Read Drink & Be Merry

Actually, they weren’t that pretty to start with…

Had made my usual Saturday stop at Belmont Butchery but with no real idea of what I wanted to cook this Sunday. I wasn’t going to stop anywhere else so I was limited to what was already at the house and whatever I got from T. Flipping through my mental file of what was in the fridge, and what really needed to be used soon, I came across some fresh sage.

T suggested chicken, I declined, not in the mood.

T suggested pork cheeks, I paused.

Discussion ensued. I soon left, the proud owner of five pounds of pork cheeks and a few cooking tips.

The next afternoon I opened the cryovac bags and placed in a colander to rinse off the liquids. T had wisely warned me that it might smell a bit funky. It did. After they drained I spread out these various chunks and salted with sea salt. M came into the kitchen, looked at the cheeks and gave me a look that screamed ‘your not expecting me to eat that are you?’. In all fairness, it didn’t look very appetizing but I had faith in T so I soldiered forward.

Mise en place for cooking included these roughly chopped items: sage, onion, celery, carrot, garlic and parsnip. (Will check with Val at RVANews to ensure this colon was used properly) 2 cups white wine 1 cup veggie stock rounded the ingredients.

Heated my paella pan on the stove top and the oven to 300. Once the pan was warm I browned the pretty little cheeks with a bit of grapeseed oil then added all the other ingredients. Brought it all to a low boil, covered, then threw in the oven for 2 hours.

Basically served in bowls with a bit of the liquids. A little crusty bread on the side. Pretty simple. Would have been great on a snowy afternoon (may have to move farther north for that). I was concerned that meat such as this can be tough sometimes. Not this. Didn’t need a knife, fell apart with a fork. Nice rich flavour and good sopping was to be had.

I had cooked this with leftovers in mind (on T’s suggestion). The next night we shredded the pork (with a fork), heated it up with a little marinara (store bought I’m afraid) and served over little elbow pasta. Liked it better than the first night.

So don’t be afraid of the initial appearance of pork cheeks. They’re mighty tasty. M liked it so much she’s considering some sort of BBQ with them next time (and you can’t beat the price).

Willow Place is doing a shuffle of stores to better accommodate all the existing merchants here and better meet our needs. What a great idea! Score one for the independents! What could go wrong…..

The first hurdle was getting approval for my business to operate in Henrico. Wait. Something wrong here. I’ve been in business in Henrico for nearly 3 years. Did I miss something before? Have I been operating illegally? Actually, no. Seems you can open nearly any kind of business with no questions as long as no construction takes place. Since we are doing construction the country of Henrico wants to ensure that I am not peddling porn. Well, I do carry a lot of romance and I am sure that some of it skirts the line and I do believe that the definition of porn is highly subjective…. no, don’t carry porn. Letters went back and forth and ‘voila!’, Henrico was happy to give me permission to do business within the county.

Meetings with the builders were next. Simple square box, one ADA bathroom, one ‘janitors closet’, move existing bookcases, move 25,000+ books, no problem. Wait. Seems Henrico thinks used bookstores are busy places. I should be able to accommodate at least 50 people at any given time and, therefore, needs two ADA bathrooms. After I stopped giggling (50 people, yea right) the discussions began.

Seems my current store should be able to accommodate 45 people. Sure, if we use two or three alternate realities we might be able to get that many people into this store (no, this is not a challenge to my readers to stuff 45 people into this store). Put 10 people in this store and it gets too crowded. 45? Nice as that may be to have that level of traffic, would be detrimental to book browsing.

The landlord, the Sauers (very nice people), doesn’t want to pay for a second bathroom. I don’t want to waste that much space. Can’t quite figure out why I would need better bathroom facilities than, say, Have a Nice Day Cafe. All seems pretty silly.

The first round of letters met with rejection, but with a caveat. You can apply for an exception. Great, ‘With who?’, we ask. ‘With me’, the reply. Fine, reject our request unless we ask you to make an exception to your answer to our request. My head is starting to hurt.

So, this morning we sent a slew of letters asking them to make an exception to their ruling. Our move is scheduled for the 25th. Tune in again to see if we’re still on schedule.

Things I learned – If you want to open up a business that the county may not approve of, never have any construction done. So open that porn or head shop with confidence!

Maya is our newest member at The Book Room in Charlottesville. She joined us last Fall and, while she is new to working here, she has been a loyal customer for years. To date she has already made a positive impact on the store and it’s customers.

Saturday night she left the store and upon arriving home found her town home on fire. Sunday it was confirmed that her husband, Gregory, had been trapped inside.

Our hearts and thoughts go out to Maya and her children at this difficult time.

Finn always enjoys Friday afternoons. Nathan (or insert current assistant here) comes in around 2 and we get to escape The Book Room. Finn gets very excited as we head towards the door and the questions begin.

‘Going to the park?’

‘No, it’s too cold.’

‘Going to Buddy’s?’

‘No.’ Yes, my 3-year-old son likes going to bars. They put Sprout on the TV over the bar and we share a plate of fries.

‘Going to Can-Can?’

‘No, we’ll go next week after we get our hair cuts.’ My little foodie-to-be craves their gougeres.

Actually I wasn’t too sure where we were going. I hadn’t stopped by the grocery store this week so provisions at the book store were a bit low and I hadn’t had lunch and all Finn had had was half a peanut butter and jelly. Sitting in the bank drive thru I thought a little mexican might be nice. My increasing aversion to driving on Broad St meant that going to Casa Grande was out so, where to? Wait! Only slightly out of of our way home was a fairly new place that we had not tried. Little Mexico. So, after hiding the bank tellers lollipop from Finn, off we went.

Little Mexico is on Cary Street, across from Chop Suey, in one of these strange little new developments that look more West End than Fan. Entering the restaurant I was again struck be the West End feel. Very nice, very clean, completely devoid of personality. The couple of little doo-dads scattered around the place that look vaguely hispanic could easily be switched for another menu or theme in less than a couple of minutes.

My first surprise came as we were shown to the table. They seem to speak English here. Both the waiter and the host chatted to me and to each other in only slightly accented English. At other Mexican restaurants I’ve been to I am sure they speak English but just choose not to. Many of my relatives in Denmark are like that. They speak in Danish to one of my cousins who is more comfortable with English and wait for them to translate. But get this person alone and suddenly they speak perfect English.

Drinks, chips and dips arrive. Chips, ok, nothing special. Salsa, ehh, tasted like jarred augmented by some fresh cilantro. Cheese dip, ehhh, prefab. Looks like the food comes from the same McDonalds-like supplier that provides the food for all the other average mexican restaurants across the country.

Entrees came fast. Finn had a chicken quesidilla, I, the soft beef chimichanga. Both were fine. Not good, not bad, just fine. The refried beans probably came from a boil-a-bag. The Spanish rice…. I’m guessing Rice-a-Roni. They tasted awful. I take that back, taste would have been nice. They had colour that made you think they may have had some flavour but no, they didn’t.

The service is what you expect in most Mexican restaurants. Fast and efficient. A little odd, though, when half the staff pours out onto the street when someone drives up in a VW Cabriolet souped up for street racing (c’mon, street racing a Cabriolet?) and then leaves with your waiter… Wait, I’m still here! No fear, someone else brought the bill.

All in all, it wasn’t great. The kind of place that you go for lunch if you work across the street and are in a hurry. If you want great Mexican go to Los Baez in Salem, Oregon, and get the shredded beef taco. Mmmmm, tasty.

And, yes, Finn got his lollipop on the drive home.

Cy-n-Ide came over for playoffs and dinner on Sunday and, well, I went a bit overboard on dinner. Actually it was planned that way. All this slow roasting I have been doing got me in the mood for a standing rib roast or prime rib. A call to T at Belmont Butchery ensured the appropriate slab ‘o beef would be waiting on Saturday and the research began. Sadly, nowhere could I find the right balance of rub or marinade or cooking time or, quite frankly, easy and tasty. Decided to wing it.

The first surprise was from T at BB. When I’ve ordered something in the past it has been ready on my arrival. This time she wanted to ‘talk’. I had initially planned on some sort of bone-in cut with the eye cut away then retied to the bone. She had that, if I wanted, at a choice grade. There was also prime, no bone, and there was something else…

She brought me into the back and showed to a sheet pan with several large and quite ugly pieces of meat. Dry and leathery with a couple of growths of mold. Well, I started to worry a bit. These were prime pieces of meat that had been allowed to dry age for over 14 days. Now I had read about dry aged and have even had it in the past from the European Market in the Fan. The theory was good but the result, not so much. Dry and chewy was my last experience. Was this something I wanted to try? T hadn’t steered me wrong before but there is always a chance for the first time. She prepped me for the sticker shock to come and awaited my response. Christmas bills be damned, let’s try the dry aged. I selected the piece and she threw it onto the scale.

Ten and a half pounds… – Pause here, guess the cost per pound, multiply, gasp, repeat.

My house payment then made it’s way to the band saw. After the most bacterial offending pieces were removed the real knife work began. Dry, leathery pieces fell away revealing an amazingly marbled, firm piece of meat. The crowd in the butcher shop watching us behind the counter were strangely quiet. I looked and realized these people were coveting my meat. T’s commentary while cutting and my questions on cooking made the show into an educational episode worthy of Ina or Alton Brown.

A little over 8 pounds remained at the end and were wrapped for travel. Extra cuts of fat for the roasting pan, farm fresh eggs and BB’s house cured bacon were added to my pile and, after melting down a credit card and the jokes from the other customers about me needing a Brink’s guard out to my car I went.

First thing Sunday morning I made my rub. I had selected a garlic-horseradish recipe and altered it slightly. Basing each ingredient at one part equals 1/2 cup for a 5 pound piece of meat. As I had 8, I used one and a half parts of the main ingredients.

1 part sea salt
1 part extra virgin olive oil
1 part prepared horseradish
1/2 part fresh ground black pepper
1/2 part melted butter

Mixed together and placed in the fridge for 2 hours for the flavours to mix. I also added the leaves from several twigs of thyme but they didn’t add a whole lot to the party. An hour and a half before cooking I removed the beef from the fridge and placed on a roasting rack and then liberally applied the rub to both sides making sure to leave the fat side facing up when I was finished. The roast was then left on the counter for the temperature to stabilize with a close eye kept for curious cats.

According to my probe thermometer the beef got all the way up to 50. Perfect starting temp. Oven temp set to 450. Roasting rinsed to remove any dripping rub and replaced with carrots, onions, parsnips, celery, red wine, beef stock, and the extra fat from the butcher. Into the oven for 20 minutes and then the temp dropped to 200 for the remainder.

Here’s the tricky part. I hate thermometers. Every time I cook with a probe something goes horribly wrong. Over done or under done, no correlation to the temp on the probe. T had warned me the cooking times (original est for 200 at 30 minutes per pound) would be off as the aged beef had such a low water content. So, I basically sat by the oven. Probe set for 120 and the timer set for 2:20 (20 minutes per pound). With a steadily raising level of anxiety I watched the temp move much quicker then I thought it should throwing off all my calculations for the sides. Time to start drinking and consider pizza places in case of disaster.

After an hour we hit 120 degrees. This was way too quick for a 200 degree oven. Something didn’t feel right. Was I prepared to remove the meat and risk a dangerously rare piece of meat (Half of Cy-n-Ide is expecting so meat temp is a consideration more than usual) or leave in and risk feeding the horde of feral cats in our ‘hood the best meal they’ve ever had. Split the difference and reset the probe for 125. Twenty minutes later the fun began.

Removed the meat to a cutting board and covered with foil and a tea towel. Placed the roasting pan on the stove top and cranked up the heat. Let reduce a bit and then strained out the veg and other bits into a fat separator.

Oven cranked up to 450 for the Yorkshire pudding. Earlier I had made a batter of:

1 cup flour
2 eggs
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup milk

and left it in the fridge for at least two hours.

Into a popover pan I placed a tablespoon of canola oil and allowed to heat up in the oven. When I had separated the fat from the roast I added a bit to each of the tins and then poured equal parts of the batter into each. Back to the oven for 20-30 minutes.

The remaining juices went into a saucepan for further reduction.

About 40 minutes after removing from the oven the moment of truth arrived. Would we be feasting or ordering from 8 1/2? Carving knife sharpened and the first cut was made. The pregnant half of Cy-n-Ide got the end piece and it was perfect. MR all the way through without a large band of MW or, god forbid, W. The next cuts yielded all perfectly rare pieces. Gravy boat of jus and dish or horseradish sourcream joined us at the table and the feast began.

Things I would do different… The rub was made based on the assumption of a thick layer of fat on one side and bone on the other. The fat here was thick enough but the direct application on the meat side left it a tad too salty for me, although no one seemed to complain. For a boneless piece I would cut the salt to 1/2 part and perhaps still add the fresh thyme leaves. A 5 pound boneless piece for the 4 of us would have been sufficient. We had left overs last night and will finish it tonight. The 8+ pound boneless piece yielded 10 cuts of a little over an inch. I’ll need to experiment more on yields for bone-in and fresh pieces.

And yes, I am looking forward to one more night of leftovers!

For a myriad of reasons we had never been to Edo Squid before. I know, I know, Richmond landmark restaurant, everyone has been…. Well, last night we rectified that. Arriving with Finn in tow at a little after 8 we were surprised to see the place so packed on a chilly Monday night. We squeezed up to the bar got some wine (in little juice like glasses) and bread and actual juice for Finn.

I was a little surprised at how smoky the place was. As a recent ex-smoker I can’t bitch too much but it would have been nice to smell the food. It shouldn’t be a whole lot longer before Richmond goes smoke free. Looking forward to it in restaurants but not so sure all bars should be the same.

We were seated pretty quickly at one of the tables with a window. The view was of a parking lot and a huge electrical junction box but it was enjoyed by all. Finn has recently developed a taste for fried squid so as soon as the waiter came by we tried to order some. Alas, Edo Squid had no squid. I thought it a bit odd but we muddled along. M ordered a house salad to start and I selected the chopped liver. The salad looked a little sad. M said very little about it. The chopped liver was really good. Coarsely chopped, mixed with egg and thin slices of purple onion. The result was the flavour you would expect but without the heaviness or hints of iron that you get so often. Good start.

Finn’s entree arrived soon after. Carbonara. We knew from 8 1/2 that he would like it and he did. Not as much meat as at 8 1/2, but Finn’s not a big meat eater so it wasn’t a problem.

For M’s entree she chose the veal piccata and I the monkfish fra diablo.

The veal was quite good. It was the appropriate thickness, not too thin and not gristely like we had at a very sad trip to Pasta Luna. A tad heavy on the lemon threw off the balance of the sauce, I thought, but you could tell it was fresh, not bottled.

The monkfish was excellent. Big chunks of meaty white fish with a spicy tomato sauce atop pasta. From the taste and the texture you could tell why some less than reputable eateries used to use monkfish in their lobster fra diablo (including one I worked at in North Carolina…).

For dessert we had the Tiramisu. It was wonderful. Soaked but not soggy, dusted with cocoa and large enough for all three. I think Finn got one of the more alcohol soaked pieces and was a little loopy for the rest of the evening. So nice to have such a wonderful dessert done right, unlike the abomination they try to pass off at Bookbinder’s. I worked there a few nights a week for two years and after tasting the Tiramisu never served it again.

All in all, a very nice evening. Good food. Basic but competent service. Not too spendy. We’ll be back, after June 1st (assuming the state legislature passes the smoking ban) when the new laws go into effect…

Well, the time has come to reduce the inventory so I don’t have to pay the infamous ‘inventory tax’. My fear of the IRS is your gain!

Used books are 75% off list. Minimums are $1.75 for most books and $1.50 for small romance and childrens. Used hardbacks are $5. Used book credits don’t apply so we recommend you save them for later on!

Brand new books are normally 25% off but are now an additional 10% off. Select books are 50% off and some brand new hardbacks are $10 (including signed copies of Lescroat’s ‘The Suspect’).

All audio books are are an additional 10% off our normally discounted prices.

The sale runs from the 11th through the 24th at both stores. If you’re in Richmond please be nice to Nathan as he is new!

We’re looking at a fun year coming up. On the new book front I am looking at being able to stock signed copies of the new Ridley Pearson, Nevada Barr, and Nora Roberts books when they are released!

Last night we got together with Cy-n-Ide for the meat fest that is Texas de Brazil. My first impression was that it was awfully strange to put an upscale restaurant in a dying mall like Regency. You could almost feel the Azalea Mall-like desolation as you drive in and then, in the middle of that, is all the activity of a very busy restaurant. Finn didn’t join us but he would have appreciated the big copper bowls of fire on either side of the entrance a’la Hell’s Kitchen. One appreciates the impact of your choices of TV viewing when your three-year-old puts a pencil behind his ear, proclaims himself Gordon Ramsey and welcomes you to Hell’s Kitchen!

Wonder what the carbon footprint is for those bowls of flame…

The inside is pretty impressive but one has come to expect the push for the ‘wow’ factor among these upscale chains. A closer look reveals cheap workmanship on the walls and ceiling and that the flowers are fake. The bar was nice but seemed more of a holding area than someplace you would want to go to enjoy a cocktail.

Once seated the waiter (one of many that would be taking care of us) began his scripted speech. When some marketing hack back at the home office wrote this he/she probably meant well. New concept, unusual dining experience, blah, blah, blah. When a waiter gives a canned speech in a monotone you start to wonder where the nearest exits are and if your seat cushion can be used as a flotation device. Gladly, things got better after that.

The ladies ran off to the salad table while Cy and I perused the wine list. It was a complete list with all the usual suspects but a bit top heavy. Very little under $50 and not too much in the $50-$90 range. I selected a 2003 Panther Creek (OR) Pinot Noir for $89. It came out as a 2004. Except for a few stellar vintages that I like (2001 Napa Cabs or 2003 Rhones) I am not picky about years but I alway do feel a little bit ripped off when I order a wine and they bring out a different year than advertised. It did turn out to be excellent so no worry.

The concept of TdB is pretty simple. Big salad bar, lots of cool items like rare tuna, smoked salmon, shrimp salad, soups and the like. All very tasty but you can never really escape the lingering ‘buffet flavour’. The big draw is the meat. Lots of it. Carved at your table off of long pointy sticks. We were constantly barraged by offers of filet, sirloin, or flank steak. Parmesan chicken or roast pork. We realized being parked at a table close to the kitchen was not a bad thing here. The beef dishes were all great, crusty on the outer layer and medium rare inside. Sliced off for you to grab with a handy pair of tongs. The chicken and pork were ‘ok’, a little dry I thought, but the little sausages were excellent.

Since Cy and I were the only ones still drinking we chose to forgo a second bottle and, since I was a mojito virgin, well, not so much now. Mojito’s are not too bad – light rum, cane sugar juice, mint leaves, lime and soda. A little sweet for my taste but they go down fast. Too fast. May have to get a proper recipe and make a pitcher for our Super Bowl party.

All in all, a pretty good meal. Word of warning, not cheap. It’s all you can eat but at a premium price. We had a 50% off coupon (sign up for these online) and Cy-n-Ide had some special gift certificate so we got out fairly reasonably (service was good so we tipped, as you should, on the full, pre-discounted amount). Without the discounts I probably wouldn’t go back. Don’t get me wrong, it was good, and probably worth the full price. If, however, I am going to drop that kind of cash I don’t want to have to get my own salad and appetizers, and I really would like more flavours and textures than just roasted meats.