Wednesday, April 14, 2010

Like Father, Like Son, Sort of

An article in The New York Times talks about a new kind of deli where the Slow Food generation rejects the cheap, preservative-laden deli meats of old. These often young, environmentally conscious entrepreneurs want something better, and that often means curing their own salami, etc.

This new trend has already spread beyond the confines of Manhattan. In fact, the article cites Neal’s Deli in Carrboro as one of the new breed.

It turns out that Neal’s was started in 2008 by Sheila and Matt Neal. The latter is the son of Southern cooking legend Bill Neal, who founded Crook’s Corner and popularized shrimp and grits, among other things, before dying at a much too young age of 41 in 1991.

Matt and Sheila Neal are forging their own path. The deli has a breakfast menu with from-scratch buttermilk biscuits—not far from Bill Neal’s legacy—but the lunch menu is all subs right out of a Jewish deli with a little egg and tuna salad thrown in, I suppose, for die-hard Southerners.

The NYT article mentions Neal’s for one main reason: It makes its own pastrami. Check out Neal’s Web site, in the About section, for some mouthwatering photos of the meat cured in-house.

Wednesday, April 07, 2010

Spring Beet Salad

I know a lot of people can’t stand beets. The flavor is kind of strong, but it grows on you.

I particularly like beets in a vinaigrette. That’s why I was drawn to this recipe, which appears in From My Family Recipe Box by Dori Fritzinger, the book I wrote about in the Journal on April 7.

Shredded Carrot and Beet Salad
Recipe adapted from From My Family Recipe Box. This recipe comes from Dori Fritzinger’s mother. Fritzinger said she loves this salad so much that she can hardly stop eating it once she starts. Raw fresh beets taste great with the sweet and sour dressing, but canned or jarred beets can be used, too.
3 large carrots, peeled
¼ cup raisins
3 medium beets, peeled
½ cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons red-wine vinegar
1 teaspoon sugar
½ teaspoon dry mustard
¼ teaspoon salt

1. Using a hand grater or a food processor fitted with a shredding blade, shred the carrots. Place them in a small bowl with the raisins. Shred the beets and place them in a second small bowl.
2. Make the dressing by combine oil, vinegar, sugar, mustard and salt in a small jar or cruet. Cover and shake until well mixed. Pour half of the dressing over each bowl of vegetables. Toss each until well coated. Cover and refrigerate 15 minutes or until ready to serve.
3. To serve, arrange the beets in the center of a platter and surround them with the carrots. Serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings.

Tuesday, April 06, 2010

80 Years of Twinkies

I can’t remember the last time I saw a Twinkie, let alone ate one. I guess you could say I’ve outgrown them.

And I bet you could find kids—like mine—who don’t know what one is.

But Twinkies are still around, and they are celebrating their 80th anniversary.

Twinkies were invented by baker James Dewar in 1930 in Chicago, because he had a bunch of shortcake pans that were that weren’t getting used outside of strawberry season.

In celebration, here’s some trivia from Hostess Brands, Inc., which makes Twinkies:
—500 million Twinkies are baked each year (and presumably eaten, as a Twinkie is supposed to have a shelf life of 26 days).
—The first Twinkies in 1930 sold for 2 for a nickel.
—New Orleans ranks No. 1 in U.S. cities in Twinkie consumption.
—Each Twinkie has just 150 calories. (It’s practically low-cal, but can you eat just one?)

Saturday, April 03, 2010

Eggstra Eggs

I know a lot of people eat their leftover Easter eggs with just a little salt and pepper, or turn them into deviled eggs.

But I really like a good egg salad, which is a lot like chopped-up deviled eggs between two pieces of bread—or in a bowl.

Old-Fashioned Egg Salad
Recipe courtesy of Taste of Home magazine. I’d sub a little fresh onion for the dried. You might need a little extra lemon juice and a dash of hot sauce to liven it up.
1/4 cup mayonnaise
2 teaspoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried minced onion
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
6 hard-cooked eggs, chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped celery

In a large bowl, combine the mayonnaise, lemon juice, onion, salt and
pepper. Stir in eggs and celery. Cover and refrigerate. Yield: 3
servings.

(Photo courtesy of Taste of Home)

Friday, April 02, 2010

Devilishly Good

If you’re rooting for Duke in the men’s Final Four this weekend, you’re gonna need something good to get you through at least Saturday’s semifinal against W.Va.

The Varsity Lounge in the Millennium Hotel in Durham is celebrating with some messy rib-sticking ribs.

The recipe may be a little fussy for a basketball game. You could just stop and eat the ribs after the initial 3 1/2 to 4 hours. Or even if you go so far as to strain and reduce the sauce, you could skip the garlic confit. The ribs should have plenty of flavor without it.

Here’s the recipe:

Blue Devil Short Ribs with Garlic Confit

For the Beef Ribs (6-8 lbs raw beef ribs): 

Season beef ribs heavily with kosher salt and black pepper on both sides.
Place seasoned beef ribs into a large roasting pan and cover with your favorite cabernet wine.
Add 2 large rough chopped Vidalia onions, 3 chopped carrots, and 1 bunch of rough chopped celery.
Add a handful of whole peeled garlic cloves.
Cover roasting pan with foil or lid
Cook at 275 to 300 degrees for 3 ½ to 4 hours
Remove ribs from oven, carefully uncover and check for doneness. If meat is falling off the bone, the ribs are perfect! If not, place back in oven for another 30 minutes.
When ribs are done, set them aside.
Strain what is left of braising liquid into a sauce pot.
Discard onions, carrots, celery and garlic.
Over medium heat, reduce braising liquid and equal parts beef stock until it just coats the back of a spoon.
Serve beef ribs with mashed or roasted potatoes and your choice of grilled vegetables.
Place reduction sauce and garlic confeit directly on top of meat.

For Garlic Confeit:

Place whole peeled garlic cloves in a small baking dish.
Cover completely with a good olive oil.
Cover dish completely with lid or foil and slow roast garlic at 325 to 350 degrees for 30 minutes.
Remove from oven. Garlic should be fork tender.
Strain off excess olive oil and reserve for dipping bread.

(Photo and recipe courtesy of the Millennium Hotel in Durham)

Tuesday, March 23, 2010

Wine Questions Say What?

This week I got a press release from the folks at ask.com, an online search engine. They noted that they have received thousands of questions about wine.

They sent me a Top 10 list of wine questions and answers. I’ve organized them into a quiz below. Some of the questions will be snooze-easy for regular wine drinkers. And I might even argue with an answer or two.

So make of this what you will.

QUESTIONS

1. How many calories are in a glass of wine?

2. How do I make wine?

3. What is port wine? 

4. How many bottles of wine are in a case?

5. What is Marsala wine?

6. What wine goes best with chicken?

7. Who is the god of wine?

8. How long does wine last once opened?

9. How do I remove red wine spills from carpet?

10. What is the best way to open a bottle of wine?

ANSWERS

1. It all depends on the wine, but around 125 is usually a pretty safe guess.

2. With grapes and love. The basics - crush grapes and combine with yeast, sugar, and water. Once a day, the mixture is stirred. Over a month or so, the fruit ferments and creates wine.

3. Port wine is a sweet red wine that originated in the Douro Valley of Portugal. It is most often used as a desert wine and is available in several different varieties.

4. A standard case of wine contains 12 bottles.

5. Marsala wine is wine that comes from Marsala, Italy, and made with white skin or dark red skin berry grapes. Marsala is located in the western section of Sicily.

6. A chardonnay or pinot blanc are traditional, but we’re of the belief that you should drink what you like!

7. Despite popular belief, it’s not Lindsay Lohan. Dionysus holds that honor: http://www.ask.com/web?qsrc=2417&o=10429&l=dir&q=Who+is+the+god+of+wine%3F>

8.  Well, it depends on who’s drinking it! Just kidding – a wine’s open shelf life depends heavily on the type of wine and container stored in, but three days is generally considered the rule of thumb.

Friday, March 12, 2010

Green Beer, or Not

I remember a time when all St. Patrick’s Day celebrations included American beer dyed green. For alcohol, there wasn’t much else to choose, except maybe Irish whiskey.
Then along came Guinness Stout imports, and things got better. Later, Harp Lager made a name for itself in the States.
Now we have even more choices.

City Beverage, on Burke St., will hold a free tasting of Irish and Irish-style beers from noon to 5 p.m. Saturday.

City Beverage will be pouring at least some of the following Irish beers Saturday:
—Guinness Stout.
—O’Hara’s Irish Stout and Red Ale.
—Murphy’s Red Ale and Stout.
—Smithwick’s Ale (called Smiddick’s in Ireland).
—Beamish Irish Stout.

City Beverage also has a bunch of Irish-style beers, including Kells Irish Style Lager, made by Rogue Brewery in Oregon, and McSorley’s, an Irish-style pale ale made in Pennsylvania.

City Bev also has an Irish cider called Magners.

Thursday, March 11, 2010

Shad Roe Season

If you were one of the readers of my 2009 column on shad roe who was NOT disgusted by the idea of it, then you might like to know that shad-roe season has come around again.

Sea Products, a seafood shop on West End Boulevard, sent out an e-newsletter this week, announcing that the “coveted” roe has arrived. Call ahead to order or reserve some.

Tuesday, March 09, 2010

Pizza, Pizza

To go along with my March 10 story on pizza, here are some other pizza-dough recipes, plus a recipe for sauce.

Double-Crust Pizza Dough
Recipe adapted from Pizza Any Way You Slice It by Charles and Michele Scicolone (Broadway Books, 1998). “Double-crust” refers to thicker, American-style pizza crusts. Bread flour produces a crisper crust than all-purpose, but all-purpose will work, too. If desired, replace half of the bread or all-purpose flour with whole-wheat flour. But note that whole-wheat dough may require a longer rise.
1 envelope active dry yeast (2½ teaspoons)
1 1/3 cups warm water (105 to 115 degrees)
3½ to 4 cups bread or unbleached all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus more for coating dough

1. Sprinkle the year over water. Let stand 1 minute, or until the yeast is creamy. Stir until the yeast dissolves.
2. In a large bowl, combine the 3½ cups flour and the salt. Add the yeast mixture and the oil and stir until a soft dough forms. Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead, adding a tiny bit more flour if necessary, until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.
3. Lightly coat a bowl with a bit of olive oil. Place dough in the bowl, turning it to oil the top. Cover top of bowl with plastic wrap. Place in a warm draft-free place and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1½ hours.
4. Flatten the dough with your fist. Cut the dough into two pieces and shape the pieces into balls. If desired, the dough now can be wrapped and frozen up to 1 month. It also can be covered, but not in airtight container and kept refrigerated for up to one week. Be sure to thaw and then bring to room temperature any cold dough before second rise.
5. Dust the tops with flour. Place the balls on a floured surface and cover each with plastic wrap, allowing room for the dough to expand. Let rise 1 hour, or until doubled. (If the dough was refrigerated, plan on 2 to 3 hours to let it come to room temperature and rise.)
Makes 2 12-inch double-crust, or thick, pizza crusts.
No-Knead Pizza Dough
Adapted from Jim Lahey, the founder of Sullivan Street Bakery in New York, who helped launch the no-knead bread craze after he was featured in The New York Times.
3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
¼ teaspoon instant yeast
1½ teaspoons salt
1½ cups water
2 tablespoons olive oil

1. In a large bowl, mix the flour with the yeast and salt. Add the water and stir until blended. (The dough should be quite sticky.) Cover top of bowl with plastic wrap. Let rest for 12 to 24 hours at room temperature, or about 70 degrees.
2. Place the dough on a lightly floured surface. Lightly sprinkle the top with flour. Fold the dough over on itself once or twice, cover loosely with plastic wrap and let rest for 15 minutes.
3. Divide the dough into 4 pieces and shape each piece into a ball. Generously sprinkle a clean cotton towel with flour and cover the dough balls with it. Let rest at least 30 minutes before shaping.
Makes four 12-inch thin pizza crusts.
The Pizza Maker’s Sauce
Recipe adapted from Pizza Any Way You Slice It by Charles and Michele Scicolone (Broadway Books, 1998). There are lots of different kinds of sauce, even tomato sauce, for pizza. This is the style that most U.S. pizzerias use.

4 tablespoons olive oil
2 garlic cloves
Pinch crushed red pepper flakes
1 28-ounce can crushed tomatoes
¼ teaspoon dried oregano
Salt

1. Place oil, garlic and red-pepper flakes in a large skillet over medium heat. Cook until garlic starts to turn golden, about 1 minute. Add tomatoes, oregano and a bit of salt. Bring to a simmer.
2. Cook, stirring often, until sauce thickens, about 15 minutes. Watch carefully that sauce does not stick to bottom of pan. Taste and add salt if needed.
3. Cool sauce to room temperature before putting on a pizza crust. Sauce will keep refrigerated for up to one week. It also may be frozen in smaller portions (figuring ½ up for each 12-inch pizza) for up to 3 months.
Makes about 2½ cups, or enough for about 5 12-inch pizzas.

Wednesday, March 03, 2010

Virtual Wine and Cheese

I’m not sure what I think about this, but Hallmark Channel is hosting a virtual wine and cheese party on Saturday, March 6, from 5 to 6 p.m.

The invitation says, “Grab a corkscrew, fire up your laptop…”  —well, you can read it all here:

It’s all just a promo for its new movie, Uncorked, about a woman who discovers love or something during a trip to California wine country. The movie will premiere at 9 p.m. that night.

The Facebook party will be an online chat about wine, movies, food, etc.

I guess what I don’t get is if I invite my friends and crack open a bottle of wine, do we really need an online chat? I mean, we’d have a good old-fashioned live chat, nothing virtual about it, right?

And if I didn’t invite any friends, but cracked open that bottle and went on Facebook, aren’t I then just drinking alone?

Or if a thousand other people are doing the same thing, am I not drinking alone? Is it a party if we’re all in different places?

Is this the new, virtual order? Party like crazy and never have to talk to anyone face to face?