

If you find yourself in Ottawa, make sure to visit

Signatures Restaurant
453 Laurier Avenue East
Ottawa, Ontario K1N 6R4
Phone (613) 236-2499
Fax (613) 236-2460 or
Toll-free (888) 289-6302
signatures@cordonbleu.edu

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If you have food or cooking questions, send them to Questions@KitchenSavvy.com
Due to the volume of questions received, not all can be answered.
© Lost Hobbit Enterprises 2004 onward