Vino del Corazon Cabernet Sauvignon

A few years ago, I traveled to Santa Fe, New Mexico for work.  After several stressful hours of work, I had some free time to do some sightseeing.  For me, "sightseeing" includes, not only visits to historical sites, but also checking out local restaurants, breweries and gourmet stores.  I did all of the above during that visit, but there was an added bonus.  As I as walking back to the hotel, I saw a sign for a tasting room for a local winemaker called Vino del Corazon.  I was intrigued by the thought of winemaking in New Mexico.  After all, when the State of New Mexico is mentioned, one first thinks of the deserts, which seems to be the last place where one would expect to find acres and acres of grape vines. 

Not only does New Mexico have a growing wine movement, it also has a claim to being the oldest wine region in the United States.  According to the New Mexico Wine Growers Association, a Franciscan named Fray Gracia de Zuniga and a Capucin monk named Antonio de Arteaga planted the first grapes in 1629 at Senecu, a small pueblo south of Socorro.  The Franciscan and Capucin monk planted the grapes known as Vitis Vinifera, or the "Mission Grape" at the San Antonio de Padua mission.   After the grapes were introduced by missionaries, according to the Wine Growers Association, wine production continued and expanded throughout the State, with vineyards along the Rio Grande River from Bernalillo to Socorro, and from Mesilla to El Paso.  Eventually, New Mexico became the fifth largest wine producing state in the Region.  However, wine production ultimately faded due to the weather, the Rio Grande and Prohibition.

In recent years, there has been a renaissance of grape production and winemaking in New Mexico.  Today, there are over thirty-five winemakers, including Vino del Corazon or "Wine of the Heart."  Started by Erica and Richard Hunt, Vino del Corazon has a wide array of wines, from a Riesling to a Cabernet Sauvignon.  I purchased some of Vino del Corazon's wines for special occasions, when I could share the wines with my beautiful wife, Clare.  On night of our second anniversary, I opened a bottle of the winermaker's Cabernet Sauvignon for us to drink and celebrate that great day.  

The Cabernet Sauvignon pours a crimson red in color, which is to be expected of full-bodied red wines.  The winemaker suggests that the wine has aromas of black cherries and cocoa.  Personally, I was able to detect the cherries and the aroma of the wine was quite pleasant.  The taste of the wine was even better than the aroma, filled with dark plums and black cherries.  The most noteworthy part of the taste of the wine is the significant spice or black pepper.  This spice provided an interesting character to the wine, as if to reinforce the fact that it comes from a State known for its chile peppers.  I am someone who loves spice in just about everything, including wine.  Thus, it comes as no surprise that I really liked the contribution of the black pepper and spice notes to the overall taste of the wine.  As Clare and I drank the wine, I also noted the smooth body and slightly dry finish.  These characteristics made the wine very easy to drink and enjoy.

The Cabernet Sauvignon is available from Vino del Corazon's tasting room in Santa Fe or from the winemaker's website.  The wine sells for about $24.95 a bottle.

ENJOY!

For more about wine production in New Mexico, check out the website for the New Mexico Wine Growers Association.

Stone Brewing Company Ruination India Pale Ale

Stone Brewing Company has always interested me.  Stone is  well established player in the craft beer movement, with beers such as the Arrogant Bastard and Lucky Bastard.  I know people who buy these beers for the name.  I guess there is something about saying to a bartender, "I'll have an Arrogant Bastard" that people find amusing.  I order the beer because it is a very good beer.

Recently, I purchased a bottle of Stone's Ruination IPA, which is a great beer that I have had in the past.  This time, I decided to look into the beer a little more.  Stone first released this beer nearly ten years ago in 2002.  The brewer produces this India Pale Ale using Columbus and Centennial Hops.  The brewer describes the origin of this beer as rising out of the ashes from the Stone Anniversary IPA, with an "abundantly pungent aroma of hops" and "richly layered subtleties" from the hops.  

The brewer describes the name "Ruination IPA" as the effect that the beer will have on one's palate. The moment after the first taste of the beer, says the brewer, all other food and drink becomes tasteless. This is the objective of Stone IPA. 

With an IBU of over 100 and an ABV of about 7.7%, Stone largely accomplishes that goal, but in a good way.  The beer pours a perfect amber and gold color.  Once poured, there is a nice cover of off-white foam that is stubbornly persistent.  The foam is permeable, allowing the flavorful aroma of the Columbus and Centennial hops to greet the drinker.  The foam is also suggestive of a creaminess and smoothness that provides body to this beer.  That smoothness is contrasted with the intense hop flavor of this beer.  With hops come related flavors and tastes, such as citrus like lemons and grapefruit, as well as flavors of pine.

After having weathered the hop assault, I am one of the crazy people who would say, "thank you."  This beer can be found at most stores with a good selection of craft beers.  It sells for about $5.99 a bottle. 

ENJOY! 

Tacos de Pescado (Fish Tacos)

I can remember, as a kid, going fishing with my grandfather on a few occasions.  My grandfather gave me a pole and my own tackle box.  We fished for perch or trout in the Metroparks outside of Cleveland or at nearby fish farms.  We usually fished with live bait, mostly worms.  After sticking the worms on the hook, I would do my best to cast out into the river or the pond.  I'd then sit down next to my grandfather, who had already cast his line, waiting for the fish to bite.  Meanwhile, my grandfather did his best to endure the short attention span and patience of his grandson, especially when the fish were not biting.  We did have some success catching fish, because I can remember bringing the fish home and watching my grandfather clean the fish on our picnic table. We ate the fish for dinner, and, if I can recall correctly, served with corn on the cob. I look back fondly to those times, treasuring the time I spent fishing with my grandfather.  If I have any regrets, it is that I did not go fishing with my grandfather more often.

During our recent vacation, I had the opportunity to relive those memories to a degree when I went fishing with my beautiful wife, Clare, her father and one of her cousins.  We booked a half-day excusion on the Pamlico Sound where we fished for grey tout, flounder and bluefish.  Everybody caught trout and flounder, although many had to be thrown back because they were too small.  I caught only one trout that was a keeper, and, it was the largest trout that any of us caught.  I also caught about four or five flounder; however, all were too small to keep.  In the end, our combined efforts produced enough fish that, after being cleaned, we had twenty-two fillets.

The menu for the evening was to be beef tacos.  So, we all decided that it would be great to also have fish tacos.  Personally, thoughts of fish tacos prepared in the style of Mexican or Southern Californian street food were racing through my head.  I did not have any recipes; and, in fact, I had never purchased a fish taco from a street vendor in either Mexico or Southern California.  However, I have made fish tacos several times in the past.  Those prior efforts have apparently been very successful because Clare always looks forward to the next time that I make fish tacos.  

For this occasion, I decided on a few basic steps for this recipe.  I first marinated the fish for a brief period of time using beer and citrus juice (both lemon and lime juice).  The objective was to add just enough citrus flavor to the fish.  The key to any citrus marinade is timing, because when the citrus juice comes into contact with the meat, there are chemical reactions that will cause the meat to "cook." And, if the meat is left in the citrus juice for too long, the fish will become ceviche.  While I like ceviche, that is not the meal that we wanted to make with our catch.   By adding beer to the marinade, the citrus juice becomes somewhat diluted, thereby slightly slowing down the chemical reactions.  Based upon the amount of fish I had and my prior experience, I decided that I would marinate the the fish for no more than ten minutes.

When making the marinade, I added more than just beer and citrus juice.  I used ingredients that, for me, are associated with Mexican or Southern Californian street food, such as oregano, cayenne pepper, garlic and smoked paprika.  I used the smoked paprika because I wanted to add a hint of smokiness to the fish.  If you do not have any smoked paprika, you could use ancho chile powder or chipotle powder, both of which have smoky elements in their flavors because they are made from smoked chiles that are popular in Mexican cuisine.

Finally, given the amount of fish that we had to eat, not to mention the fixings (including some very tasty guacamole), I decided to used tortillas rather than the traditional soft taco shells.   This enabled people to put a lot of fish, lettuce, tomatoes, onions and, of course, guacamole, togther to create some awesome tacos. 

TACOS DE PESCADO (FISH TACOS)

A Chef Bolek Original

Serves 10

Ingredients:
Your catch of the day (or 2 to 3 pounds of fish fillets)
1 bottle of beer (the lighter, the better)
4 lemons, juiced
4 limes, juiced
4 teaspoons of smoked paprika
4 teaspoons of cayenne pepper
2 tablespoons of dried oregano
2 cloves of garlic, diced finely
4 tablespoons of unsalted butter
Salt, to taste
Ground pepper, to taste
10 or more tortillas
All of the fixings (lettuce, guacamole, tomatoes, onions, lettuce, etc.)

Directions:
1.  Marinate the fish.  In two Ziploc bags, add one clove of garlic, the juice from two lemons, the juice from two limes, 1 tablespoon of dried oregano, 2 teaspoons of smoked paprika and 2 teaspoons of dried cayenne pepper.  Pour half of the beer into each bag.  Divide the fish evenly between the two bags. Add some salt and ground pepper.   Mix all of the contents thoroughly, making sure the fish are covered by both the liquid and the dried herbs/spices.  Let the fish marinate for no more than ten minutes.

2.  Saute the fish.  Add two tablespoons of butter to a pan on medium high heat.  After the butter has melted, saute the fish in batches.  Cook each fish for a couple minutes on each side and flip the fish to the best of your ability.  The fish will begin to break apart, which is okay. After each batch of fish is cooked, remove the fish to a plate and cover it with some aluminum foil.  Add another tablespoon of butter and, after the butter has melted, add the next batch of fish.  Cook each batch as you did the first one.

3.  Heat the tortillas.  After the fish is cooked, heat a frying man on medium heat.  Place a tortilla on the pan and allow it to heat up for one minute.  Flip the tortilla and heat the other side for one minute.  Remove the tortilla to a plate and repeat this heating process for the remaining tortillas.

4.  Plate the dish.  Serve the fish with the tortillas and all of the fixings.  I recommend the fixings include lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and guacamole.  You can also include jalapeno peppers for those who like a little spice in their food. 

This meal was the first time that I had eaten fish that I caught the same day since I went fishing with my grandfather more than twenty years ago.  The meal was also a great way to end a fun fishing trip with my Angel, my father-in-law, and one of Clare's cousins.

The memories of fishing with my grandfather, along with the experence of fishing with family on the Pamlico sound, have definitely kindled a renewed interest on my part in fishing as a recreational activity.  Now, I just need to get some free time to go fishing....

ENJOY!

An Epicurean in the Carolinas

Whenever I go on a vacation, I always try to find a good "foodie" experience.  It could be a really good restaurant.  It could also be a behind-the-scenes tour of a brewery, vineyard or other local producer.  During our recent vacation in the Outer Banks of North Carolina, I discovered the Outer Banks Epicurean and a soft shell crab cooking course. 

Founded by Amy Huggins, Outer Banks Epicurean is a beacon for the Slow Food and Slow Fish Movements in the Outer Banks, shining a light on fresh and local ingredients.  At her store on Colington Island, which is in Kill Devil Hills, Amy sells a variety of wines and foodstuffs.  One notable product is the Outer Banks Sea Salt, which she produces herself at her store.  Amy also offers meals to go and catering using local, organic and sustainable ingredients.

What initially caught my attention was the fact that Amy offers cooking courses and, more specifically, a cooking course focused on soft-shell crabs.  I have had prior experience cooking soft shell crabs when I worked at a seafood restaurant.  I have also taken a few cooking courses and really enjoyed the opportunities to learn new techniques or new ways to use ingredients.  So, I wanted to share this enjoyment with my beautiful wife and her parents, all of whom love to cook.  I arranged for the four of us to participate in the soft-shell crab cooking class, which also included dinner and a wine tasting.

The location of Outer Banks Epicurean makes it an ideal place to learn how to cook soft-shell crabs.  It is a stone's throw from Endurance Seafood, which is one of the largest cultivators and processors of soft shell crabs in the United States.   Amy told us about how semi-trucks depart from Endurance Seafood with thousands of soft shell crabs destined for wholesalers and customers along the eastern United States.   Amy was able to procure eighteen, very substantial soft shell crabs.  I have to say that the soft-shell crabs that she obtained from Endurance Seafood were some of the largest soft shells that I had ever seen ...  and eaten.

Amy organized the cooking class very well, beginning with a brief introduction where we all sat at the table and talked about food over some very delicious Cava from Castellbranch and a shrimp and cheese appetizer that was equally delicious.  Her passion for locally grown and produced foods, as well as sustainable fish, was clearly evident from our discussion.  After some wine and food, we proceeded to the instructional part of the evening.

Amy's cooking process is a lot like mine, eyeballing the amounts of ingredients for a recipe and adding a little more of the ingredients as I cook based upon the taste of the dish.  The cooking involved the preparation of two courses, which could each constitute a meal in and of itself.  The first course was sauteed soft-shell crabs with a lemon caper sauce, served with blue cheese mashed potatoes.  The second course was fried soft-shell crabs with a mustard cream sauce, served with fire-kissed collared greens, along with fresh arugula and spinach. 

Clare's parents, Frank and Geri, along with Clare and myself, prepared each of the courses.  The first course and preparation was fairly straightforward.  We dipped each soft shell crab into some flour and shook off the excess flour. We then heated a pan and added a combination of extra virgin olive oil and unsalted butter.  We sauteed the soft shells in batches until they were a nice red color, which took several minutes for each batch. We then worked on the sauce, using some of the fat from sauteing the soft shell crabs, adding some flour and starting what would ordinarily be a roux.  We added the juice from some freshly squeezed lemons and some white wine and the capers.  After adding some salt and pepper, the sauce was ready.   While everyone was cooking the crabs, Geri also prepared the blue cheese mashed potatoes. This dish was very delicious. 
 

For the second course, we fried the soft shell crabs.  When I worked at a seafood restaurant, I used the deep fryer to cook soft shell crabs.  However, we learned to fry soft shells on the stove top.  We started with a dry-wet-dry process of dipping the crabs in flour, egg wash, and flour to bread them.  Once the oil reached the right temperature, we dropped the crabs in batches and cooked them.  The sauce is very straightforward ... just some heavy cream and some Lusty Monk Spicy Mustard.  We seasoned the sauce with some salt and it was done.  These crabs were served over fire-kissed collared greens, which were prepared by first cutting the greens in a julienne style.  A little olive oil was added to a cast iron skillet and when it was heated, the greens went in with a little garlic for a couple of minutes.  We plated the dish by putting some locally grown arugula and spinach on the dish, with the collared greens and then the crabs.  The sauce was then spooned over the crabs.  Like the first dish, this dish was very tasty. 

In the end, everyone had a fun time and Amy did a great job.  She made us feel welcomed, she opened her kitchen to us and showed us how to prepare two incredible meals with soft shell crabs.  If you are headed to the Outer Banks, I would strongly recommend that you consider spending an afternoon or an evening taking a cooking class at Outer Banks Epicurean.  If cooking classes are not your style, you should stop by to pick up some great wines, sea salt and other provisions that you will need to for cookouts on or near the beach.  I know that the next time that I am headed to the OBX, I'll be stopping by.

ENJOY!

Hatteras Blue Crab Soup

During our first full day of our vacation in the Outer Banks, I went crabbing for blue crabs with my beautiful wife, Clare, and her parents.  To fish for crab, you need a net (or a hook), some twine and some bait.  I went with Clare's father, Frank, to the local bait and tackle shop.  There, we  bought a couple crab traps, a lot of twine and chicken necks.   As it turns out, crabs like chicken necks.  Frank later returned to the shop to get another net and some more bait.  This time, he bought a box of squid.  In addition to chicken necks, crabs also like squid.   One thing that I learned is that a lot of fish also like squid, which results in a bit of competition between the crabs and the fish for the bait.  With the crab nets, twine and bait, we also got a tip on where we could find some blue crabs. 

The tip led us to a bulkhead in Avon along the Pamlico Sound.  We set up our nets and cast them out along the bulkhead.  During our fishing, I learned that the best places to catch crab are along the bulkheads or the pylons of a pier.  If you are casting off shore, focus on areas where there is seaweed or sea-grass.  In fact, our successes came from crabbing a little away from the bulkhead, near a patch of such grass.

North Carolina law limits a person to a catch of fifteen crabs per day and further limits the crabs you can keep to those that are five inches or wider from the tips of their shells.  We caught a lot of crabs, but most had to be returned because they were small than five inches.  By the end of the day, we had two, rather feisty crabs.  We then stopped by a local seafood market and bought a dozen, less feisty, live crabs.  Now we had enough to make something.  The only question was what to make.  

Having lived in the Chesapeake Bay region as long as I have, my first thought would be to smother the crabs in Old Bay seasoning and steam them until they turned bright red.  However, we did not have enough crabs for everyone who would be joining us for dinner.  In addition, I wanted to do something a little different.  So, I decided to make a soup, which would be somewhat challenging given the temperature was hovering around the mid-80s at the Outer Banks.  Under the circumstances, a cream-based soup did not seem like the way to go.  I ultimately decided to make a lighter soup, pairing the crab with some vegetables and a local spice mix -- called Hatteras Spice Mix -- that looked and smelled a lot like Old Bay.

This recipe is a Chef Bolek original.  It is something that I improvised based upon my experience of making crab soup in the past.  I added some new twists to this recipe, such as making a broth with the legs of the crabs and some herbs, such as rosemary, sage and thyme.  The herbs gave the broth a nice green color and a lot of flavor.  However, the star of the soup is the blue crab itself.  It takes a while to pick through twelve to fourteen crabs.  We were able to do it in about one and one hours, but it is worth it.  We ended up with more than a pound of fresh crab to use in the soup.  Of course, if you want to make this soup and do not want to endure the laborious process of picking crabs, then you can cheat by simply buying a pound of lump crab.  You can also use other types of crab meat, such as claw meat or backfin meat.   

HATTERAS BLUE CRAB SOUP

A Chef Bolek Original
Serves 10

Ingredients:

12-14 live blue crabs

2 red skinned potatoes, finely diced

1/2 sweet onion, finely diced

1 green bell pepper, finely diced

1 tomato, seeded and finely diced

2 cloves of garlic, finely diced

4 bay leaves

6-8 sprigs of thyme

1 spring of rosemary

1 small bunch of sage

2 teaspoons of Hatteras Spice Mix (or Old Bay)
About 6 cups of water

Flat Leaf Parsley, chopped, for garnishing

Directions:

1.  Steam the crabs.  Prepare a steam pot for the crabs.  You can use a regular pot, but you need some space between the bottom of the pot and the crabs.  Steam pots have a small tray that you can use.   Fill the pot with water just below the top of the tray and turn the heat to high.  When the water begins to steam, add the blue crabs and steam them for about eight to ten minutes.  The crabs are done when their shells have turned red.

2.  Pick out the crab meat.  Remove the pot from the heat and remove the crabs from the pot.  You do not want the crab meat to overcook.  Once the crabs have cooled down, begin picking the crabs for all of the meat.  This process will probably take at least an hour and a half, if not two hours. While you are picking through the crab, set aside the legs of the crab and other parts of the shell, which will be used for a stock.

3.  Remove all shells and cartilage.Once you have picked out all the meat, go through it a second time to ensure that you have all of the shells and cartilage removed.   Cover the crab meat and refrigerate it.

4.  Make a crab stock.  Take the crab shells, a spring of rosemary, a bunch of sage and a couple of sprigs of thyme and place them in a medium-sized pot.  Fill the pot with water and put the pot on high heat.   Add some salt and ground pepper.  Let the pot come to a boil and reduce to about half.  Remove the pot from the heat.

5.  Make the soup.  Add the butter to a different, much larger pot on medium heat.  Add the onion, green pepper and garlic and saute until translucent.  Then add the stock, straining it through a colander with cheese cloth so that only the liquid is added to the pot.  Add the tomatoes, 2 bay leaves, and leaves from four sprigs of thyme.  Add six cups of water.  Salt and pepper to taste. Let the soup simmer for about an hour.

6.  Boil potatoes.   In a separate pot, add the potatoes and fill with water.  Bring the potatoes and water to a boil and let boil for about five to ten minutes.  Add the potatoes and water to the other pot with the onions, green pepper, garlic and stock while it is simmering.  Let the soup continue to simmer for the hour, adding more water if the soup reduces too much. 

7.  Add the crab and finish the soup. About ten minutes before the soup has simmered for an hour, add the blue crab and stir well.   Let the soup continue to simmer for the remaining ten minutes. 

ENJOY!

Rogue Ales Chipotle Ale

DARE. RISK. DREAM.  Those three words adorn the bottle of Rogue Ales' Chipotle Ale.  The first two words most likely refer, at least in one sense, to the specific Dare and Risk malts produced by Rogue Micro Barley Farm.  The last word, "Dream," refers to what I did after buying a bottle of the Chipotle Ale.  My mind focused on how great of a pairing I could achieve with this beer and a particular dish that I wanted to make.

Before I get to the food pairing, a little background about the beer.  Rogue Ales dedicated this beer to the Spanish author, Juan de la Cueva.  In 1575, de la Cueva wrote about a Mexican dish that combined seedless chipotles with ale.  Rogue likewise uses smoked Jalapeno peppers (or chipotle peppers) to spice an ale made with only eight ingredients: Great Western 2-Row Malts, Rogue Micro Barley Farm Dare and Risk Malts, Rogue Micro Hopyard Revolution and Rebel Hops, chipotle peppers, "free range coastal water" and Pacman Yeast.

The Chipotle Ale pours a nice amber color, a little darker than what is shown in the pictures.  The aromatic elements of this beer showcase the malts, wrapped with a little of the smokiness of the chipotle peppers.  The smoke and spice of the peppers are much more prominent in the taste of the beer.  The smoke is clear up front, with the spice lingering in the finish and the tongue.  The taste of the chipotle peppers provides body and substance to this beer  Basically, these peppers provide a whole new perspective to what would otherwise be an American Red Ale.  

When it comes to pairing this beer with food, Rogue Ales suggests that this beer would pair well with chicken and pork.  I paired this beer with the recipe for Mexican Roadside Chicken with Green Onions.  The smokiness of the beer provided an added feature to the chicken, which is grilled and basted with a wet rub of chiles, clove, cinnamon and oregano.  I should add that I really like to cook with this beer as well.  I find that it provides a good smoky and spicy kick to chili.  It also is useful for marinades for chicken, pork and even fish.

This beer is available in 22 ounce bottles for about $6.99 a bottle. The beer can be found at most beer stores that have a good selection of craft beers.  A great beer for use in cooking and, of course, drinking. 

ENJOY!

For more about the beer, check out Rogue Ales' website.

Pollo a las Brasas con Cebollitas (Mexican Roadside Chicken with Green Onions)

I am fascinated by street food from different countries. Perhaps I have watched a few too many episodes of Anthony Bourdain: No Reservations or Bizarre Foods, following either Tony Bordain or Andrew Zimmern cruise the streets of some far away city, buying and trying a wide range of foods from street vendors.

A few weeks ago, I came across a recipe for Pollo a las Brasas con Cebollitas or Mexican Roadside Chicken with Green Onions.  The recipe is based upon the chicken grilled at roadside or highway-side stands in the Mexican State of Sinaloa.  I tried to find some information about the place of grilled chicken in Sinaloan cuisine or its street food traditions, but I  was unsuccessful.  However, I did find that this recipe originated with Rick Bayless and his book, Mexican Everyday.  Being a fan of Bayless' show, Mexico - One Plate at a Time, which airs on PBS, I decided that I would make this dish.

There was another reason why I wanted to make this dish.  I recently bought a chipotle ale and was looking to pair this beer with a dish.  I thought that the smoky flavors of the beer would pair well with the flavors of the grilled chicken.  So this effort represents a unusual convergence of two interests, street food and beer pairing. 

In terms of the preparation for this dish, this recipe actually included a first for me.  It was the first time that a butterflied a whole chicken.  I bought a locally raised, organic chicken and, with a pair of food shears, I cut carefully around the backbone and then removed the keel bone.   I am not sure why I have not butterflied a whole chicken in the past, but this effort will definitely not be my last. 

POLLO A LAS BRASAS CON CEBOLLITAS

(Mexican Roadside Chicken with Green Onions)

Adapted from Rick Bayless, Mexican Everyday

Serves 4

Ingredients (for the Chicken and Onions):

1 three pound chicken

2 bunches of green onions or scallions

Salt, to taste

Ground pepper, to taste

Olive oil for brushing the onions

Ingredients (for the Wet Rub):

1 1/2 teaspoons of ground ancho chile powder

1 teaspoon of dried oregano, preferably Mexican oregano

1 big pinch of ground cloves

1/2 teaspoon of ground cinnamon

2 garlic cloves, diced finely

3 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar

1/4 cup of orange juice

Directions:

1.  Prepare the chicken.  Begin by butterflying the chicken.  Place the chicken on its breasts.  With a pair of kitchen shears, cut alongside the backbone and then cut along the other side of the backbone.  Remove the backbone and then open the chicken like a book.  Proceed to remove the keel bone by making an incision through the thin membrane covering it.  Use your fingers to get underneath the bone and, using leverage, lift it out.  

2.  Prepare the wet rub.  Combine all of the ingredients for the rub and stir.  

3.  Marinate the chicken.  Heat a grill to about 350 degrees.  Place the chicken breast and skin side down.  Proceed to baste the exposed side of the chicken with the wet rub.  Flip over the chicken and baste the other side with the rub.

4.  Grill the chicken.  Cook the chicken at 350 degrees for about forty five minutes or until a thermometer reads 165 degrees when inserted into the thickest part of the breast.  Remove the chicken from the heat and let it rest for about 10 or 15 minutes. 

5.  Grill the onions.  While the chicken is resting, brush the onions with olive oil and season with salt.  Place the onions on the grill.  Cook until the onions are tender and brown, about five minutes per side.  

6.  Finish the dish.  Cut the chicken into quarters, and serve with green onions.

ENJOY!

Seffa de Couscous

While walking the aisles of my local supermarket, I came across some bottles of rose water.  I began to think about the type of dishes that would use this ingredient. Thanks to the trusty Internet, I was able to find a handful of recipes.  One recipe stuck out from the rest ... Seffa de Couscous. 

The dish is a sweet couscous dish that is popular in Morocco and Algeria.  The ingredients for this dish -- dried apricots, figs, dates, and raisins, along with cardamom, cinnamon and rose water -- really seemed interesting.  So, I gathered all of the ingredients, headed home and began my work in the kitchen.

This is a really easy dish to make.  Most of the work is cutting and dicing the dried fruits.  After poaching the dried fruit in a couple cups of boiling water, just add the rose water and prepare the couscous in accordance with its instructions

SEFFA DE COUSCOUS

Adapted from Tobias Cooks
Serves 2-4

Ingredients:

1 cup of Moroccan couscous

1 small handful of raisins

4-6 dried figs, diced

4-6 dried apricots, diced

4-6 dried dates, diced

2 spoons of sugar

1 orange, cut into sections

1/4 cup of roasted almonds

2 black cardamom seeds

2 green cardamom seeds

Cinnamon, to taste

1 tablespoon of rose water 

Directions:

1.  Prepare the couscous.  Heat up 2 cups of water in a pot to a boil. Add the diced fruits and poach them for a few minutes in boiling water.  Add the sugar, cardamom and rose water.  Then add the couscous and cook according to the couscous instructions.  

2.  Toast the almonds.  Heat a pan over medium high heat.  Add the almonds to the pan and toast until they become fragrant. 

3.  Finish the dish.  Remove the cardamom seeds.  Plate the couscous in a bowl or on a plate.  Place the almonds on top and sprinkle some cinnamon over the couscous.

ENJOY!

Panther Creek Cellars Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir (2006)

It was two years ago that I married by beautiful wife, Clare, who I call my Angel.  On our honeymoon, which I have talked briefly about in prior blog posts, we visited the Willamette Valley of Oregon.  We made our base McMinnvile, Oregon and, from that little town, toured about one dozen  vineyards and wineries throughout the northern part of the valley.

I learned a lot from our tours, but, the one thing that never occurred to me is that there are winemakers out there who produce wines without a vineyard.  Whenever I saw a wine, I simply assumed that the winemaker grew his or her own grapes.   This was an assumption that I harbored for most our tour, as we went from one winemaker to the next, each with its own  vineyard, whether just a couple of acres or hundreds of acres. However, the last winemaker we visited, Panther Creek Cellars, does not own its own vines.  Instead, Panther Creek purchases the grapes that it uses in its wines from other vineyards. With these grapes, Panther Creek is able to make some great Pinot Noir wines, like the Shea Valley Pinot Noir (2006).  

Panther Creek has a tasting room, which both Clare and I visited in McMinnville, Oregon.  My parents had recommended that we add Panther Creek to the list of vineyards and wineries.  We were able to taste about six wine and relax amongst dozens of barrels of aging Pinot Noir.  Like most Willamette vintners, Panther Creek produces a couple of white wines, like its Pinot Gris and Chardonnay, but it is really known for its red wines, with ten Pinot Noir wines. 

We both loved the wines and purchased a couple of bottles to take home with us.  One of the bottles that we bought was the Shea Vineyard Pinot Noir. The grapes used to produce this wine come from the Shea Vineyard, which is located in the Yamhill/Carlton District.  This appellation is a subdistrict of the Willamette Valley AVA, which was once known for orchards, livestock and wheat.  Now, it is known for its wine, with approximately sixty vineyards and winemakers producing some great Pinot Noirs, like the wine that we bought.

The Shea Vineyard (2006), which is produced from Dijon, Pommard and Wadenswil clones, pours a nice crimson to burgundy red, which is very nice in a Pinot Noir.  The winemaker says there are aromas of plum, blackberry, anise, leather and vanilla.  Apart from the leather (which I can never sense in a wine), I did get the blackberries, anise and even some vanilla.  The winemaker also notes that the wine has flavors of, in addition to blackberries, black cherry, cocoa, orange peel, black pepper, currants and earth.  I have to say that my palate is still developing and I did not get all of those flavors.  However, I did get blackberries and black cherries, with some spice, especially in the finish.  There was definitely some residual black pepper that stuck on the tongue long after the wine is gone.

This wine is available at the Panther Creek Tasting Room and online at the winery's website.  If it is still available, it sells for about $43 a bottle. 

ENJOY! 

Dogfish Head's Robert Johnson's Hellhound on my Ale

Legend says that, at the stroke of midnight, Robert Johnson  went down to the crossroads at Highways 61 and 49 in Clarksdale, Mississippi.  Angry at God for the untimely death of his wife and unborn child, Robert Johnson called upon the devil and made an irrevocable pact ... in exchange for his soul, the devil would tune Johnson's guitar, enabling him to become one of the greatest blues artists.  Robert Johnson did, in fact, become one of the greats, but the devil cashed in the exchange.  Robert Johnson died at age 27.

Well, now there is a beer in honor of Robert Johnson, and it is courtesy of Dogfish Head.  The beer, Robert Johnson's Hellbound on my Ale, commemorates the Mississippi Delta blues legend's 100th birthdays with a lot of 100s.  As the beer recounts, the Hellhound on my Ale is an Imperial India Pale Ale, which is loaded with hops -- including the dry-hopping of the beer with 100% Centennial hops at a rate of 100 kilograms per 10 barrel brew length, all of which contributes to an IBU of 100 at the brewhouse.  The beer has a 10.0% ABV and is 10.0 SRM in color. 

The SRM is the Standard Reference Method, which is a means by which brewers measure the colors of their beers. The SRM is actually a range from 2 (which would be a pale lager) to 70 (which would be an imperial stout).  A 10.0 places the Hellhound on my Ale in the range of a pale ale.  

The beer appears a little darker than an average pale ale, much more like an Imperial India Pale Ale.  When pouring the beer, a nice, thin layer of foam tops the beer.  As the foam subsides, the aromatic elements become clear.  There is definitely a good, solid aroma of lemons, wrapped in hops.  The lemon aromas (and flavors) come from the use of dried lemon peel and flesh in the brewing process.  The lemons are in recognition of Robert Johnson's mentor, Blind Lemon Jefferson.  

Those lemons figure prominently throughout the taste of the beer.  In fact, the lemon flavor is so prominent that it seems to upstage the flavor of the hops.  While I might have an issue with that,  particularly given the Imperial IPA style (where hops are supposed to be the king), Dogfish Head actually  makes it work this beer.  When drinking the beer, the lemon flavor seems sweet at the front, and then turns citrusy and a bitter in the finish.  The flavors of the beer are an analogy to Robert Johnson's life, sweet up front, but a bitter end. 

This beer is a limited release and is available in stores now for about $11.99 a bottle.  I have been able to find it at a local Whole Foods store, but it should be available at other beer store that sell 22 ounce bottles of Dogfish Head beers. This is a great beer to sip while listening to some of Robert Johnson's greatest blues songs, like Crossroad Blues, Kindhearted Woman Blues, and, most appropriately for this blog, Come on in My Kitchen!

ENJOY!

For more about the Robert Johnson, check out Robert Johnson and the Crossroads Curse.