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Wednesday, March 26, 2008
Terrine Talk
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
ABOVE: The ham knuckle and foie gras terrine at Posh. Is it still on the menu?
Photo: Charlotte B. Teagle/AJC Staff
Before the Napoleon, nay — before the stack — there was the terrine. Yes, that classic, alluring layering of silky meats and pate (and sometimes vegetables, though the latter is rarely silky).
It’s the stuff culinary school legends are made of. Line a pullman-like loaf with a little pork fat, layer it with some meaty yummies, and voila — you’ve got a terrine. Like so many items that are the showcase of garde manger (the “keeper of cold foods” in the traditional French kitchen), the terrine has taken its hits over the years, showing up on the menus of only the most accomplished — or overreaching — kitchens.
A new cookbook focuses on the tertiary tact of the terrine, from French chef and restaurateur Stephane Reynaud, who stormed the culinary world last year with his incredible bible of butchering, “Pork and Sons.”
With “Terrine,” Reynaud brings terrines of all sorts, including desserts (strawberry and mint, apples in Calvados, diplomat pudding) and cheese (gorgonzola, mascarpone and nut terrine) in addition to the more traditional offerings of meat, fish and vegetables.
In some ways, the book is a tome only a culinary school super foodie can appreciate. It doesn’t exactly offer the kind of recipes Aunt Marge will cook up for the next family picnic.
But like “Pork & Sons,” “Terrine” is brilliant in it technique and approach, offering straightforward explanations in each recipe, as well as a gorgeous photo illustration. “Terrine” will be available in May from Phaidon Press for $29.95.
Like its sister chaud froid in the cold meat room, terrines don’t often show up on menus. The last time I remember trying on was at Posh, in Buckhead, which was serving a terrine of ham knuckle and foie gras that was a salty mass of ham surrounding smooth pate, with smears of lovely pea puree and walnut oil. There was a clumsiness to its presentation, but I remember enjoying it very much.
Have you tried a terrine somewhere? What was it like?
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Service With a Smile
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
ABOVE: DUDE, where’s my Jell-O? The cafeteria is the place to go for great service.
Photo: Andy Sharp/AJC staff
The hairnets. The missing teeth. Those long, drawn, Southern accents that sound like Tim Blake Nelson in Oh Brother, Where Art Thou?
There’s really nothing quite like a trip to the cafeteria. I went to an S & S for the first time in years last week (this was after spending most of the afternoon at the emergency room at the VA Hospital, so go figure).
I have wonderful memories of eating at the cafeteria when I was a kid — the carving station with the roast beef absolutely fascinated me, and those little potatoes that are served with it? Well, I would think about it all through church. I always started with my tray pointed towards the Jell-O, though. Back then, it was almost always red (what flavor is red?) and had Cool Whip or Rich’s whipped topping squirted all over the jiggling cubes.
And then there was dessert: chocolate cream pie with miles of meringue piled on top, all cut so perfectly into clean, neat slices.
Let’s face it, my taste in food has, well, changed a little since the days when I could get high on Jell-O. But I had a perfectly good meal that night (fried chicken, green beans, salad and one of those fluffy, buttery, roll-like things that serve as bread.)
The thing that struck me was the service. It was excellent. The only place in Atlanta I’ve had more attentive, pleasant service is the Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead. The Dining Room is exquisite, and offers a dining experience unparalleled in the city, but I have to say that S & S is going one on one with them on service.
Everyone behind the serving line was pleasant and polite, but not gushingly so. Once seated, a server made sure we always had enough water and iced tea, and brought us whatever we needed whenever we asked for it. He was seriously Mr. Johnny-on-the-Spot, and delivered the goods like a stealth Navy Seal — often we didn’t even know we needed something until he got it for us. At no time did anyone intrude, tell us their name without us asking, bend down to the table as if we were toddlers and explain the day’s specials, spill anything on us, or act put off in any way, like maybe they’d rather be, oh I don’t know, yachting off the coast of Greece or something. When we had a question, there was a prompt, polite answer. It was perfect: other than the smiles, we had no idea we were being waited on, until what we needed just showed up or was anticipated.
It was an S & S Cafeteria. Four of us ate for $30.
Have you encountered really great service in a place you least expected it? Where?
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Dinner’s a snap with Pillsbury Bake-Off finalists
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Four metro Atlanta women are finalists in this year’s Pillsbury Bake-Off, giving Georgia its best shot in years, if ever, at bringing the million-dollar prize home.
Earlier today, finalists Deborah Puette, Pam Tapia, Barbara Williams and Ayofemi Wright gathered at the newspaper’s photo studio, each with a finished version of their recipe, for a group photograph. (Look for the article the first week of April, in Living.) Debbie brought Southwestern Cheese-Stuffed Chicken Rollups. Pam had Huevos Rancheros Pizza. Barbara brought Mediterranean Pizza With Cheese-Stuffed Crust. Ayofemi had Creamy Mojito Pie, decorated with slices of lime and mint leaves.
They were kind enough to leave the food after the photo shoot. Everything was delicious; the judges are going to have a tough time picking a winner. You can see their recipes, and those from other finalists, on the Pillsbury Web site. If you vote for your favorite by the end of March, you’ve got a shot at a million-dollar prize. If nothing else, you might pick up some quick ideas for dinner or brunch.
Have you ever tried any of the Bake-Off recipes, whether they were grand prize winners — like the Chicken with Spinach Stuffing that used frozen waffle sticks, and won $1 million in 2006 — or just plain tasty, like Tunnel of Fudge Cake or Peanut Blossoms, a ’50s classic that features a Hershey’s Kiss in a peanut cookie (it’s good with a miniature Reese’s cup, too)? If so, what’s your favorite?
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