My brother-in-law is a chef in Denver. Whenever we visit him we get to eat some of the best food around. Not only does he feed us well, but he introduces us to his chef friends and takes us to all of Denver's hot spots. One of our favorite places to eat is Z Cuisine. It's a wonderful Parisian Bistro with an Absinthe Bar next door. I'm not an Absinthe drinker but I did have the most refreshing drink there that I can only describe as a Grapefruit/St. Germaine Granita. Seriously, if you're in the Denver area, check it out. Growing up with a chef for an uncle has been great for Little Devil. She's never been a picky eater, but when a guy you already think is really cool tells you to try something YOU TRY SOMETHING. The last time we ate there she enjoyed Z Cassoulet de la Maison au confit de canard which translates to a duck dish, made with pork belly and sausage, cooked "andouille style" in a white bean ragout with wilted chard and kale. Now I can't begin to pronounce, let alone cook anything like that but boy does is sound fancy and it tastes even better. In homage to this dish at Z Cuisine I made this White Bean Ragout with Smoked Sausage and Spinach. Which also sounds fancy but if you think of it as French Style Beenie Weenies then you can not only pronounce it, you can accomplish it. I'm very proud of how it turned out, and next time my brother-in-law is home for a visit I'm going to make a pot for him!
I'm not a chef, but I think it turned out really good... |
The Cannellini beans and spinach were a great compliment to the hearty smoked sausage. |