Archive for September, 2010

>Harvest – St Louis

by Mark on September 14, 2010 in bread pudding, Harvest, rabbit confit, St Louis with No comments

>1059 S Big Bend Blvd, St Louis, Missouri 63117

BREAD PUDDING! BREAD PUDDING! GET THE BREAD PUDDING!

The reviews everywhere are accurate…this chef owned restaurant continues to have a great reputation. Apart from the dated decor (home store sphagnum moss, tacky silk flowers and twinkle lights hanging from the ceiling, a cheap color palette taken from Olive Garden! and even a website that looks old and prissy) the food was way above average. Highlights are the rabbit confit (clean and fresh) and the Bread Pudding which is the best on the planet (I’M NOT KIDDING).

Harvest on Urbanspoon

>Istanbul Cafe – Indianapolis

by Mark on September 14, 2010 in ezme, indianapolis, Istanbul Cafe, Turkish food, veal liver with No comments

>1450 West 86th Street (86th and Ditch), Indianapolis, IN 46260, (317) 876-9810

Delicious. Affordable. Its the fresh ingredient, fine food version of the other Greek and Turkish restaurants in the area. Carefully prepared Basmati rice and delicious sauteed vegetables accompany most items and are as carefully prepared as the entrees. I don’t know why Mediterranean food in this country has usually been translated into cheap, low value “food” but Istanbul Cafe is the exception.

While some of the items have been spiced-down for Hoosier tastes (lentil soup, tilapia, dolmathes)…the servers can help you navigate some full-flavored traditional selections (ezme, veal liver, doner kebab). The menu has a nice selection of vegetarian options, the bar is full and the wine list is large.

Istanbul Cafe on Urbanspoon

>My New Favorite Treat – Persian Saffron Brittle

by Mark on September 7, 2010 in Fard Candy Company, Saffron Brittle, Sohan Ghom with 2 Comments

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Sometimes I get so excited about a new food infatuation that I feel compelled to tell the world.

This time around it’s a Persian delicacy called “Sohan Ghom” or Saffron Brittle. It’s a skilled and secretive undertaking trying to locate recipes for this biscuit type brittle made with pistachios, cardamom and saffron. It’s not too sweet, not too hard, buttery, slightly bitter brittle that has a soft hay-like smell and a melt in your mouth richness. I can’t get enough of it!

The city of Qom (or Ghom) in Iran has been famous since antiquity for its Sohan and exports of the dessert from the region can be found in various international and middle eastern grocery stores in town. The Fard Candy company in California also uses these traditional recipes in their versions available for sale online here.