Recent Finds: Round Comfort Food
During the past two months, with the cool autumn-winter weather, there were a few soulful dishes I had and the common theme is that they all had round shapes in them.
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| gnocchi with morel mushrooms + champagne cream |
A friend kindly invited me to Nic's Martini Lounge in Beverly Hills for a full night out - cocktails, dinner, dessert and finally donning leopard spotted fur coats to experience their unique Vodbox. It was an extravagant evening of feasting for all senses. There were quite a few solid dishes. My favorites were: roasted beets in papilotte with feta and zinfandel vinaigrette, Nic's famous oysters sauteed with herbs, walnuts and garlic and placed back on the half shell with the pan sauces on top.
Yet, the most comforting of the dishes was the above gnocchi with morel mushrooms and champagne cream. It's made up of round disks of carmelized gnocchi that resemble scallops. The fluffy, cloudy gnocchi melts in your mouth. As if that's not enough, the plate is generously sprinkled with morel mushrooms. The whole thing sits in the creamy, decadent sauce which the textured morels and porous gnocchi soak up like sponges.
The other two dishes were from Ludo Bites 6.0 @ Max. This meal was probably my 12th+ time at Ludo Bites, to give you an idea of how exciting the food is to me.
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| marinated mackerel, leche del tigre, baby leeks, verdologas leaves |
During this last round with that particular evening's menu, there were many memorable dishes on the table. What I look for with Chef Ludo Lefebvre's dishes is something that challenges my tastebuds. The marinated mackerel, leche del tigre, baby leeks and verdologas (aka purslane) made a statement from its looks to its flavors. Mackerel is one of the oilier, fishier fishes and the fact that the skin was sugary and torched to a crisp really brought on a vivid contrast of tastes and textures. The greens were baby leeks and verdologas, which both added balance and an earthy to fresh and crunchy texture. The Tiger's Milk sauce is used to cure the fish in a ceviche dish. The citrus tang beautifully complemented and brought together all the complex flavors. The dish tasted best with a bite containing every component together.
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| marinated Korean steak, crispy kimchi, radish, bone marrow, shiso |
Another standout was the marinated Korean steak, crispy kimchi, radish, bone marrow and shiso dish. The beef was superbly tender and well seasoned. In this case the round part was the marrow which was out of the bone and caramelized. It's delightful for a marrow lover to not have to dig inside the bone. Once again the marrow pieces resembled scallops. Due to their exposed perch on top of the steak on the plate, one had to eat the marrow very quickly before they cooled off and congealed. This hearty dish was nicely counter-balanced with a subtle dried kimchi flavor, shaved cauliflower, shiso leaves and pickled radishes. Once again the symphony of flavors and textures really worked.
So whether it was the gnocchi, the purslane leaves or the marrow, each comforting dish contained beautiful round shapes presented in unique ways that heightened the eating experience. Would you also find these dishes comforting?
I always think of simple things that take you back as comfort food (more relaxing than exciting) - things like mac and cheese, hot dogs, fried chicken or things you remember from your childhood (like head cheese or scrapple). Geometric food seems to do it for you, and although it looks amazing, personally I might not call it comfort food. Your pictures and descriptions make me curious to try it - it all sounds and looks so good.
Hi Val, Thanks so much for your comments. I definitely share a love for childhood, simple comfort foods. I was no way intending to say that shapes comfort me. It was just the common theme binding these three dishes I love. The components that made them comfort food were: steak, marrow, fluffy pasta and crispy fish skin. All flavors from my childhood too. Again, thanks for reading!