Sweet Corn Pesto Pasta (Italy and the American South collide!)

One of the great joys of growing up in the South and in a Southern family was that no matter where we might have been geographically,  my father made sure that several activities were a part of us where ever we would go. These included Church going, gardening, and an evening meal together. Because of that we also had several food items nearly always present with us. For instance tomatoes were grown in the house gardens, which we always built when we moved in. Those along with squash and zucchini and a few other random veggies. Summer time always meant tomato and onion sandwiches with mayo and black pepper, corn on the cob, and weeding! I can also remember visiting my uncle's garden where corn came right out of the field and onto the table. It was so tasty.  As a family we enjoyed our corn in a lot of ways during the year in our family from fresh to the creamed stuff in a can. But  to this day sweet summer corn was one of those things that really reminds me of family eating  that only came around in the summer time.

The other part of this pasta story ( which has nothing to do with corn)  is that I am wary of making pasta dishes in general. Yes wary!  Partly because I live in New York City, where one can access amazing or at least really good pasta very easily. And partly that one of my best friends in the entire world Angelo Musco is from Italy. And if you know an Italian, you know how picky they are about their pasta. You see several years ago I met Angelo through a dancer friend of mine here in New York. Well we hit it off quite well and he was voted the new best friend of 2002. And here we are 10 years later and he is still a major influence in my life and one of the most driven, intensely talented people I have ever met. That and one of the most willing to share his view of life and world, especially of food! And when I score with a dish, I get raves from him! You can see his work at his web page if you are interested at,  AngeloMusco.com. It is stark and rich, physical and spiritual, dark and vibrant  full of contrast and ultimately very fully human, which is what speaks to me.

Well Angelo has cooked and exposed my palette to a variety of amazing pasta dishes in the last 10 years. There was mushroom pastas, lemon pasta, spicy red sauces and white sauces, oil sauces even bacon sauces. There were noodles thin and noodles fat and wide. Let's just say it's been an education. But regardless of the sauce or pasta type, they were all super yummy! Which brings me to my issue. If I make pasta for this particular friend it either has to be really good or it has to be something he would never cook! So when I did the bow tie pasta with sundried tomato and black pepper cream sauce entry which you can see at http://cookforrestcook.blogspot.com/2012/02/bow-tie-pasta-with-bacon-sundried.html  I knew I had a winner cause Angelo would never cook this. And it got rave reviews!

So after hearing about a corn based sauce for pasta I was really intrigued. I mean something as Southern as corn in a sauce for pasta could potentially be an awesome thing. So I did a little research and found that this idea for a corn pesto was already out there. Not a lot of recipes but enough to make me think, well maybe I should try this. In fact one of the reasons I tried it was that people compared it to carbonara but a lighter summer version. So I did try it and let me tell you the results were nothing short of delicious. The corn cooks into an amazing sauce which you would swear has cream in it but it is really just the sweet fresh corn pureed down into a silken starchy sauce. So without further adieu I give you Sweet Corn Pasta Pesto. Enjoy ya'll.

   Corn Pesto and Bacon Pasta


  what you need:

• 4 slices thick bacon, cut into lardons
• 4 cups fresh corn kernels from about 6 ears
• 1 large clove garlic, minced
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1/2 cup grated Parmesan
• 1/3 cup pine nuts, toasted
• 1/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil
• 3/4 pound taglietelle, fettucini, or other pasta ( I think bow tie would work well too)
• 3/4 cup slivered basil leaves

            Method:

• 1.   In a large skillet, cook the bacon pieces over medium-low heat until chewy and beginning to crisp and the fat has rendered into the pan, about 10 minutes. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and drain on paper towels.

        Add the corn and garlic to the skillet and toss to coat in the fat. Add a couple pinches of salt and pepper and cook until the corn is just tender, about 5 minutes. Reserve 3/4 cup of corn, then scrape the rest into a food processor. Add the pine nuts and Parmesan and pulse to combine. Add the olive oil with the machine running and blend until almost smooth. Add some of the cooking water right before the pasta finishes cooking and pulse to smooth it.

        In the meantime, bring a pot of salty water to boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Reserve 1 1/2 cups of the pasta cooking water before draining.
  2.    In a large skillet, combine the cooked pasta, corn pesto, reserved corn, most of the basil, and 3/4 of the bacon. Over low heat, toss to combine, adding some of the reserved pasta cooking water until the sauce comes together and coats all the noodles. Season to taste with salt and pepper.
  3.    Divide the pasta among bowls and top with remaining basil, bacon, and freshly grated Parmesan cheese, and pepper if desired. Serve immediately. It's really good!

Pocono Mountain inspired: Kale Salad With Roasted Peanut Dressing, A salad for your summer!!

Kale. It seems to be the new national salad obsession. I mean people a few years ago would never have eaten Kale in the quantities and the manner they eat it now. I mean Kale is a hearty, bitter green with a lot of fiber and a chewy consistency. It's super good for you and can be a great cooked green, but eaten raw seemed a little challenging to me.

Now Kale is not a new green, but American's are very greens challenged in general. I mean spinach seems to be the green that everyone knows. In the south we have the collard, which is cooked down into a pile of goodness with pork fat,salt, vinegar and sugar and served warm with a little spicy kick to them normally. But kale is not as popular nor was it marketed as a grocery staple by Green Giant back in the day, which was how a lot of America got it's veggie knowledge. But now Kale is everywhere. In restaurants in food magazines, in cooking shows in cook books. Kale seems to be the new green. And as such new types of Kale are coming to light. I knew of curly kale but  the italian variety Tuscan or Black Kale with a straighter leaf seems to have come into the spotlight as of late. Although it must be said that California has been growing it a long time now!

Now my first real contact of cooking with kale was actually in a pasta dish which my friend George Moy prepared for me one weekend on a retreat in the Pocono Mountains of Pennsylvania. You see another friend of mine bought a very cute house up in the Pocono Mountains about 2 hours from NYC.  Now weekend getaways are a huge deal when you live in the city. People love to get out and enjoy a little of what suburbanites and country folk know all the time. Namely, nature is amazing and we feel better when we a around it! So this house for several years became my get away. My friend rarely was there and I had free run of the place anytime I wanted. So I took people up for weekend retreats. There were some amazing dinners during those weekends, and food was central to the themes of those weekends. Well that and lots of drinking!

So Kale, well as said George was responsible for one of the meals during a weekend and made a simple  and classic pasta dish with Italian sausage, garlic, onions, kale, red pepper flakes and a touch of cream. SO simple and yet so good! Comfort food at it's best. But  here the curly kale with was cooked down  and was delicious with this mix of ingredients. Again not raw. I really did not encounter a Kale salad again until I had one prepared at work for me by the Chef for a client tasting. Very good salad, with white anchovies and almost a caesar like dressing. However I was still not a fan. Then I was asked to make a kale salad on request and found that it was probably one of the most challenging salads I had made. Why? Well mostly because while it came out nicely it didn't have the look or the taste I was really wanting. I used black kale and white anchovies much like the chef at work but found the salad too bitter and somehow not quite....well good!

However kale salads kept coming up in articles and in recipe blogs. So I decided I should try one again. And again I took my love of green on green salads and a curious taste combo as a starting point and I think it came out a winner. I have said it before but I really love monochromatic foods. I think they pop on a plate and give great eye appeal to whatever they are served with. So that having been said they also have to be interesting looking. Texture and color have to be involved, like with my cole slaw recipe, http://cookforrestcook.blogspot.com/2012/02/greener-version-of-cole-slaw.html, which I have been enjoying this summer a few times so far. My favorite chain restaurant has a Kale salad with a peanut dressing also using cabbage and that was a starting point. The other flavor profile I chose was from a habit of eating parmesan cheese flatbread with peanut butter on them. Now Parmesan Cheese and peanut butter might sound like a strange combo but believe you me it is awesome! So decided to use that as a base for my salad with kale and when it all came together the results were, well kinda spectacular! I also went back to using curly kale, in honor of my first encounter with it in the Poconos, and added in chopped green cabbage for that green on green look I like so much. A few nuts for crunch some parmesan cheese and dressing of roasted peanut oil and wham! You got a good salad!

So here it is folks a salad for your summer, Kale Salad ala Forrest! Enjoy Ya'll!

Kale Salad and Cabbage Salad with Roasted Peanut Vinaigrette
makes 4 good sized portions

For the dressing:

3/4 cup Roasted Peanut oil
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 Tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons black pepper
1 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon dry Mustard powder
1 teaspoon worchestershire sauce
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon water
1 teaspoon garlic powder
3 anchovies filets (optional)

Place in a food processor and mix well till combined.

For the salad:

 2 1/2 cups  curly kale ( not tuscan or black)  stems ribs cut out, leaves chiffonade chopped finely and then cut into three times really shredded ( Kale is tough so you want really fine small pieces but not confetti)
2 cups cups shredded and fine chopped green cabbage
12 mint leaves chiffonade chopped
1/4 of a bunch of fresh cilantro leaves and stems are fine finely chopped
3/4 cup finely chopped dry roasted peanuts no salt
1/2 cup whole dry roasted peanuts
1/2 cup  finely grated parmesan cheese plus 2 tablespoons

Method:

In a large bowl mix all greens with peanuts and cheese
Add dressing till nice and wet
Toss well
Let sit 5 to 10 mins
Serve in individual bowls or onto a large platter.

The Hillstone Hawaiian Rib Eye, the best steak I have ever made!

OK I have finally come to summertime and to the Grill! I love using the BBQ grill like most Americans do. And I am fortunate to have a really nice grill setup on my roof. This given that I live in an apartment building in NYC. Yes, but my roof is really great and we enjoy it as much as possible during the summer months. Especially in the evenings when the sun is out of the middle of the sky and it's nice out. I am just glad that few people in my building take advantage of it! I have grilled all manner of dinners up there including a very sad lamb dinner once! Yikes! Regardless of the options however, when company is coming I almost always choose steak.

Steak is one of America's greatest obsessions. We love steak, we cook steak , we dress up steak ,we grill it, pan sear it, oven broil it, smother it, marinate it, and even fry it! I can tell you that when I was working for the James Beard Pop Up Restaurant last year in 2011, where I managed the front of house, at least 8 of the 10 odd superstar chefs that came through as guest chefs cooked steak. Well that could have had something to do with the fact that Certified Angus Beef was one of the sponsors, but who cares, Steak is good and Americans love it!

My relationship with eating steak out started early on in grade school when my father took us to the first steak dinner I can remember. It was at an naval officer's club and I thought that having steak cooked perfectly medium rare and delivered to your table was pure genius! It wasn't very often however, that we got to indulge in this treat out at a restaurant. So my main memories of steak and actually those of my father cooking a meal centered around the BBQ grill and dinners under the lanai in our back yard. Now you might have noticed that I just said the word "Lanai". Well, that's because it was when we were stationed in Hawaii that my parents stumbled upon the BBQ smoker/cooker of all BBQ smaoker/cookers, the Japanese Kamato Grill. (Hence the word Lanai!)

What is a Kamato? Well it was a clay tower about 4 feet tall and topped with a dome lid that would swing open to reveal the grill. The dome had a round "chimney" like vent with a topper which could be removed to let out the smoke and or heat. It produced a taste that to this day I have found unparalleled in intense BBQ quatlity. it was indeed a smoker which most BBQ's are not and thus lent a really special flavor to meats cooked in it or on it.

The other part of living in Hawaii, and being that it was the 1970's, was that many of the BBQ sauces and marinades of the day had a soy sauce/teriyaki twist to them. It was all the rage! So my memories of my Dad's BBQ sauces and marinades had a sweet pineapple and soy twist to them.
I love this sort of Marinade, the flavor, the aroma, and appreciate it all the more when it is done with excellent execution on all sorts of meats. One taste and I am transported back to that naval housing lanai and backyard. The plumeria trees in full bloom, the tree fort in the backgound and the noise of the neighborhood kids at play on the playground in air. The family is gathered around the picnic table, and my father, mother, grandmother, brother and I are relishing another fine homemade masterpiece of a meal, and laughing and sharing time together. It is a happy and sweet memory sensation indeed!

But where does one find such a place which enlivens the senses and brings back such sense memory occasions. Well you may laugh, but it is at my favorite chain restaurant in NYC. Hillstone ( aka Houston's Restaurant in other parts of the country). And how you any ask? Well it wasn't always my favorite chain restaurant. You see I was introduced to it by my dear friend Liz Solmes. She loved it because of the dark masculine atmosphere with dark wood and dim lighting and excellent service. And the steak! The Hawaiian Rib Eye, the most popular item of the menu in the steak category I have since learned. She told me about this steak and when I tried it, in all it's Polynesian glory, I was hit by the taste memory of BBQ dinners with my Father and family and all those wonder times we shared together. Strange the power of taste and sense memory, right? Who knew that something like that would bring back such delicious and fond memories. Liz and I went there often over the years for the martini's and that steak, Sadly for me now that she is gone form NYC, but fortunately I have other friends who also know and share in the power and allure  of the Hawaiian Rib-eye at Hillstone!

But you know me. I don't want to eat out all the time. I want to cook! So I got the recipe from one of the servers ( at the least the ingredients) and have made up my own version using those tastes as a homage to my Dad and the power of his BBQ. So give it a try, you may have visions of a Lanai , Palm trees and a drink with an umbrella in it before you know it. Me, when I taste it I just remember being young, and having my Dad cook up delicious memories!! Enjoy ya'll!

BTW: Since I published this Hillstone has released their recipe through Bon Appetit Magazine. My recipe is very close to the one they printed. But if you want the one they offer up check it out. The main difference is they make a compound butter with sesame oil and butter and they melt a big dallop on the steak to finish it off while it's resting before serving. Yum, try that at home for sure.

                                             

Forrest's Hawaiian Rib Eye Steak ( Based on Dad and Houston's Hawaiian Rib Eye)

4 ribeyes 1-2 inches thick bone out or in ( prefer out for this)
salt and pepper

For the marinade:
1/3 cup Apple Cider Vinegar
1 1/2  6oz cans pineapple juice
3/4 cup soy sauce ( low sodium )
1/8 cup Worcestershire Sauce
1 Tablespoon Sesame Oil
1/2 cup brown sugar
2 tsps fresh chopped garlic
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp ginger powder
2 tsps Grated Ginger

Season the steaks well on both sides with lots of salt and pepper

Place all ingredients  for the marinade in a sauce pan and heat on low for all the flavors to come together.

Bring mixture up to a boil then turn off the heat and let cool completely

Seal steaks in a ziplock bag with the marinade and let sit in the fridge for at least two up to three entire days. 48 to 72 hours. ( I know commitment right)

When ready to cook let come back to room temp. Season again and then grill steaks over high heat for 2 to 3 mins on each side. (They are so marinated they do not need long on the grill)

Please feel free to leave a comment, I'd love to hear from you.
--2 ribeye steaks

Fork and Knife BBQ Baby Back Ribs So Easy You Won't Believe It!

Ok it's summer and everyone wants to grill grill grill! Well that's what the food industrial complex would have you believe. But sometimes we don't have time to grill or space or even ...a grill. So how can I provide really great bbq to myself and my friends without a grill, well follow this and here we go!

So folks I live in New York City and I live in a nice building. We even had a bbq grill built in on our roof, But there are 420 apartments in my building. So you can imagine that finding time to make food in that space is a little tough and gaining access to the rooftop is not always a sure thing. I mean I don't mind sharing (after all I am from the Sesame Street generation) but sometimes you just want to do it when you want to do it and not wait to share the grill. So this summer I decided that making the most amazing Ribs is the goal I would have, and making them in my apartment was the caveat to that statement.

Now as many of you know I love the food at the Hillstone restaurants, some called Houston's Restaurant in some cities. Houston's BBQ "fork and knife" ribs are probably the best ribs I have ever eaten in a restaurant that does not specialize in BBQ. But I happen to know they cook their ribs via a process using a alto-shaam oven so that would not work for me. Cause I don't own one! What that process does however is cook the meat at 225 degrees for 4 to 6 hours and then at 150 degrees holding for about 8 hours total cooking time. The process is such that it breaks down the collagen in the meat to the point where they are "fork and Knife" tender. Well if you have been reading the blog you will have known that I discovered a shortcut for breaking down the collagen in meat when I made the Short Ribs Recipe earlier in the blog ( See the post ).

So what to do, well lets just use that process which will accomplish the same thing as the alto-shaam and is super easy and clean up is a breeze! HERE'S HOW!

                                  Hillstone's Fork and Knife Ribs

Forrest's Super Easy Best Ever Baby Back BBQ Ribs! ( In three easy steps)

Step one: Take 2 racks of baby back ribs for 3 to 4 people or more (depending on how much they eat). Carefully with a small knife remove the membrane on the back of the ribs or get your butcher to do this.  On wax paper season with garlic powder and black pepper, let sit at room temp for 30 mins. Then place ribs in a deep pan or large tupperware mix the following ingredients for a brine and pour over the ribs till they are covered)

2 cups prune juice
1 cup Hickory ( must be hickory ) BBQ sauce (Kraft makes a good one or if you can get Cattleman's Kansas City brand use it!!!)
1 cup water or more to make sure they are covered by the brine.

Cover and place in the fridge for 8 hours or better yet over night

Step Two: Carefully remove ribs from the brine and place each rack on a large piece of aluminum foil that has been sprayed with cooking spray. Brush generously with additional hickory flavored BBQ sauce until nicely coated. Seal ribs in the foil and place on a baking sheet.

Step Three: Place in a 300 degree oven for 2 hours. Remove from the foil carefully as ribs will be fall apart tender. Then slather with more sauce. Serve immediately!

Or to make ahead just cool the ribs down completely after baking don't unwrap them, and hold in the fridge. When ready, slather them with sauce and re-warm them uncovered in a 250 degree oven until heated through about 45 mins. to one hour. This will also make the sauce that much more thick and sticky ( This is what I like to do when i have time to prepare ahead!) The ribs can be made up to 3 days before and held in the fridge and just reheated when you want to serve them. Slather with extra sauce and serve.

The Magic Pan Bloody Mary!

When I was in college my friend Kai and I got summer jobs working as waiters at the Magic Pan restaurant located in the Tyson's Corner Mall in Mclean,Virginia. The Magic Pan for those of you who don't know was a chain restaurant of some national renown in the 1970's and 80's. In fact to this day many people still remember with fondness the Pan and it's panache both with the food and with the style it was brought to you in. The Pan was so chic that it even had an outpost in NYC right off of 57th street in a space that is now the Jekyll and Hyde Club. ( oh how the mighty have fallen!)

                                                         Magic Pan In NYC c. 1977


Waiting tables at the Pan was a tough job. Busy and crowded it had a loyal customer base and it was in the largest Mall in the area so it had traffic all day and night. It was also a favorite spot during lunch and the late afternoon for the ladies who lunch and their friends and daughters. This group ate salads and soups and drank gallons of white wine and white wine spritzers. Then there was the evening dinner rush of couples and families, mostly with adult children ( the Pan was not known as a kid friendly restaurant), and later in the evening the couples on dates looking for love over a crepe and a glass of champagne! A diverse customer base indeed but the Pan had something for everyone. Brunch on Sunday's was an interesting mealtime crowd. Brunch was a very 1970's thing and the Pan had jumped on that right away. A few egg dishes and the crepes from the lunch menu and you were ready to rumble. Of course what brunch would be complete without an exquisitely prepared Bloody Mary! Here again the Pan did not disappoint. I can remember Randy our bartender batching the bloody mary mix every Sunday. No pre-made stuff here, just the real deal. I have had many a Bloody Mary, in fact I still think the best one I ever had was at the Lobster Pot in Provincetown Mass.. But that not withstanding, the pan made one of the best mixes I have ever had as well. So here it is, the original recipe handed down from Randy at the Pan to me and me to you. Make this next time you have brunch at your house and you will be Pantastik! Enjoy Ya'll!

The Magic Pan Bloody Mary Recipe

                                           Tomato Juice is the Starting point!

In A Gallon Jug:


Add the following:

Salt                                            1 tsp

Celery Salt                                 1 tsp

Black Pepper Course Ground    1 tsp

Garlic Powder                            1/2 tsp
Horseradish                                 2 Tsp

Worcestershire Sauce                 3 oz

Sweet and Sour mix                   6 oz

Then fill to the top with 50% V8 juice and 50% regular tomato juice

Allow to marinate for 24 hours and use within the next 2 days as sour mix will slowly sour the mix.