apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

I remember the first time I recreated a restaurant dish - stir-fried pea shoots and watercress from Mr. Chow's. I think I was 18 or 19 at the time...little foodies get started so much younger these days!

The last one I made was Thomas Keller's Liver & Onions - pretty easy, compared to the rest of the French Laundry oeuvre, and the tempura onions are out of this world.

There is a small Japanese sushi place near my father's house in Joliet, Edo Sushi. My wife simply rates their teriyaki as THE best. A trip to Edo is mandatory if we get anywhere near the South side of Chicago or Joliet.

It took me nearly a year to create the closest proximity to their recipe. Served with either tofu or chicken, Edo's sauce has a perfect pungent and sweet flavor. Not a perfect clone, but enough that we enjoy good teriyaki without driving three hours to get it!

Sauteed string beans. The Chinese restaurants around here (NW CT) tend not to have them, so I have been winging it with steamed green beans sauteed in olive oil with garlic, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Just recently I found a real recipe for them, which I have yet to try.

When I was up in Maine around Easter this year, I ate at Hugo's in Portland. They have this beet & horseradish risotto topped with grapefruit that's been lightly fried in tempura batter. It is fantastic. Anyway, I did some online research for recipes, tweaked and tweaked, and came up with something pretty darn close - yumO!

I reverse engineered an awesome cold cucumber soup from a cafe near my house. I was sort of obsessed with it and it was only an occasional special. I think I hit the nail on the head the first time and was very pleased with myself.

I used to work at an Italian restaurant in Swampscott Ma. I was OBSESSED with their Fettucini Alla Pana. I haven't worked there in years but I make it ALL the time. Its fresh fettucini in a cream sauce with sauteed shallots, panchetta and peas. Depending on my mood I sometimes add shrimp before the cream. Its really fast and awesome in winter.

My husband and I recreated a wonderful salad we had at Lumiere in Newton, MA. It was baby greens, warm goat cheese, melon, peppered walnuts, and fine balsamic. Everything was separate on the plate, allowing you to create the perfect bite. It was the most glorious salad I've ever eaten!

I made the three cup chicken from Nat Spil, a restaurant here in Madison, WI. It was a huge hit!

I've got the white cheese dip from Mexican restaurants down, not a big deal but that stuff is tasty. Lettuce wraps from P.F. Changs.

And my most proud, because my dad can't get enough of the stuff, is my recreation of Cheesecake Factory's Pasta Da Vinci, I like to call it Pasta Da Stephie!

I always think these cooking victories are great because often it's not so easy recreating something you really like without any recipe to work from.

A16's grilled fava beans are *delish* and one time, facing a glut of CSA green beans, i decided to try a swap. and indeed, it was glorious! now green beans are one of my favorite veggies, and i look forward to the bagfuls we receive.

I've made Zuni Cafe's roast chicken. Without a wood burning oven, my homemade version was not quite as good as theirs, but it was definitely the best chicken I've ever roasted.

My best is the Miso black cod from Nobu. It really isn't difficult, but you need to marinate for about 2 days.

After moving away from NYC, I missed Craft so much that I tried to recreate many of their dishes. Their creamless creamed corn and carmelized bananas have become standbys.

I *wish* I could replicate a good vodka sauce....

I've reverse engineered quite a few restaurant dishes, but the first was probably the grape leaves stuffed with red peppers and chorizo from the late, lamented La Perla del Mediterraneo.

it probably doesn't count as a restaurant, but I often make my favorite british university cafeteria meal. I spent my junior year abroad in england and the cafeteria made incredible macaroni and cheese (with tons of really good british cheeses) and they always served it with steamed broccoli and chocolate cake (usually covered in heavy cream). it has become my favorite comfort meal.

More like what restaurant meals have I not tried to recreate at home! If I have an enjoyable meal at a restaurant and if I have similar ingredients at home already, I'll try to make it.

There was a place I used to go to in college - this hippie dive - that had the most incredible casserole: a baked sweet potato layered with feta, black beans, tomatoes, and cheddar cheese. It was the first restaurant dish I tried to recreate, and still one of my favorites.

Since then, reverse engineering has almost become a hobby. One of my favorites is a great pumpkin-apple soup that I had on my honeymoon a few years ago, although the flavor profile still isn't quite right. I think the chef must have used something I normally don't have on hand, because it's always missing that "something."

Veggie Planet's (in Harvard Square, Cambridge) butternut squash, goat cheese and carmelized red onion pizza with rosemary and asiago sprinkled on top.

I can't come close to the amazing whole grain crust or the melty, liquidy texture of the goat cheese on the original, but c'mon- this combination of ingredients will taste good no matter what!

I'm embarrassed to admit this, but A LOT of the dishes I make at home are inspired by restaurants.

I recently made a Chez Panisse cafe dish of Prosciutto wrapped scallops: http://foodwoolf.blogspot.com/2008/07/proscuitto-wrapped-scallops-french.html

I recreated a greek yogurt cheese from Mozza:
http://foodwoolf.blogspot.com/2008/06/say-cheese.html
as well as this mint, peas and yogurt cheese dish:
http://foodwoolf.blogspot.com/2008/06/inspirational-dishes.html

(blush),
Brooke

when our favorite breakfast spot closed, I had no choice but to start making my favorite dish - whole wheat cous cous made with cider and butter, topped with a dash of cinnamin and brown sugar and fresh strawberries. warm milk or cream poured on top. So easy! So perfect!