That's right, you know the one I'm talking about.  The dish your mother or some other relative insists on making at every holiday meal.  Canned green beans, Campbell's Cream of Mushroom soup, Durkee Fried Onions, sodium expressed in exponential notation, etc...  Well, I actually had a craving for this beast today, so I decided to take a cue from Thomas Keller and re-invent this dish with style.  Chef Keller's restaurant and French Laundry Cookbook offer things such as "Coffee and Donuts" and "Bacon and Eggs" which inevitably bear no resemblance to their humble beginnings and contain things such as black truffles and eight varieties of salt mined from the Marianas Trench.  My version of the green bean casserole would contain fresh green beans, heavy cream, bacon, wild mushrooms, homemade stock, and deep fried red onions!

First, this was going to be my entire meal, so I decided to serve it on mashed potatoes for some substance.  Next I made a thick mushroom soup, or sauce, one might even say a condensed soup.  I used cremini mushrooms and some rehydrated porcinis.  The mushrooms and some chopped onion were sauted in the rendered fat from some freshly smoked bacon I bought at the Swan Market.  Then I deglazed the pan with some dry vermouth.  (I already had it out for a little after work martini, so why the hell not!)  I added chicken stock, heavy cream, a few fresh thyme sprigs, the liquid from rehydrating the porcini mushrooms and simmered.  After simmering and reducing a while I thickened this with a couple tablespoons of beurre manie and some parmesan cheese.

While this sauce was simmering, I cut up a bunch of green beans into about 1 inch lengths and blanched them in boiling water for about 4-5 minutes.  There were added to the sauce right before it was finished.

Meanwhile I had sliced a red onion in 1/4 inch thick slices and drenched it with hot sauce and some salt.  I heated up about 3/4 inch of vegetable oil in a cast iron skillet till it was rippling (350F or so).  When the sauce was nearly ready the onions were dredged in some cajun seasoned flour and thrown into the hot oil for about 4 minutes.  Great googly moogly!  I could have eaten about 5 pounds of those things!

Top potatoes with mushroom and green bean sauce.  Top that with a big handful of fried red onions and some crumbled bacon.  I served some blanched asparagus with a couple pieces of marinated roasted red pepper as an accompaniment. 

Another Mise En Place exclusive for your pleasure.

An email I received from the local SlowFood chapter earlier today mentioned a place called Ristorante Lucano (1815 East Ave. Rochester, NY) where they were holding an upcoming dinner.  I had never heard of the place, which isn't that unusual given the glut of local Italian "Ristorantes" (unfortunately most of them are "Crappe").  The unusual thing is that this place was within easy walking distance and I'd walked, run, and driven by it hundreds of times without knowing it existed.  I've been missing out, in a big way! 

I probably would have never found this place if not for the SlowFood mention.  It has an inconspicuous entrance in a non-descript tiny strip-mall at a busy and chaotic intersection.  SlowFood is one of the more exciting movements in food today.  Founded in Italy in reaction to fast-food proliferation they're dedicated to all things fresh, local, and yummy.  Check out their website for more information.  The Rochester chapter is run by some wonderful people, with great taste.  If nothing else, I've received some great tips on hidden local gems from them.  (Anyone who'd like to get on their mailing list, email me and I'll send your their contact info).  So when I saw this mention of Ristorante Lucano, I didn't hesitate to call up and make a reservation. 

The space at Lucano is three small, cozy, interconnected dining rooms. The mostly middle aged, well dressed, clientele filled the small rooms with a pleasant din of conversation, and all seemed to be enjoying their meals as thoroughly as us.  Maybe, I'm just projecting my enjoyment, but there didn't seem to be anyone there who was just refueling or passing time, they seemed to be aware that they were being treated to something special.  The service was knowledgeable, appropriately attentive, and seemed genuinely enthusiastic about the food.  Nearly up to the standards of the amazing service at Victor Grilling Co. and The Olive Tree (two other slow food recommendations).  Our waitress helped us select a bottle of Botromagno Pier Delle Vigne 1997, which was bold and absolutely lovely.

I forgot to grab a menu to take home, so I just have some brief notes and my memory to write about the food.    The appetizer was baked zucchini stuffed with calamari, shrimp, and roasted red peppers.  The flavors were masterfully matched.  Zucchini and lemon may have to be bumped up to my list of all-time great flavor combinations (right up there with tomato and lemongrass, I should do a post on this subject sometime).

A citrus and fennel salad and a variety of split pea soup were presented next.  The salad was good, delicately flavored and fresh.  It was actually just nice to see the underappreciated fennel on a menu around here.  The split pea soup was pure heaven, it didn't resemble any split pea soup I had ever had before.  I had to keep balancing spoonfuls of it across the table, because I couldn't keep all the yumminess to myself with good conscience. 

By this time we knew the chef was oozing confidence and skill, and we couldn't wait to try the entrees.  We were not disappointed.  Although this is where I really need a menu, because all I can remember from Laura's pasta dish is cheese(s) and pancetta.  The experience was so much more.  It was served piping hot and as you moved a forkful towards your mouth the unique, powerful, smoky aroma hit you.  Then the great textures and other flavors followed.  Brilliant.

My entree was a thick veal chop grilled and topped with tomato and a gorgeous cheese that, alas, I can't remember the name of.  (It's not that my memory is that horrible, it's just that the menu was filled with unfamiliar terms, Italian terms, that never show up in any of the restaurants around here).  The veal was superb, grilled to a perfect medium rare with some penetrating herb flavors and the great complement of the herbed tomato and cheese.  It was served over "Italian mashed potatoes" which seemed like perhaps they were mashed with olive oil and garlic rather than the normal butter and cream.  Surprising texture, great taste.

Was this the perfect meal?  Not quite.  The dessert of an Italian raspberry tart was decent but unremarkable.  And some real bread sticklers could be turned off by the room temperature, and again unremarkable bread.  It was served, however, with a dish of very nice extra virgin olive oil and herbs.  (Which I managed to drizzle down the front of my new shirt, but I won't hold that against them).  We felt that these negatives were vastly outweighed by the parade of unique flavors and excellent ingredients.  The bill, including a $38 bottle of wine and before gratuity came to $101.  I already want to go back again.

Last week I noticed the traffic on my site take a big spike to about four or five times my normal traffic.  Sweet!  I checked my logs and noticed that almost all of the new hits were coming from littleyellowdifferent.com.  (I think a strong contender for wittiest url ever).  This guy listed me as part of his food blog habit, and the small percentage of his traffic that clicked through to me, blew out all my previous traffic.  I'm sure the traffic had nothing to do with him saying that I looked like a porn star! 

Anyway, always being grateful for new traffic, I decided to pay back the favor by creating a dish with a "Little Yellow Different" theme.  So here it is:  Lemon Stuffed with Brandy Soy Mushrooms and Scallops Over Saffron and Andouille Jasmine Rice.  I think that qualifies as little yellow different. The stuffed lemon is basically a whimsical presentation piece, but putting the hot ingredients in the hollowed out lemon does get a nice aroma working.  Here's the recipe for one:

1 Cup Jasmine Rice cooked with a pinch of Saffron
1 yellow onion, sliced thick
1/4 - 1/2 pound andouille sausage, diced

5 large sea scallops, patted dry
1 tablespoon ginger, grated
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 piece lemon grass, about 2 inches long, tough outer parts removed
1 cup mushrooms, diced (I used baby portobello/cremini)
1 shallot, minced
Several thin stalks asparagus
1/4 cup Brandy
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1/4 cup water
1 Large Lemon
Scallions for Garnish

Cook jasmine rice with the saffron first. Add a couple tablespoons of butter while it's steaming.

In a large skillet over medium heat add the andouille sausage and cook until browned.  Remove sausage and drain on paper towels.  Turn the heat up a bit and add a tablespoon of vegetable oil if necessary.  Sear the scallops about three minutes per side until nicely browned.  Remove them and cover with foil to keep warm.  Add a little more oil and the asparagus.  Saute for about 1 minute.  Add the shallot, garlic, ginger, and mushrooms.  Saute until mushrooms start to brown.  Remove the pan from the buurner and add the brandy.  Return this to the burner, cook down and scrape up the bits from the bottom of the skillet.  The brandy may or may not flame, so don't sue me if you lose your eyebrows.  Add the soy sauce, water, and a squeeze of lemon and reduce to a simmer.

Meanwhile in another skillet on high heat, add a couple tablespoons of oil and the onion.  Cook these for about 1 minute.  The idea is to get some browning, but still have a lot of bold raw onion flavor.  Add the sausage and rice and cook until heated through. 

Halve the lemon and scoop out the pulp.  Cut a small slice off the bottom so it will sit flat.  Throw the scallops briefly in with the mushrooms and sauce to heat thought.  Assemble in a silly way, like in the picture, with alternating mushrooms and scallops in the lemon.