AUGUST 2009 ARCHIVES
This week's email
Tuesday, August 4, 2009 by Ben
| Simpatica Catering & Simpatica Dining Hall
Week ofAugust 4, 2009
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| | | Not to be a bummer, but... August? How the heck did that happen? Rain, rain, rain, heat wave, one month to go... Okay, enough of that. We've got two fine menus for this week - on Friday Scott will be bringing us his specialty, Spanish food. Those Pocha beans with the clams are really worth checking out - brought to us from our friends Manuel and Leslie over at Viridian Farms - we've got 'em on the menu at Laurelhurst Market right now, as well. Plus, the stonefruits are still going strong, the dessert should be fabulous. On Saturday, Scott's got yet another winner on his hands. See the Eggplant Bayaldi with the fresh Halibut? There's a great story about that one - I'm sure Scott will tell the tale at the dinner, but just know that the direct translation of the name of the dish is, "The Priest Fainted". See? You get well fed and educated here at good old Simpatica Dining Hall! Check it out. Okay, here's the menus - don't try to resist - you can't. Friday, August 7th
Navarrese-Style Clams with Fresh Pocha Beans and Garlic Heirloom Tomato and Cucumber Salad with Herbed Chevre and Black Olive Tosta Wood-Grilled Pork Loin with Pimiento Andaluz and New Potatoes Lemon Bizcocho with Viridian Farms Peaches and Blueberry Sauce Price is $35 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7:30pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations. Saturday, August 8th
Caramelized Onion, Anchovy and Cured Olive Pissaladiere Frisee with Creamy Marjoram Vinaigrette, Prosciutto, Half-Dried Tomatoes and Haricot Verts Olive Oil Poached Halibut with Eggplant Bayaldi and Saffron Sauce Fig Frangipane Tart with Anise Ice Cream Price is $35 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations. If you find yourselves without any dinner plans late in the day on Fridays or Saturdays, it doesn't hurt to give us a call, we sometimes have some last minute cancellations or spots open up, and we'd love to have you come in and eat with us. Sunday Brunch Brunch is served from 9am to 2pm, and no reservations are required. We are now accepting reservations for parties of 8 or more people. To make reservations, call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 or RSVP with your name, party size and the time you would like to come. Your reservation will be confirmed by phone or e-mail. That should give you something to chew on. I look forward to chatting next week. Until then, take care. |
This week's email
Tuesday, August 11, 2009 by Ben
So, I wanted to share an experience with all of you that was truly one of the best things I've done ina long time. On Sunday, I was invited to come to someone's house just over the river and through the woods of Washington to slaughter and dress a pig that was being raised for their daughter's wedding. Now, this was the first time I had ever done something like this, and I have to admit that while I was very excited, I also had a certain level of apprehension - you never know how you're going to react to a situation like that - would I feel guilty about taking a life? Or would I get squeamish about gutting the animal? As the owner and, I suppose butcher, at a butcher shop, I really felt this was something I needed to experience - I felt it would lend a certain legitimacy to what I did professionally, and it would also give me a further depth of understanding that I think more people should be exposed to. While I'm probably not as bad as most folks, I have noticed that people generally don't like to think of the meat they eat as having been a living animal beforehand.
Anyways, the long and the short of it was this - it was way better than I expected. Accompanied by two of my employees - Ethan Bisagna and Scott Schuyler, we met the pig, put it down with a bullet to the head, hung it (thanks, front-loader tractor!), gutted it, split it, skinned it, then broke it down into usable parts. The whole thing took just over two hours with the three of us working away at it.While this sort of experience probably seems terrible to a majority of my readers, I know there are a few of you who will be pretty jazzed up after reading this. I just wanted to share this with all of you, because as I mentioned previously, it was one of the best things I've done in a while. To have been able to take an animal from hoof to table is a pretty cool feat, and one that I am proud to be able to do - makes me feel good to have spent these many years working this art, and I felt I was able to bring that art to a higher level with my experience the other day.
Thanks for listening.
But enough about me, let's talk about you - more specifically, what are we going to do for you this week? Well... For Friday, we're going to keep it real simple - really focus in tightly on a few items that are really at their peak right now, like stonefruit - peaches and apricots. A nice, light, summer meal. It should be perfect. If you're looking for something with a little more gusto, then take a long, hard look at Saturday's menu - again, honing in on what's best right now - blackberries, watermelon and corn. Look at those flavor combinations and preparations, though - Scott has really done some nice things on his menus for this week (I mean blackberry dumplings? Come on! - I love dumplings...). All right, enough foreplay - here's what you've all been waiting for:
Friday, August 14th
Arugula with Grilled Peaches, Shaved Prosciutto and Aged Balsamic
Slow Roasted, Glazed Pork Shoulder with Heirloom
Cannellini Beans, White Chard and Natural Jus
Apricot Tart with Mascarpone Gelato
Price is $28 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7:30pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.
Saturday, August 15th
Dungeness Crab and Sweet Corn Chowder
Creative Growers Baby Romaine with Watermelon, Cured Black Olives and Tarragon Dressing
Cedar Plank Salmon with Wood Grilled Green Beans, Baby Squash and Preserved Lemon
Blackberry Dumplings with Vanilla Ice Cream
Price is $35 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.
If you find yourselves without any dinner plans late in the day on Fridays or Saturdays, it doesn't hurt to give us a call, we sometimes have some last minute cancellations or spots open up, and we'd love to have you come in and eat with us.
Sunday
Brunch
Brunch is served from 9am to 2pm, and no reservations are required. We are now accepting reservations for parties of 8 or more people. To make reservations, call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 or RSVP with your name, party size and the time you would like to come. Your reservation will be confirmed by phone or e-mail.
Sounds good? Bon. Chat you up next week.
This week's email
Tuesday, August 18, 2009 by Ben
What's up, my peeps? I hope this email finds all of you happy and well. I've got a bunch of things to mention, so I'm going to dive right into it.
First off, get your calendars out, whether they be on your phone, or one of those paper dealies with the kittens in all of those compromising, inspirational, yet incredibly cute, situations (hang in there!). Either way, turn to Sunday, September 6th, and write in big red marker (not on your phone, of course) - FASTING DAY - NO SUNDAY BRUNCH AT SIMPATICA. I mean, let's be serious, if you can't get Sunday Brunch at Simpatica, is there really anything else worth eating? Methinks not. Not to worry, though, we still have our amzing brunch available every other Sunday. And if you haven't headed down there recently, maybe it's time to reassess - how much do you love yourself, really?
Next order of business - I would like to direct your attention towards the latest review of Laurelhurst Market as posted by The Willamette Week. Not too shabby, if I do say so. Check out the article, titled
Bull Market. 'Nuff said.
And now my latest good cause plug. Remember all that talk about Team In Training and the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society I was making a few months back? My good friend and brother in arms Benny Bettinger, chef at Beaker and Flask, will be hosting his own TNT/LLS benefit dinner soon and I wanted to share the info with you. Definitely sign up for a seat - the food will be wonderful and the money goes toward a great cause; unfortunately, I'm sure most of us have been impacted by these terrible diseases in some way, whether a friend or family member, or just seeing someone else struggling to cope. I'll post the full menu at the bottom of this email, plus the necessary information. If you don't need to see the menu to know you want to attend, just call Andrea at (402)270-4604, or email
andreaslonecker@gmail.com.
And for the main event, this week's dinners at Simpatica Dining Hall. Two fine offerings to choose from this week - I like to think the most difficult part ofthese dinners is choosing which one to attend - I have seen people give up and just attend both! For Friday, Scott's whipped upa fun little menu - kind of like how a Spaniard would cook if he was stuck in the Pacific Northwest. Something about the menu just really tickles me - it's just so cute and delicious! And on Saturday, a little more straightforward, equally delicious. Both menus really speak of the height of summer - we're seeing stonefruits, berries, artichokes, tomatoes, peppers - all about as good as they can possibly get. It really is a great time of year. Best to take advantage, as this time of year always seems to slip by way too quickly. Here's the menus:
Friday, August 21st
Stuffed Calamari with Su Tinta Sauce and Padron Peppers
Little Gem Romaine with Creamy Basil Dressing, Fried Lemons and Ossau Iraty
Grilled Monterey Bay Mackerel with Fennel, Sweet Peppers, Red Onion and Poached Potatoes
Almond Blancmange with Blueberry Sauce
Price is $35 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7:30pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.
Saturday, August 22nd
Grilled Apricots with Braised and Glazed Pork Belly and 12 Year Balsamic
Heirloom Tomato Gazpacho with Dungeness Crab
Hardwood-Grilled New York Strip with Artichokes, Torpedo Onions and Pocha Beans
Peach Cobbler with Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
Price is $40 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations. If you find yourselves without any dinner plans late in the day on Fridays or Saturdays, it doesn't hurt to give us a call, we sometimes have some last minute cancellations or spots open up, and we'd love to
have you come in and eat with us.
Sunday
Brunch
Brunch is served from 9am to 2pm, and no reservations are required. We are now accepting reservations for parties of 8 or more people. To make reservations, call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 or RSVP with your name, party size and the time you would like to come. Your reservation will be confirmed by phone or e-mail.
Thanks for all the positive responses and comments regarding last week's pig slaughter. I really do appreciate that so many of you took the time to compliment or to comment on the state of culinary affairs related to the general populace. It was gratifying to hear that so many of you shared either the same experience or point of view.
So here's the goods on Benny's TNT/LLS dinner:
Sunday, August 23rd
at Beaker & Flask
Welcome Hors D’oeuvres
Summer Punch
Stuffed Squid with Heirloom Tomatoes and Chorizo Vinaigrette
House Spirits Aquavit Cocktail by Kevin Ludwig
Charentais Melon, Beets and Bitter Greens with Chicken Liver Mousse Crostini
Matello Rosé Cocktail by Tim Davey
Grilled Quail, Bing Cherry Compote, Spätzle
Patricia Green Cellars 2007 Croft Vineyard Pinot Noir
A Selection of Steve’s Cheese
Upright Brewing Beer
Xocolatl de Davíd–Coffee
Price is $75 per person
To make reservations, please call or email Andrea at (402)270-4604, or email andreaslonecker@gmail.com
I'll talk to you all next week - until then, take care.
-Benjamin Dyer
This Week's Email
Tuesday, August 25, 2009 by Ben
Howdy, folks! As I stare out at the sky, I see the grey rainy clouds steadily declining, being replaced by blue skies and a bit of sun. Thank goodness. The rain we got last night, while pleasant and good for the yard, begins to stir fears of autumn, causing everyone to get worked up. Up here in the Pacific Northwest, the warm season is a treasured one, and usually all too brief. We love to complain about the heat during the dog days of summer, but as soon as we get our first rain, we start to freak out, knowing all too well that the nice weather can disappear any day - that sunny day yesterday could have been the last one we see for the next few months! Not to worry, though - we're supposed to get a really beautiful and pleasantly sunny week coming our way. But let this be a warning to all of you - take advantage while you still can! Finish up those summer projects you really don't want to finish in the rain, and start clearing space in the garage for your lawn furniture and your grill (unless you're derelict like me and just leave that bad boy out all winter - again!?!). But listen to me - one day of grey and rainy and I become Mr. Doom and Gloom, harbinger of the end of the summer. Pay me no heed...
We still have much of what summer has to offer at our fingertips - corn, melons, peppers, beansand stonefruit. But we're also beginning to see some of the transitional items - chanterelle mushrooms is the most obvious one. But that's one of the beautiful things about this time of year - corn and chanterelles is a match made in heaven! Also, we're seeing some of the seafood transition as well - hello Halibut! I love me some halibut... Anyway, I guess what I'm trying to say (as usual) is to really enjoy what every time of year has to offer, and this time of the year is no exception. There's always something happening out there, you just need to keep a positive attitude and make the best of what you've got available to you. And we've got a lot. Check out the menus, I think you'll see what I'm talking about.
Before I got there, though, I just wanted to do a little product placement. Starting next week Tuesday, we will be offering fried chicken at the butcher counter at Laurelhurst Market. It will be hot and ready to go at 2pm, available until it's gone. Be sure to swing by and pick up some of this tasty goodness. If you want us to hold some for you, feel free to give us a call. This could be Tuesday dinner for you from now on...
By the way, we've got a special guest chef appearance for you on Friday. He's one of the line cooks over at Laurelhurst Market, maybe you've heard of him? His name is Troy MacLarty. Formerly the chef at Lovely Hula Hands, formerlyof Chez Panisse, formerly and presently The Man. There was even once a rumor about a stint as a dancer of some kind, the kind that wears a bowtie... purely speculation on my part. Either way, he's written a menu that should make all of you weak in the knees. And Saturday's menu might make you want to get up and dance as well. Here's the goods:
Friday, August 28th
with Guest Chef Troy MacLarty
Puree of Corn Soup with Pounded Basil Oil and Calabrian Chilies
Summer Chanterelle and Leek Tart with Creme Fraiche and Herb Salad
Northern Halibut with Peperonata, Zucchini, Fresh Shell Beans and Aioli
Amaretto and Caramel Custard
Price is $35 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7:30pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations.
Saturday, August 29th
Griddled Corn Cakes with Pimentos de Padron and Sauteed Calamari
Salad of Your Kitchen Garden's Beets, Chanterelle Mushrooms and Frisee
Wood Grilled Pork Loin with Phipp's Farm White Bean Puree and Heirloom Cherry Tomatoes
Peaches and Cream with Vanilla Shortbread Cookies
Price is $35 perperson plus wine and gratuity. Dinner begins at 7pm. PleaseRSVPor call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 to make reservations. If you find yourselves without any dinner plans late in the day on Fridays or Saturdays, it doesn't hurt to give us a call, we sometimes have some last minute cancellations or spots open up, and we'd love to have you come in and eat with us.
Sunday
Brunch
Brunch is served from 9am to 2pm, and no reservations are required. We are now accepting reservations for parties of 8 or more people. To make reservations, call the kitchen at (503)235-1600 or RSVP with your name, party size and the time you would like to come. Your reservation will be confirmed by phone or e-mail.
That's all, folks. Oh! I just wanted to share one more thing with you. I took the kids this last weekend to see Ponyo, the new movie by Hiyao Miyazaki - cutest movie I've seen in a long time. I usually feel that going to the movies is a huge waste of money, but I take my kids anyway 'cause I love 'em. Not this time - worth every penny. Check it out. See you next week.
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