Gastronomie

Can you guess what this is?

Leave me a comment... first correct answer gets a fun cookbook...

Answer will be revealed at 10:00 PST, Friday April 1st. (Here is the reveal!)

A looooong, last... Wines from the Ritz Dinner

Yeah, OK, so shoot me... it was all of a sudden Persian New Year, and I lost track of time, blah-blah-blah... my apologies for the way tardy post.

Because this was such a special dinner, I didn't take notes, and so I do have some holes in the selections; that said, anything I thought was particularly well-paired or special I did work a little harder to remember.

Weird search referrers

Yeah, OK, so I'm jumping on that bandwagon... but really, it's ridiculously entertaining.

I mean, I knew I was in trouble when everyone in my social circle bought me wine-related gifts for my birthday two years in a row, but really, how am I supposed to take it when a search for Big Ass Zinfandel points people to Gastronomie??

And, erm, what was the guy searching for her top ordered a menu waitress coffee thinking he'd find, exactly? Does someone know if these are words in a song... or book.. or movie? Please???

And while we are on the topic of odd referrers... Soizic Restaurant (which you guys know I really like a lot) has a link to that very post on their reviews site. I realize that this site is public domain and all that, but I feel rather weird about recommending them now... I mean, are people going to think I'm a shill? What are your thoughts?

Penne with chicken & peas in cream sauce

Last week, C & I were both outrageously stressed from work, and neither of us wanted to cook. Usually, that means its either a pasta night or a pizza night (we love the Italian ones from Trader Joe's), but we were both needing some protein, and all I really had in the fridge was some chicken (neither of which of us is a fan of, unless it's roasted chicken, and clearly, that wasn't happening).

After rooting around some more in the freezer, I found a bag of frozen baby peas, and I knew that somewhere, I'd had seen a recipe for chicken & peas with pasta, so I set about recreating it.

It turned out to be a really wonderful and incredibly easy dish to prepare, and will become a staple for these types of dinners.

Ta-Da! The picture of the REAL IMBB muffins

They were good - damn good. I did end up using almost a full cup of cheese, and increasing the milk by 2 tbsp (reflected in the recipe now).

I would serve these for brunch with scrambled eggs & sausage, or in a breadbasket with a few other types of breads at dinner.

IMBB #13 - Cupcakes & Muffins

Never let it be said that I am a baker. I am, in fact, the anti-baker. I have a problem with following directions to a tee. I like to improvise which, in baking, is a Bad Thing. So, really, I had every intention of bowing out of this month's IMBB. Until I read the instructions more carefully, and learned that muffins were an acceptable submission.

Yes, I know that muffins still require baking. But, see, I figure that something savory is more easily doctorable (is that even a word?) than something sweet. And, well, I figured if I found a good base recipe, I could season it with a different combination of herbs & spices. Plus, muffins don't require those cutesy little paper liner thingies.

And, really, everything would have been fine... if my baking powder was still active. Unfortunately, it wasn't... so, I'm trying again tonight, but wanted to go ahead and post my recipe anyway (because the flavor, I think, would have been great). I should be able to bake and put up pictures before midnight PST tonight. (Note: The picture is up and can be found here)

Many thanks to Maki for hosting!

To market, to market... the Persian Market, that is!

So, last week, C & I went to Nick Market in Albany to get what we need for Nowrooz. Most of the Persian markets stay open pretty late this time of year, and even at 7:40, the place was full (this is not a large shop to begin with).

We like Nick because of the proprietor - he's always smiling, has a joke to tell, a story to share and a bit of good-hearted teasing for C.

We picked up all the provisions for ash-e resht-e, sabzi polo-mahi, lots of sweets plus the elements of our haft-sinn.

Nick also has a nice little deli counter with cotlet (patties of beef, lamb, potato and spices), salad olivieh (a Russian potato/egg/chicken/pea salad), panir (feta cheese, both Bulgarian and French - our preference) and more. Invariably, when we go, we pick up some goodies for that night's dinner.

This time, it was cotlet, panir, lavash bread, and herbs - tarragon, cilantro, green onion and basil. Called noon-o-paneer-o-sabzi, this is a quintessential Persian appetizer or light meal.

Take a square of lavash or pita bread, put a small chunk of cheese on it, then lay atop it whatever combination of aforementioned herbs you please.

Take a bite, then a bite of radish or walnut, if you wish. A sip of ice cold vodka washes it down quite nicely.

My final dinner at Bizou

Yes, the rumors are true. Loretta Keller is taking a two-month hiatus, and when Bizou re-opens (will it even still be Bizou??), it will be a different place altogether. No more French bistro menu full of warm, wonderful, comforting food, cooked with soul and love. {Sigh}.

Let me backtrack a moment. I lived in SoMa for several years, and for whatever reason, Bizou was never a place I frequented. Now, there are people who are passionate, even zealous about their love for this place. Meanwhile, I kept on passing it by, because it seemed it would be there forever. Having eaten there one in 2000, I was impressed, but again, there were so many places to try... and Bizou would be there forever.

Fast forward to 2005, and the awful truth is confirmed. And I've missed out on so many chances to eat there...

Last night, my friend S and I decided to have dinner at Bizou... we don't get together as often as we would like, and so these dinners turn into several hour marathons.

After a martini for her, a glass of Prosecco for me and a dozen Kumamoto oysters to share, we finally decided to order one 5-course tasting menu and several appetizers. This turned out to be a perfect game plan, and gave us a chance to try many of chef Keller's specialties.

Nowrooz Dinner

The traditional feast at Nowrooz consists of ash-e resht-e (for which you get get the recipe here), sabzi polo (rice with green herbs) and mahi (fish), either smoked (doodee) or fried white fish (sefeed).

I have never cared for the fried fish, and so in my own home, I'm only preparing smoked fish. This meal is the epitome of spring flavors to me... the bright, fresh greens in the rice with the salty taste of fish reminds me of a green field from whence you can smell the ocean air. It sounds hokey, but wait 'til you try it...

The fish itself we get from the Persian markets, and best I can tell, it's usually a smoked trout... I'll have to take a picture when I get home tonight and let you guess for me.

Haft Sinn, the heart of the Persian New Year

Every tradition has a material element that symbolizes that holiday to its followers. The Christmas Tree, Easter Basket, Shamrock... you might even call them the very best marketing icons around.

Well, for Persian people the world over, the Haft Sinn (or "Haft Seen"), an "altar" of seven (haft) things starting with the Farsi letter sinn, is the immutable, immediately recognizable symbol of Nowrooz. And this, my dear readers, is what ours looks like:

The Haft Sinn dates back to Zoroastrian times, and the story goes that it was actually originally a Haft Sheen. But, as Islam became the more prevalent religion amongst the Persian peoples, Sheen was replaced with Sinn because of one single item - Sharab, or wine. Of course, alcohol is verboten in Islam, and thus, the new altar was born.

The seven items set on the Haft Sinn each symbolizes some aspect of rebirth and rejuvenation. They are: