Virtual Gourmet

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WHAT HAPPENED TO LAST WEEK'S NEWSLETTER?
Owing to an internet server problem, last week's (Sept. 11) edition of this newsletter did not appear on Sunday but was delayed three days. The server has informed me that they are working on the problem, but it may not be fixed as of the time this newsletter is sent out, so there may be a delay on this edition too. To be on the safe side, this edition is going out a day early. My apologies.
--John Mariani

Our Favorite Mansions
Raymond Blanc serves as French ambassador in an English estate

Whoever said the French and the English are at odds has never been to Le Manoir Aux Quat' Saisons near Oxford, England. It is a quintessential English manor, run by French native and chef/proprietor Raymond Blanc and his cheerful staff.
Le Manoir is housed in a 15th-century estate on 27 acres of stunning grounds that includes a 32-room inn. There is also an extraordinary restaurant, and a cooking school, L'Ecole de Cuisine, which Blanc (below) 0[[

opened more than 10 years ago. Everything about Manoir feels like classic English countryside--the gravel drive, the pristine manicured lawn, the 400-year-old horse chestnut tree standing magnificently at the inn's entrance.
Pruned rosemary bushes flank the restaurant entrance, an aromatic greeting and indication of things to come from the organic garden. Once you pass the Anglo threshold into the manor, you sense the Franco fervor in the restaurant. Cooks fuss about in a bright yellow kitchen; copper pots line up at attention; the airy dining room (below) is soothing, with an opaque roof that cloaks the room in soft daylight, an indoor gazebo, white linens, and still lifes that are meditations in simplicity.

The menu is French, albeit contemporary. At lunch, with a prix fixe of 45£ ($81), our menu was harmonized between delicate and gutsy, hints of truffle, and transporting flavors. Blanc was not in the kitchen on that particular day, but Gary Jones, Blanc's executive head chef, was. To begin, tuna carpaccio had a fresh, clean flavor, with hints of summery basil pesto and the peppery punch of arugula salad, what the English call rocket salad. We swooned over the white truffle risotto, fragrant and rich with a mushroom fricassée that included chanterelles, black trumpets, and button mushrooms.
A simple roast cod à l'ancienne, set on braised cabbage with lardons, had a delicacy needed for the mild fish but also carried a bold hint of rosemary in the surrounding beurre blanc. Roast chicken breast, juicy and tender, carried a hint of Thanksgiving--roast pumpkin seasoned with thyme and garlic, and garden corn.
A bottle of Saint-Aubin "Les Charmois Premiere Cru" 2001 carried each dish memorably. erf

An iced chestnut parfait for dessert was the coveted choice, with a sweet rum sauce and chocolate ganache. A caramelized pear feuilleté draped with caramel and ginger sauce was also exceptional. A stroll through the Japanese tea garden (right), a contemplative space with "very old carp" is an excellent way to digest.

The rooms at the inn are individually designed with specific regions and themes in mind, such as "the Provence" with wood-smoke original beams and orchids; "Opium" (left), decorated with bamboo and featuring a Zen garden, and "Snow Queen" with snowflake wallpaper. Madeira is placed in all the rooms.

   A 7-course tasting dinner is 95£ ($172). à la carte, first courses are 25-30£ ($45-$54) and entrees 40-45£ ($72-$81).
    Le Manoir aux Quat'Saisons is located on Church Road in Great Milton, just outside of Oxford; Tel: (+44)-1-844-27881; www.manoir.com. Lodging rates begin at 360£ ($650) per night and rise to 1,250£ ($2,258) for a 2-bedroom suite.

America's Best Chocolates
by Suzanne Wright

     I never thought I would utter the phrase, “I am sick of chocolate.” Then again, my sickness was temporary, predicated on a massive American chocolate tasting undertaken over the last two months, with the help of several trusted peers. I am happy to report that I have recovered fully from my chocolate-induced malaise and am now happily back to my daily dose of sweet heaven.
    We tasted hundreds of chocolates from more than 15 artisan chocolatiers; the best are highlighted here, in no particular order. In requesting samples from across the country, I asked each company to send his or her most distinctive products. Our impressions include the packaging and look of the products, but, most important, the taste. Chocolates we sampled that were cleverly outfitted but fell short in taste are not included here.
     One caveat for all chocolates: for best flavor, plan to consume them within a week. Most have no preservatives and are made with natural ingredients, so they will go stale or rancid. Freshness is what sets the ultimate chocolates apart from the mass-produced variety, and must be shipped overnight on dry ice to preserve them in transit. Store them in a cool, dry place, away from direct heat.

Christopher Elbow (left). Hands down the most gorgeous chocolates we saw. Hand-painted, they look like small, shiny works of modern art (one taster compared them to marbles) and felt hefty in the hand. The flavor combinations were daring, intense and true; the aromas were rich; the innovative shapes melted softly on the tongue. Among many favorites were the delicious rosemary caramel with an unusual but appealing grassy flavor; the espresso with lemon is both bitter and zesty, like the drink; citrus caramel, with fresh lime cutting the buttery richness. Young, bespectacled Elbow has done the state of Missouri proud with these sweets. Visit www.christopherelbowchocolates.com or call 816-842-1300.

Garrison’s. ppp

Andrew Garrison Shots (right) was once the pastry chef at the Russian Tea Room and Lutèce. His beautifully crafted (each piece takes four days to make), intensely flavored, European-style confections are seasonal: the entire collection changes every three months. We sampled the Vernal Equinox 2005 collection and fell for the fresh, clear flavors of the sunfruit marzipan, an almond marzipan topped with citrus pate de fruit enrobed in dark chocolate; the we-can’t-believe-it’s-salted-celery dark chocolate ganache coated in milk chocolate kissed with the crunch of celery salt on top; and peppered pineapple. Log onto www.garrisonconfections.com or call 401-277-CHOC.

Gearhart’s. I discovered these on a trip to Charlottesville, Virginia, where a four-piece box of these on my pillow at the upper-crust Keswick Hall made for the sweetest of dreams. A Marine veteran of the Gulf War, Tim Gearhart uses eeeeee

Venezuelan criollo cacao with local sweet cream and butter to make his complex confections. I adore his Michigan cherry, a fudgy, semi-sweet ganache touched with kirsch, featuring a plump, dried cherry in the middle and dipped in dark chocolate. Also worth trying: Taj, which tastes like India, a splendid, lightly fragrant bittersweet ganache with candied ginger, cardamom and rose dipped in dark chocolate; the best white chocolate we sampled, tequila-lime: aged añejo and fresh whipped lime fondant dipped in white chocolate; and mint julep, real mint spiked with aged Kentucky bourbon and dipped in milk chocolate. Nice heft to all pieces. His local shop displays the goods like a fine jewelry store.
Visit www.gearhartschocolates.com or call 434-972-9100.

Jean-Phillippe Mauary.

You just know something extravagant awaits you inside this gorgeous, leather-esque box (complete with pull-out drawer), which looks like it could house fine cigars or fine jewelry (the prices match the packaging). The gems inside are astonishing: the Sevillian, dark chocolate coated orange marzipan scented with Grand Marnier; the Menton, pucker-worthy zested lemon ganache coated in dark chocolate; the Tahiti, crispy outside with a soft white vanilla rum ganache interior surrounded by a dark chocolate robe; the Sicilian: roasted pistachio tucked inside white chocolate ganache. If you are in Las Vegas, check out his dazzling, edible artwork at The Bellagio (right) or call 702-693-8788 to make someone’s day.

Norman Love (below). Love, from South Florida, famously provides chocolates to The Ritz-Carlton Hotels and excels with fruit and exotic spice flavors. These beauties “look like little planets or polished stones” said one taster, although several of us felt they were a little skimpy in weight. All the truffles had knockout perfume to them. Elvis would heartily approve the banana peanut butter (no metallic flavorings here); the Saigon cinnamon had a lingering finish; the coconut had a fresh crunch; the passionfruit was zingy; the five spice dipped in velvety milk chocolate ganache was fantastic.
Visit www.normanloveconfections.com or phone 239-561-7215.

Jubilee (right). This Philly pair--John and Kira--met over an inner-city gardening project.

Community-minded, their thin mint chocolate squares do good (they are made with leaves grown by students at the nearby elementary school) and taste simply amazing, like herbs freshly plucked from the garden. As one taster noted, “somebody finally got it right: these are not oily or artificial tasting.” Other standouts that capture the true essence of each ingredient are the bergamot, clear orange flavor with a slight tea taste and frothy texture; a not-too-unctuous ginger; smoky coffee whiskey that’s not at all bitter; and starry night, a nostril-opener of anise. Call 800-747-4808 or log onto www.jubileechocolates.com.

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Velo Chocolate. I gotta hand it to Velo, I admire the the sheer creativity of tapping into retro memories to create a dark chocolate dome that explodes with strawberry pop rocks and puts a smile on even the grumpiest of baby boomer faces.
Call 212-245-2817 or log onto www.velochocolate.com.

Chocolatesmith. I love ingenuity born of need: the owners of Chocolatesmith in Santa Fe, New Mexico, ]]]]]]]]]

Clif and Chris, are avid backpackers, so they created a striking wax encasement for their fudgy pâtés, so they could enjoy them on a hike. Toss out the trail mix—you will love the Southwest-inspired flavors, like the chile-kissed dark chocolate. If you are in Santa Fe, do drop by the charming shop.

RESTAURANT DANIEL by John Mariani
60 East 65th Street
212-288-0033
http://danielnyc.com/daniel

     The American Dream seems alive and well in the restaurant industry, for it has long been the case--back to the 19th century--that one of the most open paths into American society has always been through food service. The Germans, Irish, Italians, Jews, and all the Latinos and Asians who've come to the U.S. in recent decades, have been well assimilated into the food stores, delis, diners, bodegas, salumerias, pubs, noodle parlors, sushi bars, and fish stores, often rising to the top of their field and getting rather wealthy along the way.
     When it comes to the French, entering the American restaurant business seemed a natural--so much so that at the beginning of the last century, French would have been the first language among kitchen workers, as it later became Italian and now Spanish. Thai can't be far behind.
      It was in this way that Daniel Boulud (above), widely recognized as one of the world's great working chefs, started on his own American odyssey, beginning his life on a family farm near Lyon, inspired by his grandmother's cooking. Daniel seemed destined to follow in the culinary trade, training under masters like Roger Vergé, Georges Blanc, and Michel Guérard before being appointed Chef to The European Commission in Washington, DC. Next, Daniel opened the Polo Lounge at NYC's Westbury Hotel and later Le Régence at the Hotel Plaza Athenée, before becoming Chef from 1986 to 1992 at Le Cirque, where his star soared.
     Twelve years ago Daniel opened his own namesake restaurant to great acclaim, then, in 1998 moved it to larger quarters, on the former premises of Le Cirque. The more casual Café Boulud took over the space Daniel vacated, and in 2001 he opened DB Bistro Moderne in the Theater District, then a second Café Boulud. at Palm Beach’s Brazilian Court hotel. His latest venture is Daniel Boulud Brasserie opened last April at Wynn Las Vegas Resort and Country Club. In addition, he runs the catering company Feast & Fêtes, and his "Daniel Boulud CONNOISSEUR" line of Caspian caviar and smoked Scottish salmon, and he has his own brand of professional quality kitchenware, aptly called Daniel Boulud Kitchen (DBK). Somewhere along the line he's also authored five books and does a bi-monthly cooking column for Elle Magazine. p;0

If, then, Daniel has, through tremendous effort, achieved the American dream, one might think he has now spread it too thin, which seems almost inevitable for master chefs these days. (He gave up a consultancy for the Queen Mary 2 when things didn't meet his standards.) Yet while I rail against other chefs who manage their portfolios without ever actually cooking in any of the restaurants they oversee, Daniel Boulud is one who is continuously in his kitchen, most of the time at Restaurant Daniel in NYC, which is where I found him on my last visit to this grand luxe dining salon on the Upper East Side.

Upon entering through what were once hotel doors, you are immediately greeted—by name if you’ve ever been there even once before—and notice to your right a very sophisticated bar (above, right). There is also one of NYC's loveliest private dining and banquet rooms at Daniel. Down a few steps you come to the reception desk and are greeted again with the most cordial welcome imaginable—none of that faux-chumminess or disgraceful “I’ll-be-with-you-when-I-get-to-you” demeanor. Charming young women and men note your reservation and thank you for coming, You are shown to your table, which is in a truly grand dining room (below) that has grown more graceful with time. It’s still a very formal room, complete with Venetian pillars and mezzanine, yet there are still some males (I cannot muster up the word “gentlemen”) who buck the “jackets requested” guideline in clothes that would be out of place at a Ninth Avenue sandwich shop. You know you’re badly dressed when the staff at a restaurant looks far better than you.
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Service will be superb throughout the evening, especially wine service, under sommelier Philippe Marchal, who oversees a cellar of more than 1,500 selections, with many good bottlings under $50. There are also Daniel Boulud Cuvée Selections, including a Champagne made for the restaurant by Abel Blondin.
     Boulud's chef de cuisine, Jean-François Bruel, 28, has a background uncannily similar to his boss's, having been raised on a farm outside of Lyon and trained under some of the same mentors. He became sous-chef at Café Boulud in 1998, chef at DB Bistro Moderne in 2001, and took over from departing chef de cuisine Alex Lee at Daniel. Jean-François Bonnet is executive pastry chefs, and Mark Fiorentino makes all the wonderful breads for the restaurant.
      With my wife and two sons we sat down to a beautifully set table (the one in the middle there in the photo at left) with immediate access to Mr. Marchal and his wine list. With the consent of my family, I merely turned to him and said, "Just have Daniel cook whatever he likes and choose whatever wines you think go best with the dinner"--the kind of challenge sommeliers get giddy about. Within moments we were digging in to a duck foie gras terrine with Marconia almonds, a fig chutney and little celery salad, and rabbit cooked like suckling pig, with chorizo, foie gras, mustard, pickled chanterelles and toasted hazelnuts dotted around the plate. With this Marchal chose a lovely, slightly sweet Vouvray Domaine de la Haute Borne 2003.
     The next courses (we split two different dishes among the four of us) was the last of summer's triumphs--Carolina shrimp and melon salad with opal basil, a spicy watermelon gelée, and avocado, and a duo of Peeky Toe crab done "en gelée" with fennel and a cumin-carrot foam, and a summer roll with jicama, a hint of curry, and basil salad. Both dishes had their virtues but perhaps too many of them for two plates, and the choice of a rather dull Ried Schön Federspiel Grüner Veltliner 2003 didn't do much to quiet things down.
     The meal returned to exciting form with zucchini flowers stuffed with saffron-scented squid and and arugula pistou, and tender poached octopus with eggplant caviar and an herb salad, which was very good with an exceptional Blain-Gagnard Chassagne Montrachet 2002. The flavors increased measurably with a crayfish risotto with slender asparagus, baby romaine and sauce Américaine, and potato gnocchi with poached langoustines and peas in a watercress emulsion--very French ideas about pasta, and well complemented by a Bruno Clair Savigny-les-Beaune 1998 that had plenty of richness to contain the vegetal flavors.                                         Daniel's bar and lounge dining area egeggeg43ge

      One fish course was grilled wild salmon of exquisite delicacy, served with suman-braised fennel, roasted figs and a balsamic-laced bordelaise; the other was slowly baked Maine halibut with carrots, creamy spinach, an orange-mustard glaze and telecherry pepper sauce--assertive flavors that admirably did not overpower the fish in the slightest. The big red Sori' Paitin Barbaresco 2000 that was poured was an ideal match.
    For meat we were served three tastes: honey-glazed Muscovy duck breast with cauliflower, caramelized black radishes, and braised leg with scallions "craquelins," otherwise known as cracklings; organic veal came as a roasted tenderloin and grilled liver with a classic mustard sauce, while braised sweetbreads arrived with sides of zucchini à la provençale, and sautéed chanterelles; baby lamb came in three presentations, as a roasted rack, shoulder, and confit, with cauliflower, golden raisins, pine nuts, and haricots verts. The wines chosen to go with all these various sweet-woodsy, reductive flavors were two beauties--a Rockford "Basket Press" Shiraz 2000, and a D.R. Stephens Moose Valley Vineyard 2001.
      There was a superb cart of cheeses presented, then four (maybe more) desserts that included a peach poached in Darjeeling tea with lemon angel's food cake and honey-thyme sorbet; a blueberry-almond clafoutis with candied orange coulis and yogurt sorbet; and a chocolate fondant with milk jam. The evening ended with petit-fours and a sip or two of Château des Charmes Ice Wine 2000.
       These are very complex dishes, but each has been thought through with an eye towards balance. Perhaps onc less ingredient per plate would be even better, but this is a cuisine as modern as any in New York while still retaining that cohesion of classical training that keeps one flavor from flourishing at the expense of another. Daniel is a very serious French restaurant and doing very fine business--a taunt to those who say such places are dinosaurs in the face of trendier places with no tablecloths and piped-in hip hop music. If one cannot dine at Daniel every week, it is one of the great gastronomic thrills to know you can do so whenever the spirit moves you. And, despite having his fingers in many pies, Daniel will most probably be there cooking for you too.

Restaurant Daniel's fixed price 3-course menu is $96; 4 courses, $110; 5 courses $132, and 8 courses $175.

MARIANI'S VIRTUAL GOURMET NEWSLETTER is published weekly. Editor/Publisher: John Mariani. Contributing Writers: Robert Mariani, Naomi Kooker, Kirsten Skogerson, Edward Brivio, Mort Hochstein, Lucy Gordan, Suzanne Wright. Contributing Photographers: Galina Stepanoff-Dargery, Bobby Pirillo. Technical Advisor: Gerry McLoughlin.

John Mariani is a columnist for Esquire, Wine Spectator, Bloomberg News and Radio, and Diversion. He is author of The Encyclopedia of American Food & Drink (Lebhar-Friedman), The Dictionary of Italian Food and Drink (Broadway), and, with his wife Galina, the award-winning new Italian-American Cookbook (Harvard Common Press).

Any of John Mariani's books below may be ordered from amazon.com by clicking on the cover image.