Paprika: Not Just A Garnish For Deviled Eggs

I use a LOT of paprika in my cooking. I am Hungarian and grew up with a grandmother who cooked classic Hungarian fare so that may have something to do with it. It always surprises my cooking class students that paprika has a flavor because they are accustomed to the brown stuff in the Schilling or Mccormick bottles that are scentless and flavorless. Let's be honest, these companies aren't exactly sourcing the highest quality spices and their spices often sit on store shelves for far longer than they should. 6 months to a year is about as long as you want your spices to sit around before they begin to lose substantial flavor.

Hungary is the leading producer of paprika which is basically dried and ground peppers of various kinds. It is utilized in the cuisines of many different cultures from Indian to Moroccan to Hungarian. There isn't just one kind of paprika, but rather a number of different kinds that range from sweet to hot to smoked and not smoked. The grading in Hungary is as follows:

Kulonleges or Unusual
Csiposmentes Csemege which is mild in flavor and can vary in color
Csemegepaprika which tends to be a little stronger flavored
Csipos Csemege, Pikans which is spicy
Rosza which is a lighter color
Edesnemes which is sweet and is the most often exported
Feledes which is a combination of sweet and spicy
Eros which is the strongest flavored

Paprika is also grown in Spain as well as a few other countries in limited quantities. I am a purist though and always buy Hungarian. Good sources include Penzey's, Spice World and of course, my go to source, Zamourispices.com.

Paprika, and all your dried herbs and spices for that matter, should be kept in a cool, dry place, away from sunlight in an airtight container. This will insure that you do not lose flavor to oxygen or color due to sunlight. Never freeze or refrigerate your spices as the cold will actually mute the flavor and destroy the cellular structure of the spices. And contrary to what you may see in kitchen design stores, keeping your spices in a drawer next to your oven is a terrible idea. It will destroy them.

I use paprika in everything from stews to soups to meats. For best flavor, you should add the spice to the heat and toast it prior to adding any liquid. This will bring out the essential oils from the spices which is where all the flavor is.

Women Chefs: Inequality in the Kitchen

Much as been made about women's equality of late, including equal pay for equal work. In a society that has supposedly made great strides in gender equality, there remains a lot of work to be done in truly insuring said equality. One of the areas that seems to be highly reflective of this gender inequality is that of the culinary world. I'm not talking about celebrity chefs and bloggers. I'm talking about actual chefs, who own their own restaurants and who gain international acclaim for their restaurants.

Every year various publications come out with their lists of favorite restaurants and chefs. Bon Appetit, Food and Wine, James Beard, Zagat, the list goes on and on. I always peruse these lists to see which restaurants I would like to add to my bucket list. Each time I read through the nominees I am struck by how few women they select. There may be a couple of token females, but the vast majority of those on the lists are men.

I started thinking about this a couple of weeks ago and two questions came to mind. One. Is the lack of female recognition some kind of bias against females in the industry? Or, two. Are there just so few women at the helm of great restaurants that by sheer numbers they cannot compete? Either way, something is wrong with the picture.

Consider these facts. According to some recent articles on the matter, women represent approximately 50% of those enrolled in culinary schools. They are outnumbered in regular culinary programs by men but in the baking department they make up almost 80% of those enrolled. So the trouble does not lie in the number of those who are actively seeking to find careers in the field of culinary arts. While numbers vary, several sources state that only approximately 15% of executive chefs of independent restaurants are women. That is an alarmingly low number.

It has been suggested that many of those women who graduate from culinary schools end up working at chain restaurants or hotels and some end up not pursuing careers in the food industry at all. The typical response to the question of why seems to be the same one plaguing other industries that seem to have a bias against women. First, women end up quitting to start families and they cannot be pregnant or mothers and maintain a full time job. While I get that chefs work long hard hours, this supposes that most women decide to have families and are thereby automatically discriminated against. Not so. More and more women today are opting to not get married and are starting families later or not at all so that they can pursue careers.

A second common response is that women are somehow physically inferior to men and incapable of hacking the long hours, heat and physical labor necessary to be a chef. That's kind of like saying women aren't capable of becoming good soldiers because they are weaker than men are. That makes absolutely no sense. Many women are not only as physically fit as men, but are often more capable of multi-tasking than men, which would make them excellent candidates for running a restaurant. To that notion, I cry foul.

Thirdly, women are routinely harassed in the context of the kitchen so some feel as though there is no place for them there or they will be treated poorly. Again, that's the same logic that says women are dangerous because they cause men to behave badly. A completely reverse argument that has no merit. Why can't men learn to behave like decent human beings and treat women with the equal respect they deserve? For this I blame men, not women, and we shouldn't suffer because of it. I say, grow up men. Disclaimer: I am happily married to a wonderful man who is very respectful of women and am quite aware that not all men fall into this category of behavior. I am just generalizing.

Historically there has also been a bias between the public and private arenas of the kitchen. Within the home, the kitchen is often considered to be the woman's domain. Women in many cultures for centuries prepared the food for their families and passed their recipes down from one generation to the next. In the mid-1900's, however, women increasingly got out of the kitchen and pursued jobs outside the house, freeing themselves from the private domain. It makes sense, therefore, that they should also seek to take those very skills that suited them so well in the private domain and utilize them in the public domain.

The hitch in that giddy up is that the formal restaurant structure that goes all the way back to Marie-Antoine Careme in 1800's France was built around men and haute cuisine has historically been a man's world. This has persisted into 20th and 21st century Europe and America with few exceptions. Strong women like Alice Waters and Susan Feniger have succeeded despite the bias, mostly because they were able to distinguish themselves as something completely unique and new in the industry as a whole.

I don't know what the solution is, nor do I think I am going to change it, but it certainly is indicative of something that we all sense in the society as a whole. I am proud to have my small place in the industry and to represent the minority as a woman who runs her own kitchen. I hope that at some point there will be more equity in the culinary world as with the world at large. Perhaps sometime in my lifetime.

Tyranny Or Just a New Business Model?

When Jeff and I lived in Las Vegas, one of our favorite forms of entertainment on a night off was to go to a high end restaurant, ask for the chef's taster menu and not even look at the menu. We'd spend hours there, enjoying whatever it was they put in front of us, experiencing new flavors and foods we had never tasted before and overall participating in a culinary theatrical experience that titillated our every sense. In some ways I considered this to be my culinary awakening, my education of sorts in the world of food and flavors. We visited a myriad of restaurants from famous chefs like Commander's Palace, Robuchon's, Picasso and more. Since then we have continued this form of entertainment and virtually every trip we take revolves around finding a restaurant with this type of menu where we can submit ourselves to the creative whims of a chef and allow them to take us on a culinary journey. We find this kind of dining fun, inspirational and tremendously stimulating, as I suspect a vast many people do or they would not have perpetuated as they have.

In a recent article in Vanity Fair written by Corby Kummer entitled Tyranny-It's What's For Dinner, however, this type of taster menu is scrutinized as being over the top, arrogant and completely void of the desires and needs of the customer. Kummer states:

"Mercy is a rare commodity at restaurants like this, where the diner is essentially strapped into a chair and expected to be enraptured for a minimum of three and often four and five hours, and to consume dozens of dishes. Choice, changes, selective omissions—control, really, over any part of an inevitably very expensive experience—are not an option. "

While I appreciate the argument and think it perhaps has some validity on certain occasions, I have to disagree that there isn't a place for it in this current culinary landscape. Chefs like Thomas Keller of the French Laundry and Grant Achatz of Alinea and Next have elevated food to an art form and a scientific experience unlike any other. They represent the best of the movement known as Molecular Gastronomy, a movement which began with the genius of Ferran Adria at the now closed El Bulli in Spain. There is a time and a place for it and as long as the diner knows what they are getting themselves into, there is absolutely nothing wrong with the long, drawn out saga of a 20-40 course dinner. 

Do some chefs abuse the system for the sake of fitting into a mold they perceive to be the "in thing" without the purpose of exploring new territory scientifically and new flavors? Yes. There are many "celebrity chefs" that are just that, celebrities. Their food isn't exactly overwhelming, the service nothing spectacular, yet they are able to capitalize on their celebrity by presenting inferior food at their restaurants. These aren't the places I look to when we are planning our getaways. They also aren't the places I have sought to emulate in my own restaurant. 

My number one focus is on flavor and on presenting fresh, local food without too much fanfare. I am not interested in making foams and hollow shells of shrimp juice with edible seaweed balls in the center. The number one most important aspect of my cooking is in my use of spices, which I apply carefully to accentuate the natural flavor of foods. I often say that I spend way too much money on organic meat, eggs and produce to then inject them with a bunch of chemicals to turn them into something they are not. I prefer to keep things elegant, but simple. 

I do however like the notion and experience of a chef's taster menu where it is up to the chef to be creative and produce a menu reflective of their personality and individuality. I see food and cooking as an art form, not as a science experiment. I don't want frankenfoods, I want real meat, real eggs and real fruits/vegetables that are recognizable at least in some form or another. To me cooking is a symbiotic relationship between those who grow the food, those who prepare it, and those who consume it. In essence the chef is the mediator between the earth and the body, transforming raw material into energy and hopefully pleasure of the senses. 

Food to me also represents a unique opportunity to educate people about other cultures and new flavors. Everyone on the planet has to eat and in many ways, food is the safest medium within which to explore other cultures without invoking religion, politics or other more volatile topics. And as a cultural anthropologist by training, this aspect of food is perhaps the most interesting part of cooking. I have the unique opportunity at every meal to be a chef anthroplogist, creating foods that are in some way representative of an entire group of people. I'm somewhat of a foodie geek in that regards. If there is a show or a cookbook that can meld these two topics together, I'm all the more interested in it. 

There is another value to serving a taster menu with just one option per night and that is economics. The restaurant industry is perhaps the highest risk industry out there. Restaurants fail at epic rates and the two biggest factors in that are overstaffing/understaffing and food waste. By keeping the menu simple and only serving those who have reservations, we have virtually eliminated both of these pitfalls. And many restaurants are following suit. It has less to do with not wanting to cater to the customers desires than simply a matter of survival. 

That being said, myself and many other chefs are perfectly willing to make adjustments accordingly for dietary restrictions. Few of us are culinary Nazis in the vein of what Kummer describes in this article. If I have someone coming who is a vegetarian and I had planned a beef entree, I am more than happy to come up with an alternative for that individual. Again, this makes good business sense. The more people you can accommodate, the higher your profit margin and the more likely you'll get repeat business. 

I will say, however, that I am less apt to accommodate someones "dislikes" and I have a sound reason for doing so. Most people who claim to dislike a food have either never had it before and just think they dislike it, or they only had it when they were kids and have been afraid to try it since. I always say, if I didn't like something, it probably wasn't prepared properly and I'm willing to give it a second or even third chance. By not offering people a choice or a way out of tasting something they don't think they'll like, you force them to be adventurous and break out of their comfort zone. More often than not I end up hearing from guests that they didn't think they'd like something but that they loved it. Those who dine with us do so knowing that they are going to be in for a slightly unique experience and see it as an opportunity to take a little culinary adventure. There are plenty of places that serve what they know and if that's what they want, they can go there. 

Finally, I would argue that this new kind of celebrity chef driven scientifically engineered menu is a natural evolution that reflects the current society at large. We live in a world that values celebrity. Our 24 hour news cycle is filled with what I call pseudo-news of celebrities doing ordinary things and people feed off of this kind of news. We also live in a world that increasingly values technological advancement and it is no surprise that this trickles down to the most basic of human needs, namely food. And lastly, we live in a world that is increasingly food centric. The fact that food television is as popular as it is and that reality tv shows like Top Chef and Kitchen Nightmares are as prevalent as they are has created an entire generation of food savvy individuals who are already quite sophisticated in their food knowledge at a very young age. Chefs are therefore challenged to create things that are new and exciting for this generation of diners who I would argue have a somewhat short attention spans and need a little bit of in your face food creativity. 

In the end it remains to be seen if we will eventually fatigue of this current trend and get back to basics or not. I already see the trend heading that direction with more and more farm to table restaurants popping up and the slow food movement growing in waves. Which style of restaurant will be sustainable? I'm not sure. Part of that will be dictated by economics and the ability of people to have the kind of expendable income needed to partake of these $300 and $400 taster menus. I suspect the two will continue to evolve alongside one another, offering an outlet for all kinds of diners of all demographics and socio-economic situations. I think that in many ways we are at the forefront of that evolution by combining the back to basics approach with the taster menu approach but at a much more affordable price that anyone can participate in. 

Happy 100th Birthday Julia: A Loving Tribute

This August 15 would have marked the 100th birthday of the late great Julia Child. Around the country restaurants and individuals alike are celebrating the life and legacy of this great woman. She was more than just the woman who taught us to cook French food. Her greater achievement perhaps was the reintroduction of the joy of cooking to an America that was being sucked into a vortex of fast, easy and convenient. Her delightful nonchalance, infectious laugh, breathless warble and certainly her unusual height made her unforgettable. As for me, she represents everything I have ever strived for and worked toward, not just as a chef, but as a woman.

Julia McWilliams was not born a chef and foodie. In fact, she did not arrive at her passion until well into her 30's. "I was 32 when I started cooking; up until then, I just ate." Her discovery of good food and wine was directly a result of having met the love of her life, Paul Child. Not unlike Julia, I did not particulary have an affinity for food and cooking until I met the love of my life, Jeff. Our courtship revolved around him taking me to new restaurants of various ethnicities and showing me that food wasn't taboo. It was an opportunity to learn something and to experience a social experience unlike any other.

Julia became a Francophile as a result of her introduction to food and her lifelong mission was to teach people not only of the virtues of French cooking, but to appreciate French sensibilities of life, love, good food, good company and passion. To her, the greatest things in life were the company of good friends around a fantastic and carefully prepared meal. "In France, cooking is an art form and a national sport." I was a Francophile prior to my introduction to cooking. I have always had a passion for the language and the culture and in fact got one of my two bachelor's degrees in French. Having spent 6 months in Paris for my Sophomore year study abroad, I understand the infatuation Julia had with the city and the country in general. There is something you simply cannot explain to those who have not been there. Some kind of warmth, like a passionate embrace that envelopes you the moment you step out onto the Parisian streets.

Julia's foray into the world of television was really a case of being in the right place at the right time. Not necessarily her ultimate goal. That being said, she was nothing if not a natural. Not a beautiful woman by any means, in fact, in many ways she was quite awkward and gangly at 6 feet 2 inches in height. But she had that je ne sais quoi. That IT factor that you so often hear people talk about. She was quick witted, funny, unashamed of her imperfections and down to earth. People could relate to her and weren't intimidated by her. If she could do it, then there was no reason why you or I couldn't do it. "Find something you are passionate about and keep tremendously interested in it." Her passion for what she did was evident even until her later years in life when her health began to fail. Everyone who met her was instantly enthralled by her. Her charisma was infectious to say the least.

And always with her was her partner in crime. Her best friend and lover. The butter to her bread. Paul. I think it was truly one of the great partnerships in history. One that I believe inspires me and Jeff to do what we do every day. Nothing in life is worth much if you cannot do it besides the one you love. "The secret of a happy marriage is finding the right person. You know they're right if you love to be with them all of the time."

Dear Julia. Happy birthday. Thank you for your inspiration, your guidance and your honesty. Myself and many of us will forever remember you fondly. I will leave you with a couple of my favorite Julia quotes and a reminder that no matter what might go wrong in the kitchen, always think to yourself, what would Julia do?

"Cooking is like love, it should be entered into with abandon or not at all."

"Everything in moderation, including moderation."

"How can a nation be called great if its bread tastes like kleenex."

"The best way to execute french cooking is to get good and loaded and whack the hell out of a chicken. Bon appétit."

Bon appetit Julia!

Love, Mini Julia

Inspiration

One of the things I find most exciting about being a chef is when I am inspired to create something out of the blue. Sometimes it is a random thought or something I read that sparks the inspiration, but often it is a result of a need to create something to accommodate a dietary restriction. Some people find this incredibly stressful. I find it a unique challenge and a distinct opportunity to express myself creatively while creating a special experience for someone that has been marginalized to some extent because of what they can and cannot eat. If I can give someone pleasure through food when they felt like that opportunity was no longer available to them, I have done something truly remarkable and something that I feel very proud of.

This week, despite the fact that I'm still in recovery mode after having had surgery just a couple of weeks ago, I was inspired by just such a challenge. I needed a dessert for someone who was lactose intolerant so my usual go to that I am quite well known for, creme brulees of various flavors, was out. Chocolate desserts are also out as most involve some kind of dairy. I was leaning toward sorbet but I didn't want to do someting average, namely a mainstream flavor. Then I thought, what if I was in Morocco. What flavors would I lean toward for a special sorbet?? Then I looked at what I had in the house and decided I'd try an orange sorbet.

While I don't have an exact recipe because I was just tossing and adding stuff until it tasted right, the basic recipe included 2 Cara Cara oranges, zest from those two oranges, 1 cup of water, 1 cup of sugar, 1 cup of honey, 2 tbl vanilla extract, 2 tbl orange blossom water, 2 tsps ground cinnamon, 2 tsps ground ginger, a huge pinch of saffron, roughly a cup or so, perhaps more, of Simply Orange juice and finally just a cup or so of plain soy milk (although I suspect almond or rice milk would work just as well). A final last minute addition was about 2 cups of toasted almond slivers that I folded after I had frozen the sorbet to about a soft serve with an ice cream machine. So I guess you'd call it a Moroccan Inspired Orange, Saffron and Almond Sorbet. It yielded about 12 or so large servings.

I heated the water and sugar in a microwave on high for 3 mins. Then stir to dissolve any remaining sugar. Then I heated an additional 3 minutes to create a simple syrup. This was then added to the 2 peeled oranges, the zest from those oranges, saffron, cinnamon, ginger, vanilla and the orange blossom water in a Vitamix or food processor and pureed until smooth. I then strained the mixture to get any bits of pith out of the mixture. To that I added the honey, orange juice and soy milk and whisked until well combined. This was frozen in a home model ice cream machine until soft serve, folded with the almonds and then I put it in the freezer overnight to finish freezing. And voila. Here is a photo:

The Problem with Next Food Network Star

Many of you are going to look at the title of this blog and think, ok, sour grapes. Quit whining. While there is some truth to that, I think I can back up my stance pretty easily. It's no secret that I've been yearning to have my own show on any tv network focusing on Mediterranean inspired cuisine. Many of you have supported me in this endeavor, seen my pilot, came to my fundraiser to help find an agent and sent in letters to the Food Network. Over and over again upon teaching cooking classes or after appearances on Paula Sands Live! you encourage me, telling me I should have my own cooking show or I'd be great on Chopped.

Well, here is the problem. I've tried. I have repeatedly sent in applications to show after show after show to no avail. Apparently I am having trouble getting their attention. It doesn't matter if I cook food that many people love or if I have natural ability to cook, teach and entertain at the same time as I often do in my cooking classes. The network execs simply don't know I exist and are having trouble finding this needle in an ever growing haystack of would be Julia Childs.

Why?? I have a theory. Have you noticed how arrogant and nasty some of the personalities on these shows can be?? Many present an over the top persona that not only looks over the top but appears to have over the top ego. The problem is I'm too much Tinkerbell and not enough Lady Gaga. I have lofty ideas that I might be recognized for being a good chef, one who presents the kind of food that is missing on the television scene and one who is just cute, nice and down to earth. Unfortunately, while this may be the kind of person who would ultimately produce a "star," it isn't the kind of person who would initially get ratings on a reality competition show that thrives on conflict.

So the question is, how does someone who refuses to play the bitch get the attention of the kind of formulaic media production that is the Food Network?? How do I convince them that nice and talented are enough for ratings and in the long run will create a star that has staying power, not just a one shot wonder??

I'm not sure of the answer but I'm certainly going to keep working at it. Until then, I'll keep doing what I do best, which is cooking with passion and passing along that passion to those who really love food, not sensationalism. Perhaps one day this passion is what will get me noticed. I may be a small fish in a big pond, but eventually even a tadpole grows up into a bullfrog and can hop onto the biggest lily pad in the pond. I'm hoping that this bullfrog will be hopping onto the Food Network lily pad sooner rather than later.

Spinach: It Isn't Just for Popeye

Today is National Spinach Day so I thought I'd share a couple of my favorite spinach recipes. Spinach isn't just good for you, it is delicious. I happen to love it both raw and cooked. The key with cooking spinach is to always add just a hint of freshly grated nutmeg. It adds a bit of that je ne sais quoi. I am a bit of a spinach snob though. I don't really like frozen spinach and I definitely will not buy that mushy stuff they call spinach in a can. I like fresh baby spinach leaves that I can either get at the store or even better straight from the farm.

Spinach Salad with Warm Bacon Vinaigrette

Yields: 6 Servings

3 eggs

2 lbs baby spinach leaves

1 tsp sugar

6 Tbls Apple Cider Vinegar

Pinch Salt & pepper

2 Sliced Shallots

2 Cloves Garlic minced

8 slices thick cut applewood smoked bacon 

Place eggs in saucepan and cover with water and a pinch of salt. Bring to a boil and cook for 10 mins. Rinse under cold water and let cool. Peel and cut egg into slices with an egg slicer. Chop bacon into smaller pieces and cook in a sauté pan until crisp. Remove bacon from pan and drain on paper towels. Do not discard the bacon fat. Combine vinegar with sugar, salt & pepper. Saute shallots in bacon fat until light golden. Add garlic and cook for one minute until the garlic begins to exude its aroma. Add vinegar/sugar mix and bring to a boil. Cook for one minute and remove from heat. Pour hot dressing over spinach leaves and toss quickly so the leaves do not wilt. Serve with egg slices and a sprinkle of the cooked bacon bits.

 

Creamed Spinach

Yields: 4 Servings 

2 lbs spinach, thick stems removed

3 shallots, sliced

2-3 garlic cloves, minced

2 Tbl unsalted butter

2 Tbl extra virgin olive oil

Pinch Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper

Pinch Nutmeg

1 Tbl AP Flour

¼ cup Heavy Cream

¼ Cup Grated Parmesan Cheese

Heat butter and oil in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Add shallot and sauté until softened. Add garlic and sauté one minute or until fragrant. Add spinach and season with salt, pepper and nutmeg. Cook uncovered until the spinach has wilted and all the liquid has evaporated. Add flour and sauté for a couple of minutes to cook the rawness out of the flour. Add cream and bring to a simmer. Add parmesan and heat through to melt. Adjust seasoning to taste.

Messing Around

I am often asked by guests staying or dining with us if specific recipes are in my cookbook and often my answer is "kind of." Not a good answer I suppose but an honest one. I view recipes as guidelines that can be deviated from and played with. So I usually get a basic recipe that works, write it down and then mess around with it. I guess you could say I get easily bored or you could say that I like to be creative in the kitchen. Either way, the result is that I never make a recipe the same exact way twice.

Part of this involves availability of ingredients and what is fresh. Because I like to support local organic farms I often base my specific recipe on any given day on what I can get from those farms. While a recipe may call for spinach, if the farm has kale or arugula, I'll use it and find a way to make it work. Keeps things fresh and keeps me on my toes.

The other part of it is that I like to keep things new for repeat guests. We do get a lot of repeat guests and I want to keep them coming back for different and exciting things. If it is the same every time, they will get bored, so this is my opportunity to keep them guessing and keep them coming back for more.

With that in mind, this last weekend I happened to have a group of regulars coming for a special dinner party for their co-workers. I had served sausage stuffed mushrooms many times for them and others and I love my recipe but I felt like tweaking a bit. So I shook things up a bit and came up with a new version. I wouldn't necessarily say improved, just slightly different. I'll continue making both versions as they are both quite popular. Here are both recipes. Try them both, play with them and remember, keep it fresh. One of the safest places to try something new is in the kitchen. The worst that could happen is that you may not like something, but don't let that stop your creativity. Your taste buds will appreciate you.

Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

Yields: 12 Servings

 

24 Stuffing Mushrooms (Stems removed and peeled)

¼ cup vermouth or sherry

1 pound Italian Sausage (Casings Removed)

1 Tbl Italian Seasoning

1 8 oz package cream cheese (Room Temperature)

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese plus 2-3 tbls for sprinkling over top of mushrooms

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

Pinch salt & Pepper

2 tsps garlic powder

1 egg

Begin by browning the sausage with some Italian seasoning in a medium saucepan over medium high heat for approx. 10 minutes or until no pink remains. If the sausage is very fatty, drain before assembling. If the sausage is only a little fatty, keep the juices as they will keep the mushrooms moist. Cool filling completely before assembling mushrooms. Place mushroom caps in a greased casserole and sprinkle with vermouth or sherry. Combine sausage with cream cheese, parmesan cheese, Worcestershire sauce, salt, pepper, garlic powder and egg. Make sure the filling is well combined. It is easiest to use your hands for this process. Fill each mushroom cap with approx. 1 Tbl filling until all the filling has been utilized. Sprinkle each cap with more grated parmesan. Place mushrooms in a preheated 350 degree oven and bake approx. 25 mins or until the tops begin to turn golden. Serve hot.

Revised Sausage Stuffed Mushrooms

Yields: 12 Servings

1 lb bulk sausage
1 onion, minced
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 small sweet peppers, minced
2 tsps truffle oil
1 Tbl Herbes de Provence
1/4 cup dry sherry
Pinch freshly grated nutmeg
Pinch Freshly Ground Pepper
1 tsp anchovy paste
8 oz mascarpone
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
2 Tbl chopped italian parsley
2 Tbl chopped cilantro
1 egg
24 stuffer mushrooms, stems removed and peeled

Place mushrooms on baking sheet. Place sausage in saute pan and begin browning over medium high heat. Add onion and continue sauteeing until tender, approx. 5 mins. Add garlic and heat for one minute or until fragrant. Add peppers, truffle oil, herbes de provence, anchovy paste, nutmeg, pepper and wine. Cook until all the liquid has evaporated and the sausage is cooked through. Add parsley and cilantro and stir to combine. Remove from heat. Allow to cool completely. Add mascarpone and parmesan cheeses as well as egg and combine well. Fill each mushroom cap generously. Bake at 375 degrees for approx. 15-20 mins or until the filling is golden brown on top. Serve garnished with a little balsamic reduction.

Celebrating St. Patrick's Day

Saint Patrick was considered to be the person who brought Christianity to Ireland. Much mythology surrounds the life of Saint Patrick, including his description of the Holy Trinity using the three leaves of the Irish clover or shamrock. He is purported to have died on March 17, 461, which is the day chosen to commemmorate his life. The holiday has been celebrated by the Irish as a feasting day for over 1000 years, but ironically the first St. Patrick's Day parade was held by Irish Americans in New York in the late 1700's. Since then, Irish and non-Irish alike have adopted the holiday and the traditional corned beef and cabbage and green beer have become a favorite in households across the US.

I myself am not Irish, although many think that with my red hair I am, but I have come to appreciate the food traditions of the holiday and enjoy the festivities. As such, every year at the Chestnut Street Inn we put together a special menu honoring the occasion. This year, we are deviating from the traditional corned beef and cabbage with an Irish Stew. We also always include a good beer and cheese soup and dessert often includes Irish Cream liqueur. Here are a couple of my favorite recipes.

Beer and Cheese Soup

Yields: Approx. 8 Servings



3 Slices Applewood Smoked Bacon, cut into chunks
1 onion, diced
3-4 garlic cloves, minced
2 carrots, peeled and diced
2 celery stalks, diced
2 lg Russett or Kennebec potatoes, peeled and diced
Pinch Kosher Salt and Freshly Ground Pepper
1 Tsp Smoked Hot Hungarian Paprika
2 Bay Leaves
2 Tbls Herbes de Provence
1 Bottle Beer (Stout or Ale)
4 Cups Kitchen Basics or Pacifica Chicken Broth
½-3/4 Cup Daisy Sour Cream
1 Cup Aged Irish or English Cheddar Cheese, grated



Cook bacon in a medium stock pot over medium heat. Remove to paper towels to allow to drain. Add onion to bacon fat and sauté until translucent, approx. 5 mins. Add garlic and sauté until fragrant approx. one minute. Add carrots, celery and potato and sauté for an additional couple of minutes. Add spices and heat for one minute. Add beer. Bring to a boil and cook, uncovered, until all the liquid has evaporated. Add chicken broth and bring to a boil. Cover and simmer on low for 45 mins. Remove bay leaves and puree with an immersion blender. Add sour cream and cheese and puree until smooth. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve with reserved bacon pieces and a dollop of homemade crème fraiche.

Irish Stew


Yields: Approx. 8-10 Servings



2 1/2 lbs Beef Stew Meat
2 Tbl Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 lg onion, diced
2-3 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb baby carrots
1 lb frozen pearl onions, thawed
2 lbs baby red potatoes or dutch potatoes, washed
4 cups beef broth
Pinch Kosher Salt and Freshly ground pepper
2 bay leaves
2 Tbl Herbes de Provence
3-4 Tbl all purpose flour



Place olive oil in a large stock pot over medium high heat. Add beef and cook for approx. 5 mins to brown. Add onion and sauté for 5 mins until translucent. Add garlic and sauté for one minute until fragrant. Add carrots, onions and potatoes and season with salt, pepper, bay leaves and Herbes de Provence. Add flour and stir for approx. one minute to cook through. Add broth and bring to a boil. Cover and reduce to a simmer. Cook for approx. 2 hours, stirring occasionally and adding more liquid if needed. Adjust seasoning to taste. Serve with Daisy Sour Cream.

Messing with Mushrooms

Portabello mushrooms are one of my favorite vegetables. They can be stuffed, grilled, roasted, sauteed, you name it. They are incredibly versatile. I happen to love them in practically anything but they are particularly great as a meat substitute because of their uniquely robust umami flavor. Unfortunately I find that many people say they hate mushrooms. My theory on this is that they have never had them prepared properly. The biggest complaint tends to be texture and when they are treated with care, this mushy quality can easily be avoided.

First, take the mushroom and remove the stem. This is where most of the dirt resides and they are hard and woody anyway. If you happen to be making soup, clean them well with a damp cloth and you can use them in the stock for the soup. Otherwise, I simply discard them.

Next, peel the mushroom. As you can see there is a flap on the inside of the mushroom cap after the stem is removed that you can easily grab onto and pull the skin away. This step provides a double whammy. One, it removes the outer layer where there may be dirt and residue. Two, it helps to eliminate one layer of mush and leaves the mostly meaty layer of just the flesh of the mushroom. If you are still concerned about any remaining dirt, you can wipe the mushroom with a slightly damp cloth but DO NOT submerge the mushroom in water. Mushrooms become water logged very easily and then you really have mushy mushrooms. Note: This procedure applies to any mushroom. I always peel them.

Third step, scoop out the gills of the mushroom. This is mostly unique to portabellos and some larger mushrooms that have very pronounced gills. To me they have a distinct dirty taste and I just prefer them to be removed. I use a teaspoon and gently scoop away until most of the gills are gone and you have a clean surface to work with. I find this step particularly important when you are stuffing the mushrooms. The gills muddle the flavor of the stuffing you use and again, make the final product rather mushy.

That's it! You now have a clean, great textured mushroom to work with. From this point, grill, roast, saute, stuff, soup or whatever you'd like away! What I did with it this weekend was to grill it for a Vegetable Napoleon with Garlic Aioli, Capicola Crisp and Parmesan Tuile. Here's the Recipe:

While a Napoleon is historically a pastry filled with custard, I developed this recipe as a play on words. The grilled vegetables act as the pastry layers and the aioli as the custard. It is a wonderful salad course that you can use as an alternative to a caprese salad in the fall or winter when tomatoes aren’t exactly ripe. It also has spectacular stage presence. Just a lovely presentation that always impresses guests.  

Yields: 4 Servings

4 Portabella Mushrooms, stems removed, peeled and gills cleaned out

1 Large Red Bell Pepper, Seeds Removed and Cut Into 4 Slices

1 Small Red Onion, Cut into 4-1/4” thick slices

1 Small Eggplant, Cut into 4-1/2” thick slices

3 tbl extra virgin olive oil, for grilling

4 Slices Capicola or Sopressata

1 Head Garlic

1 Tbl extra virgin Olive Oil

½ cup Hellmann’s Mayonnaise

2 Tbl Whole Milk

Pinch Salt and Pepper

½ cup Balsamic Vinegar

1 cup shredded parmesan cheese

For the balsamic reduction: Place balsamic vinegar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer uncovered until the vinegar has reduced by 2/3. Cool.  

For the Capicola or Sopressata Crisps: Place on a baking sheet and bake in a 350 degree oven approx. 10 mins or until crispy like bacon. Cool.

  

For the Parmesan Tuiles: Divide parmesan into 4 equal piles on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Place in a 350 degree oven for approx. 10-15 mins or until the parmesan has melted and become crispy. Cool. 

For the Roasted Garlic Aioli: Remove any of the outside paper of the garlic as possible. Place on a sheet of aluminum foil and drizzle liberally with olive oil. Seal foil tightly and place on a baking sheet. Bake in a 350 degree oven for approx. 1 hr. Cool. Squeeze all the roasted garlic out of the head into a bowl and combine with the mayonnaise, milk and a pinch of salt and pepper. Chill.  

For the veggies: Brush liberally with olive oil and place on either indoor or outdoor grill until grill marks form and the veggies are cooked just al dente.

To assemble napoleon: Place eggplant on the bottom, red onion next, portabella mushroom next and top with the grilled bell peppers. Top each napoleon with about a Tablespoon of the garlic aioli. Drizzle the balsamic reduction around the napoleon and garnish with one sopressata crisp and one parmesan tuile. Serve immediately.