You Dim Sum You Lose Some

A few of us met for a Dim Sum Brunch this morning at Super Star.  I have no idea how other meals are in this restaurant, but Sunday Brunch?  Five Stars.  You know it's good when 99% of the customers are Chinese.  Just sayin'.

The wait staff push various carts around to the tables, serving a variety of steamed dumplings, fried wontons, sticky rice, pot stickers, stuffed mushroom dishes, and desserts.

All of the food we tried was good.  In fact, I was in Hong Kong over the summer and ate a variety of dim sum; this meal tasted every bit as flavorful and authentic. 

We recommend trying the Dim Sum Brunch as part of a group in order to get the most bang for your buck.  We were a group of four, and tried multiple dishes, paying only about $16/per person.  It was a great deal, and the place was packed.  To guarantee a seat without a wait, arrive before 11:00 a.m.

Pork Pot Stickers

Steamed Pork Buns

A BIG HIT!

From the dessert cart, we chose sesame balls (get these for sure!), custard tarts (these too!), and baked taro pastries.

Custard Tarts

Sesame Balls - yes, yes, and yes

Taro Pastries

A final note about the dining experience:  you're going for the tasty food, not the ambiance, not the service.  This is your typical recover-from-Saturday-night's-hangover, get-in-and-eat-all-you-want-then-get-out dining experience.  The food is fresh, tasty, and a bargain.

Enjoy!

Star of the Show

The latest Supper Club was movie-related.  What movies, you ask?  That's irrelevant, really, because it was all about the food.

What happens when you take a tasty cheese board...

...and combine it with honey and butter deliciousness from the heavens?

 Magic in your mouth.  Yeah, that's right.

We enjoyed our appetizers by the fire while the snow fell outside.  Welcome to Supper Club in the winter in Denver.

Up next was pizza cooked on the grill.

The main course was pork tenderloin and ratatouille.

But I'll be honest with you, all these courses were just leading up to the grand finale:

Chocolate Truffle Dessert Deliciousness.  It was every bit as delicious as it looks!  Recipe below!

Chocolate Truffle Dessert
Prep:  30 mins
Bake:  25 mins + chilling

Ingredients

*  1 package fudge brownie mix (8-inch square pan size)
*  3 cups (18 oz) semisweet chocolate chips
*  2 cups heavy whipping cream, divided
*  6 Tsp butter, cubed
*  1 Tsp instant coffee granules
*  3 Tsp vanilla extract
*  14 to 16 Pirouette cookies, cut into 1-1/2 inch pieces

Directions

1.  Prepare brownie batter according to package directions.  Spread into a greased 9-in springform pan. Place on a baking sheet.  Bake at 350 for 25-30 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the center comes out clean.  Cool completely on a wire rack.

2.  Place chocolate chips in a food processor; cover and process until finely chopped.  In a small microwave-safe bowl, combine 1 cup cream, the butter and coffee granules.  Microwave, uncovered, on high for 1 to 1.5 minutes or until butter is melted; stir until smooth.  With food processor running, add cream mixture in a slow, steady stream.  Add vanilla; cover and process until smooth.

3.  Cut a small hole in the corner of a pastry or plastic bag.  Fill with 1/4 cup chocolate mixture; set aside for garnish.  Transfer remaining chocolate mixture to a large bowl.

4.  Remove sides of springform pan.  Spread half of the chocolate mixture over brownie layer, spreading evenly over top and sides.  In a small mixing bowl, beat remaining cream until soft peaks form; fold into remaining chocolate mixture.  Spread over chocolate layer.  Gently press cookies into sides of dessert.

5.  Pipe reserved chocolate mixture on top.  Cover and refrigerate for at least 4 hours or overnight.  Remove from refrigerator 5 minutes before cutting.

(From The Taste of Home Cookbook)

Some of "Z" Best Food Around Denver

Unassuming, cozy, French comfort food - nothing wrong with those descriptors, oui? 

It was on a recent frozen Saturday evening in January that I found myself hungry and anxious. Cabin fever was hitting this lady hard. The husband, sensing my mood, astutely answered, "Whatever you're up for, babe." 

With that affirmation, I hit up my trusty 5280 website for ideas. Linger, Root Down, Cafe de Brazil....all of our options sounded good. I scrolled through the list a bit more. Z Cuisine. Hmmm. I know that name. It consistently tops the "Best of" lists around town, and yet I knew nothing about it. 

I navigated over to the restaurant's website, http://zcuisineonline.com/ to see if its offerings could sate my hunger and assuage my anxiety. A review of its sample menu - Z Cuisine places heavy emphasis on local and seasonal menu items - told me that, oh yeah, this could be a very, very good thing.

Heeding 5280's advice to arrive tres early because reservations of less than 6 are not accepted, we made our way downtown at 4:30 p.m. Z Cuisine is nestled in a brick building on a classically old corner in the Lower Highlands. It's surrounded by homes of varying vintage and the neighborhood is impossibly charming - well, um, this writer might be a bit biased. A Cote, the slightly dangerous sister to Z Cuisine, resides next door and specializes in absinthe as well as other libations. A Cote serves a limited menu and its brick-wall interior is a welcome antithesis to some of the ultra-modern downtown bars. It's also probably the only bar in Denver that screens old black-and-white Julia Child cooking shows.

Pic source

Upon pushing through the squeaky wooden front door, Z Cuisine envelopes you like an old friend. The simple, rustic French decor is a relief - any concerns about pretentious foods and attitudes fall away. We opted for high seats at the bar, preferring to observe the action in the kitchen to our right, as well as to make casual conversation with the wait staff.

Based on our server's recommendation and a couple of gratis samples, we quickly selected a bottle of French red. This writer forgot to take a picture of the label, but based on past preferences (from which she doesn't stray far), it's safe to assume the bottle was a blend of cote du rhone and cabernet.

Having uncorked the bottle, we set about discussing the menu with our server. Be prepared to chat for 15 minutes or more about Z Cuisine's ever-changing menu options. This evening, our server discussed in great detail the source of the scallops and the diver who had hand-plucked them from the sea.

Pic source

 In place of main items, we selected three starters to share.

Our salad was brought first. Technically, it was called salade de chevre chaud gratinee au pistou - but we're going to just call it awesome French salad. All of the ingredients were beautifully, deliciously fresh. The arrangement was simple: vibrant green butter lettuce laid the foundation for nests of marinated nicoise olives, roasted red peppers, and goat cheese. All of these components wore a layer of delicate French vinaigrette that served to add a burst of flavor without overwhelming the senses. 

More. We want more. 

OK, next on the list to battle our hunger was quite possibly the best charcuterie board we've ever had the pleasure of snarfing down. It was arranged just the way I like it - pockets of savory, thin-sliced meats and petite mounds of pork pate; soft, mellow French cheeses to round out the other sharp flavors; wine-soaked raisins; heavenly marinated nicoise olives; grainy stone-ground mustard; smoky strings of roasted red pepper; apricot chutney for a bit of sweetness; and a handful of walnuts for that very necessary crunch.

All rules of decorum went out the window as husband and wife plowed through the charcuterie board. The gloves were off and the niceties put aside as we audibly groaned at the tastiness and competed for the last smear of chutney. I love you. Now get out of the way of my fork.

Pic Source

Having sated ourselves quite well on meats and cheeses, our last item arrived and was the equivalent of a soft, warm pair of pajamas on a chill morning. Our tartlette consisted of nothing but the good stuff: bacon, onions, French cheese, and potatoes doing the backstroke in a bechamel sauce and capped with a flaky crust. Ooh la la. Further adding to what now was this writer's full-blown love affair with the subject restaurant, the tartlette was presented in a tiny, red Le Creuset round casserole dish. Did I mention I collect red Le Creuset dishes? 

The tartlette was everything you want in a French casserole: equal parts savory and creamy. Calories be damned. Accompanying this epic comfort food was an adorable paper bag containing pieces of fresh-baked French baguette. The dipping commenced with a flurry until both the tartlette and the baguette were no mas. Le sigh.

But not to worry because before we had finished the bottle of wine, we had pre-ordered a trio of desserts. Having forgotten all about this amid the feeding frenzy of the past three courses, our dessert arrived just minutes later. Upon seeing the perfectly simple white plate adorned with gorgeous treats, I might have clapped. Just a couple of times. 

The dessert trio - suggested by our server - consisted of profiteroles encasing a generous heap of fresh cream and then glazed with caramel, traditional creme brulee, and a potent ramekin of chocolate mousse. The portions were appropriate and each dessert was excellent - a solid option for concluding a shared meal.

Pic Source

 Excluding wine, three shared starters and the dessert trio totaled $70 before tip. It was plenty of food for two people, and both of us were quite surprised at the value.

Lest this review become too long (readers: too late, Jen), I must make one quick note about the service. It's good, but not excellent. One doesn't get the impression that Z Cuisine is striving for the title of Best Restaurant in Denver. Service is generally solid and the verbal menu is an interesting way to make a meaningful connection with one's server. However, attention to detail is almost an afterthought, which is actually what makes Z Cuisine endearing and comfortable. One can take comfort in the slightly forgetful, convivial atmosphere. 

Z Cuisine excels at its mission: a bistro with an ambience. 

Golf clap, Z Cuisine. You're doing it right.

{Contributed by Supper Club Member Extraordinaire, Jen.}

Jazz Up Your Pecan Pie

I found this recipe online a few years ago and I'm so glad I did.  It's a chocolatey, cherry twist on pecan pie, and it's quick and easy!  If you're looking for a little of the same and a little of something new this holiday season, give this a whirl.

Black Forest Brownie Pecan Pie

Black Forest Brownie Pecan Pie

Makes:  8 servings
Prep Time:  15 minutes
Bake Time:  30 minutes
Cool Time:  1 hour

Ingredients

*  3/4 cup Karo light or dark corn syrup
*  1/3 cup sugar
*  1/8 ts salt
*  3 oz semi-sweet baking chocolate, broken into pieces
*  2 TS butter or margarine
*  3 eggs, slightly beaten
*  1 ts vanilla extract
*  3/4 cup coarsely chopped pecans
*  1 ready-made graham cracker pie crust
*  1 can (21 oz) cherry pie filling

Directions

1.  Combine corn syrup, sugar and salt in a small saucepan.  Bring mixture to a boil over medium heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved.  Remove from heat.

2.  Add chocolate and butter to syrup mixture, stirring until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth.  Let cool for 5 minutes.

3.  Pour chocolate mixture slowly over eggs, stirring constantly.  Add vanilla and pecans; mix well.  Place pie crust on a baking sheet or pizza pan (for stability).  Pour mixture into crust.

4.  Bake in a preheated 350-degree oven for about 30 to 35 minutes, until center of pie is slightly puffed; cool at least 1 hour.  To serve, top each slice of pie with about 1/4 cup of cherry pie filling.

*Recipe found at www.recipefortogetherness.com 

Break Out The Fat Pants (Happy Thanksgiving!)

This weekend, the Denver Supper Club and our families celebrated Thanksgiving (Friendsgiving?) Martha Stewart Style. 

Elastic waistbands all around.  Just sayin.

The menu was phenomenal and the company was even better.  Breaking with our usual tradition, I didn't take photos this time, choosing instead to enjoy awesome fellowship with the peeps.  In lieu of a detailed recipe critique, let me say that I believe it was agreed, all around, that the dishes were wonderful.  There was certainly enough butter in there to clog some arteries, so the main Thanksgiving (culinary) requirement was fulfilled.

We have included links to all recipes, in case you would like to include a wonderful dish or two into your holiday menu.  Enjoy!

Roast Turkey

(duh)

Source

Sausage Pear Stuffing

 

Martha Stewart Recipe here

 

Dried Fruit and Nut Cornbread Dressing

Martha Stewart Recipe here

Bechamel and Greens

Martha Stewart Recipe here

Olive Oil Mashed Potatoes with Garlic and Sage

Martha Stewart Recipe here

 

Sherry Thyme Vinaigrette

Martha Stewart Recipe here

 

Brown Butter Apple Pie

Pie Recipe here and Crust Recipe here

 

Bruleed Pumpkin Pie

Pie Recipe here and Crust Recipe here

Here's wishing a Happy Thanksgiving to you and yours.

 

Dazzle Me

A friend and I recently went to Dazzle, a jazz club and restaurant on Lincoln Street.  She used to work at DU and would stop by occasionally for a martini after work.  Never one to turn down a martini, I met her there a few days ago.

The atmosphere is very nice; the club doesn't look like much from the outside, but once you walk in you see that it is relatively spacious, with a bar spanning the entire side of the room.  The bartenders are lively and friendly, as is the wait staff.  They are quick with relevant food and drink recommendations, and the jazz music in the background is an awesome touch.  As you'll see, the food left much to be desired, but with that said, I would recommend Dazzle for the drinks and overall vibe.  I would certainly go there again with my peeps, to relax after work, or to celebrate a special occasion.

She was right about the martinis!  They have a good selection of sweet and savory, with some unique flavor combinations.  My favorite was the Water Baby:  Platinum Vodka, Watermelon Smackers, and Pineapple Juice.  Yes, yes, and yes.

I beat her to the restaurant and was famished, so I ordered the Tomato and Goat Cheese Soup, which was excellent.  The texture was smooth and creamy, and the flavor was spot on.  Thick tomato soup with a hint of goat cheese flavor and a tad of basil.  I would highly recommend it.

I have to say, though, that the food went downhill from there.  We shared the Crab Stuffed Mushrooms which were small and lackluster.  I actually added salt to mine to give it a boost.  Not good.  They reminded us of a dish you could easily whip up for yourself at home.  In other words, why pay money for something I could make at home in my pj's?

Next, we ordered Brie baked in a Puff Pastry, served with a light honey drizzle.  Again, meh.  I will say that the prices were not high (an average of ~$6 per appetizer), so it's not like they stiffed us, but it just didn't dazzle me (ha!).

Lastly, we ordered the Breaded Zucchini, which as you can see from the picture below, looked like several boat oars on the plate.  The flavor wasn't bad, but the breading was way too heavy and the sauce was nothing to write home about.

The menu offered many additional choices for appetizers and entrees, including interesting pizzas and many more vegetarian options.  As you can see, we only tried a handful.

The next time you're in the mood to unwind with some good music and great drinks, give Dazzle a try!

 

{All pictures my own, filtered through Instagram.}

Next Restaurant - Bocuse d'Or Theme

In September we travelled back to Chicago for our third dinner of the year at Next Restaurant (see my previous post for some history on the restaurant). The theme this month was Bocuse d’Or, a tribute to the international food competition and also the chef Paul Bocuse.

 

The Bocuse d’Or is an international cooking competition conceived by legendary French chef Paul Bocuse that occurs every two years in Lyon, France. Countries send their teams to compete and are required to prepare both a fish dish and a meat dish in front of several judges (plus a raucous live audience, giving it the feel of an Olympic event). The finished dishes must not only be executed to perfection, but must also be aesthetically unique and include specific elements from each chef's home country. The USA hasn’t ever placed very high in the competition so Chefs Thomas Keller, Daniel Boulud, and Grant Achatz (chef at Next and Alinea) became involved recently to mentor the American teams in the hopes of improving their performance. Chef Achatz's experience with coaching the USA team is what inspired him to create a Bocuse d’Or and Chef Bocuse tribute menu using Midwestern ingredients as the basis for many of the dishes.

Here’s the link to the teaser video.

 

 

As usual we stopped at The Aviary for a quick drink before our dinner. We were lucky to have a table right in front of their kitchen, so we could see all the beautiful drink creations coming out of the kitchen. Not only are their drinks amazing, but the presentation and method of serving is so incredible!

After our drinks, we were led through to Next and it was a totally different atmosphere than it has been in the past (which is the whole point of Next – the spirit of change). Flags from competing countries were hanging from the ceiling and flat screen TVs had been mounted on either end of the restaurant showing video from the most recent Bocuse d’Or competition.

Our first dish was on the table when we arrived, a small red crock filled with a beautiful veal terrine. We were given an amazing cippolini onion marmalade and a basket of bread to accompany the terrine, and it was superb! The cippolini onion marmalade may have been the favorite part of the dish at our table, but it was all amazing. The dish was served with a Sazerac - a cocktail containing rye, Peychaud's Bitters, simple syrup, and a bit of absinthe. The absinthe was brought to the table in a perfume bottle next to the glass and we were instructed to use two sprays into our glasses. The flavors in the cocktail are all things I pretty much hate, so I didn’t partake too much in this one. But the general consensus at the table was that it was very good, and after adding the absinthe the cocktail completely changed its flavor profile. There were rye flavors in the terrine so I’m sure they complimented each other very well. We were given a very generous serving of the terrine, and as much as we wanted to finish it, we knew we had a long way to go and sadly left about half in the crock.

 

Terrine with Sazerac and Absinthe 

 

The next course was a caviar dish beautiful presented on four stacked gold lined plates. The presentation was extravagant (and apparently a nod to classic French presentation) but the little bite was perfection. The caviar was served on top of a whipped beurre blanc with pine nuts and served in a crispy ciabatta cup. It was salty, crunchy, creamy and perfect!

 

Caviar in a ciabatta cup 

  

Our next course was a beautiful Madeira aspic (think: refined jello) with a darden ham mousse in the middle. This is also a very classic French dish and was perfection. The ham was wonderfully salty and the greens on the side brought a delightful freshness to the dish.

 

Madeira aspic with darden ham

A soufflé of prawns followed and it was incredible. The soufflé was light and fluffy and the flavors in the prawn were perfectly southern, but not spicy.

 

Souffle of Prawns

Our next dish included a bit of theatrics. When we originally arrived there was a single rose on the table, and we know that Grant Achataz doesn’t approve of anything on the table unless it’s useful in the meal. So at some point, we knew the rose would be involved – and we were right! The server brought a tray that had a small container of liquid nitrogen and dunked the rose in it! It made the rose freeze immediately and when she pulled the rose out she crushed petals into a bowl, which was then used in the dish in front of us. The dish was a foie gras dish, but the foie gras was prepared almost as crumbs, I would guess liquid nitrogen was also used in this preparation. White chocolate and cauliflower were included in the dish and it all was just perfection. Another blogger called it edible poetry, and I have to agree, it was beautiful!

Foie Gras Dish

Liquid Nitrogen




Rose Before

Rose After

The final dish of the appetizer portion of the menu was a grilled romaine, and it was a deviation from a mostly French inspired menu. The dish included shaved bonito flakes, bottarga (cured fish roe), and peanuts. I think the consensus at the table was that it was one of our least favorite dishes, but I did enjoy it and thought the flavors were really refreshing after the mostly heavy dishes we’d up to that point.



Grilled Romaine

While we were eating this course, all of a sudden the lights came up in the restaurant and the volume from the video (basically a cheering crowd) was turned up – it was time for the presentation of the platters! The creation of platters is a huge part of the Bocuse d’Or, and each country is required to prepare two platters that are not only beautifully assembled but tasty. Next went above and beyond and created three platters, all previews of the main courses we were about to enjoy.

First was a trout and egg platter:

 

Trout Platter (From Next's website)

Followed by a smoked pheasant on top of a smouldering pile of hay:

 

Pheasant Platter

And finally, a ribeye platter (which I learned later included elements honoring Chicago as a center of publishing – including typeset letters and a paper cutter.)

  

Beef Platter

 Following the platters, we received our first fish dish – trout with soft eggs, apparently an homage to a favorite dish of Dave Beran’s (Chef de Cuisine) growing up in Michigan. I know Chad and I really disliked this dish (hate is such a strong word), and the general consensus was that it was our least favorite of all the dishes that night. Trout isn’t my favorite dish to begin with, and the consistency of the fish was basically raw (although it had been cooked in some way, smoked I think.) The plate also had green blueberries, which I thought were really bitter and tart, and didn’t add anything to the plate. However there were a couple amazing components on the plate. There was something crunchy with trout roe and it was salty, crunchy and amazing! I was recently reading blogs to refresh my memory and I’ve now learned it was deep fried trout skeleton, glad I didn’t know that when I was enjoying it so much. Also, there was a sphere of olive oil curd, amazing! There was also an edible “egg shell,” which was edible, I just can’t remember what it was made out of.

  

Trout with Soft Eggs

 

The next dish was another fish dish featuring salmon. The platter was fascinating – half of a hallowed out log that contained burning aromatics, adding a wonderful smoke to the plate. The salmon was incredible and with a beautiful consistency. We all agreed that it had to have been done in the sous vide, it was perfect.

 

Smoldering Salmon

The following dish took us back to French classics – a mushroom consommé with a puff pastry top. Homemade puff pastry is always a treat, and of course Next’s was amazing! We always seem to get some kind of consommé at Next, and this was hands down the favorite we’ve ever had there. The consommé, mushrooms, and puff pastry all mixed together were incredible.

 

Mushroom Consomme

 

After the soup we received our first meat dish, this one based on the pheasant platter we had seen brought through the dining room. The pheasant was cut in a beautiful triangle and covered in a sauce blanquette. The plate also included a small pastry cup that had ground pheasant in it (which I didn’t know until later, but it was tasty). It was all beautifully done and delicious.

 

Pheasant

 

And then came our favorite dish, and quite possibly the best steak and potatoes I’ve ever had in my life. This dish also came from one of the platters. The stars of the plate were a small medallion of beef and marrow mashed potatoes served in a bone (like bone marrow typically is). I could’ve bathed in the marrow mashed potatoes, they were heavenly, and none of us could get enough!

 

Steak with Marrow Potatoes

 

The cheese course that followed was equally mind blowing. First they brought glass spheres filled with cashews, pear and something creamy. Then they brought the cheese (Tete de Moine) to the table and essentially shaved off long shavings that looked like pencil shavings and put them in the spheres. The cheese was just slightly stinky and was a beautiful pairing with the sweet and nutty components in the sphere.

 

 

Cheese Course

The first dessert course was a play on apple pie a la mode (or deconstructed apple pie). The latticed pie crust was standing on the plate, a slightly burned marshmallow coated the plate, and the ice cream was a quartered piece of a bombe. It may be one of the sweeter desserts we’ve had a Next. Delish!

 

Apple Pie a la mode

 

The last dessert course included savory and sweet components of squash, pecans and oatmeal cookie. The squash was made into a cube and the little gift inside was almost like the filling of a pecan pie. This was served with an egg cream, which I thought was just too heavy this late in the meal.



 

Squash Dessert

 

We ended as we always do with mignardises. We had something similar to a tootsie roll, macaroons and a chocolate truffle.

 

 

Mignardises

 

This was by far one of the best dinner’s we’ve attended at Next, every dish was spot on, and the one dish I didn’t like, was because I just really don’t like trout (especially smoked). It was, as always, an amazing experience! This was the last of our season and I’m looking forward to hear what the next themes will be. Rumor is a steakhouse theme might be one of them, yum, yum, yum!

{Contributed by the Hostess with the Mostess of our Denver Supper Club}