Wow.... Haute Dish!

A few days back, Sharon and I had a chance to try Haute Dish (pronounced Hot Dish), a new restaurant that opened its doors last May. It is located on 119 Washington Ave N. in Minneapolis. Do not let he tagline, "Classic Midwestern Cuisine" fool you. The restaurant is not at all what you'd expect with that name and tagline. Classic Midwestern dishes have been used merely as an inspiration and wildly twisted beyond recognition until they reach an original, eye-pleasing and flavorful combination.

Surprised by the menu and dazzled by the very knowledgeable staff, we opted for sharing every dish tapas style to amplify our experience. It proved a good decision. The "Steak and Eggs" listed on the appetizers is a steak tartar that rivals the one at Capital Grille (one of the best we have ever tried), a yolk egg and piece of brioche toasted to perfection. The pigs feet have been fully deboned, stuffed and lightly fried into an unrecognizable, surprisingly light and savory dish.

Desserts are no different. Again we opted for sharing every item on the menu (just 4) and again were pleased with our decision. I was particularly fond of the Rosemary Panna Cotta served with pine nuts and tiny rosemary croutons to add some crunch.

What can I say... highly recommended.

If you want to learn more about the place, visit their website here, but don't trust what you read, every dish will still prove a surprise.

Saffron Turkey Empanadillas

July 10^th my wife, Sharon, and I are hosting the second annual Paella party in our building. Last year we had about 26 people and the event lasted for 12 hours. This year we expect about 40 people. Not sure how long it will go...

In preparation, this weekend we were busy making one of our appetizers: Saffron Turkey Empanadillas, a little tradition of ours. They freeze well, so we make them well in advance to help reduce the amount of work we have on D-day.Empanadillas are just little empanadas. If you are not familiar with empanadas, think of a savory crust on the top and bottom and a savory filling inside. Empanadillas, are just a two bite pastry with a savory filling. Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

2 medium onions, chopped
6 tbs extra virgin olive oil
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb ground turkey
½ tsp dried oregano
½ tsp dried thyme
1 tsp saffron, crushed between your thumb and palm
1/8 cup dried sherry
1 16-oz can San Marzano tomatoes, chopped (see note below)
Salt and pepper
1 egg beaten

For the dough:

2 oz butter
3 tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 cups of water
2 eggs, beaten
1 tsp salt
6 cups all purpose flour

Preparation:

Heat 3 tbs oil in a pan and cook onions until soft and lightly brown.

While the onions cook, in a heat remaining 3 tbs olive oil in a pot. When hot, add garlic and cook for a minute until fragrant. Add turkey and cook while breaking it up until it has lost all its pink color and all the water that comes with the turkey has evaporated. Add saffron, salt, pepper, thyme and oregano. Continue cooking for a few minutes as the turkey starts getting some color, but not letting it dry too much.

Add sherry and continue cooking until it has evaporated. Add the caramelized onions, with any oil that is left in the pan and after stirring all together, add the can of tomatoes. Be patient, this is going to cook for a while.

Cook mix covered for 30 minutes, stirring every few minutes. This part is important to get a soft smooth taste eliminating any remaining acidity from the tomatoes and blending all the flavors. After 30 minutes, uncover and continue cooking. In the next 30 to 40 minutes, a lot of the sauce will evaporate concentrating the flavors and making it a denser mix. Since this will be put inside a pastry you do not want too much sauce. Continue cooking until there isn’t much sauce left. Check for salt and pepper as you are getting close.

While the turkey is cooking, start the empanadilla dough. In a saucepan, combine olive oil, butter, water and salt. Cook until butter melts. Add flour, mix well and let cool a bit. Add eggs, mix some more and then knee to mix well all ingredients. You may need to add some more flour.

Using a rolling pin, roll out the dough in batches until it is thin but not so that it breaks. Use a small round cookie cutter to cut circles and fill in with just enough to make a nice plump pastry. You will need a little but of water to seal the empanadillas.

When ready to eat, brush the bottom of a cookie sheet with a little olive oil. Place the frozen empanadillas on top and paint with so me egg. Cook in a 350 degree oven until lightly golden. Serve hot.I’d recommend freezing them so they are easier to handle. Put them in a cookie sheet loose enough that they don’t touch no more than two layer deep and freeze until solid. At that point you can bag them in portion quantities.

About San Marzano tomatoes: San Marzano is a variety of Roma tomatoes that can be found canned in just about every grocery store. They are by far the best tomatoes you can use to make a tomato sauce. They are sweet, fruity and do not have the acidity of other tomatoes.

The seeds are unnoticeable. I would strongly advice against using any other canned tomatoes for this (or any other) recipe. Other tomatoes end up being watery and tasteless. Few things will have such great impact in your kitchen. For more info on San Marzano tomatoes click here.

Deconstructed Paella

I have always been intrigued about deconstructed dishes.

The beauty of cooking is in the mixing, blending, combining, emulsifying and in other ways making the whole better than the sum of the parts. The first time I had blue cheese and grape jelly on toast I almost fell off the table. This completely unexpected combination seemed to sing together in perfect harmony. Think of a pork roast stuffed with chèvre, apricots and lots of thyme, or a chicken with coconut curry over basmati rice. The beauty is in the combination.

So what is it about a deconstructed dish that makes it so interesting? In my mind it is about rediscovering the dish. Some recipes have become so familiar or commonplace that we have forgotten about the ingredients that make them so great. Breaking them apart allows us to pick out the flavors and textures that make them great.

In my mind, the best way to enjoy one of these dishes is to taste the individual parts, but in doing so keep thinking about their contribution to the original dish. If you are having a deconstructed meat lasagna, taste the tomatoes and think of how they make the lasagna sauce sweet, slightly acidic and even fruity. Taste the meat and understand how it makes the dish hearty and deep, etc. Even if deconstructed, it is still a lasagna, so seek that in every bite, otherwise you eat the ingredients separately and miss the intent of the dish.

I think it was a ‘Top Chef’ episode that made me attempt a deconstruction. The contestants were randomly given a traditional dish to deconstruct. One of them was given a Paella (traditional Spanish dish with saffron, rice, pork, shrimp, chicken, and some vegetables). I can’t think of a better dish to break apart. Well, the guy blew it. He basically made a regular paella and from the judges comments not even that good. Having made many paellas in my life, I had to top that.

My deconstruction started with white rice, but because the best part of a paella is the crispy rice you get at the bottom of the pan, I shaped the rice using a mold, brushed a mix of saffron and olive oil on the bottom and crisped eth bottom using a hot griddle. My proteins (pork, shrimp and boneless chicken thighs) where brushed with olive oil and sprinkled with salt put on a skewered. The tomatoes and artichokes where charred by themselves and all of it was served with a saffron consommé served on a champagne flute.

The planning was entertaining, the cooking fun and the result surprising while pleasing. At the end I do prefer eating paella traditionally prepared bit eating this one helped me better appreciate how these ingredients blend so beautifully. Now I can’t eat a regular paella without thinking of my deconstructed version.

Runs 4 Food

Food and running. I can’t think of two other pursuits that are as complementary.

With an obsessive personality I have to be careful about choosing interests, otherwise they can easily take over. These two keep each other in check beautifully. Consistently running between twenty-five and forty miles a week gives you some latitude in calorie intake (there is a different perspective on portion size after burning 1500 calories during a long Sunday run before even getting to the breakfast table). On the other hand, keeping in mind the next run forces you to eat well, load up on fruits and vegetables, whole grains, good fats and wonderful carbs. So to a large extent running and food blend together making the best of each other, much like red wine and a good aged cheese.

The word food is intentionally vague in the blog title and theme. It refers to the process of planning a meal, cooking, sharing and eating. It also includes discovering a new restaurant in town or while on the road. Food is good in any way it comes and it must touch all the senses. It is also an intellectual exercise of carefully conceiving, combining, designing, crafting.

Growing up in Spain, I spent a great deal of time in the kitchen or otherwise around food. Few countries have the culinary diversity and mastery for so many ingredients as Spain. This upbringing had a strong influence in my life. Still does.

Running was a far more recent interest. I was a latecomer to the sport not starting until my late thirties. Almost immediately, however, I was running regularly and within a year I was running marathons. Running keeps me healthy and calm. As little as I can claim in that respect, anyway.

So the goal of this blog is not so much to share the thoughts that cross my mind during a long run or the ideas I get about food, but more a way to offload those things off my mind to make room for new thoughts and ideas. If you get something from it, even better. For me it is just therapy…