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Menu for Thursday, June 6th, 2013 Epoch Wine Dinner at Valentien

Epoch Wines at Valentein on June 6th

Find The Menu Here: Epoch Menu

This week:  One of the greatest musicals ever made.  That’s my opinion, but it is an opinion shared by many.   Gene Kelly does some of the finest dancing and best choreography of his career.  Debbie Reynolds danced until her feet bled, and practiced (in secret) with Fred Astaire to please Gene’s demands of perfection.

With some of the catchiest tunes to ever grace cinema, you’ll be singing and tapping right along on Saturday night.   And our pastry chef, Daisy, is making a special cake that we are calling “Debbie Reynolds’ Good Morning Cake”. Order a piece for dessert; you’re going to love it!

“Singing In The Rain” costumes on display at The Paley Center
The costumes from “Singin’ In The Rain” were eventually acquired by Debbie Reynolds as part of her vast movie memorabilia collection.  In 2011, she auctioned most of her collection off. Jeramy and I were lucky enough to attend an auction preview, and were thrilled to see, up close, the costumes from many of the famous numbers. Even costumes from the film within a film, “The Dancing Cavalier” all in such wonderful, pristine condition.  If only we could have tried on Gene Kelly’s shoes.  Alas, we will have to be satisfied with watching them work magic on the screen.

Join us Saturday, for a favorite film, and one of the last of the spring season!

-Jennifer

$95 per person
CALL SOON.
UPDATE: We only have a few tables left!
661-864-0397
THURSDAY JUNE 6TH
WITH EPOCH WINES

This is bound to sell out quickly! Jeramy is working with our kitchen to put together a stellar evening, that you will definitely want to be a part of.
With Jordan Fiorentini and Justin Smith as winemakers, we know you’ll love Epoch, that is, if you don’t already.

SOLD OUT!

Call to make a reservation.  Our online reservation system will not allow for Sunday bookings.

Please call 661-864-0397 to reserve a table for your group.

Featuring new works by Liz Sherwyn

5:00 PM – 7:30 PM

UPDATE:  Now Free to Arts Council members!

You can become a member of the Arts Council at the door!

$15 for non-members

Complimentary Hors d’oeuvres and Glass of Wine are included.

Read More Here:  http://www.bakersfieldcalifornian.com/entertainment/dining/x411128995/Art-movies-and-happy-hour-at-Valentien?utm_source=widget_201&utm_medium=latest_entries_widget&utm_campaign=synapse

You can make this light vegetarian pea dish as a first course appetizer, or call it a soup.  It’s easy to make this recipe as a non-dairy version or you can add a little cheese to give the dish additional depth.   Light and lemony, this is a perfect spring dish.   Valentien has featured this on our spring menus many times.  Now you can make it at home.

For filling

2 cup fresh or thawed baby peas

2 small shallot, finely chopped

3  teaspoons olive oil

kosher salt and white pepper

For cheese version add:

6 tablespoons freshly grated parmesan

6 tablespoons ricotta cheese

For non-dairy version add:

½ cup of silken tofu

1/4 cup of plain unflavored almond milk

Make your favorite pasta recipe  (this one works very well: http://youtu.be/90Ry484ydpU  ) roll it out using your machine rollers thinnest setting.   Or if rolling by hand, roll it very thin, making sure you can almost see through it.  This pasta should be delicate and light.

OR CHEAT A BIT WITH:

30 won ton wrappers

Broth

2 qt vegetarian broth (make your own if you have time! or CHEATER ALERT buy a really high quality boxed broth, and watch the sodium content, you don’t want this to be over-salty)

3 cup lemon juice

2 garlic clove, smashed

2 teaspoon freshly grated lemon zest

Make filling:

(Set aside about 30 peas to use as garnish) Force remaining peas through the fine disk of a food mill into a bowl to remove skins.

Cook shallot in oil in a small skillet over moderately low heat, stirring occasionally, until softened. Remove from heat and stir into pea mixture. Gently purée with cheese  (or almond milk and tofu). Season filling with salt and pepper.

Fill ravioli:

Lay out pasta sheets  on lightly floured surface and cut out 30 large squares, mound a level teaspoon of filling in center. Lightly dampen edges of pasta square with a fingertip dipped in water and fold over to form a triangle, pressing down around filling to force air out and pressing edges together firmly to seal. Moisten 1 end of long side of triangle and fold opposite end over, creating a little hat shape, then pinch ends together to seal. Transfer to a dry kitchen towel and finish remaining ravioli in same manner.

IF CHEATING:  (It’s basically the same process as above)

Put 1 won ton wrapper on a lightly floured surface, keeping remaining wrappers covered with plastic wrap, and mound a level teaspoon of filling in center. Lightly dampen edges of wrapper with a fingertip dipped in water and fold over to form a triangle, pressing down around filling to force air out and pressing edges together firmly to seal. Moisten 1 end of long side of triangle and fold opposite end over, creating a little hat shape, then pinch ends together to seal. Transfer to a dry kitchen towel and finish remaining ravioli in same manner.

Cook ravioli and lemon broth:

Combine broth, garlic, lemon juice and zest, and season with salt and pepper to taste in a saucepan and bring to a simmer. Throw reserved peas in to broth for just a moment until they turn bright green and before they get mushy.  Remove peas from broth if they start to get mushy, and set aside to use as garnish.   Meanwhile, cook ravioli in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente, 2 to 3 minutes, then drain.

 TO PLATE:

Divide ravioli among soup plates (5 ravioli each) and ladle broth over them.

GARNISH WITH:

Dollop of butter or non-dairy margarine, lemon rind curls, fresh pea shoots and a bit of parsley, and a sprinkle of a few whole cooked peas.

Weekly Wine Pairing
Available Wednesday-Saturday
Or While Supplies Last
Entrée
Bison Striploin Steak
Red Wine Sauce,  Roasted Heirloom Potatoes,
Creamed Brussels Sprouts, Crisped Pork Jowl
Special W.W.P. pricing:  $29

Paired With
Cabernet Sauvignon
Muscatine Vineyard, Soda Canyon, Napa Valley, 2009

Special W.W.P. pricing:  $9/glass and $36/bottle

Learning About A New Wine
“In early February we had the wonderful opportunity to meet an energetic vintner  from Napa Valley.  Draselle Muscatine was in town visiting friends and came in for lunch at Valentien.  We struck up a conversation, and she said I must try her wine.  The very next week her friend came in with a bottle of her estate Cabernet Sauvignon. To me one of the most impressive characteristics of this wine is how the structure of the mouth feel is soft and silky. Classic Napy Valley flavors of black and red fruit with a back bone of pillowy tannins. Muscatine Vineyard is located east of famed Stag’s Leap District. A fabulous wine that you need to learn about.”

-Jeramy

10:30AM- 2:30PM

Don’t Stand In A Buffet Line!  Sit down, relax, enjoy.

Make your reservations soon! 661-864-0397 or use our online reservation system.

Join us for brunch! *Menu Subject To Change

Dinner Reservations
Monday – Saturday
4:30 PM – 8:30 PM

Lunch Reservations
Fridays Only
11:30 AM – 2:00 PM

Effective Monday, March 4th, 2013

Greetings!

As we celebrate the 10th anniversary of Valentien Restaurant and Wine Bar, Jeramy and I have been carefully planning and plotting some changes. Some big, some small, all of them important.  Many changes will be slowly implemented, a few will be rapidly introduced, some will be aesthetic, some will be menu based, some will be difficult to categorize…

Starting Monday, March 4th Valentien will have new hours.
This was a change that we have wrestled with and really agonized over, here’s why:

First and foremost, we wanted to bring to our community more opportunity to access our dinner menu, and offer a night-time prix fixe.

Secondly, we wanted to find a way to really focus on a dinner program unlike anything else in town- but have been finding it hard to find the time to spend to develop new and innovative ideas.  Our new hours will give us the chance to do just that, as well as work on some of our other planned changes.

Thirdly, we didn’t want to lose our loyal lunch patron. Many of whom we feel we have developed strong relationships with as customers and as friends.

With all of this in mind, we decided upon the following:

Dinner Reservations
Monday – Saturday  4:30 PM – 8:30 PM
A Prix Fixe Dinner Menu Will Be Available
$25 Every Night 4:30 PM – 5:30 PM
In addition, the full regular dinner menu will be available 4:30-8:30.

Lunch Reservations
Friday Only  11:30 AM – 2:00 PM
A Lunch Prix Fixe Menu Will Be Available
$16  Every Friday 11:30 AM – 2:00 PM
In addition, a regular lunch menu will be available 11:30-2:00.

For those of you panicking; don’t.
Lunchtime Lamb Sliders are your favorite?  Come in on Friday. We will have plenty, along with the Beef and Brie Baguette and all of the other lunch time staples.
You are used to eating late on Saturday nights?  Our last reservation is at 8:30, the kitchen will still be working late, and we will make every effort to accommodate your needs.
Not able to make it in for a Dinner Prix Fixe before 5:30? We will still offer great specials such as our Weekly Wine Pairing without time restrictions.
You’re afraid we will refer to our 4:30 diners as some sort of bird? Never. We prefer the term “Afternoon Epicure”

Please remember this is our last week of Lunch- Tuesday- Friday.

Next week, starting Monday, March 4th, Lunch will be on Friday Only, and we will open at 4:30 for dinner every day Monday- Saturday.

Thank you, as always, for being a wonderful and understanding patron as we grow and change.  Your support means everything to us.

-Jennifer