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boil, not toil, no trouble!

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red rice

 

Since early on in my restaurant career, days off have often involved boiled food. I suppose it was the polar opposite of the tastes and techniques of the week’s work. It started in the 1980s when I would gather on any given Sunday with food industry types such as Chuck and Neal Pascale, Chef Etienne Merle, and wine guys such as John Ricciatti and Larry Luckwaldt (who eventually partnered with John Stage for the non-take out evolution at Dinosaur Bar-B-Que). I clearly remember Lynn Pascale, who was Pascale's pastry chef at the time, getting a big kick out of stabbing a hunk of boiled meat with a fork and pulling it out of a large pot on the stove. "Dinner!" she would say.

 

So, this past Sunday, I dug a saucepan of red rice out of my fridge that I had boiled (or rapidly simmered)a couple of days earlier. Cooked in tap water, I had thrown in a couple of my cousin Elise's 2011 dried cayenne peppers grown in her garden nestled in the Utah mountains. Then, I chopped up the remainder of a semi-ancient fennel bulb that had been residing in the back of my crisper. Next, I tossed the anise flavored crunch into some hot olive oil I had heating in a small wok-style sauté pan. After a few minutes, I threw in whole pecans halves from my freezer (*I always freeze my nuts) and I let this all ride for another couple of minutes. Then, stirring in the rice, I thought, "Wine tastes good in risotto, I'll pour in some of that Chardonnay I have open." After another minute, I added a scant handful of dried cranberries that had been laying around all winter, as I wanted a hit of some intense sweetness here and there, but not too much. 

 

When all was heated through, I dumped my dinner of collected old ingredients into an ancient white soup plate, and dressed it with a touch more extra virgin olive oil, some sweet rice vinegar,  gray salt and cracked black pepper. I debated for a moment about whether to add Romano cheese, and finally grated a very small amount on top. The end result was, surprisingly, everything I had hoped for, hearty, crunchy, chewy, and savory, with a hint of salty and touch of sweet. Great mouth feel, great taste all adding up to a very satisfying supper without much guilt.

 

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farro

 

On my next day off, I accidentally topped that grain dish with one that was so delicious, it reminded me of the first time I experienced sautéed foie gras. I know this sounds a little crazy, as grain is nothing like goose liver, but every once in awhile you taste something that just blows your mind!

 

It all started with this convenient cut up butternut squash from the store. I was going to boil up some basmati rice and top it with roasted squash, but then, I found a small bag of farro I had purchased months ago. Somehow, I thought farro was one of those grains that required 50 minutes to cook. But, I was wrong. It's ready after only 15 minutes on a medium boil. On the back of the farro package I noticed a recipe that pared it with butternut squash. It called for red onion, which I didn't have, but also walnut oil and balsamic vinegar. So, instead of my usual method of roasting it in olive oil, perhaps with garlic, I tossed the orange squash cubes in walnut oil and some 'fig balsamic' I had lying in wait. The recipe also called for thyme, but I had just trimmed a rosemary plant I somehow managed to keep alive all winter, so I used that instead. 

 

If you haven't tried farro, OMG, it is so hearty and satisfying; much more so than, say, brown rice, and even more than the red rice I had eaten the night before. Anytime I have brought farro as the base for a dish to pass, people have sat up and taken notice - saying - "What's this El Babe? Yum." 

 

This night, I simply boiled the farro in tap water with a touch of Celtic salt again, no broth! Meanwhile, I stir-scraped the squash every five minutes or so with a spatula (turner), until the last five minutes in the roasting process (400 degree F oven for about half an hour), when I added a random measure of rough chopped walnuts to the roasting tray. 

 

When the squash was done, I scooped two heaping serving spoonfuls on top of a bowl of warm farro. Wow - It was perfectly melded together bowl of yummy goodness!

 

So next time you don't know what to make for dinner, boil some water, gather some clean towels and look around your pantry. You just might surprise yourself? Or, there is always our risotto here at bc Restaurant. This sumptuous 'boiled creation' is prepared using Italy's arborio rice, white wine and wild mushrooms, plus a few other tricks up our Chef's sleeve!

 

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chef wayne's wild mushroom risotto

 

 

* Note: I store nuts in the freezer to avoid pests who can find them irresistible, and freezing doesn't affect texture or flavor of the nut meats.

 

To learn more about farro, check out: 

 

http://www.nytimes.com/1997/06/11/garden/farro-italy-s-rustic-staple-the-little-grain-that-could.html?pagewanted=all&src=pm.

 

gladiator

after eating the farro I sort of felt like russell crowe in "gladiatore"

 


All this Jazz

862902 10151766646823378 1274499268 nMark Nanni and the Intentions

 

It's March. Thank goodness for a month with five fridays! This not only might mean an extra paycheck, but also another night of LIVE music at bc, as we host a Friday Night Music Series. For the Fifth Friday, I've asked Mark Nanni to bring his Intentions to play on March 29, starting at 8 p.m. = Mark Nanni and the Intentions.

In a world of great recorded music, I truly believe that jazz is one genre that really lends itself to a live performance. Maybe because of its organic nature, and the fact that jazz is so interpretative. This is why we like to bring you live jazz here at bc. This year's Friday Night Music Series features a set band on each Friday of the month - for example first fridays, second fridays. This series is not limited to jazz, because the very first friday of each month features guitarists/vocalists Gary Frenay and Arty Lenin, who have their roots in folk, rock and punk.

The one thing you can count on at bc is great musicianship. I hope you'll come visit us on a Friday night real soon. The music starts at 8 p.m. in our cocktail bar - and there is never a cover charge.

Go here for a schedule http://www.bcrestaurant.com/happenings

 


Love at First Sight

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bc's burger - sirloin and brisket chargrilled topped with cheddar cheese and pancetta served on a brioche roll with egg mayo, shallot ketchup, lettuce, tomato, red onion and fried russets

 

Our eyes met across the crowded dining room. He reminded me of the surfer boys of my youth with blonde curls and dark eyes. I smiled, he smiled back. As I rounded the corner to his table, I recognized his dinner partners as my friend Ouije, who I had once been lucky enough to work with at the Sherwood Inn, and Michael McGraw, her delightful husband. They made the introduction.

"This is our son Chase," Ouije said, "he's five!"

 

 

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 The McGraws dining at bc

 

They had been discussing the calamari, which Chase didn't want anything to do with, as he knew it was squid. His parents were perplexed, but I got it. 

"You know Squidward, right?" I said.

 

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  bc's calamari with aioli

 

He nodded.

Squidward, a resident of Bikini Bottom, is not the most enchanting of chaps I explained to Chase's parents. 

Then Chase showed me his new puppy app on his mom's eye phone.

"Adorable," I said whipping out my iPhone and showing him my dog Irene and my new cat, Henry.

With his parent's blessing, I took Chase on a tour of the restaurant including meeting the cooks on the range. He really liked the action in the kitchen, and, I believe, enjoyed our tour thoroughly.

 

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 Chase McGraw on a tour with me (Ellen Leahy)

 

Chase was one of three amazing kids that dined at bc last Saturday night. The others were little girls.  Ella Solomon, adorned in a gray romper with white polka dots, was transfixed by all our mirrors in the front dining room, while another, slightly older little girl dined in the gallery dining room with her parents who were in town for the basketball game all the way from Saratoga Springs. Jordan her waiter that night, came into the kitchen and said, "There's a little girl at my table who is smarter than me!" After a brief encounter I had to agree with Jordan and then some. 

 

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 bc server Jordan Malone sporting some amazing facial hair!

 

One thing all three children had in common was that there parents had wondered if they should bring them to bc. The answer is "Yes." We have a wee children's menu and if you need a night out and can't find a sitter, by all means bring the children along! 

 

I think it is important for kids to experience non-fast food restaurants with their parents and the earlier one starts the better the outcome down the road. 

 

So, as long as you are comfortable, we are comfortable. That's what "Modern Dining" is all about. Good food, great service, wonderful ambiance and good company adding up to a comfortable experience.

 

Real Live Music 2013


Once, the only way to hear music was to have a musician with a pulse in your drawing room, around your campfire or in a concert hall. Today, this is obviously not the case, but alas, there is still something very special about a live performance. Perhaps it's the performance piece? Over 2012 we had numerous performers play at bc, which boiled down to what we think are four very solid shows. So, this year, we booked those four groups to rotate each month on a regular Friday.

First up is Gary Frenay and Arty Lenin, incredibly solid CNY musicians who were first known as punk rockers that still have a cult following in Asia. As a unplugged duo they devised a play list of more than 1500 songs, which they play on guitars while singing two part harmonies. 

The second Friday of each month features Andrea Miceli and Moss. Who is Andy Miceli? She is one hell of a siren with a band of serious players including famed CNY drummer Jimmy Johns, the accomplished Jimmy Cox on keyboards, the ever graceful vocalist Alex Becerra, who also plays electric guitar and jazz artist Johnny Rohde on saxophone. Miceli ran the live Saturday night music shows at the former Pascale's downtown for years!

The Third Thursdays feature Miss Anna Vogel a diva who performs jazz standards, updated and all sultry like. She also has a talented trio of accomplished players who together serve up the quality sounds of jazz standards with a bit of blues and R&B folded in to create just the right warmth and style that will make your heart smile. Perfect for a date night with that special someone.

Fourth Fridays feature Tenor Madness, a trio of brilliant jazz players starting with Hannah Richardson on vocals and tenor guitar, Phil Flanagan on upright bass and Ithaca's Brian Earle on clarinet. 
Flanigan is a veteran of Benny Goodman’s band and the Scott Hamilton Quintet.  Hanna’s approach to a song is at once warm and cool—warm of timbre, cool, casual and relaxed in delivery.  Brian Earle adds melody and spark on the clarinet. They play classic, swinging American music from the great popular and jazz songwriters of the 30s and 40s. The group sound has the intimacy, delicacy, yet fullness of chamber music. And that indefinable thing called ‘swing,’ which was so much a part of the era, is at the root of everything they do.

NOW, this ain't all folks, as these are just FRIDAYS. This week, tomorrow, Colin Aberdeen brings Los Blancos to our cocktail bar after the dinner hour on SATURDAY. Dancing is seriously encouraged! Los Blancos is a mongrel mix of American roots music. Blues, Memphis Soul, Rockin' Zydeco, Latin, Outlaw Country, Funk and Folk are on their platter. The band features Mark Nanni on keyboards, Mark Tiffault on drums and Stephen T. Winston on bass and also vocals, too!


 
Plus we are working on a regular gig for a favorite spanish guitarist, Jesus Bas, so stay tuned or better yet come on down for LIVE music - FREE at bc!
 

The gift of memories

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I told you I was a blonde, I forgot the cowgirl part - but at some point we were all cowgirls in the 1950s.

 

by Ellen Leahy, your host at bc Restaurant

 

When my mother started losing her memories it was quite startling as her powers of memory had been so good, people would often make fun of her because of her total recall. It appeared as if she retained every word and idea she had every read, heard or viewed. She even claimed to have remembered being born!

 

mom and me as baby

That's me as a baby with mom out in California.

 

I was reminded today of her last Christmas as I packaged up, for my niece Kelly, a pair of little green enamel Christmas trees earrings I had given mom that last holiday. She really didn't even know it was Christmas, which was one of the many concepts it was difficult for her to keep track of. This didn't sway me as I carried on with a little retro tinsel tree by the fireplace with piles of presents for mom, my father, my brother Stevie and his family. On Christmas morning, we circled the tree and my mom immediately started excitedly ripping through her stack of gifts, so much so, she finished her pile and was on to my father's presents before any of us could remove a bow. I jumped in and tried to rescue my dad's packages, which startled my mother who stopped, looked up at us with a brilliant smile and said, "This is like Christmas!"

 

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 A modified Xmas with retro tree!

 

It was so sincere and filled with such joy that we all had a good laugh. And, laughter was perhaps the most important of all the skills my mom had given to us. She taught us that finding the amusement in any person, place or situation truly was the best medicine - or in today's lingo - coping mechanism. 

 

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Brothers Michael and Stevie with mom and I at Grand Canyon circa 1959

 

So, oddly enough, in the loss of her memory, she was again creating classic memories. Like chocolate covered cherries, she always bought those for us at Christmas. And, when we were little we got lots of tangerines in our stockings, which didn't seem like a treat at the time. Yet now I can't think of Christmas without thinking of tangerines. My mother gave us so much that we didn't quite appreciate at the time like sending us to a very strict catholic school, dragging us to church each Sunday, introducing us to every sport and game imaginable and those piano lessons, too. She made sure we went on urban adventures, camping excursions, historical and museum tours. And her biggest gift of all was insisting we grow in a small beach town, as she had before us.  

 

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 California angels circa 1957ish.

Gifts were an integral aspect of my mother's and my relationship, as she never came home from a trip without something representative for me, like a 1960's avocado and burnt orange patterned bikini from Hawaii. She also taught me to always bring a thoughtful hostess gift when visiting a friend.

 

mom driving whaler

 Mom piloting our Boston Whaler in Duxbury Bay, MA with son Steve on right and his pal Brian McGarigal

circa 1970s.

I thought of this as I tried to figure out gifts for my family, bc's crew, my partners and other friends this year. There is something special about taking time to really think about your loved ones, even your liked ones, and what they might truly enjoy or find useful. And, as I write this, I realize just how much this is a gift in itself!

 

thought·ful

adj.

1. Engrossed in thought; contemplative.

2. Exhibiting or characterized by careful thought: a thoughtful essay.

3. Having or showing heed for the well-being or happiness of others and a propensity for anticipating their needs or wishes.

 

 

 

 

 

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