Le Cirque, Creme Brulee, Restaurant Week & Twitter!

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Although people sometimes laugh when I tell them I have a Twitter account, the truth of the matter is these people don't realize how much money a tweet can save you, especially if you are friends with Gael Green.  Just last week my tweeter pal Gael let me know that Le Cirque had extended their Restaurant Week $26 lunch $35 dinner menu until February 26.  Now that's what I call a friend...and that's what I call tough economic times.  $26.07 for lunch?  in New York? at Le Cirque? No way!

Gael Green

Well friends and neighbors, if you don't take advantage of this, you are crazy.  Granted, Le Cirque was never one of my favorites, although I had a marvelous pheasant risotto there a few years back, but the food is terrific and the presentation out of this world.  I much preferred La Grenouille or La Cote Basque, which were just as wonderful but a bit more subdued.  Granted, you are never going to get out of there for less than $50... remember you do have to tip and tip well, pay tax and as long as you are there, have a glass of wine, or two.  Still...that is a great price to lunch at one of New York's finest, and if I still lived there, I would be lunching there today.  Here's what you get:

Restaurant Week Winter 2010

Lunch $24.07

Dinner $35

Menu

APPETIZERS

Cannellini Bean Soup

apple, walnuts, and hon shimeiji mushrooms

Roasted Golden Beet Salad

gorgonzola mousse, pear, and spicy cashews

Sautéed Maine Shellfish

fregola Sarda and red pepper-yuzu broth

Chicken Parfait

porcini gelée and poppy seed crackers

Venison and Pistachio Sausage

celery root and pickled cherries

MAIN COURSES

Diver Sea Scallops

butternut squash purée, broccolini, and bacon jus

Salmon Fillet Confit

sumac crust, jicama, and citrus broth

Berkshire Pork Belly

spicy lentil salsa and radish salad

Bavette Steak

parsnip purée, sweet and sour mushrooms, and watercress

DESSERTS

Tiramisù

Baba au Rhum

citrus fruits

Crème Brûlée Le Cirque

Milk Chocolate Milles Feuilles

What would you have?  I wonder how many takers for the Pork Belly!

If you are still wondering whether to go or not, look at these and think again!

Mint Gazpacho with Bacon and Mushroom Foam Topping

Burgundy Snails in Garlic Herb Butter

Terrine of Foie Gras

Brioche to go with the Foie Gras Terrine

Sea Bass Wrapped with Crunchy Potatoes

Duck Magret

Lemon Soufflé

Chocolate Soufflé

Pistachio Cream and Chocolate Cake

Strawberry Souffle

After Dinner Goodies

Now, I didn't take these pictures, wouldn't dream of bringing a camera to a restaurant, any restaurant.  This was a dinner enjoyed by a group of 6 friends who went on a gambling trip to Las Vegas and visited the restaurant during their stay.

If you are still thinking, while I'm making my reservations, here's the recipe for the creme brulee.  Have fun!  By the way, Le Cirque is also on Twitter!



Le Cirque's Creme Brulee

Serves 8

Ingredients

2 cups heavy cream

1/2 vanilla bean, split lengthwise

Pinch salt

4 egg yolks

1/3 cup plus 2 tablespoons granulated sugar

8 teaspoons turbinado sugar, for glazing

Directions


Preheat the oven to 300 degrees.

In a medium saucepan cook the cream with the vanilla bean and salt over moderate heat until the surface begins to shimmer. In a large heatproof bowl, blend the egg yolks and granulated sugar with a wooden spoon. Slowly add the hot cream mixture, stirring gently. Strain the custard into a large measuring cup; skim off any bubbles.

Arrange 8 shallow 4 1/2 --inch wide ramekins in a roasting pan. Slowly pour the custard into the ramekins, filling them almost to the top. Set the roasting pan in the center of the oven and carefully pour in enough hot water to reach halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Cover the pan loosely with foil and bake for about 1 hour, or until the custards are firm at the edges, but still a bit wobbly in the center.

Transfer the ramekins to a wire rack to cool completely. Cover and refrigerate until cold, at least 3 hours or up to 2 days.

Preheat the broiler. Set the ramekins on a baking sheet and blot the surfaces of the custards to remove any condensation. Using a small sieve, sift 2 teaspoons of the turbinado sugar over each custard in a thin, even layer. Broil the custards as close to the heat as possible until the sugar is evenly caramelized, 30 seconds to 2 minutes. Let cool slightly and serve at once. If using a deeper 3/4 -cup ramekins, bake the custards for about 20 minutes longer and reduce the sugar topping to 1 teaspoon per custard.

Photo: Google

The "21"' Club Chicken Hash With Gruyere Topping

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Continuing with the posts on restaurant recipes, possibly the one closest to my heart is the "21" Club in New York City due to so many memories and ties between my family and that of its former owners, the Kriendlers.

21 West 52nd Street

My grandmother's brothers, Marcelo and Jorge Sanchez, dubbed the Cuban Sugar Kings by the New York press in the years preceding WWII, wreaked havoc in the city in the 30s 40s and 50s.  Only Fidel Castro managed to stop them.  From El Morocco, to the Stork Club, to Le Pavillon and "21" those two managed to set the town on fire on their numerous visits to NYC at a time when sugar was king and Havana was the playground of movie stars, playboys, society couples and entertainers from all over the world.

The Bar

 In those days, "21" was not what it is today.  It was an elegant speakeasy where anybody who was anybody could get a drink and have a good time, even during the days of Prohibition.  Somewhere along the line, my uncles became great friends of Jack and Luisa Kriendler and when they visited New York City, stayed at their apartment over the "21" Club. They enjoyed the place so much that one of them, my uncle Jorge, had one of the  rooms in his Miami Beach home decorated with round tables and 21's signature red checked table cloths. I inherited a bunch of them and used them for picnics and casual entertaining in the 70's not paying much attention to their provenance until I lost them in a move together with some of my grandmother's linens.  You certainly never know what you have until you loose it, but then again, we had already lost so much...

The famous barroom with its checkered tablecloths

 Due to the family's extensive sugar business in Cuba, it was this same uncle, Jorge Sanchez, after whom the term "Sugar Daddy" was coined for sticking $100 bills in the garters of New York show girls.  He married one of them,  my aunt Brownie, who was a Ziegfield Follies girl in the 1920's.

In 1934,  Charlie Berns, the club's co owner, created '21' Brands, a liquor importing/distilling/distributing company. Its first salesman was then-aspiring actor David Niven. Another "salesman" in the 1950's, was my father and two of his friends, who represented "21" Brands in Havana.  Nice work, if you can get it.....

One of the famous toys over the Bar

Years later, in the early 80's,  I frequented  "21" often with my then husband and his former roommate from Deerfield, one of the Kriendler's sons,  and was once fortunate to be invited to a family wedding in the upstairs apartments.  Somehow, we always hit "21" after the theater, or late at night after a cocktail party, so this Chicken Hash was a favorite of mine. I will always remember Bruce waiting at the door to greet us on those freezing winter nights.

The cellar then

The first version of the club opened in Greenwich Village in 1922, run by cousins Jack Kreindler and Charlie Berns. It was originally a small speakeasy known as the Red Head. It wasn't until 1929 that the club moved to its present location at 21 W 52nd St. and changed its name to "Jack and Charlie's 21".  It was the place to "hang out" for playboys and debutants, as well as members of cafe society, movie stars and anybody who was anybody in those days.  For its wonderful history, including its infamous raids during Prohibition, visit their site here.

The cellar today

Even though "21" was sold years ago to Orient Express, I am happy to see the Chicken Hash is still on the menu for a mere $36...chicken feed!  It is also nice to see there is a dress code of sorts still enforced, although the tie requirement was abolished last year. I will miss the tie policy at ‘21.’ It held up an example of what etiquette should be. "The tie drawer in the “21” cloakroom — where generations of patrons have repaired their faux-pas — is as much a part of the restaurant’s lore as its checked tablecloths and the ceiling dangling with dozens of obsessively dusted toy airplanes, ships and football helmets. The restaurant’s publicist, Ms. Biederman, said it would continue to proffer ties to the needy who preferred them."

LeRoy Neiman was a frequent visitor and patron throughout the years

The bar, LeRoy Neiman

I don't know how the food fares nowadays with all the changes by the new owners.  It was never a place for great food, just good food;  but it was a fantastic place to meet with your friends and see and be seen.  Possibly, the original Mortimer's, now also defunct.  For a review of the new "21" I will have to defer to my friend reggiedarling who was there very recently.  He is a good source.


Creamy Chicken Hash

Ingredients:

1 ½ lbs skinless, boneless chicken breasts

salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

3 cups chicken stock

1 stick unsalted butter, softened

½ cup unbleached white flour

¼ cup dry sherry

¼ cup heavy cream

1 ½ lb grated gruyere

½ tsp fresh grated nutmeg


Method:

1. Season the chicken breasts with salt and pepper. Bring the chicken stock to a boil. Add the chicken breasts, and lower the heat to a simmer. Poach the chicken breasts 20 minutes or until fully cooked.

2. Remove the chicken from the poaching liquid and cool completely before cutting into one inch cubes. Reserve the liquid.

3. Combine the softened butter with the flour, kneading them together into a paste.

4. Return the reserved chicken stock to a boil, and using a wire whisk, add the flour/butter combination in one‐tablespoon increments.

5. Cook 5 minutes then add the sherry and cream.

6. Adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper. Whisk in the cheese and nutmeg. Remove from heat once cheese is melted.

7. Fold in diced chicken.

8. OPTIONAL CRUNCHY TOPPING: Top with additional cheese, and brown lightly under broiler.

9. Serve with spinach and wild rice. Many patrons prefer the hash served over white toast (no crust) instead of wild rice.


Photos courtesy of the "21" Club

Churros With Hot Chocolate Dipping Sauce

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When I lived in Miami, I was lucky to have access to churros whenever I wanted them.  Now that I'm living in another state where the Spanish population is not as dominant,  it's a different story.  Here I have a lovely fireplace, tons of cold weather and no churros.  I guess  "You Can't Always Get What You Want....!"

Churros are not really that hard to make, just messy and, of course, there's all that frying.  It's okay to eat fried food if you are not doing the frying.  You just don't think about it, at least, I don't. It's another story to eat fried food when you are doing the frying and watching all the fat grams dancing in front of your eyes.  But don't let that deter you or you will be missing one of the greatest snacks ever invented!

 Finally tonight I bit the bullet and had my chocolate with churros from the most authentic source I could find... The Chocolateria San Ginez right in the heart of Madrid.

The Chocolatería San Ginés is a café in central Madrid popular with tourists and madrileños alike. It has served principally chocolate con churros (hot chocolate and churros) since 1894. Coffee and cakes are also available. The interior is decorated with mirrors and green wood panels, green velvet seats and marble tables. The hot chocolate is served in Spanish style - thick, dark and strong - and the churros - deep fried batter, similar to a light, crispy, linear doughnut, cut to length by the waitresses - are served hot and freshly cooked, ready for dunking.

Now, I have discovered something I really like...something that is new, at least to me.  I have always had churros either alone or with a nice cup of hot chocolate.  In this recipe, the chocolate is really a dipping sauce, something which makes it less filling, if only in our imagination. I have had it this way for dessert at a great restaurant in Miami called Sra. Martinez.  I was sold on the first bite!  Hope you enjoy them in these cold nights and perhaps make some for Santa on Christmas Eve.  I know he'll enjoy it!

Ingredients

Churros:

1 cup water

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 cup all-purpose flour

3 eggs, beaten

Vegetable oil, for frying

1/4 cup sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon, optional

Chocolate for dunking:

1 tablespoon cornstarch

2 cups milk

4 ounces dark chocolate, chopped

1/4 cup sugar

Directions

To make the churro dough: Combine 1 cup of water with the butter or margarine and the salt in a saucepan and bring to a boil over high heat. Using a wooden spoon, stir in flour. Reduce the heat to low and stir vigorously until the mixture forms a ball, about 1 minute. Remove the dough from the heat and, while stirring constantly, gradually beat the eggs into the dough.

To make the chocolate for dunking: In a small bowl, dissolve the cornstarch in 1 cup of milk and reserve. Combine the chocolate with the remaining cup of milk in a saucepan. Stirring constantly, melt the chocolate over medium-low heat. Whisk the sugar and the dissolved cornstarch into the melted chocolate mixture. Reduce the heat to low and cook, whisking constantly, until the chocolate is thickened, about 5 minutes. (Add extra cornstarch if it doesn't start to thicken after 5 minutes.) Remove the pan from the heat and whisk until smooth then reserve in a warm place.

Heat about 2 inches of oil in a heavy, high-sided pot over medium-high heat until the oil reaches 360 degrees F. Mix the sugar with the cinnamon* on a plate and reserve.

Meanwhile, spoon the churro dough into a pastry bag fitted with a large tip. Squeeze a 4- inch strip of dough into the hot oil. Repeat, frying 3 or 4 strips at a time. Fry the churros, turning them once, until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side. Transfer the cooked churros to a plate lined with paper towels to drain.

When the churros are just cool enough to handle, roll them in the cinnamon-sugar* (in Spain churros are simply rolled in sugar.)

Pour the chocolate into individual bowls or cups. Serve the warm churros with the chocolate dip.

The Four Seasons' Chicken And Shrimp Curry

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I can't say enough about this curry.  Words or pictures cannot fully convey the magnificent taste, aroma and texture of this dish.  Obviously, I wouldn't expect any less of The Four Seasons, but frankly, this recipe just blew me away.  It is an elegant yet authentic curry, one you can count on.  I am sorry the photo is a bit blurry.  To tell the truth, I was so anxious and excited to try it my hands were shaky and every picture turned out blurred.  After the third try, I just couldn't be bothered...all I wanted to do was sit down and eat the whole plate!

I adore curries, but Indian cuisine is not one I grew up with so naturally I am always looking for authenticity more than anything else .  When I started testing curry recipes awhile back somehow they never had the taste I was used to.  It wasn't until I came upon Madhur Jaffrey's book on curries that I realized I was thinking of the British version of the dish,  the one they call  Chicken Tikka Masala .  This recipe, on the other hand is halfway between the English sahib's cream curry and the true curries of the East.  Just what I was looking for!

Curry (IPA:/ˈkʌri/) is a generic description used throughout European and American culture to describe a general variety of spiced dishes  best known in Indian cuisines, especially South Asian cuisine. Curry is a generic term, and although there is no one specific attribute that marks a dish as "curry", some distinctive spices used in many, though certainly not all, curry dishes include turmeric, cumin, coriander, fenugreek, and red pepper. The word curry is an anglicised version of the Tamil word kari. It is usually understood to mean "gravy" or "sauce", rather than "spices".  In most South Indian languages, the word literally means 'side-dish', which can be eaten along with a main dish like rice or bread.(Wikipedia)

Curry's popularity in recent decades has spread outward from the Indian subcontinent to figure prominently in international cuisine. Consequently, each culture has adopted spices in their indigenous cooking  to suit their own unique tastes and cultural sensibilities. Curry can therefore be called a pan-Asian or global phenomenon, with immense popularity in Thai, British and Japanese cuisines.  Just this past week, Europe celebrated National Curry Week, something I found out just as I was finishing this post.  Talk about coincidences...

The popularity of curry among the general public was enhanced by the invention of "Coronation Chicken" to commemorate the coronation of Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. Curry sauce (or curry gravy) is a British use of curry as a condiment, usually served warm with traditional British fast food dishes such as chips. Curry sauce occasionally would include sultanas.  According to legend, one 19th century attempt at curry resulted in the invention of Worcestershire sauce.  In 2001, Robin Cook proclaimed Chicken Tikka Masala Britain's National Dish.

One of the things I like about this recipe is that the heat does not overwhelm the rest of the spices.  I have always believed that a dish that is too hot is just an excuse for a bad recipe.  Let's face it, how can you possible taste the rest of the ingredients when you are worried about putting out the heat in your belly!.  This has enough to notice but not overwhelm.  It is perfectly balanced so as not to offend anyone at the table.  Also the mix of chicken and shrimp is a delight and every bite leaves a  a different sensation in the palate.  Nothing like the unexpected.  Although you could make this all shrimp or all chicken, I wouldn't.   The mix of the two is one of the things that makes this dish different... don't change it.

The "boys" or condiments are my contribution.  They are what I like with my curry. The restaurant accompanies it with marinated fruits consisting of pineapple, kiwi etc., which although creative, is unnecessary for the full enjoyment of this dish.  Just accompany with raisins, chutney (I used Major Greys) and slivered or blanched almonds... perhaps coconut flakes.  Notice that the main curry sauce has no sugar.  The sweetness comes in the condiments, something I like because it gives us the opportunity to adapt it to our taste.

I have tweaked the procedure of cooking this dish a little to eliminate a few pots and pans.  Let's face it, we just don't have as many sous chefs or dishwashers in our kitchens as the Four Seasons does.  In the end it wont make a difference and it will make your life a lot easier. 

This is the kind of recipe you want to serve at a small dinner party for 8 or if you are having a couple of tables for a sit down dinner of 12 or sixteen.  You can easily double it and also make it the day before.  Accompany with white or jasmine rice and a simple salad.  It's a wonderful and festive main course to have on hand for the holidays. 

Ingredients

1 Tb olive oil
1 tsp. coriander seeds, toasted in a dry skillet for 5 minutes
1/2 tsp white peppercorns
2 whole cloves
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp. cumin seeds
2 TB curry powder'1 tsp chopped fresh ginger'1/2 clove of garlic
1/8 whole nutmeg
2 tsps. kosher salt
1 quart chicken stock'1 cup dry white wine
2 cups heavy cream
4 TB unsalted butter
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup clarified butter
4 8oz. whole boneless chicken breasts, cut in 1 1/2 by 1/4 inch chunks
1 1/2 lbs medium shrimp, peeled and deveined

The "boys"

Raisins
Slivered Almonds
Major Greys' Chutney
Coconut flakes

Procedure

In a skillet heat the oil.When hot add the coriander seeds, white peppercorns, cloves, red pepper flakes and cumin seeds.  Stir to avoid burning, then add curry powder, tossing to blend.  Place in a spice mill or coffee grinder with the ginger, garlic, nutmeg and salt.  Grind to a powder, set aside.

In a deep saucepan boil and reduce stock and wine together, to 2 cups.  In a separate pan reduce cream to 1 cup.

In a clean pan melt the butter, add flour and cook stirring 2 minutes.  Mix in prepared curry mixture, add the reduced stock and cream.  Bring to a boil over medium heat, stirring.  When sauce is thick and smooth, strain through a fine sieve into a clean saucepan.

Melt 2 TB butter in a large skillet and saute chicken, tossing until seared on all sides.  Remove to a plate.  Heat another 2 TB butter and saute shrimp for 1 minute.  Return chicken to skillet and saute together for 2 to 3 minutes, stirring.  Spoon the sauce over the shrimp and chicken mixture, bring to a boil, stirring and serve at once with rice.  Place chutney, slivered almonds, raisins,  and coconut in individual dishes and add your favorites on top of the curry.

Note: This recipe is dedicated to my Westie friends Snowy and Vivi Jr. and their Moms who give me so much laughter and happiness, day in and day out.  I hope you enjoy it.

The Four Seasons Restaurant - New York City

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The Four Seasons is one of the most fascinating, elegant and spectacular restaurants in the world.  Its sumptuous decor, its breathtaking innovations, its remarkable originality have all combined to make it an institution, a unique restaurant where the clientele includes heads of state, celebrities in all of the arts, men and women of achievement, and where the food is admired by gourmets, critics and fellow restaurateurs all over the world. Behind that institution lies a philosophy of food--a concept of freshness, of originality of simplicity and seasonal variation.

It began as a dream in several minds, including the architect Phillip Johnson, the owners of the Seagram Building where it resides, and Joe Baum, the pivotal personality of an organization called Restaurant Associates.  The dream, in short, was of a restaurant of peerless magnificence for New Yorkers, a restaurant whose food was splendid and whose very ambiance mirrored the seasons of the year.

Whether one dines or lunches in the Bar Room, where simple broiled food takes a seat of honor, or in the Pool Room where the menu is much more involved and its presentation much more spectacular, there is the comfort of knowing that the food being served has been prepared with great relish and eaten with true appreciation by a large discerning clientele,  including me!

The Bar Room

The first time I dined at the Four Seasons was in the early 60's while at boarding school.  An old uncle invited my parents and me during Spring break and we ate in the Pool Room.  All I can remember was the beauty of the decor.  You have to remember that when it first opened, the Four Seasons was not only innovative but also revolutionary.  It was Spring and darn it if they didn't have dogwoods or cherry blossoms in bloom all over the room! 

Throughout the years I dined or lunched several times, mainly in the Pool Room, and visited the bar on numerous occasions to meet colleagues and friends.  I was lucky my office at the time was only a couple of blocks away.  It is a lunch with my Mother, however, that is the most memorable of all the occasions I visited the restaurant.  We were cutting through 53rd Street after a doctors appointment, and we were hungry and tired.   When I saw where we were, I steered her right through the door and up the stairs without giving her a chance to say no.  It was pretty late in the lunch service, just a few tables of stragglers remained in the Bar Room and Pool Room, but we were taken to a table and served as if we were the queens of New York.  That is class. No rush, no sly glances, absolutely perfect crab cakes, Bloody Marys, espresso and petit fours.  We left around 4 p.m.sleepy and happy, each with a box of petit fours, a gift from the Four Seasons.  Since that day,  every time we eat crab cakes, we look at each other and smile...good, but not as good as The Four Seasons!

The Pool Room in Spring

The Pool Room in Summer

The Bar

There is much to tell about the Four Seasons, too many stories, too many fabulous dishes that I can't possibly cover in one post; but I wanted to give you some background behind the recipe that is coming up next, Chicken and Shrimp Curry, created by Chef Seppi Renggli, the restaurant's first chef.

To read more about The Four Seasons, I have included  a wonderful article in New York Magazine's November 1986 issue, pg. 42. 

When the Four Seasons first opened in 1959, it was top of the line, the first of the new breed of restaurants to succeed the legendary Pavillon.  Today, it is one of many fine restaurants in the city, where the food is not necessarily the best, but where you will find a glimpse of everything that makes a legendary restaurant great... and if you peek into the Grill Room, you will see many of the people whose minds, power and drive run some of this country's greatest enterprises.

Chez Panisse Baked Goat Cheese Salad

Pin It It's funny how birds of a feather "post" together. I've had this recipe on the docket for months to post in case of a jam.

Yesterday I noticed that David Leibowitz beat me to it and posted it on his blog. He should know, he worked at Chez Panisse years ago. Then the Fiesta Salsa appeared in Bitten's blog yesterday in the form of a summer salad. And today, I noticed that one of the food blogs I follow had posted a recipe for lemon pound cake! Are we all running out of recipes? I don't think so! although by the 5th year of a food blogger's career it must be difficult to come up with 3 recipes a week. Thankfully, I don't see Bitten or any of the other pros at a loss for a recipe.

When I have a dinner party, I purchase one of the big chevre logs at Costco, marinade according to my recipe for the goat cheese appetizer posted in the Spring, and save one half for this salad. The result... even better, so plan ahead!

Serves 4

Ingredients:

4 rounds Goat Cheese, fresh (1/2 inch thick)

3-4 sprigs Thyme, fresh

3/4 cup Olive Oil, Virgin

1 cup Bread Crumbs, fine and dry

1 tsp Thyme, dried

2-3 Tb Vinegar, Red Wine

Salt & Pepper to taste

4 Scoops Greens, fresh garden mix

Day-old Baguette (sliced 1/4 inch)

1/2 cup Butter

2-3 cloves Garlic

Procedure:

Preheat oven to 350°F.

Lay 4 rounds of fresh goat cheese ( 1/2 inch thick) and 3-4 sprigs of fresh thyme in a deep dish and pour 1/4 cup virgin olive oil over it and allow to marinate for a day.

In a bowl, mix together 1 cup fine dry bread crumbs and 1 tsp dried thyme.

In a separate bowl mix a vinaigrette by whisking together 1/2 cup virgin olive oil, 2-3 Tbls red wine vinegar and salt and pepper to taste.

Slice a day-old baguette into 1/4-inch slices. Melt 1/2 cup butter and brush each slice of baguette with it.

Spread these bread slices on a baking sheet and bake in a preheated oven at 350°F for 5-7 minutes, until just light brown.

Increase oven temperature to 400°F.

Peel and cut in half 2-3 cloves of garlic. While the bread is still warm, rub each piece with a cut clove of garlic.

Dip the marinated cheese rounds in the bread crumb mix and place in a lightly oiled baking dish.

Bake in preheated oven at 400°F for about 6 minutes, until cheese is lightly bubbling and golden brown.

Toss the greens with enough vinaigrette to lightly coat and arrange them on 4 round salad

plates.

Place the cheese rounds in the center of the plates with the more browned side up and arrange the croutons around the cheese.

The Real Cuban Mojito

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Mojito at Hotel Ambos Mundos, Havana

If you're looking for the classic Cuban Mojito, the way Ernest Hemingway drank it in Old Havana, you've come to the right place!

For starters, a real mojito is a very simple and delicious cocktail, if you make it the right way. One trick is the sequence in which you add the ingredients; the other is the addition of the sprigs as well as the mint leaves (or yerbabuena) Aside from that, it consists of 5 simple ingredients, sugar, limes, mint, soda water, good rum (make mine Bacardi!) and ice cubes, NOT crushed ice. Use a tall cylindrical glass. To make several mojitos, line up the glasses and follow this sequence.

Ingredients

2 Tsps Sugar

1/2 Lime

2 Sprigs of Mint

1 Part Soda Water

2 Parts Bacardi Rum

Ice Cubes

To the glass, add the sugar and coat with the juice of the 1/2 lime (save the wedge). Add the mint, leaves and sprigs, soda and leftover lime wedge. Muddle well with a pestle. Add the rum and top with ice cubes.


The craddle of the Cuban Mojito is a place in Old Havana named La Bodeguita del Medio. Originally an old warehouse in the middle of a side street near the cathedral, it later became a bodega and eventually a restaurant in the 1940's. There is an old saying of Hemingway's on a wall, "Mi mojito en La Bodeguita y mi daiquiri en El Floridita," another legendary Cuban establishment. Hollywood celebrities such as Errol Flynn, Nat King Cole and Ava Gardner where notable visitors in the 50's.





I have enclosed a link to La Bodeguita del Medio in Old Havana which is wonderful. I have to take my hat off to the Cuban government. Sometimes it takes a bit to load (It is a Cuban link!) but wait..you will be delighted you did. Make sure you click on the link to the bar and watch a Cuban bartender make a real mojito! Unfortunately, the chain of Bodeguitas that you find around the world, including one in Miami and another in California, have nothing to do with the old place. They are just tourist traps with bad food and horrendous prices.

I hope you enjoy your mojitos and your visit to La Bodeguita del Medio!



http://www.havana-mojito.com/en/la_bodeguita_del_medio

Melon con Prosciutto Ousteau de Beaumaniere

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Overlooking one of the most beautiful villages in the world, sits one of the best restaurants in France, Ousteau de Beaumaniere, owned and run by Jean Andre Charial and his wife, Genevieve. The restaurant and the inn are both members of the Relais & Chateaux group. The village of Les Baux is surrounded by a half eroded citadel on top of a cliff that is lit every night and can be seen from the restaurant and every room at the inn. It is, indeed, a magical experience.

The first time I had a glass of Muscat de Beaumes de Venise was at Ousteau de Beaumaniere. Most people spend the night at l'ousteau after a glorious dinner at the restaurant. I got to spend a week. I was in the middle of a very difficult assignment, driving a client through France, staying at the best hotels, eating at the best restaurants and getting paid for it. On or about the fourth day of my stay, I couldn't entertain the idea of another superb lunch or dinner, so I ordered melon with prosciutto as a light snack. What I got was no ordinary melon and no ordinary prosciutto. At that time, the melons from nearby Cavaillon were in season and they were like honey, and I'm sure the prosciutto that accompanied it was the best Parma had to offer. But what was unforgettable was the small glass of a sweet wine that was offered in a silver tray as an accompaniment to the melon and prosciutto. Not being one to turn anything down, especially wine or food, I accepted. I have never forgotten the moment when that nectar flowed down my throat. I was utterly speechless. My heart stopped..my pulse raced... all the usual things happened. Days later, upon my return to the States, I couldn't wait to have a luncheon and impress my friends with this fantastic combination. The result..there is always a small bottle of Muscat de Beaumes de Venise in my wine rack, waiting for a good melon. As luck would have it, this afternoon was it. Our cantaloupes are now in season and even though they may not taste exactly like the ones from Cavaillon, they still merit a bottle of Muscat de Beaumes de Venice. This makes for a beautiful and simple starter for a lunch party, especially one by the pool. You can find the wine at any good wine store in your area. Make sure it is well chilled.

I also recommend that with prosciutto at $25/lb, you go to Costco and buy it there for half the price. Believe me, it won't go to waste. Think of paninis with prosciutto and whatever cheese strikes your imagination.

I have returned to Baumaniere only once since that experience. Even though I only stayed for lunch and the melons from Cavaillon where not in season, it was still a magical experience.