QUICK BITE:. Quesadillas need some love!!

Why don't quesadillas get their own day of the week?  We have Taco Tuesday so I am renaming today as Quesadilla Thursday.  These are being served poolside.  I went with the mushroom and chorizo.  Sides of crema and guac!!

#Quesadilla #TacoTuesday

The Importance of Plating

What is that old saying that people eat with their eyes first?  I have been reminded of that this week during my stay at the Hard Rock Riveria Maya.  Does food taste better because a chef spent time on the best way to arrange food on a plate?   Can it have a reverse effect where you expect something to taste a certain way based on how it looks and it surprises your palate.  Or maybe disappoints.  

Exhibit A.  This was steak tartare from Toros the steak house.  

The plating here definitely grabs your attention and makes you wonder what those yellow globules are.  Are they egg?    Lemon?  Mustard?  And you get a sense of the texture of the tartare.   It is definitely in a thick marinade.  And you guess that the greens might be there for some texture. And then maybe that is lemon or sharp  mustard is there to cut the richness of the beef.  

Then you taste it.  Where you hoped for some sharpness to contrast with the asian-influenced marinade, there is only a muted mustard taste. Hardly enough to cut through even the mildest marinade.  So this is a case where the plating made your palate expect (and hope) for something that wasn't provided.  Expectations vs. reality.  And there is no real indication on how one should eat this.  Should I mix it all together?    Take small amounts of the tartare and dip into the mustard? 

Exhibit B.  This was a beet salad from Le Petit Couchon which is the French restaurant here at the Hard Rock Riveria Maya.  

It is hard to look at this salad and not immediately think of a beet.  It is in the shape of a beet and has finely chopped pieces of beet you can see.  The texture looks creamy,  like a dip which then leads to a connection to the "chips".  The chef has given us some guidance on how to best enjoy this dish.  And it worked perfectly since the chips had that saltiness you expect in a good chip, contrasting nicely with the sweetness and creaminess of the beet salad. 

QUICK BITE:. What the Heck is Beef Juice?

Have you ever seen something listed on a menu and wanted to try it just because how strange it sounded?  That was me last night at Toros, which is the steakhouse here at Hard Rock Riveria Maya. I was handed a menu and started scrolling through. Under soups I saw something called Beef Juice.  How could I not order such a strange soup?

First out came the broth. 

This was a slightly separated broth, such as when fat rises to the top of a soup and you skim it off.  In this case it wasn't fat but merely some solids that sunk to the bottom, leaving a clear liquid on top.  Mixing the two liquids together produced something close to a slurry.  Now for the taste.   It had a good amount of beef flavor and some salt but was a little flat.   The solids also had a grittiness,  almost chalkiness, that didn't match your palates expectations for a broth. While there was no help provided for the texture, a separate bowl of condiments was provided.  

Here we had line wedges,  cilantro, chopped onion and diced Serrano.   I added some of each of these, one at a time, and then tried the "juice" again.  The lime definitely brightened it up.  The onions added some sharpness. The cilantro some punch.  And finally the Serrano some much needed heat.  The flavor was actually very pleasing after mixing in all the add-ons.  But the texture was still playing games with my taste buds.  I am certainly glad I tried it, but wouldn't recommend this unless you want the challenge of being able to come up with the pefect mix of juice and condiments.  After rereading the ingredients, I saw where beer was listed. Perhaps that was in the broth?   Or maybe it was a recommendation for what to have after the soup to cleanse your palate from the grit.  

#HRRiveriaMaya #Mexico #Soup

QUICK BITE: Asian Appetizer Trio

Last night we went to Zen which is the Asian restaurant at Hard Rock Rveria.  Such an amazing meal.   They do something very smart here.  They have many smaller sized  appetizers on the menu.  Instead of bringing them to you one by one, they bring them creatively plated. 

From left to right above:

Cucumber roll which was a thinly sliced cucumber with crab salad.  Siracha was on the side for dipping. 

Tuna Tenaki, which is a tuna hand roll. Nori (seaweed) wrapped around rice, sliced tuna and green onions in a cone shape.  A closer look of the ingredients. 

Tuna Sashimi which is as simple as it gets. Thin slices of raw tuna. 

QUICK BITE: What exactly is Amaranth?

"What exactly is amaranth?", was not a question I was ready for today. But when I went to order some breakfast from room service, I was intrigued. 

It turns out the it is a seed from a very commonly used plant around the world and here in Mexico.  Other parts of the plant are also used, such as the leaves for salads.  The seeds, which look like quinoa, are a common snack in Mexico. They are also used as a thickener for sauces and stews, perhaps like tapioca beads. These would seem to swell in liquids.  They also have lots of protein and iron.  And they came with this fruit plate along with some honey.  

How to eat it together?   I treated it like fondue!!   Dipping a piece if fruit in the honey, then rolling in the amaranth. The texture is a bit crunchy but more like small pieces of puffed rice cereal.  This variety had no flavor except a slight bitterness.   I read that some varieties can be peppery.   It added a nice crunch and texture to the fresh fruit.  

#Amaranth #HotelBreakfast #RoomService

QUICK BITE:. Can you find good French food at a Mexican all-inclusive?

We arrived last night at the Hard Rock in Riveria Maya Mexico.  After unpacking it was time to find some dinner.  We decided on Le Petit Couchon which is their French restaurant.   Can French food possibly be good at a Mexican resort?   Yes.  And yes.  

Started with the beet carpaccio. 

Most fine restaurants these days will feature a beet appetizer and it ends up being disappointing since beets aren't the featured ingredients. That wasn't an issue here. The beets were finely chopped and molded into a beet shape.   There was also a bit of creme fraiche to add some creaminess.   It was presented as a dip since there were chips that were crispy wedges of potato.  Such an outstanding dish and a wonderful start. 

Next was the foie gras.  

This had a slab of deliciously savory foie gras.  And on the sides were sweet offerings including marinated plums, sweet cream and some cookies that were like vanilla wafers.   I appreciated that there was sweet and savory combinations, but as I got to the end it was tasting more like a dessert.   And this could function as a very interesting dessert.  I would have preferred it to be more savory.  

Next up was onion soup which has such an interesting presentation.  We were served a large mound of carmelized onions on top of a crouton. And then a delicious broth of onion goodness was poured on top.  Too often an onion soup features goopy cheese and a soggy crouton.  In this preparation, the crouton had a subtle essence of cheese but it wasn't overpowering.  And since the broth was poured tableside, the crouton still had some texture. 

My main course was grilled scallops with  what was stated as a mushroom risotto.  The scallops were perfectly cooked medium rare and had the flavor from the sea - just like they should. I think the only seasoning they used was some salt which was all they needed.  The "risotto" certainly wasn't traditional.   It was a mound of somewhat mushy rice on top of a delicious mushroom sauce.   Great flavors, but it wasn't a composed risotto.  

My wife tried the mushroom stew which was such a simple dish, but had great complex flavors.  It was really just sauteed mushrooms on top of a cauliflower and potato puree.  So simple and could have very easy to just throw together into a tasteless mess.  But here the mushrooms were so meaty and savory, and perfectly complimented by the barely underseasoned puree.  There was plenty of butter throughout the dish to bring it all together.  While the beet carpiccio was my favorite dish of the night, I would definitely order the mushroom stew for my main next time.  

So you can have great French food at a Mexiy all-inclusive.   They also had some more traditional French dishes such as duck and filets with complex bourginon sauces.   We are here for six more nights so we may have to come back.  

QUICK BITE:. Good Hospital Food?

Definitely the best hospital food I have ever had.   This was from The Library last night which is a restaurant in the bottom floor of John Hopkins Hospital in St Petersburg. 

Started with fried brussels sprouts. I had never seen such a large portion.  They came with grilled lemon wedges and a garlic aioli.   I think they had been brined, then roasted, flash fried and then tossed in a sauce that had red pepper flakes.  The seasoning was good but I think the brining and subsequent roasting made them too salty, especially with so many!

The Mediterranean salad was excellent!  Fresh spinach, sweet red peppers, artichokes and a flavorful balsamic vinegarette. 

The spaghetti Bolognese had so much flavor from the veal and sausage.  I liked the addition of the basil, but it was more sauteed than fried.  Could have been crispier.  

Overall a very nice meal!  Next time you are in St Pete give this place a try.

#BrusselsSprouts #HospitalFood #StPetersburg

QUICK BITE:. A pretzel stuffed with what?

What could possibly be inside this pretzel?   Why it is a cheeseburger of course!!  Standard theme park burger, somewhat elevated. Has all the standard cheeseburger flavors and the addition of dill pickles really helped.  Needed some ketchup and mustard on the side to being it home!!

#ThemeParkFood #StuffedPretzel

QUICK BITE:. Theme Park Lunch

Who said theme park food can't be fancy?  SeaWorld in Orlando Florida has an upscale style restaurant called Sharks Underwater Grill. I tried two appetizers for my lunch.  Bleu Chips are freshly fried chips with Bleu cheese fondue, balsamic, bacon and green onions.  Super crispy chips and great Bleu cheese flavor. The balsamic was the perfect acidic contrast to the sharp cheese.  Ahi Tuna Sashimi was slices of rare tuna over a ginger soy slaw!!   Sesame seeds for some crunch. So fresh tasting!!

#Seaworld #ThemeParkFood

QUICK BITE:. Time to make some chili!!

Time to make some chili!!     These are the staple Iingredients that we always have on hand.  They allow me to make chili by just getting some ground beef or turkey from the store.  We have it alot during the year and almost always on Football Sunday!!  My secret is  I have found the frozen onions to be much more practical then buying fresh, especially for this dish.  

Carnival Conquest: Chef's Table

During a seven night sailing of the Carnival Conquest out of Miami, my wife and I decided to sign up for the Chef's Table experience.  This is an event that Carnival holds on most of their sailings of seven nights or longer.    We had tried it about ten years ago on Carnival Legend so it was time to see what changed Carnival had made to what we felt was a great event.    The cost varies by ship.  We paid $75 per person plus a mandatory 18 percent gratuity for a total of $177.  This was an eleven course meal which included wine.

Our evening started by meeting in the atrium of the ship.  Here we were greeted with a glass of champagne and one of the wait staff.  The Chef De Cuisine soon met us and we had a toast before we we led back to the galley for more champagne and for three appetizers.   Unfortunately, no pictures are allowed in the galley, most likely for safety and security reasons.  We were gathered around one of the prep tables in  the middle of the galley.  A flurry of activity was happening all around us.  Salad prep to my right.  Appetizer plating right in front of us.  But a very quiet environment.  No one was barking our orders.

The first appetizer was a  very thin slice of nutty parmesan romano cheese along with marinated olives.  This was a great palate awakener - and not because of the cheese.  The chef explained that the olives had been marinated on the ship.  I expected them to had traditional flavors you would find in a mediterranean olive.  Olive oil.  Rosemary.  Oregano.  Pepper flakes.  While some of those were there, these olives had a very interesting and welcome ingredient:  Orange zest.   I had never heard of olives marinated this way but it made so much sense when you tasted it.  It paired so well with the peppery olive oil and added a much needed brightness.  So inventive.  I think I will be trying this at home.

The next appetizer was a bold one, something that many people would never ever order:  goose liver pate served on a small spoon.  I am a huge fan of liver and will almost always order foie gras if I see it on a menu.    When I traveled to New York for work I would go to the Stage Deli and only order a nice plate of chopped liver.  That with some fresh rye bread and thin sliced onions is heavenly!!   For this preparation, the chef smartly was able to eliminate the sometimes gamey flavor liver can have.   He was able to bring out the nuttiness and make it so smooth so that everyone's first instinct was we were tasting peanut butter.  It certainly changed some people's mind about whether they liked liver.

The last galley appetizer was a super bite size shrimp Po'Boy.  They must have had these rolls specially made onboard since they were only about an inch long, perfect for the fried shrimp and remoulade.  While the bread could have been more toasted, the flavor of the shrimp paired well with the sauce.

After a short galley tour we were led to a private dining room where we would have our additional courses.  Each person received a personalized menu.

Carnival Conquest Chef's Table Menu

A text version of the menu which is easier to read.

Spring Peas & Matcha Soup

condiments

Berkshire Pork Belly, Shrimps

veil of yuzu mustard, crustacean essence

Slow Cooked Crispy Lamb

roasted beet & port jus

Olive Oil Poached Seabass

asparagus & white miso

Quail, Wild Mushrooms and Carnaroli

parmesan, pepper threads, roasted onion jus

New York Prime Strip, Crushed Green Apples

light cheese broth

Citrus Cream

lime snow, elderflower caviar

Chocolate Hazelnut

basil moss, cocoa logs, chocolate soil

We started with a bread service.  We were served the most pillowy roll completely covered in shredded parmesan cheese.  It was served with a small edible flower, unsalted butter with truffle (almost a good as Tasmanian butter) and honey.  I didn't want to have too much of this since I knew how many courses had yet to come.  But how can one resist?  It was interesting to pair all the flavors.  I liked the sweet honey combined with the salty parmesan the best.

 First course was a Spring Pea and Match Soup.  This was served in a way that you made your own broth strength with the powdered matcha.  What is matcha?  I had never heard of it before this meal so was glad the chef explained it. It is a type of green tea and in this preparation was in super fine powder form.  They had also made a stirrer which was a celery stalk attached to a pineapple shell topped with a cherry tomato.

The idea was to take a as much or as little of the matcha and put it into your bowl.  The chef recommended to start with a small amount.  I tried it by itself and it had a mild earthy flavor - alot like green tea (not surprisingly).  This was about a half teaspoon of the matcha.

Then the wait staff came along with a separate pitched of the soup and you used the stirrer.  It was so interesting how you could infuse the soup with the essence of the celery tops.  The soup had a great fresh pea flavor and the matcha gave it a richness that most pea soups like this are missing.  A very nice start to what would be coming.

Next course was Berkshire Pork Belly. 

Pork belly is one of those dishes that really needs attention to detail.  I have found too often that it appears on a menu for pure "wow" factor, but the result on your plate is less than a wow.  Usually the issue is the pork has not been rendered enough, leaving the diner an unpleasant plate of uncooked fat.  Not in this case.  The pork was properly cooked to be slightly crispy but still moist and had a great pork flavor.  And the use of the yuzu to make a mustard was a perfect compliment.  If you have no heard of yuzu, it looks like a lemon but has more of an orange and grapefruit flavor.  Perfect contrast for a dish where you want to cut against the richness of the fattiness.  The "dome" on top of the pork was pureed and dehydrated cantaloupe molded into the triangle shape.  It had the texture of beef jerky.  It was creative but really didn't belong on the dish.  The same was true with the shrimp and the crustacean essence, which was really just a lobster and shrimp stock made from shells.  Tasty by itself, and perhaps great in another dish, but didn't go with the other flavors in the dish.

Next course was Crispy Lamb with Roasted Beets.

The lamb was braised and very tender, served on a flavorful au jus.  It was topped with a crispy whole grain cracker which had dollops of creme fraiche and mango.  The most interesting part of the dish was the roasted beet on the left in the picture below.  The beet had been crusted in dehydrated olives and then deep fried.  I had never seen olives used as a breading before.  It was a good contrast to the sweetness of the red beet.  I think it would have been a much more interesting dish had the chef decided to have this be a vegan course, where only beets and other complimenting items were paired together.  While the lamb was good, it's richness was a bit too much after just having the pork belly. 

Next course was Sea Bass.

This was one of the best dishes I have had in my life!! It was poached sea bass which had been cooked perfectly. Firm flesh but still moist inside. And it came with lots of complimentary side items. Where to start? How about the passion fruit "caviar" which was on top, and had just started to melt as the plate was set in front of you. Or the olive oil dust where you could drag a morsel of fish through it to provide a a floral nuance. Or the wonderfully crispy squid ink chip which you could break up into pieces like a tortilla chips and mix with the delicate white miso sauce. Everything on this plate had a purpose which is what made it so wonderful. Fish, cooked simply, and only partnered with sides that complimented, and in some cases deliciously contrasted with that succulent seafood.

The next course was Quail with Wild Mushrooms.  When the plate first arrived, I think we all exclaimed "Where's The Quail"?  I think the thin rolls of parmesan and pepper threads were to be a reminder of the very first course we had in the galley. The wild mushrooms were prepared in what I would call a fricassee style.  Creamy and meaty.  But where was the quail?

Almost on queue, the chef came around and plated each piece of quail on our plates. right on top of the mushrooms.  It was topped with roasted onion jus which had a sweet flavor, almost like beets.    The quail was well seasoned and moist with a crispy skin.  The onion jus was a nice compliment to the mushrooms.

The last savory course was New York Strip,  The chef came out with a large smoked dome!!   What was inside?  

It was our grilled strip steak which had been smoked in that dome!!    In addition to the side of asparagus was a very unusual spoonful of crushed green apple which had a cheese broth on top.  The flavor profile matched since cheese and apples are a favorite combination of mine.  Just an odd side dish and I am not sure it married well with the steak.     The steak itself was okay but had some large part of fat which hadn't been cooked.  Since these had been sliced to order, I would have expected them to be trimmed a bit more since the far was appealing to look at or taste.   This was my least favorite course.

Now it was time for dessert!!  First up was a Citrus Creme.  This was perhaps better described as a key lime tart  - without the tart.  Tart citrus flavor, further complimented by the lime snow which took lime juice and used molecular gastronomy to create the magical dust.  And a repeat of the "caviar" from the sea bass course, except this time it was elderflower which had a nice tartness.  For anyone (like me) that doesn't like overly sweet desserts, this would be at the top of their list for favorite desserts.

Our last course was a Chocolate Hazelnut cake.    Hazelnut it not one of my favorite flavors since I find it usually overpowers other flavors in a dessert.  To the pastry chef's credit, they managed to keep it as a background flavor and the forward flavor was still the chocolate.  The basil moss was a most interesting contrast to the sweetness of the chocolate.  The chocolate "logs" were drizzled chocolate that had been refrigerated.   They were crunchy so was a nice contrast to the soft texture of the cake.  I wish the dessert had a small amount of plain old vanilla ice cream.  There was so much chocolate flavor that your palate needed a break after a couple of bites.  Perhaps the basil moss was meant for that purpose but it didn't work for me.  Sometimes all you need is some ice cream.

So after eleven courses and almost four hours, our Chef's Table experience had ended.  Some wonderful dishes.  I was very impressed with the whole meal and how the chef and his team catered to us. 

Favorite course:  Olive Oil Poached Sea Bass - Simply one of the best dishes I have ever eaten.

Favorite amuse bouche:  Has to be the olives since they surprised me with the addition of orange zest

Favorite dessert:  Really unfair since there were only two but hands down it was the Citrus Creme.

Most disappointing dish:  New York Strip - It was sad to see what appeared to be a good cut of meat wasted.

Since Carnival keeps the same Chef's Table menu for at least eighteen months, it may be awhile before I try this again.  I will keep an eye out for when it changes to see if it looks interesting.