Eating Out: Latitude 41′s Tasting Menu

Chicken and andouille sausage gumbo with tiger shrimp.
Chicken and andouille sausage gumbo with tiger shrimp.
Pear salad: whipped goat cheese, toasted almonds, mixed green, mead vinaigrette, honey drizzle.
Pear salad: whipped goat cheese, toasted almonds, mixed green, mead vinaigrette, honey drizzle.
Steamed clams in wasabi and smoked bacon sauce. Served with pork belly and ciabatta over beet puree.
Steamed clams in wasabi and smoked bacon sauce. Served with pork belly and ciabatta over beet puree.

Eggplant parmesean with penne.
Eggplant parmesean with penne.
Assortment of local cheese that I can't remember for the life of me. With warm castelvetrano olives and ciabatta toast.
Assortment of local cheese that I can’t remember for the life of me. With warm castelvetrano olives and ciabatta toast.
Left: Spiced apple "pie" with marscapone cheese. Right: Toffee pudding, toffee chips, Jeni's honey vanilla ice cream.
Left: Spiced apple “pie” with marscapone cheese. Right: Toffee pudding, toffee chips, Jeni’s honey vanilla ice cream.


Though Kim and I are crazy about cooking at home, we’re equally crazy about eating at great restaurants. The focus now, of course, is finding places that are just as passionate about getting the best organic, local, or sustainably harvested ingredients. This can be tricky because while there are limited rules on labeling food we buy at the supermarket, there are NO labeling rules/guidelines regarding what happens in restaurants. You have to ask around, see where they get their food, and talk to the chefs. You can quickly see their passion to deliver delicious and healthy food.

Recently, we went to Latitude 41, downtown Columbus, Ohio. They have a tasting menu which we found was wonderful. It wasn’t so busy, so Chef Andrew (Chef de Cuisine) was able to talk about his preparations and where he gets his ingredients.

Roasted Red Pepper Soup

Photo Mar 12, 6 14 22 PMThe hardest part of this meal was roasting the red peppers. Roasting peppers in the oven is not difficult, it is just not something I have experience with. A few more times and this is a meal I could make from memory! An “Americana” meal that is easy, delicious and healthy!

Adapted from The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook by Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre, MS, CN

2 TBSP coconut or olive oil
1 large onion, diced
2 TBSP chopped garlic
1 tsp crushed red chili pepper flakes
2 tsp sea salt or Herbamare
4-5 red bell peppers, roasted
1 can (28 oz) crushed tomatoes
2 cans coconut milk (full fat preferred)
4 cups vegetable stock
1/4 cup minced fresh basil

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Buckwheat Soba Noodle Salad

Adapted from The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook by Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre, MS, CN

1 package buckwheat soba noodles
8-10 shitake mushrooms
10-12 shrimp (we prefer “31/40″ sized raw, tail-on for best flavor, but cooked shrimp can also work)
1 cup grated carrots
1 cup thinly sliced red cabbage
3 green onions, sliced into thin rounds
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/8 cup sesame seeds, toasted
garlic powder
red pepper flakes
canola oil

Dressing:
3 TBSP sesame oil
2 TBSP wheat-free tamari
2 TBSP rice wine vinegar
1 TBSP maple syrup
1-2 tsp hot pepper sesame oil
1-2 tsp fresh grated ginger
2-3 cloves garlic, crushed

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Winter Quinoa Salad

Wow – talk about a burst of flavor from a cold salad. The first few bites are “ok”, but then the earthiness of the toasted pecans, the sweetness from the cranberries, and the tang of the dressing combine perfectly. My husband said it’s almost like a savory oatmeal – minus the oats. Taken from The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook by Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre, MS, CN.

Serves 4-6

2 cups quinoa, rinsed and drained
3 1/2 cups water
pinch of sea salt

1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
1 medium red onion, finely diced
2 tsp dried thyme (I omitted this)
1/4 tsp Herbamare or sea salt
1 cup pecans
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 cup chopped parsley
freshly ground black pepper and sea salt

Dressing:
1/2 cup freshly squeezed orange juice
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 TBSP white wine vinegar
1 tsp orange zest

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Multigrain Bread

Some recipes of wheat bread leave you with a tough and dense brick. After many tries, I’ve found the perfect combination of bread and wheat flour, sugar and yeast to ensure a hearty yet light bread. The addition of the other grains and nuts adds wonderful flavor and texture. We use King Arthur brand and Simple Truth (Kroger brand) organic flours.

8 1/2 oz (1 3/4 cups) whole wheat flour
10 oz (2 cups) bread flour
2 TBSP coconut flour
1 TBSP cornmeal
1 TBSP wheat germ
1 TBSP rolled oats
1 TBSP flaxseed
1 TBSP quinoa
2 TBSP raw sunflower seeds
2 tsp salt
2 TBSP brown sugar
13 1/2 fl oz (1 11/16 cup) water
2 1/2 TBSP olive oil
2 tsp active yeast
*Use all organic ingredients when possible

Combine all dry ingredients in bread machine. Mix wet ingredients together. Pour over dry mixture. In our machine you add the yeast to a slot in the top. Set bread machine for multigrain. Ours takes about 5 hours. This recipe has been adapted from the Panasonic SD-YD250 Bread Maker recipe booklet. All bread machines are different so amounts/times could vary.

 

White sandwich bread

After much trial end error, I found a great sandwich bread that grills up perfectly for paninis or hot sandwiches. We use King Arthur brand or Simple Truth (Kroger brand) organic flours.

10 1/4 oz (2 cups) unbleached all purpose flour
10 1/4 oz (2 cups) bread flour
2 tsp salt
1 1/2 TBSP cane sugar
14 oz (1 3/4 cups) water
1 1/2 tsp molasses
2 1/2 TBSP olive oil
1 1/2 tsp active yeast
*use organic ingredients whenever possible

Combine all dry ingredients in bread maker. Mix wet ingredients together well. Pour over dry mixture. This will make an XL (about 2.5 lbs) loaf. Set the bread maker to XL basic and select preferred darkness. I usually just keep it on medium. This recipe has been adapted from the Panasonic SD-YD250 Bread Maker recipe booklet. Amounts/times may vary between bread makers.

Homemade Hummus

Image Courtesy of Flickr user Tassike.ee - Marju Randmer.

Image Courtesy of Flickr user Tassike.ee – Marju Randmer.

Taken from The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook by Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre, MS, CN

3 cups cooked garbanzo beans (chickpeas) or 2 cans
1/2 cup sesame tahini
1/2 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/4 extra virgin olive oil
2-3 cloves of crushed garlic or 2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ground cumin
1-2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup bean liquid or water to desired consistency

  1. Place all ingredients into a blender or food processor and process until smooth and creamy. Your blender may get “stuck” with the thickness of the ingredients. Simply turn OFF the blender and scrape the sides down to the blades with a wooden spoon. Adding more olive oil or bean liquid can help.
  2. You will want to taste the hummus to see if it needs more lemon, tahini, garlic or salt.
  3. In a pinch I have substituted 1/4 cup natural peanut butter for 1/4 cup tahini.
  4. You can also add basil or other ingredients (such as red chili flake or roasted red pepper) to vary the flavor.

Hummus makes a great, healthy snack and freezes well!

Fragrant Lentil Soup

Photo Mar 05, 4 39 15 PMTaken from The Whole Life Nutrition Cookbook by Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre, MS, CN

Serves 6-8

1 TBSP extra virgin olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
3 large carrots, diced
1 TBSP dried thyme (I omitted this)
1 TBSP garam masala
2 cups green lentils, rinsed and drained
8 cups water or vegetable stock
2 cups chopped tomatoes
4 cups baby spinach leaves
1-2 tsp sea salt or Herbamare
2 TBSP red wine vinegar (I used 1 TBSP balsamic vinegar and 1 TBSP apple cider vinegar)

1. Heat olive oil and chopped onions in a large pot over medium heat. Saute for about 5 minutes or until onion begins to soften.
2. Add crushed garlic, diced carrots, dried thyme, and garam masala; saute for another 5-7 minutes.
3. Add the lentils and water; cover pot and simmer for about 35-40 minutes.
4. Add chopped tomatoes, spinach, sea salt, and red wine vinegar; simmer for another 10 minutes.