Bite Me | A blog for all things tasty

Chocolate butter as a prelude to cajun fish and mushroom risotto

I'm in Hershey, Pennsylvania and am loving the chocolate, chocolate, everywhere theme. Chocolate martinis, chocolate spa treatments, and chocolate chunk cookies after lunch and as mid-afternoon snacks. But chocolate butter? Uh...well...maybe.

I spread the chocolate butter on a piece of warm, fresh from the oven whole grain bread, and it tasted like frosting on toast. It was a little weird, especially when I caught a few herb/chive notes from the neighboring butter swirl. This was to be the prelude to my cajun marinated grouper and wild mushroom risotto? No thanks. I delved into the herb butter to rid myself of the chocolate taste as I awaited the grouper.

I'm all for creativity, but I just didn't appreciate this combination. It is my experience that both butter and chocolate absorb refrigerator flavors, especially garlic and onion. As a general rule, if I refrigerate chocolate I try to keep it isolated from odor-rich foods.

What's the weirdest way you've had chocolate? Was it a good experience?

Pastry chef Jonathan Bowden uses only the best ingredients in his Belle Sucre product line

Although some of us love it, Halloween candy is like Trix--it's for kids. What's worse is that so much candy out there is not really worth the sugar or the fat in terms of flavor. That candy, if you ask me, is for the birds. 

But we adults are actually lucky. Once Halloween is over, the focus shifts to us. Holiday goodies might change colors for the kidoes, but for we, we're only getting started. Every year I make a bourbon pecan pie, tea cookies, and Mexican brownies for my family. They love the treats and ask why I don't package them and sell them. The real answer is that I do it for fun, and I do it for us with the best quality ingredients. 

Did I say the best quality ingredients? Yes. I don't use stuff I don't want to eat, i.e. partially hydrogenated fats, imitation flavors, or cheap liqueurs. I use the most expensive, highest quality ingredients I can afford. Some bakers and pastry makers around town may do the same, but I have my doubts...that is until this morning when I had a taste of Jonathan Bowden's Belle Sucre product line.

Former Greenery pastry chef Jonathan Bowden (who is also CIA-trained by the way) told me that he would have a booth at the Christmas Fair this year (The Christmas Fair is sponsored by the Junior League and will take place on Nov. 5-7 at the Civic Center: http://www.jlep.org/?nd=christmas_fair). I told him I would be hosting a meeting at UTEP and would not make it, so, since he's already preparing, he offered to give me a preview of what he would be selling next week.

Jonathan makes something for everyone with even a remote semblance of a sweet tooth because a lot of what he does is flavored with butter and accentuated with salt. Today I tasted some simple shortbread cookies, some nut brittles, and a couple of chocolate options. My personal favorites are the sweets with chocolate, i.e. the peppermint bark and the toffee chocolate crunch. Oh my god! They are the perfect balance of sweet, bitter, creamy, and crunchy. To die for. Why?

I learned that Jonathan uses the freshest, highest quality ingredients--much like I do at home--but he also incorporates techniques I do not master, like chocolate tempering, and some of his ingredients are only available to chefs by special order (not through traditional restaurant supply stores). One such ingredient, which he described in detail is the Felchin chocolate. This chocolate costs him about $10 per pound and is imported exclusively by a company called Swiss Chalet.

All items are priced between $2 and $8--a bargain for the quality of ingredients and specialized technique that goes into each batch. It's the kind of little gift that doesn't just tell somebody you appreciate them because you got them something sweet, it tells them that you got them something sweet and something good. We're lucky to still have Jonathan in town. 

Since Belle Sucre products are only available at the Christmas Fair and by special order, I asked Jonathan to send me a list of what people might expect to see next week and the prices (see below the dotted line). If for some reason you can't make it in person, you can e-mail or call him: bellesucrejb@gmail.com & 915-276-7163. Outside of the Christmas Fair he will be taking orders from November 20th through December 24th.

Do you have a favorite holiday treat? Do you make it or buy it? What's the scoop?

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Caramel Apples: Jumbo granny smith apples dipped in our hand-madecaramel and imported swiss chocolate. Weighing in at one pound each onaverage these apples are a great holiday treat.$7.50 for our triple chocolate and $8.00 with toasted pecans

Peanut Brittle: Our brittle is made in small batches and stretched by handinto thin lacy pieces so it’s crunchy yet delicate; packed with peanuts andflavored with salt, vanilla and a generous amount of fresh butter so it’s delicious.$6.50 for 1/2 pound box

Maple-Pecan Brittle: Grade A maple syrup is the first ingredient in this twiston a holiday classic. Pecans, tahitian vanilla and twice as much butter as ourpeanut brittle make this a very refined indulgence.$8.50 for 1/2 pound box

Pecan Buttercrunch: Toasted pecans and rich semi-sweet Swiss chocolatespread over sheets of crisp buttery salted toffee. $6.50 for a 6 oz bag

Peppermint Bark: Made with imported dark and white Swiss chocolate,flavored with natural peppermint oil and sprinkled with candy cane. A greattreat for mint lovers. $8.50 for a 6 oz bag

Divinity: A classic southern confection that derives it’s name from itswonderful fluffy melt in your mouth texture. Made with toasted pecansand a hint of tahitian vanilla. $2.00 per bar

Sugar Cookie: Made with fresh butter (not margarine or shortening) ourcookies are thick so they’re crisp on the outside and soft on the inside.Glazed with fondant that stays soft and creamy and royal icing to makethe finishing touches. $3.00 each

Vanilla Shortbread: Made with only butter, sugar, flour, salt and tahitianvanilla; these shortbread are simply delicious. $6.00 per bag of 8 cookies

Lemon Shortbread: The addition of natural lemon oil and a sweet lemon glazegives these shortbread a tart refreshing zing. $6.00 per bag of 8 cookies

Pecan Shortbread: Crispy, crumbly, buttery and loaded with pecans theseare the ultimate pecan cookie. $6.50 per bag of 8 cookies

Chocolate Mint Shortbread: We use imported Swiss cocoa in our chocolateshortbread for a smooth rich flavor. Natural peppermint oil and kosher saltround out the cookie to make it truly fantastic. $6.50 per bag of 8 cookies

Chocolate Hazelnut Shortbread: Our delicious chocolate shortbreadwith the addition of toasted hazelnuts makes for a very grown-up treat.$6.50 per bag of 8 cookies

Flautas, flautas everywhere: Ke Flauta this time

My ongoing quest for flautas took me to another reader- and (editor Paula Diaz-) suggested place: Ke Flauta on Doniphan. This place is in the upper valley at 5100 Doniphan. It is clean. And while they serve tortas and other goodies, the flauta plate is irresistible served with beans and a soft drink for under $5.00 all week. 

I would have liked some more of the panela cheese--next time I'll ask, but these potato flautas were great. I liked Tepalca in Canutillo as I mentioned in my previous post, and I will go again. But if you're craving potato, chicken, or tuna, this place is great. The staff were very friendly, and the food was super fresh.

I've got to stop craving these things--you guys are coming up with too many good places. All smiles here.

Through the grapevine: On local chefs

I just heard that chef Adam Alper attended some pastry classes at the Culinary Institute of America (CIA) in Hyde Park, NY and is now the pastry chef at the Greenery. Another chef called him a "jack of all trades." For those of you looking for improvements on the pastry circuit, this should be good news.

Our last post about Adam Alper had him working at G2. He seems to be at the tip of lots of people's tongues.

This weekend I ran into chef Bobby Griffing at the grocery store and he was up to some pretty creative stuff for a private party. He said he would send pictures of some of the food. I'll keep you posted.

Also, I'm in the middle of finding out what former Greenery chef Jonathan Bowden has been up to. More on him soon....

Before your flowers turn to squash...

I don't know if this happens to you, but if you planted squash seeds, you may have noticed some delicious flowers growing on the plants. Did I say delicious? Yes. 

I can only eat so much squash, and that's a good thing because I absolutely love squash blossoms. You can go gourmet with them and make some crepes, but if you just have a few, why not try them in your quesadillas. Michael and I did this the other day with a few blossoms and some New Mexico green chiles from the garden. Our chiles are so flavorful--they beat grocery store varieties any day. We sauteed them with onion and added the squash blossoms at the end.

Don't have squash blossoms? Sautee fresh chiles and onions--the fresher, the better. 

This just in: Two of your favorites

Carousel Restaurant and Tequila Bar will be opening at the old Ohashi location on 3800 N. Mesa St. Suite D1. The opening is scheduled for November 12th. This place has a relationship with Chihuahua Charlie's--I'm guessing same owners. See www.worldfamoso.com or "like" Carousel Restaurant and Tequila Bar on Facebook.

Word has it that Crave (on Cincinnati and Stanton) will be opening a second location on the East side. Where or when, I don't know. Do you?

 

Flautas Tepalca, yum, yum, and yum!

I know we've discussed my love for flautas on this blog before, and while I'm partial to potato flautas, I have finally been to a place to which you "must go" if you are on a flauta quest. The only downside for me is that they come in one flavor: beef. But I recognize that beef might be an upside for others.

Flautas Tepalca is in Canutillo, on Doniphan. They have excellent tortas (I had a bite of a milanesa one that was delish), chilindrinas, corn in a cup, and other fun fair food. But they are best known, as the name indicates, for their flautas. Tepalca flautas are long and skinny, which makes for a great crunch. They're not greasy, though they are bathed in Mexican cream and topped with powdery panela cheese. To this mixture you can add guacamole or red chile salsa to taste. Sounds simple, and it is, but it is also the perfect crunch and flavor combination. It reminds me of Mexico City flautas. Yum, yum, and yum!

Oh, and they make their own aguas frescas, ice cream, and popsicles. I can vouch for the agua de limon--it tastes like the one they served at my grandparents' house in central Mexico--and for the "chamoy" popsicle. My friend Pacho had the canteloupe popsicle and was so happy with it he didn't want to share. 

Thank you to those of you who recommended this place. It is fun and great-tasting Mexican street food, and I will go again! Still sad about the potato flautas though. Where did you all say I could get some good ones?

 

This posting is not about Tara Thai, it is about Hilda

This, my friends, is a delicious Tom Yum soup from Tara Thai. What you don't see is a beyond delicious plate of Drunken Noodles and another plate with a gorgeous display of seafood--mussels, scallops, and shrimp. 

Something else you don't see though is the service. During my last Tara Thai experience, Hilda treated us like royalty. We were cold, and she helped to make sure we moved to a table where we were more comfortable. She was knowledgable about the menu and helped us identify vegetarian and vegan options around existing, non-vegetarian menu items. 

The food itself was perfect--I can taste the nuanced flavors of the soup almost a week later! But really, what I remember best is the way we felt about how we were treated.

Hilda was attentive, helpful, and curteous without being intrusive. I call this being perceptive, and I wanted to make sure to write about it. So often we focus on the negatives of our service experiences; why not look at the other side of the coin? Are we (as a city) getting better in this realm? It seems like it, and I hope so!

Is there a specific place or dining experience that you remember because of the stellar service? 

Novelty classics: Lamb lollipops and bone-in ribeye

It's been a week of bone-in meats, and I say this with a smile because I've had excellent experiences at almost every restaurant I've been to in El Paso for over seven days. I've had meetings galore, and I've eaten out more than I normally do. Three experiences stand out. I will share two today (based on theme) and leave one for my next entry. 

First, let me just tell you that I had drinks and appetizers at Danes--something I had never done, and I don't know why since Dane's has been around for a while and I drive by all the time (I guess I had been reluctant based on a couple of good but not "knock your socks off" meal experiences...at least not my socks). They have great specials, and the appetizers are fun, zesty, and tasty. The scallop and shrimp ceviche and the lamb lollipops were my favorite. Both dishes had the right combination of tenderness and tanginess. And the lamb lollipops are fun. They are seasoned deliciously but you can dip them in a sweet chipotle sauce, which only adds to the fun. 

And now, onto a slightly heartier bone-in meat topic: ribeye. We know and love the ribeye cut. We do. it has just the right amount of marbling, tenderness, and depth. Well, there's something about ordering it with the bone in that just takes it to another visual and flavor level. This is Ripe's new thing. For $26 (if I recall correctly) you can share a delicious, cooked to order bone-in ribeye and topped with a dab of chipotle-lime butter. I didn't know if I would like the butter part (I would have thought that by now I'd be chipotle-d out), but it works quite well. And the onion rings, oh the onion rings. While I traditionally prefer the flakier battered onion rings and theirs are more of a crunchy, uniform coating, I loved the texture and the seasoning.

Do try these bone-in novelty classics and let me know what you think. 

Kiki's machaca plate--legendary?

Food Network chef Aaron Sanchez considers Kiki's machaca plate one of his best food memories. Chef Sanchez is the son of renowned restaurateur Zarela Martinez. Both of them have made it big in New York City, and both of them hail from our lovely West Texas town of El Paso. 

Kiki's is an El Paso institution, no doubt. But I will confess that the times I've been I have not been blown away. However, I have not had the machaca plate, which is apparently a must.

For more on this story, see: http://www.elpasotimes.com/ci_16248908?IADID=Search-www.elpasotimes.com-www.elpasotimes.com

Have you had Kiki's machaca plate? Does it deserve legendary status?