San Lorenzo Montepulciano d'Abruzzo (2008)

One night when Clare and I were at one of our favorite restaurants, Cesco Trattoria, we decided to order a glass of wine with our dinner instead of a bottle.  We both ordered a glass of San Lorenzo Montepulciano d'Abruzzo and we both loved the wine.  Since that night, I've been able to find this wine in various stores, like a nearby wine and beer store and Whole Foods.  Whenever I make a meal inspired by Abruzzo, the region in Italy from where my mother's relatives emigrated when they came to the United States, I usually serve this wine.

The Montepulciano grape is grown in many parts of Italy; however, the grape known as Montepulciano d'Abruzzo from Emilia-Romagna to Apulia.  The Denominazione di Origine Controllata for Montepulciano d'Abruzzo -- one of more than forty DOCs established for the Montepulciano grape -- was created in 1968.  The Montepulciano d'Abruzzo DOC covers most of Abruzzo and parts of Molise and Le Marche.  The rules of this particular DOC permit winemakers to make a Montepulciano d'Abruzzo with at least 85% of the Montepulciano grapes, blending up to 15% of Sangiovese grapes with the wine.  In addition, a Montepulciano d'Abruzzo Riserva must be aged for two years, with six months of the aging in wood.

Located outside of Madonna degli Angeli, San Lorenzo Wines produces its Montepulciano d'Abruzzo entirely from the Montepulciano grapes.  This Montepulciano d'Abruzzo has characteristics of very earthy wines, such as a Syrah.  Although generally a young wine when consumed, it pours a nice deep ruby red. The nose and aromatic elements of this wine bespeak of many deep fruits, like blackberries, plums, and dark cherries.  Those fruit elements are very forward in the taste of the wine, hence my comparison of the wine to a Syrah.  There are definitely cherries and blackberries, but I also get a little earthiness and spice in the wine. 

The winemaker recommends this wine be paired with red meat and game, as well as strong cheeses.  Given the strong fruit character of this wine, I think the winemaker's recommendations are good selections.  However, I think this wine could also be paired with pastas, such as Maccheroni alla Chitarra or other pastas with red sauces.  This wine would also bring out the flavors of the meatballs or sausage served with the pasta.  

This wine is one of my favorites and, what makes it even better is that it can be found for $9.99 or $10.99 a bottle.

ENJOY!

For more about Montepulciano d'Abruzzo grapes, check out Intowine.

Yellowhammer Brewing Belgian White Ale

Along with tens of thousands of Alabama football fans, my wife often chants "Rammer Jammer, Yellowhammer, give them hell Alabama" when watching the Crimson Tide roll over their opponents.  Very recently, I learned that the Yellowhammer is the state bird of Alabama.  And even more recently, while having dinner one night at J. Clyde in Birmingham, I learned that there is a brewery called Yellowhammer Brewing, which is located in Huntsville, Alabama. 

Yellowhammer Brewing is a relatively new craft brewery in a state that is not widely known for its craft beer.  Yellowhammer prides itself on its "European tradition" while remaining "uniquely American."  From what I can find on the Internet, the brewer makes only a handful of beers, such as American IPA and Altbier.  On that night at J. Clyde, I had the opportunity to try Yellowhammer's Belgian White Ale.

As you can see from the picture, the beer has a pale gold color when poured.  Yellowhammer Brewing describes the beer as being produced with ginger and lime leaves.  The nose of the beer heavily emphasizes the ginger.  The ginger flavor is also very prominent in the taste of the beer, so much so that the flavors somewhat morph to take on characteristics of lemon or lemongrass.  Other flavors like grass, wheat and lime play supporting roles in the taste of the beer.  The beer is very crisp, dry and refreshing, with an ABV of 4.8%, that will not overwhelm the drinker.

I enjoyed this beer and would definitely recommend it to people who like wit beers and hefeweizens.  Now, I know about a Yellowhammer, both the bird and the beer.  If I can only learn what in the world is a "rammer jammer" and how it relates to a Yellowhammer.

ENJOY!

Farfalle con le Polpette del Granchio

When my parents were in town, I wanted to make a unique meal for them, but I was not sure what to make.  I have previously made them pasta with lamb meatballs, as well as seafood risotto.  Those meals are based upon recipes and I wanted to do something that I could say was my own creation.  I started with the pasta and meatballs as a springboard, from which I would develop my own dish.  I was confronted immediately with my first obstacle: my wife does not eat meat and meatballs are traditionally either beef, a combination of meats (beef, veal and pork) or, my personal favorite, lamb.  I needed a substitute for the meat in the meatballs.

The first ingredient that immediately came to mind is crab meat.  I've made many a crabcake in my time and so I understood the basics of the meat with binding ingredients (bread crumbs, eggs, etc.).  However, I would need to alter the basic crabcake recipe, by excluding ingredients such as Worchestire Sauce and mustard, because they would not go well with a pasta dish.  After a lot of thought, I had in mind my own recipe for crab meatballs or, as they would say in Italy, Polpette del Granchio.

With the crab meatballs figuratively in hand, I turned my attention to the pasta.  I really did not have the time to make pasta by hand.  Although I would love to make handmade pasta for my parents, I wanted to spend the time with them, rather than over a pasta board.  As followers of this blog know, I don't buy pasta that I can make or have made by hand.  So, not only did I have to buy a pasta that I could not make on my own, but I had to also buy a pasta that I think would go well with the meatballs.

I had a pasta in mind but ultimately ended up going in a different direction.  My initial choice of pasta was orecchiette, also commonly referred to as "ears."  This pasta originates from the southern Italian region of Puglia or Apulia.  I've had this pasta before and I thought it would be something unusual, which would be a perfect complement to the unusual meatballs.  However, I could not find orecchiette in the store.  I came across a box of farfalle, or what are known as "bow-ties," which is a pasta that originated either in Lombardy or Emilia-Romagna.  The word farfalle actually derives its name from farfalla, which is the Italian word for "butterfly," and, if you focus on the pasta, that "bow-tie" shape can transform itself into a butterfly.

Finally, I turned my attention to the sauce.  Italians do not like a lot of sauce in their pasta; instead, they add just sauce enough to cover the pasta. I decided to make a relatively simple sauce using whole peeled San Marzano tomatoes, diced onions, and some dried herbs and spices.  Sometimes the simplest of sauces work the best, as it did with this recipe.

Finally, while this is a dish of my own creation, I did have some help from my parents.  I had planned to add about 1/4 of a cup of Parmigiano Reggiano to use as a binding agent when making the crab meatballs, but in the rush of cooking, I forgot to add the cheese.  My father asked about the cheese and, realizing my omission, I needed to improvise.  I decided to roll the crab meatballs in Parmigiano Reggiano.  This last-minute step allows the crab meatballs to get a nice brown crust when sauteed in olive oil.

FARFALLE CON LE POLPETTE DEL GRANCHIO

A Chef Bolek Original

Serves 4

Ingredients (for the Crab Meatballs):
1 pound of lump crab, picked and rinsed
1 cup of panko bread crumbs
2 eggs
2 tablespoons of crushed red pepper
3 cloves of garlic, finely diced
1 cup of grated Parmigiano Reggiano
4 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

Ingredients (for the Pasta):
1 box of farfalle 
Water, for the pasta

Ingredients (for the Sauce):
3 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced finely
1 can of whole peeled tomatoes
1 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes
1 tablespoon of dried basil
1/2 tablespoon of dried oregano
1 tablespoon of garlic powder
3 tablespoons of fresh basil, chopped
3 tablespoons of fresh flat leaf parsley, chopped
1/2 cup of Parmigiano Reggiano

Directions:

1.  Make the crab meatballs.  Beat the two eggs.  Add the crushed red pepper and the garlic.  Add the panko bread crumbs.  Mix well and then add the lump crab in small batches. Gently mix so as not to break up the crab too much.  Take the mixture and form balls in your hand, compressing them tightly.  Set each ball on wax paper and allow the crab balls to dry a little for about five minutes.  You should be able to make about twelve meatballs out of a pound of lump crab meat.

2.  Bread the meatballs.  Add the grated Parmigiano Reggiano to a small bowl.  Roll the crab meatballs in the Parmigiano Reggiano and try to coat all sides.

3.  "Brown" the meatballs.  Heat the olive oil in a pan on medium heat.  Saute the crab meatballs, in batches if necessary, turning gently until they begin to brown on most if not all sides.  Do not brown the meatballs too much.   Remove them from the pan.

4.  Make the sauce.  Seed the tomatoes and reserve the puree.  Heat the olive oil in a deep saute pan on high heat.  Add the onions and saute until translucent, about five to seven minutes.  Add the tomatoes, the puree and a little water to begin the sauce. Add the basil, oregano, garlic powder, and crushed red pepper.  Stir all of the ingredients well.  Reduce the heat and allow the sauce to simmer.  Add the crab meatballs to the sauce and spoon the sauce over the meatballs.

5.  Make the pasta.  Bring a pot of water to a boil  When the pot of water is boiling, add the farfalle.  Cook for about seven to ten minutes according to the instructions on the package.  Drain the water.

6.  Finish the sauce.  Remove the meatballs from the sauce and plate three meatballs at the center of each plate.  Once all of the meatballs have been removed, add about 1/2 cup of Parmigiano Reggiano to the sauce and stir until the cheese is incorporated into the sauce.  Add the farfalle to the sauce and stir until the sauce coats the pasta.  As you are stirring, incorporate the fresh basil and flat leaf parsley with the pasta and sauce.

7.  Plate the dish.  Plate the farfalle and spoon some sauce over the pasta.  Add a couple of the meatballs and serve immediately.

In the end, you have a dish that focuses itself directly on the crab meatballs.  The sauce is minimalist, but that is not only keeping in the Italian tradition, but it ensures that the sauce is not taking away any of the focus from the  meatballs.  If there was anything that I could do to improve this recipe, it may be to add a little more sauce by perhaps, for example, adding some more puree when I was making the sauce.  I might have been a bit too minimalist in this case.  In any event, I think it was a great dish.

ENJOY!

Troegs Brewing Company Pale Ale

Two brothers -- Chris and John Trogner -- founded Troegs Brewing Company in 1997 and, for the past fifteen years, they have expanded its operations and the distribution of their beers to the point that they are fairly common around where I live.  I've had several of their beers, including some of their more hoppy offerings, such as Hopback Amber and Nugget Nectar.  But, recently, I realized that I never had Troegs Pale Ale. 

Almost every brewer produces a pale ale and, often times, the pale ale is just ordinary or forgettable.  By contrast, the Troegs Pale Ale is really, really good.  Troegs brews this beer in the style of  an American Pale Ale. According to the Beer Judge Certification Program, an American Pale Ale is usually a pale golden beer with a moderate to strong hop aroma.  An American Pale Ale also has an equally moderate to strong hop flavor, that highlights the citrusy quality of the hop and provides a lingering bitterness that hopheads, like myself, like in a beer. 

Troegs Pale Ale pours a pale gold or copper in color.  The aroma is full of hops, but it does not overwhelm the drinker.  The taste of the beer is also full hops.  Troegs uses Cascade hops to make this beer. Although the brewer uses crystal malts in the brewing process, there really is no malty flavor to this beer.  Instead, the beer is very hoppy through the finish.  Like most pale ales, there is a bitterness that can be tasted with every sip and the beer has a certain dryness to it.  However, those are the attributes that one expects with an American Pale Ale. Troegs Pale Ale has an ABV of 5.4%, which is within the range of most American Pale Ales. 

The Troegs Pale Ale is available in most beer stores, as well as  Rodman's and Corridor Wine.  It sells for about $8.99 or $9.99  for a six pack. 

ENJOY!

Fresh Green Beans with Romaine and Tomatoes, Oil and Lemon Dressing

Photo courtesy of Nanther Thangarajah

I am a big fan of Julia Child, although I have to admit that I do not have any of her cookbooks and I have not made any of her recipes.  This is the first Julia Child recipe that I've ever made.  Both Clare's father and I made this dish as a side dish for the Guest Chef Night menu. 

While I am not a very big fan of vegetables, I have to say that this recipe is a refreshing mix of beans, onions and tomatoes.  All of these vegetables (and fruits) are all tied together with very light, lemony dressing that is probably the most labor intensive part of this recipe, but all of that labor is definitely worth it in the end. 

As for the beans, they just need to be blanched and then cooled in an ice bath, which helps to preserve their color and crispness.  Each ingredient to this salad -- the beans, tomatoes and onions -- need to be refrigerated and then assembled shortly before serving.  This is a great side dish to any many course.   

FRESH GREEN BEANS WITH ROMAINE AND TOMATOES,

OIL AND LEMON DRESSING

Recipe by Julia Child from Julia Child and Company,

     Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1978 at 154-55
Serves 8

Ingredients for salad:

2 1/2 pounds fresh green beans trimmed and blanched

1 head romaine lettuce (or other fresh salad greens)

Salt, to taste

Ground pepper, to taste

Ingredients for dressing:

1 lemon

1 small clove of garlic

1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard

6 or more tablespoons of olive oil

2 medium size red onions sliced into thin rings

1 quart cherry or grape tomatoes 

Directions:

1.  Blanche the beans in hot boiling water for about three minutes and then remove the beans to an ice bath.  Once the beans are cooled, wrap the blanched beans in a clean towel and store in a plastic bag.  Wash and dry salad greens.  Wrap in a clean towel and store in a plastic bag.  Refrigerate both the beans and the greens.

2.  Zest half of the lemon.  Pound garlic and zest with a little salt into a paste.  Whisk in mustard, a tablespoon of lemon juice and olive oil.  Taste the dressing to ensure that it does not become too acidic.

3.  Toss the onions with the dressing and refrigerate. Halve the tomatoes, place cut side up on a dish and lightly salt.  Cover and refrigerate.

4.  Arrange salad greens on plate and lightly salt.  Toss the blanch beans in a bowl with the onions and dressing.  Arrange the tomatoes around the edge of the plate.  Baste the tomatoes with dressing.  Cover and keep cool until serving time.

ENJOY!

Couscous alla Trapanese con Pollo e Salsiccia

This recipe is based upon a recipe by Chef Giuliano Bugialli, who wrote a cookbook of recipes from the Italian islands, like Sardinia and Sicily.  Couscous is an ingredient in Sicilian cooking, particularly in Trapani, which is both a city and a province in Western Sicily.  Trapani is near North Africa and, hundreds of years ago, Arabs ruled over this part of the island.  The Arabs brought, among other things, couscous.  Today, the couscous used in Sicilian cooking is usually Moroccan couscous rather than Israeli couscous.  In Trapani, couscous is made with fish, rather than with meat as it is in Northern Africa.

This is one of two couscous recipes that are being posted.  This recipe focuses on chicken and sausage.  While not the traditional ingredients used in Trapani couscous, it provides an alternative for those who do not eat fish and calamari.  This recipe is substantially revised from Chef Bugialli's recipe, primarily to make it easier to make.  One major revision is that the couscous is toasted in butter first.  This helps to develop the flavor of the couscous.  Another major revision is the use of canned tomatoes over fresh tomatoes, because they are easier to use and the puree that comes with the canned tomatoes can help to thicken the sauce.  (For those who like thicker sauces, you can add more puree.)

COUSCOUS ALLA TRAPANESE CON POLLO E SALSICCIA

Adapted from Chef Giuliano Bugialli
Serves 6-10

Ingredients for the Sauce:

1 large red onion

1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 pounds of canned whole tomatoes, seeded and

     cut into large pieces, with puree

1 large pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

1 large pinch of saffron

20 sprigs of flat leaf parsley, leaves only

6 large cloves of garlic, peeled

10 very large fresh basil leaves

4 tablespoons of tomato paste

3 cups of chicken stock

Ingredients for the Chicken and Sausage:

3 pounds or chicken

1 pound of mild Italian sausage

Salt, to taste

Ground pepper, to taste

Ingredients for the Couscous:

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

2 cups of couscous

1 cup of water

1 cup of chicken stock

1 pinch of saffron

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. First begin preparing the sauce by heating the oil in a large saute pan.  When the oil is hot, add the onions and saute for five minutes, stirring constantly.  Add the tomatoes and cook for 15 minutes, stirring every once in a while.  Season with salt, pepper and hot pepper flakes.

2.  Finely chop the parsley and garlic together.  Add the chopped ingredients and the whole basil leaves to the saute pan and mix very well.  Cook for 5 minutes more.  Dissolve the tomato paste in the broth and pour it into the casserole.  Lower heat and simmer for 1 hour.

3.  Now prepare the couscous.  Heat the butter in a medium sauce pan over medium high heat.  When the foaming subsides, add the saffron and couscous and cook, stirring frequently until the grains are beginning to brown, about five minutes.  Add water, broth and salt, stirring briefly to combine.  Cover and remove pan from heat.  Let stand until grains are tender, about seven minutes.  Uncover and fluff grains with fork.  Season with ground pepper to taste.

4.  Taste the sauce for seasoning.  Start adding the chicken.  Cook the chicken for a few minutes and then add the sausage. 

5.  Transfer the couscous to a platter, pour the sauce over the couscous and arrange the chicken and sausage on top or on the side.  Sprinkle with parsley.  Serve hot.

ENJOY!

Couscous alla Trapanese con Pesce y Calamari

This recipe is based upon a recipe by Chef Giuliano Bugialli, who wrote a cookbook of recipes from the Italian islands, like Sardinia and Sicily.  Couscous is an ingredient in Sicilian cooking, particularly in Trapani, which is both a city and a province in Western Sicily.  Trapani is near North Africa and, hundreds of years ago, Arabs ruled over this part of the island.  The Arabs brought, among other things, couscous.  Today, the couscous used in Sicilian cooking is usually Moroccan couscous rather than Israeli couscous.  In Trapani, couscous is made with fish, rather than with meat as it is in Northern Africa.

This is one of two couscous recipes that are being posted.  This recipe focuses on the use of fish and calamari, in the traditional Trapanese style.  This recipe is substantially revised from Chef Bugialli's recipe, primarily to make it easier to make.  One major revision is that the couscous is toasted in butter first.  This helps to develop the flavor of the couscous.  Another major revision is the use of canned tomatoes over fresh tomatoes, because they are easier to use and the puree that comes with the canned tomatoes can help to thicken the sauce.  (For those who like thicker sauces, you can add more puree.)  

COUSCOUS ALLA TRAPANESE CON PESCE Y CALAMARI

Adapted from Chef Giuliano Bugialli
Serves 6-10

Ingredients for the Sauce:

1 large red onion

1/4 cup of extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 pounds of canned, whole tomatoes, seeded and

     cut into large pieces, with puree

1 large pinch of crushed red pepper flakes

20 sprigs of flat leaf parsley, leaves only

6 large cloves of garlic, peeled

10 very large fresh basil leaves

4 tablespoons of tomato paste

3 cups of seafood stock

Ingredients for the Fish and Calamari:

3 pounds of fish

1 pound of calamari, heads and bodies, cleaned

Salt, to taste

Ground pepper, to taste

Ingredients for the Couscous:

2 tablespoons of unsalted butter

2 cups of couscous

1 cup of water

1 cup of seafood stock

1 pinch of saffron

Salt, to taste

Pepper, to taste

Directions:

1. First begin preparing the sauce by heating the oil in a large saute pan.  When the oil is hot, add the onions and saute for five minutes, stirring constantly.  Add the tomatoes and cook for 15 minutes, stirring every once in a while.  Season with salt, pepper and hot pepper flakes.

2.  Finely chop the parsley and garlic together.  Add the chopped ingredients and the whole basil leaves to the saute pan and mix very well.  Cook for 5 minutes more.  Dissolve the tomato paste in the broth and pour it into the casserole.  Lower heat and simmer for 1 hour.

3.  Now prepare the couscous.  Heat the butter in a medium sauce pan over medium high heat.  When the foaming subsides, add the saffron and couscous and cook, stirring frequently until the grains are beginning to brown, about five minutes.  Add water, broth and salt, stirring briefly to combine.  Cover and remove pan from heat.  Let stand until grains are tender, about seven minutes.  Uncover and fluff grains with fork.  Season with ground pepper to taste.

4.  Taste the sauce for seasoning.  Start adding the fish.  Cook the fish for a few minutes and then add the calamari.

5.  Transfer the couscous to a platter, pour the sauce over the couscous and arrange the fish and calamari on top or on the side.  Sprinkle with parsley.  Serve hot.

ENJOY!

Sicilian Chickpea and Escarole Soup

Photo courtesy of Nanther Thangarajah

When we were designing the menu for Guest Chef Night, both Clare's father, Frank, and I went through a few recipes trying to decide upon a primi or first course (after the antipasta or appetizer).  Initially, we thought about a pasta; however, we could not find a pasta recipe that would fit with the overall menu.

Frank found a recipe for Sicilian Chickpea and Escarole soup, which he had made for friends in the past and which had gotten great reviews.  The recipe includes an interesting selection of ingredients, including garlic, chickpeas, fennel, onions, escarole, anchovies and the Parmigiano Reggiano rinds.  We decided to do this soup for Guest Chef Night and, once again, it got rave reviews from the guests.

The recipe comes from America's Test Kitchen and calls for the use of chicken broth.  Both Frank and I wanted to make sure that this soup could be enjoyed by everyone, including my beautiful wife Clare who does not eat meat.  So, we modified the recipe to use vegetable stock.  When we made this soup for Guest Chef Night, we used a homemade vegetable stock that Frank carefully made over the course of a couple of days.  Homemade stock is always better than store-bought stock.  If you do not want to make your own stock, look for a vegetable stock that is low in sodium.

While I am not a big fan of vegetable soups, I love this soup.  So did everyone who came to the Guest Chef Night.   The use of the Parmigiano Reggiano rinds provides a depth and richness to this soup that complements the flavors of the fennel and anchovies.  I highly recommend this soup.   

SICILIAN CHICKPEA AND ESCAROLE SOUP

Recipes from Soups, Stews and Chilis, America's Test Kitchen at 148-149
Serves 8-10

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons of extra virgin olive oil

1 1/2 pounds of fennel bulbs, trimmed of stalks

     cored and chopped fine

1 small onion chopped medium

1 can of chickpeas

3 medium garlic cloves, minced

2 tablespoons minced fresh oregano leaves

     (or 1/2 teaspoons of dry oregano)

2 anchovy fillets, minced

1/4 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes

7 cups of water

5 cups of vegetable broth

1 five inch long piece of Parmigano Reggiano rind

2 bay leaves

1 three inch long strip of zest from an orange

1 large tomato cored, and chopped medium

1 pound of escarole, tripped and cut into 1 inch pieces

Salt, to taste

Ground pepper to taste

8 to 10 slices of toasted garlic bread

1 cup of grated Parmigiano Reggiano

Directions:

1.  Heat the olive oil in a large dutch oven or cast iron pot over medium heat until shimmering.  Add the fennel and onion.  Cook until the vegetables are softened, which should be about seven or eight minutes.  Stir in the garlic, oregano, anchovies and crushed red pepper flakes.  Cook until fragrant, about thirty seconds.

2.  Stir in water, broth, soaked chickpeas, Parmigiano Reggiano rind, bay leaves, and zest.  Bring the soup to a boil and then reduce to a gentle simmer.  Cook until the chickpeas are tender, which should take about one and one-half hours.

3.  Stir in the tomato and continue to simmer for twenty minutes longer.  Then stir in escarole and cook until wilted, which should take about five to ten minutes more.

4.  Remove from the heat.  Remove bay leaves and the cheese rind (scraping off any cheese that has melted back into the soup.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.

5.  To serve, place the toasted garlic bread on the bottom of the bowl.  Ladle the soup over the top of the bread. Sprinkle grated Parmigiano Reggiano over the soup and drizzle lightly with additional olive oil.

ENJOY!

Mushroom Gratinate

I have made mushroom crostini for people several times using different recipes.  However, a recipe from Lidia Bastianich gets the best reviews.  It is like the "King" or "Queen" of mushroom crostini recipes, with the title of "Gratinate." This title is especially appropriate because the cheese used in the "Gratinate" is Parmigiano Reggiano, the "king" of Italian cheeses.

The recipe calls for garlic, sage, thyme and flat leaf parsley to be added while you saute the mushrooms. This mixture of herbs contributes a lot of flavor that complements the mushrooms themselves.  You do not have to limit yourself to these herbs, you could experiment by adding some rosemary, to underscore the earthiness of the dish, or some cracked black peppercorns, to provide a little bite. 

This dish was the first course of the four course dinner served at the Guest Chef Night.  We used eight pounds of mushrooms to create this course and went through all of the mushrooms.  Guests who tasted it both at the test kitchen and the Guest Chef Night really liked these crostini.  The recipe set forth below is designed to serve about twelve people, depending upon the size of the crostini or bread that you use.

MUSHROOM GRATINATE
Adapted from Lidia's Italy
Serves 12

Ingredients (for the mushrooms):

3 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons butter
6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2½ pounds mushroom, cleaned, sliced
1 teaspoon fresh thyme, chopped
4 leaves fresh sage, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
½ cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated

Ingredients (for the base and gratin):
12 slices hearty wheat bread, lightly toasted
3 tablespoons soft butter
¼ cup Italian parsley, freshly chopped
1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, freshly grated

Directions:

1.  Preheat the oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.  Heat the olive oil in the skillet over medium heat and saute the garlic, stirring, until the garlic just begins to color but well before it begins to brown. Add the butter and, when it melts, toss in the mushrooms, sprinkle on the thyme, sage, and salt.  Cook the mushrooms and other ingredients, stirring now and then, until the water evaporates and the mushrooms start to caramelize. Remove from the heat, then stir in the grated cheese.

3.  Lay the bread slices in one layer in the baking pan to cover the bottom completely. Spread the soft butter all over the bread and spoon the mushrooms evenly on top, pressing them down into the bread. Sprinkle the parsley on and top with grated cheese.

4.  Bake for 10 to 15 minutes until the cheese has browned and the edges of the bread are crisp. Let rest a few minutes, before serving.

ENJOY!

Guest Chef Night -- Some Last Thoughts

Photo courtesy of Clare

With some sleep and a lot of thought, I have had the chance to reflect upon Guest Chef Night.  I want to take this opportunity to sum up the Guest Chef Night, especially what I learned or what I was reminded of during this special event. 

First, I was vividly reminded that the role in which food plays in our lives.  The Guest Chef Night was billed as an opportunity for people to come and enjoy a four course meal designed by and cooked by Frank and myself.  I admit that I contributed to that billing through my blog posts.  But, in reality, Guest Chef Night should have been billed as an opportunity for family and friends to gather together and share, not only in the food, but also in our time together.

Over the course of one night, I had the opportunity to see many great people, including some who I had not seen since my wedding to Clare.  Although many months had passed since that time, it seemed as if we had just seen each other just the other day ... and perhaps the reason for that was this very night.  Family and friends had been following the developments of the evening, both by word of mouth and through this blog, so that the time and distance disappeared in a matter of moments.  I am very happy and grateful to have been able to share this night with all of them.

Second, food can not only bring together family and friends, but also create new friendships.  Over the course of the night, people who did not necessarily know each other nevertheless sat together at the same table or in vicinity of one another.  As they enjoyed the meal, they were able to talk about the one thing that they have in common -- being related to or friends of to those who brought them together to share in a special meal.

Third, cooking is -- and will always be -- a hobby for me.  It will never be a job.  While the Guest Chef Night was an amazing experience, and I think a very good success, food will always remain an outlet for me to escape the stress of other parts of my life.  The stress of cooking in a restaurant on a regular basis would probably rob me of what is most important in cooking for me ... an ability to escape from the daily pressures and pursue my own creativity in making my own dishes or learn about the cuisines of different cultures around the world. 

Fourth, I am very blessed to have family and friends who support me as I pursue my cooking generally, and events like Guest Chef Night in particular, but support me.  With in-laws like Frank and Geri, as well as my beautiful wife Clare, I was able to try my hand at a Guest Chef Night.  While my parents, Ken and Denise, as well as sister Kim and brother-in-law Jeff could not be there, they provided invaluable encouragement and support.  And, as I mentioned above, there are all those family and friends who came out for Guest Chef Night and had the dinner.  There are also my friends who helped me out with the test kitchen, when I practiced the dishes in anticipation of the big event.

I am also thankful for both Johnny and Bobby Lorino, the owners of Rag's Italian Bistro, who gave us the opportunity to be guest chefs.  They have a great little restaurant in Birmingham, Alabama and I hope that the Guest Chef Night will create and continue relationships with new and existing customers.

Finally, while the Guest Chef Night was a great experience, I am going to return to the focus of my hobby ... on my own cooking adventures.  Over the days, weeks and months ahead, I will continue making my own dishes, trying recipes of other cooks and chefs, and pursuing my culinary challenge Around the World in 80 Dishes. Maybe in a year or two, I'll be talking and planning another Guest Chef Night.  Who knows?  Until then...

ENJOY!