Rouge Tomate - Restaurant Week, Winter 2012

Rouge Tomate has been on my radar for a while now.  The restaurant was built up during its opening as a health- and environment-conscious Belgian import, ready to merge New Yorkers' collective (and often fanatical) love of good food and general proclivity for staying fit and take the city by storm.  The concept definitely piqued my interest, and I've been meaning to stop by for a while now, but given that an estimated 98% of my dining out occurs south of 14th street (particularly during the winter), I haven't been in the general vicinity of the restaurant at any opportune time.  Thankfully, that time presented itself this week, and my mother and I headed over to the restaurant for a non-committal, Restaurant Week sampling of the menu.

A word about Restaurant Week: Restaurant Week has always been a bit hit-or-miss for me; what should be an opportunity for restaurants to develop new clientele and build word of mouth about their establishment typically winds up being, well, a circus.  Hopes of solid, well-thought out meals and polished service are dashed by hurried service, off-menu items created solely for the event to keep costs down, and a general feeling that you're doing nobody a favor with your patronage.  It's also an opportunity to give an expensive restaurant a trial run, a peek into what it's capable of turning out before you decide to blow three-figure amounts on a single meal.  A review of the proposed Restaurant Week menu is always a good idea; if I can't review the menu, I'm just not going.  Rouge Tomate's Restaurant Week menu looked rather appealing, and since its regular menu does not come cheaply, Mom and I decided to give it a go.

The restaurant is located on East 60th street, half a block off of central park, and the clientele seems mostly pulled from the surrounding residences.  The space is modern and sprawling, with boxes of apples (fake; "not very environmental of us", according to our server, though she was quick to share that the restaurant composts all eligible waste).  The environmentally-friendly angle is played up - sustainable and bio-dynamic wines and organic beers are highlighted on the list, and the menu lists the provenance of many of its ingredients.

Beet Tartare Amuse Bouche

After selecting our drinks (an organic Samuel Smith lager for mom after some gushing on my part over the brewery's oatmeal stout - my very favorite beer - and an "unusual" Spanish red for me, which I really liked at first taste, but my enjoyment of which diminished with each sip), we were presented with an amuse of beet tartare with horseradish foam.  The restaurant uses no butter or cream in its cooking, which meant that most of what we ate was kept light and undeniably true to taste.  The beets were incredibly beet-y, sweet and juicy, while the horseradish foam was a bit tame for my tastes.  Mom likened it to borscht, a comparison hard to refute.

Cauliflower-Almond Spread and Rosemary-Infused Olive Oil

Bread service was accompanied by rosemary-infused olive oil and a cauliflower - almond spread (remember, no butter here).  The spread, again, tasted exactly as described, but was a bit thin atop the bread.

Seeded Roll and Sour Wheat Bread

We sampled each of the three offered bread types; I really enjoyed the slight sourness of the plain wheat bread, and the heartiness of the peasant roll, generously topped with pumpkin and sunflower seeds.  The poppy- and sesame-seeded roll (pictured above) was regrettably soft throughout - no chewy crust here.

Autumn Squash Soup

Mom started her meal with the Autumn Squash Soup (Apple / Pumpkin Seed / Fall Spice / Anisette).  It was sweet, the apple coming through loud and clear, with an anisette foam that lacked pizzazz. (Is Rouge Tomate perhaps forced to rely on foams since it can't fall back on cream?  Cream (crème fraîche in particular) would have been better here, and a little dollop here and there never killed anyone. The pumpkin seeds provided a lovely textural contrast, and came through almost like granola.  Pretty good overall, and Mom cleaned her plate.

Hawaiian Walu Crudo

I started with the Hawaiian Walu Crudo (Avocado / Yuzu / Soy / Jicama / Jalapeño / Lemongrass-Ginger Oil), which I really enjoyed.  The fish was tender and buttery, the yuzu bright and refreshing.  A little bit more in the accoutrements department wouldn't have hurt, but this dish was certainly a hit with me.  (Side note on Walu, also called escolar and butterfish - WTF.  Thankfully my appetizer was not rewarded with any such symptoms.)

Steelhead Salmon a la Plancha

For the mains, Mom went with the Steelhead Salmon (Five Grain Salad / Pine Nut / Broccoli Rabe / Raisins / Beldi Olive / Sauce Vierge).  She'd been expecting to see arctic char on the menu, as advertised on the restaurant's website, but she loved the fish nonetheless.  I tasted a corner, and the skin was cooked to a perfect crisp, and what I tasted of the fish seemed tender. The taste of Steelhead (actually not salmon, but [rainbow] trout) will just never compare with wild-caught salmon for me, though, as it lacks that certain richness.  The fish was nicely portioned and plated atop a generous pile of what seemed to be quinoa, millet, couscous and a couple of other grams I couldn't readily identify, which tasted nutty and wholesome.  Pine nuts provided texture, and the broccoli rabe was cooked tender, but not beyond.

Hudson Valley Duck a la Plancha

My entree was the Hudson Valley Duck a la Plancha (Endive / Grapefruit / Rutabaga / Apple / Ginger-Foie Gras Jus) (yea, I'm back).  The duck was cooked superbly, a perfect rare to medium-rare (yea, sorry about the grainy, horrendous iPhone pictures). The majority of the fat was rendered from the breast (we are at a 'health-conscious' establishment after all, but the bit that remained proved to be the perfect amount, providing that lusciousness but not overwhelming the very, very tasty meat.  The accompaniments were fine, nothing that really wowed, but nothing that clashed with the main event.

Onward we slogged to dessert, though I was entirely sated at this point - Rouge Tomate did not skimp on the portions during Restaurant Week.  Mom ordered the Pear and Cinnamon Ice Cream Terrine
(Spiced Chiffon Cake / Poached Pear / Cranberry), and I the Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache
(Banana / Graham Cracker / Marshmallow / Maldon Sea Salt).  Both desserts arrived far too cold, on plates that had clearly been refrigerated before being brought out from the kitchen in all its pre-fab, Restaurant Week glory.

Pear and Cinnamon Ice Cream Terrine

I tried only a tiny bite of Mom's terrine - it was fine, but the healthy nature of it was glaringly evident.  The cranberry dollops were refreshingly tart, though, and helped offset the otherwise one-note nature of the dish.

Bittersweet Chocolate Ganache

I enjoyed my dessert a bit more than Mom's, though chocolate tends to wear on me quickly.  The ganache was smooth and certainly bittersweet, hardly saccharine at all, which I favor.  Graham cracker crumbs are undeniably fun, and these were no different.  The little chocolate balls provided some crisp and crunch to the affair, and the sorbet was nothing more than some one-ingredient banana soft-serve.  I cleaned my plate of the banana and graham cracker elements, had a couple of spoonfuls of chocolate, and my sweet tooth was perfectly content.

Overall, we really enjoyed our meal at Rouge Tomate.  The restaurant put forth a solid, friendly Restaurant Week performance with really good, generously portioned food and attentive service.  Since I don't typically eat out in this area of the city, I'm not sure how quickly I'll be back, but I'm sure I will be.

Rouge Tomate 
10 East 60th Street (b/w 5th and Madison)
646-237-8977

Sardine and Avocado Sandwich

                            

So, where did we leave off, oh…three months ago? That’s right – that kind-of-sort-of-vegan thing. Well, suffice it to say that my efforts for healthfulness in that journey were not met with success, and for a variety of reasons I have chosen to depart from a mostly-vegan diet. Though many of my meals are still vegan, and I think that it is a truly admirable and healthful way of life, it’s just not right for me, right now. Though I’ve reverted back to my fish and cheese and egg-eating ways (oh runny yolks, how I missed you), I haven’t been as quick to jump back on the totally-omnivorous track, though perhaps that will come. Phew, now that that’s off my chest, we can proceed.

This little meal here I think serves as a wonderful bridge between my last post and what I imagine for those in the future. While fishing practices for certain species have vastly degraded the environment and left certain fish on the verge of extinction, sardines are an exception and a great sustainable choice, as they’re abundant and have high reproductive rates. Not only that, but those little buggers are healthy as hell, boasting awesome amounts of omega-3s and essential proteins, and since sardines are low in the food chain, the mercury levels in sardines are much, much lower than their big-eye tuna brethren. Eat your sardines from a can and you’ll receive an added bonus: the teeny little bones, which can barely be detected, are a great source of calcium. Oh yea, they're cheap too.

Now I realize what I’m proposing may be a bit of a hard sell. But before you balk at the mere idea of sardines, hear me out. Canned tuna is eaten with vim across this country – and I maintain that canned sardines should be too. Though they’ve gotten a bit of a bad rap from their former status as a recession-friendly food (and, fine, their stink), there are many who take great joy in eating them straight from the can with some mustard and crackers. There’s even an entire blog devoted to them. If the idea of straight tin-to-cracker sardine consumption sounds a bit intense for you, let me propose something a bit more dressed-up, which should calm some fears about the fishiness and “ick factor” of sardines. I can find little fault in a meal of sardines, dressed in a mixture of sherry vinegar, lemon and parsley. Add some avocado and delicious bread, and you have an open-faced sandwich that’s pretty damn good all around.

This sandwich idea comes from Alton Brown, who hailed it as his diet savior – and that makes total sense – this is a meal that is balanced, healthy and totally satisfying. And because sardines are oily fish, the sandwich has a certain richness while still feeling virtuous. So go on, embrace the sardine.

Sardine and Avocado Sandwich

Makes 2 open-faced sandwiches
Adapted from Alton Brown

I usually use one tin per two open-faced sandwiches, though bigger appetites may want to use the whole tin; the leftover sardine mix stays well in the fridge and makes the second sandwich a breeze to prepare. I have used both oil- and water-packed sardines with success. If you use water-packed sardines, be sure to add some oil to the mix, about a tablespoon or so will do, though do note that the oil from the tin lends great flavor to the sandwich. I like to add a little bit of Dijon mustard and onion, but both are entirely optional. Alton recommends brushing the bread with the sardine oil before toasting – I think this is unnecessary.

1 tin sardines
1 tablespoon finely chopped parsley, additional for garnish
1.5 – 2 teaspoons sherry vinegar (if you don’t have sherry vinegar, substitute lemon juice, but the sherry really does add a very nice touch)
1/8 teaspoon lemon zest
1 teaspoon Dijon mustard, or to taste (optional)
1 tablespoon onion
2 slices of bread (I like using a whole wheat sourdough; try to pick a bread with a good bite, as opposed to sandwich bread)
½ ripe avocado
salt and pepper to taste

If using oil-packed sardines, drain the oil from the tin into a bowl. If using water-packed, drain off and discard the water and add one tablespoon of olive oil to a bowl. Add the parsley, sherry, lemon zest, and, if using, the mustard and onion to the bowl. Add the sardines and mix to combine, mashing a bit if desired. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Set aside for a few minutes to allow the flavors to combine (in the refrigerator if not using for more than an hour).

When you’re ready to assemble, toast the bread. Mash the avocado half in its skin and divide between the two slices of bread, spreading the avocado evenly to cover the bread. Divide the sardine mixture evenly between the two slices of bread, spreading it out over the avocado. Sprinkle sandwiches with additional parsley and finish with a squeeze a lemon. Then, enjoy.

Pasta with Creamy Vegan 'Alfredo' Sauce

So I had been working a lot. Like, a LOT. And when I wasn't working, I wasn't able to muster up the energy to write a post. My weeks this summer pretty went like this: work, work, sleep (a little), work, work, deposit self on beach, work (sometimes on beach), sleep (a little more), work. In the little time I had in between, I was reading. A lot. Too much, some (cough, boyfriend, cough) might say.

All of this reading, coupled with an over-reactionary stomach these past few months, has led me to make some changes in my diet. Big time changes. As in, no meat or dairy, kind-of-sort-of-vegan changes. I mean, I love me some cheese, though it has admittedly always weirded me out that we are the only species on earth that eats milk of other mammals intended for their young. Sick. Though cheese is delicious.



Now I don't think I can say that I'll be shunning meat and dairy forever, but I can see myself significantly restricting my intake of both for the near and not-so-near future. While I don't know that I could forever say goodbye to smoked salmon, I think I'd be doing both myself and the environment a favor by largely limiting the amount of animal products I consume. And I'm not going to put pressure on myself my placing a label on my diet. I'm not going to declare that I "am" anything, and then set lofty expectations for what I (or others) think my diet should comprise. If I want to be a "kind-of-sort-of-vegan, who sometimes eats smoked salmon, or lobster rolls or finds herself at a really great restaurant and wants to enjoy a meal sans dietary restrictions", so be it.

And honestly, it's been kind of fun. It's really exciting to get into the kitchen and wing it sometimes. To try to create really exciting meals without the crutch of bacon fat or the richness of eggs. This hasn't been about trying to recreate the non-vegan dishes I love: the macs & cheeses, the bacon egg and cheese sandwich because honestly, I don't miss them. I have not eaten a single slice of Tofurkey (nor do I intend to) - substituting meat and dairy with overly processed soy is not really going to do my body much good. This for me has been about creating foods that are delicious in their own right, but that are easy enough to digest and don't make me feel bloated or tired afterwards. But once in a while, only a creamy pasta dish is going to satisfy, and for those times, I'm glad I found a few vegan 'alfredo' sauce recipes to mash together into one. A garlicky, saucy alfredo facsimile that I felt not only not bad about eating, but great about eating.



Pasta with Vegan Alfredo Sauce

Adapted from here and here

The cashews lend this sauce a nice, creaminess, and together with the tahini and nutritional yeast give the dish a boost of protein. Nutritional yeast is a great resource for vegetarians and vegans, since it is one of very few non-meat sources of vitamin B12, and it has a vaguely cheesy taste. The sauce comes together in a blender, food processor or a magic bullet in a snap and needs just a couple of minutes of warming and thickening in a pot with the pasta, making this a very weeknight-doable meal.

I'd recommend only combining the pasta and sauce that you plan on eating at that time; if there are leftovers, the sauce and pasta / vegetables are better stored separately and reheated together in the pot when you're ready to eat the rest of what you've prepared. Once combined, the dish doesn't reheat as well, though if you have sauced pasta left over, adding a bit of almond milk when reheating will restore some creaminess to the dish.

Ingredients:

4 ounces pasta (I used whole wheat rotini)
1/2 cup frozen peas
1/2 cup chopped frozen broccoli
1/3 cup raw cashews
2 garlic cloves
3 T nutritional yeast
1 cup unsweetened, unflavored almond milk
1 T lemon juice (I added a bit more after tasting it)
2 T non-dairy buttery spread, such as Earth Balance
1 T low-sodium soy sauce
2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 T tahini
Pinch of nutmeg
1/4 t sea salt
1/2 tsp paprika
lots of freshly ground black pepper (or to taste I guess)

Process:

Cook pasta in well-salted water in a sauce pot. About two minutes before the pasta is to be al dente (don't cook it all the way in the water, since it will continue to cook a bit once the sauce is added), add the peas and broccoli to the pot with the pasta. Cook until the peas and broccoli are bright green and cooked, making sure not to allow them to get mushy. Drain the pasta and vegetables in a colander and return to the pot.

While the pasta is cooking, add the rest of the ingredients to your blender or magic bullet and blent until smooth. Taste and adjust seasoning as desired.

Add sauce to the pot with the pasta and vegetables and heat over medium heat. Allow the sauce to thicken and heat through, stirring frequently. Top with a few turns of freshly ground pepper and a dusting of paprika.

Serves 2.