Panzanella

A little bread never hurt anyone. Heck, even a little white bread never hurt anyone...however there's never a LITTLE bit of bread around this house. It's either all or nothing.

That's how I ended up making panzanella a few days ago with (hard to believe) leftover baguette and the freshest ingredients on earth, plucked from my back garden just before assembling the salad.

This salad takes very little time to assemble. Just a bit of chopping and perhaps toasting (or grilling?) if your bread isn't stale enough. You could omit the green beans and substitute something else if you didn't want to go to the trouble of filling a pot to blanch them. Any way you look at it, it's an easy, no heat, low fuss dinner.

Panzanella

Serves 4

Pint (or more) cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered

1 or 2 large heirloom tomatoes, chopped into bite sized pieces

8 oz green beans, blanched

3/4 c fresh mozzarella, cubed

3 tbsp red wine vinegar

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1/2 day old baguette, white or whole grain, toasted or grilled if not dried out

1 garlic clove

1 medium cucumber, seeded, quartered and cut into 1 inch pieces

1 c very thinly sliced red onion

1/4 c (or more) thinly sliced basil

Basil flowers, for garnish

Salt and pepper to taste

Halve garlic clove. Rub cut side of garlic on toasted bread. Cut bread into bite sized chunks. Set aside.

Combine vinegar, salt and pepper in a small bowl or a jar. Drizzle in oil and whisk or add oil, put a lid on the jar and shake vigorously.

Put tomatoes, cucumber, onion bread and basil in a large bowl. Drizzle dressing over and toss well to combine. Divide among four plates and garnish with basil flowers.

Did I mention that we had garlic bread as a side? Like I said...it's all or nothing...

Italian to die for...

We went to Il Posto for the second time recently. Our first visit was fantastic, but a bit hazy due to a wait to be seated (our fault for showing up late for our reservation) and a subsequent deep exploration of the wine list (it was our second destination that evening and the first involved cocktails). This time, it was just two of us and we were on time.

We were seated at a decent two top. It's a small room with high ceilings and Friday night it was (almost) warm enough to have the garage doors which make up the front of the restaurant thrown wide open. The high ceilings make for crap acoustics, so you do have to yell a bit to have a conversation, but ultimately it's worth it. There can't be seating for more than 50 people, but it's loud enough that it sounds like 100.

How is it 'worth it'? I'd sit in just about any room to eat the food that comes out of this kitchen. The menu changes daily; it's posted up on chalkboards high up on the walls. The focus is on fresh, seasonal ingredients melded together into a perfect representation of the foods that Italians are so passionate about. There is an ever changing selection of starters, primi and secondi. It all looked so good, we had to have a bit of everything.

I started with a warm baby red chard salad. It would not even occur to me to use chard in a salad as it typically requires a bit of heat and love to make it delicious, which doesn't make me think 'salad', but after eating this, I need to broaden my definition. The chard was slightly wilted, then tossed with trumpet mushrooms and some soft, creamy Italian cheese that melts so completely that it turns into a lush, silken dressing. I was stupefied by the marriage of flavors and textures and tried to eat it slowly to savor every delicious bite. I'm afraid I'll never have a salad this good again.

My husband had a stuffed calamari dish. He's a guy that dearly loves your classic fried calamari when it's done right; crispy batter and tender inside, maybe with a bit of lemon. Well, this isn't like that at all. It's a big calamari steak stuffed with all manner of things; breadcrumbs, parsley, capers...I have no idea what else, then sliced into perfect rings, heaving with goodies. Suffice it to say, the dish really works. The calamari was cooked perfectly and the tang of the capers added a nice element of interest to the stuffing. The portion would have easily fed three or four.

A great start, so on to the primi. I would eat risotto any day of the week, but my husband was up for pasta and he chose one that looked very delectable. It was a homemade orichette, cooked al dente. None of that thumb-sized dried pasta here. These were substantial; nearly silver dollar sized, with a slightly chewy texture. It was tossed with a light tomato and arugula sauce that worked perfectly. Thank heavens we split it or we couldn't have eaten our secondi.

We split the secondi as well. It was a perfectly grilled hangar steak, sliced and fanned out on our plate. It was gorgeously red with a charred exterior and a tremendously flavorful, chewy interior. Hangar steak is a cut that's gaining popularity in restaurants; I'm guessing because it's still a bit cheap and it's lean and very delicious. It was served with a milk braised baby fennel. I'm not mad for anise, but fennel has taken root and grown on me like a weed. Braising is one of the best ways to prepare it. It makes it soft and creamy, and mellows out the sharpness of the licorice flavor. It's a lovely, simple dish to accompany something rich like a steak.

The wine we chose was a serviceable, though not inexpensive Valpolicella. The wine list is heavily if not entirely Italian and getting a recommendation from the sommelier or your waiter is probably a good idea unless you are a real Italian wine buff. The service is excellent and subtle, which is what I want when I'm enjoying a meal as much as I did this one. We were allowed to take our time and enjoy every minute of the evening.

I know I've somehow missed a few delicious details of this meal; but that's what happens when you don't sit down to write about it immediately. I was just too busy basking in the glow of Il Posto's food to be bothered with capturing the finer points in writing. Perhaps I'll do a better job next time. Or the time after that. Or the time after that. Or the time after that...

North Restaurant

Last night we went to North in Cherry Creek at the behest of some friends. We met our friends and their two kids for an early dinner that ended up stretching for about three hours. The impetus was their half price wine on Monday nights deal, however we made up for the savings in quantity.

Upon arrival, I was instantly blinded by the unfortunate angle of the sun into the foyer, but soon found our friends and joined them at a sleek booth near the bustling kitchen. We asked our waiter for a white wine suggestion that wasn't too acidic and wasn't Chardonnay, as the list was heavily Italian and didn't have many familiar vintners. He immediately suggested the most expensive white wine on the list ($59) that was in fact a Chardonnay. Last time we ask his opinion on that subject.

We settled on an '05 Groth Sauvignon Blanc ($38 - but remember all the wine is 1/2 off so suddenly it's a smokin' hot deal) and were quite satisfied. By the time we shut up long enough to order starters, we were ready for some red wine and ordered (our first) bottle of '04 Mauro Molino Nebbiolo ($52 pre discount). It was just right for the evening; a bit light, not too complex, but the right amount of flavor to keep you interested and not overwhelm your food.

The starters showed up and we dug in. A tossed caprese-esque salad and the fried calamari were both good choices. The tomato and mozzarella salad came tossed with smoky grilled bread, super fresh basil, and an eye opening drizzle of rich, aged basalmic vinegar that brought all of the flavors together. The calamari was served essentially in a salad of fresh spinich and arugula in a citrusy dressing, topped with grilled lemons (which later were eaten by one of the kids - yum!).

We split salads (which I didn't even know you could do!). Our caesar showed up without anchovies (despite my husband's specific request that his have some) and it took until he was nearly finished before a small bowl of them arrived. The salad was perfectly dressed, by which I mean not drowning in dressing, but a very light coating on each leaf. The greens were crisp and refreshing.

For entrees, I ordered the fresh fish of the day, which was some sort of Canadian snapper (which I hope to God was sustainably harvested - I'm fairly certain our waiter didn't have a clue. He tried telling me that the sea bass was Canadian, too). I should know better than to order something that had been described by the waiter as 'a bit oily', as that's really not my kind of fish, but he swayed me when he said how nicely the fish flaked. He also had steered me away from the sea bass, saying it wasn't a very successful dish. The fish came and I realized that my waiter needed a lesson in what 'flakiness' means when referring to fish. It was well prepared and very flavorful, but as I said, not my cup of tea. It was served over a bed of mushroom orzo, which was positively heavenly. The pasta was slick with a lemony oil and was peppered with rich, earthy mushrooms. I frankly could have had that and the fennel shavings atop the fish and been perfectly satisfied.

Our dining companions also had the fish and seemed to enjoy it (their plates were clean, anyway). My husband ordered the shrimp fettuccini. It was meant to be served with broccolini and a spicy garlic sugo. It came instead with broccoli and a very light sauce (which was not very spicy, nor very similar to what the waiter had described this sugo to be, nor did it taste as though many hours cooking effort had gone into it). Now, I'm the kind of person that gets extremely frustrated having an ingredient substituted without being told first. Broccolini and broccoli are damn different. If you're changing the dish because you're out of something, TELL ME. But frankly I don't think my husband gave a hoot (or perhaps even noticed). The dish was good, but for $21, I was left feeling a bit underwhelmed.

Overall, North was pretty good. It's a great location and has fabulous ambience. I think it's kind of expensive for decent but unremarkable food, and the service is average and not terribly knowledgable. But all that said, it was a really fun evening and the 1/2 price wine didn't hurt a bit.

Tired but full

So, Osteria Marco is a gem. I shouldn't even tell you because it will just become overly popular and will be impossible to get in.

We started the evening at Cru in Larimer Square to have a glass of wine before dinner. Our waiter was very friendly and helpful, but not everyone wase satisfied with his recommendations. Oh, well...it was only one drink. We were in the lounge downstairs, which is a very cool space. Now, I have to point out, I didn't realize this was a chain until today. Worse yet, it's a chain based in Texas. I try not to eat or drink at chains with any frequency (exception sometime being Colorado based eatries). Ah well. Now I know.

We headed across the street to a pleasantly crowded Osteria Marco in the basement. Our server was knowledgable and attentive...and patient as it took us ages to order and get through our food. The prices are very reasonable. We started with a bunch of appetizers. We did the chefs selection of house made cheeses. They were served with grilled bread and each one was excellent. There was a ricotta, a gorgonzola, a triple cream and a mozzarella. The ricotta was mild and creamy; it had a wonderfully light texture and spread on bread like soft butter. The mozzarella was soft and had just the right amount of salt. The triple cream was decadent and wonderfully flavorful. Last and maybe least (but still very good), the gorgonzola was really quite mild for a blue; very tasty.

We also got some marinated olives, proscuitto (parma) and the ciccioli (braised pulled pork...I believe it was braised in duck fat). Okay, I realize this is excessive for three people for starters, but it was really hard to decide. The proscuitto was devine. Salty and creamy and simply presented folded on a plate. I have to mention that 5 pieces or so for $8 seemed a bit steep, but it was very good nonetheless. The olive marinade was a bit strong for my taste, but my sister in law ate them with gusto, so it's just my palate that didn't agree. The pork had been recommended by our waiter and maybe pork isn't our thing, but it was just too rich for me. A bite was enough. If you're a pork fan though, I'd jump on it if I were you.

On to dinner...we had so much to start with we ended up ordering two pizzas and a salad. The salad was a bit diminuitive, but utterly delicious. Arugula perfectly dressed and sprinkled with golden raisins and pine nuts lightly mounded on a small plate. Then (yes, more proscuitto) a proscuitto and fresh mozzarella pizza topped with arugula. Utterly delicious (and a LOT of proscuitto). And finally a wild mushroom and robiola pizza. I am a devout lover of all things mushroom and this pizza did not disappoint (though a few of the mushrooms left something to be desired texturally). My mushroom pizza was so popular, there was only one slice left upon departure.

Somehow we were talked into dessert. I blame my sister in law. So we had a molten chocolate cake with chocolate gelato. Perfect in every way, except that in her gusto to dig in, my sister in law burned the roof of her mouth. Probably why it's 'molten'. Oh, well.

Wine selection is extensive and wonderful. Our server steered us towards a very moderately priced red that was perfect with our food.

All in all it was a wonderful meal. Hell, there's a chance we may go back to Osteria Marco within the week.

Happy eating.

Italian...and local

So I've read two books set on Italy in the past week and I have a hankering for a bit of Italy in my tummy (since I won't be there any time soon). Tonight we're going to try the quietly touted Osteria Marco in Larimer Square. I'm really looking forward to it and to quenching the Italian craving that's been eating at me. Looks like they're fairly casual, which is what I'm in the mood for tonight. They make many of their cheeses in house and they also locally (and where possible organically) source many of their ingredients. Well...except for the imported Italian meats (YUM - guilty pleasure!).

I'm always more willing to give a business my hard earned cash when they in turn support local farmers and food artisans. Not to mention I think that it shows a deep appreciation for food and very often a deep commitment to the environment. I'm ahead of myself on Osteria Marco, but certainly there are a lot of restaurants in Denver that are making the extra effort. Two I think of immediately are Black Pearl and Gaia over in Platt Park. Black Pearl does it's best to buy sustainably raised meats and fish and also buy locally when possible. Gaia goes even further and grows many of their vegetables and herbs in their back yard, bakes their own bread (well, one of the owners also owns Pajama Baking Co which provides their bread), gets eggs from a smaller producer in Boulder and they're even taking a stab at growing grapes to make wine. Can't wait to see how that turns out.

Want more local food in your life? Check out these websites to learn more or find a farm in your area:

http://localharvest.org/

http://monroefarm.com/ (this is the CSA I belong to. Great eggs and great veggies!)

http://100milediet.org/


Another website I *have* to mention is the Monterey Bay Aquarium. My brother introduced me to it back when we actually had an aquarium in Denver. Remember Ocean Journey? And now a restaurant chain owns it...well anyway. This website can help you to make sustainable seafood choices when you eat, which is more important than you might realize. More on that later - that's a subject best explored on its own.

http://www.mbayaq.org/cr/seafoodwatch.asp

Will report back on Osteria Marco soon.