Tavern

Tavern is the kind of place where you'll have an impeccable dining experience, but nary a decent photograph to show for it. (Unless, of course, you go there in the daytime, when the larder and atrium dining room are flooded with light so as to showcase the Jeffrey Alan Marks design and decor.)

Photo: Tavern / aackstudio

Photo: Tavern / aackstudio

Go there for dinner, and you'll marvel at the familiar yet surprising comfort of the food. (Seared Albacore over beluga lentils? Of course.) The thoughtful and generous service. (Responsive and perfectly-timed? Yes. Hovering and solicitous? No.) The sumptuous New-York-chic-meets-California-cool surroundings. (A testament to chef/owner Suzanne Goin's signature guest-at-a-dinner-party feel, you wonder, when can I move in?)

Of course, you'll expect nothing less -- Tavern is, after all, the brainchild of Goin and Caroline Styne, of Lucques and A.O.C. -- and you'll know that you won't do it justice with your pedestrian words and wretched photographs. (In my defense, the restaurant is much too dark and my camera flash -- a no-no to begin with -- much too "hot.")

So you'll simply say that your birthday dinner at Tavern marks your best restaurant dining experience in L.A. to date. That you wish Tavern had been Tavern and not Hamburger Hamlet when you lived in Brentwood. That on second thought, maybe not, because you'd be broke. That if you were the kind of person who didn't have to worry about going broke, you'd hire Jeffrey Alan Marks to design and decorate your house. And Suzanne Goin to teach you how to cook, because your Sunday Suppers at Lucques cookbook just isn't the same.

You'll order two disparate appetizers and banter with your husband about which is better. (Hint: it's the one in which you're indulging at that very moment.)

Roasted Peaches with Burrata, Prosciutto and Pine Nuts (Best. Burrata. Ever.)

Seared Albacore with Beluga Lentils, Green Olives and Salsa Verde



You'll pass your shockingly ill-photographed entrees back and forth, marveling at the perfection of the pork shoulder in all its brined-for-72-hours glory, and how its richness is tempered by the avocado salsa that is bright and refreshing and not at all heavy.



Pork Confit with Corn Pudding, Mojo Criollo and Avocado Salsa

You'll implore your husband to rein you in as you dig for caramelized leeks and onions in Goin's riff on Chicken Dijon.

The Devil's Chicken with Braised Leeks, Onions and Mustard Breadcrumbs



You'll have saved room for pastry chef Breanne Varela's famed Snickers Bar dessert, which will be dropped at your table with a complimentary plate of her cookies, adorned with a birthday candle. And you'll breathe a sigh of relief that although Tavern isn't the least bit pretentious, it isn't the sort of  place where the staff sings to you.

Breanne's Cookies


Can we talk about the Snickers Bar for a minute?


Snickers Bar with Salted Peanut Caramel and Vanilla Ice Cream
(Photo: starchefs.com)



It was mind-blowing. Best. Dessert. Ever. It's what the Momofuku Chocolate-Malt Cake wishes it could be. And were Tavern that sort of place, we'd have licked the plate clean.

Do go to Tavern, and do bring a jacket. It's dreadfully over-air conditioned -- its only flaw.

Pan Roasted Black Sea Bass with Cheeky Zucchini Ribbons alla Marinara

Sometimes I blow my own mind with my culinary brilliance. And sarcasm. And cheekiness. ("Cheeky" is probably my most favorite of my husband's South Africanisms. I also love when he says I "chirp" and "cluck." And that he pronounces "hooves" like "WHO-vz.")

What also blows my mind is its unfailing tendency to daydream about cooking and baking all.the.time. Especially at work. Here's how last night's dinner came about.

Meeting, 9:24 a.m.

I need to make something with the rest of the zucchini in the fridge. Should I make zucchini muffins? Pleh. I don't want anything sugary. [I notice a colleague's grosgrain ribbon necklace and it reminds me of the butternut squash ribbons in Sunday's lasagna.] Hmm. I'll bet the zucchini would be good peeled into ribbons and sauteed with the end-of-summer tomatoes and basil from our CSA box. Like a pasta-less pasta alla marinara.

Conference Call, 11:49 a.m.

I'll flavor the sauce with the remnants of the shallots, onions and garlic that are hanging around. And that Basque olive mix left over from whoknowswhen we last had people over. And a splash of the sauvignon blanc Laird opened last night. I'll let everything simmer and reduce, then add the zucchini ribbons at the end to steam and soften for a few minutes.

Staff Meeting, 2:32 p.m.

So this dish is going to be enough for me for dinner, but not for Laird. He's going to need protein. Steak? Salmon? Hmm. [Boring rundown of protein thought process deleted.]

Whole Foods, 6:44 p.m.

I'm not feeling the steak. The salmon looks icky. The black sea bass looks amazing. I'll season it with salt and pepper and either poach it with the tomato sauce, or pan roast it in olive oil and butter. [Mmm this cheese sample is delicious. I think I'll buy a wedge of it to put in my fridge and forget.]

Yep. I think about food all.the.time.

It helps me get through my days.

And here's a recipe to help you empty your fridge (or CSA box or garden) and summon the last bits of Summer.

Pan Roasted Black Sea Bass with Cheeky Zucchini Ribbons Alla Marinara

Makes two generous portions

Note: I honestly didn't measure anything that went into this dish, but I do know the weights of the zucchini, tomatoes and sea bass, so there's that. Everything else about this recipe is an (experienced) approximation. You should also know that when I cook, I season with salt and pepper throughout. However I don't really address this until the end of my recipes, when I usually instruct you to "season to taste with salt and pepper." So all I can say is, season as you wish.

3 tablespoons olive oil, divided

1 medium shallot, minced

1/4 medium onion, minced

4 cloves garlic, peeled and minced

1 1/2 lbs tomatoes, such as plum, cut into large dice

1/4 cup olives, pitted and roughly chopped

1/2 cup chiffonade (of?) basil

1 1/2 lbs zucchini, sliced into long ribbons with a vegetable peeler

Salt and pepper

1 tablespoon butter

2 pieces black sea bass, about 1/2 lb each

1. Heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saute pan or skillet. Add the shallot, onion, garlic, tomatoes, olives and basil. Saute over medium heat until mixture softens and begins to form a sauce, about 7-10 minutes. Add the zucchini ribbons, toss to combine, and cook for about 3-5 minutes or until the zucchini begins to soften. (The zucchini releases quite a bit of liquid, so I removed it from the pan to a dish, then simmered and reduced the sauce for about 5 more minutes.

2. Meanwhile, season fish with salt and pepper. In another large pan or skillet, heat 1 tablespoon olive oil with the butter until the butter solids begin to froth. Add the fish and cook for about 5-8 minutes on each side or until cooked through. Shhh, don't disturb the fish except to turn it over after the first side is cooked, otherwise you won't get a nice crust.

3. Pile zucchini ribbons in a pasta bowl or on a plate, arrange fish on top, and spoon marinara over.

4. Season to taste (at whatever point you wish) with salt and pepper. (See? Cheeky!)

P.S. Tony, this fish bone is for you.

Butternut Squash and Mushroom Lasagna

I haven't done much in the way of creative cooking, baking or food blogging since the dreaded five blog posts worth of Chocolate-Malt Cake craziness, nor have I eaten any sweets. (Apparently Chocolate-Malt Cake cures sugar addiction. Yay!) I've been gazing at heaps of gorgeous plums and pluots and apples at the farmers market and dreaming about making a clafoutis or Dutch bébé, but I just haven't been feeling it.

So for the past week, my husband has been eating lots of comfort and pub food -- bangers and mash, homemade chicken pies from the freezer and the like. But yesterday I was able to muster up enough motivation to make a butternut squash and mushroom lasagna. I had intended for it to be vegetarian but as far as my husband is concerned, a dish without meat does not a meal make, so in went some lean Italian turkey sausage. Paired with a simple green salad, it was a perfect Sunday supper.

Butternut Squash and Mushroom Lasagna

Makes 8-12 servings

Note: Most butternut squash lasagna recipes call for pre-cooked and mashed butternut squash, but I think using uncooked strips, cut from the squash with a vegetable peeler, is easier and much less soggy. Plus you can substitute the squash strips for lasagna noodles if you wish to make this dish pasta/gluten-free. Confession: I wasn't sure the squash strips were going to work, but they're brilliant (and I do say so myself).

1 1/2 lbs lean sweet Italian turkey sausage (optional)

2 tablespoons olive oil

3 medium shallots, minced

1 lb crimini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 lb oyster mushrooms, cleaned and roughly chopped

Coarse kosher or sea salt

Freshly-ground black pepper

1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme

Juice of 1/3 lemon

2 15-oz containers low-fat ricotta cheese

4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese

1 1/2 cups shredded Parmesan cheese

3 large eggs

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1 teaspoon lemon zest (optional)

1 medium (approximately 1-1/4 lb) butternut squash

1 9-oz package no-boil lasagna sheets

1. Remove sausage (if using) from casings and saute in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat, breaking into small chunks and draining liquid as needed. Transfer to a medium bowl and set aside.

2. In the same pan, add olive oil and shallots and saute just until the shallots begin to turn translucent. Add the mushrooms and season with about 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper (the salt helps release the liquid from the mushrooms) and the thyme. Saute until the mushrooms begin to soften. Turn off heat and add the lemon juice, stirring to combine. Set aside.

3. In a large bowl, combine the ricotta, 1 1/2 cups mozzarella, 3/4 cup Parmesan, eggs, parsley and lemon zest (if using). Set aside.

4. Using a vegetable peeler, remove and discard the tough outer skin from the butternut squash, then peel the flesh into long strips. You will need enough strips to line the lasagna pan with two layers of squash (five if substituting squash for the noodles).

5. Heat oven to 350 degrees F and coat a 9 x 13 x 2 inch baking dish with cooking spray. Assemble the lasagna: spread about 1 cup ricotta mixture evenly into the bottom of the prepared dish and place three lasagna noodles horizontally on top. Spread another cup ricotta mixture on top of the noodles, then arrange squash strips on top. Arrange half the sausage and half the mushrooms on top of the squash, then sprinkle with about 1 cup shredded mozzarella. Repeat with 3 more lasagna noodles, another cup ricotta, another layer of squash strips, the remaining sausage and mushrooms, and another 1 cup mozzarella. Top with 3 more lasagna noodles, followed by the remaining ricotta, mozzarella and Parmesan. (Lasagna can be covered tightly and frozen at this point.)

6. Cover lasagna with foil and bake on middle oven rack for 25 minutes. Remove foil, rotate pan front-to-back, and bake for another 25 to 35 minutes or until the lasagna is bubbling and brown on top. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 minutes before serving.

Please forgive my less-than-stellar photos with inconsistent camera angles. That's what you get at 9 p.m. on a Sunday.

Lamb Chops with Pomegranate Molasses

To further demonstrate that I don't only make and eat sweets, I hereby present my easy go-to dish for when we want comfort food, which is most of the time: lamb chops, roasted baby potatoes and broccolini.

Lamb is ubiquitous in South Africa -- the arid Karoo region produces arguably the most mild-flavored lamb in the world and you can buy it at gas stations (no joke) -- but I've never much cared for it and my husband isn't a fan of the pungent stuff here in the States. So I have a trick, if you will, for mellowing the flavor: pomegranate molasses. It's not easy to find, but is well worth a trip to a specialty market or the Internet. (I buy Sadaf brand from chefshop.com, which has but one ingredient: California pomegranates.)

Pomegranate molasses is brilliant because you can use it in a variety of sweet and savory dishes. Much like balsamic reduction -- but better -- it's a great component in salad dressings and sauces and is equally delicious simply drizzled over ice cream or strawberries.

And drizzling is exactly how I use it to flavor lamb chops.  Season your chops with salt and pepper, grill for about 5 minutes on each side (for medium), remove to a platter, and generously drizzle with pomegranate molasses. Booyah. Delicious.

To make the potatoes, simply toss them with olive oil, sea salt and black pepper, arrange them on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees F for about 35 minutes. After 20 minutes I move the potatoes around so they get brown and crispy on both sides.

Grilled Trout with Lemon and Rosemary

I knew I'd be housebound while The Headless Hound recovered from minor surgery on Tuesday evening, so I stopped by Whole Foods for some fresh trout on my way to pick her up from the vet. I've been wanting to make grilled trout with lemon and rosemary ever since some friends made it for us a few weeks ago. It's such a simple dish to prepare -- the key is to get your fishmonger to clean and debone the fish for you -- but because of my increasing focus on photographing everything I make, I'm not blogging much about weeknight meals due to time constraints and bad lighting. (You wouldn't know it from looking at this blog, but I do cook and eat things that aren't laden with butter and sugar.)

By the way, do you have a fishmonger? What qualifies someone as a fishmonger? Does one have to work at a fish market or does manning the seafood counter at Whole Foods count? These are the deep questions I ask myself on random Tuesday nights...

Grilled Trout with Lemon and Rosemary

Serves two hungry people and one sedated dog

4 whole trout (about 1/3 pound each), cleaned and deboned

Olive oil

Coarse sea salt and pepper

2 lemons, sliced

4 large sprigs fresh rosemary

1. Rinse fish and pat dry. Rub fish inside and out with olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Stuff with lemon slices and rosemary.

2. Grill over medium heat for about 5 minutes on the first side, then gently turn over and grill on the other side for 3-4 minutes. Remove the lemon slices and rosemary from the fish cavities and grill the lemon slices and fish for another 2 to 3 minutes. (Removing the lemon slices ensures the fish cooks through.) Serve with grilled lemon slices and fresh lemon wedges for squeezing.

I served the trout over herbed orzo. I won't write a recipe because I honestly just threw a bunch of remnants from the refrigerator into warm, cooked pasta -- the last bits of pesto, the last quarter jar of Kalamata olives, a few crumbles of feta cheese, and generous amounts of fresh lemon juice, salt and pepper.

Confessions:

1. I don't care much for rosemary in my food (too overpowering). Next time I'll probably stuff the trout with thyme or dill. Butter and capers would be a nice finishing touch. (There I go with the butter.)

2. I massacred the trout because we need a new grill grate and heating element. The fish stuck to the grate and went up in flames and fell to pieces when I moved it around. But the nice thing about trout -- and grilling whole fish -- is that it's very forgiving. The end result was still moist and flaky and delicious.

Orecchiette with Turkey Sausage and Pan-Roasted Corn

Heard in our kitchen last evening:

Husband: There's nothing to eat.

Me: There's tons of food in the house.

Husband: There's food, but nothing to eat.

Me: Challenge accepted.

I'd like to say I had to dig deep for this one, but it was a no-brainer.  Our refrigerator provided inspiration in the form of four ears of corn and a package of turkey sausages we didn't get around to grilling this weekend, and the rest of the ingredients were already on hand. (The bacon was a surprise, actually.  My brother recently gifted us some home-cured and -smoked bacon, and it totally makes this dish.)

Served with a green salad, this is the perfect meal for the cold, gloomy evenings we've been experiencing at the beach this season. The corn and red pepper are bright and sweet and summery, while the bacon, sausage and pasta are warming and comforting.  The husband loved it. (Overheard at the dinner table: "This is restaurant-quality." Booyah.)

A few notes about substitutions: if you're vegetarian, you could easily swap out the bacon for a vegetarian substitute, but I mean it when I say the bacon (or "bacon") makes the dish.  Its smoky flavor imparts the umami that takes it from "meh" to "aah!"  Baby tomatoes would be a delicious addition, and you could swap out the sausage for roasted baby potatoes or white beans. As for the pasta, I have yet to come across gluten-free or whole-grain orecchiette, so if you want to go that route, look for shells.  You want a pasta shape that cradles bits of corn and shallot in every bite.

The lone red pepper piece on the rim of the bowl kills me.

Orecchiette with Turkey Sausage and Pan-Roasted Corn
Serves six

1 lb. orecchiette
4 slices bacon
1 20-ounce package lean Italian-seasoned turkey sausage, removed from casings
2 large shallots, minced (about 1/4 cup)
Fresh kernels from 4 ears corn
1 red bell pepper, finely diced
1 cup Parmesan cheese, shredded, grated or shaved
4 cups baby arugula
Salt and pepper
Greek yogurt or sour cream (optional)
Chopped chives, for garnish (optional)

1. Fill a large pasta pot with cold water. Cover and bring to a boil. Add pasta and 1 teaspoon salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until al dente. (About 10-12 minutes or according to package instructions.) Drain, reserving 1 cup pasta water. Do not rinse the pasta. (Depending on your timing, you will either add the pasta to the pan as in Step 3, or return it to the pot. If returning pasta to the pot, toss with a teaspoon or two of olive oil to keep it from drying out.)

2. Meanwhile, in a large saute pan over medium-high heat, cook the bacon until crispy. Set aside to drain on paper towels. Crumble the bacon when it's cool enough to handle.

3. Pour bacon fat from the pan and return it to the flame. Crumble the sausage into the pan and saute until browned, breaking up any large chunks. (Try not to stir the sausage too much, otherwise it won't brown.) Add the shallots and corn and saute until they begin to caramelize. Add the red pepper and saute for about a minute. Add the cooked pasta and toss to combine, followed by the Parmesan, 1 cup reserved pasta water (from Step 1) and the arugula. (The starch in the pasta water, combined with the Parmesan, creates a sauce of sorts that brings everything together.)

4. Remove pan from heat. Crumble two-thirds of the bacon into the pasta mixture and toss to combine. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve topped with a dollop of Greek yogurt or sour cream and a sprinkling of bacon and chives.

Vegan Minestrone

When I was in college, my great aunt Flora (gardener, foodie, all-around amazing human being), taught me how to make Minestrone. It's based on a recipe she clipped from the San Francisco Chronicle Food Section many, many years ago. Were she here now, Flora would tell you that the soffritto (the Italian variation of mirepoix) is the most important element, and it's true. Without it, the soup lacks flavor and depth.

One of my favorite things about this recipe is that you can play around with the ingredients, substituting vegetables and legumes to suit your tastes and the seasons. You could also add pasta, protein, grains...you get the idea.

Vegan Minestrone

Makes about 18 1-cup servings

For the soffritto:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small (or 1/2 of one large) white onion, diced very fine

1 large carrot, peeled and finely diced very fine

2 stalks celery, diced very fine

2 garlic cloves, peeled and minced

For the soup:

2 cups vegetable stock

1 28-oz can crushed tomatoes with basil

3 cups water

1 15-oz can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 15-oz can garbanzo beans, drained and rinsed

2 medium zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

2 medium yellow (summer) squash, cut into 1/2-inch chunks

1 teaspoon dried oregano (or 2 teaspoons fresh, minced)

1 bunch Swiss chard, stalks removed and leaves roughly chopped

salt and freshly-ground pepper

2 tablespoons pesto

1. Saute the soffritto: In a medium or large soup/stock pot over medium high heat, saute the onion, carrots and celery in the olive oil until the onion is translucent and the vegetables release their juices. This takes about 10 minutes; a sprinkle of salt aids the process. Add the garlic and saute for a minute or two. (Adding the garlic any earlier will cause it brown and become bitter.)

2. Make the soup: Add the vegetable stock, tomatoes and water. Increase heat to high and bring to a low boil. Add the beans, zucchini, yellow squash, and oregano. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5-8 minutes or until the zucchini and squash start to get tender. Stir in the Swiss chard and simmer for another 5 minutes, until the chard starts to get tender. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (I'm guessing I use about 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. But I like my food salty.)

3. Just before serving, stir in the pesto. Don't cook the soup after you've added the pesto; doing so will dampen its bright flavor.

SOFFRITTO PREPPED FOR THE POT

SOFFRITTO, PRE-SAUTE
SOFFRITTO, SAUTEED AND READY FOR THE GARLIC