Last month, when I was in London for the Book Fair, I had the opportunity to try out a couple new restaurants.

I met up with a client at Wodka Restaurant located at 12 St. Albans Grove in the Kensington area. I had a long leisurely walk from my hotel in South Kensington through some gorgeous domestic neighborhoods to arrive at an unprepossessing restaurant-front that led to a clean and crisp interior with an elegance that belied its simplicity.

Originally, I had very much wanted to try their foie gras blinis, but was regretfully told they were not serving them that night. Instead the two appetizers ordered were kaszanka and pelimeni. The former is a grilled black sausage, somewhat similar to blood sausage, and served with pickled red cabbage and pear -- the pear added a nice counterpoint, I thought. Pelimini harks back to Siberian sources -- they are veal dumplings with bread crumbs and butter. Very rich and quite filling, I didn't make it through the entire serving before deciding I needed to pause to be sure I had room for the main course.

For entrees: We ordered spicy beef goulash with potato dumplings. This came served in a cast iron staub pot. I must admit, it is nothing like the goulash I ate as a child which was an American imitation (it didn't even have smoked paprika in it) that put me off the dish for years. This had a rich sauce and was full of roasty flavor. For the other dish, there was roast guinea fowl stuffed with goat cheese and herbs. Very tender and tasty.

The wine chosen for dinner was Cotes du Rhone Villages "Nature", Domaine La Fourmente, Visan 2007. This is a mix of 60% Grenache and 40% Syrah from clay soils and mature vines (25-55 years). A lovely dark red with a peppery and fruity taste.

By the time we finished, we just didn't have room for dessert. I was very tempted by the poached pear with chocolate sauce, evenso.

I've tried five new beers this year, and here's just some quick thoughts on them to keep track.

* Samuel Adams Blackberry Witbier: From their brewmaster's collection. The hint of fruit in this is tasty, but not too sweet, perhaps even a little tart, even though the initial aroma after pouring makes it seem as if the berries will be over-pronounced. Drinkable and a nice companion with food.

*Hobgoblin Dark English Ale: Not a lot of aroma, but a pronounced nutty, roasted smell with a bitter chocolatey finish. On the carbonated side.

*Brooklyn Local 1: Using Belgian yeast, a cloudy lighter color. Sweet but with a tart bite on the back of the tongue (maybe almost like grapefruit) and herbal undertones.

*Brooklyn Local 2: #1 was a bit more to my taste, but this one was pretty decent too. Sweeter (which is part of what made it less appealing) with honey and caramel overtones. The citrus doesn't meld as well so the counterbalance is less well-paired than #1.

*Rogue Double Dead Guy Ale: Malty and sweet. Not as bitter as expected. Balanced but not deeply textured taste.

from Cook's Illustrated, May/June 2007

Mole Marinade:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 TBSP dark brown sugar
4 chipotle chiles in adobo sauce, minced
4 tsp cocoa powder
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
4 medium garlic cloves, minced
1 tsp ground black pepper
2 TBSP lime juice

Combine soy, oil, sugar, chiles, cocoa, oregano, garlic, and pepper in medium bowl. Remove 1/4 cup marinade and combine with lime juice in small bowl; set aside.

Place remaining marinade and steaks in zip-loc bag and seal. Refrigerate at least 1 hour (I did mine overnight), flipping bag to make sure steaks marinate evenly.

Remove steaks from marinade and discard excess marinade. Grill steaks as desired, basting with reserved marinade. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.

Notes: Good for about 1 pound of steak. The original recipe calls for a short-term marinade and then using the excess in the cooking process in an attempt to shorten the time required to get the steak properly infused with flavor. While I can appreciate the time constraints, I prefer planning ahead and getting enough lead time to give the flavors a chance to really work together. And it pays off. This was just lovely.

Located at 110 Glastonbury Boulevard, Max Fish is part of the Max Restaurant Group centered around Hartford, CT. Seating is available in both the retro-chic dining room and at the casual U-shaped Shark Bar.

Opened the meal with their tuna wonton tacos, which were amazing and delicious. They come with a lime cilantro dressing and mango. The textures in this dish are perfectly balanced and the flavors well-matched. I could eat these a lot more often and my mouth would be happy.

For entrees: From the specials, trout served with fennel, fingerling potatoes, arugula and a grapefruit salsa. The fish was perfect and flaky. The only complaint? Not enough of the grapefruit salsa which had a tempting flavor that the dish only hinted at. Accompanied by a glass of Sauvignon Blanc Les Deux Tours 2006 from the Loire Valley (the wine selection is nicely varied and there's a decent selection by the glass). Also, a blackened tuna with andouille and potato/onion hash, and a mango salsa. Just the right amount of spice in this one. Served with Allagash Black. Portions were reasonable.

Dinner finished with two desserts: tasty apple bread pudding and a lovely creme brulee.

Service was friendly, helpful, and prompt. Partway through our meal, a noisier party was seated nearby and from the acoustics in the room, one suspects the noise level could rise quite dramatically on crowded nights in the restaurant. Still, it's probably a worthwhile price to pay for the excellent food.

[note: This much-delayed review was for my friend Michael's birthday dinner back in February.]

Corned Beef in Bourbon-Brown Sugar Sauce
from the LA Times

2 tablespoons oil
1 large onion
1 pound corned beef
1 large clove garlic
1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
Dash ground cloves
1/4 teaspoon ground allspice
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1 cup beef broth
2 tablespoons frozen orange juice concentrate
1/4 cup Bourbon

Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Slice the onion in half lengthwise, then thinly slice each half crosswise. Add the onion to the skillet, stirring well to coat the slices with oil. Reduce the heat to medium and cook until the onion is light gold, about 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

Meanwhile, slice the corned beef against the grain on the diagonal into 1/4-inch slices. Set aside. Mince the garlic.

Add the garlic and the brown sugar to the onion, stirring well. Cook until the brown sugar is bubbly and the onion is coated with the mixture, about 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the cloves, allspice and mustard. Add the beef broth and stir well. Carefully place the corned beef slices in the skillet. Bring the sauce to a simmer and cook until the mixture thickens and is almost syrupy, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally and turning the slices over once.

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the orange juice concentrate and the Bourbon. Return the pan to the heat just long enough to warm the Bourbon, about 1 minute. Do not boil. Divide the corned beef among serving plates and spoon the onion and sauce over the top.

Notes:Happy belated St. Patrick's Day -- this was the dinner for that evening this year. It was an attempt to do something a little bit different than the usual boiled method. However, it didn't come together as well as I had hoped. It took too long to cook down the beef broth so the sauce wasn't as thick as it needed to be before it risked making the meat tough and inedible. Also, the bourbon was just too strong and overpowered many of the other flavors, though the onions by themselves had more going for them. A worthy experiment but likely not one I'll repeat.

Roasted Tuna with Grapefruit and Tarragon
from Bon Appetit February 2004

1 white grapefruit

2 tablespoons minced shallots
2 teaspoons chopped fresh tarragon
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
6 6-ounce tuna steaks

Preheat oven to 475F. Grate 1 teaspoon grapefruit peel; reserve. Cut off peel and pith from grapefruit; cut fruit into six 1/4-inch-thick slices and discard seeds.

Mix shallots, tarragon, and grated grapefruit peel in small bowl to blend. Drizzle olive oil over bottom of medium roasting pan; heat pan in oven 3 minutes. Sprinkle shallot mixture over oil. Place tuna steaks in single layer atop shallot mixture; sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast 5 minutes. Turn tuna steaks over. Top each with 1 slice grapefruit. Roast tuna to desired doneness, about 5 minutes longer for medium.

Notes: Other than the fact that I used ruby red instead of white, I followed the recipe pretty closely. I thought roasting the tuna was an interesting approach -- most of the recipes I have tried have gone for searing it in a skillet on the stovetop. I did think the grapefruit was a bit too bitter, but then I had also recently had a grapefruit salsa over fish at a restaurant and I think that was the taste I was looking to evoke. I might try combining these flavors in a different way next time to lighten it up and bring out more of the citrus.

Shanghainese Five-Spice Fried Chicken
Essentials of Asian Cuisine : Fundamentals and Favorite Recipes
by Corinne Trang

vegetable oil or peanut oil for deep-frying
2 tsp five spice powder
2 tsp kosher salt
2 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup tapioca starch or cornstarch
4 to 6 chicken legs, thighs and drumsticks joined

Heat enough vegetable oil for deep-frying in a pot over medium-high heat. Meanwhile, mix together the five-spice powder, salt, pepper and tapioca starch (or cornstarch) in a bag. Add the chicken legs and seal and shake the bag until the pieces are evenly coated.

When the oil reaches 360 to 375 F, carefully add the chicken legs and fry until golden crisp on all sides, 15 to 20 minutes. Drain on paper towels.

Variation: Substitute 4-6 1/2-inch thick pork chops (bone-in) and fry five minutes per side. Or use 4-6 small squabs and cook 15-20 minutes.

Notes:The author talks about a hole-in-the-wall restaurant in New York's Chinatown. I wish she'd said the actual name of the place, so I could go try it out. She calls this Chinese soul food.

Remember Shake-n-Bake(tm) before they added all the salt and ruined it? Well, this is basically shake-n-fry, but with an Asian flare. And, of course, one could use any number of spice variations on it for different styles (cumin for one? or ancho chile powder?). I actually did this with boneless chicken breast, and cooked about 7 or 8 minutes per side. And the crispiness came out pretty well on this attempt -- the key is to let the oil get hot enough before you begin. I got this cookbook as a Christmas gift from my family, and I'm looking forward to trying out more things in it. And I'd really like to try the squab variation above.

Lamb and Fennel Bread Soup from Sardinia
aka Agnello con finocchi selvatici alla sarda
from Italian Slow and Savory by Joyce Goldstein

olive oil as needed
2 pounds boneless lamb shoulder, trimmed into 1 1/2 inch pieces
salt and freshly ground pepper
1 yellow onion, chopped
6 cloves garlic, minced
4 TBSP chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tsp fennel seeds, toasted in a dry pan and crushed
pinch of chile pepper flakes (optional)
3 cups meat stock or water
3 fennel bulbs
6 or 7 pita breads
2 TBSP butter, cut into small pieces
1 1/2 cups crumbled ricotta salata or feta cheese

Place a large deep saute pan or Dutch oven over high heat and film the bottom with olive oil. Working in batches, add the lamb and brown on all sides, adding oil as needed and seasoning with salt and pepper. Each batch should take 8 to 10 minutes. As each batch is ready, use a slotted spoon to transfer to a plate.

Return the pan to medium heat and add the onion, garlic, parsley, fennel seeds, and chile flakes (if using) to the oil remaining in the pan, adding more oil if needed. Saute until the onion is softened, about 8 minutes. Add 2 cups of the stock or water, return the lamb to the pan, raise the heat to medium-high, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the lamb is very tender, about 1 1/2 hours. Taste and adjust seasoning.

While the lamb is cooking, cut off any stalks and fronds from the fennel bulbs if still attached, and reserve the fronds for garnish, if desired. Cut the fennel bulbs in quarters or eighths and cut out the tough core from each piece. Peel off any discoloured outer leaves. Bring a saucepan three-fourths full of water to a boil. Salt lightly, add the fennel, reduce the heat to medium, and cook until tender, about 15 minutes. Remove from the heat, drain well, and set aside.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Select a large earthenware baking dish, about 10 by 12 by 3 inches (3-quart capacity).

Line the bottom of the dish with pita bread, tearing or cutting as necessary to fit. Spoon the lamb stew evenly over the bread and scatter half the cheese evenly over the top. Top with the fennel. Drizzle the remaining 1 cup stock or water evenly over the top, adding more as needed to moisten the fennel and bread lightly. Scatter remaining cheese evenly over the surface, and dot with the 2 TBSP butter pieces.

Bake until cheese melts and is tinged with gold, about 30 minutes. Remove from the oven and garnish with chopped fennel fronds if using. Serve immediately.

Notes: This was my experiment for this year's New Year's Eve dinner. And I must say it was worth all the time and effort. The lamb was so tender it was ridiculous, and the flavor of the fennel infused the entire dish.

Blue Hubbard Pie

1 blue hubbard squash, baked and pureed (see below) - 15 ounces of puree will be needed for one pie

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp cloves
2 eggs
1 can (12-ounce) evaporated milk

1 10" pie crust

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Cut the hubbard squash into several large chunks and arrange on jelly roll pan. Spritz with olive oil. Bake for 45 minutes or until fork easily pierces flesh. Scoop flesh from peel, and puree.

Prepare pie crust in 9" pie pan.

Mix sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger and cloves in a small bowl. Beat eggs in a large bowl. Stir in squash puree and spice mixture. Gradually stir in evaporated milk. Pour pie filling mixture into shell.

Bake in 425 degree oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350 degrees; bake 40-50 minutes or until knife inserted near center comes out clean. Cool on wire rack 2 hours.

Notes: The blue hubbard squash was another product of this summer's farmer's market. By reputation, the blue hubbard squash makes a better pumpkin pie than pumpkin. According to tasters, the pie sure seemed to prove the case. This was my first pumpkin pie.

from wisegeek.com : The hubbard squash is said to have a mysterious origin, possibly named after a Mrs. Elizabeth Hubbard in the 1840s, who gave seeds of it to friends, thus increasing its popularity. It is not known exactly where the hubbard was first grown, but most winter squash varieties are known to be New World foods. This particular variety is often tear-shaped, and like the pumpkin can grow quite large. Some reach 50 pounds (22.68 kg) in weight.

Heavenly Hazelnut Cake

For my birthday, a very good friend made this: Heavenly Hazelnut Cake with Chocolate Rum Glaze from The Baker's Dozen Cookbook

Cake
1 cup (4 ounces) hazelnuts, toasted, skinned and coarsely chopped
2 3/4 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 pound (2 sticks) unsalted butter, at room temperature
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup plain yogurt, at room temperature

Chocolate Rum Glaze
2 TBSP unsalted butter
1 cup confectioners' sugar
3 TBSP unsweetened cocoa powder
2 TBSP hot water, or as needed
1 tsp dark rum

Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour a 10-inch (12-cup) fluted tube pan and tap out the excess flour.

To make the cake, in a food processor fitted with a metal blade, process 1/4 cup of the chopped hazelnuts with 1/4 cup flour until the hazelnuts are finely ground, almost a powder. Transfer to a medium bowl. Sift the remaining 2 1/2 cups flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt into the bowl and whisk to mix. Set aside.

In the bowl of a heavy-duty mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, beat the butter on medium speed until it is lighter in color, about 45 seconds. Add the granulated sugar in a steady stream, then stop the machine and scrape down the bowl. Return to medium speed and beat, stopping occasionally to scrape down the sides of the bowl, until the mixture is very light in color and texture, 4 to 5 minutes.

Gradually, about a tablespoon at a time, beat in the eggs. Continue beating until the mixture is ivory-colored. The entire process of adding and beating the eggs should take 3 to 4 minutes. Add the vanilla toward the end of mixing.

Reduce the mixer speed to low. In four additions, add the flour mixture, alternating with three additions of the yogurt. After each addition, scrape down the sides of the bowl and beat until smooth. Stir in 1/2 cup of the remaining hazelnuts. Spread the batter evenly in the prepared pan.

Bake until the top springs back when pressed lightly and a wooden toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 55 to 60 minutes.

Transfer the cake to a wire cooling rack and cool for 10 minutes. Invert onto the rack and remove the pan. Place the cake on the rack over a sheet of wax paper.

Meanwhile, to make the glaze, melt the butter over low heat in a medium saucepan. Sift together the confectioners' sugar and cocoa onto a piece of wax paper. Add to the saucepan with the water and rum. Mix until the consistency of heavy cream, adding more water as needed. Using a pastry brush, brush the glaze over the warm cake.

Coarsely chop the remaining 1/4 cup hazelnuts. Sprinkle the hazelnuts over the cake. Cool completely to set the glaze.