The Cured Ham

Risotto and Wine

The Cured Ham was cooking this weekend at Saviez Winery on the Silverado Trail in Napa Valley. Risotto and panzanella salad was on the menu one evening, complete with a short vertical of Saviez Zinfandel from 2001 to 2003.

I cooked a simple mushroom risotto with onions and carrots along with a few slices of lonza from The Fatted Calf. I cut back on the butter for the recipe and used olive oil instead and finished with only cheese rather than cream and cheese.

My panzanella salad was simply created with day old bread, drizzled with sherry vinegar, olive oil, salt, black pepper, tomatoes, parsley, and a dash of water. This is about as peasant as it gets and truthfully, could have been paired with a little hard cheese for a complete meal. Carbo-loading at its finest that evening, but I had requests for the risotto and I didn't want to waste the bread.

As for the wines, the 2002 Zinfandel paired best with the risotto. The 03 didn't find a match for the meal and the 2001 was great both before and after dinner. My overall favorite was the 01. Soft tannins, full mouth feel, no musty or leathery components. Fruit was more subtle than the 02, which is why I liked the 02 with the carrots and onions in the risotto. It's tough to find Zins that hold up 10 years in the bottle. Frankly, I drink 99% of my Zins within 7 years and wouldn't think to let mine run this long. It was a pleasant surprise to find proper wine making and longevity in these Saviez wines. As I mentioned, the 03 just wasn't working for me that night. I tried it again for lunch the following day with some spicy pasta I made, thinking the more forward fruit and ripeness might pair well. It worked, but not as well as the 02 and the risotto. 

I'd like to thank Mike Saviez for his hospitality and the vertical of Zinfandel that evening; a true representation of what good fruit tastes like when managed properly. I'll have more pictures and commentary on Bacon Bits.

Va de Vi, Walnut Creek Visit 1

Va de Vi is the place to dine in Walnut Creek and it was my first experience eating there. Va de Vi recently renewed its status in the Top 100 of The Bay Area, not an easy thing to do. I was excited to try the food and see what all the buzz was about.

For a Thursday night at 6:30 pm, the restaurant was already crowded. Full bar, full dining room, and a few open tables outside. The temperature was cooler outside, probably the reason for the absence of guests. That wouldn't last long. Since outside was my only option, I sat at a two top under one of the many heating coils. My server, Vito was about the most energetic server I've had in months at any restaurant in The Bay. He spoke as though he had a degree in literature and formal training in theater arts, powerful vocabulary and elocution.

A note on the size of the plates you'll see, they are small for a reason, that's the theme of the restaurant; small plates and a variety of cuisine. I sampled three different wines that evening; 2008 Lang & Reed, Cabernet Franc, North Coast, CA, a 2008 Odisea, “The Temp”, Tempranillo, Clements Hills, CA, and a 2008 Donkey and Goat, “Four Thirteen”, Syrah/Grenache/Mourvedre Counoise, El Dorado, California. The Odisea Tempranillo was outstanding, paired well with food, and easy to drink on its own.

I started with the roasted beets and arugula salad with goat cheese in a spanish sherry dressing. The chunky cut beets were tender and seasoned well with fine black pepper and salt. Small dollops of cheese were about right for the portion size and the arugula wasn't dressed to early so as to be soggy. Nice start to the evening.

Item two, the house made agnolotti filled with ricotta, parmesan and lemon served with a brown butter emulsion. I would say the pasta bordered in thickness and construction to a potsticker rather than Italian agnolotti, so not traditional. When pasta is this big, it takes away from the ratio of filling to pasta. I'm not being any more critical than any Italian chef was with me with regard to this very specifically named pasta. Perhaps a mezzelune would be a closer approximation, but the size and thickness are still an issue. OK, I'll stop being so fussy and particular.

Looking away from the pasta shape, size and texture, it was delicious. The sauce was wonderfully creamy and nutty. Considering the patron volume at the restaurant and a busy pass, the pasta was brought to the table quickly out of the window.

My third choice, lechon or crispy pork belly, was served over rice and topped with pickled onions, kimchi and sweet chili soy glaze.  My server, Vito, suggested I eat the individual bites as I would sushi. Great suggestion and suddenly a more playful dish. I took the first item as he suggested and consumed it whole with all the sauce and garnish. I think I'm supposed to taste pork, right? The onion / kimchi mixture is overwhelming in pungency and the sauce is overly generous in application. My remaining three pieces were sans garnish and rice, focusing on a wonderfully cooked pork belly. When pork belly is cooked this well, why pour sauce everywhere? Why garnish with such a heavy hand? Kudos for cooking the pork belly, have faith that your customers will appreciate the dish without all the extras, or at the least, a more subtle application of flavors.

After spying the short ribs and taking Vito's recommendation, I decided to finish my protein fest with the braised boneless short ribs served over saffron risotto and covered with demi glaze and gremolata. The preparation of the meat was flawless, but again, I'll come back to the application of sauces and sides. The yellow substance you see is oil and the gremolata on top mingles with the oil to combine into a garlic infused oil. Why so much oil? Why have any oil applied at all? When high quality short ribs are cooked properly, which these are, they are slightly fatty and gelatinous with wonderful mouth feel. I like the use of the demi glace, that's fine. The other item is the rice below. It's not risotto, it's more like rice semi-prepared like risotto with saffron. Risotto is creamy and incorporated into something that is not sitting below this short rib. The rice was fine, but took away from the short ribs with the flavor of saffron. I thought paella, not risotto and I didn't finish the rice. Let me reiterate, I loved the short-rib, just not everything around it worked together, similar to the pork belly.

I finished up with a single scoop of vanilla bean gelato and single scoop of coconut sorbeto. These are not made in-house, but they were satisfying nonetheless.

You may wonder after this experience what my verdict was? The verdict is, I'm coming back to eat here the following night to sample the various fish preparations and the gnocchi. I was impressed with the general technique of the various meat preparations. The lack of simplicity in the final presentation of the dish is what bothers me. Allowing the beauty of an item, in this case protein, to not stand out and be covered with sauces, hides what the chef is doing. It's like covering a completed masterwork of Italian sculpture with board shorts and ball cap.

Service was very good that evening and I would happily request Vito as my server again. I look forward to tomorrow night.

Bix, Jackson Square, San Francisco

It’s a personal challenge to eat less when you know the food is good. Bix, in San Francisco’s Jackson Square is one of those restaurants where I’m challenged. But can eating less here just mean ordering more of the appetizers and sides? Sure, sounds rational. 

A couple quick notes on the libations. After spending several months in Italy, I appreciated the Americano and Negroni cocktail as the perfect pre-dinner cocktail. The bartenders at Bix understand how to make a Negroni properly. The Campari used in the drink is an acquired taste or maybe an appreciated one, depending upon your perspective. If a Negroni isn’t to your liking, there are plenty of other classic cocktails the bartenders know how to make, so please, order a drink. The wine we selected for the evening was a 2006 Bella Petite Syrah, Lily Hill, Dry Creek Valley. Rich wine, full palate with a solid berry nose. It paired well with the lamb burgers, Brussels sprout, creamed spinach and had enough weight to cut through my marrow bones. I’ve been buying Bella wine since they were founded. 

Since I’ve made a note on bar service, I’ll make a brief note on the restaurant service. Our server was professional, well spoken and knowledgeable of the menu. Our table asked several questions about appetizers, mains, and even dessert; each of the questions were handled with ease and well answered. No odd looks or ‘just come on and order” attitude either. It’s refreshing to have good service.

It’s not the first time I’ve ordered Mini Lamb Burgers with cucumber, dill and harissa at Bix and it won’t be the last. So many restaurants around the country have tried to make mini-burgers or sliders without any success. The most typical failure is an overcooked meat patty. The second is a mismatched bun. The third is attempting to put lettuce and tomato on every burger. Bix makes none of the mistakes, in fact, makes no mistakes at all with this Mini-Burger. The lamb flavor is delicious and cooked medium with enough red-pink center that the lamb is moist and juicy. The condiments are all appropriately paired with the lamb and the bun size is a perfect match. What’s not to like? 

My main course, usually freaks people out. Four huge white steaming cow bones and a stainless steel surgical implement adorn a Spartan plate and side of bread. Restated and marketed properly on the menu as Marrow Bones “St. John” with a parsley, caper and shallot salad served with grilled durum bread sounds and tastes much more appetizing and always is. Again, I’ve had this dish many a time over the years, at Bix and other restaurants. It’s relatively simple, but simple isn’t easy. The team at Bix create this epicurean staple with the proper care and execution it deserves. Marrow bones take us back to our beginnings as homo sapiens. If you want fat, calories, executed with 21st century culinary skill, look no further. With just a pitch of sea salt on the extracted marrow, I’m in heaven. The salad offers the perfect foil of acid and bitterness to cut through the marrow. Wash it all down with a splash of Petite. Next bite please.

The two sides the table agreed upon were Brussels Sprouts with Lemon and Olive Oil and Creamed Organic Bloomsdale Spinach. Frequent readers of The Cured Ham understand that “organic” and “brand name” farm-fresh produce are taken into consideration when ordering off a menu. But for The Ham, Creamed Spinach is all I need to know. 

Creamed spinach must be ordered! It must be compared to Bourbon Steak Creamed Spinach! Bix’s creamed spinach is a real winner. It would give any steakhouse offering a run for its money. The spinach is rough chopped, the creaminess is mouth filling and well seasoned. There weren’t any unique spicing characteristics or inappropriate herbs that I could sense. Great work. I’d order it again and suggest lovers of creamed spinach to try it. And if you’re wondering, Bourbon Steak Creamed Spinach is still the reigning world champion in my book.

I don’t want to slight the Brussels sprouts. They were very well seasoned with salt, the caramelization was even without any burnt flavors or marks, and they were consistently tender without falling apart into mushy vegetable matter. While maybe a bit heavy handed on salt for me, there weren’t any remaining in the bowl, so I’ll take that as personal preference. I know a lot of folks who don’t like Brussels sprout, but if I were to try them anywhere, I’d try them here.

Thanks to my ‘light’ eating of lamb burger and bone marrow, I saved room for the El Rey Chocolate and Butterscotch Brownies with Whipped Cream. I had these about 2 months ago at a luncheon and they were off-the-charts-good. In fact, this dessert is so good, I would come to Bix before the kitchen closes just to have these brownies. Both varieties are chewy, moist, and better than the brownies you’ve made at home. Combine them with the cream that is served on the side and you’d be hard pressed to do better anywhere in San Francisco.

I’m hard pressed to find negatives during my meal at Bix, other than personal preference on Brussels sprout salting. The evening ran smoothly, service was professional, the food was well prepared, and my colleagues were happy. What more could I ask for on a ‘light’ eating night in San Francisco?

Bellanico, Oakland

The Ham stopped by Bellanico, in the Glenview District of Oakland last week with a friend to eat a bowl of orrechiette with oxtail sugo and share a bottle of Punta Aquila, Tenute Rubino Primitivo 2006 for dinner. We ate at the bar on a slammed Sunday night. It's great to see this place busy.

I've eaten at Bellanico's before with great satisfaction. Since my return from Italy, I haven't eaten pasta outside Lucio's, my brother's, or my own home. I didn't want to be disappointed with a poorly executed pasta dish. I'm pleased to say the orrechiette was as good as anything I had in Puglia. The pasta was not soaking in sauce, the oxtail was part of the dish and not a 'heap o'meat' on top of the pasta, and most of all the pasta was cooked Italian al dente. Combine that with a regionally appropriate wine, a Primitivo from Puglia and I had all the makings of a wonderful Italian experience right here in Oakland. The Primitivo was 14% alcohol and fermented in stainless steel. As I've mentioned before, many of the Italians I talked with while traveling in Puglia were adamant about not using first-pass or even second-pass oak on their wines. This wine was offered a wonderful pairing to the pasta and sauce.

Ahh, Puglia.

Hinterland Gastropub, Milwaukee

Georgia in Wisconsin. No, this is not about Southern cooking in The Great White North. You may remember Georgia, former California resident, Wisconsin native, local fixer, expert baker and friend; she introduced Monkey Bread to The Ham just over a year ago. This time, she is introducing me to Gile Cheese Curds, the New Glarus Brewery and Hinterland Brewery. (The curds are to your left I was told they should "squeak" when you eat them. Evidently a sign of freshness and quality. They did squeak at room temp and after 10 seconds in the microwave. Good snack at either temperature and even better with beer.) We kicked off our evening early, pulling down a couple Spotted Cow brews from New Glarus. This simply acted as a warm-up to serious eating and it gave us a chance to catch-up after her return to Wisconsin. The Hinterland Gastropub tasting menu is the focus of the evening and tasting menus require concentration, a healthy appetite, and a guide, so I'm pleased to have Georgia accompany me during the middle of winter in Milwaukee.

Now for the restaurant review. Nick was our server for the evening. Pretty much a one-man-show and he was covering 5 maybe 6 tables. I will say that he explained each dish thoroughly and accurately, service didn't lag, and he was friendly. Bonus points for Nick for dealing with the hammered couple next to us. The husband shouting "Nick, Nick" in the dining room and the wife laying down in the booth was part bothersome, part comedy for Georgia and I. Luckily, they were finished and out the door by our second course. 

We requested the tasting menu from the kitchen. Of course I spied the menu before hand and spoke to one of the staff two days before. I liked what I was hearing. Generally, The Ham doesn't take pictures during dinner, just notes, so don't expect any food porn money shots for each course. Get your kicks somewhere else. However, I did take a picture of the main dining room and kitchen below (after closing) and some filler shots outside of the Milwaukee Art Museum.

For wines, we started with the Gruet Blanc de Noir New Mexico sparkling wine. I've been drinking this NM wine for over 10 years and I'm happy to see it in Wisconsin. It paired well with the guanciale and crispy prosciutto as individual items. The sweetness of the syrup was a bit much for the Gruet. The second wine, a Siduri Pinot Noir Chehalem Mountains 2008 was a bit of a gamble with the wide variety of foods offered at Hinterland. It had huge toasted oak flavor and a smokey nose when first opened and throughout the first hour. That smokiness subsided and was replaced by a more classic cherry and spice note. The wine paired very well with the duck (as it should) and the salmon courses. The heavy Asian influence from the scallop dish was a tough pair for the Pinot.

Course One: Guanciale wrapped medjool dates stuffed with goat cheese and topped with balsamic syrup and crispy prosciutto. As I mentioned before, the balsamic syrup was a bit sweet for me. I thought the dates were sweet, the goat cheese tangy and smooth, and the cured items salty (naturally). Dotting the dish with the syrup would have been enough for me, rather than the amount presented. Tasty dish and a nice start. While not part of the course, we were offered homemade biscuits instead of regular bread. The biscuits were great.

Course Two: Caramelized Norwegian salmon topped with onion sprouts on top of seaweed salad with a miso caramel sauce. Well presented and clean looking on the white plate. Nice tasting portion of salmon on top of a bed of seaweed salad. The application of miso caramel was perfect in both amount and sweetness, versus the balsamic syrup in course one. I liked this dish. Seaweed is a favorite of mine at Japanese restaurants and in Asian markets for take home. The team here did real justice to the seaweed; well balanced salt, the 'crunch' was tender without being chewy, and not overly seasoned with Asian flavors, namely soy sauce and sesame oil. The salmon was seared and cooked 70% on a single side and simply warmed through on the other. The salmon was moist and the cooking method was effectively a gradient from fully cooked to near sushi. Georgia felt the onion sprouts overpowered the subtly of the dish, but were easily removed, so no harm done. Great dish.

Course Three: Pan seared diver scallops with soba noodles, stir-fry vegetables, peanuts, baby shiitake in a light kung pao sauce. This dish was the most difficult for Georgia and I to reconcile. Did we like the flavor of the dish? Yes. The scallops were perfectly cooked and seasoned. We generally liked the Asian style, the presentation, the overall flavor, and the size was generous for a tasting portion. My question is one of placement in a tasting menu and theme. It's a bold dish, with a heavy Asian hand.  Course Two was Asian inspired but not overwhelming. After the more Mediterranean first course, course two worked well with a kiss of Asia. Looking ahead to the Fourth Course, we return to Europe and the meal comes together again. Never handcuff the Chef, but give him honest feedback. The dish is good, just think about the combination in the tasting menu.

Course Four: Pan seared Maple Leaf Farms duck breast on a bed of french green lentils, velvet pioppini mushroom, brocollini, and carrot purée. As I just alluded to, this dish finished the savory courses well. The duck was slightly rare for Georgia and high-end restaurant medium rare for me, but with a well caramelized skin for both of us. The Siduri Pinot shines with this course. Taking mixed bites of lentil, carrot, and duck was the combination that I was happy with. I always find a lack of descriptive words when I really like a dish, and this is one of those.

Course Five: Peanut butter tart with hazelnut gelato, panko tuile (this could be the best panko crispy treat ever), fried peanuts, bourbon-vanilla syrup, peanut dust. Let's get back to the Best Panko Tuile Ever! Call is a Tuile, but I think it was the best high-end Panko Crispy Treat I've ever had. I think they could make that a dessert, serve it with a side of home-made marshmallows and chocolate sauce but that's just my opinion. The peanut butter tart was rich beyond compare. Neither of us was able to finish the tart, but it wasn't for a lack of trying. It was a nice finish to the tasting menu.

After our Asian and European inspired culinary adventure at Hinterland, we had one more drink in the back lounge until closing, where the kitchen crew was beginning to un-wind after service. We unwound with a local Hinterland Luna Stout. In my adventure to The Great White North, I was transported to Asia and Europe twice in 3 hours; realizing I never left the restaurant. And just like the start of the night, I ended the evening drinking a local brew with a girl named Georgia...in Wisconsin.

Ravioli 3 Ways

A family dinner party was the inspiration for a couple hours of ravioli making. While a Northern Italian pasta dough has some ratio of flour to semolina to eggs, the ratio can change as can the ingredients, depending upon where you wander in Italy. Generally, more eggs are present in the dough the further North you travel in Italy. My basic dough for orecchiette, a pasta staple in Puglia, has only water and flour.

Enough about the dough, what about the filling? From classic spinach and ricotta to more exotic flavors, the combinations are infinite. As my title suggests, I made three fillings; the first, sweet potato, ricotta, and mascarpone. The second, ground short ribs with spinach and a touch of ricotta. The third, polenta and mascarpone. The third one is an oddball, I know. But guess what, it worked.

And finally for the sauces. With my sweet potato ravioli I went with a basic browned butter with freshly cracked pepper. Typically I would add sage, but I forgot to pick it out of the yard. For the second sauce, I will tip my hat to Cousin Jeff. His red sauce or gravy, as some call it, was a classic pairing for the other two ravioli. Jeff is also the Pit Master, known the world over for his BBQ and grilling skills. 

The wines I chose were both from Forth Vineyards. A 2002 and 2005 All Boys Cabernet from Dry Creek Valley. I've been drinking this boutique for many years. Each of the wines had real structure, distinctive fruit, and soft tannins. A bit overpowering for the sweet potato ravioli, but perfect for the red sauce based varieties.

I also received a late breaking report from my brother, who was also having a dinner party. He created an American Gastronomic Classic...Meatloaf and Potatoes for his 8 Top. Early returns said it received high-marks from the crowd. He mentioned they were drinking Trader Joe's Dunkel.

It was good to see everyone at Cousin Jeff's and I'm pleased to report we're kicking off the New Year with a classic Sunday Dinner.

Christmas Leftovers

While we're still going through the leftovers, I wanted to highlight a few of the fresh items from the Christmas Feasting:

1. Aunt Lyn's Marinated Mushrooms are always a favorite. Whole white button mushrooms in a vinegar based marinade. I probably ate 2 dozen.
2. One of my Aunt's Ricotta Cake was nice and moist. I don't ever recall having ricotta cake before. Usually it's some creamy overly sweet pie from Marie Calender's that has banana in it.
3. Christmas Morning Menudo at Two Eggs Mother in Law's house. Tender bits of tripe and pig's feet with all the condiments in a spicy broth. Someone needs to make chilaquiles...soon.
4. T.L. (aka Dad) made biscuits, cinnamon rolls, and bacon for everyone this morning which was cool. And since it was Sunday morning, it must be Meet the Press.
5. Me N'Ed's at Herndon and West for a perfectly executed pepperoni and canned mushroom family style pizza.
6. Camellia Cellars Diamo Grazie 2001 Magnum, Bella Lily Hill 2001 Zinfandel, and a La Spinetta Il Nero di Casanova Sangiovese were the wine highlights 
7. And The Ham delivered Beef Short Ribs for Christmas Eve and a new item utilizing T.L.'s A-Team Smoker Grill, BBQ and Braised Country Pork Spare Ribs, for a rib duo. No one ate with their hands on Christmas Eve, these were de-boned and elegantly presented ribs.

It was good to see lots of family and friends over the Christmas Holiday.

Chocolate Alert - Poco Dolce

Poco Dolce in San Francisco is a boutique confectioner, specifically chocolate. If you are having difficulty finding a gift and are tired of those white See's Candy Boxes or bucket o'Ghirardelli Assorted Squares give these folks a look. They are found in retailers across the country.

I just had some Bittersweet Chocolate Tiles with Toffee Centers and Topped with Sea Salt at last night's dinner party. Just what I was looking for. It went well with the B-Side Cabernet we were drinking and the espresso after that.

Wine vs. Craft Beer

I flew a long way to learn about Italian wine and food. And true, I've put down a few bottles, some notable ones to be sure. But I expected to. What I didn't expect was to drink craft beer. Hell, I didn't even know their was a craft beer industry in Italy. I suppose I should have expected it with the whole Slow Food movement and all; in addition to the monastic tradition of brewing beer. (Craft Beer from Bari in the Puglia Region pictured)

It goes back to Florence at my favorite beer and pizza joint (I'm trying to sound like a Joe Sixpack with the beer and pizza comment. This place was anything but a 'joint', but they did serve fabulous beer and pizza), La Bussola, where I had my first experience with craft beer. Sticking with the Italian tradition of serving local products I drank some product from the hills around Florence. They ranged from lager to porter and each had real flavor. NOT a watered down Bud.

This trend of quality craft continued in Emilia Romagna and now in Puglia. The only downside that I can see is that each of the beers comes in a 750 ml bottle. And with alcohol levels reaching 12%, that's more beer than I'm willing to drink in a sitting. I get hammered and I feel full. So in the spirit of turning lemons into lemonaide, when I buy one of these beers, I usually make a friend to help me drink it. I will admit, I've had some trouble converting Italians into beer drinkers. They are happy to share a drink, but as I study facial expressions, I'll bet they'd rather have a glass of wine. I just hope they're not drinking this rot gut pictured! At first I thought this plonk was olive oil. Wrong Answer, it's jug wine.

A Classic Tasting

I found a "from the archives" summary of a wine tasting I participated in probably 10 or 12 years ago. It was the first high end tasting I'd ever done and included wines I would never drink again, simply because of their rarity.

View this photo The real prize was finding this old tasting menu and the memory of that evening.View this photo