Hot Dish Review

Usually, I don’t blog about my interviews with chefs or cookbook authors. But really, I should. I’ve had the pleasure (or displeasure, as the case may be) of interviewing some of the most talented, witty, and downright notorious folks involved in the food industry: Ted Turner, Bill Kurtis, Richard Blais, Jeffrey Chodorow, Scott Serpas, and Chris Kinjo to name a few.

Recently I was asked to do a review of a new cookbook by chef David Tanis called The Heart of the Artichoke. He’s not the kind of chef that has a show on The Food Network or has an international food empire like Wolfgang Puck. No, chef Tanis is flying under the radar, creating singularly perfect meals at Chez Panisse in Berkeley half the year, living in a flat in Paris the other.

The Heart of the Artichoke is the follow-up to his New York Times best seller A Platter of Figs. In both, Tanis gives readers more than just recipes to follow, he offers a glimpse into his passions and personal kitchen rituals….you know, the quirky things we cook for ourselves when there is no one else to impress. Sometimes it is those private moments we spend in the kitchen that can be almost meditative, therapeutic.

In the foreword the author says of his book’s title “The artichoke is ripe with metaphor and parable possibilities. Getting past the thorns to the sweet center…not at all like reaching up and harvesting a sweet peach, eating an artichoke requires a bit of work.”

Tanis gives readers great ideas for simple meals for each season, twenty menus in all, from Spring lamb to Wintery duck confit, all of them artfully photographed. There are recipes for larger groups too, perfect for festive celebrations.

When I asked Tanis which season was his favorite, his reply was “It’s always the season that’s coming! After the harvest you’re up to your neck in tomatoes, so you’re ready for squash. It’s normal and natural, until we started getting raspberries from Peru.” Tanis was an advocate of cooking seasonally long before it was trendy.

He was thoughtful, introspective, and witty with an edge, selecting his words as carefully as ingredients for a complex stew.

The Heart of the Artichoke is much more than a recipe book, it is an invitation to slow down and enjoy the process of cooking, to savor the journey.

That’s what you’ll be hearing from savvy suburbanites and horny hausfraus (rumor has it the handmade bar is outfitted with vibrating barstools!) in Brookhaven. My friend BB, an Ivy League Wall-Streeter, tossed out his Oxford shirts and strapped on a tool belt to build his new upscale pub and restaurant, slated to open its doors to someone other than inspectors and alcohol distributors very soon.

Not only is BB hands on during the design and construction phase, he has also been cultivating his own organic produce nearby, including heirloom tomatoes and figs. Did I mention he’s also a CIA trained chef?

Unpretentious, local, and fun, There recreates the relaxed vibe of The Spotted Pig in Manhattan. The prime corner space is more glass than sheetrock, with modern furnishings to match. Burgundy leather booths add warmth to the otherwise cool space, lit by green lamps that cast a supernatural glow along the dark wood bar.

Chef Ryan Hickey, last serving as Todd Ginsberg’s sous at Bocado, will be manning the kitchen, serving up goodies like boar sausage and smoked trout deviled eggs. My sneak peak at the menu revealed signature burgers served on Holeman and Finch breads and salads that promise to rival the city’s best.

I’m hoping to see BB’s truffled lobster mac and roasted Brussels sprouts on the menu this Winter….pure comfort food!

305 Brookhaven Avenue, in Town Brookhaven complex

Sure, I could drive to McDonald’s and get a delicious Egg McMuffin any day of the week for $2, so why try to recreate this fast food classic at home? Because I can make mine in my pajamas! (or lack of, as the case may be)

You may remember my discovery of Jimmy Dean’s D’Lights….microwavable breakfast sandwiches with turkey sausage, egg white and cheese. They are a quick, tasty and low calorie alternative to McDonald’s sausage McMuffin with egg. But it was LC’s Mom that introduced me to the homemade Egg McMuffin.

She had experimented with cooking the eggs individually in coffee mugs, then topping them with turkey ham and cheddar sandwiched between two toast English muffins halves. Initially there were issues with the egg squishing out, but eventually, she perfected her method.

As with any microwavable food, cooking times may vary. So I checked online and found several variations on how to cook eggs in the microwave. One gave a longer cooking time, but at 50% power, so I thought I’d give it a try.

My first attempt looked good, but the egg yolks were very runny and the cheese had melted too much, both oozing out of the sandwich onto our hands and dripping on the floor….messy! On the second go round I adjusted the cooking time, but still had the dripping cheese issue.

The third time was the charm! Here’s how I did it:

Homemade Egg McMuffin

1 Omega 3 egg
1 English muffin, split (any variety)
1 Slice Canadian bacon or ham
1 Slice light cheddar cheese

Spray the inside of a coffee mug or microwave safe cup with cooking spray. Break the egg and cover top of cup with damp paper towel. Cook at 50% power for 1 1/2-2 minutes, checking the yolk for doneness (I like mine semi-soft).

Toast the muffin halves, butter lightly, then melt the cheese on both sides. Nuke the Canadian bacon until warm. Flip the cup onto a muffin half and season the egg with salt and pepper. Top with meat and second muffin half. This method keeps everything in place.

It’s not rocket science, just microwave science. Tasty!

It didn’t work last year so we had beef stirfry to start off 2012!
This year I didn’t want to leave anything to chance. Many cultures believe that it’s lucky to eat certain foods on New Year’s Day, so after brunch at Diesel, LC and I ordered their “superstition sampler” to go….collards, black-eyed peas, rice, corned beef and cabbage.

Then we stopped by Kroger for provisions, including an acorn squash to roast later. (Not that it’s lucky or anything, I just wanted to experiment with it.)

When we got back to my place, I noticed the sampler’s cornbread was missing, but otherwise it looked tasty. A box full of good luck for only $6! Later, I transferred the contents onto a plate and re-heated it in the microwave, serving it with the roasted acorn squash (recipe tomorrow!).

The collards weren’t nearly as flavorful as those at Whole Foods, and the peas with white rice were expectedly lackluster, livened up somewhat by the tangy cabbage. In a blind taste test I would not have guessed the meat was corned beef, it tasted more like the ham that was on my Benedict earlier….no complaints about that.

The sampler isn’t so much about flavor as it is about results. All I can say is….immediately after consuming the superstition sampler I got lucky! LOL

HAPPY NEW YEAR HOTDISH READERS!

‘Tis the season to get fat…..
Few things are better than fresh baked chocolate chip cookies, especially on a chilly night. Served with an ice cold glass of milk, they are the antidote to the winter blues as well as that tiny bikini you think you’ll be wearing in a few short months!

Since I was a kid, my favorite has been the tube of dough, usually Pillsbury. Sure, I know it’s pedestrian. I can’t have Babette’s dried cherry tart with creme fraiche all the time!

The dough used to be dense enough to slice, then cut into quarters but they’ve changed the consistency so now it is best handled with a spoon (which often ends up in my mouth rather than on the cookie sheet!)

These days one can find all natural cookie dough at Whole Foods. And there are gluten-free mixes too (I think SAVI Urban Market might have some). Pillsbury and Tollhouse both make chocolate chunk, flavors with nuts, and ready-to-bake varieties but why mess with a good thing? I like the old-fashioned roll of dough. Baked until chewy and just starting to brown.

It’s cold outside so just snuggle up with a dozen warm chocolate chip cookies….f*ck the bikini, you can join a gym tomorrow.

These rotten looking things actually contain a sweet treasure. I wish I had taken a photo of my parents’ persimmon tree, barren of leaves but loaded with the ripe fruit.

If you’ve ever eaten a persimmon that was not ripe, you know how vital it is that they are ready to eat. In fact, they need to be quite soft to avoid the dreaded “pucker effect”.

Unlike the gigantic orange Fuyu persimmons available at most grocers, these persimmons are small, spotted, and wrinkled. Me and my Dad ate a dozen right off the tree as we were picking the ones low enough to grab, spitting out the huge seeds.

What they lack in beauty, however, they make up in sweet flavor. You can’t always judge a book (or a fruit) by its cover!

Football season always makes me crave ‘em!
Oh yeah, baby. It’s sausage balls…..almost like the ones I loved back in the day, when my diet was mostly beer, popcorn, and Kraft Macaroni & Cheese.

My first experience with sausage balls was at WP’s Mom’s house in Dora, AL during a Thanksgiving visit. She was a master of Southern style cholesterol-laden goodies like pimento cheese, deviled eggs, and sausage balls.

Perfect sausage balls have only three ingredients: pork sausage, shredded cheddar cheese, and Bisquick. You can alter the flavor by choosing either hot or mild sausage, sharp or mild cheddar, and you can alter the texture by adding more or less of the Bisquick. That’s all the tinkering one can do, legally.

Despite the obvious simplicity of this recipe I still found it necessary to call his sister SP every time I made them. It’s a mixture that must be kneaded by hand….a nasty task to be sure. There’s nothing like trying to get raw pork from under your nails! (Here’s a recipe I found online with great photos, including the mixing-by-hand part, although 2 cups sounds like too much Bisquick).

That was twenty years ago. A few years back I was elated to discover Jimmy Dean now sells pre-made sausage balls, in the freezer section of the supermarket. You know I snatched ‘em up, excited to see if they were sorta like the homemade ones. Although smaller in diameter, the flavor was the same. Then they introduced jalapeno flavor….awesome.

Things have certainly changed since my first taste of sausage balls. WP is gone. Now I’m a food writer, not a fashion designer. I’ve traded in the macaroni and cheese for sensible things like fish and salad. I workout five days a week and take vitamins. Recently I found the original flavor made with turkey sausage, lower in fat, so naturally I had to give them a try.

The turkey variety is drier and doesn’t brown quite as nicely as the fattier pork balls. But something was missing other than the fat. They lacked heart.

In fact, they made me a little sad. How I wish I could have the original homemade kind again, back in Dora, AL with WP. Those were the best balls ever.

Atlanta’s first, biggest, and best foodie event celebrates ten years of gluttony! This year’s Taste of Atlanta starts tonight with a kickoff party called The Big Grill, featuring an appearance by celebrity chef Aaron Sanchez.

Over 80 area restaurants, and a few food trucks, will be offering samples Saturday and Sunday at midtown’s Tech Square. VIP tickets get you into the wine and cocktail tent where you can enjoy numerous alcoholic beverages….that’s where you will find me and LC!

Fall is the season for food festivals and cookoffs of every kind. I’ll be going to Taste of Atlanta on Sunday, but I’m saving Saturday for Swine & Dandy!

Swine & Dandy is a BBQ competition this Saturday October 22nd from 10am to 5pm benefitting several charities in the Duluth area, organized by pro golfer and good ol’ Georgia boy Stewart Cink. My company, Cooper Global Transportation, is running a couple of shuttle buses, so park off River Green and we’ll take you over to Rogers Bridge Park to enjoy what promises to be a gorgeous Fall day while you pig out on pork and fixin’s.

The event is FREE, and the food is for purchase from restaurants and independent BBQ fanatics. Check out the link for more details and directions. LC and I are looking forward to eating some Q for charity!

Rogers Bridge Park, Duluth

An Oktoberfest favorite!
Once again, the signs for hot boiled peanuts on the way to Helen proved to be too tempting to pass by. ST and I stopped at my favorite stand on the way Saturday.

Dale has lots of signs. Coming from both directions, headed to or from GA400, it is hard to miss his hot boiled peanut stand. With two pots bubbling away, one regular, one cajun, we pulled over for a snack.

ST wanted the cajun. Good idea. Dale scoops them up in a giant styrofoam cup and provides a paper sack for the shells. Inside the sack are a couple of tiny Bible scripture booklets….classic. Eating them while driving (the peanuts, not the scripture booklets), however, proved to be quite challenging. ST said my driving became rather ‘iratic’. Whatever. No one died, that’s all that matters.

I wish I had taken a photo of his cat, a beautiful fluffy black boy that his grand-daughter named Hello Kitty Penny Dale….I swear, it’s true.

The cajun peanuts were delicious….just a hint of peppery spice. We finished them off when we arrived at my parents’ place in Helen, with a nice, cold Miller Lite. An appropriate start for the weekend!