Heather Ridge Farm Supper Club

It's always an adventure when dining with FUSSYlittleBLOG. I was lucky enough to dine with Daniel as his guest at Heather Ridge Farm's "Why a Duck?" Supper Club in Preston Hollow. This past Sunday's dinner was all about poultry and Chef Rob Handel designed a 5-course meal with the best of the farm's own pasture-raised birds combined with locally farmed and foraged ingredients. 

Soup: Guinea fowl consomme with guinea fowl confit, foraged goosefoot, and winter squash gnocchi. The broth was wonderfully complex and flavorful but it was the gamey confit that elevated the dish. If you've never had guinea fowl, it's very duck-like.

Salad: Massaged kale, marinated beets, and roasted parsnips tossed in a pear and hazelnut dressing with goose sausage. I'm obsessed with beets but the highlight of this salad was a well-executed and skillfully prepared sausage. Instead of a traditional casing, Chef Rob stuffed the goose sausage into the skin of goose neck! The creativity was mind-blowing. 

Cheese and Charcuterie: Local brovetto cheese, house-made seckle pear mostarda, and turkey and chesnut terrine with foraged garlic seed mustard. I wish this dish could make an appearance at this year's Thanksgiving. The terrine had a delightful center of funky pate that I couldn't get enough of and was savoring every bite of.

Palette cleanser of house-pickled plum.  

Entree: Cider braised chicken with heirloom apples, served over polenta with roasted brussel sprouts. The chicken was fork-tender and braised in house-pressed cider with apples straight from the farm. I'm going to start stealing this recipe for my own chicken dinners.

Dessert: Fives spice cake with Grenada Chocolate Co. ice cream and smoky duck fat caramel. Never would have thought to use a savory spice blend in a cake but the flavors worked so well as a dessert but what I really came for was the duck fat caramel. Don't knock it til you try it! It's as decadent as it sounds. Duck fat adds an incredible richness that dare I say is even better than butter, and transcends caramel to a whole new level.

By the time we arrived, it was pitch black so we weren't able to explore the property but Heather Ridge Farm and the Bees Knees Cafe is open year-round for brunch on the weekends. Learn from our adventures--avoid the GPS-led mountain road at all costs! It'll take you up a "seasonal road" that all the locals know to avoid. If you're not in a military vehicle of any sort, you'll be forced to pray that there's a spot for you to do a three-point turn to back into so you can safely come down the road of death without falling off a steep cliff, or get mauled by an wild animal in the middle of nowhere with no cell or data service.  Props to Daniel for driving us back down safely though. Follow these ones instead, have the farm's number handy in your phone, and have backup directions. Survive and you'll be rewarded by a wonderful and delicious farm-to-table experience!

Memphis King BBQ

We don't venture out to Schenectady much but when we do, man is it good eats. Our recent adventure satisfied a long time craving for good, comforting BBQ. It's a charming hole-in-the-wall type of place but Memphis King BBQ delivers on promises of tender and properly smoked meat. 

The brisket is delightfully succulent and kissed with a ring of smoke. Ribs are smoked to perfection with this awesome bark yet falling off the bone. The pulled chicken was a tad dry but still flavorful. The sides are equally as amazing. The mac 'n cheese is one of the best around but it's the baked beans that we can't stop raving about. They're sweet and creamy but it's the chunks of smoky meat that really adds to the flavor of the beans. It's drool-worthy. 

Memphis King BBQ is really on point with letting the meat shine with just the right amount of smokiness, allowing you to customize even more to your liking with an an array of sauces. The house and hot ones were our favorites but it's worth trying them all. 

One menu item not to overlook is the fried chicken. Despite being a BBQ joint, this place rocks a mean piece of crispy buttermilk fried chicken. The flavor is all in the dark meat of the chicken thighs they use and to boot, it's deboned and only $3.99 a piece. Consider it another wonderful side dish to all the wonderful BBQ.

Summer Bites 2015

Adios Summer! I'm sad to see the weather cool down a bit. Our summer was so busy between work and our wedding but it was nice to indulge in some seasonal treats in between. Here's a look back at some favorite bites from the summer:

Scoup's Ice Cream: This little stand by The Crossings makes delicious homemade hard ice cream but it was the homemade Italian ice that had us coming back all summer-long. The texture is delightfully smooth and the lemon ice is so tart and refreshing.

Tastee Freez: It was definitely the summer of soft serve. We found ourselves making several trips to the Delmar stand for his and hers cones.

Jumpin Jacks Drive-In: We finally made it to this iconic landmark for the first time ever. The food isn't gourmet (and doesn't have to be) but there's a certain nostalgic factor to the place that adds to the atmosphere . The signature Jack Burger with the coleslaw was a bit perplexing but the onion rings and fish fry were surprisingly delicious. 

The Clam Shack: Our mini-honeymoon turned into a quasi Tour de Maine Lobster Roll in Kennebunkport. The lobster roll at The Clam Shack far outshined the rest of the bunch with generous chunks of lobster meat. Look at that whole tail! The half-butter, half-mayo mixture also added extra flavor. The fried clams were just as stellar but you have to get the ones with the bellies. 

Cantine Le Relais: A trip home to Montreal and back wouldn't have been complete without a stop by our favorite little summer poutine shack by the Canadian border. Every squeaky bite reminded us how delicious and unique cheese curds are in Quebec. 

Lunch at Namu Korean BBQ

Need an excuse to play hookie? How about lunch at Namu Korean BBQ. The special menu is only available Monday-Friday from 11am to 3pm and many dishes you won't find on the dinner menu. 

Kimchi Taco: It's Korea by way of Mexico in one tasty bite. Your choice of marinated meat, kimchi, sprouts, and a tangy and spicy sauce is mixed with a fresh tomato salsa wrapped up in a tortilla. The bulgogi beef and spicy pork are highly recommended. Sweet and salty meat meets the fresh bite and crunch of fresh veggies. It's a fusion of flavors and textures that works really well. 

Kimbop: Looks like sushi but with delicious meat! A generously filled rice roll is stuffed with your choice of meat (we chose bulgogi beef) along with carrots, cucumber, and pickled radish and rolled up in seaweed. It's the perfect lunch in a bite-sized slice. Plus that potent sweet and spicy mustard sauce really kicks things up a notch.

Spicy pork and squid: Marinated slices of juicy pork and tender squid come sizzling on a hot plate and served with a bowl of rice. You'll find a non-spicy version of just the squid on the dinner menu but this lunch plate packs a lot more flavor plus you get pork with this one. 

The best part of lunch? You still get free banchan side dishes including J's favorite soy eggs and my favorite chap chae noodles. If you're going to play hookie, just plan for a post-lunch nap after this meal.

A Chopsticks Optional Wedding

It wouldn't be a Chopsticks Optional wedding if food wasn't the focus of it all! Not too long ago, we got married on the family farm in the Hudson Valley. Not only did we have a beautiful venue but we had free reign on all aspects of the wedding. In the early stages, the challenge was finding a local caterer that could meet our wildest dreams. We've long been fans of brunch at Sweet Sue's, who else would be up to the challenge! 

First we had this crazy idea of gauchos walking around with churrasco swords but playing off my own cultural traditions, we decided to have a pig roast instead. The idea evolved into four different marinated suckling pigs to reflect our blend of cultures and favorite global flavors: an Asian 5-spice pig; American brown sugar bbq pig; Hawaiian pineapple pig; and a Cuban mojo pig because Chef is our favorite movie. 

The rest of the menu was a combination of traditional and non-traditional sides that would complement the Asian/American pigs: lettuce wraps with noodle salad :: papaya salad :: cornbread and tortillas :: quinoa tofu salad :: black bean, corn, and cilantro salad :: chilled watermelon and fruit salad with mint :: jicama cole slaw :: mac 'n cheese :: grilled chicken and shrimp skewers :: pickled fiddleheads and grilled vegetables.

The Grocery Soft Serve

It's been the summer of soft-serve and we've probably eaten more than our weight in ice cream. Now that The Grocery started making their own soft-serve, plan to gain at least 10 more pounds. With tantalizing flavors like green tea, barley & rye, and bourbon vanilla, it was too good to resist a trip to Troy. Unique flavors rotate daily; we sampled chocolate cardamom and burnt honey orange on our visit. The quality of the ice cream is leaps and bounds better than most places around here but it's the adventurous flavors and equally unique toppings that really spoke to us. Chocolate ice cream is delightful on its own but the addition of cardamom adds so much warmth and complexity to a classic flavor. As for the honey ice cream, vanilla beans are speckled throughout a mashmallow-like concoction with subtle citrus notes. It was delightful, enough to turn a chocoholic into a believer. 

Ingredients are elevated to a new level, with playful toppings like caramelized rice crispy and sbrisolona citrus cornmeal crumble, each complementing the flavors of our soft-serve without taking away from the flavor profiles. The Grocery has taken soft-serve to a sophisticated level without being too pretentious; it's ice cream after all. Summer needs to last just a bit longer so we can squeeze in a few more trips. 

Sushi Birthday Cake

While most people celebrate with a traditional birthday cake, I celebrated a milestone with a sushi cake from Sushi Tei. The big 3-0 was ushered in with a lovely layered surprise of my favorites--salmon, yellowtail, and tuna. The monstrosity is made up of layers of sushi rice, avocado, nori, and your choice of fish. Who needs frosting when you can have spicy tuna and sashimi roses? The hubby knows exactly what to get this birthday girl.