Guest Chef Night -- The Test Kitchen

With the Guest Chef Night rapidly approaching, I have to admit that I am getting a little nervous about the prospect of having to cook for thirty or more people.  The last time I worked in a restaurant was more than fifteen years ago, when I worked in a seafood restaurant to earn money during college.  I started out as a dishwasher, but quickly moved to the position of steam cook, which was a fairly easy job.  I stuffed pots full of blue crabs, spreading handfuls of Old Bay over the crabs as they go into the pot.  I also steamed lobsters, crab legs and all sorts of shellfish (oysters, claims, mussels, steamers, etc.).  Eventually, I was "promoted" to the saute and grill section, making sauteed soft shells, broiled fish and even strip steaks for tens if not more than a hundred guests a night.

However, I have not cooked for that many people since my days as a seafood cook.  The dishes that we will be making are far more complex than anything I made as a cook before.  The expectations are much higher, I think both for myself and the guests.  I have one thing going for me, in that Clare's father will be cooking with me, and he is a very good cook.

But, I felt that I needed to cook these dishes for a group of people before the Guest Chef Night.  So, I decided that I would turn our kitchen into a test kitchen.  While I wanted to invite a lot of people to serve as taste testers, I had to keep a couple things in mind, such as the size of our dining room and the cost of this little project.  I decided to invite a handful of good friends (all of whom I had not seen in a long time).  Clare and I gave our friends one task -- to provide feedback on each dish to help me as I prepare to make this meal on Guest Chef Night.  My friends provided very detailed feedback, which will certainly benefit the guests and diners who will be attending the Guest Chef Night. 

I've had an opportunity to review all of their comments, and, I thought I would share some of their observations, along with what I have learned from them. 

Mushroom Gratinate:  This is the first course, the antipasta.  Overall, everyone liked the course.  They noted the presentation, namely the toasted slices of wheat bread topped with soft mushrooms, sauteed in garlic and herbs, topped with grated Parmigiano Reggiano.  The guests liked the contrast in textures, crunchy crusts on the bread, surrounding a softer, buttery center topped with the mushrooms and cheese.  If there was something that I learned about this dish, it is to make sure that I focus on the contrast in textures, along with the balance between mushrooms and cheese.   

Sicilian Chickpea and Escarole Soup:  This is the second course.  Garlic toast is plated at the bottom of the bowl, with a soup made from onion, garlic, fennel, chickpeas and escarole.  Frank and I have modified the recipe a little bit, substituting vegetable stock for chicken stock.  I also did not use the anchovies because I wanted to make the soup so that everyone, including one of our vegetarian friends, could try it.  I also restrained myself when it came to adding salt, because I was concerned about the salt favors that the cheese rind would add to the soup.

Once again, everyone liked the course.  They liked the presentation, although one person suggested not fully submerging the bread in the soup.  All of the guests enjoyed the flavors of the soup, with one person noting there was a good balance between the ingredients, while another person noting that the flavor of the fennel really came out at the end of the soup.  Everyone also had the same observation ... the soup needed a little more salt.  They also noted that a little grated Parmigiano Reggiano gave the soup more depth.  The key for me is to monitor the level of salt, because we will be using anchovies in the soup at Guest Chef Night. 

Couscous alla Trapanese:  This is the main course.  Moroccan couscous served with either chicken and sausage or tilapia and squid that is cooked in a red tomato sauce flavored with saffron.  I decided that I would prepare the the couscous as originally called for in the recipe ... steaming the couscous with stock.  I had to make three different couscous with three different sauces.  In addition to the chicken and fish couscous, I also made a vegetarian version of this dish. In steaming the couscous, I had to jerry-rig my pots and colanders to make the couscous and that had an effect on the final product. 

I also had to improvise a little in making this dish in an effort to keep cooking times consistent so that the chicken and the fish would be done at the same.  We had some fairly thick chicken breasts, so I decided to chunk the breasts into even size pieces that would cook faster.  As it turned out, the fish still cooked faster than the chicken so I think that when we make the dish, we need to start the chicken before starting the fish.

Overall, people liked the dish, particularly the protein, whether it was the fish and shrimp or the chicken and sausage, although they thought I could have added a little more sauce.  As for the couscous, everyone noted that the couscous was a little dry or uneven.  Clare's dad suggested an alternative way to prepare the couscous, which will be the way that we prepare it for the dinner because, the more couscous we have to prepare, the harder it is to get the couscous to the desired, even consistency.

Fresh Green Beans with Romaine, Tomatoes, Oil and Lemon Dressing:  This is a cold vegetable dish that actually is quite tasty.  The beans are blanched, served on romaine and topped with onions that have been marinating in the oil and lemon dressing, along with a garnishment of tomatoes.  The one difficulty I had with this dish is that I needed two and a half pounds of green beans, but I had a problem finding that many green beans.  I should have reduced the amount of red onion, but did not do that.  And our guests picked up on that.  Everyone loved the presentation and a couple people especially noted the crunch of the beans.  In addition, everyone also loved the dressing.    The key for me with respect to the side dish is to maintain a good equilibrium between green bean and red onion.

Strawberry Banana Ice Cream: Although this was a special treat for our guests, I would be remiss if I did not note that everybody LOVED the ice cream.  Clare did an amazing job making the ice cream and it was a great way to end the night.

Overall, this test kitchen experience was a success.  Everyone provided very well thought, detailed comments that have provided a lot of assistance in terms of helping me to focus on what I need to do to ensure a great meal for the Guest Chef Night.

I want to thank everyone who participated in the test kitchen ... you know who you are.  I also want to think my amazing wife, Clare, for all of her help in preparing the meal.

The Guest Chef Night is about a week away.  Although everyone enjoyed the meal, I still have my work cut out for myself.   More to come about that ....

ENJOY!

New Belgium Brewing Le Fleur, Misseur? Ale

New Belgium Brewing is a socially conscious craft brewer in Fort Collins, Colorado that produces some great beers, including the one that the brewer is probably best known for, ... Fat Tire.  New Belgium beers are distributed primarily out west and in the Midwest.  Whenever I am traveling and I see a New Belgium beer on the menu, I am more likely than not to order a bottle to enjoy with dinner.  

A few months ago, when I was strolling the aisles of a Binny's Beverage Depot outside of Chicago, I came across a rather interesting beer from New Belgium ... the Le Fleur, Misseur? Ale.  On the bottle, the brewer writes that it is "a beer worthy of misspelling," and beckons the consumer to "learn why this beer holds a special place in our history at New Belgium."  Intrigued, I bought a bottle to try.

New Belgium produced Le Fleur, Misseur? Ale  for its employees to celebrate the company's fifteenth anniversary.  According to the brewer, the name of the beer originates from an experience of the brewery's founder, Jeff Lebesch, while sitting on the side of a road in Belgium.  A kid passed by, picked a flower, and offered it to Lebesch.  Hence, "Le Fleur, Misseur?"

The key to this beer is Brettanomyces or "Brett."  Brettanomyces are wild yeast that were once the bane of brewers, dooming beers by creating what most considered to be "off-flavors."  Note that I said "most."  There is a sizable contingent of brewers -- mainly the Belgians -- who actually welcome Brettanomyces into their beer.  Over the decades (and, indeed, centuries), they have been able to use "Brett" in the production of some great beer styles, such as Lambics and Geuze.  Perhaps, the most well known "Brett" beer is Orval, which is produced by Trappist Cistercian Monks.

More and more American craft brewers are experimenting with Brettanomyces to produce "wild beers."  New Belgium relies upon "Brett" to provide its Le Fleur, Misseur Ale with its unique aromatic characteristics and taste.  The brewer suggests that the aromas include flower, fresh bread and honey.  I could smell the flower, the bread and honey were a little harder for me to pick up from the beer.  As for taste, the brewer suggests pineapple clove or honey, with an herbal finish.  I definitely got the herbal finish, as well as some of the clove and honey. 

The beer pours with a thick white to off-white foam, that lasts for quite a while.  The beer does pour a nice deep golden color.  The nose and taste of the beer are different -- in a very good way -- and can lead one to overlook the fact that the beer is made with Pale, Victory, Wheat, C-80, Carapils and Oats malts, as well as Target and Willamette hops.  The beer has an ABV of 6.2%.

One would ordinarily think that pairing food with a "Brett" beer would be extremely difficult because of the favors produced by the yeast; however, the brewery provides food pairings recommended by different people on its website.  Many of the ideas sound very interesting, such as Ancho Chile Seasoned Buttermilk Fried Chicken Drizzled with Honey and Served on top of Blue Corn Waffles; Basil Crusted Pork Loin with Candied Pears and Pasta with Wild Mushroom Ragu.

I am a big fan of "Brett" beers and, in my opinion, New Belgium has definitely "tamed" the wild yeast to produce a great beer.  I would definitely recommend this beer for those who love craft beers and, in particular, those who are open to different tastes in their beers.  I found this beer at a Binny's Beverage Depot outside of Chicago, Illinois.

ENJOY!

For more about this beer, check out the brewery's website.  For more about Brettanomyces, check out Wikipedia.

Roasted Red Chili Seafood Stir Fry with Lime Jasmine Rice

I planned on making a red curry one night except I inadvertently bought a jar of roasted red chili paste rather than the red curry paste.  So, I improvised and the curry turned into a stir-fry.  I used the roasted red chili paste in this dish and combined it with some sweet curry powder.  The end result is rather tasty.

This is a mixed seafood stir fry so, really, anything goes.  Having made a lot of fish recently, I decided that I would stick to other seafood, such as scallops, squid and shrimp.  The key to this dish, which is the key to any mixed seafood dish, is timing.  Scallops take longer than squid.  Both scallops and squid take longer than shrimp.  The size of the seafood can further change all of the cooking times.  The times in this recipe are approximate.  Cooking seafood is best done with your eyes, watching the seafood go from their "translucent" state to opaque.  When you see that start to happen, add the next seafood. 

ROASTED RED CHILI SEAFOOD STIR FRY WITH LIME JASMINE RICE

A Chef Bolek Original

Serves 2-3

Ingredients (for the rice):
1 cup of jasmine rice
2 limes
Zest from one of the limes
2 cups of water

Ingredients for the stir fry:
1/2 pound of cleaned squid
1/2 pound of 16-20 count shrimp, shelled and deveined
4-6 sea scallops
2 shallots, sliced thinly
1 green pepper, sliced thinly
2 cloves of garlic, diced
3 teaspoons of roasted red chili paste
2 teaspoons of sweet curry powder
4 tablespoons of canola oil
1 heirloom tomato, sliced into quarters or eighths

Directions:

1.  Make the rice.  Pour the rice in the bowl.  Take one lime and squeeze the juice over the rice, making sure that the rice absorbs the lime.  Heat the water on high.  Once the water begins to boil, add the rice and juice from the second lime.  Reduce the heat and cook until the rice absorbs the water.

2.  Cook the vegetables.  Heat the oil in a wok on medium high.  Add the shallots, green pepper and garlic.  Add two of the teaspoons of roasted red chili paste and one teaspoon of sweet curry powder.  Saute for five to seven minutes until the vegetables are well cooked.

3.  Cook the scallops and squid.  Move the vegetables to the side of the wok, but keep the oil on the other side.  Turn up the heat a little. Add the scallops and cook until the scallops begin to become opaque and browned on the bottom, which should take four to five minutes.   Flip the scallops and then add the squid.  Add 1/2 teaspoon of the red chili paste and 1/2 teaspoon of the sweet curry powder.  Stir to mix the paste and powder amongst the scallops and squid.  Continue to cook the scallops and squid, stirring and flipping the squid to make sure that it is cooked on all sides. 

4.  Add shrimp and tomatoes.  When the squid becomes opaque, which should be about another five to six minutes, add the shrimp and heirloom tomatoes.  Add 1/2 teaspoon of the red chili paste and 1/2 teaspoon of the sweet curry powder.  Stir to mix the paste and powder amongst the seafood ingredients.    Add 1/2 teaspoon of the red chili paste and 1/2 teaspoon of the sweet curry powder.  Continue to cook until the shrimp becomes opaque.  Stir all of the vegetables with the seafood.

5.  Plate the dish. Plate the rice in the center and spoon the seafood over the rice.  You could also place the rice to one side and spoon the seafood on the other side.  Garnish with the lime zest.

For a dish that I created on the fly, this turned out fairly well. The roasted red chili paste and the sweet curry powder blended well together.  The different seafood worked well together as well.  I liked the green pepper in the dish, but I think other vegetables may also work well.  I would suggest a crisp white wine, such as a Riesling or Pinot Grigio for this dish.

ENJOY!

Harpoon Brewery Leviathan Imperial India Pale Ale

In 1986, Harpoon Brewery opened its doors in Boston, Massachusetts and, for many years, it was known for the Harpoon IPA.  The beer is very good for an IPA; however, in my opinion, it is Harpoon's Leviathan series that truly pique my interest.  The Leviathan series are the brewery's big beers, like a Barleywine, an Imperial Rye and an Imperial India Pale Ale.

I bought a four pack of the Imperial India Pale Ale.  The beer is extremely bitter and very hoppy in taste, primarily due to the use of a lot of hops.  Harpoon uses Chinook, Centennial, Simcoe and Amarillo hops.  The brewery also uses its own proprietary yeast during the production of this beer. The result is a beer that has a whopping 10% ABV.

The Leviathan Imperial India Pale Ale has an amber color as it is poured into a glass.   The hops in the beer are very present in the nose of the beer, which is something you expect from this style.  The aromatic elements also include some pine.

With regard to taste, this beer is also not for lightweights.  If you do not like hoppy or bitter beers,  then this beer -- and, for that matter, any Imperial India Pale Ale, is not the beer for you.  But, for people like me, who really like hoppy beers, this beer is a good example of an Imperial India Pale Ale.  The taste of the beer is full of hops, which are not only up front, but also in the finish. The hoppiness of the beer also makes it fairly dry.

The intense hop flavor of this beer makes it a little difficult to pair with food.  However, in his book The Brewmaster's Table, brewmaster Garrett Oliver suggests that regular India Pale Ales can be paired with a wide array of ingredients and food, such as chili relleno, chorizo, fajitas, jambalaya, gumbo, and Thai food.

The beer sells for about $9.99 for a four pack and is available in stores like Whole Foods and Rodmans.

ENJOY!

Hot Wings with Blue Cheese Yogurt Sauce

Occasionally, I watch the show "Throwdown with Bobby Flay."   In each episode, Bobby Flay challenges a cook or chef known for making the best of a particular dish.  In one episode, Bobby challenges the "Wing King," Drew Cerza to a throwdown to determine who makes the best wings.

People who know me know I love wings.  At first, I loved wings with the hottest sauce that was served.  I still remember one bar I went to in my home town where I had an informal challenge with the cook.  He would make the wings as hot as he could and I would eat them.  The showdown came one day, when I was with my dad at the bar.  The waitress brought out the wings, with her arms fully extended (so as to avoid breathing the fumes).  I ate all of the wings, and, in the end, the cook expressed amazement.  I remember his words well, "damn, I used an entire bottle of Tabasco sauce to make those."  

Today, I still like hot wings, but, now I am more interested in sauces with complex flavors, rather than simply sauces that are the hottest that I could find.  This recipe calls for the use of various chiles, namely  ancho, hatch and chipotle.  These chiles add not only heat, but a smoky flavor as well.  And, while Drew Cerza may have beaten Bobby Flay in the throwdown, I think that Bobby's recipe is the better one. 

HOT WINGS WITH BLUE CHEESE YOGURT SAUCE

Adapted from a recipe by Bobby Flay
Serves many

Ingredients for the Wings:

3 pounds of chicken wings

3 tablespoons of ancho chile powder

1 1/2 teaspoons of garlic powder

1/2 cup red wine vinegar

2 tablespoons of pureed chipotle chiles in adobo sauce

1 tablespoon of Hatch chili powder

1 tablespoon of dijon mustard

2 tablespoons of honey

1 stick of unsalted butter

Ingredients for the Sauce:

Chopped fresh cilantro for garnish (optional)

1 cup of Greek yogurt

1/4 cup of crumbled blue cheese

2 tablespoons of finely grated red onion

2 tablespoons of finely chopped cilantro

Salt, to taste

Ground pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. Make the blue cheese sauce.   Combine the yogurt, blue cheese, onion and cilantro in a small bowl and then salt and pepper to taste.  Refrigerate for at least thirty (30) minutes prior to serving.

2.  Prep the dry rub for the wings.  Heat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Add the 1 tablespoon of ancho chili powder and garlic powder in a bowl.  Season with salt and pepper.  Lay the wings on a baking tray and sprinkle the powder over the wings.  Cook the wings for at least 30 minutes or until done.

3.  Prepare the sauce for the wings.  Bring the vinegar, chipotle puree and 2 tablespoons of ancho chili powder and the Hatch chili powder to a simmer over medium-high heat.  Whisk in the mustard, salt, honey and butter until smooth.  Add the wings and mix to cover and coat.

I should note that when I made these wings for my most recent Super Bowl party, I forgot to put out the Blue Cheese Yogurt Sauce.  Still, the wings came out well.  You could definitley taste the smokiness of the sauce thanks to the chipotles and anchos.  The wings were not as hot as I expected they would be.  I used a medium Hatch pepper, but I could have made it hotter by using either a medium-hot to hot pepper.  If you choose to use a hotter pepper, you should be mindful about the amount that you use in the sauce.

ENJOY!

Mini Open Faced Ribeye Sandwiches with Aged Provolone and Parsley Oil

A few years back, when I was planning my first Super Bowl party, I came across a recipe from Bobby Flay for Mini Open Faced Steak Sandwiches with Aged Provolone and Parsley Oil.  I made the recipe and it was a big hit, even though I cooked the steak over the broiler (instead of the grill as called for in the recipe) and even though I did not make the parsley oil.  While I generally try to vary the dishes that I have made for subsequent Super Bowl parties, I return to this one every once in a while because I truly like this recipe.  When it came to preparing for our fourth Super Bowl party, aptly named Super Bowl Party IV, I decided that I would make this recipe again for our guests.

When it comes to recipes, I usually only use them as "guides" in making the dish, because I want to tap into my own creativity to see how I can improve the dish or, as they say, make it my own.  In this case, I did a few things.  First, I doubled the amount of meat.  Who does not like more meat in their sandwiches?  Second, I decided to "rub" the meat with a mixture of cracked peppercorns, sea salt and rosemary.   Third, I added arugula to the sandwiches, which would underscore the pepper used in the rub.  Finally, I decided to use an Italian bread (Pugliese style bread) rather than French bread.  The Italian bread was wider, allowing for more arugula, meat, and cheese. 

MINI OPEN FACED RIBEYE SANDWICHES

WITH AGED PROVOLONE AND PARSLEY OIL

Adapted from Bobby Flay at Foodnetwork.com
Serves 12 

Ingredients (for the meat):

2 pounds of ribeye

3 tablespoons of mixed peppercorns

2 tablespoons of sea salt

2 long branches of rosemary

Ingredients (for the bread):

1 1/2 sticks of unsalted butter

6 cloves roasted garlic, pureed

24 slices of Italian bread, sliced 1/4 inch thick

Ingredients (for making the sandwich):

Aged Provolone, shaved or cut into thin slices

2 bunches of arugula

Ingredients (for the parsley oil):

1/4 cup finely chopped flat leaf parsley

1/2 cup canola oil

Salt, to taste

Ground pepper, to taste

Olive oil

Directions:

1.  Marinate the steak.  Grind the mixed peppercorns, salt and rosemary in a spice grinder.  (I use a coffee grinder which I have dedicated to that purpose). Brush the steak with oil and rub the ground mixture on every side of the steak.

2.  Grill the steaks.  Heat the grill to at least 400 degrees Fahrenheit.  Cook the ribeyes until slightly charred, about four to five minutes.  Turn the steaks ninety degrees halfway through the cooking to get the hatch marks.  Turn the steaks and continue to cook for about five minutes more, once again turning halfway through to get the hatch marks.  According to the recipe, the steaks should be at about medium rare.  I like my steak between medium rare and medium.  (I usually order steak medium in restaurants because I find if I ask for medium rare, I usually get it between rare and medium rare.)  If you want the steaks to be medium, add two to three minutes to both sides depending upon the thickness of the steaks. Remove and let rest for at least five minutes.  Slice the ribeye into even slices, removing the fat from the ribeye as you slice it.

3.  Prepare the crostini.  Mix together the butter and garlic puree.  Season with salt and pepper.  Brush 1 side of the bread slices with the butter and garlic mixture.  Toast the slices under the broiler until golden brown.

4. Prepare the sandwiches. Top the bread slices with  the arugula.  Then add slices of ribeye, usually about two slices for each slice of bread.  Top the ribeye with the shaved cheese. 

5.  Prepare the parsley oil. Mix the parsley and canola oil together.  Salt and pepper to taste.  Drizzle the parsley oil over the steak.  Serve immediately.

Just one final note.  I assembled the sandwiches in a different way than called for in the recipe as written by Bobby Flay.  According to the recipe, once you have toasted the bread slices, you are to add the cheese and stick it under the broiler for another thirty seconds or more until the cheese melts.  Then you add the steak and drizzle the parsley oil.  I've done it this way, but I think the sandwich looks nicer by putting the cheese on top and by not melting the cheese.  In the end, it is a question of preference, because this dish can be prepared either way.

ENJOY!

Birrificio del Ducato Nuova Mattina

Nestled deep in the heart of Emilia-Romagna, Italy, outside of the city of Parma, is a craft brewer who makes what is probably my favorite beer.  I've previously spoken about the Italian craft beer tasting that Clare and I attended at the National Geographic Museum, where Garrett Oliver (the brewmaster of Brooklyn Brewery) introduced us to an array of craft beers brewed up and down the Italian peninsula.  We tasted about ten beers from different craft brewers. While we liked all of the beers, we left talking about one beer in particular ... Birrificio del Ducato's Nuova Mattina.

Founded in 2006, Birrificio del Ducato represents the passion of three people ... Giovanni Campari, the head brewer, along with two of his friends, Emanuele and Manuel.  Their first beer was Via Emilia, a pale ale, but, soon thereafter, they began experimenting with ingredients and brewing techniques to produce some very unique and tasting beers.  And, the best of their beers is the Nuova Mattina or New Morning.

According to the brewer, the beer gets its name from the Bob Dylan song, "New Morning," which the brewers chose because of the lyrics, which speak of one's amazement of life and nature.   The label of the beer echoes this inspiration, noting that the beer is "[d]edicated to the beauty of a new spring morning with the first sun rays warming the blossoming flowers...." 

This beer represents what is best about the Italian craft beer movement.  Italians brew beer with just about anything that they can find.  Nuova Mattina is a Belgian style saison that is brewed with spices, ginger, coriander, green peppers and chamomile.  When it is poured, the beer reveals its orange color.  The aromatic elements or the beer's nose greets one with a scent of flowers or wild grasses, with a faint scent of pepper.  The beer is very carbonated, which is perhaps a by-product of being fermented in the bottle.

While the floral aromatics of the Nuova Mattina are very inviting, the taste of the beer is what makes it my favorite.  That taste is an amazing contrast of flavors.  On the one hand, one can taste the ginger and pepper, the latter of which is more akin to cracked peppercorn rather than green pepper.  On the other hand, those ginger and pepper flavors are interlaced with the taste of flowers, citrus and chamomile.  The beer is on the drier end of the spectrum, and slightly bitter.  The beer has an ABV of 5.9%, which is just about right for a Belgian style saison.

These contrasting flavors make this beer a little difficult to pair with food, at least for me.  The distributor, B United International, suggests that this beer could be served with Thai curries or certain types of cheeses, such as Asiago, Fontina or Parmigano Reggiano.  Personally, I think that this beer would be best paired with organically raised  beef, pork or lamb.  Such a pairing would fulfill a dream of many foodies like myself ... namely, a beer that evokes the grasses, flowers and greens that are fed to the animals raised in an environmentally conscious way.

The Nuova Mattina was the first beer exported by Del Ducato to the United States.  I highly recommend it to anyone who is open to trying new and different beers, with one caveat. I've been able to find it in small 11.2 ounce bottles at State Line Liquors in Elkton, Maryland for $8.99 a bottle or the large 1 pint, 9 ounce bottle for $23.99 at Corridor Wine in Laurel, Maryland.  It is also sometimes available on tap at 2Amys in the Tenleytown/Cleveland Park neighborhood of Washington, D.C. for about $10 to $12.00 a glass.  As you can see, the beer is expensive.  However, this beer is definitely worth the price every once and a while as a splurge or for a special occasion.  

For more information about the beer, check out the brewery's website or the distributor's website. 

ENJOY!

Birra Baladin Super Baladin

A few years ago, Clare and I attended a beer tasting of craft beers from Italy, which was sponsored by the National Geographic Society and hosted by Garrett Oliver, the brewmaster of Brooklyn Brewery.  We were able to taste a wide variety of Italian craft beers, including beers such as Nora, which is made by Birra Baladin.  Since that beer tasting, I always keep an eye out for Italian craft beers, because I think these beers are some of the best craft beers out there.

Recently, I came across beer produced by Birra Baladin, called the Super Baladin.  Birra Baladin is a craft brewer located in Piozzo, a city located in the Piedmont region in northern Italy.  The Super Baladin is the brewer's attempt to brew a Belgian Style Strong Ale or Belgian Style Dark Ale, much like Birrificio Montegioso's Demon Hunter, which is another Belgian Style Dark Ale that I recently reviewed.

The Super Baladin is reportedly based upon a Belgian abbey beer recipe that dated back to 800 A.D.  The beer pours a caramel brown, like most Belgian style dark ales that I've tried.  The aroma of the beer has floral hints, with some fruit, like bananas, and spices, like clove.  The beer is slightly syrupy, coating the tongue as you drink it.  It is also sweet, somewhat reminiscent of fruit like apricots and apples. There is also a faint taste of hops as you drink the beer.   At 8% ABV, it is also somewhat boozy, making it another beer that is best enjoyed one sip at a time. 

The Super Baladin is a very good beer.  It sells for about $18.99 a bottle but it is a little hard to find.  I have found the beer at Gilly's in Rockville, Maryland and State Line Liquors in Elkton, Maryland.

ENJOY!

Guest Chef Night -- Wine Pairing

Now that Clare's father, Frank, and I have a menu for Guest Chef Night, my mind has turned to wine pairing.  We will not actually be offering a wine pairing with the dinner; however, I really would like to provide recommendations for our guests to consider as they enjoy the food that we prepare.

Whenever I cook a meal, my mind inevitably turns to what beer or wine would go with the food that I have prepared.  However, in terms of food pairing, I am still very much a novice.  I read a lot about pairing various foods with wine -- such as Joshua Wesson's Wine & Food or Garrett Oliver's Brewmasters Table.   Given that we are preparing a meal inspired by Italian flavors and ingredients, I decided that I would focus on what wines could be paired with our courses.  

We are preparing a four course Italian meal: an appetizer of Mushroom Gratinate, a prima of Chickpea and Escarole Soup, a secondo of Couscous alla Trapanese (with chicken and fish), a side of Green Beans with a Cherry Tomato Salad and a dessert of Ricotta Cheese with Honey and Walnuts.  The five dishes incorporate a wide array of ingredients, which may make wine pairing a little tricky, especially for someone like me.

Rags Italian Bistro has a well defined wine list that touches upon all of the principal grapes: for the reds, there are Merlot, Sangiovese, Pinot Noir, Cabarnet Sauvignon; and, for the whites, there are Riesling, Pinot Grigio and Chardonnay.  Nevertheless, after doing my research, I think I have arrived at what could be some good wine pairings based upon the wines available at the restaurant and  the dishes that we will be making.

So. these are my thoughts and recommendations for guests who will be enjoying the meal that Frank and I will be preparing:

Mushroom Gratinate ... Thomas Henry Pinot Noir.  This is a very earthy antipasta, with not only the mushrooms, but also garlic, thyme and sage.  I think that a red wine is appropriate for this course, such as a Pinot Noir from California or Oregon.  So called "new world" Pinot Noirs, i.e., wines produced in the western hemisphere, tend to be smoother but still retain some of the earthiness that one would expect from a red wine.  The Thomas Henry Pinot Noir is from Napa Valley and, according to the winemaker, the wine has smooth tannins, which should mean that the wine itself is smooth in taste.   It should be a perfect match for the antipasta.

Sicilian Chickpea and Escarole Soup ... Due Torre Pinot Grigio.  I have to say that this course was the hardest one to pair.  There is a wide array of different ingredients that are used in the making of this soup. In addition to chickpeas and escarole, there is also also fennel, garlic, anchovies, crushed red pepper and Parmesan rinds, which are used to add flavor to the soup.   An earthy wine, like a Pinot Noir or Cabernet Sauvignon, may be a little much.  Instead, I think this course should be paired with a wine that is a little lighter in taste and body.  Such a wine would provide an interesting contract to the soup's richness of the ingredients and flavors in the soup.   A Pinot Grigio is a lighter, fruitier wine that is usually very fresh in taste and, generally speaking, Pinot Grigios pair well with vegetables.  Thus, this wine should be a good contrast to the primo. 

Couscous alla Trapanese ... Rocca di Castagnoli Chianti Classico.  This couscous dish is modeled after dishes made in towns across Sicily, like Trapani and others, where Sicilians have enjoyed couscous since the days when Arabs controlled the island.  Although typically associated with Tuscany, Sangiovese grapes are grown in Sicily and there are Sangiovese Sicilia wines.  Although not made in Sicily, the Rocca di Castagnoli Chianti is produced from Sangiovese grapes in the Chianti Classico area of Tuscany.  Still, a Chianti works well with this dish because it is a wine that traditionally pairs well with tomato sauce, which happens to be a key element of this couscous dish.  The red tomato sauce contains some rather bold ingredients, such as fresh basil, fresh parsley, crushed red pepper and saffron.  It makes sense to pair the dish with a wine that is traditionally served with tomato sauces.   This wine shoud be a great match with the main course or secondo.

Ricotta Cheese with Honey and Toasted Walnuts ... Firestone Riesling.  If after three course and three wines, guests are still looking for a wine to enjoy with dessert, then I would suggest the Firestone Riesling.  I would ordinarily recommend a dessert wine to go with a dessert; however, such wines usually have a lot of alcohol in them.  Given the meal and the other wine recommendations, I think it is better to stick with a sweet white wine.  Rieslings tend to be sweet and fruity, which are characteristics that I think will pair well with a cheese like ricotta.  A Riesling should also pair with the honey that is drizzled over the cheese.   I think this wine should be a good pairing with the dessert.

Well, these are just the thoughts of an amateur at wine pairing, but, it is a start.  Now, I have to get back to doing more trial runs at making the dishes.  More to come about that ....

ENJOY!

Great Lakes Brewing Company's The Wright Pils

Great Lakes Brewing Company is known primarily for its Dortmunder Gold, along with its Elliot Ness Lager, Edmund Fitzgerald Porter and Burning River Pale Ale.  Many of these beers are now distributed throughout much of the Midwest and Eastern United States.  Yet, like most craft brewers, Great Lakes brews some special beers, which are not as widely distributed. These hard-to-find beers can be true standouts.  One such beer for Great Lakes is its Wright Pils, which was only available at the brewer's restaurant in Cleveland, Ohio.

Both Clare and I were fortunate enough to have had lunch at Great Lakes Brewing when the Wright Pils was available both on tap in the restaurant and in bottle in the brewery's store.  Clare ordered it during our lunch and we both liked it so much that we bought a six pack and brought it home. 

Great Lakes Brewing Company says that this beer is based on the original recipe from Plsen, Bohemia for a classic pilsner, with what the brewer calls a "flowery bouquet and elegantly dry finish."  Great Lakes brewed this beer in accordance with the Reinheitsgebot, the Bavarian purity law that requires beers to be brewed only with malt, hops, water and yeast. 

I am a big fan of Pilsner beers, primarily because of the four months I spent studying abroad in Prague.  I was able to try, not only Pilsner Urquell, but other great Czech Pilsner beers, like Staropramen and Velko Popovicky.  The Wright Pils pours a light golden color.  I don't know if I can say the bouquet is flowery, but there is a definite, albeit slight hoppiness to the nose of the beer.  The beer drinks smooth and light, just like a pilsner should.

Great Lakes' tribute to the Wright Brothers is also a good tribute to Pilsner beers.  It is available only at Great Lakes' brewery store and restaurant in Cleveland.   

ENJOY!