It's safe to assume that in the hundreds of interviews Chef Michael Chiarello has given during his long career, he's never been asked his thoughts on Kool-Aid soaked pickles.
Ming Tsai's could sit through another decade's worth of questions and never again be asked, "Who's a better cook, you or your mother?"
When it comes to how celebrity chef interviews should be conducted at the Food & Wine Classic, Average Betty didn't just flip the script; she juiced it and made everyone Jell-O shots. As you'll see in the video, her unique approach exposed these chefs' true personalities in a way you will never see on television.
Average Betty (Sara O'Donnell in real life) is a talented video blogger who mixes sketch comedy and cooking, and while we'd been admiring each other's work for years, we'd never so much as shared an email.
Well, we finally got to meet in Aspen, and it was so much fun picking each other's brain, trading ideas, and discussing the ups and downs of our similar existences as professional online foodies.
After much discussion and several cocktails, we decided that I'm a comedian trapped in a chef's body, and she's a chef trapped in comedian's body. Regardless, we're both searching for the same things – a larger audience to share our creations with, and of course, fame and fortune.
I hope to be collaborating with Average Betty on some future projects, and will be sharing more of her very entertaining work on this blog for your viewing pleasure. Stay tuned and enjoy!
One of the most interesting demos I attended at the Food & Wine Classic, starred Top Chef contestant Richard Blais, who partnered with McCormick for a "Flavor Forecast 2009." The theme was new spice/flavor trends, and our morning started off with one such combo; a smoked paprika and agave nectar margarita.
Note to anyone planning an early morning cooking demo: start with a strong margarita. As we sipped the spicy, yet delicious breakfast-of-tequila-loving champions, Blais went on to describe the dish he was preparing. We were about to taste lamb ribs braised with root beer and toasted sesame. As he explained his thought process for matching these ingredients, and the cooking methods he uses in his kitchen to achieve the best results, he made it clear he does not like the term "molecular gastronomist." He said it sounds soulless, and too clinical. Fair enough.
He then went on to use the term at least a half-dozen times during the demo. I'm not sure if this was done tongue-in-cheek, or if there just isn’t a decent term that's synonymous, but either way, I was amused. This video recipe is my version of the spiky-haired chef's dish. I used easy-to-find lamb shoulder chop steaks instead of Colorado lamb ribs, which were quite delicious, but maybe a bit hard to track down. As far as the root beer and toasted sesame glaze goes, when I first heard it, I have to admit it didn't strike me as a great combination, but at the end of the demo, as I sat eating the tender lamb with the sweet, aromatic, nutty sauce, I was a believer. As if the lamb, root beer, and toasted sesame combination wasn't different enough, Blais served it with a coleslaw ice cream. That's right, he used the sweet, tangy juices from a traditional coleslaw recipe, and with the help of liquid nitrogen, he created a surprisingly delicious frozen side dish.
I'll try and figure out how to make it without the chemistry set, since I'd love to show you that video recipe also. It was a strange and wonderful combination. Enjoy!
Ingredients: 1 tbsp vegetable oil 6 large lamb shoulder blade chops, about 3 to 3 1/2 pounds 1 bottle (12 ounces) good quality root beer 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce 1/4 cup honey 1/4 cup toasted sesame seed 2 teaspoons smoked paprika 1/2 teaspoon chipotle 1/2 tablespoon dried rosemary, crushed 1/2 cup water additional toasted sesame seeds to garnish 1/4 cup finely chopped green onions View the complete recipe
I had to narrow down like two-dozen things to do it, but I've finally posted a top ten list for my favorite Food & Wine Classic experiences. The four days were a blur of amazing food, wonderful wine, and a truly unforgettable cast of culinary characters, so choosing a top ten list was not easy. If you're so inclined, you can read the article on my About.com American Food site.
I've been reading lots of similar recaps on other food blogs, and except for a few exceptions (everyone loved Jose Andres' barbecue), these post-Classic reviews are as varied as the food itself. And, you wonder why these star chefs are so high strung?
Tomorrow at some point I'll be uploading a super delicious video recipe for lamb shoulder braised in root beet and toasted sesame. The recipe was adapted from the one I saw Richard Blais make in one of the cooking demos I attended.
He served it with a scoop of coleslaw ice cream, but unfortunately I'm fresh out of liquid nitrogen, so you'll just have to settle for the lamb, Stay tuned!
As promised, here's an easy, beautiful, and delicious garlic bread recipe featuring the homemade aioli I showed you a couple days ago. If you think about it, there's really no such thing as "leftover" aioli; just aioli you just haven’t used yet.
I've already sung the praises of aioli's versatile and promiscuous nature. Hooking-up (do people still say that?) with all kinds of savory ingredients is just what it does. When applied to some bread, and baked crisp with a pinch of cheese, this garlicky spread really shows it's more than just an easy cold sauce.
I mentioned it in the video recipe, but I'll repeat it here; this is not an overpowering, intense garlic experience. Since the garlic is pulverized in the sauce, when it bakes it cooks very quickly, and the sharp, peppery flavors turn soft and sweet.
If you want a more traditional garlic bread flavor, simply add some chopped garlic to the spread. The other issue here is butter, or lack there of. I like butter, I like it a lot, but when it comes to garlic bread, I'm an olive oil kind of guy.
I don't think you'll miss the butter since the egg yolk in the aioli gives it a beautiful buttery color, and adds a nice, subtle richness.
Make some aioli, use it for a few days, and then get some bread and give this try. Crisp green salad sold separately. Enjoy!
Ingredients: French bread aioli grated Parmesan Reggiano fresh Italian parsley
The media cannot live on heritage breed meats and sustainably farmed vegetables alone. While I was primarily in Aspen to collect and share content regarding the all-star line-up of chefs, and their dizzying array of food, it was a perfectly made cocktail that may have left me with my most enduring taste memory. The cocktail was called As the Night Falls, and was being served exclusively at Chateau de Grey Goose, Grey Goose Vodka's beautiful Aspen lair. I was invited to a cocktail party to meet its creator, François Thibault (pictured here with Dimi Lezinska, left), and taste the intriguingly named concoction.
In the spirit of full-disclosure, let me say that I'm not a vodka drinker, nor do I regularly frequent cocktail parties. My wardrobe and personal style pair much more naturally with beer, but as I stood in front of the marble bar watching my As the Night Falls being muddled, measured and mixed, I was getting genuinely excited to taste this drink.
It was love at first sip – a delicious combination of Grey Goose L'Orange vodka, fresh grapefruit juice, and an exotic spice blend, including ginger and pink peppercorns. As I tipped the frosty glass for a second sip, François asked me what I thought.
It's moments like that where I really wish I spoke French, so I could have given him a compliment worthy of this brilliant formula – but I don't, so I said, "it's really good, I like it." Stupid English. Happily, Grey Goose was mixing drinks at events and parties throughout the Food & Wine Classic, and thanks to my As the Night Falls experience, I consumed not a single beer. Thanks to François, and his French vodka, I had become a cocktail party guy.
Anyway, below I've included the recipe for the As the Night Falls, as well as another cocktail I had a few of (five), called the Pear Flower. I don’t know if I'll be running out to buy the box set of Sex in the City anytime soon, but thanks to Grey Goose and François, I have decided to expand my drinking horizons.
If you have any questions you can check out Grey Goose's website site which has lots of recipes and information. Enjoy!
Grey Goose L'Orange As the Night Falls
2 parts Grey Goose L’Orange Flavored Vodka 1 part white grapefruit juice 2 coriander (cilantro) leaves 7 red peppercorns 1 1/2 tsp white sugar Small piece of ginger whole star anise to garnish
Add the peppercorns, ginger, and cilantro to the bottom a cocktail shaker. Muddle slightly (means to crush a bit with a blunt wooden dowel) to release the flavors in the spices. Fill the shaker with ice and add the rest of the ingredients. Cover and shake vigorously. Double strain into chilled coupette or martini glasses. Present a whole star anise floated on top to garnish. Learn French (optional).
Pear Flower
1 1/2 parts Grey Goose La Poire Flavored Vodka 1/2 part St. Germain® Elderflower Liqueur 3/4 parts freshly squeezed grapefruit juice 1/3 part freshly squeezed lemon juice 1/3 part sugar syrup very fine granulated sugar
Rub a lemon wedge around the rim of a cocktail glass. Roll the moistened glass in the sugar. In a cocktail shaker, combine all ingredients. Shake well and double strain into a chilled martini glass. Garnish with a pink grapefruit zest.
As I watched Iron Chef Michael Symon whisk together a simple aioli during his pork demo I attended in Aspen, I was thinking, what savory ingredient (besides cheese) isn't great with aioli?
I couldn’t come up with anything. Whether you're talking about meats, vegetables, starches, or breads – everything tastes great with aioli.
I've done a few versions of aioli on the site before, but never a minimalist, special equipment-free recipe like this. Of course, a true aioli is made with a mortar and pestle, but not everyone has one, and sure you can use a blender, but is there anything more annoying to clean (besides a garlic press as the Iron Chef pointed out during his demo)?
Do yourself a huge favor and take 10 minutes this week to make a little ramekin of this aioli. Then, start spreading and dipping your way up and down the food pyramid. You will discover you can turn a turkey sandwich into a [expletive deleted] great turkey sandwich, a roasted potato becomes the highlight of your day, and a carrot stick is transformed into an incredibly effective endorphin delivery system.
By the way, I'll warn you in advance that I won't spend time answering comments and questions about using raw egg yolks. I've covering that in several other posts, including my homemade mayo video recipe. If you are concerned, google the subject and you'll get millions of pages on the subject.
Rachael Ray has a better chance of winning a James Beard Chef of the Year award than you have getting sick from making this recipe. Enjoy!
Ingredients: 1 clove garlic kosher salt 1 egg yolk 2 tsp lemon juice 1/2 cup olive oil
My favorite chef demo this past weekend was called "For the Love of Pork," by Iron Chef Michael Symon. In it, he made his basic all-purpose aioli, which reminded me that I've never actually done a simple, no-equipment-needed version for the site.
Tune in tomorrow for the video recipe for what is quite possibly the greatest sauce in the history of the world.
The photo here shows the chef whisking away, as captured in the overhead mirror above his cutting board.
He used the aioli on a pork belly BTL that was so good, when he bit into it he said to the audience, "It sucks to be you."
It's safe to assume that in the hundreds of interviews Chef Michael Chiarello has given during his long career, he's never been asked his thoughts on Kool-Aid soaked pickles.
Well, we finally got to meet in Aspen, and it was so much fun picking each other's brain, trading ideas, and discussing the ups and downs of our similar existences as professional online foodies.
