Set your VCR, Tivo or whatever recording device you have

for 8:00AM tomorrow morning on WJXT and see Chef Dennis Chan on The Morning Show! He'll be making history, too. He'll be the last guest to be broadcast on analog for that station.

Street Eats Stringin'

Mark your calendars for Sunday, June 28. Blue Bamboo will be bringing in Gary Coulette to play guitar while you dine!

Remember to book your table online and mention "RANGOON" in the notes to get your free order of Blue Bamboo's new Crab Rangoon appetizer!

Free Crab Rangoon at Blue Bamboo!

Recently Chef Dennis Chan's mentor, Ming Tsai, paid Blue Bamboo a visit and suggested that he add a Crab Rangoon to the menu. After a few recipe tests, he created a 100% lump crab and pure Philadelphia cream cheese Rangoon that would live up to his high Blue Bamboo standards. He'd like for you to try them... on him!

To take advantage of Blue Bamboo's offer to you, simply visit the website, www.bluebamboojacksonville.com, and book a table in June. Type "RANGOON" in the notes section of your reservation, and they'll take care of the rest.

So book your table soon, and do tell if you are as excited about their new Rangoons as they are.

Limit one offer per table per visit. Taxes and gratuity not included. Offer expires June 30, 2009. Offer valid with pre-booked tables only.

Hip Asian Comfort Food won an IPPY!

Since 1996 the "IPPY" Awards have recognized the best independent-published books of the year in 65 categories. Chef Dennis Chan's "Hip Asian Comfort Food" tied for Gold in the Cookbook category this year. Can I get a WOOHOOO? We're both very excited :-D

Here's the complete list of book winners.

Hip Asian Comfort Food...

...will be in Borders book store starting this weekend!

Blue Bamboo Wine Dinner 4/14/09

This is Chef Dennis' last wine dinner for the season. He won't be doing another one until around September. But what a way to end a season!

The first course was Soft-shell Crab in Creamy Lobster Bisque paired with Gainey Sauvignon Blanc. Normally I'd think a Sauv Blanc would be too citrusy and vibrant for such a dish. But due to the 25% Semillon added to the wine, it gave it a nice, creamy mouthfeel and paired very nicely with the dish!

The second course was Coconut-Lemongrass Chicken with Thai-Basil Rice paired with Roshambo Imago Chardonnay. Chef Dennis' father picked the snow peas that garnished the rice that very morning, so they were very fresh. The chicken was tender, the rice was great, and the chardonnay was the perfect match.

The third course was Kansas City Pork "Rib" with Tortilla Slaw paired with Babich Pinot Noir. Several things to note about this course. First off, I'm not a fan of barbeque sauce. But this sauce on the pork was fantastic! It wasn't slathered on, which I think is what made it perfect for me. It was merely an enhancement to the meat. Secondly, I don't care for cole slaw. Again, Chef Dennis opened my eyes to a new possibility. It was the addition of the tortilla strips to a fresh mix of ingredients that made it perfect. And thirdly...the wine by itself was just okay. When paired with the pork, however, the smokiness of the sauce melded with the similar flavors in the wine. Delicious!

The fourth course was Katsu Ribeye with Yoghurt Cheese Stick and Shitake-Berry Compote paired with Rombauer Merlot and Bleasdale Shiraz. Can I just say...WOW! Two thumbs up on that pairing.

And last, but certainly not least, the dessert. Be careful not to drool here...Orange-Cream Cheese "Bear Claw" paired with Royal Tokaji Five Putonyos. Just look at the photo. I think it speaks volumes. It was even better than it looks in the photo. Flaky pastry, delicious filling, wonderful wine. Exceptional!

See the full gallery on posterous

Many thanks for an enjoyable evening to the wonderful Blue Bamboo crew: Executive Chef Dennis Chan and Sous Chefs Michael Kimpland, Benjamin Combs, Christopher Eng, Lauren O'Grady, Shelby Cochrane and Tabatha Boone.

We're looking forward to September!

Posted via email from Linda's posterous

Tonight's Wines and Tasting Notes

Good wine selection tonight! We tasted:

Snoqualmie Vineyards Chardonnay - unlike any chardonnay I've tasted, this was a little sweeter than your usual chard. Very refreshing!

Seven Daughters White Blend - a blend of French Colombard, Sauvignon Blanc, Gewurztraminer, Riesling, Orange Muscat, Chardonnay and Symphony. It sounds like it would be really sweet, but it wasn't. It had beautiful melon aromas and was a good balance of sweet and citrus.

Snoqualmie Vineyards Merlot - velvety smooth on the palate. A few people mentioned that there was a somewhat bitter aftertaste, but I didn't get that at all. This would be perfect with cheese and crackers.

Seven Daughters Red Blend - a blend of Merlot, Zinfandel, Syrah, Carignan, Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon and Sangiovese. I tasted spices from the Zin and rich, ripe fruits from the Syrah. The Cab Franc gave it its body. Every mouthful showed different lush fruits.

Normally I don't like every wine at the tastings, but these were all very tasty!