Hello! sorry this is late, I was running behind schedule so I told myself I would finish it over the weekend. I think we all know that was never going to happen...
The soup of the week is Black Beans flavored with Ham. Black beans or "turtle" beans are pretty common in American cuisine now but before the 1980's they were pretty well unknown. They have been cultivated in the Americas for at least 7000 years and probably longer, and are a great source of proteins, fiber and vitamins.
The appetizer this week is a Seared Sea Scallop served with carrot Curry Glaze, crispy rice noodles and Fresh Arugula. Sea Scallops are the larger ones, we usually use very large ones, so one scallop is more than enough for an appetizer, but if they are smaller we will probably use two. This Appetizer would be great with a glass of Riesling or even a sparkling wine like Prosecco.
The cheese this week is called Paneer. You might not be as familiar with this one, Paneer is a cheese used in Indian cuisine a lot, introduced in the 16th century most likely from Persia. Similar to what we call "farmer's" cheese, it is more siolid and less crumbly, and takes well to the bold flavors of Indian Cuisine. We marinate it in Olive oil with Coriander, garlic, and other spices, and it is served with a sweet tomato chutney and grilled flatbreads. Try this at least once this week I'm curious how you like it.
At Dinner, we have fresh Baked Cod, topped with buttered bread crumbs, a reduction of lemon and Vermouth, served with French Green beans and a Pine nut and rice pilaf. This is a variation on an old New England style of serving Cod, and I don't think it gets the respect it deserves sometimes. My New England in-laws would insist that Ritz crackers are the only way to do this right, but we are using Panko bread crumbs, as a cleaner variation.
We have a grilled Prime Beef Sirloin, with a Port wine sauce, Chive Oil, roasted Cauliflower, and Fingerling Potatoes. Now the Sirloin is actually a large cut of meat, that we get different types of steak from, and this cut comes from the top of the Sirloin and is called a Coulotte. Now until recently, I never heard of a Coulotte so I opted for the more generic Sirloin. Sirloin is one of the most flavorful areas on a side of beef, but keep in mind that it is not as tender as a tenderloin which is why we opted for the best grade that there is-Prime. It's not tough, but if you like your meat well done, I would ask for a Filet Mignon in place of the Sirloin and enjoy the dish as you like it. Try this one with Zinfandel, especially if you don't usually drink it. Zinfandel is one of my favorite red wines and it is more approachable than Cabernet.
We also have a dish that we are calling Chicken Verjus, this is bone in chicken seared and roasted. the roasting pan is then deglazed with Verjus, a kind of sour grape juice. saffron, chicken stick, and fresh herbs are added and it is reduced to a sauce that coats the chicken nicely. This is accompanied by Grilled Portobello Mushrooms and Mashed sweet potatoes. I am looking forward to this one and I hope you try it with California Chardonnay.
For a Vegetarian Option, we have Oven roasted Tofu, served with asparagus, and brown rice. This is drizzled with a Miso and Maple syrup glaze, and topped with crispy garlic slices.
The pasta is House Made Saffron Spaghetti with Olive oil, Fresh Basil, tomatoes, Pistachios and Asiago Cheese. I suppose this could also be a second Vegetarian option. This one just screams for Chianti, please have a glass with it.
For specials at dinner look for Pecan C rusted Chicken, Carved Lamb Chops, Poached Halibut, Ginger Short ribs, Shepherd's Pie, Pork Chops, and Beef Stew with Wild Mushrooms.
At Lunch this week, look for Salmon Carbonara, Carved Buffalo Strip Loin, Lamb Stew, Tacos, Scampi, Ribeye and Lobster Tail.
Also keep an eye open for a new Beer Monday or Tuesday this week!
Hope to see you all!
