our PRECIOUS new addition

Last week was a big week in the Fanning-Bowman house.  Our Weber gas grill--at least 15 years old by most estimates and recollections--finally got sent to grill heaven.  The cost to fix the old girl just outweighed what new grills actually cost. I will give Jeff credit, though, he put in some serious effort (tinkering, ordering parts, offering prayers to the grilling gods, etc) to save the grill I had been using for over half of my earthly existence.

Our New Addition

After the appropriate period of mourning, we decided to go in an entirely new direction. Largely for cost reasons, we opted for a Weber charcoal grill with a gas ignition. We needed a great inaugural meal to welcome this lovely little grill into our home and patio.  Inspired by a gorgeous pork tenderloin sourced at Fresh Market, we invited a bunch of friends and family over to welcome our new addition.

The night before, I used this marinade:

1/3 c. canola oil

1/2 c. balsamic vinegar

3 cloves minced fresh garlic

1 t sea salt

1 t course ground pepper

2-3 T chopped fresh rosemary

I placed the tenderloin in a 11x13 Pyrex baking pan, coating the meat with the marinade.  It's best to let this hang out in the fridge, covered in plastic wrap, for 24 hours or so. I turned it once the next morning.

The next day, as Jeff got the coals ready (with the propane started it only took 25 minutes!), I put some apple wood chips in a loose foil packet in the grill to create some smoking action. We put on the pork (medium heat) for about 15 minutes, turning once.  I like my pork cooked just past medium, so it is slightly pink consistently throughout.  The most important part is to let the tenderloin rest for at least 10-15 minutes before you carve it to let the juices redistribute evenly into the meat.

We served this amazing pork with oven-roasted Brussels sprouts and cauliflower, lightly dressed arugula salad (lemon juice, olive oil, salt and pepper), oven-roasted garlic and rosemary red potatoes & onions, and sea salt and rosemary bread from Fresh Market that we had grilled with an herbed garlic butter.

We served it with DeLoach Pinot Noir (brought by one of our esteemed dinner guests), and it was a beautiful complement to the subtle smoke of the pork. The charcoal made an enormous impact of the flavor of the meat (and the bread). I am officially a charcoal convert.  

I am confident that no grill has felt more love than our new addition that night.  The ooohing and ahhhing just didn't stop. Now all we need is a name.  Suggestions?  Cheers!

Seasons 52 Autumn Menu Highlights

Seasons 52 generously invited Indy food bloggers to a preview of their new fall menu.  There were so many courses and delicious offerings that I figured I would cut to the chase and provide the highlights and (and skippables).

Highlights:

Pumpkin Pie with Ginger Snap Crust

Ahi Tuna Seared Rare, sliced and served chilled with Asian cucumber salad and sesame crisps: probably the best seared tuna dish I have had in a long time.  The tuna is at an amazingly high quality, and it shines through.

Organic Arugula Salad with truffle dressing, Portobella mushrooms and Parmesan cheese: This was hands-down my favorite of the night. The dressing was full of intoxicating truffle flavor. My mouth started to water as soon as they set down the plate. It was simple and luxurious.

Gorgeously Prepared Brussels Sprouts

Spring mountain Farms All-Natural Chicken Cabernet with vegetables and Lundberg wild rice: comfort food at its best. The wild rice was incredibly tasty, and the Cabernet sauce (a surprise for me with chicken instead of beef) tasted like it has simmered all day.

Oak Grilled Filet Mignon with Yukon Gold garlic mashed potatoes, fresh vegetables and roasted mushrooms Fantastic quality, the Piedmontese beef was beautifully enhanced (but not overwhelmed) by the smoky oak flavor.

Pumpkin Pie Mini Indulgence with Ginger Snap crust: I'm not a pumpkin pie enthusiast but I could've eaten 10 of these. The ginger snap crust was a pleasantly sharp counterpoint to the velvety pumpkin.

Skippable:

Maple Leaf Farms Duck Chop Salad with apples, mint, cranberries, butternut squash, toasted pecans: this salad tasted a little confusing.  The mint was overpowering with all of the other wonderful fall flavors. 

Manchester Farms Boneless Grilled Quail Breast with mashed sweet potatoes and bourbon-chili glaze:  I found the quail to be too oily and the sweet potatoes a strange flavor combination with the glaze. Again, a little confusing.

The Winning Wine

All in all, we had a tremendous experience.  The quality of ingredients and skill of the kitchen staff is undeniable.  The Executive Chef took great care in explaining where he carefully sourced each ingredient, using local, all-natural, organic and sustainable products wherever possible. What I appreciated most (and this is evident in my list above), was that the vision is to allow the food taste like the best version of itself. At Seasons 52, they don't muck with the ingredients too much, opting for simple preparations and harmonious flavors to let the food speak for itself. It is truly refreshing (and healthy, of course!) Bravo, Chef! I'll certainly be celebrating the season at Seasons 52. Cheers!

Destination Garlic (New Smyrna Beach, FL

Puttanesca with Shrimp

This past weekend I was at the beach with some amazing women celebrating our dear friend's wedding (right around the corner). The weekend could be summed up by these words: laughter, sun, beach, friendship, wine, and Garlic.  That's right--garlic with a capital G. The Garlic is an institution in New Smyrna Beach.  It is an Italian cult classic; locals and Central Florida vacationers alike go to the Garlic to celebrate anniversaries, birthdays, weddings right around the corner, and anything worth a fabulous meal (Tuesday works for me).

The Garlic patio

I am the only one in our group that had not experienced his wonderland before.  When we walk in, we wind through a hall of distinctive pottery for sale, inside patios, outside decks, dining rooms, a bar...  I make a note not to go to the restroom by myself or I may never find our table again! The vibe feels like Key West + beach cantina + my [non-existent] Italian great-grandmother's cucina.  The whole place says "Salute!" so we fittingly order a great bottle of prosecco (Zardetto) and toast the bride to be.

Crusty Bread with Roasted Garlic

While we are deciding on our entrees, we are brought a crusty baguette with an entire head of slow-roasted garlic with olive oil, salt, pepper, and parmesan. It is music to my mouth, and pairs beautifully with the prosecco. We order entrees and more wine (Sauvignon Blanc to go with our seafood pasta). I should mention how wonderful our server was. We kept going around the table and telling stories of our bride (laughing, crying, snorting, we got messy), and she waited for the right moment to take our order, sensitive to our wine-heightened emotional state.

I order their house specialty, the Linguini Puttanesca, and pay homage to the beach by adding shrimp.  Also ordered: Prosciutto and Pea Tortellini and Shrimp and Scallop Scampi. 

The pottery room at the Garlic

Salads come with every entree, and I upgrade to a Caesar. I am so happy about this salad: the classic dressing is nutty and briny with anchovy, the croutons that are more cheese than bread... perfection.

The entrees arrive and everything was fabulous.  The Puttanesca was sublimely spicy and salty with capers, imported olives, and chunky San Marzano tomatoes. I was a little concerned that the shrimp would be overwhelmed by such a powerful sauce, but the combination was amazing.  The tortellini was in an unctuous pecorino romano garlic cream sauce. The uber-fresh seafood made the Shrimp and Scallop Scampi, but the rest of the dish was a little bland.

We are so incredibly full at this point, but we cannot resist dessert.  We just don't want this night to end! We order a mile-high dark chocolate cake, and a cream brulee cheesecake. Absolutely delicious. The only thing I can say is thank goodness we are finished with the bikini part of the weekend!

Caesar

The garlic gets a strong 4/5.  The ambiance is one-of-a-kind. [An aside: I may have neglected to mention a man bursting out in opera every few minutes, adding to the festivity (and hilarity) of the night.]  The food was divine, the service was outstanding, and I can't imagine a better way to celebrate approaching nuptials, or anything else for that matter.  Salute!