2007 March Archive at gas•tron•o•my

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Petite Passion

Published

Gastronomer

on March 13, 2007

in New American, Philadelphia and Restaurant Review

. 2 Comments

March 8, 2007
Cuisine: American (New)

2300 Market Street
Philadelphia, PA 19103

Phone: 215-405-6766
Website: http://www.artinstitutes.edu/philadelphia/restaurant/

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Dinner roll, almond bread, cheese and garlic flatbread (complimentary)

Appetizer I: Steak Martini - Citrus Vodka Dressing, Micro Greens, Bacon, Crostini

Appetizer II: Lobster Flan - Caviar, Citrus Crème Frâiche, Saffron Tuille

Soup I: Pasta and Bean Soup - Drizzle Olive Oil, Reggiano Parm Crisp, Fried Basil

Soup II: Pacific Seafood Chowder - Wakame Pesto, Sesame Cracker

Entree I: Macaroni - Port Wine Demi-Glace, Swedish Meatballs, Shaved Asiago

Entree II: Olive Oil Poached Halibut - Oven Dried Artichokes, Roasted Eggplant, Red Wine Reduction

Dessert I: Sacher Tart - Strawberry Coulis and Mango Puree

Dessert II: Pana Cotta - Mint and Caramel Sauce with Pistachio Brittle

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Petite Passion is operated by students studying Culinary Arts at The Art Institute of Philadelphia. According to their website, “students spend eleven weeks in Petite Passion either preparing your meal or in the dining room as your server.” The restaurant is open on Wednesdays and Thursdays for lunch (11:30 AM, noon) and dinner (7 PM). The Astronomer and I met up for a rare weekday lunch when he happened to be in the city for a doctor’s appointment.

Petite Passion offers a prix fixe menu for lunch and dinner. The four-course lunch is priced at $15. The dining room was fairly packed when we arrived and the crowd was diverse.

We began our meal with complimentary breads–I chose the flatbread, while The Astronomer had a dinner roll and almond bread. The flatbread was cheesy, but was cold and stale. I suspect the bread was made last night for dinner service. The Astronomer thought the dinner roll was decent, but the almond bread relied to heavily on almond extract for flavor and lacked real almonds.

For our appetizer I went for the Steak Martini, while The Astronomer chose the lobster flan. The steak martini was pretty darn tasty–the steak was moist, the greens were lightly dressed in a citrus vodka vinaigrette, the bacon added great flavor, and the presentation was precious. Aside from presentation, it wasn’t the most innovative dish, but I was quite pleased with the Steak Martini overall. I was hesitant to try the Lobster Flan because it sounded a little too ambitious for culinary students to execute well. The flan was served cold and tasted more creamy than lobstery. The Astronomer enjoyed the flan much more than I did, but found the Citrus Crème Frâiche unnecessary because the flan was already rich.

For our soup course I chose the Pacific Seafood Chowder and The Astronomer ordered the Pasta and Bean Soup. The chowder’s broth was delicious, but the “seafood” was lacking–one shrimp and a hunk of fish. The sesame cracker was really tough and definitely stale. The Pasta and Bean Soup was too salty for the Astronomer, but I thought it was excellent. We switched bowls mid-course because I liked his soup more than mine and vice versa.

For our main course The Astronomer went for the Macaroni and I had the halibut. The Macaroni was great. The pasta appeared to be made in-house, the meatballs were yummy, and the Port Wine Demi-Glace was an unexpected, but pleasant sauce. The Astronomer and I debated whether the pasta was al dente or actually undercooked–we decided that it could have used a few more minutes in boiling water. My halibut was very disappointing. The fish was boring and tasteless and the vegetables were unspectacular. I had a couple bites and gave the rest to The Astronomer to eat with his Port Wine Demi-Glace.

For our final course we shared a slice of Sacher Tart and some pana cotta. The tart was a dense chocolate cake coated in 1/2 an inch of fudge and topped with raspberries. I enjoyed the fudge immensely and The Astronomer loves chocolate paired with fruits. The panna cotta was really interesting flavor-wise. The combination of mint and caramel is unorthodox and really good! My only complaint were the copious mint leaves within the panna cotta. I prefer my panna cotta smooth, not chunky. The Astronomer choked on a mint leaf.

The food at Petite Passion is hit or miss, but the ambiance and enthusiasm is contagious. Culinary students are an endearing bunch. I hope that didn’t come off too condescending.

Artichoke Stuffed “Pasta”

Published

Gastronomer

on March 12, 2007

in Pasta, Recipe and Vegetarian

. 0 Comments

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1 small onion, chopped (1/2 cup)
2 (8 oz.) cans of artichoke hearts, drained and patted dry
1 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/2 cup)
1 large egg yolk
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
Wonton wrappers

Heat butter in a 12-inch heavy skillet over moderately high heat until foam subsides, then sauté onion, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 6 minutes. Add artichoke hearts and sauté, stirring occasionally, until tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Remove from heat and cool slightly.

Transfer artichoke mixture to cleaned bowl of processor, then add cheese, yolk, lemon juice, salt, and pepper and pulse until mixture is coarsely chopped.
Place 1 wonton wrapper on work surface. Spoon generous 1 tablespoon artichoke mixture into center of wrapper. Top with another wrapper for ravioli or for tortellini fold wonton wrapper in half and then half again to form a bundle. Brush edges of wrapper with water. Press edges together to seal. Make sure to eliminate all air bubbles. Repeat with remaining wrappers.

Working in batches, cook ravioli and tortellini in large pot of boiling salted water until just tender, stirring occasionally, about 4 minutes per batch.

Serve with Parmigiano-Reggiano and your sauce of choice.

Recipe adapted from Gourmet (January 2007) “Artichoke Ravioli with Tomatoes” and Bon Appétit (May 1999) “Swiss Chard Ravioli.”

Snickerdoodles

Published

Gastronomer

on March 12, 2007

in Dessert and Recipe

. 0 Comments

2 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon fine salt
1/2 cup organic shortening
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
1 1/2 cups sugar, plus 3 tablespoons
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Sift the flour, baking soda, and salt into a bowl.

With a handheld or standing mixer, beat together the shortening and butter. Add the 1 1/2 cups sugar and continue beating until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add the eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition. Add the flour mixture and blend until smooth.

Mix the 3 tablespoons sugar with the cinnamon in a small bowl. Roll the dough, by hand, into 1 1/2-inch balls. Roll the balls in the cinnamon sugar. Flatten the balls into 1/2-inch thick disks, spacing them evenly on unlined cookie sheets. Bake until light brown, but still moist in the center, about 12 minutes. Cool on a rack.

Recipe by Emeril Lagasse
Yield: about 20 cookies

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Substitutions: I used 100% whole wheat flour instead of AP.

Black Bean Burgers

Published

Gastronomer

on March 12, 2007

in Recipe and Vegetarian

. 0 Comments

Time: 20 Minutes

2 cups well-cooked white, black or red beans, or chickpeas or lentils, or 1 14-ounce can, drained
1 medium onion, peeled and quartered
½ cup rolled oats (preferably not instant)
1 tablespoon chili powder, or the spice mix of your choice
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 egg
Bean-cooking liquid, stock or other liquid (wine, cream, milk, water or ketchup) if necessary
Extra virgin olive oil or neutral oil, like grapeseed or corn.

1. Combine all ingredients except liquid and oil in food processor and pulse until chunky but not puréed. If necessary, add a little liquid for a mixture that is moist but not wet. Let mixture rest for a few minutes.

2. With wet hands, shape into patties and let rest again for a few minutes. (Burger mixture or shaped burgers can be covered tightly and refrigerated for up to a day. Bring back to room temperature before cooking.) Film bottom of a large nonstick or well-seasoned cast iron skillet with oil and turn heat to medium. When hot, add patties. Cook undisturbed until browned, about 5 minutes; turn carefully with spatula and cook 3 or 4 minutes until firm and browned.

3. Serve on buns with mustard, ketchup, chutney or other toppings.

Yield: 4 servings.

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Substitutions: I’ve made these black bean burgers a number of times and have never needed to use any additional cooking liquid. I skip the spices because I like to drench my burger in organic ketchup. Also, I find the mixture to be difficult to handle so I don’t form patties before cooking them. I like to spoon the mixture into the hot frying pan and shape a patty using a spoon. These burgers can be eaten with or without buns. When I use buns, I like to buy Trader Joe’s whole wheat hamburger buns.

Continue reading ‘Black Bean Burgers’

Comfort Me With Apples - Ruth Reichl

Published

Gastronomer

on March 9, 2007

in Book Reviews

. 0 Comments

About: In this follow-up to the excellent memoir Tender at the Bone, Reichl displays a sure hand, an open heart and a highly developed palate. As one might expect of a celebrated food writer, Reichl maps her past with delicacies: her introduction to a Dacquoise by a lover on a trip to Paris; the Dry-Fried Shrimp she learned to make on a trip to China, every moment of which was shared with her adventurous father, ill back home, in letters; the Apricot Pie she made for her first husband as their bittersweet marriage slowly crumbled; the Big Chocolate Cake she made for the man who would become her second, on his birthday. Recipes are included, but the text is far from fluffy food writing. Never shying from difficult subjects, Reichl grapples masterfully with the difficulty of ending her first marriage to a man she still loved, but from whom she had grown distant. Perhaps the most beautifully written passages here are those describing Reichl and her second husband’s adoption and then loss of a baby whose biological mother handed over her daughter, then recanted before the adoption was final. This is no rueful read, however. Reichl is funny when describing how the members of her Berkeley commune reacted to the news that she was going to become a restaurant reviewer (”You’re going to spend your life telling spoiled, rich people where to eat too much obscene food?”), and funnier still when pointing out the pompousness of fellow food insiders. Like a good meal, this has a bit of everything, and all its parts work together to satisfy.

My thoughts: Unlike Reichl’s other books, food takes the backseat in Comfort Me With Apples. I found myself more interested in her life than her eating adventures–although the two are always intimately intertwined. Reichl truly is endlessly fascinating and I feel a little empty now that I’ve exhausted her library.

The unpredictability of life is explored in the Reichl trilogy (Tender at the Bone, Comfort Me With Apples, Garlic and Sapphires). As an archetypical Type A personality without a defined path for the future, I admire Reichl’s ability to go wherever life takes her. I hope to do the same.