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eG Foodblog: chrisamirault - Place Settings


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No, no - canning isn't scary at all. You do need to take some care to ensure airtight seals and proper processing, but it isn't difficult at all. Great family project, so long as you keep the Bebe watching from afar :wink:

Sounds like canning might make a good cook-off, eh?

Great idea!

Edited by tejon (log)

Kathy

Cooking is like love. It should be entered into with abandon or not at all. - Harriet Van Horne

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In re Concord grapes, I am reminded of a Concord grape tasting menu that once appeared at Blue Hill restaurant in New York City:

The gorgeous progression of the described Concord grape tasting menu at Blue Hill called for a request for an encore. So I called Mike up to ask if he could secure grapes for a second all-Concord grape meal.  As usual, Mike was helpful and inquired whether I contemplated dishes that were distinct from those in the first sequence. Oh, yes, I gleefully retorted, although I would understand if he were to prepare the same dishes for robert and Susan brown and jordyn (my dining companions) to sample.

I had a very good meal at Blue Hill tonight. Perhaps not as stunning as the first Concord grape meal, but a meal that was very thoughtfully designed, intelligent and expressive of the grapes. :raz: A meal that embodied considerable effort and thought and consideration (e.g., the purchase of grapes from several suppliers, preparation of a Concord grape oil for certain dishes, securing of heirloom eggplants for one of the dishes).  For all of those things, I am incredibly grateful to Mike and his team in the kitchen and dining room.  :laugh: :laugh:

A shotglass of warm duck consumme with Concord grape oil was a delicious amuse. As jordyn and I discussed, it was engaging because the inclusion of Concord grape was reflected largely on the nose, when one took in the aromas from the shotglass, instead of in the mouth. As the duck consomme was taken it, its intensity and warmness brought to mind a beef consomme, and some muted Concord grape component could be detected in this heartening liquid (although it would appropriately been more difficult to detect, had I not known that the theme of our menu :wink:). 

(1) Tuna Toro Tartare with Concord Grape Vinaigrette.

This was a very good, and visually arresting, dish. Three or four thin slices of medium-sized radish, its whiteness made more apparent by the reddish tinge along the edges of the slices, almost formed a little, gentle domed cup, like certain flowers, for the interior of toro tartare. The tartare was a dark burgundy color, somewhat like the accompanying saucing of Concord grapes.  The saucing was made using a special technique that Mike later described to us and that literally stunned me in terms of the labor involved and the attention to detail paid by Mike (uncooked grapes had been utilized). :shock: The saucing had the texture almost of certain tomatoes, with a soft feel of slight vegetable/fruit-like granularity.

There were other reasons this dish was tasty. A limited, but appropriate, sprinkling of sea salt had been added to the tartare. This was beneficial to the taste of the tartare, but was amusing to me because it hinted at the texture of what one might imagine finely crushed seeds of Concord grapes might feel like in the mouth. Moreover, the tartare was integrated with the grapes in such an appealing way that the tuna had been transformed beautifully. A dish I liked very much. The wine pairing was Al Vino Cava, a Spanish sparkling wine that conveyed grapiness towards the end of a sip and that had a bit of sweetness.

(2) Poached Ruby Red Shrimp with Spaghetti Squash, and Concord Grape and Shrimp Sauce.

While some of my dining companions were discussing the inherent merits of ruby red versus "regular" shrimp and their respective textures, I dug into this dish. I liked the slight sweetness and matte feel in the mouth of ruby red shrimp, and these aspects matched the relatively sweet Concord grape saucing well.  The sweetness was mitigated by a slight hint of pepperiness which expressed itself slightly later in the saucing. The shrimp flavors in the brown-colored Concord grape saucing were appropriate controlled, and this dish highlighted the ability of the grape to match flavors of the sea well. The spaghetti squash was presented in a mount in thin juliennes, and added a refreshing aspect to the dish.  The matched wine was Gewartztraminer, Eisenberg 1997.

(3) Poached Wild Halibut with Eggplant Confit, Eggplant Consomme and Concord Grape Gelee. This dish was literally ravishing. :raz: Perhaps the best Concord grape dish I have had at BH -- even more expressive than the sea urchin with grape sabayon and the Belle Rouge chicken prepration from the first meal.

Two intrinsically flavorful, perfectly cooked (and I do not say this lightly) medium-sized pieces of wild halibut formed, on my plate, almost the shape of a scallp shell, with a spoonful of sweet, perfumed Concord grape gelee nestled inside. :blink: :blink: The flesh of the halibut was tasty, and the inside had a room temperature and a slight pinkish hue and texture from perfect cooking.  The halibut had been placed on top of a reasonably sized, luscious piece of slinky eggplant with a whitish, slightly lavender (?) skin. This eggplant was excellent, being subtly smoky and yet luscious in a "clean" way. Quite subtle (in the best possible way, in my book).

The consomme was special as well :shock::raz:, bearing certain Asian-like aromas when its aromas were inhaled. A connotation of certain dashi ingredients. A sensation on the nose of the softened intensity of mushrooms, which also appeared in supple juliennes inside the consomme (some of it in mounds). The consomme was at once clear and nuanced, and carried roundness concurrently with a hint of smokiness. It was as though intensity had paired with restraint to produce something that was no longer either.

Perhaps the wine paired of Domaine Henry, Rose, from the Languedoc region was slightly stark for this dish. However, the halibut dish itself was truly excellent. It contained a good taste of Concord grapes in the gelee, but embodied so many other flavors. Furthermore, from time to time inside the consomme, there was the same superb preparation of Concord grapes (tanin-like, intense qualities of the skin, still attached to the fleshiness and slipperiness of the insides of the grape) that I had experienced during my first grape meal at BH. A burst of flavor and sunshine to the dish! :laugh: :laugh:

(4) Slow Roasted Flat Iron Steak with Chestnuts, Brussel Sprouts, Blue Kale and Concord Grape Sauce.

A dish showing that Concord grapes can convey intensity and a transfixing "darkness", and yet not overwhelm a dish when cast against beef (in this case, from the shoulder). The beef was in several delicious slices of medium thickness. The aggressiveness of a red meat seemed appropriate at this stage of this meal. The Concord grape saucing enveloped the steak pieces (which were cooked just right) to cast their irresistible spell. :wink:

Chestnust were nice, and not unduly softened. The brussel sprouts included were tiny, and delicious. The kale was an excellent choice, for it fulfilled some of the roles normally occupied by spinach, and yet was darker and a better choice with the Concord grapes than spinach. The paired wine was a Loire Red. I liked this dish very much as well.

(5) Our pre-dessert was a shotglass of Bosc (spelling) pear in a Concord Grape soup with vanilla ice-cream. It was spot-on at this point in the meal.  I appreciated the utilization of mint (or a similar item), which was apparent on the nose and also in the aftertaste of this effective pre-dessert.

(6) Concord Grape Financier with Concord Grape Sorbet and Blueberry Sorbet. A fitting, wonderful closure to our meal (or so we thought). Paired with a nice glass of Muscat d'Asti, the financier was more intense than the blueberry version that is sometimes served at BH. I liked the amusing retention of bluberry in one of the two quenelles of sorbet, although I preferred the Concord Grape sorbet. The financier was an appealing, buttery base for the convincing notes of grape. :laugh:

The perfect end to our meal was the bringing forth, after the serving of mignardises, of Concord grapes au naturel. Here, there was the ability to sample the contrast between the skin of the grapes and their fleshy interior. :wink:

After this meal -- after two such Concord grape meals -- I am somewhat at a loss as to how to convey my gratitute to Mike and the BH team.  :huh:  :raz:

Click here to read more about Blue Hill.

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One quick comment before the pix. I've been a teacher for over two decades and a teacher of teachers for one. I'm here to testify that Mitch Stamm is a fantastic teacher. His students spoke not only about his love for bread ("Do you know what his favorite color is?" one asked me. "Bread.") but about his devotion to his teaching. Several told me about the extra time and effort he puts into his teaching, both group and one-on-one. You could tell by their interactions with him that he is a wonderful, thoughtful, excellent teacher.

Chris, I'm so glad you made that comment. Teachers get short shrift all too often (not from you, of course) and I get very tired of hearing or reading deprecating remarks about them. I also get very tired of hearing or reading about disinterested teachers who are clearly burned out; they give the rest of us a bad name. It's good to know that an excellent teacher is recognized as such by his students, and that you valued his excellence enough to note it publicly.

Your photos are so gorgeous, and the topic so arresting, it pained me to cut them out of this reply. I'm with everyone else: thank you so much for the bakery tour and the J&W tour! I can't decide which I like better. The cooking gear at the museum is great fun, and I really wish I'd known about this museum when I was in Providence. On the other hand...that baking school...the breads...how lovely! A baking lab so you can experiment and learn the effects! Wow!

I'm so sorry this blog is almost over - but you'll certainly have earned a rest afterward!

Nancy Smith, aka "Smithy"
HosteG Forumsnsmith@egstaff.org

Follow us on social media! Facebook; instagram.com/egulletx; twitter.com/egullet

"Every day should be filled with something delicious, because life is too short not to spoil yourself. " -- Ling (with permission)
"There comes a time in every project when you have to shoot the engineer and start production." -- author unknown

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You get the idea. I feel like a bratty adolescent, with Whole Foods playing the role of a really great parent. I'm begrudgingly grateful for how great the store is, sure, but I resent the power they have and wish that they'd do everything exactly the way I want. As a result, every little thing that's off drives me to tantrum.

I do understand that ambivalency (being an ambivalent person, about many things in life, myself :smile:). But, oh, how I would love to go shopping at a store like that even it was only once a month. There just isn't anything even remotely like it over here. Sigh.. I am so jealous. (about the Asian markets you showed us, too. The sheer variety of the produce!)

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Thanks, Nancy! And Chufi, you are, of course, right:

I do understand that ambivalency (being an ambivalent person, about many things in life, myself  :smile:). But, oh, how I would love to go shopping at a store like that even it was only once a month. There just isn't anything even remotely like it over here. Sigh.. I am so jealous. (about the Asian markets you showed us, too. The sheer variety of the produce!)

Of course, this entire foodblog is a love letter to Providence. Even though I bitch a little about Whole Foods, I know I've got it good, you know? :biggrin:

Speaking of corporate food entities we love to hate, I've been a bit busy today, but a teacher brought me back this from her break:

gallery_19804_437_48789.jpg

Is that a little better, Arne? Or worse?!? :wink:

Chris Amirault

eG Ethics Signatory

Sir Luscious got gator belts and patty melts

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gallery_19804_437_41762.jpg

While I was looking for the preserved plums (one of my favorite treats), someone handed me the blue bag in the lower left corner and told me that I should try those because they were good for recovering from "too much drinking." I'm not sure why he thought I needed that! Anyone know what those are?

They're some sort of citrus peel, but I'm not sure exactly which kind of citrus. Not orange, at least. These citrus peels are sweetened, and I think also contain licorice (I seem to recall reading that from the ingredients). Apparently they're also good for stemming nausea.

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gallery_19804_437_41762.jpg

While I was looking for the preserved plums (one of my favorite treats), someone handed me the blue bag in the lower left corner and told me that I should try those because they were good for recovering from "too much drinking." I'm not sure why he thought I needed that! Anyone know what those are?

They're some sort of citrus peel, but I'm not sure exactly which kind of citrus. Not orange, at least. These citrus peels are sweetened, and I think also contain licorice (I seem to recall reading that from the ingredients). Apparently they're also good for stemming nausea.

Sounds like we need a photo of what's in that bag, eh?

Chris Amirault

eG Ethics Signatory

Sir Luscious got gator belts and patty melts

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As if cued by this thread, epicurious does "America's Top Ten Diners"

In what I assume is either alphabetical order or remarkable coincidence:

AVALON DINER, Houston, TX

BECKY'S DINER, Portland, ME

BLUE BENN DINER, Bennington, VT

CONNELLY'S GOODY GOODY DINER, St. Louis, MO

DUTCH KITCHEN, Frackville, PA

JOJO'S, Pittsburgh, PA

MICKEY'S DINING CAR, St. Paul, MN

O'ROURKE'S, Middletown, CT

SUMMERTON DINER, Summerton, SC

WASP'S SNACK BAR, Woodstock, VT

SB (can't find the exact posts to quote back to)

Edited by srhcb (log)
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gallery_19804_437_41762.jpg

While I was looking for the preserved plums (one of my favorite treats), someone handed me the blue bag in the lower left corner and told me that I should try those because they were good for recovering from "too much drinking." I'm not sure why he thought I needed that! Anyone know what those are?

They're some sort of citrus peel, but I'm not sure exactly which kind of citrus. Not orange, at least. These citrus peels are sweetened, and I think also contain licorice (I seem to recall reading that from the ingredients). Apparently they're also good for stemming nausea.

Sounds like we need a photo of what's in that bag, eh?

Yes, please, and a closeup of that label. From here the citrus looks like mandarin orange. Their peels are relatively sweet from the outset, and are thin enough to lend themselves to candying. However, I'm just guessing based on a small image.

Nancy Smith, aka "Smithy"
HosteG Forumsnsmith@egstaff.org

Follow us on social media! Facebook; instagram.com/egulletx; twitter.com/egullet

"Every day should be filled with something delicious, because life is too short not to spoil yourself. " -- Ling (with permission)
"There comes a time in every project when you have to shoot the engineer and start production." -- author unknown

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Just got back from a quick trip to Whole Foods:

....

You get the idea. I feel like a bratty adolescent, with Whole Foods playing the role of a really great parent. I'm begrudgingly grateful for how great the store is, sure, but I resent the power they have and wish that they'd do everything exactly the way I want. As a result, every little thing that's off drives me to tantrum.

My mishegas....  :huh:

I feel something similar. We have just been "blessed" with a Whole Foods and I have made 3 visits so far. The fish was fantastic! Pickerel on the first occasion, catfish, trout and cod on the second. But the prices! Sheesh - it will be a once in a while treat only. I was also very disappointed in some fresh pork, sun-dried tomato and garlic sausage - the taste was OK but the texture suggested that this was a "diet" sausage devoid of all fat. It was dry and crumbly and not sausage-like at all. But then there's the tremendous selection of products and produce I can't find anywhere else! Yes, it is a love-hate relationship for sure.

Anna Nielsen aka "Anna N"

...I just let people know about something I made for supper that they might enjoy, too. That's all it is. (Nigel Slater)

"Cooking is about doing the best with what you have . . . and succeeding." John Thorne

Our 2012 (Kerry Beal and me) Blog

My 2004 eG Blog

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gallery_19804_437_48789.jpg

Is that a little better, Arne? Or worse?!? :wink:

DON'T get me started! :laugh: I'm trying really hard not to push my coffee morality on others. If you're happy, then so am I.

I feel like this is the last day of vacation ... your blog has been fantastic! Thanks so much for putting in such a huge effort to show us your part of the world.

A.

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Yes, please, and a closeup of that label.  From here the citrus looks like mandarin orange.  Their peels are relatively sweet from the outset, and are thin enough to lend themselves to candying.  However, I'm just guessing based on a small image.

Yep, you're right: mandarin orange, licorice, sugar, salt. It's pretty good!

I feel something similar.  We have just been "blessed" with a Whole Foods and I have made 3 visits so far.  The fish was fantastic!  Pickerel on the first occasion, catfish, trout and cod on the second.  But the prices!  Sheesh - it will be a once in a while treat only.  I was also very disappointed in some fresh pork, sun-dried tomato and garlic sausage - the taste was OK but the texture suggested that this was a "diet" sausage devoid of all fat.  It was dry and crumbly and not sausage-like at all.  But then there's the tremendous selection of products and produce I can't find anywhere else!  Yes, it is a love-hate relationship for sure.

Perfect example: sausages with no fat. What's up with that?

DON'T get me started! :laugh: I'm trying really hard not to push my coffee morality on others.  If you're happy, then so am I.

I feel like this is the last day of vacation ... your blog has been fantastic!  Thanks so much for putting in such a huge effort to show us your part of the world.

Thanks, Arne. I appreciate it. And, of course, you know that anyone with a Racilio Silvia must share the fundamentals of your coffee morality, don't you? :wink:

Chris Amirault

eG Ethics Signatory

Sir Luscious got gator belts and patty melts

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Well, the curried squash and lamb soup went over very well, surprisingly! Seems consistent with a relatively screw-up-free week of foodblogging! I got home and made dinner in 30 minutes flat. This is one of our go-to dishes, though with the price of scallops these days, I'm not sure how long that's going to last.... :hmmm:

Started the evening with this fine little sancerre:

gallery_19804_437_6295.jpg

Here are the scallops, which have been dried off with paper towels, kosher salted and white peppered:

gallery_19804_437_52963.jpg

T of butter and T of EVOO into a pan over high heat; melt the butter until it stops hissing:

gallery_19804_437_43002.jpg

Saute on one side:

gallery_19804_437_53789.jpg

Then the other:

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Half a lemon squeezed into the pan to deglaze:

gallery_19804_437_39437.jpg

Beets from the CSA tossed with black pepper and a tiny bit of aged rice vinegar:

gallery_19804_437_29582.jpg

Place those scallops and beets on some mesclun, pour on the sauce, and you've got a fast and easy dinner:

gallery_19804_437_11305.jpg

Chris Amirault

eG Ethics Signatory

Sir Luscious got gator belts and patty melts

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Great blog, Chris. Thanks for sharing your week with us all, the food and scenery were wonderful!

Barbara Laidlaw aka "Jake"

Good friends help you move, real friends help you move bodies.

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L'chaim! and thanks for all the lovely photos!

(My paternal grandparents had a little grape arbor on their property outside of Peekskill NY; however, I only remember it producing little tiny grapes the size and color of large buckshot, with a flavor something like the soot that might wind up on said buckshot. But they shore looked purty! :biggrin: )

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Chris thank you for this great blog

If you like to play with drinks try

5 oz bols

2 oz punt e mes

4 dashes pey bitters

2 dashes G.Regens O bitters

1/2 suger cube

1 egg white

shake real hard

Glass wash of Fernet or Undenburg or Laphraig

Bebe is :wub:

Edit: I would like to thank you and others for your time and dedication to eG. You should realy be commended on this.

THANKS

Edited by M.X.Hassett (log)
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Oh, what a blog, Chris. This has been a fun, fun week!! Thank you for introducing us to your corner of the world and also for inviting us in your kitchen!! You'll welcome the down time this week, I'm sure!

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I took a couple of weeks’ leave of absence from egullet, which was threatening to devour my life, only to return and find your great blog, which I read until god-knows-what-hour of the night, which is to say, it ate me alive. Egullet is a dangerous thing.

Thank you so much. I'm a fairly new Rhode Island resident, and I really appreciate your leads.

Lucky Garden looks amazing. I can't wait to go. One question: do they only do Dim Sum on weekends? What's the best time to go? Any chance of reviving the idea of an egullet expedition there?

Thank you again for all you do on this wonderful site.

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