jastjohn

Real Name:

Jake

Location:

NYC, originally Milwaukee

Best meal I ever ate:

This used to say, "how do you pick just one?" Well, now I know. Anyone within two hours of Montreal owes it to him or herself to go to Les Trois Petits Bouchons ASAP. (Meal was: Freshly foraged wild mushrooms, on brioche toast with veal demi-glace and black truffle shavings, a charcuterie plate including pate de foie gras made from local Quebec ducks as well as milkweed pickles, a reblochon tartiflette, 2005 bordeaux superieur. My partner had a grilled octopus tentacle wrapped in thick cut bacon and served with an orange creme fraiche sauce. Holy moly.)

My current drink of choice:

2005 Bordeaux (duh), micheladas made with Dos Equis, Clamato, worcestershire sauce, soy sauce, hot sauce, horseradish, black pepper, celery salt, lime, lemon

I really wish I could:

Manage a dairy farm and have fresh cream and cheese at all times. (Really wish I could, as in, really wish I were capable, as opposed to really wish I had the opportunity, lest anyone accuse me of flippantly disregarding the difficulty of agricultural work)

My "Go-to" dinner party dish:

Vichyssoise is always easy to make for a crowd, provided you plan ahead. I also love virtually any kind of pate. When in trouble, fresh pasta saves the day, provided you have butter and parmigiano.

My favorite comfort food:

Gnocchi or ricotta ravioli with caramelized onion, walnuts, and cream sauce with pepper, sage, and nutmeg.

My top 5 favorite restaurants:

In Milwaukee: Lake Park Bistro, Honeypie, Kopps. NYC: Nam-O-Jung, Bahari, Traif.

My most tattered cookbooks:

New Best Recipe, Simon Hopkinson's Roast Chicken and Other Stories, Ma Gastronomie by Fernand Point (used less than most, but tattered nonetheless due to consistently drooling readers)