Bad gnocchi is like (fill in the blank)

According to my boyfriend, bad gnocchi is like Play Doh at the bottom of a pool. I don't even know what that means, but it certainly sounds disgusting, slippery and heavy. And yet it is an apt description of the gnocchi I had the other night at a restaurant that shall remain nameless. Venturing off the regular menu, I took a chance and ordered the special; never before have I been so deceived by a chalkboard! Expecting a pillowy plate of potato dumplings in a light sauce of wine and mushrooms, I was presented with a plate drenched in chunky tomato sauce. Ignoring my initial reaction, I thought perhaps this was one of those dishes that made up in flavor what it lacked in looks. Sigh. Sadly the presentation spoke volumes about the dish. The gnocchi themselves were large and perfectly formed, yet glutinous and chewy on the tongue. The sauce was way too heavy and seemed to be the kitchen's admonition, "Yes this dish sucks, but we hope you won't be able to tell." Adding to the general heaviness, was a large portobello cap placed lackadaisically on top of the meal.

One bite of this sad large gnocchi had me instantly wishing for a certain Italian kitchen and a bowl of its chef's pillowy soft gnocchi. Claudio's gnocchi was the stuff of dreams; supple potato-ey and tiny. He wasn't focused on size or aesthetics so much as taste. There would be no drowning of his dumplings in red sauce, no sirree. Melting a stick of butter infused with sage, Claudio served up a delicious and delicate sauce. After coating the gnocchi in the sage butter, the Italian chef then added a generous helping of Parmesan and announced with childlike wonder, "No cream!" Smiling, Claudio handed out the finished gnocchi to his eager pupils. It was easily dispatched.

Back in the States, staring at the offensive red gnocchi plate, I longed for Claudio and his potato dumplings. Then and there I decided if revenge is a dish best served cold, well then gnocchi is a dish best served with butter. And serve it I shall in all its buttery sage glory.

gnocchi with butter sage sauce
Adapted from Claudio's Figline Valdarno Kitchen

Boil 9 small potatoes in their skins for 45 minutes or until soft. (You can use golden or white but do not mix; white takes longer to cook.) Peel off skins and place potatoes in bowl. Mash with fork until smooth. Add 150 grams (3/4 cup) flour, 2 egg yolks and a pinch of salt. Incorporate with fork. Continue to mix dough by hand. Flour a hard surface as well as your hands. Roll dough into log & chop into gnocchi. Boil in salted water for 30 seconds. Remove and place on oiled surface.

Butter-Sage Sauce
Add ½ stick butter, ½ c. water and a few sage leaves to pot. Add gnocchi and cook until butter melts. Boil down until creamy and add a big helping of Parmesan cheese at the end.

An Ode to Roommates and House Dinner

Walking up the creaking front steps of 719 Arbor, it was a certainty I would run into a roommate the moment I turned the handle. My senior year of college, I had the great fortune to live with some of the most wonderful girls I've ever met. Edie was elusive, funny, and could usually be found listening to rap. Watching her drunkenly drag a desk chair up three flights of stairs after a late night at the bar remains one of the most entertaining visuals of the year. Sahar, a slave to the architecture building, had impeccable taste in literature and could, on rare occasions, be found counteracting said architecture serfdom by having a glass of wine around 1pm. Molly had a penchant for Entourage and ketchup. Nothing was better than a dose of her no-nonsense sweetness while curled up on her ridiculously soft jersey sheets. I got to relive my adolescence with Megha over a bottle of Little Penguin Chardonnay and a hookah she brought back from India. Together we managed to lock ourselves out of the house while making prank calls on the second floor balcony. Samantha was always up for a good time, not to mention the "Hungry Man" breakfast and a chocolate milkshake. We'd share hot chocolate and gossip about our good friend H. Pot and the "will they or won't they" Ron and Hermione love triangle. Renee, the constant roommate, was the "soaring eagle" to my "sitting duck" of grill stealing, and the Jasmine to my Aladdin. There was always a jean to be borrowed, a jazzercise move to be invented, and a "you thinking what I'm thinking?" late night back rub to be carried out.

Seven girls under one roof could at times be trying, but for the most part, there was always someone to critique an outfit, edit a paper, lend a straightener, or share a glass of wine and a cry with. Friday nights were spent at Ann Arbor bars and Saturday mornings at Benny's brunches. But perhaps one of my favorite things about my roommates was the fact that they indulged my "house mother" cooking tendencies. On many a Sunday I could be found cooking feverishly while singing along to musicals; basically it was the Ashley variety hour with a side of Mediterranean chicken. If anyone ever grudged me an Avenue Q sing-along or had a problem with Jane Monheit, it was forgotten the moment the wine corks were removed and steaming plates brought to the table.

Sadly senior year is long gone and the girls are spread between coasts. Trying now to coordinate a "House Dinner" is not as simple as juggling class schedules and social commitments. So with a hint of nostalgia, I've tried to assemble the centerfolds of the perfect dinner, the dinner I would make in honor of the lovely ladies of 719.

zesty braised chicken with lemon and capers
Adapted from Food and Wine, April 2007

8 bone-in mixed chicken breasts and thighs with skin (6 oz each)
Salt and freshly ground pepper
All-purpose flour, for dusting
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 large peeled garlic cloves (I usually add closer to 7)
1 1/2 cups Sauvignon Blanc (also delicious with a Bouzeron)
1 1/2 cups chicken stock, preferably homemade
Four 1-inch strips of lemon zest
4 thyme sprigs
1 tablespoon capers, drained
1 bay leaf

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and dust with flour. In a large ovenproof skillet, melt the butter in the oil. Add the chicken, skin side down, and cook over high heat, turning once, until browned, 12-14 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a large plate and pour off all but 1 tablespoon of the fat.
2. Add the garlic to the skillet and cook over low heat until softened, about 5 minutes. Deglaze with the wine and then add the stock, lemon zest, thyme, capers and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Return the chicken to the pan, skin side up. Transfer the skillet to the oven and braise for about 45 minutes, until the meat is tender.
3. Return the skillet to the stove and boil until the sauce is slightly reduced, about 5 minutes. Discard the thyme, bay leaf and lemon zest, if desired, before serving.

old fashioned apple pie
Adapted from Williams-Sonoma Seasonal Celebration Series, Autumn, by Joanne Weir (Time-Life Books, 1997).

For the pastry:
2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. salt
2 Tbs. sugar
10 Tbs. (1 1/4 sticks) cold unsalted butter,
cut into pieces
10 Tbs. cold vegetable shortening, cut into
pieces
7 Tbs. ice water
1 tsp. distilled white vinegar

For the filling:
2 1/2 lb. baking apples, peeled, cored,
quartered and cut lengthwise into slices 1/2
inch thick (I like to mix Northern Spy, Granny Smith and Jonagold apples)
1/2 cup sugar, plus more as needed ( I also mixed white sugar with light brown sugar)
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
2 Tbs. apple cider (my addition)
2 Tbs. unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 egg yolk
1 Tbs. heavy cream

To make the pastry, in a large bowl, stir together the flour, salt and sugar. Make a well in the center, add the butter and shortening and, using your fingertips, rub them into the flour mixture until small, flat pieces form. In a cup or small bowl, combine the water and vinegar. Using a fork, gently mix just enough of the liquid into the flour mixture so it comes together in a rough ball; do not overwork. Discard the remaining liquid. Divide the dough in half and wrap each half in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for 2 hours.

To make the filling, in a bowl, toss together the apples, the 1/2 cup sugar (adding more to taste if the apples are tart), cinnamon, nutmeg and apple cider.

Preheat an oven to 400°F.

On a lightly floured work surface, roll out half of the dough (leave the other half refrigerated) into a 12-inch round about 1/8 inch thick. Fold the dough in half and then into quarters and transfer it to a 9-inch pie dish. Unfold and gently press into the bottom and sides of the dish. Trim the edges even with the rim. Roll out the remaining dough into a 10-inch round about 1/8 inch thick.

Turn the apples into the pastry-lined pan, mounding them slightly in the center. Dot evenly with the butter. Brush the edges of the dough with water. Fold the dough round into quarters and unfold over the apples. Press together the top and bottom crusts to seal, then trim the edges flush with the rim of the dish and crimp to form an attractive edge. In a small bowl, beat together the egg yolk and cream and brush over the pastry. Make a few slits near the center to allow steam to escape.

Bake for 25 minutes. Reduce the oven temperature to 350°F and continue to bake until the apples are tender (insert a knife blade through a slit) and the top is golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes more. Transfer the dish to a wire rack and let the pie cool for at least 20 minutes before serving with good vanilla bean ice cream. Makes one 9-inch pie; serves 8.

On the Radar

Everything I'm loving in January...


Food
I find something so comforting about a tiny restaurant in cold weather. It becomes an escape, a place to shrug off your coat and get down to some serious eating. I can't wait to do just that at Table 52, Art Smith's new Southern infused restaurant. The chef, of Oprah fame, personally welcomes guests into his thirteen table dining room and serves up a mean slice of Hummingbird Cake. Trying to get a seat can be difficult, so it would be best to make reservations weeks ahead of time. If that sounds like too much of a wait, you could always try your luck with one of the first come first serve bar seats or head upstairs to Teaspoon, a tearoom serving tarts and savories with afternoon tea. Table 52. 52 W Elm St Chicago, IL 60610. (312) 573-4000


Drink
Normally "Drink" sections are focused on harder beverages, but with January being National Tea Month it seems appropriate to devote this section to this delightful and relaxing drink. If Chicago happens to by in your backyard, Vong's Thai Kitchen is celebrating through January 31 with Make Your Own Tea Tuesdays (5:30-10pm) and High Tea Saturdays (1-4pm). I can't wait to drop by and make my own blend, perhaps I'll try to concoct a remedy for my boyfriend's never-ending cold and sinus troubles. Vong's Thai Kitchen. 6 W Hubbard Street Chicago, IL 60610. (312) 644-8664



Entertainment
Winner of the Palme d'Or this year at Cannes, 4 months, 3 weeks, and 2 days comes to theaters on January 25th. This Romanian film follows the story of Otilia (Anamaria Marinca) and Găbiţa (Laura Vasiliu), two university roommates who try to arrange an illegal abortion in the last years of the Ceauşescu regime. Needless to say this film is not uplifting, but it's supposed to be artfully filmed and superbly acted.


Fashion
January, I'm sorry to admit it, is one of those months where fashion seems to go into hibernation. The party frocks of December are left behind and the breezy ease of spring fashion is still months off. Call it my security blanket, but a cashmere cardigan just seems so appropriate for the coming months. Cardigans have a certain casual elegance that can elevate even the most basic of ensembles, and if they're done in cashmere, well, even better. That's why I'm ready to purchase Vince's Long Cashmere Cardigan. At $290 it's not the cheapest of purchases, but it's one that will surely last through January and become a lovely staple in any woman's wardrobe.


Books
Call it connecting to my homebody self, but lately I've found myself drawn to cookbooks. Currently I'm working my way through the reprint of Simon Hopkinson's Roast Chicken and Other Stories. Focusing on simple, but delicious recipes, this cookbook is the ideal pairing for the coming lazy winter months.

Adventures in Cheese

After my fifth consecutive trip to the cheese table at a recent wine tasting, I was greeted with, "You really love cheese, don't you?" Guilty as charged. I love cheese. Sharp cheddar, fresh goat, washed rind. You name it, I love it. I am the girl sneaking more than one cheese cube at Whole Foods.

With that in mind, I've tried to come up with my dream cheese platter. According to the experts at my local specialty markets, the ideal cheese plate should consist of a mix of soft and hard cheeses ranging from the mild to the most pungent and intense. These selections will generally involve a fresh cheese, a semi-soft, a soft-ripened, a surface-ripened, a semi-hard, a hard, a blue, and a washed rind cheese. Most people serving a cheese platter tend toward the three cheese display -gouda, Brie and a blue varietal- dismissing the others as unnecessary; but to serve only three cheeses is to deny the delicious options that this basic dairy product offers.

Fresh cheeses are often known as curd cheeses. They require no aging and are made by introducing an enzyme to milk; the curds are saved and molded into cheese while the whey is drained off. My selection for this category is the French style Redwood Hill Farm Fresh Chevre. Made by Jennifer Bice in Sonoma California, this Certified Humane goat cheese is lightly citrusy, fluffy and delightfully spreadable. Another delicious option would be a crumbly Greek feta.

Semi-soft cheeses are often aged for a few days to a few months and generally have a creamy interior with little to no rind. They also melt well and are favored cooking cheeses. Bellwether Farms makes Crescenza, a delicious semi-soft cheese molded into traditional Italian square shapes. This cheese is rich and buttery with a light tart flavor and would be delicious melted on pizza. Another choice would be a three-month aged Dutch Gouda.

Soft-ripened cheeses are distinguished by their “bloomy” white rinds and soft creamy texture. This category of cheese includes the popular Brie and Camembert. My choice for a soft-ripened cheese is the Old Chatham Shepherding Company’s Hudson Valley Camembert, a consistent award winner. This cheese is made with a mix of their sheep’s milk and a neighbor’s hormone-free cow’s milk. It is the texture of a triple-crème and is appealingly buttery and smooth.

Surface-ripened cheeses can vary in texture, but they ripen from the outside in, resulting in intensely flavored cheeses with wrinkly rinds. One of my favorite cheese falls into this category. La Tur is an Italian surface-ripened cheese that’s made from a mix of pasteurized goat, sheep, and cow’s milk. This cheese manages to be both crème fraiche-like and earthy.

Semi-hard cheeses cover a broad range of flavors, but tend to be firmer and sometimes crumbly. They often balance earthy, salty and nutty flavors quite well. This category includes the delicious Pleasant Ridge Reserve made by Uplands Cheese Company. It is a raw cow’s milk farmhouse cheese made in Wisconsin with a lovely golden color.

Hard cheeses deliver exactly what the name implies. They’re hard, crumbly, good for grating and tend to be saltier than the other cheeses. I love pecorino that is aged for at least six months. Its flavors intensify becoming more caramel-like than salty. An aged pecorino is also amazing with a drizzle of Italian honey.

Blue cheeses are always identifiable by their blue/green veining and often-pungent scent. They range from smooth and creamy to crumbly and can be made with sheep, cow, or goat milk. They can by salty, buttery, yeasty, nutty, tangy, or at times sweet. One of my favorite blue cheeses is Rouge Creamery’s Rogue River Blue. This raw cow’s milk cheese is aged in Syrah-Merlot grape leaves that have been soaked in pear brandy. It is a salty, yet sweet wonder.

The last cheese category is perhaps the most pungent. These are the cheeses whose scents will permeate the kitchen long after opening the fridge door; however, the smell can be much stronger than the taste. Washed rind cheeses have tacky surfaces, pinky/orange colored rinds, and are characteristically creamy. It’s hard for me to decide between two cheeses for this category, so I’ll include them both. Cowgirl Creamery’s Red Hawk washed rind cheese is amazing! It is a triple-cream organic cow’s milk cheese that’s aged four weeks and then washed with a brine solution. I also love a French Langres cheese. Made with cow’s milk, Langres is matured for about two to three months in humid cellars and is regularly washed with brine and annatto. It has a strong scent and melts in the mouth. This cheese has an indentation on the top meant to be filled with a pour of champagne or marc, but it is just as easily enjoyed on its own.

Quick and Easy Weekday Pasta

One thing I learned in Italy is that sometimes the simplest recipes can be the tastiest. So one night in attempt to whip something up with pantry remnants, I came up with this simple pasta. My family likes it so much that my mom made me teach her how to make it and my brother requested it on his birthday.

15oz can of diced Roma tomatoes
15oz can of Italian seasoned Roma tomatoes
3 shallots, minced
6 cloves of garlic, minced
extra virgin olive oil
1+cup good red wine, I recently had success with a Barossa Grenache blend
salt and pepper to taste
spaghetti rigate-ridged spaghetti noodles

Swirl your olive oil twice around the pan and heat. Add the minced shallot and garlic, saute until tender. Next add the can of Roma tomatoes followed by half the can of the seasoned Roma tomatoes, let simmer. Add the wine and bring to a boil. After it reaches a boil, turn the heat down, allowing the sauce to simmer and the flavors to come together. Season with salt and pepper to taste. In the mean time boil your noodles in salted water. When the noodles are al dente, drain and toss into the sauce. Serve immediately.

*Note, everything in this pasta can be adjusted to taste

Celebrating with Champagne

This time of year is all about celebration, and nothing says celebration quite like champagne. So in honor of this festive and effervescent beverage, I’m supplying you with a few historical snippets that might impress fellow party goers, as well as letting you in on two of my favorite champagnes, which surprisingly aren’t made by well-known and publicized producers like Dom Perignon or Cristal. On top of everything, I’m including a delightful recipe for champagne risotto with applewood-smoked bacon and champagne poached scallops.

Champagne is, other than delicious, a sparkling wine whose carbonation is due to a second in bottle fermentation. Most champagne is a blend of chardonnay and pinot noir grapes from across several vintages. They run the gamut from the sweet demi-secs to the most popular dry bruts, with some special productions of blanc de blancs, blanc de noirs, and rosé.

This beverage has a rich history beginning in the Champagne region of France before medieval times. Churches owned vineyards and the monks would produce wines for sacrament and the coronation festivities of French kings. While the champagnes of this time were crisp and light, they were also still, and remained so until around 1535. At this time the first commercial sparkling wine was produced in the Limoux area of Languedoc; however, champagne as we know it today wasn’t born until 1700.

The invention of modern champagne is often credited to the French monk Dom Perignon, however it is documented that Christopher Merrett, an English scientist and physician, was the first to intentionally produce champagne about thirty years before the monk. But let’s not completely rule out Dom Perignon’s influence. He was responsible for many advances, including the addition of the wire collar that holds the cork in place.

It’s amazing to think how long champagne has been connected with luxury and power. First there was the association with European royalty and coronations, later followed by the celebrity endorsements of entertainer and sophisticate George Leybourne, who famously drank only champagne when in public and wrote and sang songs that identified it with the good life. Today we still associate champagne with extravagance and influence, paying top dollar for excellent bottlings and hearing entertainers rap about popping bottles of “Cris”.

While I’m sure a bottle of the aforementioned Cristal is fantastic, the small but respected producer, J. Lassalle, makes two of my favorite champagnes. I’m enamored with the J. Lassalle Blanc de Blancs, 2000 ler Cru Champagne. It is one of the special categories of champagnes, made only with Chardonnay grapes. This blanc de blancs is perfectly balanced and then some. It manages to escape the razor-shard acidity and minerality that is characteristic of this category of champagne, allowing the fruit to shine through. This is the perfect sipping champagne, but it pairs well with lighter food like seafood and vegetables.

You’re in for a treat with the J. Lassalle ‘Special Club,’ 1998 Premier Cru Champagne. I was introduced to this at a wine tasting courtesy of the popular Ann Arbor wine shop, Morgan and York. They describe this champagne as “generous and toasty, with strawberry, apple and pear fruit, hints of spice and a long, lingering finish.” I will have to agree; this champagne is truly a showstopper.

While champagne is usually enjoyed with oysters and caviar, why not try it as the main ingredient in a risotto? This recipe is a filling and a different approach to champagne/food pairing.

Champagne Risotto with Bacon and Champagne Poached Scallops

3 slices of applewood smoked bacon
3 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 Tbs. butter, divided
1 large shallot, finely chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
3/4 cup Arborio rice
3/4-cup champagne
Small pinch of rosemary, preferably fresh
1 bay leaf
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
salt and pepper to taste

2 cups champagne
4 scallops

(These are just recommendations, I usually eyeball my measurements.)

Pour chicken broth into a saucepan and simmer, keep off to the side for later. In a large sauté pan or dutch oven, cook the bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside. Add the shallot and garlic to the bacon fat and sauté until tender. Add the rice and the first Tbs. of butter; stir to coat. Stir the rice constantly allowing it to toast for about 2 minutes. Add the champagne and simmer until the liquid is almost evaporated. Add a ladle of the warm chicken broth and stir till it’s almost absorbed. Continue adding the stock in the same manner; stir constantly. Add a pinch of rosemary and the bay leaf. After approximately 20 minutes, remove the pan from the heat, stir in the remaining butter and cheese and add salt and pepper to taste.

Meanwhile, bring the champagne to a boil. Add the scallops and poach until no longer translucent. Remove scallops and let the champagne reduce by 2/3. Garnish the risotto with broken bits of the cooked bacon and the scallops. Spoon the champagne reduction over the scallops letting it drip into the risotto.

A Little Spring In Your New Year

Is it just me or were the people behind rosé's PR working their tails off this past spring? Rosé seemed to pop up on every wine list I saw. I mean, you know a wine is a big deal when People Magazine takes the time to recognize that it's Sienna Miller's drink of choice. So with the holidays fast approaching, why not add a little hint of spring to your celebrations?

If you haven't heard of Vin Du Bugey-Cerdon, you are missing out. This sparkling French rosé is brimming with watermelon and strawberry fruit notes. Imported by Kermit Lynch, it can be a little difficult to track down. Metro-Detroiters can find it at Papa Joe's in Birmingham and at my favorite wine shop, Morgan and York, in Ann Arbor. Chicagoans can find it at Fox and Obel market.

In the years I've known about this wine, I've never heard a bad review. It's just what your New Year's bar is missing. So pour yourself a flute of this crowd-pleasing, delicious sparkling wine and enjoy. Cheers!

The Hunt for the Perfect Wine Glasses

Chardonnay, Burgundy, Bordeaux; wine glasses have expanded past the basic red or white variety. If they make wine, someone’s going to make a glass for it. And while I’m all about drinking a French Burgundy out of a Riedel Burgundy glass, sometimes aesthetics win out. I’ve been obsessed with the beautiful wine glasses featured on the cover of the Food and Wine October 2006 issue, and insofar have been unable to locate them. I’ve searched the internet far and wide for a wine glass that has a delicate stem that meets a flat bottom and proceeds to curve in instead of straight up. While not quite as delicate, the search did lead me to the iittala Essence Red Wine glasses. Available at http://www.finnstyle.com/essenceredwine.html, these elegant glasses are dishwasher safe and a little different from what you’d find in most cupboards. I also ran across the Rosenthal TAC 02 11-1/4-Inch Bordeaux Wine Glasses, available on amazon.com. I’ve noticed these glasses popping up at a variety of restaurants lately. Perhaps the most affordable and substantial glasses I came across were the Lira wine glasses at www.cb2.com. At $3.50-3.95 per glass, I could afford to use these while still on the trek for the perfect Food and Wine glasses.

Never Enough Ice Cream

I once received a subscription to an ice cream of the month club, enclosed was a card that said, “To the girl who has everything, but never enough ice cream.” For three glorious months I’d salaciously rip open the box and imagine myself indulging in an especially creamy dulce de leche or a refreshing strawberry or even an exotic toasted coconut. Anyone who knows me knows that I have an unnatural love of ice cream, so just imagine my delight at having a truly original ice cream experience in my own metro-Detroit backyard. Ray’s Ice Cream, located on Coolidge Highway in Royal Oak, MI, is a refreshing alternative to an ice cream world dominated by Baskin Robbins and Coldstone Creameries. Founded in 1958, this is a full service fountain. Glancing around the parlor I can actually imagine guys in letterman sweaters sharing banana splits with their twin-set clad dates. While its old school setting is nostalgic, it is Ray’s consistently fabulous ice cream that has kept this gem of an ice cream parlor around for decades. You’ll find classics such as floats, malts and sundaes on the chalkboard written menu, but why not venture into their world of molded ice cream? The artisans at Ray’s are able to mold ice cream the way candy makers mold marzipan. You can choose from an array of flowers, fruit, holiday motifs, sailboats, and animals or if you’re feeling adventuresome, a semi-nude; just allow 7 days for all orders with more time for large orders and the holiday season. You don’t even need to be a metro Detroiter to enjoy Ray’s Ice Cream as you can place an order on their website.

If molded ice cream seems a little intense for the everyday ice cream enthusiast, just stop by for one of their heaping scoops. Even I, a self-proclaimed ice cream maven, have a hard time finishing a single scoop. Why not indulge in a bowl of Chocolate Malt Crunch, or tuck into a cone of Fat Elvis, a peanut butter and banana concoction. While every flavor is unique and fantastic, nothing can dissuade me from a scoop of Cotton Candy, a seasonal fluffy pink ice cream punctuated by a rainbow of candy coated chocolate chips. I admit that I’m the first to be skeptical of any pink ice cream that isn’t strawberry, but Ray’s creation is like no ice cream I’ve ever put in my mouth. The ice cream base is smooth and sweet and against all logic the chocolate chips don’t overwhelm the rest of the ice cream, instead adding a needed crunch to the otherwise milky ice cream. No matter your ice cream MO, this ice cream fountain leaves me wishing that I could stomach more that a single scoop.

Ray’s Ice Cream
4233 Coolidge Highway
Royal Oak, MI 48073-1698
1-888-549-5256
www.raysicecream.com

To Market, To Market

I think there’s a distinct difference between hitting the nearest Kroger and going to a market. A grocery store is a place where you can quickly buy Little Debbie snack cakes and gallons of Sunny Delight; a market is an experience where the bright colors come from bundles of radishes and crates of blood oranges as opposed to the packaging of processed foods. A market invites you to be creative, try new things, and relax.

And with this mentality, I have discovered my personal Mecca: Fox and Obel, Chicago’s premiere gourmet market. I can spend an entirely delightful afternoon salivating over the extensive cheese counter that covers everything from an Epoisses (a fragrant cow’s milk cheese washed with marc de Bourgogne) to a Pleasant Ridge Reserve (a semi-hard Wisconsin farmhouse cheese). In the charcuterie department I can find the saucisson I fell in love with in France, and at the Fox and Obel bakery I can enjoy the BEST cupcakes in Chicago! All I’m saying is that the red velvet cupcakes are amazing. The cake is moist and perfectly dense and the buttercream icing is delightfully thick. Any cupcake connoisseur would agree…

Not only does Fox and Obel have an extensive supply of foodstuffs, they also offer catering and food classes. The last time I happened in, they were holding a wine tasting with one of their wine suppliers. It was fun and informal as well as educational; I actually enjoyed learning about the winemaking process and the different qualities the wines possessed. If there is a tasting going on while you’re there, don’t hesitate to join in. At the very least, you get free wine, well that and the chance to arm yourself against the wine snob you will inevitably be seated next to at a corporate function, and that my friends, is priceless.

All About Eve

The candles dance and cast comfortable shadows onto the exposed brick walls. The voices of other diners create a gentle buzz, punctuated only by the clink of wine glasses, the pop of prosecco corks, and the occasional fork drop. From the vantage point of my white linen tabletop, the backdrop at Eve is minimalist but not the least bit austere.

A French-style restaurant with international flair and a menu that draws upon North African, Cuban and Vietnamese influences, Eve remains true to its slow food roots. From the moment you walk into this casually elegant Ann Arbor eatery, it is obvious that food is the main focus. The menu reflects a chef who is committed to showcasing seasonal food and artisanal items and to urging her diners to culinary adventure. While you will find such standards as “Simple Fish” on the menu, you will also find braised duck leg in the style of the Orient and burnt sugar gelato. Not listed on the menu, but an integral part of the dining experience, is the bread and trio of butters. The petite wooden cutting board delivered to your table holds a loaf of fresh bread with smoked salmon and mixed herb and passion fruit butters, a blatant invitation to overindulge. One bite of the passion fruit and guava blend has me vowing never to have generic bread and butter again and wondering if I’ll happily ruin the rest of my meal.

If you have difficulty digesting the intriguing selections on the menu or want a favorite that is currently not listed, just ask your server. In all of my experiences at Eve, the wait staff has been extremely knowledgeable and eager to satisfy requests. This night, after my compatriot and I narrow our appetizer choices to the curried mussels and the red beer shrimp, our waitress walks us through the finer points of each dish and eventually helps us decide upon the curried mussels. I do not regret the decision. The mussels arrive at our table simmered in a rich curry sauce with chunks of dense bread perfect for sopping up the delicious sauce. Sometimes a little curry can go a long way, but with this dish the more I eat, the more I want. However, if mussels leave you cold, I also recommend the Thai chicken dumplings as an enjoyable appetizer choice. The flash fried wontons are crisp on the outside and the minced Thai peanut chicken is moist and spicy on the inside, thanks to the addition of wasabi leaf. The dumplings are served with crème fraiche and a carrot lime puree, which act as cooling counterpoints to the spicy meat.

After the curried appetizer, we move on to the entrees: a summer steak filet with chimichurri, sugar snap peas and jasmine scented rice, and the North African scallops. The filet is pleasing though not groundbreaking. The basil-based chimichurri is spicier than most and manages to bring a summer lightness to the beef; the sugar snap peas are perfectly in season with the right amount of crunch. I also appreciate my server’s decision to change the steak from medium to medium rare to avoid an overly dry dish. The North African scallops follow the same route as the beef -- good but not exceptional. The scallops are well cooked for a melt-in-your-mouth quality and, against suspicion, the North African spices do not overwhelm the delicate flavor of the scallop. Yet somehow this dish doesn’t quite sing.

While this trip yields only moderately good entrees, other outings have ventured into the amazing. If the seafood curry pasta is on the menu, don’t hesitate to order it and take home what you can’t finish. Defying most restaurant curses, this dish actually tastes better the second time around. The spices intensify overnight, leaving this dish immensely savory and satisfying.

It is impossible to visit Eve without taking a foray into the world of dessert. If you are a chocolate lover, the triple chocolate pots de crème, a concoction of dark, bittersweet and milk chocolate with a texture similar to mousse, served with a delicious brown sugar cream, is a must order. I find myself batting away my friend’s fork in an effort to devour every bite of this richly textured dessert myself. Not exactly lady-like, but chocolate makes me do questionable things, especially when it’s this good.

It would be a disservice to talk about Eve without mentioning the hand selected wine list featuring over forty wines by the glass and many bottles under $30. If a glass or bottle doesn’t sound quite right, you can also choose from an array of tasting pours and wine flights, inventive cocktails and after-dinner drinks. Perhaps the most original is the Jamtini—homemade Michigan plum jam spiced with Vietnamese cinnamon and Sichuan peppercorns chilled and stirred into vodka. The pomegranate martini made with Grey Goose, pomegranate juice, and pomegranate molasses is delicious, and a glass of good prosecco always satisfies.

Sitting at my table after an exemplary meal, I am content. The décor has served as the perfect background to this impressive culinary journey, and Eve has proven itself an Ann Arbor gem that should not be ignored. Sipping on a 2001 Margaux and sharing a quiet conversation, I am happy to blend into the gentle din of this restaurant accented only by the occasional pop of a cork.


Eve
Kingsley St. between 4th and 5th Avenues
Ann Arbor, Mi 48104
(734) 222-0711