"If more of us valued food and cheer and song above hoarded gold, it would be a merrier world."
-J.R.R Tolkien
Hello! Let me start by apologizing, last week I simply ran out of time to finish my blog. It was 5:30 pm on my wife's birthday and I had a decision to make whether to continue typing or go home, I took the safer course and went home. This week I started earlier and hopefully this will be published Sunday morning on time.
We are closing in on St. Patrick's Day this week and will be celebrating a traditional meal next Sunday with Corned Beef, Cabbage, Potatoes, Irish Stew, and Anna's famous Soda Bread.
Last week we met with the Food committee and amongst other things we discussed the Hive Market and how to increase the offerings there. We decided that the Always Available offerings on the Dinner Menu would be better offered in the market than on the takeout menu. I will keep you informed as to when and how that will happen but probably sometime in early April.
In the Hive Market we are featuring crispy Duck Confit this week. Now Confit is a very traditional and historic French method of cooking and preserving. The duck legs are seasoned and placed in a pan, topped with herbs, shallots and garlic and then submerged completely in olive oil. It is baked at a low temperature for several hours until falling off the bone, then they are drained and the skin is crisped under a broiler making it mouthwatering and tender. We also have a really nice Beef Stew, a Grilled Salmon Salad, in the Hive Market, as well as a Ham Apple and Brie sandwich on Sourdough.
In the Dining room check out the Tabouleh Salad made with quinoa, cucumbers, tomatoes, feta cheese, olives and lots of fresh herbs. The Quinoa is not traditional but it is so good for you I can't resist using it whenever I can.
The week's cheese is Stilton, and we are serving it with Dates-- a classic pairing. You know what would be great with this, too? Dow's Tawny Port. We have quite a bit of it right now and sipped alongside the cheese and fruit it would be heavenly-- particularly if you chose cheese and port as your dessert course. Stilton is a classic, heritage cheese originating in the village of Stilton in England in the 1700's. Interestingly, when it was granted Protected Status in 1966, the areas which were allowed to make this wonderful blue cheese did not include the original village. No Stilton is allowed to be made in Stilton.
At Dinner, try the Bronzed Striped Bass served with garlic mustard aioli, fried okra and hominy cakes. Bronzing is just a variation on blackening. We use less spice and less heat on the fish which I think is better as it won't overpower the delicate flavor of fresh bass. A hominy cake is just mashed hominy seasoned and combined with bread crumbs into a crispy cake. Like a crab cake but without any animal protein. Ask your server for some of the Albarino wine which would be great or even the Maui Sauvignon Blanc.
We also have Pot Roast on the menu with gravy, soft carrots, and steamed potatoes tossed with parsley. Our pot roast is covered with red wine and beef stock, seasoned with thyme and cooked for three or four hours. We strain the cooking liquid and reduce it to make a gravy that tastes pretty great. Definitely try a bold red like Josh Cabernet or Kendall Jackson Vintner's Reserve Zinfandel.
I recommend the Grilled Sakura Pork Chops this week, we are serving them with lemon and honey glaze. Sakura is my favorite breed of pork, it just seems more tender and flavorful than other breeds. With that are roasted King Trumpet mushrooms and a baked sweet potato. Now King Trumpets are a large very meaty mushroom, more like a knife-and- fork variety than most. I was surprised to find that they are actually a type of Oyster mushroom because they look nothing like the traditional oyster we know. This dish would be great with Riesling or Gewurztraminer.
The light special is Oven-Roasted Romanesco with smoked paprika yogurt, marinated Roma tomatoes, broiled potatoes, olives and topped with grilled shrimp. If you've never heard of Romanesco you're not alone. It isn't well-known in this country. Also known as Roman Broccoli, it is actually closer to cauliflower in both biology and culinary use. I love the flavor but I love how it looks even more: the fractal patterns in the florets are intricate and amazing. This vegetable has been grown in around Rome for centuries and has a nutty flavor when roasted. It is particularly good with garlic and lemon and will be complimented nicely by the shrimp. Go with a Chardonnay here like Silver Gate.
As a Pasta this week check out the Linguini tossed with Artichokes, Grilled Chicken, Asparagus, Olive Oil and Garlic. It's topped with lemon-mint ricotta cheese which will make a nice creamy sauce that's still light in flavor and fat.
For Dinner specials, try the Halibut Au Gratin, Grilled Beef Sirloin, Barbecued Chicken, or the Steamed Mussels.
At Lunch we are offering Bacon-Wrapped Salmon, Carved Turkey Breast, Vegetarian Burger, Pork Porterhouse, and Barbecued Chicken.
On Saturday we have a buffet again, with a Western theme. Check out the menu, I think it will be a lot of fun. We are featuring Bison, Venison, Lamb, and my favorite: Rattlesnake Sausage. For our bolder diners we are featuring Rocky Mountain Oysters which are always more popular than I expect them to be considering that they are not oysters at all. We are still offering the unlisted wines we have as complimentary, I can't name them all here but they are usually from the Sip and Savor events which means that they are pretty good. Speaking of Sip and Savor, we will be skipping the month of March, as I will be away for a few days and there is no good day to reschedule. Don't worry, we will do it again in April. If anyone has an idea or a favorite please let me know.
I look forward to seeing you all at Culinary Corner on Monday. Have a great day!
