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Lecture with Hiroko Shimbo: Umami, The Fifth Taste Sensation

July 25, 2010 | Print

Umami, the flavor enhancer and fifth taste sensation after sweet, salty, sour and bitter, is now an often heard word in our culinary conversations, but it so often lacks a clear definition and a clear understanding in the cooking community. Though Umami is an attribute of many foods, not necessarily Japanese, it is in the Japanese kitchen where this attribute has been clearly recognized and incorporated into the cuisine.

Hiroko Shimbo, a chef and authority on Japanese cuisine, explores and explains Umami at a special lecture at Bret’s Table. She will define this taste sensation, describe the food elements in which it is found, and how the concept of Umami is fundamentally related to Japanese cuisine. With this understanding, anyone who enjoys cooking can be aware of and utilize the benefits and attributes of Umami in their own cuisine.

Wednesday, August 11, 2010, 7:00 pm – 8:00 pm
$25 per person, seating limited to 15 people

Bret’s Table
3617 38th Avenue South, Minneapolis MN

For more information or to sign up for the lecture, contact Bret Bannon.

Posted in Cooking Classes, General Blog, Ingredients | Leave a comment

Piccolo, On Key?

July 17, 2010 | Print

Recently, three friends and I met at Piccolo, Doug Flicker’s new baby. Or rather ,I suppose, his toddler in restaurant years, as it has now been open for several months at 43rd and Bryant, Minneapolis. I’d heard mixed reviews, including one example where someone had an $8 meatball as part of their recent dinner. Really, could that be true, I asked myself?

Then I started doing the math, dividing the cost of other multi-course meals I’ve enjoyed and an $8 meatball could be on par. However, it better be an out-of-this-world sphere of ground beef! From Flicker’s days at Auriga, I knew he and his team put out some fantastic food there, so I was eager to check it out his new place for myself and at the same time reminisce with my dining companions about our recent trip to France.

Kevin arrived first and, unbeknownst to me, was the only one that had been to Piccolo prior to our evening together. He conveyed to us at the table that while he was waiting for us to arrive, he was chatting with the waitperson. He asked if it would be possible to add one extra bite to the portions as four would be dining this evening. He had enjoyed dinner before with 2 other friends and the portions were perfect for three. We weren’t expecting something for nothing, he said. However “out of the question” was the response given to him. “Portions are not meant to be shared.” Well, okay then!

Reflecting on it further, I would have never dreamed of asking any of the restaurants in France to accommodate such a request, so why would we expect it here? The difference is that in France, it is drilled into your head that there are no substitutions and no changes to the menu. Here in States, we get what we want, when we want it, right? I’m not inferring that this is a good philosophy and kudos for Flicker for sticking to his guns. As so often is the case in a conversation, the delivery is paramount. It wasn’t what the waiter said, it was how he said it.

As we were escorted to our table, it wasn’t until we marched through the kitchen that I realized there was a back dining room. That wasn’t an issue for me because: 1) you get to see how clean the kitchen is and 2) you might actually have the opportunity to say hello to the chef as you pass through on the way to your table.

Once seated, we began perusing the menu and the two wine lists. I’m still not sure why there were two lists ,though from what I could tell, one had exorbitant and the other affordable prices. In the end, we chose a Burgundian red from the affordable list. Of the 17 choices on the menu we decided on 12, though we knew the upcoming portion sizes. Reluctantly we decided to share each, as there were so many that looked tantalizingly delicious.

The first four plates to arrive included Spanish mojama with fried artichokes, radishes, black olive puree and arugula $10

Avocado with asparagus, cucumbers, hen of the wood mushrooms and pickled sunchokes $9

Roasted beets with strawberries, tomato washed pecorino and olive oil jelly $9

Bone marrow gnocchi with veal heart, Italian parsley puree and bread crumbs $11

Next were Ocean trout with English shell peas, sea beans and king crab stuffed pasta $12

Seared tuna with salt packed anchovies, Swiss chard, black olive puree and onion “tart tartin” $14

Berkshire pork jowls with plum confit, asparagus, green top radishes and whole grain mustard $12

Rabbit loin with pistachios, artichokes, smoked eggplant and bacon aigre doux $13

Callister Farms chicken with golden raisins, smoked bacon, wild mushrooms and purslane $13

Stone Bridge Farms veal with fava beans, potato and miso pave and white shoyu $14

Banana crostada with housemade ricotta and chocolate $7

Coconut cake with white chocolate, bergamot mascarpone and butter almond ice cream $7

We enjoyed a lively conversation about who’s taking French classes where, what was happening in each of our lives this summer, and favorite new restaurants we had tried recently.

What struck us as unnerving though was the attitude of the gentleman serving us at the table. It was somewhere between arrogance and nonchalance. Finally after the second round of plates, he decided to change our silverware and offered us new tasting plates. My sense was that doing that seemed odd to him. However, had I’d ordered four courses myself; it would have been natural to have new silverware for each course. I’m not sure if that was an unfounded expectation on our part or not.

As an aside, I had a conversation with another friend who dined there recently and the experience she and her husband had with their wait staff was totally pleasant. Maybe the poor guy was having a bad day — who knows? Did it ruin the evening? No. The whole experience just made us all a little uncomfortable. Maybe it was the sharing of each dish that threw him off.

As much as I wanted to taste all of the dishes, if there is a return visit, I’d opt out of sharing . One bite is not enough to enjoy all the complex flavors on the plate. I hope that Piccolo succeeds in the neighborhood and that folks will appreciate the craft that it takes to produce wonderful food both for the eyes and palate. Good customer service takes energy and training as well, so I hope that our experience was just a fluke.

Posted in General Blog, Restaurant Reviews | Leave a comment

Ahh, Bacon and Eggs for Breakfast -

July 14, 2010 | Print

God bless Charlie! Poor lad, he sprained his ankle in the process of setting up the screened sleeping porch with the most comfortable queen-size bed. A colorful duvet, Provençal-colored sheets of yellow and periwinkle blue along with six down pillows were just what the doctor ordered for a little R & R during our stay at American Masala. My only wish was that Mom could have been able to sleep in this room, as it was just so darn comfortable. Unfortunately, it was just a little too far from the washroom for her. The porch was lined with operable windows, allowing for the night breezes to drift in, along with the aromas of the farm.

The morning sun arrived early (about 5:30am) streaming through the windows, but our slumber continued for another 2 ½ hours even through the crowing of Mr. Rooster. Pulling up my Dr. Dentons, so to speak, I wandered into the big kitchen for my first cup of café au lait. Now if I could just remember the name of the fabulous Italian espresso machine…

Suvir had already gathered in eggs from the coop that morning and had the ¼-inch cut bacon on the grates, ready for the oven. My task involved making Mom’s “famous” biscuits for the crowd. Suvir was telling the story that just the day prior, Rose Levy Beranbaum was visiting the farm and Suvir had made her the biscuits. Rose is now a convert to the ways of Grandma Norris’ southern biscuits. Even Suvir’s technique is a riff on the original though, so I acquiesced and made them using his technique. I have to say, I still like the original recipe the best.

After breakfast, it was time for a road-trip, first stopping at a farm called GardenWorks, owned by Ron & Meg Southerland at the MacClan Farm. The barn used to house either a dairy or chicken & egg production facility. I can’t remember now which Ron had said, but it has now been converted to an “old country store.” The farm is fully operational today with flowers, herbs, potted plants, produce, and an array of other products being produced and sold right onsite.

They have a delightful assortment of jams, jellies, and other items made by local artisans as well as a selection of cheeses and meats all locally produced. In addition to their food products, they also have small giftware for sale as well. The second level of the store is set up with a wonderful art gallery. GardenWorks hosts myriad local artists providing a venue for displaying their art. Also, in the second floor is a space to dry the flowers and herbs that the farm grows for dried flower arrangements, wreaths, and such.

An interesting program that GardenWorks offers is their Raspberry Rewards Program. Started last year, they have invited guests to come to the farm during the month of October to help with the harvesting. For every pound the guest picks for the farm, they can pick an additional pound for themselves to take home. With over 2 acres of raspberries to be picked, it’s a great way to get the berries harvested and to share back with the community.

Upon leaving GardenWorks, we made our way to Saratoga Springs. Suvir had been raving about a boulangerie there called Mrs. London’s. The owner had trained in France and has brought his talents to this wonderful little neck-of-the-woods. They do everything right, down to using farm fresh eggs, of course, from heritage hens of American Masala. Their breads are delicious with their crusty exterior and airy crumb; they could almost make you weep. Oh and don’t forget the pastries! I believe we sampled them all with each one better than the last.

After eating way too much, we headed back to Hebron for the annual 4th of July parade, arriving just as the last neighboring county fire truck was passing by. So it was back to the farm for an afternoon glass of wine, a taste of the cheese we had purchased at GardenWorks and to prepare another dinner.

This time, it was tenderloin steaks with the added pleasure of lobster tails; both supplied by Allen Brothers. We also enjoyed a Caprese Salad and another batch of red potatoes and sautéed green beans. It was my turn to choose a wine with dinner. Luckily for us, there was a bottle of Pommard from Côte de Beaune of Burgundy in the wine room with our name written all over it. If you’ve never had the pleasure of experiencing this delightful, full-bodied red wine, I encourage you to seek it out at your first available opportunity. More pastries from Mrs. London’s rounded out dinner with delightful conversations with Betty and Dennis who joined us all for dinner.

Posted in General Blog, Travel | 8 Comments

Happy 4th, Indeed!

July 10, 2010 | Print

What a delight too not only spend another 4th of July with good friends Suvir and Charlie at their farm American Masala, but having my Mom and brother join Jon and me for the weekend at the farm in upstate New York was a treat.

Waking at 5:00 am, our friend Carolyn picked us up and shortly thereafter Jon and I were off to MSP for a crack of dawn departure. Going through security, TSA did a double take with the five pounds of self-rising flour and quart of fresh green beans from the gardens that were in my carry-on.

We made our way to gate B17, which if you’ve ever flown from that gate, it’s practically at Fort Snelling; it’s that far out. We waited and waited to board with more waiting involved and still no coffee. Then there was the announcement stating that we were waiting for the flight crew. I was thinking to myself, “they couldn’t have over-slept; could they have over-slept? We’ve got to get going or we’ll miss our connecting flight and then Mom and Kevin will be waiting for us…and I didn’t want that to happen.”

Come to find out the crew had papers to arrive at another gate. Luckily, they arrived soon, we boarded the puddle jumper and off we went to Cincinnati. We made our connection and set down in Albany, New York about 12:30 pm. While we waited for Mom and Kevin, Jon secured the rental car so that we could get out of town as soon as they arrived.

About two hours later we turned onto Chamberlain Road. I knew then that we were within yards of a piece of heaven. Charlie and Suvir greeted us with a warm welcome as did the geese, ducks, and goats along with their Blue Tick, Aisha and Sebastian their Labrador (I think he’s a Lab, but I’m not up on my dog breeds.) Poor Sebastian though, had a lamp shade around his head due to a recent surgery. He seemed to be taking it all in stride. Or maybe it was just too hot to move.

After a rest from our travels, we gathered in the kitchen to start cooking dinner. The green beans came out of the suitcase and I was in charge of washing, snapping and blanching them. These would later be sautéed with some garlic in olive oil and butter and topped with a little sea salt and freshly ground black pepper. Suvir got to work on the steak au poivre and confit of red potatoes. What is a confit of potatoes you ask? These are potatoes that have been blanched, dried, covered with oil to which has been added some fresh herbs and a bulb of garlic. They are then simmered in the oven for about an hour and come out tender, crispy and delicious. It goes to show you that you can confit anything. It just means cooking something slowly that is covered in fat!

By this time, Suvir’s friends Bill and Holly arrived with their daughter Carmen. Come to find out Holly grew up in Collegeville, near Saint John’s University (SJU), where I went to graduate school. Her sister owns/owned Kay’s Kitchen in Saint Joseph, MN and another sister used to teach cooking classes at Cooks of Crocus Hill. Talk about a small world! Oh and by the way, Holly attended The College of Saint Benedict for a time; the woman’s college near SJU. Bill and Holly both work now at the C.I.A. in Greystone. Needless to say, there would be a lot of foodies around the dinner table.

The new arrivals relaxed while Jon jumped in setting the large farm table in the dining room with silver, glasses, and colorful napkins from India. With Charlie out of commission, Holly fetched a bottle of red from the wine room and we sat down to a wonderful dinner that began our weekend at American Masala.

Posted in General Blog, Travel | 2 Comments

A Pinch of Salt!

June 26, 2010 | Print

Chef’s rarely if ever use table salt for any number of reasons including the fact that they cannot pick it up with their fingers. And, you’d never find a line cook reaching for a measuring spoon! They keep a stash of salt in a bowl of some kind and always have it at hand to season and give life to what they may be cooking.

With salts now being harvested throughout the world, each with their own distinct flavor, there is now available a beautiful vessel to store and them close at hand. For anyone who has been to Bret’s Table, you may have noticed such a box, made of oak and always sitting near the cook-top. It’s my salt box handcrafted by my brother Kevin. Kevin has always been great with his hands and for many years has used that talent as a full-time electrician. In his spare time he built himself a workshop to construct and refinish furniture.

Knowing his talent with wood and my love of cooking, I bugged him for years to construct for me a salt box that had three compartments so that my various flavors would be close at hand. He finally came up with a design that has compartments large enough that one can easily retrieve a pinch of salt with their fingers or if baking, spoon out a teaspoon for a favorite cookie recipe.

Over the holidays, our dear friend, Chef Suvir Saran was visiting and noticed the box. He immediately fell in love with it and begged Kevin to make him one as well. From there a business was born. Kevin now constructs boxes made from oak and cherry wood; with one to three compartments – they can be rectangle or round and all made by hand.

Below are just a few examples that he constructs. If you would like purchase a box or need more details about these wonderful kitchen vessels please contact Kevin directly at srkban04@hotmail.com.

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Lèche-Vitrines – Window Shopping

June 14, 2010 | Print

From what I understand, lèche-vitrines literally means “to lick the window,” even though it is generally translated to mean “window shopping”. I like “to lick the window” or “licking the window” better. This is something we did quite a bit of while we were in France. Whether it was in front of a pâtisserie, chocolatier, or a realty office (Jon’s always looking for property to purchase in France), we left many a window needing to be cleaned due to our nose prints being left on them.

It’s no secret that friends of mine and I have spent quite some time perfecting our French macaron baking skills. Therefore, every chance I get I am admiring and tasting these delectable little confections. It is probably for the best that I have never kept count of how many I’ve eaten in a single day.

Once again, I was on a chocolate hunt for the best to be found in Paris. Jon swears two years ago, I actually purchased the chocolate-covered frommage from Jean-Paul Hévin. Of course, I don’t remember making such a purchase. Or, was it that I just wanted to return for another taste of chèvre, Roquefort, or thyme-infused frommage, each enrobed in the finest of chocolates? Then with Mother’s Day just around the corner (at that time), what would be more fitting for Mom then a stiletto made entirely of chocolate?

Fortunately, I didn’t have the same experience David Lebovitz had at Hévin back in 2006. He was told by the salesperson that pictures could not be taken until after a purchase was made. Not that I attempted to take any photos, but they were at least pleasant. Maybe the marketing or HR department of Hévin read David’s blog!

We were strolling along Rue Cler on a Thursday and just happened to receive a phone call from our friend Alison. She knew of my obsession with chocolate and directed us to our latest must-go-to destination near the Tour de Eiffel: Michel Chaudun, 149 Rue de l’Université, (in the 7th). What a delightful gentleman he is! But, I was thinking to myself, it will be a very sad day when M. Chaudun retires.

He didn’t speak any English, but he was charming, engaging, and was delighted to share an assortment of chocolates with us. I’m so glad Alison sent us his way, as his chocolates were as divine as his shop with its chocolate sculptures including a beautifully ornate Easter egg, replicas of a couple of sausages, and Nefertiti’s head in white chocolate.

If one is not up to cooking on a particular evening and you happen to live in nor are visiting Cannes, one’s choice of deli fare is far from mundane. There are numerous, glorious options such as a roasted tomato tart, spicy roasted sardines, seafood pate in aspic, or a Salade Niçoise to go along with your vin de mason.

Also, from what I understand, very few folks in France bake desserts. Why would you with something like this raspberry tart ready to be plucked from this pastry window? If you do ever have the urge to cook pastries, it’s amazing what is available in the supermarket: items such as fresh (not frozen, mind you) all-butter puff pastry and tart crusts ready to be set on a pan or lined in a tart pan and baked.

Now that I’m looking through all my photos, I’m disappointed at the limited number that I actually took. I suppose I was doing more window-licking then picture taking at the time. There’s always next time though…

Posted in General Blog, Travel | Leave a comment

Taking a Break from Vacation Pictures

June 6, 2010 | Print

Jon, once again, has outdone himself planting the vegetable garden. The weather was unseasonably warm in April and he got a little ahead of himself getting everything in the ground. Then in typical Minnesota fashion, we had a cold snap in May, topped off by a week or so of rain. Consequently, some of the bean and the squash seeds rotted and therefore had to be replanted as did the Rainbow Swiss Chard. A squirrel or some darn varmint really took a liking to one of the tomato plants. It looked as though something was using it as a springboard. Needless to say, we’ve had to replace that one plant three times.

We have six different tomato and five different sweet pepper varieties, as well as various squash and cucumber varieties. I’m looking forward to making lots of tomato paste and pepper relish come August.

The beans are coming in nicely. We cannot wait for that first tender harvest to blanch then sauté with fresh garlic and olive oil.

The garlic scapes are about ready to harvest as well. I’m thinking I’ll sauté these then add them to a frittata. Generally, garlic is harvested in July, but with all the warm weather, we may be digging up the bulbs before then. I probably should ask the Garlic Man at the Saint Paul Farmer’s Market what he thinks the garlic harvest will be this year.

The first crop of French radishes has been harvested. Wash and trim, then slice them into fourths halfway down the center. Place in ice water for about an hour or so. When ready to eat, remove them from the water and shake off to dry. Have a small dish of your best sea salt and butter ready to go. Spread a little butter on the end of the radish and dip in salt. These are delicious with an aperitif!

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Forville Market in Cannes

May 19, 2010 | Print

We were up bright and early Wednesday morning and queued-up for a caravan to Cannes. If we didn’t leave by 8:00am we’d be stuck in the morning computer traffic. This time we all made it to the designated parking garage without anyone getting lost or accidentally ending up on the A8. Cars in the parking garage are packed in like sardines, but we find spots relatively close to each other and head up towards the market. First though, we stop at a patisserie by the name of PAUL which is very near the market.

Another reason not to be late is the fact that our selection of scrumptious goodies like a buttery Chausson aux Pommes, Pain au Chocolat, classic Croissant or maybe a Tart au Citron would be limited.

The young man behind the counter carefully wrapped up our treasures and we made our way to the opposite end of the block for our Café Long, Espresso or Café au lait. Generally, one doesn’t take pastries from one shop to enjoy at another, but Kathie has been visiting these two establishments for many years, so she and her students are granted the exception.

After breakfast we head down the street stopping at a couple of butcher shops and a little establishment that specializes in all things foie gras. We then pop over to the actual “farmer’s market” where Kathie introduces us to various farmers and the fisherman’s wives who are selling their spouses daily catch. We have time to purchase some artisan cheese, some fabulous olives or another pastry for immediate sustenance or to enjoy later.

From the market we all head down a walking street with Kathie stopping at various storefronts specializing in food — of course. She points out how each egg is marked with a date and serial number and how the poultry also has a serial number so that any mishap of illness can be traced back directly to the farmer. We stop at one of the best cheese shops in Cannes which has been owned by the Ceneri family for many years to pick out half a dozenor so wonderful varieties for a cheese lesson and tasting one evening.