“For me, opening Donato Enoteca is a dream. It’s so gratifying to be able to create the kind of restaurant that honors my heritage and welcomes guests to my doors like they are part of my own family,” says Executive Chef Donato Scotti. “I want this to be a place where people will become regular guests and fall in love with the cooking, atmosphere and sense of Italian hospitality.”
Discovering Donato's is the kind of experience I yearn for when trying a new restaurant. My husband and I went to lunch at Donato's on a Friday in suburban downtown Redwood City, just a couple of blocks away from the Century movie theater and a few steps from City Hall. We came for the food, but the clean, inviting decor and friendly service immediately put us at ease.
We shared a fresh mozzarella di bufala salad, which veered nicely from the description on the menu. With three types of tomatoes colored vibrant red, golden yellow, and watermelon pink, delicate, crisp coins of cucumber and a refreshing olive oil dressing with tiny ribbons of basil bursting with flavor, the star of the salad shone brightly. I'd never had such soft, fresh mozzarella before, so tender and sparkling white, like a pillow of goodness inviting me into its creamy embrace. It definitely earned a place in my palate as insalate perfetto.
Brad and I each ordered fresh pasta dishes, something to warm and nourish us on this chilly, damp day. He ordered tagliatelle bolognese, a rich and hearty dish dripping with juicy flavor, just right for an Italian take on a meat and potatoes meal. He ate quickly and efficiently, sopping up the red-orange juices with bread from the basket, not leaving a single morsel of meat or pasta. Sometimes it amazes me how quickly Brad can inhale a meal, but this time I could empathize, and maybe I would eat that way too if no one was looking.
I chose the spaghetti carbonara, a dish not on the regular printed menu but one highly recommended on Yelp for its perfectly simple combination of pasta, guanciale (crispy pig's cheek bits) and sauce made from egg yolk and cheese. I admit the idea of pig's cheek sounded a bit off-putting, but one bite and I'm a convert for life. So much more flavorful than the usual bacon, the guanciale definitely made this dish one I can't forget, one I have to have again, and one that makes me want to go to Italy.
We finished off our delicious lunch with a shared tiramisu. It was creamy, lovely, and soothing, its layers holding different flavors and textures. Even though we weren't really hungry at this point, we always make room for this kind of dessert.
There's so much more to explore on the menu: squid ink pasta with calamari, pizza margherita, and chocolate hazelnut cake. Donato's definitely deserves its spot on the Michelin Guide 2010 recommended list. We'll be back for more.
Thursday, February 17, 2011
Saturday, February 5, 2011
Valerie's Su Hong Next Day Fried Rice
Su Hong Chinese food is like family. Its stir fries, rices, noodles, and dumplings connect me to my roots. The food brings sustenance to the table in the here and now, while at the same time transporting me to another place altogether. Just call it Chinese takeout nirvana.
It's true, we often order our standard favorites because they're what we look forward to and crave. We cannot deny ourselves the pleasure. For starters, a mix of potstickers, spring rolls, and crab cream cheese wontons does the trick. Next it's on to the tried and true elements of our family-style family meal: brown rice, orange peel beef, chicken chow mein, sauteed string beans, and spicy pepper chicken wings. Depending on our moods, we could just as likely order chicken with broccoli, combo chow fun, curry shrimp, or wonton soup.
If we had to pick one favorite, it would have to be the chicken chow mein. My kids could probably live on this dish for weeks. The thick, chewy noodles with the strips of white chicken, vegetables, and wonderful soy sauce concoction make a wonderful dish. My 11-year old daughter Amanda loves to hold up the longest noodle she can find to show us, since long noodles mean long life. This dish more than any other also brings me back to my childhood to a chicken chow mein that my Aunt So used to make at our big family holiday gatherings. She would make a very large metal pot full of chow mein, and it was always the one favorite dish I'd have every time as we made our way around the buffet tables, whether it was Christmas, Thanksgiving, 4th of July, Chinese New Year's, or my grandmother Popo's birthday.
Everything we've had from Su Hong is good. The service is friendly and efficient, either at their restaurants or from their takeout. There's something for everyone. What little is left over makes a great lunch or ingredients for Valerie's awesome fried rice the next day. It's one of those recipes that requires no measurement or heavy lifting. Just use whatever leftovers you have.
Some would argue that Su Hong, like many American Chinese restaurants, isn't very authentic. But to this Chinese American, Su Hong authentically rocks.
Valerie's Su Hong Next Day Fried Rice
Heat one to two tablespoons of olive oil in a frying pan on medium high. Stir in leftover brown rice and heat through. Add in bite sized pieces of whatever leftovers you have such as meat, green beans, vegetables, and stir fry. Combine and stir with wooden spoon. Add in one beaten egg and stir continuously to cook and blend in. Add soy sauce to taste and serve hot. Easy and delicious.
Saturday, January 22, 2011
Mad for Mushrooms on Top
I've always loved mushrooms, even when I was a little girl. Their earthy, fragrant flavor and chewy texture have always enticed my taste buds. Even knowing mushrooms are fungi and sometimes poisonous does not deter me one bit from wanting to eat them.
I have devised an easy way to incorporate lots of mushrooms into various dishes. Or should I say incorporate them ONTO various dishes? My technique is to saute in-season, locally grown mushrooms in olive oil and a little butter and then simply pour them over whatever edible I feel like having that day. For instance, a large serving of sauteed mushrooms goes nicely over:
- good buttered bread (I'm partial to Il Fornaio Rosemary Bread)
- cooked pasta, along with some marinara or cream sauce with parmesan
- cheese quesadillas
- scrambled eggs, omelets, quiche or fritatta
- pizza
I like the mushrooms on top technique because I don't have to worry about making them to fit a recipe. Mushrooms on top makes them the emphatic focus of these dishes so I can make and eat as much as I like, and use whatever variety of mushroom I want.
A simple technique to saute mushrooms:
1. Clean mushrooms by putting them in a colander and quickly rinsing with cold water. Blot dry with a towel.
2. Cut into bite sized pieces.
3. Saute in pan on medium heat in extra virgin olive oil until the mushrooms release their water.
4. After the water evaporates, add a pat of butter and continue to saute for a total of about 10 minutes.
5. Salt to taste.
If you haven't tried them, check out the chanterelles now in season at your farmers' market, the Ferry Building mushroom store, or at Sigona's Market. Saute a big serving and pour over your favorite mushroom delivery dish. You'll discover why chanterelles are called Queen of the Forest.
Saturday, January 8, 2011
Marvelous Manresa
Every year for my birthday I choose a special place to enjoy a meal with my husband. This year I already knew months in advance what my choice would be: Manresa in Los Gatos. Manresa boasts two Michelin stars among its accolades and the inventive cuisine of Executive Chef David Kinch. It's also received outstanding Zagat ratings (27 out of 30 for food, 25 for decor, and 27 for service) and has won OpenTable's designations for best ambiance, best food, and best overall restaurant in Silicon Valley.
The restaurant doesn't look like much on the outside, but feels warm and inviting inside. The comfortable, elegant interior combines refined lighting, crisp white tablecloths, and Asian rugs.
One of the secrets to Manresa's success is its fresh vegetables grown exclusively for the restaurant at the Love Apple Farm in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The menu only hints at these secret ingredients, a tease of the unexpected flavors and simple visual beauty set on the table. One of my chosen courses was risotto without rice. It looked like risotto, but it felt and tasted different, made from some kind of vegetable. I still don't know what it was made from, and that's part of the fun.
My husband and I ordered the four course menu, choosing from an enticing list of options. The waitress informed us that the larger and more expensive tasting menu added up to about the same amount of food but with more courses. Brad ordered the wine pairings and I went with still bottled water. We also enjoyed the extras: amuse-bouche, bread, and palate cleansers.
Everything tasted lovely and different. Besides the bread, I can say that everything offered a new experience to my senses. It all felt elegant and elevated, subtle yet daring, like caring creations from a perfectionist artist who doesn't shout his achievements for all to hear but simply shows his work and lets it speak for itself. I appreciated the impeccable service, a chorus of wait staff circling throughout the restaurant in an almost constant rhythm, smoothly and efficiently refilling water glasses, removing dishes, and presenting food for the entire table at once.
When I made the reservation on OpenTable I hesitatingly admitted that it was my birthday. The waitress gently inquired if this night was a special occasion, a light and simple confirmation of the evening's import. I knew they wouldn't do anything too embarrassing to mark the occasion, and I was right. We enjoyed and ate up every bite of our meal:
- pear gelato with avocado cream and salty crunch topping
- brown egg yolk cup with maple syrup and red wine vinegar
- green garden soup with variety of vegetable purees, flowers, and herbs, presented first with the solid ingredients before the soup was poured over
- assorted breads with butter (my favorite was the little brioche bun)
- risotto without rice, and with green sauce and mushrooms
- salad with vegetable foam and puree (this description sadly doesn't even begin to do the dish justice)
- wagyu beef ribbons with mushrooms, greens, and black tea broth
- meyer lemon gelato with grapefruit palate cleanser
- chocolate disk melted by warm caramel sea salt sauce, revealing vanilla shortbread with dark chocolate ganache and coconut ice cream
- apple, quince, and cranberry compote with oatmeal ice cream and sugared vanilla bean strip
- green tea cake with yuzu icing for my birthday
The standouts for me included the green garden soup, wagyu beef ribbons, and Samoa chocolate-vanilla dessert. The soup's flavors melded together in a swirl of colors, each bite standing on its own as the soup melted into the ingredients first presented in the bowl. The beef dish had an intoxicating umami scent and flavor, a heavenly blending of mushrooms, beef, and black tea. The chocolate vanilla dessert delighted not only in its presentation with the warm salted caramel melting the chocolate disk to reveal the added lusciousness underneath, but also in each and every bite of chocolate, caramel, crunchy vanilla shortbread, and cold, creamy coconut ice cream.
If I could choose my four courses with no witnesses (or only those who really knew me well), I'd be tempted to go with four desserts, it was that good. Brad was equally enthralled with his apple, quince, and cranberry finale. He kept tipping his plates and bowls to scoop up every last bit.
Manresa is marvelous, magical, and mysterious. It earns its customer vote on OpenTable as best overall restaurant in Silicon Valley. I'll be back for more.
The restaurant doesn't look like much on the outside, but feels warm and inviting inside. The comfortable, elegant interior combines refined lighting, crisp white tablecloths, and Asian rugs.
One of the secrets to Manresa's success is its fresh vegetables grown exclusively for the restaurant at the Love Apple Farm in the Santa Cruz Mountains. The menu only hints at these secret ingredients, a tease of the unexpected flavors and simple visual beauty set on the table. One of my chosen courses was risotto without rice. It looked like risotto, but it felt and tasted different, made from some kind of vegetable. I still don't know what it was made from, and that's part of the fun.
My husband and I ordered the four course menu, choosing from an enticing list of options. The waitress informed us that the larger and more expensive tasting menu added up to about the same amount of food but with more courses. Brad ordered the wine pairings and I went with still bottled water. We also enjoyed the extras: amuse-bouche, bread, and palate cleansers.
Everything tasted lovely and different. Besides the bread, I can say that everything offered a new experience to my senses. It all felt elegant and elevated, subtle yet daring, like caring creations from a perfectionist artist who doesn't shout his achievements for all to hear but simply shows his work and lets it speak for itself. I appreciated the impeccable service, a chorus of wait staff circling throughout the restaurant in an almost constant rhythm, smoothly and efficiently refilling water glasses, removing dishes, and presenting food for the entire table at once.
When I made the reservation on OpenTable I hesitatingly admitted that it was my birthday. The waitress gently inquired if this night was a special occasion, a light and simple confirmation of the evening's import. I knew they wouldn't do anything too embarrassing to mark the occasion, and I was right. We enjoyed and ate up every bite of our meal:
- pear gelato with avocado cream and salty crunch topping
- brown egg yolk cup with maple syrup and red wine vinegar
- green garden soup with variety of vegetable purees, flowers, and herbs, presented first with the solid ingredients before the soup was poured over
- assorted breads with butter (my favorite was the little brioche bun)
- risotto without rice, and with green sauce and mushrooms
- salad with vegetable foam and puree (this description sadly doesn't even begin to do the dish justice)
- wagyu beef ribbons with mushrooms, greens, and black tea broth
- meyer lemon gelato with grapefruit palate cleanser
- chocolate disk melted by warm caramel sea salt sauce, revealing vanilla shortbread with dark chocolate ganache and coconut ice cream
- apple, quince, and cranberry compote with oatmeal ice cream and sugared vanilla bean strip
- green tea cake with yuzu icing for my birthday
The standouts for me included the green garden soup, wagyu beef ribbons, and Samoa chocolate-vanilla dessert. The soup's flavors melded together in a swirl of colors, each bite standing on its own as the soup melted into the ingredients first presented in the bowl. The beef dish had an intoxicating umami scent and flavor, a heavenly blending of mushrooms, beef, and black tea. The chocolate vanilla dessert delighted not only in its presentation with the warm salted caramel melting the chocolate disk to reveal the added lusciousness underneath, but also in each and every bite of chocolate, caramel, crunchy vanilla shortbread, and cold, creamy coconut ice cream.
If I could choose my four courses with no witnesses (or only those who really knew me well), I'd be tempted to go with four desserts, it was that good. Brad was equally enthralled with his apple, quince, and cranberry finale. He kept tipping his plates and bowls to scoop up every last bit.
Manresa is marvelous, magical, and mysterious. It earns its customer vote on OpenTable as best overall restaurant in Silicon Valley. I'll be back for more.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Mom's Chinese Turkey Jook
I was fascinated to learn online how many variations of jook people make all across Asia. The version my mom makes is the Cantonese style. A traditional dish that's low on cost but high on flavorful satisfaction, jook can be eaten at any time of day. While simmering for hours on the stove top, jook spreads its comforting smell slowly throughout the house as the rice breaks down into a thick white porridge. It wouldn't surprise me if scientific research showed that turkey jook has the same immunity building and therapeutic properties as its Jewish cousin.
Mom's Chinese Turkey Jook
Turkey bones with bits of meat (use leftover turkey carcass or turkey thighs)
6 cups water plus any leftover turkey pan juices or chicken broth for a total of about 12 cups of liquid (enough liquid to cover turkey)
1 cup uncooked, rinsed white rice
3 tablespoons sliced ginger
Salt to taste
3 tablespoons oyster sauce (a good brand is Lee Kum Kee)
Toppings to taste: chopped scallions, slivers of ginger, fried sliced won ton strips, or cilantro
1. Simmer turkey bones and all liquids in a large pot on the stove for one hour, covered.
2. Add rice, sliced ginger, salt and oyster sauce. Simmer two more hours, stirring occasionally. Additional liquid may be added for desired consistency.
3. Remove bones and ginger. Ladle soup into bowls.
4. Top with chopped scallions and thin slivers of ginger or other toppings to taste.
If you're planning on roasting a turkey for Christmas or New Year's, consider making Chinese Turkey Jook for a warm and nourishing meal. Create a new tradition out of a centuries-old favorite.
Saturday, December 4, 2010
BAUMÈ: French Cuisine Moderne with a Zen Touch
Baume restaurant in Palo Alto recently received a coveted Michelin star. That in itself is enough to get me interested. Then I got the new Zagat San Francisco Bay Area 2011 book and noticed equally impressive ratings for food, service, and decor (28 out of 30 points each). Baume has the same total number of Zagat points as the French Laundry restaurant. Time to get a reservation.
My husband Brad is skeptical when it comes to small tasting portions and molecular gastronomy. But he promised to keep an open mind during our lunch at Baume. I skipped breakfast that day to appreciate each morsel even more.
Stepping into the restaurant, all is calm. The black painted windows create a quiet enclosure with an interior of dramatic orange coloring, curtains, and tasteful decor. The menu takes this simply stylish approach a step further; it is not really a menu but a listing of ingredients used in the dishes. It's a hint at what's to come, the chef artist's palette that could be used to create thousands of different combinations.
Leeks | Burgundy Truffle | Gigha Halibut | Shiso
Grass Fed Beef | Celeriac | Garlic | Ginger
Lantern Scallop | Lichee | Lilikoi | Chocolate
Champignons Sauvages | Foie Gras | Pumpkin | Kabocha
Fromages | Liquid Nitrogen | Maui Pineapple | Apple | 62˚ Egg
Alba White Truffle (Supplement)
Le Degustation $ 58
With Drinks and Wines Pairing $ 88
L’Experience $ 98
With Drinks and Wines Pairing $ 158
The waiter explained that the more traditional Le Degustation had four courses, while L'Experience had twice as many courses and more innovative flavors and preparations. We both ordered L'Experience without the drinks and wine pairing. The name of this eight course meal is brilliant. Coming to a restaurant like Baume is all about the experience and the food. Bring on the bold.
The ingredient list only hinted at the marvelous dishes that arrived, one after one, bite after glorious bite. I may not remember all these dishes correctly, but this is my best recollection. We didn't get the scallops because Brad is allergic, and I'm not sure what we got instead. Even though the list looks incredibly long, the small, precious portions allowed our stomachs to slowly expand in accommodating each and every bite. Using moderate portion sizes ensures maximum satisfaction and a wide variety of flavors. We got a lot of welcome extras on top of our eight courses.
- steamed wheat bun filled with leek and topped with gold leaf
- vegetable terrine with exploded orange (made icy with liquid nitrogen)
- rosemary and French breads with two spreads: parsley tofu and balsamic olive oil
- miso crunch squash soup
- foie gras with citrus gelee, quince, and cinnamon
- 62˚ egg with champignons sauvages, carrot puree, tarragon sauce and Burgundy truffle
- grass fed beef with celeriac, celery sponge and puree
- halibut with tapioca pearls and citrus
- orange segment with tangerine sorbet palate cleanser
- fromage plate (French cheese, goat cheese, and Point Reyes bleu cheese) with walnut toast and honey lavender pearls
- pumpkin cake with cranberry gelee topping, pumpkin brittle, ginger, and green apple sorbet
- squirting pineapple upside down gingerbread cake
- marshmallow confection to go in 3 flavors: mango, coconut, and green tea
It's difficult to describe the many flavors, presentations, textures, and aromas of our meal. It would be like trying to describe the movie 'Inception' with its unprecedented visual intricacies and plot levels. It's better just to see the movie. Several dishes arrived in one condition only to be transformed by the addition of another ingredient by the waiter. Impeccable service and attention to detail plus audacious creativity equals an outstanding meal. My favorite dishes that still linger in memory include the soup, foie gras, grass fed beef, tangerine-orange palate cleanser, bleu cheese and honey lavender pearls on walnut toast, and pumpkin cake. I loved having the little soft, fragrant marshmallow strips to enjoy at home hours later.
I've used Baume's menu ingredient format to create a poem of my experience with L'Experience. So many words, the ingredients of a writer's palette, come to mind, but how to combine them just so? It must be experienced to be known.
Mon Expérience
Michelin star | Open Table | Anticipation | Salivation
Elegant | Modern | Classy | Vibrant
Original | Fun | Exquisite | Delectable
Surprising | Sublime | Captivating | Daring
Artistic | Exceptional | Inspiring | Dizzying | Wow
My husband Brad is skeptical when it comes to small tasting portions and molecular gastronomy. But he promised to keep an open mind during our lunch at Baume. I skipped breakfast that day to appreciate each morsel even more.
Stepping into the restaurant, all is calm. The black painted windows create a quiet enclosure with an interior of dramatic orange coloring, curtains, and tasteful decor. The menu takes this simply stylish approach a step further; it is not really a menu but a listing of ingredients used in the dishes. It's a hint at what's to come, the chef artist's palette that could be used to create thousands of different combinations.
Leeks | Burgundy Truffle | Gigha Halibut | Shiso
Grass Fed Beef | Celeriac | Garlic | Ginger
Lantern Scallop | Lichee | Lilikoi | Chocolate
Champignons Sauvages | Foie Gras | Pumpkin | Kabocha
Fromages | Liquid Nitrogen | Maui Pineapple | Apple | 62˚ Egg
Alba White Truffle (Supplement)
Le Degustation $ 58
With Drinks and Wines Pairing $ 88
L’Experience $ 98
With Drinks and Wines Pairing $ 158
The waiter explained that the more traditional Le Degustation had four courses, while L'Experience had twice as many courses and more innovative flavors and preparations. We both ordered L'Experience without the drinks and wine pairing. The name of this eight course meal is brilliant. Coming to a restaurant like Baume is all about the experience and the food. Bring on the bold.
The ingredient list only hinted at the marvelous dishes that arrived, one after one, bite after glorious bite. I may not remember all these dishes correctly, but this is my best recollection. We didn't get the scallops because Brad is allergic, and I'm not sure what we got instead. Even though the list looks incredibly long, the small, precious portions allowed our stomachs to slowly expand in accommodating each and every bite. Using moderate portion sizes ensures maximum satisfaction and a wide variety of flavors. We got a lot of welcome extras on top of our eight courses.
- steamed wheat bun filled with leek and topped with gold leaf
- vegetable terrine with exploded orange (made icy with liquid nitrogen)
- rosemary and French breads with two spreads: parsley tofu and balsamic olive oil
- miso crunch squash soup
- foie gras with citrus gelee, quince, and cinnamon
- 62˚ egg with champignons sauvages, carrot puree, tarragon sauce and Burgundy truffle
- grass fed beef with celeriac, celery sponge and puree
- halibut with tapioca pearls and citrus
- orange segment with tangerine sorbet palate cleanser
- fromage plate (French cheese, goat cheese, and Point Reyes bleu cheese) with walnut toast and honey lavender pearls
- pumpkin cake with cranberry gelee topping, pumpkin brittle, ginger, and green apple sorbet
- squirting pineapple upside down gingerbread cake
- marshmallow confection to go in 3 flavors: mango, coconut, and green tea
It's difficult to describe the many flavors, presentations, textures, and aromas of our meal. It would be like trying to describe the movie 'Inception' with its unprecedented visual intricacies and plot levels. It's better just to see the movie. Several dishes arrived in one condition only to be transformed by the addition of another ingredient by the waiter. Impeccable service and attention to detail plus audacious creativity equals an outstanding meal. My favorite dishes that still linger in memory include the soup, foie gras, grass fed beef, tangerine-orange palate cleanser, bleu cheese and honey lavender pearls on walnut toast, and pumpkin cake. I loved having the little soft, fragrant marshmallow strips to enjoy at home hours later.
I've used Baume's menu ingredient format to create a poem of my experience with L'Experience. So many words, the ingredients of a writer's palette, come to mind, but how to combine them just so? It must be experienced to be known.
Mon Expérience
Michelin star | Open Table | Anticipation | Salivation
Elegant | Modern | Classy | Vibrant
Original | Fun | Exquisite | Delectable
Surprising | Sublime | Captivating | Daring
Artistic | Exceptional | Inspiring | Dizzying | Wow
Friday, November 12, 2010
Sinfully Rich Scharffen Berger Brownies
Scharffen Berger Chocolate Maker is the first U.S. bean-to-bar chocolate manufacturer established in the past fifty years. Its founding goal was to "create the richest, most flavorful chocolate by sourcing the best cacao in the world and using artisan chocolate-making methods." I remember clearly taking my son to a Scharffen Berger factory tour in Berkeley many years ago, our own little home grown version of Willy Wonka's. Things change: the company has since been acquired by Hershey's and closed its local factory, but we can still enjoy the chocolate which is obviously the most important thing.
I also clearly remember enjoying an unbelievable Scharffen Berger Chocolate dinner with my husband at Google's Cafe 7 featuring recipes inspired from 'The Essence of Chocolate' cookbook by company co-founders John Scharffenberger and Robert Steinberg. I enjoy poring over my cookbook autographed there by John Scharffenberger, remembering the fireworks of flavor from that choco-gastronomic meal. I kept the menu, not knowing that almost four years later I would use it for this blog:
- Goat Cheese Crostini and Nibs: Grilled pain levain, Laura Chenel Boursin cheese, candied orange zest, cocoa nibs
- Tortilla Soup Espumoso: Light puree of chipotle peppers, mirepois of vegetables, Latin spices, tomato, Scharffen Berger Chocolate, crisp tortilla, avocado, lime and sweet corn foam
- Grilled Scallop with Mild Thai Flavors: Mini local scallop brochette with coconut-chile and cocoa glaze
- Chocolate Martini
- Bread with Chocolate Butter
- Spinach and Almond Salad with Pears and Nib Vinaigrette: Organic field greens tossed with cocoa glazed almonds, dressed in a light balsamic-shallot dressing
- Chile-Marinated Harris Ranch Flank Steak with Mole Flavors: Served over baked navy beans with Applewood smoked bacon and unsweetened Scharffen Berger Chocolate
- Grilled Tofu Scallops and Roasted Squash: Three grain pilaf, vegetable medley and cocoa nib vinaigrette
- Chocolate Souffle: Bittersweet chocolate souffle, brandy liquor, sweet meringue, and chocolate cinnamon ganache center
- Petit Sirah Swirled Ice Cream: Housemade vanilla bean ice cream, swirled with Petit Sirah syrup, fresh blueberries and fresh raspberries
As I read this menu I can't believe we ate all of this at one meal! And now a link to the coup de grace, a sinfully rich New Classic Brownie recipe using unsweetened 99% cacao chocolate. I discovered this recipe on the Scharffen Berger website, written by Alice Medrich and featured in her book 'Cookies and Brownies'. Company staff taste tasters liked this recipe best of three brownie recipes.
Fair warning: These brownies are INTENSE. Brace yourself before taking a bite. These are not your everyday brownies, not the kind to bring to a potluck on the 4th of July or the school's bake sale. These are grown-up, rated R, only for those strong enough to imbibe. They should be served with a warning that they may cause a temporary cocoa-induced stupor, and chocolate hallucinations for the weak-willed and knock-kneed. Eat at your own risk.
We made the brownies without nuts but I'm sure the toasted walnuts would provide a delicious balance to the extreme chocolate flavor. Also, I'd recommend using parchment paper instead of foil in the pan, as our brownies got stubbornly stuck to parts of the foil. Be patient while the brownies cool in the ice bath. And don't forget to share. You could possibly overdose on these if you don't.
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