DBGB Kitchen & Bar

I know I have fallen off the grid, Dear Reader, and for that I am very sorry. The truth is that between Labor Day guests (wait until I tell you about my Yountville restaurant crawl!) and a business trip to New York City, I've just had no time to write down my culinary journeys. Please bare with me while I play catch up!

Last night, a foodie friend that works for Food Network invited me to an industry party at a new restaurant, SD26. However, before that and countless celebrity chef sightings, we went to check out Daniel Boulud's new restaurant, DBGB. Now, I've had the pleasure of eating at several of Chef Boulud's restaurants so going into our evening I knew it would be great experience. The space was vibrant and packed, especially for a Monday night. I love the foodie quotes written on the mirrors and the signed copper pots from other notable chefs.

What I found most interesting about DBGB was its focus on sausages and unique ones at that. While the menu included some french staples, the true innovation was in the sausages. So, of course, my friend and I ordered a couple to check out.

The first one was a lamb & mint merguez with harissa, lemon braised spinach & chickpeas. The harissa had a great amount of heat, which is what I love about the spice mixture to begin with and the sausage in it's own right was delicious. The second sausage was a Thai mixture made with lemongrass, chilies and more. Unfortunately, this sausage was unbalanced and its accompanying rice mixture was just as disappointing. There was an overwhelming amount of lemongrass flavor but I will say that my citron vodka cocktail paired well!

In my opinion, nothing beats New York City's restaurant scene. Restaurants here are well beyond a sensory experience and most of San Francisco's eateries just can't compare. If you haven't had the luxury of experiencing a night of dining in NYC, I suggest you start saving your pennies. It's worth it, trust me.

DBGB Kitchen & Bar

Soft-Cooked Eggs with Onion Soubise, Caviar, and Potato Chips

This recipe is a little hard core but you can sub some stuff to make it a little more approachable. If you're looking for a challenge, here you go.

Let's start off with talking about David Chang. For those of you that have not been to Momofuku Noddle Bar, Momofuku Ssäm Bar or Momofuko Ko in NYC, I suggest you make it a priority. I remember waiting in line on a rainy Thursday night when Momofuku Noddle Bar had just opened, sharing an umbrella with two friends waiting to see what all the hype was about. (Remember Friedman?) Once we had our first bite of Chang's famous pork buns, we all looked at each other and thought 'who is this guy'?

David Chang is a decorated chef with Michelin stars, James Beard awards, F&W Best New Chef titles and more. After positions at hot spots in NYC and cooking and living in Tokyo, Chang developed a concept that is true to his Korean roots and quickly grew an empire.

To cut some corners in this recipe, you can use store bought potato chips and skip the liquid smoke. To save you some serious cash, sub for store-bought whitefish caviar or fresh salmon roe.

Soft-Cooked Eggs with Onion Soubise, Caviar, and Potato Chips

Recipe by Momofuku Ko

ONION SOUBISE

* 12 ounces onions (about 2 medium), halved, cut into 1/4-inch-thick slices
* 1/2 cup water
* 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes, room temperature
* 1 teaspoon coarse kosher salt

SMOKED EGGS

* 8 large eggs, room temperature
* 3 cups water
* 1/8 teaspoon liquid smoke*

CHIPS AND SALAD

* 4 3x3/4-inch fingerling potatoes (about 4 ounces), scrubbed
* Grapeseed oil (for frying)
* Coarse kosher salt
* 1/2 cup mixed herb leaves (such as 1/4 cup chervil or tarragon, 2 tablespoons parsley, and 2 tablespoons 1-inch pieces fresh chives)
* 2 ounces American hackleback caviar or paddlefish caviar
* Smoked salt or Maldon sea salt
* 4 teaspoons purple sweet potato vinegar (see Ingredient Tip) or Sherry wine vinegar

*A smoke-flavored liquid seasoning; available at many supermarkets and at specialty foods stores.

INGREDIENT TIP
Chef Chang uses Benímosu, a purple sweet potato vinegar, in this dish. The potatoes have deep-purple flesh, but the vinegar is a stunning strawberry red color. The vinegar has an aroma similar to that of Sherry wine vinegar, which makes a good substitute.

Preparation
ONION SOUBISE

Place all ingredients in small saucepan. Simmer uncovered over lowest possible heat until onions are very tender, and butter and water are reduced to silky sauce, stirring often, 2 to 2 1/2 hours. DO AHEAD Can be made 2 days ahead. Cool, cover, and chill. Rewarm before serving.

SMOKED EGGS

Bring large saucepan of water to boil over high heat. Add eggs to water gently to prevent cracking. Cook 5 minutes. Transfer eggs to large bowl of ice water. When cool enough to handle, crack eggs gently all over on flat surface. Return to ice water and peel carefully. (Do not break eggs; yolks will be runny.)

Mix 3 cups water and 1/8 teaspoon liquid smoke in large saucepan. Add peeled eggs to water. Cover and chill overnight.

CHIPS AND SALAD

Using V-slicer or mandoline, thinly slice potatoes crosswise. Rinse potato slices in small bowl of water. Drain. Rinse until water runs clear, 1 or 2 times more. Drain well. Place on kitchen towel; pat dry.

Pour enough oil into large deep saucepan to measure depth of 1 inch. Attach deep-fry thermometer to side of pan. Heat oil to 360°F. Working in 3 batches, fry potatoes until beginning to brown and crisp, stirring frequently to prevent slices from sticking together, about 1 minute per batch. Using slotted spoon, transfer to paper towel-lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with coarse salt. Cool. Transfer to clean paper towels.

Using slotted spoon, gently transfer eggs to medium bowl. Bring smoked water to gentle simmer over medium heat. Carefully slide eggs from bowl into water. Cook until heated through, about 4 minutes. Rewarm soubise. Mix herbs together in small bowl.

Spoon generous 2 tablespoons soubise onto each plate, using back of spoon to create small indentation for egg. Divide potato chips among plates, creating small mound alongside soubise. Spoon small pile of herb salad alongside chips and soubise. Place 1 egg atop soubise on each plate. Using small sharp knife, cut 1-inch-long slit in each egg (yolk will spill out). Spoon small dollop of caviar atop yolks, dividing equally. Sprinkle with small pinch smoked salt. Drizzle 1/2 teaspoon vinegar alongside soubise.

Soft-Cooked Eggs with Onion Soubise, Caviar, and Potato Chips

In My Next Life...

...I want to cook for celebrities and live in New York City just like my friend Andrew... http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/show/segments/view/backstage-jillian-michaels-big-surprise/

Andrew is one of the biggest foodies I know and writes an awesome blog called End of Fork. Check it out in my blogroll. Congrats, Andrew!

In My Next Life...

Ode to Mooncakes- Steak Sandwiches

When I lived in NYC, I went to Mooncakes in my SoHo neighborhood (Watts & 6th Ave) about once a week. Mooncakes is a tiny dive that serves quality and fresh food fast and for cheap (hard to find in SoHo). Nothing beats their steak sandwich and a cold Sierra Nevada (right, Friedman?) but other popular dishes include their miso salmon and shrimp summer rolls.

I've been craving a little Mooncakes so last night I decided to try to recreate the steak sandwich I love to so much and introduce it to my boyfriend. They use a homemade wasabi mayo but I opted for pesto mayo instead and it was just as delicious. Drew and I agreed that this needs to cycle into our monthly menu more often. I served it with chopped romaine lettuce and avocado tossed with a red wine vinegar and stone mustard dressing.

Mooncakes Steak Sandwiches
(The Easy Shaw Version)
2 jumbo french bread rolls (rectangular not round)
1 small jar of roasted red peppers
1 10 oz skirt steak
2 parts mayo
1 part pesto (store bought)
2 whole romaine lettuce leaves
1/8 c. Worcestershire sauce
2 teaspoons cumin
Salt & pepper

Marinate skirt steak in Worcestershire sauce, cumin and S&P for at least 1 hour and up to 6.

Remove two outer leaves from head of romaine. Chop about 1/2+ inch from ends, rinse and pat dry with paper towel. Mix 2 parts mayo and 1 part pesto and set aside. Half french rolls and place on broil pan. Next to rolls, lay out enough red peppers from jar to cover 2 halves of the rolls, about the size of one red pepper total.

Turn on broiler and heat up grill or stove pan (I use a hybrid of the two- a Calphalon grill pan). Generously season steak again and grill until medium rare- about 4 minutes per side. While skirt steak is grilling, pop broiler pan in the broiler for about 1 minute. *Note: watch this closely. All ovens are different. Could take less or more time. If you don't have broiler pan or broiler, use a cookie sheet in 500 degree oven and add more time.

Once bread is toasted, coat with pesto mayo and layer with lettuce and roasted red peppers. Carve steak into 1/2 inch slices. Layer on bread and serve.

Ode to Mooncakes- Steak Sandwiches

Spotlight: Waverly Inn

What happens when the Editor in Chief of Vanity Fair decides to take a bite out of the restaurant world? You get Waverly Inn. And it's just a couple doors down from his very own West Village Brownstone. This place is one of those NYC hot spots that makes it nearly impossible for a regular joe to make a reservation. They don't even publish their phone number. Even if you get your hands on their 'secret line' they are sure to tell you there are booked. Reminds me of another NYC hot spot, La Esquina, that rejected me so many times last year that I finally gave up. I read about it often though, in UsWeekly...

However, I was on a mission to dine at Waverly Inn on my recent trip. So, my friend Simone and I came up with a stellar game plan: Go early and sit at the bar. Genius.

New Yorkers like to eat around 9. We got there at 6. Perfect. We were in. Turns out they were having a slow night due to a Jewish holiday. We asked if it were at all possible to dine in the main room- specifically the garden- and they let us. The dinning room was great. It is small which is to be expected on any West Village restaurant but has great booths, some intimate tables and the decor is exactly what you would expect. The garden, in my opinion, was beyond fabulous.

The truffle french fires were Simone's favorite. We both tried their seasonal soups to start; one corn and one tomato. I would have liked some grilled corn kernels on my corn soup as a garnish for texture but as a stand alone puree it was very good. The service was a group effort. Every one chipped in to fill your water, pour your wine, remove your plate, etc. I loved that. Because of the tag team effort, I thought our dinner service was spot-on and very friendly.

Spotlight: Waverly Inn

BLT's Popovers with gruyere

Chef Laurent Torondel has built a NYC empire. A BLT empire to be exact. The first of his empire, BLT Steak, was such a hit that he decided expanded. And expand he did. Now there is BLT , Prime, Market, Burger and Fish!

When concepts expand they can deflate. They may get that 'chainy' feel that lures tourists instead of locals. Your street cred can go down. Other chefs and food critics may start calling you a 'sell out'. Well, none of this has happened to our buddy Laurent. He's still a bad ass and a bad ass with a pretty respected restaurant empire that's always hoppin' every night of the week and always delivers great dishes.

By the way, did anyone else happen to catch his goat cheese battle on Iron Chef against other reigning NYC chef and bad ass Mario Batalli? Yeah, I wanted to jump in my TV screen to judge that competition. It was torture to watch but in a good way.

At BLT Steak, you get a popover instead of a bread basket. They are delicious but watch out because they will fill you up and the following courses are just as good if not better. I've made these a bunch of times and every time they impress and every time they're a hit. It's a win-win. They're a breeze to make and your guests will always ask for them next time.

Popovers with Gryuere

Adapted by StarChefs.com
Yield: 6 Servings
This recipe should make 12 popovers – 2 per person. They can be topped with caramelized onion and diced bacon, if desired. (I recommend!)

Ingredients:
4 cups milk
8 eggs
4 cups flour
1 ½ heaping Tablespoons salt
2 ¼ cups grated Gruyère cheese
Special equipment:Popover pan

Method:

Place popover pan in the oven. Heat oven and pan to 350°F.
Gently warm the milk in a pan over low heat and set aside. Whisk eggs until frothy and slowly whisk in the milk (so as not to cook the eggs). Set the mixture aside.
Sift the flour with the salt. Slowly add this dry mixture to the egg mixture and gently combine until mostly smooth.

Once combined, remove the popover pan from the oven and spray with non-stick vegetable spray. While the batter is still slightly warm or room temperature (but not cool), fill each popover cup ¾ full.

Top each popover with about 2½ Tablespoons of grated cheese. Bake until golden brown, about 50 minutes, rotating popover pan a half-turn after 15 minutes of baking. Remove pan from oven and serve popovers immediately.

BLT's Popovers with gruyere

Countdown to NYC!

Three days until my visit to NYC with my culinary partner in crime, Simone. Look for posts on Lupa, Waverly Inn, Morandi's and more next week!

Countdown to NYC!

P.J. Clarkes - Need I say more??

A true NYC staple feauturing all the essentials to a local, quality NYC establishmet: a loud crowded bar, the musky smell of business men, old beer, and greasy food, and people bumping into you in every which way. Can't hear much, can't move much, can't get out of the way of the waiters & waitresses- perfect.

After trying for 30 min's at peak time to get 2 stools at the bar, we decided to have a more civilized meal at a table. Our waitress was rude, but in the charming sort of way. I drank cheap red wine, and my guest drank a more appropriate drink (bass & guinnes - a dark & stormy?). Both drinks were shoved at us & we quickly were required to order. 2 burges, one massive mound of shoestring onion rings.

The burgers were perfect - greasy in that bar sort of way, but made with quality ingredients that made them juicy & flavorful. The onion rings were piled high, and left substantial traces of grease on everything. One Key Lime Pie to split.

It was amazing, as always.

P.J. Clarkes - Need I say more??

Everyone's Talking About: Sliders

Did anyone else notice that sliders made the cover of BOTH Gourmet and Bon Appetit this month? Either those editors are friendly or someone got fired. Regardless, these gems are worth whipping up this weekend.

Above is a picture of the meatball sliders from The Little Owl in NYC. As a matter of fact, I will be going to The Little Owl next month with my partner in culinary crime, Simone, to taste these bad boys on their own turf.

Makes 6 servings

ingredients

1/2 pound ground beef

1/2 pound ground pork

1/2 pound ground veal

1/2 cup panko (Japanese breadcrumbs)*

1/2 cup water

8 tablespoons freshly grated Pecorino Romano cheese, divided

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1/4 cup plus 2 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/4 cup vegetable oil

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup chopped onion

6 garlic cloves, chopped

1/4 cup (packed) fresh basil leaves

1 1/2 teaspoons fennel seeds

1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes

1 14.5-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes

Arugula leaves (optional)

18 small soft rolls, split horizontally

preparation

Mix all meats, panko, 1/2 cup water, 6 tablespoons cheese, egg, egg yolk, 1/4 cup parsley, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper in large bowl. Form into eighteen 2-inch-meatballs.Heat vegetable oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Working in batches, fry meatballs until brown all over. Transfer to plate. Pour off drippings from skillet. Reduce heat to medium. Add olive oil to skillet. Add onion, garlic, basil, and fennel seeds. Sauté until onion begins to brown, about 5 minutes. Add all tomatoes with juices. Bring to boil, scraping up browned bits. Reduce heat to low, cover with lid slightly ajar, and simmer, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes.Puree sauce in processor until almost smooth. Return to same skillet. Add meatballs. Cover with lid slightly ajar and simmer until meatballs are cooked through, stirring occasionally, about 30 minutes longer.

DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover; chill.Place arugula leaves on bottom of each roll, if desired. Top each with 1 meatball. Drizzle meatballs with some of sauce and sprinkle with remaining 2 tablespoons parsley and 2 tablespoons. cheese. Cover with tops of rolls.

*Sold in the Asian foods section of some supermarkets and at Asian markets.

Bon Appétit, September 2007
Joey Campanaro
The Little Owl, New York

Everyone's Talking About: Sliders