Easy Citrus Pesto

I love pesto. It's easy and yields a lot of flavor for a minimal amount of effort (unlike artichokes-- again, more on those later). I especially love it because you don't have to be exacting and you can use all kinds of different substitutions and additions. No cooking; just blending. I made it as a sauce to top the flank steak we served for our "Italian Summer" dinner party.

Here's how it went down. I purchased some small basil plants and pinched off about a cup of the larger leaves;



...peeled two large cloves of garlic and put them, along with the basil and some nuts--which in this case was walnuts (a great substitution for the traditional pine nuts)--into the food processor and gave a few good pulses until well-minced.

Then I drizzled in about a half a cup of olive oil, but drizzle in as much or little as you want, while blending it all on low. The consistency should be that of pancake batter.

Then I poured in the juice of half a lemon and about a 1/2 tsp of lemon zest, still blending. After it was well incorporated, I poured the mixture into a bowl. Then I added in grated Parmegiano, stirring with a fork. It results in a thicker, more textured sauce.

Voila! Easy citrus pesto. Serve at room temperature.

Oh yeah, what was left of the basil plants, I put in our potted garden to use later.

"Italian Summer"

We had some friends over for a little dinner party this Saturday. I themed it "Italian Summer" as a bit of a nod to our italian foodie honeymoon. This was the first party we hosted after coming back from our vacation, so it seemed appropriate.


The menu consisted of (ostensibly) easy and light dishes including a linguine with a tomato and watercress "raw sauce", a grilled flank steak with fresh basil and lemon pesto, and grilled garlic and parsley artichokes. Easy, in concept; a time consuming mess in reality. I'm speaking primarily of the artichokes (more on those in another post).



We started off with some Prosecco and noshes on the deck. We're not fans of Prosecco. The only thing we considered when we purchased it was that it had to be brut. In terms of wine, we prefer dry over sweet for everything, save for late harvest varieties served with dessert. (So sorry, I didn't really pay attention to the labels.)

Prosecco, prosciutto de Parma, melonPretty flowers that Abby broughtOne of three delicious Italian cheeses Michelle and Graham broughtObligatory crostini and a tapenade I made of pureed sundried tomatoes and olive oilSalty and delicious salumi and grapes

Then we moved it inside. As I tossed the linguini with the cold sauce, everyone watched snippets of the videos Graham took at our wedding.

The table set with flowers from Jonathan; linguini in cold sauceG had previously decanted this 2000 Bordeaux (Chateau Garraud), an inexpensive, but nice "go-to" red that we had several bottles of in the cellar. (Unfortunately, we don't have too many Italian wines.)


As we ate the pasta, G went out and grilled (perfectly, I might add) the flank steak (that I had previously marinated in olive oil, parsley, and garlic) and the time-consuming artichokes.Here's the simple dinner, grilled flank steak and artichoke with a bit of basil and lemon pesto. I used walnuts, rather than pine-nuts, and mixed in grated Parmagiano with a fork after pureeing the other ingredients for a thicker, more textured sauce

Then on to dessert. As many of you know, I do not bake (except macarons), especially in 80-90 degree summer heat. So we opted to serve Ciao Bella brand gelato and sorbetto: Dark chocolate and jalapeno (really delicious, love the complex flavor play); hazelnut (kind of boring, but good); blackberry cabernet (strong cab flavor); and bright lemon (actually had chunks of lemon zest).

We served it in these vintage, cut glass dessert dishes we got from one of my favorite flea market/shabby chic plunder parlors: "Rough and Ready" on 14th street.

We had a great time talking about everything from Michael Jackson, to vegetarianism and

the sustainability of meat consumption; to terroire and the food guides we used on our honeymoon (more on those later); to dating and relationships. Then Graham spilled wine all over the table cloth and broke a glass.

La dolce vita, baby.

Eggs in a tree

Last week, while visiting my mom, she and I picked tomatoes from her garden.

Then she pointed out this small nest. It was built on a surprisingly low branch of a Japanese Maple in her yard.

This was what was inside. A beautiful blue egg and a hatchling! So fragile:

This week, I came back, curious to see what remained. The mother bird flew away when I came outside last week. I was worried she wouldn't come back, that I had screwed up the flow or something. But apparently she flies off only for brief periods, always to return (according to my mom who has been watching the birds). This was what I saw this Sunday.

They grow fast! Two little chicks, feathery and huge (compared to their state last week)!

Nature is amazing. Eggs are amazing.

Disjointed, but related, have you seen the specialty egg selection at Whole Foods? They have everything from giant Ostrich eggs to small purple speckled (not sure from what kind of bird) ones.

What on earth do you do with an Ostrich egg? Apparently one is equal to 20-24 chicken eggs, and the taste is not noticeably different.

Anyone try any of these unique eggs?

A Little Celebration @ Equinox

Source

We went to the quiet little restaurant, Equinox, Thursday night to celebrate Augustin and Cecile's engagement! Chef Todd Grey walked around talking to the guests/patrons as we waited for the happy couple. He's a really nice, gregarious man!

The menu looked great, and it apparently changes often, if not daily. You get the interesting choice of four or six mix and match courses. Say, if you want four, you can get two first-courses, one second, and a cheese plate. Or you can have two firsts, two small seconds, cheese and dessert. There are almost limitless possibilities. I had never seen this before.

Anyway, the best part is they allow corkage (and as you know, G loves corkage). So we brought Champagne (you'll remember Cecile gave me this bottle as a gift for my bridal shower--what better way to enjoy the wine than for her engagement toast?!); 

and we also brought a red and a white: 1996 Chateau Montrose

 and a 2008 Linden Avenius Sauvignon Blanc (a local Virginia winery and vineyard).

Here's the happy couple!

They regaled us with the fantastic story of their engagement. And much to my chagrin, our wedding did NOT in fact inspire the proposal. Augustin had planned months in advance the ultra romantic sequence of events that included a trip to the super chic Commune at the edge of a remote part of the Great Wall outside of Beijing...sigh. I'll keep their story private, but needless to say, it was lovely. 

Check it, they made these rings out of ferns and grass and took a picture of the moment. Is this not the sweetest, most creative thing?:

We had a delicious mushroom-y-themed amusee bouche of soup in shot glasses and the ever-so-popular spoon server of egg rolls.

Then we decided on our combinations of food. I wanted something on the lighter side. So I started with two firsts: watermelon and arugula salad with preserved lemon and the seared fois gras.

At some point someone ordered a very nice cheese plate and the beef.

 

I love soft-shell crabs, and on the menu was a very summery egg fettucini with a lightly pan fried crab on top with a bit of fresh tomato sauce. Not extravagant, but definitely delicious. The chef gave the pedestrian dish a bit of flare with a dollop of mint foam. How "El Bulli", remarked Augustin (referring to the THREE Michelin-starred Spanish super-star that is famous for its foams and other trendy/quirky innovations).

And then I had a lemon and ginger ice cream sandwich. Much to my delight, it turned out to be ginger sorbet in a GIANT macaron. Um, hello? I've been mired in macarons for the past four months! Ironic. Is the word ironic or just a funny coinkydinky? 

Anyway, overall the service and the food were very good. However the coordination of the various permutations of the four courses between four people left a bit to be desired. That aside, I would definitely go back. Equinox is an elegant, intimate place that's great for celebrating or a date!

It was a nice way to have a little engagement something for our friends! Congrats and best wishes, Augustin and Cecile!

Food Advice Fridays: Date Night

I'm introducing a new series: Advice Fridays. Ask me anything related to food, where to eat, or what to serve your new boy/girlfriend/spouse/summer fling for dinner.

Email me at roganista@gmail.com to, seriously, ask anything!

The first query comes from a friend about date night with her husband:

hi !

need some help... i told [my husband] that i would plan 'date night' tonight and i haven't a clue where to go. i was hoping for a place w/ outdoor seating but that seems to be hard to find (w/ good food). have you ever been to central michel richard? how about zola? got any new suggestions? even if it's not outside... something bright, cheerful and tasty? thanks so much!

xo,

J

**********
Dear J,

Well, we've been to Central, and aren't big fans. It's okay, but the downtown location isn't fun times. Do you want something relaxed/fun or elegant?

My favorite place in the neighborhood that DOES have outdoor dining is Hank's Oyster bar. But it's really casual. Like flip flops at the Cap (Cod) casual. They don't take reservations, but the wait may not be that bad, since you can linger at the bar.

Also, I love CASHION'S Eat Place! They have outdoor seating. The food is great and it's very popular, but not over-run (like say, Lauriol Plaza).

I do like Zola a lot. They have a chic dining room, elegant/delicious/accessible menu. And their bar area also has dining, albeit a bit more relaxed. Their signature drinks are really fun (try the White Knight). The food is generally great. This might be your best bet.

There are other options in the Gallery Place neighborhood. Poste is one of our favorites. How about Proof for some nice wine and charcuterie? Good luck, and have fun!

Roganista

**********

Update:

[Dear Roganista]:

thanks so much for the suggestions... we went to zola and it was simply delicious! we actually thought about taking pictures of the food to send to you. ;) we ate way too much and decided to walk off the yummy dinner. we had the most romantic walk to the white house, washington monument and WWII memorial. it was such a beautiful night! thanks again for your help!

xoxo,

j

*for my previous post about Zola, read here.

The "Bring Whatever Pinot You Got in Your Cellar Party"...(you got a cellar?)

On Sunday, the 5th, we went Deb & Martin's house in Tenleytown. As one of our favorite gallerists, we were eager to see their art collection, which includes some Warhols (not posters, kids, originals)! But beyond being art aficionados, they also love food and wine, and have a cellar to boot. So at their last minute invitation, they convened several couples, all of whom store/cellar great wines and have a great love of food.

On their lovely back patio, we sipped these three Pinot's, all American (as a nod to Independence day), and all pretty good.




I contributed these crab and goat cheese stuffed mushrooms. I had never made them before, and thought, Why not experiment on some people I don't know very well?



Deb put out some lovely little bits, including these heirloom cherry tomatoes (they were so deeply purple in color, I thought they were mini plums)...

...some nice cheese and bread...And then came the main attraction, the swordfish. Tim (of Tim and Francoise fame), helped grill the steaks to absolute perfection. And by perfection, I mean the most tender, delicate, and buttery swordfish I'd ever tasted.

Deb had marinated them in a bit of olive oil and topped the final product with sauteed onions, sage, golden raisins and toasted pine nuts. Francoise remarked that the sage was unexpected with the fish. But its depth, along with the toasted pine nuts, helped to stand up to the strength of the Pinots, I thought!

It was crazy how buttery soft this fish was. Deb attributed it to having been freshly cut (and presumably, caught). Here's to amazing ingredients and fun flavor plays!

She accompanied the fish with this simple and tasty mash of potatoes and butternut squash.

Texture was provided by this lovely green salad topped with pea shoots and a light vinaigrette!

For dessert, we had this wine with some fresh berries and ice cream brought by Tony and Andrea.

Simple and magnificent!!!

Thanks, Deb and Martin!

p.s. You'll note that I got my camera back. (I've missed her so!) Canon has a great service program, by the way!

We're back. I got nothin for you...

We got back from our wedding/honeymoon last week. I have so much to catch up on, including all the food photos I took on our Italian food extravaganza. We managed to eat at two Michelin-starred spots, and one "best restaurant in Parma". Surprisingly, I've only gained two pounds. I'm now at 100.

It must be the cold that I have. Or the fact that I broke my camera 1/3 of the way into our two-week honeymoon. So depressing! I'm lost without my camera. Good thing I have a husband to stand in for it. I need to meditate on something other than the news about Michael Jackson. Ligurian olive oil and unctuous truffled salt will do.

I promise I'll write more. So for now, enjoy the sneak-peek our photogs gave us of the moments before the wedding. Not that you care. Yes you do.