LoveFeast Table

Well, it just might be time for some P.R. (Personal Relishing).  Somehow, in our short time in the blogosphere we have made it to the top.  In fact, we have made it on Alltop!!  See our new bad selves with our funky Alltop button?  See where this blogging journey is taking us?  We’re going to rub shoulders with the best!!  Bloggers like Smitten Kitchen, Orangette,  Whipped, and Coconut & Lime.  Bloggers we admire, follow, look up to!  Bloggers, we have even stalked (we’re sorry Amateur dude, we’re not psychotic, we’re housewives!)  We believed in our dream, found our voices, started typing, read a lot, blocked out the kids and the laundry, had our husbands make dinner, all to be in their midst!!!  Ok, we knew we were “big in own minds”, we breathed in our dust, ok, a lot of dust, but we didn’t know, for fact, if anyone else was reading breathing with us!  But, now, we’ve been approved by the glorious shining Alltop magazine rack in the sky !!! (hear harps)  Um, what’s Alltop?  It’s  like a virtual magazine rack.  We heard it was helpful if not essential to be on… if not for anything other than making our day, and filling us with pride, even hopefulness!!!  We also want to give a shout out to those who have seen this diamond in the rough, the yeast before the bread, the batter before the cake:  Strawberries in Paris and Dining Dish–for going where no blogger has gone before, putting us your blogrolls!!   Thanks for making us to too legit to quit!  So, now we are on our way in this blogging world!  We want to again, invite you to be a guest at our table!  Here’s how:

l.  Be a “guest at our table” and sign up to have our blog come to your email through an RSS feed.  What’s that?  Good question.  RSS stands for Really Simple Syndication.   In simple terms it is a really easy way for you to read our blog.  It will make our blog come to you in an easy format.  Sort of like, having a newspaper chucked at your doormat.  To do this, simply type in your email address in the box at the top-right of our page and hit subscribe.  If you use iGoogle or MyYahoo or any RSS reader you can click on the RSS picture and follow the directions on your reader site.

2.  Email and invite your friends to visit our blog!

3.  We want you to share on this journey with us as well!  That is what “comments” are all about.  Simply, click on the word comment and it will send you to a page to leave your comment.  If you absolutely must be private, just sign as “a fan” or Ms. X.  Most importantly leave your opinion, impression, memory, experience, likes, dislikes, and so on!  We want to hear from you, this is what makes a blog, a blog.

4.  Any questions, inquiries, invitations, rsvps, please write us at info@lovefeasttable.com

Finally, thanks for reading this, and being a part of our journey with LoveFeast!  Cheers!

My sister-n-law, (aka, the “Holiday Sangria Lady”) has long been an incredible baker.  She has awed our family with gooey rolls, known as monkey bread.  She is an expert in bars, cookies, and pies full of butterscotch, caramel, and chocolate.  For a long time she has collected all sorts of recipes.  It makes sense, then, after years of wow-ing friends and family she has recently begun the journey of launching a baking business in the Chicago area.  So, when I came across a cookbook called Baked: New Frontiers in Baking–I thought it would be the perfect gift for her.  She says it is one of the first cookbooks she has ever read, cover to cover.

However, I must confess.  It sat on my desk too long.  I should have wrapped it sooner, resisted temptation, closed my eyes, and NEVER should have felt the smooth fresh cover!  I couldn’t help it.  After all, I rationalized, I should give it a good once over, make sure it’s suitable, perhaps….test it.  I snuck a peek.  I didn’t even crack the spine.  I lifted ever gently and peeked onto the page.  Page number 53, actually, Red Hot Velvet Cake.  Somehow, the possiblity drew me in, that even I could make something wonderful.  And, after all, it was my husband’s birthday.  So, I began the afternoon, with guilty pleasure, baking a homemade red velvet cake.

I was exposed at a young age to mushrooms.  My mom loved them, I hated them.  (Of course, looking back, she prepared only canned, slimy, rubbery mushrooms.)  When I married an aspiring chef, he was bound and determined to convert me.  I thought it was impossible.  I can’t remember the exact dish…or the type of mushroom…probably at that point, portobellos were the mushroom of choice.  All I know is, I was a convert!

I love mushrooms of any shape and size!  But, one of my favorites is chanterelles.  If you’ve never cooked with these buttery, soft fungi, you are missing out!  They can be a bit of a challenge to find.  I finally found them at Whole Foods.  They are a bit pricey, but well worth the splurge!

Devon and I had a date at Whole Foods.  We were having our friends Irene and Albert, from Holland, over for a special love feast.  You see, Albert has been here in the states without his beloved bride for six months.  But, she finally arrived to join him for the rest of the year!  This dinner had to be special!  I had a taste for mushroom risotto.  That was my only request.  As we pursued the store, Devon’s risotto became inspired by what he found.  First were the chanterelles, then the larger than normal, shallots….next the 10 year old aged gouda.  This was shaping up to exceed my expectations, taste wise!  As we wandered looking at all the food toys*, we knew there was one last ingredient needed to set this dish into a new realm…truffle oil!!  Ah!!  My mouth already yearned for that finishing touch on the risotto!  We found it!  It was a fungi love feast, in honor of Albert and Irene’s reunion!  (a great excuse to make chanterelle risotto!)

Menu:

Arugula (rocket) with apricot stilton, roasted pecans and sliced pears, finished with grapefruit vinegar and extra virgin olive oil.

Chantrelle risotto drizzled ever so delicately with truffle oil

Lemon mousse made with homemade lemon curd, fresh blueberries and whipped cream

Oh…and a few glasses of chianti!

* (definition of food toy: food that is not in your normal grocery budget… we strongly feel that every grocery trip earns one special, food toy splurge!)

Well, since it is President’s day I thought I share a bit about the 2009 Bytes & Books Inaugural Ball, that my husband Todd attended (see picture seven under George Lucas).  You see, right after New York, while we were in Baltimore with Kristin & Devon, Todd had to go out to “the ball”.  We all stayed home, and wondered how his parking would go down.  Turns out, he easily drove in, and actually parked right in front of the Folger Shakespeare Library, right behind the Capital, next to the Library of Congress.  He didn’t even have to use valet.

This is what they eat at balls in case you are wondering.  While all that “balling” went down, Kristin and I worked on our blog and Urban Spoon posts.  We wrote until we were pressing the keypad with our noses, we were so tired.  Todd came home, and took in a few games of Wii with Devon, ’cause that what you do in your tux after you go to an Innaguration Ball…..in case you are wondering.

Actually, really it’s Orange & Bourbon Chocolate Cake from The Spotted Pig in NYC.  The Spotted Pig was on our hit list for restaurant’s in NYC but, we didn’t get there.  So, after I got back and was planning my girls’ night out party, I was super excited to find this recipe in the back of my InStyle magazine (February 2009 issue, p.192).

Now, usually when I have parties my husband is the go-to guy.  You just turn around once and shebang there’s a cake!  He is famous for his cheesecakes, many from our Philadelpia Cream Cheese Cookbook.  For my party he made Orange Butterscotch Cheesecake.   Our dog Solomon, was also famous for cheesecakes in a different way.  He had a love of wandering and a nose that led him to many a baking counter.  When we lived in Maryland he sniffed his way through back doors, ate thawed butter, walked around people’s houses, and came out their front doors when they came home from work.  Here in Minnesota, he had been known to eat any extra Sam’s Club purchases stored up in the garage, and evenutally he made it to the B’s during Christmas  one year, and chowed down a whole GOURMET cake, next thing ya’ know he ate the whole shebang!   God rest his soul, literally.

We left New York filled with great memories and a few trinkets.  But, more importantly, we left with Todd and Chris Ann!  They were staying with us for three days, because Todd had to attend one of the inaugural balls.

Monday night we had dinner planned at Chez Potler’s House!  We invited our friends from Holland, Irene and Albert.  With the sea beans as the dinner inspiration, the six of us shared a wonderful meal!

The menu:

Macadamia encrusted rockfish with lime, cardamom beurre blanc and sea beans

Turnip potato mash

Sauteed beet greens

The Rockfish Recipe: (serves 6)

2-2.5 lbs. fresh rockfish (approx. 6 oz. per person)

1 tsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

1 tsp. cardamom

1 C. macadamia nuts, ground in a coffee grinder or small food processor

1 C. panko crumbs

olive oil

1/2 C. fresh sea beans

1.  Score the skin side of the fish.

2.  Mix together the salt, pepper and cardamom in a small bowl.

3.  Lightly dust the fleshy side of the the fillets with the cardamom mixture.

4.  Mix together ground macadamia nuts and panko crust.

5.  Coat the fish with the panko mixture.

6.  Drizzle enough olive oil to coat the bottom of a saute pan and heat on medium high.

7.  Pan sear the fish, skin side first.  Approx. 2-3 min until the skin is crispy.

8.  Flip fish and cook another 3 min. (Don’t over cook.)

9.  Put fish on plate, drizzle with beurre blanc and top with sea beans.

Lime Cardamom Beurre Blanc

4 Cardamom pods (smashed to expose the seeds)

1 tsp. peppercorns

1 shallot fine dice

1/4 bottle of whit wine

1 stick of butter, cut into small cubes

3 limes, juice of…

1.  Combine lime juice, wine, shallots, peppercorns and cardamom in a sauce pan.  Heat the pan to medium low and cook until reduced, to almost dry.

2.  Turn heat down to low and stir in butter a couple of pieces at a time until the butter is melted.

3.  Strain the sauce before using.

Please let us know if you try this recipe!  We’d love to hear what you think!!

So, we (a group of five gals who went out to catch up, take a break from kids and husbands), drink a few cold ones and nosh a bit) just got back from the Yellow Dog Tavern.  My Lagunitas IPA was hitting the spot!  CA kicked back a cold Stella.  We ordered a round of appetizers (up to three, on Tuesdays are half off) and sat back to enjoy a time of catching up and taking a breather.  The pommes frites were a hit!  The mussels were tasty and tender!  Our waiter, Alex recommended the Kobe beef sliders and they were a perfect split between a few of us!  Alex was personable and attentive.  The night was turning out to be perfect.  We got our check…lingered a bit…signed our credit receipts…lingered (ok a bit too long)…finished our stories…THEN,  the boss lady came up and gave us the look of “time to go”…the heat went off…and we quickly felt we were being swept out the door.  Now, mind you, there were still a number of people in the bar, but they wanted the upstairs cleared.  It was a lovely evening, good food, much needed conversation and a friendly waiter…too bad it had to end on a note of inhospitality.  It may be just enough to make us not want to return.

Our time in New York City was great!  We found inspiration in many places.  We found it where we stayed-the Waldorf.  We found it where we shopped-ABC Home & Carpet.  We found it in the simplicity of a good breakfast at a common table, and we found it with our friends around the good food at Hearth.  Under the glow of the red wall, our table, because we were with foodie friends that like sharing, sampled each others’ food.

Our favorites were the braised lamb shank, the polenta, the arugula and fennel salad, and the pork pappardelle.  It was comfort food, shared with good friends, fitting for a restaurant that values its “expression of hospitality.”  Happy until the end, we had Apple Cider Doughnuts, with apple compote and maple whipped butter to finish off our meal.  We ended our New York trip with good memories and warm hearts.  Here is our Urban Spoon review too!

He ate it off of his plate, my plate and my friend’s plate!!  It wasn’t safe to go to the bathroom…the bread continued to disappear!  That was just the beginning of great food eats at Hearth.  Our table had a bit of everything!  The favorites were the hen of the woods mushrooms and the creamy polenta.  yummm.  We had a bit of disappointment with the gnocchi.  It was advertised by the waitress as the house specialty…not.  It was more like steamed dumplings.  But, the waitress was enthusiastic, helpful and on top of everything.  So much so, we left her a penny, head side up  (total compliment to a server!) with her tip.  The sausage papardelle was delish!  Next time we are in New York city, we will definitely stop to be warmed at Hearth!

After our incredible meal at Momofuku, we geared up…hats, gloves, coats…and braced ourselves for the crisp, frigid New York air.  We were back on the streets with one destination in mind.  Dean and Deluca!  The Food Toy* Museum!  The moment I walked in, all of my senses took over!  Visually, I didn’t know where to rest my eyes.  I found myself walking up to a display of fruit and lingering, like I did when I first cast my eyes on The Birth of Venus in Florence.  The textures, vibrant colors and brilliance were breath taking!  I glanced at Devon and saw the sparkle in his eye!  The four of us then began our tour!  We stopped in front of the beer cooler, where Devon and Todd began to analyze and compare the ones they had already sampled and mentally making a list of new ones to try.  Then we went past the oils and vinegars.  We found balsamics ranging in many different shapes, colors and flavors.  My heart was racing.  The flavors where swirling in my mouth as I envisioned what Devon would create for our Baltimore dinner.

You see, we had come here to be inspired.  When we returned to Baltimore, with Todd and Chris Ann on Monday, we had a dinner planned.  As always, Devon plays the roll of  executive chef (shouting out orders to the rest of us) and Todd, is his sous chef (taking in Devon’s instructions and anticipating his every need!)   It is a must when we are together.  We all fall into rank.  Chris Ann is faithfully keeping the wine glasses full and adding the details to my tablescaping at the same time!  Over the years we have found our rhythm and rhyme (Devon’s sing song approach to cooking is something to experience!) in dinner planning, preparing and sharing!

So, as we perused Dean and Deluca, we were all looking for the “Aha!” moment.  We continued our journey to the back of the store, past the salts…sampled an amazing truffle salt…that flavor stayed with me through the rest of the day!  Then we made our way back to the front of the store.  There were many incredible food toys…but Devon had not yet found his muse.  As we made our way back to the vegetables…my eyes landed on baby cauliflower in shades of orange, purple and white.  Some were round in shape and others spiral!  The plate painting began to take shape in my mind!  I called Chris Ann over, and being a fellow artist, it didn’t take her long to enter into my canvas!  We called the boys over but being practical (and in charge of our weekend budget), Todd and Devon quickly pointed out the price tag.  Ok, it would have been no less then $60 worth of cauliflower to serve at our dinner party.  Our canvas quickly went blank!  Then, Devon pointed to the basket right next to the pricey cauliflower.  The sign read, “Sea beans“.  Devon pinched a piece and went into artist mode.  Before he finished his nibble, he laid out our entree for Monday’s dinner…macadamia encrusted rockfish, with a lime cardamom beurre blanc and sea beans.

We all lingered for a moment, taking in the brilliance of what had just been spoken.  As we came to our senses, we quickly gathered up our treasure and headed back out to the cold.  We were somehow warmer.  The sights outside clearer!  There was a confidence in our steps.  Our visit to the Food Toy Museum* had not failed to disappoint…we left inspired!

*Food Toy definition:  A purchase at the grocery store that is considered a splurge!  Something that you’ve always wanted to try, or just discovered, that is a bit pricey but necessary!  We believe every trip to the market justifies one food toy purchase!