Hello, everyone.

At the request of a large party on Saturday, Chef Paul will be reviving one of his most popular variations on an ancient theme:
baklava.

He invented this version of the flaky dessert about a year ago when he ordered a case of phyllo dough and got two. Rather than send the delicate frozen stuff back, he decided that he liked baklava so much that he would work on a version that wouldn't seem too heavy and sticky after a hearty meal. There are so many versions of this confection, it's impossible to say which is truly authentic. The Assyrians had a version of bread dough filled with nuts and baked with honey as early as the 8th century B.C. Greek seamen and merchants traveling east to Mesopotamia discovered the dish and brought it back to Athens. The Greeks developed a way to roll the pastry as thin as a leaf, which is how the dough came to be called by the Greek word for leaf, "phyllo." Because of the labor and materials involved, it became a dish for the wealthy and for the proletariat only when they were splurging on special occasions.

It was served in Persian palaces and the mansions of wealthy Romans and was rolled in the kitchens of the Byzantine Empire until it fell (the empire, not the pastry) in 1453 A.D. When the Ottomans took over, the kitchens of the Imperial Ottoman Palace in Constantinople became the hub of the culinary world. Armenian, Greek, Persian, Egyptian, Assyrian and occasionally Serbian or Hungarian chefs were brought to Constantinople to be employed at the kitchens of the wealthy. The Turkish sultans were particularly fond of sharing baklava with their harems because the main ingredients, pistachio and honey, were believed to be aphrodisiacs when taken regularly. The Armenians, with their experience of the pleasures of the Spice and Silk Routes, added cinnamon and cloves. (Cinnamon was believed to be an aphrodisiac for women.) The Arabs introduced rosewater and cardamom, the later believed to increased virility in males.
Even the French got into the act, although not until the late 18th century. The General manager (Kahyabasi) of the Imperial Kitchen hired the exiled Monsieur Guillaume, a former pastry chef of Marie Antoinette. The Frenchman loved the dish but spurned the simple squares and triangles his Eastern counterparts cut the baklava into.
He created the "dome" technique of cutting and folding baklava squares, which was named "Baklava Francaise."

Paul's version is less Mediterranean or French than Persian, lighter, a little delicate and not so over-the top sweet. It's flavored with clove, cinnamon, orange and lemon. It was so popular after he made it the first time it stayed on the menu for several months before getting bumped by new inspirations.
There should be enough of this batch to serve in the main dining room for at least Saturday night.

If baklava is not enough to get you out on a Saturday night, we have a few more enticements. Paul and souschef Mark Lawrence have developed a troika of pork featuring homemade pork crepinette (sausage with dried apple and truffle wrapped in caul fat); our own cured and apple smoked wild boar bacon; and cider marinated pork tenderloin with a cider reduction.

As an appetizer, they'll be offering Kobe-style Australian Wagyu tri- tip. Tri-tip is the boneless triangle of beef from the bottom of the sirloin, also known as triangle steak or culotte steak. Until recently, tri-tip was not marketed because when carcass beef or beef quarters were delivered to retail markets, there were only two tri-
tips per carcass, which was not enough for a case display.
Consequently, the butcher would grind or cube it.

More recently, chefs have realized this cut is too tender and tasty to waste on burgers and stews. Paul and Mark will sear the tri-tip, and then bag it for the sous vide cooker to infuse the tender meat with olive oil without overcooking it. It will be served sliced, with a crackly sprinkle of sea salt.

Wagyu is a breed of cow imported from Japan. The beef is massaged daily and fed a special diet including sake and beer mash to increase marbling (which is what makes it rich and buttery.) The methods originated in Tajima, now named Hyogo Prefecture, of which Kobe is the capital and became the shipping point for this specialty. Scarce land and intense coddling of the livestock made this a treat for only the very rich, and made Kobe synonymous in the West with ridiculously expensive beef. Because the Australians have more land, they are able to produce Kobe-style Wagyu meat at a slightly lower cost, the bulk of which is exported to Asian markets hungry for this luxury.

Our Pink Plate Special this week is a tribute to Brittany. (The place
in coastal France, not the beleaguered, southern pop star blonde.)
It will feature cotriade, a fish soup recipe traditional on the coast of Brittany.

In further tribute to Brittany, we'll be serving crèpes for dessert, crisp and warm and stuffed with cooked apples.

Chef Paul is doing cotriade in sort of the traditional way, with the clear, rich fish broth served first over toast as a soup and the fish served as the entree with potatoes and leeks and onions. The name "cotriade" could be derived from "cotret," the French word for one of the pieces of wood on which a cauldron rests over an open fire. It is also possible that "cotriade" was inspired by the French word "Coterie," a former name for a ship's crew, who were given as food certain types of fish not reserved for sale. In a modern twist on the old recipes, he plans to make the fish broth first with the leeks and potatoes and onions then set the vegetables aside. The fish - cod, mackerel and hake - will be cooked separately in sous vide bags with some of the broth at a low temperature to preserve their textures and seal in the flavors. They'll be served with a vinaigrette and a spray of crisp, green vegetables, probably haricots verts.

If you want to stick to the Breton theme, there are a number of beverages you could pair with this feast. To be truly authentic to the dishes' seafaring roots, you could drink beer with it. Brittany was once a huge beer-producing region, but the breweries were driven out of business by wine imports from other regions of France by the early to mid-20th century. Just as in the United States, microbreweries made a comeback starting in the 1970s, and there are now about twenty regional breweries open.

We just got the Corsendonk Christmas Ale on draft, and Cheryl can tell you as she drinks some while writing this, that it's completely delicious. She poured herself a glass and was impressed at the huge head that blew into the glass, but even more delighted that it quickly subsided into a beige lace covering that didn't blow up her nose like whipped cream as she tried to drink it. It is a strong, dark Belgian ale. It has a mild yeast, nutmeg and malt aroma and faint taste of anise, figs and prunes. Some people have criticized this year's brew as being not as forceful as other holiday special brews, but Cheryl thinks it makes it better as a food beer that it's not sweet and heavy or overly spiced. If you'd prefer wine with your cotriade, we have a lot of Loire Valley whites that would be sublime.

For dessert or an aperitif, a bottle of apple or pear cider would be geographically appropriate. We have the fabulous Eric Bordelet ciders that Paul and Cheryl discovered in Paris several years ago. We picked up a bottle in a corner wine ship on the Left Bank and carted it back to our room and were knocked out by its delicate bubbles and intense fruit flavor and bright, clean finish. It was a huge bonus that it was only 4 percent alcohol, so we could enjoy a whole bottle of it as if it were Champagne without having to suffer the effects of overindulgence. It wasn't being exported to the United States at the time, but as soon as it became available we snapped some up.

The Pink Plate is a weekly prix fixe special we offer on MONDAY, TUESDAY, WEDNESDAY AND THURSDAY. For $30 per person, you get three courses, plus coffee, tea or espresso.

For those of you still wondering what to do on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, Chez Sophie will be open on those holidays for the first time in its 37 year history. We will begin serving dinner at 2 p.m. each day, a five-course meal that includes 1. appetizer (your choice of a plateau de fruits de mer, terrine of foie gras, Provençal vegetarian sampler, or cadeaux d'escargots.) 2. Christmas consommé 3. entree (your choice of roast Christmas goose with quince chutney and Burgundy sauce, baked ham with a sauce of fresh cherries, Dover sole Cardinale, or vegetarian cassoulet) 4. winter salad of Belgian endive, watercress and pomegranite 5. dessert (your choice of apricot, quince and kumquat tart, crème brûlée, chocolate hazelnut tort or a selection of fine cheeses)

our regular à la carte menu will not be offered

$75 per person, plus tax and gratuity
$25 for children under 12

Reservations recommended
The last dinner reservation will be accepted at 8 p.m. on Christmas Eve and 7 p.m. on Christmas night

Chez Sophie will be serving brunch Sunday and Monday of that week from 7 a.m. to 11 a.m. The Saratoga is offering rooms to Chez Sophie guests at a discounted rate of $79 per night.

We are also gearing up for New Year's Eve, with two fabulous dinner options for revelers.
Early diners (seated at 5, 5:30, 6 and 6:30 p.m.) will have their choice to start of oysters on the halfshell with shallot mignonette or terrine de foie gras. The second course will be a black and white soup of imperial black rice with shallot cream. The third course will be a choice of Chateaubriand, seared breast of goose or fish. The fourth course will be a winter salad of blood oranges, grana, frisée, and almonds. The final course will be a choice of chocolate soup with mascarpone swirl and fried dessert pasta (the black and white soup number 2) or gateau citré, an orange layer cake made with kumquats and a lemon buttercream.
This prix fixe five-course menu includes a glass of Champagne and is priced at $75 per person, plus tax and gratuity.

The late-night New Year's Eve party features a nine-course menu, with seatings at 8, 8:30, 9 and 9:30 p.m. Jazz Pianist Cole Broderick will start playing at 8 p.m., and there have been some requests to move the chairs from in front of the fireplace later in the evening to allow dancing.
Diners will start with and amuse guele of escargots with Pernod butter and cream in puff pastry, followed by their choice of oysters on the halfshell with shallot mignonette or terrine de foie gras.
Next will be the black and white soup of imperial black rice with shallot cream. The fourth course will be a terrine of legumes or seared venison. Next comes passion fruit sorbet, then a choice of Chateaubriand, seared breast of goose or fish. The winter salad of blood oranges, grana, frisée, and almonds follows, with a selection of cheese close behind. The meal will end with a choice of chocolate soup with mascarpone swirl and fried dessert pasta (the black and white soup number 2) or gateau citré, an orange layer cake made with kumquats and a lemon buttercream. The cost, which includes a midnight Champagne toast, is $125 per person, plus tax and gratuity.

Cheryl and Paul will also be devising their annual prix fixe wine menu with tasting notes and suggested pairings, a tremendous bargain at $65, which allows diners to sample up to 12 different wines in what ever order they choose. The full wine list and bar will also be available.

Double rooms at The Saratoga will be offered to Chez Sophie customers at a discounted rate of $199 per night.
Reservations required with credit card confirmation
518.583.3538

Our Sunday Jazz Brunch this week will feature coconut pancakes with pineapple glazed ham steak ($16); Carribean pork stew over white rice ($15); crab quiche with a side salad ($15); and grilled chicken breast with wild mushroom risotto ($14).

The brunch specials run from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The complete menu, offered from 7 to 2 p.m., includes a Continental assortment of muffins, pastries, fruit, yogurt, quiche etcetera for $9; omelettes
($9 to $11); pancakes du jour ($9); the All in One, which includes 2 eggs any style, homefries, toast and sausage or bacon ($10); waffles with sweet cream butter and local maple syrup ($10); and Irish steel- cut oatmeal ($8).
Jazz pianist Cole Broderick plays from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Live Piano Jazz
Jazz pianist Cole Broderick plays the baby grand Tuesday through Friday night, and during Sunday brunch from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.
(barring special events that preclude live music.)
Cost: No cover charge

Tango Class
January 10th
Tango instructors Diane Lachtrupp and Johnny Martinez will offer a free tango class to Chez Sophie customers at 8:30, with open dancing afterwards. We plan to repeat this feature on the second Wednesday of each month. For those who would like to dine first before dancing, our regular menu is offered until 9 p.m. The bar menu is available until 10 p.m. and the bar will be open for at least a couple of hours after that. For more information about local classes by Diane and Johnny, see the Saratoga Savoy website at http://www.saratogasavoy.com/files/instructors.html
Cost: No cover charge

Tasting menus
Chef's Choice seven-course tasting menu available each night. The menus are designed based on the best and most creative dishes Chef Paul K. Parker is serving each evening. We will pair wines for you or you can order from our extensive wine list.
Cost: $75 per person, plus tax and tip. Everyone at the table must partake in the tasting menu

If you're feeling less impromptu, you can call ahead to arrange a special tasting menu with the number of courses and wine pairings designed to suit your capacity, dietary restrictions and budget.
Tasting menus arranged in advance will be printed on commemorative vellum scrolls personalized with the name of the host or the reason for the event.
Cost: $50 to $200, depending on the number of courses and the wines selected; available for two to 75 guests Call Cheryl to make arrangements 518.583.3538

The Pink Plate Special
offered Monday, December 18 through Thursday, December 21

A Tribute to Briittany
cotriade and crèpes

$30 per person
includes fish soup over toast; cod, hake and mackerel cooked with potatoes, leeks and onion, and your choice of Breton apple crèpes or a cheese course and coffee, tea or espresso.

Notes on Nico and Léo:

We came into the office today to find our bookkeeper Donna trying so hard to laugh quietly that she was actually snorting. "Nico asked for a snack and she (the babysitter) said: 'Nico, you just had lunch,'" according to Donna. Mom had given the sitter permission to walk the kids down to Mrs. London's for fruit tarts and hot cocoa before going to the library. "That wasn't lunch," Nico countered.
"That was dessert."

At the risk of sounding like the really lousy mother that she is, Cheryl is going to recount some of this week's adventures of Nico, her intrepid nearly four-year-old. On Saturday, she cooked the children eggs and sausage for breakfast and sat down with them to eat. Léo, of course, managed to rub fruit and eggs into her hair, so when the baby was finished eating, Cheryl announced that it was bath time. Nico, who loves the bathtub with a passion, said he'd rather finish his breakfast in the dining room and read a book. Since he wasn't particularly messy, Cheryl agreed, and climbed into the tub with the baby. About 10 minutes later, Nico came into the bathroom and said, "Mommy, look at my nose."
It was all slimy and wet. "What is that?" the mother asked with trepidation. "It's egg," he said happily. "I need you to wipe it."
Now Cheryl was pretty sure the egg she had given her son was cooked.
"Oh, Nico," she groaned. "Where did you get raw egg?"
"From the refrigerator," he said. And then Mom asked stupidly: "Why?!"
"I wanted to cook more breakfast," he said. Cheryl reached for the child, inadvertently sending poor Léo under the water for her first full-immersion baptism. She looked down and saw the baby's wide open blue eyes staring up from the bathwater in horrified surprise, yanked her up and dried her off. While she was diapering Léo, Nico, who had scurried off once he'd ascertained that Mom didn't think the egg thing was a good idea, returned to the bathroom holding out an egg.
"Here, Mom," he offered.
"Nico! Put that back in the refrigerator right this minute!" He ran away again, and Cheryl grabbed the baby and ran to the kitchen. There were no eggs to be found. She searched until she found them all, cracked open on the carpet in front of the television, which he had turned on to cartoons, the real reason why he was willing to forgo his beloved bath. Cheryl shut off the television and Nico wailed at this unexpected deprivation, and Cheryl had to sternly explain that only parents are allowed to turn on the television - and open eggs!

Later that day, Nico was in the office adjoining the nursery playing a Dora The Explorer video game. Cheryl walked in to grab some change from the safe, and Nico said: "I need help. The keyboard isn't working." Cheryl tested the keys, and it was indeed frozen, but she had a customer waiting at the bar for change, so she told him to step back into the nursery with the sitter, who was changing Léo's diaper, and she would be back in 10 minutes to fix the computer. Nico said:
"I think if you pull this out it will fix it," he said, grabbing the plug to the mouse from the side of the keyboard. "Nico, stop it,"
Cheryl said as she left the room. "I told you to go into the nursery, and I will come back to fix it. You can't yank the peripherals out while the computer is turned on," she added gratuitously. Five minutes later the computers in the front of the house began to malfunction. She rushed back to the office, and found Nico under the desk - not in the nursery - flipping the switches on all the surge protectors.
"I'm shutting it down so you can fix it," he said helpfully.
Nico was then "grounded" from both computer games and television for five days, a punishment that Cheryl suspects will go right over his head at his age. But it can't hurt to wean him from these annoying forms of entertainment - although the mischief he'll come up with while being deprived of them is fairly frightening to contemplate.

We hope to see you soon,