The Finicky Lawyer: December 2005

Friday, December 30, 2005

Beauty of Egg and Bacon

The yolk of an egg is probably the best, and easiest, "sauce" there is (which probably explains why I love Hollandaise and Bearnaise sauces so much). And bacon? I become Homer Simpson at the mere thought of smoky, crisp bacon. Here are some of my favorite non-breakfast meals using this dynamic food duo. They are everything except low calorie.

Cheater Pasta Carbonara:
Boil single serving of dry spaghetti (or capellini or linguine or fettucine) until al dente. Time these next steps so that they can be combined while the pasta is hot.

Cut three or four slices of bacon into small pieces (not too small as they will shrink) and pan-fry to desired crispness (I have a tendency to overcook, which turns them into bacon bits, which also is not bad but the dish is better if you can leave a little chewiness in the bacon pieces). Remove cooked bacon but leave the residual bacon fat in the pan (about 2-3 tablespoons). Add a generous pad of butter on low heat and fry an egg sunny side up.

Combine bacon and egg, including all of the butter and fat left in the pan, with the cooked, drained pasta. Sprinkle salt and pepper to taste. Zest a bit of lemon rind on top and shards of parmesan cheese (the real stuff please). A bit of chopped chives are good too. Break the yolk, mix, and eat!

Salad as an Entree:
Same steps as above for cooking egg* and bacon. In lieu of spaghetti, place them on bed of frisee lettuce. Drizzle balsamic vinaigrette. I also like to add chopped chives and/or cubed fresh tomato. A slice of toasted La Brea French Bread (see below) with butter and a glass of sauvignon blanc completes the meal.

*If you want to be more elegant, instead of frying the egg, poach it (3 inches of boiling water in a pan with white vinegar added; break egg into low bubbling water next to side of pan; cook for 3 minutes). Or if you don't want to bother with frying or poaching an egg, you can also boil it and chop it up.

Chef Thomas Keller's Sandwich:
If you rent the DVD of the Adam Sandler/Tea Leoni movie, Spanglish, the directions on how to make this sandwich are one of the special features. The movie was okay, but this sandwich is spectacular. It's basically a BLT with a fried egg but until you taste it, using the busted egg yolk as the sauce to dip the sandwich in as you eat, you won't fully understand how good it really is. I like to use La Brea Bakery French Bread (available, often hot, from Whole Foods, Molly Stone's, and other gourmet grocery stores) sliced into large sandwich size slices. Again fry the egg in the bacon fat leftover in the pan from cooking the bacon. Grill the bread and brush with melted butter if you want extra luxury (but if you use La Brea bread, the bread alone is so chewy and flavorful that just toasting is fine). Assemble sandwich with mayonnaise, cold iceberg lettuce, tomato slices, bacon slices, and slide egg in last. Cut in half and watch the egg yolk drizzle down the side of the sandwich halves. With a handful of Cape Cod potato chips* and a glass of champagne (in the movie, Adam Sandler who is playing a chef, has a beer with this sandwich), this is indeed the "World's Greatest Sandwich."

*This brand was recently discontinued from distribution in San Francisco. So I ordered No Kai Oi brand Maui style potato chips online.

Saturday, December 24, 2005

Charlie Trotter's: A Diner's Dream

816 West Armitage
Chicago, IL 60614
(773)248-6228
Closed Sunday and Monday

Last tried: August 2007

Charlie Trotter's is celebrating its 20th anniversary. Its consistency in quality and standards over such a prolonged period of time is just as impressive as its always perfectly executed tasting menu that is constantly adapting and updating, incorporating new flavors and techniques, without ever veering too far from its classic French base. How reassuring and magnificent...

Previously tried: January 2007

The first time I dined at Charlie Trotter's was over ten years ago. As I contemplated returning this year, I must admit I was worried that Charlie Trotter's might have become like some other fine dining establishments where the reputation of the chef continues to lure diners but the quality is intermittent, if not a distant memory. My recent meal proved that my concerns were unfounded, despite the fact that Chef Trotter was not personally at the helm that evening (notwithstanding this deviation, I continue in my firm belief that the chef's presence in the kitchen makes a difference-- I have been disappointed too many times with the quality of the food when the chef is absent, which has occurred even during the course of a single meal. Once the chef has left the building, the finesse also retires for the evening, and the quality of subsequent courses drastically diminishes). The fact that my meal was so magnificent made me wonder exactly how much of a perfectionist Chef Trotter must be that his kitchen functions at this level even in his absence.

The restaurant was as elegantly appointed as I remembered, with comfortably sized tables that were strategically spaced to create spacious yet romantic dining areas (I was seated in the upstairs mezzanine on this visit), resulting in a quietly animated atmosphere. I felt all of the stress of the day melting away as I reclined into the cushiony upholstered seat and perused the menu and the thick binder of wines.

The first course brought to the table was Tasmanian ocean trout poached in olive oil, sitting atop a yin-yang design of hijiki (seaweed) puree and parsnip puree. The fish looked and tasted like the freshest salmon sashimi, except softer and somewhat saltier, and the flavors imparted by the two purees were delicate and delicious. With it, I enjoyed an Alsatian Riesling, 2001 Rosenbourg Domain Paul Blanck, from the restaurant's extensive list of wines by the glass.

Next came a rectangular platter composed of slices of bright red tuna sashimi, bright yellow uni, and opaque succulent sweet mussels, interwoven with white strands of raw coconut in the shape and texture of freshly made spaghetti. Vibrantly green and white blanched tender bok choy and drizzles of mustard-colored curry sauce were placed across the platter, with a sesame tuile perched in the center, on top of a quenelle of beige-pink shellfish puree. The dish looked like a Jackson Pollack painting, with all of these different colors, flavors, and textures slashed and draped across the plate. Yet each element complemented and highlighted all of the various flavors, unifying the dish into a satisfying and thoroughly modern taste. I had heard that Charlie Trotter had recently gotten into the raw food movement. Instead of the bland flavors I had previously experienced in raw food offerings, Chef Trotter's kitchen skillfully blended the clean elements of raw food with sashimi quality seafood and flawlessly cooked vegetables, utilizing French and Asian techniques. This is what fusion cooking aspires to be.

The next course still retained the lightness of seafood in the form of cooked hamachi but with added dimensions of richness. By virtue of cooking the fish, the hamachi had become meatier in taste and texture, similar to swordfish, which complemented the crisp yet chewy pieces of shredded pork on top and the sweet potato ravioli and leek puree underneath. The surrounding valencia orange foam tied everything together masterfully. The sommelier's recommendation, the 2000 Domaine Jean Grivot Vosne-Romanee, matched perfectly with this dish, as well as with the remaining savory courses.

Elevating the intensity of flavors, the next dish was rabbit with chewy wheatberries, braised escarole, and pickled dried chanterelle mushrooms, all bathed in thyme consomme. The rabbit was as supple and tender as poached chicken, and having absorbed the thyme consomme, it was resplendent. I had also noticed that on every dish, there were tiny piquant greens perched on top. Upon inquiring as to what they were, I was informed that they were different micro-herbs that Chef Trotter had specially grown for him.

The next course was squab with beets and mushrooms presented three ways. The beets and mushrooms were sliced, pureed (garlic, cumin, and rosemary), and fried like potato chips. The squab was tender and flavorful, and mixing and matching with the different mushrooms and beets was fun as well as tasty.

The last savory course, bison with blood sausage sauce, surrounded by sweetbread, white beans, trumpet mushrooms, brussel sprouts, and huckleberries, was the only composition that I felt was not quite as finely tuned as the previous dishes. Although still a lovely preparation, this one plateaued from the lofty expectations that the rest of the menu kept raising with each course. The brussel sprouts and huckleberries blurred together without distinction, and the sweetbread was lost among the white beans, mushrooms, and blood sausage sauce. Nonetheless, each of the elements separately were perfectly prepared, especially the bison which almost did not require the use of a knife.

With the desserts, the excellence returned, particularly the panna cotta topped with wild grape jelly. The thin layer of tart jelly was an excellent contrast to the eggy, sweet custard. I finished the entire bowl in less than thirty seconds. (I raved about it so much that one of the servers brought me an extra one-- unfortunately I was too full by this point and had to turn it down.) I was also quite impressed by the transition dish, served after the savory courses and before desserts. It was a unique take on the traditional prosciutto with melon-- balls of melon sorbet sprinkled with tiny bits of fried lardons and garnished with tiny mint leaves from Chef Trotter's miniature herb garden. The last dessert was roasted fig glazed with a merlot reduction, on top of a spicy chocolate cream mixed with bits of crushed toffee and garnished with mini-rosemary. As full as I was, I could not resist from polishing off every bite. There is a reason that every trip I make to Chicago, I make a point to free up an evening to get up to Lincoln Park.

Thursday, December 22, 2005

Campton Place: Farewell to Chef Daniel Humm

340 Stockton Street
San Francisco, CA 94108
Current Chef Peter Rudolph (formerly Navio)
(415)781-5555

Last tried: December 2005

As soon as I heard that Daniel Humm was leaving Campton Place to head up a restaurant* in Manhattan, my first thought was, "Wait! You were just getting interesting. You can't leave now!" I had tried Campton Place twice previously during his tenure, and each time I thought that his cuisine, although rough in some spots, held the promise of something great. Which led directly to my second thought-- to get a reservation one more time before he leaves, anticipating that I will have to pay even more to taste his cooking in New York. I was able to squeeze into Campton Place the week before Christmas and had the chef's tasting menu with wine pairing:

The meal started with an amuse consisting of an array of single bite tastes: Raw oyster with sweet mignonette sauce, Grilled monterey sardine, Goat cheese Neapolitan, Savory puff pastry with cream, Layered salmon terrine square, Big eye tuna and halibut sashimi sandwich with dill, and a tempura fried green vegetable (unidentified). Of these, I had the savory puff and the big eye tuna. The fish was not quite fresh enough and the dill was overpowering, but the savory puff was sublime in both flavor and texture.

The first course was a cold nage of wellfleet oysters in cream sauce with tapioca, sprinkled with red pepper powder. The cream was a little overwhelming but the oysters were fresh and succulent.

Krug brut 1990 (unfortunately oxidized)

Next came Foie gras creme brulee. I could not decide whether this dish was too salty or too sweet. In any event, it gets the "Most Interesting Dish" award.

The rich and intense flavors of the foie gras brulee were cleansed by the next dish, Osetra caviar two ways: (1) on top of scallops in sea urchin foam, served in a scallop shell; (2) on top of scallops surrounded by cucumber. I love sea urchin. I love scallops. And I can never get enough caviar. But here, it seemed the specialness of each ingredient was somehow subordinated in the combinations. Nonetheless, this was a nicely executed presentation.

Dewazakura, Dewasansan Nama Genshu Junmai Ginjo Sake, Yamagata Prefecture (delicate and fragrant but got lost in the pairing)

The next course was a ceviche of lobster, scallops, and clam with blood orange and fennel. The blood orange was a bit too sweet, and the citrus juices fought with the seafood a bit. This was still a clean and refreshing dish.

Livio Felluga, Terre alte, Colli Orientali del Friuli 2002 (crisp and fruity)

Then the menu veered back to richness with a stick of foie gras terrine underneath a buttery gaufrette, accompanied by butternut squash butter and cranberry compote, and a large slice of toasted brioche.

Chateau Raymond-Lafon Sauternes 1986 (also oxidized)

Next came a steamed tube of dover sole with a caramelized strip of parmesan cheese on top, accompanied by a leek and cream "salad" and a quenelle of truffle potato mousse. The sole was a bit rubbery but the leeks were tender and melted in my mouth. The truffled potato was what you'd expect-- two perfectly yummy things mashed together to create a tasty treat.

Chenin Blanc, Huet, Le Mont, Moelleux, Vouvray 2002 (pretty wine)

The next course was DIVINE: Herbed pasta layered with lobster, in a sauce that tasted like heavenly lobster bisque, with shaved white truffles. The white truffles worked their magic on the tender morsels of lobster in the velvety sauce, which complemented the herbed ribbons of pasta as though they were soul mates.

Aloxe Corton, Corton-Charlemagne, Grand Cru 2002 (this was my favorite wine of the evening)

The last savory course was Chartreuse of Berkshire pork with black truffles. The pork was steamed, wrapped in spinach, and topped with crisp pieces of Berkshire bacon-- those were yummy bits of salty crunchiness. The black truffle sauce tied the dish together quite well.

Les Vins de Vienne, Saint Joseph, Northern Rhone 2001 (best wine pairing of the evening; perfect complement to the pork and the truffles)

I did not try the andante dairy goat cheese that came next because I have not yet acquired a taste for goat cheese, but others seemed to enjoy it.

Manzanilla Sherry, Emilio Lustau, Papirusa Sanlucar de Barrameda (personal preference-- not crazy about sherry, particularly those as high alcohol as this one)

Next came a palate cleanser-- a cold foamy jasmine orange granita/tea cappucino. The cool sweetness definitely served to cleanse the palate but I found the jasmine orange to be kind of soapy in taste.

The desserts included a pear fondant with rooibos sorbet, valrhona chocolate pastilla topped with orange guajillo confit (tasted like sweet chocolate egg rolls-- yes, they were that good), and fried beignets the size of small donut holes, dusted with granulated sugar. The beignets were my favorite sweet of the evening.

Kiralyudvar, Cuvee Hona, 5 Puttonyos, Aszu, Tokaj 1999 (did not taste as sweet as I would have expected for 5; the orange flavors were balanced and pretty)

At times I found the wine pairing to be a bit on the weak side, both in terms of the wines individually and in matching. While the pacing dragged somewhat, the overall cadence of the menu was delightful. The courses were elegant and presented a pleasant array of different tastes. As I was leaving with my complementary box of homemade candy and nuts, I was glad that I had gotten to try Campton Place one more time. I believe Chef Humm will do great things in his career and wish him well in New York.

Friday, December 30, 2005

Saturday, December 24, 2005

Thursday, December 22, 2005

Tuesday, December 20, 2005