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Check out the inside of seven iconic kitchens in film, from Breakfast at Tiffany to Star Wars. Which one’s your favourite?In a Portuguese riff on classic French chocolate mousse, chef João Dias of Montreal’s Ferreira Café swaps out the traditional butter or heavy cream for olive oil and tops the dessert with a sprinkling of fleur de sel.
The mousse’s featherlight texture comes from egg whites whipped to stiff peaks, which are folded into a bittersweet chocolate custard.
With only five ingredients, the secret to the dish is to make each one count—particularly the oil. “It needs to be crazy good olive oil,” Dias counsels. “If your olive oil isn’t good, your chocolate mousse will not be good.” He uses Ferreira’s own brand of cold-pressed oil from olive groves in Portugal’s Douro region, bottled under the Carm label. If you can’t get a fine Portuguese olive oil, though, spring for the best cold-pressed, extra-virgin variety you can find.
In order to avoid winding up with dense, unctuous mousse, you need to be sure to whip sufficient air into your egg whites. This is most easily done with a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, but a handheld whisk, your dominant arm and a shot of determination could get the job done the old-fashioned way. (Just be prepared for a workout.)
How to know when you can stop whipping? “My mother [taught] me, when you turn the bowl upside-down and the egg whites don’t fall, don’t move, this is a good point,” Dias advises. Of course, you will want to approach this test gingerly—and/or with a dose of good humor and a reserve of extra eggs, since egg whites that fail the flip test will wind up on the floor, compelling you to start all over again.
A hit of flaky sea salt is stirred into the batter and more is sprinkled on top, setting off the rich, dark mousse and adding a bit of crunch. But Dias notes that if you’re not a salty-sweet person, or if you’re not sure that your guests are, you can add less to the batter, use it only as a finish, or simply set out fleur de sel at the table for guests to use—or ignore—as they choose.
When the structure of your dessert rests on tiny air bubbles, time is of the essence. After a day or so in the fridge, the bubbles in the mousse will begin to deflate, making the consistency denser and chewier—which, if you’re a lover of chewy chocolate, may be perfectly fine with you. But if it’s classically ethereal chocolate mousse you’re after, eat it within two to three hours, at which point, Dias promises, “You will have a very nice silky texture, not too dense but not too soft.”
For more tips on how to approach pairing this dish with wine, recommended bottlings and notes on chef João Dias’ inspiration, read the companion article, “Chocolate Mousse With Tawny Port,” in the March 31, 2019, issue, via our online archives or by ordering a digital edition (Zinio or Google Play) or a back issue of the print magazine. For even more wine pairing options, WineSpectator.com members can find other recently rated tawny Ports in our Wine Ratings Search.
1. In a double boiler or a small saucepan, bring about 1 inch of water to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. (If using a saucepan, then set a heatproof bowl on top to create a double boiler, taking care not to let the bottom of the bowl touch the water.) Add the chopped chocolate to the top pot or bowl and let melt, stirring occasionally until smooth. Remove from heat. Slowly whisk in the olive oil until well-blended.
2. In a mixing bowl, beat the sugar with the egg yolks and fleur de sel until light yellow and creamy. Whisk in the melted chocolate.
3. In a stand mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat the egg whites to stiff peaks. Slowly incorporate into the chocolate mixture, stirring constantly with a whisk until well-incorporated.
4. Divide the batter among 6 small bowls and refrigerate for 2 to 3 hours, until firm.
5. Just before serving, sprinkle each serving with fleur de sel and a few drops of olive oil. Serves 6.
How well do you know ingredients and dishes around the world? Take the ultimate test and discover how you score out of 10.On a quiet, lakeside property in western Ukraine, about an hour-long drive from the city of Lviv, Edem Resort Medical & Spa Hotel goes beyond what you’d expect from a luxury resort. There are charming suites, diverse dining options and a state-of-the-art spa, as well as art exhibitions and immersive health treatments like a three-day “anti-stress” program. Edem’s Wine Spectator Best of Award of Excellence winner, De Vine Restaurant, boasts a growing wine program of more than 350 selections. There are nearly 30 labels available by the glass, including 21 by Coravin. France, especially Bordeaux, is a big focus of the list, but wine director Yevhen Ivanov also emphasizes Italy and rounds out the offerings with regions like Greece, Israel, Austria and Switzerland. The hotel has even started experimenting with its own wine production, recently planting four test grape varieties on a small piece of land purchased in Freiburg, Germany. Ivanov hopes to eventually add these bottlings to De Vine’s list. The international program complements regional European dishes from chef Artur Tumanyan, such as smoked eel on cucumber carpaccio and minced turkey kebab with spinach and peanut-carrot cream.
A new Del Frisco’s Double Eagle Steakhouse is coming to Los Angeles Feb. 9, the second California location for the steak-house chain. A total of 13 Double Eagles have a Wine Spectator Restaurant Award, including a Grand Award winner in New York. The parent company also owns the Del Frisco’s Grille and Barcelona Wine Bar concepts.
The L.A. outpost is in a two-story space in Westfield Century City, a recently renovated mall just outside Beverly Hills. It boasts the largest opening wine list for the brand, with more than 2,000 selections and 45 wines by the glass, including 15 available via Coravin. While wines from California are a typical focus for the steak house, wine director Mandy Sparacino aims to provide a diverse, international program.
“Our guests expect to find the most rare and allocated wines in the world at our locations, and L.A. is definitely not going to be an exception,” Sparacino said. “Our New York location is kind of our heartbeat on the East Coast, and we plan to be that heartbeat on the West Coast.”
Standout verticals will include more than 38 vintages of Domaine de la Romanée-Conti and 45 vintages of Gaja. There’s also a solid selection of large-format bottles and half-bottles. Bubblies will be emphasized as well, with a designated Champagne lounge on the second floor.
Sparacino expects the list to grow with time. She says diners can look forward to high-profile wine dinners and an upcoming Sherry program.
On Jan. 8, celebrity chef Emeril Lagasse launched his first New York City restaurant, Rodos, in Chelsea’s Hotel Henri. It’s also the first concept of a new consulting division of Lagasse’s company, We Love Food Hospitality, and a collaboration with restaurateur Yiannis Chatiris, whose Greek home island of Rhodes inspired the restaurant’s name. The menu blends Chatiris’ heritage with Lagasse’s signature Cajun-Creole style, featuring dishes like octopus beignets and crawfish-stuffed clams.
The wine list includes more than 60 selections with 13 available by the glass, highlighting Greek producers like Hatzimichalis and Evangelos Tsantalis. France, Italy, Spain and the United States are also represented.
Lagasse is known for more extensive wine programs in many of his restaurants, such as his two Grand Award winners, Delmonico Steakhouse in Las Vegas and Emeril’s New Orleans, as well as five Best of Award of Excellence winners in Las Vegas, New Orleans, Florida and Pennsylvania.
Aquaknox and Public House, two Award of Excellence winners in Las Vegas’ Venetian resort, have closed.
Seafood restaurant Aquaknox had a 335-selection wine list with strengths in California and France. The concept was part of Tavistock Restaurant Collection, which includes Best of Award of Excellence winners Abe & Louie’s in Boston and Atlas in Atlanta, as well as six Award of Excellence winners across the country.
Public House featured American cuisine and a 310-selection, California-focused wine list. The restaurant is also part of a Restaurant Award–winning group, Billy Richardson’s Gen3 Hospitality, which owns Best of Award of Excellence winner the Barrymore in Las Vegas.
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A look at the 2019 Bocuse d’Or competition in Lyon and how Nordic countries have been dominating one of the world’s most prestigious cooking competitions.My favorite cozy weeknight soup made in just 30 min! It’s so stinking easy too. Loaded with tender tortellini, sausage and kale!
Have you seen the news? It’s apparently -50 degrees windchill in Chicago right now.
I wish I was joking. Meanwhile, it was 69 degrees F here in LA today. How will Butters and I survive in the Windy City?
I mean, I’ve loaded up on parkas and electric blankets for myself and Butters. But I don’t know, guys. It’s going to be a dicey winter for us Californians.
But what I do know is this – have as much of this creamy tortellini soup as possible until the polar vortex passes.
That and all the crusty bread to sop up all this creamy goodness.
Oh, and the wine. That helps warm you up too, no?
My favorite cozy weeknight soup made in just 30 min! It’s so stinking easy too. Loaded with tender tortellini, sausage and kale!
Tag @damn_delicious on Instagram and hashtag it #damndelicious.
The post Creamy Tortellini Soup appeared first on Damn Delicious.
Take your pick of the global line-up food films and talks showcasing at this year’s Berlinale Film Festival, starting 7 February 2019.
Denmark has once again claimed the top spot at the legendary Bocuse d’Or cooking competition in Lyon.