vengroff

To be fair, many of Avedon's subjects come pre-loaded with so much cultural and political baggage that a reviewer can't possibly neglect it without missing the works entirely. Compare that to food. Yes, it exists in an aesthetic and cultural context which is worth exploring. But can a chef put everything that Andy Warhol or Richard Nixon connotes on a plate? If so, tell me the name of the restaurant and how I can get a reservation!

would one pound the hell out of the meat before making chicken fried steak? perhaps to the point where it was almost "ground'? Yes, that's an essential step.

Chicken-fried steak with cream gravy. A staple of my youth in West Texas.

Steve, I forgot to ask this earlier. When the menu was being developed, do you know if any thought given to a dish based on halloumi, the waxy white sheep's milk cheese from Cyprus? I love the smooth smoky flavor it develops when grilled. I've seen blocks of it for sale in shops in New York, but never on a restaurant menu in this country. Thanks!

We went to Zaytinya for the first time last night and had a lovely time. The front room very striking, surrounded by a towering wall of windows. Unfortunately, the ceiling in the bar is much lower, and this makes it feel a little cramped, even though it is otherwise a large space. The bar crowd was a good mix of after work types and the young and hip--in some cases too hip. The woman next to us at the bar, for example, wore her leather pants in a style more commonly associated with plumbers' Levis. But enough about the atmosphere--on to the food. We knew in advance that this dinner was going to be all about mezze. If we hadn't known that before, the menu, which features dozens of mezze, and just three or four entrees tucked away in the lower right corner, was a dead giveaway. We really wanted to try everything, but after some debate we settled on the following seven: Baba ghannouche We debated between this old standby and a whole roasted eggplant stuffed with onions and tomatoes. In the end, we decided that we should stick to what we knew for a couple of dishes, like this one, and branch out with the rest. We were rewrded with a creamy smoky dip, topped with olive oil and studded with pomegranite seeds. Greek olives with thyme The selection of olives presented were meaty and flavorful, with good texture. All were excellent examples of their style. The range of styles presented could have been a bit broader, but again, all the olives that were served were of excellent quality. Fava beans These were presented in dip form, covered layers of diced onions, capers, and olive oil. The onion and caper flavor combination is one I associate with fish, but it worked very well here with the rich fava paste. Cabbage dolmades These were my star pick for the evening. The cabbage leaf wrappers were soft and tender, more like a good crepe than the thick veiny stuffed cabbage wrappers one sees elsewhere. The filling was rice and mushrooms. What put this dish over the top for me was the topping of lemony foam and olive oil. Everything about this dish was fresh and flavorful. Next time I vistit, it will be hard not to order two servings. Taramosalata This is a dish of creamed cod roe. I've had this elsewhere and enjoyed it. It can be fishy at times, but a good one is light and airy enough to offer balance. Here, unfortunately, it was so oppressively salty that the other flavors could not come through. It was the only dish of the seven that we did not finish. Yumurtali This was wife's favorite. A soft-cooked egg atop a semi-sweet vegetable ragou with strips of air-dried beef. Breaking the yolk self-sauced the dish, giving it a lovely creamy counterpoint to the crispy beef. A great combination of salty and sweet flavors, executed masterfully. Shish taouk This was a grilled boneless chicken leg with onions and tomato. Far more flavorful than any white meat kebab could ever be, with thin tender rings of onion and a perfect blend of spices. It was extremely well executed and we thoroughly enjoyed it. We knew essentially nothing about the Greek, Lebanese, and Turkish wines on offer, but our waiter was extremely helpful in describing them. He admitted that since they had not been open long he had not had a chance to try them all. But he was confident in his descriptions of those he had tried. He even went so far as to warn us away from one bottle he said was so stronly vanilla flavored that it could be likened to cookie dough. We settled on a 99 Voyatzi blend of Xinomavro, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignon. It was a light red wine, slightly acidic, but otherwise well balanced and a nice accompanyment to our food. And now, it was time for dessert. Having read Klc's posts here on eGullet and seen his pastryarts.com site, I knew he was both talented and passionate about his pastry creations. Now, I would taste them for the first time. I was particularly excited about the Medjool dates, as described by Steve in this thread. They were everything I had hoped for. The dates themselves were plump and silky. I would not have guessed that their creamy texture could be achieved in a whole fruit. I also loved how the crumbled orange shortbread set off not only the dates, but also the pistachio cream and rich olive oil ice cream. We also had the semolina cake. It was excellent, and beautifully plated. But next to the dates, I don't know of any dessert that would stand much of a chance. Semisweet Turkish coffee was a fine finish. Overall, it was a very enjoyable evening, and one I hope to repeat soon. Next time, we will try to go with a group of at least four, so as to increase the number of different mezze we can try.

When I am serving vegetarians, I like to make a tagine of oven-roasted root vegetables over couscous. It's hearty enough that the meat eaters at the table can't complain much. I use carrots, potatoes, turnips, parsnips, and/or other roots that happen to be available. Cut them into 1" cubes and roast in a hot oven until well carmelized, about an hour. Mix the roots with some veggie stock, diced tomatoes, sauteed onions, raisins, red chile, cumin, tumeric, and cinnamon. Simmer to meld the flavors and thicken the sauce. Serve over couscous. Sorry I don't have exact proportions. This is always kind of a wing-it dish for me, with lots of tasting and reseasoning.

You are welcome. Note that as written, the recipe produces a fairly mild mustard sauce. You can increase the mustard, even double it, if your tastes run in that direction. Add a touch more milk if it starts getting too thick.

Matt, thanks for the tips. I think I got it partially right, but not close enough. I peeled the onions and placed them on a rack next to the chicken so that they would not sit directly in the chicken's pan juices. I like your idea for finishing them over flame. I guess I tend to think of roasting as a final main cooking step, followed only by making a pan gravy while the roasted meat rests. What do you think of Jinmyo's suggestion to pre-sear the onions? That also seems a very promising approach to me.

Thanks, all. There will be blanching, searing, and braising in the future. Soba, do you have a recipe for the sweet and sour marinade? I'd like to give that a try too.

I must say the one that intrigues me the most is Galilleo, or more specifically, the Laboratorio. I happen to enjoy well-executed Italian food, but in this case there is something more to it. The whole story of Roberto Donna, at least in the versions I've heard, is like a medieval morality play. The talented, successful chef seeks his fortune outside the kitchen where his name was made. He is tempted to build an empire of star-powered cuisine, from spaghetti and meatballs to a truffle tasting menu. Initially, there is some success, but over time he finds himself spread too thin and his multiple concepts begin to wilt. Seeking redemption, our chef builds a temple to the faith that once guided him. A laboratory where his personal taste, creativity, and skill are combined with the finest seasonal ingredients on a nightly basis. OK, so that's over the top. In the end it's got to be all about the food; that's really the point. If the buzz I've heard is accurate, Donna recognizes that too. He has returned to a very direct, literally hands-on, involvement with the food he presents to his Laboratorio guests. I, for one, look forward to being among them in the coming months. And, of course, I will share my thoughts here once I do get a table.

Yes. How about The Bacon Song?

Last night I drizzled some cipollini onions with EVOO, S&P and put them in to roast alongside a small chicken. When the chicken was ready, the onions were soft, but they didn't have the carmelized crust one associates with roasted foods. The taste was mild and uninspiring. What should I do with these onions next time to get a better result? Just plain roast them longer? Other preparations entirely?

Bacon is the raison d'etre for cast iron, in my book. OK, maybe fried chicken should come before bacon, but I don't fry much chicken.

I couldn't help picking this up off a newstand today. I don't know DC's restaurants very well or this magazine at all. I just figured it might introduce me to a few names that should go on my list of places to try, and one set of opinions about them. I'm posting here because I wonder what other members think of this magazine and the reliability of their reviews. The online version is here, but it is ast year's. On their star scale, "four star restaurants are among the best in the country." Galileo, Gerard's Place, Inn at Little Washington, Kinkead's, Maestro, Michel Richard Citronelle, and Vidalia are listed as being in this category. Suprisingly, to me at least, there are several pages of advertisements in the middle of the review section under the heading "Hall of Fame." The ads feature some restaurants that made the list and some that did not. It seems like you can be featured prominently in the story either by being judged to be good, or buy buying space. Judging from the contents of the rest of the magazine--for example, a wedding planning guide and an article on who's buying and selling multi-million dollar homes in the area--it's probably not one I would regularly read. Other opinions? Should I read on or cut my losses at $2.95 and chuck it.

I worked in a high-end kitchen store for a while, and two things I learned are: (1) people never read instructions, and (2) they will throw everything into the dishwasher, including things much weirder than cast iron. Those are exactly the two factors that I think will work against Lodge. I'm afraid it will be even worse in this case. End users will get it into their head that the store display, box, and/or salesperson assured them it was a different and better kind of cast iron than that rusty crap they bought and had to return last year. I've always thought it was a shame that kitchen stores have to put up with returns from people who have ruined their products through blatent misuse. It just jacks up the prices for the rest of us.

You are welcome. Not a lot of extra effort really, as I got to eat the result. I put the pictures on imagestation and they show up now, at least for me.

Tell me more.. sounds wonderful. I haven't made this dish in a while, but you inspired me to do so tonite. It's more a technique than a recipe, as I do it a bit differently each time, but I'll try to present it in recipe form, based on what I did tonight. The thing I really like about this is that both the skin on the bottom and the potato crust on top of the fish are a crispy and crackling and the fish in between in moist, tender, and full of flavor. I'll see if I can get some photos into the thread; bear with me if they don't show up, this is my first attempt to put photos from ofoto.com on eGullet. (Note: so far, in preview mode, the ofoto.com images all just say "IMAGE NOT AVAILABLE DUE TO MAINTENANCE try back later." Hopefully this is just a temporary problem, as the URL to the photos looks to be correct.) Potato-Crusted Salmon Filet with Dijon Sauce Quantities are for two servings. For the salmon: 3/4 pound Alaskan Coho filet 1/2 teaspoon frashly ground white pepper 1/4 teaspoon salt, or to taste 2 sprigs lemon thyme, leaves stripped from stems 1 medium size russet potato 2 cloves garlic 2 tablespoons olive oil For the sauce: 1 tablespoon butter 1 tablespoon flour 1 cup milk 3 teaspoons dijon mustard salt and white pepper to taste Cut the salmon filet vertically into two strips, one for each serving. Remove the pin bones from the fish with a pair of needle-nose pliers, or by hand if you can get a good grip. Place the strips skin side down and season with the pepper, salt, and lemon thyme leaves, as shown: Peel the potato, and slice as thin as possible with a mandoline. With a little careful adjustment, you should be able to produce flexible translucent slices approximately one millimeter thick. Cut the cloves of garlic in half lengthwise, score the cut surfaces with a knife, and rub the over the potato slices. This will flavor them, and help prevent them from oxidizing. Cover the surface of the salmon with a layer of the potato slices. Add a second layer, draping it from the top over the sides of the fish. Your fish should now look like this: Before cooking the fish, start the sauce. It's really just a bechemel with some mustard added. Optionally, the sauce can be started before the fish, and kept warm over a very low flame. Begin by melting the butter in a small saucepan over a medium flame. Once it is melted and bubbling, add the flour and stir thoroughly until a uniform paste is formed. Continue cooking until the roux just starts to brown. Add a quarter of the milk, and wisk to incorporate. Repeat three more times until all the milk has been added. Lower the flame to prevent boiling. Cook, stirring a couple of times, for five minutes, then wisk in the mustard. Taste, and add salt and pepper to taste. Hold over a very low flame, stirring occasionally, while you return to the fish. Heat a large skillet over a medium flame. Once the pan is hot, add the olive oil. It should shimmer, and begin to just barely smoke. Place the fish potato side down in the pan. This is easier said than done. The key is not to bend the fish, otherwise the potato layer will tend to peel off. I like to place the fish skin side down on the end of a wide fish spatula, then roll it over into the hot oil. Once the fish is in the pan, let it cook completely undisturbed for two minutes. In this time, the potato will develop into a crispy crust and will release itself from the pan. If you try to mover or turn the fish too early, the potato is likely to stick to the pan. Once the crust forms, carefully turn the fish over so that the skin side is down. The potato crust should be a lovely golden brown, as shown: Continue to cook on the skin side until the skin becomes crisp and the fish is medium rare to medium. This should take about four or five minutes, depending on the thickness of the filet. A small knife tip in the side of the fish can be used to check doneness. Plate the fish potato side up, garnished with the sauce and some greens. I used quickly sauteed spinach with a little olive oil, salt and pepper. Here it is, ready to go with an Oregon Pinot Noir: Ignore the cardboard box in the upper right corner of the photo. We are still in the process of moving in to our new place. Here's what it looks like on the inside: In summary, it's not really a potato dish per se, but it does use a potato and a mandoline as the topic of the thread suggested. Enjoy.

Must it be strictly a potato dish, or can in be part of something more? If the latter, paper-thin potato slices can be applied to salmon or other thick fish filets. Saute to form a crispy crust. Salt, pepper, and optionally thyme, dill, or other herbs can be sprinkled between the fish and potatoes as you see fit.

Thanks, Dave! In the past I have wondered why manufacturers didn't offer pre-seasoned cast iron. Coating and heating are two of the simplest industrial processes around. I always concluded that they didn't do it because even if a pan was perfectly seasoned out of the box, it would need proper care to stay that way. It will be interesting to see how Lodge's strategy pans out, so to speak. I wonder how many returns they will get from consumers who are upset about how it performs after being tossed in the dishwasher.

Thanks, Steve. It was indeed made from quinoa. I don't have a copy of the menu, but I'm pretty sure it specifically referred to it as "cous cous."

Steve, We were just at Altantico last night! Didn't try the current desserts, but see comments here.

We booked a table at Cafe Atlantico earlier in the week, not realizing the Steve Klc connection. My visiting mother actually chose it out of Zagats. We're new to the DC dining scene, as my wife just began working down here. I'm still NYC-based at this point. On hearing about our move south, a number of friends took us aside and warned us away from the culinary wasteland they presumed DC to be. If Cafe Atlantico is any indication, their warnings need not be so dire. At a price point of $50 per person inclusive of a nice bottle of Malbec, few places in New York could compete on ingredients, preparation, and atmosphere. The first thing one notices on entering the cafe is the open verticality of the space. The first and third floors house dining rooms. The semi-open kitchen is sandwiched in between on the second floor. Although in my mind, food makes or breaks a restaraunt, a well-designed room that makes a good first impression only enhances the experience. To start our meal, we ordered the quail with mango and anchovy ravioli, foie gras soup, and a shrimp, tamarind and pineapple dish. The quail was tender and succulent and the filling of the accompanying ravioli was far more subtle than we expected. The foie gras soup was brought to the table in a small pitcher, then poured over a piping of a rich creamy corn mixture and ribbons of chanterelles. The soup itself was creamy, livery, and wholly satisfying. It probably could have done without the mushrooms, which were darker and chewier than what I expect from a chanterelle. I assume they were probably dried. I didn't sample the shrimp, but it was reported to be quite good. For mains, we had duck confit with greens, salmon with quinoa cous cous, and braised lamb shank with pumpkin. The duck meat was moist an tender, everything a confit should be. The skin was crisped with what seemed to be carmelized sugar crystals. I found this a bit sweet for my tastes, but it was a hit with others. The greens were nicely done, tender but not mushy. The only thing that seemed out of place on the plate was a very large pile of plantain chips. They inapropriately dominated the presentation and were far more than I was interested in eating. I would have been happy with a quarter to a third of the amount served. The salmon was a nice medium rare with an interesting salsa and fluffy cous cous. I don't know enough about Latin cuisine to know if a cous-cous-style presentation of grain is authentic, or whether it was created in-house. In either case, it was an enjoyable complement to the fish. Finally, there was the lamb shank, braised in Malbec and served with mushrooms and pumpkin. Braised lamb shanks appear on all sorts of menus these days. They're there beside the one steak, ususally a sirloin or filet, that many restaurants feel obligated to offer. It's safe to say that at Cafe Atlantico, the lamb shank was more than menu filler. The sauce of reduced braising liquid was as rich and flavorful as any I've had, and the presentation, topped with paper-thin slices of pumpkin, was a nice playful touch. It made the dish a little after-Christmas present waiting to be opened. We didn't sample the desserts, as we had a home-made chocolate cake waiting for us at home, but we look forward to trying them on our inevitable next visit. Score one for DC, we'll be recommending Cafe Atlantico to the naysayers back in New York.

Steve, it sounds great to me. I'm a big fan of the mezze/tapas approach to dining. It's also nice to see a pastry chef's contribution fully acknowledged in a review. I can't wait to try the dates in vin santo with olive oil ice cream.

I too am a proponent of the toaster oven method. Mine's a DeLonghi, just like tommy's infamous deep fryer. I blast the empty pan at 500 for five minutes, then lower it to 350 and put two slices in.

Sure enough, amazon has several, starting at $11.99.