Timor Bodega

This morning we are having a breakfast at our home. I knew this meant we needed to find good local dairy. We do not use much dairy in our cooking and have great sources for the dairy we do use...Cheese, Cowgirl Creamery and Eggs, Whitmore Farms. But, breakfast begs for milk, cream, yogurt and butter. I knew there were a couple of places downtown that were selling great local products and I had been meaning to check them out for awhile. I called Timor Bodega which is in walking distance from our home. I had a quick talk with the owner who answered the phone and after he told me that he sold eggs from Polyface Farms and had just gotten 1/2 of a local angus cow delivered–I told him we would come right over. He told me he was happy to meet me but to call first because they did not open until 4:30.

We walked over and found Kim Wee and his Mother stocking a reach in refrigerator with a whole side of beef. We also found non-homogenized milk, skim milk, heavy cream and butter from Trickling Springs Creamery. We purchased Yogurt from Pequea Valley Farm. We did not need any beef but admired the cuts of beef that had just come in from Riders Backfield Farm. Mr. Wee gave us a liver, we look forward to cooking it, it is difficult to find local offal as many small operations can't process. His Mother warned us not to over cook the liver. John assured her that he was infamous for not over cooking meat...

In addition there was local produce, ecologically friendly cleaning products, Polyface Chickens, wines that came from the same place we get our wine, Potomac Selections....All in a corner store within walking distance from our home...this just makes sense!

Thursday Night

We still have a few spots available for Thursday October 8th’s Home Restaurant. The plan is to schedule a Thursday Home Restaurant every month. We have found that Thursday is a great night for people who are not in DC on the weekends and those with complicated weekend schedules.

The menu for Thursday is still evolving as we talk to farmers and gather ingredients over the next couple of days but we know it will include Honey Crisp Apples from Twin Springs Fruit Farm, Green Tomatoes from our garden here at 1508, Lamb Chops from Whitmore Farms, veal sweetbreads, diver sea scallops, turnips from our CSA Clagett Farm and with a little rain and some luck foraged wild mushrooms from Rock Creek Park…

The Home Restaurants are lots of fun. Each one has a unique personality. About half are for nights that we send out invites for, and accept reservations, and half are private parties where an individual or group chooses a date and reserves all the seats. On our last open night new connections were made and by the end of the evening all present were friends. The private dinners have been a mix of celebrations, nights out with friends and business. We already have a work holiday party booked for December.

This week we are doing our first breakfast meetings. We are looking forward to sharing some of our favorite morning foods including a quinoa granola and fig and ginger jam to go on warm sesame bread.

We also have our first lunch scheduled for early November. When we sent out our first Home Restaurant invitation we did not know exactly what to expect but it seems to be organically evolving and we welcome the diversity of events.

Home Restaurant #15

Tonight we celebrated a Birthday with longtime Rupperts guests. We reconnected with our friend Todd Ramlow who worked many years with us on 7th street and is now lending a hand here. Derrick made amazing Basil Gimlets as Martin-Lane lapped up the Restaurant stories and at one point answered a question with, "Let me consult my co-workers"–this cracked her up!

We still have a few spots open for October 8th–it is a Thursday and we would love to have you!
email me: sidraforman@gmail.com

Birthday Dinner Menu Below:

October 3, 2009

Passing
Eggplant Soup with Basil
Yellow Cauliflower Puree
Honeycrisp Apple Sauce with Rosemary
Seared Sea Scallop on Carrot with Carrot and Ginger Relish
Whitmore Farms Egg Omlette with Sorrel
Eight Ball Squash Marinated in Lemon with Summer Savory
(Labbe) Abymes Savoe 2007

Seated
Wood Grilled Wild Oyster Mushroom in Green Tomato Broth with Green Tomato Fondant, Sage and Walnut Oil
(Villa da Filicaja) Chianti Superiore 2006

Sweet Potato and Yukon Gold Potato Dumplings with Turnips and Turnip Greens
(Olivier Morin) Chitry BLANC 2008

Eco Friendly Farms Poussin Braised in Red Wine with Shallots, Fall Squash and Barley Gratin, Roasted Calaloo
(Khalkhal) Minervois “Plaisir des Lys” 2007

Fig Sorbet with White Chocolate Brownie
(Chancelle/Bourdin) Cremant de Saumur NV

Roasted Red Pear with Chocolate Cake, Chocolate Almond Pudding, Roasted Almonds and Cocoa Nibs

Dessert Bites:
Oatmeal Ginger
Coconut Macaroon
Quinoa Cookie with Chia and Apple

SME Kitchen Garden

Since August we have been spending lots of time on the front yard of Scott Montgomery Elementary School. This summer we were fortunate to be introduced to Frances the school librarian, Martin a neighbor who is very involved in the school, the principal who welcomed us and many inspiring teachers...one thing led to another and in August we planted a pumpkin patch in front of the school. Since then we have met lots of pre-schoolers who visit the garden daily, battled bermuda grass and enjoyed the most exciting garden project we have ever been involved in.

The pumpkins plants are growing and we hope to get some pumpkins before the first frost. More exciting though is watching young emerging gardeners get involved and take ownership of the planting. We hang out, dig, weed, water, eat local apples, look for worms and talk about how food grows and where foods come from. This winter when the weather is less hospitable we plan to cook with small groups of pre schoolers weekly.

Right after the garden was planted we started thinking...what's next. Frances suggested that we start applying for grants to build raised beds, one for each grade level. In addition we are also hoping for plant a bunch of fruit trees and build a community compost system.

This week John made preliminary drawings of the front yard as we envision it. We are thinking of names for the project...top of the list right now is, Kitchen Garden at Scott Montgomery Elementary. In the next couple of weeks we plant to start a SME Kitchen Garden Blog. Below are our working notes on the project:

1. Our goal is to continue the practice of Organic Gardening and Food Preparation with the preschoolers at Scott Montgomery Elementary.

2. Expand the practice to the rest of the school with a raised bed for each grade.

3. Build an outdoor classroom where students and teachers can meet for discussions and food preparation demonstrations.

Kitchen Garden (the physical space)

1. A welcoming mulched path that circles the flag pole an extends to the front of the pre-schoolers garden.
2. Nine 4x8 raised beds (288 cubic feet of soil needed) on top of mulch. One for each grade with three extra to create an interest in an after school program.
3. An Outdoor Classroom, which could at first be nothing more than a mulched oval with stepping stones.
4. Plant an assortment of perennial herbs in the existing raised bed.
5. Plant 5 Butterfly Bush behind existing pumpkins.
6. Plant 6 fruit trees on the 5th street side of SME.
7.10 Daisy plant underneath Kipps sign and 2 fall Clematis climbing up each leg of sign.
8. 100 Daffodil Bulbs for around each large tree.
9. Create living fences by growing on chain link fences: Honey Suckle, Morning Glories, Creeping Fig or maybe just Ivy?
10. Compost center on the east side of SME.

Kitchen Garden (the social space)

An Organic Kitchen Garden brings children closer to the soil, closer to where food comes from. By creating a place where the connections between health, food and the environment are made, children develop an appreciation for their immediate environment and the ramifications of choices.

An Organic Kitchen Garden introduces the preparation of Organic Food and heightens a sense of authorship as well as commitment.

An Organic Kitchen Garden is a practice where theoretical lessons (math, science, sociology and physical education) can be applied.

An Organic Kitchen Garden presents the oppurtunity to drop the boundry between community and school by developing a compost center as well as inviting participation.

If anyone want to get involved contact me.

chocolate biscotti

My grandmother used to make the most amazing biscotti. They were flavored with cinnamon and vanilla. She would bake the logs and then slice them while they were still warm. The ends of the logs that did not form into the perfect ovals that she cut on a bias were called "damages". As she would be putting the ovals in a 'keep warm' oven to dry out, I can hear her say, "Who's gonna eat the "Damages". There were always biscotti in her freezer.

When I became a pastry chef one of the things I loved to do was to adapt my Grandmother's recipes to current ingredients and tastes. When my daughter was born and we decided to raise her vegan I had the opportunity to revisit and adapt all of her recipes again. I think that is what I love about cooking–the constant variables between ingredients and eaters and tastes renders recipes to loose guidelines away from rigid instruction.

The perpetual iterations of my Grandmother's Biscotti have led me to these Chocolate Treats:

Chocolate Chocolate Biscotti

2 1/2 cups all purpose unbleached flour
2 1/2 cups spelt flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder
2 1/2 cup sugar plus extra for rolling
1/4 cup cornmeal
4 teaspoons baking powder
large pinch of salt
16 tablespoons non hydrogenated margarine, such as Earth Balance cut into 10 pieces
1 cup silk tofu pureed
2 tablespoons water
1 cup bittersweet chocolate chunks
2 cups rough chopped walnuts
Himalayan salt

Directions
1.In a mixer combine flours, cocoa, sugar, cornmeal, baking powder and salt.
2.Add margarine and mix until texture is like sand.
3.Add tofu and water mix until just combined. Add chocolate chips and walnuts mix until just combined.
4.Roll biscotti into logs and then roll in sugar and himalayan salt until just coated.
5.Bake in 350 degree oven until just cooked through, about 20 minutes.
6.Remove biscotti from oven and slice into 1/4 inch slices. Turn off oven.
7.Return biscotti to turned off oven and let sit in oven until dry, about 3 hours to overnight.

I am making these biscotti for take home gifts for diners at our Home Restaurant this weekend.

Cauliflower Soup

Cauliflower soup is one of our staple dishes. That is to say along with Basil Mash Potatoes, Red Lentils and Cilantro, White Mushrooms Chives and Lemons we love to eat it as well as prepare and share it... All of these are classic combinations of flavors that we have picked up from cooking, eating or reading–However Cauliflower soup is somewhat different in that it is based on a single ingredient. Of course there are more ingredients such as water and salt and pepper but the dish Cauliflower Soup is not set off by a combination of flavors. The success of this dish hinges on the complexity of flavors inherent in the Cauliflower itself.

The difference between Authenticity and Purity are evident with our approach to making Cauliflower Soup. Authenticity when it comes to food practices implies a recipe or culture that determines what is authentic or not. That is to say there is a proper way to make cauliflower soup. Purity here would be an acknowledging of ingredients and their potential by doing as little as possible to let Flavor shine. As Shaun Hill would say, "I am not interested in Authenticity, I am interested in Flavor...". A good cook works within the arrangement of what is given.

I take a head of cauliflower place in a pot and add about an inch or two of water. Then I steam until absolutely soft and I could mash with a fork. Next pour everything into a blender and begin to blitz. Add water to get just the desired texture, then season very slowly to taste. The danger here is when using one simple ingredient is over salting and peppering losing the complexity of flavor within the one simple ingredient...

Cauliflower served like this needs nothing else, it is buttery in texture with sweet and pungent cabbage like tone of flavor... John talks about a dish he had in France that serve a cold Beef Stock Jelly with a hot Cauliflower puree... And as a vegan I appreciate Cauliflower Puree as a sauce on Mushrooms and Green Beans...

Transition to Fall Flowers

From late spring until this week most of the cut flowers I used for events came from my own garden or Bob Wollam who has a farm in Virginia. Every morning I survey my own garden to see how everything is growing and if there are any flowers to be cut. I talk to Bob or others at his farm several times a week to see what they have available. It has been a good season that started with bulbs and then progressed to roses, peonies, fig branches, herbs, hydrangea, phlox, zinnia, dahlias...

This weekend as I examined my own garden there were only a couple of phlox, herbs and some late season roses to be picked. Similarly Bob's list had many items marked as limited and I know that the end of the local flower season is near. For so many reasons I enthusiastically use local flowers when they are available they are bright and beautiful, you can use flowers that are fragile since they do not need to travel far and ecologically it makes so much sense.

Luckily I have great non local flower options. During the months when I cannot get local flowers many of my flowers come from the Dutch Auction in Holland. Years ago I told my broker who bids on the auction for me that I was interested in getting only flowers that were grown with sound environmental and labor practices. He laughed at me and said, "Obviously". I did not know it at the time but the auction is actually a farmer owned cooperative. The flowers sold there are certified for both ecological and labor practices. Unlike in the United States where many of the flowers available still come from farms that use chemical pesticides and poor work conditions Europeans have long been able to buy organically grown flower and roses from farms with good labor practices.

The Dutch also happen to grow amazing flowers many of which cannot be gotten from anywhere else in the world. Since the late 1500's Holland has been obsessed with flower growing. Today there are still many varieties of flowers that you can only get from Holland.

This weekend I am doing a wedding at the Palomar Hotel in DC using deep oranges, greens, berries and lots of texture. I will get some flowers from Bob Wollams farm such as dahlias and hydrangeas but I will supplement them with my first recent shipment from Holland which will include asclepias beatrix, brezilia, snowberries, mango calla lilies, hypericum berries, kangaroo paws...

Just like seasonal cooking ingredients I look forward to the change of season when new varieties of flowers become available. Asclepias Beatrix and Brezillia are two of my favorites that I look forward to seeing when they arrive from the airport early Thursday morning. I am able to order Dutch flowers on Tuesday morning and have them arrive at my front door before I awake on Thursday. Although they need to travel from far away it is heartening to know that there are not additional environmental and labor costs associated with them.

An Egg eggs

No two people are exactly a like, as should no two eggs–be exactly alike–Look we would never decide to do a dish around an Egg unless we had discovered extraordinary eggs. Each different and wonderful, Whitmore Farm produces magical eggs that are brown, speckled and sometimes green. The eggs are multiple colors because the Whitmore chickens are varied breeds. Sadly, in the United States there are basically two types of chickens used to produce all commercial eggs–although over 100 breeds exist! All chicken that you eat from mainstream sources in this country is genetically identical and all the eggs are from one of two genetic species. Whitmore raises at least four different varieties: French Maran, Dutch Welsumer, Ameraucana and Delaware breeds.

The feed Whitmore grows chicken with is custom milled at a local grainary. William, the owner who was trained as a biochemist, came up with a feed recipe when he could not recognize all of the ingredients in off the shelf feed. After investigating he found that the commercial feed contained agricultural waste products, which basically means whatever is left over from various agricultural processes. He concocted a recipe after researching literature primarily published between 1910 and 1950, when grass feeding and heritage animals were the norm. Since chickens are omnivores, the feed includes fish as well as soy for protein, corn and wheat. Equally important is a chicken’s access to grasses full of antioxidants such as clover, dandelion and dock. This also accounts for the intense yellow color of the yolk. The chickens are housed in a moveable coop that is literally moved every day. This is so the grass is never over harvested by the chicken, which would result in the chickens walking around on dirt without access to grass to eat. Just because an egg is labeled free range it does not necessarily mean the chicken had access to grasses.

Farmers, gardeners and even those involved in the artisan processing of food (Bev Eggleston) are cheffing, that is to say involved either in the alchemic process of mixture or the skillful process of harvesting (knife skills). If the generating of food is thought of as a creative act, it is hard to think of where the cheffing actually begins or ends. When I receive eggs this amazingly produced through a process that is intensely thought about...How can I, as Chef, take credit that is well deserved elsewhere. Cooking that attempts to take place in a vacuum is either food Science-ing or radical acts of genius and we would not attempt either. It is this reason that we act in concert with others to generate dishes, sometimes using eggs as protein.

On Saturday night we served a poached egg in a tomato broth, walnut oil, sage and a tomato fondant. I made a broth by simmering whole tomatoes, stems included; I wanted to capture the entire distillation of these particular tomatoes. After I got the right concentration of tomatoes while leaving enough liquid to actually poach an egg, I passed the tomatoes, broth and all through a large strainer. Setting aside the broth, I then took the meat of the tomatoes and blitzed them in our Vitamix blender. This made an amazing paste that I passed through a fine sieve into a pot of about the same volume of onions. This tomato paste and onions cooked down for hours until I had a yummy fondant. Then I poached the egg in water (not the tomato broth more below) and when just cooked (no more than two minutes) I placed egg in hot tomato broth and sprinkle with about two strips of finely julienned sage and walnut oil, topped with fondant and served…

I cook the eggs in water and not the broth for I have more control with water without the various acids and so forth in the tomato broth. When these eggs hit the water the proofed up to almost twice the size–And to eat them was to almost eat the texture of bubbled air–They melted in your mouth thereby creating a texture that enhanced the broth, but at the same time allowed for both the flavor of the broth as well as the flavor of the egg to act upon each other textually and flavorfully without synthesizing. That is to say that at no time did you Not know you were eating an egg, as there are many uses of eggs that do just that… Tomato AND Egg AND Walnut Oil AND Sage…

We served with Homemade Walnut Bread AND (Villa da Filicaja) Chianti Superiore 2006 (thanks to Tom Kiszka for his selections)…

Chicken of the Woods

We woke up and knew that we had to find mushrooms. Nineteen people were coming for dinner and we wanted to serve Black Cod with Beet (Greens) and Wild Mushrooms. We jumped in the car and started to head over to the Arlington Farmers market when we decided to check one of my favorite mushroom spots.

The woods are where I run and where I find mushrooms this time of year. Chicken of the Woods, Puffballs and Wild Oysters are just some of the varieties I find. On this morning when we walked into the woods and turned the bend in the path we saw a huge felled tree all a blaze with yellow and orange mushrooms.

Chicken of the Woods is a tricky mushroom. That is to say you need to find them before they become to dry on the log. Just right is when they are moist with the texture and bounce of cooked chicken. Even after cooking they have the texture of (over) cooked chicken with an intense woody mushroom flavor.

Black Cod has a buttery flavor and if cooked properly needs no sauce. We try to not season the fish too much in order to have the flavor resonate with what ever we are serving it with. By not using sauce with a fish like Black Cod one runs the risk of a seemingly over-prosaic dish. Fortunate for us we have diners that encourage the simpleness of dishes. Eaters who privilege complexity as always already flavors present in pure ingredients. (Especially when serving excellent wine–competition is not the point)

Really I think as chefs what we offer more than anything is the ability to think food and combinations of different ingredients as triggers that combine and contrast. Discovering and experimenting for us is not radical constructions of what we can or cannot do. Creating for us is a loose understanding of the arrangement and acting in a way that highlights the differences in ingredients whether they are textures, flavors or temperatures. Here is where we find combinations and how we can set difference next to difference and mine the in between spaces.

All of cooking is really logistics and how to get from one thing to the next at the perfect time. Flavors work the same way and style is really how we get from one flavor to the next. That is to say to enjoy the space (the taste or the flavor) between the Black Cod and the Beets and the Beet Greens and the Chicken of the Woods Mushrooms. Sauces sometimes tie things together or present dishes as seamless. Seamless-ness misses the differences or flavors and their ability to bounce off each other in their differences. We want diners to experience the combinations of difference–the encounter of foods on the eaters’ own terms…

Poppy Seed and Onion Bread from the 25th

Last night we made Poppy Seed and Onion bread to go with Black Cod, Beet (Greens) and Wood Grilled Mushrooms. I have mentioned before that we used to travel to the Lower East Side every Christmas Morning to eat at the now closed Ratner's Dairy Kosher Restaurant. One of the reasons we would drive to NYC was the Onion Popy Seed rolls that would come and keep coming–served with Borscht or Eggplant they were soooo good!

Now we have found the Sesame Sticks at Kosar's to be a good replacement since Ratners closed. We grab pickles at The Pickle Guy around the corner and make sandwiches...

I guess what I am getting at is part of the fun of doing these Home Restaurants is that I can make specific types of bread for each dish. Where as in Our Restaurant we would make just Three types of bread that were served to everyone, now I can be very particular...

Last night we had a Lovely crowd and look forward to our largest crowd tonight, here is a PEEK at the menu for tonight–we are headed to the Farmers Market now so somethings are subject to change:

Passing

Basil Mashed Potatoes

Scallops with Sesame Cracker and Summer Squash

Lamb with Eggplant and Mint on Corncake

Lima Bean Soup with Summer Savory

Lemongrass Vodka Martini
(Ch. de Roquefort) Cotes de Provence ROSE 'Corail' 2008

Seated

Poached Egg in Tomato Broth

Walnut Bread
(Villa da Filicaja) Chianti Superiore 2006

Rockfish with Chicken of the Woods Mushroom, Beets and Beet Greens

Onion Poppy Seed Bread
(Gerard Boulay) Sancerre AOC 2007

Poussin with Noodle Fall Squash and Chestnut Gratin, Calaloo, Garlic Sauce

Roasted Garlic Bread
(Domaine Coston) Coteaux du Languedoc 2004

Leonora Goat Cheese
(Lopez de Heredia) Bosconia Rioja Reserva 2001

Fig Sorbet with White Chocolate Brownie
(Pierre Paillard) Brut Champagne Bouzy Grand Cru NV

Pear Crumble with Roasted Cashews and Frozen Armagnac Cream

Cookie Bites:
Chocolate Cake
Ginger Oatmeal Cookies
Coconut Macaroon

Rainy Day

We are on the way over to hangout with the pre-schoolers of Scott Montgomery Elementary. I thought I would share pictures of out last rainy day visit... Of course the photos are by Jacqulyn Maisonneuve–a Corcoran School of Art student working on her senior thesis...

Horseradish

I like horseradish but never thought about planting it. This spring I saw a few small plants at a new garden store on our side of town called Old City Green. We planted them and within weeks the leaves grew huge. From what I understand horseradish is a plant that can be forgotten and still thrive. Infact, many warn that horseradish can become invasive if it is not properly harvested.

The flavor of the root becomes hotter and stronger after the first frost. There is some debate about whether or not it should be harvested in the fall or the spring. I think either time is fine. This past weekend well before any frost we cooked beef at our Home Restaurant and wanted to serve with a fresh corn and horseradish sauce. After a little internet research I determined that it was hard to damage the plant and I cut one of our plants in half with a garden shovel. I was very excited to pull up the horseradish root!

Horseradish does not maintain its flavor when cooked so use it raw. Also it does not maintain its flavor if it is exposed to the air for more than a half hour so either grate it and use immediately or cover it with vinegar to help preserve the flavor for later use.

Last weekend we made a sauce with a puree of local fresh corn and then added fresh horseradish. Although it was not the hottest horseradish flavor it was pronounced, delicious and complimented the beef dish. A couple of guests asked for some fresh grated horseradish. I happily dug up some more in the dark garden, grated it and served it.

I probably should wait until the first frost to harvest more of the horseradish…but the beets are so good right now and the classic combination of beets with fresh horseradish is hard to resist.

South Central Farm

Last night I watched a moving, motivating and inspiring documentary, called The Garden, about the 14 acre South Central Farm that was set up in the middle of South Central Los Angeles. The film which I highly recommend follows a battle over the land that is full of individual and governmental disfunction and ultimately results in the loosing of the farm. Although this element of the story is gripping and emotional I was struck by the success of the project while it was functioning. It makes so much sense to use abandoned urban property for farming. Why not set up community gardens in urban areas where individuals do not have land but many are connected to farming practices from growing up in rural environments? The empowerment provided by growing even a little bit of your own food no matter who you are cannot be quantified. The health and environmental benefits of eating food you grow from close to home are vast.

This story left me with a renewed commitment to the various garden projects that I am working on throughout the city and an openness to additional projects. Our pumpkin plants at Scott Montgomery Elementary School are growing and getting more and more flowers daily. We continue to weed, water and feed while we anxiously await our first pumpkin. The front yard of the abandoned house next door to us is planted with cabbage, spinach, beets, kale and lettuces all of which are still small but quite healthy. I am enjoying watching them grow and look forward to starting to eat the greens in the next couple of weeks. The front yard of the apartment building a couple of houses down also has a couple of pumpkin plants and a large just sprouting bed of arugula. Other gardens that I planted in the area including our home are transitioning from summer to fall but will continue to produce up to the first frost.

Hopefully by witnessing the success to the South Central Farm (by watching The Garden) it can become a model for launching similar projects throughout the country.

New Year

We had wonderful guests this evening enjoying each other and celebrating Rosh Hashanah. It was lots of fun collaborating on the menu with our guests, using traditional holiday ingredients and preparing them in our own way.

Passing
Honey Crisp Apple Dipped in Honey
Salmon Cake on Cucumber
Lamb Ragout with Squash Stuffing
Cauliflower Soup
Basil Lime Martini

Seated
Matzo Ball Soup
Challah Bread
(Michel Noellat) Bourgogne Rouge 2007

Beet, Egg, Red Onion, and Radish with Almond Vanilla Sauce
Poppy Seed Red Onion Bread
(Gilbert) Menetou Salon Blanc 2006

Beef Brisket with Cabbage, Potato, Carrot, Wax Beans, Chicken of the Woods Mushrooms and Corn Horseradish Sauce
Whole Wheat Salted Baguette
(Chateau Les Valentines) Cotes du Provence Rouge 2006

Cave Aged Marissa, Sheep Milk Cheese with Olive Oil Cracker
(Chateau Lalande-Borie) Saint-Julien 2000

Date Sorbet with White Chocolate Brownie
(Chancelle/Bourdin) Cremant de Saumur NV

Noodle and Fall Fruit Crème Brulee

Cookie Bites
Coconut Macaroons
Ginger Oatmeal Cookies
Chocolate Cakes with Vanilla Icing

A couple guests asked for the Beef Brisket recipe:
We got a 10 pound whole brisket (don't split it and don't trim the fat). John salted and peppered it really well (it can take a lot of salt) and rubbed it with roasted garlic. He sliced 4 red onions into rings about 1/8th of an inch thick and mixed those with 2 pounds of cleaned wax beans, seasoned them with salt and pepper and olive oil. He placed the vegetables in the bottom of a roasting tray and placed the brisket on top fat side facing up. He tore and rubbed 2 fresh bay leaves on the meat, covered it tightly and roasted it for 3 1/2 hours in a 350 degree oven, He pulled it out, removed the beans and onions, put the brisket back in the pan and let it rest for 20 minutes before slicing. He added calaloo to the beans and onions and served the sauce over sliced meat.

Noodle Pudding

Tomorrow night we are doing a Rosh HaShanah holiday dinner for 12 guests at our home restaurant. The menu will incorporate some traditional dishes and some traditional ingredients prepared non traditionally. Which brings me to dessert. I had a request for kugel which can be either sweet or savory and have a potato or egg noodle base. A loose translation for kugel is pudding or casserole.

I started thinking about making a sweet kugel for the dessert. Which evolved into the idea of a creme brulee with noodles and fruit. I thought about how good noodles would be in a custard and then crisped on top with a blow torch. Dessert kugels that I have eaten always had fresh or dried fruit incorporated in them. I found the first quinces of the season at a market this week and immediately knew they would be part of the pudding. Our fig picking has slowed down considerably but there are still some figs we can gather each day and I thought they would go well with the other ingredients. We bought some beautiful eggs from Whitmore Farms and John made me a beautiful batch of egg fettucini. I pulled out an old recipe from Rupperts for a traditional creme brulee custard. I filled brulee cups with fettucini, topped the noodles with shaved and roasted quince and slices of fresh fig and topped them with custard. I baked them slowly in the oven to set up and then refrigerated them. Before serving I will sprinkle them with sugar and take a blow torch to the top of them to crate a crispy sugar crust.

I like the idea so much I made it last night for a dinner and will make it again for tomorrow nights dinner. When I was explaining the dessert to the diners last nite one guest said to me that he had just had a fettucini dessert the night before...I got excited and asked where...alas he was only joking!