People and Hot Chocolate

Recently relocating to within 100 paces of People (give or take 100 more), it wouldn't be long until we timed ourselves slightly before their 8 p.m. dinner crowd and settled into their atmosphere of enveloping wood long tables and hospitality. Pics above are from their website, as I was sans camera this evening- but all tastebuds. We started with 2 glasses of Seis Rioja, which was a little more assertive than I usually expect of a Rioja, but tasty and bright, a good match for the cuisine that followed.
The cold tapas arrived first: a not-to-be-underestimated bowl of olives- my tapas standby; the Tortilla Espanola, pictured above on the left; and the Citrus and Vodka Cured Salmon, some tare tare slices of salmon set ablaze by a lusciously tangy sauce drizzled about. It was one of those dishes that allows each bite to be a rumination on the layers of flavor.
The Pepinos (right)- goat-cheese stuffed sweet peppers with crostini- which I thought were being referred to as Pimientos on the menu last evening, were another case in point. They arrived nicely timed after our cold tapas were partially dispensed with, along with the Hongos Jerez, sautéed mushrooms with herbs.
The food invited us to linger over its flavors, but the growing cacophony of activity at the bar which amorphously spills over into the dining area, was more Bucktown than Barcelona, and 6 Gypsy Kings songs later we finally got a check and made tracks elsewhere for dessert.

Dessert we found elevated to the sublime at Hot Chocolate, which apparently also serves savory fare- surprise to me. We sidled up to the bar for dessert wine and "something sweet." The dessert menu was divided into a few categories that first required us to narrow down which sector of the tooth was feeling most vocal this particular evening. The chocolate choices were almost overwhelming. Our standby, creme brulee, seemed parochial beside the fruity, get-em-while-can, seasonal delights. And so we alighted on "Apples." Let me just take a moment to voice my love for the nude signifier aspect of the menu. No need to gild the lily. It belies an awareness that the food will speak for itself. Made of fresh, seasonal, as local as possible in the corn-belt ingredients, and artfully conceived, the dessert roster could be untitled for all I care. What arrived as "Apples" was an apple spice cake layered with pecan ice cream, topped with a creme anglaise and the tableside finish of a warm, cider sauce. That first bite, when the tart apple cider meets the creamy ice cream, and the heat of the sauce hasn't yet melted the ice cream, but allow both to be distinctly tasted at once in all their opposing qualities... was heaven. My first thoughts after the moment of silence/awe were of all the special people in my life I wanted to bring here and to taste this exact taste, to share this bit of earthly pleasure.

Vegan Cassoulet

3 carrots, sliced
2 celery stalks, sliced
1 leek, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
10 oz. of fresh green beans, or in this case I used frozen
2 1/2 T evoo

1 8 0z. can of white beans, drained and rinsed
1 cup TVP (Lightlife Smartground), crumbled
1 T Herbs d'Provence
1 t sea salt
1 T fresh cracked pepper
2 1/2- 3 T fresh chopped thyme
2 1/2- 3 T tomato paste
1-2 cups of water (if 3/4 c or so of this is replaced with white wine, all the better)

Saute first 6 ingredients in a deep pan over low/medium heat for about 10-15. Add remaining ingredients and stir. Simmer for 30-45 minutes. Serve hot with some nice, crusty fresh bread.

Mushroom Quiche and Lentil Salad

This was homemade crust number deux, and with this one I figured a few key things out.
1. The dry mixer attachment for the Vita Mix cuts the butter into a dough fabulously.
2. Baking the crust an additional 5 minutes to melt a layer of cheese on the bottom after the blind bake, and before adding the rest of the filling, keeps everything crispy and distinct.

So the crust recipe here is from an online source that credits Mollie Katzen's Sunlight Cafe cookbook.

1 1/2 c unbleached, all purpose flour
1/4 t salt
1/2 c (1 stick) cold unsalted butter
Up to 3 T cold water (or milk or buttermilk)

Place flour and salt in the bowl of a food processor fitted with a steel blade. Cut the butter into slices, add to the processor, and buzz several times, until the mixture is uniform and resembles coarse meal. (You can do this with 2 forks like I did the last time, but it's painfully laborious!)

Continue to process in quicks spurts as you add the water, 1 T at a time. As soon as the dough adhere to itself when pinched, stop adding water and turn the dough out on a floured surface. Gather it gently into a ball.

Roll the dough into a circle 11 inches or so in diameter. Lift the dough and ease it into a 9-inch pie pan or a 10-inch springform tart pan, nudging it gently in the corners. Form a generous, even edge all the way around the sides.

Use a fork to poke a bunch of holes in the bottom layer of the crust. Cut a piece of parchment paper the size and shape of the pan and set over the crust. Add a cup of dried beans or whatever you use as you pie weights to prevent the crust from rising too much during the blind bake. Blind bake at 400 for 12 minutes.

I had munster cheese on hand, but swiss or gruyere are excellent matches here too. With the munster I sliced enough to cover the bottom of the crust, 3/4 c. (Remove the pie weights/beans and parchment, of course!) Lower the oven temp to 375 and bake for 5 minutes, or until the cheese is just melted.

For the filling I sauteed 4 very large cremini mushrooms in 1 T evoo and 1 minced shallot. Once the shallot and mushroom mixture is fragrant and the mushrooms have darkened and cooked through, add mixture to quiche pan.

In a separate bowl whisk 4-5 eggs and 1/2 c Silk unsweetened soy milk (or regular milk, or go nuts and use cream!) add to quiche pan. This should just about fill up the crust. Bake for 35-40 minutes at 375, or until a knife in the center comes out clean.

**

Lentil Salad

This is actually a Greek recipe taken from a cookbook on Greek cuisine, but it paired well with the quiche, and even better with an Origin Viognier. It was good cold and by itself or with baby salad greens and a splash of evoo and balsamic vin, or slightly warmed and by itself.

1 c lentils, French green worked well, soaked for about 3 hours in cold water
1 small red onion, chopped
1 bay leaf (I bumped it up to 2)
4 T evoo
3-4 T of chopped, fresh flat leaf parsley
2 T chopped fresh oregano or marjoram (I used dried oregano)
9 oz. cherry tomatoes, halved
9 oz. feta, crumbled
salt and pepper
3 T lightly toasted pine nuts

Drain lentils and place them in a large pan. Pour in plenty of cold water and add bay leaves and onion. Bring to a boil and boil hard for 10 minutes, then lower heat and simmer for 20 minutes.

Drain the lentils, discard the bay leaves and tip them into a bowl. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss with the olive oil. Set aside to cool, the mix with the parsley, oregano, tomatoes, pine nuts and feta.

Cuatro

J and I have been eager for another trip to Cuatro since our first foray last fall. Not only is it twice the fun with a crowd, I was able to taste half a dozen things from the menu that affirmed my suspicion that the corn crepes, pumpkin soup and ceviche we enjoyed last time that appealed to every aspect of the senses were no exception to the rest of fare. Granted, I'll remain ignorant of the beef and chicken categories, but the vegetable and fish eaters will find much to choose from that has received equal creative and technical attention from the chef.

Photo above is of my salmon on a banana leaf with vegetable quinoa. The fish had a slightly crispy crust and a succulent flesh-- very fresh and cooked to perfection.

J had the day's catch- a huge steak of big eye tuna with a zippy salsa topping and rice.

Others had the moqueca de mar (the squid was offered to the table, I wanted to get over my willies about the creature, but it just looked too much like a penis), a caribbean-infused curry that tasted like something I'll order for myself next time. And the corn crepes, which we already knew were a stand-out.

Backing up, this visit we confirmed the supremacy of their salmon and scallop ceviche but were additionally won over by the vegetarian ceviche and the ensalada caribe, the latter of which will be a regular starter for me from now on.. wow. The dressing has a zingy kick and the crisp jicama keeps it light and refreshing.

And now for dessert. I'm usually persuaded to try the special, which this evening was an almond cake drenched in a dozen adjectives, but the server steered us to the flan instead.. flan that sits atop a slab of chocolate cake, to be clear. A firmer texture than your ordinary flan and infused with hazelnut. Superb. And the quatro leches cake was formidable as well.. upping the ante on the tres leche was a cinnamon-sparked creme anglaise and a pistachio cookie petal that the whole thing was nesting in. Great combination of flavors for a recommended innovation on a tried-and-true classic.