Seasonal Flavors for the week of December 14, 2010 & A Brief History of Nopales

This week we are featuring a dish from Sous Chef Pedro that showcases nopales. The prepared pads of the prickly pear cactus use as food dates back to the 14th century AD Aztecs.  Marked by a light, slightly tart flavor, like green beans, and a crisp texture the vegetable has remained a staple of regional Mexican cuisine ever since.  At Solstice the nopales and its more traditional accompaniments, avocado and pomegranate, are being used in Chef Pedro’s unique take on the Greek salad.  The dish will be available through December 27th.

Avocado & Nopales Salad w/ mizuna, feta, red onion, pomegranate & red wine vinaigrette

 

Corn & Crab Bisque w/ basil oil & crostini

Lamb Chops w/ spaghetti squash, braised radicchio & citrus vinaigrette

Roasted Chicken w/ grilled asparagus, sautéed mushroom & jalapeño parmesan béchamel

Sautéed Prawns w/ caramelized leek risotto & creamed arugula

7th Annual Winter Solstice Party!

Seasonal Flavors for the week of December 7, 2010 & A Brief History of the Smoked Salmon Pizza

The Smoked Salmon Pizza special offered this week by Chef Romero is an homage of sorts to one of the most important dishes in American culinary history.  By the start of the early 1980’s high end dining was still dominated by heavy French classics and fussy steakhouses. Then Wolfgang Puck opened Spago in 1982 and everything changed.  With his decidedly light approach to French haute cuisine, Puck pioneered what would eventually be known as California Cuisine. His signature dish then (and still to this day) was a pizza with smoked salmon, caviar, and red onion.  The dish’s fusion of classically trained elegance with the casualness of pizza effected the American food world in ways that are still being felt today.  Chef Romero’s updates the dish by leaving out the caviar to focus more on the salmon and replaces the red onion with caramelized leeks for sweetness.  The dish will be available all weeks.

Smoked Salmon Pizzetta w/ caramelized leek, potato, dil & mustard crème fraîche

Black Lentil Soup w/ red onion, bacon & crostini

Arugula & Citrus Salad w/ asparagus, goat cheese & ginger honey vinaigrette

Grilled Hanger Steak w/ fingerling potato, celery root puree & ancho chili sauce

Blue Nose Bass w/ brussel sprout salad, pomegranate, crispyfennel & butternut squash puree

Chef Romero's Family's Atole & Seasonal Flavors for the week of November 30, 2010

The holiday season is a time rife with food tradition.  Currently, a nation of home cooks is putting away its stuffing and yam recipes until next year, while at the same time digging up the passed down fruit cake or latke instructions.

For Chef Jorge Romero, who was raised in rural Honduras, this time of year means Atole.  A comfort food staple since the 16^th Century Mayans, Atole is a Mexican and Central American soup/hot drink that can differ greatly from region to region and family to family.  In Chef Romero’s case, the Atole that he learned from his Grandmother is a soup made of sweet plantains, cinnamon and cloves.  At Solstice the soup is garnished with croutons to add some text and pomegranate seeds to offer a tartness that cuts through the creamy sweet soup.  The result is like nothing I have ever tasted before; it is a soup that hints at a dessert custard yet never comes off as too saccharine.

We are excited to have Chef Romero share this dish from his childhood with our fortunate customers. 

Chef Romero's Atole

Mahi Mahi w/ roasted almonds, lemon, sautéed spinach & citrus salad

Braised Lamb Fettuccini w/ cherry tomato, spinach, celery & fresh basil

Grilled Asparagus w/ poached egg, bacon, parmesan & garlic lemon crème

Seared Scallops w/ red cabbage, white corn & basil oil