Cafe Deluxe

Of all the restaurants that the culinary hub Bethesda has to offer, why would you go to Cafe Deluxe? In my opinion it is the "classic American cuisine" option lost in a sea of more tantalizing options. Within a three block radius of an Indian restaurant, Lebanese tavern, Irish pub, French bistro and Spanish tapas bar, Cafe Deluxe seems lackluster at best. It has an unimaginative menu to match its charming yet nondescript interior, with your run-of-the-mill dishes: soups, salads, sandwiches and pizza; the expected entree selection of steak, salmon, lamb and pasta. By now I've been trained to never even dream of getting pizza or pasta at an American restaurant. Blasphemy, to the Italian Boy.

So not surprisingly, I chose the salad with roasted beets, goat cheese, walnut and a blood orange vinaigrette - a nice flavor combination (though with me a dish really can't go wrong when there's beets involved.) My major complaint was that the beets were diced too small for my taste, losing the effect of the roasted veggie's fantastic texture. And I have to say that the vinaigrette, though tasty, could hardly be classified as "blood orange" - again, my inner elitist warns when not in Italy ...

The appetizers, including spring rolls and spinach and artichoke dip, were tasty but forgettable, but the pepper crusted rare Ahi tuna with frisee was excellent - good quality fish with excellent preparation somewhat unexpectedly at a place you wouldn't think of doing sashimi. This was the best dish of the night by far, followed by the distant second choice of the lump crab cake with corn and asparagus saute and sweet mustard cream; in the "when in Rome" mentality of course we had to order the crab cakes in Maryland, and enjoyed the refreshing take on this Chesapeake area staple. A true testament, though, to the uninspiring food at Cafe Deluxe was that no one was interested in seeing what desserts they had to offer, figuring nothing could wow us there. Nothing was outright bad, but nothing was truly exceptional, and though I don't expect an epic romance, I at least want an experience with my meal. So if you're going out to dine in Bethesda, I say go elsewhere.

3/5 stars.

Bourbon-Brined Turkey

Here's the recipe from The Washington Post that we used for our Thanksgiving turkey this year:

Bourbon-Brined (Smoked) Turkey

Ingredients:

One 15-pound turkey (giblets removed)

For the brine

• 14 cups water
• 4 cups apple juice, preferably unsweetened and unfiltered
• 1 cup bourbon
• 1 1/2 cups light brown sugar
• 1 1/4 cups salt
• 4 bay leaves
• 12 whole black peppercorns
• 1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
• 4 medium cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
• 4 strips lemon peel (little or no pith)

For the rub

• 2 tablespoons ground sage
• 2 tablespoons dried rosemary
• 2 tablespoons dried thyme
• 2 tablespoons salt
• 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

For the brine: Line a large mixing bowl or clean bucket with a 2-gallon resealable plastic food storage bag or a large brining bag; add the water, apple juice, bourbon, brown sugar, salt, bay leaves, peppercorns, onion, garlic and strips of lemon peel, stirring to dissolve the sugar and salt. Place the turkey in the brine and seal, pressing out as much air as possible. Refrigerate for 12 to 20 hours, repositioning the turkey halfway through as needed to make sure the bird is evenly brined.

Rinse the turkey and pat it dry; discard the brine.

For the rub: Combine the sage, rosemary, thyme, salt and pepper in a small bowl. 

Coat the cavity and skin of the turkey with butter. Coat the cavity with 2 tablespoons of the rub, then use the remainder of the rub to coat the buttered skin of the bird. Place desired vegetables or stuffing in the cavity. 

*Note: The original recipe has the turkey smoked over applewood chips on a charcoal grill, but we roasted the turkey in traditional fashion in the oven, which took about four and a half hours for a 19-lb bird.

This was the moistest, most succulent turkey meat I have ever eaten, with the sweet apple cider-bourbon flavor infused into the meat over night to leave it soft and flavorful - the best Thanksgiving turkey I've ever had!

A Menu to be Thankful For

Our Thanksgiving Menu:

Appetizers

Spinach balls (a family favorite)

Vegetable platter with homemade roasted red pepper dip

Puffed pastry pinwheels with pesto and sundried tomatoes

Dates stuffed with chorizo and wrapped in bacon
Fried pumpkin "french fries" served with cranberry salsa - made to order with a deep fryer ... oh America

Cocktails (because it's not a holiday without a drink)
Apple cider punch: with cranberry juice, champagne, apple liqueur and fresh lemon juice
Pear bubbly: brandy-infused pear nectar simple syrup topped with Prosecco and Pelligrino
"Dirty Shirley": Shirley Temples with vodka - my new guilty pleasure :)

Dinner
Bourbon-brined turkey (recipe follows)
Homemade gravy: secret ingredient - splash of Worchestershire sauce
Stuffing: My Mama's style with bread crumbs, celery and dried cranberries; both stuffed into turkey and served dry on the side
Cranberry sauce: authentic, no cans in my kitchen! - I made with spices, fresh grated ginger, orange juice and zest, and golden raisins

Mashed potatoes: whipped and without the skins, the way I like it, thank you

Southern green beans: tossed with caramelized red onion, crumbled bacon, walnuts, red wine vinegar and mushrooms
Butternut squash casserole: sweet, topped with brown sugar and pecans
Yellow squash casserole: savory, with salty cracker crumbs mixed in and topped with cheese
Rolls: made from the same classic dinner rolls recipe my mother has used for 20 years

Dessert
Pumpkin pie: classic. Naturally I made two.
Pumpkin chiffon pie: fluffy in gingerbread graham cracker crust, topped with whipped cream
Pear cranberry crisp: served warm with vanilla ice cream
Caramel pecan cake: surprisingly moist considering my aunt made it with rice crackers to be gluten-free
Flourless chocolate bars: because my sister believes there should be a chocolate dessert option at every holiday
Homemade cinnamon ice cream

Secret family recipes available upon request.

Fall Dinner Party

For our dinner party Friday night we whipped up a tasty menu featuring seasonal ingredients:

First course: butternut squash risotto topped with grated asiago cheese. Secret ingredient: a dash of curry powder spices up this dish, complimenting the naturally bright orange hue of the squash and adding depth of flavor. Chop and saute the butternut squash first before starting the risotto (you can even make this ahead and refrigerate so it's ready in advance) and in the final stage when the risotto's ready and piping hot, stir in a soft cheese such as the fontina we chose, for absolute creaminess.
Second course: creamed spinach topped with caramelized eggplant, sundried tomatoes and fresh gorgonzola. Secret ingredient: a pinch of sugar caramelized the diced eggplant as it sautees, browning it wonderfully to perfection. It's best to toss the eggplant with sea salt and let sit for as long as possible before cooking, to soak up its natural moisture to achieve the desired caramelized consistency. I also add minced garlic to the eggplant when cooking (and minced shallots to the creamed spinach because, in the words of my chef friend Bennett, "shallot makes food taste good.")
Dessert: poached pears drizzled with hazelnut liquor served over vanilla ice cream. Secret ingredient: a spoonful of honey in the poaching liquid. This plates as such an elegant dessert and yet it couldn't be easier - peel and core pears, keeping the stems in, and submerge in a pot of sweet wine and water (I used half a bottle of Muscato with about two cups of water), vanilla and a cinnamon stick and turn heat up to simmer, about 15 minutes. In a small saucepan I made a simple syrup with hazelnut liquor and sugar, whisking until smooth. For presentation I placed two scoops of vanilla ice cream in each bowl, sitting the pears upright in the center, and drizzle the hazelnut simple syrup over top. *Tip: I found it helps to slice the bottoms off the pears to create a flat base so that they sit up while poaching and plating. The combination of the hot pear and cool ice cream is delectable, the fruit so soft it scoops up in your spoon ...

Using fresh produce and seasonal ingredients such as butternut squash and pears, this dinner is a perfect example of how one can serve a farm fresh vegetarian meal to entertain in style.

Ginger Carrot Soup

This soup was another one of my experimental cooking creations - it was time to use up the copious amount of leftovers, and necessity is the mother of invention. So here's my process:

1) Had a bag of baby carrots were pushing ... not baby. So I sliced a third of them and sauteed them in brown butter in a heavy skillet (add brown sugar to melted butter and stir with wooded spoon) with sage, black pepper and a splash of maple syrup. Serve them hot.
2) Take the remaining cup(?) of baby carrots and give them a whirl in the blender to chop them up a bit. Add them to saucepan with bottom coated in olive oil on medium heat.
3) Add half a chopped onion and a small pear, diced, to mix the savory with sweet. Add a few tablespoons minced ginger and season with salt and pepper. Saute until onions are translucent and then add a cup of water and turn the heat up to simmer.
4) Next I poured the remaining maple brown butter leftover in the skillet into the pot, stirring in a pinch of nutmeg and a generous dash of white pepper. We had leftover rice in a mild curry broth in the fridge, so I stirred that in with the carrots as well.
5) I added a splash of rice vinegar and sesame seed oil, stirring to combine. Then I poured in a can of chicken broth and simmered for 20 minutes to half and hour, the pot cracked to let the soup reduce. I stirred in a little apple cider and salted to taste.
6) When the kitchen smelled deliciously of spicy sweet carrots I took the soup off the heat and poured it into the blender to puree. Then I poured the puree back into the hot pot and topped with freshly ground pepper.

This ginger carrot soup is healthy and delicious, packed with the all the carrots' nutrients and delicious flavor - ginger eases the stomach and the soup warms you up!

Wine and Cheese Party

The cheese platter I created for our wine and cheese party Saturday night:

Juicy grapes, two kinds of pear, walnuts, dried figs and honey accompany nine cheeses: blue cheese, smoked taleggio, herbed goat cheese, fontina, two types of brie, havarti with dill, smoked gouda, gorgonzola dulce, and an artisinal goat cheese.

Curried Sweet Potato Apple Soup

Here's my take on Curried Sweet Potato Apple Soup - I decided to combine chunky and smooth textures with both sweet potato puree and chunks of fresh sweet potato, as well as both applesauce and diced apple for the extra layers; the juxtaposition of spicy savory curry and sweet apple works surprisingly well.

Ingredients

1 medium sweet potato

1 can sweet potato puree

1 Granny Smith apple, peeled and diced (my personal touch for a more chunky soup)

1 tablespoon unsalted butter

1 small onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, smashed

1 2-inch piece ginger, peeled and grated

1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg, plus more for garnish

 Madras curry powder to taste (original recipe calls for 1 1/2 teaspoons but I used closer to 1/4 cup)

Pinch smoked paprika

Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper

1 can low-sodium chicken broth

1 1/4 cups chunky applesauce

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil

Chopped fresh parsley garnish

Directions

Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large pot over medium heat. Add the onion and garlic and cook until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in the ginger, nutmeg, a few teaspoons curry powder, and salt and pepper to taste and cook until toasted, 1 more minute. Microwave sweet potato and scoop out flesh with a spoon. Peel and dice green apple and add to pot.

Add the  sweet potato pieces and puree, chicken broth and 2 cups water to the pot, cover and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat to medium low and stir in the applesauce. Simmer, covered, until the sweet potatoes are soft, about 20 minutes. Season with salt and pepper, stirring to soften potato chunks and adjust spices to taste. *I added a pinch of Hungarian smoked paprika for extra zing and more curry powder as the soup cooked. I finished it with a baby pinch of brown sugar - so good with the spicy and sweet in this soup - and served the soup in a hollowed out loaf of Tuscan bread, homemade bread bowl with bread pieces tossed in to sop up the succulent soup, and garnished with fresh parsley, toasted pumpkin seeds, nutmeg and freshly ground pepper on top.  It was literally finger-licking good!