Text 13494, 66 rader
Skriven 2011-07-17 11:07:00 av JIM WELLER (1:123/140)
Ärende: Tastes
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-1- I finally got around to making a Feta and watermelon salad,
which seems to be a faddy sort of thing to do these days. I didn't
have any arugula or mint on hand so I had to fake it with a few
substitutions.

I made a simple tossed salad of baby spinach leaves and mild, red
onion with an olive oil, balsamic vinegar, black pepper and basil
vinaigrette, added the Feta and cubed watermelon and tossed it
again, very lightly.

I liked the interplay of the salty Feta with the sweet watermelon
and the spinach was certainly OK but the vinegar was too sweet and
the basil didn't seem right. I must track down some fresh mint and
try it again with white vinegar. I'll pass on the arugula though;
it's just too darned expensive. Actually according to reliable
sources (Dave Berry) it's not even a real food at all, just a huge
practical joke played by supercheffy guys on the unsuspecting public
that watches Food TV.

-2- We recently had dinner with Matthew and Sandra at Fuegos
(Spanish for "flames"... they grill a lot of their dishes), formerly
the Office Lounge, a venerable old Yellowknife steak house. The new
people describe their menu as International but it's basically still
a steak house, just with a wider and more modern menu than before.

They have a nasty habit of serving many of their main course meats
napped with overly sweet sauces so I have learned to inquire ahead
when ordering a new dish. Their specials that night were caribou
medallions and grilled arctic char, both with a gooseberry sauce.
I asked for a small tasting bowl which the waitress was happy to
provide and discovered that it was a chunky relish of crushed
berries and only slightly sweetened. So I started with the char,
Roslind and Sandra, who had a red meat, craving got the caribou
while Matthew ordered a margarita sauce shrimp cocktail. The first
three dishes were fine but the shrimp came in a sweet sauce! Their
margarita sauce certainly tasted of tequila and lime but also an
amazing amount of honey. Not good with shrimp!

The main courses were all great: I had a rack of lamb, rare and the
others all had various cuts of beefy, steaky things. The vegetable
sides were either veggie kabobs or sauteed mushrooms and onions. We
got two of each and shared. The starchy sides were sweet potato
fries (twice fried and crispier than usual, very good), rosemary
roasted potatoes, a couscous and a pilaf. We got one of each and
shared. Together with a half litre of house white (I didn't note the
name) and a bottle of Barolo we had a most excellent meal with the
exception of that regrettable shrimp thing.









Cheers

YK Jim


... You set my heart aflame. In other words, you give me heartburn.

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