Sheltered Girl Meets World

Summer Vacation 2011: The Great American Roadtrip

(The epic cross country road trip!)

Tomorrow the boyfriend and I will embark on a three week, 11 state, 12,730 km road trip of the United States of America.  The plan is to eat our way from Ottawa to California and back again experiencing the best of what American cuisine has to offer.  I'll be tweeting and facebooking while we travel so if you have any recommendations on what we should try let me know!

See you in three weeks Ottawa.

Eaten: Hors D'Oeuvres @ Murray Street Kitchen

(Pulled pork pizza w/ aged cheddar)

Last night was the third anniversary of Murray Street Kitchen.  To celebrate the restaurant was closed to the public while friends and loyal customers celebrated by having a few drinks, enjoying some wonderful hors d'oeuvres and listening to music.  Congratulations Murray Street!

PS: When will the pulled pork pizza be on the menu?  I need more!

(All beef pogo w/ mustard)

(Ham hock croquette)

(Smoked Barley Risotto Cheese Croquette)

(Mushroom crostini w/ goat cheese)

(Bruschetta)

(Assortment of charcuterie yummies)

Eaten: 6 Courses @ E18hteen w/ DNA Restaurant

(Amuse Bouche: Bone marrow custard, walleye caviar, bacon jam and red fife brioche)

I have never been to DNA restaurant in Montreal but through friends and other food blogs I've become familiar with it and it's Chef Dereck Dammann.  When I heard that DNA and restaurant Ei18hteen would be doing a collaborative dinner in Ottawa I jumped at the chance to book a seat.  The food showcased product from Quebec and even had one course where all of the ingredients were from the same farm.  It also featured some of the interesting technique that Chef Dammann has picked up over his years of being a chef and his travels around the world.

(The bread was served w/ rendered pork fat with fried pork skin)

I love it when restaurants start with flavored butters and unique breads - it gives you a peak at what's to come.  When we were served seaweed bread with a spread made of pork fat and fried pork skin I knew this dinner would be an interesting experience.

The Amuse Bouche (pictured at top) was a red fife brioche with bone marrow custard, walleye caviar and bacon jam.  I had fun combining the marrow, caviar and bacon jam onto the brioche to get the perfect creamy, salty bite.  For me, the bacon jam was the highlight of this dish and I want more.

(First course: Pickled sardines and nduja)

The first course, pickled sardines and nduja, was my favorite.  Nduja is a spreadable spicy pork sausage that originates from Calabria.  The spiciness of the sausage was tamed, slightly, by the pickled sardine and vegetables.  I loved this open faced sandwich.

(Second Course: Sea parsley maccheroni alla chitarra, spot prawns, piment de St. Beatrix, cured goat liver)

The second course featured maccheroni alla chitarra, a pasta that is cut by using a special frame strung with metal wire which makes it look like a guitar.  The resulting pasta has a distinctive square cross section but other than that is similar to spaghetti.  I loved the sweetness of the prawns with the spiciness of the St. Beatrix pepper.  The only complaint is that the spot prawns were hard to deshell but that's probably my shortcoming.

(Third Course: Halibut with herbs and cream)

The third course was my least favorite.  I love halibut and I love creamy sauces but I found this creamy fish dish to be flavorless and in need of a good dosage of salt.

(Fourth Course: Lamb shoulder cooked in hay, rhubarb and natural herbs)

(A nice bowl of vegetables)

The fourth course featured ingredients found at Gereli Farms.  The lamb shoulder was tender and combined with rhubarb mustarda took it to the next level.  The vegetables which were served family style, featured morel mushrooms stuffed with foie gras.  At our table the boyfriend and I were able to snatch all of the foie gras filled morels, our four other dining companions didn't seem interested in them.  Their loss.

(Fifth Course: Elderflower ice cream and sea buckthorn sorbet)

I didn't know what sea buckthorn was before having this dessert but the tart orange berry is delicious as a sorbet.  Combined with the elderflower ice cream it's a delicious combination of sweet and tart.

(Sixth Course: Maple syrup and a cup of Labrador tea)

I don't think I've been served pure maple syrup before but this super sweet syrup from Societe Orignal was a treat.  The Labrador tea was warming and able to refresh the palate after the syrup.

The overall meal was wonderful and going to Montreal to visit DNA restaurant is now on my to-do list as is sourcing locally made nduja and bacon jam.  I hope we see more collaborative dinners with restaurants and guest Chefs as I find it really opens my eyes and inspires me to create.

Eaten: Too Much Pork @ Ribfest

(Would you like some sauce with your ribs/chicken?)

It's that magical time of the year when Sparks Street gets overrun by portable BBQ stalls and all of Ottawa lines up to get their fill of ribs, pulled pork and chicken before it's gone.  Yes, we all know that this isn't authentic Southern style BBQ - the beans are from a can and the coleslaw is from a tub but it's fun to pretend.

This year I went twice and tried pulled pork and a rack of ribs.  The boyfriend went numerous times trying pork ribs, beef ribs, chicken and pulled pork.  I enjoyed both but wonder how Southern style BBQ compares to the Sparks Street attraction.  Luckily, in less than a week I'll be in the South and able to make that comparison.