Porcini Ravioli at Laurent’s Modern Cuisine

The restaurant world can at times seem like a tangled mess to the public, even to those of us who try to keep up with who is where. All too often, the game ends up being the culinary equivalent of Abbott and Costello’s “Who’s on first?” and the customer is the one who is left confused.

Michael Burkle carves cote de boeuf tableside.

Without going too much into the history of the situation, chef Laurent Rea, formerly of Olmos Park Bistro, has moved a few doors down the street to open Laurent’s Modern Cuisine in the space that once housed Shiraz. It’s somewhat smaller that his original space, and if our recent meal there is any indication, it’s one that suits the chef’s sensibilities well.

Little has been done to the interior, except for the addition of a floor-to-ceiling vase and greenery at the center to break the view. The spare gray walls give the space a modern feel in keeping with the cuisine, which carries the European tradition of using the freshest and best ingredients in simple yet memorable ways while showcasing a world of flavors and influences.

Right now, it is the place to see and be seen in the neighborhood, and on the night we visited, most everyone seemed to know someone else. Patrons mingled among the tables, chatting and generally relieved to be out of the heat.

When it’s time to settle down for dinner, you’ll be greeted with a multi-course prix fixe for $45, plus an additional $7 if you want dishes such as the lobster appetizer or the beef, which is for two and is, therefore, an additional $14. Our server told us that the lineup changes regularly, which sounded right considering the number of seasonal items offered.

Black tea-smoked duck

Our evening started with an amuse bouche of a warm pear soup with just the right amount of saffron and ginger to accent the flavor of the fruit without overpowering it. That approach would play out for much of the rest of the evening, such as in the appetizer dish of strips of tender black tea-smoked duck breast over breaded udon noodles and seasoned with a splash of salty soy vinaigrette; a sprig of fresh chervil with its delicate licorice flavor crowned the dish. My friend said her porcini ravioli, served with a Roquefort sauce, a touch of truffle and pomegranate seeds on top, were the best she had ever tasted in San Antonio; I found them to be quite good, but not good enough to compare with what I had recently in Italy, a fault I lay more on the porcini than the pasta.

The idea behind the Fredericksburg tomato salad was inspired. Instead of settling for the expected Caprese salad by pairing tomatoes with fresh mozzarella, Rea served a sublime quenelle of goat cheese sorbet that was cool, tangy and refreshing. The tiniest drizzle of sherry vinegar added a welcome sweet-sour component, and miniature croutons provided a little crunch. The only problem with both of our portions was that the tomatoes were practically flavorless and almost lacking entirely in acidity.

The interior of Laurent’s Modern Cuisine.

For our main course, we could have tried redfish, veal tenderloin or rabbit two ways, but we opted for the Cote de Boeuf for two, a 20-ounce rib steak that was carved tableside by our host for the evening, Rea’s partner, Michael Burkle. The steak was medium rare to order, so tender it could be cut with a spoon (something Burkle demonstrated without being too showy) and loaded with earthy meat juices.

On the side were a fine dish of sautéed spinach, a surprisingly ordinary truffled mac and cheese (if mac and cheese with truffle oil can ever be considered ordinary) and a black lentil dish redolent with spice.

For dessert, we chose the pleasant if slightly timid lime parfait, which was frozen and welcome on a hot Saturday night. The buttery peach tarte tatin with salted caramel ice cream on the side was more impressive, as, once again, the ingredients all served to showcase the fresh peaches.

The peach tarte tatin

Laurent’s is new, and we hope that the wine list evolves into something as engaging as the menu. As is, it is limited and not terribly interesting. A glass of Burgess Merlot, a last-minute choice after nixing the other options, was OK. It did have more acidity than the tomatoes, which is not saying a lot.

White dishware in various intriguing shapes appears to have been leftover from the two previous restaurants that inhabited the space, and it adds a playful touch to the presentation.

Laurent’s is very much a work in progress. But if our meal is any indication, it should be a welcome addition to the neighborhood.

Photos by John Griffin and Bonnie Walker

Laurent’s Modern Cuisine
4230 McCullough Ave.
(210) 822-6644
Lunch: Tuesday-Friday
Dinner: Tuesday-Saturday
Brunch: Sunday

This dish of chunks of fish, shrimp in a tomato-y sauce is a quick night’s meal.

I picked up a  jar of cioppino sauce on a trip to Groomer’s Seafood, 9801 McCullough Ave.,  a couple of months ago. Then, it sat on a pantry shelf, always looking tempting but me not pursuing the rest of the ingredients that make up this delicious dish.

Cioppino is a tomato-based fish and shellfish stew, seasoned with white wine, bay leaves, oregano, fennel, thinned with fish stock and so forth. It is said to have been the creation of Italian immigrants in San Francisco, early in the 20th century.

Recently, because  I had to take a cat to the vet, whose office is roughly in Groomer’s vicinity, I stopped in for fresh fish and shrimp on the way home. I was thinking about that jar of cioppino sauce finally being put to use for a quick, cheater’s version of cioppino for dinner. I had high hopes.

Because it was a busy day, we did little more than cut up our pound of cobia, a firm white fish that comes out of the waters of Colombia and add it to the simmering tomato sauce along with the shrimp. Ready in minutes.

The results were nothing spectacular. So, what did I expect?

Nevertheless, I’d give it a solid grade of a B, and really, I’d probably buy this cioppino sauce-in-a-jar again. But, I think I would just use it as a pasta sauce — it was thick enough, and would be fine for a red clam sauce or mushroom sauce, tossed with hot pasta and served with plenty of Parmesan cheese.

If I did decide to use again for cioppino, I’d chop up a little fresh fennel (with the leaves leaves) and saute with a clove or two of minced garlic. This, along with a pinch or two of red pepper flakes and a half-cup of white wine would give it more life.

The sauce was $6.99 for a 32-ounce jar. It is made by Norman Bishop Epicurean Foods and is called San Francisco-Style Cioppino Sauce. It’s fat free and the label also promises that it is “All Natural.”

If you want to do an easy, from-scratch version of cioppino, try this recipe from the Food Network, below. There are also many recipes that are far more time-consuming, such as ones in which you make your own fish fumet (stock) to use in the cioppino.  And, that’s probably time well spent — if you have it!

Cioppino Recipe

The inaugural Zagat Nightlife Survey is now under way in San Antonio, and the editors want you to tell them about the best places in the Alamo City to drink, play and party!

While best known for their burgundy restaurant guides, Zagat is now making a foray into San Antonio nightlife. It  involves a public survey of more than 250 of the best bars, nightclubs, music venues, pubs, lounges and more.

Over the course of six weeks, the company’ll gather thousands of ratings and reviews from locals of the best — and worst — of SA’s after-dark options, then turn the data over to a local editor to compile the results. During the editing process, the Zagat staff pulls the best quotes and quips of each venue and turns those into their signature editorial reviews. In this way, Zagat reviews give readers the opinions of thousands, without the hassle of reading thousands of reviews.

To participate in the survey, you’ll see Zagat voting booths at some of your favorite summertime activities, like First Thursdays at Pearl, San Antonio Missions games, and Jazz SA’live. You can also vote at home from your computer, and they’re offering $50 Biga on the Banks gift cards to two lucky SavorSA readers who vote in the survey. All voters are also eligible for free Zagat rewards, like a free Zagat guide once you’ve submitted 15 votes or free Zagat culinary merchandise once you’ve completed 40 votes.

We can’t wait to hear everyone’s pick for San Antonio’s best nightlife spots!

Click on the burgundy Zagat ad above to enter the Biga contest and start voting today!

Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Sherry and Toasted Almonds

Sometimes, a recipe jumps off the page and practically begs you to make it. Such was the case with celebrity chef Jeffrey Saad’s soup that matches the winning flavors of red bell pepper, sherry and almonds.

“Sherry and almonds are a classic wine and food pairing,” the chef writes in “Jeffrey Saad’s Global Kitchen: Recipes Without Borders” (Ballantine Books, $22). “By reducing the sherry down with the toasted almonds, the flavor in this soup becomes intriguingly complex. The sherry adds a unique  woody, aged flavor that balances brilliantly with the almonds, while the paprika accentuates the bell pepper flavor, creating a velvety puréed delight.”

But I also wanted to tweak the recipe slightly. I knew I could make it vegan simply by substituting vegetable stock for the chicken stock he called for, which makes it great for a Meatless Monday, an appetizer or even a main course with a salad. He also called for Marcona almonds, but skinned, slivered versions aren’t readily available  in San Antonio. You could pulse Marcona almonds in a food processor to break them down slightly, if you can only find them whole.

As for the texture, I found myself doing a mixture of the techniques he mentions. I put two-thirds of the soup in the blender and processed it down, while leaving just enough alone to give it a rustic crunch.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Sherry and Toasted Almonds

1 1/2 tablespoons olive oil
1 1/2 cups finely chopped red bell pepper
1 cup chopped shallots
1/2 cup skinless slivered almonds, Marcona preferred
1 cup dry sherry
1 cup tomato purée or chopped canned tomatoes
2 cups vegetable or chicken stock
1 tablespoon smoked paprika
1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 tablespoons roughly chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

Let the pepper, shallots and almonds turn golden.

In a medium pot over medium-high heat, add the olive oil. Once the oil is hot, add the red bell pepper, shallots and almonds. Keep an eye on the heat and stir frequently to get a golden color without burning. Sauté until evenly golden, about 5  minutes.

Add the sherry and simmer until fully absorbed. Add the tomato purée, stock, paprika and salt.  Cover and simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.

Remove the pot from the heat and allow to cool. Transfer the mixture to a blender and purée until smooth, or keep the soup chunky if you like the texture. Strain the puréed soup if you want  it silky smooth.

Ladle the soup into bowls and garnish with the parsley.

Makes 4 servings.

Adapted from “Jeffrey Saad’s Global Kitchen: Recipes Without Borders”

Peppato Cheese is available at H-E-B, and was I ever glad to see it. It is dry Sonoma Jack cheese with peppercorns. If you haven’t chased down the original dry Sonoma Jack in Sonoma, Calif., you might want to remember it for your next trip to the wine country there. But the version I picked up at the Lincoln Heights H-E-B was delicious and worked quite well for the purpose of these scrambled eggs.

Slow-Scrambled Eggs with Peppato and Chevre

These are company-worthy, romantic breakfast-worthy, home alone, self-indulgent feast-worthy. (Which was my situation this weekend when my husband headed out of town for a high school class reunion.)

What inspired this dish, though, was the fact that I had on hand fresh eggs, the Peppato, some herbed goat cheese and a brand new jar of pungent black truffle salt — as well as a thriving pot of onion chives growing on the patio. Put it all together and it’s quite a nice way to start a day.

Slow-Scrambled Eggs with Peppato Cheese and Chèvre

1 tablespoon unsalted butter
2 large eggs, well-whisked
1 teaspoon freshly cut onion chives
2 ounces grated Peppato cheese (dry Sonoma Jack with black peppercorns) or an aged Gruyère
Two pinches of black truffle salt, divided use
1-2 tablespoons black pepper or herbed goat cheese (chèvre), divided

Melt the butter in an omelet pan over low heat. Whisk the eggs, add the chives, the grated Peppato or Gruyère, a pinch of black truffle salt and half of the chèvre that you are using and whisk some more.

Turn the heat just a little higher, turn the pan this way and that to be sure the butter coats the bottom and comes up a little ways on the sides of the pan. Pour in the eggs. With a spatula, stir them gently as they cook so they don’t stick to the pan. When they are set up, but still quite wet, push them onto the plate with the spatula and right away top with a round or crescent of the goat cheese. Scatter the second pinch of the truffled salt over the top. Serve.

Makes 1 serving.

From Bonnie Walker

Peppercorn, the culinary shop, is tucked into the Pearl Street Mall in Boulder, Colo. It comprises three levels of jam-packed culinary delights from dishes to cooking equipment, linens to a well-chosen trove of cookbooks. It’s a treasure-hunter’s dream and my sister and I make a pilgrimage up there every time I visit.

This year, one of my  scores was a 4-ounce jar of Fusion Black Truffle Salt from the Artisan Salt Company. It was made in Washington State, it combines only sea salt and black truffle. I had to have it, and I paid dearly for it.

Black truffle, as most foodies know, has a powerful aroma and flavor. Use too much (and I believe there is such a thing) and the richness can bowl you over. (I would add, that’s a nice way to go!)

Use an inferior quality truffle oil or salt or a truffle that is not fresh, and you’ll wonder what all the excitement is about. I haven’t gone on a truffle hunt, I haven’t yet gone to Italy in truffle season and had it generously grated over my handmade pasta (though I did have this experience at Lydia Bastianich’s Felidia  in New York recently). But I have become intimately familiar with it’s singular aroma, the earthiness, the deep fragrance that makes you close your eyes when you breathe it in.

There are several types of truffles: the white truffles are rare, and thus very expensive, coming from Italy’s Umbria and Piedmont regions. The black truffle, found in the Perigord region of France, are, not surprisingly sometimes called Perigord truffles. There are other types, such as summer or grey truffles, used in both Italian and French cooking.

Slow-Scrambled Eggs with Peppato and Chevre.

My little jar of salt didn’t say where the black truffle was sourced, but opening the paper seal, just the tiniest bit, let out a cloud of mushroomy fragrance that I knew boded well for some truffle-accented dishes. I started with some buttery Slow-Cooked Scrambled Eggs with Pepato Cheese and Chevre — and a healthy pinch of truffle salt to finish.

Black truffle is  indispensable in the French pâte de foie gras truffé or for spreading on crostini or inserting under the skin of a roast chicken. Or, as herb and spice expert Aliza Green also suggests, in her book “Field Guide to Herbs and Spices,” “Serve beef carpaccio dressed with fine olive oil and shaved truffles.”

White truffles have a more delicate flavor, are harder to come by and, says Green, are “best enjoyed by shaving paper-thin slices raw onto eggs, pasta and risotto, just before serving.”

Truffle salt, on the other hand, seems to me to be an expedient way to get some of that wonderful flavor into your food any time of year, and at a fraction of the price.  If you have truffle salt, or decide to find some, look for an ingredient list of only two items: truffles, sea salt. (Locally, you can find it at GauchoGourmet, 935 Isom Road, or at www.gauchogourmet.com.)

Here are some things to try

1. Truffle-salted cantaloupe or other sweet melon: The truffle gives the salt a heady, savory aroma, which might make it work well sprinkled on honeydew melon.

2. Portobellos on the grill. Portobellos are big and meaty, and if you’ve ever lightly oiled one and sizzled it on the grill, you know it’s a worthy accompaniment to steak, or sliced and served on a platter with other grilled vegetables. I might try stirring together some browned onions, cream and a cheese like Compté, season with some truffle salt and let it melt into gooeyness on the grill, inside the bowl of the portobello.

3. Use as a finishing salt for steak or lamb. Or make a flavored butter by mixing unsalted butter with sauteed minced shallots, a bit of lemon juice and a pinch of truffle salt. Shape into a cylinder and chill it, then slice into thick rounds to garnish the grilled or roasted meat. We’ve also found the truffle flavor wonderful with chicken, and why not with wings? Here’s a wings recipe that we’ve tried — and loved.

4. Popcorn. We’ll try a generous shaking of truffle salt with our popcorn soon, definitely with a drizzle of truffle oil.

5. Here are some other foods whose flavors have an affinity for truffles, from Aliza Green: Almond, chipotle, cilantro, cinnamon, coconut, cumin, duck, eggplant, ginger, honey, mango, mint, orange, star anise, sweet potato, tomato and tuna.

When you go to the farmers market this weekend, be sure to stock up on fresh tomatoes and melon in season. They’re great by themselves or tossed together in a fresh salad. That’s why this salad from celebrity chef David Rocco is so appealing.

“I love using sweet fruit in a savory salad,” he writes in his new cookbook, “Made in Italy” (Clarkson Potter Publishers, $35) “You’ll find this a lot in Sicily. There, people ‘get’ mixing these flavors. that may be a result of how incredible their fruit is. I’m going to give you the basics to match the picture, but don’t be afraid to make this salad your own. For instance, you don’t have to use arugula as a base. Sometimes I use only fruit, some finely chopped red onion for spice and heat, and some fresh mint or oregano.

“You can change the fruit. I’ve used melon here, but oranges or figs are also great. The thing that brings all the flavors together is the olive oil, so use the good stuff here.”

Insalata di Pomodori e Melone (Tomato Melon Salad)

2 or 3 vine-ripened tomatoes, cut into chunks
1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
1/2 cantaloupe, peeled and diced
1/4 red onion, diced
1-2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
4 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
Salt, to taste
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Dried oregano, to taste (optional)
1 bunch arugula, torn

The key here is to mix your tomatoes, cucumber, melon and red onions in the vinegar, oil and spices and let that sit for 5 minutes. Make sure, though, that you don’t overdo it with the oregano or the red wine vinegar. These are really just slight complements to the fruit and the fantastic olive oil, and too much of either will overpower the dish.

On a serving plate, lay out your greens. I prefer using baby arugula because it has a nice pepperiness and makes a great base for the salad. Add the seasoned fruits and vegetables on top. Serve immediately.

Makes 4 servings.

From “Made from Italy” by David Rocco

These are the bird days of summer, and Shiner’s got just the beer to wet your whistle. It’s Shiner’s Ruby Redbird, the second time that the brewery in Spoetzel has released its Texas twist on a shandy, the classic beer-lemon mixture.

As you might be able to guess from the name,  the citrus in this beauty of a brew is Texas Rio red grapefruit juice from the Rio Grande Valley, and it’s mixed with a taste of ginger.

It pours a light golden color that fairly gleams when it catches the light. There are flecks of red, but little visually to suggest the ruby red component. The bouquet is redolent of ginger over wheat and hops that rises robustly as you pour it.

This brew pours more like a ginger ale than a beer, all fizzy but without much of a head at all. That’s the mouthfeel you get, too, with a light carbonation that is reminiscent of a soda.

But the taste is not like a ginger ale or even a ginger beer. The folks at Shiner have blended the grapefruit, the ginger, the hops and the malt (“pure Munich malt and Mt. Hood, Citra and Cascade hops,” according to the label) so that they’re well balanced, fruit goes with spice with malt with hops. Nothing stands out or dominates. Everything is fairly smooth. It’s also relatively light, with only a 4.01 percent alcohol level.

In other words, it’s meant to refresh,  to go down clean, to be a summertime treat.

But some people aren’t having any of that. The complaints I’ve heard about this beer include: “It’s too light.” “It’s not Shiner Black Label.” “It tastes like ginger ale.”

Well, guess what folks? If you want to drink Shiner Bock or Shiner Black Label, then drink those beers. That’s not the song Ruby Redbird is singing. It’s a different beer, as different as sourdough is from a baguette. Thankfully, there’s room for all tastes.

Frankly, on a day on which the thermometer hits triple digits, a dark beer is the one of last things in the world I want to think about drinking. (A California Cabernet Sauvignon is another.) That’s where Ruby Redbird comes in. So, enjoy a pint with some fish tacos or a spicy po’boy from one our food trucks, and chill out with a new Texas brew that most welcome in our seemingly endless days of summer.

Watermelon adds another flavor factor to this great drink.

On a hot, summer evening in San Antonio, there are few things quite so refreshing as a waiter strolling up to your table with a dripping glass pitcher of mojitos; icy, limey and packed with mint.

Here’s a recipe that includes all of the above, with the addition of watermelon, which adds another dimension of flavor and refreshment. This recipe comes from Rebecca Rather’s book, “Pastry Queen Parties,” and she credits the recipe to cocktail specialist David Alan. Rather suggests having the elements to this drink, including chilled glasses, ready for friends after a dazzling day under the Texas sun.

Watermelon Mojitos

Mojito Base

1/4 cup agave nectar
1/4 cup freshly squeezed lime juice
Handful fresh mint leaves
1 cup light rum
1/2 cup aged rum

Additions

Per drink: 3 or 4 chunks peeled, seeded ripe watermelon
Ice cubes
Club soda
Watermelon slices and sprigs of mint, for garnish

To make the base: Add the agave nectar, lime juice and mint leaves to a large glass pitcher and lightly bruise the leaves with a wooden spoon or muddler. Add both rums.

For each drink: Add the watermelon to a tall, 8-ounce glass and lightly mash with a wooden spoon or muddler. Add a generous amount of ice and fill the glass two-thirds full with mojito base. Top off with club soda and garnish with a slice of watermelon and a sprig of mint.

Makes 8 drinks

From “Pastry Queen Parties” by Rebecca Rather; cocktail recipe from David Alan