Wok-fried Crabcake Medley with Scallops and Truffled Mashed Potatoes

This dish is essentially a deconstructed crabcake, having much of the same ingredients and flavors, but prepared free-form in a wok. Topped with seared scallops and served on a bed of truffle mashed potatoes, this is a rich, satisfying, and delicious meal.



Ingredients: (serves 6)

crab medley
1-2 tablespoon oil
2 slices pancetta, chopped
1/2 cup red pepper, chopped
3 green onions, sliced
1 1/2 cup cooked corn kernels, cut off the cob
1 pound jumbo lump crab meat
1/2 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
Salt, pepper to taste
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce*

I received a free sample of Lea & Perrins Worcestershire sauce as part of Foodbuzz Tastemaker Program

1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/2 cup mayonnaise

scallops
6 large scallops
Coarse Sea Salt to taste
2 tablespoon butter

truffled mashed potatoes
4 large Yukon Gold potatoes
3 tablespoons butter
1-2 tablespoons truffle oil
1/4 cup cream
Salt to taste

Directions:

crab medley
Heat oil in a wok. Add pancetta and red pepper and stir-fry for 2 minutes. Add green onions and corn and continue to stir-fry for another minute. Add crabmeat, Old Bay seasoning, salt, pepper. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, then add Worcestershire sauce and lemon juice and cook for 1 more minute. Stir in mayonnaise.

scallops
Melt butter in a skillet until foamy. Rinse the scallops and pat them dry. Sprinkle with salt. Sear the scallops for 1-2 minutes per side until golden brown.

truffled mashed potatoes
Boil unpeeled whole potatoes in salted water until cooked through. Drain and cool. Peel potatoes and mash well. Before serving, place in a pot and cook for a few minutes on low heat stirring continuously. Still on low heat add butter and incorporate until melted. Whisk in cream and truffle oil.

to assemble:
Place a round of mashed potatoes on each plate, top with crab medley, and scallops. Drizzle truffle oil over the scallops and crab medley. Garnish with chives (optional).

Cleopatra's Dream

Today, it is my pleasure to present a special collaboration project that my friend Lazaro and I have prepared. Lazaro has a gourmet style of cooking with exceptional flavor combinations and exquisite presentations that I really admire. We often discuss concepts for our dishes and share all kinds of ideas about food.

On my recent trip to Philadelphia, I visited the exhibit on Cleopatra in the Franklin Institute Science Museum. It was fascinating to learn more about the life of Cleopatra, and about the culture of Egypt during the time of her rule, including the ancient Egyptian cuisine. At the exhibit and with additional research online, I learned that bread was the staple of Egyptian cuisine, often flavored with honey and spices such as coriander. Fruits, such as apricots and figs, and various nuts were very popular in time of the last Egyptian queen, and figs were Cleopatra's particular favorite.

After learning about ancient Egyptian cuisine, I had an idea for a pizza with Egyptian flavors which I shared with Lazaro. When I was in a middle of my blogging blues, Lazaro really cheered me up by taking up my basic concept and developing an incredible recipe for Cleopatra's Dream pizza. This inspired me in return to create another dish with similar flavors, Dukkah-Crusted Chicken Scaloppine with Warm Carrot-Raisin Salad and Scallion Cream which you can check out on Lazaro Cooks! today, after you read all about Lazaro's Cleopatra's Dream pizza below.

***

What an honor to be here on this amazing blog.  Natasha runs one of the most complete blogs on the net.  Whether you want a 5 Star creation or a fair-and-balanced review of a 5 Star restaurant, this blog is for you. With that being said, she is also an exceedingly sweet person and one of the most supportive bloggers around.

When Natasha told me about her inspiration for this concept pizza I was immediately intrigued.  Natasha has a talent for conjuring wonderful stories to compliment her dishes.  Luckily she dropped some knowledge on me about the ingredients used in ancient Egypt.  So we collaborated on this smart and creative pizza.  The idea was totally hers.  I just executed it.

A big thank you to Natasha for providing constant inspiration.  If you are willing to open yourself up to new experiences, you will find a new favorite pizza.

Enjoy...

The flour used to make the crust was Barley Flour.  That was the main flour used at the time.  I decided to flavor my bread with rosemary, thyme, and Pistachio Oil.  Pistachio oil adds great taste and aromatics.  When this bread came out of the oven the smell in the kitchen was intoxicating.

Barley Flour, Pistachio Oil, Rosemary, Thyme

It's 2010 not 40 BC so the toppings are a mix of ingredients you would find in ancient Egypt and some that you could get today.  All ingredients come together to provide balance between sweet and tart.

Creme Fraiche - I love the delicate flavor and creaminess that creme fraiche provides.  A fantastic base for our pizza.

Dried Turkish Apricots - These are juicy, plump, sweet goodness.  I rehydrate them in hot apricot juice.

Blanched Green Onions - Green onions provide a balance to the sweet items on the pizza.  Blanch them to remove some of the raw flavor.

Halloumi Cheese - is a popular cheese in the middle east and Greece.  It is made from a mixture of goat's and sheep's milk.  I decided to serve it uncooked.  Just grated over top.  The taste is fabulous.  Adds some saltiness to the pizza.

Fig Reduction - You cannot call it Cleopatra's Dream without adding figs, her favorite.  Instead of using the fruit, I made a reduction of fig juice, butter, and soy sauce.  Not only does this add great flavor, but also vibrant color.

^{Cleopatra's Dream}

For the Barley Pizza Dough:
1 cup warm water - 110 F
1 envelope active dry yeast
1 tbs sugar
3 1/2 cups barley flour
2 tbs olive oil
1 tbs sea salt

In a glass bowl, mix the water, yeast, and sugar.  Allow to sit for 10 minutes.  If it doubles in size and foams, the yeast is active.  Add the olive oil, sea salt and 1 cup of flour.  With a wooden spoon stir to combine.  Add the rest of the flour 1 cup at a time.  Mix to form the dough ball. 

Place the dough in a clean bowl.  Cover.  Allow to rise in a warm place for 1 hour.  Roll the dough out to desired thickness.

Pistachio oil
Fresh rosemary - chopped fine
Fresh Thyme - chopped fine

Brush the dough with pistachio oil.  Sprinkle with the rosemary and thyme.

Bake in oven till brown.

For the Fig Reduction:
2 cup fig juice
2 tbs unsalted butter - (kept cold in the fridge)
1/4 tsp soy sauce

In a saucepan, reduce the fig juice over medium heat.  You want a thick glaze consistency.  Whisk in the unsalted butter 1 tbs at a time. Add the soy sauce.  Whisk to combine.

That's it for now...till we exchange a few words again...Peace!

2011 Forbes Travel Guide 5 Star Restaurant Awards

Forbes Travel Guide has announced the 53rd Annual List of Four- and Five-Star Award winners for 2011. Forbes Travel Guide, formerly Mobil Travel Guide, is the original rating system for the best hotels, restaurants, and spas in North America. It has provided comprehensive ratings and reviews since 1958. In October 2009, Mobil Travel Guide became Forbes Travel Guide as a result of partnership with Forbes Media LLC.

For the 2011 ratings, 23 restaurants have been awarded five stars. This year's five-star restaurant list remains almost unchanged from the previous year.

Both of the new additions are located in New York City. Daniel, a spectacular contemporary French-style restaurant run by the fabulous Chef Daniel Boulud finally regains the 5 star status it lost back in 2004.

Eleven Madison Park features a French-influenced greenmarket cuisine prepared masterfully by Daniel Humm who won the 2010 James Beard Foundation Award for Best Chef New York City.

For more information on the five-star restaurants, please visit the 2011 5-Star Restaurant List where you will find detailed reviews of the 13 five-star restaurants in which we have dined so far.

* 2011 5-Star Restaurant List
* 2011 5-Star Restaurant Map
* 5-Star History Chart

IIP: Slow Roasted Maple Leaf Duck Breast Filet with Old Hickory Smoked Salt, Black Trumpets, Soft Polenta, and Sun-Dried Tomato Jus

This month's International Incident Party features salt as a thematic ingredient. Whenever I think of salt as a highlight in fine cuisine, I think back to the outstanding dinner we had at the 5-star rated The Dining Room at Woodlands. On that occasion we enjoyed the fortunate pleasure of dining at the Chef's table, situated in the kitchen with a fine view of cooking expertise on display.

Uniquely, our dinner began with a presentation of salts by Chef Tarver King, who led the kitchen at that time. Chef King brought about 15 different salts to our table for use throughout our meal, and as he personally presented each dish at our table, he highlighted a different salt as a recommended compliment to each of the 14 dishes to come in our tasting menu that evening. These salts included a rare "Jurassic" salt, Kahlua (a Hawaiian black sea salt that gets its color from lava), and several special Fleur de Sels. With each dish that was to come we were to try different salts to experience different textures and flavors. That was definitely a special part of our culinary adventure. Every one of the 14 courses we had that night was incredible, but especially memorable was the Smoked Maple Leaf Duckling served with Chanterelle mushrooms over polenta.

The dish that I share today is inspired by that smoked duckling at the The Dining Room at Woodlands. Since I don't have a smoker, I prepared my duck differently, marinating it first in an apple cider mixture, coating it in Old Hickory Smoked Salt, and finally slow roasting it in the oven on the cedar plank in foil. The duck is succulent and very flavorful when prepared this way.

I was fortunate to receive a sample of fresh wild black trumpet mushrooms from MarxFoods, and I simply sauteed those in butter to add to the dish. The black trumpet mushrooms paired nicely with both the duck and soft buttery polenta.

Another element on the plate was the Sun-Dried Tomato Jus, prepared with Bella Sun Luci Sun Dried Tomatoes with Zesty Peppers that I received from Mooney Farms. Sweet, tart, and a little spicy, the sun-dried tomato jus added the perfect finish, highlighting the sweet, salty, and smoky flavors of the duck.



Ingredients:

duck
3/4 cup apple cider
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons brown sugar
1 garlic clove, minced
1 teaspoon ginger, minced
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
4 Maple Leaf Farms Duck Breast Fillets
Old Hickory Smoked Salt

mushrooms
2 cups fresh black trumpet mushrooms (from MarxFoods)
2-3 tablespoons butter
Salt, pepper to taste

sun-dried tomato jus
1/2 cup Bella Sun Luci Sun Dried Tomatoes (with Zesty Peppers, julienne-cut, from Mooney Farms)
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons champagne vinegar
1/2 cup brandy
1 cup chicken stock

Polenta, cooked soft, with generous amount of butter, salt to taste

Directions:

duck
Combine apple cider, apple cider vinegar, brown sugar, garlic clove, ginger, salt, and pepper together. Place the duck breast filets in a plastic bag, pour the marinade over, and seal tightly. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours or overnight.

Remove from marinade and coat generously with Old Hickory Smoked Salt. Wrap each duck breast in foil and refrigerate for a few hours, before ready to cook.

Pre-heat the oven to 250°F. Place the duck in foil on a cedar plank and put in the oven. Cook for about 1 hour. Remove from the oven and let the duck rest for a few minutes before opening the foil.

Before serving, heat a little oil in a skillet or a wok until very hot, and sear the duck breasts quickly on the skin side only, to get the crispy skin.

mushrooms
Clean mushrooms thoroughly and pat dry. In a skillet over medium heat, melt butter and sauté mushrooms 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

sun-dried tomato jus
In a food processor, combine the sun-dried tomatoes, honey, champagne vinegar, and brandy. Mix into a paste. Pour into a small pot along with chicken stock and mix well. Bring to boil, then simmer until the sauce thickens a little, stirring occasionally. Mix in the food processor again until smooth and strain through a very fine mesh sieve.

to assemble
Slice the duck breasts thinly. Arrange the duck slices over polenta, alternating with layers of black trumpet mushrooms. Pour a thin layer of sun-dried tomato jus around the plate.

***

Please check out what everyone else brought to the party and happy birthday wishes to all November babies!

5 Star Foodie Junior: Sweet Potato Pecan Phyllo Purses

Welcome to the first edition of the 5 Star Foodie Junior, a new series of monthly posts that will feature my daughter learning how to cook in the kitchen. We will focus on simple dishes with interesting flavor combinations, many of which will be original ideas of the 5 Star Foodie Junior herself. Today we have created a perfect sweet bite for Thanksgiving, Sweet Potato Pecan Phyllo Purses.



5 Star Foodie Junior:
Today, we made vanilla sweet potato pecan baskets. First, we made the filling. We boiled the sweet potato. When it cooled down, we peeled it and mashed and mixed it with butter and sugar and vanilla bean seeds. Next, we put pecans in it and refrigerated it. Then, we got phyllo pastry sheets and brushed it with butter. Then we cut them in squares, put the filling in, and folded up like baskets.



After we baked them, they looked crispy and cute. They tasted delicious: the pastry was crispy and yummy and the filling was sweet and tasted like sweet potato and pecan pie all together!



Ingredients:

1 sweet potato
1/4 cup butter, softened
2/3 cup sugar
Seeds of 1 whole vanilla bean
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 cup ground pecans

6 sheets phyllo dough
2 tablespoons butter

Directions:

Boil the sweet potato, unpeeled, for about 30-40 minutes, or until soft. Cool, peel, and mash. Place in a bowl, and blend the sweet potatoes with butter, sugar, vanilla bean seeds, and cinnamon, using an electric mixer. Fold in the ground pecans. Refrigerate for a few hours, or until firm.

Lightly brush 1 phyllo sheet with butter. Cover with another sheet, brush with butter, and cover with the final sheet of phyllo. Cut into 9 squares (repeat with the remaining 3 phyllo sheets). Place about spoonful of the sweet potato pecan mixture in the center of each square. Pull all the sides together and pinch to hold, forming "purses". Bake on 350°F for about 20 minutes or until the edges of the pastry are golden brown.

***

Please check out a new Quickies Noodle Challenge hosted by my friends Lazaro and Denise, here or here. It's a fun contest opportunity, so don't miss it!

Coconut-Poached Chicken Salad with Apple, Daikon, and Saffron Aioli

In this healthy and delicious makeover of a traditional chicken salad, I poached the chicken in coconut milk and ginger and paired it with shredded daikon radish and apple. I dressed the salad with saffron aioli, prepared with a special avocado oil I found in Wegmans. The avocado oil introduced unique subtle flavors and, paired with the wonderful aroma of saffron, worked magically to flavor this chicken salad.

Ingredients:

Saffron Aioli
2 garlic cloves
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 egg yolks
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1/4 cup Avocado oil
2 tablespoons warmed chicken stock
A generous pinch of saffron

chicken
1/2 large boneless chicken breast
1 can coconut milk
Salt, pepper to taste
1 teaspoon ginger, minced

to assemble
2 apples, peeled, cored, shredded
1 daikon, peeled, shredded
1/4 cup carrots, shredded
2 green onions, thinly sliced
Salt to taste
Lettuce leaves (optional)

Directions:

saffron aioli
Place the saffron strands along with warmed up stock in a small bowl. Stir gently and let it soak for a few minutes. Mash the garlic into a paste along with salt. Add garlic, egg yolks, lemon juice, and saffron mixture into a food processor and blend well. Keep the food processor going, and add the avocado oil in a steady thin stream very slowly until the oil is incorporated and the mixture thickens. Chill for at least an hour to allow the flavors to develop.

chicken
Heat coconut milk, ginger, salt, and pepper in a small pot. Bring to boil. Add the chicken breast (slice to fit if necessary). Lower the heat and simmer for about 8-10 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. Get the chicken out and cool completely. Then, dice into very small pieces.

to assemble
In a bowl, combine shredded apples, daikon, carrots, green onions, and chicken. Add a pinch of salt. Season to taste with saffron aioli. Chill in the refrigerator for about 30 minutes. Serve on top of lettuce leaves.

***

Thank you so much for everyone who left me such sweet and thoughtful comments on my last post. I am fully back in the kitchen, cooking some exciting dishes that I will be sharing with you very soon!

TastyBite Products Review

Recently, we have received several samples from TastyBite, a company offering a variety of Indian-inspired products, including entrées, sauces, rices and meal inspirations. These products are very convenient as they require no cooking, have no preservatives, and require no refrigeration. After heating for a minute or two in a microwave, the meals are ready to eat, making them very convenient for busy weeknight dinners.

Basmati Rice



5 Star Foodie Junior: The rice was firm and nice, not mushy. This was my favorite part of the meal.

Jaipur Vegetables



Garden vegetables and cubes of paneer cheese simmered with spices, cashew nuts and raisins.

5 Star Foodie Junior: Jaipur Vegetables were flavorful with a good combination of spices and vegetables. It was a little bit spicy but not salty enough. I liked the sauce.

Kashmir Spinach



Curried spinach lightly sautéed with paneer cheese.

5 Star Foodie Junior: The spinach was a little mushy but flavorful. I liked the paneer cheese and wish there was more of it in the dish.

Punjab Eggplant



Braised eggplant prepared with aromatic Indian spices.

5 Star Foodie Junior: The eggplant tasted yummy and a little spicy.

Madras Lentils



Lentils, red beans and spices in a creamy tomato sauce.

5 Star Foodie Junior: The lentils were delicious, and I especially liked the red beans so this was my favorite.

Chunky Chickpeas



Chickpeas seasoned with garlic, ginger and aromatic spices.

5 Star Foodie Junior: The chickpeas were nice and chewy, and tasted very flavorful.

Wild Blueberry Cornmeal Cookies

As a cure for the "blogging blues", I've found three things that help: taking a break and spending time with your family, getting lots of encouragement from your best foodie friend, and baking scrumptious wild blueberry cookies.



These cookies are reminiscent of corn muffin tops with soft crumbly texture and sweet juicy wild blueberries. If you can't find wild blueberries, feel free to substitute dried blueberries or cranberries for a more seasonal touch.



Ingredients: (6 large cookies)

3/4 cup extra fine cornmeal flour
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
Pinch of salt
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/3 cup sugar
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon coconut extract
1/2 cup wild blueberries

Directions:

In a large bowl, combine the fine cornmeal flour, all-purpose flour, baking powder, and salt. In another bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg and coconut extract and blend well. Mix the flour mixture gradually into the butter mixture. Stir in the wild blueberries.

Place ice-cream scoopfuls of batter onto a parchment paper-lined baking sheet one inch apart. Refrigerate for at least 10 minutes while pre-heating the oven. Bake on 350°F for about 12-14 minutes or until the edges are starting to turn golden brown.

5 Star Restaurant Review: Fountain Restaurant

Fountain Restaurant has been recognized as one of the top restaurants in Philadelphia for more than 25 years. For most of that time Chef Martin Hamann headed up the culinary team, until last year when Chef Rafael Gonzalez, previously of Four Seasons Vancouver, and an alum of Jean-Georges and Le Bernadin took over. Under Chef Gonzalez, alongside many long-time remaining staff, Fountain last year received its first 5-star award from Forbes Travel Guide.

The restaurant is located in the luxurious Four Seasons hotel in downtown Philadelphia. The interior design emphasizes classic oak paneling, bronze and brown colors, and features lovely paintings with brightly colored flowers to offset the modestly dark interior. Just outside, the bronze Swann Memorial Fountain can be enjoyed, while inside the cuisine is cited as Modern American with French influences. Our helpful sommelier assisted in the selection of a fine Burgundy wine, and tried to help us better enjoy the meal to follow.

We opted for the tasting menu, which unfortunately did not live up to our expectations. Most dishes seemed poorly conceived and in general were not well executed. Overall, the featured ingredients and flavor combinations were just not complex enough for 5-star dining.

We started with an amuse bouche, comprising a morsel of pear with balsamic vinegar and a shaving of goat cheese. In most cases, the idea of such a tiny bite is to wake the taste buds. In this case, the goat cheese seemed well chosen as a sharp and possibly flavorful option. However the pear was rather soggy and surprisingly tasteless, and there was so little goat cheese that it too could not really be tasted in this combination.

The first course was Poached Maine Halibut with Pickled Beets and Citrus Dressing. The halibut was plain and under-seasoned, with the effect that the dish was unusually bland. The pickled beets accompanying the dish were pleasant and added most of the flavor for the course. However, the citrus dressing didn’t contain enough acid or flavor for the dish. In combination, the fish and beets were tasty but not extraordinary.

Next, a Grilled Swordfish Medallion was served with Ratatoille and Tomato Olive Oil Emulsion. Sadly, both our portions of swordfish were very gristly and nearly half was completely inedible. The emulsion was not very flavorful. The Ratatoille was the only tasty element on the plate.

At this point, it must be noted that the service at the Fountain Restaurant was quite good. They noticed right away that we were not enjoying our dinner and tried as hard as they could to make things more pleasant. For the third course, Duet of Rabbit Tenderloin and Legmeat Galette, a portion of seared foie gras was added to our plates. Unfortunately, even that gourmet addition didn’t greatly improve the dish. This may have been the best conceived course; however, the legmeat was a little too tough, and the rabbit tenderloin was simply overcooked. Almost comically, a limp green onion accompanied the dish as a visually unpleasant and unnecessary addition to this plate. Still, this was the course that we enjoyed the most because it succeeded in being the most flavorful, with rabbit, mushrooms, mustard white wine sauce, and the addition of foie gras.

Unfortunately, the next course of Grilled Veal Tenderloin was a disaster. The veal was overcooked on the outside and undercooked on the inside. We couldn’t eat most of it. The dish was served with chickpeas and a bell pepper sauce that were completely unappetizing and again surprisingly flavorless. A sweet pea falafel cake with Indian spices was interesting and provided more flavor than anything else on the plate, but it seemed out of place, and more of an oddity than a compliment to the dish.

At this denouement, we had to acknowledge that we had only been able to eat one of two fish dishes, and only one of two meat dishes, and neither of the dishes we had been able to enjoy had been particularly successful. The original menu as conceived offered up a single piece of Roquefort Blue cheese to follow, but thankfully our kind servers rescued us from this simplicity by providing a full cheese cart, from which we selected a cheese plate that we really enjoyed. We also enjoyed a dessert wine, the Elderton Botrytis Semillon, with a lovely flavor profile described by Robert Parker as “mango, apricots with hints of mixed nuts with an amazing explosion of pineapple flavours which give way to fantastic lemon like acidity”.

Two desserts were provided to conclude our meal. A “pre-dessert” consisted of vanilla bean rice pudding with cinnamon raisins. As a dish with textured chewiness and little sweetness, it was comforting although a little too simple.

For our last offering, a chocolate peanut butter tart was not very tasty or particularly delicate. As prepared, the chocolate was too dense and the crust was too dry to enjoy. Served up with a plain whipped cream, it may have been better with a scoop of ice cream to mellow the flavor.

Our dining experience was a disappointment overall, but it could have been much worse were it not for high quality service improving aspects of our enjoyment. The tasting menu, however, cannot be recommended.

Overall, the Fountain Restaurant did not successfully deliver a 5-star level of dining and we cannot recommend it to others.

***

We have now enjoyed dining at 13 of the Forbes Travel Guide rated 5-star restaurants. To see how Fountain compares with the other 5-star restaurants, please check out my 5 Star Rating page.