Broadmoor Bistro

Last week I went to Broadmoor Bistro. I thought the food was stupendous and the kick is, it’s all ran by high school students. Broadmoor Technical Center is for juniors and seniors in the Blue Valley and Shawnee Mission school district. The school has everything from cooking to a recording studio. The teacher and chef for Broadmoor Bistro is Bob Brassard. He has run the program for seven years and attended local and national culinary competitions with his students. He took me on a tour of the facility and it’s pretty impressive what they’re teaching high school students. The students learn how to operate a kitchen, serve food and even read P&L statements. The bistro serves a four course dinner and it’s only $25.00, they have a new menu every two months. One of my favorite dishes was the “Bacon-Eggs”. The yolk of the egg was in the middle of the ravioli, on top of a piece of pork belly. Another great item was the Muscovy Duck Breast. It was cooked to perfection and the leek-fava bean confit was a perfect complement to the duck. The Broadmoor Bistro is an excellent establishment and I can’t wait to go back.

De-Constructed Oyster Rockefellers

Baby Spinach, fennel pollen, saffron, licorice root

"Bacon-Eggs"

Pan roasted berkshire pork belly, shaved winter truffles, egg-yolk ravioli, shaved pecorino, goat butter

Potato-Leek

Shallot crisp, herb oil, micro celery

Mizzuna Salad

Petite greens, toasted pumpkin seeds, candied apples, persimmon oil, cranberries, almond streusel

Muscovy Duck Breast

Wild leeks-fava bean confit, blood orange jus

Rosemary Wood Roasted Organic Chicken

Smoked gouda-chive grits, grilled asparagus, cider caramel

Hickory Grilled Sirloin

Chanterelle hash, roasted cauliflower chick pea puree, zinfandel jelly

Chocolate Crunch

Pistachio fancier, chocolate malt mousse, cocoa nibs, macchiato syrup

White Chocolate Cheesecake Gelato

Olive oil cake, candied ginger, cherry bash, lemon curd

Gingerbread-Eggnog Ice Cream Crumb Cake

Gingerbread gennoise, peppermint- eggnog semi- fredo, bourban paint

Bristol

Recently I went to the Bristol Seafood Grill in Leawood, Kansas. I looked at my menu, then instantly noticed there were many new changes to the menu. The new menu is really diverse and has many Asian influenced preparations. My favorite appetizer was the Vietnamese Style Crab Spring Rolls. This dish had an earthy sort of flavor and the crispy lotus root chips were a perfect compliment. The best entrée by far was the crispy short ribs; they are cooked to perfection and melt in your mouth. I love the new diversity the Bristol has unleashed and can’t wait to see what’s to come.

Vietnamese Style Crab Spring Rolls

Crab, diakon, avocado, mint, basil, shiro miso, crispy lotus root chips, wakame salad

Fried Oysters

Sweet-spicy sambal sauce, soy glaze, wakame, pickled ginger, fresh key limes, red chili threads

Escargot

Garlic-pernod butter, parmesan toast

Grilled Swordfish with Lobster Mac-N-Cheese

Lobster mac-n-cheese, white truffle bread crumbs, asparagus

Lobster Cobb Salad

Watercress, arugula, baby spinach, tomatoes, apple wood smoked bacon, corn nuts, white cheddar, avocado, fresh corn, red onion, sweet potato shoestrings

Crispy Shortribs with Day Boat Scallops

Potato gnocchi, marsala, pan jus, leeks, oyster & shiitake mushrooms, horseradish gremolata

Coming To An End

As summer ends, fall begins and winter then is quick to follow. During this process gardens are ripped up and all you remember are the tomatoes, jalapenos, rhubarb, sage, chives, basil and flowers. A few of my memories from this summer are the tomatoes and the stuffed zucchini blossoms. Now, there are no more fresh herbs and vegetables from the garden but instead all you see are huge birds we call turkeys.
Around Thanksgiving and Christmas, T.V. shows and cooking magazines are loaded with recipes on how to cook a turkey. Now truthfully how many of us need this constant abuse. Unless you plan on making stove top stuffing, you don’t need a whole magazine explaining the process of cooking a turkey.

Before you know it though the snow will be gone and you’ll be staking those tomatoes plants again.

Bluestem

Last weekend I went to Bluestem in Westport. This restaurant is owned and operated by Colby and Megan Garrelts. They offer a new style of American Cuisine. Bluestem is the American dream of offering extraordinary food and owning your own restaurant. This is possibly the best meal I’ve had in a long time. We choose to do the five course dinner with dessert for seventy dollars. Every dish is so good it’s hard to pick your favorite. My favorite dishes were the crispy sweetbread fritters, the roast porkloin and the fried vanilla cheese cake. Both the crispy sweetbread fritters and the fried vanilla cheese cake were very light and had powerful flavors. The roast porkloin was perfectly cooked and the braised puy lentils were a nice match. After this meal it’s obvious why Colby Garrelts has been nominated by the James Beard Foundation.


Amuse Bouche of Salted Watermelon


















Crispy Sweetbread Fritters
















Thanes's potato's, frisée, dijon, speck, hot béarnaise

Wagyu Tartare
















Giardiniera, black olive caramel, potato crisps

Fall Missouri Beets
















Whipped maytag, arugula, walnuts, champagne vinaigrette

Torchon de Foie Gras
















Apple butter, amarena cherries, peanut, brioche bread pudding

Pumpkin Gnocchi















Brown butter, summer squash, sage

Trofie
















Crab, garlic, chili, prosciutto

Wild Coho Salmon
















Braised bacon, warm fingerlings, green beans, mustard

Diver Scallops
















Summer corn, calamari, rapini, fava beans, soy jus

Roasted Halibut
















Saffron braised cabbage, orzo, brussels sprouts, almond fennel milk

Roast Porkloin



























Braised puy lentils, spiced plums, golden raisins, almonds

Seared Striploin


























Warm tomato & asparagus, potato espuma, burgundy jus

Campo Lindo Hen
















Swiss chard, la quericia prosciutto, hominy cake, succotash thyme jus

Fried Vanilla Cheese Cake



























Milk chocolate poached pears, lemon cream, bittersweet chocolate sauce

Pumpkin Custard



























Warm ginger madeleines, bourbon gelee, mascarpone ice cream

Chocolate Praline Mousse
















Toffee crusted feuille de brick, mini popcorn balls, cinnamon bubbles

Assortment of Caramel and Gelée

Chez Panisse Café Cookbook

Currently I’m reading the Chez Panisse Café Cookbook. I thought this was appropriate since I ate at Chez Panisse last March. The book contains all the recipes from Chez Panisse Café. After reading through the book I decided to make the savory herb meatballs with spaghetti. The recipe turned out perfectly and the meatballs were to die for. On this recipe you can time everything to work together. First get the tomato sauce going and let it set for the recommended time. While it’s cooking make and form the meatballs. Next while you cook the meatballs put the spaghetti in for the recommended time. If you time it out right everything should flow nicely.

Tomato Sauce Recipe

Makes about 2 cups
2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
1 yellow onion, diced finely
3 garlic cloves, chopped finely
2 pounds sweet, ripe tomatoes, skinned, seeded and chopped
1 teaspoon salt
Bouquet garmi of parsley, thyme and basil springs


Warm the olive oil in a heavy-bottomed nonreactive saucepan over medium heat. Cook the onion, stirring occasionally, until softened and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the garlic and let it sizzle for half a minute. Stir in the chopped tomatoes and salt, and add the herb springs, bundled together with kitchen twine.
Bring the sauce to a boil, then reduce the flame to low. Simmer the sauce, uncovered, for 30 to 45 minutes; it will thicken as it cooks. Remove and discard the herb bundle. Taste for salt and adjust. For a refined sauce, pass through a food mill or purée in a blender.

Meatball and Spaghetti Recipe

½ cup milk
¼ cup soft bread crumbs
1 small yellow onion, very finely diced
Extra-virgin olive oil
Salt
1 pound freshly ground beef sirloin
Egg, beaten
3 tablespoons freshly grated Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons chopped Italian parsley, plus 2 tablespoons more for sauce
1 teaspoon finely chopped thyme
⅛ teaspoon cayenne
Black pepper
1 medium red onion, sliced thinly
Olive oil
2 to 3 cloves garlic, very finely chopped
2 cups tomato sauce (See recipe)
¼ teaspoon hot pepper flakes
½ teaspoon finely chopped fresh oregano
Salt
1 pound spaghetti


Put the milk and bread crumbs in a small bowl and mix with a fork. When the bread has softened, squeeze out most of the milk with your hands. Discard the milk.
Sauté the onion in a little olive oil with letting it color. Season with a light pinch of salt and set aside to cool.
Combine in a medium-size bowl the beef, bread crumbs, onion, egg, 3 tablespoons Parmesan, 2 tablespoons parsley, the thyme, cayenne, black pepper, hot pepper flakes, and 1 teaspoon salt. Work the mixture gently and thoroughly with your hands until it has an even consistently. With wet hands, shape the mixture into walnut-size balls. The meatballs can be cooked in the time it takes to boil the spaghetti.
Heat a skillet large enough to hold all the meatballs in one un-crowded layer. Add the red onion with enough olive oil to coat it lightly and cook over medium heat. When the onions begin to sizzle, add the meatballs, shaking the pan to keep them from sticking. Using tongs or a wooden spoon, gently turn and toss the onions and meatballs so they brown lightly. Add the garlic and cook for a few seconds, taking care that it doesn’t color. Add the tomato sauce, oregano and the remaining 2 tablespoons parsley. Season with salt to taste. Simmer gently, uncovered, stirring the meatballs to coat them with sauce. Test for doneness by cutting one meatball in half with a paring knife. Keep warm.
The dry spaghetti will take 7 to 10 minutes to cook. Boil the pasta in a large quantity of salted water. Drain the spaghetti and turn into a pasta bowl. Pour the meatballs and sauce over the pasta. Serve with more Parmesan cheese.


Tomato Sauce

Meatball Ingredients
















Rounded Meatballs















Savory Herb Meatballs with Spaghetti

Cafe Provence

A few days ago I ate dinner at Café Provence, which is a French Bistro in Prairie Village. All the food had bold flavors, appetizers through desserts. My favorite dish was the Coquille Saint-Jacques. The scallops were perfectly seared atop mushrooms in a mustard cream sauce. This restaurant represented French cuisine well.


Coquille Saint-Jacques
















Pan seared diver scallop, mushroom in a mustard cream sauce, bread crumb

Terrine de Foie de Canard
















Duck liver and duck bfoie gras mousse, mixed greens, onion confit, cornichons

Les Escargots de Bourgogne
















Wild burgundy snails, garlic and parsley butter

Saumon aux Chanterelles
















Potato wrapped salmon, leek fondue, chanterelle, mushroom and beurre blanc

Poussin au Jus

























Pan roasted young chicken au jus, spaghetti squash, brussel sprout

Escalope de Veau aux Câpres














Pan seared veal scaloppini, lemon butter sauce, caper, sautéed tournée yukon potato, shallot, herb de provence

Gateaux au Chocolat
















Flourless chocolate cake, English cream sauce