Ruscello at Nordstrom is a great place for lunch at Ala Moana Shopping Center. It was son Reid’s birthday lunch and he had always wanted to eat at this restaurant.
Executive Chef of Nordstrum is Eric Goodhew who earned his associate degree in Culinary Arts/Chef Training at the Art Institute of Seattle.
Ruscello’s lobster bisque is a popular selection and was very tasty. You can order a cup or bowl.
We ordered the crispy calamari with sweet and spicy peppers and a jalapeno basil aioli for an appetizer.
For entrees, we ordered chicken lemon pesto gnocchi: ricotta gnocchi, roasted tomatoes, organic baby arugula, and Parmesan cheese, which was tasty with pillowy gnocchi.
Restaurant Week, Sept. 15-Oct. 1, celebrated Hispanic Heritage Month, with collaboration with Chef Iliana de la Vega, a Mexican-born educator, restaurateur, culinary consultant and 2022 James Beard Award winner for best chef, Texas.
Chef Iliana de la Vega grew up in Mexico City. Her mother was from Oaxaca and her grandmother would often send boxes of Oaxacan delicacies: “Earthy, smoky chilies, almond or vanilla laced chocolate, sesame seed speckled bread and bags filled with fragrant spices like oregano and cinnamon. It was like Christmas day for me. Hoping for others to see how worthy and tasteful Mexican food can be and that it can belong in fine dining, I moved to Oaxaca and opened El Naranjo in 1997. I had always enjoyed teaching, and after a few people asked for my mole recipes, I opened a cooking school as well. Unfortunately, a period of political unrest forced my family out of Mexico, but I reopened El Naranjo in Austin in 2012.”
The three-course lunch menu included:
Starters (choose one):
Tostadas de Hongos: Mushroom tostadas/corn tortillas, pumpkin seed puree, baby greens, cilantro; or Solterito de Quinoa: Peruvian chopped salad/roast heirloom cherry tomatoes, red potatoes, grilled corn, edamame, mixed heirloom cherry tomatoes, red onion, quinoa, queso fresco cheese, organic baby arugula, cilantro, aji amarilla vinaigrette; or Yuca Frita: Aji amarilla aioli.
Entree (choose one):
Camarones Enchipotlados: Shrimp with chipotle/wild Pacific shrimp, squash, chipotle cream, rice cilantro; or Lomo Saltado: Stir-fried beef/roasted peppers, onions, petite tomatoes, yuca fries, cilantro; or Solterito de Quinoa con Pollo o Salmon: Peruvian chopped salad, roasted potatoes, grilled corn, edamame, heirloom cherry tomatoes, red onion, queso fresco cheese, baby arugula, cilantro, aji amarillo vinaigrette, lime with grilled chicken or Alaskan wild salmon.
I choose the tostada de hongos or the mushroom tostadas. The mushrooms were excellent but the corn tortillas were difficult to eat because they were so hard.
The solterto de quinoa con salmon was my entree selection. The salad, with the addition of quinoa, grilled corn, baby arugula and wild Alaskan salmon, four of my favorite ingredients, combined into a beautiful salad was so delicious!
The desserts, tres leches cake as well as the white chocolate bread pudding, were both excellent as well.
Tres leches needs three types of milk: heavy cream, sweetened condensed milk and evaporated milk.
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Here’s a recipe for chocolate tres leches cake:
Chocolate Tres Leches Cake
Serves 12
For the cake, sift in a large bowl:
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1-1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon table salt
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, optional
Whisk:
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup canola oil
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
Beat till soft peaks, 3-4 minutes:
4 egg whites
1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar
Gradually sprinkle:
1/4 cup sugar
Beat until stiff and glossy but not dry, 4 minutes more.
For the three milks, whisk:
1 (14 ounce) can sweetened condensed milk
1 (12 ounce) evaporated milk
1/2 cup heavy cream
For the topping, heat:
1-1/2 cup heavy cream
Turn off heat, add, cover and let sit for 5 minutes:
4 ounces semisweet chocolate bar, finely chopped
Whisk until smooth, whisk in, then chill.
1/2 cup sour cream
Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Whisk one quarter of the egg whites into the batter. Fold in remaining whites, in three batches, adding more when no streaks remain. Pour batter into an ungreased 9-inch springform pan set on a baking sheet. Bake cake until skewer inserted into the center comes out clean, 45-50 minutes, cool 10 minutes.
Poke cake all over with a skewer. Slowly pour milks over cake, letting them soak before adding more. Cool cake completely, then cover and chill overnight.
Beat topping until soft peaks form, then spoon over cake.
To serve, run a knife around the edge of the pan, then unlock the ring and carefully remove the cake from the base.
Foodie bites
The Hawaii Community College’s Culinary program’s The Cafeteria and Da ‘Ohana Cafe are open Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m. Call 808- 934-2591 for Da ‘Ohana Cafe or 808-934-2559 for The Cafeteria.
Email Audrey Wilson at audreywilson808@gmail.com.
