Luma, revisted (again).

Hi. My name is Kate and I ate at Luma twice last weekend. Yep. Saturday night and Sunday night. I think I may have a problem.

To keep it short and to the point, Luma rocks. I've officially claimed it to be my favorite restaurant in Orlando, and this third blog entry makes it the most reviewed restaurant on this site. Yes, the atmosphere is hip in a non-pretentious South Beach kinda way. Yes, the service is always outstanding. Yes, the menu is creative and innovative. And yes, they have what I consider to be the most fun wine list in Orlando.

Here's what I had:
Saturday night:

• Short Ribs with a Pickled Rhubarb Barbeque Sauce. This was an appetizer special not listed on the menu. The sauce was a perfect balance of tangy sweetness and the meat literally fell off the bone.
• 1 glass Pieropan Soave. Light and crisp, a perfect glass of white wine to start the meal. Soave hails from the Veneto region in Italy and is a nice alternative for those of us tired of Pinot Grigio. Confused on the pronunciation? Think Rico....Suave.
  
  
• Ashley Farms Chicken Breast with Sweet Corn Risotto, Onion Confit and a Sherry Jus. I'll be honest and admit I primarily ordered this to try their Corn Risotto and see if it compared to mine that I've listed on this site. Both are fantastic, but theirs is quite sweeter than mine. The entree was superb; the chicken was cooked perfectly and well seasoned.
• 1 glass Paso a Paso Verdejo. One of my favorite Verdejos, this wine is perfect for summer. From the Spanish region of Rueda, the wine is a great example of the sweet and acidic balance in a white wine.
  
  
  
• Chocolate Cremosa with housemade Peanut Butter and a Crostini. Also a drizzle of Olive Oil and topped with Sea Salt. Holy crap this is a good dessert. "Cremosa" being a custard like dessert, I loved the flavor combinations, especially the touch of salt.
• 1 glass Rare Wine Co. Bual Madeira. I read an article a few months ago proclaiming that 2010 is supposedly the "Year of Madeira". I don't think we've gotten to that point yet, but I almost cannot put into words how much I enjoy this fortified wine. This particular product was great with dessert: rich, nutty, and smokey. I enjoyed this wine so much with the Cremosa that I actually proclaimed it to be my BEST BITE EVER. Check out this awesome review of the Madiera for more info.

Sunday night:

• Rabbit Run Farms Beet Salad. Picture this (because I forgot my camera and hell if I've bought an iphone yet): Butter Lettuce, Goat Feta, Pistachios, Cucumber and a Creamy Avocado dressing. Oh, and Beets. Seriously the most flavorful salad I've ever had. Between the slight tang of the dressing, sweetness of the Beets and saltiness of the Pistachios, this wins my award for Top Salad.
• Filet with Buttermilk Grits, Roasted Rapini and Mustard Jus. Perfectly cooked steak and a-mazing Grits. I'm sure they were low fat. I did leave the Rapini (aka Broccoli Rabe) on the plate-they were a bit too bitter for me.
• Dessert? You guessed it. The Cremosa from the night before (I know, I have issues) and the Hazelnut Panna Cotta. With Nutella and Salty roasted Hazelnuts. Both desserts similar with chocolate and saltiness, I reckon the Panna Cotta even surpassed the Cremosa.
• 2 bottles Marcassin Pinot Noir. Fanastic wine from Sonoma. Hints of fruits with a bit of peppery spiciness.

So, there you go. My version of eating in the same place two nights in a row. The only other time I've done this was in Belfast....mostly because we were too nervous to stray away from our B&B at night. Next time I go to Luma....I'm having dessert first!

PS Head over to the Luma website and join their mailing list. They'll email you a $25 coupon that you can use in July AND August!

Rhubarb Torte

The Plan
Make the crust. Bake.
Make the filling. Bake.
Make the meringue. Bake.

The Ingredients
The Crust
2 cups AP Flour
1/2 cup Shortening
1/2 cup Butter
2 Tbsp Sugar
1 pinch Salt
The Filling
5 cups Rhubarb, chopped
2 cups Sugar
1 cup Cream
6 Egg yolks, beaten
4 Tbsp Flour
The Meringue
6 Egg Whites
1/2 tsp Cream of Tartar
3/4 cup Sugar

The Method
Preheat over to 350F.
Mix together Crust ingredients and press into a 9x13 pan. Bake for 15 minutes.

Combine Filling ingredients. Pour into baked crust and bake until tender, about 40 minutes.

Using an electric mixer (or, if you're unlucky, do it by hand with a whisk), beat the Meringue until stiff. Top the baked Torte with the Meringue. Place back in the oven for another 15 to 20 minutes.


Beautiful, right? My favorite part of this picture is that you can see the reflection of my sister and Grandma taking the picture. The reflection in the Brisker! (Seriously! I have to get myself a Brisker!)

"The" Ham Loaf

Disclaimer: If you're not a fan of pork in any of it's forms, don't bother to continue reading this recipe. And definitely do not check out the picture below. Because it involves pork, and not in it's most beautiful light.

This is another one of the favorite summer Ohio recipes. It involves a mixture of ground pork and ground ham. There's actually a grocery store in Ohio where you can buy this mixture-literally a container of these products ground together. It's also totally illegal to sell this in the state of Florida. But that's how my Grandma rolls.

If you're interested, buy yourself some pork tenderloin and ham and grind them in your food processor.

The Plan
Make the loaf.
Bake the loaf.

The Ingredients
For the Loaf
1 1/2 # Ground Beef
3/4# Ground Ham
1 cup Breadcrubs
1 cup Milk
2 Eggs
For the Topping
1/2 cup Brown Sugar
1 Tbsp Dry Mustard
Vinegar

The Method
Preheat oven to 350 F.
Mix all ingredients for the Loaf. Place mixture on a baking sheet, in whatever shape you prefer. I'm going with Loaf.
Mix all Topping ingredients.
Slightly moisten Loaf with Vinegar. My grandma didn't tell me what type she used, but I'm guessing Apple Cider. Make some grooves on top of the loaf to make it look pretty. Spread Topping on loaf.
Cover with foil and bake for one hour. Remove foil and bake for another half hour. Enjoy.





I'm hesitant to post a picture, because, well, the Ham Loaf isn't exactly attractive. But dang if it isn't good with a bit of ketchup.

"That's how the Sweeds do it."

I spent just about a week over vacation visiting family. In the Midwest. And you know what that means.

Last year I shared with all of you some of the Midwestern culinary delights that I grew up with. I have a couple more to share, but you have promise NOT to judge.

Up first: my Grandmother's version of a Waldorf Salad.

Spring Mix. Gigantic Marshmellows, quartered. Sliced Almonds. Dried Cranberries. Blueberries. And, of course, Mayonnaise.

So wrong....yet so right. I was on my second bite when I realized what the dressing was for the dinner salad. I think I giggled and hollered "Mayo! I have to put this on the blog!". When my aunt looked over, giggled herself, and reported, "Just tell them that's how the Sweeds do it!".

Tomorrow: Ham Loaf. I'm not kidding.




I was also hanging with the newest member of the Kate's Kitchen clan the whole week. Is this going to be an awesome Chica, or what?

Back in Dodge.

But without a working computer. I'll update as soon as I can. Because I really have to tell you about my Grandmother's Hamloaf.

Gettin outta dodge.

Sweet Potato Pie

I'm not the biggest fan of pie.

As far as desserts go, I could probably list an array of others I'd choose before pie, with ice cream definitely taking the lead.

I don't really like Sweet Potatoes either.

But I've always wanted to try Sweet Potato Pie since it opened near my house. I just needed an excuse, a reason to buy a pie. So when I was nominated (at the last minute) to bring a dessert to a pool party over the weekend, I figured the time had come. To buy pie.

And now I can't stop thinking about it. Located on Michigan near Orange, Sweet Potato Pie is crammed in an old school shopping center and if you blink while driving by, you'll probably miss it. The shop itself is small, clean and inviting.

The pie itself is a show stopper. Flaky crust? Check. Creamy Sweet Potato filling? Check. Hints of Orange and Nutmeg? Um, Check.

Yep, what really stood out for me was the unusual citrus flavorings that melded perfectly with the Sweet Potato. It made the pie unique and exotic in a Southern way all at the same time. I should probably add that there were a few Pastry Chefs at the party....and all agreed with me that this is the Best Sweet Potato Pie in Orlando.

Great. Now I can't wait for the holidays. Just another excuse to eat pie...from Sweet Potato Pie, of course.

PS Don't forget to use your Buy Local Orlando card and get 10% off your purchase.

Corn Souffle

The Plan

Cook Veggies.*

Cook Cornmeal.

Bake.

The Ingredients

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

1 Shallot, minced

4 ears Corn, shucked and kernels removed

1 Jalapeno, minced

1/4 cup Chives, minced

2 cups Milk

1/2 cup Heavy Cream

3/4 cup Cornmeal, yellow, fine

Salt and Pepper to taste

3 eggs, separated

The Method

Preheat oven to 350 F.

Heat 2 Tbsp of Olive Oil in a large saute pan. Add Shallots and cook until soft. Next, add the Corn kernels and minced Jalapeno. Cook until Corn is just soft, about 5-7 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in Chives.

In a medium sauce pot, heat the Milk and Cream over medium high heat. Stir often to avoid scorching the milk. When the dairy is boiling, slowly add the Cornmeal in a steady stream while whisking constantly. You really want to avoid clumps. Reduce to a bare simmer (and be SUPER CAREFUL! This mixture will spit like crazy) and cook for about a minute. Again, stirring constantly. The mixture will be quite thick. Like oatmeal.

Combine the Corn and Dairy mixtures in a large bowl. Let the mixture cool. (Think about it. Do you really want to add Eggs to a hot batter? Scrambled eggs are not in the indredient list.)

While cooling, multitask. Grab the 3 Egg Whites, put them in a bowl and grab your hand mixer. Mix until the Egg Whites have stiff peaks. If you don't have a mixer, use a whisk. But it'll take some time.

When batter mixture is cool, incorporate the Egg Yolks. Stir well. Add the Egg Whites. Stir until just combined.

Place into a 9x11 pan that has been prepared with spray. Cook at 350 F for 30 minutes or until just golden brown.

*During the summer months I cannot encourage you enough to use fresh corn. If it is unavailable or if you're lazy, feel free to use canned.

Sad News.

Just heard that Habana Grill in Altamonte is closing after this weekend. Ack.

I'm gonna head up for one last Media Noche sammy (and probably get one to go, too) and some Mojitos. And maybe I'll buy a t-shirt. Because, after all, when you're at Habana Grill, "Everything is Bueno!".

The Social Chameleon and Milk Bar

Yikes. I had wayyy too much fun last night. Seriously.

We ended up heading over to Lake Eola for the Wine Barn event. And I can fully admit this was one of the most fun vino events I've attended. There wasn't too much of a crowd, and while it was crazy hot, some of the tents did have misters. I was a good girl, picked one color and stuck with it. (For the record, it was white. Like I said, it was crazy hot, so cold white wine seemed like the logical choice.) Anyhoo, it turned out to be the Day of Viognier (Ha! Get it? It rhymes...) with selections from all over the globe. My favorite was the Curtis from the Santa Ynez Valley in Santa Barbara. The vineyard specializes in and only grows Rhone grapes, so it's no surprise that this Viognier rocked.

Also ran into some friends who scored us some extra VIP passes to get into the exclusive tent with it's couches and multiple misters. The tent also had the Fermin Jamon Serrano (translation: Spanish ham) that was a-mazing. Not quite sure how much wine I had, but straight up I wasn't even counting. I also ran into more old friends, old students, and even a Master Sommelier who I (gulp) even had the courage to go up and talk to. Or stammer to. Put me in front of 50 people and I have no problem lecturing. But one on one with a Master? Yikes.

After the event we headed over to The Social Chameleon for a bite to eat and to switch over to beer.

That's right. Honey Basil Ale from Bison Brewing outta Berkley, CA. It was quite tasty, rich and well spiced.

If you've never been to The Social Chameleon before, get off your you-know-what and head over. The food is excellent and not overly priced. They actually focus on Flavors and not mass produced food. (Interesting concept, huh?) I've always loved the restaurant itself-cozy, comfortable and hip. (And now very cool! Hooray for additional a/c units!) They also have a super cool outdoor seating area with a funky garden.

Here's what we ate:

Stuffed Grape Leaves. Don't be turned off by this picture, the leaves (and I, for the record) were not having a good photogenic day. The Curry Cucumber Yogurt dipping sauce is perfectly flavored, delicious and goes well with the minty rice stuffing.

The Four Play for Some. My favorite was the Black Bean Salsa with hints of Cilantro. (Yep, you should be proud. I'm slowly but surely starting to appreciate cilantro.) It rocked. The Black Bean Hummus was also quite tasty with the perfect hints of Garlic. The Baba Ghanouj was overly acidic, and the traditional Hummus was on the dry side.

We also split the Crab Flatbread and a small Athenian pizza. All I have to say is: Holy Crab that Flatbread is fantastic. Crab, Goat Cheese, Shitake Mushrooms and Red Onions topped with Sesame Ginger Sauce and a side of a sweet Chili Sauce. Perfectly seasoned with great flavor profiles of all the ingredients, this is one delicious flatbread. I LOVE the combo of the Crab and Goat Cheese. If I gave out stars or forks or whatever, this would be five out of five. Or two thumbs up. Your choice. The Athenian was also nice with Roasted Chicken, Spinach, Feta, Tomatoes and Artichoke Hearts. But it didn't have the bold flavors of the Flatbread.


Here's Captain America himself, Chef Bret. Kudos, yo. Your food is creative and tasty.

After dinner we headed 67 steps to the east and hit up The Milk Bar for more beer. In case you've been living under a rock, The Milk Bar is essentially solidifying this area as being The Milk District. It's located just across the street from the TG Lee milk plant or processing center or whatever you call it.

This bar is super cool, not too large and has a great selection of craft beers and microw brews. And, in contrast to the other craft beer bar located near by, the people here are NICE and interested in discussing beers with their customers. So I think I have the 'green light' to go ahead and name this one of my favorite bars in Orlando. The have cool music, games and a great beer selection.


Here's a picture of Brian, the cool bartender. He sucks at Scrabble.

Just kidding. He kicked my Scrabble ass.

And just in case you were wondering, I roasted a gigantic chicken while I was writing this.