Another great thing about this restaurant was the artwork. The prints on the walls were all taken from Tony Meeuwissen's collection of transformation playing cards known as The Key of the Kingdom.

 Here is a partial selection of the entire set:

To see the recipe and full post, please visit our relocated blog at www.chocolateshavings.ca

• 500 gr di pesce spada freschissimo
• 1 mango
• 100 gr di olive nere ( se preferite piccanti)
• 2 cucchiai di basilico tritato
• 1 peperoncino fresco
• 1 lime
• sale
• pepe

Privare il pesce della pelle e tagliarlo a dadini.

Sbucciare il mango, tagliarlo a dadini e mescolarli al pesce.

Aggiungere le olive tritate, il basilico e una punta di peperoncino tritato.

In una ciotolina emulsionare il succo del lime con un cucchiaio d'olio, sale e pepe, versare sul pesce e mescolare.  Far marinare al fresco per circa un'ora.

• 1 kg di tonno fresco
• 1 avocado
• 150 gr di pane casereccio
• 3 finocchi
• 1 mazzeto di aneto
• 1 limone
• 30 ge di salsa di soya
• olio extravergine di oliva
• aglio
• farina

Pulite i finocchi, frullatene 3/4 a crudo con succo di limone, olio e sale e riponete in frigorifero.

Tagliate i finocchi rimasti a julienne, passateli nella farina e friggeteli in olio ben caldo.

Pelate l'avocado e tagliatelo a cubetti.  tagliate il pane allo stesso modo e saltatelo in padella con un filo d'olio e uno spicchio d'aglio.

Tagliate il tonno a cubetti e mettetelo in una ciotola con l'avocado e il pane. Condite con l'aneto, la salsa di soya, l'olio, il sale e il limone.  Mescolate bene.

Disponete sul fondo del piatto la crema di finocchi, mettete al centro uno stampino rotondo e riempitelo con la tartare.  Togliete lo stampino, decorate con i finocchi fritti e servite.

• 2/3 gamberi a testa
• capperi
• acciughe
• cognac
• sale
• pepe
• scalogno (facoltativo)
• prezzemolo
• erba cipollina
• olio extravergine di oliva

Pulite i gamberi, eliminate la testa ( potete utilizzare anche solo le code di gambero) e il guscio. Privateli del budellino e metteteli sul tagliere.

Aggiungete ai gamberi 1 acciuga a testa, una piccola manciata di capperi, un pizzico di sale, un goccio di cognac, pepe, se volete lo scalogno a fettine, il prezzemolo lavato e mondato, un poco di erba cipollina (specie se non avete usato lo scalogno). Tritate tutto al coltello unendo poco per volta l'olio di oliva fino a quando tutti gli ingredienti si saranno amalgamati.

Distribuire la tartare nei piatti dandole la forma desiderata, decorate con qualche filo d'erba cipollina, il burro allo zenzero e il plum cake caldo di ceci.

Quick side note: be careful what you blog for. Not a week after writing and posting that entry I found my self awake till nearly 4:30 am working on a presentation  for work. My only complaint about it was that I had to do it while Bob was out here. It kind of ruined our  Thursday, and the consequent nap on Friday spent most of that evening as well.

All right, back to the topic at hand: food! So I am a big fan of food as many people know. As many people also know, I have very little exposure to more exotic (and some not so exotic) dishes. Additionally, I've historically been known to be very picky about my food. Slowly this is changing. Japan and college in general began to make me less picky about my food, and since Japan I've learned to try new things, even when it means not asking what is in front of me. "Eat first,  ask questions later (if ever)" has become a motto of mine. Generally my experiences following this mantra have been positive. I've tried a ton of new food and liked most of it, even if I don't think I'd eat it again by choice.

Tonight though I didn't have the luxury of abiding by my self imposed rule. I awoke this morning to an email thread from our client (Judith) inviting us to dinner at Tilth. As it turns out, it was a fairly famous and expensive place that boasts an entirely organic menu. It has been rated in the Top 10 new restaurants in the country by the New York Times, and reviewed well by a number of other sources. Sounds fantastic on the surface, right? I thought so. Reading through the thread though it became apparent that I was in  over my head.

Whereas generally they have a menu to choose from including seafood, beef, veggie dishes, etc., on Mondays they have  a single set menu. "What are the main courses?" you ask. Well, Steak Tartare and Beef-tongue. You heard me. Raw meet followed by cow tongue. I didn't know what to say. I couldn't very well refuse to go. That would be rude, plus I'm the junior person on the team, how would that look!? So I responded affirmatively making some joke about never turning down food i didn't have to cook and tried to forget about it.

As the day rolled on I made a new plan. I was going to eat the biggest lunch possible so that no one could expect me to be hungry. I mean if you saw someone eat 2-3 sandwiches, plus salad, plus cookies you couldn't expect him to eat more unless he is Chris--you know who you are :P.  So lunch rolls around and I couldn't bring myself to eat. I  just wasn't hungry. Sure I tried to force some food down, but the best I could manage was a bit of salad and half a cookie--no where near enough to excuse not eating dinner.

Two o'clock, three o'clock, four, and then five...time to leave. What now? I don't want to eat raw meat and cow tongue! How gross is that. In fact the mere though that I was going to need to eat it started to make me feel queasy. No matter how much i tried not to think about it though, I kept coming back to it. Luckily by bosses both had some misgivings about it too, and as we made our way to the restaurant the jokes about what we were eating began. Somehow making light of the situation made it less worrisome and I began to forget about my impending food doooooooom!

By the time I was at the restaurant I was fully distracted. We sat down in this quaint little dinning room that was part of a converted house and began to talk.  First we ordered wine--always a solid start to dinner. Next they brought out bread and the tiniest appetizer you've ever seen. Literally it consisted of 3 one inch pieces of asparagus with crumbled bacon. Don't get me wrong, it was delicious, but seriously? Three inches of asparagus is not a portion! Anyhow, we then were given bread and soup with a pouched egg in it. While this was a bit odd, I was cool with it. I mean after all I had raw eggs on a number of occasions in Japan; it never killed me.

What this soup did make me start thinking about was the Steak Tartare to come. Thanks to some good table conversation though i quickly forgot about it. When finally the dreaded dish arrived it looked like Corn beef hash, with the single differentiator being it was not cooked. At first I ignored it and stuck with the notion that it was just a tasty mystery meat. Some cooked meat has interesting and soft textures. Halfway through one bite though it hit me what i was eating, and for a moment--just a single moment--I was afraid I wasn't going to be able to keep eating. Luckily I composed myself and focused on the taste, because it was good...DARN good. In fact, if I'd not known what it was, I think I could have had a plate of the stuff. I was surprised and relieved. I was eating raw meat AND enjoying it. Who knew this was even possible?!

When hurdle #2 had arrived I was ready for it. I was going to not think about what I am eating used to be, but rather what it was now and more importantly how it tasted. Turns out, this is a winning strategy. The meat was super tender, the texture subtle, and the taste distinct. Again, I liked it...a lot. By the time I was done, I was hungrier than when I started. Lucky for me as a reward we had creme brulee. Yuuummmmm.

Sitting there at the end of the meal with my glass of champagne talking to people, I realized that I was very glad to have had circumstances force me to this experience. How many times do you have a chance to try something new? And more importantly for me, how often do I get motivated enough to ditch the status quo and take a chance on something I've never even entertained the idea of eating. The answer: never.

Thanks, Judith.

Voici notre menu de cette semaine qui commence jeudi le 06 Mars,
pour en voir le contenu il faut cliquer ici:  Menu Les Zèbres 6 au 12 mars

Noubliez surtout pas notre promo du jeudi Les Zèbres qui se continue toujours jusqu'au début de l'été, à l'achat d'une de nos entrées à la carte vous obtenez un choix de plats pour seulement 15$ !!! C'est à ne pas manquer.

Au plaisir de vous recevoir

Yann, Michel et Jason
Restaurant Les Zèbres
2347 de l'église, Val-David
Québec.
www.resto-zebres.com

Là ou rien n'est pareil...

Décor moderne et chaleureux, ambiance lounge urbaine
dans le calme d'un village magnifique!

you name it..they have it..all the nicely decorated "è"..."á"..."ö"..."ś"....The beautiful words for the "haute" cuisine...

Beside the usual "fois gras" and "souflè"...This is something i came by in the recent issue of Reader's Digest which definitely "extend my culinary reprtoire".

Giblets - innards of a bird, specifically liver, heart, gizzard and neck, used to make a stock; as, giblet stock. Old french gibeket (game-bird stew)

Goujons - strips of fish or chicken that are deep-fried. French.

Daube - Meat stew, often a joint of beef braised in wine. French again.

Kasha - Buckwheat. Also, in Russia and Poland, a porridge made from buckwheat or simmilar grain. Russian.

Compote - Fruit cooked or preserved in syrup. "She gave us home made craneberry and apple compote with pork."

Entrecôte - Steak cut from between the ribs. French again. entre - between, côte - rib.

Pesto - A sauce of crushed basil leaves mixed with Parmesan, pine nuts, garlic and olive oil. Italian.

Calamari - Squid. Italian.

Confit - Preserved meat. French.

Filo - Thin, layered pastry. Greek?

Spatchcock - A chicken or game bird split open and partly boned, then grilled or roasted. 18th century English.

Paella - Rice dish, originally from Spain, with chicken or seafood and vegetables, cooked and served in large, shallow pan.

Rillettes - Smooth pâté of minced pork or other light meat. French again, but Old French.

Tartare - Steak or fish that is served raw. French again and again.

Terrine - Meat, fish or vegetable mixture that is puréed or minced and then put in a container to cool or set.

• Un salmón fresco
• Preparado para ahumar salmón (mezcla a partes iguales de sal gorda y azúcar)
• Aceite de oliva
• Eneldo (opcional)

Preparación:

En una bandeja para frigorífico ponemos un lecho de mezcla de sal y azucar, y apretamos con las manos. Ponemos los lomos de salmon encima, con la piel para abajo, y cubrimos del todo con la misma mezcla. Ponemos un peso encima para ayudar a drenar liquido, y ponemos en la nevera 36-48 horas. Se lavan bien y se secan. Pasado este proceso, deben estar compactos. Se pueden cortar en diagonal o bien envasar al vacio y congelar.

La palabra tartare se refiere tanto a este plato como a la salsa tártara y no se sabe a ciencia cierta el origen, puesto hay quien dice que proviene de las tribus germanas en la época romana, los tártaros, que según la creencia o mito, éstos colocaban los filetes de carne bajo la silla de montar de sus caballos y la comían al final del día, cuando había macerado con Dios sabe que.

Como con todo en la cocina, cada maestro tiene su librillo y cada uno aplica una receta, añadiendo uno u otro ingrediente, de una manera u otra o cambiando el género de la carne, desde el buey hasta la vaca, pasando por el caballo. También está quien utiliza la mahonesa en vez de la tradicional yema de huevo que, en teoría, se ha de montar a la vista del comensal. Pero sanidad manda y no podemos jugarnos una mala pasada por parte de la salmonela, por lo que la receta se ha modernizado.

Esta es la receta que viene en el Larousse Gastronómico:

~ Ingredientes:

• 150-200 gr de carne de buey (romsteck, contre-filet o tranche grasse).
• pimienta de cayena.
• salsa Worcestershire.
• tabasco.
• cebolla picada.
• 1 huevo.
• alcaparras.
• perejil picado.
• chalota picada.
• aceite de oliva.

~ Elaboración:

Picar de 150 a 200 gr de carne de buey. Salpimentar, añadir una pizca de pimienta de cayena y unas gotas de salsa Worcestershire y tabasco. Dar forma de bola a la carne picada y disponerla sobre un plato. Realizar un hueco en el centro. Depositar en dicho hueco un huevo crudo. Disponer en torno a la carne 1 cucharadita de cebolla picada, 1 cucharadita de alcaparras escurridas, una pizca de perejil picado y de chalota picada. Servir con aceite de oliva, salsa Worcestershire y tomate ketchup.

Y aquí está el vídeo, una lástima que esté en inglés y no disponga de algún tipo de subtítulo:

This is a recipe by Eckart Witzigmann - which, considering the main ingredient, should come as no surprise.

In the late 70s, Witzigmann's Munich restaurant L' Aubergine was the first German restaurant ever to receive the coveted three Michelin stars. And he's been dubbed chef of the century by French gastronomic guide Gault et Millau, alongside Bocuse and Robuchon.

My point is: this guy knows how to cook.

Ok, he lost the permit for L'Aubergine in 1993 due to a cocaine scandal, but still...this recipe is stellar! And super easy.

You'll need:

• 1 big aubergine (eggplant)
• 1 tablespoon of capers
• 10 green olives
• a little garlic
• a few basil leaves
• 5-6 tablespoons balsamico vinegar
• 2-3 tablespoons olive oil
• 1 tablespoon honey
• salt, pepper

1. Preheat the oven at 220 Celsius (392 Fahrenheit)

2. Wash the aubergine, and cut it in pieces (don't peel it!).

3. Chop the capers, olives and garlic.

4. Mix the aubergines, capers, garlic, olives, basil, oil, vinegar and honey. Salt and pepper. Put them in a pot and cover with aluminium foil.

5. Let braise in the oven for 1 hour.

6. Take it out, let cool down, and chop. If too much acidity, add some more honey.

7. Serve on toasted bread.  

This appetizer is perfect with a Clos des Fées Grenache Blanc Vieilles Vignes. Check it out on http://www.closdesfees.com/

Avec l’arrivée de septembre un brin de nostalgie me saisit. Les vacances se terminent que l’on aurait bien voulu prolonger encore un peu. Les jours raccourcissent sensiblement et un frisson d’air frais court le long de la peau encore un peu dévoilée, oh à peine!
Le parisien redevient actif. Fini l’indolence de l’été, et les terrasses de café prises d’assaut par les touristes épuisés par leurs courses folles. Septembre c’est aussi le temps des figues, du raisin et des noix sur nos tables.
Quelque part, bien loin de l’agitation citadine, c’est aussi le temps des vendanges. Le raisin, les figues et les noix remplacent pêches et melons dans nos assiettes. C’est que l’automne pointe le bout de son nez.
Disparus l’odeur des embruns et le goût du sel sur les lèvres brûlées par le vent du bord de mer. Pourtant c’était hier.
La cuisine d’automne attendra encore un peu. J’ai décidé de mettre au point un tartare d’algues, un bout de mer dans mon assiette, simple et rustique, doux et fort, le goût de la vague qui nous renverse quand on a oublié de fermer les yeux, la bouche et le nez avant de se laisser emporter plus au large.

Pour réaliser cette recette il faut se procurer des algues fraîches de type Wakame, laitue de mer et Dulse. On en trouve au rayon frais des magasins biologiques. Elles sont conservées dans du gros sel.
Il faut commencer par les dessaler en les laissant tremper cinq minutes dans de l’eau froide et les faire dégorger en les pressant délicatement entre ses doigts, sans les écraser.
Je les hache ensuite finement et les assaisonne du jus d’un citron, d’huile d’olive et d’un peu d’huile de noix.
J’y ajoute, du poivre long de java, des échalotes finement émincées, quelques câpres et la pulpe d’une tomate.
Ce tartare se déguste très frais. On peut l’accompagner d’un verre de chablis et de quelques huîtres. A moins qu’une envie irrésistible de champagne vous saisisse, mais c’est encore une autre histoire…

Tuna Confit

Ingredients:

• 1 pound fresh tuna
• 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
• 3 cloves crushed garlic
• 4 strips of lemon rind
• 3-4 sprigs thyme
• 2 tsp chopped thyme
• 4 tsp capers, drained and rinsed
• 1 finely minced shallot
• 2 T dijon mustard
• 1 T sherry vinegar
• about 2 T light olive oil, grapeseed, or canola oil
• about 2 T extra virgin olive oil
• sea salt and pepper

Method:

• Cut the tuna into chunks (about 2 or 3 inch squares). Put in bowl with olive oil, garlic, sprigs of thyme, and lemon rind and mix. Push down with your hands so all the tuna is covered with the oil. Cover with plastic (I like to put the plastic on top of the tuna and oil directly to be sure it's all covered with the oil) and put it in the fridge for at least 6 hours or overnight.
• 45 minutes before serving, put the tuna mixture in a saucepan. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5 minutes. The tuna will still be pink on the inside. Turn off the heat and let it sit for about 30 minutes.
• Drain the tuna and remove the lemon peel and thyme. Mash it up with a fork or your fingers.
• Mix in chopped thyme, capers, mustard, vinegar, oils, salt, and pepper. Adjust seasoning as necessary.
• Serve immediately with grilled bread or toast (brush slices of country bread with olive oil and sprinkle with salt, then grill or broil on both sides until toasty.)