Hello, everyone.
The tulips in our courtyard sculpture garden are blooming, the Saratoga Farmers' Market opened on Wednesday and we got our first takeout from P.J.'s Barbecue yesterday, so we know it's officially spring.
"We're in kind of barbecue/early summer mode," Chef Paul said.
"There's a theme going."
They will be serving elk strip steak, with a mango sambal and a sesame purée with mustard oil.
"We're talking about playing with mustard oil, but we're not sure what we're doing with it yet," Paul said. "It's just an idea."
Sambal is a cross between a relish and a sauce. It is made from a variety of peppers and used in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and Sri Lanka as a condiment or as a side dish.
They are also doing rack of wild boar with grilled pluots, finished with stock.
"The wild boar is awesome," Paul said. "It's just delicious. It's essentially feral swine. It's much lower in fat content than pig, but it has a really herbal flavor, and an unctuous quality."
The other interesting thing is that because boar are wild-grazing animals, they don't have a uniform flavor. Each rack can have a different flavor, all good, but distinctive depending on what forage the animal had access to.
"The price you pay for chaos is variation," Paul added, rather nonsensically.
The fruit paired with the boar is a pluot, a trade name for a hybrid developed in the late 20th century by Floyd Zaiger. In the United States, the fruit is known by most regulatory agencies as an "interspecific plum." It is a complex cross hybrid that is three- quarters plum and one-quarter apricot. Pluots are sometimes marketed as a Dinosaur Egg (another trademark, belonging to a California grower who was one of the first to plant large acreage of the hybrid.) The fruit's exterior fairly closely resembles a plum's. Pluots are noted for their sweetness (due to a very high sugar content) and for their intense flavor. Pluots are also rich in vitamin A.
In keeping with the theme, the Pink Plate Special this coming week, Monday, May 7, Tuesday, May 8, Wednesday, May 9 and Thursday, May 10, will be Bourbon-barbecued Cornish hen with baked mac and cheese and a spring salad.
The Pink Plate is a weekly prix fixe special we offer on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. For $30 per person, you get your choice of soup or salad, the featured entree, two selections from our cheese board or one of a couple of featured desserts and coffee, tea or espresso.
Another quintessential sign of spring is the emergence of ramps, and we hear a rumor that there is a basket being shipped in from somewhere a little warmer than here tomorrow. Consider it an Appalachian preview of the wonders yet to come to this area this season.
Ramps, (Allium tricoccum) are a relative of leeks and are the best of the onions that grow wild. They taste like a cross between a mild onion and strong garlic, with their own distinctive musty and lingering character. The Appalachian name "ramp" comes from the British Isles where a closely related plant called A. ursinum grows wild.
One etymological version has it that the English folk name "ramson" (son of Ram) referred to the plant's habit of appearing during the sign of Aries (March 20 to April 20.) Another source traces the name to "ramsen" the plural form of an Old English word for wild garlic. The Menomini tribe simply called them 'pikwute sikakushia" or skunk plant.
Alliums are a natural antidote to winter. Native Americans used ramps to treat coughs and colds and made a poultice of ramp juice to treat bee stings. They are a good source of Vitamin C and prostaglandin A1, a fatty acid believed to be therapeutic in the treatment of hypertension. Studies have linked alliums to increases in the production of high-density lipoproteins, which are believed to help combat heart disease by reducing blood serum levels of cholesterol.
An Oregon scientist has linked ramps to helping in the fight against cancer. http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/f-w99/selenium.html
We're getting in some moulard duck, and plan to make a warm salad with the sliced breast served with duck cracklings and raspberry vinaigrette. Paul is a big fan of Moulard duck, which we can get from a wonderful farm in Canada, but we have problems with the customers when we use this meat in Sophie's classic duck breast with apricot and green peppercorn sauce. Moulard is a cross between Pekin and Muscovy duck, with a deep red, almost beef-like texture, and it stays red even if you overcook it. This causes the occasional diner to send it back to the kitchen over and over because they don't like rare meat and can't be persuaded that the meat won't turn grey even when you cook it to a shameful degree. Once we've toasted it beyond recognition (over our own quite eloquent protests) people complain that the bird is tough.
So in spite of Paul's liking for the wild taste and texture of Moulard, we most frequently use free-range Pekin duck from Jurgielewicz Duck Farm on Long Island. This is a high-quality tender, tasty duck that almost never produces misunderstandings. Paul likes Moulard so much, however, that it occasionally appears on our menu under a cover different than our classic apricot sauce, and we love it when true duck fans appreciate it.
We'll also be serving a new pork dish that Paul really likes. He made a sage and garlic vinegar and is using to make a sauce for the grilled pork loin with confited tomatoes and butter, a great combination of tart, aromatic and rich.
We're doing halibut with a roasted shrimp-and-basil vinaigrette, we made an apricot brandy sorbet, and also a perennial favorite, potato leek soup, which will probably be served hot, unless it gets really warm outside, then we'll serve it chilled.
We put on a really fun benefit dinner for the Ellen Sinopoli Dance Company this week, complete with a dance demonstration and class by the Tango Fusion instructors who bring their students to dance in front of our fireplace once a month.
Ellen Sinopoli mentioned to Cheryl during the benefit dinner that the troupe will celebrate the conclusion of its 15th season as resident company of The Egg with a program featuring a guest artist, three premieres and one work by a guest choreographer on Friday, May 11,
2007 at 8pm at The Egg.
Featured in the performance will be guest artist Ramon Thielen, former principal dancer of the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Born in Barquisimeto, Venezuela, Ramon began his ballet studies in the Casa de la Cultura Julio Garmendia with Nery Johnson and later continued in the Gustavo Franklin Ballet School in Caracas. In 1987 he joined the Ballet Metropolitano de Caracas and later the Ballet Nuevo Mundo de Caracas, directed by Zhandra Rodriguez, where he was promoted to Principal Dancer in 1990. In 1991 he joined the San Jose Cleveland Ballet where for seven years he performed many principal roles in the classical and contemporary repertoire. Ramon joined The Dance Theater of Harlem in 1998 and was promoted to Principal Dancer in 1999. He is the first Hispanic male Principal Dancer at the institution in 36 years. Some of his principal roles include: Swan Lake, The Nutcracker, Carmina Burana, Raymond (in the ballet movie The Blue Suede Shoes), Romeo and Juliet, Othello, Diana and Acteon and Apollo.
He has been a guest artist with many international companies and has toured many countries including: Venezuela, Colombia Curacao, USA, England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, Austria, Spain, Switzerland, Italy, Greece, Russia, Australia and China.
Ellen will premier three of her own pieces, "Oh My…" a whimsical suite of five mood swinging dances, inspired by snippets of prose collected by Ms. Sinopoli and the music from the classical crossover disc “Appalachia Waltz” by Edgar Meyer, Mark O’Connor and Yo-Yo Ma; "Into Dark Moods," an ensemble for five dancers, explores a sense of disconnect. The work is choreographed to “Pottery Shards” composed by Münir Beken for string orchestra after a visit to Western Asia Minor; and "The Walk"," a solo for dancer Melissa George, choreographed to music by Cornelius Duffalo of the string quartet Ethel. It explores styles of walking, with a flair.
Tickets for the performance are $24 for adults, $20 for seniors and
$14 for children and are available at The Egg Box Office at the Empire State Plaza in Albany, by phone at 518-473-1845 or online at http://www.theegg.org.
We'll be offering our first-ever Mother's Day brunch on Sunday, May 13.
Because things went so well with the Easter brunch (until we hit a confection shortage in the last half hour), we're sticking with the same format: We will be offering a prix fixe brunch from 10:30 a.m.
to 3 p.m. For $30 a person, you get your choice of soup, fruit cup or salad, your choice of desserts, and your choice of any of the following entrees: veal roulade filled with pancetta, spinach and mozzarella; boeuf Bouguignonne; trout meunière; Cornish hen à la Sophie with tarragon, mushroom and Madeira; sole Cardinale; macadamia nut pancakes with passion fruit syrup, wild berry waffles and a build your own omelette station just for kicks.
Children under 12 eat for $15. We will begin serving an à la carte dinner menu with a number of special options starting at 5:30 p.m.
Breakfast will be served from 7 to 9:30.
Reservations are recommended and large family groups can be accommodated.
Our Sunday Jazz brunch this week with pianist Cole Broderick will feature pan-seared sea bass with carrot butter, roasted fingerling potatoes and seasonal vegetables ($14); strawberry stuffed pancakes with grilled ham steak ($12); open-faced crab and artichoke melt with potato gauffrettes ($14); chicken croquette with roasted garlic mashed potatoes and country gravy ($12). Appetizer specials include steamed Rhode Island Littleneck clams ($12); a salad of Sunset Hill Farm greens tossed in a red wine vinaigrette ($7) and soup of the day ($8).
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, frittata 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
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
P.S. The local farmers gather under the pavilions on High Rock Avenue in Saratoga every Wednesday from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. and every Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. For more information, visit
http://www.saratogafarmersmarket.org/
The Pink Plate Special
offered Monday, May 7, Tuesday, May 8, Wednesday, May 9 and Thursday, May 10.
$30 per person
includes your choice of soup or salad, a special entree, selected
desserts or a cheese course and coffee, tea or espresso.
This week's special entree:
bourbon barbecued chicken
Notes on Nico and Léo:
On Sunday, Nico's Dad let him play with the two kids next door, Ben and Liza, who are a couple of years older than Nico is. Nico ran across the back lawn to get some grapes and took them next door. Then he ran across the lawn to get some more grapes and took them next door. Then he ran home and got a ridiculous amount of grapes and carried them off. The last time he came over, he said: "I need some more grapes for Ben and Liza, but then I want to come home. Is that okay?"
Léo has started to play coquettish games with Ben and Liza's Dad, John. John does this thing where he asks Léo if she wants to come into his arms, and she shakes her head in a wild negative and buries her face, clinging like a leech to the nearest parent. Then she peeks out, hoping he'll ask again.
She's also developed what Paul calls the "demon look", tilting her head down and glaring from under her eyebrows whenever she is denied her current whim. It's pure Wednesday Addams, and a little frightening if it's a harbinger of future battles of wills.
The Parker family
at Chez Sophie
518.583.3538
