Baked Sausages with Garlic, Onions and Red Grapes, Easy Outdoor Entertaining Idea

So lets talk Grilling without "Grilling". One of my favorite things to do in the Summertime is to eat outdoors. And my visit to San Diego was a study in inspiration for al fresco dining California style! I mean let's start with the weather. In San Diego it's a little like ground hog day the movie when it comes to the weather. Everyday you wake up and look out the window and say wow it's going to be another beautiful day just like yesterday and the day before that and the day before that, so on and so on!

Californians know how to enjoy the outdoors like no one else. Within a few hours driving time you are in the most amazing places near the cities. High Desert, Low Desert, white sand beach glory, cliffs and crashing waves, or even another country. Hiking, bike riding, running, all sorts of games played in the parks are everywhere. Outside is where it is at. Dining is no exception. I mean almost every place that can have an outdoor space has one. The ones that don't or can't have large windows or doors that open up onto the street and let the outside in! It's inspirational to me as one who loves outdoor dining. One of the best examples of this was a trip to the very famous and old school hotel, the Hotel Coronado. Where we sat outside in comfy padded booths around fire pits with food and drink brought to us. That's a story for another day.

My friends like so many San Diegoan's have an outdoor dining space. So one evening as a repayment for the incredible hospitality I was receiving, I wanted to make dinner for us all and sit outside and relax and enjoy the lovely evening air. However, I did not have time to get something and get it ready to grill and also I wanted the food prep to be less of the evenings activities and more of a means to the end of dining and chatting.

So I used an old Italian farmhouse recipe which over the years I believe has become popular again in cooking magazines and home style literature. Baked Sausages with red grapes. Now this sounds like a pretty easy recipe and it is but I think that with a little work it can go from good to great by adding some elements that are present in al fresco italian cooking mainly adding garlic and onions, grape tomatoes and spices to the mix and roasting everything slowly and over enough time for the garlic and onions to caramelize and the tomaotes and red grapes to plump and even blister and pop a little.

Well it was a great hit on the dinner table that evening and will be on yours too if you want a little outdoor dinning without firing up the grill. The beauty of this is it can be prepared ahead of time and then brought out with some good olive oil, crusty bread and a lovely green salad or a shepherds salad. It can become part of your arsenal for easy entertaining this Summer! Give it a try and see if you don't just love it! Enjoy Ya'll!

Baked Chicken Sausages with Roasted Garlic, Onions, Tomatoes and Red Grapes

Ingredients:

1 package uncooked "Italian Style" sausages ( I used Trader Joes Chicken with Sundried Tomatoes and                Romano Cheese)
15 to 20 cloves of garlic peeled
2 Onions ( any kind) thinly sliced and separated into rings
1 pint grape tomatoes
2 to 3 cups of  red grapes
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup of red wine
1 teaspoon Italian Seasoning
S&P to taste

Method:

Place sausages garlic and onions in a baking dish
Pour the oil over them and toss to coat well
Place the sausages and garlic on the bottom and over with the onions
Place in a 325 degree oven for 20 to 25 mins
Pull out of the oven add the wine tomatoes and the red grapes
Turn the sausages over and rest them on the now wilted onions and garlic
Sprinkle the sausages with the seasoning
Return to oven and bake for another 20 to30 mins. or until the sausages are browned and roasted and the tomatoes and grapes are popped.
Remove platter up and enjoy!

San Diego Farmers Market: Chicory Salad with Mushrooms, Asparagus and Radishes in a Black Truffle Lemon Vinaigrette

I feel like telling everyone about this salad for the Spring and even the Summer. It's my new favorite salad and it's a total accident that I made it. It was an attempt at using up all the wonderful fresh vegetables and salad greens that were on hand in the fridge the night I was asked to make a salad for Pizza night.

San Diego has wonderful local farms like most of California. In fact the produce is so fresh and wonderful it's no wonder that salads as a meal became a thing in California. So the CSA that my friends belong to drops off a box of veggies every Friday on the doorstep! I mean gorgeous stuff. Leeks the size of your head. Garlic chives, lettuces and greens, mushrooms and root veggies in variety and quality so fresh it's amazing! I cooked two meals while I was out there and each time had use of this wonderful produce.

So one evening, actually my last, we decided to make a salad to go along with the Pizza that we were getting from a wonderful local place known as the Hut. Yes funny! But really local fresh and delicious. So for the salad I opened the fridge and found the following ingredients. Giant white mushrooms, fresh asparagus, chicory, and red and black radishes. I loved these ingredients because they played off the earthy flavors of some and the spicy almost picante flavors of others. They created contrast and visual interest. Layers of green with soft white and brilliant red and deep black accents. I also found for the dressing lemons, california slivered roasted almonds and some wonderful walnut and Black Truffle oils. So armed with these few ingredients I made a salad that even with out any dairy ( and you know how I love cheese ) was so wonderful! I know that cause the entire bowl disappeared. That and the pizza!

Of course I can't leave out the setting for this meal. Tom and George have a pool and a table out back on a lovely concrete lanai. As well as a little sitting area and fire pit. How wonderful it was to eat great food and share great drink around such an amazing table with built in mood lighting and flickering candles and then relax around a a fire in the cool dry evening air later on. Heaven!

So here's the recipe for the salad. Enjoy it this spring when the asparagus is at it's peak and all summer while available. The colors of the veggies and sharpness of the flavors with the rich oils contrast wonderfully.  While I know it's not really original, it is delicious! And that's really the only kind of food I want to cook. You know the kind people want to eat! Enjoy Ya'll!!

Chicory Salad with Mushrooms, Asparagus and Radishes in a Black Truffle Lemon Vinaigrette

For the Salad:

2 small heads of Chicory cut into 1/4 inch chiffonade whole head chopped down to the stems
1 1/2 pounds large white mushrooms sliced
2 small bunches asparagus cooked on high in the microwave for about 5 to 7 mins each or blanched for 8 mins stove top and shocked in cold water with ice ( either method requires cold water to stop the cooking process) Then cut into 1 to 11/2 inch pieces
1 bunch of red radishes thinly sliced
2 black radishes thinly sliced ( I used a mandoline)
1/3 cup slivered roasted almonds reserve about 2 tablespoons for garnish

For Dressing:

1/4 cup Walnut oil
3 to 4 tablespoons to taste of  fresh Black truffle oil ( note* if you like truffle flavor use white truffle oil it is MUCH stronger)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
3 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1 1/2 Tablespoons Dijon Mustard
3/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper

Mix well till combined

To Serve: 

In a large bowl combine all ingredients
Add dressing and season with more salt and pepper to your taste and toss
I add a little cracked pepper on top as a garnish and sprinkle the top with remaining almonds.

Breakfast Pot Pie a New Twist on Biscuits and Gravy

So my first entry about some of the exciting and fun foods that I saw and tasted in San Diego will start with this dish Breakfast Pot Pie. And why not, it's the first meal of the day so it's just seems fitting to start with it.

Now I LOVE biscuits and gravy. And as many who have had mine will tell you, I make a mean version. However, while in San Diego my friends Tom and George with whom I was staying took me out to one of their favorite places for breakfast and brunch. Snooze, the place is called, and is an interesting concept restaurant based in Denver that focuses on only Breakfast and Brunch foods and drinks served in a casual, yet very cool environment. We went twice to this place and each time we did it was packed and the wait was at least 40 minutes. I mean that's a buzz and success that most places ( including the not very busy one's surrounding Snooze) want to have.

Now let's be clear these people did not reinvent the wheel when it comes to breakfast foods, and in fact while the menu is interesting it does not step much out of the box in terms of foods that one would traditionally expect to find on a menu like this. It's more the manner in which the dishes are presented or the way that flavors are layered to give the overall dish a really great flavor effect. I mean let's face it there are only so many ways to fix eggs and pancakes but what you put on them or in them can take them from "Ordinary" to "Eggtraordinary", sorry couldn't resist that!

So to this dish. Now I have a real love for creamy delicious gravy based foods. Nope not apologizing! So when I saw this on the menu I knew I had to try it. Basically it's a portion of hash browned potatoes with a puff pasty raft tilted on it covered in a cream gravy flavored with sausage and rosemary and bits of carrots, celery, leeks and onion floating in it, topped with a sunny side up egg. Yum!

So while this seems and looks kinda complicated it is so not and if you want to impress your friends and family one morning with a breakfast or brunch dish that is different and delish this would be one to try. So here's the recipe as nearly as I can figure it. Enjoy ya'll!

Breakfast Pot Pie ala Snooze in San Diego

First thing you need is the gravy (makes about four cups)

For the Sausage Gravy:

Heat up 1 quart whole milk 

2 cloves minced garlic
2 leeks, cleaned and chopped (discarding leaves)
2 celery stalks (chopped)
1 sprig of rosemary (finely chopped)
1 lb. bulk breakfast sausage (browned and drained)
3 Tbs. unsalted butter
½ c parmesan cheese (grated)
½ c all purpose flour
Salt and pepper to taste 

Melt butter in a large heavy bottomed pot (Dutch oven or stock pot) over medium heat. Add leeks, carrots, celery, garlic, and rosemary and sauté until vegetables soften (about 10 min.). Stir in flour and continue to cook until the flour is well incorporated. At this point, stir in the cooked sausage, milk and parmesan cheese. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and allow to simmer (stirring occasionally) until the gravy thickens (about 10-15 min.). Season with salt and pepper to taste. 

For the Hash Browned Potatoes: 

Saute an onion in a good amount of oil and add 1 bag thawed shredded hash brown potatoes to the pan stir and cook then let the bottom brown to golden. Using a ring mold cut the potatoes into circles and using a spatula place on the plate.

For the Pastry: 

1 Sheet puff pastry rolled out to 1/4 of inch and then cut into 4 by 6 inch squares brush with egg wash place on a baking sheet and bake at 400 degrees till puffed and slightly browned. 

To assemble: 

Place a scoop or shaped round of hash browns on the plate, cook eggs sunny side up and place a pasty puff on each plate divide the gravy and top with the egg and garnish with a little paprika, Enjoy Ya'll! 

San Diego and My Culinary Vacation There

San Diego is an amazing city. If you have never been there it's quite the place. The weather is perfect, the geography is perfect, the location is perfect, it's in a word, amazing. People who live there enjoy a fantastic food scene as well and on my latest vacation I became aware of exactly what that meant!

I mean we could start by talking about all the amazing Mexican food I had there. Or we could talk about the the micro brew and pub food scene. Or the Asian Fusion or the seafood or the steaks or dining outside in the evenings with no humidity and no bugs! Yes we could talk about all those things and more and in the next few blogs I will be cooking up some of the dishes that I had there as well as bringing you some San Diego inspired recipes. So hold on that's all next on the blog. Sorry I have been absent but catching up is hard to do after a vacation! See you all thins next week! 

Purple Parmesan Mashed Potatoes, Easter Colors and the Pocono Mountain House DInner

The Pocono mountains are beautiful in the early spring when the weather warms and kisses the trees with bright green buds of spring. And the world slowly wakes from it's winter slumber and life feels lighter and more alive. This is the season of Easter and as Easter is a celebration of the rising from death to life again so the Spring reminds us as a metaphor for the message of Easter that renewal brings fresh things to life and that new opportunity awaits us.

Several years back my very talented and dear friend Tony Parise bought a home in the Poconos and we would go up to visit it and spend long wonderful weekends cooking, eating, drinking, talking, telling stories, and generally having a relaxed wonderful time. Both of us were at a place in our individual lives where a little renewal was in order. And wonderful dinners and cocktails on the long summer evenings, seated al fresco on the deck beneath a blanket of twinkle lights and candles, seemed to be some of the best therapy we could have asked for.

I have great memories of those weekends. Long talks and long walks through the woods and around the lake. Trips to Bushkill falls, antique shops and outlet shopping. We would always cook up delicious meals and we even celebrated several holidays there as well. One such holiday meals I remember was an Easter dinner that was as colorful as it was delicious. Tony was quite the food stylist and meals with him had to look as good as they tasted. So it was with this easter dinner.

On the menu were amongst other things a roasted ham, purple mashed potatoes, buttered carrot coins , spring peas, onions and sauteed lettuces, and a yellow squash casserole. The ham was an incredible thing but it was the side dishes with all the colors of easter right on the table that took the spotlight. Each of these dishes were really easy to prepare and came together for our easter meal.

Now as I have stated before I LOVE mashed potatoes! They are simply some of the best things you could put in your mouth. I had never seen blue or purple potatoes before I lived in NYC. I understand you can get them many places now but they instantly became fascinating to me. I loved the color and the nutty flavors. Very interesting indeed. This recipe could not be easier. It's a bit of a play on potato salad but come out delish when made this way. I simple mash the potatoes with butter, blend in some milk and some white potato instant flakes to lighten the color and give them more depth of flavor. Then I add Parmesan cheese which pairs well with the nutty flavor of the potatoes and a bit of mayonaise to give them that extra silken touch and luscious mouth feel. Chopped chives add color and a slight oniony backdrop. All in all delish! If you want a different potato dish for your dinner this is the one to try! Goes well with Ham or the Bird or the Beef or the Lamb. So you can't lose! Enjoy Ya'll!

Purple Parmesan Mashed Potatoes
serves 4

2 to 3  lbs purple or Peruvian Potatoes
1/2 cup potato flakes instant
1 cup warm milk
4 tablespoons Butter
2 tablespoons mayo
1 cup grated Parmesan
1 small bunch chives finely chopped

Skin and Slice potatoes into pieces
Boil in a large pot of water about 20 to 30 mins until fork tender, drain well reserve warm
Next add flakes to potaotes and add butter and milk mash together and stir till well combined adding water if the flakes need more liquid till smooth and creamy
Add cheese and mayo and stir should tighten up but if too loose add more flakes if to tight add water.
Add chives and stir reserving a few for garnish
Place in a serving bowl and serve right away while hot or reserve and reheat.
Garnish with chives and serve enjoy!

Midwinter English Tale or Driving on the Wrong Side of the Road and Chicken Leek Pot Pie

Right after I graduated from college or University as they like to say in England, I had no clue what the heck I was going to do with my life. I had studied a mishmash of subjects finally earning a BBA in International Business Studies with three minors. Economics, German, and Music. Very confused was I. I also had never had a job outside of food service really and was so uncertain about what I wanted to be when I grew up I was on the brink of despair.

My father asked me what I wanted to do and I think out of confusion and desperation  and not to feel to like a complete loser I declared "I want to go to Europe again and this time have a job". The first time I went was during school, and I had been in Switzerland. This time I wanted to go to the Vaterland! So my father being the man he was called up a business associate with a management consulting company and asked if he could arrange an internship for me with their German office. The guy asked what can your son do, I think my father said nothing really he just graduated! Anyway I got my chance to go to Europe. What was supposed to be a Summer internship turned into 18 months of living and working in Germany as the assistant to one of the firms Principles, who was British. And being that he was a Brit he had several clients that were in England and thus I was sent a number of times to London on errands for the company. On one such trip I was invited by one of the fellows in our office in London to spend a weekend out where he and his wife had a lovely country home. There was just one hitch. I would have to drive myself out to their house. No big deal I said. I could drive in England I told myself and so off from the rental place I went at Heathrow airport map in hand and I must say that I did fine getting out of London and onto the M5 which is the big highway to the north. Now they lived about an hour and a half or so outside of London and all was well until it got dark and I needed to make a pitstop!

So I get off the highway and I find a service station and a WC. it's now gotten quite dark and there are not lots of lights or signs. I am in the country. I get back in my car find the freeway entrance and am back on my way. All of a sudden a car comes at me in the lane next to me. Flashing it's lights and honking. Then another and then another. Now at first I thought that's strange. Then I look over and there are cars in another two lanes across the median going the same direction I am. Suddenly I am overcome with a sinking feeling. Then a touch of terror as another car blows by me flashing it's lights and honking! Then it hits me! I AM IN THE WRONG LANE GOING THE WRONG WAY ON THE WRONG SIDE OF THE MOTORWAY!!!

I quickly see an upcoming exit ramp! Well not exactly it's an on ramp but I have little choice it's dark and empty and I take it off the highway just as I encounter another car. I reach the top of the ramp and pull over heart pounding and adrenaline rushing! I get out of the car and survey where I am and locate the on ramp for the correct side of the highway. I get back on the road and make it to my destination unharmed but wow was that scary!

So I finally arrive at my destination. I am enthralled. It's a farmhouse from the 1500's which this couple  had gutted and completely redone. Tudor style exposed wood beams and clapboard floors redone and white thatched walls are amongst the hallmarks of the home. The Modern blended seamlessly with the Old making it very warm and inviting. A large fireplace you could look through dominated the center of the house separating the living room from the dining room. A roaring fire and some good wine greeted me along with tangy english cheese and crackers. I did not mention my driving debacle to my hosts. I did not want to upset them. But that night in the deep damp English winter I feasted on watercress salad with roasted carrots and goat cheese and chicken and leek pot pie and a port poached pear for dessert. Not a bad meal to end a stressful trip I must say, for a Yankee Kid that almost crashed on the M5 motorway.

It may have been there I fell in love with Pot pie. I never really grew up with them. Casseroles I knew from  but not the crusty pot pie! I really enjoyed it! So many years later as I was thinking about what to make for some dear people I know who were coming over for dinner I recalled this pot pie and this story of how I first had this dish. And since I have been on a potpie kick this winter I thought i would try and recreate it!

I made up a recipe based on the fact that one of the guests was lactose intolerant. So it had no dairy in it. Yeah me cooking with no dairy go figure! It came out wonderfully and hearty and tasty so I thought I would pass it on to you all. It will be the last pot pie entry I fear for another year till the winter comes upon us again. But on the doorstep of Spring I will give this one to you! Enjoy Ya'll!!!

Forrest's Chicken, Leek and Mushroom Pot Pie with Tarragon and Dijon. 

12 oz of cooked chicken breast cut into large dice
4 leeks cleaned and chopped into discs
3 cloves of garlic minced
8 oz of sliced bella mushrooms
1/2 cup green peas
4 tablespoons olive oil
4 heaping tablespoons of flour
4 cups chicken stock
2 shallots minced
1 clove garlic minced
4 tablespoons brandy
2 pie crusts
2 tablespoons dried tarragon
2 tablespoons fresh thyme finely chopped
2 tablespoons Dijon
2 good shakes of Worcestershire sauce

Place leeks and mushroom in a pan with a little oil and slowly saute till soft but not mushy
Add 1 garlic clove
1 tablespoon thyme and season with S&P

In another pot heat 4 tablespoons olive oil add shallots and let cook for a minute then garlic.
Add flour and cook stirring for about 2 mins till flour has cooked out the raw flavor.
with a whisk add the stock slowly till thickened and well combined add the mustard.
Add tarragon and the rest of the thyme and season well with salt and pepper.
Add the chicken and the leeks and mushrooms combine turn off heat add brandy and peas and taste for seasoning.
Pour into 4 pot pie dishes and cover each with pie crust, cutting holes with a knife or fork to let the steam escape crimp the edges with a fork if you want and use extra dough as decor on top.
Preheat oven to 400.
Bake for 25 to thirty minutes or until the crust is browned and golden!
Allow to cool slightly and serve!

The Magic Pan Crepes Cordon Bleu and the Summer of Fun

So one of the greatest summers I ever had as a college student was spent working at the Magic Pan restaurant. The Magic Pan was the upscale San Francisco based eatery which had spread out as a national chain in the 1970's and 80's and capitalized on the crepe craze which was evocative of the 1970's fascination with new and trendy foods from Europe and other world cuisines.

Each location was different and had a unique look. But the one staple as well as the one thing that was most memorable was the giant spinning wheel of gas jets over which rotated specially constructed upside down saute pans dipped in crepe batter cooking hundreds of crepes and later in the chains life also serving as a cooking platform for "sauteed" Entrees such as chicken marsala and sesame chicken.

My best friend from high school and I Kai Larsen got jobs there our junior year of college and had a blast working, making really great money and also playing at the beach and all over northern Virginia. It was a summer of fun.

Of course a great deal of it was taken up with the work part. But we didn't mind because the crew we were a part of was awesome. We were 2 of 5 summer employees at the Pan. The rest were all full timers. They were so because for a restaurant job the Pan was a very lucrative place to work. Full all the time it was the favorite of the boozy ladies who lunch of Northern Virginia and young turks taking their dates out on the town for an impressive meal. Families and single ladies in groups all favored the Pan. Quite upscale for the time it had a "She She Fa Fa" reputation for being the place to be. Well that was while the food trends lasted and more and newer competitors were not sucking the customer base away. Which was the end of the Pan.

But this was the 80's and the Pan was still flying high. So for a cash job it was excellent as a student. I loved that summer and really have to say it was the most fun I ever had in a service job.

Now the food at the Pan was awesome I have to say. All freshly made nothing from a central commissary. And while some things were later out a can they were at least prepped on site. That's what eventually was the cost downfall of the chain and it's too bad. Regardless, the food was great. And that's what counts.

There were many favorites but today I will share with you the Pan's signature dish and one of the most popular on it's Menu. The Condon Bleu crepes were the epitome of how creative the chefs were at the Pan. They were basically a deep fried set of crepes filled with Ham Tuckey and Swiss cheese as well as a special herb cheese filling which was the secret to the dish. It was then topped by a mushroom béchamel . In short it was delish! Many would like to know the secret to this recipe and I actually have it from the old kitchen manual from the Pan. And so I share it with you, hope if you get adventurous you will try to make these cause I promise they are great!

Serve this up at your next dinner party and watch them swoon! Enjoy ya'll!

CREPES CORDON BLUE
makes 4 servings You will need:

10 crepes (8 crepes plus 2 extra in case of tearing)

8 oz shaved ham or ham ground in the food processor
8 oz shaved Turkey
8 slices of swiss cheese
Herb Cheese recipe follows
1 eggs whipped for egg wash
1 1/2 cups breadcrumbs seasoned with a little salt

Fill 8 crepes with Swiss cheese, shaved ham, shaved turkey and a small scoop of the French herb cream cheese. Fold into a square using the egg wash on edges to hold it together. Brush on the egg wash all over and coat with bread crumbs. 

There you have your Crepes Cordon Bleu. This is deep fried and served on a small oval covered with some sauce on a lettuce leaf with an orange twist/parsley bouquet. The sauce is a béchamel sauce with mushrooms.

FRENCH HERB CREAM CHEESE

1⁄2 lb Cream Cheese 1⁄4 lb Margarine (yes Margarine)  5 parts Garlic Puree 3 parts Thyme

2 parts Marjoram 4 parts Dill

Béchamel Sauce (butter, flour, milk, chives) Make standard roux cooking butter and flour add milk and whisk till thick add cooked mushrooms and chives

Enjoy!

Regional Actors, Murffaritas the Best and Easiest Margarita On the Planet a Recipe from the Seaside Music Theater Days

Now I hope I haven't bored you with stories about my times at Seaside Music Theatre. Because there is a lot of inspiration that came from those days down on the Florida east coast. In Daytona Beach, doing shows summer after summer in the Floridian sunshine.

The best thing about working at Seaside was the people. I have to say that if I went through a roster of actors that have been on Broadway in the last 10 years it would include quite a few of the people that I  worked with on the stage at Seaside. The people there were not just talented but they were amazing human beings. Many of them I still call friends to this day.

I mean the thing about being a working actor in the 90's was there were a lot of venues to ply one's trade. That is compared with today. I mean since the recession in 2008 so many regional theaters went belly up. They just went bankrupt. And now they are gone.

Now this not only affected the acting community but the overall landscape of cultural outlets in this country. Fortunately there are small theaters popping up all over the place. Some legitimate Equity theaters some non-equity and some just homegrown community theaters. Regardless there are people making art still even in these cash strained times. Sometimes it's amazing art at that!

Speaking of actors many amazingly talented people work outside the shadow of the Broadway community. And I did not mean to infer in my comments above that only the talented are on Broadway. Actually I was never on Broadway and some considered me pretty talented, including Cameron Mcintosh, the world's most famous theatrical producer, For whom I played Fagin on the road.

These regional actors make their livings on the stage, not in a coffee shop or restaurant waiting for the next gig. They working in smaller theaters all over the place. And sometimes have way more longevity working in the regional markets than people do in a Broadway career. Plus their quality of life is better. They own houses and condos in cities all over. They have cars and have material lives that many who struggle in NYC or even make it in NYC will never have. It's a choice. A choice one makes, not out of fear of the big city, but out of wanting to have something they may never have in New York, a certain quality of life. The city is a hard place and not one to be taken lightly.

I could name many brilliant regional actors I know of but one certain special lady comes to mind today. Elizabeth Murff is somewhat of a legend in the southern regional theater world. Not only is she one of the most powerful fearless performers I know and have worked with, but girl can party! Murff was always one for a good time and she wasn't shy about it. So this recipe is a legacy of my having worked with her multiple years at Seaside. It's a simple yet deadly drink that will definitely but the PA in your party and the party in your pants if you are not careful! They are called murffaritas in honor of herself. Easy, old school and delicious.

So whip some up tonight and get ready for a good time. They are amazing in the summer heat but really good anytime. I just made some and well....it's a party already in here! Enjoy Ya'll!

Murffaritas ( Margaritas Southern Sister)

you will need

Tequila
Frozen cans of Lemonade or Limeade Concentrate from the freezer section of the store
Ice
Limes

Here's what you do:

In a blender...

Empty the can of lime or lemonade into the blender
Fill the can with Tequila
Pour it into the blender
Fill the Blender with ice to the top
Hit the button and Whirl till creamy
Drink with a slice of lime
You can salt the rim of the glass if you want to.
Enjoy....responsibly!

I am not kidding these are awesome!!!

Hawaii and A Japanese Steakhouse Tradition and How Benihana's Chicken Fried Rice Kept the Tradition Going

When I was in 2nd through 5th grade we lived in Hawaii. My father was a naval officer and we got stationed at Camp Smith in the Pearl Harbor area of the island of Oahu. It was a total cultural change for us as a family. At the center of this culture shock was a new wave of foods that while we were living there became a part and parcel of our family dinner table and were carried on with us wherever we traveled on from Hawaii as a family and to some extend as individuals.

There were really four parts to this cultural awakening for us. First was the multitude of cultures that we encountered. No better place to find this out than in our church in Hawaii. Pearl City United Methodist church. We were a mixed family of protestant backgrounds and Catholic undertones so in Hawaii my parents decided upon this congregation as they had a really excellent mix of military folks and locals as well as a strong sunday school program for my brother and myself. My parents came into their own as believers in this church and it shaped many of my brother's and mine experiences in faith for years to come. It was also here in this church that the term "pot luck supper" took on a new and exciting meaning. With a congregation representing over 60 different nationalities and cultural back grounds we had some amazing church suppers. And the spirit of fellowship that those meals created in the congregation was a lovely thing. It was here that the concept of food and fellowship first made sense to me.

The second was the military presence in Hawaii and it's impact on the economy, especially our families economy. We lived for the first time in military housing which was a big change for us. Shopping at the commissary and exchange and living only little off the local economy. Especially because of how expensive everything was on the local economy.
But this also gave rise to our use of such things as the Officer Club dining rooms ( scene of some amazing meals). As well as recreational activities we would have otherwise not have had access to. I like to joke that my mother taught my brother and me all the country club sports there are. Tennis, golf, swimming, horseback riding and diving were all explored because of the plethora of options available to us on the bases there. I also like to joke that she taught me and my brother how to bowl and play pool. Doing so in the enlisted mens clubs and getting no short supply of looks from the young men recreating around us! After all she was a stunner!

The third was the incredible diverse activities we could partake of in Hawaii from snorkeling to climbing the steps of the largest Buddhist and Shinto Temples. Camping, enjoying historical gardens sites and even tea houses from the time of Robert Louis Stevenson. Who was the author of some of my favorite books as a boy.  There were forts and palaces from the time of the Hawaiian Royalty and Asian fish and food markets which held untold treasures in dinning yet undiscovered!

The last was the Island itself which presented a natural setting for everyday life that was unparalleled in my way of thinking. One of the most truly beautiful settings imaginable. And it was the 1970's so it was still not as developed as today. In short it was for a young kid a perfect place to be growing up. Summer all the time, long play days and a never ending string of discoveries that kept life exciting and interesting. From school and interacting with kids of all backgrounds to the endless canvas of imagination that led us on adventure after adventure being cowboys or knights or explorers. Being a kid there was a grand thing.

Amongst the many food experiences we had in Hawaii, none became more of a tradition that the Japanese Steakhouse. Teppanyaki or the Japanese Steakhouse cooking method is the showy cooking used as a showcase at a grill in front of the customers. It was first experienced by us as a family in Hawaii.  It was quite a show and we loved the fun and flair it provided the meal. In fact, when we returned to the main land in Virginia, we sought out a Japanese Steakhouse for special occasions. And I can remember going every year on my birthday after we returned to Charleston. It was a special and singular reminder of the sweet, gentle, growing time we all had in Hawaii. As a child it was wonderful. I sometime contemplate how it must have been for my folks as adults, and what I would have seen as an adult that I missed out on as a kid. But alas that time is gone forever and even if I went back now it would not be the same.

SO...As an adult traveling the country I have enjoy reliving all of this by going to the Benihana Chain. While on my last Musical Theater tour I hit every Benihana in every city we went to. And that meant a lot of them! And every time I go I feel like am transported back to that first Japanese Steakhouse experience. The adult man in me fades and  I am suddenly again the 7 year old little boy I was then. Smiles and eyes popping at the pomp and showmanship of the chef preparing the meal. There aren't many places that can do that to me but Benihana does it every time.
But it's not just the meal, it's the fact that like that first time, I am usually with people, I love having a wonderful time and sharing food that is just fun, festive and yummy.

So aside from the steak and chicken and lobster, ( Ha Lobster!!) one of things I love at Benihana is the chicken fried rice. In fact I am not a fan of fried rice generally, but this is special stuff let me tell you! So I thought I would recreate it at home. As well my favorite sauce that i like to smother the rice with. So that's my story and  here is my take on this dish from Benihana, hope you enjoy it Ya'll!

Benihana Chicken Fried Rice

Ingredients: 
(Serves 2)
2 ounces cooked chicken
8 ounces steamed rice
2 eggs
2 tablespoons onion, chopped
2 tablespoons carrot, chopped
2 tablespoons green onion, chopped
2 tablespoons green peas
1 teaspoon sesame seed
3 tablespoons butter
1 to 2 tablespoon safflower oil ( or other cooking oil)
3 teaspoons soy sauce ( or more)
6 pinches pepper
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tsp fresh grated ginger
Sesame seeds
Salt to taste


Method:
In a wok or large pan :
Heat chicken quickly in a pan with a little oil reserve
Scramble eggs till very soft reserve and chop after cooking.
Saute chopped onion, green onion, seasoning and carrots in the oil until done and mix with chopped scrambled egg and chicken.
Break off chunks of steamed rice and mix with vegetable, egg and chicken.
Add sesame seed, minced garlic, ginger, salt and pepper, stirring well.
Add butter and soy sauce into the mixture, stirring well until done.
Enjoy Ya'll!
.

40th Birthday Mushroom Lasagna, Mushroom and Artichoke Lasagna with Cauliflower Bechamel Sauce

When my friend Angelo Musco decided to throw a 40th birthday party for himself with 30 guests coming for dinner I was unsure if that was a good idea. I mean who wants to work on your own special evening. I was even more uncertain when he decided he wanted to serve Lasagna. Well, I have to say, I could not have been any more wrong. I was worried that serving lasagna not in individual portions and vessels was going to be a mess. But the expense of buying those was too much. So he decided to just cut up lasagna and serve it. I was worried that it would be a runny mess but it worked out fine and was darn tasty at that.

I mean I have made a lot of lasagna over the years. Church dinners, friends or family gatherings or just for dinner one night. It is an effort but easy for a party and allows you to not be in the kitchen at all while the party is going on. My Mother and Grandmother both made lasagna every now and then. It was never an easy process. Boil the noodles, strain them, hold them. Make the sauce, assemble the lasagna and then bake it. And of course they made lasagna the good old Betty Crocker 1950's cookbook way with cottage cheese and ground beef in some kind of red sauce. Served up with garlic bread a green salad and Kraft parmesan cheese from the green can it was good. Well it was good for what it was.

It was not until I was 20 and had returned from my first stint of living in Europe that my Mother and Grandmother learned how to make "real" Italian lasagna. A friend of mine, a lovely young lady by the name of Arrianna, from southern Switzerland ( which is Italian) came to visit. She not only taught us how to make pasta by hand but also how to make proper lasagna. It was quite revelatory. In fact it was such a hit I don't think we ever made lasagna the same way again. Now my Father really loved Arrianna, all 5 foot 8, "Sophia Lorenesque" of her, but he really loved her lasagna!

So like a good Italian son, when Angelo made lasagna for the party he made his mother's recipe for meat lasagna, and another recipe for a mushroom lasagna for the vegetarians at the party. Everyone wanted to try try both though, they were excellent. And served just warm they were not the runny mess all over the plate I was worried they would be. In fact they were super yummy.

So I decided that for my colleague Melissa's farewell dinner from our company, I would make mushroom lasagna. I love it and I love how great a winter dish it can be. We have been having really cold weather in NYC this year and creamy, rich, gooey, cheesy, lasagna just seemed right. Plus she is a foodie, loves pasta, and loves when I cook pasta. So it was decided that was what was the menu.

But I did not want to just recreate other peoples mushroom lasagnas. I wanted to make it my own or at least somewhat my own ( given that there are no new things under the sun as I have said before!). I asked Angelo for his recipe and also looked around online and in my cookbooks. I took those as starting points. Then I set out to add in three elements to my recipe that would make the lasagna more interesting. First I decided to add  marinated artichokes. Mostly because I had them, but also because I love mushrooms and artichokes together. Secondly I decided to make the bechamel sauce with mashed cauliflower in it to add another subtle layer of flavor to the dish. Thirdly, I decided to use two very strong herbs to flavor both the sauce and the mushrooms adding another element of flavor to the dish. I stayed with traditional cheeses, ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan. A touch a garlic some sauteed red onion and the dish was there. In fact is came spectacular. Truly!

So next time you want to take a little effort and make a lasagna that will make you a rock star with your family or friends, make this! Trust me even the Italians will love it! Enjoy Ya'll!

Forrest's Mushroom and Artichoke Lasagna with Cauliflower Bechamel Sauce

Ingredients:
Makes 4 individual lasagnas or one 9 by 9 pan or lasagna

1 box non cook lasagna noodles ( home style flat not with curly edges)
1 1/2 pounds baby bella mushrooms sliced
1 medium red onion diced fairly good sized pieces
fresh rosemary
dried thyme
garlic powder
1 teaspoon of dried porcini mushroom powder if you have it.
1 pound cauliflower florets boiled in salted water drained well and mashed
10 oz shredded mozzarella cheese
1 cup grated parmesan cheese
8 oz ricotta full fat cheese
1 8oz jar marinated artichoke hearts
7 tablespoon each butter and flour
2/1/2 cups whole milk
1 cup white wine
salt and pepper
grated nutmeg
olive oil for cooking

Method:

In a saute pan heat 1 couple of tablespoon of oil. Cook onion till just soft add mushrooms and 1 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper. 1 teaspoon dried thyme and 1 tablespoon fresh chopped rosemary and 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder, cook till soft then add 1/4 cup white wine and cook till absorbed more or less. remove from heat. Drain liquid and reserve.
In a pot melt butter and add flour cook 3 mins or until the flour pulls away with a spoon. slowly wisk in the milk and the remaining white wine. cook over med high heat till sauce thickens. add 1/2 cup parmesan cheese the mashed cauliflower and the mushroom liquid. Add 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, 2 teaspoons fresh chopped rosemary,  a teaspoon of dried porcini mushroom powder if you have it, and a shake or two of nutmeg. Season well with salt and pepper, then turn off heat and let cool. Taste for seasoning.
In a bowl mash the drained artichokes with the ricotta and the parmesan cheeses mix in 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder.


To assemble

Place some bechamel on the bottom place noodles on then layer 3 times the ricotta, the mushrooms and some mozzarella and then more bechamel. When done top with the last noodles top those with the remaining bechamel and sprinkle with dried thyme some rosemary leaves and some hot paprika or red pepper.

Cover with foil and hold till ready to bake in the fridge. Allow to come to RT before baking.
Heat oven to 375 and bake covered for 35 mins the uncovered for 20 more mins till browning and bubbling.

Allow to sit for 15 mins then serve. Enjoy Ya'll!
  

New American Cooking: Southern Twist on Mexican Guacamole and Queso Dip,

Mexican food is for me one of the most enjoyable ethnic cuisines that are out there. I mean lets face it, what other ethnic food is more represented than Mexican in our popular culture. Well actually Italian food is still the number one ethnic food in the US in popularity, but Mexican is a comer, and coming up fast.

Now when I first encountered queso dip it was actually in a restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia. Rio Bravo was that restaurant. It was a chain I found out later but who cares. The fresh hot pressed flour tortillas that came out with the bubbling hot cheese dip called "queso" was one of the moments that I had a food revelation. I mean lets face it if it has cheese in it and it's melty I am never going to hate it. But this was fun and tasty.

Years have passed since that first queso experience. And my love for it has not dimmed. During one summer at Seaside Music Theatre, my Liz introduced me to making homemade queso the white trash way with Rotell Tomatoes and Velveta Cheese and Hormel chili no beans! Oh yeah with frito dippers it was good.

Guacamole is a little more of a staple in my culinary memory. I can remember my mother and grandmother making guacamole for many a "Mexican night" in our home kitchen. But the best guacamole I ever had was while spending time in the Pocono Mountains with my friend and director Tony Parise. He made a delicious take on guacamole which was really more of a dip using good old sour cream as an ingredient to add velvety richness to the guacamole.  I also had a guacamole prepared by my friend Fred Tessler ( of the Denver Tessler's) which was from his favorite mexican restaurant in the country, the Pink Adobe Restaurant in Santa Fe, New Mexico, which has mayo in it taking the creamy factor over the top.

So what is my take on these classic dishes that would make them remotely interesting you may ask. Well for one thing I decided that queso does not have to be served hot. In fact I decided to make mine as a homage to my favorite Southern cheese preparation Pimento Cheese Dip! Substituting in ingredients which would make it have a Mexican flair and flavor profile. And as far as the guacomole is concerned I thought I'd change up it's flavor profile a little for one reason. That reason is too often the guacamole flavor gets lost in a sea of similar spices and flavors in a big plate of Mexican food. So I thought what could I add that would really make it stand out. Well I took my cue from one of my favorite secret ingredients in many of my other dishes, Pickle juice. Yes Dill pickle juice and relish to change the taste just enough that it stands out and up against the chili and cumin flavors that are so pervasive in the Mexican Kitchen.

So while Rick Bayless may cringe, here are my takes on these two classic Mexican dishes, Enjoy Ya'll!

Forrest's Pimento Cheese Style Queso and Guacamole Dip Duo

Forrest's Pimento Queso

8 oz sharp yellow cheddar cheese, grated

8 oz Monterey jack cheese, grated

4 oz room temperature cream cheese

2 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce drained and chopped

1 (4 oz) jar pimentos, drained, rinsed, and chopped

1 (4 oz) can mild or hot diced green chilies, drained and chopped

2 tablespoons picked jalapeno peppers drained and chopped

1 fresh jalapeno pepper seeds removed and finely chopped

1/2 tsp cumin, or more to taste

1/2 tsp chili powder, or more to taste

2 green onions finely chopped

Black pepper to taste

Hot sauce to taste

1 1/2 Cups good quality mayonnaise like "Dukes" brand

Stir all ingredients until thoroughly combined. Serve with tortilla chips ( see note).

Forrest's Secret Recipe Guacamole Dip

4 ripe hass avocados chopped and covered with the juice of 2 limes 

1/2 cup fresh salsa fresco from the dairy case in the super market

1/4 cup dairy sour cream

2 tablespoons finely chopped and drained pickled jalapeno

1 1/2 tablespoon dill pickle juice from the jar

1 tablespoon dill pickle relish

2 teaspoons ground cumin

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 dash hot sauce

Mash and mix all ingredients until smooth. Serve with tortilla chips ( see note)

* Note about chips, Grocery store chips are fine however, if you want to kick it up a notch get your chips from your nearest mexican grill place like "Chipotle Grill" or the like, they are fresh and better tasting. Just sayin! 

Serve these two together as a great starter to your next Mexican meal at home or party, or use the guacamole as a secret taste weapon with your main course to add flavor depth to your meal.

Enjoy Ya'll!    

Charleston Style Seafood Pot Pie, Newburg and She Crab Collide!

So it's winter and it's really cold up here in this piece of New York city! And when it is cold like this I think there are few things that make people smile more than hot yummy rib sticking comfort food. But of all the comfort foods that people seem to react to pot pies seem to scream comfort for most folks. Kids love them, adults love them total win in the family cooking plan. Now I actually did not grow up with the individual pot pies that brands like Marie Callender's restaurants offer in the freezer section of a grocery store near you. I did grow up with casserole style pot pies. And this communal kind of eating was sharing of the best kind.

I also have to admit that pot pies in the south are not as popular as they are in the midwest and the northeast. We love our creamed chicken over biscuits and chicken and dumplings but pot pie is sort of, mostly, as I stated earlier, a casserole occasion if it happens at all. Along with chicken pot pie, seafood pie is of course one of the dishes that I am familiar with from the low country. It's sort of a throwback to the colonial days when English colonists brought the English "fish pie" to the new world. Pot pies in general are all based in English cookery. Fish pie in English cooking is made with white fish plentiful in the waters off Great Britain. Sometimes it includes both fresh and smoked fish to amp up the flavor of the pie. As the pie took root in the kitchens of colonial America, the seafood evolved into mostly a shellfish based pie. Shrimp and crab were popular in the southern states and lobster and scallops in the northern states.

So when I started looking at pot pie and winter comfort food the other day I decided that I wanted to make a pot pie that merged two of my favorite things, she crab soup and seafood newburg. I have a recipe for seafood pie from my grandmother that I copied out of her hand written cookbook. It is pretty classic but what I love about it is it uses a take on the "holy trinity" which is the base of most southern stew like cooking. It includes celery, onions and normally green peppers. Unlike the french base which includes carrots the "holy trinity" came about in southern cooking because carrots did not grow easily in the coastal areas especially around New Orleans where so much of the culinary customs we follow today were started.

So the take on the trinity is that my grandmother substituted red pepper for the green pepper. Now this I found interesting because red pepper is such a natural with crab, like in crab cakes. The mild flavor and wonderful color are exactly what you want in a seafood stew where the flavors meld together. So she obviously had thought about that. Now her recipe is for a casserole style seafood pie. I wanted to make individual pies cause I have the baking dishes. But I used the base of the recipe and added my own ideas.

So in a nutshell, I used crab and shrimp as the seafood. I used seafood stock and flour with a little butter to make a voloute, which is a light french style sauce. And I added some parmesan cheese in homage to southern style seafood casseroles. Herbs, Old Bay and sherry add classic flavors and a thyme, salt and pepper pie crust add an extra layer of flavor. So here is a recipe for my Charleston Style Seafood Pie, Enjoy Ya'll!

Forrest's Seafood Pie Charleston Style

Ingredients ( makes 4 individual pot pies in baking dishes)

1/2 pound frozen or fresh raw Shrimp peeled and tails off
1/2 pound Crab Meat ( Canned chilled from the Seafood Case at the grocery store)
1 cup finely chopped celery
1 cup finely chopped onion
1/2 cup finely chopped red pepper
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1 tablespoon dried parsley
2 teaspoons dried tarragon
1 teaspoon dried thyme
2 cloves minced garlic
1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon Old Bay seasoning
3 cups seafood stock
2 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon olive oil
3 tablespoons flour
2 1/2 tablespoons dry sherry
1/2 cup cream
1 prepared pie crust
sea salt and pepper
dried thyme
1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese or cheddar

Method

Melt butter in sauce pot add oil
saute onions celery and red pepper till soft add mushrooms and lightly cook
add garlic let bloom
add 2 cups of seafood stock
add spices
in a separate bowl mix flour and the reserved one cup of stock till smooth
add into pot and stir till mixture thickens and is bubbly
add cream and reduce heat to low
add sherry
taste and season if necessary
add crab and shrimp

Spoon mixture into the baking dishes sprinkle with the cheese

On a floured board roll out pie crust and sprinkle with pepper and salt flakes and dried thyme, lightly press in with hands.
Cut out into rounds to cover your baking dishes


Cover baking dishes and cut a slit if you want to get fancy cut out extra dough into fish shapes and decorate the top. Poke the top with a fork to vent.

Place on baking sheet and bake for 25 to 30 mins or until crust is browned and done, serve hot.

Enjoy ya'll!!








  

Alfredo oh Alfredo Wherefore art Thou Alfredo

Pasta with Alfredo sauce is as American as apple pie and about as Italian as Corned Beef. Actually that's not quite true. Despite what the Italians might say the dish actually has it's origins in the kitchens of Rome. A restaurantuer named Alfredo Di Lelio is credited with popularizing the dish with American tourists. Traditionally it was called Fettucini Al Burro but as the dish spread across the Atlantic it was known as Pasta Alfredo. Supposedly it was popularized by the film stars Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks who had it in his restaurant and took it back to hollywood where it quickly became a favorite dish in Italian restaurants everywhere.

Now when I was growing up we rarely ate pasta as a meal. Sure there was lasagna and spaghetti with meat sauce, but fancy pasta dishes were just not really our thing. In fact to this day when I will make a pasta dish for my mom she always says "you know I just never think of making pasta for a dinner. So it was a little bit of heaven when we would visit our family friends the Wilsons. Geoff and Louise were wonderful folks and boy could Louise cook! She was Italian from Rhode Island and introduced us to several wonderful dishes we had never had before. One such dish was Eggplant Parmagiana! The other was fettucini alfredo! Now I liked red sauce but the first time I ever tasted homemade fettucini alfredo I thought I had died had bought the farm. Indeed it was a revelation to me. This fabulous meal so simple so decadent and so rich!

Now since then, like most people, I have gotten on the band wagon that Fettucini Alfredo is a gloppy mostly bad pasta dish that I would never order in a restaurant and one that probably comes as a side dish for some kind of chicken at that place that shall not be named with the all you can eat salad and breadsticks. And indeed that is for the most part true. However, recently I was turned onto the idea of freshly prepared Fettucini Alfredo at home by my reading in the 1965 version of Sunset's Cookbook for Entertaining.  This book is a cookbook that I grew up with and I recently acquired a copy on Amazon. I love vintage cookbooks mostly because the more I read the more I see that there really is nothing new under the sun. Just excellent retellings of great old stories or in this case recipes.

In one of the side notations in the book it mentions Fettucini Alfredo as an elegant first course or main course of a meal. Of course it also notated in typical 1970's style the table side preparation that was so popular with the notions about entertaining at the time. Table side preparation meant that you were present with your guests as dinner was prepared in front of their eyes and added a sense of theatricality to dinner that many times these days is lacking in social gatherings. The recipe was simple and rich and added the inclusion of egg yolks to make the sauce that much more luscious and decadent!

I decided I had to try it. And it was really good. I mean homemade fresh anything is so much better that something that has been sitting in a steam table at a restaurant. Plus making it in front of people is really fun. Of course you will need a tabletop chef. But you can get one if you want or just do it stove top and move the pan to the table and serve it up fresh from the pan. Either way this is a delicious way to impress people at your next dinner party. Trust me it's good Ya'll! Enjoy!

Forrest's Special Homemade Fettucini Alfredo

Serves 4

1 lb Fettucini or pappardelle noodles fresh or packaged but make sure if dry buy a really good brand.
6 tablespoons butter
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1 cup shredded parmesan cheese
4 egg yolks at room temperature
salt and pepper
grated nutmeg
2 tablespoons each finely chopped parsley and chives
Hot water

Cook noodles according to instructions but cook 1 to 2 minutes less than package.
Melt butter and add cream
Mix the eggs in a bowl and add a few tablespoons of the boiling pasta water
to temper them.
Add to the cream sauce
Add Parmesan cheese
Add pepper and salt to taste
Add nutmeg then add the drained noodles  then add the herbs and toss to combine about one to two minutes and serve immediately!
Divide at table to the plates
Watch the smiles happen as people dig in.
Enjoy!

Tradition is the Stuff that Makes Life Stable, Or why I want Clam Dip at a Christmas Party

Traditions are merely repetitive acts which come to represent something deeper and symbolize something important to us. They are a "remembering" and a "Hallmarking". Like rituals in religion, they help us in an outward manner, remember an inward feeling. A feeling we want, by marking it with a ritual, to always remember and never forget.

Unlike religious ritual, traditions can be for anything or any reason that means something personal or makes life easier and more livable for us. They can be simple like "where I always go to get my coffee", or complex like "how I remember a national tragedy. Traditional celebrations or gatherings usually are for this purpose and center around outwardly remembering and carrying on, what we remember about someone or celebrating something else.

Holidays are often times when we develop or adopt traditions. They can help us to celebrate the larger message of a holiday in a more personal way. Christmas being probably the chief holiday in that category. Celebrated and fussed over by people more than other holiday as they try imbue a personal value on the greater meaning of the God of love being born into the world on a night long ago.

Hence for many including myself, Christmas is about touching those around me whom I love in a special way. Gifts at this time of year as well as gatherings take a special place in the pantheon of celebrations our society fosters. Elevated and special, beyond Halloween, Thanksgiving, an Anniversary, a Birthday or even Easter, Christmas is the Queen of holidays. And as such should be celebrated as only a Queen can be!

I find I work a lot during the holiday season. But my one tradition is attending one and only one party for sure every year. Hosted by my some of my dearest friends,  Christmas for me would not be complete without it.    

Many, many, many years ago now ( somewhere between 20 and Death! ) I met my good friend John.  He and I met at the first music rehearsal for a production of "Little Me" in the Berkshire Mountains at a small summer repertory theater. In the play both of us played a variety of roles and had an absolute blast on and off the stage. His wit was ever sharp and his sense of humor always spot on. In other words, he was a lot of fun to hang out with.

We parted ways at the end of the production's run but like most actors in NYC we continued to see one another at auditions and get togethers for friends we had in common from the business of show. It was not until several years later, after both of us had somewhat lost touch, that I was coming out of the door of my apartment and I noticed that someone had moved into the vacant apartment next door. Well the door swung open and a fellow carrying a large moving box that completely blocked him from my view emerged. He started down the hall towards the elevators where I was standing and not seeing me almost ran me over. I exclaimed "hey watch out there!". The voice from behind the box said "oh I am so sorry I can't see a thing". There was a pause. I recognized the voice I thought. "John?" I queried? "Forrest?" came the response. He lowered the box and sure enough it was the John I knew! We both yelled and laughed and we went on laughing for about 4 years till he got married and moved back to Jersey and into a fabulous house.

So what has that got to do with Clam dip you might ask. Well John's family had a summer house up in Maine on a barrier island and every year his family would go up to the house and spend a month or so enjoying the summertime on the shore up there. Both his Mother and Father were teachers so they were lucky enough to have the time to do that. Well, when John moved into the building at some point we had a fete together. And as we were discussing the menu ( which would be mostly snacks) he suggested making a clam dip recipe, which had been in his family forever. I said that was great and really wanted to try it since I had actually never had clam dip. Being that in South Carolina, we make our traditional trashy cocktail party dips out of crabs and shrimp, but not clams. So he made it and let me tell you, that stuff is good! Cheesy and full of sea and dairy goodness it had the taste of the clams and the sea and the cow. Yum!

Well when John moved he continued to host parties out in New Jersey of course. One  party in particular, right before the holidays he called "Ho Mo For the Holidays". It became a Christmas tradition and is that awesome evening alluded to above that I spend with friends each year. No one does Christmas like John and Mike. I think it's a special gift. The house is decorated. The tree is lit. Wine is drunk. Bread is broken. Carols are sung. And everyone is caught up in the spirit of love, family and friends that is the hallmark of the Christmas season,. It's a homecoming of sorts and I see people there I only see there once a year. It's a lovely tradition.

Well along with the tradition of the event, there are also traditions with what is served.  There will always be the family recipe Lasagna or Mike's Meatballs and always Amy's Stromboli, and John's Clam dip served during cocktail hour. In fact the clam dip is so beloved that one year John did not make it and there was an uprising! So he threw it together and served it up. And that year just like the old Shake n Bake commercial, I helped! And so it was I learned how to make the famous Clam Dip!

Long live traditions I say. Whatever yours may be. They remind us of what is right and good with our world and let us share it with others.

So I recognized that we are no longer in the holiday season and winter is upon us. However, the super bowl is coming up and this dip is universal. So make it anytime. For any reason. But just make it cause it's good. So here is the recipe for clam dip without which my Christmas would seem a little dimmer. Thanks John, and enjoy Ya'll!

CLAM DIP

2 cans of clams (size of tuna cans)

1 stick (1/2 cup) of butter

1 med. onion, chopped

2-3 cloves garlic, chopped

1 tsp. parsley flakes

1 tsp. oregano

1/2 tsp. black pepper

1 tsp. basil

1/2 cup italian seasoned bread crumbs

1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 tsps. lemon juice

dash of tobasco sauce

In one sauce pan combine clams (with juice) and lemon juice. Simmer on low heat for 15 minutes.

In other sauce pan: melt butter and sautee onions and garlic for 8 minutes. Add parsley flakes, oregano, pepper, basil, tabasco and simmer on low for another 7 minutes.

Combine ingredients of both sauce pans into a deep baking dish. Stir in bread crumbs, parmesan and 1/2 cup cheddar cheese until blended.

Sprinkle top with the remining 1/2 cup of cheddar cheese.

Bake at 350 degrees for 15 minutes.

Serve with crackers. 

Daytona Beach, Seaside Music Theatre and the Chart House Blackened Tuna Steak

Daytona beach is known or has been known in the past as the capital of Spring Break in Florida. It is actually a really cool little town once you peel away the tragic veneer of Speedway racing weekends like the Daytona 500 and spring break rowdy's cramming the beachside with ridiculous antics and drunken partying.

Cool indeed, in that beneath the surface is actually a complex community teaming with life. Like so many cities in Florida, Daytona is a crossroads for retired folks, business people, students, local color, and drifters. It also affords a cheap living environment relative to other places in the state and has attracted the spectrum of folks looking to make a life somewhere smaller than the big city. It also attracted for over 25 years actors and artists every summer coming together to make art at Seaside Music Theatre.

Seaside was an amazing place and the roster of people who went on to do great things either on Broadway or elsewhere in the theater community is huge. I myself was one of those folks until about 5 years ago when I elected to change course for another shore. But it is with the deepest fondness that I return to my memories of Seaside Music Theatre. And with pride that I count myself an alumni of said place.

The theatre was founded by Tippen Davidson himself an artist and musical director. It did not hurt that he was also the owner of the 2nd largest paper in Florida, the News Journal, and able to give seed money to the fledgling theater. His presence helped keep Seaside alive and when he passed so did Seaside a few years later. Unable to deal with transitioning funding from the paper and saddled with the cuts to all the arts in the state and nation, like so many other theaters I knew and worked at, it succumbed and shuttered it's doors in 2008. Sadly so, as far as I and many others are concerned given the breath of opportunity to try our wings and grow in our profession it had afforded us. Say what you might, Tippen founded and stood by a belief that art in his community was important and essential. And he walked his talk. A gentle and lovely man from my recollections I am proud to have been one of the many that he and Lester Malizia, the resident artist director took underwing and help to grow as an actor. Providing a artistic home for me and many other 7 seasons over 10 years. It was lovely to have been a part of it.

The other excellent thing about Daytona was the plethora of restaurants that were in the town. Surprisingly varied, local and national chain, fast and slow food were all represented.  Among the local eats were a variety of fish houses which provided excellent old school florida food at a great price for poor actors. Seaside Music Theatre was sponsored by several of these places and opening night parties were always at some great venue with fabulous food and drink. Well, fabulous by a starving artists scale! What's not fabulous about a pool party at the Hilton Hotel pool bar and lounge, well you know what I mean.

One sponsor which never disappointed however was the Chart House Restaurant. Located on the water at the ritzy marina on the inter-coastal waterway, with large water views and outdoor decks, it was a deluxe location for an opening night party. Now I know the Chart House is an old school, overpriced sometimes hit and miss, kind of place to most folks. But I have to say the one in Daytona was actually really good at the time. One opening night during a raffle I won a dinner for two coupon and went and ate with a friend on our day off together. Our meal was really good. The three stand outs from the evening were the blue cheese dressing on the salad of all things? The creamed spinach was great and the cajun spiced tuna steak was actually to die for. Perfectly cooked and perfectly spiced, it rocked. I have made this style tuna steak ever since and I want to share it with you because it is easy and so good.

Restaurant Homage: 
Chart House Cajun Tuna Steak with Green Peppercorn and Cognac Bearnaise Sauce

4 inch thick ahi or yellowtail tuna steaks
1/4 cup cajun spices no salt added  ( you can make your own or buy some in a jar)
salt and pepper
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1 tablespoon butter

To prepare tuna:

Place the spices in a large plate
Dip the surfaces of the tuna steaks in the spices and place on a sheet of wax paper
Heat oil and butter to medium high in a stainless pan or non stick pan
Cook the steaks on one side for thirty seconds then flip and cook for another 30 seconds
Place on a plate and serve with some of the sauce

Sauce:

3 Egg yolks
1 1/2 cup melted butter
1 tablespoons cognac
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 shallot minced
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
2 tablespoons dried tarragon
2 tablespoons green peppercorns drained
1/4 teaspoon salt

Place the eggs in a blender that has ben warmed with hot water
Place the vinegar and the shallots in a pan and cook till reduced by half
Add to blender with salt, mustard, tarragon and cognac
Slowly with blender running add melted butter till thick sauce forms
Place in a bowl and stir in peppercorns
Serve with the tuna






   

Roasted Tomato Pie, the Winter Version of a Southern Summer Favorite

You may have read my previous post about the Tomato Pie recipe which I prepared for Paula Dean. In that post I gave an anecdotal account of how my recipe was used by the Chef for Great Performances Catering, in New york City, as the recipe for the Paula Dean Brunch during the New York Wine and Food Festival. It was to this day a favorite of the chef who has referenced a number of times how much he enjoyed the pie recipe.

Now tomato pie is really a summer dish. It's a pie to be made when sun kissed ripe tomatoes give off a luscious smell when sliced open and prepped for cooking or for eating. It's in that time of year that you should really enjoy tomatoes. Not when the winter hothouse tomatoes are in the market!

However I have discovered a way to make tomato pie in the winter and have it taste almost as good as it does in the summer, well almost. Different but good let's leave it at that.

My discovery for this dish came about in an unusual way. I was purusing my cookbooks one day for ideas for dinner and I came across a recipe by Ina Garten for a winter version of tomato and mozzarella caprese salad which was made with roasted tomatoes instead of fresh. She slow oven roasted winter hothouse Roma plum tomatoes until they were soft and delicious and then made the salad with them instead of using fresh hothouse tomatoes. Her point in all of this is that hothouse tomaotes have such little flavor that making a caprese salad was just silly and tasteless. It seemed a good idea because roasting the tomaotes brought out so much flavor.

So I seized upon this concept and immediately thought I could try the same thing with a classic southern recipe "tomato pie" and check out the results. Well, it worked out beautifully. While in the summer this pie has a fresh red tomato look and a fresh tomato taste the winter version was deeper in both color and flavor and the texture was somewhat more dense and creamy. I also added some egg and cheddar custard to it to try and make up for the loosey goosey nature of the already cooked tomatoes. So it had a bit of a quiche/tart consistency. I also made it in a high walled spring form pan and made the side a little higher on purpose to support the filling. The basil and the green peppers gave it that tomato pie flavor profile but it really had more of a tart consistency which was not bad at all. All in all a success. Give this a try this winter as the days are short and you are dreaming of long evenings on the roof or the backyard patio. Enjoy ya'll!!

Winter Tomato Pie with Roasted Tomatoes and Savory Cheddar Custard

6 Roma Plum tomatoes from the grocery store (winter/hothouse) cut in half.
1 bell pepper diced
1 medium white or yellow onion diced
2 cups sharp white grated cheddar cheese divided
10 fresh basil leaves cut into ribbons ( chiffonade)
6 eggs beaten
1 1/2 cups heavy cream
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
salt and pepper to taste

For the crust:

1 1/4 cups flour
5 oz cream cheese
1 Tablespoon water
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper

place in food processor and pulse till meally
remove and roll together
press into a small springmold pan with the crust going up the sides evenly around
Place in the freezer for 15 mins
Bake in 350 degree oven till lightly browned about 20 mins remove and cool

For the tomatoes:

Place cut tomatoes on a baking sheet and salt, bake in a low oven 250 degrees till soft and browned and roasted, this will take a bit, then cool.

For custard:

Mix all above ingredients except for the tomatoes and 1 cup of the cheese
Beat the eggs and cream then add the other ingredients
Layer the tomatoes in two overlapping layers in the crust
Pour custard mixture over the tomatoes filling the shell
Sprinkle the extra cheese on the top
Bake in 350 degree oven for about 35 to 40 mins or until the custard is set
Let cool 15 mins before slicing and serving Enjoy!