Photograph by Steve Young-Burns

Memory fails me on how we ended up at Solo-Vino one particular evening about four years ago.  Was it happenstance or an email blast that brought us to a tasting of wines from Domaine Rouge-Bleu and to meet the wine maker M. Jean-Marc Espinasse?  Regardless, of how we ended up there, we have been blessed knowing Jean-Marc and enjoying the wines that his family produces about 25 minutes north of Avignon.

Every March Jean-Marc returns to Minnesota to introduce us to his new vintages and for the third year 128 Café has hosted a Wine Maker’s Dinner featuring the wines of Rouge-Bleu.  The moment the email came from Jean-Marc announcing his arrival and another dinner, I was on the phone to the 128 to make reservations.  The evening did not disappoint.

We arrived at our table to find a platter of the Cafe’s famous apple chutney, goat cheese croquettes and grilled crostini.  Glasses of Dentelle Rosé 2011 were set before each of us to enjoy with our amuse bouche.  This rosé is smooth and light being pressed from the grapes of Grenache and Carignan.  The name in English means lace, which is a perfect name for this beautiful wine.  The same wine remained flowing as we enjoyed our next course which was a lemon-caper risotto with spicy grilled calamari, basil oil and pickled carrot.  As they say, what grows together goes together and this pairing could not have been more perfect with citrus, capers and the fruits of the sea.

A panzanella salad with spinach, arugula, radish, fennel, cucumber and white beans was enjoyed for Act 3  along with a cream of artichoke and asparagus soup.   Thank goodness the chef did not add tomatoes which are traditional for such a salad.  We’ll wait until summer for that addition.  What we did enjoy were some of the abundance that is now in season both in the salad and soup.  A Chateau de l’Aiguillette Muscadet 2011 was poured and enjoyed.

Our plat choices were either an artichoke and spinach stuffed chicken breast with polenta and vegetable salicon; a beef tenderloin stroganoff with crimini mushrooms, fresh herbs, spaetzle and grilled asparagus or a mahi mahi on saffron-caper basmati rice with grilled zucchini and a tomato-leek purée.  The majority of the table went with the  stroganoff, which seemed perfect on a chilly (okay cold) early spring evening.

I guess Jean-Marc couldn’t decide as both his Dentelle Rouge 2010 and his Mistral Rouge 2010 (a blend of grenache, syrah, mourvedre, and rousssan) were poured.  On the nose the Dentelle Rouge was full of red fruits like currants with a hint of smokiness.   The Mistral, named after the strong winds that blow through the Rhone valley,  had the intensity of dark red fruit with spice.  The intensity however was not heavy and it had an enjoyable long finish.

Brock and Natalie Obee would be proud that the Café continues to thrive in the basement of an apartment complex across from the campus of the University of Saint Thomas.  We took a peek at their regular menu and the famous 128 Café ribs are still on the menu.  They are the best!  Luckily, the Obee’s shared the recipe once at a cooking class and I was fortunate to be in attendance.  They are magic on your tongue.  128 Café, Cleveland Avenue North, Saint Paul MN. 651.645.4128.  For more information on the wines that Jean-Marc produces and where they can be purchased, check out his check out his website at Domaine Rouge Bleu.

Late winter finds the hearty folks in Minnesota climbing over mounds of packed snow or dodging large puddles of melting ice.  You must really want to go out when it’s not a necessity.  Cabin fever was exactly what drew Jon and me out on a recent school night, arriving at Eat Street Social for their first ever Bittercube Cocktail Dinner.  You know it’s going to be a good evening when you are handed an aperitif of sparkling wine with a Demerara cube, bark vanilla, and orange bitters even before you peel off your Michelin-man looking overcoat.

Two handsome chaps Nick and Ira, greeted us.  Come to find out they are not only part owners of Eat Street Social but are also the masterminds behind Bittercube.  As we made our way to our table, we knew we’d be dining with The Cake Diva and her husband (Mr. Cake Diva).  However, to our pleasant surprise we’d also be sharing it with Tracy and Molly, the co-owners of Kitchen in the Market.  From the get-go, it was clear we were going to have some fun!

Nick and Ira gave us the lay of the land for the evening.  All five flavor senses would be hitting our tongues:  salty, sweet, bitter, sour, and umami, each focusing on one flavor per course.  In the middle of our table was a large platter of delectable spices, herbs, dried flowers, and several kinds of citrus zests surrounding a mason jar of eau-de-vie.

It would be the job of the table to come up with our own version of “bitters” that we would enjoy with our dessert cocktail later in the evening.  Let’s put a few of each of the zests in the jar.  Oh what the heck, we all piped in, put in all the zest as well as some tarragon and thyme.

I voted for the addition of a few jasmine flowers and a sprig of rosemary – so Provençal.  After adding a half dozen other spices, some of which we crushed in a napkin and the bottom of a glass, we closed the lid and shook it periodically to “brew” it to perfection.

For our first course we enjoyed a beautiful presentation of Tuna Tartare with a beet vermouth foam and the cherry bark vanilla bitters.  I was leery when I saw the word “foam” as it can look like something narely.   What was presented wasn’t necessarily “foamy”, but creamy and light in texture and crimson in color.  It was beautiful and tasted sublime.  It was paired with a Cocchi Vermouth Rosa & Americano, with a Reposado Tequila, Meyer lemon, cherry bark vanilla bitters, and seltzer.

Our “salty” flavor was a Breseola Spring Roll with a “Cocktail Sauce”.  The breseola was house cured and each thin slice rolled with shreds of Diakon radish, carrots, and cilantro.  The “cocktail sauce” was a thickened version of the cocktail that was paired with this course: a Johnny Drum Private Stock, with lemon, simple Aperol, fish sauce, and grapefruit oil.  The salty component was indeed present in both the spring roll and cocktail, but it was so disappointing that only one spring roll was served.  And, whoever heard of adding fish sauce to a cocktail?  I wonder how it would taste in a Bloody Mary?

I don’t recall whether it Nick or Ira that explained how the brandy was “sous vided” with hazelnuts and almonds.  Regardless, it was used as part of our next cocktail that also included Benzinger Chardonnay, prune extract, honey syrup, lemon zest, and Bolivar Bitters.  This cocktail was served with my favorite course: a seared scallop nuzzled up to a hunk of braised bacon atop a swath of jalapeno fig jam.  Imagine on your tongue the sweetness of the scallop, then the saltiness of the bacon, throwing in a little heat and the jam’s fruit for good measure.

The winter evening was perfect for our next course of a duck breast and foie gras roulade with perfectly sautéed Hedgehog mushrooms, accompanied by  cauliflower purée, and black brandy gel.  Mushrooms are a classic example if one is going for the taste of umami.  We enjoyed them not only with the duck, but also in our cocktail of Armagnac, Gamle Ode Dill Aquavit, lemon, porcini Infused Carpano Antica, and a porcini tincture.

Our dessert was a lovely Cara Cara Tart made with cara cara navel oranges, grapefruit, pink peppercorns, and barrel-aged blood orange bitters.  Presented with it was a cocktail of Barrel-aged Rehorst Gin, Dolin Dry Vermouth, Lillet, Averna Amara, and the bitters we had created.  The gents instructed us to first taste the cocktail and then enjoy a bite of dessert.

Afterwards we took an eyedropper of the “brewed” tincture, squirted it around the inside of the cocktail glass with any remaining going into the cocktail itself.  What an amazing transformation a squirt of the tincture gave to our “naked” drink.

The best lesson learned of the evening is that anyone can make his or her own bitters.  If you can’t find eau-de-vie use any high quality neutral vodka as your base then add the herbs and spices you have on hand.

While at dinner we all begged the boys to schedule their next Bittercube Cocktail Dinner.  It appears they have for Wednesday, March 20 at 6:30 pm.

Eat Street Social, 18 West 28th Street, Minneapolis MN – 612.877.8111.  We can’t be there this time around, but we’re sure hoping that they will have a Cocktail Dinner III.

Photograph by Steve Young-Burns

Recipe coming soon.

The winner is Dawn Kelly!  Dawn – Please go to the contact page on my website and send me your address.  I’ll get it in the mail to you.  Thanks everyone for commenting on my blog.  There will be other opportunities to win stuff from Bret’s Table.

The Market bags I had designed and manufactured are now finished.  I’ll be giving one away similar to this one in the photograph.  To win it, all you have to do is comment on one of my blogs between now and the last day of February 2013.  Jon will draw a name on March 1st and his decision will be final.  I’ll post the name of the winner on a blog post in March.

Fine Print
Be sure your comment doesn’t look like spam 0therwise, I won’t be able to post it and your name won’t be in the drawing.

When one scores dinner reservations for four only 2 days hence at one of the premier restaurants in the US, the feeling is as if you’ve hit the jackpot.  That’s precisely what happened during our recent visit to the Sonoma Valley in California when we nabbed a table at Thomas Keller’s Bouchon restaurant in nearby Napa Valley’s Yountville.

The reservation was for 6:00 pm on a Friday evening.  According to our GPS, it was to take 45 minutes to travel from Rohnert Park to Yountville.   That amount of time might be accurate if one is traveling at 7:30 am on a Tuesday, but not 5:00 pm on a Friday.  When traveling in the evening it takes a good hour and 20 minutes, unless of course Jon is the chauffeur.  See, he’s had experience both on the back roads of Missouri and the switchbacks to Moustier, France.  We went over the “mountain” between Rohnert Park and Yountville, not around it.  If you’ve ever taken that route as the sun is setting and you are in a hurry, which I don’t recommend, you will know the use for the oh sh@t handles in a car such as a Crown Victoria.

We called ahead to let them know that we were running a bit late and wanted to arrive in one piece.  Unfortunately, the response from the person on the phone was, “We’ll only keep the reservation for 15 minutes after your scheduled arrival.”  I thought, “Really, even with a phone call?”  So we pressed on; well Jon pressed on the gas pedal.  We arrived with five minutes to spare, and all needing a serious cocktail.

Jon ordered a classic “Sidecar”, giving our delightful waiter the recipe of his preference – equal parts Hennessey, Grand Marnier, freshly squeezed lemon juice and simple syrup; shaken and served up with a sugared rim.  Easy, enough right?  Unfortunately, what was delivered fell far short of the intent.  So much so, that it was sent back to the bar and Jon ended up drinking a Coke.  Our remaining cocktails, an Eva Peron, Manhattan and Pont Neuf were all good but not stellar.  However, I wasn’t about to send mine back.  With nerve ends retracting, we perused the menu.

We were at Bouchon, the Bouchon so tasting several appetizers were in order.  Since I have made Brandade de Morue, right off the bat I wanted to try Keller’s version of the Beinets de Brandade de Morue with tomato confit and fried sage.  They were better than good; light but creamy and melt in your mouth with the confit as the perfect accompaniment.

The house made charcuterie platter was a delight for the taste buds with Jon and myself enjoying a short tower of oysters as well.  But then again, I’ve never met an oyster that I didn’t like – well once in Ventura, CA, but that’s another story.

The plat du jour for one of my dinner companions was the Roasted Sole.  To quote her, “I’ve cooked better plates in my Basics 101 culinary class”.  Off the menu, another of the four at our table ordered the Poulet Rôti with whole grain mustard spaetzle, trumpet mushrooms, butternut squash with a sauce forestière.  Jon decided on the Risotto aux Topinambours; a roasted sunchoke risotto with a brown butter sauce with a generous shaving of fresh black truffles for an extra $25.  For myself the Lotte de Mer Rôtie; a pan-roasted monkfish, braised oxtail, French green lentils, matignon of root vegetables and kale with a sauce bordelaise seemed the best choice.

I won, I won!  Not really, for I am sad to say that I was the only one that chose wisely!  My three dinner companions were underwhelmed with their choices.  My fish, however, was perfectly prepared; the French lentils tender and not overcooked as can easily happen.  The sauce was divine, so much so that I still have the memory of its deliciousness.  What did fall short was the glass of wine from Burgundy that our waiter paired with my plat.  Much to my dismay not all French wines are created equal even at $15 -$16 a glass.

Hope springs eternal or should we cut our loses were my thoughts as we contemplated ordering desserts.  Jon checked to see how late The Girl and the Fig was opened that evening.  Unfortunately, there’s no way we could make it back to Sonoma before they closed, so we took our chances and kept our fingers crossed.

We ordered the Marquise au Chocolat (dark chocolate mousse and caramelized orange cream), the Profiteroles with vanilla ice cream and chocolate sauce, and the Pomme au Four Meringuée (baked apple filled with poached prunes, walnut lady finger and toasted meringue).  It’s hard to mess up chocolate mousse, right?  Luckily they didn’t, but the caramelized orange cream was inedible.  The cream puffs with ice cream and chocolate sauce were good, but Jon said he’d had better.  The baked apple was so close to perfection, but even a small pool of crème anglaise would have set it on it’s deserved pedestal. As it was served, it came in second place.

We all had such high hopes and expectations for our dining experience and, I believe, rightly so.   As I reflect on the experience, how was it even possible that we could get a 6:00 pm reservation at Bouchon in Yountville, California on a Friday night with just two days notice?  Should that have been our first clue? Our first impression was made even before we arrived with a very unpleasant telephone conversation and then a cool reception when we arrived.  I thought we looked presentable, maybe a little frazzled, but it wasn’t like we were wearing ripped jeans and Van Halen t-shirts!  Nothing against Van Halen, but every attire has its place.

I’ve enjoyed cooking from Keller’s The French Laundry and Ad Hoc cookbooks so I know of his attention to detail and the superb quality for which he strives.  It’s not that the evening was horrible, but very sad to say we were just underwhelmed.  There were so many other places we could have dined in this part of California on that particular evening—and likely had a much better experience.  Bouchon, 6534 Washington Street, Yountville, CA 94599
(707) 944-8037

Before heading to the Fancy Food Show in San Francisco recently, I spent a delightful couple of days in Sonoma with Jon and friends tasting some of the best food and wine the valley had to offer.  Driving from San Francisco to the Sonoma Valley we anxiously anticipated a day of wine tasting, but thought it best to first have a little something to eat.

From the back seat of a Crown Victoria (really? thank you Thrifty Car Rental), our friend Janan (The Cake Diva) frantically “goolged” restaurants in the area and came up with the girl and the fig. What a delightful find!  The patio was covered and heated so we were able to enjoy lunch al fresco and sans coats, allowing our bodies to thaw a bit from the Minnesota cold.  Our waiter was a pleasure with which to chat and very knowledgeable not only with the menu that had been set before us, but other places to enjoy great dining in the area.  (I’ll post her suggestions on my blog sidebar.)

Ironically, but not surprising, I ordered a glass of French rosé from Domaine de Nizas 2011.  Hey it was the only rosé on the menu and with an 80 degree differential within hours, it felt like summer!  Of course after just a sip from my glass Janan had to order a glass for herself.  It was so delicious, bursting with fruit but yet with a balance of acidity.  It paired perfectly with the house-made charcuterie platter that was the entreé to our lunch.

Not remembering if we ordered the fig & arugula salad, but now looking a the menu, I wish we had as it included toasted pecans, dried figs, in-house pancetta, laura chenel chèvre with a fig and port vinaigrette. For our ‘plat principal’ David, Janan’s husband, and I both ordered the duck confit; one leg each not two with sweet potato lyonnaise, bacon and Brussels sprouts.  I confess I wanted to see if their confit was as good as mine.  I have to admit it was right on the mark – tender from the bone and full of flavor.  Jon savored the oxtail risotto and Janan enjoyed their signature beef carpaccio.

We had a tad more room to enjoy a cheese course. I was surprised that, of the ten choices of fromage on the menu, six were from France.  Looking at their website I now understand why as their by-line is “country food with a French passion”.  We were delighted with our choices which included L’Édel de Cleron, a pasteurized version of the famous Vacherin Mont d’Or, the famous Laura Chenel Chèvre with its creamy texture and delicate flavor, and the Petit Agour, a raw sheep’s milk, supple, smooth and pale ivory in color.

It was a difficult decision to not conclude our lunch with one of the desserts on the menu.  A few of our options were a Meyer lemon trifle with Meyer lemon curd, lemon chiffon, huckleberry compote, and almond meringue; a walnut clafouti with fromage blanc ice cream, brandy caramel, and candied walnuts; a chocolate caramel tart with salted caramel ice cream; or a lavender crème brûlée.  Alas, it was none of the above as Sonoma’s tasting rooms were calling. Reflecting on all the desserts we ordered in other restaurants during our bay area visit, I’m guessing any of these would have out-shined them all.  I would highly recommend this gem for lunch or dinner if you are anywhere near Santa Rosa, CA. 110 West Spain Street, Sonoma, CA 95476. 707.938.3634.

Next Blogs: Wine Tasting in Sonoma, Dinner at Bouchon, and Restaurants in San Francisco

The abundance of citrus in the markets continues so tis the season to enjoy them at every opportunity.  Just the other night I sautéed a couple of pieces of halibut and served it with a citrus sauce and slices of grapefruit supremes alongside.  What I love about the bright and crisp flavors of citrus is that it reminds me of the more pleasant days of summer during the cold Minnesota winters.

Something else to do during winter is watch episodes of Julia Child: Cooking with Master Chefs.  One particular episode I enjoyed watching was a chef making a citrus fruit galette.  She thinly sliced some lemons, fanned the slices on a round of pastry dough, sprinkle them with sugar, then folded the dough around the fruit forming the galette.  After it was baked and cooled, lime curd was spooned atop the lemon slices and topped with meringue.   It looked beautiful and sounded delicious!

After watching the show I was inspired to take some of the components and make something of my own.  I started with Simca Beck’s paté sucrée while adding the zest of an organic orange.  I also formed the dough in individual tart rings instead of making a galette.   Thinking the dough would cook faster than the lemons, I baked the sugared lemons separately on a Silpat; they burned before they got soft…dangit.  Next I tried cooking the lemon slices in the tart shell.  The lemon slices remained chewy though the tart shell was beautifully cooked.  Nertz…what to try next?

I had candied some grapefruit peel the previous week so that gave me the idea of blanching the lemon slices first to soften the rind and then cook them in simple syrup — for an hour no less.  They did get softer, but not soft enough for my taste to line the bottom of a Lemon Curd – Meringue Tart.  So try my recipe below for a lovely lemon tart, sans lemon slices, while I keep experimenting in the kitchen.

Simca’s Pâte Sublime (Delicate Sweet Pastry Dough with Cream)
Yield about 1 ½ pounds pastry dough, enough for two 8 to 9 inch tart shells or 8 individual 3-inch tart rings

9 ounces (2 cups) all-purpose flour
1 ounce (1/4 cup) cake flour, not self-rising
1/8 ounce (1 teaspoon) baking powder
3/4 ounce (2 tablespoons) super fine granulated sugar
5 ounces (10 tablespoons) cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
zest of one medium orange, preferably organic (optional)
4 – 6 tablespoons heavy cream, beaten with 1 large egg yolk*
2 tablespoons orange juice, freshly squeezed (optional)

Place dry ingredients in bowl of a food processor and process 2 seconds to combine.  Evenly distribute the butter around the bowl of the processor and pulse on/off for 8 to 10 seconds (about 20 pulses) or until mixture resembles coarse oatmeal.

*If using 2 tablespoons orange juice cut back on the amount of cream by the same amount.   More or less liquid may be needed depending on the amount of moisture already in the flour.

With the processor running, add the egg mixture through the pour-tube and process just until the mixture starts to hold together.  Turn out onto a floured surface and quickly smear together with the heel of your hand to blend, gathering it back onto itself with a bench knife.  If making two tarts, divide it evenly into two disks, otherwise it’s fine leaving it in one disk for the individual tartlets.  Wrap tightly in plastic wrap.  Chill for at least 1 hour prior to rolling or up to one day in the refrigerator.  It can also be frozen for up to one month.

If making one large tart, roll out the dough in a circle about 1½ inches larger than the tart pan.  If making individual tartlets, roll out to about 3/16-inch.  Set a tart ring on the dough and cut around it about 1-inch larger than the ring.  Gently form the dough in the ring.  After it is formed, cut off any dough sticking above the ring.

Set on a parchment or Silpat lined sheet pan.  When the tart(s) have been formed place them in the freezer for at least an hour.  Once frozen they can be tightly wrapped and kept for up to a month as well.  Preheat the oven to 350°F.   Line the tart(s) with parchment paper and pie weights and cook for about 15 minutes or until golden brown.  Remove from oven and let cool completely.

Lemon Curd
3 large egg yolks
3 large eggs
1 cup granulated sugar
¾ cup fresh lemon juice
zest of 1 lemon
pinch of kosher salt
8 tablespoons (4 ounces) unsalted butter

In a medium bowl, whisk the egg yolks and eggs until evenly blended and set aside.  In a medium saucepan, heat the sugar, lemon zest, lemon juice and salt until the sugar has melted.

Slowly whisk in the the hot liquid into the eggs to temper them.  Return the egg mixture back into the saucepan and whisk on very low heat until the curd thickens.  Be patient as it can take up to an hour.

It is possible to cook it faster, but you will run the risk of scrambling the eggs.  When the curd has thickened (it should coat the back of a spoon) remove the saucepan from the heat and whisk in the butter.

Spoon into a clean bowl and set the bowl in an ice bath, stirring until the curd has cooled.  Then cover the top with food film, pressing it down directly on the curd.  Place in the refrigerator to set up completely

Italian Meringue*
½ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon light corn syrup
3 tablespoons water
2 egg whites (from large eggs), at room temperature
¼ teaspoon cream of tartar

In a small pot over low heat, combine sugar and water.  Swirl the pot over the burner to dissolve the sugar completely.  Once the sugar has dissolved, stop stirring.   Increase the heat and boil to 240°F using a candy thermometer to get it right.  Wash down the inside wall of the pot with a wet pastry brush, which helps prevent sugar crystals from forming around the sides and falling in, causing a chain reaction.

In the bowl of an electric mixer, whip the eggs whites on low speed until foamy.  Add the cream of tartar, increase the speed to medium, and beat until soft peaks form.  With the mixer running, pour the hot sugar syrup in a thin stream over fluffed egg whites.  Beat until the egg whites are stiff and glossy.  *Meringue can easily be doubled (use 5 egg whites though) if you like a lot on top of your tart.

If making individual tarts, divide curd between them.   Meringue can be spooned on or use a pastry bag with a 1/2-inch plain tip and pipe in a design that you like.  Using a blowtorch (the same kind as is used for crème brûlée), brown the meringue and serve immediately.