It’s easy to be a food critic when you eat out. Last evening I was privy to a meal at home that for a change I didn’t fully prepare. So I was not a food critic, but sleeping on it, I’ve decided, why not be a food critic today?
I’ve been at times thought of as a picky eater, which I know to be untrue holding pure disdain for that title. I am a particular eater in that I have some basic eating rules; I stay away from complex carbs when not fine dining. I’ll eat raw fish, mushrooms and snails, frog legs; I love the taste of onions but only minced. Outside of that I’m ready for most anything. Last night was:
Fresh Crab and Brie Bisque
Baby Spinach salad with toasted Pine Nuts and Warm Pancetta Vinaigrette
Orange Roughy en Papillote with Fresh Oranges over Orzo.
What was best here was the combination of light and heavy. The fish with cut asparagus, oranges and red pepper over orzo was light. It was lightly steamed in white wine. What was fascinating was how it was steamed. Each serving was prepped and wrapped in heart shaped parchment paper. How was it steamed? In the oven. While I didn’t participate in the food preparation I did admire the care of which the oranges were cut for presentation. Each bite was best enjoyed with fish, pepper and a slice of the orange. The tastes did not compete, they only mingled and enhanced… Nicely done.
Next was the Crab in a Brie Bisque. Brie is fascinating cheese. If you have not tried it, I must say just experience it for yourself and decide if it is a cheese! J Meanwhile in this bisque it was perfect in texture. The choice of backfin over claw meat from crab clearly made a difference in taste. The crab brie bisque was the heavy.
To finish off the meal was the Baby Spinach Salad with Toasted Pine Nuts and Pancetta. The warm vinaigrette and pine nuts toasted in confectioners sugar and cayenne pepper would have been enough but here again there was a third flavor that didn’t compete rather it enhanced. This was new to me, pancetta. It is Italian bacon in a sense. Sliced thick then diced it was fried crisp and sprinkled in the salad. To taste it, you would not call it bacon. If you’ve never tried it, you should.
This was a meal that almost came out of nowhere and in many respects offers lesson in trying new dishes when you are out to dinner. We all have a comfort food when we visit our favorite restaurant; you know the one "go to" entrée that you feel safe to order. Sometimes you need to step outside yourself and challenge your taste, after all life is no test drive. Here at home I made a conscious decision not to reveal my tastes and was wide open to what was being served. Even though my father once worked on a victory farm and our family had a steady dose of asparagus and artichokes when I was a very young lad, I made no complaints about eating asparagus with my fish. And you know, with the fish, red pepper, and sliced orange, it was a very nice combination. I don’t recall often for separate foods working quite so harmoniously. Most often I think you draw the line at three as there are too many foods competing for your taste buds. Meanwhile the orzo was oh so subtle and finished off a great entrée.
Perhaps you should seek out this dish for cooking at home. From presentation to taste, I do recommend it highly.
