Sleepy Bee is already one of my favorite restuarants in Cincinnati so when I found out I had the opportunity to get an exclusive tasting thanks to Thompson Hine and Findlay Kitchen (Findlay Markets commercial kitchen) and of course my friend Adreanne who actually invited me. Chef Frances Kroner prepared one of the most creative and diverse menu's I've tasted in a long time, plus I'll pretty much drink any Sangria you put in front of me.
Let's take a moment to talk a little about Findlay Kitchen and it's impact on food entreprenuers here in Cincinnati. Their goals are pretty simple, but incredibly impactful for small business owners.
- To provide a community space that is welcoming to all and seeks out a healthy, diverse mix of people, ethnicities, products and stories.
- To foster a supportive and collaborative environment in which people and food businesses will prosper.
- To create a positive social impact in our community through empowerment, partnership and outreach. (Via findlaykitchen.org)
The first course was a Ricotta Stuff Lemon. This has to be one of the easiest recipes I've ever seen! Seriously, from beginning to end it was only a few ingredients. It was simply lemons halves, ricotta cheese, sweet corn, honey, salt and pepper, then you roast it for 20 minutes on 350 degrees!
Now let's talk about taste...this dish was sweet - from the honey and sweet corn, savory - from the ricotta, salt, and pepper, then tart -from the lemon juice and roasted lemons! It spreads nearly perfect on any bread type, but a nice toasty and crispy bread works best. Now if you want to get fancy and make this a tad cheesy and add in cheddar, smoked gouda, or even pepper jack cheese.
Next on the list was Hot Smoked Maple and Soy Salmon, again this is a simple and delicious recipe with only 3 ingredients and 30 minutes. This recipe only contains salmon, maple syrup, and soy sauce! It was topped with capers and creme fraiche, this is what Chef Frances called fancy sour cream. It have a lighter, more vibrant, less tart taste than typical sour cream.
The salmon itself was cooked to fall apart, tender, juicy perfection. I also learned a thing or two about cooking salmon, apparently I've been overcooking my salmon for years. When cooking salmon you want to cook it until the white fatty parts just barely start to show and is firm yet tender to the touch. I've always cooked my salmon to nearly all of it is white, I'm essentially cooking all the fat out which is full of flavor and keeps the fish moist.
Last but surely not least was the Panzenella Salad, honestly I had NO CLUE what this was prior to seeing it being prepared and I likely would make a different sauce and add a different dressing. I'm not a big tomato fan, unless it's fried, green, and had a remoulade sauce. Any who, this salad is essentially everything except the kitchen sink in terms of how to prepare it.
Although it was not my favorite, if you love tomatoes you'll LOVE this salad. It's essentially, tomatoes, stale bread cut into small cubes, and a dijon and vinegar based dressing. I'm basic when it comes to dressing, through some Italian dressing on there and we'd been in business! But to each his or her own right?
Again, I want to thank Thompson Hine Law Office and their Spotlight On Women initiative as well as the new Findlay Kitchen and all the opportunities they are providing for Cincinnati's food entreprenuers!
Stay hungry my friends...
Ray B.
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