A Global Kitchen

     For the past several years I have participated in an interesting culinary New Year's Eve event.  Instead of making reservations and going out to an expensive restaurant to be squeezed into a cramped dining room and hurried through a meal, 6 couples decided to create our own meal and enjoy it in the spacious leisure of a home.  Each year we choose a theme for the dinner and then go to work preparing, slicing and dicing, cooking and baking, all the while enjoying each other's company and catching up with each other.  Then at the appointed hour after a sumptuous dinner we gather in the Great Room to watch the ball drop in Times Square before heading off to our respective homes.

     This year we decided on the theme "Around the World on New Year's Eve."  Here is the proposed menu that we will prepare:

Appetizer

Croustades au Duxelles

(Provence)

 

First Course

Shrimp and Smoked Oyster Chowder

(New Orleans)

 

Second Course

Insalata

(Calabria)

 

Main Course

Grilled Lamb Chops

(New South Wales)

 

Barbecued Short Ribs with Hoisin Sauce

(Asian Rim)

 

Accompaniments

Roasted Brussels Sprouts

(Belgium)

 

Istrian Potatoes

(Croatia)

 

Desserts

4 Berry Crumb Pie

(The Heartland)

 

a la carte Sour Cream Chocolate Cake

(San Francisco)

 

Artisanal Cookies

(Germany)

 

Hot and Cold Beverages of one's choosing

 

It's going to be a fun evening.  The most difficult part will be trying to stay awake until midnight after eating all that food!!!

 

Best Wishes for a happy, healthy

and prosperous New Year!

 

Vinny                            

 



Around the World

     I recently checked on my Disney Dining App and discovered listings for nearly 100 different food venues at Walt Disney World.  There are varying themes like an indoor restaurant designed like an outdoor drive-in theater and another that is like eating in your own home back in the 50's, complete with formica table tops and black & white TVs.  And of course there are cuisine based restaurants to appeal to any palate.  Consider this:  during my week long stay I enjoyed Italian antipasto at Portobello's in Downtown Disney, pineapple macadamia pancakes at the Kona Café in the Polynesian Resort, Greek eggs and feta cheese at Kouzzima's on the Boardwalk, and chicken and ribs at the Flame Tree Barbecue in the Animal Kingdom.

     But if you want to make a quick visit to cuisines of the world, EPCOT is the place to go.  In their world showcase you can sample lefse flatbread from Norway, sip a tankard in the German Biergarten, carve a thick cut of beef in the Canadian Cellier Steakhouse, watch belly dancing as you eat a kabob in the Restaurant Marrakesh, taste authentic Italian gelati, have a French baguette sandwich at one of two French cafes,  quaff a pint with fish and chips in an English pub, have a Mexican quesadilla, and eat orange chicken or nihonbashi with chopsticks, all in the same day.  If your stomach permits, that is.

     There are many things to see and do at WDW.  And food is certainly one of the main attractions.  More on that in the new year.

An Italian Tradition

Natale con i tuoi, Pasqua con chi vuoi.

     This old Italian verse truly expresses the strong feeling the Italian people have for the celebration of Christmas.  It means "you celebrate Easter with whomever you please, but Christmas only with your own."

     In fact, Christmas is often described as the warmest, most intimate Italian holiday because it is a special time when family members get together to enjoy age-old traditions.  On Christmas Eve, a ceremony takes place around the presepio, a nativity scene of Bethlehem.  Then, after Midnight Mass, there is a cenone, which is a delicious feast of rich Italian food.

     I can't think of a better way to celebrate Christmas, can you?

Christmas Dinner

     It took most of the day to prepare the family Christmas dinner at Vinny's place.  But by the time everyone arrived all was in readiness.  The appetizers had already been enjoyed elsewhere so we all sat down to bacon wrapped tenderloins on the grill, classic green bean casserole and Istrian potatoes, and for the more pedestrian mashed potatoes.  It was all well received.  By the time dessert arrived there was little room for freshly baked cookies and an apple upside down cake.

     Another Christmas has come and gone.

The Brown Derby

     One of the faithful Disney reproductions is the Brown Derby Restaurant at their Hollywood Studios location.  Actually a chain of restaurants, the Hollywood original opened on Valentine's Day in 1929 by co-owners Robert Cobb & Herbert Somborn.  It had a Spanish mission style facade and on the interior the walls were lined with hundreds of celebrity caricatures.

     And the most famous item on the menu at Disney continues to be the Cobb Salad, created one night by owner Bob Cobb.  This unique salad contains ingredients that can be remembered by the mnemonic devise EAT COBB:  Egg, Avocado, Tomato, Chicken, Onion, Bacon, Bleu Cheese. All of them finely chopped and served with salad greens and drizzled with red wine vinaigrette (Vinny Garette!)

     As with most culinary accounts, several variants exist as to the creation of the Cobb Salad.  One version claims that it was hastily arranged from left-overs by owner Bob Cobb for Sid Grauman, showman and theater owner and was chopped fine because Grauman has just had dental work done and could not chew well.  Another story states that it was Cobb who made the salad for himself late one evening because it was almost midnight and he had not yet eaten and was hungry.  He ordered his line cook to fry up some bacon which he then added to  left-overs he scrounged up in the kitchen.  

     Whichever story you wish to believe, the salad has become synonymous with the Brown Derby.  Today it remains the signature dish on the menu.  And of course the day I was there for lunch I enjoyed that part of Hollywood history.

Variations on a Theme Park

     Walt Disney World in Florida has been called "The Happiest Place on Earth."  It is world renown for its thrilling, heart pounding rides like Space Mountain and Mission: SPACE and the Broadway rivaling shows like  The Lion King and Finding Nemo.  And they are experts at recreating landmarks like Old Faithful Lodge in Yellowstone National Park and Bavaria's Neuschwanstein Castle.   The folks at Disney amuse, enlighten and educate all who pass through the gates of The Magic Kingdom, EPCOT, Downtown Disney, and Hollywood Studios.  But little, if anything, is mentioned about their ability to delight the palate.

     For a week I made my way through Mickey's place sampling the food in between the rides, shows, and gift shops.  It is a little known fact that Disney has just as many eating venues as amusements.  For the 5 days I was there I was only able to enjoy a few of the many meal offerings, but was amazed at the wide variety of food available.  Everything from candy apples and chicken fingers to wagu beef could be found on the menu.  And it was all available at walk up, take-out and sit down locations.  And just like the parks themselves, the  food menus carefully followed certain themes.  At the Wilderness Lodge the Whispering Pines Restaurant served an authentic smoked turkey sandwich with sweet potato fries that I thoroughly enjoyed.  In the Polynesian Resort 'Ohana put out a family style all you can eat feast complete with skewered chicken, beef, pork and shrimp.  At Disney's Hollywood Studios I had lunch one day at a re-creation of the Brown Derby Restaurant, sampling their signature Cobb salad.  But without a doubt the highlight of my food tour was the 7 course meal at Victoria & Albert's Restaurant in the Grand Floridian Resort.

     I will recount my culinary experiences in the comings days, and into the New Year.

A Sharp Idea

     Ever wonder why slicing knives have a hollowed edge?  Also known as a Granton edge, it was invented in 1928 by William Grant of England's Granton Knives Company.  The oval hollows on both sides of the blade create several advantages.

     While the top edge is thicker for sturdiness, the hollows allow the knife to be flexible for greater control.  The indentations also allow the knife to glide through meat more easily, since there is no flat surface for it to stick to.  That is especially important when the slices need to be very thin.

     Granton edge slicers are usually 10-12" long so they can slice across a wide roast or fish fillet in one pass to avoid sawing marks.

Vinny note:  In the name of culinary research I will be gone for a week or so.  I will be investigating the variety of food venues at Mickey's place, Walt Disney World.  Stay tuned for a full report when I return! 

The wonders of vinegar

     Yesterday I mentioned all the medicinal virtues of vinegar.  For a thousand years it has alleviated  medical difficulties.  But it does so much more.  In addition to soothing sunburn and eliminating bad breath and making nail polish last longer, it is an invaluable cooking aid.  One part white vinegar added to four parts olive oil makes a zesty vinaigrette (Vinny Garette!).  It can also tenderize cheaper, tough cuts of meat.  Cider or malt vinegar is a healthy alternative to ketchup on fries.  It will freshen up wilted veggies, too.

     In the garden it will kill slugs and stop ants from congregating.  Vinegar is also a great weed killer, especially for the weeds and grass that grows up in the cracks of the pavement and walkways.
Diluted, it will preserve cut flowers in the house.

     Vinegar is also an effective cleaning agent in the laundry room.  It kills mold, bacteria and germs.  It can be used as a stain remover on clothes and mixed with baking soda will deodorize the garbage disposal.  Speaking of smells, it also works to remove skunk smells from pets and at the same time will kill fleas.  If the chrome on your vehicle has lost its luster just give it a wipe with a vinegar soaked cloth.  And if you have a rusty bolt or screw you need to loosen vinegar can do the trick to free it up.

     For more ways to use vinegar go to:  www.vinegartips.com

Miracle Worker

     The first thing I do each morning is to mix a tablespoon of apple cider vinegar with a glass of water and sip it as I watch the sun come up.  It's an old homeopathic practice that I follow, something that practice religiously.

     Distilled white vinegar is actually a misnomer.  It is not produced by the distillation of vinegar but by the fermentation of distilled alcohol.  The distillate is then diluted to produce a colorless solution of about 5-8% acetic acid in water.  There are dozens of types from the plain white, to the apple cider kind I use,  to flavored which includes the expensive aged balsamic variety.

     Vinegar has been used for over a millennia in many different cultures for health related issues.  The Ancients used it to treat pleurisy, fever, ulcers and constipation.  It was also applied to kill bacteria, and combined with honey, was recommended as a cough suppressant.  Vinegar was regularly prescribed as a digestive supplement.

     Medical science today acknowledges that vinegar can lower cholesterol and triglyceride levels as well as blood pressure and can reduce the risk of heart disease.  It is an effective tool in the fight against obesity, too.  Externally it can be applied topically to remove the pain of insect bites and jellyfish stings.  It is also good at removing tangles from the hair and is a natural deodorant and after shave.

     Vinegar is truly a miracle worker and is probably somewhere in the kitchen of every home.  Consider joining me tomorrow morning with a toast to this amazing liquid.

     Tomorrow:  more of vinegar's many uses.

Once Upon a Time

     Once upon a time, writes Sandra Folzer of Weaver's Way, of the Food Cooperative's Environment Committee, all food was real food.  But today nearly a quarter of all our grocery dolars are spent on sweetened and processed food.

     Processed foods are not found in nature.  They have been altered by the addition of chemical additives and artificial flavorings.  The longer the list of ingredients on a package, the more the food is processed.  But why go to all the trouble of doing that when we could just eat it straight?  Ms. Folzer contends that the simple answer is that there is not enough profit.  If I choose to eat a potato, I'll stop when I'm full (maybe!).  But with processed food I may not be hungry when I eat a potato chip, but once I start, I want to continue eating more.  And that's because they are filled with salt, sugar, and fat so I crave them.

     When food is processed, it loses nutrients, flavor and color, so these things are added back with chemicals.  Chemicals also extend shelf life.  Fifty years ago the feds attempted to regulate hundreds of additives and flavorings already in use, but knuckled under to the pressure of the powerful food industry lobby.  

     So now it's up to us to self-regulate and to avoid the pitfalls and dangers of processed foods.  A simple rule of thumb for consumers: when you read the list of ingredients on the box or package, if you can't pronounce it, don't eat it!!!

Southern Sweetooth

     "Creole confections occupy a unique position in the United States; the most popular of these is the praline.  Pralines derive their name from Marshal Luplesis-Praslin (1598-1695) and his butler's recipe for almonds coated in sugar, used as a digestive aid.  When Louisiana was settled by French colonists, native pecans were substituted for almonds.

     No lengths were spared by the Creoles to achieve perfection in candy making.  Along with their vast collection of Creole recipes, cooks had their own secret method for making the best pralines, which they guarded carefully and handed down from generation to generation.

     Today, pralines are as many and varied as they were in the very beginning."  

From recipe sheet provided by The New Orleans School of Cooking.

Vinny note:   In addition to the standard praline made with sugar and milk there are any number of flavored pralines that use such varied ingredients as chocolate, coffee, egg nog and brandy.

Viva la difference!

     It can be somewhat confusing in New Orleans to know what food to order.  After all, jambalaya, gumbo and étouffée all contain the same basic ingredients: roux, shellfish, vegetables and rice.  So what's the difference?

     Gumbo is more like a soup and is always served as a first course with the rice cooked separately, sometimes on the side.  Jambalaya, like gumbo can contain chicken and/or sausage in addition to seafood but is more akin to Spanish paella which is prepared in a shallow pan.  Étouffée is thicker than gumbo.  The word itself means smothered or suffocated and describes how the seafood is prepared.  Served as a main course it is shellfish, like shrimp or crawfish, smothered in a thick sauce ladled over rice.  It is a popular dish in the bayous and backwaters of Louisiana.  Here is the recipe that I used in class:

Crawfish Étouffée

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup flour                                          1 Tbsp chopped garlic

1 cup oil                                              2 cups chicken stock, warmed

4 cups chopped onion                     2 lbs crawfish tails

2 cups chopped celery                     2 tsp seafood seasoning

1 cup chopped green pepper

Add flour to hot oil to make a dark, chocolate colored roux, stirring constantly.  Add seasoning to roux, along with onions celery, green pepper, and garlic.

In another pot with piping hot chicken stock, stir in roux gradually until blended well.  Cook for 20 minutes over medium heat.

Add crawfish, and cook an additional 10 minutes.  If desired, chopped green onions and parsley may be added 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 8 servings

Recipe courtesy of The New Orleans School of Cooking

Fun, Food & Folklore

     Have you ever wanted to learn how to cook in the classic Creole and Cajun style? I mean, to cook up some authentic gumbo or jambalaya, or red beans and rice?  That was my first priority when I arrived in New Orleans last week.  So to learn how to prepare all the iconic "Big Easy" dishes I signed up for a two and a half hour cooking class at the New Orleans School of Cooking.

     They are located right in the French Quarter on St. Louis Street in a renovated molasses warehouse built in the early 19th Century.  And since 1980 they have been instructing visitors and locals alike in the fine art of cultural cooking Southern style.

     I can now prepare bread pudding, shrimp and crab artichoke soup, crawfish etouffee and pralines with the best of them.  And you know the best part of the cooking school? You get to eat what you cook!

Fresh @ the Market

     Marketumbrella.org is a non-profit organization in New Orleans that operates a number of farmers' markets throughout the city.  I visited the downtown Crescent City Farmers Market in the Warehouse District on Saturday.  Their slogan is "Where farmers and fishers feed you rain or shine, year-round."

     As I peered into the old dingy warehouse my first impression was not favorable.  First of all, it was small and crowded.  I surveyed the tables for fruit and produce and what I saw was pretty expensive.  $3/lb for tomatoes and $2.50 for a single head of cabbage seemed to be excessive to me.  There were lots of greens available if you like those sort of things.  I've never cooked up mustard or collard greens myself.

     But then as I looked around I thought to myself, "This isn't a farmers' market, it's an artisan market."  Most of the goods for sale were homemade.  There were breads and baked items, honey, sauces, cheeses, jams and jellies.  There were also cut flowers, plants and seedlings for sale and you could speak with the person who grew them.  There was even a fishmonger, Clara, who caught all the seafood being sold that day.

     I came away with a different perspective.  The market was providing a touch of home for those who either can't or don't know how to cook.  It was removing the commercialism from market day and putting the buyer in touch with the person immediately responsible for their food.  

     And that's a good thing!