Monday, April 27th Recipe

Just like Buffalo New York is synonymous with Buffalo wings, Broome County New York is known for its speedie or spiedie marinade. The original idea for spiedie was brought by Italian Immigrants to the Southern Tier of New York State in the early 1920s. The specific origin of the spiedie is disputed. Two men – Agostino "Augie" Iacovelli and Peter Sharak – are credited with the creation of the spiedie. Iacovelli from Endicott, New York, began serving spiedie sandwiches in 1939 when he opened, Augie's, his first restaurant. He emigrated from Abruzzo, Italy (Civitella Casanova) at the age of 25 in 1923. His son Guido continued in the spiedie business into the 1990s, owning as many as 26 restaurants at the peak of his career. Sharak is also supposed to have invented spiedies. Apparently, patrons of Sharkey's Bar and Grill were served lamb straight from the grill on its metal skewer with slices of bread. Sharkey's promotes itself as the birthplace of the sandwich in television commercials across the greater Binghamton area. Though the issue is disputed, Sharkey's began serving spiedies in 1947, which makes Iacovelli more likely to have invented the dish first. The term "spiedie" comes from the Italian "spiedo," meaning "spit." Traditionally the early Broome County spiedie was made only from spring lamb, but currently, most commercial restaurants prepare spiedie using chicken or pork. The "chicken category" was added to the Spiedie Fest cook-off in 1987, and quickly became the most popular meat choice. The regional dish in Abruzzo, Italy, most closely resembling spiedie, uses goat meat. Another regional dish from Sicily, "zúzzu,", consists of a gelatinous sausage made from the cartilage of pork and beef meat that is usually served cut into cubes. Iacovelli's marinade, which he called "Zuzu," originally was made simply from wine vinegar, water, lemon juice, garlic and mint. Italian spices, olive oil and minced onion were added later as regional tastes and the choice of meat began to vary. One of the restaurants most famous for spiedies today, Lupo's Char-Pit, was established in 1967 by John, Sam, and Bart Lupo, in Endwell, New York. In 1975, Rob Salamida began bottling spiedie sauce for sale. His company now produces and sells Salamida's State Fair Spiedie Sauce from a 15,000 square foot facility in Johnson City, New York, and states that it has sold over 2 million bottles." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spiedie

Chicken Speedie

Ingredients

2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, 1" cubed

2 cup oil

1 cup white wine vinegar

¼ cup sugar

1 onion

8 cloves garlic

1 t salt

1 t black pepper

1 ½ t marjoram

1 ½ t basil

1 ½ t thyme

1 ½ t oregano

1. Place all ingredients in a blender except the chicken
2. Puree the ingredients for a couple of minutes
3. In a large container, place the chicken and pour marinade over. Place a lid on the container and shake to completely cover the chicken
4. Refrigerate over night
5. Taking long metal skewers, thread the pieces of chicken on
6. Heat your grill to high and grill the chicken, trying to get a nice char on the outside
7. Eat as a sandwich or as a main with grilled vegetables

Monday, April 20th Recipe

With the weather changing, and summer coming, I decided I would post a recipe for lighter fare. The cous cous salad recipe I am posting can be eaten as a light lunch or as a side for dinner. It can be served chilled or at room temperature!

Cous Cous Salad

Ingredients

2 cups Israeli cous cous

4 cups chicken stock

2 carrots, peeled, small diced and blanched

2 tomatoes, skin and seeded removed, small dice

2 scallions, finely sliced

1 red onion, sliced and pickled *see note below

Olive oil, as needed

Salt, as needed

Pepper, as needed

1. Bring the chicken stock to a boil in a sauce pan
2. Put the cous cous in a large bowl
3. When the chicken stock comes to a bowl, pour it over the cous cous
4. Seal the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit on the counter for 10 minutes
5. Remove the plastic wrap and fluff with a fork
6. Place the bowl in the refrigerator till it is chilled
7. When the cous cous is chilled, add in carrot, tomato, scallion, and pickled red onion
8. Season with salt and pepper and drizzle enough olive oil till the desired consistency is reached. You don't want the cous cous salad to be to dry!

Pickling

Ingredients

1 cup champagne vinegar

½ cup water

¼ cup pickling spices

1. Combine all ingredients in a pot and bring to a boil.
2. Pour the mixture over the onions and let the mixture come to room temperature.
3. You can either refrigerate the onions or use them at this time.

Putting Together a Cheese Board

I love cheese and I love wine. I find that both carry the same traits to me. Each are a bit tough to approach, making you work and research what you are eating or drinking. What I mean is that both wine and cheese carry a sort of elitist air to them. You have to continue to try different types and varieties to see which ones you like. Over the years, I have compiled a list of some of my favorite cheeses. These are the ones that I know without a doubt that if I see on a menu I will order. Nowadays artisanal cheese shops are popping up everywhere. Even most super markets have stepped up their cheese departments. Continue to try new cheeses, and if you haven't tried the ones on this list, then give them a shot!

Roaring 40's Blue

King Island, home to the eponymous dairy, is located just south of Melbourne, Australia. On this pollution-free land, cows graze upon a variety of grasses, supplemented by the occasional meal of sea kelp washed ashore during the powerful storms known as "the roaring forties." The island's cow's pasteurized milk is used to make this creamy, superbly fruity, nutty blue. Rindless, it is covered with blue-purple wax.

Brillat- Savarin

Brillat-Savarin is made from pasteurized cow's milk, enriched with cream. It is a soft-white cheese of round shape with a thick, velvety, white crust. It has a light downy white rind and the cheese cuts like butter. Brillat-Savarin has a really milky aroma with light lemon sour tones. The adage for this cheese is 'the younger the better.' If allowed to mature for too long, the rind darkens and the paste becomes unpleasantly oily. Brillat-Savarin is a decadent triple cream gourmet cheese that is one of the richest cheeses.

Explorateur Triple Cream

Explorateur, the aristocrat of triple-cream cheeses was invented in 1958 at the time the rocket Explorer was in the news. The French dairy which invented the cheese decided on a topical name and a picture of the rocket still appears on the wrapping. Explorateur was one of the first cheeses to be created after the triple-cream classification was defined as a cheese with a butterfat content of 75 percent or more. This is achieved by adding a great deal of cream to the milk before coagulation. The cheese is produced in small discs with a light, downy white rind. The deep ivory paste is very soft and creamy. The flavor is very rich and mild, deepening a little with maturity.

Cypress Grove Humboldt Fog

Our signature offering, Humboldt Fog^® is an elegant, soft, surface ripened cheese. The texture is creamy and luscious with a subtle tangy flavor. Each handcrafted wheel features a ribbon of edible vegetable ash along its center and a coating of ash under its exterior to give it a distinctive, cake-like appearance. An American Original!

Cypress Grove Truffle Tremor

The classic flavor of truffle meets the velvety perfection of ripened goat milk cheese. Earthy, elegant, and sophisticated, it's sure to make even the most distinguished taste buds shake!

Morbier

Morbier is an aromatic and surprisingly mild French cow's milk AOC cheese defined by the dark vein of vegetable ash streaking through it middle. Today, the ash is purely decorative, a nod to the method by which Morbier was once produced in Franche-Comté. Traditionally, the evening's fresh curds were sprinkled with ash to prevent the formation of a rind overnight. The next morning, new curds were laid upon the thin layer of ash to finish off the wheel. The wheel was then washed and rubbed by hand, forming a rind to protect the rich, creamy interior and create a delectably stinky aroma. Morbier, which is aged for at least 60 days, pleasantly confounds expectations. Contrary to its smell, Morbier has a mild taste and leaves a wonderful, nutty aftertaste.

Valdeon

Valdeón is a rich, creamy, intensely-flavored cow and goat's milk blue cheese, saltier than Stilton and tamer than Cabrales. The Valdeón wheels are wrapped in Sycamore leaves, which contribute to their distinctive appearance and complex flavor.

Monday, April 13th Recipe

It's Monday and that means recipe time. Sunday was a relaxing day, celebrating Easter and watching the Master's. Most people have found memories of Easter and what they eat. While not on the same level as Thanksgiving for me, Easter does mean some traditions and a set menu year after year. Hands down, the number one item on most people's Easter table is ham. I decided to do a prime rib roast. Don't ask me why, I think I was craving the richness of the beef. The roast turned out great, it was everything I expected and more. I think the dish that stole the show though was my potato gratin. I took a simple recipe and put my twist on it, trying to infuse more flavor. Here is the resulting recipe….. Reader beware, not for those on diets!

Potato Gratin

Ingredients

3 large Idaho potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced

1 yellow onion, small diced

1 head garlic, minced

1 bunch thyme, fresh

1 head garlic, cut in half

1 pint heavy cream

4 tablespoons butter

Salt, as needed

Pepper, as needed

1. Peel the potatoes, slice them very thin. I used my mandolin to achieve a consistent product. Keep the sliced potatoes in a bowl of water to keep them from oxidizing.
2. In a sauté pan, sweat the onion and garlic until translucent and soft. Adding a pinch of salt will help the sweating process by drawing out the water in the onion. Set aside.
3. In a sauce pot, combine heavy cream, the halved head of garlic and the fresh thyme. Bring to a simmer and the remove from heat. Let the mixture steep together to infuse the cream with the thyme and garlic flavor. After the mixture has steeped for 25 minutes, strain out the thyme and garlic.
4. Butter the inside of a glass baking dish. Drain the sliced potatoes. Start by placing a layer of potatoes on the bottom of the baking dish. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon a layer of the onion and garlic mixture on top of the potatoes. Spread out evenly. Pour some of the thyme infused heavy cream mixture over the top.
5. Repeat step 4, put down another layer of potatoes, onion and garlic, season with salt and pepper, and top with heavy cream.
6. Continue the layering process until you have either run out of potatoes, or you reach the top of the baking dish.
7. Gently push down the layers to compact.
8. Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about an hour and a half. It is a smart idea to put the baking dish on a flat sheet try, this will catch any of the heavy cream that bubbles out of the baking dish.

Marinate My Chicken

While talking to a friend of mine, he told me he was searching for a good chicken marinade. Boneless and skinless chicken breasts don't have much flavor or moisture on their own. The reason for this is because the skin and bones have been removed. The skin, which contains the fat, keeps the chicken moist. Just like any piece of meat, cooking it on the bone adds flavor! I always encourage you to cook the meat on the bone whenever possible. I know that pre fabricated store bought boneless and skinless chicken breasts are an ideal choice because they are time savers. Plus people see them as a healthy way of eating. The next time you're at a supermarket, take a look at the price you pay for boneless skinless breasts compared to breasts with the rib bones still attached. Or better yet, look at the difference between buying a whole chicken and the completely fabricated boneless skinless breasts. You can get whole chickens for $0.99/lb whereas boneless skinless chicken breasts cost $3.99/lb. If you buy whole chickens you can utilize everything. With a little practice and a boning knife, you can easily break down the chicken into boneless skinless breasts, legs and the carcass. The carcass can be frozen and used for chicken stock, and the legs can be grilled or roasted. I will touch on the art of fabricating poultry in another post. That being said, on to a good marinade that I like for chicken breasts.

INGREDIENTS

1 bunch fresh parsley, chopped

2 oranges, zested and juiced

2 lemons, zested and juiced

1 cup vegetable oil

2 jalapeno chilies, chopped

6 garlic cloves, chopped

1 piece of ginger, peeled and chopped

Combine all ingredients in a bowl, mixing well. Either move to large deep dish or pour into a zip lock bag. Place the chicken breasts into the chosen dish or bag. Make sure you cover the chicken completely. Marinate the chicken for 4-6 hours in your refrigerator. Over marinating will cause the acid to start to "cook" the proteins in the chicken. Remove from the marinade and place right onto a hot grill. If want, you can use the marinating liquid to baste the chicken while grilling.

TIPS:

Marinade options are endless. Chicken is a good neutral canvas that takes well to every flavor profile. Here are some general tips for creating your marinades

• Use fresh herbs whenever possible
• Watch the sugar content in your marinade, the reason is because when you grill your chicken, the sugar will burn leaving a bitter taste
• To intensify the flavor of the marinade, reduce the amount of oil and increase the amount of acid and flavoring components
• Watch the amount of time you marinade the chicken for. Too short a time won't allow the chicken to hold the flavor. Too long a time period will end up with a mushy par cooked product due to the acid cooking the proteins

Monday, April 6th Recipe

This is one of my go to recipes for an appetizer or as a hors d'oeuvre. The balance is great, sweet and salty and can easily be picked up.

Caramelized pear and goat cheese wrapped in prosciutto

Servings: 20

Ingredients

1 loaf French baguette

3 red Bartlett pears

1 tablespoon butter

½ lb fresh goat cheese

10 slices prosciutto, sliced super thin

Olive oil, as needed

Salt, as needed

Pepper, as needed

1. Pre heat oven to 400 degrees.
2. Using a bread knife, slice the baguette on a bias into ¼" pieces. On the bias means slicing at a 45 degree angle, which gives the finished product more surface area.
3. Lay the slices out flat on a sheet tray. Drizzle the slices with extra virgin olive oil and season with salt and pepper.
4. Bake in the oven until they turn a light golden brown, about 7 minutes.
5. Cut the pear into ¼" slices. The best way to do this is to slice on either side of the core, discard the core, lay pear chunk flat and slice into ¼" slices.
6. Heat a large sauté pan on high heat, when it is hot, dump the butter into the pan. Allow the butter to brown slightly and then dump in the sliced pear. Sauté on high allowing the pear to caramelize. Don't overcook though; the pear will turn to mush.
7. Spread a layer of goat cheese on top of each toasted bread slice. Top each with a little of the caramelized pear.
8. Cut each slice of prosciutto in half length wise. Take one piece of prosciutto and wrap the slice of bread with the goat cheese and pear.

The Versatile Onion

Caramelization (British English: caramelisation) is the oxidation of sugar, a process used extensively in cooking for the resulting nutty flavor and brown color. As the process occurs, volatile chemicals are released, producing the characteristic caramel flavor.

If you're like me, you typically always have a spare onion lying around that you don't know what to do with. If you are also like me, you don't necessarily like the flavor of raw white onions. Pretty much the only way I use raw white onions is sliced thin on my burgers. So you ask, what can I do with all the white onions lying around my pantry? My answer….. caramelize them. The process is quite simple and the use of caramelized onions is endless. Use them as a pizza topping, put them on burgers, or make French onion soup. The list goes on and on! I will provide the technique, it's up to you to pick how you use them.

Step 1. Slice the end of both sides of the onion.

Step 2. Slice the onion in half

Step 3. Remove the skin from the outside of the onion

Step 4. Slice thin half moon slivers, the thinner the slices, the quicker the cooking process

Step 5. Heat a skillet or sauté pan to medium hot

Step 6. When the pan is hot, add 3 tablespoons of butter

Step 7. Immediately dump the sliced onion into the pan

Step 8. Stir the onions continuously on high heat until they are coated with butter

Step 9. Drop the heat down to low, at this point you can stir every so often

Step 10. Check the onions every so often, making sure they don't stick to the bottom of the pan. Stir as needed. Cooking time depends on how thin the onions were sliced, and what type of onion was used. Yellow and white onions have the highest sugar contents, whereas red onions have the smallest sugar content. If the onions are sticking to the bottom of the pan, lower the heat and add a little bit of water to deglaze. Cook the onions until they are very dark in color. Be careful, you want them to be dark and sweet, not dark burnt and bitter!

Step 11. Choose how you will use your caramelized onions…… enjoy!

Super Grocery Stores

Take note grocery store designers, I get sucked in by bright colors and informative signs. My fiancé hates shopping with me for a couple of reasons. First off, I am the kind of food shopper who doesn't like to take a list or a recipe with me. I like to walk down every aisle and see what tickles my fancy. The second reason she hates to shop with me is because I zone out. The neon signs, and information boards telling me intimate details about items captivate me. I like to know that the Fuji apple I have in my hand is grown in so and so a place, watered with a spray bottle, and only harvested at night. I made those facts up to prove a point. The ways super markets are created now are in a completely different league then back in the day. I remember the first time that I was in awe of a grocery store. It was in Ithaca, New York at a Wegmans. Wegmans was the first super grocery store that did it all, at least that I am aware of. Everything your heart could desire could be found inside. And the prepared food was unbelievably tasty. So tasty that you would see crowds of people coming to the store on their lunch break just to eat, not to shop.

The next super store I encountered wasn't like the usual stores. It has no true store front, but rather is a home delivery grocery store. For people who have lived around the New York City area, you know how difficult it is to grocery shop. Typically you don't have a car because of the ridiculous fees to park it. So every time you go to the store you have to walk blocks after block with bags on your arm from your wrists to your shoulders. When you finally get inside your front door and drop the bags to the floor, you have indentations in your skin for hours. Not much fun, take my word on it. So we came up with a solution in the name of Freshdirect. The delivery aspect of Freshdirect was a huge bonus, but that wasn't even the best thing about it. The food quality, choices, and information were outstanding. The produce was restaurant quality. And the choices were amazing. You can choose to have fish filleted, with or without skin, and you basically pick the portion size. It's like having your own informed butcher in your house. You do pay a premium for this service, but what doesn't cost more in New York City?

Now that I am in Dallas, I have found yet another incredible store. I am like a kid in a candy shop when it comes to this store. The layout is ingenious. The information about products is gripping. And the assortment and quality of items is stunning. They should pay me to promote their stores! To anybody who has been to Texas, or lives in the state, it comes to no surprise that I am talking about Central Market. Whoever designed the layout of Central Market probably did okay in business school. Just like an IKEA, the layout makes you walk through every section of the store. I don't complain about that because I do it on my own anyways. Yes there are a few well hidden short cuts, but why take those? I especially like the cheese and bread sections. One item you can't pass up is the fresh made flour tortillas. I will actually drive to Central Market just to pick up this one item. I recommend you get the butter tortillas and use them right away, while the bag is still steaming! In keeping in line with Wegmans, the prepared food is incredible. Even though I don't typically eat prepared food from grocery store, unless I am feeling lazy, I still stop and stare at the variety before I proceed to checking out.

With the competition between grocery stores ever increasing, who knows what the future will bring. What will be the next big idea that draws the shopper to one store over another? I know what works on me, bright shiny objects!

Readers…. Please share your favorite regional grocery stores!