SubstantialSandwich’s posterous

In the latest episode of the TV show No Reservations,  we get to see chef, writer, eater, and TV host Anthony Bourdain's impressions of Livingston, Big Sky Country, and my backyard (in a cosmic sense). While I cannot lay claim to Livingston, I have spent the better part of 17 years living either down the Paradise Valley in Yellowstone National Park, or just west, in the more city-fied cousin, Bozeman.

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It is no news flash that the weather was rainy and cool yesterday in Bozeman. In my opinion, there is nothing like prodigious amounts of butter, olive oil, and bacon to make one feel better on a cloudy day.

Nothing quite says "breakfast of champions" like a fresh (and warmed) croissant (from Sola Cafe) loaded up with two over-easy eggs, bacon, and a touch of havarti.

I continued the lipid-enhanced consumption through lunch. I spread a bit of my pesto on some leftover bread with a tomato slice (veggies!), Havarti, and crumbled bacon (leftover from the requisite "extra" made for breakfast).

For dinner we had pan-roasted chicken thighs served with (surprise!) pesto and orecchiette pasta along with a pureed soup of leftover roasted veggies. The soup was the star: earthy, good, and fully flavored thanks to the roasted peppers, zucchini, eggplant, and shallots. An olive oil toasted crouton with chevre crumbles topped the soup off nicely.

Jen's dessert of broiled figs, honey, mint and marscapone was tasty, fresh, and rich all at the same time.

     

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Calories_Combat_Clouds_Ennui_i.zip (485 KB)

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Hmmm...what to do with some fresh pesto? Pesto/pasta salad? Nope. Crostini? No, sir. Whole-wheat, tofu-cheese, veggie pizza? What the...? With apologies to my veggie friends, this pesto was destined for a more noble application.

I stuffed the pesto inside a patty of ground beef with a slice of Havarti and topped it with crispy speck - and hey, a slice of tomato!

For the record, I also made a grilled ratatouille-of-sorts with charred and skinned peppers, eggplant, zucchini, and shallots as a side dish. While tasty, my execution could have been better. The veggies were flavorful but a touch over-cooked, in my opinion. A sprinkling of goat cheese and pine nuts did their part to enhance and put the finishing touch on the dish.

Back to the burger... These babies had some height to them. With a spoonful of pesto and the sliced havarti packed away like little bundles of joy, these burgers were just waiting for the heat of the grill to bring together a trinity of pesto/cheese/cow.

It's kind of fun, in a twisted kind of way, to push your friends just a bit with food. Teri wondered aloud how she would get her mouth around the towering concoction. Who doesn't love a challenge?

The whole burger package was kept moist with good quality 80/20 meat and the olive-oil based pesto. I'll take a little credit, however, for cooking these to pretty damn-near perfect (for this application) medium done-ness.

Emily shared a bottle of the Fess Parker's Frontier Red, Lot 82. This Rhone and Bordeaux mutt was clearly driven by the syrah, and it tasted good with the burgers. With 15.5% alcohol, however, one would be wise to let this one sit just a bit and blow off some of the blue flames that tend to linger in the glass.

Teri served a shot of Limincello along with her tasty dessert of shortbread cookies and Limencello-laced strawberry compote atop cream cheese. We decided a good description for the Limoncello could also double as a potential band name: Alcoholic Lemonheads.

     

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Pesto_Havarti_Stuffed_Burgers_.zip (513 KB)

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I really like the trend in the shops at Kagy & S. 3rd/Willson. Sola Cafe now offers more food than ever. Plus, they have become a fully stocked mini-grocery of goodness. The largest selection of Crema Roasting beans in town are on the shelf and waiting for your grinder. There are fresh local eggs in the fridge along with a bunch of other kitchen staples. No need to go across the street anymore to the VFW-meets-here-every-morning gas station. Unless of course I need some gas, natch.

Today at Sola my double-espresso was pulled with care; the first two attempts by the barista were discarded (too fast?). The third shot takes its time and comes out with a nice head of crema. My espresso looked pretty in the white porcelain cup. Before we left the cafe, I picked up a bag of Crema Roasting's Espresso. I can't wait to get it into the grinder. I've been working my way through a bag of CR Dawn and I am eager to geek-out on the differences between these two varieties.

Next door to Sola, a new fro-yo joint has just opened its doors. Moberry, with its clean Ikea-esque interior, is anchored inside by a counter of colorful and fresh goodies to enhance your fro-yo experience. Fresh-n-tangy tasting frozen yogurt is offered in plain or green tea. Big, pretty pieces of fresh fruit and berries, nuts, even sugary breakfast cereals are available as toppings. I favor the plain yogurt, as it seems a bit tangy-er than the green tea variety. Today it was two orders of the plain. Jen loaded her's up with some big fat blackberries. The Cap-n-Crunch and green tea will have to wait for another day...

To add to the geographic excitement, a building permit on one of the empty suites next door indicates that "Lemongrass Thai" intends to open here.

A Thai restaurant in Bozeman? Maybe I don't have to move just yet...

   

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Kagy_S._3rd_Goodness_Sola_Cafe.zip (97 KB)

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...not really. But I thought it was funny how a) my latte poured a little funky this morning and b) how the Senator's photo on the paper looked as if he somehow disapproved.

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That's right, on the night of the week that makes boiling water seems like a hideous challenge, I managed to crank out a nice little feast using a few ingredients snatched up at Heeb's while on a lunch-time stroll.

For a tasty first course, beets were roasted, chopped and combined with toasted pine nuts, olive oil, local goat cheese, and placed on top a crispy baguette slice.

Fresh peas were blanched, pureed, and combined with some half and half. A couple of local tomatoes, some garlic and some olive-oil-enhanced baguette croutons formed a quick panzanella salad.

Seven bucks worth of beef tenderloin (3/4 pound) was grilled, rested, and sliced. The beefy goodness rounded out the plate of veggie goodness. To finish it off, a red wine/balsamic reduction was drizzled on the plate.

On a Monday night this tasted like a million bucks.

   

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Delicious_Monday_Night_Chow_Oh.zip (311 KB)

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Although my outdoor thermometer was reading closer to 34 degrees, frost was clearly visible on my deck.

Where are my gloves, my ear-band? Didn't I just put these things away just a few weeks ago?

I don't mind the cool air as I pedal my bike downtown this morning - especially after I hear that the temps are well into the 100s in Texas.

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I like hot dogs. We are fortunate in Bozeman to have, at least during the summer months, two places to satisfy your craving for tube steak: the hot-dog cart downtown in the summer and Paulie's Hot Dogs all year long.

I had the distinct pleasure of introducing two Paulie's virgins to the hot dog experience today. My friends Mark and Teri signed on to the adventure with enthusiasm; Teri having gone so far to proclaim, "I want me some hot dog!" earlier in the week. Okay then.

Today, I decided to show off a bit in front of my friends and I ordered one of the larger, more indulgent and fully loaded varieties, the "Route 66". When this dog hits the table, your friends will be jealous. It is big. It is colorful. Most of the food groups are represented: chili, white cheddar, neon relish, onions, tomatoes, celery salt, and a pickle spear. Oh yea, I went for the "jumbo" instead of the lame-sounding "regular". I don't know about any of my readers, but I have had plenty of "regular" in my life, thank you.

Chomping through the layers of goodness while seeking the hot dog within, I played a tasty game of culinary "Where's Waldo". MMmmmm....find the doggy.....mmmmggglllll....

Mark and Teri order the more conservative "New York" (sauerkraut and brown mustard) and "Starter" (neon relish, onions, yellow mustard) dogs respectively.

Grunts of approval emanate from our booth. I was enjoying my indulgent dog so much that Teri and Mark snatched up my camera in an effort to capture the sick and hedonistic display of tube-meat bliss that was washing over my face.

In a moment of lipid-fueled creativity, Teri draws Snoopy on the chalkboard wall of the restaurant with the words, "Dogs are good". Yes, they are. Dogs ARE good.

               

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Its_a_Man-Eat-Dog_World_Paulie.zip (1316 KB)

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