|
Published: May 15, 2003 SPECIAL RESTAUR=
ANT
REPORT
The wise guy &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &=
nbsp; &nbs=
p; &nbs=
p; The title on his business card sa=
ys
``Rocket Scientist,'' but don't believe for a second that Jim Grell, co-o=
wner
of the Modern Cafe in northeast . The success story = Tanya Siebenaler, =
chef
and co-owner of Sapor Cafe & Bar in downtown . The dynamic duo Running one of the
state's most magical restaurants is a tough act to follow. But not
insurmountable, at least if you're Tim McKee (standing) and Josh Thoma
(seated), chefs and co-owners of the sublime La Belle Vie in Stillwater. =
Last
month, the pair dived head first into Solera in
downtown . The import When Northwest
Airlines transferred Joanne Francoual to . The trailblazer Long before . The independent After spending the
early part of his career working for others, J.P. Samuelson has finally
struck out on his own. His jP American Bistro in south . The next new thing What happens when you combine elements of traditi=
onal
African-American cooking with Southern Low Country and Creole cuisines? F=
or
Eric Austin, chef and owner of the brand-new Big E's Soul Food<=
/b> in . The survivor The indominable and
outspoken Brenda Langton has carved a career by trumpeting the delicious
possibilities within healthy, mostly vegetarian cooking. This year marks =
her
25th in the business, 17 of them at Cafe Brenda, her serene downtown . The innovator No one mines an
ingredient's potential with the finesse and flair of Steven Brown. His
cooking at the undiscovered Rock Star in downtown . The pioneer At Lucia's Restaur= ant, chef and owner Lucia Watson has cooked with the seasons and was firmly committed to organic, sustainable, locally grown foods long before doing = so was all the rage. Her soothing, unpretentious 18-year-old bistro in Uptown Minneapolis also has been a training ground for some of the Twin Cities' = most enterprising restaurateurs. . The power player <= /p> Keeping a culinary
temple running at peak performance for 13 years doesn't seem to ruffle Ke=
vin
Cullen, executive chef at Goodfellow's in downtown . The native son After working in
influential . CHEF RECIPES . Shrimp With Avocado Salsa X Serves 6 to 10. From J.P. Samuelso=
n of
jP American Bistro in - 1 lb. (16- to 20-count) shell-on raw shrimp - Vegetable broth = - 1/2 c. diced red onion - 2 large shallots, diced - 1 tsp. sugar - 1 tsp. sea salt = - 2 tsp. minced ga= rlic - 1 red jalapeño pepper, seeded and finely diced - 1/4 c. fresh lime juice - 5 chopped ripe avocados - 4 green onions, thinly sliced - 2/3 c. sour crea= m - 1/2 c. chopped spearmint, with additional leaves for garnish - 6 tbsp. chopped basil, with additional leaves for garnish - 6 tbsp. toasted pepitas (green pumpkin seeds) - 1 lime, sliced, = for garnish Soak the shrimp fo= r 20 minutes in salty ice water. Drain and then poach the shrimp in their shel= ls in broth for approximately 7 minutes; immediately immerse them in a large ice-water bath to stop the cooking. After shrimp have chilled, peel and r= efrigerate. Mix the red onion, shallots, sugar and salt in a nonreactive bowl and let stand for 5 minute= s. Add the garlic, jalapeño and lime juice and mix to dissolve the su= gar. Next add the avocados and green onions and let stand 20 minutes at room temperature. Mix in sour cream, spearmint, basil and pepitas. Serve immediately = on a large platter or individual plates with avocado salsa in the center and shrimp arranged around it. Sprinkle the top with toasted pepitas and garn= ish with fresh basil and mint leaves. Serve with freshly cut lime wedges. . White Bean and Fen= nel Salad X Serves 4 to 6. From Brenda Langto=
n of
Cafe Brenda in - 1 1/2 c. dry whi= te beans - 1 tbsp. star ani= se - 1 tsp. peppercor= ns - 3 bay leaves - 6 c. water - 1 medium head ga= rlic - 1/4 c. olive oil, more to drizzle - 1 tbsp. white wi= ne vinegar - Juice of 1 lemon= - 1/2 tsp. salt - Fresh ground pep= per, to taste - 2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley - 1/2 c. diced car= rots - 1 c. thinly slic= ed fennel bulb - 1/2 c. diced red onion - Lettuce leaves <= /p> - Sliced tomatoes = and black olives, for garnish Place white beans, anise, peppercorns and bay leaves in a soup pot with 6 cups of water. Bri= ng to a boil. Turn down heat and simmer, covered, for about 1 1/2 hours, or until tender. Meanwhile, preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut off top of garlic head, and place garlic on tin foil. Drizzle olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast for abou= t 50 minutes, or until the garlic cloves are tender. When beans are ten= der, drain and discard anise, peppercorns and bay leaves. Rinse beans in cold water; set aside. To make dressing, = hold onto the base of the garlic cloves and squeeze the pulp into a bowl. Add = 1/4 cup olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice, salt, pepper and parsley to the garl= ic and whisk together. Blanch carrots by bringing a small pot of water to boil and dropping in the carrots for 2 t= o 3 minutes. Rinse them immediately with very cold water. Combine beans with fennel, red onion and carrots. Pour dressing over the salad and stir gent= ly until well-coated. Serve on a leaf of lettuce and garnish with sliced tomatoes and black olives. . Strawberry Rhubarb Cobbler With Two Sauces X Serves 6 to 8. Note: The Lemon
Verbena Syrup must be made a day in advance. From Lucia Watson of Lucia's
Restaurant in Filling: - 1/2 c. sugar - 2 tbsp. all-purp= ose flour - 3 1/2 c. ( 1/4-i= n.) slices rhubarb - 4 c. hulled and sliced strawberries - 1 tbsp. lemon ju= ice Cobbler batter: - 1 1/2 c. cake fl= our - 2 tsp. baking so= da - 1 tsp. cream of tartar - 1 tsp. salt - 8 tbsp. (1 stick) butter at room temperature - 3/4 c. sugar - 1 tsp. vanilla extract - 1 tsp. almond extract - 1 egg, lightly beaten - 1/2 c. buttermil= k - Whipped cream, or ice cream if desired - Strawberry Sauce (see recipe) - Lemon Verbena Sy= rup (see recipe) To prepare the filling: In a large bowl combine 1/2 cup sugar and 2 tablespoons all-purp= ose flour. Mix with rhubarb, strawberries and lemon juice and spread into a lightly buttered 9- by 13-inch baking pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. To prepare the bat= ter: In a medium bowl combine cake flour, baking soda, cream of tartar and salt and set aside. In a mixing bowl using an electric mixer on medium speed, = beat butter, 3/4 cup sugar, vanilla and almond extract until light in texture, about 10 minutes. Add egg to butter mixture and blend well. On low speed, blen= d in flour mixture in three additions, alternating with buttermilk, beginning = and ending with flour. Scrape bowl often. Mixture should be smooth, light and creamy. Drop batter over fruit, covering all but 1 inch around edges. Bak= e 45 minutes. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream, Strawberry Sauce and Lemon Verbena Syrup (see recipes). . Strawberry Sauce X= - 2 pints strawber= ries - Sugar, to taste = - Grand Marnier, to taste Wash and hull strawberries. Purée strawberries in a blender with sugar, to taste. Strain and add Grand Marnier as desired. . Lemon Verbena Syru= p X Lemon verbena is a lemon-flavored herb. You can substitute various mint leaves. - 1 c. packed lemon verbena leaves - 1/2 c. sugar - 1/2 c. water Blanch lemon verbe= na leaves in boiling water briefly to brighten color, then immediately plunge into ice water to stop cooking. Place sugar and wa= ter in a small saucepan, bring to a simmer, then remove from heat and cool completely. Put lemon verbena and cooled syrup in blender and puré= e on high for 2 minutes. Refrigerate overnight, then strain through a fine mesh strainer. Keep refrigerated. . Watermelon-Chardonnay Ice X Serves 8 to 10. From Eric Austin, chef-owner of Big E's=
Soul
Food in - 8 c. cubed watermelon, seeded - 1 tsp. fresh lemon juice - 1 c. chardonnay wine - 1/2 c. powdered sugar - Sprigs of fresh mint, for garnish - Lemon twists, for garnish In a food processor, process the watermelon cubes=
until
puréed. Transfer the purée to a medium freezer-proof bowl a=
nd
stir in the lemon juice. Set aside. In a nonreactive saucepan over medium heat, combi=
ne
wine and sugar. Stir until well blended, about 2 minutes. Stir wine mixtu=
re
into watermelon. Let stand until completely cool. Cover and freeze until
solid, at least 8 hours. Scrape with ice cream scoop and place in a wine or
martini glass. Add twist of lemon and sprig of mint to garnish. . Grilled Asparagus = X Makes 4 appetizer portions. Note: For food-saf=
ety
reasons, use pasteurized eggs. If the asparagus spears are large, you mig=
ht
want to peel them. From Steven Brown of Rock Star in Chive oil: - 1 bunch chives <= /p> - 1 bunch Italian parsley - 1 c. canola or o= ther vegetable oil - 1/2 c. extra-vir= gin olive oil Mayonnaise: - 2 egg yolks (see Note) - 1 tbsp. smooth <=
st1:place
w:st=3D"on"> - 2 tsp. black tru= ffle oil - 2 tbsp. fresh-squeezed lemon juice - Pinch cayenne pe= pper - Finely ground se= a salt - Freshly ground b= lack pepper Asparagus: - 1/4 c. extra-vir= gin olive oil - 1 lb. asparagus spears, woody ends removed, see Note - 1/2 lemon - Thinly sliced ch= ives or chive blossoms, for garnish To prepare chive o= il: Roughly chop the chives and parsley, stems and all. Combine in a blender = with the canola oil and the 1/2 cup of olive oil. Blend on high speed for 8 to= 10 minutes or until the mixture is emerald green and very warm. The oil will start to separate from the solids. Stop blending and strain through a fine mesh sieve. Discard solids and reserve oil. Refrigerate to cool. To prepare mayonna= ise: In a food processor, blend the yolks and mustard until pale and foamy. Wi= th the machine running, begin adding the cooled chive oil through the top of= the feed tube, very slowly at first. Then, as the mixture begins to thicken, = it may be added faster and faster. After the chive oil has been incorporated, add the truffle oil, lemon juice and cayenne. Season with salt and pepper= to taste. The mayonnaise should be pale green with the consistency of puddin= g. If it is too thick, whisk in a few teaspoons of water. Reserve in refrigerator. To prepare asparag= us: Toss the asparagus with some of the 1/4 cup of olive oil and grill until tender, but not limp. Transfer to a small bowl, add the remaining olive o= il, squeeze some lemon juice over and season with coarse= salt and pepper. Toss to coat (and eat one or two spears to make sure they are good). Arrange on a serving platter or individual plates, then add a dollop of the mayonnaise beside or on top of the asparagus. Garnish with a few thinly sliced chives or chive blossoms. . Tomato and Bread S= oup X Serves 8. Note: Ciabatta,
Italian for ``slipper,'' is a long, thin crisp-crusted bread with a soft
interior. The Parmesan rind is available at cheese shops. From Alex Rober=
ts
of Restaurant Alma in - 3/4 c. extra-vir= gin olive oil - 1/4 c. garlic, peeled and thinly sliced - 1/4 c. fresh cho= pped basil - 4 c. whole peele= d, seeded and crushed canned plum tomatoes (San Marzano type) or very ripe summer tomatoes - 3 c. rich chicken stock - 1 (2-in.- by 2-i= n.-) Parmesan rind - 1/2 branch rosem= ary, left whole - 1 bay leaf - Salt and pepper = - 2 c. day-old bre= ad cubes (ciabatta type), crusts removed Heat a large soup pot over medium h= eat. Add olive oil and heat until oil is hot but not smoking. Add garlic and s= tir or shake pan vigorously until garlic is nicely browned, being careful not= to burn garlic. Add basil, stir and immediately add tomatoes. Stir until tomatoes and olive oil begin to emulsify, about 2 minutes. Add chicken st= ock, Parmesan rind, rosemary, bay leaf, salt and pepper and simmer at medium h= eat for 20 minutes. Remove soup from h= eat and remove and discard Parmesan rind, rosemary and bay leaf. Add bread cu= bes and let bread soak into soup for two minutes. Whisk until bread breaks up into soup and serve, garnishing with croutons and/or fresh basil. . Shrimp in Garlic a= nd Sherry Sauce X Makes tapas for 6.= From Tim McKee and
Josh Thoma of Solera, in - 1 1/2 tbsp. papr= ika - 1 tbsp. Sherry vinegar - 1 1/2 c. Manzani= lla Sherry - 24 (16- to 20-co= unt) raw shrimp, shelled and deveined (about 1 1/2 = lb.) - 1 tbsp. kosher s= alt - 2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper - 1/4 c. extra-vir= gin olive oil - 15 cherry tomato= es, cut in half - 4 cloves garlic, thinly sliced - 4 oz. Serrano ha= m, thinly sliced and torn into 1-in. pieces - 2 tbsp. chopped Italian parsley Combine the paprik= a, vinegar and Sherry and set aside. Season shrimp with= salt and pepper. In a large sauté pan, heat the olive oil until hot, but not smoking. Add the shrimp and cook until bright orange on one side. Turn the shrimp, add the tomatoes and continue cooking until the shrimp is ora= nge on both sides. Add the garlic and cook until garlic just starts to brown.= Add the ham and co= ok for 10 seconds. Deglaze with the Sherry mixture and reduce the liquid to a sauce. Toss with chopped parsley and serve on small plates. . X - Recipe has been tested. . IF YOU GO For contact information on all the restaurants mentioned in these articles, see onlin= e at www.startribune.com/restaurant |
· &nbs=
p;
|
![](3D"StarTribune-March15,2003_files/image002.jpg")
![](3D"StarTribune-March15,2003_files/image004.jpg")