Sunday, 2 January 2011
Henrik and I decided to go all out for NYE — we served a six-course dinner for 4 of our closest friends.
1) Salmon tartare from Thomas Keller’s French Laundry Cookbook (Amazon also has Chef Keller’s other 2 books, Ad Hoc at Home and Bouchon, each for ~$18 off cover price). Paired with a *delicious* Riesling Sekt from Germany produced by Sektkellerei Fitz-Ritter.
2) Warm asparagus ribbon salad with prosciutto, parmesan, and reduced balsamic. (Tip: to make ribbons, use a potato peeler to slice asparagus the long way. )
3) Butternut squash soup, served in Le Creuset mini cocottes. Paired with Poema Cava.
4) Bacon-wrapped scallops with chipotle mayo and tomato-pepper salsa. (Tip: adding a white-wine vinegar to the salsa will cut the spiciness of the mayo if needed)
5) Rosemary pork loin, mushroom cream sauce, white truffle mashed potatoes (no photo… that whole eating thing got in the way). Paired with Cloudline Pinot Noir.
6) Dessert was made by our dear friend Topher — Rum cake. Again… that whole eating thing got in the way, so I did not get a photo of this either.
Midnight always calls for the best, and a true Champagne, so we all toasted with Veuve Clicquot. Hope you all had a wonderful and safe New Years!
Tags: Cooking, Le Creuset
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Wednesday, 18 August 2010
There is more to life than just food… there’s MUSIC! I know it’s been a little slow here (and I apologize to my 5 loyal readers…you know who you are) but I figured I’d mix things up a bit with a concert review!
LCD Soundsystem: 5/5 stars
No Bra: 4/5 stars
August 14, 2010, DR Koncerthuset
I have to start this review stating that it was pouring in both Sweden and Denmark. POURING. And I was fighting a chest/head cold. This is not a great combo.
We decided to take the bus to Malmö central station, then the train to Copenhagen Norreport, then the Metro across the bridge to the DR Concerthouse. We ended up getting off 1 stop too early on the Metro, and had to walk a good 10 minutes in the pouring rain. Once inside, we down some drinks, hit the bathroom, then get into position. The DR Concerthouse is really quite something. A beautiful, modern, clean venue. They were on the Foyer stage which is upstairs.
Opening act: No Bra. She wasn’t kidding. Wearing only gold lamé hotpants and her own hair, she took the stage with a self consciousness that was oddly empowering. Solo act. Just her and her laptop. I wouldn’t exactly say she sang… but she was quite a show. Intelligent, edgy vocals. Good stuff, really. Sad to see it cheapened by everyone so in shock that she’s topless. The audience was more concerned about taking photos than listening or really paying attention.
LCD…. this was great. Honestly, one of the best shows of my life. The energy was there, the sound was there….. the songs were amazing. James Murphy said the group was happy to play in a real club, since they had been playing so many festivals. It was also ridiculously hot — think of a few hundred people… wet from rain… dancing like mad… It was steamy, it was sweaty, it was loud and it was a blast. I was asked by a few people if they played Daft Punk is Playing at My House… and of course they did. And it kicked ass. However, I do have to say that the best song was All My Friends. There was a group of male nerd-rockers right in front of us who got kinda crazy, but during that song they had their arms around each other, all bouncing together in unison. While they were a sweaty mess and I didn’t want them to bump into me, it really added to the song itself — it was a really oddly beautiful moment. Actually, it made me wish I was there with all of my friends. In the end, they did have some issues with mics which lead to them leaving the stage a bit early… very sad.
Since this is one of the greatest shows I’ve ever seen, I decided to make a list of some of the other great performers I’ve seen. These bands/performers are all worth mentioning — and seeing live, if you ever get the chance:
LCD Soundsystem
Radiohead
Wilco
Beirut
Nine Inch Nails
PJ Harvey
Sigur Ros
Damien Rice
Josh Ritter
Jose Gonzalez
Jens Lekman
Sufjan Stevens
Brad Mehldau
Pearl Jam
Architecture in Helsinki
Bob Hund
Amiina
Shelly Short
Spoon
My Morning Jacket
Utah
Tags: concert, Copenhagen, music
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Monday, 14 June 2010
I have to admit, I’m not a baker. I don’t do well with desserts, so I was a little nervous making this Raspberry Clafoutis for my Mother-in-law’s birthday dinner. Luckily, as you can see, it was a hit. Followed the recipe to a ‘t’ as fudging with baking leads to trouble.
Tags: Baking, Desserts, Holidays
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Monday, 14 June 2010
I have been away from the blog for a very special reason… my very good friend from home, Natalie, was visiting me in Sweden — and I just had to show her a good time (you understand, right?)
The first night she was here, I served warm smoked salmon and roe-sauce (varmrökd lax med romsås) with pear cider. Second night was roasted chicken, goat cheese cream and red beet spinach bulgar salad. We went out mostly after that, but I was so happy to serve her a few meals at home.
Tags: Cooking
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Monday, 14 June 2010
Sara and Joa hosted a Greek “tapas” pitch-in 5/28, and it just reminds me of how much I love Mediterranean food. Hummus, halloumi, tabouli, tzatziki, spanakopita, greek salad, and grilled lamb…. good friends and great recipes can only lead to a wonderful evening. Henrik and I brought the halloumi, hummus and tabouli. Recipe tips for hummus: instead of adding raw chopped garlic, roast it in the oven for an hour on a low temperature (just cut off the top exposing the raw tops, coat with olive oil and wrap with foil.. voila!). You will be able to squeeze cloves out of the head easily and the flavor is much more mild. if you like your hummus creamy, add a little extra olive oil and a little yogurt (use sparingly, as it can dilute the flavors).
Oreo: Greek Guardian of Leftover Spanakopita.
Tags: Cooking
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