tw food

I have no idea how I had never heard of T.W. Food before a few weeks ago...with a Zagat score of 28/30, and a new restaurant opening in Porter in the upcoming weeks by the owners, I knew I had to check it out.

Located near Alewife Station in Huron Village, and also reachable by bus, T.W. Food uses French techniques for regional & seasonal food that is presented in a simple manner in an unpretentious setting.

 

 

 

With an ever-changing menu T.W. Food offers a prix fixe menu Sunday-Thursday, a Grand Tasting menu on every night but Tuesday, a wine series on Tuesdays, and a Jazz Brunch on Sundays (to which we will be going for a Christmas jazz brunch in a few weeks!).

I started with the creamy scrambled farm egg with maitake mushroom & butter crumbs. Surprisingly presented in a martini glass, this was a mind-blowing dish that I am still thinking about days later. The texture was unexpected, not like a scrambled egg, but not like a mousse, a pleasant texture with an amazing punch of flavor. I could honestly eat this for breakfast every single morning and wake up in a good mood looking forward to it. I have absolutely no idea how this amazing dish was created or thought of, but I am very thankful!

T went with the crème brûlée foie gras which was also surprising with a creamy and crispy texture that played well with the apples along with the tasty & flavorful bread. 

For main dishes I went with the trottole curry pasta with chanterelle and cauliflower mushrooms, leeks & boucheron cheese. A big piece of my heart belongs to curry, so I had to get this. As I continued with the dish, the flavors began to show themselves, and unfortunately I had finished the whole dish before being able to put my finger on each one...I guess I'll have to try it again!

T went with the miso-cured hake with delicata squash, pearl barley, shiitake mushroom, in a lemongrass broth. He reports this was a nice light dish with another range of flavors. 

Unfortunately for us, after a couple of glasses of delicious wine and our meals thus far, we were much too full to order dessert. I'll have to get the T.W. chocolate sundae with hazelnut praline, vanilla ice cream, valrhona chocolate ganache & whipped cream...next time. Something to look forward to!

 

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chicken & grapes

Every time I had the option of choosing dinner growing up I chose the same recipe. Every holiday & birthday I would ask for the same recipe. Even now, if meim visits and offers to cook dinner, I ask for the same recipe; chicken & grapes. This is the one recipe (other than king crab legs) that I will never ever ever get sick of. Chicken & grapes is also amazing as left overs. Its overall a perfected recipe in every aspect.

Ingredients:

Curried rice 

1 cup rice

1 small apple (peeled, cored & cubed)

2 tbs curry powder

2 tbs butter

1 bay leaf

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups chicken broth

Chicken and sauce

1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts

Salt & pepper 

2 shallots

10 green grapes

1/2 cup white wine

3 tbs butter

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

Directions:

1. Begin with the rice. Heat 2 tbs butter, add onion and garlic. Cook until onion begins to hint at turning brown.

 

2. Add cubed apple and curry powder. Stir to mix.
 

 

3. Add rice, bay leaf, and chicken broth. Stir and bring to a low simmer. Cover and let sit for 20 minutes.

 

 

4. As the rice is simmering, cut the chicken into strips. Add 3 tbs butter to a pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken strips, sprinkle salt and pepper, and cook until it loses the raw-chicken look. Once it reaches this point, transfer to plate and cover with foil.
 

 

5. Add shallots to the pan and cook for 3 minutes. 

 6. Add wine and stir constantly until half has cooked off. Add juices that accumulate around reserved chicken pieces.

7. Add heavy cream and grapes to the wine-shallot mixture. Stir over high heat to thicken.

 

 

8. Add chicken back into mixture to fully cook and thicken sauce.
 

 

9. Once fully cooked and thickened to your liking, remove bay leaf & fluff rice, and plate in this order: rice, chicken, extra sauce, more extra sauce.
 

 

 

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curry-saffron salmon

You're welcome for this recipe. Let's just put it out there. This is a super hit for entertaining and can be easily multiplied depending on how big your dinner party gets! The salmon can be baked or grilled, however you usually prep your salmon...then just added to the tasty sauce over some rice to absorb some of the curry-saffron sauce with mushrooms and onions. Tasty tasty tasty. Again, you're welcome.

Ingredients:
2 (6 oz) filets of fresh wild-caught salmon
2 tablespoons butter
1 medium onion
4 garlic cloves
1 cup chopped mushrooms of choice
1/4 cup diced fennel bulb
1/4 cup diced celery
1 teaspoon curry powder

1/2 teaspoon saffron

1 cup chicken broth

1/2 cup heavy cream

1 tablespoon sliced green onion

Directions:

1. Season each filet with salt & pepper. Grill, bake, or prep for searing.

2. Melt butter in skillet over medium heat. Stir in diced onions and cook until translucent (6 minutes). Add chopped garlic and cook until fragrant (1 minute).

3. Combine chopped mushrooms, fennel, and celery with the onions & garlic. Cook until vegetables have softened (6 minutes).

4. Season with curry powder, saffron, and salt & pepper. Cook for 3 minutes.

5. Pour in chicken broth (cook 5 minutes) and stir occasionally. Stir in heavy cream and simmer (5 minutes).

6. Add cooked salmon to the sauce. Top with sliced green onion. Cover and simmer for 4 minutes in order to meld flavors.

7. Plate & serve.

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simple weekend recap: edition 4

It appears as though this past weekend was filled with a bunch of seafood. Salmon, lobster, and swordfish! The salmon in a saffron curry sauce is one of my favorite dinners to make. Don't worry, I'll share the recipe later this week!

 

The weather this weekend was perfect, and Erin was able to take full advantage of the sun during a nice long hike through the park.

 

 

 

After some tasty deviled eggs, lobster was definitely due (the first of the season for us...we're so behind the times)!! To wrap up the seafood weekend, we had some of the sweetest corn from the farm down the street.

 

 

 

 

After a long weekend of seafood, some garlic chipotle pasta was much needed (quick&simple recipe later this week, too!)

 

My weekend was filled with good food & the great outdoors...pretty ideal for me!

 

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curry tuna salad & endive

A simple twist on a classic. Just a quick snack/lunch recipe 

for a nice warm end-of-summer day!

 

Mix 1 can of tuna with:

small handful of chopped black olives

small handful of currants

2 tbs mayonnaise

2-3tbs curry powder (tailor to your own taste...I am heavy on the curry powder

1 tsp chopped chives

1 tsp cracked pepper

Fill endive with tuna salad mix to create a buttery, smooth & filling

 snack/lunch/appetizer made within 4 minutes!

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grilled steak with curry mustard sauce and asparagus

Eek, it's been a while...

Just a quick one before horror movie night with popcorn and the lights off.

This week's main dinner was a delicious grilled steak (T's job) with my own curry-mustard sauce along with some grilled asparagus (my jobs!).

 

Asparagus is one of my favorite veggies, and although Spring is not my favorite season, it does bring my long green friends back to me fresh for a small window of time!! 

Unfortunately I was a terrible blogger this past weekend and forgot to take pictures of our dinner at 80 Thoreau. Not too worried though, I'm sure I will be back within the next 2 months...especially for one of their "tonic & gins" with their house-made gin. 

Tomorrow T and I will celebrate our 5-year anniversary at Clio, where I will hopefully remember to document the culinary experience...as well as some of my Loubies!

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