Fun Playing With Soup at the Happy Buddha Again!

Last Thursday, I had a second opportunity to sample another take on Noodle Soup from The Happy Buddha Cafe in Cleveland Heights Ohio. I can't wait to get here with some friends and eat some other menu items! Since I knew Bob was making meat for dinner, I decided to try the Tofu with Flat Noodle Soup for lunch.


One of the Happy Buddhas at the Front of the House


La Jiang (Chili Sauce) - OMG Spicy!



I was delighted to learn that the "flat noodle" I ordered was not a rice noodle, but one of my absolute favorite wheat noodle styles - the pudgy "Yi Mein."



Now I've added a little La Jiang to the tops of the fresh, creamy tofu squares. It really perks them up!





And - I remembered just in time what Shirley had told me before - they'd happily use Chinese broccoli instead of American on request. And this was perfectly cooked - soft enough to fold and bite through, but not at all mushy or overcooked. Happy Buddha remains my favorite East Side location to play with Chinese Food!

Fun Playing With Jewish Soul Food, Part 2

The Jewish holiday of Purim began on Thursday evening. Last night, someone asked me to explain this holiday - the shortest explanation I can come up with is that it falls into that catagory of Jewish Holidays easily summarized as:

"They tried to kill us. We won. Let's eat."

It is traditional to drink to the point of intoxication on Purim, and to attend services where the story of Purim, or Megillah is read (not in this order, or at least not consecutively); each time the name of the villian Haman is read, the congregation drowns it out with various types of party noisemakers. Children dress in costumes of characters from the story. It is a true party holiday.

The traditional Purim food is the dessert cookie known as the "Hamantaschen," which translates from the Yiddish as "Haman's Hat." Persians of the day often wore three-cornered hats, and so the perennial treat is named for them (the hats, not the Persians!). These mostly fruit-filled delicacies are labor intensive to make (there are no shortcuts!) and though some bakeries have them year round, they are usually at their best on Purim. I enjoy making them, but there was no way this year. So, I asked the Cleveland Food & Wine Forum where I should look for the best Hamantaschen in Cleveland. I was directed to two Jewish bakeries in Beachwood - Lax & Mandel Kosher Bakery and Pincus Bakery. When Linda Griffith posted that Lax & Mandel had Cherry Hamantaschen, I knew that this would be my first stop.





Lax & Mandel had several varieties of the large cookies, and 8 varieties of small ones. Pictured above are the large chocolate variety. I opted for one large Cherry, and one each of the small ones.

I had planned to eat lunch at one of the eateries in the plaza where the bakery was located, then return to the office. But since the restaurants all were closed for Purim (except Issy's, which was take-out only), I decided to go across the street and see what Pincus Bakery had. (And it gave me a perfect excuse to enjoy a bowl of noodles at Happy Buddha Restaurant - but that will be another post!) As usual, I got carried away, and bought way too many Hamantaschen. But hey, Purim comes but once a year!



In addition to the cookie type on the second shelf, they had a selection of the "yeast" type on the top shelf of the case, which are like a small triangular cake and filled. They also had a nice selection of sugar free Hamantaschen, for those in need of them. I was raised on the cookie type, but the cake type also has it's supporters. So, I got three yeast type and 2 cookie type.




Cherry


Apple


Prune


Chocolate


Cheese

Although we can fress with the best of them - we played with our food before we ate it, cutting each pastry in half, then in half again for our tasting. We still have a box of leftovers to work through!

Overall - these were not the best Hamantaschen I ever had. The cookie ones were good, but the yeast ones were a little dry - almost stale, and the fillings lacked profundity.

For our second round, we opened the box from Lax & Mandel:




Large Cherry - YUM!


Eight Small Hamantaschen


Open Views of the Large and Small Cherry




Raspberry


Apricot


Poppyseed


Blueberry


Prune


Chocolate


Apple

We liked the Cherry and Apple the best - but they were all pretty darn good. I even liked the poppyseed, which is usually too strong for me (and the seeds get stuck in my teeth!).

So here you have it - an informal, unscientific, probably biased review of two of Cleveland's prime Hamantaschens. But I think it's just a Bubbe Meintze (Old Wive's Tale) that the calories fall out when you cut them up as we did. Oh well - at least we had fun playing with our Hamantaschen!

Fun Playing with Food For A Good Cause

Last night, Bob and I attended the 14th Annual Cleveland's Greatest Hors D'oeuvre Contest, which benefits Our Lady of the Wayside. This event usually brings together the top chefs of Cleveland, each hoping to win some bragging rights and to raise money for a great cause.

A few of my favorites from prior years were missing last night - Paul Minillo of Baricelli Inn, Doug Katz of fire, Brandt Evans of Blue Canyon, Michael Symon of Lola/Lolita and Michelangelo's Bakery. And Rocco Whalen of Fahrenheit was called away by restaurant business, though his cuisine was still represented. Nevertheless, there was plenty of savory food. And the wine, beer and soft drinks flowed all night, as did the sounds of Saborit Latin Soul.

A caveat - because I wanted to photograph all of the food, we staked out a table and I stayed there for the most part. Bob brought me the dishes and made notes on what they were. However, I may have an description or ingredient wrong. If anyone out there has a correction - hey - that's what the "comments" feature on this Blog is for!

We began our tasting with an almost bittersweet moment, having our last sample of one of Dominic Cerino's signature dishes:


Norcian Lentils with House-Made Guanciale, Sausage & Peppers and Focaccia Bread

I cleaned the plate with my bread and pronounced it "plate licking good" - which it was. Carmen and Jo Marie Cerino, who are carrying on the traditions of Carrie Cerino's without brother Dominic, were also present - we wished all of the Cerinos the best in their next and ongoing endeavors! This dish tied for Third Place.

Next up - Rock Bottom Restaurant & Brewery - Chef Nick Vidovic:


House-Made Pastrami on Rye Topped with Tomato Sauce

This was most tasty - but I would have preferred mustard and not tomato with the pastrami. It must be that New York-Jewish girl thing.

Parallax Restaurant - Zach Bruell:


Seared Peppered Tuna with Cucumber Sushi

This tuna was exquisite - exquisitely fresh, exquisitely cooked, and served with a lovely ginger slaw. As for the sushi - the cucumber slipped out quite nicely, and the rice and nori tasted of expert preparation. The creamy aoli deftly parried the spicy tuna. This dish tied with Dominic Cerino's for Third Place.

The Woods Restaurant - Chef Chad Chillemi:


Rolled Stuffed Bread with Sausage, Cheese and Spicy Sauce

We loved the spicy sauce, which had a smokey-chipotle component and another chile we couldn't quite place. Most tasty.

Skyelarae's Culinary - Chef Eric Wells:


Moroccan Shrimp with Pineapple

A sweet and savory bite, all in one! Well done, Chef Eric!

Sammy's Catering - Chef John Taylor:


Pistachio-Crusted Lamb Chop Over Polenta




I think the sauce drizzled over the meat was based in plumb. Or was it cherry? Oh well - I really loved this dish! I can't believe that this fantastic dish, perfectly executed, did not place in the top three.

Corleone's Restaurant (last year's winner) - Chef Vito Carrieri:


Crispy Shrimp with Polenta and a Creamy Sauce

I can't blame Chef Carrieri for going with shrimp again - that was his winning ingredient last year. This presentation was very nice, but not a winner.

John Q's Steakhouse - Chef Jesse Scott:


Scallop w/Lobster Mousse



The scallop itself was good, but not great, however, the lobster mousse was rich and creamy, and the reduction on the plate gave the scallop good flavors.

Johnny's Downtown - Chef Rob Records


Seared Duck Breast Topped with Cherries and Walnuts, with Goat Cheese

I really liked this - except, for my palate, the goat cheese just didn't go with duck meat. The duck was perfectly cooked, however, and the cherries, nuts and jus all went together very nicely.

Vue Restaurant & Lounge - Chef Rick Carson


Firecracker Shrimp

Spicy, crunchy, shrimpy - what's not to like?

World's Fare Culinary - Chef Brian Doyle


Pulled Berkshire Pork with Mango Chipotle

Chef Brian has recently joined Good Taste Market as a chef, and has also brought out his own line of Chameleon Chef products, which we look forward to sampling. This bite was heavenly - cooked perfectly and seasoned just right.

Fahrenheit Restaurant - Chef Rocco Whelan


Mini Burger with Tomato Relish and Bleu Cheese



I confess that by the time we reached the last three items, I was pretty full. Nevertheless, I carried on. This burger was tasty and not overwhelmed by the bleu cheese, which was a little strong for my taste. The star of the dish was the fresh tomato relish.

Sushi Rock - Chef Angel Samano


Beef Sushi

This dish took Second Place. I do not mean to be unkind or disrespectful, but I can't figure out how. It was the only dish I tasted that I affirmatively did not like - the meat was tough as nails, the sauce disagreed with me, and even the rice tasted off. Oh well, as I often say, different strokes for different folks.

Henry's at the Barn - Chef Paul Jagielski


Louisiana Shrimp with Cheesy Grits and Corn Hushpuppy

And this dish, folks, took First Place. But I was so full by this time, I did not even taste the shrimp. I did really enjoy my bites of the grits and hushpuppy - but I was done.

One thing I can never understand about this contest is why so many of the chefs use seafood products that cannot be had anywhere near to fresh in this part of the world - in my opinion, there are severe limits on how much yummy factor you can get from frozen shrimp, canned crab, and the like. Still - a frozen shrimp won last year, so what the heck do I know? What I do know is that we got to spend two full hours playing with overwhelmingly tasty food for a good cause, and playing with food doesn't get any better than that! And all of these chefs deserve big thank yous for donating their food, their time, their helpers and their talent for this event.

Fun Playing with Food with Jonathon Sawyer and the Wonderful Crew at Bar Cento

Last night was the inaugural "Sawyer Wine Supper" at Bar Cento restaurant, recently opened on the near West Side of Cleveland, across the street from the storied West Side Market. Bar Cento is the creation of former Michael Symon apprentice Chef Jonathon Sawyer. We had played with Jonathon's food once before, at a pre-opening tasting party sponsored by the Northeast Ohio Convivium of Slow Food. I didn't take any photos that night, so this is my first opportunity to share some of the goodies that Chef Sawyer is offering. I can highly recommend future wine and beer dinners at Bar Cento - they are off to a wonderful start!

We began with one of the restaurant's signature items as an Antipasto - handcrafted pizza!


Prosciutto Bianco Pizza Topped with Acorn Fed Lardo, Bird Chilies, Myer Lemon and Marjoram



I've only had lardo once before - and it was served at room temperature. As much as I've grown to like pork fat - that lardo experience was just a little too intense for me. As you can see here, though, the lardo served last night was rendered, leaving bits of meat that tasted like bacon on steroids on the pizza slice, and depositing a lovely puddle of rendered pork fat on the plate. We all sipped delightfully from that pool! And the chilies added an intense bite, which was tamed somewhat by the Toffoli Prosecco di Conegliano that accompanied this course. Overall, an amazing way to start.


Vitello Tonno - Warm Crispy Veal Sweetbread Over Chilled Veal, Sicilian Tuna Aoli, Capers

Without question - the most enjoyable sweatbread I've ever eaten - it made me go "mmmmhh" when I savored the first bite. I don't know if this was due to the fact that the sweatbread was from a younger animal, or the preparation (Chef Jonathon explained that it was not soaked in milk, which is the traditional prep - it was soaked in broth and seasoning overnight prior to cooking). Honestly, the sweatbread was so rich and tasty (and contrasted so perfectly against the chilled slice of meat below it) that the Tuna Aoli almost overwhelmed it - though it was a brilliant touch to infuse the Aoli with Tuna. The 06 Maggio Vini Rosato accompanied this course well.


Insalata - Grilled Scamorza (Fresh Mozzerella Cheese) Topped with Dandelion Greens and Mint, plated over Oilo Sancto ("Sacred Oil")



This is my idea of salad! (Just kidding - I'm all for healthy green salads. But damn, this tasted good!) Chef Jonathon explained about the Olio Sancto, which he cold-infused with anchovy and mint - either of which could have overwhelmed this dish. But there was no clash - only sweet, rich harmony between the crunchy, chewy cheese, the pungent and slightly bitter greens, and the oil. Again, Tracey English was right on with her choice of the 04 Fatalone Primivito for the wine pairing - we liked this wine so much, we wanted to buy 4 bottles of it, but they ran out and we had to settle for two.


Pesca - Wild Striped Bass Macinare

Another example of how you have to make due in Cleveland sometimes when it comes to fish (see my New Year's Eve post about Michael Symon's swordfish collar), Chef Jonathon mentioned that he had hoped to serve Fluke for this course, but had to take what quality fish he could get.

This dish was wonderful. The bass - described on the menu as "the Miller's fish", was served with a fresh herb salad and myer lemon. The filet was topped with a disk of chopped pork of some kind - but this component was not identified on the menu and we didn't get the opportunity to ask what it was. Who cares - it may not have been kosher, but it was delicious! And it went very well with the 06 Vigneti di Marchi Erbaluce di Caluso.


Spring Abbondanza - Roasted Kid Goat, Milk Poached Calf, Suckling Pig, Salsa Verde, Roasted Potato

What a savory trio! The goat meat, which came mostly from the legs of small, tender, young goats, was the standout here. It melted in the mouth! The veal was also lovely. And the pig - I missed a photo-op with the head shortly before service - but this was served with crispy skin and tasty fat. The potatoes were the perfect accompaniment to wipe up every drop of the heavenly drippings! The wine was again well chosen - 05 Podere San Matteo Morellino di Scansano "Sammetteo".


Formaggio - Cheese Course

I am trying to use the flash less; unfortunately, I think these photos really could have used it. Oh well. We were served two cow's milk and one sheep's milk cheese - sorry, I'm not sure which cow's milk was which. I think, from right to left, they are Veneto e'stats Cow's Milk, Cow's Milk from Piedmont and Sheepsmilk from Lombardia. They were served with a gently toasted crostini that had a slightly sweet element in the topping.



And now - a first for my blog, and probably my life. Hold onto your hats, folks:



After a quick taste of each cheese in the proper order (mildest to strongest), I ignored Paul Minillo's advice about the ordering of cheese, and actually consumed my entire portion of the Bleu. I did not give it to anyone at the table - I have witnesses! I ate and enjoyed my Bleu cheese! I need to know exactly what this was and where to get it!

I also very much enjoyed the other two varieties of cheese, and the wine they were all paired with - 04 Valpolicella Classico.


Dolce - Tenuta Il Corno Olive Oil Gelato, Blood Orange, Myer Lemon

Talk about playing with your food! Who'd have thunk you could put olive oil in gelato? But Chef Sawyer did - and it was fantastic, especially with the blood orange. I'll have a gallon of that, please. And speaking of gallons, we tried to acquire some of the sweet and heady wine that accompanied this course and the next - 95 Tunua Il Corno Vin Santo, IGT - but they sold out of it before they got to our order.


Grazie - Chocolate Salumi Style, Grandma's Cookies



Note the bits of pepper at 6 o'clock on the Chocolate - there was also a hint of red pepper somewhere. The heat combined with the rich chocolate and nuts to create a taste sensation that was accentuated by the cookie - which started crisp and finished soft as it had been drizzled wtih liquid - I'm not sure what. A perfect finale to a symphonic meal!

Bravo to Chef Sawyer, to Sommelier Tracy English from Private Reserve, who supplied the wine pairings, and to all of the staff who worked very hard to make this first wine dinner a great success. And please, Chef, feel free to fill in any blanks or correct any wrongs I may have put in this post.

If Bar Cento was closer to home - I'd be a three-times-a-week regular. As it is - we need to get there more often!