Matters of Taste

(Butter)Milk & Honey --- The Land of Pancakes

If you've gotta have a BIG birthday, you should at least get a BIG, flashy, splashy breakfast out of the deal.

That was my thinking this morning when I whipped up a tall stack of Kodiak Cakes Buttermilk & Honey Flapjacks. Yeah, yeah, I know that making pancakes from scratch is a very simple affair. But, honestly, I don't think from-scratch would taste any better than this nutty, naturally sweet mix.

                                    

The Baker Mills Kodiak Cakes mixes are made from 100% whole grain flours and contain no added fat, cholesterol or sugar. I took care of the "sugar" myself, layering the puffy, golden discs with fresh, local peaches from Palisade, Colorado, then drizzling them with Yo-Plait lemon yogurt and pureed berries. After I took the photo, I piled on a BIG dollop of freshly whipped cream.

Kodiak Cakes mixes, made in Salt Lake City, are available in many supermarkets, including City Market in Colorado and Vons in San Diego.

The Pleasures of the Perfect Crab Cake

For me, there’s no middle ground on crabcakes. They’re either perfect specimens, meaning top-quality crabmeat, a judicious sprinkling of crushed crackers, a splash of mayo or aioli, a few snipped chives, and a quickie bath in very hot oil so the outside is crisped and the inside moist.

Or, they’re bready imposters of the “Not gonna waste the calories” variety.

Happily, I lucked into the ”perfect” variety a few months ago in Santa Barbara.

                                    

At Bouchon Santa Barbara, which is not related to Thomas Keller’s Bouchon bistros, the elegant cakes were prepared with lots of first-rate Dungeness crab -- moist, flaky and flavorful -- and little else to steal its thunder. The “garnish” on the plate included fennel puree; a tiny salad of micro-greens, celery and fennel; grapefruit-spritzed aioli; and a silky avocado from Sommer Farms. I managed to get a bit of each component with every heavenly bite.

I also loved the bright, minerally wine the Sommelier suggested as a sidekick: Cold Heaven Viognier from the Santa Ynez Valley.

Bouchon bills itself as Santa Barbara Wine Country Cuisine. Most ingredients are local; preparations are designed to go well with wine. And though the menu suggests a specific wine for every dish, there isn’t a hint of the snobbery and self-importance that’s often associated with wine country establishments. Instead, Bouchon Santa Barbara is a very comfortable, low-key place, with an appealing rustic décor, knowledgeable, gracious servers, and the pleasant buzz of a contented clientele.

                                    

Corn Soup: Hot and Cold, American and Austrian

To me, nothing says SUMMER better than an ear of just-picked corn, boiled for a minute or two, then anointed with unsalted butter and a bit of kosher salt. But chef Helmut Österreicher has his own ideas on the subject. At Österreicher im MAK, his restaurant in Vienna’s Museum of Applied Arts, the award-winning chef whips up a deliriously delicious corn cream soup, Maiscreme-Suppe mit Krauter-Popcorn. It’s smoother-than-smooth, impossibly fresh tasting. And, to add a bit of whimsy to a humble veggie soup, Österreicher tops it with lighter-than-air herbed popcorn.

                                      


And, this stellar soup is only part of the good news about Österreicher im MAK. In his effort to merge classical and contemporary versions of Austrian cooking, chef Österreicher woos guests with a quivering white asparagus panna cotta (below) surrounded by “raw” vegetable salad; elegant pastry pockets filled with sun-dried cherry tomatoes and fresh basil; yellow curry risotto topped with grilled shrimp and green beans; and a totally old-fashioned, totally yummy veal “hamburger” with mashed potatoes and grilled onions.

                                      

As befits a restaurant in a museum of applied arts, Österreicher im MAK is an unusually beautiful space, with sleek, elegant furnishings, stylish table settings, and creative lighting, including a signature chandelier that no one who sees it will ever forget. The restaurant also offers one of Vienna’s most captivating gardens, where lunch is served. (Photo below from The New York Times.)

                                      

I’ve been thinking about Herr Österreicher's amazing corn soup ever since I tasted it during a visit in June. Last week I attempted to whip up my own cream of corn soup (a chilled version since it was nearly 80 degrees), using Olathe Sweet Corn. (I’m in Telluride, Colorado at the moment, with the town of Olathe, renowned for its corn, just about an hour away.) Using a recipe from one of my favorite cookbooks – “In the Hands of a Chef” by Jody Adams and Ken Rivard -- I dutifully made corn stock from the stripped cobs, sautéed the kernels with leeks and shallots, and pureed and blended the whole shebang using both Cuisinart and blender. It was a helluva lot of work, but it was delicious and handsome with its crunchy sprinkle of diced cucumber, avocado, red onion and tomato. You’ll find this Chilled Smooth Corn Soup with Tomatoes, Avocado, and Lime in “In the Hands of a Chef.”  Available on Amazon.com for $13.98.