Sustainable Seafood Series #9- Fid Resto

As I stood by the prep table in the kitchen at Fid resto watching Chef/Proprietor Dennis Johnston carefully pack away portions of hangar steak for the following lunch service, I couldn't help but feel a little warm and tingly that I was in a position to chat with someone so concerned, caring and dedicated to his craft. As we chatted about sustainable seafood, I knew that this was a chef who was as dedicated to supporting sustainably caught seafood as he was to his steak.

When I asked Dennis why he thinks that the term 'sustainable seafood' is becoming so buzzworthy, he responded with quite a logical answer, that "people are asking more questions as to where their food comes from." In other words, consumers are starting to care as to the methods that the fish on their plate was raised and caught.

The fish on the menu at Fid changes frequently, but on any given day, there will be sustainable seafood on offer; scallops, haddock, steelhead trout and harpoon-caught swordfish, to name a few. Johnston ensures that the seafood he serves in his restaurant is sustainable by doing his homework, working with reputable suppliers, and making sure to talk to producers when he's putting in his orders to find out the origin and catch method.

When I asked why it was so important to Fid Resto to use sustainable seafood, he responded that "It's a choice we've made because we believe that there are too many poorly managed fisheries." Johnston concluded that, "Eventually, we're going to have to learn a lesson."

Mouthwatering Meal at CUT Steakhouse

Earlier this spring, I did some work for an organization writing about various restaurants and food festivals in Halifax. In exchange, I ended up with a gift certificate to CUT Steakhouse (my choice) for a staggering sum...

Yeah, that's right...300 bucks!

When asked what resto I really wanted to visit, CUT was at the forefront of my brain. Certainly not cheap, it's the kind of resto that I was saving for a very special occasion. With my GC in tow, I knew that I could spend without a care in the world (relatively), which just enhanced the vibe of Marie-Antoinettish indulgence.

Now the best part about this meal was that I invited my best foodie friend and told her NOTHING about the night! OMG - I had so much fun taunting her! For weeks I told her how amazing the mystery was going to be. The night arrived, and I went to J's place and was thrilled when she had a glass of sparkling wine prepped for my arrival! We finished that off, called a cab, and I whispered the address to the cabby, who played along with my little game. When we pulled up at CUT, and I whipped out my GC, the look on J's face went from confusion - to shock - to sheer delight as she realized what was in store.

We started off with cocktails; mine was my 'usual' a straight-up Grey Goose martini w/ loads of olives. J went with the Berry Foam Collins; gin, fresh raspberries and lemon, shaken and topped w/ Prosecco. Our server quickly followed up our drinks with an amuse bouche-type course; a tangy goat cheese-based dip with crudites, followed by CUT's breadbasket. With a selection of soft savory loaves and crispy breadsticks it sated our virtually empty stomachs! Sidenote- I rarely fill up on bread in restos, but in RCR Hospitality's restos, the bread is pretty hard to resist!

After much, much consideration, we finally decided on our orders. As apps, on our server's recommendation, we chose 1 Shrimp Almondine each - he said the dish was very rich and filling. In addition, we ordered the broiled bone marrow to split.

Ah, the shrimp! These suckers will absolutely, positively make it on my list of Top Ten Memorable Bites of 2010. The shrimp themselves were plump and perfectly cooked- not a hint of chewy-ness. These were served on a beurre noisette with (what I think was) a puree of almonds. The contrast of juicy seafood, crunchy almond slivers and crisp breadcrumbs along with the velvety puree, had my tastebuds doing a happy dance indeed. It's not often that you find a dish whose components work so harmoniously together.

The bone marrow...well, it's not for me. I just wasn't a huge fan of the texture, though the accompanying jams were delightful and fragrant!

Jumbo Shrimp Almondine

U8 Jumbo shrimp, pan seared w/ almond slivers & garlic, beurre noisette

Broiled Marrow au Gratin

Broiled marrow bone topped w/ black truffle cheese,

brioche crisps & fig and apple-cinnamon jams

So as to avoid food envy, we both ordered the Kobe Beef rib eye- also on our server's suggestion. More on that later...For our enhancements and starch we chose a potato, mushrooms and onion rings.

I knew the O Rings were a good choice, as those at Onyx (one of RCR's other properties) are out of this world. While the onion rings were crisp, the mushrooms were tender, with an incredibly earthy flavour and aroma - a fantastic addition to the table. The potato was the perfect combo of both of these textures; a smooth truffle infused mash was wrapped in a layer of crispy potato to form...well, the phallic-like shape below - heretofore referred to as Penis Potato. Yeah, said it.

Tempura Onions Rings

w/ Smoked paprika-saffron mayonnaise

CUT Pommes de terre

Yukon Gold potato strings surrounding

white truffle infused mashed potato

Sauteed seasonal mushrooms

You're probably wondering how a 5", 100 lbs. chick put this all away by now hey? Well, it took a lot of effort, but absolutely worth it when the melt-in-your-mouth piece of meat arrived before me. This steak was the epitome of all the characteristics you want in your beef; tender, flavourful and rich, and smooth throughout - without any annoying bits of grizzle.

Kobe Beek Rib Eye

Sake & miso rubbed

Holy cannoli- this steak was like crack!

And here we are; two very content little ladies. This was a great experience in ways above and beyond the food. The service and hospitality at CUT certainly enhanced the evening and determined that a return trip is definitely in the future!

Steve-O-Renos's morning fix - and not just for coffee!

If we follow each other on Twitter, you'll probably see that, at some point on Sat/Sun, I'm tweeting from Steve-O-Renos on Brunswick Street. This spot is my favorite coffee shop in the city; they're a hop from my apartment, the staff are sweet and friendly and the buzz within provides a great background for me to work/blog. And that's just the cafe itself. Not only does Steve-O-Reno's have delicious java, but they also have incredible baked goods - and I'm a sucker for baked goods! FYI - Cabin Coffee and the Daily Grind also have fabulous creations. Java Blend gets its baked goods from Deli Green Catering whose muffins are the moistest I've had in Hali.

Famous for its Morning Glory muffin, I've recently been trying out the blueberry baked goods to see how they compare. I've never been one to crave a blueberry muffin, but when it's 7:30 am, and I'm on my way into work, stopping for a coffee, it's pretty tough to resist.

And this weekend, as I sat, finishing up some blog posts for the coming week, I ordered a blueberry scone to go along with my dark Italian roast. With a lovely crunchy crust and a moist interior, Steve-O's scones provide the perfect contrast of textures for whatever suits you mood - and all in one baked good!

I've yet to try one of Steve-O's breakfast sammies, but I can't imagine that an English muffin or bagel topped w/ egg, tomato, red onion and sprouts could be anything but delicious!

Spanish Tapas night!

Long before the lamented Nova 7 recall, I had some friends of mine over for a Spanish Tapas night. I love getting together with this group of friends, however, its often very difficult to coordinate. We had planned over a month in advance, which gave me over a month to decide on the perfect components to a (simple) Spanish Tapas night.

I had picked up two btls. of wine, a btl. of Spanish White from Bishop's Cellar and a btl. of Nova 7. My friend's bf - the gem that he is - also surprised her w/ a btl. of N7 for her night with the girls!

What a feed! Prosciutto (which is Italian, I know...details...) roasted chickpeas, spicy olives, roasted red peppers, almonds (I couldn't find the classic Spanish almonds, Marcona), fresh fruit, a selection of cheeses, and our friend who works at Ristorante Amano brought their house-made hazelnut and pistachio gelato.

It was meant to be - the Nova 7 matched my tulips!

And here is the spread....

Spicy Olive Mix, among others...

Watermelon, peaches and strawberries

Roasted Red Peppers

Prosciutto

Tamari Almonds

Pistaschio & Hazlenut Gellato from Pizzaria-A-Mano

And coming up next? French Supper Club w/ Brie & Bordeaux!

Cheese & Asparagus Tart

Since blogging about my Easter dinner asparagus tart, I've had several people ask me for the recipe. Truth is, it's sort of a mis-mash of recipes' from Martha Stewart and Jamie Oliver, with my own little twist. This tart is fantastic for lunch with soup or salad, alongside eggs for breakfast or as a side dish with a steak dinner.

Cheese and Asparagus Tart

2 c. Mozzarella Cheese

1 c. Gruyere Cheese

¼ c. melted butter

2 bunches asparagus, trimmed

Salt and Pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Method:

Blanch asparagus in boiling water for a minute and transfer to an ice bath to maintain their colour.

Line a large sheet pan with a layer of parchment paper and brush with butter. Layer 10-12 sheets of filo pastry brushing each sheet with butter until desired thickness is achieved.

Remove asparagus from water and dry thoroughly. Sprinkle pastry with cheeses, and season with salt and pepper. Bake for about 20 minutes, or until filo is golden brown.

Rabbit Rillette

This blog post is incredibly late - I forgot about this one, but wanted to share it with you anyway because of the fact that it's about one of the best products at the Halifax Farmer's Market. On this particular occasion, I went to a friends house for some snacks before going out on the town. We all brought contributions, and mine included a jar of Rabbit Rillette from Ratinaud -a company created by a sous chef at Bish, Frederic...? Can't seem to find his card at the moment.

It's incredible that a product so rich and meaty could come from a jar, and contain so few ingredients. The Rillett is comprised of rabbit, duck fat, pork fat, thyme, garlic and. So...I suppose it's not really an everyday food - moreso a special occasion one - but certainly not one to be missed.

Ratinaud has a line of various pates, etc. but the Rillette is by far my favorite; it's meaty, luscious and creamy with just the slightest whisper of salt- making it a wonderful pairing with a thick-cut tangy sourdough loaf or baguette.

Of course, I couldn't justify us having a gourmet snack without providing one to the pooch. After all, his owner and I have some pretty picky palates, so one would imagine he does too! I treated Chowder to three dog biscuits from Katie's Farm Organic Bakery, Canada's first Certified Organic Pet Bakery!

Cheese, Apple-Oat & Cashew Nut-Butter Biscuits

Chowder!

Sustainable Seafood Series # 8- Seasons Wine Bar & Bistro

I recently attended the 100 Mile Dinner created by Chef Luis Clavel of Seasons Bistro & Wine Bar. Luis is new in his role as Executive Chef and is determined to run his restaurant in an ethical manner in addition to providing a delicious dining experience. The dinner consisted of a 4-course meal, with as many ingredients as possible having been soured within 100 miles.

Luis is a champion of local cuisine and a supporter of Nova Scotian seafood. Hand in hand with this support, is Clavel's enthusiasm for purchasing seafood that has been caught/processed in a sustainable manner; "At our restaurant we focus in respecting and understanding all aspects of our food products so that we can create the best dinning experience for our guest."

Being able to support the local market as well as the economy is very important for Clavel, and he emphasizes the need - both as a chef, and as a consumer - to build respect for the catch.

Clavel adds that he has a great relationship with his supplier. Robichaud’s Fisheries is a local small business dedicated to delivering great seafood. The fish is line caught from long liner hooks, while the nets are split to catch only the right size of fish. This allows those that are not fully developed to escape and continue to grow to maturity.

"I buy all my fish from them" he says, "with our commitment to supporting local vendors we can illustrate and educate that you don’t have to travel far for a great experience".