Chocolate Ice Cream

Yay, today we have my first ice cream for Summer 2014!

Saison

I first read about Saison and chef Joshua Skenes (he trained under Jean Georges!) in Bon Appetit, as it made the top 10 list for best restaurants of 2013. That piqued my interest so I dug around some more, and continuing to see so much praise, I added to my "must hit" list. 

You know the protocol of my trips - I often make reservations at restaurants before I even book my airfare. I had done a little bit of research on where to eat for my San Francisco trip, and I had actually made a reservation to go to SPQR , as I figured there was no way I could get a reservation at Saison. On one lucky night, I was randomly checking Open Table in the off chance that Saison may have a reservation, and by some miracle, I saw a spot for three on Friday night. I've been reading a lot about the restaurant, and I realized that by the time I come back to SF again, it may become so popular it would probably be even more impossible to get a reservation, so I jumped on the chance! 

Cherche Midi

Over the winter, I read a round up of all new restaurants opening this spring, and I was excited when I read that Keith McNally had a new venture in the works. Turns out, this new place, Cherche Midi, opened last week in the old Pulino spot.

Talk about up my alley - this place has rustic-but-cute pink tablecloth and napkins. Ok, already a winner! The red banquettes reminded me of my beloved Balthazar. We walked in around 8:45pm or so on a Monday night and there was no wait for a table, but I don't know how long this phenomenon will last.

San Francisco

My sister and I decided to make a day trip into San Francisco before our dinner at Saison. We took the CalTrain in from San Jose and had a day time eating extravaganza! 

Canlis

I spent some time in Seattle for Mother's day, and I scoured Seattle Eater, Bon Appetite, etc for ideas on where to go for mother's day dinner. I also recruited my trusty foodie friends, Marya and Arti Tai, for any tips. They both provided me with several great options, including Loulay and Bar Sajor, and I finally decided on the Canlis!

Betony

Becca was back in NYC visiting from London, and she had heard about Betony alllll the way over there! I have been here a few times, last summer, when it first opened, and I was pleased to learn that it is/was relatively easily to get a reservation (when compared to, say, Milos, or Quality Italian). Becca and I only had one night to dine together since I was flying out to the west coast, so we Sanjay and a few of us together for a meal. 

Panna Cotta

Mai, Paul, and I were recreating the Balthazar Steak Au Poivre at their home, and I was on dessert duty. We wanted something light and easy to make with the ingredients we already had sitting around. Mai found this panna cotta recipe and we decided to give it a try. So easy! In fact, it makes me wonder what restaurants are doing wrong - I can't really remember when I have been impressed with panna cotta I've had for dessert when dining out. I think this recipe is a good choice for summer dinner parties because of the minimal prep time or fancy ingredients required. Bon appetit! 

Panna Cotta, recipe from David Lebovitz

Serves 4 

Ingredients

• 2 cups heavy cream
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1 tsp. vanilla extract or 1 vanilla bean pod
• 1 packet of powdered gelatin
• 3 tbsp. cold water 

In a saucepan, heat the heavy cream and the sugar over medium heat. Once the sugar has dissolved, remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract. If you are using a vanilla bean, scrape the pod into the mixture, along with the bean, and let it infuse for about 30 minutes in the fridge. Remove the pod and rewarm the mixture before continuing with the recipe. 

Lightly oil four ramekins with something like butter or pam. 

In a medium sized bowl, add the water and sprinkle in the gelatin and let it sit for 5-10 minutes. Add in the warm heavy cream mixture and stir until the gelatin is fully dissolved. 

Pour the mixture into the prepared ramekins. Place in the refrigerator for at least 2 hours to chill and solidify. We ate our panna cotta straight out of the ramekin, but to serve, you can run a knife along the outside of the ramekin and flip it onto a plate. Serve by itself or with a berry compote.