Saturday, November 29, 2008

The best cafe in the world

Here's Mr. Construction Worker and Laura waiting for our breakfast in New York City at the Essex World Cafe. Without any exterior fanfare it's the coolest cafe I've ever been to. It's located on a street that faces the huge hole that was the World Trade Center. Construction workers that are busy at work on the WTC site seem to frequent this place as, I'm sure, the many people who used to work at the Twin Towers did seven years ago. Once inside the cafe you slowly realize where you are. In a place of humble history.


The Essex World cafe became known by another name on September 12th 2001 as the "Liberty Treatment Site". After the Towers came down it became a medical center and I can only use the best of my mental powers to try to imagine the activity that may have happened inside it's doors.

This is a picture of a picture inside the cafe during the time it was a medical station.

The walls have memorials and pictures from September 11th. It was quite sobering but more-so, healing. The construction workers that arrive and leave in a steady flow seem representative of a sense of pride in the anticipation of newness for the area. The cafe continued on and stayed open. It adapted to the situation and has morphed into a symbol of the continuity of life with a reverance for the past. It's the best breakfast Bob, Kevin, and I have had in a long time.

Sunday, November 23, 2008

A little farting around: (GARLIC-CHEESE KNOTS)


I'm not really a full fledged home baker but I try to pretend with my bread machine that I've had for billions of years now. I love that machine. It even churns butter but I haven't used that feature in years too. Shame on me! Anyway, I tweaked a recipe for Garlic Parmesan Bread and turned the bread into knotted rolls, instead, through the dough cycle. No mystery and no great challenge there I know. But, I've always loved a local pizza joint's garlic knots and thought I would try to recreate some for home. Those garlic knots were HORRIBLE for you as they were covered, no DRIPPING, with melted butter and garlic and they were DELICIOUS. Bob, Kevin, and I would wolf a few down while waiting for our pizza. Real easy to polish off about five or so if you're not careful. But, I haven't had them in years and the memory is still there. I thought I would pay homage to Colosseum Pizza's yummy garlic knots as best I could.

Garlic-cheese knots:

Ingredients:

1 cup water
2 1/2 tbs. butter
1 tbs. honey
2/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
3/4 tsp. salt
2 tsp. garlic powder
1 cup whole wheat flour
2 cups bread flour
1 1/2 tsp. yeast

1/3 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 1/2 tbs. finely chopped garlic
3 tbs. butter

Directions:

1. Layer the above ingredients, starting with the water and ending with the yeast, into the pan of your bread machine.

2. Press the dough cycle and allow to process for the alloted time (mine's 90 minutes). Be watchful of the dough during the first few minutes to see if the dough incorporates well. Add water or flour as needed.

3. In a medium pan melt 3 tbs. butter and keep warm. Combine the parmesan cheese and garlic in a small bowl and set aside.

4. After the cycle is finished on your machine pull the dough out onto a lightly floured board. It should feel silky soft and not too sticky. Cut the dough into about 18 pieces and roll into small logs. Twist the dough log into a single small knot and place on a large greased baking pan in a single layer.

5. Dip each knot into the melted butter and then in the garlic cheese mixture. Place back on the baking sheet.

6. Cover lightly with plastic wrap and allow to rise 30 minutes in a draft-free warm area (this sounds crazy but I use my dryer for this step...preheat the dryer on high for 15 minutes, install the dryer rack, and place the tray inside).

7. Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. I place my baking stone in the middle of the oven and allow room at the bottom of the oven for a large aluminum pan to be filled with hot water during baking.

8. After the knots have risen, remove the plastic wrap (I know that you know that), and place the pan on the middle rack or on the baking stone. Place aluminum pan on the very bottom rack and fill with hot water. The idea is to create steam while baking.

9. Bake for approximately 30 minutes. Remove from oven and further slather some more melted butter on the knots.

The recipe for the dough is based on a "medium" size recipe for the bread machine. Approximately 18 rolls.

The rolls rose more than I would have preferred but still turned out pretty nice. I used them the next day with the left-over French Dip roast with au jus. Just sliced the knots up the middle and made small french dip sandwiches. Yummy indeed.

Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Isn't she lovely?

When Bob and I were looking around the antique store in Flint Hill I spotted this and immediately fell in love with it. I wanted to call her The Spirit(s) Faery but she's actually, I think, The Beer Faery. The poster is a copy of a lithograph advertising beer for The Globe Beer Company in Baltimore Maryland. I Googled Globe Beer Company and found informative but somewhat sporadic information about it. I did find out that there was a pub affliated with the beer company in Baltimore but it closed in 2004.

Anyway, she's going to hang on our kitchen wall after I get her properly framed. Right now she's lightly, uh-hum, taped on the back, to the wall. I know. Bob was a little horrified too. I have a bad habit of not being able to wait patiently for things.

Tuesday, November 18, 2008

Element


Tarragon dreams

Pointing the way

Another oddity that warmed my heart. I love things slightly askew and Mr. Tree seemed like he was pointing the way towards "something". I love that he still had a previous bloom of leaves on the end of his one viable limb.


I loved this gate. It had two gargoyle's on either side. Front Royal is truly beautiful.

Anniversary at home: (BEARNAISE SAUCE)


Kevin had Younglife this past Monday night so it was a "Score!" for an evening alone for an Anniversary dinner (our 18th). I had thought I would grill lobster tail but ended up substituting with grilled shelled shrimp that I had marinated in olive oil, Old bay, and Lemon Pepper for thirty minutes in the fridge. I was going to make homemade Bearnaise sauce from my antique store find cookbook, The Cordon Bleu Cookbook, for the Filet Mignon but had limited resources, namely, tarragon vinegar. I've saved a neat glass bottle, washed it in hot soapy water, and am making my own tarragon vinegar tomorrow from my own herb supply. The baked potatoes were twice baked and the filling was comprised of wasabi, chedder cheese, real bacon, and sour cream. The veggies were roasted in the oven at 375 degress until most of the juices sloshing around at the bottom of the pan were cooked off. An enjoyable and relatively easy dinner for two. There were ample leftovers and I was able to fix a plate for Kevin later. A few days later I diced up the remaining filet mignon (minus the bacon), 6 or so shrimp, the roasted veggies and tossed them together in a medium bowl. I found a recipe for spinach pancakes and thought that the mixture would be good served over them and covered in a parmesan-chedder sauce. It worked out great. Two meals out of one.

I'm anxious to make homemade bearnaise sauce so when the tarragon vinegar is ready I'm making it. Here's a version from The Cordon Bleu Cookbook (page 137):

Bearnaise Sauce:

Ingredients:

2 egg yolks
1 tablespoon tarragon vinegar
2 tablespoons cream
salt, to taste
cayenne pepper, to taste
4 tablespoons fat (butter)
2 tablespoons chopped fresh herbs
1 tablespoon chopped fresh garlic (I'm subbing shallot instead which is more traditional)

Directions:

1. Put in a bowl egg yolks, vinegar, cream, salt, and cayenne pepper.

2. Put the bowl in a pan of hot water over a slow fire; beat until the sauce begins to thicken.

3. Add, bit by bit, the butter, herbs, and garlic. Whisk well to incorporate. Season to taste and serve warm.

I've researched different bearnaise recipes for the "chopped herbs" portion of the recipe. I'm assuming it would be some chopped fresh tarragon. It's going to be what I'll use. On the other hand I found some more different ways to prepare the sauce as well. I'll probably try this one too.

Monday, November 17, 2008

Some more fabulousity

The rear view of Killahevlin Bed and Breakfast

Bob hit it out of the park, yet again, for a wonderful wedding anniversary. Eighteen happy years full of growth, excitement, and friendship. I'm lucky to have him. He made reservations at my most favorite place in the world, Killahevlin Bed and Breakfast. Owned and operated by Tom and Kathy it is located in beautiful Front Royal Virginia. Bob had booked the Blue Room, in the main building, two years ago and we never forgot the experience. This time he booked the Raspberry Room. It's the room featured on the front page of the link above. A beautiful large room, I never wanted to leave it. We become friendly with few other couples who were staying at Killahevlin to take advantage of the weather-friendly hiking trails that are in the area that weekend. Two couples, specifically, came to re-visit their favorite restaurant Apt. 2G. Bob and I, regretfully, did not have an opportunity to eat there but it's only one more reason to come back to Killahevlin once more. We ate, instead, at the bistro underneath, and affliliated with, the restaurant Apt. 2G. Called Element, it is owned and operated by a duel-chef married couple. This was a great late afternoon lunch break and was, luckily, filling after wine tasting for three hours earlier.
















The Host and I at Element (aren't we fabulous!?)

We stumbled upon a book signing at the book store across the street from Element. Bob and I had the pleasure of meeting Lynne Johnson Lewis who is an author, poet, and humorist. She pleasantly signed two books for me, Cousin Birdlegs, and we visited and laughed with each other for about 30 minutes.




Some scenes from the car. The weather was unseasonably warm and the temperature actually peaked in the upper 70's on Saturday. The massive rain storm that was projected to come right for us was kind enough to skip around the area. It was a convertable-top down kind of day. Bob and I hated every minute of it.

Bob and I met many wonderful people that weekend. From seeing Tom again to meeting Phillip at The Wine and Duck we had a rich variety of people to eat and laugh with. The new wine and cheese shop on Main Street, Vino E Formaggio, provided entertainment in the form of Tory and Dennis. Light hearted friends whose carefree manner belies the fact that these men love their jobs and have a deep knowledge of wines and cheese. Bob and I had a lovely evening in our suite eating the delicious spoils from the store in the form of a creamy blue cheese, fresh sausage, and a delicious red that Dennis picked for us himself. Later, we enjoyed drinks and an appetizer, The Capri which was delicious, at the Lucky Star Lounge after leaving the cheese shop. The atmosphere was younger and the Oyster shooters that the lovely staff provided were sweet, spicy, and outstanding. Dennis sauntered over clutching his prized bottle of Mead and poked around a little with the owner and some of the wait staff. One can certainly assume that this is a friendly and close little town.

The best memories are of morning's in Killahevlin's dining room which was a pleasure. Tom, minus Kathy who just had a total knee replacement the Monday before, tended to each table professionally and with friendly charm. The chatter between tables livened the mood and the food was without fault. Breakfast, the owners relaxed charm, and the setting is enough to lull me back time and time again and to recommend Killahevlin to anyone who's willing to listen.


Sunday, November 16, 2008

Leftover bonanza: (RICH CHEESE CRUST)

I can't take it anymore. I am officially finished with the meat from our party. I am sick. Do you hear me. Sick of ham. The beef wasn't so bad and actually we finished the last of it in a beef pie. I wish I knew how to make decent "gravy" out of stock. I mean, I really wish I knew how. Nothing ruins a pot pie worse than a yucky gravy for the top. And we slather our pie's in gravy. I usually never have roast drippings when I have leftover meat. The gravy I made for the beef pie came from an experiment using au jus mix and beef stock. It was mediocre. I think I'm going to just reduce the stock next time and leave out the au jus. I added 2 tablespoons of tomato paste and about an 1/2 cup of red wine to the mix. I'm nixing the wine next time too. I thickened the broth with a slurry of corn starch and water. I think that's where it went really wrong. Now that I've researched gravy I see where it really went wrong. Corn starch is great in other areas but not as a gravy thickener. It's sorta a "blah" or "raw" taste to me. But it's what I've always known and I'm breaking that habit now. Here's a way I think I'm going to try next time (from cooks.com):

Melt butter in a saucepan then add flour. Blend together until no lumps are visible. Add salt and pepper. Cook and stir over medium heat for 5-10 minutes or until mixture starts to brown. Turn heat to low and slowly add warmed broth, stirring constantly. (note: use equal parts butter and flour).

The crust recipe was for a single crust. I borrowed the recipe from a new/old cookbook I found while going through an antique shop in Flint Hill Virginia. A great place by the way. Okay. So, I found a recipe for Chicken Pie in my The Cordon Blue Cookbook and loved the idea of a cheese crust for my beef pie. It's a rich crust with 3 egg yolks.

Rich Cheese Crust

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
4 tablespoons fat (Crisco)
3 egg yolks
2 tablespoons water
3 tablespoons grated sharp cheese ( I love Cracker Barrel extra sharp)
1/2 teaspoon smoky paprika

Directions:

1. Put flour on a large board, make a well in the center and put in the fat, egg yolks, water, grated cheese, paprika, and a pinch of salt.

2. Work the center ingredients into a smooth paste, and gradually move the side walls of the flour well in towards the center into a crumbly dough.

3. Gather the dough into a ball as well as you can without manipulating the dough excessively. Wrap the dough into plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. You'll be pleasantly surprised how the flour in the dough will be hydrated and pull together most of the loose bits.

4. After 30 minutes pull the dough from the refrigerator and remove from the wrap. On a floured board roll out "not too thin" and enough to cover the top of the pie nicely.

5. Trim the pie, brush with beaten egg, and bake as called for in the recipe.






Saturday, November 15, 2008

This time last week.....boo hoo

This was our breakfast last Saturday. Or, the beginning of our breakfast at Killahevlin in Front Royal Virginia. Tom, one half of the hosting team of Tom and Kathy, began our morning meal with vanilla custard filled tartlets, fresh berries, a melon ball sized scoop of homemade strawberry ice cream, and finished with a drizzle of strawberry sauce. Bob finished his meal with homemade whole wheat apple spiced pancakes and sausage. I had the sausage with 4 minutes eggs over whole grain toast. Just delicious! Tom was a beautiful host and accomodated my selfish request for the four minute eggs. Lucky us had our breakfast before the power went out. Tom definately had his hands full that morning.

Here's a freaky view from the front porch through the leaded window into the parlor.

Stained glass off of the back dining area.

On our way out to the parking area. Charlotte was busy the night before.

Tom outdid (is that a word?) himself Sunday morning. I mean OUTDID himself. This, my friends, is Killahevlin-style Eggs Benedict. Tom made a waffle which consisted of cheese and herbs. It was orgasmic. I love Eggs Benedict but this by far was the best I've EVER had. Tom was so accomodating and served everyone, which consisted of five couples, fresh hot breakfast. We started with poached pears which were delicious. These, apparently, were Kathy's speciality. As we found out the night before though, Kathy is laid up in the the Plum Cottage Suite (being tended to by Tom) recovering from a total knee replacement. We all wish her well. Bob and I had a beautiful weekend and WILL be back again!