Words for Christmas
Jim Sikes
December 2nd, 2011
It’s time to get going with your holiday gift list. Put a pencil (or smartphone) to the task of making the “who gets what” list and who drops off this year. You too can use the naughty and nice criteria.
To me words make a great gift. Books and magazines that you can hold are still cherished and appreciated. They can be enjoyed now and for years to come. One day they may be re-gifted or make it to a yard sale that will give them re-birth to yet another owner.
What books should you consider? Are there any magazines worth giving?
When you go to a bookstore, the cookbook, food and wine sections are brimming with so many options that it’s difficult to know where to start. There are books for novice and expert alike. So many have great photography to boot.
If you shop online, the options seem endless. Mega sites like Amazon have so many choices. These days there are lots of reviews by shoppers – most of whom are not writers. Lots of times the negative reviews don’t have a basis directly related to the worthiness of the book. So beware.
Books I suggest you consider for giving this year you ask? Sure I have several to share with you - some new and some not. There are some classics that new readers should not miss.
A brand new publication that will be appreciated by any foodie is Eleven Madison Park by David Humm. Featured are offerings from the very popular restaurant by the same name in New York City.
This book is a beauty in many ways. Yes the photographs are stunning. “You mean that’s food?” comes to mind. The ideas will give cooks and dreamers equal pleasure. The recipes are complex and not for the timid. The quantities are often not stated in weights and that’s too bad. With such emphasis on accuracy and detail, this would be a nice touch.
John Besh, the Louisiana chef and writer, has a new book out. It’s titled My Family Table: A Passionate Plea for Home Cooking. Besh is a good writer and this book shows off his style well. This is a good one for a new family that would like a modern treatise on the home kitchen.
John Besh has a couple of other books that are good gifts. My New Orleans is one as is Wild Abundance. Besh is the chef who took over La Provence after the death of my friend Chris Kerageorgiou a few years back.
If Louisiana cuisine is of interest, The Encyclopedia of Cajun & Creole Cuisine by John Folse is a good choice. It explores these two very different cuisines in much detail. The Lost Restaurants of New Orleans is also a good one for someone who has an interest in the food history of this great food city.
A different look at a type of home cooking is titled Off the Menu by Marissa Guggiana. She reveals recipes and details of what is known as the staff meal in many larger restaurants.
David Chang’s Momofuku is a great book to read. It is a cook book and a food book using items served at the restaurant of the same name. Chang’s thorough explanations give the reader an insight into a cuisine that most of know little about.
A New Turn in the South by Hugh Acheson is a worthy gift. This Athens, Ga, chef is a good writer and an excellent cook. His modern turns with traditional southern cuisine deserve your consideration.
Perhaps my favorite current food writer is Mark Ruhlman. He has a wonderful way with words and his food cooking perspectives are spot on. Anyone with an interest in food will enjoy his book Ratios. Even the most experienced recipient with be very appreciative. His latest book, Ruhlman’s Twenty is also excellent. Someone who wants to cook well needs both of these books. By the way Ruhlman is Chef Thomas Keller’s co-author for his famous books.
Paul Robuchon is a world renowned chef. His restaurants have more stars than most constellations. His book The Complete Robuchon makes a fine gift. So does Simply French by Patricia Wells. It is a presentation of Robuchon’s cooking.
A great read is The Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz. It’s mostly stories with a few recipes tossed in.
If your giftee has not started a food library, these are some classics that always have a place. The Joy of Cooking is a great example. The same is true for Julia Child’s Mastering the Art of French Cooking. French Provincial Cooking by Elizabeth David is a must have.
Other interesting authors to consider are Jacques Pepin, Mario Batali, Paul Bocuse, Paula Wolfert, Anthony Bourdain, Wolfgang Puck, Jean-Georges Vongerichten and Anne Willan. If you stumble on one of Laurie Colwin’s books, get it. Read it yourself then pass it along.
As to other words, most food mags don’t do much for me. After a quick look, this issue and that are often much alike. This is not true for some however. Saveur is a great magazine. The attention to detail is outstanding. The new La Cucina Italiana is also a good one. This is an American version available here. Cook’s Illustrated is sort of the Consumer Reports of food magazines. Various dishes are explored to find the best way to be prepared in the home kitchen. Wine Spectator is the king for that part of the food world.
So while you are making your list and checking it twice, consider the gift of words this Christmas. Your lucky recipients will be very pleased.
On a personal note – please come to the Civic Chorale Christmas concert on Tuesday, December 6th at 7:30 PM at Trinity United Methodist Church in Opelika. This delightful program will get your holiday season off to a proper start. I hope to see you there.
Christmas Savories
Jim Sikes
December 9th, 2012
When most of us think of a little something after a meal, sweet usually comes to mind. The same is true with for something with coffee or hot tea. Chocolate and other confections lead the field.
Even at cocktail parties hosts feel the need for a “dessert.” Mixed drinks, beer and wine find very little favor with sweet things.
What about nice savories? Little bites and small items packed with flavor but not so sugary. These are so good and a welcome change from so many sweets.
The first thing that comes to my mind is nuts. The old phrase “soup to nuts” has its place. The meal ended with a few tasty nuts. The sweets had come before. Diners left with a rich flavor and not a heavy sweetness.
Traditional southern toasted pecans were one of my mother’s favorites. We always had them at Christmas time. She actually roasted them on a baking sheet in a moderate oven until cooked through but not too dark in color. They were slathered in butter and sprinkled with salt whiler cooking. Yes they were so good. Made from just picked fresh pecans, they were a real treat.
You can also coat the warm pecans with other seasoning like curry or taco seasoning. Chinese five spice powder is a good one. You can add a little sweetness with corn syrup or honey.
Candied nuts work, too. Sprinkle with a little sugar on a sheet pan and allow the nuts to warm until the sugar melts. A dash of cinnamon is a perfect little extra spice.
Other nuts are also good – toasted or not. Walnuts are great. Cashews are perfect on their own. Regular almonds work but Marcona almonds are so much better. A dish of Marcona almonds and pistachio kernels will satisfy most anyone.
You own nut mix is a good idea. Toast them as you would any nut and season the warm nuts with flavors like salt, brown sugar, paprika, cinnamon and maybe a little cocoa powder. If you like you can add mini pretzels or the sticks as a little surprise.
In French, gateau (ga-toe) refers to a large and maybe fancy dessert cake such as Gateau Saint Honoré or simply Gateau au Chocolat. Then le cake (luh kek) is what is used for a Christmas fruit cake. More importantly it is also means a savory cake or what we refer to as quick bread. Fruit cake is closer to a quick bread than a cake.
Quick breads are one of the best savories. They mix in no time, don’t need to sit to rise and bake quickly. So they live up to their name. Banana and zucchini breads are good examples. So are ones made with richer ingredients such as olives and cheese. Those hot cheese biscuits that are so popular are savories hiding in another form.
David Lebovitz sights a great Parisian recipe for Cake aux Lardons et Fromage Bleu – Bacon and Blue Cheese Cake. What’s not to like about that? This is really a quick bread. You can also make this cake with olives and goat cheese, too.
Instead of a chocolate dessert try offering chocolate spice bread. Use chocolate and butter mixed into flour and season with traditional pumpkin pie spices. Then add eggs and honey to bring it together. This is a dense and perfect treat with rich dark coffee.
Muffins are another wonderful savory. The method closely resembles quick breads. Get a basic muffin mix you like and add things to it. Cranberries and nuts are good. So is cheese. If you make the batter thicker you can roll it out and cut biscuits.
Crepes also fit the savory bill. They are little more than thin pancakes and you can make those from a mix. Small ones with savory filling are great as snacks. In a larger form they become a lunch main course.
Another trick with crepes or pancakes is to add chocolate chips to them while cooking instead of fruit. With a touch of sugar in the batter, you will have a nice surprise for your family or guests.
Dips and spreads are also great savories. Tapenade is a perfect example. We think of ripe olives, capers and anchovies for this pungent and tasty delight. But if you add dried figs, tapenade becomes a true savory. Spread it on toasts. Or go further and spread on chicken breasts before baking.
Bruschetta is an extension of this application. Savory goodies are spread on grilled bread and eaten as little snacks. Most any leftover you have can be turned into clever bruschetta.
So over the next few weeks when you need a little something extra, consider a savory delight. Use those chocolate truffles, salsa and cheese dips another time. You will enjoy the change and probably find a few new “standards” for your repertoire.
Bacon and Blue Cheese Cake
David Lebovitz
Butter or bacon fat for preparing the pan
1 ½ cups of flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. chile powder
½ tsp. salt
4 large eggs
¼ cup olive oil
½ cup plain whole milk yogurt
1 ½ tsp. Dijon mustard
¼ cup chopped green onion tops
5 oz. Blue cheese, crumbled
2 oz. Grated Parmesan
8 strips of bacon, cooked and crumbled
1. Preheat oven to 350. Grease a 9” loaf pan and line the bottom with cut parchment paper.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, chile powder and salt.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together eggs, olive oil, yogurt, mustard and green onion until smooth.
4. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients and use a rubber spatula to stir in the wet mixture, until just incorporated. Don’t over mix.
5. Fold in the blue cheese, Parmesan and bacon bits until everything’s just moistened. Scrape the batter into the prepared loaf pan.
6. Bake for 50 – 60 minutes, until the top is golden brown and the cake springs back when you touch the center.
7. Let the cake cool 5 minutes and turn out onto a wire rack. Peel off the parchment paper and let cool before slicing.
Brunswick Stew Revisited
Jim Sikes
December 16th, 2011
Several times this fall a conversation with a guest at Jimmy’s has turned to Brunswick stew. This is such a great concoction. I told these folks I did a piece about it for the O-A News. When I checked back, I saw that it had been almost six years since it ran. So I decided it was time to revisit this marvelous tradition. It’s been a long time since I have made any; yet it’s the first thing I look for when I go to a barbecue restaurant.
How did the name Brunswick stew come about? There are 3 main candidates out there. The closest to us is Brunswick, Georgia. They have been at it there a long time - 1898. The next is Brunswick County, North Carolina that makes a claim to the source. The other is the most probable winner – Brunswick County, Virginia.
The original Brunswick stew, according to Brunswick County historians, was created in 1828 by "Uncle" Jimmy Matthews. As the story goes, Dr. Creed Haskins, a member of the Virginia State Legislature for a number of years, took several friends on a hunting expedition. While the group hunted, Matthews, Dr. Haskin's camp cook, hunted squirrel for the evening meal. Matthews slowly stewed the squirrels with butter, onions, stale bread and seasoning in a large iron pot. When the hunting party returned, they were reluctant to try the new, thick stew; but, one taste convinced them to ask for more.
Anthropologist Charles Hudson tells us, “Southeastern Indians made a stew from hominy and groundhog or squirrel, and also boiled bear and deer meat with fresh corn kernels and squash.” I’m not so sure if “yum” is the word that comes to my mind.
Regardless of who gets the title of “earliest,” we are the winners. But what is the real thing? Humorist Ray Blount says,” Brunswick stew is what happens when small mammals carrying ears of corn fall into barbecue pits.” He may have something there.
Renowned food writer James Beard got it just right when he said, “This is one of the most famous American dishes, and I doubt if there are two recipes alike for it.”
One thing is for sure: there are lots of recipes that call for squirrel. But most say something about using chicken instead of or along with those furry creatures. I believe that’s progress.
The common thread is chicken and corn along with some type of tomato product. Pork, beef and ham get used as well as game. Onions, garlic, potatoes, lima beans, green pepper, okra and celery appear. Many times tomatoes get repeated as ketchup or barbecue sauce. Worcestershire sauce and hot sauce also appear. Sometimes a roux of other thickening agent is used. Other than salt a common seasoning is black pepper.
One interesting recipe I found is called “Get a Husband Brunswick Stew.” It uses chicken, pork and beef along with onions, bell pepper, celery, corn, tomatoes, ketchup, barbecue sauce and hot sauce. I suppose you rule out fewer candidates if you include a wider variety of ingredients.
There are different styles of Brunswick stew. Some are like soup with chunks of meat and veggies. Others are thicker with a smoother look. Some are put through a food mill to get a very consistent texture. A few are basically a purée.
So what’s the right thing to do? It’s easy. Use what you like or better still, what you have. After all, that’s how all of these different recipes for the same thing came about. One version is not necessarily better than another. It’s just another way to do it. The fun for us is trying several and finding we like them all.
If you want to put your skills to a test, in the fall, Brunswick, GA hosts their annual Brunswick Stewbilee. In Brunswick, VA you can vie for the title of Brunswick Stewmaster at the annual Taste of Brunswick festival.
Years ago I wrote a recipe for Brunswick stew. It was something I always made for the New Year when I was longing for a real southern treat. I once sang a performance of Handel’s Messiah in Newark, NJ. We had dinner at a hostess’ home on the night of rehearsal. Her feature dish was Brunswick stew. It was my first time for one with lima beans. I remember it being good and not getting hungry any time that night.
My Brunswick stew recipe yields about 12 quarts. So I can feed a bunch of folks or freeze some. This stuff does well in the freezer and reheats very easily.
When I did my recipe, it was during the time I thought you ought to have lots of ingredients in your food. In the case of Brunswick stew, that’s not a bad idea.
In a large stock pot boil water along with celery, carrots, garlic, chilies, peppercorns, bay leaves and a meaty ham bone. Simmer for 30 minutes or so.
Then add several pounds of dark meat chicken in quarters. Simmer for another 90 minutes. Skim off any solids that form on the top.
While that is cooking, put the juices from 2-28 oz. cans of tomatoes in a baking pan along with a few bay leaves, vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, ketchup, salt and cayenne. Add pork steak (half as much as chicken) and bake at 325 for 90 minutes, turning once or twice. Add water if necessary.
Let everything in the pot cool a while to make it easier to handle. Then strain the stock of all the meat and vegetables. Discard everything but the chicken and ham. Remove the skin, excess fat and bones from the chicken and set the meat aside. Remove the ham from the bone and discard the bone and excess fat. Remove the excess fat from the stock. Remove the pork from the bones and set aside with the sauce.
Strain the stock again into a large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil again and add tomatoes, corn (2-15 oz. cans), lima beans (2-15 oz. cans), and sliced onions. Reduce to a simmer.
Using your fingers or a pair of forks, pull the chicken, pork and ham into long shreds. Add all the meat and sauce to the pot and continue to simmer another 30 minutes to an hour. Taste for seasoning. You may want more salt, pepper or hot sauce.
If you want your Brunswick stew thicker, use some roux or a slurry. If you want a smoother texture, pulse a few times in batches in a food processor. You may want to add some more ketchup to this for color.
If there’s an ingredient you don’t like, leave it out. Just use more of something else. Serve with salad and fresh bread. Enjoy.
New Orleans Christmas FeastJim Sikes
December 23rd, 2011
On Monday night a whole room full of us gathered to celebrate Christmas a few days early – New Orleans style. We had a sumptuous feast that was enjoyed by all.
Several new attendees got to know our regulars over glasses of Chardonnay. Before long we sat at table to see what goodies awaited.
We got to hear about some favorite ingredients of traditional New Orleans cuisine. We also found out some of the many we would have over the next couple of hours.
Our first taste of the night was Oysters Rockefeller. This Antoine’s creation is a favorite in New Orleans all year long and is prefect way to begin any celebration.
In our case we used fresh Chesapeake oysters. We have found them to be the best this season. Topped with cooked seasoned spinach with a splash of Herbsaint, the Spirit of New Orleans, and then a touch of rich béchamel, then baked until just tender.
Alongside was a slice of bacon and blue cheese cake. This was the one I wrote about in Christmas Savories recently. It was really good with the oysters and the wine.
Yes, the wine. We had Frisk Prickly Riesling. This Australian Riesling lives up to its name. It has a touch of sweet and a burst of light effervescence that makes it so appealing.
For our second course we were treated to a pair of great tastes. The first was a creamy sauce of red peppers, green onions and artichoke hearts poured over Basmati rice and topped with jumbo lump crabmeat. This was paired with a lightly fried slice of milk-soaked eggplant that was drizzled with rosemary honey.
These two dishes were a hit. The sweet of the crab and honey, the rich savory of the eggplant and artichoke and the deep nuttiness of the rice made for heaven on a plate. Lots of clean plates came back to the kitchen after this one.
The wine was Schell Creek Pinot Noir. This California wines is medium in weight and spot on in taste and nose. This is a good example of how good the right red wine can be used where a white wine might be your first idea.
The next course was billed as celebration salad. It seemed fitting for such an occasion. It was mix of lots of good flavors on one plate. A base of mixed baby greens was dressed with cumin-laced vinaigrette and Parmesan. On top were toasted pecans, grape tomatoes and dried cranberries. This was a welcome lighter relief with rich food all around.
McManis Family Viognier was the chosen wine. The hint of sweet and touch of honey was for a perfect companion to the salad. A wine like Viognier is a great choice when you can’t decide what to use. It works with so many things.
The main course was a triumph in richness: beef, potatoes, green peas and foie gras. Wow what a group.
Here are the details. The green peas were touched with a cream sauce just enough to bind them together. The Yukon gold potatoes were boiled, put through a sieve and mixed with butter and milk before going through the sieve again. Then salted and sieved once again. This is a technique employed by Joel Robuchon. His ratio calls for 2 pounds of potatoes to 1 pound of butter. Silk richness is the best descriptor I know.
Medallions of beef tenderloin were lightly grilled and placed on a toasted bread round (Gambino’s, of course). They were topped with a slice of seared foie gras. Then they were sauced with a dark unctuous liquid made from beef stock, white wine, Madeira, seasoning veggies and herbs. Once fully reduced, truffle oil was whisked in to finish.
This dish is known as Tournados Rossini. It was created for the composer Giacchino Rossini (The Barber of Seville). Legend has it that none other than Escoffier himself made the dish.
This plate was a knock out in appearance, smell and taste. It was decadence worthy of a celebration occasion. No place better to find it than in New Orleans.
Our wine was a Cabernet Sauvignon from the William Hill Winery in Napa Valley, California. Lots of berry fruit and rich flavors worked so well with the course. This wine is an excellent value. The 2007 vintage is a fine one and is currently available.
Dessert was a New Orleans classic: bananas Foster. This dish is a Brennan’s creation form the early ‘50’s. It is named for Richard Foster, a well-known New Orleanian and family friend.
Bananas are common in New Orleans. Banana trees are grown as landscape plants all over town. The dessert is made from brown sugar, butter, cinnamon, ice cream, dark rum, banana liqueur and of course bananas. Ours was flambéed in the dining room while evoking the spirit of Papa Noel in his pirogue.
This was so good. It wasn’t too sweet and the bananas just rightly cooked. What a great dessert and again one worthy of a celebration.
While waiting for the bananas Foster to finish, we had soft chocolate chunk cookies with an orange glaze. It was a party after all.
For the wine, Monmartre Cremant Rosé was selected. Why not bring a sparkling to Christmas in New Orleans? There’s no better time or place.
So we had an opulent dinner on a modest budget and never had to leave town. What a great way to celebrate Christmas in New Orleans.
Peace, joy and prosperity to each of you in the coming year. Merry Christmas.
Classic New Orleans Cocktails
Jim Sikes
December 30th, 2011
With New Year’s Eve upon us, I thought I would give you some inside information about a couple of cocktails from New Orleans. Perhaps there is no more well-known one than the Hurricane. The other is the Sazerac. We’ve served both of these since we opened at Jimmy’s with great popularity.
The Hurricane was made famous at Pat O’Brien’s in the French Quarter in New Orleans. In the 1930’s good spirits were hard to come by. In order to get the premium spirits they wanted, the owners had to purchase large quantities of Rum from the importers or get nothing. Then they needed a way to use it. So the Hurricane was born.
The fruit juices and two kinds of Rum all mixed and served over ice make this an easy but powerful drink. If you order one at Pat O’Brien’s, you get the famous glass that resembles a hurricane shade with it.
You can serve the Hurricane in a highball glass over ice or straight up in a martini glass. Garnish with a large Maraschino cherry and a blood orange slice if available. This makes for a great looking cocktail.
There are mixes available in powder and liquid form for Hurricanes. They work. But for a real version you need passion fruit juice or purée. New Orleans has always been a user of tropical fruits. Banana trees are used as landscape plants.
The Sazerac is the quintessential New Orleans cocktail. In fact what you hear said is, “The Hurricane is for tourists. The Sazerac is for natives.”
You can trace the origins of the Sazerac back to the 1830’s. That was when Antoine Peychaud, a Creole apothecary, opened his shop in the French Quarter and began selling drinks made from cognac, water, sugar and his soon to become famous bitters. Some say that this was in fact the first American cocktail.
In the 1850’s Sewell Taylor operated the Sazerac Coffeehouse. That’s what bars were called in New Orleans at the time. He served this drink by the hundreds. This is where the cocktail got its name and the addition of Absinthe to coat the glass.
In 1870 Thomas Handy took over the Sazerac House and changed the base liquor to Rye Whiskey. He also added the local anise spirit, Herbsaint, as a substitute for the then banned Absinthe. Handy also formed the Sazerac Company which purchased the rights to the bitters formula from the Peychaud family. The company still exists today as a spirits importer. They still market Herbsaint. It’s referred to as “The Spirit of New Orleans.”
Herbsaint is a grocery store item in New Orleans. But you can’t get it here. Pernod is a reasonable substitute. Do not use a version of Pastis that clouds or turns milky with the addition of water. That ruins the cocktail.
In 1949 the Sazerac Bar moved to the Roosevelt Hotel where it remains. Much of the charm of it and the Blue Room faded after the hotel became the Fairmont. But a recent multi-million dollar renovation has the spot a great place again.
Chuck Taggart, author of “The Gumbo Pages,” says about the Sazerac, “This is an absolutely exquisite cocktail. As you sip it, you come across layer after layer of flavor -- the warmth and glowing burn of the rye, effused with the flavors of spice and honey, the bite of the bitters balanced with the sweetness of the sugar, with the subtle yet complex flavor of the anise underneath and the perfume of the lemon oil from the twist feel like a symphony inside your mouth. This is also a drink that warms up well, revealing even more flavors. Sip it very slowly. Savor it. Take your time with it.”
Sounds mighty good. I believe I would like that experience. You can serve a Sazerac in a martini glass or regular crystal cocktail glass. In either case do not serve it over ice. It is best savored as it is.
Give these cocktails a try soon – maybe this weekend. They will remind you of a New Orleans you once knew and hope to be able to visit again as she has come back to life.
Hurricane
Here’s how it’s done at Pat O’Brien’s. If this seems a little strong, cut the rum back to 1 ounce of each and maybe replace with orange juice.
1 ½ ounces light rum
1 ½ ounces dark rum
1 ounce orange juice
1 ounce fresh lime juice
¼ cup passion fruit juice
1 tsp. superfine sugar
1 tsp. grenadine
A cherry with stem and orange slice to garnish
In a cocktail shaker, mix the rum, passion fruit juice, the other juices and the sugar and stir until sugar is dissolved. Add the grenadine, and stir to combine, then add ice and shake. Half-fill a hurricane glass, if you have one, with ice, then strain drink into glass; add ice to fill. Garnish with the cherry “toothpicked” to the orange slice. You can also serve these “up” in a large Martini glass.
If you can’t find passion fruit juice, syrup or concentrate, you can get a mix distributed by Pat O’Brien’s. Or you can make a “faux” Hurricane using red Hawaiian punch, frozen orange juice concentrate and frozen lime daiquiri mix. It’s not the real thing; but after the first one, you probably won’t know the difference anyway.
Sazerac
This is the way to make one that’s easy and makes a pretty cocktail.
For those of us old enough to remember the Blue Room and Sazerac Bar at the Roosevelt Hotel, it will bring back good memories.
1 ounce simple syrup
4 shakes Peychaud’s bitters
2 ounces Rye whiskey
½ tsp. Herbsaint or Pernod
A twist of lemon peel
Pour the syrup and Rye over ice in a large glass and stir. Stir in the bitters and stir again. Do not shake this one. Some also add Angostura bitters but Peychaud’s is totally different. Take a chilled Martini glass and swirl the Herbsaint around in to coat entirely. Pour in the chilled liquid and twist the lemon peel above it to release the oils. Do not serve the peel. You can also serve it regular clear cocktail glass if you wish.