Latte Art of the Day: Oak Leaf
I poured this latte, which to me resembles an oak leaf of sorts, the day before I traveled to Texas. Coincidence?
Bikes. Food. Eating. Drinking. Wine. Travel. Skiing. Bozeman.
The occasional giant sandwich.
Backyard Color: Montana Style
Summer is finally here and the daily show of color and light in my backyard rarely fails to disappoint.
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Burger Addiction: Fried Egg-Topped and Pate-Stuffed
...Not at the same time, mind you. That would be madness. Life; however, would not be near as exciting without a few spikes of madness now and again. Which is why we went to the Mint last night despite recent "adjustments" to my work schedule and income. Nothing quite says comfort food to me more right now than Belgrade's Mint Bar & Cafe. Upon request, the ever pleasant staff will present you with a proper medium-rare burger with a wicked sear - and topped with a nice over easy fried egg. The spongy English muffin successfully works overtime to absorb both the creamy-custardy egg yolk...and the juices (who I am kidding here, blood) of the burger. The fried egg request, I have learned, generally earns nods of respect from staff...and stares of confusion from bar mates.
Another nice touch at The Mint...those thin, fresh shoestring fries. Let's not forget about the decent wine list or high-rent cocktails.
Good thing I've postponed that blood work...
Last Saturday, our friends Garth and Tracey came over for general enjoyment and debotchery. Generally speaking, you know it's going to be a good night when your friends show up with a meat grinder and magnum of good wine. Unless, say...you are a vegetarian that doesn't drink.
The fresh-ground beef chuck patties were stuffed with cubes of duck liver pate. Topped with Gorgonzola and a pineapple and onion relish, these burgers hit all the happy places...richness of beef and liver-y pate, pungent blue cheese and a little sweetness from the onion relish all squished between two nicely grilled slices of golden challah bread.
The wine, a 2006 "The Prisoner" from Napa winemaker Orin Swift, was pretty tight coming out of that giant bottle but after spending some quality time in the decanter, fruit, spice..and even a bit of acid was noticible. Its bigness and juiciness worked well with the over-the-top theme of the evening.
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The Baxter Hotel Lives: Baxter Wine Bar, Bozeman
Coming off of an "emergency" chain restaurant dinner at Ted's Montana Grill, we were delighted to find the Baxter Hotel lobby full of life tonight with Bozeman's new Baxter Wine Bar now open. The soaring, carved-wood bar in the towering lobby is the perfect setting for a hand-picked Walla-Walla Syrah or a Napa or Columbia Cabernet. There are few places where anyone can just wander into a place and sit in a lobby of travertine and on leather chairs and have a Sommelier guide you through a hand picked wine list. The Baxter Wine Bar is just such a place. We are lucky to have it. You should be so lucky to occupy a stool there. Congratulations, John, on your new place.
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Gastronomie de la Récession aka: Nachos
Look, its Monday night, the fridge contents and my desire to actually cook are both at critically low levels. Gone is yesterday's pork tenderloin with cherry and red wine reduction and sweet potato fries with spicy aioli. No sir, tonight the pickens are a little slim. Hmmm....ground beef, a tomato, avocado, some red onion, salsa, and chips. This, if you were a college student, is looking like dinner. Unfortunately I am not a college student. But these are uncertain times and it is hard to argue with the calorie-effort-dollar ratio of the humble nacho. A hot pan, some cumin, New Mexico chile powder, the onion and a few tomato bits dresses up the ground beef. Mr. Avocado is transformed to Mr. Guacamole. Oven is set to 450/convect; layering beef, beans, cheese until I can't lift the sheet pan; blast in said hot oven until bubbly and good. Cracking open cheap Mexican beer. Que lastima!
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Coffee Review: Bozeman's Crema Roasting
Always looking for that elusive perfectly extracted espresso from my relatively puny home machine, I occasionally tweak the grind, tamping pressure, shot timing, frothing pitcher angle, etc... All of this helps but the product itself -the coffee- must be fresh and espresso-appropriate. I have learned that fruity African coffees translate better to brewed coffee while South American varietals seem to perform (taste) best in the espresso machine.
Recently, I spotted a new product on the shelves at the store: Crema Roasting. I selected a bag of the Guatemalan Trapichitos in the interest of science. I have tried lots of other brands - both local and national - and so far these beans are the bomb as far as I can tell. Grown by Ixil Indian families from the village of the same name, the Trapichitos beans have that slightly toasty-sweet-bright flavor that "makes" a good espresso shot. Plus, my kitchen smells great after grinding a few shots worth of these beans.
Obviously, this product is very fresh and likely handled in small batches. This is further supported by the fact that I couldn't locate a bag of the Guatemalan earlier this week, picking up a bag of the Crema Bold instead. Slightly darker in roast than the GT, the Crema Bold is a blend that extracts a bit more bitterness out of the beans to balance the toasty-sweetness. Think: high-grade bittersweet chocolate. So far, we are divided on which is better. I think it likely just a matter of what sort of mood you happen to find yourself in.
I bumped into Crema's owner a few weeks ago and I was informed that I should also give his Clarity blend a try, as this is what a few of the coffee shops are using for espresso; it's on my list once I find it. As for the two aforementioned varieties discussed today, they are in my grinder and my coffee-stained mug.
Below: the raw material and finished beverage made today with the Crema Bold
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Tincho, New Age, and the Substitute
The warm weather, the smell of charred meat and propane exhaust can only mean one thing: it's finally summer. Although you wouldn't know it today, because it's 50 degrees and rainy. Current weather notwithstanding, the seasons, and my palate have decidedly changed gears. Gone are the braised-for-ever-in-red-wine cuts of beef and lamb, hello grill and fish and hints of citrus and herbs. The same is true for wine. Light, slightly spicy food calls out for a wine that isn't thrown off by peppers, citrus, or char.
As the temps rise, one of my favorite beverages for the deck and grill life is a "Tincho". The simple cocktail I first enjoyed at our local tapas joint, Over the Tapas. Made with the ever so slightly bubbly wine, New Age, is a simple beverage of wine over ice with slivers of lime - deluxe on a hot summer day. Citrus-y Sauvignon Blanc and Malvasia somehow works with the lime and chill of the ice. Not sweet, but citrus-y, bright and refreshing...perfect.
The search for a bottle of New Age yesterday was fruitless, so a substitute was called in: Portugal's Vinho Verde. Not necessarily green as the name would suggest, but young. This wine, a bit more floral perhaps than New Age also packs a few bubbles - thus my willingness to experiment with a Tincho application. A bit more tart than New Age, we agreed that this newly concocted Tincho could use a bit more sweetness or fruit. Cranberry juice? Orange juice?
The verdict: New Age for Tincho. Vinho Verde well chilled and served by itself.
Cheers!
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Spring Skiing Yellowstone's Washburn Hills
I have never surfed, but I have spent more than a few winters skiing. Spring - or this case - summer skiing is about as close as I think I can get to surfing without donning a wet suit and hanging ten, bro. Maybe it's my newly acquired Patagonia wonder t-shirt emblazoned with Hawaiian graphics...or maybe it's the blazing sun...or maybe it's the relative moisture of the surface on which we are sliding...whatever it is, Dick Dale and his surf guitar plays loudly in my head as I link lazy turns down the mellow slopes. Creamy-corn snow that is a week or two past-prime is becoming sun-pitted has a brown coloration indicating that these snowfields are not long for this world.
Almost as good as the skiing itself is the roadside lounging that occurs apres-ski. Shorts, flip-flops and lots of sun. It isn't the beach, but it isn't bad, either.
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Ketchum Eats: Ketchum Grill, Ciro, and Christina's
Ketchum Grill:
With the ebulent and clearly underage server, I knew that we were on our own with KG's Northwest-focused wine list. Given the impending lack of guidance, I opt for a familiar summertime fave...a crisp Sauvignon Blanc from the Sancerre. Of our dinners, the handmade lemon noodles with shrimp, lemon black pepper and light cream was the clear winner; although my grilled salmon was finished with a delightfully perfect orange-saffron gastrique. The not-too-sweet strawberry rhubarb crisp with home made vanilla ice cream was a perfect summer-y finish to dinner. This place reminded us of the restaurant at Deetjen's Big Sur Inn with its homey, locals-who-all-seem-to-know-each-other kind of way. It also helped that it was raining - as we ducked the huge pines to enter the small home that is the KG.
Ciro:
Every town should be so lucky to have a place like Ciro. A clean but casual space with an Ikea design ethic is both stylish and welcoming. Classic rustic Italian food with high-quality ingredients and an extensive Italian-heavy wine list make this place comfort food of the highest order. Our truffled home-made potato chips and Caprese salad were on point. Although the lack of even a touch of balsamic vinegar on the salad seemed curious. The thin-crust pizza had a good balance of crust-chew that I appreciate; not to mention the toppings that had been applied with restraint: plum tomato sauce, fresh mozzarella, arugula, and white anchovies. The wine was a Gattinara 2003 from the Piedmont; a beautiful deep pomegranate color - with a slight brown edge. Nice! Earthy fruit on the nose lead to a clean tannic finsh that was the best buddy of my truffled chips and later the anchovy-pizza goodness.
Christina's:
Chef/Owner Cristina Ceccatelli Cook grew up in Tuscany. That should just about say it all. Go ahead and just let your fantasies run wild about Tuscan food. Yep...you are just about there.
This place is a real gem. If you don't stop by here for nothing more than an espresso and a $6 cookie each day you are in Ketchum, you are a fool. Sunday brunch is everything it should be. You'll pay dearly ($13) for that perfect bowl of fruit; but jeez, it looks like a page out of the owner's nicely photographed cookbook. We eat with our eyes....and this tasted great. The Benedict and savory crepes were perfectly examples of what each should be. The deli and baked goods cases were achingly beautiful. If only my stomach and gold card could handle all of it ($89 for brunch and some afternoon snacks to go!). Selections are forced, everything is enjoyed. For the price of it all, they even take the time wrap up our little cookies in cellophane bags with ribbon.
Too Fabulous? I don't know, I am still working on that.
Going back for more? You'd better believe it.
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