Napa Valley and the best Pork Chop I have ever had....Mongolian Pork Chop from Mustards Grill!

Napa Valley. Oh the visions it can bring to mind. Long lazy roads and green and brown hills covered with trees and grass. Fields of grape trees and arbors laden heavy with grapes juicy and ready to give up their nectar. Wine flowing in covered and shady tasting rooms and patios and the smell of wood grills cooking meats and vegetables fresh form local farms and fields.

Grilling really is a singular smell there with all the apple wood casting it's scented purfume through the air. It fills every corner of the small towns around dinner time and really makes one hungry for meat. Yes that's right wine and meat is a very good combination. Tasty to say the least.

I recently visited Napa with my brother and sister in law and we had a really amazing time. We ate lunch at the famous Rutherford Grill and then went to a private tasting at Hall vineyards where we were treated to samplings of many of their delicious and richly aged wines. Very good indeed. And after picking up some wine to go we traveled back towards the San Francisco area and stopped just inside of Napa at Mustards Grill for dinner.

Now I had eaten at Mustards many years ago and had the opportunity to try their signature dish. So when I heard we were going to Mustards I announced to my Brother and Sister in Law that I had been there before and remembered how good the Pork chop was, In fact I said I remember it being really good. Well funny to see upon arrival that the pork chop is the most famous thing on the menu. And they have served over a million. And there is a reason for this. Because it's amazingly good! What's particularly good are the asian spices used to make the chop's marinade and the sauce all mixed up with traditionally western flavored side dishes like red cabbage and mashed potatoes.

I loved this dish also because of the name. For me it conjures up memories of "Mongolian BBQ" as form of cooking done at restaurants of the same name. As a boy my family did a lot of things offered on the bases as entertainment. One of the rare treats was when we would go to the Mongolian BBQ night at one of the local officers clubs. There you would select your meal from a cold food bar, meat veggies etc. Then you would carry it to a cooking station where it was cooked atop what looked like a metal kettle drum the size of an oil barrel with fire under it.

This pork chop recipe is perfect for your up coming bbq season. It's not mine but I mean to own it! Try it and be inspired!

CHINESE-STYLE MUSTARD SAUCE:

• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/4 cup mustard powder, such as Colman's
• 2 egg yolks

• 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
• 3/4 cup creme fraiche or sour cream

Put the sugar and mustard in the top of a double boiler and mix with a whisk. When well combined, whisk in the egg yolks and vinegar. Cook over simmering water, stirring occasionally, for 10 to 15 minutes, until it is thick enough to form ribbons when drizzled from the spoon. Remove from the heat and allow the mixture to cool. When cool, fold in the creme fraiche. Keep refrigerated until needed. Makes about 2 cups.

Mongolian Pork Chop from Mustards Grill

  

• Six 10-ounce center-cut double pork chops
• 1 cup hoisin sauce
• 1/4 cup fresh cilantro leaves and stems, minced
• 1 1/2 tablespoons tamari soy sauce
• 1 1/2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
• 1 1/2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon sugar

• 1 1/2 teaspoons black bean chilesauce, such as Lee Kum Kee
• 1 1/2 teaspoons peeled and grated fresh ginger
• 1 1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
• 1 teaspoon hot sauce, such as Tabasco
• 3/4 teaspoon freshly ground white pepper
• 1 scallion, white and two-thirds of the green parts, minced
• Braised red cabbage and mashed potatoes, for serving
• Trim the excess meat and fat away from the ends of the chop bones, leaving them exposed. Put the pork chops in a clean plastic bag and lightly sprinkle with water to prevent the meat from tearing when pounded. Using the smooth side of a meat mallet, pound the meat down to an even 1-inch thickness, being careful not to hit the bones. Alternatively, have your butcher cut thinner chops and serve 2 per serving. 
  
  To make the marinade, combine the hoisin sauce, cilantro, soy sauce, sherry vinegar, rice vinegar, oil, sugar, black bean chile sauce, ginger, garlic, hot sauce, pepper and scallions in a bowl and mix well. Coat the pork chops liberally with the marinade and marinate for 3 hours, or up to overnight, in the refrigerator 
  
  Preheat the grill to medium-high heat. Place the chops on the grill for 5 minutes on each side, rotating them a quarter turn after 2 or 3 minutes on each side to produce nice crosshatch marks. It's good to baste with some of the marinade as the meat cooks. As with all marinated meats, you want to go longer and slower on the grill versus shorter and hotter, because if the marinated meat is charred, it may turn bitter. The pork is ready when it registers 139 degrees F on an instant-read thermometer. 
  
  Serve the pork chops with braised red cabbage and mashed potatoes. Offer Chinese-Style Mustard Sauce on the side for dipping. 

A Hawaiian Style BBQ treat, Huli Huli Chicken, To everything turn turn turn.....

Huli Huli Chicken is a Hawaiian treat for the upcoming Spring and Summer months not to be missed. Huli-Huli Chicken is one of those great "only-in-Hawaii" foods. When we moved to Hawaii, because my Father got stationed here, we were embarking on a culinary and cultural journey that was hard to imagine. Hawaii was probably one of the most ethically mixed places one could imagine. No where was this more evident that at the Church we came to call home for the four years we lived there. Chinese and Japanese, Filipino, Tongan, Korean, Hawaiians, Black, Hispanic and of course White people. It was a vibrant community of faith and a great congregation for a young family such as my Parents had. We learned a lot about many cultures and cultural traditions and culinary traditions through our Church. Enhancing not only our souls but our temporal lives as well. 

The Women in the household, my Mother and Grandmother ( her Mother who had come to live with us) also made inroads in the greater community beyond the Naval Base where we lived. For example my Mother became active in the community lobbying for better television programing for children. She launched an entire campaign to get the local stations to carry Captain Kangaroo. Meanwhile, my Grandmother helped found the first official Senior Citizen organizations while in Hawaii, the Silver Bells. She had some excellent experiences through fellowship, food and travel which really enhanced her life. And got to help a lot of people connect who otherwise never would have. 

One of the hallmarks of living and being a part of a vibrant church was the potluck fellowship dinners that seemed to happen often as I recall. My family certainly got a lot of exposure to various types of foods from various cultures. Oh no ordinary church supper foods here. No! Here there were Lumpia, which are Filipino egg rolls and Kimchi beef dishes along with amazing fried rices. These were of course peppered by the normal mainland dishes offered up by the naval wives and other folks like fried chicken, green bean casserole, rolls and and array of salads. Not to mention all the baked goods, Jello molds and sweets form various households. All in all an amazing introduction to church potluck suppers I must say!

One other element of food which was introduced by way of this church experience was a method used to fundraise. That method I am referring too and which was used often as a fundraising platform was to host a big bbq dinner an sales event which would sell something called Huli Huli chicken. Now Huli means turn in Hawaiian. And that was appropriate. For the method used a large roadside grill to grill the chickens in a large rotating cage on a spit. Great clouds of dark charcoal smoke engulfed the grills as they would turn in the parking lot of the church slowly roasting the marinated birds to perfection. 

Huli Huli chicken was the brain child of one man according to him. You see in 1955, Ernest Morgado of Pacific Poultry barbecued his version of teriyaki chicken for a farmers gathering. 
The chicken was such a hit, it became a favorite Hawaii fundraiser, raising perhaps millions over the ensuing years for schools, churches, softball teams and hula halau (hula groups).

Huli-Huli chicken all but disappeared after Morgado legally claimed his rights to the trademark, and started marketing a bottled sauce under that name.

Of course, you can still buy Huli-Huli-style chicken in the Islands, practically anywhere you see billows of great-smelling smoke emanating from a large roadside grill. It won’t be called Huli-Huli Chicken. But that's pretty much what it is.

This is a marinade recipe just eyeball it but these are good starting measurements.

The recipe is enough for about three chickens, split in half.  You can use chicken pieces which is what I usually use. Marinate your chicken for at least a half-hour up to 3 hours or even overnight.
                               
                               1/2 cup pinapple juice
                               1/3 cup ketchup
                               1/3 cup soy sauce
                               1/4 cup brown sugar
                               1/4 cup honey
                               1/4 cup sherry
                               1-2 Tbsp. sesame oil
                               1-2-more pieces ginger root, crushed
                               3 cloves garlic minced
                               Worchestershire sauce to taste
                               Sriracha or Asian chili paste (or red pepper flakes) to taste
                               Lemon juice about 1/2 a lemon

Brush the chicken with the remaining marinade while cooking over a grill. And don't forget to huli the chicken.

Party Shortcuts: Hummus Dip a New Way to Serve up a Old Favorite

Ok! Ok! I have a confession to make. I love hummus. I mean who doesn't really. And I know that I could drone on and on about how to make hummus and what no,t but really there are so many good varieties of the stuff out there in the grocery case why put yourself through the effort. ( Although making it at home in bulk is actually cheaper)

So what could you possibly do or say on a food blog post about hummus. Well only this, and I know it's a cheap shot not in the vein of my usual recipe profile but this is a super easy and super quick way to up your entertaining repertoire. Plus it adds dairy to an otherwise vegan dish. Which you might not like but if you do, you will like this a lot.

To make this dip you simply take a container of hummus and a container of greek yogurt, stir them together with a few glugs of olive oil and some salt place in a bowl garnish with more olive oil and some pine nuts or aleppo pepper and viola! An amazing dip. Serve with pita triangles and you have a party.

Hope you enjoy this easy tip Ya'll!

Recipe ( if you can all it that )

1 16 oz. container of Hummus
1 8 oz. container
Good quality olive oil
Salt
Toasted Pine nuts
Aleppo Pepper flakes
Some parsley chopped or dried for garnish

Stir together and add salt to taste, then garnish with more olive oil and the pine nuts and or pepper flakes.

St. Patty's Day Foods Bangers and Mash an Irish Tradition

So we are getting ready for St. Patty's day in NYC. It's a big holiday here in these parts. So this year I am combing two for my favorite things, sausages and mashed potatoes. Well not just ay Mashed potatoes but my potatoes Colcannon a traditional Irish mashed potato preparation which I have posted about before but will include again just because I think some of you might not have seen this one.

Bangers are the traditional term for sausages in Ireland and to some extent in the United Kingdom. Irish bangers are mostly pork sausages very mildly seasoned and served up grilled often with an onion pan sauce. Here in the States at Trader Joe's they sell these lovelies around the time that St. Patty's gets going. Here they are:

 Basically you fry them up in a little oil and serve them up hot and juicy. The traditional pairing as I said is with Mashed potatoes!

Now I love mashed potatoes. They are probably on the scale of one to ten in the top 9 percentile of the foods I love. I have had them in so many ways I cannot even tell you. My friend John makes them with rosemary and lots of cream cheese. I love them loaded like at Vickery's my favorite bar restaurant in Charleston, and I love them whipped into perfection with lots of butter and cream like at a fine French restaurant.

Now I am supposedly a little Irish on some level, what with my father's family coming from the English and German stock they did. Irish is always in the mix there somewhere I suppose. But whether or not one is Irish or not St. Patricks Day is a fun and rowdy time for all. I mean let's face it major U.S. cities go as far as to dye their rivers green for the holiday! I mean people get very into this celebration. I for one find it a little bit too much as I grow older, but I can appreciate the good time.

Now Potatoes Colcannon or "white headed potatoes" as there are known from lore in Ireland are a dish which normally contains potatoes and cabbage and onions and maybe scallions and of course loads of butter! So when I set out from that point I thought about what I do and don't enjoy about the idea of cooked cabbage. I think maybe it's from having too much boiled cabbage growing up but I sort of don't fancy it. However, I am intrigued by how the two elements of mashed potato and the cooked cabbage made such a great dish when I first tried it at a Hillstone restaurant. However I knew after all this time and the foodie things I have experienced that if I were to make them, I could up the anty.

My thought processes about this made me think about two things. I have read that colcannon can be made with Kale. I like Kale. So I thought why not work with that. The second thing I thought about was that I like green foods. So if I were to make colcannon I would like it to be a little more green than the version I had at Cherry Creek Grill. Now I have expressed before in the blog my love of colored foods. Foods that take on a different color shade due to some emulsion of another food or addition of herbs etc. are so great to me. Great to me from a taste standpoint first, but also from a composition standpoint when talking about putting foods together on a plate. So I wanted to make a greener spicey and more flavorful version of the dish I loved so much when I had it the first time, whew...not a short order!! Cause why.....Hillstone rocks but here it goes!!

My first inclination was to take example from one of the Chefs at work who created gorgeous green basil ( not pesto ) whipped potatoes a couple of years back for the Spring menu that year. He told me the trick was to blanche the basil so that even when it was added to the warm potatoes it would retain it's green color and not turn a pasty brown. An old culinary trick but an effective one. Next I thought about my ingredient list. I already had the Kale, but why stop there. So I added for the onion more green power, leeks and scallions. And for a bit of a kick a bit of garlic for even more added fun. For the consistency I decided that buttermilk would do a better job and flavor than just cream and of course lots of butter.

To insure the dish had both color and texture I decided that blanching the greens quickly then pureeing them with some buttermilk and butter would be the emulsion that would color and flavor my colcannon nicely. Then for some texture a few reserved scallions for garnish as well as a big "knob" of butter to finish off the dish. Sounds yummy. You bet! So enjoy trying this and Happy St Patty's Day.

Potatoes Colcannon with Leeks and Kale

Ingredients

4 or 5 good sized Yukon gold or golden yellow potatoes scrubbed and diced into pieces

handful of salt

2 leeks cleaned light green and white parts only

2 cups chopped kale packed tightly

1 large bunch scallions thinly sliced on the bias 1/2 cup reserved for garnish

1 cup buttermilk

1/4 cup sour cream

1 stick butter cut up

1 tablespoon minced garlic

salt and pepper to taste

Method

Place potatoes in a heavy bottomed pot with salt and bring to a boil

Cook till potatoes are easily pierced with a fork

Then remove from heat and hold warm.

Meanwhile bring another pot of water to a boil

Prepare an ice bath in a large bowl.

Add kale and leeks and blanche quickly until the kale turns bright green then remove from the boiling water  about 4 to 5 mins and place into an ice bath in a large bowl to stop the cooking.

Drain on paper towels and set aside.

Place greens into a blender with the scallions and blend with 1/4 cup buttermilk and 1/4 stick of room temperature butter

Blend until pureed and still a little chunky (ie. not thin think texture).

Open potato pot lid and add the emulsion mashing the potatoes until mashed add sour cream and 1/4 stick butter salt and pepper to taste and the garlic.

Mash and stir till well combined. If not loose enough add the buttermilk a little bit at a time till you have the consistency of whipped mashed potatoes.

To serve place the potatoes in a large serving bowl and garnish with the remaining butter and scallions or serve in small bowls and place a knob of butter in each and garnish with the scallions and serve with grilled bangers! Happy St. Patty's Day!

Enjoy!!

Cream of Artichoke Soup or "California Dreamin" on such a Winters Day

This weather has been really getting to everyone up here in NYC this winter. I think everyone is ready for a little springtime relief. But I am not waiting till then. I am taking matters into my own hands and having a little California Dreaming cooking moment right now. That's right just like the song by the Mama's and the Papa's although I prefer the updated Beach Boys version.

All the leaves are brown and the sky is grey
I've been for a walk on a winters day
I'd be safe and warm if I was in L.A.
California dreamin', on such a winters day.

Whether you know it or not most of the Artichokes grown here in the US come from California. In fact the town of Castroville has the self-proclaimed title of "center of the universe". It's committed when it comes to this bulb of the sun flower cousin that is so tasty, in fact the town even holds an annual festival for the artichoke.

And I love artichokes. Oh yes I do. In fact when I was about 3 I opened the refrigerator door and pulled out a jar of marinated artichokes and consumed the whole thing. An act which promptly had me break out in a rash and required a trip to the Doctor's office. Needless to say I don't remember that too well but to this day I have an undying love of the artichoke in all of it's culinary incarnations.

So truth be told this recipe did not come about on it's own. I had a couple of bags of frozen artichoke hearts lying around and decided they needed to be cooked. So in researching what to do with them I came across an article about a James Beard award winning restaurant in California called Duarte's. They are one of 5 to 10 restaurants in the country dubbed a "classic" by the esteemed James Beard Foundation. Oh yeah did I mention they have been around for 118 years. That's pretty awesome sounding. So in my readings I found that they had a famous recipe for cream of artichoke soup. Well I am a sucker for a creamy anything and I love old classic places so my interest was peaked. Well it could not be simpler. There were a few recipes out there on the web for this soup but I think I got one that's spot on. It's not complicated but wow is it good. While it is vegetarian it is not low calorie, sorry. I suppose you could make it without the cream since you add it at the end ( which I actually did, but was not as good so I added the cream.).  Eat this with some crusty bread and a fresh green salad and you have a Californian style meal that's sure to satisfy.

Duarte's Tavern Cream of Artichoke soup.
Recipe based roughly on various versions of this soup.
Makes 6 servings

Ingredients

3 tbsp. butter
3 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 medium onion, finely chopped
2 lb. frozen artichoke hearts, thawed and roughly chopped
1 cup dry white wine
3 cups chicken stock
1 1/4 cups heavy cream
Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1/4 cup grated parmesan ( optional )
Lemon wedges, for serving

Method

Heat butter in a saucepan over medium heat.Add garlic and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, until soft, about 8 minutes.
Add wine
Add artichokes; cook, stirring, until soft, about 3 minutes.
Add stock; bring to a boil. 
Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until artichokes are very tender, about 20 minutes. 
Transfer stock and vegetables to a blender; puree until smooth. 
Return to saucepan, add cream ( and cheese if using ) and the lemon juice, and bring to a simmer over medium heat 
Cook, stirring occasionally, until reduced a little, about 15 minutes. 
Season with salt and pepper, and serve with lemon wedges and crusty bread on the side.

Michigan Crack Coffee Cake and a Storied Wedding

Weddings are something that can bring out the best and worst in people both individually and collectively. As a caterer and Event manager I have seen my share of Brides, Mothers and Fathers acting out in the most insane and inappropriate of manners. True Bride-zillas I have only seen twice but the stories are varied and amazing.

Drunks, fights and screaming matches on the dance floor are par for the course. And let's not forget just plain old bad taste taken to the extreme on someone's special day. In short I hate weddings but I am kinda drawn to them because like a train wreck you just can't take your eyes off of them. Over the course of the years I have had friends ask me to help with their weddings and with one exception I have always politely declined. I just would never want to be responsible for one of my friend's special days. Too much pressure and the possibility of ruining a friendship, no thank you.

The most amazing story is from a wedding which was designed by a fellow in NYC, who we will call Eric. He's a great guy and very lovely to work with. This story started apparently when he was designing the wedding with the family. They were spending untold amounts of money on this wedding and during the planning process it became apparent the Bride was not very engaged in the whole thing. Instead of the usual involved, hands on manner most Brides take, this one simply did not seem to care if it was, "that shade of pink" or "that flower arrangement". Her mother did of course. Spending tons of cash to ensure a spectacle deserving her status and her daughters station. But the Bride was non plussed about the whole thing and this made Eric slightly suspect.

Well the big day came. The Pierre Hotel on Fifth Avenue had never looked so grand. The flowers, the music and the decor for the ceremony alone had cost a fortune. The Parents greeted their endless guest list as they arrived and waited for the ceremony to start. Eric went upstairs to check on the Bride who had strangely asked to be alone while she prepared not wanting the company of her entourage of dressers and bridesmaids.

As he approached the hotel room he could see that the door was slightly ajar, a strange sign he thought. He knocked. No response. He called out still no response. He slowly pushed the door open revealing the rooms contents. The Bride was no where to be found but on the bed was the dress and atop it a note and her ring. He lifted up the note and read these words, " Sorry Abe, I can't go through with it. Here's your ring back, Claire". Eric's heart sank into his shoes. There were 400 people waiting downstairs and the Bride was obviously not coming down. Oh Shit!

So he went downstairs and pulling the Groom and the Father of the Bride aside informed them gently of what was going on. The Groom was livid and was whisked away to a private room by his groomsmen with a bottle of brown liquor. The Father of the Bride seemed unmoved calm even. Eric explained that he needed to inform his guests, suggesting that perhaps the verbiage should be something akin to "I regret to inform you but my daughter has a had change of heart thank you for coming etc etc.". The Father shook his heard and said " Yeah Yeah Yeah....Got it". He then mounted the stage and took the mic hitting on it..."is this thing on".  Then he addressed the crowd. "I want to thank you all for coming today, to be with us, we spent a lot of money on this wedding and you can all go to the bar since it's paid for.... but there's no ceremony happening.... because my F&*%ing daughter FLED! Thanks!"

Now that's a wedding story!

Now as I said I have only helped one friend with a wedding and that would be my roommate of many years in NYC, Cristin Hubbard. Cristin is a Broadway actor and an amazing vocalist. She was also practically family. So when she became engaged I agreed to help put the reception together for her.

The wedding was set in upstate Michigan near the Sleeping Bear national seaside on the coast of northern Michigan. A fantastic place of natural wonder. The natural beauty aside the charm of the beach houses and the towns and the lovely natives were enough to entrance. It was a whole week of wedding activities with about 30 to 50 people, mostly family, participating. Cook outs on the beach at night followed by bonfires and sing alongs. Day trips in canoes and kyaks or antiquing. And a BBQ dinner after lake swimming and sun bathing.  A Buffet dinner at the house on the first night let to mornings spent over amazing breakfasts at the Bed and Breakfast.

This of course was coupled with the fact that I had agreed to help design and run the wedding. Her friend Mark also had agreed to help so between the two of us we came up with a plan. We visited the sight for the reception which was a rustic lodge building in a Church camp nearby the beach house she had spent every summer in growing up. A very connected and emotionally grounded choice, just like Cristin. Solid and soulful it hit the mark providing the perfect backdrop for a very special person's, special day. We visited the caterer, helped tweek a few menu items and service points and offered up my help the day of.

So then Mark and I armed with 3000 dollars in cash her father had given us set out to design and decorate the old Church Camp lodge for the reception. Aside from almost killing each other in the process we did an amazing job I think. White tuille and white christmas lights, flowers from a friends garden, sea glass and candles, blue, green, white and grey linens all came together to make a wonderful picture.

But it was Cristin, walking down the aisle of the church of her summer youth,  a beautiful family quilt adorning the altar, that really was the star of this wedding. She was the most stunning of Brides. The wedding and reception in their elegant simplicity were amazing. But the love so evident for these two people filling the room was the highlight of my experience of that wedding. I was moved beyond words. Hoping in my own heart that someday I might feel how she and her husband must have felt as the center of so much loving devotion. For after all, when the pomp and superficial things are stripped away, it's the love that makes a Wedding real. No show necessary if that is present. It speaks volumes louder than any floral arrangement or buffet dinner ever could.

So what has this to do with coffee cake you might ask? Well I discovered this recipe while staying at the bed and breakfast for this wedding. It's a simple almost stupid recipe and not an unknown or uncommon one. But I think if you try it you will agree it's addictive and ridiculously good! So I offer up with memories of weddings large and small. Memories of my dear friend from Michigan and this recipe. Enjoy Ya'll!

"Bob King Cake"

2 small tubes refrigerator buttermilk biscuits OR 1 tube Pillsbury Grands buttermilk biscuits 

3 Tbsp. butter melted

1/2 cup pancake syrup not real maple!

1/3 cup packed brown sugar

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 cup chopped pecans

Place all ingredients in a pan and melt together over low heat 

Place in the bottom of a bundt pan

layer biscuits overlapping in the pan

Bake in a 375 degree oven for 20 to 30 mins or until nice and brown on top

Invert onto a plate and yum yum yum!

Pimento Cheese: My favorite Cheesy Southern Snack Indulgence

Pimento Cheese is probably one of the most outstandingly Southern dishes that is sort of unknown in other parts of the country. It's fame has been spread by the Lee Brothers and other evangelists of Southern cuisine but to some extent it's still the lesser known outside of the South than other better known dishes. Some folks would consider it as iconic as deviled eggs and Fried Chicken and it certainly has it's own camps of people who debate what goes into it. But regardless no one would debate that it is definitely up there are something that one should know how to make as a Southern cook.

I grew up around pimento cheese which is sometimes referred to as the "Caviar of the South" or "House Pate". It's at it's best a delicious concoction of simple ingredients which somehow when taken together are amazing. It's a version of a fortified cheese, or Formage Forte, a French concoction created as a way to use up odd bits of cheese. Formage Forte uses wine and other flavor elements to make a spread that can be served with bread or crackers. Pimento Cheese uses Mayo and A Spanish red pepper and spices to really create a spread which actually is more than just a spread and can be used in sandwiches and other cooked foods using cheese as an ingredient such as grits or casseroles. While there is debate as to what goes into it like "is there more than cheddar cheese?" "is there sour cream?" And also "is there green onion or grated white onion or is it just onion powder?".  I think almost everyone can agree that no matter how it's made it's mostly just delicious.

So many Southerner's I know, who cook, have a story like this one. When I was first living in New York City as an actor, my roommate at the time and I threw a cocktail party. And since we didn't have any real money for fancy foods for the some 20 people we had invited, I decided to make a bunch of pimento cheese sandwiches. I made them on white bread and cut off the crusts to be fancy and the cut the sandwiches in 4's to make little "tea" sandwiches. I made a lot of them. And that with bowls of potato chips and onion dip was the food. Don't you know every single one of those sandwiches disappeared. They were really a hit.

Now when I make pimento cheese I make sure that I have extra because without a doubt it will be the first thing to go. Now my recipe has changed many times over the years. I mean sometimes Pimento cheese is just that dip you make with whatever cheese you have on hand. And sometimes you change the rules up. For instance I never put cream cheese in mine before a friend made me her recipe, now I do. And I add little things into mine now that I think really ramp up the flavor and the texture. Recently I was at Husk Restaurant in Charleston and has their pimento cheese appetizer in in the bar,
wow was it good, really good! They used fancy peppers and jalapenos, smoked paprika and local cheese. I still use the Spanish pimentos from the jar but my my my....I think that's what's so good. So take a minute and check this out and if you want to try this for your next party you can be a hit if you put this on your menu. Hope Ya'll enjoy!

Forrest's Pimento Cheese Recipe

1 1/2 cup shredded extra sharp Yellow Cheddar cheese
1 cup shredded Jack cheese
7 ounces room temperature cream cheese
1/2 cup Dukes Mayonaise
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
2 good shakes of Worchestershire Sauce
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
2 tablespoons jarred jalapeno pepper slices minced
1 4 ounce jar pimentos drained and diced and 2 tablespoons of juice reserved
1 tablespoon of pickle juice
S&P to taste

Basically place everything in a big bowl and mix mix mix till combined. Chill about an hour before serving.




Here's a little video for your viewing pleasure

 http://vimeo.com/31515064

Hoover's Chicken in Every Pot Pie, A Favorite Winter Comfort Food Taken to New Heights

President Herbert Hoover promised back in the 1930's while on the campaign trail that he would put a "chicken in every pot". Well that promise didn't come through, but this recipe for chicken pot pie really does. I mean, who doesn't love a pot pie. All hot and crusty and bubbling with goodness. And since Mother Nature has seen fit to really give us a real winter this year I thought it would be a good thing to actually revisit my pot pie recipe and whip it up for a little winter dinner last night.

I was pressed for time and wanted to be able to enjoy myself during the get together and thought well just make something you can throw in the oven and forget about. So while shopping at Trader Joes on a Saturday ( which I never do because the line literally wraps around the entire store ), I thought pot pie is easy ( I think? ). So I ran around the store grabbed what I needed and got in that line. It wasn't that bad actually. In fact it was quite a quick trip to the cash register. In the meantime I looked around at other people's baskets. I always find it interesting to see what other people are buying and eating.

So what makes Pot Pie so popular with us in the US. nowadays? It's simple uncomplicated food which somehow connects us to our roots. It evokes thoughts of a simpler time perhaps and makes us relax in a world that is far too modern sometimes. I think it is also an easy food. One not associated with trying too hard. Yet even the humble pot pie can be elevated and enhanced and I set out to do just that.

I didn't really do much just added a few things like bacon fat and herbed cheese to the sauce to enhance the flavor. I added some chicken bullion to the chicken broth which I got from my onion soup recipe to ramp up the flavor.  I also chose to add the wine at the end and let it cook out in the oven. That touch changed dramatically the overall flavor and really made it better than my usual. But all in all it's Chicken Pot Pie and it's just a good recie to try if you want to make it. So enjoy and give it a try Ya'll

Forrest's Best Ever Chicken Pot Pie

What you will need:

2 pre-made pie crusts defrosted and rolled out using a small plate measure 4 circles and cut out and reserve in the fridge.

Then you will need 3 to 4 cups of cooked cubed chicken or shredded Rotisserie Chicken
1 1/2 cups chopped onions
1 1/2 cups cubed carrots
1 1/2 cups chopped celery
10 oz sliced mushrooms
3 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon bacon fat ( optional if you don't have use another tablespoon of butter)
1/2 cup flour plus 3 tablespoons
1 1/2 tablespoons chopped fresh or dried parsley
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
4 cups warm chicken broth
2 chicken bullion cubes
1 package Boursin Herbed Cheese
1 teaspoon dried thyme
1/2 cup white wine ( not Chardonnay)
Maldon sea salt
pepper
1 egg yolk mixed with a little water to make an egg wash

Method:

Preheat oven to 425

In a large pot melt the butter
Add the veggies except mushrooms and saute till just soft
Season with S&P ad fresh and dried thyme
Add the 3 tablespoons of butter and stir cooking about 3 mins
Combine the bullion with the broth keep warm
Add half the bullion stock mixture to a bowl and slowly whisk in the flour to make a "slurry"
Add the other stock to the pot with the veggies bring to a high simmer and the flour and veggie mixture
Slowly add the slurry mixture with a whisk stirring to combine and bring to boil then reduce heat and stir till it thickens up stir to avoid clumps.
If too thick add a little water
Add the Boursin and melt in till combined
Add the wine
Add the Mushrooms
Add the Chicken
Hold warm

In 4 individual baking dishes divide the filling to the top of each dish
Top with the crust and crimp the edges
Sprinkle with salt and pepper and press in with your fingers.
Brush with the egg wash
Make a small slit in the top

Place on a baking tray cover with foil to protect from spillage
Bake for 25 mins or until the crust is golden brown and done
Let sit for 5 mins then serve
Enjoy!

The Galloping Gourmet, TV Cooking Lessons and Coquiles St. Jacques, Seafood Comfort Food 101.

When I was very young I can remember watching a number of programs which were pivotal in my early education about food and cooking. First of course was the French Chef with Julia Child. And secondly was Graham Kerr the Galloping Gourmet!

Food TV back in those days was anything but the slick prefab, over produced shows one finds on today's Food Network. In fact they were really do it yourself slap together shows which operated mostly on the prose or personality of the person in front of the camera.

No one was more of a personality than Graham Kerr. He was loved by many fans and hated by many in the food industry for exactly the same reason. His outlandish antics, on camera drinking, and his cavalier approach to fine cuisine got him raved or reviled. Whether you liked him or not you had to admit that he was a showman. Many critics pointed to the lack of culinary depth or even his rather casual approach to dishes they deemed as sacred cows in the cooking arena. If there was a use for clarified butter he would find it that was for sure! His connecting places, particularly one's he had traveled to, with dishes he would showcase was both cutting edge and clever. He was the original food network cooking and travel show. He granted his American audience a peek into the culinary traditions  from the European continent to South America and beyond.

A few years ago as the the fledgling Cooking Channel was launched I again got to enjoy a brief period of reruns of the Galloping Gourmet on television. It reinforced all my memories about this show. It was such a time piece in terms of set, production, decor and clothing. The design elements alone were so period. The colors and wallpaper used in the set, the furniture,  and even the suits he wore all evoked faded memories from my early childhood. I remembered adults dressing and places and homes looking  like the set and costuming of the show. However it was the show's content that talked mostly about where we are as a culture now compared to those " good ole days" broadcasts.

Today as Americans are bombarded in the media by endless slick, over produced, formula driven shows or publications one forgets the simpler past. Today's shows, tried out in market test groups or tied to cyclical trends, are crafted to create a buzz and evoke interest amongst a population now well exposed to cuisines from every nook and cranny of the globe

Back then Graham Kerr did not have that media advantage. In fact if anything he relied upon his charm, wit, foreign background and culinary knowledge to inform and expose cuisines new to the once insular US. population. A nation informed mostly by regional and immigrant cuisine exposure. A nation which after the second world was finally accepting and embracing international identity and was hungry for broader knowledge of the world they now felt connected to.

That's what made the Galloping gourmet such a great show for folks back then. It took them places they had never been and opened their minds to new things. Just as shows today continue to try and find the newest food trends and most interesting chefs dishes.

So one of the recipes that I love from the original Galloping Gourmet show is Mr. Kerr's version of Coquiles St. Jacques, a French scallop dish, which I have had many times in it's more traditional form. He adds potatoes to this dish which is traditionally made with just scallops and a sauce.

Now I grew up with my Mother's recipe for this dish from the "The Sunset for Entertaining Cookbook" printed in 1968. Yes, Surprise! I love old recipes from old cook books as well as the new ones from today's cookbooks. When I was growing up my Grandmother or my Mother would occasionally make these for a dinner party and less occasionally for a family meal. They used scallop baking shells which look like large flat shells but take the place of using a ramekin of small baking dish. They always looked so elegant and amazing I thought as a small boy. Bubbly with seafood, wine, cream, mushrooms and cheese. Hot right from the oven and sprinkled with chopped parsley and ready to bring to the table.

When I found Mr. Kerr's recipe I loved it because it takes these little babies and pushes them right through the roof with the addition of a velvety mashed potato blanket for the scallops. It sort of takes this dish and turns it into perfect cold weather comfort food, well more than sort of. With the addition of the potatoes it is sort of like a scallops shepherds pie. Which is a little English twist on a very French dish! Way to go Mr. Kerr!! So here is the recipe. Give it a try next time you want to make some winter comfort food. Yum!
Enjoy Ya'll!

4 to 5 good sized yukon gold potatoes cut ( about 2 lbs.)
2 tablespoons cream
4 tablespoons butter
1 tablespoon chopped dill
1 teaspoon chopped parsley
1 teaspoon thyme
1 teaspoon chopped tarragon
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup white wine
1 pound sea scallops ( large )
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons flour
1/4 cup whole milk
1/2 pound sliced white mushrooms
2 tablespoon chopped shallot or white onion
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1 cup grated cheese ( parmesan or Gruyere any strong hard cheese

Boil the potatoes in salted water until tender. Drain and while warm mash with the cream butter and salt and pepper. Stir in the herbs and the paprika. Hold warm on the side.

In a large frying pan heat the stock and the wine till almost boiling, add the scallops and cook for about 3 to 5 mins depending on the size don't over cook or the scallops will be rubbery. Remove and hold on the side.

In a pot melt the butter add the flour and cook about 3 to 4 minutes. Slowly add the poaching liquid stirring in the add the milk and then bring to a boil, reduce heat and and simmer till the sauce thickens about 10 to 15 mins.

In the frying pan add the onions and cook till soft, add the mushrooms lemon juice and paprika and cook till soft then add the mixture to the sauce.

In 4 individual gratin dishes (or in a medium casserole dish if you don't have small dishes)  divide the scallops and the divide the sauce over them. Cover each with the potatoes and then top with the cheese.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Bake in the oven at 350 for 8 mins then turn on the broiler and broil till the tops are browned and golden. Serve immediately!  

  

Nordic Caesar Salad with Paprika Dusted Croutons and a Sardine and Sartori Cheese Dressing

So I love food TV. Surprise!! Yes food porn is one of my favorite things. But lately I am growing a little bored with the offerings. Just like I am a little bored with all the coast centric foods and ethnic offerings most food television seems to focus on. Not that there's anything wrong with that, please I love Asian inspired Californian cuisine or Italian pasta dishes with a modern twist as much as anyone. I even feel like the South and Southwest even gets it's due on TV.  But what about the other part of the country? You know the big part. You know the square states, the middle. What about them? That's why I am glad to see in this Summer's Savour Magazine a focus on the Midwest. And also Chef Amy Fielding's show on Cooking Channel, Heartland Table. Her caesar is one of the inspirations for this recipe.

I have a Midwestern Heritage myself actually you see. As much a part of my family background as the South is, because my family is tied there and I grew up there, I also have roots through my Mother's family in the Midwest as well. Her Norwegian  roots are well planted in Chicago Illinois. And I am well aware of my family's history and background from the fiords of Norway to Chicago and Brooklyn.. The foods of that heritage melding in Chicago with the Polish, German and Eastern Euro cultures, who brought hearty comfort foods to the American heartlands in a major way. Providing the background, in fact, of what most of us would consider "American" food. Hearty meat and potatoes meals that for a century were the hallmark of a growing new nation.

What's interesting is that Food Television seems to have recognize this lull interest amongst viewers in only chef driven shows. They have departed from their standard programing grasping out at what would appear to be family values. Now homes and Mom's, Farm foods, ethnic foods and exotic hosts, as well as story telling about family traditions, Grandparents, and hearth and home all seem to be on the forefront of Food Television's new offerings. In this trend they have also recently acknowledged through programing choices the fact that between the coasts, where much of the country is, is a vast wealth of American food history and food identity. I mean where did they think steak dinners came from anyway? New York city?

So enter the Midwesterners with their farms, ranches and sensibilities. Square states are suddenly sexy and so is the food that they call their regional cuisine.A vast array of states with ethnic backgrounds rooted in the immigrant migrations of the late 1800 and early 1900's. American food, solid, hearty and unpretentious. In short the food we grew up with and the foods we still love.

So what has this to do with Nordic Caesar salad, well only this. Caesar salad which originated in California is a staple today on many American tables. Years ago I traveled to Monterey, California and went to the Aquarium there. Very nice place indeed. At that time I had a Caesar salad at a restaurant called the Sardine Factory ( because that was what it was in it's former life).  They of course made their Caesar with what else, sardines!  Ms. Fielding reminded me of this when I saw her show. So I thought that bringing in a Nordic twist  like this, because Sardines are so Nordic, gives it a little flair. I think using a different fish from anchovies actually gives this dish an amazing new and different zing. Deep rich smoked slightly fishy flavor, different from the anchovies we all are accustomed to. Plus the change of cheese coming from the Midwest and not Italian Parmesan ( Wisconsin thank you) brings an interesting texture and flavor as well. It's creamy with a different flavor but still salty delicious. Bacon and scallions make it better, and the paprika croutons give it delicious color and texture. So give this a try and I hope you like it as much as I did. Enjoy, Ya'll!!


Nordic Caesar Salad with Paprika Croutons and a Sardine and Sartori Cheese Dressing

2 teaspoons of minced garlic from the jar
2 smoked Sardines ( I used Rolands Golden Smoked Sardines amazing )
1/2 cup Mayonaise
1 1/2 cups grated Sartori Bellavitano Cheese aged 5 years
4 tablespoons lemon juice ( I used the green bottle did not have lemons on hand)
5 to 7 tablespoons olive oil
Maldon Sea Salt and Freshly ground Pepper
1/2 loaf country bread or rolls pulled by hand into pieces
Sweet paprika for dusting
2 tablespoons melted butter and 4 tablespoons olive oil heated and combined
Salt and pepper
3 scallions diced
2 strips of bacon crumbled
2 tablespoons capers
2 heads of romaine lettuce roughly chopped or hand torn ( hand tearing is classic for a caesar but chopping is easier. I actually chop)
Lemon Wedges for garnish ( optional)

For the dressing:

In a mixing bowl add the sardines pull out the backbone and mash.
Add the garlic and mayo and lemon juice and mix well.
Add half the cheese and mix.
Drizzle in the olive oil a bit at a time while whisking till the dressing comes together.
Hold

For the croutons:

Line a baking tray with foil
Heat oven to 350 degrees
Place the bread on the tray and bake for 7 mins
Pull out and test to see if croutons are dried out. They should be.
Sprinkle the croutons with the melted butter and oil and toss to coat.
Dust with the paprika and toss to coat.
Place back in the oven for another 8 to 10 mins till golden and done.
Cool and Reserve.

To assemble the salad:

Place the scallions, capers and bacon in the bottom of a large salad bowl.
Add half the dressing.
Add lettuce on top add half the croutons add 1/2 of remaining shredded cheese.
Toss
Add more dressing cheese and croutons till the salad is dressed to your liking.
( note: Caesar Salad should be thickly dressed but not over dressed)

Serve with lemon wedges and extra dressing and cheese on the side if there is any.

Enjoy Ya'll!!

The Roastest with the Mostest, Forrest's Standing Rib Roast Recipe for Winter and the Holidays

It's winter in NYC. No it's WINTER! I mean it's the coldest it's been in 100 years that's cold. So when it's this cold out all I want is comfort food. You know the kinds of dishes that make you feel warm inside. Well I am not only talking carb laden dishes with cheesy undertones and thick sauces. No I am talking about some serious meat dishes. Roasting meats till they hit their browned and glorious peak juicy and medium rare is a beautiful thing in the Wintertime and so I thought I would share a bit about my latest roasting recipes.

My fascination with the roast probably started in my Mother and Grandmother's kitchen. Having three generations in the house growing up made for some lovely mealtimes both from a cooking perspective as well as the dialog that ensued during the meals. There was chatter about school, work and friends, church meetings, politics, senior citizen outings, youth group retreats and the latest gossip from the street.

The meals were a rotating menu of dishes that would be planned out a month in advance by both my Mother and Grandmother. The reason for this was simple. My Mother shopped at the beginning of each month for the things we would eat all month. This was the "Big" shop. Of course perishable items were bought as they were needed but all the meat, potatoes, noodles, rice, beans, canned foods and staples were purchased during the big shop.

This started in Hawaii because transportation and traffic was such a beast. But it continued even when we returned to the mainland because the commissary was not near the house. In any event these meals were planned out in detail and a list made and groceries procured. We would often help with this task running through the Aisles on some task to retrieve something from my Mother or Grandmother and the return to the grocery cart. My brother and I often played at being spacemen. Fancying that we were flying out on some mission and then returning to the mother ship with our cargo in tow.

Such was the life of military brats food shopping on a budget. Oh yes, I neglected to say that managing the household finances was my Mother's job and she would have that list budgeted down to the penny. My friend Liz totally got this when I was first telling her this. She said growing up in Florida her family was about the same. Living paycheck to paycheck, with every penny accounted for. She told a story about how once she ate all the push pops in the freezer. And upon discovering this her Mother explained that those were supposed to have lasted the whole family the rest of the month. So she made here break open her piggy bank and walk to the store and replace them. She said she ran all the way home fearing that the Florida heat would melt the pop-cicles, but she made it her package in tow and in fine condition.

At the homestead the roasted meats that were on the menu took the form of flank steaks and chuck or pot roasts, brisket and certainly whole chickens, pork chops, roasts and loins and legs of lamb. I can remember from my early childhood loving the smells of the pan as it can out of the oven all bubbling and rich with fat juices sizzling away. This smell combined with  charred edges and corners of the roasted meat. These provides me the taste and tactile memories of gorgeous fatty burned tasty bits that were cut off as scraps and handed over to my brother and myself in a small effort to ward off hunger pains and delay complaints till dinner was ready. But they were the best those crispy bits!

Having grown up, I am now called upon to be cooking dinners for my Mother. Now I continue the tradition of roasting the "Roast Beast" in our house during the holidays by preparing a standing rib roast every year. I have over the past 10 years perfected what I think is a perfect method for giving the roast the most amazing flavor and tasty crust that we have ever had on our holiday table. It's inspiration is simple, dijon, garlic and rosemary, all classic flavorings some together to host a party on the roast and create an amazing flavor profile. It starts with the idea that getting the flavor into the roast by slathering it with a very garlic and mustard based marinade. Then it roasts in the oven to perfection. This mustard marinade is good on any roast I have ever done. Beef, Pork or Chicken. The key is allowing the marinade to penetrate the meat even overnight for some cuts ( filet)  and for large roasts like a standing rib roast roasting it at high heat to get that crust then finishing it at a lower heat. So if you are roasting this winter season for comfort and joy, try this out and let me know what you think. It's a winner!! Enjoy Ya'll

Forrest's Rib Roast with Mustard and Rosemary Crust

1 6 to 7 pound rib roast ( 3 to 4 bones ) trimmed and tied by butcher ( feeds 6 to 8 people)
Salt and Pepper ( for rub )
1/2 cup dijon Mustard
3 teaspoons garlic paste
3 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary
1/4 cup olive oil
7 teaspoons salt
2 1/2 teaspoon pepper

Let roast stand for at least an hour then liberally slather with salt and pepper
Then return uncovered to the fridge and let sit overnight
Remove roast the next day when ready 4 hours before you plan to roast

Combine the 6 ingredients in a small bowl and slather the Roast

Let stand for 4 hours then bake for 45 mins in a 475 degree oven
Reduce heat to 350 and roast for another 1 hour and 10 mins or until a themometer reads 120 to 130 degrees
Remove from the oven, cover with foil and let sit for about 30 more mins.
Uncover and let sit another 15 mins.

Slice as thickly as you want per person and serve with horseradish sauce on the side. ( recipe to follow )

Decadent Holiday Recipes for Entertaining: Chive and Truffled Deviled Eggs

OK for the next few weeks I will be planning a party for my Mother which will take place over the holidays. One of the things that my Mom wants out of her party is to serve things that the folks she's inviting normally never get to see served at the myriad of parties they attend. And trust me these people go to a lot of parties.  So thus comes the challenge. Serve them something they will really enjoy and is new and interesting for them. And something that they will talk about after they go home.

It seems a fitting challenge for me. For while one would want to serve things, that you might be sure they have never seen before, you have to be careful that that strategy doesn't backfire. People are funny about food especially at parties. They want to eat what they like or at least what seems familiar. The challenge is to do that but do it in a way that pushes the envelope or encourages discovery.

Now when I started thinking about this I thought, what foods might be familiar at a Southern Christmas party? Well nothing says party and Southern like deviled eggs. And to make them special nothing says decedent like the rich taste of truffle oil. Now I know truffles are not a new thing nor is truffle oil. Chefs have actually over used it these days. Nor is the idea of truffled deviled eggs new. However, I decided to really really go there and make super crazy truffled deviled eggs. So rich and truffled that one bite and you would be overwhelmed by their rich aroma and flavor. In short the ultimate deviled egg.

So here is the recipe when I made these I had to say they were crazy truffled, which if you are a fan of the truffle you would love. The chives give with a little punch and color and the aleppo pepper really sings. If you want to impress this season, make these!

The Ultimate Chive and Truffled Deviled Eggs 

8 eggs hard boiled and peeled
1 heaping spoonful Dukes mayonaise
4 heaping spoonfuls of chive and onion cream cheese in a small tub
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon dried onion powder
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon curry powder
4 tablespoons chives chopped finely
salt and pepper to taste
truffle oil to taste
Aleppo Pepper

Cut the eggs in half. Scoop out the yokes into a bowl throw away 2 of the whites so you have 12 halves left
Mix with the other ingredients except truffle oil and Aleppo pepper
Mash until a smooth paste forms
Truffle the eggs to your taste ( I really went to town with the oil it was good and strong)
Place the filling in a plastic bag refridgerate for about an hour.
Cut a corner off the bag
Fill the whites
Garnish with chive batons and aleppo pepper

Chestnut Soup, A Williamsburg Christmas, Memory Lane and a Dash of Yuletide Cheer

When I was in 6th grade my father's naval career took us to Washington DC. or more exactly Reston Virginia. The 80's were a great time in the DC. area. The overdevelopment that now plagues the DC. Metro area was not to the level it is these days. There were still a lot of winding country roads for one to drive around on and farms still operating around every bend. It was an interesting change for my brother and myself, as Navy brats, coming from Hawaii and being shot into another matrix of people and places. But we took to it and soon found that we felt of it as home.

One new and exciting experience which we had during those years in Virginia was a Christmas trip to the historic Tidewater area of the state specifically the Williamsburg, Jamestown, and Yorktown triangle.

I mean it is a little hard to believe that so many parts of our nation's history actually played themselves out in this very small part of the country. It was after all the site of the first successful English settlement in the new world, Jamestown. It was the part time capital of the new nation at colonial Williamsburg, site of many historic discussions and meetings of our founding fathers. And of course Yorktown was where after being surrounded Cornwallis surrendered to George Washington and ended the Revolutionary War. That's a lot of history for one little area!

As young boys the thrill of going to this very historic place was really exciting and fun. Not just because we had the chance to go to all those historical places, but because we got to go on a vacation, stay in a hotel, and most likely eat out at some tasty interesting places. Oh even then we were thinking about food.

Now for those of you who have never been to Williamsburg, it is for me the most magical around the Christmas holidays. And for those of you who have been let's take a little trip down memory lane and remember our time there. Williamsburg is pretty engaging year round, But  during the holiday season, Williamsburg is really special.

First let me give you a sense of what Williamsburg is like in general. Imagine if you could be in a place that truly replicates the structures, lifestyle and atmosphere of a Colonial town. Well that mixed in with a good dose of tourist friendly activities and modern convenience.

But truly it is the atmosphere that is most engaging, and at Christmas time this is elevated to yet another level. Ok let me set the stage for you.  First you have this intensely developed almost Museum quality reproduction of a colonial town as it was on the eve of 1776. Next you have tourism opportunities to see, taste, tour and witness reenactments of moments in that period, houses of the period, shops of the period and restaurants or taverns of the period. Greenery decked with fruits in wreaths and garland is everywhere, candles dance and twinkle in the evenings, and bon fires are lit for singing and story telling as well as lighting up the holiday nights. It is magical and if you are the in the slightest interested in history and the past it can be quite enrapturing.

The dining experience back then in Williamsburg was varied as you may imagine. Everything from the modern coffee shop, to the Taverns in the town, to an upscale Dining experience, to the full on Colonial feast with Actors playing all the parts and the guests feeling themselves a part of the action. (Sort of a Medieval Times meets George Washington's Dining room). There were so many different dishes to sample. Colonial foods such as peanut soup, stuffed Chicken, pan roasts, wild game, and spoon bread. In the more haute cuisine area there was the Cascades restaurant, a very 1970's esque structure built near the conference center and visitors center.

For the Anglophile Williamsburg is the closest thing to seeing British colonial history come alive. And while we like to think of ourselves today as American and very different from England, the people who lived in the Revolutionary war times saw themselves as British subjects and even to some extent as fighting to regain their rights from and not win their freedom from, Mother England. In fact the war that became the American War of Independence really started as the war for sovereign rights.

In any case the British influence on our food traditions is clearly seen in the Williamsburg cuisine of today. Roasted meats, breads, puddings, soups and stews all having their roots in British cuisine are clearly represented. And at Christmas Time the traditional foods of the British table make their way to the menus of the Williamsburg Restaurants.

One such dish is chestnut soup.A long favored dish in European cooking Chestnut soup makes itself only minimally known in the Christmas traditions of today. Chestnuts in general are not really on today's food radar with the exception of Chestnut stuffing. So the back story not withstanding, this soup became known to me first in Williamsburg many years ago.And as I recently have become interested in researching my own personal food history I took a look at this dish again being that it is the holidays and all.

I made this for friends the other day and I have to say my friend Quincy summed it up by saying "this soup just tastes like Christmas somehow". Indeed it does. I found this version by Nigella Lawson online. I sort of love her cooking and her sensibility. So of course I changed it a bit only because I thought it needed more Chestnuts than she put in hers. Interestingly it's only seasoning is salt and pepper and yet the Chestnuts give the soup an amazingly rich flavor that at once evokes thoughts of sugar plums dancing in one's head, roaring fire and twinkling candel light, holiday cheer and all that. So here's a Holiday dish for you to try this season. Enjoy Ya'll!

Chestnut Soup ( based on a recipe by Nigella Lawson)

1 medium onion diced
3 to 4 stalks celery diced
2 carrots diced
1 cup dried red lentils
1 1/2 quarts water
1 tablespoon bullion ( Chicken or Vegetable)
450 grams jarred or canned chestnuts (cooked)
a couple of shakes of ground cloves
salt and pepper to taste
Extra water for thinning
1/4 cup cream ( optional )
chopped chives for garnish

Place the onions in a pot with some vegetable oil and cook until softened
Add the lentils and cook a little in the hot vegetables
Add the water and bullion and a few hardy shakes of cloves ( it's a background flavor so just a little)
Stir to combine
Add the Chestnuts and cook for about 40 mins to an hour over low heat
Puree the soup in a blender thin with more water if necessary
Serve with a drizzle of cream and chopped chives. Enjoy!
The holidays in a bowl!

Autumn Bisque with Butternut Squash, Fennel and Onions A Taste of Fall's Bounty

When I was attending college in the the Shenandoah Valley at James Madison University there was an interesting collection of folks who lived there. I mean by that that there were University folks and then there were townies, or locals. This group was further splintered out into cultural and religious groups. Many of of who had been there since before the civil war. The largest and most visible of these groups was probably the Mennonites.

Mennonites like the Amish in the Pennsylvania countryside are a German religious group who fled Europe in the 1700's seeking a better life and the freedom to worship as they pleased. They settled into various areas but today are concentrated in lower Virginia and Southern Pennsylvania. They are peaceful and good natured people who are mostly farmers and such and who make their living off the land.

In the city of Harrisonburg where I went to college there was a local food coop run by the Mennonites. You could get the best produce and local milk cheese and baked products one could imagine. One of the things that was always available in the late fall once school was in session were sweet potatoes and squash as well as other root veggies. So I got into the habit of making soup which as a Student was very easy and cheap and filling. One of the soups I learned how to make was a butternut squash soup flavored with curry. It was a recipe from my roommate's mother and it was really delicious. But I sort of stopped making it because later on I really never lived in cold climate and warming soups were not a part of my diet as much.

When I first got into catering in New York city I was again exposed to the butternut squash and as it got more popular it started popping up everywhere. Soon every natural soup company was making a butternut squash soup. But still I only would make this soup or a version of it once a year during the fall normally for a dinner party. And this year I was asked for a soup as a starter for the dinner I was attending. So I pulled out this recipe and revisited it as a reference for making a new version. And I must say that with one exception I stuck with the original formula and that one change made the soup really a level above where it had been before. And gauging from the reactions at the dinner I hit a home run!!

So here is my recipe it makes about 10 cups and I suggest you make it all because you are going to want eat it for leftovers. Enjoy Ya'll

Forrest's Autumn Bisque with Fennel, Onions and Pistachio's

2 lbs of butternut squash cut up in cubes ( if you can buy this it makes life so much easier)
4 tablespoons butter (optional)
2 large onions diced
2 fennel bulbs ( white part) diced
6 cloves of garlic roasted in the oven till soft and caramelized
1 tablespoon fresh thyme chopped
dried sage, thyme, rosemary
dried cumin, Dharamsala ( Indian Spice mix you can buy or make this), turmeric
Salt and Pepper
Optional chopped pistachios and roasted pistachio oil
Creme fraiche or sour cream (for garnish)
1 small bunch chopped chives ( hold a few pinches for garnish on the side)
4 cups chicken or vegetable stock
2 bay leaves
1 cup half and half
Water


 Method

Place the butternut squash on a baking tray and toss with olive oil and the fresh thyme a good sprinkle of dried rosemary and sage, salt and pepper
Bake in a 350 degree oven for between 20 and 40 mins. At 20 minutes check to see if soft with a fork bake till soft but not really browned.
Remove and cool
Meanwhile in a large stock pot cook the onions and fennel with some oil and salt and pepper just till soft add butter till melted.
Add in the stock and the butternut squash and the garlic
Add 1 heaping Tablespoon cumin, 1 1/2 heaping Tablespoons Dharamsala and 1 heaping Tablespoon turmeric
Add 1 teaspoon dried sage and also thyme
Add 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
Add 1 teaspoon pepper
Add bay leaves
Bring to a boil then reduce to simmer cook for 30 mins
Turn off heat.

Cool slightly remove bat leaves and then working in batches puree soup in a blender
Or use a immersion blender if too thick add water to thin
Return soup to pot put on warm heat ( do not boil)
Add the half and half
Taste for seasoning and add salt and pepper if needed ( I find it needs it)
( note* at this point you can add more cumin, Dharamsala or turmeric as desired. The amounts I show are a good start but you may want more spice feel free to add more to your taste)

To serve:

Right before serving stir in chives
Place in a bowl and garnish with a dallop of creme fraiche, a few pistchios and a drizzle of the oil and some reserved chives