Life Tastes Good

Spring had sprung, and CACAO was the theme ingredient in this Season’s Battle. Possessing earthy and sometimes bitter qualities, cacao laid the foundation for unique, and creative dishes and was utilized in every form: From cacao nibs, to unsweetened cocoa, to dark chocolate, and even a chocolate infused liqueur. Each course combined creative uses of the theme ingredient with seasonal spring market touches. Folks, we definitely all stepped it up a notch! Here are the details…

Battle Cacao!

Cacao Amuse Bouche!

The Hors d’oeuvre/Cocktail Course: Sejal and Rick brought three adorable and delicious amuse bouche to the table! A spiced pumpkin soup (in a shot glass) was topped with a cocoa cream and sprinkled with a little bacon. The warm spices in the soup matched the earthy components of the cream – the key was to get all of the flavors in one “shot.” Mission accomplished Next to that was a beautiful micro green salad dressed with a chocolate vinaigrette. The dressing was so light and complimented the zingy and peppery little greens. The star of the plate was the chocolate Napolean. Tiny shards of dark chocolate (not unsweetened, but definitely not overly sweet) were layered with an chive cream cheese. Such a unique flavor combo – but yum… they really complemented each other… I’ll take another! All of this was paired with the lovely J Winery Brut (sparkling wine.)

Cacao Mushrooms

The First Course: I have a bittersweet memory of this course (literally,) as it was the one that Manish and I brought to the table. Hands down, I will tell you that we have NEVER spent so much time on the planning and execution of a single course. Our theory behind the main ingredient in this course (wild mushrooms) was justified by our desire to pair the earthy flavors with the cacao, and make them vibrant. Our base was a medley of wild mushrooms. We smoked petite whites and shitakes with cacao nibs and wood chips. We combined these smoked mushrooms with the morels and chanterelles that we marinated in a cacao “coffee” (that we made by grinding cacao nibs and filtering the coffee through a french press.) We folded some fresh thyme, sauteed ramps (and the fresh green tops as well,) and a little taleggio into the mushrooms. Alongside, were two diamond shaped pieces of “mushroom consomme and cacao coffee” gelee. A dot of chocolate barbecue sauce added a bit more smoke, and we topped the entire plate with a cocoa-Parmiggianno crisp. I enjoyed everything about the dish, but was unsure that the combination of flavors actually complemented each other. In the end, we would do it again, but maybe without brewing the cacao coffee!

Cacao Entree

The Main Course: Jigna and Piyush contributed to our mouthwatering journey by offering the evening’s unforgettable entree. Short ribs were marinated for 48 hours in red wine, slow cooked, and then finished with a chocolate rosemary reduction. So tender and so flavorful… SO good! The herbaceous quality in the sauce really paired well with the rich chocolate addition and the protein. This was accompanied by a lovely pasta with zucchini and cacao nibs cooked “risotto style.” The luscious texture of this amazing pasta made for an exquisite  foundation for the beef. The course was finished with a bright splash of spinach, and topped with a perfectly fried pheasant egg. The bold and subtle components of the ingredients made for a perfectly balanced dish! We enjoyed one of my favorite Malbecs with this – 2008 La Posta del Vinatero Malbec Cocina.

Bfast, Lunch, and Dinner Dessert!

The Dessert: Priti and Chirag presented us with a ”day” of desserts. No joke! They served what they called “Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner.” Who wouldn’t be happy with chocolate as a main ingredient in each meal of their day!  For “breakfast,” we enjoyed crepes stuffed with a rich chocolate filling and blueberries. So decadent, so rich, so delicious! For “lunch,” they served us a “sandwich and chips.” Perfectly crisp chocolate cookies sandwiched homemade vanilla ice cream, and for texture, savory and sweet potato chips were drizzled with caramel and chocolate. YUM. And for “dinner” (or dessert,) we were offered a libation that tasted like black forest cake…. topped off with chocolate mint. These individual dishes melded into one fantastic dessert – awarding them the title of Battle Cacao Champs!

Black Forect Cake with Chocolate Mint

Thanks to Jigna and Piyush for choosing such a versatile theme ingredient, and to all of my “Battle” family for executing yet another unforgettable meal!

Last Saturday marked the date of yet another incredibly delicious food battle. Battle “Street Foods.” The challenge was to create a dish based on a common street food – could be from any region of the nation, or the world. Sounds easy, but I think when you have SO much to choose from, the decision becomes extremely difficult. The four courses were all so unique, and showcased flavors from all over the world.

The hors d’oeuvres and and drink course was created by Piyush an Jigna. They decided to do a scrumptious trio tasting of eastern flavors. A traditional Chinese pork bun was steamed to perfection while the sweet and savory filling was making me want more. Lucky for me, there were two more items to consume! Bombay Chaat was cleverly stuffed inside a curled Banana Leaf. Such delicate flavors and just the right amount of spice. The third part of the dish was a Vietnamese pork “Slider.” Perfectly spiced (with a little extra Sriracha “shmear” on the plate for those of us that needed more,) these sliders were accompanied by a sweet and tangy slaw and a smoky mayonnaise. They paired a dark aged ale to drink with, and it was perfect. And that was just course ONE!

Chirag and Priti’s dish was fresh off the “street” with the packaging perfectly depicting where the food was from! Mouth watering Empanadas filled our plates for this course. Two flavors at that! The Beef and Vegetable Empanadas were beautifully prepared, with delicious and authentic Puerto Rican flavors. The Spicy Shrimp Empanadas were also incredibly flavorful, the heat exploding in our mouths, and allowing us to chase it down with some Tecate… A fresh salsa accompanied, and the entire package was adorably presented in disposable street food containers. We had to take a break at this point – we were all stuffed and extremely satisfied!

Manish and I were in charge of the entree this time. We wanted to come up with some sort of creative take on hot dogs and fries. But we only thought up some ridiculous options, and finally became exhausted with those ideas. We still wanted to stick to an American theme, and ultimately decided upon the idea of “New England goes to the Movies.” Yes, quite the corny theme. Here’s what we did… Our take on the Maine Lobster Roll – We made a Lobster Salad which was folded together with some tarragon aioli. We topped the salad with a toasted brioche disk. We served this alongside our version of a classic New England style chowder. Instead of clams, we used Nantucket Bay Scallops. The “popcorn shmear” was the “movies” part of the dish. Manish and I once tasted Wylie Dufresne’s popcorn puree at WD-50. This inspired us to create something similar, and the shmear is our version of it. Quite time consuming but it actually tasted like buttered popcorn in the end! If we do it again though, we will heed to the “best when served warm” theory, as once it cooled down, it lost a bit of its savory quality. We served this dish with a the 2005 Peter Michael Point Rouge Chardonnay. I wanted to serve White Burgundy (you know ME,) but decided to stick with the American theme

For the 3rd time in a row, Dessert took home the prize! Rick and Sejal stole our hearts with their gorgeous interpretations of the classic Mexican Street Dessert…. Churros con Chocolate. Pumpkin Churros were accompanied by a Mexican Hot Chocolate, Cinnamon ice cream, and a spiced chocolate custard. First of all, I could have eaten everyone’s plate of churros. Not only is that one of my favorite desserts, but accompanied with decadent chocolate!? Fried to perfection, these “crispy on the outside, tender on the inside” pastry strips were dusted with sugar, cinnamon, and salt. The pumpkin flavor complimented the spices in the rich, luscious custard and the creamy and subtle ice cream. And to think – we still had something to pair with it… The 2002 Elk Cove Vineyards ULTIMA Viognier from the Willamette Valley. Congratulations to the Jains!

Once again, thank you to my fellow foodies – for you bring such 5 star quality to our monthly dining Battles! Here’s to all of you… Cheers!

It’s that time again! We took a 3 month hiatus from our cooking battles, but it started once again. This time, the theme was Root Vegetables and Tubers. Priti and Chirag chose the theme and hosted this battle. What a versatile secret ingredient!

Manish and I were responsible for the appetizer and cocktail course. Our idea was to arrange a “three course” amuse bouche of sorts… We were going to start with a crudite of radishes and carrots, and place them on our himalayan pink salt brick. A little sweet cream butter was going to accompany these crudites. We were going to halve a cooked purple fingerling potato, hollow out the center, and pipe in a sunchoke puree. We were going to lay a piece of wild boar bacon on top – sort of a play on the double stuffed potato. Then we were going to created a “scalloped scallop.” A seared scallop, topped with tiny little rounds of scalloped potatoes, resembling scales of a fish. Sadly, we were unable to follow through with the prep of this course due to scheduling issues that morning, so we stepped out of the competition. But our kind competitors allowed us to partake in the meal, and judge! So, here are the highlights from the evening…

The first course, created by Sejal and Rick, showcased the earthy and spicy tones to what some of our favorite root vegetables pair best with! A perfectly pan grilled “Indian spiced” lamb rib chop was accompanied by a sweet potato and rosemary puree as well as a refreshing carrot soup. Such delicate flavors with an incredibly robust appeal! The colors and flavors of the dish were so vibrant and melded so harmoniously.

The main entree combined aspects of both comfort and elegance – which resulted in a gorgeous presentation and delicious flavors! A maple glazed pan seared salmon fillet was served over a sunchoke and purple potato puree. Alongside was a savory and rich root vegetable cobbler, and a hearty pasta that had some more roots folded into  it. Every “theme” element was incorporated beautifully in this dish by the hosts, Priti and Chirag.

Finally, dessert (the winning dish!) was brought to the table by Jigna and Piyush. I think that I can speak for everyone at the table when I say that we were all incredibly impressed by the use of the normally “savory” ingredients in this decadent dessert. The gorgeous plating offered a warm sweet potato cake accompanied by a coffee-caramel sauce, a fennel gelato, a chocolate-ginger gelato, a fennel brittle, and a drizzle of raspberry coulis.

The Fennel Brittle

The flavors went so well together – the earthy and warm spices from the cake and the caramel were such a lovely contrast to the fresh and bold flavors of fennel. I was surprised at how well the chocolate and ginger matched – it was as though all of these components were MEANT to be eaten together. Kudos to to the “Fanwood” Bardolias!!

To my fellow food battlers – as always, it was such an honor and pleasure to dine with all of you – thank you for the amazing meal, and for giving me a reason to smile on a not so bright day. Love you guys!!

It was my intention to write about the following experiences in separate posts, immediately after the events occurred. But now that so much time has elapsed, I will condense my thoughts into one blurb.

As I’ve mentioned many times before, I have felt incredibly lucky to have shared numerous “foodie” experiences with my family and close friends. In one way or another, with every important person in my life, food has played a very important role.

My husband and I take part in a monthly food challenge with 3 other couples. Each couple takes a turn hosting and it is the hosts’ responsibility to choose a theme. Each couple is assigned a “course” and the courses are all judged on presentation, creativity, and taste. There is ultimately a winner of the evening – but in all honesty, all 8 of us win after tasting the magnificent creations!

The most recent themes were Battle Nut and Battle Stone Fruit.  See below for some pictures from both of these challenges. I apologize in advance to all of the wine lovers that are reading this… I know that some really nice wines were served with these, but can’t remember all of them!

This first photo is the incredible appetizer course that Sejal and Rick brought to the Nut Challenge. It was a delicious tuna tartare with ground almonds. So earthy but still so fresh. We had this with some lovely sparkling wines.

Appetizer Course - Battle Nut Tuna Tartare

This next photo is the first course that Manish and I brought to the Nut Challenge. Manish called it “The 3 second Rule” – sort of his take on a fallen ice cream cone. The green puddle is a fava bean puree with pine nuts, the “ice cream scoop” is a warm crab salad with almond crumbs, the “cone” is a pine nut tuile, and of course – can’t forget the blistered cherry tomato on top. We had this with the 2007 Domaine Pollier St Veran.

First Course - Battle Nut Crab Salad with Pine Nut Tuile

The winner of Battle Nut was Piyush and Jigna’s creation… Trio of Pork Tenderloin (Jigna’s version was substituted with Tofu.) The first presentation was roasted butterflied pork tenderloin, stuffed with herbs, rolled and encrusted with grainy mustard and pistachios and served with a Bordelaise Sauce. Next was a roasted pork tenderloin encrusted with grainy mustard and panko, topped with almond butter. And last was a roasted pork tenderloin with mahammura sauce.  Mahammara Sauce is a mixture of walnuts, roasted red peppers, panko, garlic, olive oil, cumin, cayenne, salt and pepper. Creative and the flavors were divine! I remember a Pinot Noir being served with this but can’t remember which one… sorry.

Entree - Battle Nut Trio of Pork

We don’t have a picture of the lovely dessert that was presented at the Nut Challenge. Priti and Chirag created a scrumptious “feta” cheesecake with hazelnut crust and to accompany that, they served homemade butter pecan ice cream on the side. They made sure to serve this with a wonderful dessert wine from the Long Island wine region. Talk about splurge!!!

Priti and Chirag stepped it up again at the Stone Fruit Battle with their drink and appetizer course. They served mouth quenching blackberry mojitos to start. And their appetizer plate had three components: a peach and yogurt soup; a crostini with fontina and dried apricots; and a lychee and coconut sorbet. So fresh, so tasty, and so original!

Appetizer - Battle Stone Fruit - Peach Yogurt soup with Crostini and Sorbet

Next was the reigning champion’s dish… This first course was so unique, and again, so flavorful – sweet and savory all at once. The course was a mango gazpacho with cilantro oil drizzle.  On top of the bowl was a skewer of 3 grilled shrimp which were marinated in garlic, oil, lime juice, a little jalapeno, paprika, and cayenne.  On the side was a simple grilled avocado with almond oil filled in the cavity and a sprinkle of kosher salt.  (The gazpacho was made with mango, jalapeno, cucumber, green apple, celery, orange juice, lime juice, ginger) This was served with the 2006 Barth Rene Pinot Blanc. Perfect pairing!

First Course - Battle Stone Fruit Mango Gazpacho

Sejal and Rick created an entree that I think about making every Summer Sunday night after work. It’s a perfect balance of rich and delicate flavors on a single plate. They served a perfectly grilled mahi mahi over a fragrant saffron risotto. The dish was outlined by a stream of mango sauce that completed the balance of flavors. Deliciously paired with the 2006 Pride Viognier and the 2004 Kongsgard Chardonnay (Rick correct me if I’m wrong here.)

Entree - Battle Stone Fruit Mahi Mahi and Saffron Risotto

Last but not least, everyone was kind enough to vote our dessert the favorite of the evening… We served warm sugar beignets with three sauces: one was a blackberry plum coulis; one was a peach mango sauce; and one was a black cherry and chocolate fondue. In the middle of the plate was a lemon scented dollop of fresh ricotta. Served along with dessert were two dessert wines – both from the producer Braida in Piedmont, Italy. The 2006 Bracchetto d’Aqui and the 2007 Moscato d’Asti.

Dessert - Battle Stone Fruit - Beignets with Three Sauces

To my monthly food challenge brothers and sisters – thank you so  much for these “5 star” meals! Can’t wait for the next one!!