Pumpkin Carving at the 5 Spot

I can’t believe I haven’t posted this yet! I thought I had done so a while ago. Hopefully you can still make it to this awesome event. GM Dave has been really excited about working to make the 5 Spot a real community gathering place, so be sure to turn out for his event.

An introduction to Basque Cuisine at Coastal Kitchen

As I mentioned yesterday, I had the lovely opportunity to attend the tasting for Coastal Kitchen’s upcoming menu of Basque Cuisine. As with all our menus, the chefs have extensively researched the cuisine, from its origin and evolution to its application today, then interpreted it into dishes that are in keeping with the culinary theories of Coastal Kitchen. By which I mean to say, if you are looking for the exact dish that is served in Basque country, you might not find it here, but if you would love to sample the flavors of this amazing and unique culinary district from the comfort of a familiar restaurant, this is the place.

That said, the first dish we tasted was in keeping with how a traditional fish would be served. I’m reticent to post a photo, since I know this sort of thing makes people squemish, but it is two sardines, served whole (head on and everything) atop black pepper crackers and olive tapenade. I found it delicious, and not at all intimidating, but I respect the thoughts of others and will not post this picture. General Manager Madison gave us a lesson on how to eat a whole sardine without getting bones: You take your fork and start at the spine, then comb down to the belly–you end up with all the meat and no bones. It worked well.

The favorite appetizer of the staff was the clams: Manila clams steamed with dry cured ham and served with baguette. It was terrific and we used every last bit of baugette to soak up the sauce, and I even saw Nicole head for the broth with her spoon by the end!

Another favorite also involved the dipping of tasty baugettes: bacalao brandade, a house cured salt cod (thanks to Chef John Mehl) mized with potatoes to make almost a fluffy mashed potato mixture, then topped with Idiazabal cheese, a traditional Basque cheese with a texture almost like parmesan, but a nuttier flavor.

The platter came out next, and if you have tried these before, let me tell you, they have been redone. In an effort to make them more appealing to the eye and a little more filling, we have changed the format a bit. Here is a picture of the new platter.

You can see we have started with a base of white beans, which were creamy with a touch of sweetness from honey, then added a large swordfish steak on top. The veggies come in the form of saffron fennel in the front here, and the green beans at the back. There is also a pile of clams on top, which are sauteed with the chorizo that is also present. A smattering of parsley garlic oil really brings the whole dish together in a way that differs from the previous platter.

 The favorite entree was pretty widely varied, from the Pistachio Ono to the Tempranillo Pork (which came with the cutest mini carrots I’ve ever seen), but I always like to post the prettiest, so here is the Cena de Bosque. This meal has two delicious mushroom tarts, with a layer of asparagus in the middle (though that may change with the seasons). The whole thing is topped with a blackberry reduction.

 

Upcoming Tastings and Menus

So I meant to put this up a little while ago to give you some time to get jazzed about the upcoming menus that I will post tastings of as they come, but alas, here I am posting, and then tomorrow I will head to Coastal Kitchen’s tasting, but that just means you only have a day or two to wait for the pretty pictures and delicious descriptions.

Tomorrow I am heading to Coastal to taste the menu featuring foods from the Basque region of Europe. If you are unfamiliar, the Basque are a unique people living in a mountainous region of Spain and France (their area stradles the border). With the Sea to one side and a fertile valley to the other, Spain to one side and France to another, the Basque cuisine draws from a number of different sources for culinary inspiration. I can’t wait to taste what chef John Mehl (formerly of Atlas Foods) has come up with for us.

 Next week, I will be zipping across town to check out the New Orleans menu at the 5 Spot. General Manager Dave has been working his butt off getting this menu not only up and running, but also totally integrated with a number of philanthropic events. If you have ever wanted to donate money in a unique and exciting way to help out Katrina victims and re-enliven this oh so lively city, Dave will have many ways for you to do that.

Two weeks after that I will be off to West Seattle to explore my own families culinary heritage at the tasting for Endolyne Joe’s Brooklyn menu. With a mother who grew up on Eastern Parkway, I have eaten my fair share of knishes and brisket in my life and can’t wait to taste the versions chef Janel comes up with.

Looking forward to supplying all of you out in blog land with pictures and descriptions to get your mouths watering. Questions? comments? suggestions? Leave ‘em for us!

Pumpkin Perfection at Atlas

Yesterday I went to the first round of tastings at Atlas Foods for the menu coming up on the 10th, and boy did it feel like fall. The lunch menu is getting a beautiful salad that showcases that everpresent fall fruit, the apple, along with blue cheese, walnuts, and an odd but tasty pairing, sauteed sage shrimp. The two staff favorites were also fall oriented, actually, both were pumpkin flavored! Oh what fun it is to have gourds in season.

This is the Pumpkin Pasta. Big flat ravioli made by La Pasta and filled with pumpkin and cheese. On top is a yam cream sauce and the crowning touch was the pumpkin seeds. Toasted and liberally sprinkled on top, this added that fall crunch to this wonderfully delicious dish. The staff was impressed. But then we moved on to dessert and we were way more than impressed.

This creamy pumpkin cheesecake, I belive I may have heard someone describe as “perfect cheesecake.” I know I was ready to fight someone for the last bite of ours. This is the version with the fresh whipped cream on the side and the pomegranate molasses (we tried a few set ups). But the one thing that was the same through out was the amazing taste of this delicious cake. I’ll be counting down to the new menu next week.