Who made the grade in St. Louis?? June 27, 2008

Last evening I had the opportunity to attend St. Louis Magazine’s A List Awards Party at Lumen (it is a gorgeous event space…wow). It is not an event I would normally attend. Mind you, at one point in my life, it would have been on the radar. Many of you may not know this, but St. Louis Magazine crowned me one of St. Louis’ Top Singles back in the day….not shabby for a kid from downtown. But, as time passed….I grew tired of the scene….fell in love with the Cheesemonger and left that life behind.

Alas, my buddy Mathew Rice was being honored for Niche’s desserts and we set up a table to hand out the goodies. Much to my surprise we were put in the best spot in the house: center balcony over looking the crowd (and was there ever a crowd! Whoa). To our left, Eric Brenner, A List Chef winner…and to our right Ricardo’s Italian Cafe…A list winner for casual Italian food. ***Sidenote on Ricardo’s: My very first job as a bus-girl was at Ricardo’s over 15 years ago…yep. I have known Mark and Michelle Adams for years and started out babysitting their two little boys…who now help run the restaurant. Good people, that Adams family. If you have not had the chance to go to Ricardo’s in Lafayette Square…make a point to get over there. They are even open for lunch.***

So, with being flanked by two tables of pals…the night was sure to be fun. And lucky for us the open bar sat directly across from our table. Nice perk.

Along comes Mike Emerson owner of Pappy’s Smokehouse! Mike and I have been chummy since he has opened his doors. We were one of his first customers and I was sure to tell him how much we loved his BBQ. After some more chit chat at the awards event…turns out Mike and I go way back and didn’t even know it. I’ve known his brother Danny my entire life and he grew up with some older members of my family. Pappy’s was being honored for best BBQ in St. Louis….what an honor….open not even ONE YEAR and they are picked for the A List. That was a no-brainer, though. Pappy’s by far is the BEST BBQ in St. Louis….hands down. Don’t fight me on it…you won’t win. And Pappy’s is another place to rush to…..amazing. And before you all shout out ‘favoritism’…..please know that I was singing this joint’s praises long before I actually met Mike and realized his family and mine were close. So zip it.

It was a great time.  Kevin Willmann, chef at Erato on Main was being honored as well.  It was great to see him outside the kitchen!  City Hall was representin’ with Mike McMillen and his crew.  All the pretty people were out in droves….dressed to kill….and packed in Lumen like little sardines sweating.  I was so happy when we ran out of food and could head outside to hang at the Pappy’s table.  (they were outside)  It was a great night to be outside with a cocktail.

Good party St. Louis Magazine….and even better choices for your A-List winners.

just my opinion June 20, 2008

I realized something last night…..Pat at the Shaved Duck is one damn good bartender.  The drinks there are really really good.  Yes, I mostly drink beer there….but he made a Manhattan for Si last night that was simply amazing.  The drink menu there is innovative, delicious and so, so reasonably priced.  There ingredients are freshly prepared….for instance, there is a jar of fresh peach puree, house preserved olives and cherries, fresh picked herbs…and always a BIG bowl of fresh citrus.  Good job, Pat!!!  I’ve decided that next visit I will have the mojito….served with a sprinkling of rosemary….reminds me of Simon’s famous rosemary pineapple martinis.

How to make cheese June 17, 2008

So many folks stumble upon this site when googling “cheesemaking class” or “cheesemaking supplies”. What gets me is that you really don’t need a class to start…and all you really need as far as supplies goes is a cheesecloth. So…I give to you my grandmother’s recipe for Lebanese yogurt and subsequently…yogurt cheese.

1 quart milk, preferably whole milk (you can use goat or sheep here too)
2 tablespoons plain yogurt (this is a starter…if you are lucky…you can get one from your great aunt Mellie who says her starter has been passed around for over 20 years….that must be some good starter!)

Heat milk in a saucepan over medium heat until it begins to rise and bubbles form around the edges; then allow milk to cool to the point at which you can insert your little finger and count to ten (110 degrees F if you don’t trust your my grandmother’s method.)

Pour into an earthenware jar with a tight-fitting lid. Stir in the yogurt until thoroughly mixed; then place in a warm spot away from drafts.

Cover with a wool blanket to keep warm. Or if you have an oven…like most folks do these days…place container in an oven heated to 150 degrees F. After five minutes, turn the heat off, and let the container sit for 6 hours undisturbed; then uncover and remove from oven, and refrigerate until the following day.

Remove about 2 tablespoons of yogurt and place in a small, covered glass jar; then store in refrigerator. This will be your starter (or rawba) for the next yogurt preparation (be nice…and share it with your cousins like we did). Cover the remaining yogurt and keep in refrigerator.

From here you can make yogurt ‘cheese’. Just take some of your fresh yogurt…put it in a big cheese cloth…tie it up and hang it over your sink to drain over night….next day…cheese!  We call it labna.  You can make it into little balls…put it in a ball jar…cover with olive oil…throw in some spices if you want…and voila…cheese balls!

Cheese of the Week June 4, 2008

Yep…that’s right…it’s CHEESE of the week. And it’s mouthwatering!!! Last night I ate it on some toasted sourdough from 222, spread thick with fresh strawberries on top. good lord, it was downright amazing! It comes from Jasper Hill Farm in Greensboro, VT…..Constant Bliss!!!

Constant Bliss is based on a Chaource recipe, which we modified to suit our production schedule and cheesemaking facility. The result is a cheese which hardly even resembles a Chaource. It is a slow ripened lactic curd made only with fresh, right out of the cow, uncooled, evening milk. We actually begin the cheesemaking process before the cows have finished milking. Constant Bliss is made with raw whole milk. This is not a double or triple crème cheese as is sometimes thought. Seasonal variations in the milk result in variations on the surface and flavor of the cheese. We like to use Constant Bliss to highlight our milk, and rather than overpowering the natural microflora of our milk with cotton white mold, we prefer to see a mottling of diverse molds and yeasts, which are prevalent particularly in the summer months when the cows are out on grass. It is aged 60 days before it leaves the farm, and is a ‘sell it or smell it’ item for retailers.

We named Constant Bliss after a revolutionary war scout killed in Greensboro by native Americans in 1781. He was guarding the Bayley Hazen Military Road with his compatriot Moses Sleeper, who died with him.

It’s name it suitable….b/c when you eat it…you are in a state of constant bliss!!!! Very fitting.

Who let the dogs out?….Prairie Farms is out of eggs for a while May 15, 2008

Okay…that was a bad pun….you’ll get it after I tell you this sad story.

Prairie Grass Farms’ resident German Shepards got loose and terrorized the hen houses.  Majority of chickens were lost…and rumor has it that there will be no more eggs from Prairie Grass Farms.  So sad.  I wonder what they are going to do with the leftover chickens.  If we were in the new house I’d take them for my urban chicken project.

Last Bite Sneak Peak May 5, 2008

Mathew Rice’s spot in F&W is on the website as of today…..check it out.

Food and Wine: June Issue May 3, 2008

**Photo by Jonathan Swegle

Be on the lookout for St. Louis’ favorite new pastry chef in the upcoming issue of F&W. That’s right, Mathew Rice will be the featured pastry chef for The Last Bite. Wonder what they will feature….some would say red velvet cake….some would say the kulfi….what dessert do you think they will feature?

Whatever it is, it will be delicious. Be sure to pick up June’s issue of Food and Wine and support our local chefs!!

The Shaved Duck –worth the wait May 2, 2008

We stopped in the Shaved Duck last night for a bite to eat….the place was packed!  I was so happy to see that.  We opted to eat at the bar to save us the wait for a table.  The front bar area is great…looking forward to it on a blustry winter night….just the kind of place you want to have a nip.

Technical difficulties aside (which ALL restaurants have on their very first night) the food was excellent!  I had the duck liver and some cheese (of course….it came from my husband).  Si had the hot and sour duck soup…almost a consommé…delicious.  Our guest had a scallop wrapped bacon (that’s right…scallop AROUND bacon) and we dug the duck frites (uber shoestring curls of potatoes fried in duck fat)  Jesus H Christ those were good.  I will say this though:  I wish the fries were bigger…more of a traditional frites…but amazing none the less.  My biggest pet peeve (and you will be reassured that I will write/call and tell them this) :  They spelled Anheuser wrong on the menu.  Now, I know that tons of you won’t care b/c you think Anheuser Busch is the devil…but this is St. Louis and I do believe we need to show a little respect to the King of Beers as they have done a great deal for our city and especially my family….AB has been putting dinner on the table one way or another for my family for over 100 years…sooooo….get the name right.  It’s ANHEUSER not Anheiser.  My grandfather would thank you.

They are finding their pace and working their way through a new service very well.  All employees were courteous and helpful.  The food is delicious with small places of charcuterie, cheese, lots of duck..even a great confit, larger plates of market fish, game and chicken and house cured meats….desserts are by Serendipity….which are good…but they should go for Veruca….and knock everyone’s socks off.  The beer list is well, amazing (thanks to MIke at STLHops.com) and varied.  I stuck with the Schlafly Summer Kolsch…my fav this time of year…and soooo easy to drink.

And, for those of you who were there with me last night….we have decided to make a new tradition for the Shaved Duck….upon leaving for the night….you get a nice big slap on the keister….don’t ask…just know it could be coming. 

do you know whats good? May 1, 2008

salt cod…that’s what. especially when you put it with some regular cod, some cream and other stuff I didn’t ask about and make it into a brandade like Gerard Craft does…then put some sauteed ramp on it and top it with a big fat farm-fresh fried egg….with some lemmony butter sauce….and wash it down with a sav blanc…

thats whats good. period.

so excited…and i just can’t hide it April 14, 2008

going to an early dinner with Si tonight at the long awaited Shaved Duck. hee hee hee…..i’m giddy with excitement. if you could see me now…i’m jumping up and down in front of my computer screen with a growling belly……

how to get kids (and big people)to eat broccoli April 10, 2008

cut up a head of raw broccoli. put it bowl.  add craisins, diced red onion and celery, chopped crispy bacon and toasted walnuts.  mix one cup of mayonaise with two tbsp sugar and some riesling vinegar.  pour over broccoli mixture and served.  jesus christ, it’s good.  not healty…but goooood!!!

 

it’s called broccoli salad…and the term salad is used very loosely here folks.  recipe came from my wonderful mother-in-law.  except she uses raisins, sunflower seeds and regular vinegar.  I adjusted for what I had on hand.

Philadelphia Solo April 9, 2008

First off, just to set the record straight…I did NOT bring a camera with me to Philly. I just couldn’t fit it in the suitcase and/or my computer bag. Afterall, this was a trip for work: the amazing restaurants were a by product. And not to mention my best friend from college still live in Philly so we for sure were not going to do any beer drinking, socializing or generic getting jiggy with it.

Friday: Day of arrival. I can’t begin to tell you how good it was to be back in the Philadelphia. I did a brief, albeit, culturally and culinary full stint in this old town back in the early part of 2004. I fell in love instantly. I lived in Center City but dreamed of a day when I would own a townhome on Washington Square. (still dreaming). Philly has a car share service so Blair picked me up in an Audi. Yep, an Audi. PhillyCarShare is no joke. So, first things first…Jim’s. Got a cheesesteak: order was for ‘american wit”. If you have ever ordered a cheesesteak you know what that means. If not….well, it just means I got one with american cheese and onions/peppers. Lucky for me B hid some Bell’s in the Audi and we had a nice little snacky snack on the corner of South Street and 6th. I dropped my bags at B’s minuscule apartment. (it was like living in a dorm room….loft bed and all) and we picked up Kitty and headed to Marigold Kitchen. The Marigold Kitchen is on the corner of 45th and Larchwood…nestled in a residential neighborhood. If you blinked you would probably just think it was somebody’s house. Very minimalist in it’s interior but welcoming. It’s a BYO so B brought a red and his buddy J brought another red. Fun huh. They were good little wines…jammy with great notes of spice. Have to be honest and say I didn’t pay too close attention to them. One was French the other from the pacific NW. Dinner was good. I started off with sweatbread nuggets and puy lentils and a chicken liver terrine on brioche toast with apricot mash and pickled celery. That was the high point of my evening. Not to say that my main course was bad…it wasn’t…it just didn’t pop. It was underseasoned and there was no salt on the table to use. But…despite that it was good. The chicken was tender and the cornbread stuffing was well…corny. The roasted cipollinis and brussel sprouts were done perfectly….it all just needed a bit of salt. The final course was a banana bread pudding. It was painfully obvious that they used the same dinner rolls for the bread pudding. There really was no custard aspect to the dish…they looked like cut up rolls with bananas on them. The flavor was good but I like really dense bread pudding….i like the custard aspect. Kitty had the chocolate cake with vanilla malted milk shot. The malted milk shot was good. Probably the best part of the dessert. B had a tart…i didn’t taste it. He said it was okay.

Next morning: Breakfast at Sabrina’s. By far the best french toast i have ever had outside my own kitchen. Challah lightly battered and pan fried golden brown. Had just enough crispiness and tenderness to make a great french toast. Real maple syrup and crispy bacon. It was nice enough to sit outside and enjoy the morning.

More to come on DiBruno Bros, D’Angelo’s and The Black Sheep Pub. So much to say…not enough time to write!!!

The Shaved Duck March 24, 2008

If you know me…you know I love the Scottish Arms….more so a good cock-a-leekie pie and plate of scotch eggs and a cold pint of Guinness.

Well, Ally Nisbet is opening another spot…this time it’s a hop, skip and jump away from us.  The Shaved Duck will be open within the next 2-3 weeks….this timetable was recieved right from the horse’s mouth.  I have been waiting VERY patiently for this spot to open up and my patience will be rewarded in the next month.

Along with great food, the Shaved Duck is going to feature N. American craft beers.  STLHops joined in on the fun and helped the boys out and came up with an amazing list of beer.  You can CHECK THEM OUT HERE.

Hip Hip Hooray!  I can’t wait for the Shaved Duck!!!!

Over the river and through the woods to Kevin Willmann’s house we went March 22, 2008

Last night marked our first visit to Erato on Main Street in Edwardsville, Illinois.

I was born and raised in the city….almost downtown to be honest. I grew up thinking everything I needed was within my reach in the confines of the 9th and 7th Wards. As I aged, I found myself leaving St. Louis and realizing that there is a great big world out there to experience. I moved back to St. Louis in 2004 and made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t pigeon hole myself to my pre-conceived notions of my hometown. I think I have done a pretty good job of that. Yes, I hate going outside the 170 inner-belt….I still think 270 is a hassle and crossing the Mississippi is a weekend trip.

But, earlier this year, I was lured to the quaint little town of Edwardsville by some mind-blowing, make you slap your mama, fresh baked artisan breads and sweets at 222 Bakery. Down the street is a wine bar, Erato. Little did I know that they served a full menu….and then a fellow StL food blogger had a spot on his site about it. I decided then and there that we would head back over the great muddy Mississip to check this place out.

Then life got in the way…broken foot, trips to Ireland….until last night. We kept our Friday night completely free to make the 30 mile drive to Edwardsville to eat at Erato. And, after the meal I had….I would run the 30 miles to dine there again.

I won’t go into specifics about the meal, but Erato has been put into my top 5 meals in my adult life and my top 5 local eating spots. Do yourself a favor. Gas up the car, get a sitter and head to Erato on Main Street and let Kevin Willmann make you one of the most amazing meals you’ll ever eat. The wine list is wonderfully organized with some great (and reasonable) selections. The beer list is above par compared to most St. Louis spots. The deserts were scrumptious. It’s amazing what comes out of that tiny little kitchen those guys make their magic in. It’s a comfortable, laid back restaurant for folks who appreciate locally grown, amazingly prepared meals and taking time to experience a local chef’s ingenuity. I’m almost tempted not to publish this post because I want to keep it all for myself…..but…I won’t hide Chef Willmann’s light under a bushel basket and share him with the world. Go to Erato on Main.

State Beer….no…State Dessert! March 19, 2008

A while back Bill Burge of STLBites fame discussed MO’s push to have a state beer. Well, this morning on NPR (yes…I listen to NPR) Ketzel Levine discussed Maryland’s push for something along the lines of MO. It’s not necessarily beer….but something just a good: Smith Island Cake. Yep…dessert. Maryland is pushing for Smith Island Cake to be crowned the state dessert of Maryland. Smith Island is located about 12 miles out in the Chesapeake Bay. I have never had the opportunity to visit the island…but I have had their cake. And take it from me…it’s delicious. Some ladies make it with 9 layers…some 12…some even 18!!! The women in the community are known by how many layers each of them use in their cakes….kinda like a classification system of chocolatey, sweet goodness. A perfect evening to a perfect Maryland day is a big slice of this bad boy and a big glass of whole milk. ugh….makes my mouth water just thinking of it. Wonder what airfare to Maryland is these days.