Please hand me a vodka martini and let's discuss our feelings

This week’s topics include another visit to La Creperie, mmm… lamb shanks, saving the bits and pieces, a cry against laziness, one of the best dishes I’ve made in a while, and a new favorite gin. 

A Follow up review of La Creperie.  I have favorably reviewed a number of restaurants in the last year of this blog.  I often wonder if I would like those restaurants as much if went back. 

A recent business trip took me to Colorado Springs, Colorado, which gave me an opportunity to revisit La Creperie in downtown Colorado Springs.  Here’s my initial review of this quaint and locally-owned French restaurant that I just stumbled upon.  Review of La Creperie  

On this trip, I walk into La Creperie and I am the only customer.  The waitress tells me that their mid-week business is all over the board.  Swamped or dead.  And I forgot the best part.  She tells me this in a heavy French accent.  I had pleasant flashbacks to a Paris trip the Red and I took a few years ago.  Women with a French accent serving me food……

But I digress.

I order a glass of Cote du Rhone red wine and the braised lamb shank bourguignon.  Yes, I know it’s traditionally beef bourguignon, but what part of braised lamb shank was unclear to you?  The woman with the heavenly accent tells me that it takes 15-20 minutes, to which I respond something to the effect of “If it’s good, I’ve got nothing but time.”

So I order a dinner salad and patiently wait while I read my book and drink my nice French wine.  Yes, I had a book.  Actually, it was a book on the kindle app on my iPad, but whatever.  I was out to dinner alone and I can only chat up the woman with the heavenly accent so much before it gets awkward.  I am, after all, beholden to the Red.

Was it worth the wait?   In a word or two… Hell yes!  Here’s the picture.  The shank was fall off the bone tender with the rich, slightly piquant  bourguignon sauce.  Plus, lamb shanks done well have this richness to them which goes well beyond beef.  Good lord.  Plus, it was served with lightly steamed green beans and fancy French ‘scalloped’ potatoes. 

If you live in Colorado Springs or spend any time there, seek this little gem out.  It just north of Kiowa on Tejon in downtown Colorado Springs.  Be sure to order a crepe as well.

Using Everything.  I like to make everything from scratch, and I like to save bits and pieces for future use.  Some examples:

I love to smoke chickens over the weekend.  I slice the breasts for lunch meat for lunches during the week.  I carve up the rest of the chickens for use in pasta, enchiladas, soup, chicken and dumplings, fajitas, and so on.  You can use really good chicken for any number of dishes. 

Plus, I save the carcasses and freeze them.  When I have 4 or 5, I defrost them and, along with some raw chicken carcasses and chicken feet, I make stock.  A couple of weekends ago, I made the mother lode of stock.  I pulled out my 5 gallon turkey frying pot and made about at least 4 gallons of stock.  Check ‘em out. 

I lay them bags flat on half sheets and freeze them.  Then I can stack them vertically or horizontally in my freezer for future use.

I know what you’re thinking.  WF – why in the hell do I care about making stock?  I can buy it at the store. 

To which I say:

1.         It’s easy to make your own stock.  Don’t be lazy.

2.         The stock you buy simply won’t compare to the flavor of what you make at home.

3.         The whole house smells like chicken noodle soup when you’re making stock, and that’s always good! 

4.         It costs a couple of dollars in ingredients to make a ton of stock.  I think I made 4 gallons of stock and spent maybe 3-5 dollars.  I don’t count the cost of the carcasses since they would be thrown away if I didn’t use them for stock. 

5.         You always need stock on hand.  You need it for most Mexican sauces, paella, soups, pasta, and….

Saffron Risotto with Prosciutto and Scallops.  Let me first say that it was as good as you think it was.   Check out the food porn: 

I have come to love making risotto.  It’s foodie comfort food and not easy make.  It takes time and effort, but it’s well worth it.

For this one, I threw the prosciutto in with the onions and garlic as they sweated down.  I tossed in the scallops at the very end and stirred them into the hot risotto for 2-3 minutes.  Just enough to warm them up, but not overcook them.  I took the risotto off the heat and folded in some butter and grated parmesan. 

The Review?  Fabulous.  Creamy and rich like only good risotto can be.  The scallops were soft and buttery since they weren’t overcooked.  Plus, you could taste just a hint a smokiness from my stock made from smoked chicken carcasses. 

This was one of the better dishes I’ve made in a while. 

My new favorite gin.  In a prior post, I went on a diatribe about gin and martinis.  I may have suggested that anything without gin is a cocktail and not a martini.  No vodka 'martinis'

I still feel that way.  If you want to drink vodka ‘martinis’ with pomegranate and talk about your feelings and how your day was, go ahead.  Just don’t call it a martini.  Frankly, I’ve drank plenty of fluffy drinks in my time, so I’m not judging.

Ok.  That’s a lie.  I am judging. 

I believe I have found the best gin on the planet.  I have previously espoused my love for Bombay Sapphire, and that’s a solid gin.   However, it doesn’t compare to Hendrick’s gin.  Hendrick’s is softer and more luxurious than Bombay Sapphire.  To me, it’s a more mature gin.

How to serve it?  In a dry martini on the rocks with hand-stuffed blue cheese olives.  In my ever so humble opinion, there is not a better cocktail on the planet.  However, if you step up to order this drink, please put your big girl or boy pants on.  You’ve got to own it when you order this drink, or you sound like a douche. 

Here’s how:  “I’ll have a Hendrick’s martini.  Dry and on the rocks with blue cheese olives, if you have them.  If not, with a twist.”

Now that’s a grown up drink!

Happy cooking.

WF