TusCA - Tuscan California Cuisine- is the HYATT REGENCY MONTEREY new restaurant (as of February 2007). A great concept well executed. The menu’s inspiration is Tuscany using California’s amazing food resources. And is there any more bountiful location in the state of California than the Monterey area? Nearby Castroville is the Artichoke Capital of the World and the Salinas Valley is the ‘Salad Bowl of the World’ as my sixth grade California geography teacher told us. The Pacific Ocean is within walking distance. And fresh tomatoes are at the height of their season.
Before I continue with this story I should let you know that this has been a tough month for the Culinary Muse. I managed to get through cooking school without anyone learning my secret. I HATE fresh tomatoes. Cooked tomatoes in any form are fine. It’s the fresh ones I despise. Never let anyone in cooking school know your weakness or sooner than you can say ‘I’m a vegetarian’ they will have you butchering piglets. While my ordeal this month may not seem that bad to some, it is still difficult to be a gracious guest when presented with a food you abhor especially for someone like me whose middle name is ‘Gracious Guest’. So far this month I have let a tomato granita melt into a pool of liquid while I picked off the garnish of jalapeno slices. I have closed my eyes and swallowed baby tomatoes whole. How much longer could my luck hold out and when was this tomato season going to be over, anyway? Tonight’s charming waitress presented a beautiful salad, composed of many tomato slices, in front of me. It was a gift from the chef. There was going to be no swallowing these whole. I picked off the micro greens. I watched Mr. Muse devour his tomatoes hoping he would have mercy on me and eat mine. No luck. When the waitress returned I started apologizing as fast as I could. I begged her not to tell the chef. But before she could clear the plates, Chef de Cuisine Neil Dunn came over to our table to ask how we enjoyed the salad. Busted. Luckily he is an affable fellow. I confessed. He forgave and we moved on to the rest of our dinner.
We started with two oven roasted antipasti: Garlic Prawns with Sweet Bell Peppers and the Artichoke with Balsamic Vinaigrette and Spicy Chipotle Aioli. Both were light and flavorful. While I have had lots of artichokes with mayo or aioli it was the smokiness of the chipotle that really enhanced the richness of the artichoke. Both appetizers did what appetizers are supposed to do. It got the juices flowing in anticipation of the rest of the meal without filling us up.
I love risotto. Tonight’s preparation, which changes daily, contained fresh kernels of corn, julienne of red onion and rock shrimp. It was used as the base for a cornmeal crusted salmon fillet. The creamy texture and sweetness of the risotto played off of the delicate crust of the salmon beautifully.
Mr. Muse ordered the Peppercorn Roasted Sirloin Steak served with an Arugula Salad and Caponata. It was a generous portion cooked to order, tender and juicy. At this point I should point out that all of the portions are generous here reinforcing the feeling of bounty. And perhaps even the generous feeling that is conveyed by the attentive staff.
Dessert? Chocolate, of course. Pastry Chef Julliet Marshall, from London, created two special chocolate treats for us. The first was a Chocolate Cherry Almond Tart. Queen Anne cherries, soaked in a syrup of Marsala, Allspice and Jalapeno Pepper, topped a thick slice of rich chocolate and ground almond tart. A slice of the tart was placed on one end of the oblong glass platter. On the other end was a delicate quenelle-shaped scoop of chocolate mousse. Chef Marshall is a big fan of VALRHONA CHOCOLATE (the only kind she uses) and used a combination of the extra dark and milk chocolates. The dark for richness, the milk for smoothness. A chocolate tuile in the shape of an arc rested on top of the mousse giving the dish height and movement. A crème anglaise flavored with Frangelico (hazelnut liquer) dotted the plate.
When we returned to our room we had this chocolate surprise waiting for us. The wedges in the chocolate container are slices of paneforte enrobed in dark chocolate. Delicate and rich. A wonderful way to end a delicious dinner.
You are funny. I do not eat olives. Olive Oil, lovely. Olives - gross. So there is some tap dancing to be done sometimes with those slippery beasts.
Posted by: Susan | October 05, 2007 at 08:52 AM