Cooking Creations: JW BBQ

I love to barbeque!  Our condominium has a smaller-sized, wooden deck, but that never prevents me from cramming friends and family outside around the grill.  (If you'd like a visual: one must place the grill strategically.  If it's too close to one side it burns the wooden fence and if it's too close to the other it gets the side of the house.  There's no extra space to negotiate in- only one specific spot will do.)  If all that doesn't stand in my way, there's no way I was going to let a fractured heel deter me.  Spring-like weather signifies the beginning of bbq season.  End of story.

Salsa verde

I wanted to cook another meal from Jonathan Waxman's Italian My Way, but with a BBQ spin.  I decided to prepare two of his signature sauces: the salsa verde and the JW roasted tomato sauce.  I chose to serve them alongside some chicken off the grill.

My dad graciously took care of the fire.  Normally I would do that all myself too, but that was hardly safe while balanced on one foot.  He did, however, position a chair next to the grill so that I could monitor and grill the chicken myself.  I was at the mercy of the wind since I could not reposition myself when it blew the smoke in my direction, but I didn't really mind.  I am a savant of grilled chicken breasts.  I don't brag about much and there's little I'm completely confident in, but I will stake my pride on perfectly cooked grilled chicken.  I use wood chips- in this case Jack Daniel smoked chips.  I prefer hickory chips, but those were the ones on hand.  We have a charcoal grill (and in my opinion that's the only way to BBQ!).  For chicken, aim for 5-6 minutes a side.  Another tip: lie the breast so that the long way is perpendicular to the metal grill slots.  That way you get the pretty brown lines on them!

The salsa verde was a doozy to prepare.  I don't want to give away the recipe itself, but I'll give you the general premise.  It requires many fresh greens: chives, basil, rosemary, arugala, sage, and tarragon.  If you've got an herb garden you're good to go, but if not that can run up the grocery bill.  You also add capers.  And anchovies.  Which is where my struggle began.

Jonathan Waxman's recipe instructed me to debone the anchovies with tweezers.  It sounded simple, but there were a lot of little bones in those anchovies!  I sat there for at least a half an hour trying to debone 4 tiny anchovies.  It's possible that I did not have to take out all of the bones I did; some were so tiny that they probably would have been undetectable by the time they were ground into the salsa.  It's also possible that there's a way to debone them that is faster (such as going in a particular direction).  In any event, it wound up taking a lot longer than anticipated and dinner got started later than intended.  I have reached out to Chef Waxman via twitter to see if he has any suggestions, but so far I have yet to get a reply.  In any event, the salsa verde was a crowd-pleaser.  It seemed to be worth the extra time!

JW roasted tomato sauce

(PS. You may not tell my father there are anchovies in the salsa verde!!  He loves the salsa verde, but will swear up and down that he hates anchovies.  I'd rather not give him a heart attack or have him stop eating the salsa verde, so I have been disguising the truth.)

The roasted tomato sauce is super cool- it uses lavender!  Although I have seen many chefs use lavender, I have never incorporated it.  Now that I have, it is my new culinary obsession.  It is a dream for wine-pairing!  It wil highlight the floral notes of so many spring and summer whites.  (For example, I cannot wait to try it with my new Ermita de San Felices Rioja Blanco 2010).  It was delicious in the sauce.

It is important to note that Chef Waxman's recipe calls for 2 lavender sprigs.  I purchased dried French lavender from Williams Sonoma.  There were no conversions available for those quantities online, so here is what I found.  I guestimated (based on other herb sprigs) that 2 lavender springs would yield about 1 tablespoon of fresh lavender.  Websites could make a fresh to dry conversion: 1/3 units dried = 1 unit fresh.  So I wound up using 1 teaspoon of dried French lavender.  In my opinion it was the perfect amount.  It certainly imparted the floral flavor, but did not overwhelm the sauce.  This sauce is what I put on my chicken!

Bowtie pasta

My dad ate all of the remaining salsa verde with a spoon.  He loves that stuff.  Although I heaped the tomato sauce on my chicken multiple times, there was some leftover.  My mother and I decided to make new dishes the next night with the sauce.  We each made our own unique dishes based on our personal taste preferences.  She likes pasta so she heated up some bowtie pasta and used the sauce on top.  (I also suspect that our respective choices had a lot to do with our cooking skills.  Let's be honest: her meal ultimately only required her to boil water.  Love you, Mom!)

My shrimp "scampi"

I am not a pasta fan.  I do, however, love the shrimp on top of shrimp scampi.  I did a pastaless rift on shrimp scampi.  I sauteed the shrimp and added the tomato sauce, shallots, a bit more garlic, an assortment of the leftover herbs, and capers.  The rough recipe is as follow:  Spray large non-stick skiller with cooking spray.  Sautee shallots until just tender.  Add the garlic and cook 1 minute.  Add shrimp and cook for 2 minutes.  Flip shrimp.  Add desired sauce, herbs, and capers.  Simmer for 2 more minutes (or until shrimp are done), stirring frequently.  Simple, but yummy.

BBQ season has officially arrived.

Since posting this, I did hear from Jonathan Waxman via twitter. When it comes to the anchovies: Literally just yank off the filets, the bones will not stick. Glad you enjoyed!
Thanks, chef!

Dining by Design: Rodizio Grill- The Brazilian Steakhouse

A gaucho serves meat to the table

If heaven is anything like Rodizio's, I'll definitely have to rethink some of my more questionable habits.  Handsome gauchos stream toward your table ready to present you with delicious, rotisserie meats.  It's almost like a fashion show- but each model carries a high quality steak down the runway :P.  Every bite is mouth-watering and the choices are endless.

When you sit down at the table, the server provides you with three appetizers: banana frita (cinnamon-glazed bananas), polenta, and pao de queijo (cheese bread).  I did not care for the polenta, but the banana frita was delectable.

There is also a salad bar that you can visit whenever you want, and however many times you want, over the course of the meal.  The salad bar is so extensive that it warrants its own space in the back portion of the restauraunt.  The cold section contains traditional build-your-own salad ingredients, but also features a host of already created dishes.  My favorites included the cucumber salad, roasted edamame salad, the shrimp ceviche, and quinoa salad.  The quinoa salad had a unique flavor profile.  When I think quinoa, I think green-chic (Whole Foods, recyclable bags, hiking, trail mix, and hippies).  I'm used to quinoa with raisins, dried cranberries, or other hints of sweetness.  This quinoa was heartier, mixed with beans, corns, and peppers.  I enjoyed it.

Cold salad options. Counter-clockwise from left: shrimp ceviche, cucumber salad, edamame salad, quinoa, mushrooms, fruit, turkey pastrami

The hot section is at the end- don't miss it!  Make sure to try the feijoada, a traditional Brazilian stew made with black beans and meats.  It can be placed over rice and sprinkled with farofa.  Farofa, also known as yucca root, is a light Brazilian flour.  It enhances the flavors of the feijoada and adds texture.

If you order the Full Rodizio (as we did), you also have your choice of rotisserie meats.  You are given a wooden toggle with green and red ends.  When the green end is pointed up, the gauchos have the green light to come to your table with the meats.  They carry different types of poultry, beef, pork, and sausage on large metal spits.  They will let you know what they have, and you can indicate whether or not you would like to partake.  As they carve the meat from the spit, you reach out with a set of tongs and transfer it to your plate.

The gauchos informed me that the Picanha (pea-con-yeah) is their most popular cut of steak.  It is a top sirloin that they describe as a "lean juicy cut of meat with a mild... flavor."  Personally, I preferred the fraldinha.  And when I say prefer, I mean it was the most perfect piece of steak I have ever had in my life.  I am a true carnivore- by elementary school I was ordering prime rib at restaurants- so I like to think my endorsement means something!  The fraldinha is also referred to as the beef tender.  It melted in my mouth.  I was so enraptured that the gracious gaucho gave me a pronounciation lesson ("fraw-jean-ya!") and held it up for me to see whenever he walked by.  Other memorable beef selections were the seasoned tri-tip sirloin ("maminha"), the pot roast ("assado"), and the whole sirloin ("alcatra".)

Coracoa (chicken hearts) and lime

As for the chicken... Rodizio's has a lot of heart!  Literally!  I went there on a mission to try the Coracao, or chicken hearts.  Chicken hearts are small- about an inch in diameter.  The texture and taste reminded me a bit of sausage.  They came with lime quarters that I squeezed over them for a zing of citrus.  I loved them!  The gauchos said that for Brazilians who frequent the restaurant, the chicken hearts are the second most popular dish after the picanha.  American patrons often steer clear of them, but I encourage you to try them.  Not only are they good, but it is a rare opportunity!

Make sure to snag some abacaxi, or glazed grilled pinapple.  Like the meats, it comes warm on the spits.  It tastes amazing on its own, but the juice brings out the flavors of the meat as well.

There are an abundance of pork and seafood selections, too.

If at all possible: save room for dessert!  Dessert is not included in the all-you-can-eat prix fixe, but it is certainly worth it.  The server will you bring you a large sample tray with about six desserts.  I love it when restaurants do that... I like to see what I'm choosing :).  I opted for the pudim de leite, or caramel flan.  I loved it!  It was not overly sweet, and tasted pretty authentic for a commercial steakhouse.  It came topped with a cinnamon-sugar wafer.  Open letter to Rodizio: if there is an extra box of just the wafers somewhere in your kitchen, please feel free to send them my way!!!
 

Pudim be Leite (flan)

Rodizio is fun for a meal out.  When I eat out, part of is just the simple pleasure of being with wonderful company in a festive place.  On the other hand, I also approach food with abounding curiousity.  Rodizio certainly satisfied my craving for new knowledge.  It gave me the chance to try various cuts of meat in succession.  The meats are only lightly seasoned, so the proteins themselves ultimately stand alone.  Unlike other restaurants where I choose one cut of meat, I got to taste the difference between a top sirloin, a bottom sirloin, and a whole sirloin in one sitting.  They are surprisingly different!  For example, I now know that I far prefer the tender bottom sirloin to the top cuts.

If you have food sensitivities, do not be deterred from trying Rodizio.  Rodizio is quick to offer an "allergies and intolerance" guide so that diners can navigate the salad bar and choose satisfying meats.  Rodizio prides itself on its array of gluten-free selections.  The guide will also alert you to the presence of nuts, dairy, eggs, garlic, onions, MSG, and corn.

In addition, Rodizio will accomodate you if you have a preference for how you like your meat cooked.  If you prefer your meat more well done, for instance, they will carve a piece from a more cooked section.  In general though, I would defer to them.  They know their meats and aim to give everyone a nice piece.

Rodizio is a great place for birthdays.  While there, we saw the gauchos serenade a birthday party with a round of "cumpleanos feliz" accompanied with tambourines and drums.  You are all invited to celebrate there with me next year.  It's 8 months away, but it looked like so much fun that it's already on my mental calendar.
 

Rabanada (Cinnamon pastry with caramel
drizzle and creamy center)

So if you're looking for heaven on earth, head over to 5 Broad Street in Stamford, CT.  For more information, check out http://rodiziogrill.com/stamford-connecticut .

5 Broad Street
Tel. 203.964.9177

Cooking Creations: Easter Dinner

The Easter Bunny wasn't the only thing hopping around last weekend... I, too, was hopping around my kitchen on my crutches!  I love cooking a big Easter meal, even though it's usually only my parents and me (and this year just my mom and me).  I wasn't about to give that up because of my foot debacle!  I still decided to undertake a relatively ambitious menu:  Ham with champagne and vanilla glaze, a roasted beet and fennel salad with orange dressing, and sherry-honey asparagus.

I know there are a lot of great ham recipes out there, but I swear the champagne vanilla ham is out of this world.  My love affair with vanilla beans began when I went to Craftsteak at Foxwoods about three years ago.  I ordered an apricot scallop dish that had strange little black specks on the plate.  I am ashamed to admit thatI initially mistook them for dirt.  Fortunately, the gracious server went on to inform me that vanilla comes as beans... not extract... oops.  Anyway, vanilla beans impart a great little hit of flavor.  At $13.99 for a 2 oz case, I don't use them often.  But when I do, it's always worth it.  The glaze combines vanilla bean, champagne, and apple jelly.  Adding the the sweet glaze with the savory/salty ham is divine.  Here is the recipe- thank you Cooking Light!  I rarely stick to recipes, but this is one that I do consult.  The only tweaks I make are for serving size:
http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/ham-with-champagne-vanilla-glaze-10000000521752/

This year, I purchased Hormel ham... and I plan to do it next year and the year after that!  I pretty much pick up whatever ham I can get between 3 and 5 pounds, and this year a Classic Hormel ham fit the bill.  It's boneless, fully cooked, and hardwood smoked.  It was salty in a beautiful harmonious way, not a mouth drying way.  I bake it in the oven with part of the champagne/vanilla sauce to bring it up to temperature, impart the flavor, and get the outside nice and glazed.

This year's Easter ham

I served a roasted beet and fennel salad with the ham.  For those of you unfamiliar with my cooking history: there was an extremely long beet embargo in our house.  Although I have made red velvet cake forever with no incident, my mother had it in her head that if I ever got my hands on beets our kitchen would be stained red.  One of her final acts before leaving to spend the summer in New Hampshire was to remind my father that beets were not allowed in the house under any circumstances.  Well, I finally got her to recant!  This past New Year's Eve, after a few glasses of champagne at Colicchio and Sons, I saw my oppurtunity.  She was chatty and happy, so I broached the beets subject.  She gave an OK before she realized what she'd done.  By then it was too late.  Now I regularly bring beets into the house.  (And there have been NO red stains for the record!!!) 

I created this salad by transforming a salad I saw featured on Food & Wine: Roasted Beet Salad with Orange Dressing http://www.foodandwine.com/recipes/roasted-beet-salad-with-orange-dressing .  I find that beets and fennel are a match made in heaven, so I scratched the red onion and replaced it with fennel (cut into thin strips) that I roast along with the beets.  I make sure that the beets and fennel are chilled and the entire salad is cold before serving it.  I use 100% arugala as the base... the natural peppery flavor enhances the roasted veggies.  And I stick with red beets.  I change up the dressing: no oil, more vinegar, a touch of lemon juice, and a dash of water.

The asparagus is simple enough; I steam some asparagus and toss it with some sherry vinegar and honey.  With all of the rich flavors in the ham and salad, it's nice to have a plainer veggie to give the palate a break.  When purchasing asparagus, make sure to buy ones with tight heads.  I also prefer getting the fat ones rather than the thin stalks.

We paired our feast with Goose Watch Winery's "Melody."  Goose Watch is located on Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes... right near my beloved Cornell University.  We picked this wine up when we did the trail for my birthday this past December.  The "Melody" uses a grape varietal developed by Cornell.  It is a white wine that has notes of Granny Smith apple.  Although it has fruit flavors, the wine itself is relatively dry.  The apple accentuates the apple jelly in the ham.  For more information, check out the Goose Watch website: http://www.goosewatch.com/gsw6_detail.taf?pr_id=6.

One more note about vanilla bean: If you ever get a chance to eat at Les Halles in New York City, order the creme brulee for dessert.  They use actual vanilla bean that sinks to the bottom of the dish.  When you reach the bottom of the bowl, you find all of that vanilla bean and discover an arsenal of flavor.  At the time I was so blown away that I sent my regards to the chef.  The general manager went on to inform me that lots of patrons freak out; they get to the bottom, don't know what vanilla beans are (like me at crafsteak!), and think there are bugs in their bowl.   That creme brulee is one of the best desserts I have ever had in my entire life.  And dessert if my favorite course.  So that's saying something.

The creme brulee at Les Halles upon arrival...

...and how it went back!

So that was our Easter dinner!  It took about 4 hours of hopping around the kitchen, but Mommy Doody and I ate well!

Cooking Creations: Italian Waxman's Way, My Way

 As mentioned in my last post, I had the amazing opportunity to attend an evening with Jonathan Waxman at the Cornell Club.  I got to meet Chef Waxman, hear about the inspiration behind his new book Italian My Way, and taste the food.  All guests went home with a copy of the book that he came around and personally signed.  He also signed my beloved chef's jacket (which is accumulating quite an impressive list of names!)  Because I'm a culinary dork who cannot contain her enthusiasm, I cracked into the book as soon as I got home from the event and picked out some recipes.  Last night (Wednesday) I sprung into action.  I chose 3 recipes: turnip and radish salad with garlic dressing, cherry tomatoes with basil, and pompano in a bag.

Pompano is a type of fish more common in Florida; Waxman himself encountered it while in the Florida Keys.  I do not want to publish the recipe itself in the hopes that you will purchase the book, but I will describe the overall premise.  Waxan takes a whole pompano, stuffs it with tarragon branches and lemon, and places it in a paper bag.  He then folds up the bag, places it on a baking sheet, and bakes it in the oven for about 20 minutes.  Once time is up, you take out the bag, cut it open, and ta-da... a cooked fish awaits!  I chose the pompano in a bag with my injury in mind.  I figured fish to bag to oven was a good strategy for a one-legged chef :).

Since I live in Connecticut, pompano was not readily available.  I did google possible substitutions, though.  Websites generally agreed that yellowfin, grouper, or snapper were viable alternatives.  Whole Foods had some beautiful red snapper filets (with crystal clear eyes- always check the eyes!) so I bought 2 of those.  The two whole fish together came to about 2 2/3 pounds.  The men cleaned and gutted it for me.  I was practically falling over the counter trying to watch though.  I am on a constant quest to learn about food preparation, and I love watching people break down fish, chicken, and meat.  One time at Whole Foods, a HUGE mahi-mahi had been delivered to the store.  The fish department was so excited that they had a "seafood circus" where they cleaned, gutted, and cut the fish in the middle of the store.  I was riveted; they talked me through what they were doing and even let me make a cut.  Meanwhile, housewives, small children, and my own mother fled in horror.  This time was no different.  "Is it weird and gross that I think this is super-cool?" I asked the guy as he gutted my fish.  "Probably," he said.  "But I think it's super-cool too."

I was pretty convinced that the paper bag was going to go up in flames... not because I don't trust Chef Waxman, but because I totally don't trust my oven.  We have lived in our condo for 24 years and that oven has not been replaced or redone.  It goes through phases; sometimes it's great, but other times parts of it inexplicably get warm, smoke comes out of weird places, or burners malafunction.  I started smelling charred paper, so I opened my oven and kept an eye on the bag while it cooked for the first few minutes.  I ultimately closed it again and the oven cooperated.  I kept the fish in about 25 minutes though to make up for the heat that escaped at the beginning.  It may have been a touch too long, but the fish was good overall. 

The cooked fish in the bag and out of the oven

I enjoyed the subtle notes of tarragon.  I usually use rosemary or thyme on my fish, but I liked the sweet herbal taste the tarragon imparted.  Despite my rapt attention at Whole Foods, I wasn't really sure how to filet my fully cooked fish.  That turned out not to be a problem though.  In the spirit of simple, rustic cooking, Jonathan Waxman says to "spoon the filet" off the fish and onto a plate.  So that's what I did!

The tomatoes were simple, but a wonderful compliment.  I used tomatoes on the vine rather than cherry tomatoes because the selection at the store was especially beautiful.  I followed the same recipe, but with tomato wedges rather than the tiny cherry tomatoes.

Tomatoes with basil

The fish spooned out onto the plate

The best part of the night, though, was getting to cook in my chef's jacket!  Maybe if I wear it often enough, I can get a mere iota of their genius via osmosis :P.

The newest addition to my jacket

So that is Italian Jonathan Waxman's way, my way.  I definitly recommend getting the book.  Whatever you do though, remember to "keep it simple."

Dining by Design: Dinner with Jonathan Waxman

Last night, the Cornell Club in New York City hosted an evening with Chef Jonathan Waxman.  I was one of the lucky members who got to meet him and taste four courses from his latest cookbook, Italian My Way.  Some of you, like me, may have seen Chef Waxman compete on season 2 of Bravo's series Top Chef Masters.  I have admired him for many years; he is a culinary legend!  He helped pioneer California cuisine and is currently the chef-owner of Barbuto in New York City.  He has a mellow, cool style that has caused some in the culinary world to dub him the "Eric Clapton of the food world."  I was ecstatic when I found out about the event, and even confess to sending a registration email to the club before the enrollment period had even started :).

The night began with a champagne reception in the library at 6:00.  Guests registered, mingled, and heard a greeting from the club's event coordinator.  Chef Waxman made a brief appearance to let her know he was ready upstairs, but he was in and out so quickly that no one really noticed.  At 6:30, guests began migrating to the Ivy Room on the fourth floor for dinner.  There were about 6 large, rectangular tables of approximately 20 people.  Dinner unfolded family-style in honor of the communal, homey feeling evoked from Italian My Way.  Our table became one loud boisterous family as we passed dishes around and enjoyed the meal.



Chef Waxman greets members of the Cornell Club

The Chef Waxman presented 4 courses from his cookbook that the Cornell Club's culinary team helped prepare.  The club's executive chef explained that his team followed the recipes exactly as they appear in the book.  Each course had a wine pairing.  (The wine distributors were adjacent to me.  I got to chat with them at one point between courses which was unexpected and educational- lucky me!)  The courses were as follows:
Raw shaved asparagus, Assorted Greens with Hazelnuts and Lemon Dressing
Colterenzio Sauvignon Blanc 2010

Angel Hair Pasta with Fresh Jonah Crabmeat, Jalapeno, and Mint
Il Borro Lamelle Chardonnay 2012

Hangar Steak with Salsa Piccante
JW Chicken al Forno with Salsa Verde
Il Borro Chardonnay 20120
Il Borro Toscana 2008

Italian My Way is all about simplicity.  Chef Waxman's cooking is "Italian" in the sense that it's rustic; he lets the ingredients speak for themselves.  There are few frills or accompaniments, just simple, delicious, expertly prepared fare.  In my opinion, that style of cooking takes the most courage.  You have to be confident in your cooking and your craft.  The food is literally and metaphorically naked.  Mistakes cannot be covered up with garnishes, sauces, or other adornments.

The first course was a refreshing and delicious salad.  The asparagus was shaved and served raw which provided optimal flavor.  The greens were lightly tossed with a lemon dressing (I hesitate to even call it dressing.  It was really a just subtle hint of citrus on the palette.)  I loved it.



Shaved asparagus salad

Chef Waxman prepares his angel hair pasta sans sauce!  Instead, he uses crabmeat.  Since crabmeat is small and naturally comes apart, it distributes over the pasta as you eat.  Like the salad, the pasta was lightly tossed (mainly a broth).  The marriage between the crab, its juices, the touch of broth, the jalapeno, and mint proved divine.  The chefs put the perfect ration of crab and pasta on each dish.  There was just enough crab for each bite of pasta.

The pasta was my favorite course of the evening.  Those of you who know me are probably shocked... I am generally not a pasta eater.  For one thing, the texture of pasta tends to freak me out.  I find there's little flavor to it, so I just feel it in my mouth.  Not this angel hair pasta!  It was light and flavorful.  Secondly, I usually object to the heavy sauces that drown pasta dishes.  They don't always sit well in my tummy and overwhelm the cohesiveness of the dish.  The simple, rustic vision of the dish provided a wonderful alternative.



Angel hair pasta with crabmeat

 The servers gave each guest the hanger steak on a plate.  They then placed large dishes of the JW chicken at the ends of each table.  The salsa piccante and salsa verde were set down in the center.  Everyone passed the chicken around and added the salsas at their leisure.  The hanger steak was tender and medium-rare- just the way I like it.  But the chicken was the true all-star.  The skin was lightly crisp, but still succulent and moist.  I tasted some herbs and spices, but as with the rest of the dishes they were subtley present.

Of the two salsas, my favorite was the salsa piccante.  That salsa, intended for the hangar steak, had more of a spicy profile.  The salsa verde provided more of a sweet/herbal garnish for the chicken: mint, arugala, capers, etc.  My dad (and probably the majority of the guests) obsessed over the salsa verde.  I agree that it was delicious, but my particular preferences make me inclined to go spicy.

Hanger steak and JW chicken

The cinnamon, anise, and grand marnier really made the budino a grand finale!  The little spice-y bursts played off of the sweet chocolate.  We got biscotti and coffee to go with it.

Budino

Biscotti

I enjoyed all aspects of the evening.  Chef Waxman was personable and down to earth.  He came around to every table and signed everyone's cookbooks (included with the event).  I asked him to sign my coveted jacket and he agreed.  He took it in the back and returned several minutes later with, "To Emma, Keep It Simple, Jonathan Waxman" written next to my messages from Tom Colicchio and Marcus Samuelsson.  I apologized for the food on it and explained that I do actually cook in it... fortunately, he didn't seem to mind :).

Chef Waxman signs my book

Speaking of cooking in it- I tried out a few recipes from his book tonight!  Look for a post about it in the days to come.

Italian My Way teaches simplicty.  And the evening was simply incredible.