Thursday, June 21, 2012

Five and Ten Prix Fixe: June 21th-27th

Menu A

1.
crisp Berkshire pork belly, pickled peach, basil, and bourbon mustard
Riesling, Eugen Müller, Forster Mariengarten Kabinett, Pfalz, Germany, 2010

2.
roasted leg of lamb with baby root vegetables, salsa verde, and fava-pea shoot salad
Malbec, Felino, ‘Viña Cobos’, Mendoza, Argentina, 2010

3.
Split Creek marinated chevre with blueberry jam and toasted GA pecans


Menu B:

1.
grilled shrimp with sambul, shishito peppers, and citrus-shaved cabbage
Riesling, Schloss Gobelsburg, ‘Gobelsburger’, Kamptal, Austria, 2011

2.
crisp flounder meuniere with lemon, capers, and wilted spinach
Sancerre, Domaine de la Perriere, Loire, France, 2010

3.
Lemon chess pie  with vanilla bean whipped cream and local fresh fruits

$30 food
$15 booze

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

SUMMER OF RIESLING at ESS

SUMMER OF RIESLING BOCCE COURT TASTING
June 21, 7:00, on the bocce court
Come kick off Summer of Riesling with us on the bocce court with a little educational cocktailing. We will have six small tables by the bocce court, each manned by an over-excited local Riesling nerd who will gleefully teach you all about the wine they're pouring. Also going around will be some of Chef Ryan's Riesling-friendly snacks. Valerie Masten of Michael Skurnik Wines and Eric Brown from Le Caveau Fine Wines will be just two of our special guests. Sundresses and seersucker are not required, but those dressed in them will be greeted with a hearty hi-five.

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Five and Ten Prix Fixe: June 14th-20th

Menu A

1.
tomato aspic with heirloom tomatoes, shaved LaQuercia, parmesan, and sorrel
Txakolina rosé, Ameztoi, ‘Rubentis’ , Basque Country, Spain, 2011

2.
lobster middlins risotto with summer squash, edamame, and fennel-squash blossom crema
Pinot Grigio, Ornella Molon, Piave, Veneto, Italy, 2010

3.
Thomasville Tomme with toasted GA pecans, plum & cardamom jam, and baguette


Menu B:

1.
watermelon and feta salad with arugula, pickled rind, jalapenos, and lime vinaigrette
Cava, Avinyo, Brut Reserva, Penedes, Spain, NV

2.
fried chicken confit with squash casserole, rattlesnake beans, and pickled green tomatoes with hot pepper vinaigrette
Blaufränkisch, Prieler, ‘Johanneshohe’, Burgenland, Austria, 2008

3.
Blackberry and peach crisp with salty caramel ice cream and boxwood basil

$30 food
$15 booze

Wednesday, June 13, 2012

Corn Soup with Vanilla Bean, Coconut Milk, and Lobster


 
Photo by Rinne Allen

I recently demonstrated how to make this recipe at Grant Park Farmer's Market.

Time spent at my family's cottage on Lake Simcoe, just north of Toronto, made me keenly aware of summer vegetables. The cadence created by cucumbers, followed by yellow corn, then bi-colored corn, and finally tomatoes, defined the summer months.
            This soup is a beautiful pale yellow and has a natural sweetness that welcomes the vanilla. If lobster is not available, pair with an equally rich shellfish like shrimp or crawfish.

Serves 6
1 1/2 tablespoons kosher salt
1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
1 slice of fresh lemon
1 pound live fresh Maine lobster
2 tablespoons butter
1 leek, cleaned and finely diced
1 rib of celery, finely minced
3 cups fresh corn kernels
Bouquet garnis of fresh thyme and bay leaf (see Drawing)
1/2 fresh vanilla bean scraped (add both bean and scraped flesh)
1/2 cup russet potato, peeled and cubed to 1-inch
3 cups chicken stock
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 cup coconut milk
1 teaspoon sea salt
1 ripe tomato, diced
1 tablespoon very fruity extra virgin olive oil
1 tablespoon fresh chervil or dill

Place a large pot of water (about one gallon) on the stove for cooking the lobster. Bring the water to a boil and add 1 tablespoon of the kosher salt, all of the Old Bay seasoning and the lemon. When the water is at a vigorous boil, put in the lobster and cook for 6 minutes. While the lobster is cooking, prepare an ice bath by filling a bowl half with ice and half with water. Remove the lobster from the boiling water and place it in the ice bath to stop the cooking. Once chilled, clean the lobster by breaking off the tail, claws, and knuckles and carefully removing the meat from the shell. Set aside.
            In a soup pot with a lid, over medium-high, melt the butter. Add the leek and celery and cook until they are soft but not browned, about 3 minutes. Add the corn, bouquet garnis, vanilla, and potato. Cook for 2 minutes over medium heat. Add the stock and cover. Continue cooking over medium heat (without boiling) for about 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender when poked with a fork.
            Add the cream and coconut milk to the soup pot and continue cooking for about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat and puree carefully in a blender. Season with the sea salt.
            Chop the lobster into bite-size pieces (this lobster is a garnish and as a rule and should not be bigger than what can fit on a spoon) and place in a mixing bowl. Toss the lobster with the tomato, olive oil, and chervil. Divide the lobster equally among six soup bowls, then pour soup around it.
            Serve immediately.


Reprinted from A NEW TURN IN THE SOUTH: SOUTHERN FLAVORS REINVENTED FOR YOUR KITCHEN  by HUGH ACHESON.  Copyright © 2011 by HUGH ACHESON.  Photographs copyright © 2011 by RINNE ALLEN.  Published by Clarkson Potter, a division of Random House, Inc.”


Sunday, June 10, 2012

The Wines of Southern France Wine Dinner

The Wines of Southern France with Frederick Corriher, owner Route Des Vins Imports, and winemakers Gérald Lafont and Bertrand Stehelin

June 18th, 6:30 p.m.
$85 per person 

 One
Cured pompano with shaved celery, radish, edamame, ponzu vinaigrette, and toasted sesame
Sauvignon Blanc, Trois Amis, Vin de Pays d’Oc, Languedoc, France, 2010 

 Two
Local chanterelles with fennel-cippolini confit, shaved artichoke and celery, and lemon-thyme jus.
Lirac, Domaine d’Arbousset, Rhone, France, 2009

Three
Smoked squab breast and rillettes of leg with crisp kale, potatoes, pickled peach, and mustard
Gigondas, Domaine Paillere & Pied-Gu, Rhone, France, 2009

Four
Roasted lamb leg with glazed baby root vegetables, crispy salsify, fava and pea shoot salad, and verjus
Chateauneuf-du-Pape, Domaine Durieu, ‘Cuvee Lucile Avril’, Rhone, France, 2009

Five
Peach and blueberry galette with marzipan ice cream

Thursday, June 7, 2012

Five and Ten Prix Fixe: June 7th-13th


Menu A

1.
duck rillettes with toasted bread, mustard, shaved radish and asparagus
Sparkling Rosé, Charles Bove, Loire, France, 2010

2.
chanterelle pasta with corn, favas, cabbage, and spring onion
Vino Nobile di Montepulciano, Duca di Saragnano, Tuscany, Italy, 2007

3.
Challerhocker cheese, fresh peach, herbs, peach-melba jam and housemade baguette

Menu B:

1.
baked smoked oysters with bacon, cayenne, scallion, and brioche
Muscadet Cotes de Grand Lieu, Eric Chevalier, Loire, France, 2011

2.
crisp bass with preserved lemon, green olives, chive whipped potatoes, shaved summer squash, and sorrel emulsion
Sancerre, Domaine de la Perriere, Loire, France, 2010

3.
blackberry shortcakes  local blackberries, basil, vanilla bean cream and toasted almond

$30 food
$15 booze







Farewell Dinner for Executive Sous Chef Kyle Jacovino at Empire State South


Join us on June 17th as we throw a farewell dinner for Executive Sous Chef Kyle Jacovino. Kyle is leaving for an extended trip to Emilia-Romagna to learn the ways of the old Italian countryside.  He and Bruce Logue (formerly of La Pietra, currently of STG, studied in Italy) will be guest-cheffing.  Italian Style Five courses with wine, $90 per person plus tax and gratuity.



June 17th Wine Dinner
Five Courses
Kyle Jacovino
&
Bruce Logue
Reception
Beer Cocktail
Kelle Thorn

1st Course
Kyle
Flounder Crudo and Marinated Sapelo Clams, Celia’s Bronze fennel & Parsley, Cherry tomatoes, Magnalista Lardo
Vernaccia di San GimignanoFontaleoni, Tuscany, Italy, 2010 

2nd
Bruce
Speck with Peaches, Whipped Ricotta and Giardiniera
Kerner, Abbazia di Novacella, Alto-Adige, Italy, 2010 

3rd
Bruce
Middlin Risotto, Field Peas, Corn, Baby Squash
Vino Rosso da Tavola , Paolo Scavino, Langhe, Italy, 2010

4th
Border Springs Lamb, Stewed tomatoes, Gnocchi, Pole Bean, Calabrese Peppers
 Rosso di Montalcino, Val di Suga, Tuscany Italy, 2009

5th
Kyle’s Last American Tiramisu
mascarpone, espresso, frozen biscuit, sambuca,
cherries, chocolate, hazelnuts
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