Fresh Tart

OMG, how could I forget to mention one of my very favorite ways to warm up? LAUGHING, duh! And for certain, hearty laughs, I highly recommend Planet Dan's blog, one of the few blogs I (sort of) consistently read. Funny - evil, laugh out loud funny. Dan is The Man, no doubt.

Or, have dinner with Jen Leopold and Steve Katz, two of the coolest, funniest cats (Katz!) in the Minneapple (shown above at my Big 4-0 party last year, with Jon Brown on the left; oops, forgot my camera tonight...). We four had dinner at the newly-opened Nick & Eddie. Despite being big fans of Doug Anderson's previous ventures - Bakery on Grand and A Rebours - Nick & Eddie just isn't all that, I'm sorry to say. Great location! But...that's about it. Knowing Doug's previous ventures, I'll hope they find a new, groovier groove. Soon! But until then...

We head into the weekend. Thankfully warmer, the cold snap has finally snapped. And oh, things look peacefully, thankfully quiet, ahhh. My plan? To enjoy some fresh air, my friends. Fresh. Above-Zero. Air. Whatever I happen to cook (eat) is at this point completely secondary... Seriously! Well sort of.

So g'night then...

Um, at least it's sunny? Yeah. That's about all I can say, on the coldest day of the year, which here in Minnesota is a very cold day indeed. I'm trying to keep my spirits up, plying all the old, cozy tricks, and they most certainly help. What's not to love about baking bread and taking baths? But I think it was the warm break on Monday that did me in a bit, I got a good, long taste of fresh air and it's been hard to go back to being so, so housebound. Oh, I'll hang in there, like we all will, dressing in layers and sipping hot tea. But the next day that tops 10 degrees, I'm so out there for a long walk. Woo hoo for above zero weather!

Despite my complaining, I had a lovely afternoon out and about yesterday, a birthday lunch with my stepmom Susanna at Luci Ancora in St. Paul. I totally indulged in comfort food (hey, it was for my birthday!) and it was pretty incredible. Homemade fettucine as pillowy as Angelina Jolie's lips, tossed with a shower of truffly cheese, a nice amount of butter, a few pretty peas, and freshly ground black pepper. Simply. Perfect. I could have stopped right there. But no, I also had a crispy romaine salad, and split a berry fruit tart with Sus, served alongside a pile of softly whipped cream, with clever little swirls of chocolate around the plate to smear each bite through. Uff. Fullness. I think I am, now, officially done celebrating my birthday? It's been a most enjoyable ride, all eight weeks of it. Nice!

Tonight (actually, this afternoon, since we have to eat so early on Wednesdays) I'm pulling out the Chicko and roasting me a chicken. (The Julia Child method is fabulous too.) More long-cooking, kitchen-warming comfort food, yeah, yeah, yeah. Hey, I'm doing the best that I can...

If it appears I'm cooking more than usual, it's because...I am. Don't know why exactly... Overly house-bound in truly deep-freeze weather? Trying to cheer up a Blue Johnny? Whatever the reason, I'm going with it while the inspiration moves me. Bonus One, children + husband = very pleased, ha, since I even made dessert last night, which I usually only do for dinner parties or holidays. (Scrooge Mommy? Perhaps a bit, but in the name of moderation, we have to trim somewhere... And since sweets aren't "my thing," the effort goes into dinner, which is. My thing. Bah humburger.) No fancy tortes, just my stepmom Susanna's Apple Crapple (Apple Crisp), easy to assemble while Nathan and John grooved at the U2 3D movie (they loved it). Bonus Two, makes the house smell like heaven (Apple Crapple, not the U2 3D movie) and best of all - with its extra-generous crust - it's pretty insanely delicious. And Bonus Three, uber-fab the next day. Nathan had a big ol' scoop for brekkie, oh yeah, happiness.

I also baked bread (yesterday) and turned it into French Dip sandwiches for dinner - the last hurrah, and third tasty iteration, of the beef pot roast I braised on Saturday afternoon. I feel like such a Depression-Era Leftover Queen (Waste Not, Want Not!) with my hashand roast beef sandwiches. Not fancy, just rib-stickin' cheap eats which happen to taste damn gooood. Happy, happy. Happy.

Tonight, I had a bag of frozen shrimps to turn into...something. Different. Grill 'em, stir fry 'em, toss 'em with pasta, toss 'em into a salad, meh, I wanted a new groove. Something Frenchy, perhaps. Under puff pastry? Just did meat pies last week. Soup? Just did the clam version the week before. Think think think. Ooh, I know, crepes! I forget about crepes! I'll Pimp my Shrimps with crepes! Easy peasy, totally scrumptious, I whipped up a batch, and a quick, creamy sauce (not terribly rich, actually), folded the shrimps into the sauce, spooned the sauce into (and onto) the crepes, ran 'em under the broiler, et voila.Browned, crusty, shrimpyFondue de Crustaces en Crepes (a la Julia Child, by the way; once again, thank you Julia...recipe posted in comments, below). Serve with a simple, crisp salad and you've got dinner (or a pretty, special luncheon).

Tomorrow - no balmy walk like I scored this morning. Back into the deep freeze we go, sigh. Man, it felt nothing short of amazing to be strolling bare-headed, without windpants, without huge mittens, and best of all, without a wet, soggy scarf over my face (ugh). Well, perhaps more inspired eats to cheer my about-to-be-chilly-again soul. Hey, lunch with my stepmom Susanna at Luci Ancora will be a great start! (Props for the ongoing celebration of my 41st year, yes!) Stay tuned...

Hash, not a dish people make much any longer, I suppose since it requires a few slices of leftover roast and a spot of gravy. Too bad, though, because it's a real treat and both the roast and the hash are so simple and satisfying to make. I braised a beef pot roast yesterday and made sure to squirrel away the leftovers so we could enjoy a little hash for Sunday lunch today. Finely diced meat sauteed with aromatic vegetables until deeply browned with a fine, rich glaze... John and I each enjoyed ours alongside an over-easy egg, while Nathan downed his with slabs of warm bread. The perfect Sunday-studying restorative (for him), Sunday New York Times-companion (for us), we're all set for the rest of the afternoon. (Recipe posted in comments, below.)

Unfortunately it's a rather sad day as well, the 5th Anniversary of the passing away of John's best friend, Andrew Cohen. Andrew was a major foodie, way before being "a foodie" was common or easy - the weirder the food, the better, of course - so I think of him often, especially as I get particularly jazzed about something I'm cooking, knowing he would dig it completely (he was a blast to cook for). We sure do miss him. Blah.

Well, on that note, enjoy and appreciate your loved ones on a beautiful Sunday.

Sweet, sweet Saturday. As much as I love being with my kids, every other Saturday (due to our second-marriage, share-custody status), John and I have the day to ourselves. We try to take full advantage of our limited - yet usefully predictable - alone time and have ourselves a fine Saturday (lemons to lemonade as they say, not that I'd suggest divorce and remarriage as a "fun" way to find alone time as a couple, Lord no; but hey, we all have to find and polish life's duller benefits wherever they exist).

We usually scrape out a tasty brunch or lunch of some sort (if not a movie as well), either here at the hacienda or at, you know, La La Lucia's. Today, it was here, with leftovers from my high-input-yet-solo dinner last night. John had a work thang, but I was in the mood to cook, so I made myself (as I had mentioned) Watercress Soup with Gentleman's Relish Toast as well as grilling up a few lamb rib chops. Oh Good Lord, I had such a good meal by myself it was almost obscene as I talked, sang, danced, and laughed through the preparation.

Best of all - plenty of leftovers for today's lunch, which we just happily, heartily consumed. With sips of the holiest of wines, our beloved Turley Zinfandel, this time a 2003 Lodi Zinfandel, Dogtown Vineyard. Sigh. We only pull out the Turley if I've worked really hard on a meal, and it's turned out particularly deliciously, and this meal qualified. Charred, salty lamb chops, followed by creamy, spicy watercress soup, bathing a crispy, chewy, herb-buttered crouton... Ridic, really, and best consumed in a lavender-scented garden somewhere in Provence (the window in the pic makes me want to leap right through, sniffing deeply as I crash-land, ahhh...), but we made due with our own - because, you know, we had to - winter-in-Minnesota kitchen. Cold, gray skies warmed by Larry Turley and Suzanne Goin, as it were. And perhaps (!) a bit of my own enthusiasm for eating and sipping heartily and well with my Johnny on a Saturday's afternoon...

No complaints here, my friends, none at all. (Well, perhaps one tiny complaint - as in, it's over! Lunch is gone, wine is put away, sniff. Always the moderateepicurean's dilemma - knowing when to call it quits. Shucks. Time for a cup of really strong coffee - nothing signals "the end" of a meal like a great cup of coffee.)

Party Crasher, that's me! John's law firm hosted a meet-n-greet with an accounting firm last night and with permission (I wasn't a total crasher), I happily horned in on the delicious appetizers (catered by the Modern Cafe), vino, and chat. Organized by John's partner Jennie Clark, who is on the board of the Minnesota Center for Photography, the event was held at...the Minnesota Center for Photography! Terrific space, with a stunning current exhibit (Three Gorges), I had a great time and stayed (crashed!) just long enough for John and me to snag Stu The Wine Genius and drag him out for dinner with us. The MCP is in NE Minneapolis, and Stu remembered the fun dinner at The Sample Room we'd had with his wife Debbie, Rudy Maxa, and Ana Scofield (our pre-Napa planning dinner), so we bopped over there for casual eats. Setting = lovely, food = not so much, but we had a great time anyhow and dished on Tuesday night's Commanderie dinner, so it was all good, all good.

Today, Friday Morning Coffee with Suz, of course. More upbeat than a couple of weeks ago (we didn't cover the Holocaust or talk politics today), we were back to our usual shrieking and howling primly (bah ha ha!) about bodily fluids, oh yeah! Not so great for anyone near us trying to enjoy a quiet cup of coffee, but fabulous for my frozen winter spirits! All hail Suz the Metal Mommy!

Since I've eaten out no less than four times this week - FOUR - I'm mos def making din tonight. It's my turn for a go at the Watercress Soup with Gentleman's Relish Toast recipe I posted a few weeks back. I'm grilling the lamb chops too, oh yeah, we'll be ushering in the weekend in fine (watercressy, lamby) style.

Enjoy yours!

Meat pies! Rarrr! In whatever form - samosas, pasties, empanadas - the combination of savory meat and vegetables encased in tender pastry is irresistible. To me. And apparently to John and Nathan too. Before I abandoned my family for the Commanderie dinner on Tuesday night, I played the good wife and mother and tried out a recipe I'd pulled from Gourmet magazine last year for Beef and Curry Pies. Nathan helped me roll out and cut dough so that in no time he and John had hot, crispy meat pies for dinner, while I was whisked off for downtown (smelling rather of curry, a strange combination with my beloved Le Parfum de Therese, to be sure) by Stu and Debbie. The recipe in theory serves 8, but there were no leftovers between the two of them, so... I'll adjust the serving size accordingly (!) in the posted recipe (in comments, below).

If you're not in the mood to roll and cut dough (which with frozen puff pastry really doesn't take very long), I'd suggest empanadas from El Meson. Their empanadas are absolutely perfect. Tender, flaky crust filled with garlic-studded beef, with a hint of sweetness, dipped in fiery salsa... Shut. Up. I crave 'em, with cold beer, although I really only achieve them once a year. Perhaps tonight's the night, I'll have to think on that for a bit. What say ye, Johnny?

For lunch today I get to cash in on the efforts of yesterday, when I took the time to simmer a homemade chicken stock. (I use a couple of pounds of chicken thighs, brown them thoroughly in olive oil, then toss hunks of carrots, celery, garlic, and onion into the pot, with a handful of fresh herbs, water to cover, simmer partially covered- skimming often - for 2 hours. Strain carefully - discard solids - season liberally. If not using right away, cool to room temp, uncovered, then chill.) We had the hot stock as a sort of make-your-own-chicken-noodle-soup, with cooked egg noodles, sauteed veggies (asparagus tips, onion, mushrooms, carrots), grated gruyere, and chicken breast pieces (from a rotisserie chicken) as optional add-ins. With a loaf of crusty bread, it made a good, hot, filling meal on a ridiculously cold night. Even my nephew Cooper Cuteness had a few tastes of the rich broth! Coop de Loop does soup!

Madame Stephanie Levy - c'est moi, at least at the Commanderie de Bordeaux dinner I attended this evening, as a guest of Stu (The Wine Genius) and Debbie Williams. Held at the Minneapolis Club, featuring the wines of Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte and winemaker Daniel Cauthiard, I had a grand old time eating, drinking, and BS-ing with the various Commandeurs. M. Cauthiard himself was a lovely guest-of-honor, charming, handsome, and perfectly French (but of course). Chef John Thompson and his staff did a spectacular turn with the food, menu as follows:

Oyster Souffle with Parmesan "Air" (delicious)
Butter Roasted Breast of Pheasant with Pommes Gratin and Jus Lie (divine)
Crispy Braised Lamb Shank (in phyllo) served over White Asparagus and Spinach (unctuous)
Assorted French Cheeses (spot on)
Warm Mano Pave a la Tatin with Mango Soup, Roasted Raspberries and Vanilla Tuile

And wine:
Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte Blanc 2000 Pessac-Leognan
Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte Blanc 2005 Pessac-Leognan
Les Hauts-de-Smith 2005 Pessac-Leognan
Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte 2000 Pessac-Leognan
Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte 1998 Pessac-Leognan
Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte 1995 Pessac-Leognan
Chateau Suduiraut 2001 Sauterne

And guests:
My dinner partner was Commandeur Ralph Bashioum, MD, who along with table-mate/Commandeur/race-car driver/winemaker Peter Kitchak, just happens to be in the process of producing and introducing a new set of Napa Valley wines. Stay tuned for Kitchak Cellars greatness...

Also chatted with:
Greg Becker, from our lovely dinner at Rudy Maxa's and Ana Scofield's back in December, as a guest of Commandeur Steve Fox. And Commandeur Bill McGuire, who is significantly taller than me, even in my 5-inch kickass anniversary Louboutins (no small feat, no pun intended, ha). Rock on!

So there, my friends, another night of Stu-and-Debbie-sponsored greatness... delicious food, lovely wine, great chat, it's all good. Thanks to them (yet again!), and the Commanderie de Bordeaux (Minnesota Chapter), and winemaker Daniel Cathiard, for a spectacular Tuesday night (Tuesday!).

Oh! Stu hilariously introduced me (as a guest) tonight as follows: "Stephanie writes a blog called The Moderate Epicurean. After traveling, eating, and drinking wiith Stephanie, I can honestly say she is anything but moderate." So true, so true! Although I do subtitle my blog "A Quest for Measured Pleasure." As in, Moderation is an Elusive Goal Which Someday I'll Achieve, Right?

Sleep tight! (And rest in peace Heath Ledger.)

Dinner and a movie, pretty hard to beat. Even (or especially?) on a bitterly cold, slippery-snowy evening. John and I hit a late-afternoon showing of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly, the intense true story of French Elle publisher Jean-Dominic Beauby. Beauby, at the age of 42, suffered a sudden, massive "cerebral event" which left him with "locked-in syndrome" - a fully functional intellect trapped inside an immobile body. He could hear, and blink his left eye...but that's it. Dedicated therapists worked out an eye-blinking code so that he could communicate, and he eventually used it to dictate the memoir that the movie is based on. The story is far too grim and frightening to be uplifting, but it's powerful, and redemptive, and I walked out feeling a little dazed. (John loved it.)

As often happens to me, the setting of the film stirred cravings for the featured culture and food, in this case French. (Italian movie, Italian food. Asian movie, Asian food. Heck, a strain of a Mexican tune conjures a hankering for margaritas and guacamole. I'm hopeless.) So off we went to our favorite little bistro, Cave Vin, for Gallic treats. To start, half-price bottles of wine on Monday nights, a particularly sweet bonus given their lovely wine list. Smokin-hot frites with crushed garlic (but of course). Plump, tender mussels bathed in a perfect lemony-garlicky broth (insert copious amounts of crusty baguette, soak briefly, sigh deeply). A crispy-roasted chicken breast, with fresh herbs stuffed under the skin, served alongside simple sauteed vegetables. A few decadent bites of a warm chocolate pot-de-creme. And with sips of strong coffee to finish, and chats with the tables on either side of us (we happened to know both parties, random), we rolled on out into the snowy cold, (temporarily) blissfully unaware of its nasty bite given the protective presence of warm food and drink. Oooh, bon, bon, bon. Date Night!

And tonight, more French fabulousness, this time with Stu The Wine Genius and his lovely wife Debbie. Stu belongs to the Twin Cities' chapter of a Bordeaux wine-enthusiasts group (wine frat!) called the Commanderie de Bordeaux. Commanderie members host dinners and wine tastings, called parlements, and occasionally invite guests to attend. Tonight's parlement will feature the wines of Chateau Smith-Haut-Lafitte. Tonight's guest list will include - moi! John was invited too, but he wussed out because he gets too overwhelmed by multi-course, multi-taste dinners. I surprisingly (har) dig them wildly and can't wait. Yay! I'll check in with the details tomorrow.

Until then, stay warm, my friends!

Oh Good Lord it's cold out there, too cold for just about anything, really. You know what that means - get busy in the kitchen! Build a roaring fire, sip hot cocoa, take a long fragrant bath, watch movies in bed, read a book in your sweats... Ooh, some of my very favorite things, I'm not complaining, not one bit. Bring it on, Old Man Winter, bring it on.

Hunting for spicy inspiration? An apparently 20-year-old Suz had me over for lunch on Friday to taste a delicious recipe for Cashew Chili. Completely vegetarian (vegan, in fact), it's as spicy as you want it to be, with a hint of crunch and sweetness to keep it interesting. Such a perfect girlie lunch on a bitterly cold Friday! Warmed by lots of hot coffee, and date/chocolate chip snack cake for dessert, we chatted the afternoon away. Ahhh...how I love my girlfriends, yay! (The other pic, below? The slab of nuked meatloaf smothered with American cheese and ketchup? That is called contrast, my friends, and was what Suz's hubby The Coreman ate for his lunch while making fun of our picture-perfect, healthy eats. Noooo, Coreman, noooo, don't eat it! Not that I don't love meatloaf, because sometimes I do. It's the American cheese-ketchup combo on top that sticks in my craw, eek.)

Hunting for sweet inspiration? My stepmom Susanna made the perfect Apple Crisp for dessert a few weeks ago - tender apples under a buttery, cinnamony crust. Served warm (of course), with a scoop of melty vanilla ice cream...mmm... Her mom Shirley affectionately called it Apple Crapple, but I call it Apple Heaven. (Recipes posted in comments, below.)

Or, you could send your beloved out for tempting Thai takeout, from True Thai in Minneapolis, which is where I met my former boss Jim Toscano's daughter Dania for lunch yesterday. It's her spot and I'm very grateful for the introduction. Cozy and friendly, and full of regulars well after the Saturday lunch hour (good sign!), the food is absolutely delicious. We shared a red curry ofsquash and mock duck, stir-fried cashews (dangerously addictive), and fried rice with beef. I woke this morning with True Thai dreams on my lips (smack!), wishing to go back again today... But no such luck (closed on Sundays), sniff. Luckily we had some leftover cashews to carry us over a bit, but it's not the same as a whole meal of savory Thai delights... Very soon. I've awakened a sleeping Thai monster in this household with my leftovers, stay tuned...

And so! Enjoy heating up (wink!) your cold Sunday! And frigid Monday! And frosty Tuesday...