Entertain the Possibilities

The Foodies drawled and y'alled at our Kentucky Derby Day dinner -- we ate and drank well too!

Sometimes the dinner party themes emerge naturally, spurred by a current event or, in this case, a date on the calendar. Once this dinner date was set (many months ago) the theme immediately revealed itself – the Kentucky Derby or Derby Day Dinner. Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

To set the mood as you read on, please enjoy the playlist which includes musicians and bands that are from Kentucky as well as horse- and racing-related songs. There’s a fair bit of country and bluegrass tunes plus a few surprises as well.

Giddy-up and enjoy!

In addition to preparing sumptuous courses, per usual, our friends were asked to wear FABULOUS hats (all-caps intentionally deployed) and to pick their pony. Our group achieved the hats requirement with style and flair but no one predicted the winner.

Good thing none of us is pursuing a professional gambling career. Allegedly.

Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

So what was served? Here’s the menu:

Drinks – Greg and Dan: The Carrot Stick and Run for the Roses cocktails; assorted Rosé wines (ahem, run for the rosés) and others with equestrian-inspired names
Appetizers – Kathleen and Karen: Deviled Eggs; Benedictine Tea Sandwiches
Main Course – Ilise and Ann: Hot Browns; Green Salad with Peaches, Pecans, and Bourbon Vinaigrette
Dessert – Ellyn: Chocolate Pecan Pie with Bourbon Whipped Cream

Deviled eggs and Benedictine tea sandwiches

Chocolate Pecan Pie with Bourbon Whipped Cream

Such a pretty color!

Now let’s dig a little deeper.

The Drinks. I fully expected we would be sipping classic mint juleps on Derby Day, but the guys surprised us once again, in the best possible way. Seeking to buck tradition, they created two cocktails from the horse’s perspective. So what do horses like? Carrots and apples.

Cocktail #1 featured bourbon and carrot juice plus a few additional ingredients. Served in highball glasses with carrots as swizzle sticks, this was a tasty twist on a julep – naturally sweet from the carrot juice without being overly sugary. Delish!

Cocktail #2 was a sensation for the eyes as well as the taste buds. The flavors included apple, elderflower, and hibiscus tea which also contributed a beautiful crimson color to the glass. Greg added a red rose petal to each glass and dubbed the drink a Run for the Roses. I would gladly trot around the track for another one of these lovely tipples! Click the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

The Appetizers. When one thinks of Southern appetizers, deviled eggs come to mind – at least to mine, as I am a huge fan of the impish eggs. In keeping with the theme of the day, Karen and Kathleen mixed HORSE-radish into the egg filling. Thematically appropriate AND damn delicious!

Accompanying the deviled eggs was another tasty appetizer – Benedictine tea sandwiches, which are native to Kentucky and with quite a history behind this traditional Derby Day treat. Here’s an account from National Public Radio:

Cream cheese, cucumber juice and a touch of onion. That may sound like an unlikely combination, but Benedictine is a Kentucky favorite. […] [T]his creamy, cool cucumber spread has persisted in Kentucky ever since Jennie Benedict, a famous Louisville caterer, invented it around the turn of the 20th century. Benedict opened a tearoom on downtown Louisville's South Fourth Street in 1911.

[…] Susan Reigler, a former restaurant critic for Louisville's newspaper, The Courier-Journal […] says Benedict's role in the city's culinary history was huge and that the roots of many of the city's flavors can be traced back to her recipes.

[…] One source of contention among Louisville chefs is whether to include the two drops of green food coloring that Benedict used in her recipe. The dye lets people know that it's not just a plain cream cheese spread, but the practice is no longer popular with chefs.

[…] Some cooks serve Benedictine as a dip, others as tea sandwiches with the crusts cut off. However you serve it, Benedictine is best accompanied with another Kentucky signature: bourbon.

Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

The Main Course. As hosts for the evening’s meal, we selected the theme and knew we would go with a classic interpretation of Kentucky Derby Day treats. (Sometimes our themes get a bit ‘out there’ but this provided a rare opportunity to take a straightforward approach.) A famous and beloved Kentucky delicacy is the Hot Brown sandwich, created by the cooks at The Brown Hotel in Louisville in the 1920s. As the story goes … well, let’s hear it straight from the horse’s mouth (so to speak):

Louisville's culinary legend, The Hot Brown: With so much to boast about —award-winning dining; breathtaking turn-of-the-century architecture; attentive, caring service—some may wonder: "Why the Hot Brown?" Here is the history behind this now legendary dish.

In the 1920's, The Brown Hotel drew over 1,200 guests each evening for its dinner dance. By the wee hours of the morning, guests would grow weary of dancing and make their way to the restaurant for a bite to eat. Sensing their desire for something more glamorous than traditional ham and eggs, Chef Fred Schmidt set out to create something new to tempt his guests' palates. His unique dish? An open-faced turkey sandwich with bacon and a delicate Mornay sauce. The Hot Brown was born!

The famous Kentucky Hot Brown (we added extra tomatoes to the plate)

For our version of the Hot Brown, we turned to chef Bobby Flay’s recipe, a slight variation on the original, which uses more cheese, less cream, and sears the tomatoes. Yum! We deviated even further by using a loaf of Pullman style bread for toast rather than the egg-dipped bread that Bobby uses. Still yum and a bit less work. Make that a day-yum! Here is Bobby’s recipe:

Print The Recipe- Kentucky Hot Brown
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Kentucky Hot Brown
Recipe source: Bobby Flay for Food Network

INGREDIENTS:

1 turkey breast, about 4 to 5 pounds
4 tablespoons unsalted soft butter
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the sauce:

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
2 cups grated sharp white Cheddar
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
Pinch freshly ground nutmeg
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the egg bread:

4 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
Salt
8 (1/2-inch) thick slices good day old white bread (recommended: Pullman or Pain de mie)
4 tablespoons butter
4 tablespoons vegetable oil

For assembly:

Egg battered bread
Roasted turkey breast, sliced into 1/4-inch thick slices
3 ripe beefsteak tomatoes, cut into 1/2-inch thick slices and griddled until slightly charred and just cooked through
1 1/2 cups grated sharp white Cheddar
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan
16 thick slices slab bacon, cooked until crisp
Finely chopped fresh chives
Finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

DIRECTIONS:

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.
Rub entire turkey breast with butter and season with salt and pepper. Place in a small roasting pan and roast for 15 minutes. Reduce the heat to 350 degrees F and continue roasting until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the center registers 155 degrees F, about 1 to 1 1/2 hours. Remove from the oven, loosely tent with foil and let rest 10 minutes before slicing.
Melt butter over medium heat in a medium saucepan. Whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute. Whisk in the milk, bring to a boil and cook, whisking constantly, until thickened and the flour has cooked out, about 4 to 5 minutes. Whisk in cheese and cook until the cheese has melted. Season with nutmeg and salt and pepper, to taste.
Whisk together the eggs, milk and salt in a medium bowl. Dip each slice of bread in the mixture and let sit about 30 seconds, or until completely soaked through.
Heat 2 tablespoons of butter and 2 tablespoons of oil in a large nonstick saute pan over medium-high heat. Cook 4 slices of the bread at a time until golden brown on both sides. Remove and place on a baking sheet. Repeat with the remaining bread.

For assembly:

Preheat broiler. Place the egg bread on a baking sheet, place under the broiler and heat on both sides for 20 seconds just to warm through.
Top each slice of bread with 2 to 3 slices of turkey and 2 slices of tomato, ladle sauce over the top and divide the cheddar cheese and Parmesan over the top of each slice. Place under the broiler and cook until bubbly and the top is golden brown. Remove from the oven, top each slice with 2 slices of bacon and sprinkle each slice with chives and parsley.

Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

The Dessert. I assumed that Ellyn would arrive with a traditional Derby Pie, and we all know what happens when one assumes. Believe me, no one was disappointed in the slightest with her Chocolate Pecan Pie with Bourbon Whipped Cream. Mmmmm! Dense, chocolatey filling chock full of flavorful pecans. Fluffy whipped cream scented with bourbon. What’s not to like, I ask you?!

Chocolate Pecan Pie with Bourbon Whipped Cream -- ooh so good!

When the 2018 Kentucky Derby was run and done, the 3-year old colt Justify had persevered over rainy conditions and a muddy track. He went on to win the Preakness Stakes a few weeks later, and now looks forward to the Belmont Stakes and an attempt at the American Triple Crown.

However we Foodies were content to put our hooves up and store our party hats for another festive occasion. Our race to the finish line concluded with empty plates, full tummies, and Dan ‘resting his eyes’ on the couch. We were all winners that evening.

For more stories about the Foodies click here.

Now let's get another look at that hat. Yes, those are mint sprigs tucked into the Makers Mark label!

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The Foodies Get Lit

3/20/2018

1 Comment

Did you know that quinine aka tonic water glows in the dark under blacklight? Far out

“Nothing can dim the light that shines from within.” Maya Angelou

“Let there be light,” said Kathleen and Karen, our evening's hosts. There was light, and it was good. The date coincided with the anniversary of Thomas Edison receiving the patent for his invention, the incandescent light bulb, so the Light theme for our dinner party seemed perfectly apropos. Let's take a moment to offer ol' Thomas Alva our hearty congratulations for inventing a whole mess of things - this guy was patent-crazy with 2,322 of 'em to his name worldwide!

This song is pretty on-the-nose for our theme but doesn't blend well with the rockin' playlist below. Check it out!

As to the smarty-pants title of this post, which according to Urban Dictionary refers to a high level of intoxication, well, we always enjoy some tasty cocktails and wine with our feasts and that evening was no exception. We’re a little too old (er, mature, no, how about ‘experienced’?) to overdo it with the booze, but we do manage to have a real good time.

You know, Edison also invented the phonograph, so there's another connection to this fun playlist.

We've gathered a few tunes that reference some aspect of the theme either in the song title or band name. We've got old favorites and a few new-to-us tracks for your listening pleasure.

So help yourself to a refreshing beverage of your choice, hit the Play arrow on the playlist, sit back and read on to learn more about our illuminating evening.

Here is the menu:

Drinks - Ilise and Ann: Dirty Martini Shooters; White Port & Tonic cocktails
Appetizers – Ellyn: Roasted Carrot and White Bean Dip; Two kinds of Tapas with Romesco (Chorizo, Manchego and Tomato; and Feta with Roasted Peppers)
Main Course – Karen and Kathleen: Pork Chops with Flaming Apricot Bourbon Sauce; Flambéed Sweet Potatoes; Steamed Broccoli
Dessert – Greg and Dan: Orange Charlotte Royale

Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

The Foodies Get Lit - White Port and Tonics

The Foodies Get Lit - Roast Carrot and Bean Dip

The Foodies Get Lit - Flambeed Pork Chop and Sweet Potatoes

The Foodies Get Lit - Orange Charlotte Royale

“You have to find what sparks a light in you so that you in your own way can illuminate the world.” Oprah Winfrey

Let’s talk about the drinks. There were a few ways we could have approached this challenge. ‘Light’ drinks versus regular cocktails, meaning lower alcohol content and fewer calories. ‘Light’ as in pale-colored. Heavenly drinks inspired by the quote from Genesis. And probably a few additional options.

House Bartender Ilise opted for cocktails that would glow in the dark under blacklight. Did you know that the quinine in tonic water glows in the dark? Yes!

Using silicone ice molds, Ilise made frozen shot glasses out of tonic water and filled them with mini martinis. Well, that’s not quite accurate. Tiny shots of gin went into the frozen quinine glasses which were served with these out-there “olives” made via molecular gastronomy. Purchased during last year’s Spain vacation, these gourmet treats called Caviaroli Drops, made by the Spanish chef/ restaurateur Albert Adria, are briny liquid-filled orbs – cool, delicious, and weird all at the same time.

Frozen tonic water shot glasses, for serving the Dirty Martini Shooters

Dirty Martini Shooter
Recipe source: Ilise Goldberg
Makes one drink

INGREDIENTS:

1 ½ ounces Gin (I used Gin Mare)
½ Teaspoon Olive Juice
5 Black Peppercorns
4 Juniper Berries
2 Pods of Cardamom
1 Rosemary Sprig
1 Green Olive

DIRECTIONS:

Place all ingredients except the olive in a cocktail mixing glass – give it a good swirl. Add ice and stir until well chilled.
Strain into a chilled glass and add an olive.
Serving Tip: In this case, Ilise made tonic water shot glasses so they would glow with a black light.

Print The Recipe- Dirty Martini Shooter
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We turned on the blacklights (yes, we schlepped lamps to this dinner; we are nothing if not committed), dimmed the regular lights, served the drinks and let it glow. This was fun but messy – the tonic water shot glasses melted quickly leaving a sweet and sticky mess behind. Oh well, it seemed like a good idea at the time! Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

Dirty Martini Shooters in frozen tonic water shot glasses

Dirty Martini Shooters glowing in the dark

Next up, a light sipping cocktail made of white port and tonic. In this case, light refers to lower alcohol content and the non-traditional color of the port. In this country, we are most accustomed to tawny and ruby ports, but in Portugal a white port & tonic is the tipple of choice. Look into this, you won’t be sorry – especially as summer patio sipping season approaches. You’re welcome!

White Port & Tonic Cocktails
Recipe source: Ilise Goldberg
Makes one drink

INGREDIENTS:

2 ounces White Port
3-4 ounces of good Tonic Water (we enjoy Fever Tree)
Slice of Lemon

DIRECTIONS:
Fill a tumbler with solid ice cubes. Add white port, and top with tonic. Squeeze a slice of lemon over the drink and drop into drink as garnish. Give it a quick stir. Sip and enjoy!

Note: For the dinner party Ilise made ice cubes out of tonic water so they would glow with a black light. She used a ratio of 2 tonic cubes to 1 ice cube in each glass.

Print The Recipe- White Port and Tonic Cocktails
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“Maybe you have to know the darkness before you can appreciate the light.” Madeline L’Engle

Roasted Carrot and Cannellini Dip

As we sipped our cocktails, Ellyn's appetizers flipped the switch on flavor with two appetizers that revealed different interpretations of the theme. First we enjoyed a Roasted Carrot and Cannellini Dip, a lower-calorie version of a classic bean dip. Wow, who knew carrots could taste so creamy, flavorful and – yes, I’ll say it – light! Colorful like the sun, and satisfying too. Perfect with crackers, bread, or chopped veggies.

The second appetizer embodied a literary interpretation of light. A luscious plate of tapas recalled the Hemingway novel, The Sun Also Rises, set in Spain. The featured element was a kick-butt Romesco sauce - classically Spanish, and quintessentially delicious. One type of small bite layered Romesco with chorizo, Manchego cheese and tomato. The other tapas included roasted peppers and feta cheese alongside the Romesco. Oh my Yum! Both were through-the-roof delicious, and in danger of spoiling our dinner. (I could barely stop eating them!) Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

“We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light.” Plato

Next it was time to sit down for a candlelight dinner courtesy of Karen and Kathleen, but first we gathered around the stove to watch some flaming performance art. The Ks chose to flambée the pork chops and the sweet potatoes, a technique which calls for dousing the food in alcohol and then lighting the liquid on fire to quickly ‘cook out’ the alcohol, leaving only flavor behind. When the blue flame dies down, your dish is ready to serve. We did not get good photos of this, so you’ll just have to take my word for it – it was very dramatic, inspiring oohs and aahs from the hungry crowd.

And may I just say, those pork chops were heavenly. They were flamed with bourbon, a perfect match for pork. The sweet potatoes were sprinkled with rum before the match was introduced. Both dishes blazed their way into our hearts (and tummies) - oh so good!

Pork Chops with Flaming Apricot Bourbon Sauce

“Travel light, live light, spread light, be the light.” Yogi Bhajan

Finally we turned to the dazzling dessert, Orange Charlotte Royale, prepared by Greg and Dan. This was another playing-with-fire dish which, once again, did not cooperate for pictures. Trust me, it flamed, it impressed, and it followed through with a large dose of wonderful flavor and light, airy texture. Essentially a sponge cake with a flavorful filling and a flaming glaze, here's how Greg describes the dish:

Original inspiration and construction method (along with the ganache which I made with white chocolate instead of dark) came from this recipe from Fine Cooking.

The sponge cake was based on this recipe from Sugar Hero. The filling for the cake roll was first a layer of orange marmalade and then the above ganache

Filling was inspired by this Taste of Home recipe (including use of chopped mandarin oranges (15 oz can), adding some Cointreau, and reducing the sugar amount by using the syrup drained from the mandarin oranges).

We ended up brushing the finished unmolded Charlotte Royale with a glaze (the remaining half jar of orange marmalade warmed and combined with Cointreau). After brushing the glaze on, we then set it aflame for a dramatic presentation.

Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

“There is a crack in everything. That's how the light gets in.” Leonard Cohen

So there you have it - our illuminating evening recapped. We all departed with a warm glow, full bellies, and a deeper appreciation for the humble light bulb. I hope you have seen the light yourself and will now commence to set fire to your dinner tonight. I can't guarantee the results will be as tasty as what my fellow Foodies achieved, but it will certainly be dramatic and dare I say - brilliant!

Hungry for more tales of the Foodie Dinners? Find our past stories here.

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Sweet Bites: Galaxy Chocolate Mousse Cakes with Mirror Glaze

1/17/2018

Decorating Galaxy Mousse Cakes with Mirror Glaze requires creativity and a tolerance for mess!

The Occasion: We made Galaxy Chocolate Mousse Cakes for our recent Pick Your Planet themed dinner party with The Foodies, where they were a big hit. “Out of this world,” our friends said. “We love this dessert to the moon and back!”, and “Seconds, please!”

If this sounds like music to your ears, you should make a batch of Galaxy Chocolate Mousse Cakes for a special occasion such as a birthday, anniversary, or some other fancy affair.

Let’s face it: this is a show-off endeavor resulting in a look-at-me dessert requiring lots of work, lots of time, and more than a few specialty ingredients and equipment.

Fast, easy, and weeknight-friendly this ain’t.

Making a batch of Galaxy Chocolate Mousse Cakes is a multi-step, multi-day project. A worthwhile and rewarding one, to be sure! Just know what you're getting into.

You're going to want an upbeat playlist while working on this project. How about this Pop Planet Playlist? Crank it up!

Galaxy Chocolate Mousse Cake with Mirror Glaze

What Makes it Special? The shiny, mirror glaze with shimmering colors creates a real Wow factor.

It’s loads of fun getting artistic while decorating the cakes. Release your inner Jackson Pollock or Peter Max, perhaps.

Follow the instructions, allow enough time for each step (including chill time for the mousse), and find your zen place about the huge amount of mess that will occur during the final phase.

The Recipe: There are many recipes and helpful YouTube videos on mirror glaze frosting. Informative and mesmerizing to watch. Do a quick online search and see for yourself. This winning recipe comes from Elizabeth at Sugar Hero – she specializes in dessert recipes for the home cook. Noble work indeed, she has my thanks and admiration!

Our photos and process are shared below – including the magnificent mess! – but you should do yourself a favor and click through to read the Sugar Hero recipe in her own words. The author covers this detailed and complicated process in an accessible, straightforward, yet humorous way.

Serve With: Fanfare and adulation. You’re going to want oohs and aahs when you present these little wonders to your guests. A little pomp and circumstance. The theme from 2001 A Space Odyssey blasting through the sound system as you enter carrying the dessert would not be inappropriate.

Let's start with the end in mind -- a few shots of the cosmic cakes in-process and ready to serve. Then we'll backtrack and take you through the steps. For the full recipe, please read/print the original Sugar Hero recipe here. Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

Galaxy Chocolate Mousse Cakes with Mirror Glaze

Galaxy Chocolate Mousse Cakes
Recipe source: Sugar Hero

Makes 10 Mousse Cakes
Required equipment: Silicone baking molds in half-sphere shapes, washed and dried

INGREDIENTS:

Brownies:

6 ounces unsalted butter
8 ounces semi-sweet chocolate, chopped
2 large eggs
2 teaspoons instant espresso powder, optional
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
5 ounces granulated sugar (3/4 cup)
2 ¼ ounces all-purpose flour (1/2 cup)
1 teaspoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt

Chocolate Mousse:

9 ounces chocolate, chopped or chocolate chips (We used 6 ounces 60% bittersweet and 3 ounces semi-sweet)
1 ¾ cups heavy cream, divided
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 packet unflavored powdered gelatin (1/4 ounce)
2 tablespoons cold water

Mirror Glaze:

3 packets unflavored powdered gelatin (3/4 ounces)
9 ounces water, divided use
10 ½ ounces granulated sugar (1 ½ cups)
7 ounces sweetened condensed milk (1/2 of a standard 14-ounce can)
12 ounces real white chocolate, chopped or white chocolate chips
Gel food coloring (Your choice of colors: we used Blues, Pink, Purple, Yellow, White, Orange, White)

As always, please click on the photos below to enlarge them and read the captions.

Begin with the brownies, which will form the base of each cake. Prep the oven and the pan (350 F., and a foil-lined 9 X 13 pan, lightly oiled). Melt the butter and chocolate together, then let it cool. Add the eggs, then espresso, vanilla and sugar. Whisk, whisk, whisk! Next add the flour and other dry ingredients. Stir gently, then add to the pan. Bake for about 20 minutes, then cool completely. Use a large cookie cutter to cut out brownie circles. Freeze them until ready for use.

Now let's consider the mousse. Combine chocolate, cream and salt. Alternate between melting and whisking until smooth. Cool the mixture to room temperature. Meanwhile prepare the gelatin and set aside. Using a mixer, whip the cream and set aside. The chocolate should be cool by now, so melt the gelatin and mix it in. Fold in the whipped cream.

Now it's time for the silicone half-sphere molds. Fill the half-spheres with chocolate mousse to the appropriate level, about a half inch from the top. Top the mousse cups with a frozen brownie round, pressing firmly. Freeze the mousse cakes in their silicone molds until very firm - at least 2 hours, 4-6 hours would be better.

Once frozen, un-mold the cakes and place them on small cardboard circles for easy handling later on. Store them in the freezer until ready to glaze.

Finally it's time to glaze. This is where the magic happens. (Remember: for the detailed recipe visit Sugar Hero.) Mix the gelatin and set aside. Cook the water, sugar, and condensed milk, then add the gelatin, whisking until it is incorporated. Add the white chocolate to the pan. Use an immersion blender to melt and smooth the entire mixture.

Divvy up the glaze into assorted bowls for base and accent colors. Add gel food coloring to the bowls and mix. Now set up a 'creativity play station' where the cakes can be elevated, and the glaze can run off, and the whole mess can be contained. Take the mousse cakes out of the freezer and place them on jars or glasses to raise them off the surface but still provide stability. Take a new bowl and mix one of your base colors with a few drops of the accents colors, give it a swirl, and then pour the mixture over one of the galaxy cakes, making sure that the sides are covered. Keep mixing and swirling until all cakes are covered. You can add edible sprinkles if desired -- we used silver stars. Chill the cakes again before serving.

The Verdict: These cosmic mousse cakes are so pretty, is it too much to ask for them to taste good too? NO, not too much, these babies are delicious -- with three variations on chocolate (brownie, mousse, and glaze) how can you go wrong?

As you can see, this is a capital "P" Project. If you're up for it, I say lean in and embrace the challenge. None of it is especially difficult, there are just so many steps. Please let us know if you decide to try making Galaxy Chocolate Mousse Cakes yourself - we'd love to hear all about it!

Do you have a favorite "Project" recipe that you've made, or is on your Someday list? Share in the Comments, please!

Want more planetary reading material? Find the recap of our Pick Your Planet dinner party here.

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The Foodies Feast was Out of This World

12/27/2017

The moon is NOT made of green cheese, but this Jupiter-influenced appetizer is definitely cheesy!

The Foodies (formerly known as the Supper Club) are a group of friends who love to cook, eat, drink, and laugh together at themed dinner parties. Our friends and family tell us they enjoy living vicariously through tales of our feasts so we’ll share the stories, pictures, and recipes here on the blog from time to time. Click here for previous Foodie Group posts, and here for the group’s origin story.

What’s a hungry foodie to do when all the current food trends have been sampled, the must-taste ingredients have been savored, and the hot new cooking techniques have been tested? Leave this world behind and examine new ones!

Ellyn took us on an inter-planetary adventure with this dinner party theme – Pick Your Planet, Pick Your Course. Super-cool theme which became more challenging as we trained for the mission. Martian beverages? Venutian sweets? And what about Uranus??!

(You may be pleased to know that no one actually picked Uranus as their planet, so we were spared the juvenile jokes. Well, mostly.)

For this post’s musical accompaniment, we’re taking a classical turn.

Please enjoy Gustav Holst’s seven-movement orchestral suite, The Planets, performed by the New York Philharmonic Orchestra, and conducted by Leonard Bernstein. This version was remastered in 2017.

As usual, the Foodies rose to the occasion, rocketing to new heights of creative exploration. Here is the menu card – who had which course, the planet selected, and what was prepared.

Drinks – Greg and Dan – Mars: Martian Sunrise cocktail; Assorted wine and beer
Appetizers – Kathleen and Karen – Jupiter: Gruyere-Thyme Cheese Ball

Main Course – Ellyn – Saturn: Crown Roast of Pork and Dressing; Black Cherry-Walnut Jell-O Salad; Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Dessert – Ilise and Ann – Venus: Galaxy Chocolate Mousse Cakes; Cinnamon Candy Apples

To ensure a successful lift-off to our intergalactic evening, Dan and Greg prepared a Martian Sunrise cocktail. Note the multi-colored striations in the pitcher. The Boys do strive for authenticity as well as deliciousness! Here’s what they had to say about their concoction:

We wanted to honor the Red Planet by creating a layered presentation that would represent the ruddy tones of the Martian atmosphere. Shaken together the drink is reminiscent of an Old Fashioned. The addition of seltzer helps tamp down the sweetness and provides a refreshing sparkle to the drink.

Greg and Dan also provided an assortment of beer and wine that reinforced the theme with planetary or space references. As Greg notes, “Mars is red because of iron oxide on its surface and in its atmosphere, so there some ‘iron’ names as well.” Wines included 2015 Planeta Cerasuolo Di Vittoria; 2015 Soter Planet Oregon Pinot Noir; and 2014 Ironstone Petite Sirah. Beer was represented by Three Floyds Space Station Middle Finger and Elysian Space Dust.

David Bowie famously, melodiously, wondered, “Is there life on Mars?” That I don’t know, but can attest that the crowd in the living room got quite lively after a few mouthfuls of this magnificent Martian cocktail. Just take a look at this recipe (also available to download).

Martian Sunrise
Recipe source: Gregory Beckett and Dan Dexter
Serves 8

INGREDIENTS:

2 ounces grenadine
2 ounces Patron Citronge (tequila based lime liqueur)
2 ounces Pamplemousse grapefruit liqueur
2 ounces Pama pomegranate liqueur
2 ounces Cointreau
4 ounces lemon juice (1/2 cup - from 3-4 lemons)
2 ounces Calvados apple brandy
12 ounces bourbon, divided in half (1 1/2 cups)
6 drops or more hot sauce (Tabasco or Cholula)
Seltzer
Maraschino cherries
Large columnar cocktail pitcher
Large cocktail shaker
8 small rocks glasses
Large ice cubes

DIRECTIONS:

Squeeze the lemons and strain the juice.
Layer the ingredients in the order shown (except for the hot sauce) in a large glass cocktail pitcher, using only half the total amount of bourbon for the layers. When you add the lemon juice it will ﬁnd its way to the middle, but the other ingredients should stay on top of each other as added.
Add the drops of hot sauce; they will be suspended about midway through the layers.
Add crushed ice to a large cocktail shaker along with the other half of the bourbon.
Add one or two large ice cubes to each rocks glass.
Spritz some seltzer in the bottom of each glass.
After admiring the cool layers in the pitcher dump all of it into the cocktail shaker and shake well.
Strain mixture into prepared rocks glasses. Top each with a maraschino cherry garnish and serve.

NOTES on creating the layers: For best results use a columnar shape cocktail pitcher so you can see the layers in cross section. To create the layers, either tilt the shaker and gently pour each ingredient down one side and let it pool on top of the previous layer; or pour over the back of a spoon.

Print The Recipe- Martian Sunrise Cocktail
File Size:	527 kb
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Next we went 'to infinity and beyond’ in search of some awesome appetizers. Kathleen and Karen depicted Jupiter with a large and impressive display involving cheese, many moons, glowing stickers, and twinkly lights. Here is their tale:

We were at a loss for a while, but finally settled on Jupiter for our planet. We chose it because it’s a giant planet with—as of January 2009—49 official, named moons and 14 more unofficial ones still under consideration. Though we wanted to make some reference to the Roman version of Zeus (talk about a master of sexual harassment!), we finally decided to settle for a simple representation of the planet itself. And, to stand for an edible Jupiter, a cheese ball. Ultimately we determined to flatten that ball on one side, presenting just the most recognizable side of the planet. We tried out two different cheese ball recipes—one using gruyère and thyme (recipe courtesy of Bon Appetit), the other smoked gouda (from Martha Stewart). We ultimately used both, but made our representation of Jupiter from the gruyère and thyme recipe. We used ground roasted and salted pepitas and ground toasted Chico almonds to create the coloring of the planet surface and some roasted red pepper slivers to create the Great Red Spot that is Jupiter’s most prominent feature.

Next we determined to make 49 moons of different sizes. They included craisins, stuffed olives, stuffed dates (stuffed with the gouda mix noted above), toasted tamari almonds, and spinach balls (no particular recipe—fresh spinach, kale, eggs, cheddar and mozzarella, panko, whatever). To place our planet and its moons in context, we added glow-in-the-dark stars and tiny lights.

Appetizing Jupiter depicted in the cheese ball medium

Wow, what a great and tasty interpretation of the theme! Literal and precise (49 moons, no more, no less), imaginative and artistic. By Jove (the Roman god Jupiter’s aka), I do declare that Karen and Kathleen might win the space race with this one!

Ellyn’s main course had us moonstruck and loosening our asteroid belts. Saturn was her planet, and she chose to focus on the famous rings. She considered making calamari but opted instead to serve a magnificent crown roast of pork. Such a dramatic presentation, with flavors that more than lived up to the dish’s good looks! Accompanying the pork roast was a savory dressing, a retro Jell-O ring, and roasted Brussels sprouts.

Roast pork, all carved up and ready to serve

Roast pork, dressing, roasted Brussels sprouts, and black cherry-walnut Jell-O salad

A quick Google search will yield many recipes for pork roast, but exclusive to this site is Ellyn’s family recipe for Vivian’s Passover Jell-O Salad.

Tell us what it takes, Ellyn:

Grease a round Jell-O mold using canola oil. Place on the bottom of the mold, alternating them, canned Oregon sweet black cherries and walnut halves. Do not discard the cherry juice from the can. Save it for making the Jell-O.

Make 7 to 8 packages of black cherry Jell-O according to the directions on the box, EXCEPT for one of the cold cups of water use the cherry juice from the can and fill the remainder of that 1 cup with Maneschewitz Concord grape wine. (Yes...that wine!)

Stir liquid Jell-O until all dissolved.

Using a turkey baster, gently just cover the black cherries and walnuts with the liquid Jell-O. Then refrigerate until Jell-O is firm. This will keep the cherries and walnuts in place when you add more liquid Jell-O. Otherwise, they will float around. Once firm, add another shallow layer of Jell-O (maybe and inch) on top of that and refrigerate again until firm. Then gently fill the mold and refrigerate until ready.

To de-mold, carefully run a very sharp knife along edges to loosen Jell-O from sides of mold. Soak mold briefly in warm water (put mold in sink and then fill gently with warm water around the mold). Then put serving platter for mold on top of the mold (what will be the bottom once unmolded). Flip and gently lift mold off of the hello. Voila! You will see the pattern of cherries and walnuts on top! Fill middle with parsley for decoration. Serve!

Finally it was time for dessert. Surprised that we still had room after all the delicious food and drink? Well, remember, there’s less gravity in space and nature abhors a vacuum, so … I’m sure that in some way explains the stomach’s ability to accommodate just a few more bites of deliciousness. Especially when chocolate is involved, as it was for Ilise’s and my offering of Galaxy Mousse Cakes. Also served were Cinnamon Candy Apples, a nod to several myths about Venus (under her alias Aphrodite) and golden apples.

There will be a separate post detailing the creation of these colorful, decadent, space orbs but for now all you need to know is … YUM! Core elements: brownie base, rich chocolate mousse piled on top, gelatin-based glaze, and free-stylin’ fun with food coloring.

You can see that we loved this theme to the moon and back, kicking up a little space dust before we splashed down for a landing. Much fun was had, and the grub was a big improvement over Tang and Space Sticks. (Who remembers those from back in the day?) As noted, coming soon we will share another post dedicated to the Galaxy Chocolate Mousse Cakes -- they were almost as much fun to make as they were to eat. Almost. And in another month or so it'll be time for the first Foodies theme dinner of 2018. In the meantime, cheers to you and bon appétit!

Want more Foodies write-ups? Find them here.

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The Foodies Want More

10/19/2017

Late evening, time for dessert from Greg and Dan - Trionfo Della Gola

Oh, that feeling when a musical performance engages your emotions so completely that you surge to a standing ovation, calling Encore, Bravo! Or, in the rowdier joints I’ve been known to frequent, you wave your cell phone in the air (or lighter, in the old days) and yell Wooooooooooooooooooo! Hungry for just one more song, a final powerful experience to send you out the door, ears ringing, soul soaring, and walking on air.

Well, that was the inspiration for this go-round with our group of foodies, substituting dinner for music as the medium. The theme is Encore!

With more than 12 years under our belts our Foodie Group has enjoyed a lot of meals together. (Read the origin story here.) That’s 67 dinners, give or take. An abundance of themes thoughtfully explored, multitudes of recipes gleefully devoured, waterfalls of wine and cocktails imbibed, and occasional outbursts of performance art, both planned and impromptu.

Such a wealth of material in our repertoire! The time was right to revisit our past for inspiration. Ilise is our archivist, tracking the details of each meal since 2006 on a master spreadsheet from which we each selected a classic theme to reinvent for an encore performance.

We expected that the Encore ‘hook’ would inspire our fellow Foodies to get creative and have fun with some of the past themes.

There are some real goodies on that spreadsheet:
Duck and Cover; Red Square; Chocolate; and Booze on the Barbie, to name just a few.

Before serving up the tantalizing details of this dinner, let’s set the mood with an Encore Playlist. Hit the Play arrow and settle in with a beverage of your choice.

Then get ready for More.

Drinks: Ellyn chose to revisit the Caramelized theme from 2013, preparing a Caramelized Pineapple-Jalapeno Cocktail. Turns out this is the same cocktail she made the first time around, and I’m here to tell you it was just as delicious for the Encore.

Char-grilled pineapple is the key to this tasty tipple, and the mezcal brings a whole new level of smoky goodness. We all toasted with Cheers! and Bravo! in anticipation of another wonderful dinner party. Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

Caramelized Pineapple-Jalapeno Mezcal Cocktail, Muddle the fruit

Caramelized Pineapple-Jalapeno Cocktail, Add the mezcal

Caramelized Pineapple-Jalapeno Mezcal Cocktail

Enjoying Caramelized Pineapple-Jalapeno Mezcal Cocktails

If you’re curious, here’s the menu from April 2013 when Caramelized was our theme:

Drinks: Mezcal cocktail w/ caramelized pineapple and jalapeno; Assorted wines; and a Nightcap: Chocolate Covered Caramel (made with chocolate liqueur, butterscotch schnapps, and vodka served w/ a caramel straw in a chocolate cup)
Appetizer: Caramelized onion and three cheese tart; Caramelized bacon
Main course: Pork Bi Bim Bop; Pickled quail eggs; Korean cucumber salad; Shishito peppers; Seasoned perilla leaves; and two types of Kimchee
Dessert: Croquembouche with rum and Kahlua custard

Appetizers: Karen and Kathleen offered a fresh take on the Favorite Restaurant Recipes theme (2007). They made Neapolitan style pizza on the grill, inspired by Spacca Napoli here in Chicago. Kathleen and Karen have made a point to source the same ingredients used by the restaurant and feel they are thisclose to a match.

Arriving at the party with a giant pizza oven attachment for the kettle grill in tow, the Ks proceeded to make two flavors of pizza: Margherita, with tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil; and Prosciutto with mozzarella and baby spinach. Fresh, light, chewy, and utterly delicious! Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

Neapolitan style pizza on the grill, Making dough

Neapolitan style pizza on the grill, Add sauce and cheese

Neapolitan style pizza on the grill, Place pizza on stone on grill

Neapolitan style pizza on the grill, Margherita pizza with tomatoes, fresh mozzarella, and basil

Neapolitan style pizza on the grill, Prep the pizza

Neapolitan style pizza on the grill, Prosciutto pizza

Neapolitan style pizza on the grill, Prosciutto pizza with baby spinach

Here’s what was served in January 2007 when Favorite Restaurant Recipes was the theme:

Drinks: Concord Grape Cobbler inspired by No. 9 Park; selected bottles of Witness Tree Pinot Noir, which we first enjoyed (very much!) at Blue Hill
Appetizer: Lentils with Warm Spinach and Goat Cheese inspired by Mia Francesca
Main course: Duck and venison (sorry, the details are absent)
Dessert: Crème brulee (short on details here too)

Main Course: Ilise and I went hog-wild with the Pig Out theme, originally presented in 2012. We hauled out the smoker and barbecued up some sweet meat treats fit to eat. North Carolina style pulled pork sandwiches with coleslaw and pickled onions, Kansas City style baby back ribs, and beef ribs were on the menu – hey, it says to Pig Out, so we did! We rounded out the meat with classic soul food sides including collard greens and corn pudding. (Click on the names of each of the dishes to be linked to the recipes, pictures, and more.) Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

Pork shoulders in the smoker, hours away from becoming pulled pork sandwiches

Kansas City style baby back ribs in the smoker

Vinegar sauce for the pulled pork and the coleslaw

Pig Out menu from August 2012:

Drinks: Canadian Bacon Cocktail served with maple glazed bacon; Spicy Pineapple Pepperitas made with pepperoni and jalapeno pepper-infused tequila; and assorted wine
Appetizer: Sausages and pickled veggies; Flatbread with apples, caramelized onions, Asiago and maple-candied turkey bacon
Main course: "Polenta Portobello Pig Out Platter" with three stews: the Tuscan Wild Boar stew (made with regular pork instead of boar), a classic Ragù Bolognese; and Parsley-Pipián pulled chicken
Dessert: Chocolate and vanilla ice cream served with warm chocolate ganache and ganache-covered strawberries and dried pineapple

Dessert: Always the overachievers (and we love them for it!) Greg and Dan married two themes in one magnificent dessert – the Trionfo Della Gola. This unusual and wonderfully addictive sponge cake is layered with a watermelon pudding, squash preserves, and chopped pistachios.

This dessert fits perfectly for the Regional Italian Cuisine theme we enjoyed in 2011 – this recipe represents Sicily – and it also ticks the box for our 2007 theme, Cookbook from the Year You Were Born – sorta. Although this particular cookbook – Mimmetta LoMonte’s Classic Sicilian Cooking – was published more than a few years after Dan and Greg were born, Greg did receive the book as a birthday gift from his mother, so we’re going to say he gets style points for this one. Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

Here’s the menu from the January 2011 when Regional Italian was our theme:

Drinks: Gin martini, Negroni, Bellini, Italian beer, Italian red wines & homemade Limoncello
Appetizer: Lazio Region - Ceci alla Romana, Peperonata alla Romana & Gaeta olives; Roman Legionnaires Farro soup and Gnocchi alla Romana
Main course: Emilia-Romagna Region - Pasta Bolognese, Chicken wrapped in Prosciutto di Parma, Risotto with Parmigiano Reggiano and aged balsamic vinegar & Broccoli rabe
Dessert: Trentino Alto Adige & Veneto Regions - Semifreddo al miele and Apfelnusstorte (or Torta di Mele)

And here are the details from our Cookbook from the Year You Were Born dinner in December 2007:

Drinks: Tangatini (a martini made with Tang, but not from a cookbook), Gin Gimlets and French wine
Appetizer: Salmon mousse, and Vichyssoise
Main course: Coq au vin
Dessert: White layer cake with Maraschino cherries, and Brandy Balls

So there you have it – an Encore performance of the foodie group’s favorite themes. I was intrigued to see what everyone picked. As usual, the dinner party was a huge success – mouthwatering food, delicious drinks and wine, and best of all, sparkling conversation with an amazing group of dear pals. Bravo to you all, my Foodie friends!

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The Foodies Take a Deep Dive Underwater

8/12/2017

Sous-vide Duck Breast and Legs, Sous-vide Vegetables, Wild Rice Salad

Sous Vide Duck Breast with Ultra Crispy Skin; Crispy Duck Leg Confit; Sous Vide Carrots and Asparagus; Wild rice pilaf

The Foodies (formerly known as the Supper Club) are a group of friends who love to cook, eat, drink, and laugh together at themed dinner parties. Our friends and family tell us they enjoy living vicariously through tales of our feasts so we’ll share the stories, pictures, and recipes here on the blog from time to time. Click here for previous Foodie Group posts, and here for the group’s origin story.

Yes, the theme for the evening was Underwater, hosted most graciously by Greg and Dan. We braved uncharted waters with our courses, tossed by the waves of indecision during the planning phase, but happily all went swimmingly at dinnertime – blue skies over calm seas all around.

When introducing the theme to the rest of us, Dan and Greg offered the following guidance:

Definition of underwater From Merriam-Webster.com:

1 : lying, growing, worn, performed, or operating below the surface of the water underwater plants
2 : being below the waterline of a ship
3a : having, relating to, or being a mortgage loan for which more is owed than the property securing the loan is worth
3b : having, relating to, or being a stock option for which the price of the option is higher than the current market value of the stock

Huh. I wonder what a Definition 3A dish would be – mortgage soup? Poor house pastry? No surprise that we all adopted the first definition for our courses, outlined below.

Drinks: Ilise & Ann – Cocktail: Sake To Me; Various wines including Sea Pearl, Cannonball, and other labels with water references
Appetizer: Ellyn – Grazing platter of Underwater Delights
Main course: Greg & Dan –Sous Vide Duck Breast with Ultra Crispy Skin; Crispy Duck Leg Confit; Sous Vide Carrots and Asparagus; Wild rice pilaf with dried cranberries, water chestnuts and lotus root
Dessert: Kathleen & Karen – Underwater Wonderland
After-Dinner Drink: Ellyn – The Submarine Kiss

Are you onboard for a deep dive into our Underwater dinner party? Water wings at the ready? Check.

Do you hear the sound of the sea, wild and hungry, breaking over the rocks?

No? Okay, well try this watery playlist of seaworthy songs that embrace the underwater theme from an indie pop perspective.

Hit the Play arrow and then read on for dinner details, recipes, and plenty of photos.

The sea, once it casts its spell, holds one in its net of wonder forever. – Jacques Yves Cousteau

Sake To Me

The Drinks: Ilise and I picked Drinks and came up with the Sake To Me cocktail. It took a little trial and error to get there, but well worth the effort. Because rice is grown underwater in paddies and sake is made with rice, we started with that as the base for the cocktail.

I say “we” but Ilise is our house bar chef and takes the lead whenever we’re in charge of drinks. She loves to experiment, with infusions and flavored syrups. This time she tried a range of ingredients from coconut water to kaffir leaves to lemongrass in search of the perfect combo for the sake.
Ultimately that flavor profile did not work as planned so onward we went to Plan B.

Cranberries are also grown underwater in bogs and, when paired with sake and a few other delightful ingredients, we had ourselves a winner! Ladies and gentlemen, please say Hello to your new best friend, the Sake To Me.

Click the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

Print The Recipe- Sake To Me Cocktail
File Size:	551 kb
File Type:	pdf

Sake To Me Cocktail
Recipe source: Ilise Goldberg
Makes one cocktail

INGREDIENTS:

2 ounces Sake
1 ounce Kurant Vodka
½ ounce Cointreau
2 ounces Cranberry juice
¼ ounce Fresh Lime juice
2 dashes Orange bitters
3 strips of orange zest
3 strips of lime zest

DIRECTIONS:

In a high ball or Collins glass zest two strips each of the orange and lime.
In a cocktail shaker, mix all liquid ingredients with ice until chilled.
Add fresh ice to the cocktail glass and pour the drink into the glass.
Garnish with one additional strip each of orange and lime zest.

The Appetizers: The long and short of it is – stuff happens. The tide rolls in, the tide rolls out. What we had here was a failure to communicate. Ob-la-di ob-la-da life goes on.

Up until oh about an hour before dinner time, Ellyn was sure she was assigned to Drinks and had worked hard to select a scrumptious cocktail. Once she discovered that, no, she was on the hook for Appetizers (and Drinks were already accounted for) she made a quick detour to Whole Foods and assembled a grazing platter of (mostly) underwater delights: shrimp, mozzarella balls, smoked trout dip, olives and pickles.

We came up for air to share a laugh in recognition that everyone makes a goof like this now and again. Good news: Ellyn’s tasty cocktail made a welcome appearance as an after-dinner drink. Hold on to your flotation device, we’ll be back with the Submarine Kiss details a bit later.

Duck Breast, Duck Leg, and Vegetables - cooked sous-vide

Duck Breast with Ultra Crispy Skin, Crispy Duck Leg Confit, Carrots and Asparagus -- all cooked sous-vide

Have you heard the famous saying about ducks attributed to Michael Caine? “Be like a duck. Calm on the surface, but always paddling like the dickens underneath.” There’s a profound connection there to Dan and Greg’s hospitality, not only regarding the specifics of this dinner theme, but also in the way they prepare for each and every gathering. As hosts, they make it all look so calm and effortless, but we know they’re ‘paddling like the dickens’ behind the scenes to achieve the perfect presentation. Kudos to you, fellas, another job well done! Let’s hear from Greg about their process (and please note that the recipes are linked to the names of the dishes):

We interpreted the theme two ways: Some items were cooked under water using the sous-vide technique and the Joule sous-vide tool. We also prepared some foods that are grown or found under water (wild rice, cranberries, water chestnuts and lotus root). Since the duck’s legs and breast are below the water level when they swim around, both interpretations of “under water” apply to the sous-vide duck legs and breast.

Dishes cooked sous-vide: using Joule immersion circulator sous-vide tool

Duck Legs: Because the duck legs must cook 16 hours, we prepped this the evening before. In addition to the recipe’s recommended orange peel, fresh thyme and bay leaf, we added crushed juniper berries since they serve to counteract gaminess in wild meats. After cooking I drained and saved the juices, frenched the legs, removed the herbs and then placed the duck back in the bags and stored them in the refrigerator; later I returned the bags to the pot to gently warm up prior to the final broiling to crisp the skin before serving. I used the stripped leg skin along with the herbs and cooking juices to make a broth; I augmented this with some chicken broth to make enough for a gravy. I saved the duck fat from searing the duck breast for the roux for the gravy. After straining the broth and thickening it with the roux, we added some chopped fresh sweet cherries to make a cherry-flavored duck gravy to accompany the meal. Because the juices included the sugar-salt brining cure, the gravy can tend toward being a bit salty so taste and adjust as best you can.

Duck Breast: I used the side burner on the barbecue grill outside because searing the duck breast in a HOT skillet (I used a carbon steel skillet for searing the duck breast) creates quite a mess. Since the duck breast cooks at a lower temperature than the legs, we had to let the water cool down before cooking the duck breast sous-vide.

Carrots: We cooked these two days before and warmed them up in the sous-vide pot prior to sautéing in butter.

Asparagus: We cooked these two days before and warmed them up in the sous-vide pot prior to serving.

Foods that grow under water: Wild rice pilaf with dried cranberries, water chestnuts and lotus root

Click the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

Finally we come to dessert, a fantasia depicting underwater wonders and beachside cast-offs. Kathleen and Karen took their inspiration from a 2011 foodie group dinner – Pool Party was the theme – where Greg and Dan created personal swimming pools using crystal blue gelatin. I’ll let Kathleen explain further:

Inspired by Dan and Greg’s pool party dessert, we determined to create an underwater dessert featuring, you guessed it—blue Jello! We served it in a trifle dish and lightened the “natural” Jello blue by adding some unflavored gelatin, so that you could see the fresh fruit (grapes, strawberries, blueberries, and cherries) that composed the ocean floor and the Swedish fish swimming inside. We also stuck gummi worms (cut in half the long way) to the sides of the trifle dish to suggest seaweed/coral. Assuming that Jello would not particularly appeal, we doctored the water with Cointreau and a little brandy.

We decided that we would also highlight those items washed up from oceans onto the world’s beaches. We used a base of blondies, with the addition of brandy-soaked Craisins, and covered the base with buttery crushed graham cracker crumbs. We then littered our beach with candy-coated chocolate sea shells and rocks, Nik-L-Nips, and gelt.

Click the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

We rounded out the evening with a sweet and satisfying Submarine Kiss, Ellyn’s after-dinner cocktail which features a spirit called Crème Yvette. In 1915 it was described in New York Day by Day thusly:
“Sailors who come to Broadway for a touch of high life have invented a new drink called The Submarine Kiss. The liquid combination is a milky white above and purple below and the submarine effect is secured after drinking about three.” Talk about a deep dive!

Click the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

The Submarine Kiss
Recipe source: Cooper Spirits International

1 part Crème Yvette
Top with Silver Fizz:
2 parts Plymouth gin
¾ part fresh lemon juice
¾ part simple syrup
Egg white
Combine silver fizz ingredients in two-part shaker tin. Dry shake.
Add ice. Shake again.
Add Crème Yvette to the bottom of a hollow stemmed coupe or champagne flute.
Fine strain and layer silver fizz over Crème Yvette.

So there we have it – a fantastic evening spent exploring the wonders of the deep blue sea. I am left to ponder the famous JFK quote:

We are tied to the ocean. And when we go back to the sea, whether it is to sail or to watch - we are going back from whence we came. – John F. Kennedy

Want to read about past Foodie Group dinners? You may find the recaps here.

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Art Appreciation, Foodie Style – Part 3

4/19/2017

The Constructivist main course looks delicious! Arctic char burger, tomato aspic, arancini, and asparagus spears

The Foodies (formerly known as the Supper Club) are a group of friends who love to cook, eat, drink, and laugh together at themed dinner parties. Our friends and family say they like to live vicariously through our feasts so we’ll share the stories, pictures, and recipes here on the blog from time to time. Click here for previous Supper Club posts, and here for the group’s origin story.

Are you ready for some more modern art? Well, good, we’ve got another heaping helping for you today. In previous posts we shared our Cubist cocktails, ate parmesan mousse with cheesecloth on our heads, and answered our lobster-phones. (Confused about these references? Please read Part 1 and Part 2 – all will be revealed.)

In this post we’ll chow down on the Main Course and Dessert. Who’s hungry? Hungry for knowledge, that is. Here’s the overall menu for our Foodie Group dinner party with the theme of Modern Art Movements.

Drinks – Dan and Greg – Cubism: Cubist Cocktail featuring jelly shots in a variety of colors and flavors, cut into fancy shapes; Wines included Bordeaux, Medoc, and Roussillon (more on that later)
Appetizers – Ann and Ilise – Surrealism: Roasted Vegetable Salad with Parmesan Mousse; Baked Lobster Tails with Clarified Butter
Main Course - Karen and Kathleen – Constructivism: Smoked Arctic Char Burger; Tomato Aspic; Steamed Asparagus; and Arancini Pyramids with Herb Lemon-Butter Sauce
Dessert: Ellyn – Post-Impressionism: A Multi-Media Musing on the Iconic NYC Black and White Cookie

Before we proceed, let’s give your ears a tasty treat.

As a host of the artistic evening, Kathleen prepared a marvelous playlist for our listening pleasure. I’ve attempted to recreate it as closely as possible.

Please enjoy the beautiful music as you read on.

As the hosts and theme-selectors, we knew that Karen and Kathleen must have something interesting up their sleeves for the Main Course for which they chose the Constructivism art movement. Here is their commentary:

Beat the Whites with the Red Wedge By El Lissitzky

Constructivism, a Russian movement that was active in the early 20th century, spoke to the new feeling of creating a functioning, useful art in the newly tsar-free society. Modern materials, such as steel and plastic, were preferred as were abstract geometric forms. Colors used were often red white and black as seen in the graphic designs of El Lissitzky.

We used red, black, and white construction paper placemats and white plates, presenting our own design on a sheet metal centerpiece and allowing each diner to design her or his own plate. Elements of the construction included a smoked arctic char burger (round), tomato aspic wedge (triangle). steamed thin asparagus (line), and arancini pyramids (3D square). An herb lemon-butter sauce was presented in a squeeze bottle to make accent marks available.

Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

More notes from Kathleen and Karen:

The burger recipe is attached (we used char instead of salmon). The tomato aspic (for those who are dying to know) can be found here. We would note that the tomato juice is critical for the right color and flavor. We attempted to make our own juice using Mighty Vine tomatoes, but it looked pallid when blended and gelled--like some sort of human organ--and lacked the flavor punch we wanted; we ended up using Campbell's Tomato Juice.

For the "arancini" we made arborio rice and let it cool. With the aid of a pyramid mold, we created a shrimp and green and red pepper filled risotto surprise. Before putting the pyramids in the oven, we coated them with flour, egg, and browned panko.

On behalf of the dinner guests, may I say “Wow!” Not only did everything taste delicious but it was also loads of fun to create our own art on the plate, arranging the shapes, colors, and textures to design our own masterpieces of Constructivism. Good job, Karen and Kathleen!

Printable Recipe- Fresh Herb and Garlic Smoked Salmon Sausage
File Size:	647 kb
File Type:	pdf

Then after a break for breathing and digestion we were ready for Ellyn’s dessert course. She selected Post-Impressionism as her modern art genre and was particularly inspired by the work of Georges Seurat. Let’s absorb a little learning, shall we?

Post-Impressionism encompasses a wide range of distinct artistic styles that all share the common motivation of responding to the opticality of the Impressionist movement.

The stylistic variations assembled under the general banner of Post-Impressionism range from the scientifically oriented Neo-Impressionism of Georges Seurat to the lush Symbolism of Paul Gauguin, but all concentrated on the subjective vision of the artist.

The Post-Impressionism movement ushered in an era during which painting transcended its traditional role as a window onto the world and instead became a window into the artist's mind and soul.

Georges Seurat's Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte is perhaps the most famous example of the painting technique known as Pointillism. Although the picture contains the impressionistic elements of light and shadow and depicts the leisure activities of the Parisian bourgeoisie, it is an early example of the artistic reaction to the Impressionist movement. Seurat composed the entire scene from a series of small, precise dots of color. If viewed closely, the painting becomes nothing more than a quasi-abstract array of colors, similar to a needlepoint. When viewed at an appropriate distance, however, Sunday Afternoon comes into focus. Seurat carefully placed each dot in relation to the ones around it in order to create the desired optical effect. He did so in order to bring structure and rationality to what he perceived were the triviality and disorganization rampant in Impressionism.

Source: The Art Story

Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte - Georges Seurat (Channeling Cameron Frye) Photo by Arnold Gatilao

Ellyn started with the idea of Pointillism – all those dots! – and then embraced the Post-Impressionistic ethos of the artist’s inner views brought to life through the work.

In this instance, Ellyn had a lot to say about New York City’s famous black and white cookies – hey, the heart wants what the heart wants. Taste buds too! She used the dining room table as her canvas and employed Seurat’s love of dots to create her own artwork depicting the cookies and the joy they bring. Cupcakes, nonpareils, M&Ms, and jujubes provided the medium for her delicious vision.

Take a look - and don't forget to click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

I’m not sure which artistic movement gave rise to the deconstruction that took place as we devoured Ellyn’s artwork. Tasty, tasty art.

The cupcakes were moist, tender, and flavorful. The recipe for Vanilla Cupcakes comes from Amy Sedaris’s cookbook titled I Like You: Hospitality Under the Influence. NYTimes Cooking is the recipe source for the Chocolate Cupcakes. Get to baking, and then get artsy!

Before we leave the dots behind – and this series of Foodie Group dinner posts – I’ll offer two relevant quotes from famous artists:

Everything starts from a dot. – Wassily Kandinsky
A line is a dot that went for a walk. – Paul Klee

And there you have it – Modern Art Movements as interpreted by a bunch of home cooks in the medium of dinner. We learned a lot and dined extremely well. Great job, everyone!

We’ll be back with more themed dinner updates after the next Foodie dinner in a few months. Can’t wait that long? You may read about our past culinary adventures here.

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Art Appreciation, Foodie Style – Part 2

4/11/2017

Baked Lobster Tails - read on to see how we made them Surrealistic

The Foodies (formerly known as the Supper Club) are a group of friends who love to cook, eat, drink, and laugh together at themed dinner parties. Our friends and family say they like to live vicariously through our feasts so we’ll share the stories, pictures, and recipes here on the blog from time to time. Click here for previous Supper Club posts, and here for the group’s origin story.

Friends, please hold on to your bowler hats, we’re about to get surreal for real, far out, outa sight, dyn-o-mite, dreamy, steamy, and WHOOOOOA! It’s time for a little Surrealism with your appetizers.

Before we dig in, let’s have a quick recap. (Or if you’ve got a minute, go back and read Part 1. It’s all about the Cubist cocktails – totally worth a read!)

The theme is Modernist Art Movements. We each chose one style to interpret for our course. The menu and art movements are listed below.

Drinks – Dan and Greg – Cubism: Cubist Cocktail featuring jelly shots in a variety of colors and flavors, cut into fancy shapes; Wines included Bordeaux, Medoc, and Roussillon (more on that later)
Appetizers – Ann and Ilise – Surrealism: Roasted Vegetable Salad with Parmesan Mousse; Baked Lobster Tails with Clarified Butter
Main Course - Karen and Kathleen – Constructivism: Smoked Arctic Char Burger; Tomato Aspic; Steamed Asparagus; and Arancini Pyramids with Herb Lemon-Butter Sauce
Dessert: Ellyn – Post-Impressionism: A Multi-Media Musing on the Iconic NYC Black and White Cookie

In this post we’ll focus exclusively on the Surrealism/Appetizers course. We went a little overboard with apps and activities so there’s a lot to report on.

A Part 3 post (coming soon) will delve into the main course and dessert.

But first, let’s summon the creative spirit, create a little ambiance, and turn up the tunes to enjoy a pop/rock/folk playlist with an artistic theme. Please enjoy.

Ilise and I oversaw the appetizers and selected Surrealism as our art genre. Given how nutty life seems to be these days it seemed like a good fit. Here are a few things we learned about Surrealism that helped us decide how to approach our dishes.

Surrealism began in the early 1920s with roots in Dadaism, the avant-garde art movement intent on upending society’s norms. Best known for visual artworks and writings although the performing arts were represented too, Surrealism gained popularity in the 1930s and 40s.

Among the best-known Surrealist artists are Salvador Dalí and René Magritte.

Surrealist artists sought to channel the unconscious to unlock the power of the imagination and explore the space between dream and reality. Sigmund Freud was profoundly influential for Surrealists, particularly his book, The Interpretation of Dreams (1899).

Surrealist works feature the element of surprise, unexpected juxtapositions, and non-sequitur.

Surrealism was meant to be, above all, a revolutionary movement.

Sources: The Art Story; The Met; MoMA; Wikipedia

Here are a few Surrealist works we especially like, including three that directly inspired our dishes:

One can see from the pictures and the "Cliff Notes" that Surrealism is all about the unexpected, shaking things up, and delving into the subconscious. We tried to go there with our appetizers and the group activities we forced upon our friends. Surrealism is about revolution after all, one cannot be a passive bystander!

The first app we served was a salad of roasted beets and rainbow carrots topped with dollops of parmesan mousse. It was quite tasty, but that’s not the interesting part. That distinction belongs to the delivery system for each person’s first bite of the mousse. We riffed off Magritte’s painting titled Les Amants (The Lovers) and then this happened … (Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.)

Yes. We asked our friends to don cheesecloth headgear and then eat a spoonful of parmesan mousse through the fabric. After that they were free to remove the material and eat their salads normally. Dan, however, loved his cheesecloth veil so much that he wore it for most of the evening. Always a fashion icon, that one!

All agreed that the mousse was a creamy, flavorful, decadent delight – the perfect accompaniment for baked potatoes, roasted veggies, salads, even grilled steak. We liked it just fine with nothing more than a breadstick for dipping. Yum!

The mousse recipe may be downloaded here. Please note: this is another case where using high quality ingredients really makes a difference, so get the best quality Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese that you can. Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

Printable Recipe- Parmesan Mousse
File Size:	572 kb
File Type:	pdf

Post-mousse we shooed the group out of the kitchen to experience another activity while Ilise prepared the next appetizer. One aspect of Surrealism involves automatic writing, or tapping into the subconscious to create stream-of-consciousness prose. We set a timer and asked each diner to write without thinking for one minute. Random ideas welcome, punctuation not required.

I have taken their notes, mashed them up, and now present to you The Foodies Co-Created, Infiltrated, Exclamated, Surrealistic Essay While We Waited. There are two versions – one in which I pulled a clause or sentence from each writer and edited them together; and another more randomized offering (which is probably truer to what the Surrealists intended back in the day).

Version #1 (edited):

Smart asses unite to intimidate. Doodles doodles Howdy Doody doodles. I’m a Yankee Doodle Dandy. Dan wearing cheesecloth on his head! Bridal veil. Did anyone notice the cats, the absence of dog? Yes. We did. Introspective pondering on why we are here on this planet. Is this the best way to convey ideas?

Version #2 (random words):

Had orange to evil the wonderful. Gelatin wearing bridal this head. Time mother sister how put what. It and wait for isn’t did. One clocks like piano I’m dandy. Everything way pack good places asses.

I think that’s not too bad for a roomful of hungry, slightly intoxicated Foodies!

Our final appetizer was inspired by two Surrealist works: Magritte’s The Treachery of Images (This is not a pipe) and Dali’s Lobster Telephone. Take a look. Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

And here’s how we made the lobsters and clarified butter. Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

Baked Lobster Tails with Clarified Butter
Recipe sources: Lobstergram and Serious Eats

If your lobster tails are frozen, start by thawing them in cool water for 30-60 minutes, depending on size of the lobster tails. Once the tails have thawed, you should:

Heat the oven to 425 degrees.
Blanch the lobster tails in boiling water for 90 seconds, then plunge them into an ice bath. This step will make it easier to do the remaining lobster prep, manipulating the meat from the shell.
Cut the top of the shell lengthwise, starting from the base and going toward the end of the tail.
Crack the bottom of the shell using your hands, but be sure that you don’t smash the shell.
Reach inside the newly opened shell and gently remove the meat from the shell, but don’t detach the meat from the base of the tail. After pulling the meat out, lay it on top of the shell.
Remove the darkly colored vein from the meat and throw it away.
Place the tails on a baking pan with enough water to shallowly fill the bottom of the pan. The water helps to steam the tails.
Baste the tail with clarified butter and top it with seasoning of your choice – paprika is a good choice for great flavor and color.
Bake your tails for exactly 1 to 1 ½ minutes per ounce. You’ll know that your baked lobster tails are done when the meat is white and firm with no gray coloring or translucency. NOTE: Our tails took more like 2 minutes per ounce to cook. Use the coloring and translucency tips as your ultimate guide to doneness.

Clarified Butter

1 pound unsalted butter, cut into cubes
In a small saucepan, melt butter over medium-high heat.
Continue to cook over medium-high heat; an even layer of white milk proteins will float to the surface.
Bring to a boil; the milk proteins will become foamy.
Lower heat to medium and continue to gently boil; the milk proteins will break apart.
As the butter gently boils, the milk proteins will eventually sink to the bottom of the pot, and the boiling will begin to calm and then cease.
Once boiling has stopped, pour butter through a cheesecloth-lined strainer or through a coffee filter into a heatproof container to remove browned milk solids. Let cool, then transfer to a sealed container and refrigerate until ready to use. Clarified butter should keep for at least 6 months in the refrigerator.

Printable Recipe- Baked Lobster Tails with Clarified Butter
File Size:	521 kb
File Type:	pdf

That’s enough Surrealism for now. I hope you’ve enjoyed this venture into the subconscious, blurring the lines between dream and reality. We’ll be back with Part 3 of our Modern Art dinner in a few days at which time we’ll serve up a big helping of the Main Course and Dessert. See you then! If you'd like to read past Foodie Dinner posts you may find them here.

With this theme we pay tribute to the American artist James Kuiper, whose work often takes a semi-abstract form and reflects on humanity’s relationship with the environment. This mask is one of his works. RIP James Kuiper.

Mask by James Kuiper

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Art Appreciation, Foodie Style - Part 1

4/7/2017

Cubist Cocktails with Liqueur Jelly Shots

The Foodies (formerly known as the Supper Club) are a group of friends who love to cook, eat, drink, and laugh together at themed dinner parties. Our friends and family say they like to live vicariously through our feasts so we’ll share the stories, pictures, and recipes here on the blog from time to time. Click here for previous Supper Club posts, and here for the group’s origin story.

Our Foodies dinner group has always enjoyed the life of the mind, reaching to literature, history, music, and the arts to inspire our culinary creations. We like to learn and share our knowledge – but as you know, eating and drinking well is Job #1 for our little group. Clever is as witty does, but if it’s not delicious it won’t make the cut. Never was this more apparent than at the recent dinner hosted by Kathleen and Karen.

The Ks treated us to an awesome theme, the kind of challenge that really gets my blood pumping. We were invited to choose from a short list of Modernist Art Movements including Dada; Futurism; Constructivism; Surrealism; De Stijl; Post-Impressionism; and Cubism. No limits and no rules other than taking inspiration from the art for our courses. We were free to color outside the lines.

Mask by James Kuiper

In part, the modern art theme was offered in tribute to the fine American artist, James Kuiper, Kathleen’s brother, who passed away in February of this year.

His work often takes a semi-abstract form and reflects on humanity’s relationship with the environment. The mask shown at right is one of his works.

Click on the photo to visit the artist's website for more information about his life and work.

RIP James Kuiper.

Here’s a breakdown of the courses for our dinner party, the genres, and the culinary artistes who created the masterpieces.

Drinks – Dan and Greg – Cubism: Cubist Cocktail featuring jelly shots in a variety of colors and flavors, cut into fancy shapes; Wines included Bordeaux, Medoc, and Roussillon (more on that later)
Appetizers – Ann and Ilise – Surrealism: Roasted Vegetable Salad with Parmesan Mousse; Baked Lobster Tails with Clarified Butter
Main Course: Karen and Kathleen – Constructivism: Smoked Arctic Char Burger; Tomato Aspic; Steamed Asparagus; and Arancini Pyramids with Herb Lemon-Butter Sauce
Dessert: Ellyn – Post-Impressionism: A Multi-Media Musing on the Iconic NYC Black and White Cookie

In this post we will drink deeply from the Cubist cup with an in-depth exploration of the beverages provided by bar chefs Greg and Dan. Future posts will cover the Appetizers, Main Course, and Dessert.

But first, let’s set the scene with some music. Kathleen prepared a wonderful playlist for the actual dinner party, which will be included within the Main Course post (coming soon). A quick Google search informs me that some art and music scholars believe that Igor Stravinsky’s music reflects Cubist motifs and patterns, particularly today’s featured piece. Let’s have a listen, shall we? Learn more about music and Cubism here.

As Dan began to prep the cocktails, Greg gave us an informative presentation on Cubist art with images of the most famous pieces from that period. Here are a few factoids (courtesy of the Tate) and pictures to bring you up to speed.

Cubism was a radical and influential art movement that began in the early 20th century. Paintings done in this style reduce everything – people, objects, landscapes – to geometric shapes.

Characteristics of Cubism include multiple views of objects within the same painting, which often appear fragmented and abstracted.

Pablo Picasso and George Braque are the best known artists of this movement. Juan Gris is another.

There were two phases of Cubism – Analytical (1908-1912, more austere, muted tones) and Synthetic (1912-1914, brighter colors, sometimes included real objects through collage).

Source: Tate

Process Note: As always, the pictures I post with these stories are selected from those approved for sharing by the copyright holder, or with a Creative Commons license, or residing in the public domain. This means I can’t always post the exact images I’d like, but in this case I think you can get the feel for the Cubist movement from the available images.

Fun Fact: The wines that Dan and Greg served with dinner were featured in cubist paintings by Juan Gris, Pablo Picasso, and George Braque. By peering closely at the shapes, lines, and cubes they were able to detect bottles or labels for Bordeaux, Medoc, and Roussillon. I was unable to show those specific paintings in the gallery above but again, I think you get the gist.

If you’ve read any of our past Foodie Group stories you know that these guys always aim high and exceed expectations with their culinary contributions. Not only are their dishes mouthwatering they're also beautifully presented, which made this evening’s foray into the visual arts so perfect for Greg and Dan.

If I had the assignment of cocktails with a Cubist theme, I might be tempted to point to ice cubes in a glass and call it a day. Not Dan and Greg! They made 7 different flavors of liqueur jelly shots, cut them into festive shapes, then floated them in a sparkling wine cocktail. Amazing – and I mean that visually, conceptually, and as a craft cocktail aficionado – this drink packs a flavorful and heady punch. Much like Cubist art itself. Let’s hear from Greg and Dan about their creative cocktail:

Cubist Cocktail with Liqueur Jelly Shots

Greg and Dan's Cubist Cocktail

For the various 'jelly shot' flavors, we used either 2 or 4 ounces of liqueur or vodka to make 7 different flavors/colors/shapes.

Cubist Cocktail Color Shapes (jelly shots)
For a batch of multiple different flavors:
1 750ml bottle white wine (fruity, acidic, light body wine such as Sauvignon Blanc, Pinot Gris, Gavi, Albariño Rias Baixas or Vinho Verde)
5 packets Knox unflavored gelatin
1/2 cup vodka (lemon-flavored is good)
2 tablespoons sugar or simple syrup
Liqueurs or flavored vodka (Cointreau, Chambord, Limoncello, Montenegro amaro, Opal Nera anisette, St. Germain, Canton ginger, Pear liqueur or vodka)
Liquid food coloring

Pour wine into a medium saucepan. Sprinkle gelatin powder over the wine and let soak about 5 minutes to soften the gelatin. Heat over low, stirring occasionally, until gelatin is dissolved. Remove from heat and let cool. Stir in vodka and sugar/syrup.

Mix two parts wine/gelatin mixture to one part liqueur; if using a flavored vodka, add a bit of simple syrup to sweeten to taste. Conversely, syrupy liqueurs such as limoncello may need additional citrus vodka to dilute the mixture. Tint with liquid food coloring.

Spray small loaf pans with vegetable spray. Pour in gelatin/liqueur mixture and chill for two hours. Dip pan in warm water for 10 seconds to loosen; invert onto a cutting board and blot with paper towel. Cut out desired shapes using knife or small cookie cutters.

Cubist Cocktail
4 oz Sparkling white wine (blanc de blancs or cava)
1 oz St. Germain elderflower liqueur
1/2 oz. Nocino walnut liqueur
1/2 oz. Hendricks Gin
few dashes Fee Brothers black walnut bitters
few drops 1821 Bitters Barrel Aged Havana & Hide bitters (sold at Rogers Park Provisions)
few dashes Jack Rudy small batch tonic syrup (Binny's, Amazon or Sur La Table)
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Jelly shots in a variety of colors and flavors cut into small cubes or other fancy shapes

Stir together liqueurs, gin, bitters and tonic in a champagne glass or pilsner. Add in various colored liqueur gelatin shots. Pour sparkling wine over all and stir gently. The bubbles from the sparkling wine will lift and toss the gelatin shot cubes.

Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

Let's leave our art appreciation class here for the time being to be continued very soon. Future posts will share the details about our Surrealist appetizers, the Constructivist main course, and the Post-Impressionistic dessert.

In the meantime, I will leave you to chew on this lovely quote from Father Thomas Merton -- "Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time.” So true.
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Want to read about past Foodie Group dinners? You may find them here.

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The Foodies Get Rocky Mountain High – Part 2

2/27/2017

Seared Venison with Black Raspberry Sauce

Did you miss Part 1? You can find it here. For now, a quick recap:

Ellyn hosted a wonderful evening around the theme Rocky Mountain High, inspired by her travels.
The creativity reached new heights, with each course revealing layers upon layers (strata if you will) of information about the Rockies, the region, and the local cuisine.
In the Part 1 post we took a close-up view of the Drinks and Appetizers. The Ks used blue spruce needles to flavor simple syrup (yes, this was cleared by the botanical experts) which, when mixed with gin, made an excellent Bristlecone cocktail. The Guys made a sculpture of flavored goat cheese and homemade sourdough whole wheat crackers, plus a magnificent Denver Omelette Fritatta done in the style of a tortilla Española.
This time we will detail the Main Course and Dessert. Have a peek at the overall menu, to refresh your memory.

From left: Greg, Karen, Dan, Ann, Kathleen. Ellyn is in the kitchen, and Ilise is behind the camera.

The Menu:

Drinks – Kathleen and Karen: Bristlecones – a gin-based cocktail; and assorted wines

Appetizers – Greg and Dan: “Mountain Goat” Cheese Spread with Herbs and Lemon with Sourdough Whole-Wheat Crackers; Denver Omelette Frittata with Grandma’s Chili Sauce

Main Course – Ellyn: Roast Trout Stuffed with Lemon and Herbs; Seared Venison with Black Raspberry Sauce; Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Cinnamon Butternut Squash, Pecans, and Cranberries; Baked Horseradish Mashed Potatoes

Dessert – Ilise and Ann: A Rocky Mountain Ski-scape featuring Chocolate Layer Cake with White Chocolate Mousse Filling and Chocolate Fudge Frosting

The Playlist: The playlist in Part 1 offered a mixed bag of pop, rock, folk, and country tunes which celebrated the Rockies, mountain living in general, and high times in all forms. Give it a listen here.

We’re going to set a different mood for Part 2. The playlist here is a 3-movement excerpt from An American Symphony, Charles David Denler’s modern classical piece from the album titled Portraits of Colorado. It is performed by the Colorado Symphony Orchestra. Listen to the whole thing here.

For the Main Course, Ellyn brought both field and stream to the table. Forest, farm, and garden too. Roasted trout stuffed with lemon slices, rosemary and thyme was light and flavorful, evoking the simple pleasure of campsite dining next to a fire. (Our pals at Hooked on Fish sourced the trout, so you know it’s high quality, sustainable, and super-fresh.)

“Field” is represented by a lovely platter of seared venison loin, finished with an amazing black raspberry sauce bringing a welcome burst of summer’s bounty to the dead of winter. Bonus: The berries are from Ellyn’s garden, frozen from last year’s crop. Smart woman. She did a masterful job balancing the meaty, slightly gamy (in a good way) aspects of the venison with the bright, tart, and fruity sauce.

The side dishes were fan favorites as well, especially the horseradish mashed potatoes. Mmmmmmm!

How did she do it? Let’s hear from Ellyn herself:

Roast Trout Stuffed with Lemon and Herbs: For the trout, I simply took butterflied whole trout, rubbed with olive oil, salt and pepper. Then stuffed with lemon slices, rosemary and thyme. Roasted at 400 until done. (AJ note: Other possible herb combos are: oregano-basil; dill-parsley; and sage-parsley.)

Baked Horseradish Mashed Potatoes:

Begin with 8 pounds peeled and cubed red potatoes. Boil until tender. Mash with butter and half-and half until creamy. Add salt and white pepper to taste . Add prepared white horseradish to taste. Mix thoroughly. Let cool until you can add an egg without scrambling it. Add one egg; mix well. Put potatoes into well-buttered baking dish. Add pats of butter evenly over top of potatoes. Sprinkle with paprika. Bake at 375 or 400 until browned on top. You can use broiler to do extra browning if you want.

Here are links to Ellyn's other recipes:

Seared Venison with Black Raspberry Sauce - from Jess Pryles
Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Cinnamon Butternut Squash, Pecans, and Cranberries - fromJulia's Album

Please click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

Ilise and I were excited to take charge of dessert, giving the assignment the careful planning it deserves. We considered a few things in the “Rocky” category: Rocky Road ice cream or fudge were contenders for a while, and I desperately wanted to make something with rock candy (kept hearing the old timey song Big Rock Candy Mountain in my head). There’s a cool video showing how to do it but our experiment looked like snowy mountain sludge, so back to the drawing board we went.

And then it came to Ilise as in a dream … Rocky Mountains → Snow-covered mountains → People go skiing on snow-covered mountains → And sometimes they see wildlife on those snow-covered mountains as they ski past. Boom. And just like that Ilise’s vision of a snow-covered Rocky Mountain ski-scape was born.

We’ve had other artistic and architectural dessert constructions at past themed dinners – Karen and Kathleen’s onion domes from the St. Petersburg Winter Palace, Greg and Dan’s beachy boardwalk tableau, Ellyn’s garden mud pies with (delicious!) dirt, plants, and worms. The time was right for Ilise and me to – literally – make a scene with our dessert course. Please cast your eyes upon our snowy display made of chocolate layer cake; white chocolate mousse; chocolate moose; chocolate bear; edible trees; moose pops; white chocolate shavings; and mounds of fluffy white (whipped cream) snow. And skiers. Phew, there’s a lot going on! Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

We will dedicate a future post - including recipes - to this amazingly delicious chocolate layer cake with white chocolate mousse filling. Even if you are never called upon to create an artwork out of baked goods, this is one recipe you’ll want to keep front and center in your recipe folder. It is perfect for birthdays and other special occasions. Skiers, bears, and moose pops are optional.

Well, that'll wrap it up for this Foodies Group dining adventure. We always have a great time creating, and consuming, these themed meals and it's nice to know we've got an engaged group of readers (and vicarious diners). Last year at about this time the Foodies did a Citrus-themed dinner -- read all about it here. And if you'd like to catch up on some of our other meals you may find the posts here.

Let's conclude with a relevant quote from John Muir, influential naturalist and early advocate for the preservation of America's wilderness.

Keep close to Nature's heart... and break clear away, once in awhile, and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods. Wash your spirit clean.

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The Foodie Group Gets Rocky Mountain High – Part 1

2/19/2017

1 Comment

"Mountain" Goat Cheese Spread with Herbs and Lemon with Sourdough Whole Wheat Crackers

It’s so interesting to me how each of the hosts selects their dinner theme. Sometimes the idea may have been brewing for a while, or sprung to life in a dream, or perhaps driven by what’s in season locally. In this case, inspiration came in the form of a vacation to Colorado.

“Eureka,” said Ellyn with a twinkle in her eye. “Rocky Mountain High is a great theme – folks can select the mountain part or the high part, as they choose.”

Our group, being all about the excess, said yes please to everything, in moderation of course. I have to say – the creativity was at an all-time high!

Throughout this post we’re going to drop in some mountain/hiker/outdoor sports factoids and lingo – perhaps only tangentially related to the Rocky Mountains, but pretty cool and new to us anyway. Here’s the first one.

Eureka Mountain is a central member of the Crestone Conglomerate portion of the Sangre de Cristos Mountains, one of the most distinct subranges of Colorado's Rocky Mountains.

They rise as a nearly continuous straight line from near Salida, Colorado, and run over 100 miles to end near Santa Fe, New Mexico. Source: Summit Post

Cattle grazing, Colorado 14ers, eastern Sangre de Cristos by David Herrera

The Menu:

Drinks – Kathleen and Karen: Bristlecones – a gin-based cocktail; Assorted wines
Appetizers – Greg and Dan: “Mountain" Goat Cheese Spread with Herbs and Lemon with Sourdough Whole-Wheat Crackers; Denver Omelette Frittata with Grandma’s Chili Sauce
Main Course – Ellyn: Roast Trout Stuffed with Lemon and Herbs; Seared Venison with Black Raspberry Sauce; Roasted Brussels Sprouts, Cinnamon Butternut Squash, Pecans, and Cranberries; Baked Horseradish Mashed Potatoes
Dessert – Ilise and Ann: A Rocky Mountain Ski-scape featuring Chocolate Layer Cake with White Chocolate Mousse Filling and Chocolate Fudge Frosting

The Playlist: Yes, we’re going there.

Inhale the second-hand smoke from John Denver’s Rocky Mountain High and then sing along at the top of your THC-filled lungs, won’t you?

This playlist is packed with other great mountain music too. Check it out.

A future post will schralp the gnarl for the Main Course and Dessert. (Apparently this means to athletically excel in challenging conditions, such as deep powder while skiing. Source: Urban Dictionary)

Today we welcome a deep dive into the freshies (defined by Matador Network’s Guide to Mountain Slang as “Fresh, untracked powder. The ultimate sign of a good day to come”) with respect to the Drinks and Appetizer courses. Here’s what you need to know about the drinks, in the Ks’ own words:

We served Bristlecones - our take on a pine syrup gimlet - named in honor of Colorado's unique ancient high-desert pine. The syrup, however, was made with blue spruce needles - a tree found in both Illinois and Colorado. Because we generally find simple syrup too sweet, ours is 2 cups of water to 3/4 cup of sugar (we used caster, or superfine, sugar). We chopped blue spruce needles and muddled them with the sugar before adding the water. (Because the needles were older rather than young and tender as they would be in springtime, muddling was essential to release the piney flavor.) The recipe for one drink is as follows:

60 ml Leopold's American small-batch gin (made in Colorado)
35 ml homemade blue spruce (tweaked) simple syrup
20 ml fine-strained fresh lime juice

That Bristlecone is a mighty tasty cocktail! I’m a gimlet fan to begin with and the pine/spruce syrup adds a distinct and delightful flavor all its own. Dangerously good – this goes down quite easily.

Presentation was a knock-out as well. Spruce needles were frozen into the ice cubes, creating a beautiful natural garnish. And then the Ks served the glasses from a large woven basket spread with evergreen clippings. A delight for all the senses! Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

The wines served had a tree or mountain connection in most cases:

Pine Ridge; Chenin Blanc Viognier 2014; Napa, CA
Gundlach Bundschu; Mountain Cuvée 2013; Sonoma, CA
1000 Stories; Bourbon Barrel Aged Zinfandel 2014; North Coast, CA
Ghost Pines; Cabernet Sauvignon 2013; North Coast, CA
Red Rock; Reserve Merlot 2014; Healdsburg, CA
Stonefly; Chardonnay 2015; Russian River Valley, CA

Mount Elbert, Turquoise Lake By Sally Pearce, Colorado Department of Transportation

The Rocky Mountains extend more than 3,000 miles, from New Mexico to Alaska, with the highest peak (Mt. Elbert at 14,431 feet) located in Colorado.

For the appetizer course, Greg and Dan brought savory delicacies representing two sides of Colorado living:

A sculpted presentation of rocky, snow-covered mountains (if not THE Rocky Mountains)
Also a famous dish that was born in Denver, Colorado’s capital.

First up was a lovely sculpted mountain range of flavored goat cheese studded with homemade whole wheat sourdough crackers cut into triangular/mountain-like shapes.

Hot tip for those who like to play with your food: Dan used glasses of different sizes as the foundation for the goat cheese mountains, layering the spread all around. Great idea, guys!

I’ve never had much luck with homemade crackers (always too thick) but Greg makes it look easy and taste delicious. Here are his recipes.

"Mountain" Goat Cheese Spread with Herbs and Lemon
Recipe source: Silver Palate Good Times Cookbook
Makes 8 servings

INGREDIENTS:

12 ounces Montrachet or other soft mild chèvre, broken into pieces
1/4 cup heavy or whipping cream
3 bunches (about 12 stems each) chives, finely snipped
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/2 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon zest

DIRECTIONS:

In a stand mixer, beat chèvre until smooth.
Add the cream and beat until smooth, scraping the mixing bowl a few times.
Stir in the chives, thyme, pepper, lemon juice and zest.
Refrigerate several hours to allow flavors to blend.
NOTE: Goes well with lemon-pepper or herb crackers.

Sourdough Whole Wheat Crackers
Recipe source: King Arthur Flour
Makes 20

INGREDIENTS:

4 ounces King Arthur Premium Whole Wheat Flour or White Whole Wheat Flour
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
8 3/4 ounces unfed ("discarded") sourdough starter (1 cup)
2 ounces unsalted butter room temperature
2 tablespoons dried herbs of your choice optional
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
Oil for brushing
Coarse salt (such as kosher or sea salt) for sprinkling on top
Additional dried-herb or spice blend to sprinkle on top (optional)

DIRECTIONS:

Mix together the flour, salt, sourdough starter, butter, and optional herbs to make a smooth (not sticky), cohesive dough.
Divide the dough in thirds, and shape each third into a small rectangular slab. Cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes, or up to a couple of hours, until the dough is firm.
Preheat the oven to 300°F (convection) or 325°F (conventional bake cycle).
Very lightly flour a piece of parchment, your rolling pin, and the top of the dough.
Working with one piece at a time, roll the dough to about 1/16" thick (or as thin as possible). The dough will have ragged, uneven edges; that's OK. Just try to make it as even as possible.
Transfer the dough and parchment together onto a baking sheet. Lightly brush with oil and then sprinkle the salt over the top of the crackers.
Cut the dough into 1 1/4" squares or triangles; a rolling pizza wheel works well here.
Prick each square with the tines of a fork (optional).
Bake the crackers for about 20-30 minutes, until the squares are starting to brown around the edges.
When fully browned, remove the crackers from the oven, and transfer them to a cooling rack. Store airtight at room temperature for up to a week; freeze for longer storage.

NOTE: Some herb blend suggestions, all from The Spice House: Rocky Mountain Blend; Italian Herb Blend; Herbes de Provence; Lemon Pepper; Garlic Salt

Printable Recipe- Goat Cheese Spread with Herbs and Lemon
File Size:	549 kb
File Type:	pdf

Printable Recipe- Sourdough Whole Wheat Crackers
File Size:	566 kb
File Type:	pdf

Click on the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

Denver, Colorado, Downtown by Zenhaus

I don’t know if the intent was to quell the munchies or what, but Dan and Greg brought a second appetizer, just as artistic and theme-friendly as the first one – a Denver Omelette Frittata. A little casual research tells me that the Denver Omelet was originally created in Denver in a sandwich format, hitting its peak of popularity in the mid-1950s. Sometime later they ditched the bread and the Denver Omelette we know and love as a brunch item came into its own. The guys decided to take the dish even a step further for our dinner party. Let’s hear their own words:

Inspired by a number of Denver Omelette recipes as well as the classic Spanish dish "Tortilla Española" which is traditionally made with just potatoes and onions. To make this Tortilla style instead of frittata stile, cut the recipe in half and use a slightly smaller skillet. Instead of finishing in the oven, invert the partially cooked egg mixture to a plate. Add some more oil to the pan and then slide the egg mixture back onto the skillet uncooked side down. Tuck in the edges to round out the tortilla and cook the other side through, about another 10 to 15 minutes.

Wow, the omelette was not only flavorful and satisfying but also pretty as a mosaic when viewed in cross-section. The veggies looked like little gems embedded in random, organic patterns within the eggy kaleidoscope. A dollop of a sweet/smoky chili sauce or chutney is the perfect accompaniment for a slice of Denver Omelette Frittata.

Printable Recipe- Denver Omelette Fritatta
File Size:	643 kb
File Type:	pdf

This concludes Part 1 of our Rocky Mountain dining adventure. Be sure to tune in for Part 2 in which we'll pull a chair up to the table for the Main Course and Dessert. And if you'd like to read about our past Foodie Group dinners (formerly known as the Supper Club) please click here.

Rocky Mountain National Park photo by National Park Service

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The Foodies Enjoy the Autumn Leaves – Part 2

10/13/2016

Greg's Apple Tart (served with Thyme Custard) with Cheese Plate Photo by Ellyn Rosen

The Foodies (formerly known as the Supper Club) are a group of friends who love to cook, eat, drink, and laugh together – plenty of each occur at our periodic themed dinner parties. Friends and family like to live vicariously around our feasts so we’ll share the stories, pictures and recipes here from time to time. Click here for previous Supper Club posts, and here for the group’s origin story.

Who knew that eating tree leaves from the backyard would be such a popular and/or controversial topic, sparking lively conversation on social media? (We did. We totally predicted this would be a reaction-getter.) Did you miss the Part 1 post? Find it here and see what the buzz is about.

Last time we went leaf-peeping into the Drinks and Appetizer courses at our Foodie Group dinner party. Today let’s rake up a big pile of information about the Main Course and Dessert – and then take a running leap in to all that leafy goodness.

Here’s the evening’s menu, for your perusal:

Drinks – Ellyn: Autumn Leaves cocktail; Assorted wines
Appetizer – Kathleen and Karen: Heirloom Tomato Stacks with Crisped Autumn Leaves
Main course – Ilise and Ann: Lamb Shanks Roasted in Oaxacan Red Mole Sauce – wrapped in banana leaves; Toasted Orzo with Roasted Peppers; Kabocha Squash and Kale Salad with Cranberries
Dessert – Greg and Dan: Greg’s Apple Tart with Thyme Custard; Platter of leaf-garnished cheeses (Bellavitano Chai Tea; Bellavitano Herbes de Provence; Blue Valdeón)

Greg and Dan and Ilise and I approached the Autumn Leaves concept a bit less literally than Karen and Kathleen with their sautéed birch leaves, but with just as much passion and creativity. Keep reading for more of the story, recipes, lots of photos, and yes, another Autumn Leaves playlist for your listening pleasure.

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The Foodies Enjoy the Autumn Leaves – Part 1

10/11/2016

Heirloom Tomato Stack with Sauteed Birch and Japanese Maple Leaves

Heirloom Tomato Stack with Sautéed Birch and Japanese Maple Leaves Image: Karen Wollins

As hosts, Ilise and I had the task of selecting the theme for dinner, not as easy as it may sound. First of all, our foodie group has been at this a long time, many good themes have already been done. Once the type of theme is decided – a specific cuisine; cooking technique; featured ingredient; wordplay and other esoterica – then the particulars need to be nailed down. Based on the above, potential themes might be: Northern Italian; Sous vide; Chocolate; or Food made famous in a movie.

In my opinion, a good theme needs 3 things:

Approachability
But also the chance to stretch out and try new things in the kitchen
And lots of room for creativity and playfulness. We’re a group that likes to play with our food!

We felt that Autumn Leaves would spark our co-chefs’ creativity, especially with a wide range of seasonal and local ingredients to work with. We were right – the bright colors and flavors of autumn were featured in everything served. The crew did an excellent job (as usual).

One last note on theme selection: I confess that we had an ulterior motive. Years ago we made a dish cooked with banana leaves that was OMG amazingly delicious and we’ve been looking for the perfect opportunity to do it again ever since. The time had finally arrived! More on that later.

The Menu:

Drinks – Ellyn: Autumn Leaves cocktail; Assorted wines

Appetizer – Kathleen and Karen: Heirloom Tomato Stacks with Sautéed
Autumn Leaves

Main course – Ilise and Ann: Roasted Lamb Shanks in Oaxacan Red Mole Sauce; Toasted Orzo with Roasted Peppers; Kabocha Squash and Kale Salad with Cranberries

Dessert – Greg and Dan: Greg’s Apple Tart with Thyme Custard; Platter of leaf-garnished cheeses (Bellavitano Chai Tea; Bellavitano Herbes de Provence; Blue Valdeón)

Keep reading for more of the story, photos, recipes, and the exclusive Entertain the Possibilities Autumn Leaves playlist. We’re going to focus on the Drinks and Appetizer today. Look for the Part 2 post coming soon with all the deets on the Main Course and Dessert.

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The Foodies Get Their Kicks on Route 66 – Part 2

8/9/2016

Brisket, carnitas, baked beans, creamed corn casserole with green chile sauce, and macaroni salad -- that's good eatin'!

The Foodies (formerly known as the Supper Club) are a group of friends who love to cook, eat, drink, and laugh together – plenty of each occur at our periodic themed dinner parties. Friends and family like to live vicariously around our feasts so we’ll share the stories, pictures and recipes here from time to time. Click here for previous Supper Club posts, and here for the group’s origin story.

Did you miss the Part 1 post? Find it here.

So by now our foodie group road trip is well underway and no one is hollering “Are we there yet?” from the back seat. Maybe because they’re pleasantly sated by the yummy Route 66-inspired drinks and appetizers we devoured (and wrote about) last time.

One of the best things about a road trip is the opportunity to discover, explore, and enjoy new things, especially once you take a few detours off the main drag. Roadside signs lure you to untold opportunities in small towns and rural areas across the country. World’s Largest Ball of Twine, for example. I’d pull off the road for that. Well, Dan and Greg applied that principle of discovery to the wonderful meal they served at our dinner party. They borrowed well-loved recipes from truck stops, family diners, and fancy establishments alike all along Route 66 to cook and serve an amazing meal of barbecue and more sides than a polyhedron in a mirrored room. Yes sir, that many!

The Menu:

Drinks – Ilise & Ann: Route 66 Cocktails; Various wines including a trio of Chasing Harvest pinot noirs from 2009, 2010, and 2011

Appetizers – Ellyn: Frito Pies, which originated either Texas or New Mexico – the debate still rages on

Main Course – Greg & Dan: Barbecue Texas Beef Brisket; Turquoise Room Pork Carnitas; Oklahoma Joe’s Best Beans on the Planet; Kansas Kreamed Korn Kasserole; Witmor Farms Macaroni Salad; plus several delicious sauces

Dessert – Karen & Kathleen: Banana Splits, the one dessert featured on nearly all truck stop menus along Route 66

Keep reading for more of the story, recipe links, photos, and great music to help the miles fly by without missing a beat.

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The Foodies Get Their Kicks on Route 66

8/2/2016

Cheers from (left to right) Karen, Ellyn, Greg, Kathleen, Dan, and Ilise

The Foodies (formerly known as the Supper Club) are a group of friends who love to cook, eat, drink, and laugh together – plenty of each occur at our periodic themed dinner parties. Friends and family like to live vicariously around our feasts so we’ll share the stories, pictures and recipes here from time to time. Click here for previous Supper Club posts, and here for the group’s origin story.

Road Trip! That’s what our hosts Dan and Greg originally had in mind when selecting this theme, and then they sharpened the focus to Route 66 – one of the original roads in the U.S. Highway System and a major route for westward migration beginning in Chicago and traversing through Missouri, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, ending the journey in California.

Also known as the Will Rogers Highway, Main Street of America, and the Mother Road, U.S. Route 66 has earned its place in popular culture through song, television, and stories of road trips past and present. The famous song was written by Bobby Troup and first recorded by the Nat King Cole Trio in 1946. Since then it’s been covered by numerous musicians, several of whom you’ll hear on Greg’s fantastic Route 66 Playlist coming up just a little later in this post.

Get Your Kicks on Route 66

Well if you ever plan to motor west
Just take my way it's the highway that's the best
Get your kicks on Route 66
Well it winds from Chicago to L.A.
More than 2000 miles all the way
Get your kicks on Route 66

The Menu:

Drinks – Ilise & Ann: Route 66 Cocktails; Various wines including a trio of Chasing Harvest pinot noirs from 2009, 2010, and 2011
Appetizers – Ellyn: Frito Pies, which originated either Texas or New Mexico – the debate still rages on
Main Course – Greg & Dan: Barbecue Texas Beef Brisket; Turquoise Room Pork Carnitas; Oklahoma Joe’s Best Beans on the Planet; Kansas Kreamed Korn Kasserole; Whitmore Farms Macaroni Salad; plus several delicious sauces
Dessert – Karen & Kathleen: Banana Splits, the one dessert featured on nearly all truck stop menus along Route 66

In this post we’ll do a drive-by of the drinks and appetizers. (Main course and dessert will be covered in the Part 2 post coming soon.) Please continue reading for the rest of the story, photos, recipes, and Greg’s road trip playlist celebrating Route 66.

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The Foodies Get Naked – Part 2

7/6/2016

Gnudi with parmesan broth, mushrooms, asparagus and peas

Gnudi in parmesan broth with mushrooms, asparagus and peas

In today’s post we’ll pull back the curtain for an up-close-and-personal look at the main course and dessert. Here’s the menu:

Drinks – Greg and Dan: Hop, Skip and Go Naked cocktails; Sangría de Cava (with a theme-appropriate substitution of Naked Wine pinot grigio in place of the bubbly); a progression of Benziger Tribute Cabernet Sauvignon – we sampled the 2010, 2011 and 2012 vintages

Appetizers – Ilise and Ann: Sushi (Spicy Tuna Rolls and Salmon Nigiri) and Cucumber Canapes served nyotaimori style

Main course – Karen and Kathleen: Gnudi in parmesan broth with asparagus, mushrooms and peas; and an “Undressed” green salad

Dessert – Ellyn: Naked Cake - Lemon Layer Cake with whipped cream and berries

In addition to having entirely too much fun with the naked Barbies from the sushi course, we enjoyed a magnificent main course worthy of the theme. Keep reading for more of the story, photos, recipe links and an au naturel playlist for your aural pleasure.

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Sushi Making 101

6/29/2016

Not too bad for the practice run (with veggies, not the high-grade stuff)

As a person who has never liked to eat sushi I certainly never expected to find myself making it. And technically I still haven’t, although I did serve as sous chef for Ilise who made two kinds for a recent Foodie Group dinner – spicy tuna roll and salmon nigiri.

Thank goodness for the internet! There’s not much you can’t learn with a little screen time, and sushi-making tutorials abound. Ilise did her research, and we did a test run in advance of the dinner party. Having the right equipment and ingredients is key. We are lucky to live in an area with many ethnic markets nearby, and had no trouble finding what we needed. Your mileage may vary.

Bamboo rolling mats, covered in plastic wrap
A hand fan
Japanese sushi rice (we used Nishiki brand)
Rice vinegar
Nori seaweed sheets
and Nanami Togarashi, a special Japanese 7-spice blend for the spicy mayo

I use a rice cooker, but a covered pan on the stove will work just fine.

For the practice run we used vegetables in the roll and upgraded to yellowfin tuna for the dinner party. Super-fresh, super high-quality fish is mandatory. Know your fish purveyor. In Chicago, we like Hooked on Fish and The Fish Guy.

The basic steps are:

Cook the rice
Finish the rice - add vinegar mixture, fan and mix
Spread rice onto sheet of nori on bamboo mat
Add filling – in this case, chopped tuna tossed with spicy mayo and avocado slices
Roll it up tightly, using the mat to guide and shape
Carefully slice the roll into pieces
Serve with soy sauce, wasabi, and pickled ginger

The salmon nigiri was even easier. We formed the rice into rectangles and placed a slice of beautiful sushi-grade salmon right on top. That’s it. Don’t need no more. Boom.

Click the photos to enlarge them and read the captions.

And if you want to see the final company-ready version of our sushi adventure, please read The Foodies Get Naked. Plenty of pictures!

Here are the recipes we used:

Sushi Rice – from No Recipes – There are great photos and step by step instructions at this site
Spicy Mayo – from Secrets of Sushi
Pickled Ginger – from Foodie with Family

Tell us about your own sushi making tips, tricks and favorites in the comments.

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The Foodies Get Naked – Part 1

6/27/2016