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August 19, 2010

Yesterday, I made one of my favorite sandwiches. Egg salad with whole grain bread. Then I read about the egg recall. My eggs were not on the recall list, but I threw them away anyway and bought a new dozen. Better safe than salmonella.

Make sure your eggs are not on the list:  www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2010/08/19/US-recall-of-suspect-eggs-widened/UPI-95351282241439/

August 13, 2010

My ricotta and mozzarella cheese-making kit arrived yesterday and I’ve already devoured the instructions, watched videos (thank you Barb Freda) and purchased supplies. My reward, if I finish two stories that have been sitting on the proverbial back burner, is cheese. Maybe I’ll make marinara too. With more time and a little semolina  I’d make pasta. Unfortunately, as we all know, you can have it all — just not at the same time. So,  I’ll report back on Monday and let you know if (and how) the cheese making went … and how well I wrote those stories.

My best to you, –Denise (Globalfoodiegal)

July 30, 2010

The summer is moving too fast for me. How about you? It’s almost August and I’m still in an April/May mode. The blooms are off the perennials and the garden is starting to produce.

July 2010

Yes, it’s been awhile since I posted here. It is becoming easier as I learn to navigate this site. This month Vivienne wrote about Marula trees, Peter Francis Battaglia shared his cooking expertise, Susan McKee served cognac and Rosemary reviewed New Hampshire eatery.

I’ve been traveling, cooking and reading. Quebec City restaurants were memorable — and were matched by Montreal’s exclusive offerings. I must admit Jardin Nelson in Saint Jacques Cartier was probably one of the most impressive dining experiences in the last year. The award-winning gardens, a kitchen that has won awards for its cleanliness and spectacular food made even the hottest day in Montreal more than bearable. I’ll be writing more about Quebec, Montreal and France in the coming months.

My next foray is to Geneva for a new travel show. I’m just the writer behind the camera, but it is fun — and I get to sample food, which gives me fodder for more magazine (and globalfoodie) stories.

Off to finish a deadline. Talk to you soon.

–Denise AKA Globalfoodiegal

August, 2009

Greetings! Our site keeps gettting better and better, so bear with us as we work through the small web-world glitches. We’re writers, so only one side of our brain works. The other side — the one that figures out the cyber universe– is missing a few beats. Even so, we’re moving in the right direction; just a little slowly.

Take a look at a few of our stories. Shannon Hurst Lane’s story, “Grits” is funny and educational. Keith Kellett always keeps me entertained with his UK stories.  His “Aussie Pies” and a visit up Snowdonian’s peak are great, so take a look.  Deston Nokes explains why North Carolina biscuits are so popular in Oregon and Richard Frisbie takes us to the French country side.

There’s more to come. Susan McKee has two stories on deck and Deston promises to tell a few more tales. Rosemary has another book review and is writing about Pamela’s gluten-free products.

There are two winners in our now bi-monthly cookbook contest. Congratulations to Roberta Beach Jacobson, from Greece, and Tera Crain, from Austin, Texas. We’ll get those out as soon as possible.

We are still collecting recipes, so send in whatever you have. Include its history and family ties. Eventually we’ll have our “Recipe Center” up and running.

We’re almost into September and we foodies know that means it’s time to enjoy your local bounty. Peaches, tomatoes, corn-on-the-cob, herbs, lettuce, you name it, your local farmer has it all and more.  Although supermarket offerings are fine, the local farmer’s market or farm stand is the only way to go this time of year.

Talk to you soon,

Globalfoodiegal, Denise

Portland’s Pine State Biscuits Gain National Following with North Carolina Cooking

By Deston Nokes

Clearly, the diet would have to wait.

Looking up at the chalkboard menu, my eyes scrolled down a list of preparations I had nearly-forgotten … the type my grandmother would make using an iron skillet in a kitchen singing along with the sizzle of frying chicken and the smell of rich gravy.

Pine State Biscuits, located in Portland, Ore., serves the kind of food where you toss away whatever calorie-cutting promises you made to yourself. Take The Reggie: A sandwich made with a breast of fried chicken, cheddar cheese and strips of bacon, sandwiched between a full-fat butter and cream biscuit, all smothered in sausage gravy.

Another trip, I nudged the caloric thermometer down a tad with The Regina: An over easy egg placed on collard greens, sandwiched between a biscuit, and splashed with Texas Pete Hot Sauce. I soothed its spicy zip with some homemade sweet tea. A side order of fried green tomatoes dipped in locally sourced corn grits with buttermilk ranch, is an absolute must.

“Our whole concept was to bring the true rendition of North Carolina breakfast biscuits to the Northwest,” said co-owner Kevin Atchley. “It’s the kind of food we miss almost as much as family.”

Three North Carolina natives, Atchley (from Raleigh) Brian Snyder (from Albemarl) and Walt Alexander (from Greensboro) launched the eatery. Before the restaurant opened a year and a half ago, Pine Street Biscuits had been a fixture at the Portland Farmer’s Market for three seasons, so it had a following the day it opened.

The daily line outside the door attests to Pine State’s popularity, and the quick service and tasty food makes up for the wait. Late last spring, Pine State Biscuits caught the attention of the Food Network, which stopped in and taped a segment for its nationally televised program.

“After it aired, we received calls from people wanting directions from the airport,” Atchley said. “This included flight attendants coming by on a layover to pick up food for the entire crew. Also, many out-of-state vacationers tell us that they chart their route based on a stop at our restaurant.”

The home-cooked quality keeps the crowds coming – even if the restaurant only has four tables. It has a smattering of chairs and a request for diners to bus their own tables. “The city only allows us 15 seats, because it’s based on our square footage,” he explained. “But there’s a pretty park down the road, and a few tables out front. In the mornings, the tavern next door lets our customers use its outside picnic benches.”

What about vegetarians? Atchley said that if asked, they prepare collard greens without a ham hock. “Our hash browns, covered in cheese and mushrooms, are suitable for vegetarians, and we can cover biscuits in our mushroom gravy instead of sausage gravy.”

For those who didn’t get quite enough, there’s a special chocolate candy bar, the Raleigh Bar, made especially for the restaurant, which tastes like a pecan Snickers bar.

Naturally, it comes in a bacon-infused version too.

For more information:

Pine State Biscuits

www.pinestatebiscuits.com

Deston can be reached at: Deston@globalfoodie.com.

By Ron Stern
Jay’s Bistro is a Fort Collins institution, one that has grown along with the community. It started inauspiciously as Café Columbine in 1980 and two decades later morphed into the bistro. Jay and Jackie Whitlen, a husband and wife team, created a perfect recipe of fine cuisine and local entertainment, a blend that now has a loyal following and insured the bistro’s long-term success.

Jay and Jackie became sweethearts in the 1960s, while in a New York high school. After visiting Fort Collins in 1972, Jay discovered what so many have; he liked the town so much, he never left. He became the chef at Nico’s Catacombs in the 1970’s. Ten years later he and Jackie opened Café Columbine on the corner of College Ave and Laurel Street.

Initially they only served breakfast and lunch, but, by 1988, had so many satisfied customers they opened for dinner. That decision brought more customers and the need for a bigger space. They found it across the street on South College Avenue. There they honed their culinary skills and increased their customer base.

After 10 years the Whitlen’s lost their lease and had to look for even bigger digs. In 2001 they bought 135 West Oak Street where continue to offer their distinctive combination of hospitality, music and, of course, fabulous food. “We made it into the style we like and expanded the music and menu,” Jay said proudly. Live jazz is offered four nights a week and their menu is described as “American eclectic.”

Jay, who has traveled extensively, is influenced by southwestern and Asian cultures and incorporates those tastes and flavors into his dishes. For example, the southwest crab cake appetizer is a favorite among the locals. Jay uses lump crab with a smoky tomato and corn salsa accompanied by a red pepper sauce. It is truly one of the best crab cakes — in or out of Fort Collins.

One of Jay and Jackie’s signature and most popular dishes is the filet mignon with a creamy gorgonzola port wine reduction. The Angus beef is tender, flavorful and when combined with the cheese, melts in your mouth.

“What sets us apart is that we have great flavors,” said Jackie, “We pride ourselves in punching up the sauces and making flavors pop.”

That is evident in other favorites, including the Ahi tuna with five-spice ginger and yakitori glaze. A Chilean sea bass with crusted pine nuts and fresh basil is also unforgettable. The wild game plate of wild boar and cranberry sausage, Colorado ostrich filet plated on raspberry port demi glace, and red deer medallion on blackberry pomegranate demi glace, is yet another popular and tempting meal.

In addition to the generous portions, Jay’s has an extensive wine selection and, since 1993, has won the prestigious Wine Spectator Award of Excellence. There are 35 wines that may be ordered by the glass and, according to Jay, the bistro was the first restaurant in Fort Collins to offer 16-ounce wine glasses. This is just one reason why Jay’s is perpetually busy. “We offer a great value in portion sizes as well as the amount of wine we serve,” said Jackie.

The atmosphere at Jay’s is warm and inviting with a soothing palate of earth tones, natural woods, black and white framed photos hung over the tables, wrought iron railings and colorful dried flower accents. Jackie has also incorporated her favorite artists in the bistro’s design, including Polish oil Art Deco painter, Tamara de Lempicka.

Contrary to what some may think, Jay’s is not just a special occasion restaurant, although they do get their share of celebrations. Rather, it is a bistro where you can just have appetizers, a Caesar salad and a glass of wine, all while enjoying live music and the decorative atmosphere.

The friendly and professional staff at Jay’s lives the philosophy of its owners—to treat every guest like they are coming into their own home. In fact many have told Jay that his bistro is the Cheers of Fort Collins. Quite a compliment Jay quips who coincidentally added, “even our manager’s name is Norm.”

Jay’s Penne Pasta with Gorgonzola

1 cup cream
2 tablespoons sun dried tomatoes
8 ounces mixed mushrooms
2 tablespoons garlic
1/4 cup gorgonzola cheese
Penne pasta
Candied pecans (These can be made by covering pecans with molasses and baking on a grease-covered pan for 10 minutes in a hot oven).
Olive oil
1. Saute the mushrooms, garlic and sun-dried tomatoes in olive oil over medium to high heat until the mushrooms give off its liquid.
2. Add the cream and gorgonzola cheese. Cook over high heat, letting the mixture reduce by a quarter.
3. Toss with Cooked penne pasta.
4. Top with candied pecans

Makes two servings.

FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Location/Hours:
135 West Oak, Fort Collins, Colorado 80524
Call for reservations.
Telephone: 979.482.1876.
Lunch: Monday – Friday from 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Dinner: Monday – Thursday 5 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Friday and Saturday: 5 p.m. – 9:30 p.m.
Sunday: 5 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.

Ron Stern is a Fort-Collins based writer and photographer who can be reached at Ron@globalfoodie.com.

By Richard Frisbie

Las Ventanas al Paraíso is an exclusive hotel on the Cabos “corridor,” part way between the luxury resort town of Cabo San Lucas to the south, and the quieter colonial city of San Jose del Cabo to the north. It is simply stunning in its landscaping and architectural beauty. With a little over 100 rooms and suites, Las Ventanas al Paraíso (which translates as Windows to Paradise) successfully combines a small luxury boutique feel with a fabulous spa experience. It is also a favorite of foodies, and offers cooking classes with Chef Fabrice Puisset at a station on the edge of his walled herb garden. Fresh heirloom tomato and beet salad, red snapper baked in a hoja santa leaf, and a delicious selection of desserts were all on the menu the evening I attended. Talk about clean, fresh food. The chef darted into the herb garden whenever he needed fresh ingredients. What a night!

The setting of the class itself was unusual. Inside a walled garden, the class quickly revealed itself as an herb garden with a three-sided counter , all inside a pergola. We classmates arranged ourselves on stools around the “bar” while the “bartender” – who was actually the chef – took his station in front of us. Slanted mirrors hung above him so we could see what he was doing. Two classical guitarists played behind us, and staff hovered to refill our champagne* glasses as necessary (often!). He also played sous chef when needed (rarely!) The setting was perfect.
First Chef Fabrice created a guacamole, taking care to avoid making it into a paste. It had chunky, whole-pieces-of-avocado-bursting-with-flavor, combined with other ingredients to create the freshest in-your face- guacamole I’ve ever tasted. We were served that with a fresh tomato salsa and saltless tortilla chips as “blotters” while we watched the chef at work. With the amount of champagne we were drinking, it was good to have the “blotters!”

Chef Fabrice was an unusual instructor in that he measured nothing , only eyeing ingredients he used. As he worked he explained the concept and the process involved to create each dish – but giving no amounts! That’s how he made the vinaigrette for our salad. He started with a big bowl, pouring in a “goodly” amount of local agava flower honey , made from the tequila cactus, and even more champagne vinegar, to which he added lime juice and olive oil. He poached some orange zest to remove the bitterness and then added the zest, some reduced orange juice, and a few orange chunks to the bowl. A quick whisk, a dash of salt and pepper, and it was done. Without exact amounts, the experienced cook can still easily recreate the recipe using a 3/1 oil to vinegar ratio, adding the other ingredients to taste. The fresh, citrusy flavors complimented the complex tastes of the heirloom tomatoes and beets beautifully.
This next dish seemed fussy to me. I mean, sautéing and then baking a tiny piece of red snapper seemed a bit of overkill. I can’t believe the fillet wouldn’t cook just baking in the oven for 15 minutes or so, but then it wouldn’t have that buttery edge. Anyway, it was fun to watch him put it all together. The red snapper was cooked in butter and olive oil, then it was set on a leaf of the hoja santa plant which is commonly used in Mexican cuisine for tamales, and fish or meat wraps. It imparts a hard-to-put-your-finger-on, almost sassafras, almost eucalyptus taste to the meal. Tiny fresh vegetables (carrots, zucchini, leeks, fennel) were arranged around the fish with fresh basil, then the hoja santa leaf folded over to make a little package. That is set on a sheet of newspaper, wrapped again, and popped into the oven to bake. While it baked Chef Fabrice created a simple lime infused aioli to drizzle on top of the finished dish. Piquant, fragrant, crunchy, elusive in the root of its flavor, the snapper was complex and tasty. I guess, with red snapper readily available and commonly served, involved recipes such as this increase the variety of tastes one can get out of mild white fish.

The desserts tray was crowded with individual little fresh coconut milk custards topped with a variety of fresh fruits and sauces. Tiny multi-layered chocolate cakes, and other sweet concoctions in quantities far exceeding the number of participants were also added. There was even a plate of churros with sweet dips! The selection and combination kept us busy mining the depths of flavors. It was an extravagance of sweetness; a fitting finale to an over-the-top cooking demonstration. Chef Fabrice is an adept and able teacher, engaging in his presentation and execution. The class was one of the best I’ve had,and it certainly was in the nicest setting.
The chef and I definitely connected during the evening. He said he was impressed because I was the only one who took notes throughout the whole three hour meal. (I was impressed because I could still write after three hours of affirmative answers to the constant question, “Would you like more champagne, sir?”) He really is a sweetheart of a guy. I left with his recipes and the Ventanas’ signature red glass heart. It’s hanging in my window at home. Each day when the morning sun fills the heart with light I think I’m back at the table in Las Ventanas al Paraíso again.

* In the interest of clarity, the “champagne” was actually a 2000 Gloria Ferrer Royal Cuvée Brut, a Sonoma California sparkling wine. With 65% Pinot Noir and 35% Chardonnay grapes, it fits within the range of comfort for my palate. Not too much Chardonnay, with the dark grapes (I really prefer the Pinot Meunier grape, but Pinot Noir is very similar) giving it the body and staying power for an evening of imbibing. At $25, this is a very good everyday sparkling wine.

The “Freshest” Guacamole
4 large avocados
1 medium red onion
1 medium tomato
1 bunch cilantro
2 chili serrano
1 oz lime juice
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt and pepper to taste

Cut each avocado in half and remove the seed. Holding one half cupped in your palm, use a rounded knife to crisscross the flesh of the fruit, not breaking the skin, to create ½ inch pieces.With a spoon, scoop it into a large bowl. Repeat for all halves. Finely chop the next four ingredients and stir in, adding the remaining ingredients as you do. The idea is that the avocado will mash a bit as you mix, but it will still have a texture when served.

For More information:
www.visitloscabos.travel
Tourism Los Cabos

Richard Frisbie can be reached at Richard@globalfoodie.com. He also does business at Hope Farm Press & Bookshop, 15 Jane Street Saugerties NY 12477 where, since 1959, he has specialized in New York State books. Questions? Call him at: 845-246-3522
History & Genealogy (NYGenWeb) www.hopefarm.com/geneatop.htm
Shopping-cart www.hopefarmbooks.com
Follow me on twitter – www.twitter.com/richard_frisbie
Read my articles on gather.com – www.rfrisbie.gather.com/
Connect with me on facebook : www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=669701494&ref=name

By Vivienne Mackie

Korea has a rich culinary tradition — one of Asia’s finest — and sampling the many delights is one of the pleasures of visiting the country.

A typical Korean meal is based around boiled rice, a variety of soups, and as many side dishes (called banchan) as the cook can muster that day. In fact, banchan are the hallmark of Korean cuisine and all the Koreans I know pride themselves on the banchan‘s uniqueness and variety. Banchan are usually spicy and accompany virtually every meal, three times a day, so Korean housewives have often commented and complained that they need to spend a lot of time preparing these dishes. At least one kimchi will be included, but there are many other possibilities: tofu, bean sprouts, small anchovies in different sauces, wild green vegetables, spinach, acorn jelly, different seaweeds, sliced garlic cloves.

Of them all, kimchi is the favored side dish and fequently is referred to as the national dish. Koreans serve kimchi at almost every meal, and few Koreans can last more than a few days before cravings get the better of them.

Banchan or Korean side dishes.

The most common kimchi is baechu kimchi, made from Napa (or Chinese) cabbage mixed with hot red peppers, ginger, garlic, spices and lots of salt. It’s left to pickle in these spices for months. The mixture is believed to be rich in vitamins C, E, and K. However, it is also commonly made from radishes or cucumbers, and many other vegetables are used, such as pumpkin, eggplant and even broccoli.

Some varieties are aged only for hours or days, others for months, even years. Some are fiery hot, many are pungent, others more bland and are called white kimchi — but even these are not red pepper-free. Many areas of the country and most families have their own Kimchi recipe and these may be jealously guarded, as a housewife’s cooking prowess is frequently judged on her kimchi. However, due to time and space constraints, many Koreans nowadays buy their kimchi at stores; my Korean friends do regret this and always wish they could make more of their own.

What is the Origin of this National Dish?

Traditionally, kimchi was made to preserve vegetables and to ensure proper nutrition during the winter months, when fresh produce was unavailable. Even today, late-November to early-December is still the season for gimjang, or making-your-own-kimchi, and many family members and friends get together for a kimchi-making party.

Jongsoo showing kimchi pots.

Making kimchi dates back to at least the 13^th century. Red chili pepper was only added in the 17^th century, when it was introduced to Korea from Europe via Japan, most likely by the Portuguese. Red pepper brought a major change to kimchi and the Korean diet in general, as the Koreans took to the new spice with great gusto.

Traditionally kimchi was buried and stored in large earthenware crocks in the backyard, and kimchi is still made the old-fashioned way in some parts of the Koreas. The producers bury the vegetable mixes in these covered pots and let the vegetables ferment underground over the winter. But for many families today there is no yard, so they invest in a special kimchi fridge, in order to regulate the storage temperature, and prevent kimchi odor from permeating everything else.

There are at least 160 kimchi varieties, differentiated by region and ingredients, most of them quite spicy. It’s not just the basic side dish of the Korean meal.  Kimchi is used in other popular dishes, such as kimchi stew, kimchi pancakes, kimchi fried rice, and kimchi ramyeon (ramen noodles).

The city of Gwangju, in far South West Korea, hosts a Gimchi Festival one weekend in late September or early October. Here you can taste every kimchi imaginable, and some that you might never imagine, such as kimchi pizza.

During the 1988 Summer Olympic Games, thousands of foreigners were introduced to kimchi for the first time. Despite a reputation for being spicy, some people develop a taste for it, and many foreigners also find themselves missing it after returning to their home country. Today kimchi can be found in many U.S. food stores, partly because Koreans in the country miss their national dish and partly because Korean cuisine has influenced U.S. eating habits. Kimchi is also gaining popularity worldwide for its nutritional value and disease prevention effects.

It’s interesting that North and South Koreans still share a love of this dish. For decades, they have been political rivals: North Korea is communist and poor while South Korea is non-communist and a world economic power. Despite their differences, both sides still share a taste for kimchi.

For years, North Korea has relied on outside aid to ease food shortages. Many factories have shut down because they lack parts or electricity, yet the kimchi industry still seems to be flourishing.

I have to admit that I’m not especially fond of kimchi and yet, while in South Korea in August, it was great fun learning about the dish and going on a “kimchi quest.” The adventure began with 10 days in the capital, Seoul, where my husband and I ventured out for solo meals as well as dining with Korean hosts. After that we were extremely lucky, as a Korean family included us in a road trip to the Andong and Gyeonju areas in South East Korea. Both parents were determined that we should sample as many Korean foods as possible, so each day was a true gourmet adventure. I believe we tasted the best that Korea has to offer. Because we were mobile in their van, we could explore places very much off the beaten path and could meet many of the local people in small villages and actually see where they were making kimchi, and growing and drying red peppers, sesame seeds and radishes. Our hosts, like most Koreans, are very proud of their cooking traditions and were eager for us to learn about kimchi, so we ended up in many backyards, and saw an amazing number and variety of the large earthenware storage pots. One of the sons liked spicy foods and kimchi, while one did not, so we could taste various foods of all levels of fieryness.

Our final analysis: one certainly needs to acquire a liking for kimchi as it’s so different from most other tastes: salty, sour, fermented, spicy. But, if you find you really cannot like it, don’t worry, because Korean cuisine has so much else to offer.

Vivienne sitting between two new friends.

Vivienne Mackie
vivienne.mackie@gmail.com
Blogs: http://viviennemackie.wordpress.com ;  Web Site: www.web.mac.com/vmackie/iweb/VivienneMackieProfile ;
Writing on Helium: www.helium.com/users/422547

By Maureen Costello

My niece called me out of the blue last January inviting me on a world tour of all the ethnic restaurants at Epcot Center.

Alison and me with the staff at the Marrakash. We're the shorter ones in the middle.

As an employee of Disney-owned ESPN, Alison is a “cast member,” meaning she receives significant discounts at each of the Walt Disney empires.

“I remember you said you always wanted to try all the restaurants at Epcot Center,” she said referring to the 11 restaurants that make up the park’s World Showcase. “I’m going to make that dream come true for you.”

I do not remember expressing that specifically to Alison, though I have been quite vocal about that idea since I first visited Walt Disney World 11 years earlier. I am beyond flattered to know that Alison was listening.

We only had three full days to sample something from every country represented. Some restaurants such as Canada’s, Le Cellier Steakhouse, was only open for dinner. None serve breakfast. We needed to accommodate six, maybe seven meals. Some stops would have to be snacks. I should also mention that though we had a discount toward food, Alison, 23, has yet to accumulate a salary comparable to those whose sports highlights she readies for Sports Center. I am hardly better off so finances were essential to factor in especially as dinner entrees could easily run $37 apiece – not including dessert.

You don’t need to be a foodie to benefit from Epcot Center’s World Showcase, even if it is only for an afternoon. The theme park giant goes over the top to represent the culture, food, music, dance, art, history and, in some instances, even the plant life of Mexico, Norway, China, Germany, Italy, the USA, Japan, Morocco, France, United Kingdom and Canada. Employees of these venues are frequently young adults from their native land working at Disney on a one-year Visa. The program works well for both. Disney guests learn about the culture directly from someone born and raised there, and the worker learns about America both through their work at Epcot and field trips to cities such as New York and Chicago, which Disney organizes.

Top chefs and gourmet selections require guests make dinner reservations months in advance at Walt Disney World’s Signature Dining restaurants. Though we were four months away from our trip, I grabbed the only seating available for Restaurant Marrakesh, which features authentic Moroccan cuisine. I struck out with the rest for dinner until I secured a table for Bistro de Paris. I then reserved the last available table at Coral Reef Restaurant, a seafood restaurant that is in Epcot, but not part of the showcase.

The Maya Grill at the Coronado Springs Resort, where we were staying, is owned by the San Angel Inn Restaurante in Epcot’s Mexico showcase. The grill served buffet breakfasts only, but we decided its Latin culture and flavors would be representative of San Angel, where I had enjoyed dinner years before. I had also eaten at Le Cellier, and we could not get reservations anyway. Alison’s goal was to wean off of chicken fingers, burgers and fries, the dominant menu items at The American Adventure, so it was scratched.

The months pass and we were finally at JFK when Alison confided that she has never tasted an olive. Fortunately we were flying Jet Blue which boasts the trendy Re:vive restaurants at the gates. We split a lunch of fresh mozzarella with olive tapenade, fresh basil between two slices of toasted ciabetta. One bite and Alison’s olive deficiency was remedied.

The in-flight snack was nothing to write home (or here) about. But once settled into the resort, we walked over to the bar to sample a mojito. Alison exclaimed that the big news at ESPN was that the bartender by the pool at Coronado Springs Resort made the best mojito ever. A flight delay meant we got to the bar minutes before it closed. We forgot the bartender’s name and our camera, but admit his was a refreshingly sweet and minty mojito, with just enough rum to take the edge off of knowing our luggage had yet to arrive.

The following is a quick pictorial show of the meals my niece and I shared during our three-day “world tour.”

Alison is eating a fresh toasted mozzarella and olive tapenade sandwich at re: vive, a bar situated at every few Jet Blue terminals.

Our first stop at Disney was the Marrakash, Epcot's upscale Moroccan restaurant. Our main course was a lemon-pepper roasted chicken leg and roasted lamb shank sandwiching the most succulant couscous with steamed vegetables. Our wine is Beni M'tir , a dry, full-bodied red with fragrances of almond, citrus peel, orange marmalade, fig cinnamon and mint. The grapes were grown in Morocco's Amazigh region.

This tiny lemon tree growing beside our table reminded me of the blossoming lemon plants beside another table in Splendida, Portofino, Italy.

We are at Tutto Italia on a blue-skied 89-degree Florida afternoon. Alison is having a chilled 2007 Rose Centine ($7) with her asparagus salad.

We did not leave Italy without sampling vanilla bean gelatto sandwiched between light pastry and drizzled with warm milk chocolate sauce. We were not above pouring the leftover chocolate onto spoons and devouring it.

Here we are in Norway enjoying a midafternoon snack of fresh strawberry and black raspberry tart at Kringla's, $3.99. On the side is a frosty Bailey's coffee. Sandwiches here, which we did not have, include salmon, egg and red onion on multigrain bread.

Alison's first sushi meal (and definitely not her last!) was served at Tokyo Dining. This sampler features tuna, yellowtail shrimp and California rolls. Keeping with tradition, we each had a shot of Junmai sake, brewed from the waters of Mt. Tenzan, part of the Saga Perfecture, which is in Northwestern Japan.

The Country Style Meat plate, the first of two appetizers we had at Bistro de Paris, consisted of homemade pate, beef croquette, duck rillette and smoked duck magret.

The duck breast, polenta galette with raisin, artichoke and sun choke purse verjus sauce. Verjus sauce is combination of squeezed unripe grapes, herbs and spices.

Our second appetizer, escargot and mushroom cassolette with parsely butter, frog leg fritters and watercress veloute. A veloute sauce is one of four traditional French sauces. It means velvety and is made of equal parts butter and flour mixed with a stock of either chicken, veal or fish bones.

Alison struck gold with the Atlantic red snapper with calmari Basquaise style, rice and squid ink.

I had the warm and frozen Grand-Marnier souffle. The chocolate cake was warm and filled with a warm chocolate pudding. On the side is a shot of Grand Marnier and the spoon is a single serving of gourmet French white chocolate. I hated to share.

Les desserts! Alison tops off her snapper and squid meal with a mouthwatering serving of vanilla creme brulee, caramelized rice pudding, upside down caramel cream and a scoop of creme brulee ice cream. One bite and she realized a dessert needn't be chocolate to be delectable.

Le Saout Yoann prepared crepes duo Suzette at our table.

e shared an appetizer of General Tso's chicken steamed dumplings beneath a warm Chinese red sauce with a side of scallions and cilantro at Nine Dragons.

A cook prepares my Southwest omelet.

Fresh bread at the Pepper Market.

By Richard Frisbie

Chocolate Bliss written by Susie Norris
Subtitled: Sensuous recipes, spa treatments, and other divine indulgences.
ISBN #978-1-58761-347-0 $16.99 Hardcover

I know, I know. What is a guy well-known for his disdain for desserts, especially chocolate desserts, doing reviewing a book on chocolate?  Well, ask yourself – who could be more objective, a chocolate lover, or me?  I’m open to new ideas and ways of thinking, and I’m always willing to research the other side of a position.  In this case, I’m glad I did.

Chocolate Bliss looks like a light book – almost fluffily frivolous – in its cute 7” square size and color photos. I was not prepared for the comprehensive, informative text or the engaging writing style of the author.  Chocolate Bliss is much more than it appears.

To quote the author, Susie Norris, in her introduction:  “I am a pastry chef, chocolatier, culinary school teacher, and snickers bar sneaker.”  Right away she establishes her credentials, interest and sense of humor. I was hooked!

The book is divided into four information packed segments; each dealing with a different aspect of chocolate, and each ending in a collection of recipes.
I – Good Taste – Exploring your favorite chocolates
. . . is an explanation of the different elements of chocolate’s taste, with definitions, websites, techniques for tastings, history and a list of great books of chocolate recipes. Then Susie Norris presents “sensuous recipes: from bonbons to fondue”
II – Health and Beauty – How chocolate helps you inside and out
. . . explains how chocolate is good for you – as a health food, as a vitamin, and for your blood, heart, skin, teeth and brain. The relevant scientific studies are discussed, their findings and supporters examined, and advice on how to control your cravings is given.  She finishes with “healthy recipes: from snacks to skin care.”
III – Good Works – How you can help chocolate
. . . is a vivid account of how chocolate grows, including the importance of preserving the environment it grows in, as well as saving the way of life of the 50 million people involved in its harvesting and distribution worldwide. Throughout this you’re given the fair-trade and organic chocolate argument with sound reasons to follow it.  She then includes “earthy recipes: from chili to cheesecake.”
IV – Share the Love – the gift of chocolate
. . . begins with the Aztec myths to explain how chocolate’s perception as a “gift of the gods” continues through the Holidays and celebrations of today. Halloween, Christmas, Hanukkah, Valentine’s Day, Easter – even Birthdays and Weddings – each has a chocolate tradition whose history is examined. The author then offers “gifting recipes: from cupcakes to white chocolate roses.”

Did You Know . . .
Ninety-eight percent of women have food cravings, as do 68 percent of men?

Chocolate generates an estimated $80 billion annual international income?

Chocolate is the third largest global commodity behind sugar and coffee?

Cocoa butter melts at around 91 degrees?

An ounce of very dark chocolate every day is healthy medicine?

Throughout the pages pithy and humorous quotes are included from literature, famous chefs, and cookbook authors. Facts and factoids from chemistry to history are also used to help reinforce the text. Chocolate Bliss is fun to read!

As for Chocolate Bliss as a cookbook, each of the attractively illustrated recipes is presented in a clear and logical manner. Methods, tips for success, and shortcuts are included in detail with the reasoning behind them. Whenever a specialized ingredient is given, it is defined, and shopping information and brand recommendations are given. It is clear that the author is a culinary instructor. She really knows how to make following the recipes easy.

I liked this book! In fact, I liked it so much I went to my local health food store and bought a bag of organic cocoa nibs* to add to the Chocolate Sugar Dough recipe (page 132) for the tart crust (page 59) for my Thanksgiving cheese cake. I told you I could keep an open mind!

*cocoa nibs are pure cocoa beans that have been fermented, hulled, roasted, and cracked, but not ground, to a paste. They have a nut-like crunch. (There are 8 references to cocoa nibs in the index.)

Chocolate Bliss by Susie Norris
Subtitled: Sensuous recipes, spa treatments, and other divine indulgences.
ISBN #978-1-58761-347-0 150 pages Hardcover $16.99
http://www.crownpublishing.com

ELEGANT FOOD AND DESIGN IN

VERMONT’S MAD RIVER VALLEY

The Pitcher Inn. Photo by Emilie C. Harting.

by Emilie C. Harting

The front entrance of the Pitcher Inn hugs the side of the road on Main Street in the charming village of Warren, Vermont. Here the cadences of everyday life slow down. Often, the only sounds are the wrens and sparrows, the flow of the river behind the general store across the country lane, and the rustling of wind. David Sellars and a group of architects and designers have built an almost exact recreation of the old Warren Inn, which stood on the site until it was destroyed by fire in the mid-1990s. I was there for two days before I knew that the inn was not the original structure, built around 1850, at a time when guests would step out of their carriages and walk directly onto the front porch to avoid dust and rain. The Warren General Store, the bakery, and several other white clapboard buildings across the street have also been restored, giving the village the feel of an earlier time.

At 275 Main, the inn’s spacious restaurant, tables and colonial chairs are spread across the room so that diners cannot actually hear each other’s conversations. A brick colonial fireplace with antique copper and iron pots, various turners, and stoking implements fills one wall. They are typical of the implements produced at mills in the Warren area during the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. On a recent summer evening, the blend of light classical music, the soft buzz of attentive staff conversing with guests over food and wine choices, and the muted light of candles created an atmosphere of elegance.

General Manager Ari Sadri, who is also trained as a sommelier, moved around the dining room, conversing with guests. The inn has 600 bottles in the wine cellar and 1200 in storage. Sadri says that the wine program is deliberately eclectic, and thus they have wines from all over the world. He does not buy from big companies, but looks for older, generational, and artisanal wine makers so that guests, especially those who are wine connoisseurs, have the opportunity to experience something unique.

Since I am interested in how the pairing of food and wine enhances food’s flavors, I put myself in Ari’s hands rather than venturing out on my own. On one evening, he chose a sweet red Montepulciano from Tuscany, which he advised was a mellow line between dry and sweet, and thus would go with our appetizers of garganelli, a combination of pasta with roasted tomatoes, capers and olives, and bucatini, a combination of mussels, tomatoes and chorizo. The bucatini was especially tasty because sweetness of the chorizo cancelled out the briny taste of the mussels and the slight tartness of the summer tomatoes. The entree of sautéed chicken with parmesan bread crumbs was tender and without a trace of graininess. And the vegetable and fish flavors in the sautéed wild striped bass with clams, mussels, roasted tomatoes, and olives were melded so well that there was not a trace of tartness coming through.

On another night, a white wine with golden highlights complemented our pasta dishes and the veal scallops with mushrooms, leeks, and marsala. The result was a sweet, mellow taste. In their salads, the flavors of tenderly cooked fresh summer vegetables mixed well with Italian and Vermont cheeses and local meat or fish brought in from Boston. Sue Schickler explains that the menu is basically American with an infusion of Italian and Spanish influences. “I really enjoy preparing the items on the menus. It’s fun and more casual than a strictly traditional cuisine, and we get lots of compliments from our guests. For each meal we have a pasta, steak and fish dish, so there are plenty of choices.” She says that in summer, they depend heavily on the excellent fresh produce and meats in the Mad River Valley, which have their own succulent flavors. In winter she uses more root vegetables and spices.

Creamy polenta was one of the most memorable dishes because of its smooth and delicate flavor, which she says was made with marscarpone, a relatively low-fat triple-creme Italian cream cheese from Lombardy. “It’s the same cheese that is used in tiramisu, except that in Tiramisu the eggs make it lighter.” Schickler’s gift with cheeses was also evident in the breakfast omelet with goat cheese, fresh Vermont heirloom tomatoes, and basil.

When I told her the marinated beets seemed a perfect line between sweetness and tartness, Chef Schickler told me they were marinated with vinegar, sugar, and tarragon. “Guests love them. We make up a huge batch at a time. The beets, along with beef carpaccio salad with lemon dressed arugula and parmigiano reggiano are frequently requested by returning diners.”

Because we ate there in August when local produce was at its prime, our salads contained fresh eggplant, escarole, arugula, peppers and heirloom tomatoes. In the evening our appetizers often had corn, leeks and peppers, which had been marinated so that subtle flavors emerged.

Between breakfast and lunch, there was plenty of time to take drives on some of the Mad River Valley’s most scenic roads. Ari Sadri directed us on an oval-shaped journey through the Mad River Valley, up Route 100 north to Waitsfield, where we stopped to visit The Store, a world class kitchen supply and antique store in a restored barn, the Mad River Glass Gallery, and Cabin River Quilts, both in the center of Waitsfield on Main Street. On our return, we drove south past breathtaking vistas of horse and dairy farms against the mountains.

On a late day stroll past the Warren’s cemetery and Town Hall, I met a guest from the Washington, D.C. area who comes here every year and never leaves the village. “Where ever could you find such a picture perfect place? It’s so restorative. For lunch all I need is a sandwich from the general store, and I eat it out on the deck overlooking the Mad River.” He told me to come back to Warren for the best small town July 4^th parade in New England. “Just make sure to stay in the Chester Arthur Room so that you get the vest view.”

Each of the eleven rooms at the Pitcher Inn has a unique décor, and reflects everyday life in Vermont during past centuries. We stayed in The Lodge, which has a ceiling depicting stars on a Christmas night. The furniture, all hand hewn by noted designers, included a bed inspired by Cleopatra’s, and a fireplace with the triangular design of the Masons, who were important in small town Vermont life.

Throughout the halls owner Maggie Smith’s décor of Vermont antiques and early American landscape paintings makes one stop for reflection. I was delighted to learn that some characters in the paintings were gathered together over food.

Check out: www.pitcherinn.com for holiday packages. The inn is in the heart of the Mad River Valley ski country. Sugarbush Ski Resort is right down the road, and guests cross country ski at a nearby park. Not only is the inn a great place to spend a weekend, but the restaurant is open to outsiders, and the entire inn can be rented out for destination weddings and retreats.

By Susan McKee

Cognac has been a tourist town for centuries not for its eponymous distilled spirits, but for its location. It’s on one of the ancient pilgrimage routes to Santiago (St. James) de Compostella in northwest Spain. For centuries, religious travelers have stopped in France to rest or pray at Cognac’s churches on the way to Galicia. The Tours Saint-Jacques (St. James Towers) along France’s Charente River, dates from this time.

Cognac

Lately, though, the town of 20,000 has fallen off the tourism radar. I was there by chance on a weekend getaway, and found this out-of-the-way part of France steeped in history and tradition. For starters, King François was born there two years after Christopher Columbus first set sail in search of a route to Asia.

I was familiar with his name – Anglicized to Francis I, this first Renaissance monarch of France, a man who gave his name to a Reed & Barton sterling silver pattern, one that’s unaccountably popular among my friends. A contemporary of Henry VIII of England, Holy Roman Emperor Charles V and Suleiman the Magnificent, he was the architect of many cultural advances for his country.

He was born in the Château de Cognac in 1494, and its current owners are delighted to show you the exact room. The château is now the home of Otard, one of the premiere brands of eau de vie (or, brandy) produced in Cognac.

Spirits, however, weren’t the first produit de gastronomie created in the region of Poitou-Charentes. Back in 1215, Jean Sans Terre – better known to the rest of us as John Lackland (who became the English King John of Magna Carta fame) – issued the town a charter for the salt trade. The marshy Atlantic coast of Charente is the perfect place to produce evaporated sea salt, which was a valuable commodity in a time when salt was the only food preservation.

Salt trade was the start of the town’s prosperity. The Old Town, the medieval quarter called Vieux Cognac, still contains many unusual old buildings along its narrow, cobbled streets. The 17^th century’s brandy production began when it was discovered that distilled alcohol survived transit by ship to northern Europe — and so much better than wine.

My tour guide pointed out gargoyles and other figures on the richly decorated wooden façades. There were lots of salamanders. This amphibian, more in its mythic incarnation as a relative of the dragon than its lowly existence as a lizard, was Francis I’s symbol. In an era when towns and castles regularly burned to the ground, the salamander was said to thrive amidst the flames.

Vieux Cognac runs from the river up to the Saint-Léger church, founded in the 11^th century. It’s noted for an unusual 18^th century portal decorated with the signs of the zodiac.

Cognac’s main square is, of course, named for Francis I, and a statue of the king on horseback towering over his enemies is found at the center, right on the spot where a bastion once stood as part of the town’s defenses during the Hundred Years’ War.

According to French law, only brandy made in certain areas around the town of Cognac during particular times of the year can be called “cognac.” (There are some good eaux de vie produced outside this Appellation d’Origine Contrôlée, but they aren’t cognac.) Not surprisingly, the economy revolves around this particular form of brandy.

Almost everyone I spoke to had some connection to the dominant industry – whether it was in the distillation process itself, or producing the aging  barrels, bottles and corks, printing  labels, or distribution and shipping. I was told that 95 percent of the production was exported.

The very air of cognac seemed redolent with eau de vie due to the ubiquitous black mold. If you look around town, you’ll sniff out buildings old and new, all shaded with the distinctive fungus. Called the “angel’s share,” this is the evidence of cognac evaporating from its oak barrels to the sky and the angels.

I took the Otard cognac tour because I wanted to see inside the historic chateau (owned by the Otards since the end of the 18^th century), but there are lots of others. Tours of Hennessy, Camus, Martell also are in Cognac, with Louis Royer and Courvoisier just down the River Charente in Jarnac.

I stayed in the absolutely fabulous Logis du Fresne in the village of Juillac le Coq. Inside, the rustic guestrooms have every luxury, and outside is the restful quiet of the countryside. Great restaurants were everywhere in the region. A few of my favorites are Le Coq d’Or in Cognac (try the Moules marinières au Pineau des Charentes), Château de l’Yeuse in Chateaubernard and La Ribaudière in Bourg-Charente.

I met some friends in Cognac who had a special treat lined up for us: a visit to the Grey Goose factory. Although the complex is not yet open for public tours, it is part of the company’s future plan.

Who knew that this premium vodka was made in Cognac – but, of course, it makes sense. Grey Goose is distilled from French wheat, and Cognac has a long history of making spirits. After a sneak peek of the inner sanctum (where cameras and notebooks were forbidden) we ended up in the elegant tasting room for some sipping and demonstrations.

François Thibaut, the maître de chai for Grey Goose, explained the genesis of the brand. The intention was to produce a premium vodka, so the owners searched for the perfect combination of ingredients and tradition. The answers turned out to be soft wheat grown in the “breadbasket of France,” which is just south of Paris, with natural spring water filtered through limestone as it flows underground from the Massif Central and the tradition of distillation present in Cognac.

Dimitri Cezinska, Grey Goose’s Global Brand Ambassador, showed us how to make the perfect martini – stirred, not shaken, James Bond’s preference not withstanding. “Shaking just adds ice shards that dilute the drink,” he explained. Martinis are, of course, made with unflavored vodka, but flavored varieties are popular in other mixed drinks.

Grey Goose!

Details:

Cognac Otard, Château de Cognac, 127, Boulevard Denfert Rochereau, BP 3
16100 Cognac; +33 (0)5 45 36 88 86; http://www.otard.com.

Official site of the city of Cognac (in English): http://www.ville-cognac.fr/welcome.php3

Logis du Fresne, 16130 Juillac le Coq; + 33 (0) 545 322 874; http://www.logisdufresne.com

Château de l’Yeuse, 65 rue de Bellevue, Chateaubernard; +33 (0)5 45 36 82 60; http://www.yeuse.fr/uk/accueil_uk.html

La Ribaudière, Place du Port, Bourg-Charente; +33 (0)5 45 81 30 54; http://www.laribaudiere.com/

Grey Goose: http://www.greygoosevodka.com/

Susan can be reached at: Susan@SusanMcKee.com.

By Keith Kellett

Appetizer at dinner. Photo by Keith Kellett.

When we took our first cruise, it was with another line, and we were nearly put off for ever. Although the ship was British-owned, it flew the Greek flag. Not only did we miss, for instance, the fabled sunset on Santorini, we were hull-down on the horizon, tucking into roast beef and Yorkshire pudding.

I ask you! We can get that at home any day of the week; I can even prepare it myself, if need be.

Then, in 2006, we visited Santorini again, cruising this time with the Italian cruise line Costa Crociere, or Costa Cruises, to give them its English title, on the Costa Atlantica. This was much more like it! Free coffee whenever we wanted it, and pizza … real, crusty, thin-based pizza at most times, especially welcome if you’d been on a shore excursion, and missed lunch.

Dining Room on Costa Serena. Photo by Keith Kellett.

This year, we sailed on the Costa Serena, bigger than Atlantica, and themed around Greek mythology; Atlantica is themed around Fellini films.

Generally, whether we had Italian food for dinner, or some other cuisine, the menu was arranged Italian-style. First, the antipasto, or appetiser, then the pasta dish then the main course. Cheese was generally served before the dessert; we presumed, to clear the palate before the sweet.

It’s not only at dinner that you get such service. Although a sit-down breakfast or lunch is obtainable at all the restaurants, most use the buffet, which is open longer. And, here, the choice is much wider. You can indulge in your own national preferences if you like … although one of the very few issues I have with Costa is that they don’t seem to be able to cook bacon the way I like it. But, for their ice cream, I can forgive them even that. And, there’s plenty of other things to have for breakfast.

Executive Chef Massimo Molinaro. Photo by Keith Kellett.

In the kitchen, Executive Chef Massimo Molinaro presides over a staff of 115 chefs, cooks, and porters, catering for up to 3,780 passengers in the five restaurants on board, in addition to the 1000 crew, who also need feeding. It’s almost non-stop , starting at breakfast at 7.00 a.m. and ending at 2 a.m.

There’s usually a complicated ‘vegetable sculpture’ on display in the buffet. And, at the ‘sit-down’ meals, the food is always painstakingly plated to make it look as attractive as possible. It’s never forgotten, though, that the main object is to feed the client not just to impress him.

(The kitchen staff on Costa’s ships are faced with something their fathers didn’t consider. Costa is heavily committed to preserving the marine environment, and strives to make the ships as green’ as possible. They no longer use the procedure known in the Royal Navy as “pumping gash’,” or simply dumping the kitchen waste over the side. Every scrap of waste food must be incinerated, and the ash disposed of ashore.)

Tickling my Inner Caveman

By Deston Nokes

Channelling Deston's Inner Caveman.

Rarely have I felt so conflicted on how to begin eating such a gorgeous mountain of lamb, pears and shallots. My inner Fred Flintstone wanted to grab the leg bone and gnaw with unrestrained relish, but the sophisticated ambiance of Portland’s Lauro Kitchen (www.laurokitchen.com), and my refined dinner companions kept my primitive urges in check.

We gathered to enjoy Braised Lamb Shank with Caramelized Pears and Shallots, which was created by Lauro Kitchen’s executive chef Jennifer Buehler. She recently received national acclaim for her artistry by the Pear Bureau Northwest. Chef Buehler is serving her winning recipe at Lauro Kitchen throughout March.

Our meal started with Cataplana, a tasty Portuguese seafood dish of roasted mussels, choriso, peppers, tomatoes and onions; finished in the Lauro Kitchen’s blue tile oven.

The lamb entrée came on a bed of couscous and was framed by carmelized red Anjou pears and shallots. Each bite of the tender meat brought a mouth-watering rush of spicy sweetness.

Braised lamb shank with carmelized pears and shallots. Photo courtesy of Pears Bureau Northwest.

“It’s a Moroccan dish,” Buehler said. “I just strive to do the traditional dishes right – it’s not about fusion cuisine. The pears do provide a Pacific Northwest influence, and the tanginess is from the cranberries. The nutty flavor is from almonds and there are hints of saffron, ginger and cinnamon.

“I want the diners to wonder what they’re tasting. As you eat the dish, the different robust and sweet flavors are revealed.”

The lamb shank certainly was enough to capture the fancy of the Pear Bureau’s judges.

“It struck us as the quintesstial spring entree,” says Kevin Moffitt, president and CEO of Pear Bureau Northwest. “Her pairing of savory braised lamb shanks with sweet, carmelized pears is one of the best ways to enjoy a pear this spring.”

The recipe’s emphasis on pears is a natural for the region since Oregon and Washington pears account for 89 percent of the nation’s pears. The fruit’s primary plucking season is in August, but they are available year round. For more about the region’s pear industry, go to www.pearpanache.com.

Lauro Kitchen.

Chef de Cuisine Jennifer Buehler has been cooking since she was a child in Independence, Missouri. After a quick stint in computer sales, Buehler returned to the kitchen, graduating from the Western Culinary Institute in Portland, Ore.

With Lauro Kitchen’s Mediterranean cuisine, Buehler can draw upon many different styles and ingredients to create elegant masterpieces. Started in 2003 by famed Portland chef and restaurant entrepreneur David Machado, the Lauro Kitchen was one of the first establishments to kick off Portland’s east side dining craze.

“David was always a downtown guy, operating Pazzo’s and Southpark, but he believed he could succeed by bringing the same high-end cuisine, with lower prices, to the east-side neighborhoods,” said Lindsey McBride, Portland food publicist.

“Years ago, we had very few dining options. One had to go downtown for a nice night out.”

(Lauro Kitchen is known for its hour of happiness menu Monday through Sunday from 5 – 6 p.m., which features select dishes at 2003 prices. The restaurant’s towering chalkboard also lists new specials each day: A special pizza, fresh fish, cocktails and dessert. Lauro Kitchen’s dedicated pastry chef, Nancy Forrest, absolutely blew us away with a chocolate caramel tart topped with sprinkles of sea salt. )

For more information:

Lauro Kitchen

3377 SE Division #106

Portland, OR 97202
Telephone: 503.239.7000

www.laurokitchen.com

About the author:

Deston Nokes wrote a new iPhone app: PORTLAND ESSENTIALS. It highlights the best things to see, do and eat in Portland. With 210 entries and more than 1,500 photos, it’s a delicious resource for those who live here, and for those coming to visit. Entries are listed by category and each links to a Web site and phone number. It includes cost and operating-hour information. Best of all, each has its own GPS to guide you right to the door. This new application is for sale on iTunes for only $2.99.

Braised Lamb Shank with Caramelized Pears and Shallots
by Chef de Cuisine Jennifer Buehler

SERVES 4 to 6

Braise

4         lamb shanks, preferably raised in Oregon, 16 to 20-ounces each

2         tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1         medium onion, roughly chopped

1         tablespoon finely chopped garlic

2         tablespoons finely chopped or grated fresh ginger

1-1/2   teaspoons saffron

1-1/2   teaspoons ground cinnamon

1-1/2   teaspoons ground ginger

1-1/2   teaspoons freshly ground black pepper

1/2      teaspoon cayenne pepper

4         bay leaves

1         cinnamon stick

1/2      cup whole almonds

2         quarts chicken stock

1/2      cup dried cranberries

Caramelized Pears and Shallots

1         ounces (2 tablespoons) unsalted butter

1         tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

8         small, whole shallots

2         Bosc pears, peeled, cored and sliced into 1/2″-thick wedges

1/4      cup granulated sugar

Couscous, as accompaniment

Parsley, to garnish

Plain yogurt, served on side

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Prepare the lamb by seasoning liberally with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Heat the oil in a heavy, wide saute pan until it is very hot, but not smoking. Brown the lamb shanks 2 at a time, turning them so that each side is dark golden brown and crusty, about 12 minutes total. Remove the shanks from the pan.

Reduce the heat under the saute pan to medium high and add the onions, garlic and ginger. Cook stirring frequently until the onions begin to caramelize slightly and pick up the color and scrapings leftover from browning the meat, about 5 minutes. Put the shanks in a deep, wide casserole, or a roasting pan. They should fit closely, in a single layer, leaving enough room in the pan to be covered with stock. A lid that fits well is helpful.

Add the sauteed onion, garlic and ginger to the lamb shanks along with the saffron, ground cinnamon, ground ginger, black and cayenne peppers, bay leaves, cinnamon stick and almonds. Cover the shanks with the chicken stock adding a bit of water if necessary to cover them completely. Cover tightly and braise for about 3-1/2 hours, adding the dried cranberries during the last 30 minutes. The lamb should be very tender and falling off the bone.

To finish the sauce, melt the butter in a saute pan with the oil over medium heat. If the shallots are larger than a small walnut, peel and separate into as many cloves as possible, or trim the root end without removing it completely. Halve or quarter the larger shallots; the root will hold the layers together. Add shallots to the pan and saute gently until they begin to soften slightly, about 5 minutes. Add the pear slices and sugar and continue to saute until everything is golden brown, about 15 minutes. Add some chicken stock or water if the sugar begins to get dark.

Remove the lamb shanks from the braising liquid. Transfer the braising liquid to a separate saucepan (there should be about 6 cups), put the shanks back in the braising pan and keep them warm. Add the pears and shallots to the braising liquid and reduce slightly. It will already be fairly thick. Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper as needed.

To serve, while the sauce is reducing, put the couscous on a larger platter and arrange the lamb shanks on top. Garnish with some pear slices and shallots and spoon the reduced sauce over the meat. Sprinkle with parsley and serve with plain yogurt on the side.

Don’t Leave Louisiana without Tasting Crawdads, at Least Once

Text and photographs by Vivienne Mackie

You’re sitting with the sun, warm on your face, sounds of jazz music drifting round the corner.  This is New Orleans, and you suspect there’ll be a taste adventure.  You ask the waiter for suggestions and he says, “Crawdads.”

Market in Louisiana. Photo by Vivenne Mackie.

“Crawdads?” you ask.  You’d been thinking of lobster.  But no, the waiter is insistent; it must be crawdads.

“What are these crawdads?” Well, let me tell you.

It starts with a legend. When the Acadians left Nova Scotia they were  friendly with the lobsters there.  King Lobster decided to follow the Acadians south.  It was a long, hard journey and they all got thin and small, so the lobsters shrunk to about 6 inches.  Because they’d crawled the whole way, they were nicknamed crawdads.  Some people call them toy lobsters, and the flavor really is similar to that of lobster.

Crayfish, crawfish, crawdads, mud bugs — by any name these tiny crustaceans are delicious.  Our friend, Gary H, from Louisiana says, “North 0f the Mason-Dixon line the Yankees call them crayfish.  South, we call them crawfish or crawdads.”

Crawfish is called “ecrivesse” in France, and “yabby” in Australia.  Many festivals around Louisiana salute the mud bug with country fairs, blues and zydeco music.  Once considered a food of the poor, it is now a staple of the state’s diverse food culture.

Sign for crawfish. Photo by Vivienne Mackie.

You’ll see crawfish advertised everywhere in New Orleans, its bright red face looking out from billboards and brochures. Cartoons of the sharp-clawed crustaceans parade on souvenir T-shirts and festival posters.  The creature features on nearly every menu from classy restaurants in the French Quarter to no-frills diners near bayous, especially in springtime, and there’s even a series of kids’ books about Clovis Crawfish.

Visitors from around the world are amazed at the variety and volume of Louisiana seafood. Louisiana leads the nation in commercial production of fish and shellfish — oysters, shrimp, crawfish, and crabs.  This seafood, plentiful in the bayous and the Gulf, is an important part of the region’s economy.  Much of the crawfish, a basic ingredient of many tasty Cajun and Creole dishes, grows wild in the freshwater wetlands of the Atchafalaya Basin.  But now farmers, especially rice farmers, often flood portions of their land and set wire traps for the crawfish harvest.  One field can produce 1,500 pounds of crawfish a day at the height of the season.

Commercial aquaculture of crawfish started in the 1960’s, where the creatures were farmed in large shallow ponds and caught in semi-submerged steel cages. Farmed crawfish are usually peeled and frozen in a processing factory, but those from local waterways (called Basin Crawfish on roadside stands) are cooked and brought to the table.   Louisianans love crawfish so they eat much of the catch themselves, but they do leave some for export!  In some Acadian restaurants you’ll see a sign ”No Chinese crawfish” because some Chinese importers have tried to flood the market with cheap tail meat. See here for more on a dispute: www1.american.edu/TED/crawfish.htm. However, more has been imported from China recently, and now Spain also wants to export crawfish to the United States.

Going crawfishing is fun for the whole family and kids are good at catching the crawfish, which always seem to be hungry and are easily caught with a piece of meat tied to the end of a of a string. They are found in rivers, bayous, ponds, ditches, and flooded swampy areas.  The season is from early December to mid-July, but the crawfish are best from February to May, when there’s always plenty of water around.

When alive the mud bugs come in many colors—green, yellow, beige, deep maroon—but, when boiled, they are all are a deep red, which they must be for one to extract the meat.  Because they live in mud, they must be soaked in clean salted water for at least 15 minutes and well rinsed.

After catching comes the glorious but messy joy of feasting!

Crawfish are boiled with a special boiling spice mix, (called crab boil mix and used for both blue crabs and crawfish) usually along with whole small red potatoes and sweet corn on the cob. The spiciness varies according to taste. Gary thinks the best crab boil mix is made by Zatarans in New Orleans.

The most popular casual way to eat them is at a Crawfish Boil, served with plenty of cold beer, and chilled white or red wine, either with friends or in a restaurant.  Visitors can look for signs saying Hot Boiled Crawfish, at a special eatery known as a “Boiling Point,” where servings are on aluminium beer trays set on plastic tablecloths.  Or, try a restaurant that has a special table with a hole in the center where you throw shells and debris.

According to Gary the prices vary, and rise and fall like the stock market. “In a normal year, they start at $2 per pound (alive) at the beginning of the season, and by April you can get them for $0.35 a pound (alive). If you buy them already cooked then they are around $3 per pound.” If you order online, you can find prices as low as $2.90 (true on February 2, 2010 on www.selectcrawfish.com )

At times, the Louisiana Crawfish Farmers’ Association tries to regulate the prices, especially if the prices go too low.  For example, this association, which has 1,100 members (the majority of about 1,600 farmers in Louisiana), voted in 2008 to stop harvesting two days a week in hopes of tightening supplies after a steep drop in wholesale prices.

Crawfish are served “by the order,” usually 5-6 lb per person. They are small, so you need a lot to make a meal. The average size is about the size of a man’s thumb.  Gary tries to put these amounts in perspective. “A local bar here in Hammond, and my favorite hang-out place, called ‘Crescent’, has an annual crawfish boil at the time of the Final Four. They cook 3,000 pounds of crawfish. A typical crawfish boil party here in Louisiana has around 200 pounds.”

The tail meat and the fat and liver inside the heads are the edible parts. Break head and tail apart and suck, peel tail and devein the meat, then “gleefully devour it.  It melts on your tongue, caresses your taste buds, and is ten times better than Maine lobster.” (Howard Mitcham, in “Creole Gumbo and all that Jazz.”) With practice, afficionados can schuck these crawdads with one hand, holding a Dixie beer in the other.

This devouring is messy and the red pepper in the boil mix may burn your hands, but it’s all considered part of the process.  Please remember to wash your hands before going to the bathroom, at strategically placed washbasins in the “boiling points.”

The most popular way to eat crawfish is by boiling, but there are other ways to prepare them. World-renowned Antoine’s Restaurant in New Orleans has a famous Crawfish Cardinale.  Many places serve Crawfish Etouffee (pronounced A-2-Fay), a Cajun dish of crawfish smothered in a delicious dark roux sauce.  Other staple Cajun dishes are Crawfish Stew, Crawfish Jambalaya, and Crawfish Bisque.

In New Orleans, French Quarter “tourist traps” use superlatives like “serving the best crawfish in the French Quarter, in New Orleans, in Louisiana” and have decor with lots of Mardi Gras items featured with an abundance of neon lights. However, the unpretentious places often have better crawfish.

Around New Orleans try these great places:

1) Morton’s, in Madisonville on the Tchefuncte River. This is Gary’s all-time favorite, so he took us there. Servings are suitably huge and messy and the beer keeps coming.

2) Don’s, in Hammond.

In the city of New Orleans try:

1) Acme’s Oyster Bar, 724 Iberville, Telephone: 504-522-5973

2) Mothers, 401 Poydras, Telephone: 504-523-9656

3) Casamento’s, 4330 Magazine Street, Telephone: 504-895-9761 (on the border with the Garden District)

Po Boy shops are good for fast food and sometimes have crawfish. In summer, boiled crabs and shrimp are also popular.

FOR MORE INFORMATION

For the history and statistics of crawfish visit: www.crawfish.org.

To purchase crawfish: www.KIcrawfishfarms.com;  www.selectcrawfish.com; or www.lacrawfish.com.

For general information on New Orleans visit: www.neworleans.cvb.com, www.crescentcity.com.

Vivienne Mackie may be reached at: vivienne.mackie@gmail.com. Read her blogs: www.viviennemackie.wordpress.com ;  Web Site: www.web.mac.com/vmackie/iweb/VivienneMackieProfile; Writing on Helium: www.helium.com/users/422547.

By Richard Frisbie

Photos by Richard Frisbie.

When you’re hungry, any kind of food sounds good. When you are planning a dinner for fifty or sixty hungry people, tapas sounds like a brilliant idea, but is it dinner? At the Paradores Hotel in Santiago de Compostella last February, Emilio Gomez proved it was both!

It was the first of ten concept dinners, each encompassing eighteen regions of Spain. Called “La Cocina de Paradores,” this visually stunning event was held in the equally beautiful Parador de “Hotel Dos Reis Catolicos,” originally built as a hospital, or place of shelter, for the pilgrims arriving at the Cathedral of St James just next door. The cross-shaped dining room, its vaulted ceiling and ornate altars evidenced earlier religious use, was a spectacular setting for this over-the-top culinary event. The casual tapas and bar hopping typical of other evenings could not compare to this, The Ultimate Tapas Party.

Photo by Richard Frisbie.

It was designed as a standup meal with 8 to 10 people for each large round table. Plates of  tapas were placed so that diners could rotate around the table stopping at tapas “stations” to eat that region’s best. Each individual tapas was made of ingredients solely from one region, and each was accompanied by the wine (or primary beverage) of that region. Drinks were served on trays, and mobile bars rolled around the room’s perimeter to have refreshment always at hand. But it was the tapas that stole the show, and what a show it was!

Photo by Richard Frisbie.

Imagine having the most artistic chefs creating each unusual tapas design. They had a team of sous chefs to help them replicate the design times 20 – for each table – to total about 500 of each design. The tapas arrived in little bowls, on little plates, on small spoons, with pipettes of various liquids, and arranged upright on skewers of various sizes and colors to create a veritable forest of colorful and unusual shapes. The display was beautiful!

An artistic interpretation of each tapas was created as a sculpture, all from non-perishable material.

They were on display in a great hall on pedestals, each in a Plexiglas box rising above the principle wine and grapes of that region. Behind each were tables lined with hundreds of real tapas ready to plate and deliver to  guests” tables.

The problem with the event was that I was there to cover the culinary aspect as part of the Gastronomy Congress I was attending. After eating, drinking and tasting all day, standing for three hours while the pomp of the very formal evening played out was just too much to ask. Compound that by needing to taste each of 18 tapas with the accompanying alcoholic beverage, which included hard cider, beer, and all manner of wines. A lesser person could not have done it; a smarter one wouldn’t have! I neatly fit between those extremes and consumed them all – I was working – then joined a group of chefs at a jazz club for drinks and dancing afterward. My stomach still hasn’t recovered!

The highlights:

I’ll be politic and say Galicia’s were the best. One because I love their white wines, so the Bocarribeira 09 D.O. Ribeiro local white served in the traditional manner – a small white bowl – was a refreshing treat; a simple uncomplicated not too sweet delight. The fancy take on St James cake as a dessert tapas was a surprise. St James cake is sugar, butter, almond flour (and ground almond, no wheat) combined into a melt-in-your-mouth simple but luscious cake. Here it was topped with little pancakes and no small amount of whimsy to excel. Besides, Galicia, a place I love to visit, was my host.

Photo by Richard Frisbie.

After that, the Canary Island’s offering of the second-best potatoes of Spain (after Galicia, of course) speared with pipettes of their green (mild) and red (hot) mojo sauce reminded me of an incredible visit there as only the aromas and tastes of food can trigger the big memories of our lives. The rest (both tapas and wine) could all be grouped as in the good range, but no others stand out as winners.

My final thought? Next time I’ll photograph the event and skip the fancy food. I know, I can say that now, but when beautiful food is placed before me, it is rare that I can refuse it.

Could you?

For More Information:

www.tourspain.es/en/HOME/ListadoMenu.htm?Language=en
Tourist Office of Spain

www.parador.es/
Parador de “Hostal Dos Reis Católicos”

www.santiagoturismo.com/
Turismo de Santiago de Compostela

Richard Frisbie is a food, wine, and travel writer; a bookseller and publisher of New York centric books; and a professional baker who resides in New York’s Hudson Valley. Online, his articles appear here, on Gather.com, GoNomad.com, travellady.com and the many websites of EDGE Publications. He also writes for regional New York magazines such as Life in the Finger Lakes, and Kaatskill Life. Richard can be reached at Richard@globalfoodie.com

Ringraziamento … an Italian Thanksgiving

By Andrew J. Harvey

The author poses beside a roasted turkey while holding its foldout paper partner.

During the fall of 2008 a dream of mine came true — the opportunity to spend a semester living and studying in Italy. Having learned the Italian language, I specifically requested a host family that spoke little or no English.

I arrived at Gianni and Ana Silvestri’s multi-story home, located in the center of Florence. Lifelong Florentines, they welcomed me into their lives and went out of their way to make me feel comfortable in my new home.  During those months they introduced me to every aspect of Italian life.  In talking to other students later I realized that I had indeed received a much better host family than most.

By November I think I met every member of the extended family. I decided that it would be nice to repay everyone by introducing them to the uniquely American Thanksgiving dinner.  My cooking experience was limited, so I was guided through the meal by recipes found online and email advice from my mother, who is half Italian. Mama Ana did the shopping. When she came home with the groceries I realized my culinary gift was harder than expected.  She arrived with a 21-pound turkey — still in full white-feathered regalia. Apparently, those frozen and fresh market turkeys so common in American supermarkets aren’t easy to find in Italy.

My aim was for Ana to relax while I did the cooking. Getting an Italian mother to watch you cook without helping is an impossibility.  We began by preparing homemade stuffing with a loaf of Italian bread. She really wanted to put meat in the stuffing and was shocked that I’d make it without sausage or some sort of meat.

The only item we lacked was string to tie the legs together.  Ana disappeared and came back with a wide red ribbon. Although it caught fire while in the oven, it got the job done – and maybe it added a bit of flavor, who knows.

Next we made two traditional American side dishes, a green bean casserole with mushrooms and onions and, of course, mashed potatoes. She’d never seen green bean casserole before, so she let me create that dish myself.

Ana set the table with bright orange napkins, flowers, and a folding paper turkey she found in a stationary store. She was excited about that find and insisted on taking my picture with the real and fake turkey. Once that was finished the family sat down and enjoyed a wonderful dinner.

Most would consider white wine the better poultry choice. During my entire Tuscan experience I never saw a glass of white wine. My host father, Gianni, would rather eat the label than drink white wine.  So, with this in mind, we drank a bottle of traditional fall wine, Vino Novello, that I picked up outside of Siena the week before.  We ate, laughed, and compared Italian and American experiences. This was, she said, most similar to their Christmas meal.

When I came home from school the day after our feast I found most of Ana’s relatives at the table enjoying the leftovers, while Ana explained the holiday to them.  They seemed especially impressed with the stuffing and casserole and insisted on having me translate the recipes into Italian.   After introducing so much of their culture to me, I took pleasure in introducing something uniquely American.  Ana, Gianni, and the rest of the family truly enjoyed their first Thanksgiving and last fall continued the tradition of what they now call “Ringraziamento.”

Andrew J. Harvey is Globalfoodie’s Italian expert and a senior at Syracuse University. Fluent in the language – and the food – he brings a unique, personal and accurate take on the importance of Italian food within the culture. He can be reached at: Andrew@globalfoodie.com.

SPICE WINGS WITH THIS FLAVORSOME RUB AND MARINADE

By Peter Francis Battaglia

I’m not one of those chili and hot sauce fanatics, however, I love the intensity of heat, sweetness and the all around flavor profile it adds when one is not stupid with the amount added to a dish.  If you are at all put off by hot foods, maybe you’ve been force fed too much heat in a particular
recipe.  My style is to add the touch of heat, and its flavor and then put some extra heat on the side. You be the judge on how hot you want your food.

Personally, I put chili flakes on tons of my dishes, over and above what my recipes call for. And that is my decision — to make it hotter for my palate, but your palate I must respect.  Over the weekend — with the sun shining, no wind, no humidity, just perfect Jersey Shore weather — I had to grill.

One of my favorite grilled items are chicken wings.  Recently I had bought in the Mexican section of Shop-Rite, a variety of chili powders in the Mexican section of Shop-Rite. Not the American multi-ingredient blend, but powders made of a single type of chili.  I purchased a bag of Arbol Chili Powder and one of Pequin (or Bird) Chili Powder.  Nothing in the bags except the finely ground flesh of those particular peppers. Both carry a searing heat.  So why would I use one of these on a wing recipe?  Heat and wings are a classic combo and Buffalo Wings are a perfect example. My girls had a friend over for the weekend and wings seemed to easily fit the bill.

I started with a rub

1 tbs. granulated garlic; 1/2 tsp. brown sugar; 1 tsp. oregano; 1/2 tsp. black pepper; 1 tsp. Pequin chile powder (OMG it’s sooo good): 1 tsp. kosher salt; 1 tsp. thyme leaves; 1/2 tsp. cinnamon; 1/2 tsp. sage.

Blend this well.  Now add 20 chicken wings, washed and dried with paper towels. Coat the wings and let them sit covered in the refrigerator for one hour.  Mix 3 tbs. olive oil, 4 tbs. of balsamic vinegar and pour over the wings. Let it all marinade for one more hour.

Turn your grill to high 15 minutes before you start cooking the wings. Keep the cover on. In a large foil tray layer the wings and sprinkel 4 tbs. of soy sauce over the wings and add a little more oil. Place the foil tray on the rack and let them cook undisturbed for 10 minutes. Then turn the wings and let them cook another 10 minutes. They should be nice and golden. Turn the wings and let them cook another 10 minutes.  They should be nice and golden now.

Carefully remove the partially cooked wings from the on and place them on an oiled grill. Lower the heat to low and cook for another five minutes on each side.

Garnish the hot wings with fresh sage and thyme. This adds a little more flavorto the wing and gives it an earthy and fragrant herb essence. To finish these wings my way,  add a squirt or two of my favorite condiment Sriracha Rooster Chili Sauce.

I love this stuff so much I actually posed the bottle. I think it’s photogenic, don’t you? A little of this drizzled over the wings adds more depth and just the right amount of heat without leaving your screaming for the NYFD to put out the fire in your throat.

Isn’t that pretty — or handsome? The different chilies, with soy, which does wonders for the color of the wings, and the tenderizing tang and carmelizing properties of the balsamic all make these wings special. The car from the grills adds more intensity. Serve this with homemade kidney or pinto beans.  I sauteed a strip of smoked pork jowl (a staple in my freezer — don’t make fun of me, I’m sensitive) in some vegetable oil; added a diced small onion; 1 sliced clove of garlic; and let it all meld together. Then I  added 1 can of beans with half the liquid poured off. To that I added 1/4 cup of ketchup (Heinz preferably); 1 tsp of mustard powder; 1/2 tsp. pequin chil (just because); 1/2 tsp. salt; 1/2 tsp. black pepper; 1 tsp. molasses; 1 tbs. brown sugar. Mix well and let this simmer on low for about 45 minutes. It beats that can of B&M in the pantry.

Check out those beans, the perfect foil for the wings. This summer, spring or whatever your grilling season, experiment with rubs, oils and chilies. And try a few side dishes too. If you need some extra help post a comment on my blog and I’ll do my best. Life is too short to waste it on the same old same old. Get out and grill. It’s the season!

This article appears on Peter Francis Battaglia’s site where you may leave your comments. It’s:  www.blog.afoodobsession.com/2010/04/12/get-out-and-grill–spice-your-wings-up-with-this-flavorsome-rub-and-marinade.aspx.

Churros and Hot Chocolate

By Keith Kellett

When I attend one of the Vaughantown English-language programmes, I’m always being told that the meals, while good, aren’t typically Spanish. So, any serious research into Spanish food usually is confined to tapas and snacks, which is fair enough. We’re there to give Spanish people experience in speaking English, not to eat.

The programmes don’t start until breakfast at 9 a.m. Now, I’m an early riser and often have a considerable amount of work done by then. So, while I  pass the time by writing notes and reviewing pictures it nevertheless seems a long time until breakfast. And, I usually feel peckish, or at least, in need of liquid.

A short way down the street from the Salamanca hotel where we were staying is an establishment, which opens very early, called a churreria, which serves something with which many Spanish people like to start their day.

Chocolate con Churros is hot, sweet drinking chocolate, so thick you could almost stand your spoon in it. It’s served with baton-like deep-fried pastries, freshly cooked in the same way as doughnuts, which are dunked in the chocolate before eating. Guide book lore has it that the party-loving Spaniards sometimes go straight from a party to work, and like to take on the energy jolt given by a chocolate con churros. However, most Spanish people I know deny this strongly — although they will admit it’s a good way to end a night out, as well as start a morning.

Hot chocolate beside a plate of freshly made churros. (Photo by Keith Kellett.)

Of course, it doesn’t do to indulge in this treat too often.  The words “calories” and “cholesterol” spring to mind. But, a lot of people have similar guilts about bacon and eggs, so why not occasionally!

The churreria itself, called the Graci, is a small room, most taken up by the bar, the machines for making the chocolate and the churros and the stove for frying the churros. There were one or two cramped tables and chairs, so it’s better to belly up to the bar to have your chocolate.

You can make your own churros, but you need to have a special machine, or a doughnut maker. The mix is a typical doughnut recipe: flour and water in approximate 1-1 proportions, salt and olive oil, according to how many you want to make. Boil the water, oil and salt, and add the flour till it becomes a smooth, thick paste.

At the churreria, they place the mixture in a special machine, from which the churros are taken as required. The machine is right over the pan they’re fried in, so they can be dropped straight into the hot oil.

There’s another version, larger than the churro called the porra. You have to be careful when you’re asking for these, as the word is similar to porro, which I’m told is Spanish slang for a joint or a spliff! Or, is it the other way around? Or, have I been completely misinformed?

Maybe it’s best to stick to churros?

Keith, our UK correspondent, can be reached at: Keith@globalfoodie.com.

Award Winning Chef, Peter Sheedy, Offers Exceptional Vegan

by Emilie C. Harting

Set on a hill overlooking New Hampshire’s Squam Lake and the White Mountains, the Manor at Golden Pond, with its sprawling main house, croquet setups, swimming pool, and surrounding woods, brings to mind an English country house.  Books line the lower half of the walls in the spacious and light-filled main lounge.  The latest magazines and periodicals are at hand on coffee tables in front of comfortable chairs and couches, the chess games and jigsaw puzzles wait for players to come back and finish, and the all day tea on the sideboard speaks the language of relaxation.

The inn draws a diverse crowd of families, hikers who return each year in summer, skiers who come in winter, couples celebrating milestone events, and those who want to stay put and relax on the grounds. One family had bicycled a hundred miles north from Massachusetts so they could see their favorite ski area when it was green rather than snow covered. A sixty something couple, theater producers from New York, had motorcycled up from Long Island.  Other guests talked about how they like to come each year because they love the lake and mountains, and want to spend time on the grounds and in the spa.  However, food and wine are the major draw.

Chef Peter Sheedy has won accolades for his cuisine, which he calls New American, a fusion of New England classics with French, Thai and Spanish influences. The inn has also won awards from Wine Spectator for its food and wine pairing.  Though one of his favorite cooking moments is when the marbling of a roast has reached just the right point, he is equally exited by vegan food. He’s developed an exciting vegan tasting menu; but that you must order in advance. Translate: vegan means no animal products whatever.  Sheedy is a purist and uses vinegar and lemon juice rather than wine when creating vegan dishes because ox blood, egg whites, or some other kinds of animal protein, are often used in the clarification process. Providing vegan fare, he says, is as important as accommodating diets for guests with  allergies, medical conditions, or certain religious practices.  

Always alert for new trends, Chef  Sheedy  began developing vegan recipes as he worked in kitchens across the country—in New England, where he cooked in top restaurants and attended culinary school, in Oregon, where he stirred pots alongside a number of leading chefs, and in Atlanta, where he mentored the staff of a restaurant in the Marriott chain.  At each location he noticed a growing core of health conscious eaters who wanted vegan food. 

Dishes on both the traditional and vegan menus abound with flavors that one can only get from high quality produce that reaches the table soon after it is picked.  On the way to work, Sheedy often stops at local farmers’ markets in the surrounding valley.  He also rings up nearby growers who deliver.  In off seasons the vegetables and fruit come daily from special Boston purveyors.

Organic heirloom tomatoes in my tomato panzanella, a sliced bread and fresh tomato dish native to Tuscany, had their sweetness intact, and in my carrot and parsnip soup, the sweetness of the parsnips balanced out the slightly bitter carrot taste.

However, the highlight for me was the summer squash cannelloni stuffed with legumes and topped with crème sauce.  A base of shredded cauliflower mixed with fennel, and a stiff puree of garbanzos and white beans takes the place of the traditional cheese stuffing.  Each variety of beans has a subtle taste of its own, and Sheedy says that with several types of beans, mushrooms or apples, you get more than the sum of the parts.  He uses a cauliflower puree enriched with a good bit of extra virgin olive oil to make it as rich and satisfying as a traditional crème sauce.  Since cauliflower is mostly water, and oil and water don’t generally mix, he uses plant-derived liquid lecithin, a binder which is becoming increasingly common in vegan cooking because it emulsifies the way egg yolks do.

Also the particles of cauliflower help hold the ingredients together in the same way that a little mustard helps keep a vinaigrette smooth, or the way that whipping a bit of cream, along with the butter, into mashed potatoes before they begin to separate makes them seem less greasy.

Sheedy says that the vegan summer squash cannelloni is a variance of a dish that would usually have a lot of animal products in it.  The cheese filling of the traditional dish, for example, has a “platform” taste—rich neutral protein that is satisfying to the palate.  Pureed beans are an obvious substitute.  They’re rich in protein, and they readily take on the flavors of whatever seasonings they’re cooked with.  He says it’s fun to create this kind of “costume” dish—vegan food “dressed up” as traditional fare—but he warned me that even though the cannelloni was one of my favorites,  he doesn’t like to offer more than one or two dishes of this kind on a menu. “Vegan cooking, when it’s done well, can stand on its own merits, and doesn’t have to pretend to be something it’s not,” he said emphatically.

When I asked for advice on wine to pair with the cannelloni, Sheedy suggested 2006 Viognier, Callaway, a Coastal Reserve.  ”Viognier is a white wine varietal that is somewhat uncommon,” he said.  “It has traditionally been used in blended wines.  It is crisp and acidic, though, and has some ‘funky’ and floral qualities that will complement the cauliflower — which is a member of the cabbage family — and the herbaceous fennel).  Being on the richer side– with the cauliflower cream–this is the sort of food that will stand up to a slightly denser wine.”

Another favorite on the menu was the sweet corn risotto, which Sheedy said is an example of a vegan entree that does not imitate animal food.  He uses corn on the cob that’s a day or two out of the garden, high quality rice–carnaroli or abrorio–and excellent olive oil such as extra virgin California arbequina, which is buttery and delicately fruity.  He also chooses tofu that has been handled and stored properly.  When guests object to tofu because they say the flavor is objectionable, Sheedy tells them they have probably been eating tofu that was cooked along with subpar ingredients or was not properly stored.

Charring corn on the grill, he says, adds hints of smoke and bitterness.  The process combines the flavors of the rice and tofu, which are slightly floral but essentially neutral, with the corn, which is “flatly sweet.”  Without the charring of the corn, the dish could be quite “dull and pappy.”  On the other hand, that char flavor has to be added subtly; if there’s too much charring, the more delicate qualities of the other ingredients can be overwhelmed.

He finds that braising bean curd or tofu is a technique that makes it more appealing to those who have avoided it previously.  Tofu is virtually taste-neutral, and it absorbs flavors like few other foods.  It’s important to braise the outside of the curd in medium-hot oil; the process not only adds flavor, but it also gives it a little bit of a crust.  The result is a textual contrast between the slightly chewy exterior and the silky inside.

For the sweet corn risotto Sheedy advised a 2007 New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc, Brancott, Reserve, for the sweet corn risotto.  “It’s is a crisp, dry white and tartly acidic — the sour wine contrasts the sweetness of the dish, and the more subtle qualities of the wine are highlighted by the contrast.  Like many New Zealand Sauvignon Blancs the Brancott has wide-ranging tropical fruit and floral notes that fit with the sweetness and floral character of the corn.”

Near the end of my stay, I was in heaven while slowing eating Sheedy’s sorbet in the Van Horn Dining Room with its dark woodwork, splashes of flowered wallpaper, and mullioned windows.  Sorbet has long been the preferred dessert of vegans because it is pure and does not contain any animal fat.  The delicacy may date back to the Roman Emperor Nero, and is said to have been brought from Italy to France in the 16^th century by Catherine de’ Medici.  How succulent it is now when the chef uses fresh fruit from a New Hampshire Valley.

For more information visit: www.manorongoldenpond.com

Summer Squash Cannelloni (on Chef Sheedy’s tasting menu):

Serves Two

Ingredients:

1 medium-sized zucchini

1 medium-sized fennel bulb, diced fine

1/2 medium-sized onion, diced fine

1/4 cup garbanzo beans, dry

1/2 cup cannelloni (white) beans, dry

2 shallots, peeled and diced fine

1 parsnip, peeled and diced medium

1/2 head cauliflower

1 ml liquid, plant-extracted lecithin

1/2 cup very high quality extra-virgin olive oil

3 drops (2 ml) white truffle oil

2 cloves garlic, slivered

3 sprigs thyme

juice of 1 lemon

neutral vegetable (soy) oil as needed

kosher salt as needed

black pepper as needed

1/8 th cup micro arugula

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar reduced to a think syrup

For the Zucchini “Pasta”

Cut the ends off the zucchini. Using a mechanical deli slicer or very sharp vegetable slicer, cut the zucchini from end-to-end into 1/8th inch slabs. In a pot of boiling, salted water blanch the slabs of zucchini for about 20 seconds so that they are flexible enough to roll around the fennel-legume stuffing.

For the Fennel-Legume Stuffing

In a medium-sized, non-reactive pot, combine two sprigs of thyme, the diced onion, 1 of the diced shallots, 1 clove of slivered garlic, the diced fennel and the diced parsnip. Toss with a pinch of kosher salt and a tablespoon of neutral vegetable oil. Set over a medium-low flame. Cover with a parchment paper lid and sweat, stirring occasionally, until very soft and fragrant, about 20 min. Do not allow the vegetables to brown. Once the vegetables are soft, add the dried beans to the pot and enough water to cover by four inches. Bring to a simmer and cook until the beans are soft, about 1 hour. Drain the beans, reserving their cooking liquid. Remove the thyme spring from the cooked beans and puree. Pass the resulting puree through a fine-meshed sieve to ensure a silky texture. If the puree is too stiff — the texture should be fairly soft, like the texture of the warm ricotta it’s intended to mimic — thin it slightly with the reserved cooking liquid. Hold warm.

For the Cauliflower Cream

In a small, non-reactive pot, combine one of the thyme sprigs, one of the diced

shallots, one of the cloves of garlic, and most of the cauliflower (reserve four of the choicest florets for use as a garnish). Toss with a pinch of salt, half of the lemon juice and 2 tablespoons of neutral vegetable oil. Set over a medium-low flame and cover with a parchment paper lid. Sweat until the cauliflower is very soft and fragrant, about 30 minutes.

Once the cauliflower is fully cooked, remove the thyme sprig and puree, thinning tothe consistency of heavy cream with the reserved cooking liquid from the beans. After the cauliflower cream has been adjusted to the correct consistency, force it through a chinois to ensure it is silky smooth and homogeneous. Hold warm.

For the Cauliflower Garnish

Slice the cauliflower florets into four, 1/2-inch thick slabs. Season with a pinch of salt and pat dry with absorbent paper towels. In a small saute pan, heat an 1/8th of an inch of neutral vegetable oil until it flows readily around the pan and shimmers slightly. Add the cauliflower to the pan, pressing down gently. When the cauliflower is crisp and well browned on one side, remove with a slotted spatula and place on absorbent paper to blot away any excess oil. Finish with a sprinkle of kosher salt.

To Finish and Plate

Spoon a small quantity of the fennel-legume stuffing onto each of four blanched zucchini ribbons. Roll the zucchini around the filling gently so it doesn’t crack or break. Smooth any excess filling off the ends of the zucchini rolls. Arrange two of the zucchini rolls in the center of each of two plates. Flash the plates in a moderate oven briefly to warm the zucchini. Top each with a grind of fresh black pepper from the mill and the remaining lemon juice. Combine the cauliflower cream, truffle oil, liquid lecithin and extra-virgin olive oil in an over-sized bowl. Season to taste with kosher salt. Using an immersion blender submerged only two thirds in the cauliflower cream mixture, blend the ingredients together until they are emulsified and slightly foamy. Use a serving spoon to draw some of the liquid from the beneath the foam. Use until it has the ability to coat the back of a spoon.    Top each cannelloni with a crisped slice of cauliflower. Use the foam from the cauliflower cream to top the browned cauliflower florets, dotting some around the plate. Dress the micro arugula with a few drops of extra virgin olive oil and arrange above the zucchini cannelloni. Drizzle the plate near the cannelloni with some of the balsamic vinegar reduction. Serve immediately.

Reach Emilie at: echarting@hotmail.com. You can view more of her work at: www.emilieharting.com.

By Susan McKee

Frying bannock. (Photo by Susan McKee.)

I’m always on the lookout for indigenous cooking wherever I travel. Last summer, while on a trip to Canada’s Yukon Territory, I was wandering through Dawson City on my way to the Dänojà Zho Cultural Centre when the aroma of bannock stopped me. What’s a traditional Scottish treat doing up in the Yukon Territory?

The aroma lured me toward a young woman cooking bannock over an open fire. She explained that it was brought to Canada in the mid-1880s by Scots working for the Hudson’s Bay Company. Because it was so easy to cook and transport, it became popular among the hunters and trappers, who spent months traveling. It was quickly adopted by the First Nations people.

Scottish bannocks are heavy flat cakes of unleavened barley or oatmeal dough formed into a round or oval shape, then cooked on a griddle. “Bannock,” comes from ancient Latin, but is also a Celtic and Old English word, which essentially means “baked goods.” It’s initially recorded at the turn of the first millennium.

Whether the Yukon’s bannock came from Scotland, or was an adaptation of the typical fry bread made by indigenous peoples on both sides of the U.S. and Canadian border, doesn’t really matter to foodies. It’s the eating we love best.

Here’s the recipe:

3 cups flour

2 level teaspoons baking powder

4 tablespoons sugar

1 teaspoon salt

Preheat some cooking oil in a frying pan. Mix together with about 3 cups of water, stirring until the batter is smooth. Scoop a large spoonful of dough into the frying pan and flatten it. Cook, turning once, until both sides are golden brown. Serve with “butter, jam or anything else that might enhance bannock.

For more on Dawson City visit: www.dawsoncity.ca

Susan can be reached at: Susan@SusanMcKee.com.

Editor’s note: Peter Francis Battaglia doesn’t just cook, he teaches. When I couldn’t find my mom’s manicotti crepe recipe I asked Peter for help. He gave me the recipe and a lesson. It brought back memories and I noticed the fillings and the methods are the same. Thank you, Peter for helping me fill another page in my mother’s handwritten cookbook and giving me the last piece of her manicotti puzzle. — Denise

Making Manicotti with Pancetta Tomato Sauce

By Peter Francis Battaglia

Peter Francis Battaglia's manicotti.

This is my all-time favorite, then good cheese ravioli, lasagne, and  cavatelli.  Truly, there are no pastas I don’t like; but manicotti has a special place in my heart. Growing up, when these were being made my anticipation went through the roof.  Back then manicotti were always reserved for a special holiday or celebration.

I had the craving on a recent Saturday night; but we had already eaten.  So, around 10 p.m. I went to the kitchen, and started making them for Sunday dinner.  Crazy?  Maybe.

It’s worth the effort. Remember, as with all good things, have patience. It’s work, not really hard work. Let’s face it you’re not installing new kitchen cabinets here. But this kind of work will reward everyone with a spectacular feast – Southern Italian style.

Make the sauce first.  You can make your favorite or usual sauce, but for the love of all that is good in the world, don’t use jarred sauce. You can make it yourself.

I opened the fridge and took a nice piece of Pancetta. Pancetta is an Italian form of bacon, cured, but not smoked.  You cannot use smoked bacon in a recipe that calls for pancetta.  The flavor is not the same and will alter the end result.

If Pancetta is unavailable, don’t panic.  Every supermarket is carrying it now, but, if you happen to live in an area where it is unavailable, use salt pork.  Dice about 1 cup of the pancetta and sauté in a large pot with some fruity olive oil. Let it sizzle for about 8 minutes. Add 1 large or 2 small onions, finely diced. Let this simmer in the oil for about 20 minutes so that the onions sweeten and meld with the pancetta flavor. This is a crucial step in creating this particular sauce. If you are using salt pork – after the onions have started cooking for about 5 minutes — add a splash of wine and a good grinding of black pepper. This will make the salt port take on the flavors of pancetta. It works.

Now add two cans of San Marzano good tomatoes that you have crushed with your hands. Add a couple of torn basil leaves, taste for seasoning, and let this cook for at least 1 hour. You will be happy with the concentrated flavor the onions and pancetta give the sauce.

Saute for five minutes to meld flavors.

See that bright, sunny red color? It comes from San Marzano tomatoes and not overcooking the sauce.

While the sauce is cooking you make the manicotti.  The Battaglia-Scaramuzzi family recipe (that would be my Mom’s way of making them) is crepe-style.  I find the manicotti made with macaroni or pasta dough – whether it be fresh or dried – very foreign.  I think cannelloni which are quite similar, are made with a fresh pasta dough.  I also don’t like a well-known “Italian” franchise restaurant’s mentality of taking a dish and embellishing it with extraneous ingredients.

Manicotti should be stuffed with a mixture of ricotta, mozzarella, pecorino romano, black pepper, and fresh parsley, with an egg to help bind the filling.  Serve it all with a tasty sauce – tomato please, never Vodka sauce. Garnished with shrimp? No. Why the tirade?  This latest restaurant’s disaster pairs a ricotta stuffed manicotti with a cream (OMG) sauce and shrimp. What?  I’m just sayin …

Making the Crepes

OK, let’s start making the crepes. Sift 1 1/2 cups flour into a bowl. Add 3 well-beaten eggs, 1 teaspoon olive oil, pinch of salt, 2 cups of milk. Somehow this always changes, so be sure it has the consistency of a loose pancake batter, which hovers between thin and not so thin.

The crepe batter should have this consistency.

Rub a non-stick small omelette pan with olive oil. Place it over medium heat for 5 minutes.  Now ladle a thin layer of the crepe batter into the pan, smoothing it out with the bottom of the ladle.  It should be thin, but not transparent. Cook for 2 minutes on each side and continue making the crepes until the batter is used. This should yield about 20 crepes. Stack them on a place and move to one side. Let cool for about 1/2 hour.

Cooking the crepes.

Manicotti Filling

In a large bowl add one-half pound small diced mozzarella, 2 teaspoons freshly minced flat-leaf parsley, 1 beaten egg, 1 cup pecorino romano, lots of fresh ground black pepper, One-and-one-half pounds good ricotta. Polly-O is a good supermarket brand, but, if possible get fresh ricotta from an Italian Store, or Salumeria. It makes for a heavenly manicotti. Fresh ricotta just can’t be beat.

Manicotti filling.

Preparing the Manicotti

Add some sauce to the bottom of a baking pan.  Take a crepe and put abut 3 tablespoons of the filling down the center. Roll it up and place into pan. Do not stack them on top of each other. One layer only.

Put the filling across the crepe and roll.

Place manicotti in a single layer.

Just a suggestion (not really), use Polly-O whole milk mozzarella. Fresh has too much liquid and it makes the filling watery. Top the finished tray with sauce and add some grated pecorino.

Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Cover the tray with foil and bake for 1 hour.  Let the manicotti sit for a good 5-10 minutes before serving.  The foil prevents the heat from drying the manicotti and scorching the top.  Too much cooking and the tomato gets bitter. When serving, figure at least 2 manicotti per person, so make enough. This is an easy recipe to double.

I'll have three please ...

Those of you who want to wow your family and friends with a homemade pasta dish, this is just the one to try.  You can make the shells and sauce a day or two before serving.  You can even roll and stuff them, but you must cook them less than 24 hours after you they are stuffed. Just tightly cover and refrigerate. Serve with a meat ball or sausage – or not.  Just one makes a great starter to an Italian meal, or use it as the entrée.

Cannelloni I like with a veal and spinach stuffing, asiago cheese, onion, garlic, carrot, celery. Oops, that’s another recipe.  Sorry. Once I get started, I just want to keep going. Drop me a comment if you try this!

To see more of Peter’s recipes visit his blog at: www.blog.afoodobsession.com. Peter can be reached at: Peter@globalfoodie.com.

Savor the Spirit of Africa

Text and photos by Vivienne Mackie

The African continent is home to a variety of fascinating ancient trees and plants, a fact that enhances the mystery and appeal of this continent.

Amarula tree.

One is the Marula Tree, often called “The Great Provider,” because of its many uses. The Marula tree grows naturally in the warm, frost-free regions of southern Africa, especially Botswana, Zimbabwe and South

Although not commercially cultivated the Marula is part of the mango, cashew and pistachio family. Its fruit, which looks like a worn tennis ball, is used for making jam, beer, and wine, and it is the basis for a Amarula Cream Liqueur, one of South Africa’s most successful exports.

The Marula is also known as “hard walnut” from the Greek, refers to the hard stone inside the fleshy fruit. It is a medium sized deciduous tree that has been extremely important to the indigenous Bantu peoples and their migrations for at least 10,000 years, according to archeological evidence. The ripe Marula is the size of a small yellow plum, its fleshy fruit high in vitamin C (more than 4 times that of an average-size orange), the nutty kernel is high in protein and oil, while the bark has medicinal properties that are helpful in malaria prophylaxis, for pain, and for scorpion or snake bites. The inner bark can be used to make rope and the soft wood is good for carving.

Marula fruit.

Held sacred among those who inhabit the region, the Marula tree plays a prominent role in tribal legends. Commonly nicknamed “the Marriage Tree,” it is widely believed to bestow vigor and fertility upon those who marry beneath its branches. Even today, tribal wedding ceremonies occur beneath its branches. The hard stones inside the soft yellow fruit are often dried and strung together in a necklace that traditionally symbolizess love.

During southern Africa’s spring and early summer when the ripe Marula fruit hangs on the tree, animals travel for miles to collect and enjoy their share of this delicious, natural bounty. Warthog, waterbuck, giraffe and kudu all eat the fruit and leaves of the tree, but foremost are the herds of African elephants that have roamed the continent for thousands of years. For this reason, some communities also refer to the Marula tree as the “Elephant Tree.” This age-old relationship between these two African symbols is why both this majestic creature and the Marula tree feature as icons for the Amarula Cream Liqueur.

Amarula Cream Liqueur

A popular centuries-old myth is that elephants and other animals eat the rotting Marula fruit and get intoxicated. It was put to rest by a National Geographic story. (See: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2005/12/1219_051219_drunk_elephant.html )

Once a year, the Marula tree is responsible for a remarkable event – the annual Marula harvest. Celebrations occur as the bountiful fruit is gathered from across the plains. A single tree can produce over 10,000 fruit.

Here is where the process of making Amarula Cream begins. After it is collected by hand, this lush and exotic pale yellow fruit is pulped and fermented before undergoing slow and careful distillation in copper pot sills. This process further concentrates the flavor of the fruit, yielding the unique-tasting Marula spirit that is then matured for at least two years in small French oak barrels.

When the tasters say that the contents of each barrel are ready, the Marula spirit is blended with the finest, freshest cream. This is final step toward creating this distinctively smooth liqueur. Amarula Cream has been enjoyed by people who live in and visit its native African continent, and in the last decade or so, has become available to other regions, allowing connoisseurs and and the no-so-experienced to discover this unique flavor. Many people have commented that if you like cream liqueurs, then you owe it to yourself to try this one.

There are also wonderful Amarula Cream chocolates, if you’d like to savor the Spirit of Africa in yet another form.

Amarula Cream can be enjoyed on its own, splashed over ice, or in a variety of delectable cocktails. Many locals and visitors love the southern African tradition of “Sundowners.” A splash of Amarula Cream over ice is one perfect way to watch the sun go down in one of Africa’s spectacular sunsets.

For more information:

Amarula Cream, www.amarula.com (You must include a birth date to enter the site).

Enticing Fare in Portsmouth

Review by Rosemary Minati

Mombo, 66 Marcy Street, Portsmouth, NH  03801. Telephone:  603-433-2340.

Kitchen opens to restaurant. (Photos courtesy of Mombo.)

Mombo isn’t just a culinary experience. No, this new eatery serves enticing visual fare too. My husband and I fell in love with this restaurant the moment we walked through the door. Located in a charming old  building, it has high-beamed ceilings, cozy seating areas, and a friendly crew,  giving it a warm and inviting feel.

Mombo’s granite bar extends into counter seating, an alternative to traditional table seating, offering guests an up-close-and-personal look into its open kitchen. Steve and I sat there and for our  evening “entertainment” we watched as Lawrence artistically created magnificent appetizers and desserts. He made and then served our cheese platter, offering an explanation of each cheese and its origin.

Mombo cooking. (Photo courtesy of Mombo.)

This restaurant is good for foodies who appreciate interesting spices, flavors and artistic presentation. Steve and I shared each course because everything looked so unique, fresh and tempting. The lobster bisque was creamy and rich. For entrees we chose fresh scallops that were cooked to perfection and a tender Kobe beef filet that was tender and juicy.

Dessert was a rich, dense chocolate torte with raspberries and cream. Chocolate is one of my guilty pleasures and I consider myself a bit of an expert. This did not disappoint and was “to die for.” As coffee lovers, we truly appreciated the individual French press pots of steaming rich coffee that came with dessert.

Chocolate torte. (Photo by Rosemary Minati.)

During our meal, as we enjoyed every morsel we watched as the chefs tested sauces and added ingredients to enhance each dish.  Our server was friendly and did a magnificent job. We will fondly remember this restaurant and will definitely return.

For more information visit: www.momborestaurant.com

*Editor’s note: What an exciting addition to Boston’s cityscape. I’m curious to see what kind of magic Lydia and Jasper create at Towne.  Please share your experiences. Send them to Denise@globalfoodie.com and I’ll post them after the story. Thank you — Denise

Lydia Shire and Jasper White Collaborate on Towne stove and spirits

By Regan Dillon, Public Relations official for the Moxie Agency

Front of Towne. Photo by Eric Levin

Towne stove and spirits (or simply Towne) opened July 30 at the John B. Hynes Veterans Memorial Convention Center with a great culinary combination. Lydia Shire and Jasper White, two of Boston’s best chefs, head this new 397-seat restaurant. It’s the city’s first private-public partnership and combines the Massachusetts Convention Center Authority (MCCA), its Executive Director James Rooney and developers Patrick Lyons and Ed Sparks. Towne opens its doors to convention attendees, tourists, residents and workers.

“This restaurant serves the people of Boston, from the thousands of visitors to the thousands of workers and residents in the Back Bay,” Lyons said.  “We believe in Boston, so as ambitious as this project is, we built it with the future of this city in mind.”

Towne stove and spirits has three dining rooms, just as many bars, a 90-seat outdoor balcony within 13,000 square feet. Even with all that space Towne is cozy and comfortable.  This two-story urban brasserie combines the farming and fishing of  New England’s best products, created cooked and served with a cosmopolitan flair. Reasonably priced, some of the menu includes: Peking chicken; a 12-course lobster tasting menu; a special rice menu that highlights the grain and its many cultural interpretations; and handmade pastas.

“Jasper has been my friend and confidante for 30 years and Mario has executed my menus to perfection since opening BiBa,” Shire said. “Our love and dedication to great food is at the core of Towne’s menu.”

Conversations about a restaurant in the Hynes began four years ago at the MCCA. After submitting proposals and competing against major restaurant chains, Lyons and Spark were selected by MCCA officials.

“We couldn’t imagine a better addition to the Hynes Convention Center.  With two of Boston’s best chefs and the creative business insight of Patrick Lyons and Ed Sparks, Towne is poised to not only enhance the experience of our convention guests but also create a new benchmark for city dining,” said Rooney.

Towne's interior (Photo by Eric Levin).

For more information: Towne at: www.towneboston.com

Hours: Daily open from 11:30 a.m. – midnight. Bar: 11:30 a.m. – 2 a.m. – Telephone: 617- 247-0400.

Pasta with Garlic and Olive Oil

By Peter Francis Battaglia

Here is my argument to all those people — take a good look at yourselves, you know who you are — who think they need to spend hours in the kitchen for a decent home-cooked meal.  You couldn’t be further from the truth.

Don’t be scared. Go for take-out or fast food when you feel like it; but really, you could make something on the fly and be shocked at how easy it is.

Pasta comes in all its shapes, sizes, varieties and is probably my most favorite food to cook and eat.  My grandfather, Innocenzo Scaramuzzi, who I take after in many ways, probably ate it everyday. Innocenzo, a New York city Italian immigrant from Grassano, Provincia di Matera, Basilicata, Italy (now that’s a mouthful), was a genius in the kitchen.  I would watch him and my grandmother cook for hours.  Couldn’t get enough of it.  And, everything they cooked was awesome, except maybe some of the more hard core old world dishes which included items that would make a voracious carnivore go ultra vegan.

This brings me to one of the simplest of all Italian dishes ever: pasta with garlic and oil, or Pasta con Aglio e Olio. Basically, it’s pasta, cooked al dente, drained and then sauteed in a big pan with three cloves of sliced garlic and good (I mean good) olive oil. Season with hot pepper flakes or black pepper (never both) and some salt.  After several trips to Italy I learned a pasta-serving style I prefer and I’m going to pass it on. Pasta should never be swimming in a sauce, especially one that’s oil-based.  How many times have you had pasta with garlic and oil and the macaroni hydroplanes on the plate because there is too much oil?

The pasta should have a nice coating of oil, but not an inch of oil in the dish.  In fact, in Italy from Venice to Palermo the oil based sauces almost appeared dry; but they were not and they were full of flavor.  For one-half pound of cooked angel hair use less than 1/8  an inch of olive oil in the bottom of the pan.  Heat the oil and add the garlic.  Don’t let it get to that brown stage. If it does you’ve gone too far. About one minute in the sizzling pan will allow the garlic to release its heady perfume into the oil.

Add the drained pasta, carefully and incorporate the oil and pasta. Add salt and pepper and then taste it. If it’s too dry for your liking add a little of the pasta water (I said “a little).

Sprinkle some grated parmigiano or pecorino, up to you, and you are done.  Not rocket science or a 12-hour ordeal.  Serve with a green vegetable or salad.  Garnish the pasta with chopped parsley — or not, again, not a deal breaker here.

Tonight I opened a can of no salt organic green beans, and drained it. I sauteed one minced shallot, then added that to the beans. A little kosher salt, one teaspoon of fig balsamic and I let that cook for five minutes. Then I drizzled extra virgin olive oil, infused with Meyer lemon (a Christmas gift). Gave it a quick stir and added a little fresh orange juice. Dash of black pepper and it as done.
The bright sour sweet and citrus flavors combined with the other ingredients perked up that dreary can of green beans, and brought a little sunshine into our kitchen on a dark, cold night.  It played off nicely with the Agli’Ugli (southern Italian dialect, I’m channeling the grandparents again).

So bundle up, it’s a cold one here at the Jersey Shore (no Snooki or The Situation in sight) and stop whining that you can’t cook a quick meal during the week.  It’s good for you.

And by the way, you can add capers, anchovies, small shrimp, cherry tomatoes — whatever you love — into the oil and garlic.

Read more of Peter’s work at: www.blog.afoodobsession.com/2009/12/29/italian-classic.aspx.