Turnip Souffle

My mother has a beautiful vegetable garden at her home in Chase City, so every time I visit, I can expect to come back to Norfolk with a bushel of her freshest handpicked veggies. On the last few visits, I’ve returned with a sizable portion of turnips. We’ve enjoyed boiling them and eating them plain or with a little salt, pepper and butter, and we’ve tried slicing them and eating them raw with hummus or on salads. Yet, our fridge was still stocked with turnips, and I was running out of ideas.

Last week, we decided to sign up for a CSA (community supported agriculture) subscription at the Five Points Community Farm Market in Norfolk. On our first visit to gather our weekly veggies, you can probably guess the first thing we were to add to our bags: turnips.

It was time to try something different, so I did a little searching online, and found this recipe for Turnip Soufflé. I’m an automatic sucker for any kind of soufflé to begin with, so I immediately knew I’d love it, but it was even better than I imagined. The recipe is pretty simple; the main seasonings are salt and white pepper, and the sweet flavors of the onion and Greek yogurt complement the savory turnips. Plus, the fluffy-as-a-cloud texture is out of this world. Enjoy!

Ingredients

3 medium turnips, peeled, trimmed and diced

4 tablespoons butter

4 tablespoons flour

½ cup milk

¼ cup vanilla Greek yogurt

2 tablespoons yellow onion, peeled and minced

Salt and white pepper

4 eggs, separated

Method

1.     Preheat oven 350°. Grease miniature ramekins or one 6-cup soufflé dish with 1 teaspoon of butter, and dust with flour. Tap out excess, and set aside.

2.     Boil turnips in a pot of salted water over high heat until soft, approximately 8–10 minutes.

3.     Drain well and mash until smooth.

4.     Melt remaining butter in a medium pan over medium heat. Add flour and cook, stirring for 2 minutes.

5.     Whisk milk and yogurt together, and add to pan.

6.     Stir in mashed turnips, and cook until thick, about 5 minutes.

7.     Add onions, salt and white pepper.

8.     Remove pot from heat, and gradually stir in egg yolks. Transfer mixture to a large bowl and set aside.

9.     Whisk egg whites in a large bowl until stiff peaks form.

10. Gently fold into turnip mixture, and spoon into prepared dish.

11. Bake until puffed and golden, 35–40 minutes.

Recipe inspired from Saveur, http://www.saveur.com/article/Recipes/Turnip-Souffle

Pumpkin Soup in Individual Roasted Pumpkins

Pumpkin soup is a popular autumn dish that can be ladled in smaller portions as an appetizer or, in this case, it could be served as the main dish. The blend of spices and mild sweetness from the brown sugar bring out the natural flavors from the pumpkin, and my favorite aspect of this recipe is the individuality of each guest getting their own personal portion.

Ingredients

12 small Jack-Be-Quick Pumpkins

2 medium pie pumpkins

5 teaspoons salt

1 ½ teaspoons pepper

2 teaspoons brown sugar

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground allspice

1 teaspoon curry powder

½ teaspoon cloves

4 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

4 large onions, chopped

8 cloves garlic, minced or pureed

2 Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced

12 cups vegetable stock

2 cups cream

Method

1.     Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

2.     Cut tops off of the small pumpkins, and scoop out seeds. Save seeds and tops. Set aside. 

3.     Repeat preparation with the medium pumpkin; then cut into wedges. 

4.     Peel skin off each wedge, and cut flesh into 2-inch chunks and set aside.

5.     Combine 1 teaspoon of the salt, ½ teaspoon of the pepper and sugar with ground spices in a small bowl.

6.     Sprinkle mixture into the pumpkin cavities, dividing evenly.

7.     Cut 2 tablespoons butter into bits, and divide between pumpkins. 

8.     Replace pumpkin tops, and place pumpkins in shallow roasting pan. 

9.     Roast 30 to 40 minutes until tender when pierced with a knife but still intact.

10. Sprinkle pumpkin seeds in a separate roasting pan, and roast with pumpkins.

11. Meanwhile, heat remaining butter along with olive oil over medium heat in a large pot.

12. Add onions and remaining salt and pepper, and cook 5 minutes until softened.

13. Add garlic and cook 1 minute.

14. Add diced potato, chunked pumpkin flesh and stock, and bring to a simmer.

15. Reduce heat and simmer 30 minutes until potatoes and pumpkin are completely soft.

16. Transfer to a blender in batches, and puree until smooth.

17. Whisk in cream.

18. To serve, remove tops from pumpkins ladle soup in each pumpkin, filling about two-thirds full.

19. Sprinkle roasted pumpkin seeds on top.

20. Replace pumpkin tops, place each pumpkin on a plate and serve.

Recipe inspired from Food Network: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/pumpkin-soup-served-in-individual-roasted-pumpkins-recipe/index.html

Celebration Divine at Opus 9

In celebration of eight years of togetherness as well as six months of being married, my husband and I decided to go to Opus 9 Steakhouse in Williamsburg to celebrate. Since we were going to be dining on a Friday night, I called ahead to make reservations. The person that I spoke with asked if we were celebrating anything, so I explained to them our mixture of anniversaries, chuckling to myself because I wasn’t expecting them to make a big deal out of such a small occasion.

When we arrived, we were warmly greeted and led to a large, round booth. We were pleased to be seated at such a prestigious table considering it was our first time dining there and even more impressed by a printed note on the table that read, “Here’s to a Happy Half-iversary and  Wonderful Eight Years!” Having never experienced this kind of specialized treatment before, we were beyond delighted and knew that we were in for a wonderful dining experience. 

Our waiter promptly came to the table to take our drink orders and to let us know that we could ask him any questions we had about the menu. We started out with the Bourbon Pecan Brie, perfectly softened brie drenched in warm bourbon caramel sauce and topped with crispy, sweet toasted pecans, fresh apples and juicy sliced strawberries encased in a puff pastry croustade and served alongside crunchy baguettes. Even though it was November, the strawberries tasted as though they had just been picked on a warm spring day.  The rich and creamy brie oozing from the puff pastry had a mild flavor that paired nicely with the tartness of the apples, the nuttiness of the pecans and the luscious decadence of the bourbon caramel. 

 Next, we ordered the Seafood Trio, a jumbo lump crab cake, sautéed gulf shrimp and pan seared scallops served alongside a colorful mix of greens. The crab cake was perfectly assembled with succulent chunks of crab throughout, and it was served with a creamy Creole remoulade sauce, adding just a touch of spice. The scallops were seared until a golden brown crispness slightly coated the outside. Inside, the smooth and buttery scallops tenderly melted away in our mouths. My favorite portion of the trio was the plump and juicy, divinely sautéed shrimp topped with a rich and buttery beurre blanc sauce. Although mild in flavor, the sauce lended itself to the natural flavor of the shrimp as well as the herbs and spices in which it was sautéed. 

To accompany our trio of delicacies from the sea, we ordered a side of asparagus. The bright green shoots were perfectly wilted and still maintained a bit of crisp in the bite.  The asparagus was immersed in a velvety hollandaise sauce, giving a smooth, buttery essence with just a touch of tartness. 

Throughout the dinner, our waiter was attentive and friendly, offering wine suggestions and answering questions we had about different sauces we had tried during the evening. What was even more impressive was the warm demeanor we experienced from other servers passing by our table. During visits to most other restaurants, it’s been common for servers to ignore all other guests except for the ones they were attending to. However, at Opus 9, nearly every server who passed by our table politely smiled at us, and one waitress even stopped by to tell me how tasty my martini looked and how she was looking forward to having one later in the night. It’s been rare for us to enjoy such pleasant service from not only our assigned server, but also nearly every employee in the restaurant that night. To top it off, at the end of our meal, our server surprised us with a complimentary bottle of champagne for us to toast to our special day. We raised our glasses to the celebration of our time spent together and also to the extraordinary time we’d experienced that night at Opus 9.

Opus 9 is located at 5143 Main Street, Williamsburg, VA. For more information, call 757-645-4779 or visit www.opus9steakhouse.com

Kotobuki Sushi and Dinner Box

Kotobuki in Ghent was the first Japanese restaurant I visited after moving to Norfolk, and to this day, it’s still the most authentic that I’ve had the opportunity to try. Growing up in a small town, I’d watch TV shows where characters would dine at Japanese restaurants and sit on little pillows on the floor at very low tables, and I thought it was the neatest thing ever—eating dinner on the floor and still being proper.

Guests at Kotobuki are given the option to sit in the regular dining section (with regular tables and chairs), at the sushi bar (still with regular chairs) or in the traditional Japanese-style seating where visitors are asked to remove their shoes before sitting at tables that are lowered with legless chairs sitting on a raised platform. Not completely on the floor, but good enough for me. I always choose the traditional Japanese seating here.

There’s never been a huge crowd when I’ve visited; it’s always relatively quiet with Japanese music playing softly in the background. They have a large variety of sushi selections, and my husband and I were in the mood to try something different, so we carefully read each description, agreeing to both choose one roll. He chose the Tiger Eye Roll, fried salmon, tuna, string beans, tobiko (flying fish roe) and spicy sauce for only $6.95.

I was curious about their vegan selection so I opted for the Veggie Lover’s Roll—vegan lobster, shitake mushrooms, lettuce, cucumbers, avocado, horseradish sprouts and onions rolled in sesame seeds. I was impressed by the abundance of ingredients, and for only $7.95, it felt like quite a deal.

The rolls were beautifully presented on a wooden serving tray with grated ginger and a ball of wasabi. Each table is equipped with a glass dish holding a miniature teapot-like container filled with soy sauce, which can be poured into small bowls for dipping. The first thing I noticed about the rolls was how large they were. Most sushi restaurants’ rolls are approximately two inches in diameter, but these rolls were nearly four inches. You’d assume the more the merrier, but in this case, I’d much rather have the more divided into smaller bites.

My favorite aspect of eating sushi is the wonderful mixture of flavors and textures intricately melded together in each roll. However, these rolls were almost too large to enjoy in one bite, and my concentration wasn’t focused on the flavor of the sushi, but rather the difficulty I was having trying to chew the enormous mass of sushi.

Feeling slightly disappointed by our sushi selections, we next ordered two simple selections that have never let us down: miso soup and seaweed salad. The miso soup here isn’t like some other places’ miso soup that consists of a blend of freeze-dried tofu particles the size of a nail’s head along with freeze-dried, flavorless scallions mixed with water. Kotobuki’s soup is served piping hot with plump chunks of tofu and freshly chopped scallions, and it’s loaded with delicious flavor. The seaweed salad was also fresh with just enough crunch and sprinkled with sesame seeds.

For our main course, we ordered what has been one of my favorite dishes at Kotobuki for years—vegetarian sesame chicken. Since giving up most meats for a pescetarian diet five years ago, chicken has been the meat I’ve missed most, and Kotobuki has somehow discovered a way to replicate this dish using tofu. It’s been over a year since I’ve ordered this entrée, and perhaps my tastes have changed, but their “sesame chicken” had a distinct tangy barbecue smoked flavor. Not bad, but also not what I had in mind. 

Along with brown rice, this entrée is served with a crispy spring roll stuffed with purple and green cabbage and carrots and a breaded and fried potato wedge topped with a sweet and tangy sauce. For dinner, this dish is $13.95, but come for lunch, and the price is only $8.95 (smaller portion of course, but still a great price).

Though this wasn’t my best experience at Kotobuki, it will continue to be one of my favorite Japanese restaurants in Hampton Roads. The servers are always friendly, the prices are fair, and the sushi is fresh. (Large, yes. But fresh). Best of all, there’s the chance to eat dinner in a restaurant with your shoes off and sitting almost on the floor—while still being proper.

Kotobuki is located at 721 West 21st Street in Norfolk. For more information, call 757-628-1025 or visit www.kotobukisushibar.com

Pasha Mezze Lunch Wraps

My husband and I were driving around Ghent on a Sunday afternoon deciding on a spot for lunch. I was in the mood for something light and healthy, so we chose Pasha Mezze, a local, organic Mediterranean restaurant that offers a wide selection of vegan and gluten-free items.

The atmosphere in Pasha is warm and welcoming. They have an open kitchen that’s visible from most tables, and yet, that doesn’t affect the restaurant from having a clean, orderly appearance nor does it affect the noise level. When we arrived, soft jazz music was playing in the background, and the room was especially tranquil since brunch had just ended.

Our waitress was cheery and friendly, expressing that she’d be “taking good care” of us—a phrase that caught my attention because I don’t hear it often. We normally hear the, “Hi my name is so-and-so, and I’ll be taking care of you this afternoon.” This waitress was not only to take care of us—but good care. And she did.

We were pleased to hear that their brunch drink specials were still available, so we each ordered a mimosa as we skimmed the menu. It was a brisk day, so I already had decided on the lentil soup, and to accompany, I chose a create-your-own wrap with garden greens, tomatoes, shrimp, organic quinoa and zucchini cheese puffs moistened with yogurt mint sauce. My husband ordered a grilled eggplant vegetable wrap served with a side of their house made hummus and toasted pita points.

When our food arrived, I first tasted the lentil soup. It was served at the perfect temperature and offered a comforting aroma and flavor. Hints of cumin are noticeable in this dish, and there’s a slight spice to the soup—definitely not overwhelming; just enough to give a burst of flavor in each spoonful. The soup is topped with crunchy wheat bread cubes, which I saved until the very end to allow them to soak up moisture and flavor.

The perfectly rolled wrap was served cold, but the zucchini puffs and shrimp warmed the inside. The shrimp were larger than I’d imagined, and the zucchini puffs added a crispy texture. All the ingredients hinted of the minty yogurt dip, a tangy and wonderfully flavorful sauce. Everything about the wrap was fresh and wholesome, and I’d certainly order it again.

The hummus on my husband’s platter was fluffy and slightly creamy, and the lightly seasoned, crispy pita points were a perfect size for scooping. His eggplant vegetable wrap was served warm and packed with grilled eggplant, sautéed julienne carrots and other veggies, warm mozzarella, mayonnaise, fresh kale and crispy lettuce with jalapeno tomato sauce. Of the two wraps, I enjoyed mine slightly better because of the freshness that the minty yogurt sauce offered, but his was still a delicious, savory meal that’s great for veggie lovers.

After we’d finished every single bite of our lunches, we decided to reward ourselves for eating so healthy, so we chose a crème brulee cheesecake for dessert. The sweet treat was dotted with specks of fresh Madagascar vanilla bean, served on a moist graham cracker crust and drizzled with burnt caramel, which added the distinct flavor of a scorched crème brulee topping. The cheesecake was rich in flavor but surprisingly smooth and light in texture, so we didn’t feel guilty at all for indulging in this luscious dessert.

We left feeling completely satisfied—not overly full and miserable like some places—thanks to the fresh ingredients, sensible portions and healthy qualities that Pasha presents in every dish. We’re going to take good care in making sure we dine here again soon.

Pasha Mezze is located at 340 W. 22^nd St., Norfolk. For more information, call 757-627-1317 or visit www.pashamezze.com

Tortilla West Vegan Chorizo Quesadillas

Our food writing class had the opportunity to go on our first field trip, a short journey to a Mexican restaurant with a southwestern flair—Tortilla West, located in West Ghent. This restaurant is especially popular on Monday on Tuesday evenings when they offer beef or bean tacos for just 75 cents apiece.

We visited on a Sunday afternoon after the brunch crowd had departed and before the dinner crowd began to arrive. When the hostess brought menus to our table, we were delighted to discover that their regular menu along with their brunch menu was being served.

This called for a homemade concoction from the make-your-own Bloody Mary bar. Their elaborate station is equipped with salt, pepper and Old Bay rimmers, a variety of spices such as chili powder, cayenne pepper, celery salt and habanero powder and a multitude of garnishes including celery sticks, pickled asparagus and at least seven different types of olives stuffed with anything from caper berries to bleu cheese.

When it was time to order, we decided to split a variety of appetizers to share with the class including crispy fried oysters, tender grilled corn, cornmeal breaded calamari, creamy jalapeno mac and cheese, vegan chicken nachos, tangy tequila shrimp and—my favorite—vegan chorizo quesadillas.

The slightly grilled quesadillas were filled with a savory and saucy vegan chorizo with melted vegan cheese and served with diced tomatoes and red onions and a dollop of vegan sour cream. Many vegan options tend to have a bland or tasteless quality, but this certainly wasn’t the case here. Even though the quesadillas were meant to taste like sausage, it reminded me more of a pulled pork barbecue with the vinegar aroma, undertones of sweetness and completely meat-like texture.

I was also impressed by the natural flavors of the cheese and sour cream—replicating meat is a task on its own, but replicating dairy is especially tricky, and I feel that Tortilla West has accomplished both feats beautifully.

Meat eaters, don’t fret; there’s plenty of menu options that include the real thing, although as flavorful and satisfying as the vegan chorizo quesadillas are, I bet you’ll have a difficult time telling the difference.

Tortilla West is located at 508 Orapax Street, Norfolk. For more information, call 757-440-3777.

Expressions in Food Writing

I decided to take a food writing class so that I could learn how to better express the distinct sights, aromas, flavors and overall feelings that are present when experiencing a food. The class Expressions in Food Writing is held at the Muse Writing Center in Norfolk and taught by Chef Patrick Evans-Hylton.

In our first class, Chef Patrick shared some of the different ways food writing can be used. Aside from starting a food blog (like this one) or posting restaurant reviews on sites such as Yelp and Urbanspoon, food writing can be used in short publication pieces (newspaper and magazine articles, including in-flight publications and product reviews), recipe headnotes or as parts in a large food project such as a food memoir.

Chef Patrick then explained the different factors to consider when describing your food:

• Appearance
• Aroma
• Taste
• Texture
• Thoughts, actions, reactions

Not only would we gain the knowledge of writing about our food; we would learn how to photograph it as well. Chef Patrick shared some pointers to consider when photographing food:

• Be mindful of your setting, especially the lighting. When you're dining out, ask to be seated next to a window to gain the natural light, or if you're in an intimate setting, move the candle on your table closer to your food for added brightness. 
• Pay attention to the composition of your food. If a chef has presented a dish in a certain way, leave it rather than rearranging.
• When you're taking the picture, be still.
• Shoot a lot; get different angles and details. Look at the food in different ways.
• If cooking, take photos in steps.
• Be aware of highly unattractive foods. Some dishes simply don't photograph well.
• Be mindful of changing situations. If you're photographing an ice cream cone on a summer day, be quick!

One of the best experiences of the first class was that we all were asked to bring a dish to share. There were many fall-inspired selections, and bread seemed to be the popular item that day. We all had the opportunity to sample each dish (the fun part!), photograph them and write a brief description of each one.

My shared dish was sweet potato biscuits. Their buttery scent was an indication of their mild sweet flavor. Flaky on top with a cushiony center, these biscuits are an inviting and familiar treat that I've enjoyed since childhood. These particular biscuits were made from the sweet potatoes from my mom's garden, making them all the more special.

 

These delicately crispy chips were coated with a white powdered cheese and held the consistency of rice cakes. The textured chips looked as if they contained seeds and other grains, and they burst with a salty, cheesy flavor. 

 

The cinnamon raisin bread with stewed apples was an appropriate fall treat and invoked feelings of comfort and eating breakfast in a country home. The bread was sweet and moist, which complemented the tartness of the apples. This dish had the appearance, aroma and flavor of everything that is autumn.

The biscotti was beautiful in color, especially the bright green pistachios and the dried cranberries. Extremely crunchy and dense, these treats contained a slightly nutty flavor.

 

The goat cheese, honey and rosemary scones were pleasantly presented in a basket and beautiful bread cloth, giving them an extra homemade feel. The honey aroma was very sweet and apparent in the taste as well. The mild rosemary scent gave the scones a hint of savory blended with the otherwise sweet flavors, and the goat cheese aftertaste was pleasant for the palette.