By Harlan Goldstein
I've eaten at the many restaurants Harlan Goldstein has had over the years: his first, Harlan's (which he no longer owns), Tuscany by H (now closed), Gold, Comfort and, his latest, Penthouse. So I was pleased to find his self-published book, written shortly after he opened Gold, in Lan Kwai Fong, tucked away in a box I'd forgotten about. It means I can try to replicate some of the chef's dishes, many of which are still being served in one form or another.
It's a slender volume, with only 108 pages, and close to 20 of those tell an abbreviated version of Goldstein's life story, and bear pictures of the man himself, his staff at Gold and the restaurant. But the recipes, when you finally get to them, will have you salivating. I've bookmarked many I have enjoyed when dining out and want to try at home: porcini truffle flatbread; Mama G's chopped liver bruschetta; scallop carpaccio with soft cooked egg and truffles; crispy oysters with jalapeno salsa, tomato aioli and Iberico 5J ham; Italian red prawns and black ink spaghetti; roasted Colorado lamb rib with cannellini bean stew; and Iberian 5J pork chop with cherry tomato ragout.