Am I slow-roasting or being slow-roasted?

It’s hotter than Georgia asphalt here in LA. And on this scorching September afternoon, firmly planted three feet away from my fan, I feel myself slow-roasting. I have a sweat mustache. It’s as though I’m in a really un-sexy Tennessee Williams moment. It’s too early to open the white wine. Oh, how I suffer.

Slow-roasting is a fascinating, yet simple, concept and process – and one that occupies an oddly prominent and quite interesting nook of my life, in the kitchen and beyond. It requires complacent confidence and infinite patience, neither of which are my strongest suits.

"The theory behind slow-roasting has the simplicity of genius. If the oven is set at the desired internal temperature of the meat, then the meat can never overcook because no part of it is subjected to a temperature above the optimum." This is essentially transferring heat from the outside of the roast to the inside by conductance. The physical process is the same whether the oven is at 400 degrees or 200 degrees. The benefit of slow roasting something is less moisture loss and a more tender product. Oddly however, at the moment, I find myself feeling quite overcooked and dehydrated. Hmpf.

Even though, more often than not, pot roast comes to mind, in actuality one can slow-roast just about anything. Short ribs, pork shoulder, venison, chicken, duck, salmon and even tomatoes can all benefit from this method of cooking. For slow-roasting some people use crock-pots, others use ovens and recently, I used my grill and a chicken.

Slow-Roasted Chicken

INGREDIENTS
1 3 1/2-4 pound chicken
1/4 cup butter, 1/2 of it melted

2 lemons
salt and pepper
additional herbs and spices as desired

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven and roasting pan (sans rack) to 350F. Slice two lemons super thin. Gently loosen the skin from the meat with your fingers. Insert a handful of lemon slices underneath the skin along with some butter. Put any unused slices and the ends of the lemons into the cavity.

Place the chicken breast-side up on the rack, brush with melted butter and season with salt, pepper, and herbs.

Place chicken in the heated roasting pan in the middle of the oven for 30 minutes.

Reduce oven temperature to 200F and continue roasting for another hour. Increase heat to 400F and cook another 15 minutes until a thermometer inserted into thigh registers 160F.

Remove from oven, tent with foil, and allow to rest for 20 minutes.

*In the above recipe, the initial 350F heat quickly cooks the outside (and skin). The reduced 200F heat keeps the outside hot at about the same rate as the cooler interior absorbs the heat. The final 400F period browns the exterior for those wonderful Maillard reactions.

The result, with something like a chicken or turkey is that the thighs and the breast approach doneness at something much closer to simultaneously and even if the breast is a bit overcooked when the thighs are done, the additional juiciness makes up for it.

Me, I’m still roasting. But dusk is just around the corner, and with that comes wine o’clock. As for you, may your home be air conditioned, your wine crisp and cold, and your fortitude in slow-roasting be met with successful results.

"It ain't the heat; it's the humility." -Yogi Berra

Greenblatt's is SO my Regal Beagle.

A week and a half ago the love of my life, my 3-legged (as if that’s not enough) Chihuahua underwent spinal surgery that has rendered him virtually immobile for the next three weeks while he recovers. 

Well, as you may imagine, this has also left me virtually immobile. I put him in his crate while I shower or find it absolutely necessary to run an errand, but he screams bloody murder in there. I’m not so sure that the stress and screaming is all that great for the recovery process or my neighbors’ neighborliness, so he pretty much sits right next to me on the couch or in the bed. 

This makes him happy. This makes me unable to shop for groceries or prepare food, and most certainly inhibits dining out. This means delivery. This means Greenblatt’s.

As I was complaining about this whole delivery thing making me feel like a stereotypical bachelor-dude-type and also lamenting the lack of recipes or restaurants to write about, my friend suggested I write about Greenblatt’s.

Why in God’s teeth I have never discussed Greenblatt’s on here is beyond me. It is pretty much my favorite place. If I moved anywhere else in LA I would continue to patronize Greenblatt’s, and I have honestly thought that if I ever moved away from LA that it would be a damned shame to no longer have Greenblatt’s in my life (this being almost a driving force to remain, mind you). I’m only sad that it took me a few years of living here to discover the place. What did I do BEFORE? Okay, enough.

Established in 1926 (which might as well pre-date the Byzantine Empire by LA standards) Greenblatt’s is a New York style, kosher deli and fine wine shop that happens to be (too?) close to my house. They are open 365 days a year, from 9am until 2am. They offer dine in, take out and delivery. I’ve spent a Christmas night there in my pine cone jammies, drinking champagne. They are my friends.

 

From mile-high Ruebens, a bagel and lox platter that rivals Canter’s, their cure-all matzoball soup, an awe-inspiring clam chowder, a Cobb salad you could do laps in, to full chicken, turkey, rib and meatloaf dinners with any number of sides (stuffing, potatoes, green beans or broccoli, to name a few), they’ve got it covered.

The wine shop (which also sells liquor) is really and truly something special. It is vast, the prices are a solid couple of bucks cheaper than ANYWHERE else, I’ve found. And the staff knows what they’re talking about. In fact, most are certifiable oenophiles and a few are even studying to be sommeliers.

It doesn’t hurt that as a result of the frequency of my visits (and my undeniable charm?), I am on a first name basis with the entire staff and they are very familiar with my likes and dislikes. Or it could be that last Summer I bought them out of Lillet. Hell, my friends stop in to buy wine on their way to my house and ask the staff what I would like. And they KNOW. I do love me a Regal Beagle.

So during my dog’s and my own house arrest, the good people of Greenblatt’s may not be seeing my face, but they hear my voice – and I their‘s (they are in my speed dial). “Ralph,” I say, “It’s hot. I can’t imagine drinking any reds. Would you mind selecting me a few sauvignon blancs and rosés? I also need a bottle of Lillet, a Cobb salad, and the maple mustard chicken dinner with stuffing and broccoli. That should last me a few days…”. 30 minutes later my bounty arrives and, of course, Ralph’s selections are spot on. 

Now Beso and I can relax and watch the entirety of Season 1 of True Blood on the couch together. It may even get us into Season 2 of Gossip Girl. Hey, a girl can dream…

Greenblatt’s also has an impressive cheese and charcuterie selection AND a magical lemon cake that I could write a whole other blog about…

Greenblatt's Deli-Restaurant and Fine Wine Shop

8017 Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90046
(323) 656-0606

Dad's Recoup Din-Din in the Old Dominion.

As previously mentioned, I'm back home, in Virginia. I'm helping my dad recover from a lil' back surgery. A large part of my duties exist in the shopping, cooking, and feeding realm. And what better to do with my time while he naps and trips out on the painkillers than write about all this foodness happening, here in the dirty south?

Joel Salitin is pretty much The Man. He is a self-described environmentalist capitalist lunatic farmer, or as the New York Times calls him, “the high priest of the pasture.” You may remember him from The Omnivore’s Dilemma, in which he was profiled at length by Michael Pollan. Salatin’s innovative farming system at his Polyface Farm —where the animals live according to their “ness,” the earth is used for symbiosis, and happiness and health is key—has gained attention from around the country, and he travels in the winter giving lectures and demonstrations. He is the author of a number of books including Holy Cows and Hog Heaven, Everything I Want to Do Is Illegal, You Can Farm, Pastured Poultry Profit$, Salad Bar Beef and Family Friendly Farming.

So you may imagine my absolute delight to be able to be able to purchase his farm's bacon whilst shopping here in Richmond. I prepared a meal for my dad, incorporating said bacon and/or its fat in a number of ways.

Dad's Special Meal:

• Hanover Tomato, Butterhead Lettuce, and Bacon with Blue Cheese Dresssing
• Cheesy Creamed Corn with Cilantro
• Will's Awesome Lamb Chops with Cumin, Cardamom & Lime (lamb from the Belmont Butchery)

Hanover tomato, Butterhead Lettuce, and Bacon with Blue Cheese Dresssing

Serves 4

INGREDIENTS

6 bacon slices, chopped

1/2 cup sour cream

3 Tablespoon whole milk plus additional if necessary

2 Tablespoon cider vinegar

1 scallion, chopped

1 cup crumbled blue cheese, divided

1 head Bibb or Boston lettuce

1 large Hanover tomato, cut into wedges

DIRECTIONS

Cook bacon in a 10-inch skillet over medium heat until crisp. Transfer to paper towels to drain, reserving fat in skillet.

Whisk together 1 Tablespoon hot bacon fat, sour cream, milk, vinegar, and 1/4 teaspoon each of salt & pepper until smooth. Stir in scallion and 2/3 cup of blue cheese. Thin with additional milk if you like.

Quarter lettuce lengthwise (through stem) into wedges, then remove core and arrange each wedge on a plate with tomato wedges. Stir dressing and spoon over top. Sprinkle with bacon, remaining 1/3 cup blue cheese, and pepper to taste.

Printable Recipe

Cheesy Creamed Corn with Cilantro
(from Gourmet September, 2009)

Serves 6

INGREDIENTS
1 Tablespoon bacon fat

2 Tablespoons unsalted butter
1 1/2 cups chopped scallions (about 6 large)
12 ears corn, kernels cut from cobs
2/3 cup heavy cream
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 large garlic clove
6 oz queso fresco or mild feta, crumbled (1 1/3 cups)
1 cup cilantro sprigs

DIRECTIONS
Heat bacon fat and butter in a deep 12-inch heavy skillet over medium-high heat until foam subsides, then cook scallions, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes. Add corn and 1/2 tsp each of salt and pepper and cook, stirring occasionally, 5 minutes.

Stir together cream and cornstarch in a small bowl until thoroughly combined, then add to corn and simmer, stirring, until slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Transfer 1 1/2 cups corn mixture to a blender with garlic and purée until smooth (use caution when blending hot liquids). Return to skillet and cook, stirring constantly, until just heated through.

Transfer corn to a large shallow serving bowl and sprinkle cheese and cilantro over top.

Will's Awesome Lamb Chops with Cumin, Cardamom and Lime 
(lamb from Belmont Butchery)

INGREDIENTS

12-16 cloves of garlic

1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon cardamom
1/3 cup fresh lime juice
1 Tablespoon salt
2 teaspoon pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
16 rib lamb chops (If you're willing to spend the extra money, the American really are quite superior - better meat/better fat)

 

DIRECTIONS

In the food processor, drop garlic, add cumin, cardamom, lime juice, salt, pepper and oil.  Pour into a large bag or container to marinate (a coupla hours or up to 2 days).

On the grill is a must, and with a medium flame they'll be done in about 2 minutes per side.  Perhaps a bit more but rarer is better.

We both agreed, this was a damn good meal.

Hanover tomatoes mean RVA is in the hizouse!

I'm back in the old stomping ground, y'all. And as such, am inspired to wax on a bit about some local culinary gems. One in particular, the Hanover tomato. Did you know this tomato has it's own festival?

Slightly north of Richmond is Hanover County, which, up until a few years ago, was primarily a rural expanse populated by family farms. A drive past former farms now sprouting subdivisions and shopping complexes reveals the same loss of farmland to development that is plaguing many areas surrounding growing cities. The few agricultural holdouts against this trend continue to turn out plentiful harvests of wheat, corn, soybeans—and juicy, succulent Hanover tomatoes. Virginia is the third-largest producer of fresh market tomatoes in the country, and Hanover County yields the second-largest harvest of tomatoes in the state.

One of the largest producers of Hanover tomatoes, and also one of the few family farms remaining in the area, is Kirby Farms near Mechanicsville, where Tommy Kirby has lived and worked all his life. Now his son Kevin has joined him in growing these highly prized plump tomatoes, known for their vibrant color and full flavor.

Kevin Kirby attributes the tomato’s characteristics to the “sandy, loamy soil” that is prevalent in Hanover County. Another prominent area tomato farmer, Robert Dodd of Dodd’s Farms Acres, concurs. He claims that “you could grow the same tomato plant 30 miles away,” and it might taste different because the soil in Hanover County is “the best there is.” Kirby adds that while many tomato varieties are brought to market too early, Hanover tomatoes are “vine ripe,” meaning they are never picked until fully ripened. The naming of Hanover tomatoes goes back to “old-fashioned word of mouth,” according to Kirby. It probably harkens back to bygone days when Hanover farmers would bring their harvest to Richmond markets. Today, the tomatoes can be found at most central Virginia supermarkets, farm stands and country stores throughout the summer, and they are usually labeled as such. However, unlike Vidalia onions, which by law can only be so named if they are grown in seven specific Georgia counties, Hanover tomatoes have never received official designation.

I still maintain that the best way to enjoy a choice tomato is simply; sliced with salt, pepper (and a dollop of mayo?), or in a sandwich. But if you’re in the mood for a more adventurous treatment, here is an appetizing summer soup from Richmond-area chef Martin E. Gravely.

* This soup features another regional specialty—lump crabmeat.


Food = Love, and Virginia is for lovers...

Charred Hanover Tomato Soup With Lump Crab

(adapted from Chef Martin E. Gravely)

 

Serves 4 as an entrée; 6-8 as an appetizer.

Roasting the tomatoes before adding them to the soup intensifies their flavor.

INGREDIENTS

4-5 ripe Hanover tomatoes, halved
¼ pound pancetta, diced
2 medium red onions, quartered
3-4 garlic cloves, roughly chopped
¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
½ cup white wine
2 quarts chicken stock or broth
Salt and pepper
3 Tablespoons cornstarch
½ pound lump crab meat
2 Tablespoons fresh lime juice

DIRECTIONS
Preheat the oven to 500 degrees. Place the tomatoes, cut-side up, on a sheet pan and roast until blackened around the edges—about 30 minutes. 

Meanwhile, over medium heat, cook the pancetta and onion together in a heavy-bottomed saucepan until the onions turn deep golden brown. Add the garlic and crushed red pepper, cooking an additional minute. Add the wine and bring it to a boil, scraping the bottom of the pot to release any accumulated browned bits. Add the stock and blackened tomatoes and simmer for 30 minutes to an hour. Using a food processor or a blender, purée the soup in batches, and strain it into another saucepan. Season fairly generously with salt and pepper.

In a separate bowl, whisk together ½ cup of cold water and the cornstarch until well dissolved, then whisk in one cup of the hot soup. Add the mixture back to the soup and bring to a boil for 10 seconds to thicken, stirring well. Turn to low heat and gently stir in the crab along with the lime juice.

Serve immediately, or chill the soup and serve it cold.

Printable Recipe

Nebulous Misadventures (aka The Lost Weekend)

Del Mar, Trains, Horses, Gambling, Beer Fest, Sunburn, Flaming Lips, Bus Rides, Weeble-Wobbling, The Mysterious Loss of a Jean Jacket, Cabs, Ocean, A Pedicab and San Diego.

Oh, and a little bit of food and a lot of drinks.

Day 1:
1/8 Cup of Coffee
Pitcher of Sangria (shared)
1 Large Bloody Mary
3 Corn Dogs (shared)
Beer Fest: 5 Beer "Tastes"
Tri Tip Sandwich, Black-Eyed Peas, Potato Salad (shared) 
White Wine
Red Wine
Plate of Meat (not much for me) 
No Water



Day 2:
Coffee
Orange Juice (shared)
Double Shot of Espresso
Chilequiles (exceptional)
Mimosas
Cava
White Wine
Red Wine
French Dip Sandwich, Potato Salad
Pickled Pig's Foot (horrifying)
A Negligible Amount of Water
 
 
But at least I lived to document it (albeit like a caveman).

The Village Idiot *A Brunch Review*

I have been to the Village Idiot on a scant few occasions. These visits have only been during random times, however, always in the evenings. I have seen it packed out with people and I have seen it moderately empty. I have had a few glasses of assorted wines and I have had a couple of appetizers from the evening menu. It is a lovely space that boasts lofted wood beam ceilings, chalkboard menus, brick walls, skylights and large street-facing windows. It’s located along the touristy Melrose stretch of boutiques, tattoo parlors, fetish shops and cafes. While this is not exactly my nook of the city, The Village Idiot has been a convenient meeting place, a convenient watering hole, in a convenient location.

For the love of TOMATOES!

You say tomato, I say perfection. I have always loved tomatoes, in almost all of their incarnations. But when they are in season and perfectly ripe, I say, why reinvent the wheel? Slice them up with some salt and pepper, or just eat them like an apple! However, with friend’s plants, my mother’s plants and even my own, this season has proven to be The Summer of the Tomato, so I have been tinkering…

Recently, a friend with an over-abundance of beauties shared a mass of his harvest with me. This gave me pause. I mean, how many salads and tomato sandwiches can I eat? The answer is 2947985687465, but how uninspired would that be?

I first wanted to prepare a chilled tomato soup with a fresh crab garnish (inspired by Palate). Then I set my sights on an heirloom tomato salad with opal basil and torn croutons (inspired by Suzanne Goin). A tomato tart? Tomato aspic (No. Everyone thinks that's gross, except me)? Tomato sauce?? I settled on Baked Tomatoes with Goat Cheese, Fresh Herbs and Hazelnut Breadcrumbs; a version of a recipe I found in Bon Appetit (August, 2009), with a few of my own modifications. This was pretty tasty and quite beautiful, but I must stick to my guns as far as the importance of tomato purity. With the one, lonely tomato left behind from this dish, I tossed it with a bit of salt, pepper, oil and basil. I can’t think of anything that would have enhanced that tomato more.

Baked Tomatoes with Goat Cheese, Fresh Herbs & Hazelnut Breadcrumbs
(adapted from Bon Appetit August, 2009)

INGREDIENTS
2 cups coarse fresh bread crumbs (from country bread, preferably whole-wheat)
4 to 6 large heirloom tomatoes (about 3 pounds total)
1 1/2 Tablespoons chopped fresh lemon thyme or regular thyme, divided
1 Tablespoon fresh oregano
2 Tablespoons of fresh basil/opal basil, mixed, divided
3-4 Tablespoons chévre
1/2 stick unsalted butter
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted , any loose skins rubbed off, cooled, and coarsely chopped


DIRECTIONS
Preheat oven to 350°F with rack in middle. Butter a 2-quart shallow ceramic or glass baking dish.

Spread bread crumbs in a 4-sided sheet pan and toast in oven until dried and pale golden, about 15 minutes. Cool crumbs. Increase oven temperature to 450°F.

Thickly slice tomatoes and arrange, overlapping, in baking dish. Season with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper and sprinkle with 1 tablespoon thyme, oregano, and 1 tablespoon of the basils. Sprinkle chevre throughout. Melt butter in a large heavy skillet over medium heat, then cook nuts and crumbs, stirring frequently, until golden, 4 to 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. Spoon evenly over tomatoes.

Bake until tomatoes are bubbling and crumbs are browned, 15 to 25 minutes. Cool to warm or room temperature and sprinkle with remaining 1/2 tablespoon thyme and the remainder of the basils.

Note: Bread crumbs and nuts can be toasted (but not cooked in butter) 1 day ahead and kept together in an airtight container at room temperature.

Vichyssoise is NOT pronounced "Veeshy-Swah"

For my eighteenth birthday – which fell during the summer in between high school graduation and moving off to college – my dad took me to a fancy dinner at a fancy French restaurant in Richmond, Va.; I believe it was called La Petite France. I had wanted to go there for some time. I will never forget that dinner. My dad, a man of few spoken (and even fewer written (sadly, a trait that I in no way inherited )) words, gave me a watch. He knew that I valued any evidence, trinkets, tchotchkes, what have you, of his and my mom’s marriage (they divorced when I was 3, but have remained close friends to this day). The watch, he explained, was given to him by my mom before I was born. He had worn it for decades. The back of the watch was inscribed with his initials and the year 1972. He also went on to explain his interest in the concept of time – how our perception of it changes. I didn’t really understand what he meant at the time. But then I remember thinking a year was such a long time, and Summer vacations were always forever away. Now, a year is like a second, a blip. 

Pimiento Cheese – Good for the Soul Foodie

Back in Virginia pimiento cheese was standard fare, especially at my house. More often than not occupying a spot on the shelf in the fridge between Mrs. Marshall’s potato salad, Dad’s egg salad and, well, the mayonnaise. I don’t actually remember Mom or Dad making it, although one or the other did. While this was a place and time where pimiento cheese roamed freely in the dairy section at most markets, I had none of that. Why, you ask? Lucky me, I had only to open the refrigerator and voila! there was pure pimiento ambrosia to be enjoyed most often on soft, white sandwich bread sometimes garnished with a few slices of Hanover tomatoes. But also very tasty on crackers or perhaps smushed into a celery stalk (very Southern). Me, I go for the sandwich, crusts and all.

Palate Food & Wine

Well, well, well… To my absolute delight Dixon treated me to dinner on my birthday! Not surprising as it has become our tradition; I take Dixon to dinner on his birthday as well. Included in the tradition is that it must be a new (or, at least, new for us) and exciting spot. We had both been curious about Palate since its opening about a year ago.