We have seen dozens of luscious, rich and delicious variations of this dish in many fine local restaurants.  It seems this is a very personal and particular expression of a chefs own palate.  Gabrielles is no different, Chef J loves this preparation and we savor the flavor and love the presentation. If beauty is any indication, one look at the photos included in this post and I think you’ll agree.  It is a spectacular appearing dish that completes its visual promise with a buttery rich silky finish, affirming your selection as a great choice.  It is positioned as a small plate on the menu, but again your portion will be large enough to make a meal.  It also serves as a terrific appetizer to share with others. Mussels are usually eaten slowly, and as such, can gradually calm any craving appetite and leave you satisfied without feeling stuffed.  But, just in case you’re a little worried about quantity, one look at that volcanic stack of frites emerging from  the swimming mussels is pretty reassuring of eventual satisfaction.  The best thing is, this is not difficult to prepare, your toughest job is getting great mussels. Thankfully we don’t live in Oklahoma, so mussel choices and scarcity will not be a problem.  In Chester, Ct you’ll find a terrific sunday morning market, in Deep River, Ct thursday brings the freshest catch to your neighborhood and in Old Saybrook and Essex, Ct weekend markets provide plenty of supply.  If that’s not enough Atlantic Seafood and Saybrook Fish market are always stocked with the freshest selections.  Afficionado’s agree the Prince Edward Island mussels are among your best choice. Let me show you how effortless this favorite can be.

Gabrielle’s Moules and Frites

serves four

• 1 lb of PEI mussels per serving
• 1 lb of softened butter
• 1 bunch of Italian parsley
• 3 cloves of garlic
• white wine
• 3 large Idaho potatoes
• peanut oil

Tarragon Aioli

• 1/2 cup of mayo
• 1 egg yolk
• 1 clove of garlic
• 1 small bunch of tarragon
• 1 TBS white distilled vinegar
• 1 TBS dijon mustard
• 1/2 cup of olive oil
• salt and pepper

Begin with the aioli.  Add the mayo, egg yolk, 1 clove of garlic, small bunch of tarragon, distilled white vinegar and dijon mustard in blender and blend with a slow stream of oil.  Season with salt and pepper.  Refrigerate.

Heat 2 inches of peanut oil in a deep sauce pan to 375 degrees.  Mandolin cut the potatoes into small stripes.  Be careful any time you use a mandolin using the protective cover to push the potatoes through.  Also, be very careful with the peanut oil and frying the potatoes, go slowly when you insert the potatoes and when you take them out.  The dryer you can make the potatoes the less splash back you will have.  Use a screen over the sauce pan to protect yourself and the surrounding area. Fry until golden brown and immediately season with salt.

Add the softened butter, cleaned parsley and the coarsely chopped garlic to a food processor and blend to liquid form.  Place in the fridge.  Rinse the mussels thoroughly to remove any dirt.  Add enough white wine to a large pot to cover the bottom and add in a nice sized kitchen scoop of the butter mixture and the mussels.  Heat until the mussels open.  Discard any mussels that do not open. Pour the mussels and the liquid into a large bowel.  Top with the frites and accompany with the aioli.

Invite some friends and……………….enjoy.

Ahi Tuna Seaweed Salad

You may have to visit a few of your favorite specialty shops to complete this dish but, it will be well worth the effort.  Because Chef J has refined his touch with Asian fusion so well, giving this simple yet delicious appetizer a try at home will leave you wanted to try a few other Asian ideas from the kitchen of Chef Jason Groten.  You can visit Atlantic Seafood in Old Saybrook to find both the best Ahi Tuna and the seaweed.  While we may think this dish could be a bit tricky, it really is quit simple.  The slight heat from ginger combined with the crisp cucumbers and spicy mayo will finish the effort successfully and entice you to try asian more often.  Here we go.

Seaweed Salad

serves four

• Dry sheets of Seaweed (3/4 oz)
• 1 tsp finely grated Fresh Ginger
• 3 Tbls. Soy sauce
• 1 English Cucumber shaved and julienned (about 4 inch strips)
• 1 tsp. sugar
• 3 Tbls. rice wine vinegar
• 3 Tbls. water
• Ahi Tuna (6 oz per serving about 1 1/2 in. thick)
• 1 1/2 tps ground coriander seeds
• 1  tps ground sczechwan peppercorns
• pinch red pepper flake
• 2 Tbls of mayo
• 1/2 tps Sriracha Chile Sauce
• Tobikko (fish roe found at Fromage)
• black poppy seeds

Cut the seaweed into 1/4 inch strips. Marinate the seaweed in the soy sauce  and grated ginger for 10 minutes. Crush the coriander seeds and combine with crushed szechwan peppercorns and pinch of red pepper flake to produce your ahi tuna rub. Rub all sides of tuna with the rub. Let sit for about 10 minutes.  For the pickled ginger add  the 1 tsp. of very thinly sliced ginger to the water and rice vinegar with the sugar and salt and cook until the heat is gone from the ginger.  Grill the  rubbed tuna for about 5 minutes on each side for medium rare result. While the tuna is on the grill combine 2 tbls of mayo with the Sriracha Chile Sauce for the spicy mayo.

Place the julienned cucumber on the plate and top with slices of the grilled tuna. Pile the marinated seaweed on the tuna and top with a few pieces of the pickled ginger.  Top with 1 tsp of the Tibikko.  Spoon the spicy mayo onto the plate and sprinkle the presentation with the poppy seeds.  At Gabrielles we drizzle the plates with a sweet chile sauce.  We make our own in big batches but for home use we suggest you try some of the sweet chile sauces available at many  fine specialty grocery stores, like Fromage in Old Saybrook, CT or the Local Beet and Wheatmarket, both in Chester, CT.

Queen of Thailand Spiced Salmon

Can you think of another protein that lends itself to experimentation more easily than salmon?  Wow, you’re good.  OK, other than chicken. Exactly.  Salmon is a favorite if many and a healthy alternative to other heavier choices.  Chef J has many interesting salmon recipes that from time to time will make it to the menu at Gabrielles and this Asian influenced mix is light, filling, and an emotional boost.  When you’ve finished a meal that you know goes to work to strengthen the body, the soul gets a lift as well.  Chef Jay continues the effort to provide fresh, local and healthy alternatives to complement the richer and wonderfully satisfying selections sharing the menu at Gabrielles.  This choice presents spices so complementary of each other that if you are looking to enjoy the ginger or the cayenne or the fennel and star anise, they can emerge singularly, as well as, collectively.  The cooling mango salad jumps proudly to assist the spiced salmon and the sweet potatoes provide the substantial element to compliment the lightness of the other items.  All in all, a terrific and most satisfying entree.  And, when the dessert menu arrives, it’s easy to justify a little indulgence.  Ohhhhh, well.

Mango Salad

• 1 mango (cut into small cubes)
• 1/2 julienned red pepper
• 1/2 small sliced red onion
• chiffonade romaine lettuce ( two small handfuls for 2 servings)
• 1/4 cup roasted cashews

We will prepare this salad first and allow it to sit at room temperature while we sear the salmon.  In a 450 degree oven roast the cashew for 3 or 4 minutes. Dice the mango.  If you haven’t yet learned the best way to handle a mango, visit about.com and search ‘cutting a mango’, very helpful.  Combine the mango salad ingredients in a medium bowel.

Mango Salad Dressing

• 1/3 cup lime juice
• 1/3 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 cup fish sauce

Whisk the salad dressing ingredients and add to the mango salad a little at a time until covered.  Be carful not to weigh down the salad with too much dressing.  You want to coat the ingredients, but not create a pool of dressing.

Sweet Potatoes

• 1 sweet potato per serving

Clean and roast the sweet potatoes whole with skin on. Wash and rub the potatoes with a 10% oil blend at 350% until fork tender.  Cover with foil and add water to roasting pan so the potatoes don’t burn. Cut into cross sections and season again with the 10% oil, and salt and pepper to taste.

Chili Sauce

Refer to the Scallop Appetiser in categories for the chili sauce recipe.

The garnish is a few whole leaves of cilantro.

Spice Rub

• 1/2 Tbls crushed red pepper
• 5 Tbls whole coriander
• 1 Tbls whole black pepper
• 1/2 Tbls onion powder
• 1/2 Tbls grated ginger
• 1/2 tps cayenne
• 1Tbls fennel seed

Combine the rub ingredients, then season the salmon with salt and pepper and liberally coat the salmon with  the rub mixture.  Add 1 Tbls of 10% oil to your pan and with the flesh side down sear it off for 2 to 3 minutes at medium high heat.  Place in the oven with the flesh side down at 450 degrees for an additional 4 minutes. Flip the salmon over and cook for an additional 2 minutes.

To plate follow the photo above. Place a nice amount of mango salad on your plate.  Drizzle the plate with the chile sauce. Place the spiced salmon on the salad and add just a few of the cilantro leaves to finish.  Enjoy.

We remember significant events in history because they are simply unbelievable, or maybe they shock us beyond our imagination.  Sometimes they might produce a stream of tales that spawn even more fantastic stories.  The Titanic is one of those factual moments that every so often spins a new fable.  And, why not?  Just the word titanic suggests monumental, or prodigious, massive.  Gabrielles every year recreates the last supper served on the ship, and celebrates this with a daring and colossal feat all its own.  The eight course meal is meticulously presented, detailed so accurately that the guests begin to recall that tragic night, sharing stories that sound as if they had been there themselves.  Many of the guests, dressed in there best formal attire, have researched the ships last hours and recall many interesting anecdotes about that evening.  But, tonight is about that incredible final dining experience aboard the Titanic masterfully recreated by Chef Jay Groten and his able crew.  There would be no leaks sprung at Gabrielles on this night.  Rather, eight courses of delicacies and delectables so fine all the guests would float happily away at this nights end.

Like a lot of others (no, not the bad element on Lost, more like all the rest of us) I am comforted when a restaurant offers a filet mignon that is presented with a twist unique to their own inspirations.  This filet is both unique and loaded with tradition, and it answers all of your needs in a great steak.  If your watching the entrees as they pass your table on their way to some waiting hungry diner (and we all are), you’re ooing a little at how wonderful this dish looks.  I’ve always felt a steak is capable of  a stately and proud appearance, capable of humbling one and making you feel ‘not worthy’.  But, I can get over that in a hurry and, easily enjoy every bite. The night I ordered the filet it was presented on a bed of spinach with an infusion of garlic which made me feel like I’d just won some award.  The accompanying mashed potatoes were also sporting a garlicky mantle and I knew this could only get better.  And it does.  The demi-glaze which supports the spinach and filet completes the picture, and it does make a beautiful picture.  Best of all, this can be made at home and I’m sure it would make Chef J happy to know you’ve given it a try.  Jump to the end of the recipe below and start with the potatoes and demi-glaze so everything will be finished together.

Fire Roasted Filet of Beef

serves 4

• 4  8oz filet of beef
• 2 bags of fresh spinach
• garlic
• 4 large Idaho potatoes
• 1 stick of unsalted butter
• 1 cup shredded gruyere cheese
• 1/2 cup buttermilk or milk

Demi-Glaze

• beef bullion cube
• beef or veal demi-glaze
• 2 small onions
• 2 shallots
• 3 garlic cloves
• 4 oz. brandy
• salt and pepper and sugar to taste

Add the whole (peeled or unpeeled)  potatoes to unsalted water and bring to a boil.  Salt breaks down the structure of the potatoes at this point, they will be seasoned later.  While the potatoes are boiling, heat 2 tbls. 10% oil combination in a pan, drop in a few cloves of garlic until soft but not crispy, remove from the heat, but leave the garlic in the oil to flavor the oil. Save this oil, you should find a use for it soon.  When the potatoes are just past fork tender, but still able to be picked up with tongs, strain off the water, keep the  pot, but turn the fire off.  Add 1 stick of unsalted butter to the pot (1 stick for 4 potatoes) and return the potatoes.  The heat from the potatoes will melt the butter.  Use a masher smash the potatoes but don’t try to kill ‘em.  Excess mashing will break down the gluttens and adversely affect the flavors. Add the shredded gruyere and roasted garlic, mash a bit more.  Add 1/2 cup of butter milk or whole milk, mash a bit more to combine and, now we can season with salt and pepper.

Season the filets with salt and pepper and, on the hot side of your grill, cook for 3 minutes on each side.  To achieve nice grill marks on your filet move to a different (but still hot) part of the grill and sear for 1 1/2 minutes at 1 o’clock and again at 11 o’clock to produce great grill markings.

Finish the filets in a 450 degree oven for 3 to 5 minutes to achieve an internal temperature of 125 degrees.  Your steaks will be medium rare.

Saute the chopped garlic in a 10% olive oil to vegetable oil combination until golden.  When you use 90% vegetable oil you are able to saute over a hotter flame without burning.  Olive oil burns at a lower temperature than vegetable oil, but you can mix a small amount of olive oil with the vegetable oil for added flavor.  Add 2 heaping handfuls of spinach to the garlic.  The spinach will reduce quickly so attend to this constantly and keep stirring.  Remove from the heat, add salt and pepper and toss.

Pick up a beef bullion cube and a pre made package of demi-glaze.  That is unless you absolutely must make your own demi, and if so settle in for a long but loving adventure.  Call Chef J at Gabrielles and he will explain the process to you in painstaking detail, but he will love to help you. In Old Saybrook, I’ve seen the demi-glaze at Walts Market and, in Essex I’ve found in at Bennie’s Farm Market.  Both great places to shop and support your local merchants. Here’s a yummy way to quickly add great flavor to your steak with a melted onion brandy jus. Dissolve one beef bullion cube in 2 cups of boiling water and combine with the demi glass, heat and reduce until the mixture can coat the back of a spoon. Saute in a 10% oil mixture 2 small onions, 2 shallots and 3 garlic cubes (sliced north to south).  When this mixture is softened add 4 oz. of brandy and flame it off.  Be sure and be safe, take the pan off the heat when you add the brandy.  Reduce by 1/4 then season with salt and pepper and sugar.  Add this to the demi-glaze and get ready for the fruits of your labor.  As E.F. Schumaker would say, “Good work is the essence of real enjoyment.”

You’re sitting in a beautiful restaurant enjoying a cocktail after having just ordered dinner.  Your mouth may be watering a bit, maybe from your drink, and maybe with a little anticipation of your coming meal.  You may also be wishing you could watch as the chefs prepare what you are about to admire and then devourer.  Are they crafting your choice with the focused concentration of a thoroughbred  eyeing the finish line?  I think they definitely  are.  At Gabrielles they’re actually enjoying what they do because they are  fine artisans and, they are working in an exciting profession with other like minded people.  I have watched this kitchen work and I’m impressed with the cohesive and collective effort I’ve observed.  These people work fast, they know where one another is in the space and, what is especially impressive, they know how to, and are ready to, help one another.  I’d like to introduce you to the beating heart and imaginative soul of this exceptional restaurant.  Let’s begin with the head chef, Jason Groten.

Chef J is originally from California.  He has been in the food industry since high school and has always intended to be a chef in a fine dining restaurant.  Chef J learned the nuances of cooking from an old school Italian family, the matriarch of this family, Carmela, taught him to make pastas when he was just 15.  He first attended  the CT. Culinary Institute in Farmington, but quickly moved on to the Culinary Institute of America in New York.  Here he would study for 18 months and then perform an externship for 6 months, a sort of battlefield initiation, at Croche’s in San Diego.  A restaurant owned and operated by the late Jim Croche’s widow.

Chef J has worked in many fine restaurants including, Bricco’s in West Hartford and Max on Main in Hartford. He began by working  as a pantry chef and soon move up to sous chef.  His first head chef position was at Sigs in Chester, CT.  It was here that Jay was first encouraged to express himself and design the menu based on his personal recipes.  Sigs was a huge success and quickly propelled Chef J into the ranks of the Connecticut river valley’s best chefs. A special kind of devoted professional Chef J knew he was in the right place when he realized he loved the long hours, the fun that is food preparation and, of course, the great food.  Chef J respects his profession and feels the term, chef, is used to freely. You can tell the kitchen at Gabrielle’s is Chef J’s kitchen.  Everyone knows their place, their job and they all know how to contribute to the overall effort.  No huge ego’s complicate the soildarity, but with 25 years experience Chef J is clearly the leader.

Chef J loves to share what he’s learned over the years.  So, as an avid foodie and kitchen junkie, I took the opportunity one afternoon to ask Chef J a few questions. What are your favorite smells?  Without any hesitation Jay said, ” Jasmine rice, duck confit, basil, sage, lavender and clarified butter.”  I instantly understood something about food preparation from that answer.  The way to great tastes and recipes is through building with great flavors and aromas.  He does wish he was a better baker, loves the speed and pure idea of the saute, and wants to present something he would love to eat.  Oh yeah, I don’t know why, but I asked him , “cilantro or parsley?”  He said, “I don’t use parsley, it makes your teeth look funny.”  I agree.

The first time I talked with Chef J about his kitchen and his restaurant efforts it took him about 1 minute to start telling me about just how important the others in the kitchen were to the success of Gabrielle’s and, he began by telling me about Sous Chef John Crandall.

John studied at Johnson and Wales in Rhode Island. He has spent 11 years in the restaurant business with the last 4 years at Gabrielle’s working side by side with Chef J.  Calling Madison, Ct. home, John has worked at the Harborside Restaurant on Block Island, as well as, Noodles in North Madison and Perfect Parties in Madison.  All of these establishments have great reputations and John received some great training  while working there.  Pasta is John’s favorite creative food passion and he is developing deft skills in this tricky art.  His favorites include ravioli’s, lasagne , and pappardelle.  John has a love for new age american cuisine and the bistro style restaurant environment.  One of the great ‘tastes’ at Gabrielle’s is the music that paces the kitchen.  John has much to say about the music and contributes a great deal to the ‘heart and beat’ of the kitchen. I don’t doubt for a moment that John will someday own his own restaurant, the cuisine of which will compliment his food and rhythm.  I asked John who were his influences and favorite chefs.  Without hesitation John said, “My Mother”, (great answer) Chef J and Gordon Ramsey.

At the front of the house the most familiar face belongs to Kate Evans.  Kate is Gabrielle’s restaurant manager and she welcomes all with a great smile and a sparkle that you’ll find instantly warming.  Kate is another at Gabs with many years of experience and she brings an accomadating style to the guest first impression.   She started at the Griswold Inn about 10 years ago and quickly parlayed her new found bartending skills into a worldly skill.  She tended bar in Cardiff, Wales to pay for college at Cardiff University where she studied Journalism.  Back in Ct. Kate was hostess at Ocean Dr. in Norwalk, CT.

Kate has embarked on a plan to visit all 7 continents, learn new languages and become as worldly as possible. After a stint as a watress in New Haven at Barcelona she traveled to Kenya to do research for the charity C.H.E.K.A.  (care and health education for kids in Africa).  She has spent time in Jordan and Syria and visited  the ancient city of Petra while in Jordan. Being an avid hiker Kate easily endured a 4 hour bus ride followed by a tricky 1 mile hike to gaze upon the magnificent city of Petra.  Google it, you’ll see what I mean and, what she’s seen.  She now has 4 of the 7 continents in her pocket.  She has also climbed Mt. Washington twice, which will come in handy next month as she travels to Peru to hike again, this time to Machu Picchu.

So, as you can see Gabrielle’s has many talented people who enjoy life, like what they do, and know how to present to you a great dining experience.  We want you to enjoy your next visit to the restaurant, and I’m sure you will.  Chef J and sous chef John will make sure of it..

There’s still time to get a reservation for Valentines Day at Gabrielle’s.  The specially selected menu by Chef Jason Groten will be accompanied by the many incredible selections of domestic and global wines, along with the perfect Valentines Day liquid refreshment, a chilled bottle of the bubbly.

Now, this is really gonna be fun.  Comfort food at its finest.  Look at that photo for just a second or two.  I see a meat sauce so luxurious my mouth starts to water.  It’s so inviting to wrap yourself around the anticipation of a really good bolognese.  What I didn’t realize was, that given the care and love that goes into the preparation of a bolognese, people can get very passionate about their dedication to bolognese.  I’ve had the Rigatoni Bolognese at Gabrielle’s a number of times, and I am always totally satisfied with my choice.  I’m continually impressed with its richness and cozy flavors.  Flavors that can wrap themselves around you and send you peacefully on your way.  And, who doesn’t need a little peace now and then.

Here’s a little proof of just how much this dish can satisfy.  As I sit here in Starbucks writing this post, Margaret Morgan , a friend and frequent visitor to Gabrielles, walks up to say hello.  When she looks over my shoulder and sees what it is I’m doing, she smiles instantly, agrees Chef J’s bolognese is in fact extraordinary, and plans to grab another friend later, Jim Eastland, and make arrangements to get to Gabs soon for this meaty delight.  So, if you can, please do yourself the favor of trying this dish at Gabrielle’s.  If you can’t get to the restaurant, on some lazy afternoon open a nice bottle of wine and give this recipe a try.  Oh yeah, it takes a little time to prepare.  But, I’m sure you’ll agree, the time spent will be well worth it.

Rigatoni Bolognese

makes 6 servings

• 1 lb. ground pork
• 1 lb. gound beef
• 2 medium carrots chopped
• 2 stalks of celery  chopped
• 2 medium onions chopped
• 3 cloves of garlic finely chopped
• 1 cup of Madera wine
• 1 cup of red wine
• 2 Herbox bouillon cubes
• 28 oz can of whole plum tomatoes
• parmesan cheese
• olive oil

Ricotta Cheese Topping

makes 2 servings

• 1 tsp. lemon juice
• 4 Tbls. ricotta cheese
• 1/4 tsp. chopped chives
• basil oil

If you happen to have bacon fat available start off by heating 2 tablespoons in a large dutch oven over a medium high heat.  Olive oil is fine if you don’t have bacon fat. Saute’ the garlic and onion until the onions have softened and become translucent.  Add the carrots and celery and saute’ for about 5-6 minutes.  Add the beef and pork and season with salt and pepper.  Cook the beef and pork until it is no longer pink. Add the madera and the red wine and reduce by 3/4 over a medium high heat.  You want almost all of the liquid to be absorbed or cooked down.  In 3 quarts of water dissolve the bouillon and add to the meat mixture.  Again reduce until nearly all the liquid has been cooked down, stirring frequently. Add the can of plum tomatoes breaking them  into small pieces. Again cook  the liquids down until nearly all has been absorbed.  In the restaurant this bolognese is made in very large quantities and reheated.  You can make a larger batch by simply using more of all the ingredients, maintaining the ratios. The final touch in the restaurant coincides with this reheating process.  At home you can spoon a serving or two into a skillet.  Add 2 Tbls. of marinara, a healthy pinch of chives, scallions and basil, 1 tps. of parmesan cheese and 1/4 cup of chicken stock and quickly cook down the liquids. Prepare the ricotta cheese mixture by stirring together  1 teaspoon of lemon juice,  4 Tbls. of ricotta cheese and 1/4 tps. of  finely chopped chives. The meat mixture is then topped with the ricotta cheese mixture and finished with a drizzle of basil oil on the cheese mixture. Rigatoni is the pasta currently used by Chef J because the noodle holds the meat sauce both outside, as well as inside, the pasta tube. You could also use Fusilli or Pappadalle.  Enjoy immensely.

It’s a new year and Gabrielle’s is wasting no time bringing some new tastes, and a collection of new items, to the menu.  I’ve had a great time trying to complement Chef J’s dishes with these photos and present his recipes to you as well.  The website has a new look and now you’ll see the menu changes appearing on the website, as well as, here in 2010.  I’ve included photographs of many of Chef J’s new items here on the blog, and in the weeks ahead I’ll be bringing you the recipes so you can try them yourselves.  Chef J is not one to sit content with a good selection of appetizers, small plates and entree’s.  He is constantly moving forward and advancing his own skills and creativity, always searching out the best, freshest and most seasonally appropriate ingredients for his dishes. The response we have gotten from all of Gabrielle’s regulars and our newest diners  has been terrific and we are hoping you’ll enjoy these new dishes soon.

Our first post, coming in less than a week, will be a long standing favorite at Gabrielle’s, but a new arrival to atasteofgabrielles.com, Rigatoni Bolognese.

Rigatoni Bolognese

Baja Jumbo Shrimp Cocktail

Wemerson's Beef Carpaccio

Romaine and Radicchio Lettuce

Lump Crab and Boston Bibb Salad

Pretty Girls Farms Mixed Greens

Cornmeal Crusted Fried Oysters

Goat Cheese Bavarian

Queen of Thailand Spiced Salmon

Pepper Crusted Filet and Garlic Mashed Potatoes

Cast Iron Skillet Seared Juniper Rubbed Wild Boar Chops

Sticky Toffee Pudding

So now that the holidays are resting comfortably in our recently upgraded memories (my new hard drive makes me happy), and the new years celebrations are all in the books, should we mourn the loss of all the gastronomic delights we’ve enjoyed?  In a word, no.  This is a great time to enjoy a warm, hearty soup with a crunchy salad, and follow this with a wonderful and gooey Sticky Toffee Pudding. At Gabrielle’s, the Boston Bibb and Romaine Hearts salads both are simple dishes that are at once filling and healthy.  The Boston Bibb salad is an inviting combination of bibb lettuce, pine nuts, cherry tomatoes, cucumber, gorgonzola and avocado.  Mix these together with a peppery citrus vinegrette and allow a little gorgonzola and avocado to satisfy that hunger.  Or, you might try the Romaine Hearts salad with roasted pepita seeds, radicchio, and goat cheese.  Here are a couple photos to tempt you a little.

Boston Bibb Salad

Romaine Hearts Salad

These salads are guilt free choices that can provide the justification to continue enjoying the daily mission of feeding the inner child “good eats”.  And, they also furnish us with the option to choose a sweet finish to a light meal.  Reenter the Sticky Toffee Pudding.  As the above photo suggests, this pudding places a firm grip on your concept of pudding and twists it with Chef J’s disciplined touch.  Plated, this dessert entices you with a warm caramel aroma coupled with a cooling and creamy ice cream. As with all of the menu selections, Chef J invites you to try these ideas at home.  Be adventurous and creative, we won’t mind.  If you discover an interesting variation to the dessert or have your own that you’d like to share,  just drop us a comment, we’d love to try your favorite ideas as well.

Sticky Toffee Pudding

makes 6 servings

Pudding

• 10 oz dried apricots or dates
• 3/4 cup coffee
• 2/3 lb. unsalted butter
• 1 2/3 cup brown sugar
• 6 eggs
• 1 tbls. vanilla
• 1 2/3 cup flour
• 3/4 tps salt
• 2 tps baking soda

Caramel Sauce

• 2 cups sugar
• 1/3 cup water
• 1/2 cup heavy cream
• 1  stick  butter

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees.

Coarsely chop the apricots or dates and simmer in a small saucepan until soft, about 5 minutes.

Combine the apricots (or dates) and coffee in a blender.  Melt the butter over a low heat and add to the blender with the apricots and coffee. Blend for a few seconds to combine.  In a separate large bowl combine the brown sugar, eggs and vanilla and whisk until incorporated.  Add the apricots and coffee from the blender and stir.  In a separate bowl add the flour, salt and baking soda and combine.  Add the flour (dry) mixture to the wet ingredients. Using  4-6 oz ramekins, pour the mixture into 6 equal sized ramekins.  Bake in a water bath @ 350 for 8-12 minutes depending on the size of your ramekin.  They are finished when a toothpick inserted in the center comes out dry.

In a dry 5 qt. sauce pan heat the sugar over moderately low heat, stirring once with a fork and gently swirling the saucepan until melted and golden.  Remove from the heat and add the cream and butter.  The mixture should steam and then harden slowly. Place pudding in center of a plate or bowl and drizzle with caramel sauce. Top with your favorite ice cream.  Vanilla of course works well, but try coffee ice cream or hazelnut gelato for an extra smooth finish.