Food crack, porn and ....

    I was thinking about the last post on First Night and it dawned on me that it needed a prologue.That, began several days before, when I went to a food and wine show.Want to talk about raising your heart rate and getting your juices flowing? Talk about food crack! Don't get me wrong, I was amped about the First Night, but like a junkie, I needed a fix and I needed it right then. So off to the Big City I went, with two former employees, who are hard core foodies in their own right. After arriving at our destination, we ran like lovers into the waiting arms of Eros. Other eager supplicants merged around us, whispers of the awaiting pleasures circulated. Pointing here and there. Murmuring hints of the joys awaiting. Knowing looks from those that had indulged.
   Before us lay a virtual panopoly of sights, smells, liquids, colors and tastes.Our mouths salivated, fingers tingled, pupils dilated, bodies shook in anticipation.Where to begin? What to to do first? How to start? Like giddy virgins, we stood and looked at what was before us, a little overwhelmed at the prospect, but definitely eager to be educated. Perhaps a taste of that finely aged Bourbon or exquisitely seductive Mescal would take the edge off and help us relax into the zone. The tables of bottles and vintages rimmed the room and snaked thru the center, almost in an effort to engage and ensnare us. This would take a plan of action. Too much, too soon and all would be lost. Too little and......well,screw it, nothing ventured, nothing gained. To be among others who loved what they did, made what they loved, indulged in their passions.We were home.
   A heady, smoky Scotch beckoned us almost immediately, golden, rich, smooth as silk, its very scent whispering deep woods and heathery fields. The hickory wafted gently into the nose. The tongue holding onto it like a whore in an alley. It was hard to let it go. But it was far too early for swallowing, so it was spit out and washed away with clear, cleansing water.We wanted to be led gently, to be educated, to make it last as long as possible.We wanted lubricants, and kisses and soft words of encouragement. There came next the clear inviting fluids of  Tequila silvery, golden, amber; Gins with their herbaceous complexities, and pristine Vodkas in all their glory and diverse infusions. And oh, the Rums.......We sank into the rhythms of the Caribbean, the flavors undulating to the music of steel drums in our heads. Small batch, mountain crafted, high distillery Whiskeys....This could be very bad......or unimaginably good...Time to breathe, pull it back, take it slower and savor the moment.Turn away from the come hither glances.
  Assailed by a vision of the sea, we shyly approached a table laden with thumb nail sized lumps of jumbo crab, mounds of cold water lobster meat, Langostines and prawns the length of a mans hand, head intact, I felt a sensation of warmth growing deep and low. My desire heightened. I am a diagnosed nymphomaniac for the glory that is the ocean. "Go ahead, take one, if you think you can handle it, I'll give you all you want". I locked eyes with him, proceeded to peel the shell off, took the head gingerly in my mouth, and gently removed it without damage and laid it aside. I closed my eyes for a moment as the firm flesh lay on my tongue, it's saltiness and sweetness, almost pulsating and alive. When I opened them, he looked at me with satisfaction, and said come back, we'll talk more.TALK!!! TALK?????......DO it again, damn it!!!!!!! But no, I was being dragged away before I was left a quivering mass,
  We came upon an alluring plate of  Iowa grown, free range pork. Heirloom breeds of pure stock that have tremendous quality.The slow braised ribs gave up the meat like willing brides and we gloried at their submission.It fell apart at a touch. Our fingers, moist with their juices, dove into our mouths to be sucked clean. Sorry, did you really think a fork is the way to go? NEVER!! This is a full body contact sport. The taste, the texture, the sublimeness.
  Duck, Quail, Venison, the bounty of the forests, pulled us deeper and deeper, enchanting, inviting, captivating. Delicate bites, little tastes of heaven. Impossible to resist and lovingly consumed with delight. The path then winding down into the valleys. And oh, the New Zealand Spring Lambs! Beautifully Frenched racks, like succulent lollipops of meat, tasting of the sweet grasses they were fed on.The exquisite Shanks, thick as well muscled forearm, dripping with bewitching earthy juices. The incredible pink blush of free range Veal, with its incomparable flavor so lovingly done to a turn.
  My eyes rested on a small inviting table of Saki.Charming aqua and iridescent bottles of heaven. I had to.I needed to. The cold liquid woke my senses like a thunderbolt. This I could not let go of. The heat descended into my body like a lovers kiss. I felt myself, as if wrapped in a silk kimono, performing a ritual, I wanted to warm it gently and release its perfume, pour it into porcelain cups.
  We had to stop, to breathe, to assimilate, to calm ourselves... in order to go forward..........
Great vintages lay spread out before us. Huge reds, mind blowing in their intensity, enticing Pinots and Syrahs, Malbecs and more. Clear, shimmery whites cloaked in green and amber, oaked and unoaked, sweet and dry, even sparkling. Leather, lace, tobacco, buttery, grassy, fruity, herby, heady, delicate. Around the world in a nano second. Synapses on full fire. Senses approaching overload but still in check.The warm glow of foreplay leading to full promise coming on.
  I turned, as if touched by a guiding hand, to feast my eyes on pristine, glistening freshly opened oysters. They lay beckoning me on piles of crushed ice, and I stood transfixed. My hand timidly reached out to cup one and  my head lay back to receive the ice cold slippery meat. I held it quietly in my mouth absorbing the flavor, the texture,the whole encompassing sensation.and then let it slip down my throat. An involuntary shudder coursed thru my body. Believe me when I say, it was not in revulsion. Another  and another and another. I swayed. I felt possessed. Another plane of ecstasy was reached.
  A slab of sushi grade Tuna, the size of my thigh, almost burgundy in color, wet, gleaming and beckoning, held me in it's thrall. A small, thin slab was presented to me. So clean, so soft, so yielding, so clean, soooooo heavenly. Tiny petals of pickled ginger, laying in a dish to clean the palate, sat next, to it. Then followed gorgeous grass fed, hormone free Montana raised beef fillets. Black on the outside, blood red on the inside. Mouth watering tenderness, almost tongue crushable and alongside, Bison, fetchingly laid out for an added temptation. Fresh earthy bread to absorb the juices that were beginning to run down my chin was mandatory.We simply didn't know how much more we could take. Giddiness was setting in fast. We weren't drunk, but most definitely intoxicated on the sensations surrounding us. It was as if we had been making love for hours with brief respites to begin again and again. Being encouraged to taste more, learn more, enjoy more.
  On small toasts of hearth baked bread, simultaneously crunchy and soft, and spread as if butter, the Foie Gras terrine lay. It was exquisite. From the moment my lips touched it, felt its delicacy,and my nose breathed in its glorious scent I was transported. We each bit in gingerly, watching the other, as if afraid it would disappear when touched. It was almost too good to be true. Did we dare do try another bite? Oh hell yea!!!!! It was ambrosia. A small swallow of champagne washed it down, but not out. This had to be it. There couldn't possibly be more in this Kama Sutra book of food. Yet, as I stood there almost complete, I detected a familiar fragrance, that caused me to turn in it's direction.  And then .....there it was......the.final chapter........the one that had been so patiently waiting to lift us to the final moment.
    He stood alone, pristine in his whites, assured in his technique, master of his domain.I floated towards him, transfixed by his eyes, by his salacious mouth beckoning me on, more than willing to be taken. He cut into the beige white Foie Gras lobe with the precision of a surgeon, scored it lightly, sprinkled salt and cracked pepper over the top and deftly lifted it on a grill plate. It sizzled as it seared, in it's own natural fat, the perfume holding me as if prey in a cobras' eyes.When it had turned golden brown, he placed it on a small white plate and handed it to me. As he observed me, grinning and knowing, I lifted the gleaming morsel and held it. The anticipation of this moment was almost unbearable. My senses began to reel. The warm creaminess, the richness dissolving in delicate layers, the ultimate smoothness like no other as it came into my mouth, the sheer orgasmic pleasure my brain was experiencing. Pictures of falling back on to soft pillows, drenched in a sensuous after glow, gleaming with the joy of ultimate pleasure, a small smile of satisfaction on my lips, floated around in my head. He nodded knowingly. We were done, sated, wrapped in a blanket of exhilarating exhaustion and euphoria.
  There are those who would say I was a sensualist, that it is this trait, that makes me good at what I do.
Well, you may very well say so, I on the other hand couldn't possibly comment.

Cheffy

It was the first night..but not the last

     It took months of wishing and hoping and planning and dreaming.  It took getting thru a summer of malaise and despair, uncertainty and self doubt. Why?  'Cause I was being human.  There are times when even the biggest, brightest and most assured get a little down and doubtful. Do we still have it? Can we still perform at a peak level? Can we handle criticism if and when it comes? Are we second guessing ourselves?  Have I lost my muse?
     I didn't grow up in the most positively reinforced atmosphere. Rather the opposite.  Never smart enough, thin enough, pretty enough. Never. And weird. On a different plane or in a different time. Doing and thinking of things that were "50 years ahead of myself" Mom used to say. Like I was a freak. Well, maybe I am.     That's not an issue with me, I'm comfortable with my strangeness.  I enjoy bouncing back and forth in different zones, playing with different ideas.
     The odds of me ever opening another establishment are slim to none.  The sheer financial and physical demands would undoubtedly kill me and that wouldn't do anyone any good, so when I first came up with the idea of doing dinners for people in a "non-restaurant " surrounding or "venue" (a term everyone seems to have glommed on),  (a) I knew it wasn't new, (b) wasn't sure the climate would accept it, (c) didn't really care, because I had a crushing desire to do my food for people who missed having me do it, and were asking for it, and looking for a comfortable way to have it.  Are they're others at it?  Sure.  Am I as good or better at it?  uh, YES.  So it has begun.
     I'm not unfamiliar with going into the new or unexplored. Part of my make up embraces new and difficult situations. It is my deep discipline and  code that allows me to see it for what it is and move forward. Alternating between being dominant and submissive gives me this freedom. More on philosophy at a later date....
     It was mutually decided that waiting for the enervating summer to pass would be the best idea. Gathering up my wits and feeling around for the "needs" of the clients, I put my mind on the actual dinner.  It was important to me that the dishes be right.  Also bringing in the correct wines to compliment the food and encourage the taste-buds to ecstasy was critical. One without the other would spell disaster. Seen that, won't do it.
    Considering dishes for clients is tricky when you know there will be disparate tastes. Am I looking to please the hosts? The guests?  Will they all blindly accept the same dish?  Will someone have an issue?  Having a restaurant quality meal, when there is not an a la carte menu for the guests to choose from, is a bear to work with.  In the end it was about pleasing me, because if I don't like it, no one will. So armed with ideas, I went off to a few markets to see what they might have in season from which to build the menu. There were a lot of good choices, but I couldn't shop too early for fear of the freshness quality deteriorating. That wouldn't do at all.
    Talking with your "counter" people (since I no longer have access to big purveyors) is critical.  When will next shipment of this item come in? Will these be available on this date? That sort of thing....breaking down the menu into needs lists.  Purchasing goods for things that need preparing ahead of time to "set". Finding out if the wines need pre-ordering. Making lists of items or tools to have with. You can't ever assume that what you need is going to be available where you are going. You are off premise or in the field.....anything goes. An Alice in Wonderland picnic.......and you can't sit on your mushroom smoking a hookah......not if you want it right.  Judicious planning is mandatory.
     I chose to take a second pair of hands to ensure that everything ran smoothly.  It helps for packing up everything to travel, double checking the needs list.  You may be called upon at any time to explain the dish, the wine , who knows.........and you want to be there  for the people eating your food.  At the same time you want to monitor the food and make sure it doesn't go to shit. Nothing kills the mood like over cooked or under done food.  No matter the size of the group, a pair or two of hands that know what they are doing and understand your vision, are a big plus.  You spent money and your guests are spending money.  Very symbiotic. Plus, the they are going to be the word of mouth for the future. Better be damn sure it's all you can be.
     We arrived on time and armed. They got comfy and relaxed with a cocktail. I called dinner when I felt the moment was right.
    The first course went out and it was simply beautiful and tempting.  Two different pates, one mousse style and one country version, with two complimentary cheeses.  Four different textures, plus sweet and savory accompaniments, to wake the mouth up. The first bottle of sparkling rose had darling little bubbles to tickle and tease. It all went down very well.
    A simple salad of slightly bitter greens lightly dressed with an herb vinaigrette, grape tomatoes and champagne grapes,  plus a glass of  white to help offset any "heaviness" sometimes associated with pate, followed.        
   Then after a brief respite the entees came out.
  Amazing fresh wild caught Sea Bass wrapped in leeks, like little presents, on a bed of soft, herbed, goat cheese Polenta, barely sautéed spinach with a compound butter quenelle, glistening and melting as we went.  This was served with a stunning 2005 Pinot and truly they were in heaven.  Nothing was left.  All eyes were bright and shiny.
     Once I manged the espresso machine, I was confident enough to serve dessert. A simple, palate cleansing Key Lime tart, with a bittersweet chocolate wafer for a kick.
    The diners were left to finish and talk amongst themselves, while we cleaned up and ensured that all was as it should be from when we came in.
     It was a huge success and and the promise of other meals was set in the works.
As I said, it was the first, but it will not be the last.

Menu
Duet of Pates.......Duck & Pork, Country Style  and Foie Gras Mousse, w/ Applewood Smoked Bacon Cheddar, and Ossau-Irati cheeses, figs, olives, Truffle Honey, Brioche toast points

Arugula, Belgian Endive & Raddichio w/  3-herb goddess Vinaigrette........baguettes and butter

Sea Bass wrapped in Leeks on soft herbed Goat Cheese Polenta, Sautéed Spinach w/compound butter

Key Lime Tart with fresh berries and 80% Chocolate wafer and Good Coffee

It's all  good,

Cheffy

This little fig stayed home.........

   As the days of summer come to a close and the air changes its' smell and temperature, I felt compulsed to gather up all the figs I could manage and preserve them. I love figs,which, although commonly referred to as a fruit, the fig fruit is actually the flower of the tree, known as an inflorescence (an arrangement of multiple flowers), a false fruit or multiple fruit, in which the flowers and seeds grow together to form a single mass. Woulda thunk it?
  They range from A-Z,.. Alma, Adriatic, Black Mission, Brown Turkey, Brunswick, Celeste, Lampiera, King, Marabou, Zidi and no doubt a few others that escape me. While figs grow predominately in the Mediterranean area, they are found in other regions in the world with similar growing climates. Northern India and neighbors, United States, Australia, South Africa. Plenty of places to grab up these beauties.
 They date back to about 9300 BC in the Jordan Valley, predating wheat as a cultivated food. In Roman times they were used to fatten geese for a an ancient form of foie gras. Brilliant!
  Fresh, dried or preserved they are glorious.
  Sweet, sticky,succulent and positively sensuous in nature. Even cutting one in half is beautiful....the dark skin over a creamy white layer, giving way to a blush of rose with soft speckles surrounding a pucker of a kiss.It makes you want to dive your tongue into the center and draw it into your mouth.
 Figs also appear in writings dating from the Bible and the use of leaves to modestly covering oneself; the Quran, which describes them a paradisaical fruit for their lack of seeds; Greek, Roman and Hindi as symbols of femininity, due to the inside appearance of the fruit. So an offering to your enemy might be construed as calling them a bunch of girls. I think it started a war.....but referencing a girl or woman is almost erotic.
  So while the days are still mild and easy, a good way to enjoy figs, should be as well. Find a few cheeses that you enjoy...goat, Manouri, a lovely sheep's milk, even an Asiago or something with a little bite to it against the soft sweetness of the fig. A cured meat or two...a beautiful Prosciutto, paper thin, a good dried salumi, or Genoa...the saltiness is an eye opening combination.... Arrange these on a plate with some figs sliced in half and revel in the colors, then the flavors. See how the Prosciutto mirrors the fig? Maybe a small dipper of honey on the side as well.
   If you want, you can put some goat cheese on the figs and broil them, or wrap the figs in the meat.Grill them, roast them, dry them, use them in a sauce, puree them and make sorbet or soup, but mostly enjoy them
And if you have more than you know what to do with....


Figs Preserves/Jam


5 C-washed, cut up figs (if skins are gross, peel)
1/2 C water
1/4 lemon juice, or acid of choice....o.j, balsamic vinegar,add different flavors
7 C sugar  *see note*
1 package pectin


   In a heavy bottom pot,put figs, pectin, acid, water.....place on stove over med high heat. Add sugar and stir to boiling, careful not to scorch. If you have a stick blender, puree.If you have a potato masher, smoosh till mostly smooth.Alternatively use your blender jar.......Careful this stuff is molten and will inflict damage.
There are different trains of thought here.Strain through cheese cloth to remove bits or leave natural. I'm the latter.
  Here's where the fun begins.....you can add different elements of hot, sweet, savory or spicy to the brew for your own personal touch. I've used peppers, vanilla, lavender, basil, chocolate, even wines. But softly and subtly.....and NOT all those together. Pick 2-3 that like each other and meld.
  Pour into your prepared jars, secure the lids and follow canning instructions. Allow to cool at room temperature.


*NOTE*...you can use 4 c sugar for a low sugar, you can use Splenda.......the pectin you choose will guide you through.
  To test if it's ready, take a about 1/2 tsp of mix on a cold spoon and let rest. If it slides, add a little more pectin and boil.If it holds, its ready.
  Since figs have a very short shelf life after picking, this is a great way to keep your bounty.Also, they are great gifts full of love.
  Eat them any way you like, they're healthy and do good things for you. Pop one in you mouth and let the flavor roll around or crack open a jar and spread it on a muffin, hot waffles, an apple, what have you........
  But mostly salute the end of summer with a fig...........


As always,
Cheffy

Everybody's talking and talking and talking.................

  I spent a few days doing something I don't normally do.Watching other people make all manner of  food on T.V..From stressful, gut wrenching competitions.. to a house wifey, can opening sort of thing.... to fucking road rage mentality of berating and demeaning......to a quiet beach, pulling it out of the sea, cleaning it, gutting it, slapping it down on some fire....... I have been around, Europe, Middle East, crisscrossed the States, eaten in roadhouses, cooked on an engine, dug pits in the dessert, cooked with electric, or a gimbaled gas stove in rough seas and even stared out at the Pacific counting waves while grilling orders in a shack.... Of all the things I know and have accumulated, one thing stands out.......There is NOTHING that hasn't been done. It's simply in the way you do it, that makes it different.
  And it is these differences that make us unique. It can range from how we feel at the moment, to the equipment we are working with, to the items we have available, to the environment, .....to how much wine we've drunk while attempting to do it. A personal favorite of mine at home but never in a professional capacity.
  We are consumed by what we consume. There was a time when it was the simply natural thing for us to do. We woke, ate, went about our day, stopped to eat again, continue our chores and then ate......Since the dawn of time. First raw and what was gleaned, then with fire. Can you imagine the look on HIS face when he tasted that , hot, succulent, smoky, charred piece of meat? Holy crap! And don't we still strive to get that feeling? We all think we want something new, something different, the new trend, the new idea. In reality,we turn to the things that bring us the most comfort and pleasure. A bowl of chicken soup, mac and cheese, Oreos and a glass of milk....you get the drift. It's not necessarily what is the new fad or trend. It's not about 20 flavors vying for competition on the tongue. It's about clean, unsullied, and good. It's about the flavors and aromas hitting us in the in the right way, melding to create a sublime sensation in our mouths, firing all synapses.
  A friend came over one night, all wound up with anger and frustration, positively seething. I was in the process of cooking some herbed pasta I'd found and rummaging around in the fridge. He said he wanted it simple. Actually, he took it over, made me the helper, and began to relax, because it made him happy to be cooking. By the time dinner was over, he was able to go home, more relaxed and isn't that what we all want?
  Our lives are filled with pressure and complications. Our food should, whenever possible, give us pleasure and contentment, and fill a void that isn't just in our stomachs. It should nourish our senses, as well as restore our bodies. I'm not remotely saying that the "cutting edge", the innovative, the "new" don't have their place. Not at all. But over time the true test of a beloved dish, is it's ability to trigger our deepest needs. Simple variations on simple themes are the best. It's like things that grow together going together.And that holds regardless.Oddly enough, some of these t.v.people who made names for themselves doing all manner of food are now hawking........you got it....simple food.........like it never existed. I guess what goes around comes around.
  
Tomato Soup

2 C- tomatoes.....fresh (seeded and rough chop)
1/3 c- celery.........rough cut
1- small yellow onion..rough cut
1 small glove garlic...mashed
1 -2 tsp. Olive Oil
3-4 C-vegetable or chicken stock
salt and pepper....to taste
sugar or splenda....to taste
 a couple pinches of parsley, basil, thyme...if dry add during simmer to bloom, if fresh add at end for a few minutes
  
In a heavy bottom pot, over medium heat add O.O., once it "spreads out", add tomatoes, onion, garlic celery and stir till wilted and soft.Add stock and simmer for 15 to 20 minutes.Puree with stick blender or in a blender.Return to pot to keep warm.Or if you need a chilled version, place in fridge.Adjust seasonings to your taste.If using dry herbs, you need 1/2 the amount of fresh, you don't want to to overwhelm.And if you need something a little richer , you can thicken it with cream.Serve with a garnish of fresh basil, grated cheese

Grilled Cheese.... oh,REALLY?.......  I couldn't resist

A good crusty bread......Country, French, Italian, Multi -grain...sliced
Cheese......Brie, Jarlsberg, Muenster, Cheddar, Goat, Provolone,..... what's in the box..........
O,O or butter

Heat a skillet or grill pan.Drizzle a little O.O. or a pat of butter....not enough to fry, just to get the bread colored, and melt the cheese. If you have a "press" use it. If not wrap a brick in foil will do the trick.
OR...for a few less calories if needed.......put open faced slices in toaster oven and melt,

Have some lettuce greens around that you "must" use up? Sprinkle them with some O.O.,fresh ground s&p, or simple vinaigrette. It'll round everything out.

And remember, in the worst case scenario, find that can in the back of the pantry, heat it up and fiddle with it for fun.....get that white bread and American slices...........it's o.k.

Simply, Cheffy