Life Tastes Good

I’m back! Well, back to blogging that is. I’ve had a few very hectic months. What with the crazy storm in October, our trip to India in December and January, and basically just catching up since then.

I’ve taken some time to get things back in shape around the house, and all the while, have enjoyed some moments… Take a look!

India – one of my favorite photos from India. We visited both sides of our family which was amazing! We were also fortunate enough to travel through Rajasthan. While in Rajasthan, we rode camels in the desert and Manish was able to get this great shot at sunset.

At 56 – Joe finally agreed to bring one of my favorite, unique wines into the shop! The 2009 Francois Cazin Cour Cheverny. This deliciously crisp and lively white hails from the eastern part of the Loire Valley. Made entirely of the Romorantin grape varietal, white fruits and minerals take center stage while a little bit of salinity and stone fruit round out the finish. Gorgeous wine for sipping or enjoying with a variety of food for this time of year!

At home – We celebrated moments with family…

Travel – We traveled (with the girls) to our old stomping grounds of San Francisco! Caught up with old friends, visited old teachers, and saw our old apartment(s!) All the while making new memories soaking in the gorgeous scenery, enjoying dinner with new friends, and forging business relationships that will hopefully be blog-worthy in the near future! More on that later!

At work – We said farewell and good luck to a good friend and colleague. Thank goodness we will still be seeing you – but we’ll miss you at 56!

I grew up enjoying the sweet, rich dairy concoctions from India that my mother would make for celebratory occasions. Often making her own version of ricotta, she would always allow me to “sample” the still very hot batter for her famous Indian sweet… “Burfi.” I leave the burfi-making to my mother, but one of my favorite tried and true dessert recipes of all time is for ricotta cheesecake. Perhaps dating back to the pleasure I felt as a child while eating my mother’s creations, ricotta cheesecake takes me to a very happy place

I’m sure if I had an Italian grandmother, I would have a treasured family recipe to pass down to my children… But instead, I have a recipe that I have tweaked through the years, and one that I may say I am quite proud of. But something about this dessert just wasn’t screaming “pass me down to your children because this defines who you are as a mother, wife, and cook!” So, I Nita-fied it. Enjoy!

Ricotta Cheesecake with Chai Spices
Serves 10-12

2 lb whole milk ricotta (fresh if possible)
1 tablespoon butter, room temperature
2 teaspoons sugar
¼ teaspoon cinnamon
pinch of ginger powder
3 tablespoons unseasoned dry breadcrumbs
1 lb cream cheese, room temperature
1 cup sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon orange zest
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 ½ tablespoons masala blend for chai (see my previous post)
pinch of salt
1 tablespoon of salt free matzo meal (if you can’t find matzo meal, process matzo crackers into fine crumbs)

Drain ricotta in a fine mesh strainer over a bowl for 30 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease an 8 inch springform pan with 2 ½ inch sides with butter. Combine the 2 teaspoons sugar, cinnamon, ginger powder, and breadcrumbs together in a bowl, and sprinkle inside the pan. Coat all sides and bottom of pan, tapping out excess.

Transfer the ricotta to a food processor and puree until smooth, scraping down sides when necessary. Add cream cheese and puree until smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients and puree, scraping down the sides when necessary, until very smooth. Transfer batter to the prepared pan and bake until golden brown and just set, about an hour and 15 minutes.

Let the cake cool on a rack (it will deflate slightly.) Then refrigerate uncovered for an hour. Cover the cake and refrigerate overnight. To serve, remove the cake from the refrigerator about ½ hour before serving. Remove the pan sides and dust with powdered sugar. Cut in slices and serve with chilled whipped cream or vanilla ice cream.

Home remedies have been a part of my childhood, my adulthood, and my livelihood. When I was a kid and I had a sore throat, my mother would tell me to drink a “tea” made from boiling grated ginger in water, adding honey and lemon to taste. My father would tell me to chew on a clove for a tooth ache. When I got married, my mother in law suggested that I wear a necklace of garlic to get rid of my cold. And after having my first child, she suggested rubbing asafetida on her belly to get rid of gas.

Immediate relief was not the intended goal here… but the homeopathic route was always preferred over the pharmacy. The slight burn and tingle or the ginger provided balance to the soothing nature of the honey and lemon for my sore throats. Clove oil is one of the main ingredients in natural tooth paste and dental anesthetics. Garlic, when crushed, forms a sulphuric compound called allicin which aids in healing colds. Asafetida has been used for medicinal purposes for centuries – aiding in relieving digestive issues.

The ingredients for these home remedies are not only nature’s way of healing, but they are some of the brilliant gems of my pantry. Inspired by my recent visit to India, and all of the amazing spices and flavors, I wanted to share my recipe for Chai Masala. Known to cure sore throats and aid in the prevention of colds and fevers, this spice blend is extremely versatile! I use it when I make Chai, but also found another creative way to utilize the exotic nature of its flavors… My next post will talk more about that…

Every household in India serves Chai – ALL DAY LONG. When we first arrive at someone’s home, we are served Chai. Mid day, we are served Chai. Late afternoon, or tea time, we are served Chai. After dinner, we are served Chai. So, needless to say, I had my fill of Chai while visiting India. I like my spice blend to be on the spicier side, so I tweaked my recipe to accommodate my preference. Enjoy!

Photo taken from thehathicooks.blogspot.com

Spice blend for Masala Chai
Makes 1 cup

5 cinnamon sticks
15 whole cloves
¼ cup whole black peppercorns
3 tablespoons green cardamom seeds (pods removed)
freshly grated nutmeg (I use about 1/3 of a single nutmeg)
3-4 tablespoons ground ginger powder

Dry roast in a heavy fry pan over medium heat the cinnamon, cloves, black peppercorns, and cardamom seeds for about 5 to 7 minutes. Cool completely. Transfer roasted spices to a spice grinder (in batches if necessary) and grind to a fine powder. Stir in the nutmeg and ginger powder until well combined. Store in an air-tight container.

Masala Chai (Indian Spiced Tea with Milk)
Makes 1 cup

¾ cups water
¼ cup 2% milk
scant ¼ teaspoon spice blend for masala chai
scant 2 teaspoons loose leaf black tea (I use Assam)

Heat the milk and water in a pot over high heat. Just before it comes to a boil, add the masala. Just as the mixture boils, add the tea. Let the mixture simmer for 2 minutes, watching constantly to make sure that it doesn’t boil over. Take off heat and let it steep for another 1 to 2 minutes. Strain into a tea cup, and add sugar to taste.

You don’t need to justify an occasion to serve these “fancy shmancy” little puffed delights! This is one of my favorite “no nonsense make ahead” recipes that I go to any time I need a fun starter course for a meal. I usually plate the souffle aside a light salad – My favorite being a mache or mixed green salad with blood oranges (when in season.) I make a vinaigrette out of the fresh orange juice. The citrus pairs nicely with the tang and creaminess of the goat cheese, and I always make sure to have a Sancerre or other Loire Sauvignon Blanc on hand to pour alongside. Enjoy!

Straight out of the oven

Goat Cheese Souffles – makes 10 individual souffles

7 tablespoons butter (room temperature)
1 cup dry bread crumbs
1/4 cup finely grated parmesan cheese
1 1/4 cups whole milk
2 thyme sprigs
3 1/2 tablespoons flour
8 oz goat cheese
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
pinch of nutmeg
3 egg yolks, lightly beaten
7 egg whites (best if kept at room temperature for a bit – they will whip up much quicker this way)

you will also need: 10 ramekins (3/4 cup capacity)

Use 3 1/2 tablespoons of butter to coat 10 ramekins. Combine the breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle the breadcrumb mixture and dust each ramekin, shaking out the excess. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Bring the milk and thyme sprigs to a low simmer in a small saucepan over medium high heat. Once simmering, take off heat, and let thyme infuse into the milk for 5 minutes. Melt the remaining butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Add flour, and whisk until combined. Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes. Add the thyme infused milk (not the sprigs – discard those) slowly in a steady stream, and whisk constantly. Slightly increase the heat. Whisk the mixture and bring to a simmer, about 5 minutes. Mixture should be thickening up. Add 4 ounces goat cheese and take off the heat. Whisk mixture until melted and smooth. Add salt, pepper, and nutmeg. Gradually add the egg yolks, whisking until combined. Set aside to cool for a few minutes.

Beat egg whites in a large bowl until stiff (not dry.) I mix in about 1/3 of the whites into the warm souffle base about now. Then I fold in the rest of the whites and the remaining goat cheese. Divide the “batter” into each prepped ramekin, and place it in a large metal baking pan with 2 inch sides. I use my turkey roasting pan for this. Pour just enough hot water into the pan (being careful not to pour any water on top of the souffles!) to come up about 1/2 way up the sides of the ramekins. Bake for 20 minutes. Serve immediately (in the ramekins all puffed and gorgeous) or do what I do when I entertain… I un-mold each souffle and place in a buttered glass baking dish. I keep these refrigerated until I am ready to serve. I then reheat them at 350 degrees F for 10 minutes. They puff back up slightly and are just as delicious!

As Thanksgiving is quickly approaching this month, I reflect on some of the people in my life that I am truly thankful for. I am lucky. There are a lot of people in my life that inspire, encourage, and support me to be myself and follow my passion. These individuals are the reason that I have the confidence and perseverance to tackle some of the most challenging situations.

Last week, I was surprised by some of my favorite people at 55 Main in Flemington, NJ. A bunch of family and friends decided to put together a little evening in my honor – to congratulate me on my certification. Surprised, honored, flattered, touched… I can’t even find the words to express how I felt when I walked through the restaurant and saw those familiar faces clapping and “woot wooting” for me.

The menu was thoughtful, and the wine pairings made the execution even more spot on. Joe helped some of the crowd with some wine pairings (Thx JB) … so here was the menu/pairings!

Sashimi of American Red Snapper with warm sesame oil/ wakame cucumber salad/ ponzu aioli
Paired with 2008 Domaine Pinson Freres Chablis Les Clos and Parigot Rose Brut

Lobster Pot Pie with puff pastry, shellfish cream, autumn vegetables, yukon gold potatoes
Paired with 2009 Domaine Thibert Pouilly Fuisse in Magnum

Crisp Falafel Fritter with hummus, cucumber mint salsa, pita, greens
Paired with Kim Crawford SB and a lovely Greek white wine that I can’t remember the name of – forgive or please fill in the blank!

Pan Roasted Duck breast with sliced foie gras, sweet potato hash, and dried fig demi-glace
2006 Argyle Pinot Noir

Filet Mignon au Poivre with mushroom peppercorn pan sauce and glazed carrots
1999 Mas Estela Vinya Selva de mar Emporda

Pumpkin Spice Cake with apple fritter, caramel sauce, vanilla ice cream
COFFEE!

What a fabulous evening…. Thank you (in no particular order) Shef, Umang, Jigna, Piyush, Sejal, Rick, Priti, Chirag, Meera, Karteek!!!! LOVE!

Oct 29th 2011 is a date that will go down in the history of whacky and formidable storms. For the sake of remembering, and being able to tell my grandchildren about what we “survived,” I will post pictures here. Forgive the lack of content in this post but I really do not want to re-live that week. Simply stated, it was a freak storm… Leaves still VERY intact on the trees while the heavy snow fell. Electricity was gone for days. It turned our worlds upside down. Lucky for us, we had a 7 night vacation in store for us later that week. (Hence, the “calm”) So we left these worries behind… (Click on photos to see larger format)

Our street after the storm

Our blocked street 4 days after the storm

Our backyard after the storm

Believe it or not, our car actually survived this accident!

Inspired to host an early autumn meal for some co-worker friends, I put the following menu together for a group of 9 wine loving foodies…

Starters: Caramelized onion, prosciutto, and fig flatbreads, butternut squash shooters, assorted cheeses.

1st: Cauliflower Soup with Seared Scallop, Lemon oil, Caviar

2nd: Duck Confit Ravioli, Veal Demi, Gremolata

3rd: Roasted Squab with fresh Porcini

Dessert: Thanks to Flora, a dense and delicious chocolate cake!

This is what happens when you combine above with the cast and crew of 56 Degree Wine (and friends of 56!) Here were the wines…

NV Billecart Brut Reserve
2008 Domaine Huet Clos du Bourg Sec
2004 Fevre Chablis GC Vaudesir
2006 Bzikot PM Folatieres
2002 Roty Marsannay
2004 Arlaud Clos de la Roche GC
2007 Emidio Pepe Montepulciano d Abruzzo
1990 Ch Montrose
1990 JJ Prum Auslese

THANK YOU for the incredible wines!!!

Manish treated me to the BEST birthday dinner that I have experienced in my 39 years. He didn’t need to ask where I wanted to go, he just made the reservations and made it happen on a quiet, Sunday evening. We brought our bottle of 1997 Salon blanc de blancs to elements in Princeton, and relied on Justin for the rest of our pairings. It felt like Chef Mike and his team catered the meal to please us specifically, as all of the ingredients that they used in the evening’s chef’s tasting were among our favorites.

Enjoying the Hot Mama (Manish's Maple Loch in front)

I started off with a drink called the “Hot Mama” and Manish enjoyed his Maple Loch. The hot mama was one of Mattias’ concoctions that he created for Mother’s Day. He took fresh ripe strawberries when they were in season, and put them through a steam evaporator, extracting as much flavor as he could. He took this “strawberry consomme” and reserved it to use throughout the summer. He added the juice of thai chili, some sugar, some rum, some simple syrup and some lime juice to the strawberry essence and then topped it off with a little sparkling wine. Delicious. Can you imagine if this much work went into my cocktail, what dinner was going to be like!? (Photos below can be clicked on to see larger images. They are condensed in this post for spacial reasons.)

Our amuses included a melon soup with fried jalapeno; a tuna tartare with cucumber and shiso, and a fabulous caesar salad custard that was brought out to us in a hollowed out egg shell. The custard was on the bottom of the shell (we had to scoop it out) and an incredibly aromatic and flavorful herb (salad) broth was delicately poured on top.

The composed salad showcased heirloom tomatoes, scallops, mangalitsa pork, and assorted melons and was accompanied by a basil vinaigrette, olive oil powder, and elderflower. So refreshing and balanced.

The next three courses highlighted products of the sea, always a showstopper here at elements… Kindai tuna with shaved radishes, green tomato puree, locally foraged mushrooms, turmeric cake, and honey. Exotic and rich flavors blended to perfection. Swordfish was accompanied by a carrot puree, a pistachio puree, some spelt, and roasted bell peppers. A pan seared sea bass was bathed in a coconut curry with boudin blanc puree and apples – divine!! We were offered a “snack” of a japanese omelet with slightly seared tuna on top. The omelet was more of a thin crepe style and rolled up… very cool!

The next three courses were the the heartier focus of the evening. The foie gras course was presented to us with pieces of brined foie, seared foie, foie sponge cake, black olive powder, and shiso. What an incredible marriage of flavors – I never thought brine and foie would work so well together! Next was a perfectly cooked portion of mangalitsa pork, shiso, and charred bell peppers. Our last savory course was the wagyu shabu shabu with locally foraged mushrooms. Delicious – sort of an individual “hot pot” cook your own meat sort of thing. We also were served a “snack” during these savory offerings. A small piece of cod with sauteed local mushrooms and creme fraiche.

“The Snacks”

Snack - Japanese Omelet with Tuna

Snack - Cod with Local Mushrooms and Creme Fraiche

The sweet endings to the meal were a tasting menu all on its own! First we were presented with a palate cleanser style course… Wild plum soup, chili sorbet, melons, and cream. The seasonal produce at its height of freshness was shining through – absolutely stunning.

Next was the epoisse custard with sweet onion and nectarine ice cream. Justin had just paired this with Dogfish Head Punkin Ale a few days earlier for a beer dinner. The flavors were divine and the perfect blend of savory and sweet. If I were to choose a favorite dessert, this would be it!

However, the most attractive plate on the menu was this next one… Chocolate mousse encased in a chocolate shell, vanilla ice cream, berry sorbet, and a heartfelt message.

Thank you, Manish… and thanks to elements for a most memorable birthday meal.

Rainbow Carrots

Every year on the Saturday before Labor Day, Manish and I take the girls and meet up with Jigna, Piyush, and our nephews in Hoboken or NYC. We then proceed on our annual pilgrimage to the green market at Union Square, then Eataly (for the past two years at least,) followed by a picnic at a family friendly park. The kids enjoy choosing their own foods from the market (and cheeses and breads from Eataly.) And we enjoy exploring and learning about the unique and colorful crops that some of these farmers bring to the table. This year, Manish and I stocked up on many of the farmers market finds and tested them out in our kitchen… and here are some of the culinary results!

Pea Shoots - we used them for everything from salads to stir fries!

Heirloom cherry tomatoes were chosen very carefully. We tasted as we shopped, and these were the sweetest! We used some basil and fresh mozzarella to create  a very simple heirloom salad. September on a plate

Squash Blossoms…. I tried to re-create a dish that I experienced earlier this summer. Squash blossoms stuffed with fresh ricotta, lightly breaded, pan fried, and drizzled with an anchovy butter sauce…

One of the farms literally had someone sauteeing shisito peppers – fresh – with garlic – and we sampled. Need I say more? We brought some home, and we devoured. Beware though… one out of every 10 is SPICY hot! Delicious, nonetheless!

We didn’t bring these home though…. the hottest pepper in the world. The Bhut Jolokia. From India – translated to “Ghost Pepper.” We had to take pictures though – gorgeous huh?

I did it! I passed the level 2 Sommelier Certification through the Court of Master Sommeliers program.

Five years of absorbing the knowledge of the geniuses that I work with (hopefully they are not reading this – swollen egos don’t fit through the door at the shop;) Endless summer evenings doing blind tastings with my wine geek buddies and my sweet husband who didn’t seem to mind opening a new bottle every other night – ha!; Advice from my fellow sommelier friends on what to focus on and the do’s and dont’s for the service portion of the exam.

On August 6th, 2011… I walked through the doors of banquet hall C at the Mandarin Oriental Hotel in DC. I blind tasted, and felt that I aced it. I took the written portion of the exam, and felt even more confident. The 3rd part of the exam was the part that I was most nervous about… the service portion. I was going to be tested on either champagne service for the table, or aged red wine service. What I hadn’t prepared myself for were the slew of questions that my appointed master sommelier was going to ask. Ms Morgan was kind and very patient. It took no time for me to warm up to her and before I knew it, I felt as comfortable at that stage of my exam as I do on the sales floor at the shop – describing my favorite wines and what they pair best with. I know that I made a couple minor mistakes during the champagne service (she threw me off when she asked for 8 glasses to be poured when only 4 were at the table, and requested that she didn’t need to see the bottle nor did she need to taste….)  But she specifically met with me afterwards, handed me my certificate, and congratulated me on a very impressive performance throughout. I personally feel though that I need to practice all levels of service before I go for my third level of certification (Advanced Sommelier.) Maybe in a few years.

I can’t remember the last time I studied this hard for something. College, probably. Normally, I cringe at the thought of applauding myself – especially in my own blog. But I am damn proud, so here it goes….