Table 8, A Review

I've not posted a review lately. And this review, I should confess, is NOT AT ALL UNBIASED. If it were awful I couldn't say it was awful.

Luckily for me, it wasn't awful, but alas, I can't say it was awful because the Executive Chef is a friend of mine. Of course they may become friends with me because they know I'm a sucker. But I will also admit that I'm a snob and wouldn't be friends with a bad chef. So what I'm trying to say is that my word is still golden.

I entered and said to the maitre d', "Hi I'm .:tt:. and I have a reservation." His eyes lit up and he said, "Oh Govind's friend! Welcome!" See? It's fun being me!

We are ushered to the bar and enjoy a couple of glasses of prosecco and a few chef's amususes. We are amused indeed. Chef comes in--a handsome gent that is famous for being great looking. He's not cooking tonight--he's just back from Miami (where they have placed another Table 8). He comes to our rescue, as we have booked on the busiest night since they reopened. He snaps his fingers and a table opens up.

One of my dining companions brought a nice bottle of wine, so we start with that. We order the first and main course at the same time--which a good restaurant should be able to pull off...most in LA can not. How hard is it to hold the main course for 30 minutes?

Let me tell you some observations that made the evening; first the staff understands that a good evening happens when everyone is having fun. So there isn't a table? Offer good food and wine and company until there is a table. But my favorite thing of all? There were three of us, and all of the courses came with the main ingredient in sets of three. Three pieces of duck, six scallps, etc...I've said it before--the dining room should always accommodate the client--if there were four scallops who would get the last one?

So I'll get down to it--the food is so elegant and tasty--there was nothing to complain about. The Chef de Cusine (runs the kitchen in that particular location--the Executive Chef oversees all operations of both) is Jason Wildman.

We had the Chorizo and Clams, Seared Scallops and Braised Veal Cheeks to start. All very yummy--it's hard to say which was my favorite--but if I HAD to choose, I would say the Veal Cheeks.

I loosened the belt and settled in for a main course. The chef stopped by the table to see how things were going and realized it was time for more wine. At this point--my head spinning from lots of wine, food, and attention I don't remember what we drank--but it was good.

The main course came after we digested a little--not too hurried. For this course we enjoyed the Lamb (and I told my lamb story--have I told you yet?), the Duck Breast, and The Pork. It was all fabulous--I even liked the lamb!

Dessert was a creamy and delicate panna cotta and warm cookies. More wine and some coffee. And the night came to a close. Well sort of...

.:tt:.

Order Govind Armstrong's book here. Really. Do.

What I'm Reading Now:

My food obsession is becoming ridiculous.

Last night I dreamt that I was dating (read: sleeping with) Anthony Bourdain.

"Ewww," you must be thinking.

"Me too!" I want to shout--except it was hot. We cooked and...Well, you know, all day long. Everything was about food...and well, you know.

This comes on the heels of me reading Marco Pierre White's autobiography, Devil in the Kitchen, that is to drop on May 1, 2007.

It's a fun read, poorly written, but to not to worry, it is written as if it were spoken from his lips. You feel like you have been sitting in your parlor taking a spot of tea with the infamous chef.

For those of you who don't know, Marco Pierre White is the culinary world's first "bad-boy chef." It is the reason Gordon Ramsay has found fame for screaming at the poor sops they gathered in the kitchen of Hell; Ramsay worked for Marco at one of his Michelin starred restaurants, Harvey's.

Names are dropped through out the book, and not in this way; "Last night I was talking to my friend Gordon Ramsay..." (cuz they aren't anymore, btw) but more like this; "...so I hired a sous chef who was about my age, an American lad called Mario Batali."

For those that want to understand the making of some famous chef's of today, I can highly recommend this easy read.

If you want to shell out some dineros for his famed, White Heat you can find it here.

If you want to read about his troubles before you can read about his troubles you can read it here.

If you want to evaluate my dream, you can send it here.

.:tt:.

coo.boo

I'm eternally fascinated by design. I started out as a design student before I became a chef, indeed. And though I love designers/design, I often don't agree with how they come about their designs. This particular design I will share with you falls into the "WTF?" category. I wish that he knew the subject before he designed for the subject.

It's not beautiful. It doesn't solve any "problems"--it is design for design's sake--use the brainpower to stop starvation or global warming. But then again, those are real problems--getting soup on your cookbook is much easier mountain to conquer.

coo.boo
via: Cool Hunting

.:tt:.

coo.boo Digital Cookbook
by Tim Yu, 7 February 2007



You might have heard, but soon there will no longer be a need to risk your laptop in precarious situations in the kitchen. Modeled after a spatula, coo.boo is a digital cookbook that fits into the kitchen environment better than any laptop or printed cookbook. Recipes stored on the user’s computer are automatically synchronized through a wireless docking station and displayed on the face of the device. Digital function allows the cook to choose the degree of support wanted, from simply displaying recipes to full audiovisual cooking lessons. Not fragile like other high-tech digital devices, coo.boo is washable and can be placed on the counter top or hung up next to other kitchen utensils. Designed by Philipp Gilgen, a student at the University of Applied Sciences in Northwestern Switzerland, it recently won the IF Concept Award 2007. Still in prototype stage, there is no word yet on release or price. Contact Philipp Gilgen for more info.

Wok

Title as simple as subject.

Got one.

Happy.

Here it is:


Here is the book I am going to get:



.:tt:.

Fizzle My Nizzle

Champagne is the theme for the day. All things Champange, sparkling wine, and Prosecco are in my head--or rather go to my head. Many of you know that I love Champane; I've dined on Champange with celebrities, with friends, and with family (okay, so she's not real family--but we are "scorpio sisters" after all)--but mostly I've dined on Champane alone, in my bathtub with a good book. I've even been known to finish the half drunk glass of Champagne of those that I just met (apparently she is also a celebrity--though she could learn a thing or two about the celebrity bit where one drinks too much and trashes the bathroom, as her predecessor most certainly has done--she didn't even finish her first glass! Where's the celebrity in that?)

I could bore you with the details of Champange, but I'll let Wikipedia do that for you.

I'm here to fill your senses with the good stuff.

A good book with 16 Champagne recipes :

A nice modern flute:

For the person that has everything:

To the good life!

"Salut, bon vivant!"

.:tt:.

Me, Myself, and I or Date Night Menu #3

I was saying to mySelf, “self, why did you commit to writing a date night menu once a week?” Well, myself said back to me, “Self, why it is so hard to commit to a date night menu for you?” Next I heard mySelf saying, “I have a hard time committing in general—and since myself and mySelf are single, date night actually happens to be the busiest night of the week.”

Myself conceded and so we (as in the queen's proverbial “we”) decided that “date night menu” will follow date night and not precede date night. Myself apologizes; mySelf cannot seem to manage.

This recipe is from my new favorite cookbook, The Lee Bros. Southern Cookbook. They are very talented food writers from the little news paper known modestly as The New York Times. They also happen to be Amanda Hesser’s favorite—I like Amanda, so I like them. If you like southern food, this book is well planned and intelligently written.

Texas Red-Braised Beef Short Ribs with Grits

Serving for 6 (umm…I’m gonna say that you might need two rounds in the event of a long night…)

Short Ribs

3 ½ pounds Beef Short Ribs
1 ½ tablespoons Kosher Salt, plus more for taste
3 large Yellow Onions, trimmed, peeled and quartered
8 Garlic cloves, husks removed
3 tablespoons plus 4 teaspoons Oil
1 ½ teaspoons freshly ground Black Pepper
2 cups Sunday Beef Broth (recipe to follow) or one 14 ½ ounce can beef broth
3 Ancho Chilies, torn in half, stemmed, and seeded
3 Pasilla Chilies, torn in half, stemmed, and seeded
One 28-ounce can Crushed Tomatoes
¼ cup semisweet Chocolate Chips


Season ribs with salt and pepper
Toss onions and garlic with oil and salt and pepper in a 9-x-13-inch roasting pan and broil three inches from flame
for 8-10 minutes until the veggies are charred slightly
Preheat oven to 325
Bring broth to a boil over high heat. Once it boils turn it off.
Heat 3 T oil in a cast iron skillet and toast all the chilies
until they are soft (about 30 seconds) and then transfer to the broth
Add more oil to the cast iron skillet and turn on high and add the shortribs and sear until the surfaces are brown.
Blend the charred garlic and onions in a food processor. Add the tomatoes and process into a smooth puree and reserve into a bowl.
Add the chilies and broth and puree until smooth.
Add the chili puree to the tomatoes to the degree of heat that you desire.
Once that is achieved stir in the chocolate.
Place short ribs in the roasting pan you used for the onions and garlic and spoon over the “red sauce”.
Cover and bake for two hours or until they are falling off of the bone.
Serve on a plate with simple grits (recipe to follow)


Simple Grits

2 cups Whole Milk
2 cups Water
1 cup Stone-Ground Grits
¾ teaspoon Kosher salt, plus more to taste
½ teaspoon freshly Ground Black Pepper, plus more to taste
1 tablespoon Butter


Bring Milk and Water up to a boil. Add the Grits and Salt and reduce the heat to medium. Stir until the grits are thick and soupy and fragrant, about 8 minutes. Bring to a simmer and stir every couple of minutes for another twenty minutes.
Cook for 15 minutes more stirring constantly.
When the grits are done turn off heat and season and add butter. Serve immediately.


Sunday Beef Broth

1 tablespoon Canola Oil
1 pound Oxtails
½ diced Yellow Onion
½ cup diced Carrot
3 large Bay Leaves
¼ cup full-bodied Red Wine
6 cups cold Water
Salt and Pepper to taste


Heat oil in stockpot until it shimmers. Add Oxtails and sear. Remove and reserve to a bowl.
Add onion and carrot and bay leaves to the pot and cook until softened. Add the wine and stir with a wooden spoon.
Simmer in wine for 3 minutes.
Return oxtails to the stockpot and add water.
Bring to a boil and reduce heat to low and simmer gently for an hour, skimming the surface intermittently.
Strain with a fine mesh strainer and throw away solids. Store stock in a container with a tight fitting lid in the refrigerator for two days or freezer for a few months.

If the date goes well, then you can use the left over grits for breakfast; just add bacon and cheddar.

tt

The Interview, Part I

I’ve learned that a blog isn’t a real blog until it has at least one interview posted. In order to keep up with the Jones's and do some cookbook name dropping (Amy Sedairs’s book I Like You), I’ve (Tehra Tehrason) decided to use these questions to interview a real life chef. The gracious, Tehra Thorp (or me), has agreed to answer my questions as I (Tehra) sit down with her (me) over a cup of tea (vodka).

Q: I’d like to set the tone a bit before I break into the real meat of the matter (so to speak); why did you become a chef?

A: The answer I give everyone is that my mother couldn’t cook—but I didn’t learn to cook until long after, I think I became a chef out of desperation. I was hungry—in more ways than one.

Q: What is the best thing about being a chef?

A: Impressing the boys.

Q: The next series of questions come from Amy Sedaris in her new book, “I like you” available at The Cooks Library in Los Angeles:

• “Does the sun make noise?”
• “Do you tip a cobbler?”
• “How do you teach hope?”

A: Yes, the sun makes noise. Yes, tip the cobbler but only at Christmas. And finally, Hope is not something you can teach. It’s something you buy, “hope in a jar” I think it's called. So go out and get yours today.

Q: Wow, you really know a lot Tehra (me). This is turning out to be a terrific interview.

A: Thanks. You’re a pretty good interviewer Tehra (me).

Q: This next series of questions come from some dude, named Proust. He asks the tough questions, hard hitting journalism.

• What do you consider the depths of despair?
• Your favorite occupation?
• Who would you have liked to be?
• Do you know how to do the funky chicken?

I think that last one…well, maybe it…not sure. I think maybe that last question is from Amy Sedaris. We’ll leave it in for arguments sake.

A: The depths of despair happen when I finish a book and have nothing on the night table to read. My favorite occupation is sitting and talking about how great of a chef I am. I would have liked to be Mrs. Clause; she married well. I do know how to do the funky chicken and many other dance moves that involve food; i.e. “fry like bacon”.

Q: Red or White?

A: Pink

Q: Chocolate or Vanilla?

A: Chocolate cake with vanilla ice cream.

Q: Still or bubbly?

A: Since when is champagne still?

Q: Here is your soapbox. Tell me (Tehra) what are your (my) food related pet peeves?

A: I HATE it when people use utensils improperly. (I also hate it when people use adverbs wrong too). I like my red a little cold and my white room temperature. Flavors are best tasted at room temperature. Show me a person that likes lukewarm food and I’ll show you a real gourmand.

Stay tuned, next week an interview with the other co-founder, the beautiful and tres fashionable Rachel Racherson will answer some tough questions that she will ask herself.

Amy Sedairs’s book, I Like You is available at The Cook's Library. Please call the helpful folks Alan, Tim, Amy or CP and they will be sure to show you this book and several others that will drain your wallet and keep you from making rent.

tt