8/31/10 - Tuesday - All Hail the Queen of England

Another history lesson provided by yours truly:

August 31st 1900 - Coca Cola began distributing in none other than Great Britain. That's right - years after the Revolutionary War and the start of the great nation of America we gave the British what they had always wanted - a pure sugar mouth watering soft drink that would continue it's popularity for the next century and beyond.





The Brits may still be blaming us for the tea party - but really they should be giving us a pat on the back for making them addicted to what we so fondly call "pop"


now for the specials:

raw:
va bay
malpeque
kumomoto

to start:
house made duck prosciutto with honeydew melon and saba drizzle

taylor bay scallops on the half shell with house made mozzarella and chorizo

mains:
roasted chicken legs with truffled cheese grits, local oyster mushrooms and roasted tomatoes

grilled mahi with fingerling potatoes, local oyster mushrooms and roasted tomatoes

sweets:
chocolate fettuccine with white chocolate creme anglaise and fresh berries

cream puffs filled with fig puree and chocolate sauce

caramel and vanilla ice cream with berries and chocolate sauce


sidenote: the cream puffs are to die for - - like a fig newton but better

8/30/10 - Monday - chocolate pasta to die for

Upon arrival at work today I had a severe craving for chocolate - little did I know that chocolate fettuccine was waiting for me. Not just any old chocolate fettuccine but house made and topped with white chocolate creme anglaise. Talk about all your wildest dreams coming true

since my head is at the sweet end of the meal let's start backwards today

sweetness:

chocolate fettuccine with white chocolate creme anglaise and fresh berries

lemon tart with berry coulis and whipped cream

house made cream puffs







real plates:

pan roasted snapper with cheddar/fresno chile grits and green tomato relish

chicken carbonara: confit chicken tossed with house made fettuccine, house pancetta and parmesan cheese - topped with a quail egg and local basil buds


small plates:

house cured duck breast prosciutto with honeydew

taylor bay scallops - grilled with chorizo and house mozzarella


raw:

va bay

malpeque

kumamoto

8/23/10 - Monday - give me that monkfish

Been craving monkfish lately and Chef must have read my mind because before I knew it he was offering up some Monkfish Scaloppine. I hadn't even really thought of monkfish as a scaloppine option - it seems to always be veal or chicken when that word is involved. This however is worth the curiosity - its delicious. A thinly sliced piece of monkfish breaded and pan seared with braised fennel, creamy polenta and a little bit of lemon. Thinking about it takes me back to the polenta just melting delicately in my mouth after a forkful of mighty monkfish went in.

this ladies and gentlemen is a dish that must be tried:






i thought a little knowledge quest about monkfish might be in order so I took a little detour to my ever favorite wikipedia and a quick drive by of zeuscat

monkfish has many monikers including:
anglerfish
goosefish
and
allmouth

those are all viable options but the allmouth version doesn't bring good things to mind.

it appears that there are vicious rumors going around that monkfish are in direct relation to angelsharks - ask any monkfish they will quickly divert your attention and tell you that is not the case.

i leave you with a little julia child imagery and of course today's offerings

raw bar:
wellfleet
malpeque
va bay

to start:
crepes with smoked trout and sweet corn - with a bit of cucumber salad to top

middle:
herb marinated leg of lamb with mashed potatoes, mushrooms a la grec and roasted tomatoes

monkfish scaloppine (as previously stated)

to end:
chocolate pots de creme with whipped cream
fried fig turnovers with vanilla gelato
bruleed green tea tapioca pudding


as julia would say: bon appetit!

8/17/10 - Tuesday - Oink Oink

Since we're major pig lovers here at the Grill - I thought I would impart this bit of knowledge on you.

Today (August 17th) in history, 1986 to be exact a bronze pig statue was unveiled at Seattle's Pike Place Market.

Oink Oink Rachel - we salute you



today's agenda:

raw bar:
malpeque - prince edward island
stellar bay - vancouver
va bay - chincoteague


beginning:
sugar toads with tartar sauce and pickled slaw
- lots of people find sugar toads to be a mystery, myself included until Chef granted me with enlightenment in that department. sugar toads are non-poisonous blow fish akin to the chesapeake region of the united states. it gained its nickname (real name "northern puffer") due to fisherman of the region stating that it was "sweet at sugar and ugly as a toad (most likely due to its crazy googly green eyes).

-don't be afraid to lick the sugar toads-

middle:
pan seared cobia fillet with potato gnocchi, pancetta, escarole and roasted red peppers

grilled porkchop with cippolini onions and pancetta/potato gratin

herb marinated leg of lamb with harissa spiced couscouse and cucumber feta salad




end:

warm bread pudding with peaches, vanilla gelato and a bourbon/thyme caramel sauce

chocolate tart with whipped cream and blackberries

oatmeal raisin cookie ice cream sandwich with coffee raisin sauce

Sunday - 8/15/10 - still standing

After a busy weekend - we may be exhausted but we are still standing and cooking away

sippy sips:

our very own watermelon thingy:
watermelon juice, fresh lime juice, skyy vodka, st. germain elderflower liqueur and a dash of simple syrup - served up and garnished with watermelon rind

fresh local peach nectar bellini


-from carter mountain orchard - charlottesville, va





to start:
crostini with house made fresh mozzarella, roasted red peppers and chive oil

in the middle:
grilled cobia fillet with house made potato gnocchi, black mission figs and roasted cippolini onions





-mission figs:












pan roasted porkchop topped with a fried egg and red eye gravy with yukon gold potato and pancetta gratin


-red eye gravy:








at the end:
bread pudding with peaches and bourbon/thyme caramel sauce

oatmeal raisin ice cream sandwich - oatmeal raisin cookies sandwiched around a generous helping of dulce de leche gelato

chocolate tart with vanilla ice cream and berry coulis

8/11/10 - Wednesday - still cheesing

Success! - ricotta turned out swimmingly. Sweet and delicious just like we had imagined. Cheesecloth strained followed by gleeful "this is fabulous" and "mmmmmmhmmmmm"




This afternoon we moved on to an even more appealing cheese - fresh mozzarella has been targeted and completed

ice baths came first












and now we're straight ballin'













come eat some mozzarella with us! - more cheese adventures to come

8/10/10 - Tuesday - cheese time

Ever feel like certain cheeses just don't cut it? - our chef felt the same way. He tired of getting ricotta from the purveyors or mozzarella from the produce people. Instead we have set out on our own journey - let's make our own cheese. Today is the first step in what may be a long journey until we get this thing right. But why not give it a shot.

Ricotta Cheese: italian sheep's milk or cow's milk whey cheese. - fresh, slightly sweet in taste with a texture similar to cottage cheese although it is much lighter.

all we needed was some milk, vinegar, salt, cheesecloth and a pot
-don't be fooled by the picture above - our cheese hasn't hit that stage yet - although i am sure when it does it will look just as delicious.


right now we're about here:















I'll let you know how it goes. In the meantime here's what we're eating today:

raw bar:
kusshi
blue point
VA Bay

sidenote: after a century of exile, blue points are again growing in their native land of the long island sound

light bites:
veal sweetbreads with local oyster mushrooms, pancetta and cippolini onions

our ever illustrious cheese plates is also up for grabs this evening

mains:
grilled pork porterhouse, braised endive and grilled white peaches

pork belly frittes (or braised pork belly and house cut yukon potato fries) with garlic aioli

ends:
bruleed rice pudding with raspberries
chocolate tart with vanilla ice cream and blackberry coulis
cinnnamon raisin french toast with vanilla ice cream and orange sauce

8/5/10 - Thursday - almost the weekend

Raw Bar:
Kusshi - Vancouver - West Coast
Beau Soleil - New Brunswick
VA Bay - Chincoteague


Starters:
Confit Chicken Wings with Garlic Chili Sauce
Raosted Pork Belly with Spaetzle, Cabbage and Mustard Sauce



Fish:
Roasted Mahi with Local Mushrooms, Artichokes, Farro and Vidalia Onion Marmalade
Grilled Sockeye Salmon, Chive Mashed Potatoes, Heirloom Tomato Salad

Sweets:
Butterpecan Creme Brulee
Crepes with Nutella, Apple and Caramel Gelato
Watermelon Soup with Vanilla Ice Cream and Shortbread Cookies


Cheese Plate: Goat's Milk Cheddar, Sheep's Milk Marissa, Cow's Milk Great Hill Bleu Cheese and a special blend of Goat's, Sheep's and Cow's Milk cheese -served with grilled bread, apple puree, candied almonds and olive tapenade