chewingfat

I’ve been traveling to Boston quite a bit recently. Aside from working with a great client I’ve had the pleasure to experience some really fine dining including Davios on Arlington St.

It’s touted as a Northern Italian Steakhouse, so I felt compelled to order a steak. However, while perusing the menu for appetizer options the waiter made us aware of a menu section called “Davio’s Classici”. It’s a mixture of appetizers and entrees that the restaurant holds in high regards for various reasons. Items like sautéed calamari with anchovies, shallots, garlic and hot peppers in a white wine cream sauce or grilled porterhouse veal chop with creamy potatoes and vintage port populate this section. While these sounded great I was really craving some pasta, enter the tagliatelle bolognese.

I’m a sucker for a good meat sauce – it stems from my childhood. My mom has some italian background and could cook meat sauces like no one else. Beef, chicken, lamb – you name it, she had a killer recipe for it. So when I saw the meat that made up this sauce included braised veal, beef AND pork I had to order it. Davio’s was kind enough to offer me this an appetizer.

It was totally unbelievable. The sauce was a perfect marriage of tangy tomatoes and gamey meats. Considering the fat content the sauce wasn’t “greasy” at all. The pasta was fresh and perfectly cooked. This was truly one of the best pasta dishes I have ever ordered – Don’t worry mom, nothing comes close to your lamb sauce.

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For those of you who haven’t seen this yet, it’s definitly worth a look. The premise is simple: Take common packaged snacks (candy, chocolate bars etc.) and make gargantuan recreations. It takes supersize to a whole new level.

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Some critics wince at the thought of seeing seared scallops on a menu. citing them as tired and passe. How can something that tastes and looks so good ever go out of style?

Here’s what you’ll need:
12 sea scallops
2 teaspoons butter
2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil
Kosher salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 cup Lobster stock (I had some from a previous recipe of bisque, recipe to come)
½ cup heavy cream
splash of cognac

The side of the scallop has a small muscle that gets very tough and chewy when cooked [photo 1]. Pull it off with your fingers. Place the scallops on some paper towel and pat dry [photo 2]. Add the oil and butter to a saute pan and get it smoking hot. Salt and pepper the scallops, don’t do this before you are ready to place them in the pan or the salt will bring too much moisture to the surface. Add the scallops to the pan, don’t over crowd. Sear the scallops for a minute or two on each side [photo 3+4], turning them only once. Once cooked, place them on a very hot plate as you’ll need a couple of minutes for the sauce.

Turn the heat down to medium. Using the same pan add the stock and cream, cook this down to a sauce like consistency. You can add a little butter to speed things up. Drizzle some sauce over the scallops and garnish with some chopped chives [photo 5].

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This one nearly didn’t make it. At one point in this recipe I had all but given up. If you’ve ever had anything “break” on you while cooking you know how frustrating and hopeless it can make you feel. Rarely do these stories have happy endings. Thankfully this was a one of those rare occasions.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 6 ounces of good quality chocolate
• 3 tablespoons of butter (unsalted)
• 2 eggs
• ¼ cup white sugar
• 1¼ cups heavy cream
• ¼ cup Bailey’s

  Other stuff you’ll need:

• Double boiler or a bowl placed over a pot of hot water
• Beater or mixer. Forget the whisk, you’ll kill yourself
• A few cold metal bowls
• Wooden spoon

  Start by separating your eggs. I crack them then pour the yolk in my hand letting the white slide into a bowl beneath, I find I break less yolks this way. Keep both the whites and the yolks separate (you only need one yolk), you’ll need them.

  Place the two egg whites in mixing bowl and add 2 tablespoons of sugar. Beat them until they are stiff.

  In a second bowl add the cream, Baileys and 2 tablespoons of sugar and beat until it forms into whipped cream.

  Break the chocolate into the bowl that sits over hot water and add the butter. Melt them together stirring frequently [photo 1+2]. Once the chocolate and butter are melted and incorporated add one yolk, beat well. This is where things literally broke down for me. I didn’t even take a photo to show the results as I had all but given up on the gritty, nasty mess. Fear not, the meringue like beaten egg whites are about to perform magic that would make Alton Brown himself applaud. Gently pour the egg white mixture into the chocolate disaster and stir. Keep stirring until you get a beautiful solid chocolate mixture. Once they are well incorporated fold in the whipped cream [photo 3], reserving a tad to top off the dessert and voila, mousse au chocolat [photo 4].

  
  
  
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A colleague just sent me a link to blurb and I had to post it. This software allows you to create your own book, much like Apple’s photo book creator. I haven’t tried it yet but it looks great and the prices start at $29.95.

I haven’t posted in awhile as I’ve been away on holidays. I have a ton of posting to catch up on. Here’s the first…

While we were away we ate the Salt Rock Grill. My wife and I have eaten there for the past three years. While the decor is nice and the decent seats offer beautiful views of the Intercoastal waterway, it’s the food that brings us back.

The formula for the food at the Salt Rock is simple.

1. The freshest of everything – They have their own dayboat for multiple “catches of the day”.

1. A wood-burning grill – Most items are cooked over natural oak and citrus wood.

   On this visit I started with the tuna sashimi ($10.95). It came coated with sesame seeds, lightly seared, sliced ¼” thick with small dollops of wasabi and served with sake soy. This was absolutely perfect and I fully intend on knocking this one off. For the main I had a top sirloin steak and a king crab leg ($28.95), both grilled over the woodfire. They had a natural smokey taste that made this anything but the a typical surf and turf.

   Kudos to the kitchen staff, but even they can’t make up for the terrible service offered by our waiter, David W (as written on the bill).

   The service at the Salt Rock is always sub-par and seems to get worse every year. This year our experience began to decline when our waiter took our order and left before we had a chance to tell him what we wanted as appetizers. After that was sorted out we ordered some wines by the glass. We needed to inquire about these twice. When the main course came my wife had no knife as it was cleared away when the apps were done. We asked him three times about this. On the third request he acknowledged with a nod and his usual blank grin then proceeded to go to the bar and get our drink order, completely ignoring the request for cutlery. I was dumbfounded. The rest of the meal we were left to deliberate about what to do about the tip. I had never left a $0 tip before. If the tip is the customer’s mechanism to review the service, I needed a way to make sure he knew it was unacceptable. If I left $0 he may have perceived that I thought gratuities were included. If I left too much, but not as much as 15%, I would be perceived as cheap. I opted on leaving $7, just over 4%. Which, as I write this, seems like a gross overpayment. I would have liked to have left $0.01, but I didn’t have the nerve.

   Great food can’t make up for bad service.

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I stopped by Meat on the Beach, my local butcher, the other day to satisfy a red meat craving I was having [map below]. I saw an absolutely amazing t-bone under the glass. It was about 1⅔ inches thick and had perfect fine marbling of fat through the striploin side. The tenderloin side was a little small but I’m not a huge fan of it anyway. I ordered it up and brought it home. I excitedly unwrapped it so I could get it curing in salt (thanks simone for the tip, though I too couldn’t wait 24 hours for the full cure). Setting aside the butcher paper revealed two striploins. I had fallen victim to an honest mixup at the butcher shop. They looked okay. A little too red, as if they hadn’t been aged enough. The marbling was a little weak too – but whatever, it would still surely satiate my hankering.

We go on holidays next week so my fridge was starting to look a little barren. I did however have some fresh asparagus and bell peppers which I thought I would grill up to accompany the beef.

I apologize in advance as I took little mental note as to the quantity for the following ingredients so you’ll have to use your best guess along with the photos if you’re interested in this one – though it’s tough to mess up.

Here’s what you’ll need: [photo 1]

• Striploins – or any cut that looks good from your butcher
• Bunch of asparagus – cut an inch or two off the bottom
• Bell peppers – red, orange, green, whatever
• Sesame seeds
• Soy sauce – about a ¼ cup
• Oyster Sauce – about a ½ cup
• Kosher salt
• Pepper
• Olive oil

  Start by salting the steaks on both sides [photo 2]. If you have the time try leaving it salted for 24 hours in your refrigerator. I was only able to do so for about 3 hours. Regardless of how long you salt the beef for pat it dry before doing any more prep work.

  Get your grill going. The hotter the better (mine was about 550˚F – i can’t get it much hotter in the winter). Make sure the grill is nice and clean – don’t oil it.

  If you don’t have a plate warming drawer preheat your oven and put a couple of plates in there. Set it as low as it will go. Usually around 170˚F.

  Clean and cut the vegetables. Leave them really big as you’re going to be placing them directly on the grill, the bigger they are the less chance you’ll lose any. Place them in a large bowl and cover them with the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame seeds, olive oil and fresh ground pepper [photo 3]. Incorporate the ingredients well. use your hands so you don’t damage or bruise any of the vegetables [photo 4].

  Make sure your steaks are dry. Drizzle and rub some olive oil onto them and place on the grill. Just before the steaks are done put the vegetables on the grill. Try not to stack them, and try not to take too long – you want the heat that has built up in the BBQ to stay there. Cook the steak to your desired doneness.

  When the steaks feel done place them on the hot plates and tent some foil over them. Let rest for 10 minutes. While your steak is resting check on the vegetables, they’ll need to be turned once or twice. The are done when they have a nice char. Plate it all together and bon appetite [photos 5+6].

  
  
  
  
  
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With Mardi Gras coming to a close I thought I’d pay tribute with one of my all time favorite dishes. I first experienced this dish in Vegas a few years ago with a colleague. The restaurant was Emeril’s New Orleans Fish House at the MGM. We had our doubts about the experience – with Emeril being a Food TV celebrity chef and all. The restaurant was located in what is best described as an indoor mall of shops and restaurants – most of the restaurants in Vegas hotels are architected this way. The actual restaurant itself was rustic and cozy. It juxtaposed nearly everything else around it as most of the places embrace a clean, sleek and modern decor (interestingly, it’s been remodeled to be just that). The meal was so good I remember precisely what I had. To start, Creole BBQ Shrimp with a Rosemary Biscuit. The main, Baked Lobster Stuffed with Wild Mushrooms and Tomatoes accompanied by Tempura Asparagus. It was crazy good. The Lobster was great but the appetizer was one of the most memorable dishes I’ve ever eaten. I must also mention that the waiter we had matched our meals with one of the best white wines I’ve ever had. It’s a shame I can’t remember the wine, nor his name, but this combination easily made this one of the best meals I’ve had in Vegas. We make a yearly trip there for CES and Emeril’s is one of the first things I book.

I pretty much nicked this recipe from an Emeril recipe at Food TV. I should also note that I’ve made this before at home and I went through the laborious process of making the BBQ sauce base. In this particular example I’m using a frozen batch – so no photos for that part.

Here’s what you’ll need:

• 3 pounds large Gulf shrimp, in their shells
• 2 tablespoons Creole seasoning, recipe here
• Cracked black pepper
• 2 tablespoons olive oil, in all
• ¼ cup chopped onions
• 2 tablespoons minced garlic
• 3 bay leaves
• 3 lemons, peeled and sectioned
• 2 cups water
• ½ cup Worcestershire sauce
• ¼ cup dry white wine
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 2 cups heavy cream
• 2 tablespoons butter
• Few slices of a baguette
• Sprig of rosemary

  Peel the shrimp, leaving only their tails attached [photo 1]. Reserve the shells and set aside. Sprinkle the shrimp with 1 tablespoon Creole seasoning and fresh cracked black pepper. Use you hands to coat the shrimp with the seasonings [photo 2]. Refrigerate the shrimp while you make the sauce base.

  Heat 1 tablespoon of the oil in a large pot over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the onions and garlic and saute for 1 minute. Add the reserved shrimp shells, the remaining Creole seasoning, the bay leaves, lemons, water, Worcestershire, wine, salt, and black pepper. Stir well and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 30 minutes.

  Remove from the heat, allow to cool for about 15 minutes. Strain into a small saucepan. There should be about 1½ cups. Place over high heat, bring to a boil, and cook until thick, syrupy, and dark brown, for about 15 minutes. Makes about 4 to 5 tablespoons of barbecue sauce base.

  This sauce base kept very well in the freezer for me. I simply thawed it out and started the recipe from here so it was quick and easy.

  Drizzle some olive oil on the sliced baguette and add a little chopped rosemary and some crushed black pepper. Toast until lightly golden [photo 3].

  Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over high heat. When the oil is hot, add the seasoned shrimp and saute them [video 4], occasionally shaking the skillet, for 2 minutes. Add the cream and the barbecue base, I didn’t use the whole batch as this was a smaller shared appetizer [video 5]. Stir and simmer for 3 minutes. Remove the shrimp to a warm platter with tongs and whisk the butter into the sauce [video 6+7]. Remove from the heat. Mound the shrimp in the center of a platter. Spoon the sauce over the shrimp and around the plate. Arrange the rosemary toasts around the shrimp [photo 8].

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
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The makers of Vermont’s finest have done it again with their 2006 line-up. I’m not sure how these taste but the names are good for a laugh. Hold the phone, was the creative director at lunch when they named the last one? You decide.

Black & Tan™
Cream stout ice cream swirled with chocolate ice cream

Neapolitan Dynamite™
Cherry Garcia® and Chocolate Fudge Brownie ice creams, side by side

*Turtle Soup™ *
Vanilla ice cream with fudge & caramel cashews & a caramel swirl

Vermonty Python™
Coffee liqueur ice cream with a chocolate cookie crumb swirl & fudge cows

Berried Treasure™
Chunky Blueberry and Blackberry Sorbet Swirled with Zesty Lemon Sorbet

Jamaican Me Crazy Sorbet
Chunky Pineapple sorbet with a passion fruit swirl

Strawberry Kiwi Swirl
Chunky Strawberry sorbet swirled with kiwi sorbet