Milo has been getting hungry earlier lately, which puts some tension between our respective ideal dinner times. I’ve been trying to adapt by making multiple courses so that there’s something for him to nosh on a little earlier but we still get to eat at a reasonable hour. There’s still some work to be done, but I refuse to make separate meals; I think it’s important for kids to eat the same food as the adults.
Tonight that food was a little rushed, again, but turned out all right in the end. To start, yesterday Zen Chef posted Morimoto’s foie gras chawanmushi, which rang a bell for me since I love them and Christine wasn’t feeling great today. Ours were simply eggs blended with a little dashi, mirin, yuzu juice, and agave nectar, with a sprinkle of shichimi on top. I steamed them for about 10 minutes, and they puffed up a little, which is OK, because they settle right down again. To get the glassy, smooth top like in restaurants I like to put the egg mixture in one of the Foodsaver containers and vacuum out all the air bubbles, but tonight I did not feel the need.
To follow was a simple “risotto” of triticale made with dashi for broth and some of the collard-yogurt purée from last night. I had a little of the egg mixture left, so I added grated parmigiano, tempered it with dashi, and then whisked it in at the end to help thicken the grain since it’s not starchy like arborio. I put a little bit of some leftover garlicky steamed kale on top and finished it off with a grating of more parm- partly for flavor and partly to echo the snow falling outside. See how it looks kinda like a Christmas tree? I’m festive like that.
I opened a 2003 Barbaresco “Valeirano” by Ada Nada, bought from Mary and which I just brought up from the city. It’s warm, with gently insistent tannins and a big musty horse blanket of funk thrown over some elegant roses and berries. I look forward to working our way through the others over the next few years (if I can keep myself away from them for that long.)
that’s the wine she dissed me on
i tried…
but i bought a case of pinot and 2 of the good cheap stuff so i’m kinda set… i already had 2 other mixed cases. 5 cases and i’m at capacity.
the food is lovely. i made all that stuff last week…
I totally hate when people dump horse blankets of funk on perfectly good floral arrangements. Tell me about dashi. It seems to be the blood in your veins, yet is made with fish flakes, so what does it taste like?
it does look like a christmas tree. you are so in the holiday spirit. i love the use of dashi. my new years resolution is to start experimenting with it.
Dashi? Dashi is so 1462.
This one slipped through the cracks, somehow, but I’m here now to add to that sweet, sweet traffic.
Claudia: She said she never got your email.
Kristie: Not fishy at all. Just a subtle, smoky, umami foundation for everything else.
Amy: You can dress it up, you can dress it down- it goes with everything!
Heather: Keep it up, and I’ll be able to buy that pack of gum I’ve had my eye on.
Glad it worked out for you. I totally agree that kids should eat the same food as the adults. It’s that ‘Foie-Gras aux raisins’ at age 6 that turned me into a food freak. I still remember it.