Meandering Missive: FOOD entry #1: early fall tastings menu

Saturday, October 08, 2005

FOOD entry #1: early fall tastings menu

As someone who loves to eat (though unfortunately doesn't love to cook), I've been relishing the thought of writing a blog entry involving FOOD! And now I finally have the chance!

It seems food-related blogs are as abundant on the Net as mushrooms on the forest floor. (Truffles, anyone? *grin*) Some folks simply write about food (their own, or that from a restaurant), some folks only post photos of food, and others do both! For good examples of the latter, visit Some Like It Hot. Run by my aforementioned best friend "L", sometimes with input from her D.(ear)H.(usband), this blog has great commentary on great food, plus great digital photos of the edibles. She also has a long "blogroll" of links that lead to numerous other food blogs. Never go there if you're hungry!!

I DID go to downtown San Jose's 71 Saint Peter when I was hungry, but that was the idea. ;) Hunger makes the best sauce, as the saying goes. Being a financially struggling "creative professional" (read: freelance writer, editor, photographer), I rarely eat at fancy/expensive restaurants. And that's fine, because I honestly love the type of fare common in "casual dining" establishments like Denny's, Baker's Square, Olive Garden, TGI Friday's, etc.

However, on Thursday, Oct. 6, my mom treated me to the "gourmet tastings" dinner at 71 Saint Peter (named for its location on San Pedro Street) at $30 a piece. No one in my family could ever be accused of being high-end or upper-crust, but once in a great while, we mix with those types of people. *grin* Usually when there's some justification like an Entertainment book discount or an advertised special in the newspaper.

71 St. Pete's tasting menu was just such an ad. Each season, the chef creates a different fixed price four-course dinner (along with the regular menu offerings), but there's always been something in one of the courses that sounded unpalatable to me. I don't like steak, prime rib, wild game, organ meats, lobster, most shellfish, or any type of seared (i.e. half-RAW) fish, if that clues you in to my predicament!

Fortunately, there wasn't anything on the current "Early Fall Tastings Menu" that I didn't like. And now -- what everyone, including I, have been waiting for -- the photos and comments! ;D Please click on each photo to view a larger version, as these exquisite dishes look better up close. Fortunately we had an out-of-the-way table, and my back faced the direction from which the waiters came, so it was easy to hide that I was snapping photos of my meal. *blush* I still had to rush, though, so I'm glad none of the pix were blurred. If someone had asked me, however, I would have been honest and simply said I have a blog and wanted to mention this restaurant in it. They could hardly argue with free publicity, eh?

** FIRST COURSE **
D'Anjou Pear Gastric
(pistachio baked goat cheese, lola rosa-tatsoi salad, French vanilla bean oil)

I'm not a food writer, so I had to look up many terms on the menu, but "gastric" I hope I can do on my own. Since the first course is usually an appetizer, and appetizers get your stomach and appetite piqued for the meal to come, I'd guess that's the significance of this dish's name. I couldn't find "gastric" in my French-English dictionary, but I did find "gastrique", which simply means "gastric". However, I also wonder if the dark orange, syrupy sauce drizzled on the dish was the gastrique. The vanilla bean oil was much lighter and thinner, so I still don't know what the syrup was.

At any rate, this dish was like a combination of salad and dessert. I'm not up on the finer points that distinguish a D'Anjou pear from Boscs and Bartletts, but this fruit was thick, succulent and delicious. It also was wonderfully caramelized on top. The delicate vanilla bean oil was a perfect taste complement to the pear. It also was great on the baby salad greens. There was no oil on the goat cheese, but rather a delicate encrusting of pistachio nuts. I loved everything about it!

** SECOND COURSE **
Dungeness Crab Risotto
(taleggio cheese, lemon confit, asparagus salpicon)

I love almost all types of rice and risotto, so I figured I'd like this dish unless it was too "crabby". Fortunately, it wasn't. I could definitely taste the sweet, mild crab, but I tasted the Italian cheese and the creamy risotto more -- and that's what I liked. I'm not sure where the lemon confit fit in, although as I understand it, a confit is a type of preserve.

I had to look up "salpicon" online, and in one place I discovered it's a type of Mexican salsa. But in the food dictionary at Epicurious.com, I saw it defined as a French term for "cooked, diced ingredients bound with a sauce (for savory ingredients), or syrup or cream (for fruit mixtures) and used for fillings or garnishes."

Both definitions are similar, if you think about it. As for my risotto, it was topped with diced blanched asparagus and also bell peppers. There may also have been onions; I'm trying to remember! The salsa was perfectly balanced: not too spicy (which would have overpowered the crab and risotto) but not so mild that it imparted nothing but an empty crunch.

** INTERMEZZO **
Lime Sorbet

You know you're in a classy restaurant when you get a "palate cleanser" before the main course! :) Being a fan of almost anything citrus, I loved this sorbet. I was pleased that the scoop had not started to melt when it was served (one of my pet peeves is ice cream, sherbet or sorbet that starts to melt before I can even dig in.)

It was a great blend of sweet and sour, and even had real bits of lemon peel. That's right -- it was not actually the LIME sorbet promised on the menu, but rather LEMON -- which you probably suspected upon seeing the photo. The waiter introduced it as lemon, but didn't mention why it deviated from the lime, so we didn't ask. That's okay. They' both make great sorbet, and are similar enough that a lime makes for a tasty lemon substitute. (Tony, are you laughing? ;D )

** MAIN COURSE **
Wild Sea Bass & Florida Bama Shrimp
(seaweed purple potato salad, Meyer lemon ponzu, black plum relish)

Sea bass is one of my favourite types of fish, so I knew I'd like this dish and I was correct. The fish was mild, tender, moist yet flaky (I don't like any fish that's TOO moist). To the side of the sea bass was one large shrimp, which I gave to my mom because I only like shrimp when it's fried -- unless it's the tiny ones you get with a shrimp cocktail. (Neither of us knew what a "Bama" shrimp was, but my mom said it was very good).

The potato salad turned out to comprise not just purple spuds, but also Yukon golds. I don't know if the kitchen was running low on purples or if they just wanted to be spontaneous by mixing them with golds, but they were very pretty (and tasty) together. The black plum relish was almost like another type of salsa, as it had finely diced onions mixed in. It also had diced bits of what looked like mango. There was perhaps a little too much of the seaweed tangled up with the potatoes, but this wasn't really a negative thing, as the seaweed was tender and tasted good.

The sauce drizzled over the dish is the lemon ponzu. I had to look that up as well (this time at Epicurious.com and learned it's a Japanese style sauce made with lemon juice or rice vinegar, along with soy sauce, Mirin and/or Sake, seaweed and dried bonito flakes. I don't know if all that was in my sauce, but it was certainly tasty and had a slight Asian flair.

** DESSERT **
Grilled Black Mission Fig Tartlet
(caramel macadamia panna cotta, wild huckleberries, sweet balsamic syrup)

We really got more than we bargained for here, as the chef added a surprise additional dessert! On the left is the tartlet. The crust was flaky and buttery but not too rich, and the inside tasted (and felt) like a sweet, nutty cheesecake! The mission figs on top neither clawingly sweet nor crunchy (from the seeds), which are the main reasons I don't care for fresh figs. I never knew what a difference a little grilling makes; these were very festive figs! The huckleberries added a mildly tart foil to the figs and panna cotta, and they also added a beautiful visual interest to the picture, both in color and texture. (I'm more of a photographer than a gourmand. *grin*) I've never tasted sweet balsamic syrup; I've only had things like raspberry-balsamic salad dressings. This syrup was very unusual and very good.

The surprise, as you can see on the right side of the photo, was a scoop of fresh pistachio ice cream atop something I can only describe (shamefully, I know) as a "sweet, crunchy, thinly fried circle." *blush* If anyone knows the name of this treat, please let me know. At any rate, I'm normally not a big fan of ANY type of nut ice cream, but this cold, creamy pistachio one was surprisingly refreshing! It also was not overly nutty.

And there you have it! :) Along with all the other keywords that apply to my eccentric, eclectic blog, the word "FOOD" now applies as well! This was very fun and I hope to do it again. Who knows? Some day one of my freelance writing projects might be a real restaurant review! If you have any comments on my writing or my photography, please feel free to share them. Thanks!

Today I am feeling indulgent.

posted by ScaryShari @ 3:30 PM

3 Comments:

At 11:22 PM, Shari said…

Awesome photos! I love rice but hate-hate-hate risotto, but you even make that look good. :)

I encountered something called "salpicon de marisco" in Spain several times - I only remember that it was crab with finely chopped tomatoes and onions, and maybe peppers.

Yeah, food blogging is so hot right now! (Cue Zoolander music.) Clotilde of Chocolate and Zucchini has a book deal, and I always live for the next Amateur Gourmet post. So, yes, post more food! What's your stance on chocolate? :)

And where are your bouncy-bouncy pre-Vegas posts, eh? Ahem! (This is my newfound civic pride talking.) Have you been before? What do you expect to do this time?

I don't know what I'm doing that Monday - on weekdays usually I come home and slump onto the nearest soft thing, crash out, wake at 9 pm, and by the time I need to go to work in the morning I'm fully useless. But my school is near the Aladdin, so maybe we can terrorize the city with our Shariness all the same. :)
At 5:15 PM, ScaryShari said…

Hi Shari (my Las Vegas namesake) and Milgwimper (a.k.a. "L") - thank you both for your comments on my first food-related entry and photos. *blush*

Shari, I'm glad I made your hated risotto seem good. ;) Your salpicon in Spain sounds similar to mine. I haven't visited the Amateur Gourmet site, but will check it out. As for my stance on chocolate, your guess is probably correct -- I LOVE it!! Especially when it's in the form of choc. cake and/or ice cream.

I had to laugh when you asked about my "bouncy" pre-Vegas posts, because you already have me accurately pegged as the bouncy, giddy, cheery type. (Just ask "Milgwimper", she's known me for 12+ years! LOL) This is my 2nd time in Vegas, so at least I won't be completely overwhelmed -- just a little. ;) I'd totally love to meet you on Monday (Mike too if he wants to come), especially since you'll be close to my home base, The Aladdin. I'll email you again so we can talk more.

L/Milgwimper - what can I say other than thanks for the kind words. :) I like your food-related blog entries and I love your photos, especially your guiltily indulgent Fleur de Cocoa repast with J and the girls. Next time you "raid a bakery" (remember that term?), you gotta take me with you!! I love places like that, and they make for such great photos, too. Then we can do simultaneous "reviews" of the experience! (heehee)
At 1:35 AM, Rachel said…

Hi Scary shari,

It looks like you had a great time and your dinner looked just divine. The photos were great and it made me a bit drooly just looking at them. That was a nicely written review and hmmm pass me some of that crab risotto and dessert please !

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