Seared Alaskan Halibut

The other day we decided to make dinner. We started off by searing the halibut then topped it with grilled peaches, buttered grits and smoked yellow coulis.

Grilled peaches, zucchini, buttered grits, smoked yellow and gold tomato coulis

Homemade Pretzels

The great thing about pretzels is they have a chewy outside and a soft inside. The other day I made homemade pretzels in the kitchen. First I made the dough from scratch and then rolled them into long ropes. After forming, blanching and baking the pretzels I put brown sugar on two of them and sea salt on the others.


Dough

















Dough Ropes

















Blanching

















Brown Sugar Pretzel

















Sea Salt Pretzel

Tomatoes

The other night we started with a round, ripe golden tomato from the garden. Then we blanched and peeled it, soaked it in extra virgin olive oil and inserted basil leaves. We topped it off with sea salt, cracked black pepper and shaved parmesan.




























Golden tomato, zucchini blossom, parmesan, basil leaves

Lidia's

Last weekend I went to Lidia’s for dinner. This restaurant serves original Italian cuisine. Lidia Bastianich has six other restaurants throughout the country including four in New York. The most impressive dish we had was the Polipo alla Griglia con Cipolline e Patate. If you have no idea what that means it’s grilled octopus with warm potatoes, baby lima beans, red onion, Gaeta olives and capers in red wine vinaigrette.


Polipo alla Griglia con Cipolline e Patate
















Grilled octopus with warm potatoes, baby lima beans, red onion, gaeta olives, capers in red wine vinaigrette

Cevapcici




















Hand-rolled pork, veal and lamb sausages from the Balkans, spicy ajvar sauce

Frico

Envelope of golden-brown crisp montasio chesse, potato, leek, onion, asparagus and shrimp filling

Gnocchi con Anitra in Guaazzetto

Hand-rolled potato dumplings, slow-simmered duck, pulled duck sauce, aromatic vegetables

Pana Pescatrice in Brodetto con Carciofi

Medallions of monkfish braised in spicy brodetto, artichokes, white wine, capers, creamy polenta

Torta Del Marchese

Rich and silky vintage chocolate cake, candied amarena cherries, fresh spearmint ice cream, bittersweet chocolate curls

Torta Di Oliva e Limone

Moist olive oil and lemon cake, meyer lemon ice cream, sweet basil sauce, candied basil leaves

Tiramisu

Layers of espresso-soaked ladyfingers, rum-flavored mascarpone cream, cocoa powder

Michael Smith

On Saturday I went to Michael Smith for dinner. Michael Smith is a well known chef throughout the United States. His first high profile chef job was at the American Restaurant in 1994. Then he opened Forty Sardines in 2002 with his former wife Debbie Gold. Now after leaving Forty Sardines he has opened his own restaurant Michael Smith. This restaurant serves Regional American cuisine. My favorite dish was the Glazed Pork Meatballs with bean ragout, cilantro, spring onions and chorizo broth.


Glazed Pork Meatballs






















Bean ragout, cilantro, spring onions, chorizo broth

Sautéed Diver Sea Scallops

Grilled onion, chorizo, saffron gastrique

Veal Sweetbread "Tart"

Bacon, cherries, sautéed spinach, créme fraiche

Grilled "Eye" of the Ribeye

Shrimp-olive bruschetta, crispy poached egg, spinach romesco

Sautéed Alaskan Halibut

Corn succotash, heirloom tomatoes, prosciutto, jasmine rice, guajilo vinaigrette

Eight Hour Pork Roast

Grilled onion risotto, jaliscan pico de gallo, natural pan sauce

Rustic Italian Doughnuts

Roasted apricots, cherries, almond crema

Blackberry and Raspberry Cobblers

Vanilla ice cream

Iced Espresso Float

Vanilla ice cream, 2 shots of the roasterie espresso, topped with coca-cola

Dinner

Sunday night we cooked dinner at home the way it’s supposed to be during the summer. At 5:00 I went out to the garden to see what was ripe and cooked with those ingredients. I know most of my posts are eating out in restaurants but I also love to cook and help coordinate dinner too. Photography wise I shoot all my own photos with a Nikon D60.













Stuffed goat cheese zucchini blossoms, cherry vinaigrette, basil oil














Sourdough pan fried in olive oil, fresh mozzarella, golden tomato and jalapeno gazpacho, balsamic glaze














Seared sea scallops, lemon vinaigrette, cucumber ribbons, oranges















Seared sea scallops, golden tomato and jalapeno gazpacho, cucumber ribbons
















Seared sea scallops, orange salad with lemon vinaigrette, chives