There are most restaurants, and then there are extraordinary restaurants like Chutney's of Sarasota, which serves Greek, Middle Eastern, Indian and other cuisines. It is not easy to serve such diverse cuisines, but Chutney's does it remarkably well. It is run by husband and wife team - Ash Shukla and Denise May, and has been a fixture of the Sarasota restaurant scene for some 27 years. We have not met her, but he is the perfect restaurateur - charming, gregarious, creative, customer-focused, etc., etc.
We had not eaten there for a number of years, but decided to try it last night when we were in the area of Sarasota Memorial Hospital for a late-afternoon doctor's appointment. It turned out to be the perfect choice. Every morsel was superb, and the wine was very nice.
Most of what we had were specials for the day. It was very hard to chose because there were so many delicious-sounding dishes.
My wife started with the Greek salad that came with her meal. This "Greek Salad" was the Americanized version of Greek salad because it had lettuce, which one does not find in true Greek salads.
I had bowl of Persian spinach and lemon soup. Its ingredients included split peas, turmeric, onion, and pomegranate. Every spoonful was superb. The pomegranate added a very nice sweetness that complemented the other ingredients.
We both chose the same main course - Bo Bo Tie, a South African dish which dates to the 17th Century, and whose origins are in Indonesia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bobotie). Early versions were made with mutton or pork. Later versions with beef or lamb. The version we had was with ground breast of chicken.
It is a mild dish with a nice mixture of spices. Its ingredients included ground breast of chicken, madras curry spices, milk, and panko bread crumbs. It was topped with a mango chutney. It was fantastic. The consistency was that of a meat loaf.
As an accompaniment to the Bo Bo Tie, we both had cranberry rice pilaf, whose ingredients included rice, dried cranberries, cashews, and sautéed onions. It too was superb.
The Bo Bo Tie, Cranberry Pilaf, and Salad were $21.95. The servings were huge.
We had a very nice red wine with our dinner - Marchesi Biscardo Valpolicella Superiore Ripasso for $42. The retail store price of this wine is about $23, so $42 is a very reasonable restaurant price. Mr. Shukla spent a generous amount of his time discussing some of his wines, and his philosophy of reasonable pricing of those wines. We really enjoyed chatting with him. We watched him as he managed to devote attention to all of his diners. It was clear that a number of the diners were repeat customers, who loved Chutney's and felt very much at home there.
The pita bread served with our meal was very nice, not like the faux pita sold in supermarkets.
We took home a dessert- a New Orleans bourbon bread pudding, for $6. Like all of the other dishes we had, it was marvelous - sinfully rich. It seemed similar to one I have made (http://viaggiviniecucine.blogspot.com/2013/06/new-orleans-bread-pudding-with-bourbon.html)
One nice feature of the Chutney's menu is that diners can create multi-course Middle Eastern or Indian entrées.
The owners close for a month each year to travel and enjoy other cuisines. This year, they traveled to Italy and spent time in Umbria around Lake Trasimeno. We discussed Umbria and Tuscany with Mr. Shukla.
We highly recommend Chutney's and intend not to wait so long before returning.
Chutney's is located at 1944 Hillview St. Phone 941-954-4444. They do both lunch and dinner. I recommend making reservations.
Tuesday, November 19, 2013
Sunday, November 17, 2013
Delicious & Easy Salmon with Philippine Flavors
In doing an Internet search for an easy salmon recipe with turmeric seasoning, I came across this very nice, mild-curry recipe on http://salu-salo.com/, a Vancouver-based blog devoted to Philippine cuisine. I did not include the cilantro leaves, which I did not have at home. That would certainly have made the dish even better for us. The blog's author suggests that any fish steaks would work.
Ingredients
- Salmon steaks or any fish steaks. (I used two 8-oz. fillets.)
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce (I used about a cup of chopped canned tomatoes)
- chopped cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°
- Sprinkle salmon steaks with salt. Place steaks on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and garlic; cook until soft and brown. Add the coriander, cumin, and turmeric; and stir fry for 30 seconds. (I had premixed the spices in a small dish.)
- Add the tomato sauce and simmer for 1 minute. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with rice.
Ingredients
- Salmon steaks or any fish steaks. (I used two 8-oz. fillets.)
- 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- 1 medium onion finely chopped
- 2 cloves of garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1/2 cup tomato sauce (I used about a cup of chopped canned tomatoes)
- chopped cilantro leaves
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°
- Sprinkle salmon steaks with salt. Place steaks on a baking sheet and bake for 10 minutes. Set aside.
- Heat the oil in a large pan. Add the onion and garlic; cook until soft and brown. Add the coriander, cumin, and turmeric; and stir fry for 30 seconds. (I had premixed the spices in a small dish.)
- Add the tomato sauce and simmer for 1 minute. Sprinkle with cilantro and serve with rice.
Monday, October 21, 2013
Apollonia Mediterranean Grill - Delicious Greek Food
My wife and I have enjoyed at least three meals at Apollonia Mediterranean Grill (http://www.apolloniagrill.com/) near Lakewood Ranch. On one occasion, we celebrated my sister's birthday, and on two other occasions, we had lunch with the same three wonderful friends. We loved just about everything there except the dolmades, the stuffed grape leave, which were good, but not terrific. The bottom line is that like Apollonia and plan to return.
(We are probably not quite fair in our judgment of the dolmades - grape leaves stuffed with rice and sometimes meat, and generally covered with avgolemono (egg lemon) sauce. The Apollonia version was stuffed with rice and beef and dill. The leaves were poorly wrapped around the rice and the rice was not firm.
We prefer the Levantine-style stuffed grape leaves with lamb and firm rice, and with the leaves tightly wrapped. We have had this type many times and love it.)
At our most recent lunch with our three friends, my wife had the dolmades as an appetizer for $8.99. Her main course was the gyro sandwich with gyro lamb in grilled pita with onions, tomatoes, and arugula, and french fries for $11.99. Her sandwich was delicious.
I had the Gyro Platter for $13.99. It was very nice.
For dessert, she had Tiramisu for $7 and I had Galactoboureco - phyllo dough, custard, and honey -for $6. Both were excellent.
My wife enjoyed a glass of white sangria for $7.50 and I had Saint George Agiorgitiko wine for $10 per glass. Both were excellent. Agiorgitiko is the most planted type of grape in Greece. On its menu, Apollonia misspells Agiorgitiko.
At my sister's birthday, my sister and I both ordered the braised lamb shank with rice pilaf and roasted vegetables ($20 each). It comes with a choice of soup or salad. She chose a salad and I chose a soup - chicken, lemon, and rice. My wife had the "Classic Combo" - Moussaka, Pasticcio, Spanakopita, and house-made dolmades. She also had the salad.
Everything was mouth-wateringly delicious except the dolmades, which were decent.
The soup was out of this world, and the lamb was fantastic.
For dessert, my sister and I had the galactoboureco ($4) and my wife had the house-made rice pudding ($3). All were very nice.
The wine I chose was Atlantis Red ($10 per glass) from Estate Argyros on the island of Santorini. When I asked the waitress what type of grape was used in the wine, she checked and said it was Malbec. That surprised me because I was unfamiliar with any Greek use of Malbec, which tends to be used primarily in South American reds. I later checked the Estate Argyros web site (http://www.estate-argyros.com/Atlantis-red.html) and learned that this wine is made from 90% Mandilaria grapes and 10% Mavrotragano. The wine was decent.
Two of us had the Greek coffee ($2.50). It was delicious.
The bottom line is that Apollonia is a very nice addition to the local dining scene.
(We are probably not quite fair in our judgment of the dolmades - grape leaves stuffed with rice and sometimes meat, and generally covered with avgolemono (egg lemon) sauce. The Apollonia version was stuffed with rice and beef and dill. The leaves were poorly wrapped around the rice and the rice was not firm.
We prefer the Levantine-style stuffed grape leaves with lamb and firm rice, and with the leaves tightly wrapped. We have had this type many times and love it.)
At our most recent lunch with our three friends, my wife had the dolmades as an appetizer for $8.99. Her main course was the gyro sandwich with gyro lamb in grilled pita with onions, tomatoes, and arugula, and french fries for $11.99. Her sandwich was delicious.
I had the Gyro Platter for $13.99. It was very nice.
For dessert, she had Tiramisu for $7 and I had Galactoboureco - phyllo dough, custard, and honey -for $6. Both were excellent.
My wife enjoyed a glass of white sangria for $7.50 and I had Saint George Agiorgitiko wine for $10 per glass. Both were excellent. Agiorgitiko is the most planted type of grape in Greece. On its menu, Apollonia misspells Agiorgitiko.
At my sister's birthday, my sister and I both ordered the braised lamb shank with rice pilaf and roasted vegetables ($20 each). It comes with a choice of soup or salad. She chose a salad and I chose a soup - chicken, lemon, and rice. My wife had the "Classic Combo" - Moussaka, Pasticcio, Spanakopita, and house-made dolmades. She also had the salad.
Everything was mouth-wateringly delicious except the dolmades, which were decent.
The soup was out of this world, and the lamb was fantastic.
For dessert, my sister and I had the galactoboureco ($4) and my wife had the house-made rice pudding ($3). All were very nice.
The wine I chose was Atlantis Red ($10 per glass) from Estate Argyros on the island of Santorini. When I asked the waitress what type of grape was used in the wine, she checked and said it was Malbec. That surprised me because I was unfamiliar with any Greek use of Malbec, which tends to be used primarily in South American reds. I later checked the Estate Argyros web site (http://www.estate-argyros.com/Atlantis-red.html) and learned that this wine is made from 90% Mandilaria grapes and 10% Mavrotragano. The wine was decent.
Two of us had the Greek coffee ($2.50). It was delicious.
The bottom line is that Apollonia is a very nice addition to the local dining scene.
Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Mei Mei Garden Chinese Restaurant - Edible Food
We recently decided to try Mei Mei Garden Chinese restaurant, in the hope that we could find delicious Chinese good close to home. It was a disappointment. Our two dinners could best be described as "edible." We did not even save the leftovers.
My wife's entrée was Shredded Pork with Ginger and Scallions - $12.95. She also had a shrimp roll - $1.95.
My entrée was Beef Chow Fun with Vegetables and Sauce - $11.95.
We also used a coupon for a pair of free egg rolls.
The restaurant is located 8310 Market St., Lakewood Ranch.
My wife's entrée was Shredded Pork with Ginger and Scallions - $12.95. She also had a shrimp roll - $1.95.
My entrée was Beef Chow Fun with Vegetables and Sauce - $11.95.
We also used a coupon for a pair of free egg rolls.
The restaurant is located 8310 Market St., Lakewood Ranch.
Sunday, October 13, 2013
Asparagus Shandong - A Nice & Easy Side, Great with Salmon
In a recent search for an asparagus side to go with a salmon entrée, I found this winner at saveur.com (http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Asparagus-Shandong-Style-) It was fast, easy, and tasty. It was a perfect accompaniment for the salmon. It serves 2-4.
Instead of 1 1/2 lbs. of asparagus, I used a pound because there were only two of us.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. asparagus, trimmed and cut crosswise on the diagonal into 2" pieces
- 1 tbsp. Japanese reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp. Asian sesame oil
- 2 drops red chili oil
- 1/2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
Directions
1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add asparagus to pot and cook until tender-crisp and bright green - 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain, then immediately plunge into a large bowl of ice water. Set aside to cool - 2 to 3 minutes. Drain again, then transfer to paper towels, pat dry, and set aside.
2. Whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, and chili oil in a medium bowl. Add asparagus and toss. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with sesame seeds.
Instead of 1 1/2 lbs. of asparagus, I used a pound because there were only two of us.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs. asparagus, trimmed and cut crosswise on the diagonal into 2" pieces
- 1 tbsp. Japanese reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tsp. Asian sesame oil
- 2 drops red chili oil
- 1/2 tsp. toasted sesame seeds
Directions
1. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil over high heat. Add asparagus to pot and cook until tender-crisp and bright green - 1 1/2 to 2 minutes. Do not overcook. Drain, then immediately plunge into a large bowl of ice water. Set aside to cool - 2 to 3 minutes. Drain again, then transfer to paper towels, pat dry, and set aside.
2. Whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, and chili oil in a medium bowl. Add asparagus and toss. Transfer to a serving bowl and garnish with sesame seeds.
Super Simple Salmon
It's hard to believe how fast and simple some delicious recipes can be. I found a terrific salmon recipe in this category at allrecipes.com. This one is appropriately named "Super Simple Salmon" (http://allrecipes.com/recipe/super-simple-salmon/).
This recipe calls for four salmon fillets. I only used two 8-0z fillets because there were only two of us. It only takes 15 minutes to prepare and requires very few ingredients. I prepared it in a grill pan on the stove.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 x 6-ounce salmon fillets
2 tablespoons butter
4 lemon wedges
Directions
1. Stir together the garlic powder, basil, and salt in a small bowl. Rub in equal amounts on the salmon fillets.
2. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the salmon in the butter until browned and flaky - about 5 minutes per side. Serve each piece of salmon with a lemon wedge.
This recipe calls for four salmon fillets. I only used two 8-0z fillets because there were only two of us. It only takes 15 minutes to prepare and requires very few ingredients. I prepared it in a grill pan on the stove.
Ingredients
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 x 6-ounce salmon fillets
2 tablespoons butter
4 lemon wedges
Directions
1. Stir together the garlic powder, basil, and salt in a small bowl. Rub in equal amounts on the salmon fillets.
2. Melt the butter in a skillet over medium heat. Cook the salmon in the butter until browned and flaky - about 5 minutes per side. Serve each piece of salmon with a lemon wedge.
Forage in Salt Lake City - An Incredible Dining Experience
On a recent trip to Salt Lake City, I had one of the most
incredible dining experiences of my life. It was at a small restaurant called
Forage (http://www.foragerestaurant.com/),
where a colleague and I had a 15-course meal. Each course was small, but
exceptionally creative and delicious. Moreover, each course was served in a
very artistic way. At the end of the meal, we were delighted with the many different
tastes we had experienced, but did not feel in the least bit full. We
accompanied our meal with a nice red wine from northwest Italy.
Thanks Chef Brown!
It was my colleague who discovered Forage in Internet
browsing, and suggested we try it. As soon as I read the reviews he forwarded
to me, I agreed that we should try it.
Forage specializes in using local foods "from the wild
and from small farms and ranches." It serves a single set menu of 15
courses for $87 per person. It also offers wine pairings for $65, or juice and
other non-alcoholic pairings for $26. It also offers a small, but nicely
constructed wine list. The wine we chose was a bottle of 2011 Pecchenino San
Luigi Dolcetto di Dogliani DOCG (a red).
Forage was opened in 2009 by Chefs Bowman Brown and Viet
Pham. Chef Pham subsequently left in 2012.
In 2011, Food and Wine Magazine included Chefs Brown and
Pham in a very small group of the Best New Chefs in America.
In a January 2013 Iron Chef competition, Chefs Pham, Brown,
and Luke Fowles defeated Chef celebrity Bobby Flay. Their most innovative dish
then was a beef fat ice cream with cherries. It blew away the judges. (http://www.standard.net/stories/2013/01/07/utah-chef-defeats-bobby-flay-iron-chef)
Each course that we enjoyed had only a few bites and was
served in a very creative fashion. In some cases, food was served in a way that
it blended in with non-food items in the dish - so that one almost had to
"forage" for the food. Of course, the server pointed out the actual
food item.
The restaurant is located in what appears to have originally
been a residence. It is relatively small inside.
Two servers waited on all the clients. There was a young
woman named Brooklyn, and a young man of Nepalese ethnicity named Pratik. Both
were very attentive, professional, and helpful.
After returning from my trip, I sent an email to Chef Brown
thanking him for the terrific meal and asking him to review my descriptions of
the dishes. He kindly responded and corrected a couple of my errors.
The courses we enjoyed were:
Appetizers
Juniper Soda and Sorrel Sorbet - with salt around the rim
Potato Crisp with Elderberry
Caper, Shallot, House-Made Sour Cream
Burn Eggplant Crisp with
Eggplant Purée
Elderberry Leather with
Chicken Liver Paté
Grilled Dragon Tongue Beans
Smoked Cheddar, Malted
Barley, Epic Beer Batter
Main Dishes
Smoked Tomato Broth, Corn,
and Fresh Trout Roe
Idaho Sturgeon and Cabbage
infused with Rosemary, and with Buttermilk Whey
Plum and Tomato with Sheep's Milk Cheese and Basil Purée
Vegetables with Roasted Chicken Vinaigrette
Smoke Trout with Rosehips, Wild Sumac, Apple Juice, and
Rosehip oil
Aged Duck with Beets and Burnt Onion
Desserts
Muscat Grapes, Celery Sorbet, and Sorrel Powder
Asian pear purée and Douglas Fir Mousse
Rosehip sherbet, vanilla meringue, sparkling yoghurt, dried
raspberry.
At the end, we were served a couple of candies, probably home-made.
Wine
Dolcetto is a type of wine produced from a grape of the same
name. It is from the Langhe area of the Piedmont Region of northwest Italy. The
Langhe is one of Italy's greatest wine producing areas. Its star wine is Barolo.
While Dolcetto is one of the Langhe's lesser wines, this one was very nice. I think the
price was about $40.
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