little ms foodie

LOL!! Well nothing was foamed so it couldn't compare right?? But I have to say that the organic chicken egg scrambled with lobster, creme fraiche and topped with caviar, served in a huge osterich egg on a bed of peppercorns was a treat!

My friend will be tasting from the menus on the 25th and 26th so if she gets a minute to report back I'll post what her thoughts are. FG- she said that she really likes how Alex is looking (menu and interior and staff)- it isn't on the lakeside but she said it will be great.

Since we just got home from vacation we had to do a bit of pantry cooking last night. Cosmo's while cooking in honor of NYC (where we were) Patatas Rioja (potatoes with onion and chorizo) Stuffed chiken breasts with serrano ham and a basque goat cheese jelly beans for dessert

We had dinner at Db&D on Friday night before a show. I was surprised at how busy they already were by 6pm. The whole experience was great, beautiful rooms and the service was so good. Our waiter Joe was fantastic. 2 of us had the tasting menu at $85 each, fair price I think for the food we were served. Another had the tuna tartare which he loved and the rib eye which I swear looked like it was meant for Fred Flinstone. Chicken and lamb were also had and pronounced excellent. 2 desserts were served as part of our tasting menu and a few more brought out on the house. the butterscotch pana cota is still being talked about. Wine list seemed a bit inflated but I'm from Seattle and I don't usually see a full 50% mark up so that is just me a suppose. I would recommend and return.

ok, had dinner at E is I on Saturday night. It was ok but I personally wouldn't go back. I really like the space and the cool wine cellar. We started upstairs in the bar. Our cocktail waitress sucked! She was sooooooo slow, lord! But again the space with the couches and all is cool. Good music, good vibe. Our party of 7 was seated right on time. The service continued to be lackluster. The waiter explained the menu but sounded very bored! They brought out the antipasto, a huge selection of salamu, asparagus with egg, crostini, chicken liver pate, pea and mint spread, fried risotto, and some other things I'm forgetting. It looked great. I had to ask them to bring out more of the small plates as there are 5 asparagus stalks and 7 people, they seemed surprised that I asked??? Pasta was up next. First they walked around with a skillet and gave each person one each of a stuffed raviolo- 1 was artichokes and basil, one peas and something. then one bowl of buccatini with clams was set down, one small Staub dish of shells and cheese and one tine bowl of mushroom risotto. All looked good but the size of the dish was for 2 not 7. I had to ask repeatidly for additional dishes, the wait was LONG! Everyone felt akward as what to take.....the pastas themselves were good but not exceptional. Meat came out, braised short ribs, chicken catcatorri and grilled white fish, all fine but nothing fantastic. As someone else said the meat was a bit dry. 2 people ordered dessert, some had after dinner drinks. We didn't feel rushed we just felt like the waiters couldn't give a damn and that the kitchen was on rations. I have no idea what the tab was. edited to add that I don't think there would have been issues with a smaller party size and also that the desserts weren't included in the prix fixe.

ok, I totally understand now....region not restaurant!

That is amazing....it is absolutely the most interesting thing i've learned this week! haha! and for only going out with your husband 5 times in 10 years...... you are one heck of a woman Kristin!!!

chufi that fennel salad looks soooo good. Do you just slice it thinly and toss with oranges and parsley?? Last day of cooking out of the Food & Wine Spain recipes (we are off to NYC for a few days tomorrow) Tonight we started with some pieces of grilled chorizo, basque de bleu, a goat cheese similar to manchengo and a sheeps cheese 'drunk' with port, served with a fig jam. all very good- no pictures.... Then we made Garlicky shrimp and creamy lentil soup with Serrano ham

Ok I think that the whole credit card/how many times do you want to pay? sounds like the best thing ever!! very cool! Kristin, do you and your husband get much of a chance to go out on your own for dinner or whatnot? Is babysitting a common thing?

So if you have to be someplace for 3 years how is Sundstrom eligible? Lark hasn't been in business for 3 years.... Frans Chocolate cookbook was also nominated. Guess I better get over to Lamprea and check it out......

I use creme fraiche and smoky bacon I get from a local butcher sliced thick, then I cut it into lardons. It's really the best recipe, turns out just perfect! But then YOU know that already!! I will check out fromages.com. Thank you!!

I'm surprised that Ethan Stowell wasn't nominated??

those little legs look great! I just ate the last piece of chicken from the other night. Yum!! I gotta say though, in the blind taste test we still couldn't tell pan fried from deep fryer. Anyone else do this experiment? i think we just have taste buds that aren't very picky!!!

I made 2 soups in the last few weeks. One was a shrimp bisque, it turned out ok flavor wise but I had a hard time getting it to thicken. I also had a hard time finding a recipe in any of my books.....strange! Last week we made a Carrot Ginger soup which was very nice! Sweet potato and onion soup sounds awesome....I'm googling now!

This is very interesting. I first had tartiflette only 2 years ago while in Geneva and Annecy....and that is where I fell in love with tartiflette. I tried a few recipes but they didn't taste right, until I saw Lucy's! And that is the best tartiflette and only recipe I use now. But here in Seattle I can only get Reblochon once in a while when a very nice cheese seller sneaks it in to the country!

Also here Based on the comments here I've got reservations for 7 people on Saturday.

What Susan said! Actually I think you might even be able to sign up for a free month or two of F&W on the website and get acess.....Jake if this doesn't work for you just pm me and I'll get you the recipe. They are actually suppose to be much smaller than this but the first time making anything is an education right? And they have a sherry dipping sauce that goes with them (not pictured)

2nd day of Spain week.... Garlicky mushrooms Cabrales phyllo rolls and lamb with mint meatballs

Kris, I really enjoyed your last blog. thank you for doing this again. It will be fun and interesting.....I'll add my list to the 'never have eaten pokey' people. But by the time your done blogging I promise to have eaten some!

Kris, ducky and Chris your pad thais look sooooo good!! great job and great photos all!

Thanks Chris, as I said it got too dark on the pan fry but that just gives me an excuse to practice more right??

This week we are cooking out of the Feb issue of Food&Wine- the Spanish issue. salad of white beans and chorizo with olives saucy clams and shrimp chicken and vegtable croquettes all served with Txacolli (sp?) a basque white wine which is slightly effervescent dessert thanks to Ferain Adria- bittersweet chocolat on toasts with EVOO and sea salt

Oh I am a big fan of TD so this will be great. Of course Mario would be cool but I agree that Morimoto would be a more realistic match! FUN!

we cut up our chicken this morning into legs, thighs, breasts (in halves) and soaked all them all day in buttermilk, salt and tabasco. Did half in our fryer with veg oil and half in the cast iron chicken pan with crisco. Seasoned the drained chicken with my own cajun blend of spices and shook them up with flour. We put them right it to fry from the bag I had a hard time controlling the heat, not sure if that was a crisco thing or the electric burner thing or a combo of both...... I cooked the pan fried covered for the first half, open for the second. deep fried is on the left, pan fried on the right: the chicken tasted great(minus the dark very center crust)! Dayne said it was the best homemade fried chicken he's had. We really couldn't tell much difference between the fryer or the pan flavor wise. We served ours with a drizzle of honey, sauteed peas with onions and 4 cheese mac n cheese. And beers!

Chicken will be frying this weekend. We are using the Minnie/Martha method and I think we will do half in the fryer and half in the cast iron. Yum! I can't wait!