Good vs. Evil: An Evening with Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert

For her birthday (and Valentine's Day, and perhaps, their anniversary), Chris gifted Amy with VIP tickets to see "Good vs. Evil: An Evening with Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert." A fitting date night for a couple of foodies, indeed, as the package included VIP laminates, fifth-row seats, an after-show reception including hors d’oeuvres and beverages, and a meet-and-greet with photo op and book signing. Wow!

Former chef and current author/TV personality Bourdain appeared first, introducing Ripert and putting him on the spot - that spot being an uncomfortable metal folding chair with overhead spotlight à la CSI interrogation room. The two are clearly great friends, as the "ball-busting" seemed to know no bounds. In his beautiful accent, on Bourdain's whim, Ripert shared his opinions about Guy Fieri and Gordon Ramsay, and admitted, somewhat proudly, that yes, Snooki has dined at his famous restaurant, Le Bernadin. In one particularly uncomfortable part of the session that had him squirming in his seat, Bourdain forced him to describe the somewhat-sickening French tradition of trapping, plumping up, killing and eating ortolan. Google it if you dare (or read this helpful article). The hilarious twist to the tale? Bourdain was a willing participant at the same meal!

  

Shortly after that, the two switched seats, and while Ripert was not quite as "bad cop" as Bourdain, he got in several great digs. He started by asking exactly when was the last time he actually cooked in a professional kitchen, had him describe his history of drug abuse, and wondered aloud who does the cooking at the Bourdain home. (The answer? Other than breakfast, for their daugher "loves Daddy's omelets," Bourdain's Italian wife.). Ripert also teased him about selling out with The Taste. When asked if there was something he'd never want to eat again, Bourdain mentioned dining on pig's rectum in the African bush. But he also said he would do it again if he had to, comparing the experience to eating Butterball turkey and Stove-Top stuffing at his grandmother's house on Thanksgiving - when you're a guest at someone's table, it's simply good manners to eat what's offered to you.

When Ripert was done with his questioning, the two sunk into more comfortable chairs and popped open a couple of local (Hooker) brews. The familiarity and hilarity continued in this more casual manner for a while. The banter came easily, and there were plenty of laughs as the audience clearly enjoyed this glimpse into the minds of these two incredible personalities. Their secret food shames? Things they guiltily eat alone at 3 a.m.? Bourdain's seemed to be a tie between Cap'n Crunch and KFC's macaroni and cheese (when it never fails that someone takes his picture as he stealthily leaves with the tell-tale bag), whereas Ripert's was camembert and pate (Of course it is. He's French.) Thankfully, they allowed audience questions, and Chris was picked. He asked how they met and we were treated to the inside story that Kitchen Confidential was the first book Ripert read in English and since there were so many nice things about his restaurant in it, he invited Bourdain to lunch. The two have been great friends since, and Ripert even introduced Bourdain to his (now) wife. The final question? What place is the next big thing in food? Bourdain thinks Asia, in particular, Viet Nam, while Ripert decided on Scandinavia. Guess we'll find out.

After the show, we hurried upstairs to the after-party, where we dined on razor clams, scallop ceviche, lemon-thyme gnocchi, pastrami "short-ribs," PB&J cupcakes and more.  The apps were as delicious as they looked, and the cupcakes? Gone. Enough said.

The chefs signed the books we had brought along with us and offered themselves for picture-taking until the line was gone. It was a fabulously fun night, and one we'll never forget!

A Little Taste of Our Exciting Weekend Ahead!

OMG we can't even take it. We have the Best. Weekend. Ever. coming up. After Amy survives Connecticut State Latin Day on Friday, we have VIP tickets to "Good vs. Evil: An Evening with Eric Ripert and Anthony Bourdain" (either of whom Amy would leave Chris for...). Just kidding. No, really. 

So what is so VIP about it? Let's see...first we pick up our special access passes, then we have premiere seating for the show, we receive a LIMITED EDITION tour poster, and after the show, we are invited to attend an exclusive meet-and-greet featuring complimentary hors d’oeuvres along with photo-taking and book-signing opportunities. It's going to be legen...wait for it...dary!!! 

There was a great article about the show in this week's Advocate, so rather than re-inventing the wheel, here's the link. We will let you know all about it later this weekend, natch.

But wait! There's more! On Saturday we have been invited to be judges at the New England Regional Chili Cook-Off. This chili-fest is sanctioned by the International Chili Society, and our mouths are watering just thinking about the fine chilis we'll be tasting, made by chili cooks from all over, including four current ICS world champions! Read more about this fund-raising, taste-bud-teasing event here, or better yet, come on down to Somers, CT Saturday afternoon!!!

Come back in a few days to find out how it all went down. We can't wait to tell you!

Asian Lettuce Wraps - April Foodie Penpals

Check out the great items our April Foodie Penpal Molly K. sent us -- all the (non-perishable) makings for Asian Lettuce Wraps, with tips and instructions on how to make them. It was so very thoughtful, and it made for an easy and delicious weeknight dinner for the two of us during a very hectic work week.

We decided to make the wraps using ground pork along with the water chestnuts provided in our penpal package. Molly had asked ahead of time what we liked/disliked, and when Amy admitted to hating mushrooms (it's a texture thing more than a flavor thing), she sent the water chestnuts instead. It was the perfect substitution!

On his way home from work, Chris picked up a quart of pork fried rice so that we could make the wraps into a full meal. Then we started cooking. First we browned the pork then added the water chestnuts that we had chopped finely. (In other words, we followed the directions on the bottle of sauce!) 

The sauce, from Williams-Sonoma, had plenty of garlic and soy flavor, and glazed the pork wonderfully with a nice tanginess. 

We laid the lettuce out on a platter so each of us could make our own wraps, with the chopped peanuts and sweet chili sauce that Molly had sent us for garnishing. She also sent us some rice stick noodles, but we didn't feel the lettuce wraps needed them, so we are saving them for another Asian-themed dinner.

Thanks, Molly!

To find out more about Foodie Penpals, go here!

Happy Birthday, Amy!

Since last year was a big one (4-0, oh no!), this year we honored Amy's birthday with a little less fanfare. We had 15 pounds of live crawfish delivered up from Louisiana and had a crawfish boil for two Saturday afternoon. While we observed another year's passing with a feast reminiscent of the Big Easy, BFF Karen (who gets to live there) toasted Amy's birthday with a piece of lemon blueberry marscapone cake (and sent pics to prove it!). How lovely to be celebrated in two different states!

Rooftop 120, Glastonbury, CT

Winter Greens Salad

Thanks to a good deal from Living Social, we finally got the chance to check out Rooftop 120 in Glastonbury, CT for dinner. It turns out the hype is pretty well deserved, at least as far as the food goes, and for us, it's usually all about the food. It's a gorgeous space, with a dining room area as well as a (rather noisy) bar area which also has tables for dining.  Although the titular rooftop overlooks a parking lot, it's always nice to be outside, or in our case, nearly outside, up high, with plenty of bright light and a view of the sunset. 

We were seated in the bar area facing a table of 12 - a male doctor taking his all-female nurses and office staff to a thank-you dinner. (Either that, or it was some sort of harem situation). The bar itself was nearly full, and the tables filled up as we ate, so word is definitely out - this is where the "beautiful people" go. Chris ordered a Sazerac, but they were unable to make it; they don't carry rye. So he got a Manhattan instead, and while his first was delicious, the second, which was made by a different bartender (see below), was terrible. Thankfully, our server offered to get a new one made by the original barkeep. Since we here in the Constitution State are able to bring home wine leftover from a restaurant, Amy ordered a the 337 Cabernet which, when we finally got it, was perfect. 

Braised Lamb Shank

Yes, there were some service issues, particularly at the start of our visit. We ordered drinks, then our server completely disappeared for about 15 minutes. Then we got the Manhattan, then nearly 10 minutes later, the wine. So much for toasting to date night! We had a clear view of the bar and watched a female bartender stand in one corner area, chatting up two male patrons without moving or making a single drink for over a half an hour. Simply unacceptable. But, service aside, we have to admit, the food was fantastic.

On the website, the food is described thusly: "Progressive American Cuisine (focused on) innovative flavors that compliment the change in seasons." It being early spring, the seasonal menu was still their winter one, which was fine by us. And while we'd call it "upscale comfort food," we'd also concede that it was relatively progressive as well as innovative. 

16-oz. Grass-fed Pork Chop

We shared the Winter Greens Salad, composed of halved Concord grapes, a ball of fried goat cheese, candied pecans, and a sweet chili vinaigrette (innovative, indeed!) that blew our minds. It was a great start, and you can be sure we'll be attempting to re-create it at home soon enough, winter or not.

Chris ordered the Braised Lamb Shank - hand made red wine pappardelle pasta, tossed with roasted pearl onions, baby crimini mushrooms, and garnished with a goat cheese gremolata. Although Amy hates mushrooms, she gave some of the pasta and lamb a try, and it was amazing. The pasta was clearly fresh and you could taste a hint of the wine in it. The meat was incredibly tender and the flavor, outstanding.

Ever the carnivore, Amy chose the 16-oz. Grass-Fed Pork Chop. This ginormous hunk of meat was served on the bone and cooked perfectly to medium, as requested. It was juicy and tender and flavorful and had a really good sear on it. It was served with a sweet potato puree that balanced the pork nicely and a garnish of walnut brittle. While there was a lot of sweetness in the dish, the caramelized country apples offered a tart balance and the brittle gave it a nice crunch. 

Dessert-in-a-Canister

After coming close to finishing the chop, Amy was full and didn't order a dessert, but figured she'd have a bite of Chris's. He went for the Banana Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding which was served with a small scoop of hazelnut gelato and topped with caramel sauce. While bread pudding seems to be last year's thing, this was warm and fun. It was served in a charming little closed canister and had just the right balance of chocolate to banana to hazelnut to caramel. All yummy things.

To sum up? The restaurant's website touts the views, the trendy atmosphere, the happy hour. That's all fine and good. We'll be back simply for the food, since it really was that good.

Banana-Chocolate Chip Bread Pudding

You Can Fondue, Too!

A few weeks ago, Amy had a girls' night out at The Melting Pot in swanky Darien, CT. Since then, she has taken on a slight obsession with fondue, vowing to re-create the restaurant's traditional Swiss fondue recipe over and over until she gets it just right. This is the tale of the first try.

Inspired by that night at T.M.P. as well as the advice of Megan Draper (of Mad Men, in case you weren't clear ((Meg and Ame seem to go way back)) in the second part of the first episode of the current season titled "The Doorway, Part Two," which BTW means everyone is into fondue these days...): "So the secret is to rub the pot with the clove of garlic and then add twice the Kirschwasser." Sage wisdom, albeit from a fictional character.

Scene: Spring Vacation. 

The Players: A Couple in the Kitchen, relaxed and in love. 

Setting: A gorgeous spring day - bright, sunny and cool. 

Action: While Chris prepares the veggies, Amy infuses the cheese with love, garlic and twice the amount of Kirsch, as per Meg Draper.

Traditional Swiss Fondue (Take One!)

Fondue Ingredients:

2 cloves garlic, crushed

1/4 cup Pinot Grigio 

1/4 cup freshly squeezed Meyer lemon juice

1/2 lb. Emmenthaler cheese, shredded

1/2 lb. Gruyere cheese, shredded

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1 ounce Westford Hill Kirsch 

kosher salt and black pepper to taste

To dip (for two): 

1 Granny Smith and 1 Gala apple (sliced thinly)

1 Asian pear (sliced thinly)

2 raw carrots, cut into rounds

1 head broccoli, blanched 

2 each, white and purple potatoes, cooked

1 demi-baguette, cubed 

small bunch green grapes

Rub the crushed garlic all over the inside of the fondue pot (see Megan Draper's instructions above). Place over medium heat and add Pinot Grigio and lemon juice. Allow to simmer for one to two minutes. Sprinkle cheese with flour, then slowly add shredded cheese/flour to wine mixture, stirring to melt. When cheese is completely melted, add Kirsch and allow to cook another one to two minutes. Serve in that pretty fondue set you registered for but have only used once in eleven years, with jeweled dipping forks and plenty of (French, si vous plait) wine (you're on vacation!). 

Critics say: Well done! The texture was perfect and the flavor very good, but there was something missing. You just have to figure out what it is.

OXO Omelets

For the past few weekends, Amy has been an omelet-making machine. People may not know this about her, but as a teenager, she waited tables and cooked at a breakfast joint in her hometown, so she's pretty good at making eggs of all kinds. And what's better, for breakfast, brunch, or dinner, than a light, fluffy omelet filled with all kinds of goodies? Not much, in our opinion! But the recent craving for omelets has less to do with eating them than making them, especially with the amazing tools that OXO sent us through their Blogger Outreach program. We'll get to that in a minute. But first, let's talk ingredients.

Although not a lot of preparation has to be involved in making omelets, we seem to think they come out better when both the eggs and the ingredients one plans to fill the omelet with have gotten to room temperature. What kinds of ingredients do we use? In Amy's mind, every omelet has to have cheese, and we use whatever we have in the cheese drawer or the cheese that will go best with the other ingredients we plan to use. Roasted peppers and onions go well with cheddar. Spinach and tomatoes are lovely with a little feta. Bacon and American - why not? This amazingly delicious omelet (below) was one of Amy's  recent creations, made with a small wedge of Brie cheese, about 1/4 cup of cooked lobster leftover from an afternoon splurge with bestie J, and some freshly chopped tarragon. Oh yeah, that was some good stuff. Suffice it to say, just about anything can go in an omelet so use your leftovers and your creativity. 

Once you have your ingredients together and your eggs at room temperature, you need to beat the eggs really well to get as much air as possible into them. This is what will make your omelet nice and fluffy. We also like to add about 2 tablespoons of milk per every 3 eggs as we find this helps the fluff factor. And this is also where OXO comes in, with their new egg beater. The design of this thing is genius - a no-slip grip handle, a smooth whirring motion in both the handle and the beaters, and best of all, it comes apart for convenient washing. Just throw the beaters into the dishwasher! Love. This. Thing.

Watching your cholesterol? Have an egg white omelet made by using OXO's egg separator. With different ridges to fit different size bowls, it's nearly impossible to make a mess with this. And it, too, is dishwasher safe. But no lie, the best thing OXO sent us was their new "Flip and Fold Omelet Turner." It simply does not compare to a regular old spatula. It is absolutely the perfect size and shape for, well, flipping and folding omelets.  Every omelet we've made with this thing has come out just right and without a struggle. It also is dishwasher safe and since it is silicone, it is heat resistant up to 600 degrees (not that your omelet should get that hot). 

The right pan is also a major part of making the perfect omelet. We always use a 6-inch non-stick omelet pan swirled with some melted butter, and we add our fillings and fold the omelet while the eggs are still a little soft. 

So there you have it, some tips and tricks to making omelets, straight from a former teenage line cook, with a little help from our friends at OXO.

Basic Omelet Recipe

Ingredients:

3 eggs, at room temperature

2 tablespoons milk, at room temperature

1 tablespoon butter

salt and pepper to taste

filling combinations of your choice including such things as cheese, cooked meat, cooked seafood, raw or cooked vegetables, and/or fresh herbs, at room temperature

Crack eggs into a large mixing bowl (OXO's rubber-bottom mixing bowl is perfect for this, too - it doesn't tip!) and add the milk, salt and pepper, and any herbs you may wish to use. Beat the eggs well, until they are foamy and pale yellow in color. Heat an omelet pan over medium heat and put the butter in. Once butter is melted and hot enough for a droplet of water to make a sizzling sound, add the egg mixture. Let sit for about a minute so the bottom will set. Using a heat-proof spatula, gently push one edge of the omelet toward the middle of the pan and tilt the pan so the liquid flows to the other side. Do this until there is no liquid left but the eggs are still soft. Add fillings in the center of the omelet and gently fold one side of the omelet over the other. Cook for another minute to allow the fillings to heat through. Fold onto a plate and serve with toast and a salad for a delicious meal. 

Disclaimer: We received the three OXO egg tools mentioned above for free as part of the OXO Blogger Outreach Program. We have not been otherwise compensated for our opinions which are, as always, our own.