Oysters Rockefeller and Veuve Clicquot for New Year's Eve

A little Veuve to ring in 2012?

Jon's turkey soup (recipe coming)

Take me to Jaleo (DC that is)

Most chez plouffe followers have probably heard Rod and I rave about our new favourite restaurant in Vegas, Jaleo, at the Cosmopolitan hotel. Jaleo is the renowned Spanish tapas restaurant of chef José Andrés and originated in Washington, DC. So you can imagine what restaurant was at the top of my list when we moved to  a hotel downtown while in the DC area on business last week. JALEO DC!

The atmosphere was completely different than in Las Vegas, but the kitchen at Jaleo DC didn't disappoint. Most of the menu was the same with some interesting variants. The food was amazing!

After comparing the two I think I still prefer Jaleo LAS, mainly for the atmosphere (they have a giant paella pit in the centre of the restaurant!). The food was equally delicious and I will continue to recommend this restaurant for Vegas and DC visitors alike.

Link to our visit to Jaleo LAS in May 2011 with Emily and Sander Duncanson.
Link to our visit to Jaleo LAS in January 2011 for our anniversary.

The mysterious Fanny Bay oysters from Washington state...

So, while at Hank's Oyster Bar in Alexandria, Virginia, last week, I was thrilled to see on the fresh catch board both Fanny Bay and Malpeque oysters. My favourite oysters, both Canadian, just Pacific versus Atlantic. The photo below was taken after the chalk board was updated (around 10 p.m.) and the Malpeques had been erased since the kitchen was out. I was a little shocked to see that the Fanny Bay oysters were marked with a "WA", indicating they were from Washington state. I was positive this was incorrect since Fanny Bay oysters are the dish of choice whenever Rod and I visit his parents on Vancouver Island, BC, and we drive through Fanny Bay on the way to Nanoose Bay where they live. Anyways, I didn't raise it with our server since I figured she wouldn't know and I wanted to look into it since there must be some story as to why they weren't marked as "BC" (British Columbia) oysters.

Now back home, and blogging about my trip, I decided to investigate the mysterious Washington Fanny Bay oysters. Turns out, that back in 2007, Fanny Bay Oysters Ltd. was taken over by Taylor Shellfish Farms of Washington (state). The details of the deal are in this canada.com news story. Fanny Bay's oysters remain British Columbia oysters, and their website states they are "Part of the Taylor Shellfish family of farms". So, mystery solved. Hank's Oyster Bar gets their Fanny Bay Oysters from Taylor Shellfish out of Washington and assumed the oysters were from Washington state like the company. I looked for an email address for Hank's to send them this information so that they could display the origin properly on their chalk board but there's none to be found on their website.Case closed.

For my East Coast family you'll be happy to know that the Malpeque oysters were correctly labled "PEI". Click here to learn more about Malpeque oysters.

Natalie's super scrumptious halibut fish cakes

Rod is out of town this weekend so you know what that means? FISH!!!
(For those who aren't aware, Mr. Henderson is anaphylactically allergic to swimming/scaled fish)

After dropping Rod off at the airport for his direct flight to New York City (yes, he'll be there for 9/11, he has an investment conference to attend), I stopped by one of my favourite seafood markets Blu Seafood and Market to pick up some dinner. After tasting the delicious fish cakes (smoked salmon and halibut) at Ally and Michael's wedding last weekend I was determined to make my own. Boy did I succeed (if I do say so myself!) My fish cakes were amazing! I served them with fresh Taber corn on the cob and home made tartar sauce.

I polished them off with a glass of VOGA pinot grigio, which I have nominated my "drink-alone wine" since I always seem to buy a bottle when Rod is out of town...

Recipe for Natalie's super scrumptious halibut fish cakes:

1/2 lb halibut fillet, poached
3 small new potatoes, leave peel on, boiled
1 egg yolk
1 tsp Miracle Whip
1 small mild hot green hot pepper, finely diced
1 T finely diced white onion
1 tsp Worchestershire sauce
2 tsp pureed garlic
salt
pepper

1 egg beaten
bread crumbs
vegetable oil

Boil potatoes and then mash them. Pull poached halibut apart with a fork, mix into mashed potatoes. Mix in egg yolk, Miracle Whip, Worcestershire sauce, green hot pepper, onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Chill for 30 minutes. Form into patties and chill for another 20 minutes. Place beaten egg in one bowl and bread crumbs in another. Heat oil in non-stick frying pan. Dip cakes into egg, then coat in breadcrumbs. Place in hot oil and fry until golden brown, turn in between. Place on paper towel after frying to absorb excess oil. Makes five fish cakes.

Tartar sauce
3 T Miracle Whip
1 t relish
1 t grainy mustard
1 t lime juice
1t barbecue sauce

Mix all ingredients until blended. Serve sparingly on the side of fish cakes.

Grilled veggie stacks

Check these out Jon Watts! Grilled balsamic and goat cheese veggie stacks.

First, grill some sliced peppers, skewered onion, zucchini and portabella mushroom with olive oil and balsamic vinegar. Once cooked stack the veggies with thin slices of goat cheese. Return to grill to keep warm and melt cheese. YUM!

That's a tri-tip roast if anyone's wondering. It's one of my fave cuts of meat from  Hoven Farms Beef in the Kingsland Farmer's Market. This hunk of beef marinated for 24 hours in Coca-Cola, pepper, salt and garlic. It turned out amazing!

Jon Watts, master chef

Jon Watts is a great cook. Everyone who's been around him knows it. This past weekend in NB, Rod and I enjoyed plenty of Jonathan's delicious dishes. This blog post chronicles some of the amazing, fresh food we enjoyed thanks to Jon.

Friday night - scallops wrapped in bacon.
We kicked our visit to NB off right with some masterfully prepared delicatessen of scallops wrapped in bacon. Jon picked up the bacon fresh from Dean's Meats in the Saint John City Market and the scallops were fresh from Lord's Seafood.

Brunch! Jon made his famous baked beans and cheesy scrambled eggs for brunch on Saturday. His beans have bacon, onion and pinapple plus probably other secret ingredients. Yum!

Jonathan is skilled at many of the chef arts including barbecuing and lobster cracking.

Finally, a visit to NB wouldn't be complete without Jon's sun-dried tomato dip with samosa chips. He might have to blog this recipe on He Said She Said sometime. It is so good and the samosa chips are the secret ingredient.

Thanks for a great weekend of eats Jon!

Dinosaur ribs!

What's on the menu?

Help The New York Public Library improve a unique collection

The New York Public Library is transcribing our historical restaurant menus, dish by dish, so that they can be searched by what people were eating back in the day. Check it out!

Creamed corn

Rod has always raved about Bobby Flay's creamed corn at Bar Americain in New York. I haven't tried it but tonight I was feeling adventurous in the kitchen. I did some quick creamed corn research and using ingredients I had in the house (like 1% milk and frozen corn kernels) I whipped up some yummy, creamy corn goodness to go with our pork tenderloin.

Natalie's creamed corn

Ingredients:
1/4 cup diced green onion
1 tbsp puréed garlic
1 tbsp fresh thyme
3 tbsp butter
2 cups frozen corn kernels
1 cup milk
2 tbsp flour

Directions:
Place butter in a large non-stick pan on low-med and melt. Add diced green onion and garlic, sauté until soft, about 3 minutes. Add fresh thyme to pan and stir. Add frozen corn kernels and toss to coat with butter mixture. Cook until kernels start to thaw, about 5 minutes. Sprinkly flour over corn mixture and stir to coat. Cook for 2 minutes. Add milk to pan and stir. Turn heat to low and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Place half the mixture in blender or food processor and purée. Return puréed portion to pan, stir and simmer for 10-15 minutes longer. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve.

Goes well with quick-roasted baby tomatoes from the garden ;)

Fig and chili-glazed pork tenderloin

This meal was inspired by the delicious and wonderfully versatile fig jam I bought earlier this summer at the Kingsland Farmer's Market. The jam is from Jammin' It, one of our favourite stalls at the market, that sells hundreds of different types of preserves, from strawberry jam to crab-apple jelly to horseradish and chutney. The fig jam is great on baked brie (as Adèle can attest) and makes an awesome glaze for pork tenderloin (as Rod and I discovered last evening at dinner!)


Fig and chili-glazed pork tenderloin

Ingredients:
    1/2 cup (125 mL) fig jam
    1/4 cup (60 mL) rice vinegar
    1/2 tsp (2.5 mL) chili powder
    1 tsp (5 mL) garlic (puréed works well)
    1 tbsp (15 mL) low-sodium soy sauce
    2 lb (900 g) pork tenderloins, trimmed
    freshly ground black pepper
    salt
    Cooking spray
   
Directions:
Preheat grill to medium-high. Create glaze by combining fig jam, vinegar, chili powder, garlic, soy sauce, salt and pepper. Sprinkle pork with salt and the pepper.

Place pork on a barbecue rack coated with cooking spray, cook using indirect heat until slightly pink in the middle, turning occasionally and basting frequently with fig glaze.

Oyster and roasted red pepper bruschetta

Ingredients :

1 baguette
1 pint (16oz) fresh shucked oysters chopped
3 garlic cloves minced
¼ c. olive oil
2 tbsp. freshly squeezed lemon juice
2 tsp. dried basil and parsley
Salt & pepper to taste
1.5 cups chopped roasted red peppers
1/4 cup diced onions
1/3 cup finely shredded parmasan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400F (200C). Slice baguette into ½" slices. Arrange baguette rounds on large baking sheet. Toast in centre of 400F oven, turning over halfway through, until bread is golden on both sides, about 5 to 6 min. Heat a non-stick frying pan to medium heat. Add olive oil. Add diced onion and garlic when oil is warm. Lightly sauté until onions are translucent and garlic is light brown. Add chopped oysters, lemon juice, basil, salt and pepper. Simmer on low to medium heat until all liquid is reduced, about 15 min.

Meanwhile, chop roasted red peppers finely. Add to oyster mixture. When liquid is reduced, remove from heat and stir in onions, garlic and parm. Scoop spoonfuls onto baguette rounds and broil for until cheese is melted.

Brussels sprouts with bacon and dates

Brussels sprouts with bacon and dates


    12-14 Brussels sprouts
    3-4 strips bacon
    10-12 dates, chopped
    1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
    1/3 cup milk
    olive oil

Cut the ends off the sprouts, trim and slice in half lengthwise. Chop the bacon and sauté in a large frying pan over medium heat until crispy. Set aside on a paper towel but leave the bacon grease in the pan.

Add enough olive oil to coat the bottom of the pan and let it get hot. Add the sprouts, cut side down, and cook until the cut sides are a deep golden brown. You may be able to turn up the heat a bit, but make sure they are caramelizing and not burning.

Once the sprouts are browned and tender, add the bacon and chopped dates and toss until all is heated through.

Add the apple cider vinegar and toss, then add the milk and mix again. Let it bubble for a minute or so until the cream has reduced a bit. Add salt and pepper to taste, toss again, and serve.

Lobster envy

My family in New Brunswick feasted on fresh Baie de Chaleur lobster this Sunday evening. I developed a serious case of lobster envy and found myself searching Calgary for some East Coast crustacean action. I found what I was looking for at Blu Seafood Market on McLeod Trail. For $21.95 a frozen-from-fresh Nova Scotia lobster cooked in-store in salt water, with thyme, garlic and pepper, rubber bands clipped. Let's just say it passed my very high standards for seafood in Cowtown. All in, it was 1.5 lb of lobster per person and it was really really good. Craving satiated. Served with beet salad with fresh chopped baby spinach, parsley, cilantro, olive oil, balsamic vinegar and herb goat cheese.

Natalie's secret potato salad recipe...

Our lunch on Saturday comprised of home made potato salad and an all beef hot dog on the barbecue. So good!!! I have waited and waited for weather worthy of my home made potato salad. Here's my secret recipe...

The secret to my potato salad is that I mash about 1/4 of the potatoes and half the hard boiled eggs and mix them in with the chopped boiled potatoes and hard boiled eggs. I mix about 1/2 cup worth of finely diced red onion, 1/4 cup diced radishes, 1/4 cup diced celery and 1/4 chopped fresh parsley with white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar and let it sit in the fridge about half an hour. I mix my chopped potatoes and hard boiled eggs with the mashed potatoes and hard boiled eggs, mix in the onion/radish mixture, add about 1/2 cup Miracle Whip plus salt and pepper and paprika to taste. Let chill in the fridge a couple of hours for the best results. It's also really good prepared the day before.  For an added zip, add chopped bread and butter pickles to the mix... So good for summer barbecues.

Chicken and pancetta farfalle with vodka sauce

Chicken and pancetta farfalle with vodka sauce

300 g of pasta, rigatoni or farfalle, etc
1 can of no-salt-added tomato sauce
2 tsp of puréed garlic

2 tbsp honey
½ small onion diced

¼ cup of chopped pancetta

½ cup chopped grilled chicken breast
1 cup of milk
⅓ cup of vodka
Salt and pepper to taste
Chopped Italian parsley

Start by sautéing the sliced pancetta on a med heat until crispy around the outside but tender. Now add the garlic and onion and sauté until they're tender. Put your stove on med-high and slash in the vodka. Stir as you let it steam off and deglaze the pan. Add chopped chicken to pan. By the time it reduces you'll be left with a caramelized mixture. Pour in the tomato sauce simmer. Add honey to taste (to cut the tomato). Slowly add the cream and stir. Simmer for about 15 minutes. Next, add your pasta! Drain you pasta after it's cooked al dente and place in a large bowl. Pour the sauce over the pasta and toss until all the pasta is coated with the rich tomato sauce. Serve out each portion on individual plates and sprinkle with chopped Italian parsley. Makes dinner for two with some leftovers for a lunch.

After a day skiing at Lake Louise...

Jon and Rod enjoy dinner at The Smokehouse in Golden, BC. Here's Jon diving in smoked beef brisket and pulled pork!

Adele enjoying sparkling apple cider at FARM

Restaurant review: Alloy (Calgary)

On my birthday, Friday, April 15, Rod and I decided to try Alloy on 42nd Ave SW (just off Macleod). Since it was only nine blocks from our house and the evening was bright, we decided to walk. Really, when we're in NYC we sometimes walk 15-20 blocks to a show and then dinner and back to our hotel, so this lovely stroll through Stanley Park wasn't too far at all.

The location of this restaurant still boggles us. It's flanked by the train tracks and a wood shop (not the Cedar Shoppe, but it's only about a block away!). The place was packed! I had often noticed on the drive home from work that the parking lot is full, no matter the night or the time. Around dinner hour Alloy draws a crowd.

The ambiance is lovely, very "me and Rod" as most of our friends (thanks to the Flegels and Duncansons for recommending!). We we seated along the wall in the main dining room (where a colleague of Rod's suggested he request a table). This pic shows the view from our table:

We each had a cocktail to start. For me it was a glass of Californian sparkling wine (sorry, can't remember the label, it was the same price as the Prosecco though, $10) and Rod had the "root beer float" which was so yummy! It was topped with house-made vanilla gelato instead of whip cream ;)

For appetizers we ordered the prosciutto pockets (roasted Asian pear and brie stuffed, with fig mustard spread and caramelized walnuts $15). They were good, very rich though. We also ordered the seared scallops (pistachio crusted with corn cream and yam crisps $18)  The scallops were AMAZING and by far one of the meal highlights in our opinion.

The extensive and high end wine list included two pages of "alloys" - red blends from all over the world. Having discovered blended reds while in Paso Robles last fall we poured over this section of the wine list in delight. In the end we settled on Novella Synergy (by Eos) from Paso Robles. A blend of 45% Zinfandel, 25% Petite Sirah, 18% Cabernet Sauvignon, 8% Syrah, 2% Cabernet Franc and 2% Sangiovese, we'd never had it before and it was very good :) 

Our mains were good, not outstanding though. I had the roast chicken with goat's cheese bread pudding, dried fig and port demi-glace ($26). The chicken was a little over cooked for me - just a tad dry. Rod had seared duck with pomegranate reduction sweet potato dumplings ($32). We're not sure if the sliced duck breast on his plate was from different breasts but the first piece was very tough and the second was succulent. Not sure what happened, they looked to be cooked identically...


We didn't order dessert and opted to enjoy the end of our wine. To my surprise the waiter delivered a special birthday dessert with a candle in celebration of my birthday. It was the chocolate trio (chocolate coffee cake, chocolate pâté and chocolate gelato). On the house for me but regularly $9.

So would we go back? For sure! Would I bring my family there or meet friends there? Totally.

The secret is out!

Did you know?

That Gattuso makes a lasagna sauce?

Look what I found at Walmart!!

Gattuso pizza sauce! In double sized cans!!!

Beef Bourguignon

Inspired by Julia Child, recipe from Williams-Sonoma cookbook. It was G-O-O-D!

Ingredients:
    * 6 strips of bacon, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
    * 3 lb beef chuck or other nice stewing beef, cut into 1 1/2-inch cubes
    * salt and freshly ground pepper
    * 2 Tbsp. olive oil or cooking oil
    * 2 yellow onions, finely chopped
    * 2 carrots, peeled and finely chopped
    * 3 Tbsp. all purpose flour
    * 1/4 cup Cognac or other brandy
    * 3 cups Burgundy or other dry, full-bodied red wine
    * 1 /1/2 cups beef stock
    * 1 Tbsp. tomato paste
    * 4 cloves garlic minced
    * 1/2 tsp. thyme
    * Crumbled bay leaf
    * 3 Tbsp. butter
    * 1 lb white button mushrooms, quartered       
    * 7 oz fresh pearl onions, blanched and peeled
    * 3 Tbsp finely chopped fresh parsley

Instructions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a frying pan over medium-high heat, sauté the bacon until browned but not crisp, about 3 minutes. Transfer to paper towels.

Pat the meat dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a dutch oven on medium-high heat. Brown beef in batches, setting it all off to the side once it is finished.

Turn heat down to medium, and sauté chopped onions and carrots until onions are lightly browned about 3-4 minutes. Reduce heat to low, sprinkle flour and stir. Cook until the flour is incorporated. Add in beef and bacon to pot along with any juices.

Remove from the heat, add the Cognac, and flambé. Return to medium-low heat, add the wine, stock, tomato paste, garlic, thyme, bay leaf and season to taste with salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer. Transfer to the oven and braise, covered, until the meat is fork-tender, about 2 hours. Discard the bay leaf.

Meanwhile, in a frying pan over medium heat, add 2 Tbsp. butter. Add the mushrooms and sauté until browned, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. In the same pan, melt  the remaining 1 Tbsp. butter, add the pearl onions and cook, stirring, until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add in 1/2 cup water, cover, cook until the onions are softened. 3-4 minutes. Transfer to bowl with mushrooms.

When the beef bourguignon is finished, taste and season if needed. Stir in the pearl onions and mushrooms. Garnish with fresh parsley.

Beef tenderloin with horseradish garlic on a potato chip

Two fabulous pours at tonights dinner party: Herman Story "Nuts and Bolts" and Lotus Pinot Noir

Bee stings: honey and truffle oil parmigiano reggiano cubes

¼ cup “best-available” honey
½ teaspoon white or black truffle oil
¼ teaspoon fresh-ground black pepper
6-ounce block Parmigiano Reggiano

In a small bowl, combine honey, truffle oil, and pepper. Reserve.
Just before serving, use a paring knife to chisel cheese into irregular 1/2-inch nuggets. Drizzle truffled honey over each nugget.

Emily and Sander's wild mushroom and gruyère croquettas

Pan roasted loin of lamb with sweet potato hash and broiled cauliflower

Nothing like hot home made bruschetta

Creamy beet soup

The first recipe I chose to make from my new cookbook, 400 Soups, that Scott gave me for Christmas.

Served on my new Sophie Conran for Portmeirion dishes.

New Year's Eve appies

Goat cheese was on the menu this past New Year's Eve. I whipped up some pear and goat cheese stuffed mushroom caps and some crunchy fig goat cheese and caramelized onion crustini to get us rolling into 2011.