I’ve been thinking about cooking green. And no, I’m not pandering to my more aggressively environmentalist brethren, I’m talking about the color green, the shades of which the human eye is more sensitive to than any other part of the visible spectrum: The haughty, peacock green of my grandmother’s emerald broach; the brooding, mossy green of the Russian River pooling under Wohler Bridge; the wicked, tempting greens of jalapeno peppers and the Witch of the West, the quiet greens of my wife’s eyes or pine boughs in snowy relief, and the cool greens of Key lime pie and margaritas by the pool. Green. It’s the new black, or whatever.
And yet, despite the remarkable human capacity to perceive green in all its rich and verdant glory, it’s hard for me to think of either a more nondescript or vaguely depressing menu billing as the ubiquitous “green salad”. Every time I read that line, I am transported, as if by some strip-mall perversion of Monsieur Proust’s cookie, to the nearest Sizzler-Olive Garden-Applebee’s-Chili’s, or my college cafeteria, with its dubious cornucopia of flaccid, tired “greens”, really more beige than green, the browning leaves marked, perhaps, by a disturbing pinkish edge, were I to look closely enough…
This all comes to mind because my wife, who vastly prefers to think about animals as pets rather than ingredients, and who happens to count green as her very favorite color, occasionally likes our otherwise steady diet of carbs and protein interspersed with fresh vegetables, and so I decided to make a green salad that would actually be green, entirely of its own natural accord: Brilliant, emerald-green arugula from Bernier Farms; chartreuse Green Zebra heirloom tomatoes from Soda Rock; and a simple vinaigrette, studded with mossy-green peppercorns.
(As an aside, master the home-made vinaigrette – what Thomas Keller called “a perfect sauce” – and you’ll never buy salad dressing again. The basic technique is a simple emulsion – check out the Foodista widget below for a quick tutorial – from which, with the right proportions of acid, fat, and seasoning, and a whisk, all dressings are possible.)
Emulsify
Use Those Leftovers: Wild Salmon, Two Ways.
Leftovers, I often think, represent one of the home cook’s closest friends and greatest motivators, because respect for the limited resources from which our meals derive is a core moral imperatives for all cooks, and inefficiency and waste are its very antithesis. Of course efficiency in the kitchen saves us time and money, but it’s much more than that: By avoiding waste, we honor the source of our food, we appreciate the simple fact of its presence on our table, and – provided we do so effectively – we get to eat better, more of the time, as a result.
Leftovers also force the cook to think: Like the sonnet or haiku, the inherently limited structure of working with what’s already to hand provides discipline with which to make something new out of something old. A well-designed recipe, supported by a shopping spree, is an exercise in execution; the construction of an entirely new and tasty dish, out of stuff that didn’t get used up last night, depends as much on our creative capacity and our dedication to the implicit compact with the food that we buy than it does on our skill with a pan, knife, or whisk.
At least, that’s what I’m told myself as I inventoried the remains of last night’s dinner: Salmon, pistou (recipe here), and polenta. I had some arugula, too, but I have strict limits on eating raw greens – our table typically sports some sort of inverted Aitkens diet – so no salad tonight. But the point is, I had a couple of nice chunks of salmon, some polenta, and a boatload of the pistou, and needed a way to put it all together without rehashing yesterday. On cue, my middle child, who – bless her culinary soul – believes that few foods are better cooked than raw, sagely observed that, “Hey Dad, it’s all well that you cooked it nicely, but can I have some of that salmon raw?” So we tasted it (this being one of the principle advantages of buying food locally, at the peak of freshness, from people you trust – raw proteins need not be anathema), and sure enough, the kid nailed it – if anything, better raw than cooked (I suppose that’s the nickel version of why sushi is one of the finest cuisines in the history of human civilization; but I digress).
I rummaged around the fridge, found a pack of still-good-but-ought-to-be-used prosciutto, and kids – being in possession of functioning taste buds – love bacon. They don’t, however, appreciate a crispy salmon skin, tragic as that may be, so I figured replace the skin with the prosciutto. (If you’ve not done so already, then please add seafood to the seemingly limitless list of foods that can be immeasurably improved by the addition of cured pork products.) Thus, the genesis of a meal of leftovers: Wrap the salmon in prosciutto before cooking it rare, serve it on top of some creamy polenta, and pair it with a hopelessly naive sashimi cut of the odds and ends of the raw salmon, with just a touch of the pistou for color and contrast.
Wild Salmon Two Ways
- Trim off a few nice sashimi-like slices of the raw salmon using a very sharp knife (wipe the blade with a damp cloth between cuts – and if your knives aren’t sharp, and you don’t know what to do about, we have to talk). You want to end up with a nice, almost cube-like chunk of salmon. I’ve farted on about the pistou for two days now, so I won’t bother again; grab it from the fridge. Put the polenta in a pot to warm, or what the hell, just nuke it before plating.
- Take two slices of prosciutto, and wrap the salmon, first in one direction, then – after rotating it 90 degrees – in the perpendicular direction. Tuck and fold the prosciutto so that it’s all wrapped up snugly, basically a birthday present of wild salmon in a wrapper of pig fat, what more could you one ask for? Except that I suck at wrapping presents. But less so, food.
- The whole key to this is cooking the salmon such that (a) the prosciutto forms a nice crust, and (b) the salmon is cooked uniformly around the edges and rare to the center. On my stove, that means medium-medium-low heat, a few minutes on each side, just enough to brown the pork; but it took me a trial batch, which I overcooked, and asymmetrically at that. The hard truth is, you have to cook it by touch – feel it raw, and keep feeling as it cooks, because once it’s firm in the middle, it’s over done. And you know we feel about overcooking fish.
- Season the sashimi with fleur de sel, plate over a bit of the pistou, and garnish with a basil leave. Slice the cooked salmon and plate over the polenta.
The Turkey Cake?
This is too incredible not to share: Thanksgiving Dinner in cake form.
The folks at Chow.com have put every little bit of the wonders of your favorite eating holiday into a layered cake, complete with layers of ground turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, sweet potatoes and even a tasty topping of marshmallows. Even better, it looks like a wonderful dessert.
Not sure how much fun it would be to eat, but come on…brilliant.
One question though: Where are the green beans?
Sushiko, Sushi in Rohnert Park
With one of Northern California’s top sushi spots just a mile away from this Rohnert Park sleeper, Sushiko has a lot to live up to. But this simple little sushi bar tucked quietly inside a floundering strip mall is getting lots of thumbs up from BiteClubbers who say it’s tops for everyday sushi cravings.
Having shrugged off the failure of two previous lackluster tenants, the space has been transformed into a sleek Asian oasis. The itamae has some of the most impressive knife and rice-making skills on the 101-corridor, and is churning out both straightforward nigiri and sashimi, along with Americanized rolls (Sex on the beach, tuna gone wild, Titanic) that look as good as they taste.
Along with sushi, expect to find luncheon bentos ($9.95 and up with great mix-n-match options) and all the usual suspects (teriyaki, donburi, katsu, yaktiori, tempura) at mid-range prices. Not quite Hana, but a top contender for our Tuesday night sushi yen.
6285 Commerce Blvd., #302 (next to Del Secco’s gelato), Rohnert Park, 585-2774. Open daily for lunch and dinner.
Harvest Farm Forum
Food duo Clark Wolf and Marcy Smothers have a secret little invite for local foodies…
The pair are bringing together chefs, writers, wine makers, farmers, teachers and other edible influencers for a salon-inspired tete-a-tete about the future of food and farming in Sonoma County. AKA: Eat, drink and chat with your food buddies at Kendall-Jackson for a few hours on lazy Thursday night. And yeah, they want you to come.
Already confirmed are luminaries including Nathan Boone of First Light Farm, Evelyn Cheatham from Worth Our Weight, Liam Callahan from Bellwether Farms Creamery, Ariel Dillon and Jeff Russell from Redwood Empire Farm, Betsey Fischer from the SRJC Culinary Program, Bill Hawn from SoCo Slow Food, Garden Gnome (and KJ chef) Matthew Lowe and Mark Rivers from the Sonoma Market Hall.
Not to mention there will be nibbles and drinks (natch) for everybody. And after all the hubbub of recent weeks, I think we’re all ready for a little group hug.
Farm Forum: Talking about the Future of Food & Farming in Sonoma County, Thursday November 18, 2010 from 5 to 7pm, Kendall Jackson Wine Center, 5007 Fulton Road, Fulton. $15 admission goes to SRJC Culinary Arts Career Program, WOW and the School Garden Network. Read more about the Farm Forum
Downing officially reinstated to market
A new board of directors for the Original Certified Santa Rosa Farmer’s Market has officially reinstated embroiled market manager Paula Downing to her former post.
A six-member interim board unanimously voted to hire Downing last night, after weeks of controversy during which Downing was fired, rehired and ultimately put into a legal limbo where her employment was in dispute. She was dismissed from her position as a contract-employee at the Wednesday and Saturday Veteran’s Hall market on Sept. 30, and returned on Nov. 8.
“It feels good doing my life’s work again,” said Downing during the meeting. “There are still emotional things to deal with, but it’s feels good.”
Based on last night’s vote, Downing will receive a $500 per month raise, along with benefits as an employee of the market. Ironically, the employment offer made last night was identical to the same offer she rejected in September and which ultimately led to her firing.
The choice to reinstate Downing has been contentious, leading to the mass resignations of of six of the market’s seven board members. The former board resigned after 56 of the market’s 111 members voted to reinstate Downing — an act they deemed illegal and outside the market’s own bylaws.
Several former board members in attendance at last night’s meeting asked both publicly and privately why Downing rejected their offer, which they claim led to the market’s internal upheaval, and accepted it last night.
Downing declined to comment about her decision last night, but when reached for comment today said she anticipated continued negotiations for additional compensation after the new finance committee had investigated the market’s financial solvency. According to its own bylaws, the board was legally required to resolve Downing’s employment status before she could attend any future markets.
Interim board members also voted to suspend legal counsel retained by former board members to mitigate Downing’s employment status during last night’s meeting.
The next board meeting for the market will be held on December 6, and a new board will be elected on January 29, 2011.
Supernatural vines in Napa?
NBC is reportedly developing a Napa-based soap opera involving a family who discovers their grape vines have supernatural powers.
Really.
According to Decanter magazine, Japanese director Hideo Nakata – the man behind cult horror movie The Ring – is being slated as a possible producer or director of Vines, which revolves around a troubled family in search of a new life together.
With Nakata at the realm, it seems likely that the vines will take on a potentially sinister character role in the series. A pilot has not yet been green-lighted, but the script has been completed.
Creeeeeepy.
More from the Napa Valley Register and the new Feast SF
Mosaic closing
A flood of BiteClubbers sent me this sad farewell to Forestville’s Mosaic Restaurant. According to Chef Tai Olesky, who sent the notes to restaurant fans, the kitchen will close for good on November 22, 2010.
Dearest Friends, Patrons and Family,
It is with absolute sorrow and regret that I find myself writing this; however, Mosaic Restaurant & Wine Lounge as we know it will be closing its doors for good on Monday November 22nd. Due to the economic climate and resulting lack of business we are simply unable to operate as we have done in the past. I want to personally thank all of you for the amazing support over these last five plus years. It has been an absolute honor and joy to play host and do what it is I love to do…thank you!!! The experience of cooking for and meeting so many wonderful folks makes this difficult, if not unbearable decision worth it in many ways. The friendships and happy faces I will never forget…the experiences… a part of me that cannot be removed.
That said, I would like to extend an invitation to come by this week for your last dose of the “Mosi” as we know it…and to say farewell.
The Mosaic team is very much still available for private events (and/or holiday gatherings), either at the restaurant or on your turf. And please do stay tuned for the next incarnation of our creative juices.
With the most sincere and unwavering love I can imagine…
wishing you all, the utmost that life has to offer.
Be happy and well!!
Sincerely, Tai Olesky
Steal this wine. Now.
Another drive-by post, but worth the rapid-fire detour, at least if you like your wine local, good, and cheap, because I just found two ridiculously cheap wines that won’t last – and if you’ve wasted any time at all on this site, for reasons other than to bitch, then you won’t want to miss them, because we probably agree on at least three things:
- We like to eat and drink stuff that doesn’t suck.
- We would prefer to do so with fresh, local products.
- To suggest that one can have too much good, cheap, Sonoma County wine is oxymoronic. (Maybe this is just a corollary of the first two, but you get my drift.)
If you live in Wine Country, you’ve probably noticed that tasting rooms will often go to great lengths to clear out space for their current releases, namely by dropping the price of the previous, and still in-stock, release – even if the previous release is a better wine. If you’re a savvy shopper and you pay attention the quality of vintages, this often means that you can purchase a superior wine, which will drink better right now due to its additional bottle age, for less money than the “current” release. I’ve found numerous examples of this dynamic at work of late, particularly when comparing the 2007s – in many instances unsold due to last year’s horrid tourist economy and overall consumer malaise – to the more recently released, but broadly inferior, 2008s, but never more dramatically than for the following perfect pair of Sonoma County’s most essential cultivars:
- 2007 Sapphire Hill Chardonnay, Sapphire Hill Vineyard, Russian River Valley. Regularly $25, now $10. I could write a review, but it would be superfluous, because at $120/case for a legit vineyard-designated Chard from a top-shelf producer, you could water your plants with this stuff and still come out ahead. If you must know: Burgundian in style, with a subtle touch of toasty French oak framing the lean core of classic RRV fruit, and good ripeness but with distinctly less alcohol (13.9) than the vast majority of higher-end Chards these days.
- 2007 J. Keverson Pinot Noir, Haas Vineyard, Sonoma Mountain. Regularly $35, now $12.50 (to be precise, you have to buy 2 for $25, but why would you want less than two?). A Solid New World Pinot Noir and silver medal winner at last year’s Harvest Fair, fairly rich and ripe, but with plenty of bright acidity to keep it from being overly thick or jammy; maybe a little heat on the finish (14.9), but at this price, who cares? It’s also rare to find a Sonoma Mountain AVA Pinot – typically, I think of Cabs – but the tiny area (one of Sonoma’s smallest AVAs by vineyard acreage) is known for its distinct, hillside microclimates, and you can taste that this is a mountain wine, a bit leaner and more structured.
OK, I exaggerate: I’m not actually suggesting that you boost the bottles, but to get hooch of this quality, at such rock-bottom prices, represents about as close an approximation to legalized theft as you’re going to find, unless you’re a politician. The catch? There isn’t one, except the risk of a stock-out, particularly since I might just buy it all myself. If you’re worried about feeling like a vulture, do bear in mind that the economic interests of the winery are far better served by selling wine directly to you at a deep discount than by taking 100% loss on the unsold bottle, particularly as they’re still making money because, even at 50-60% discounts, you’re paying as much or more than they’d typically get from their distributor (a great blog from Tablas Creek on markups throughout the distribution chain may be found here).
Both wines are tasting-room only deals, but both tasting rooms are about 10 feet apart, in Healdsburg’s cute little Old Roma Station complex. Just bring plenty of trunk space, and get there before me.
Cyrus: Eviction notice?
Update: Keane said his restaurants (Cyrus, Healdsburg Bar & Grill and the forthcoming Shimo will no longer serve or open wines from the Foley portfolio. “They aren’t going to be served or opened in our restaurants anymore,” he told BiteClub. So, uh, you might want to check out the Foley portfolio before heading to Healdsburg.
+++++++
Just six weeks after the sale of the Les Mars Hotel, tenant Cyrus Restaurant has received what amounts to an eviction notice from their new landlords.
Inside Scoop broke the story yesterday, and according to Cyrus Chef Douglas Keane, the restaurant received a legal notice of “election to declare forfeiture” from new co-landlords Bill Foley and David Fink last Friday. The notice claimed the restaurant had failed to pay its $13,000 November rent. But Keane claims he’s the one who raised the question to the new owners on October 28 of where his rent check should go three days before it was due.
“There was no official notice that the hotel was sold to the new owners. We’d heard casual stuff and it was in the press, but we never heard anything from our old landlord or new landlord,” Keane said. Having not heard from the new owners where to sign over the check, Keane put the rent into a trust account until the issue was resolved.
What’s behind all this? Keane claims there’s been some bad blood between himself and restaurateur David Fink, opining that the luxe resort manager may be eyeing the restaurant for himself. “My suspicions were that they were trying to mess with us,” said Keane. “I just want to be left alone.”
Keane and partner Nick Peyton have put nearly $2 million of their own money into the restaurant since opening in 2006. The restaurant signed a 15-year lease with the original owners of the hotel which Keane said cannot be broken by the new owners — unless they fail to pay rent. In which case they can be booted.
Hopefully, said Keane, the saga will end with his hand-delivering a check to the new landlords’ general manager today.