February 25, 2012

The Noblest of All Vinegars

By hungrygrl

I rarely come across a product that seduces me merely with its packaging. I was instantly drawn to the simple and beautiful labeling and vintage apothecary-style bottles of the Noble line of vinegars and maple syrups distributed by Seattle-based Mikuni Wild Harvest.

At a whopping $70 a pop (120ml), I was fortunate enough to taste Noble Tonic 05 as I finished a watermelon salad canapé with it, which was served a party at Geoffrey Zakarian’s Tudor House for a SOBE Food and Wine Festival after party.

The thick, velvety, sweet vinegar has bold notes of an aged concentration of vanilla, caramel, maple, bourbon, oak, sherry. Tonic 05 is a refined and reduced version of Tonic 03, a mature sherry vinegar with a much thinner viscocity.

These amazing creations of Noble tonics are all available at “gastronomical prices” but so worth the splurge. Maserate berries, drizzle over veggies, finish cheese or even a bowl of homemade ice cream with this seriously indulge in this addictive tonic.

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February 11, 2012

Today’s Special: I-Can-Do-It-Better Stew

By hungrygrl

The low drone of voices in restaurants is as common as the cry of gulls to the sea. However, ensconced among those voices are often the juicy sound bites of critics, all breeds. Those craving good gossip should aim their cupped ears towards the tables of restaurateurs, foodies, and chefs. I suppose it’s fair game in a city that continues to be saturated in restaurants and food trucks.

As an self-certified epicurean, cook, aspiring chef, and critic in my own right, I’ll probably get some flack for this or be subjected to a version of the Spanish Inquisition. I do admit to being party to these verbal annihilations. We’re all critics and all have opinions, but recently working FOH at one of Miami’s premier spots has been a real eye-opening, ear-jarring treat. Naysayers are oblivious to my foodie-dom and, luckily for me, their warring whispers drown out the sounds of my mental stenograph clicking away.

I’ve come to love the gratifying awkwardness of approaching a table and witnessing a patron’s guilty conscience tell his mouth to pause as I walk into the first words of a snide remark about the temperature of his perfectly cooked beef, or the obnoxious music, or how rude that the chef wouldn’t add cucumber and tomato and a put the dressing on the side to a carefully curated salad. “How is everything sir?”-  Me with a smirk.  “Oh, everything is just beautiful.” – Him, with a straight face.

That scenario involving a popular, local restaurateur actually happened making his a “blood-in-the-water table”, one which I surreptitiously began to circle like a hungry shark. Most of that jabber is really just an over-stuffed bouquet garni of envy, competition, ego, judgment, and expertise all steeping in a big pot of I-can-do-it-better stew.

Here are some other sound bites I’ve collected over the years….

“I hope the food budget doesn’t match the décor. It looks like she hired Sesame Street to decorate this shit-hole.” (-mums the word)

“It’s all blah food. None of it excites me.”  (One chef about a few other restaurants in Miami)

“He has no idea what he’s doing in that kitchen.” (-a restaurateur about a previous chef he used to employ and now runs a successful restaurant)

“I woulda’ copped some Church’s for this shit. My 3-year-old can make better fried chicken.” (-an athlete at a hip-hop moguls ATL restaurant)

“Make me wanna lick the plate. If I need a “to-go” box…I’m “to-going” home and not going back.” (This one made me chuckle inside, because I agreed.)

Of course these comments will all remain anonymous. I’m certain that I’ll continue to witness the hush-hush fork and knife wars that wage on.  And of course, none of this sways me from the dream of one day owning my own food establishment. I simply see it as fodder for a journal that will help me build a better plan. So… carry on.

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January 12, 2012

Hungry? Want Some Cancer?

By hungrygrl
Did you drink O.J. this morning? Hope it didn’t contain oranges from Brazil.

When it comes to food, have Americans severed their environmental umbilical cords?  Do we really, truly care where our comestibles come from, how they’e grown, what our protein is fed, how humanely animals are treated, and how they’re slaughtered? Or do we just wanna eat.

Ingredients matter. That’s Elevation’s Burger’s catchphrase. I suppose they should matter, however, only to people who care. And yet, shouldn’t we all care? Supporting establishments like Elevation Burger that serve USDA certified organic, grass-fed, free-range, ground-on-premises beef at economical prices, as opposed to government-subsidized, corn-fed, guess-what’s-in-it crap, for a dollar less, makes a world of health and ecological difference.

Why grass to corn? Well for one, the digestive system of a cow isn’t built to process corn and other grain, (i.e. they’re designed to eat grass). Picture humans eating rocks. Second, green pastures absorb carbon-dioxide better than corn. Michael Pollan, author of The Omnivore’s Dilemma, writes, “…, if the sixteen million acres now being used to grow corn to feed cows in the United States became well-managed pasture, that would remove fourteen billion pounds of carbon from the atmosphere each year, the equivalent of taking four million cars off the road.”

Third, animals fed food they naturally digest are healthier, and don’t need to be hopped up on chemicals, like antibiotics. And hello…it’s humane and the meat tastes better. There’s a litany of reasons I can continue mentioning here, but if you don’t get the point yet, pick up Mc-meals for the whole fams and pop in Food, Inc.

Joel Salatin, Virgina-based chemical-free cattle and poultry farmer extraordinaire, appears on that stomach-turning documentary and also lends his wisdom to The Omnivore’s Dilemma. In both, he steadfastly expresses how much corruption and chemical is filtered through the foods we feed ourselves and how naïve we’ve become to this atrocity. Each night we drug ourselves at the dinner table, suggests Salatin.

Get it?

The more antibiotics we ingest through our food products, the more un-responsive our systems become to such antibiotics, leading to more incurable food-borne illnesses and a foundation for stronger more viral pathogens for us to consume and possibly die from. No joke. If this still doesn’t grip your gut, then maybe you should stop by the bank and set up a medical fund for your kids, because they’ll be most affected by our ignorance and irresponsibility. Change the way we eat and the government will be forced to change what they’re feeding us—supply and demand. The choice is ours… always has been. Bon Appetit.

MIA Joints that sell and serve grass-fed beef:

Elevation Burger – Several locations nationwide

Gaucho Ranch –7251 NE 2nd   Ave. #113 | 305.751.0775

Canyon Ranch Grill –6901 Collins Ave. | 305.514.7474

Sustain -3252 NE 1st Ave, #107 | 305.424.9079

The Local –150 Giralda Ave. | 305.648.5687

8 oz. Burger Bar 1080 Alton Road | 305.397.8246

Fratelli Lyon –4141 NE 2nd Ave. | 33137 305-572-2901

Metro Organic Bistro2475 Brickell Ave. | 305.856.9400

AltaMare –1233 Lincoln Road | 305.532.3061

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January 7, 2012

Get Your Foodie Fest On: Top 5 Food and Wine Festivals of 2012

By hungrygrl

Attention Foodies: To hell with New Year’s resolutions, you have some very important festivals to eat and drink your way through. Food and wine festivals abound the calendar year, however, some of the most touted occur from January to April, which should give you enough time to get your bathing suit bods back in showcase order before summer rears its hot head.

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Here’s a list and links to the most notable, in order:

United Way Miami Food and Wine Festival

Sunday, January 8th through April 21st  · Prices Vary $40 – 3200

Various Miami locations

Monthly events with top sommeliers, Top Chef  winner Kevin Sbraga, accented with auctions and entertainment.

@MiamiWineFest

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Key West Food and Wine Festival

Thursday, January 26-29th  ·  Prices Vary  $40 – 335

Various Key West locations

Chef throw-downs, coconut bowling, beer and cheese tasting …

@KWfoodwineFest

 

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Food Network Food and Wine Festival

Thursday, February 23-26th  ·  Prices Vary $20 – 1280

Several SOBE locations

Chefs extraordinaire (Acheson, Zakarian, Bourdain, Guarnaschelli, Flay, Morimoto…) do you need any more reason.

@Lee_Schrager

 

2nd Annual Taste of Brickell Food and Wine Festival

Saturday, March 24 & 25th  ·  12pm to 10pm  ·  Prices Vary $5 – 175

Venue TBD

50+ fine dining participants, car show, kid zone, live entertainment …

@TasteofBrickell

 

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17th Annual Las Olas Wine and Food Festival

Friday, April 20th · 7:30pm to 10pm · $100 in Advance Separate Events $45 – 125

Las Olas Bvld, Downtown Fort Lauderdale

60 restaurants, 45 wine tables, live entertainment, cupcake battle, and wine dinners.

@lasolaswinefood

 

Honorable Mention:

7th Annual Florida Keys Seafood Festival

Saturday, January 14th · 11am to 8pm · FREE

Bayview Park, Key West

Seafood, bevs, live entertainment, kid activities, and art.

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December 27, 2011

Holiday Leftovers: Table Scraps Gone Wild

By hungrygrl

Pork: Pan con Lechon

Lechon (alias: Pulled Pork)

Cuban Bread

Mayo

Sautéed Onions, Pickles, Potato chip sticks, or other desired toppings

Pan-fry pork in a non-stick pan to heat through (no oil needed). Pile this goodness onto toasted Cuban bread; add mayo to taste and top with pickles or sautéed onions…or whatever your lil’ heart desires. Alabao!

Turkey: Asian Turkey Buns

Pulled turkey (pref. dark meat)

Pre-made biscuit dough (Pillsbury in a can will do)

1 tsp. Soy Sauce

2 tbsp. Sesame Oil

Black pepper

1 tbsp. Hoisin Sauce

3 tbsp. Cranberry Sauce (leftover)

Chopped Scallions for buns

Chopped Cucumber

Toss a lil’ flour down add chopped scallion and roll out raw biscuits until about 1/4” thick and 4-6” in diameter (your choice). Heat a sauté pan and a griddle on medium heat. Add 1 tbsp. sesame oil to each heated pan. Add the turkey to the sauté pan. The flattened biscuits go onto the griddle. Brown and flip.

To the turkey, add the soy sauce and pepper to taste. Sauté one more minute and remove from heat. In a separate bowl mix hoisin and cranberry sauces. Assemble buns: adding turkey and topping with cranberry hoisin sauce and cucumber. Deeericious!

Cheese, Seafood, Soft Fillings, Herbs

Ravioli

Cheeses (parmesan, ricotta, goat cheese, cream cheese, mascarpone, etc.)

Seafood (prepared lobster, crab, etc.)

Soft Fillings (purees: squash, pumpkin, sweet potato, thick spinach dips etc.)

Meats (cooked ground lamb, beef, chicken, turkey, cat …etc.)

Herbs (you know the deal)

Package of wonton skins (round or square: supermarkets carry them)

Egg wash (one beaten egg)

Pot of boiling heavily salted water

Sauce of choice (brown butter, tomato, vodka, béchamel, ragout, etc.)

Cornstarch (sprinkle in case they start to stick)

It’s as easy as it sounds. Lightly brush wonton skins with egg wash. Add a tsp of desired filling in center of one, cover with another and with a softly curved pink finger push out all the air bubbles outward and seal the ends by pinching. Add in small batches to salted water and wait ‘til they float to the top. Plate it, sauce it, e mangia. Buonissimo!

Sidebar: Add mascarpone to squash or pumpkin puree like I did with my Bangin’ Butternut Squash Lasagna. Add parmesan to ricotta and choice of seafood with herbs. Goat cheese, rosemary or mint and lamb, YUM.  Make dessert ravioli with mascarpone sweetened with jams and frying them instead.

Sauce sidebar: Brown butters pair nicely with sweeter fillings. Toss seafood and meats with tomato or cream sauce. Think sweetened yogurt or chocolate dipping sauces for dessert ravioli. Go to town and then to bed.

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November 27, 2011

I’m Bananas Pudding

By hungrygrl

1 cup Sugar

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp cardamom

2 cups 2% milk

1 tsp. vanilla extract

1 tbsp. unsalted butter

4 egg yolks (large eggs or better and room temperature)

Box of Ginger Snaps

4 really ripe bananas

Saran Wrap

Prep:

I use jelly jars or canning jars, as some of you might refer to them a. However, you can use a trifle bowl or a baking dish—whatever makes your tutu turn. Line your chosen vessel with 2 layers of Ginger Snaps.

-Combine the sugar, flour and salt in a bowl, and stir well to mix. Mash out any flour lumps with the back of your spoon… or you type A personalities can sift it. Set aside.

-Mix vanilla and milk and then heat over a low flame.

-In a separate heavy saucepan, over a low flame, beat those egg yolks ‘til they know your name.

Turn the fire up to medium and whisk in a large heaping spoonful of the sugar/flour mixture to the yolks to make a roux.

Add half the warm milk mixture and alternate with flour mixture, ‘til it’s all in the pot. Whisk constantly.

-Bring to a gentle boil. When it thickens to a pudding consistency, add the butter. Keep stirring, but remove from heat.

-Line the top of the pudding with a Saran Wrap, to avoid it forming a skin. Let the pudding cool for a few minutes as you stir and then let it sit for 20 minutes or so.  The you can start to layer the pudding and cookies as you darn well please.

Let the assembled dish sit in the fridge and cool then dig that spoon to the bottom and kill it.

TIP: I crumble the snaps as a topping too. Have fun with it—it’s pudding, not a science experiment. Bon Appetit.

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November 19, 2011

Bangin’ Butternut Squash Lasagna

By hungrygrl

1 lg. butternut squash

1 sm. 8oz. container Belgioioso mascarpone cheese

1 cup grated parmesan cheese

2 tbsps. grated parmesan cheese

1 8oz ball fresh mozzarella

8 oz. whole milk

4 tbsp. butter

3 tbsp. flour

1 tsp. fresh nutmeg

No bake lasagna noodles (I use Archer Farms whole wheat)

8 x 8 baking dish

**Heat oven to 400 degrees

Cube squash and toss in EVOO and s/p

Roast ‘til tender

Puree in food processor and add:

Mascarpone

Grated nutmeg

s/p to taste

Make simple roux:

Melt butter over medium heat add flour (roux)

Heat milk in separate pan add s/p to taste

Cook flour and butter ‘til light brown then slowly add warm milk

Whisk mixture ‘til thick and take off heat

Add 1 cup of parmesan

Season with s/p to taste

**Lower oven to 375 degrees

Begin to construct lasagna like any other:

Spread some béchamel at the bottom of the 8 x 8 dish to anchor noodles then layer:

Dry Noodles

Squash Puree

Bechamel

Slices of Fresh mozzarella

Repeat  and end with mozzarella

Cover with foil and bake for 35 min.

Remove foil and sprinkle with 2 tbsps. parmesan cheese then place back in the oven

Let cheeses get crusty and yummy.

TIP: Best if you let it rest for an hour or longer before you dig in.

Go ButterNuts with this recipe and add or substitute pumpkin. Bon Appetit!

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November 14, 2011

5 Step Beer and Cola Short Ribs

By hungrygrl

2 tbsp. olive oil

3 carrots

1 yellow onion

4 cloves of garlic

4 large meaty mushrooms

2 bay medium-sized leaves

1/2 tbsp. salt

1 tsp. pepper

½ of a 6 oz. can of Coke or Pepsi

1 bottle of dark beer or ale (Guinness or a good craft beer)

1 cup beef stock

4 short ribs

  1. Heat oven to 325 degrees.
  2. Heat olive oil in a deep braising pan over medium heat. Sear both sides of ribs to seal in juices and add flavor.
  3. Cut onions, carrots, mushrooms into large chunks. Smash garlic cloves and peel.
  4. Add veggies to pot with remaining ingredients and cover the pot.
  5. Pop that covered puppy into the oven for 2 ½ hours. You read right. Slow and low. That is the tempo.

Extra Step, but not required:

Separate and reduce the braising stock over medium heat, once the ribs are tender. Thicken with a nub of butter and pour that glaze right back over those juicy ribs before you kill it.

Tip:

1. Serve with whatever you like, cheesy grits, scalloped potatoes, mashed root veggies, or go no-carb with cauliflower mash (shown in the pic)

2. Reserve the braised veggies, puree them, and use in a meatloaf recipe or to flavor the root veg mash.

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November 7, 2011

Road Trip Eats Part II- A Georgia Peach

By hungrygrl

The second leg of my family road trip landed me at my brother’s house in Woodstock, GA, located 30 minutes outside the Atlanta perimeter (O.T.P, as Atlantians say). Not far from Woodstock are some pretty darn good culinary establishments, mainly in downtown Roswell and Alpharetta.

After a two-year stint living in Atlanta, I was able to rekindle  my relationships with childhood friends, Beth being my closest. We share a thirty-year friendship and a love of great food. We agreed to meet halfway between Woodstock and Atlanta and chose Marietta. After a little internet surfing I came across a restaurant called Chicken and the Egg.

I don’t care which came first, I’m just happy to have discovered this little gem. The décor is farmhouse fresh with strong charcoal concrete floors and upholstery contrasted by crisp white walls and woodwork with sleek stainless steel chairs pulled up to pickled wood tables.

The food? Delicious. The drinks?  Inventive.

The “Dirty South”, a gin based ass-kicker with a stuffed, pickled okra swizzle stick has my heart. Next to it is “South of the Border”, a watermelon bomb, laced with Patron Reposado and kaffir lime vodka.

These  lil’ white corn muffins with maple butter goodness went quickly. They have a nice crust on the outside and are moist and airy inside. I was hooked.

I went for the jugular with the tupelo honey glazed short rib topped with a crispy lemon gremolata and paired with a colorful melange of sweet, beautiful farm-fresh baby carrots and bubbly smoked gouda potato au gratin. I could’ve easily used a spoon to get through that hunk of luscious beef.

Beth has an affinity for fried chicken, and we have been through our fair share of crispy chicks, but this iron skillet fried delight was unbelievable. The tasty crust snapped to reveal a moist, brined breast, which is often hard to achieve with white meat. The braised greens on the side were a bit salty, but we weren’t concerned with them once we dug into the creamy mac and cheese. This plate is southern soul food at its best.

Choosing a dessert was tough. I wanted so badly to say no and save myself the discomfort of being too full, but that apple pie and homemade ice cream was calling to me like a ghost in the night. I just had to see what it wanted.

Needless to say, I was happy to have answered its nagging call. Beth and I ultimately shared this bad boy. The rustic touch of the flaky, buttery crust and not-too-sweet green apple filling paired with brown sugar sour cream ice cream and brown sugar sand for added crunch was a nice twist on an old throw-back.

I was so impressed with this new joint that I returned for a second stuffing with my family for our last meal together before heading back South. I approve everything on this innovative, fun, and down-home menu and highly recommend it to anyone living or visiting in or around the Atlanta area.

I’ve decided to add a third part to this road trip review to get through my time at Top Chef favorite Richard Blais’s recent venture into hotdogs called HD1 located in Atlanta.

Stay tuned foodies…

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November 4, 2011

Road Trip Eats- Part 1

By hungrygrl

On a recent family trip to see my brother in Woodstock, GA and my sister, somewhere in the boonies of Charlotte, NC, I had the opportunity to dabble in some good, as well as some not-so-good, eats. Now, I know what you’re thinking, neither of these cities are well-known culinary meccas, and I have to agree with you on that, to some extent. However, I did come across a few hidden gems along my travels.

For anyone who can’t afford a trip to Napa, The Biltmore Estate in Asheville, NC is a must. Aside from the historic manse, the onsite farm-to-table restaurants and vineyard are spectacular. My sister, mother, and I indulged at Bistro, located near the farms. My only qualms were with my bone marrow appetizer that seemed more like a meal from the portion which was quite over-seasoned, but I can forgive that. From the duck pate that my mother and I munched on to the local wine to my sister’s fresh trout, cheesy grits, and candied greens I was in food heaven for the rest of the meal. My apologies for the lack of food pics. I was just too hungry. I admit to nearly rolling out of my chair. The meal was a nice end to great day trip.

Upon my food-induced-coma return to Charlotte I suffered through a terrible Mexican dinner the following night at a local chain restaurant that my sister asked me not to mention. I was elated to hear about a food truck rally happening not too far from her house on the last night of our stay.

I can’t say much here but, “Keep on trying truckers.” The five trucks present get an honorable mention from me for their attempts, since all I could think of was how much I was going to have to sweat the next day to melt all that cheese and pork fat slowly accumulating on my thighs. At the risk of sounding like Bubba from the movie Forrest Gump, there was pork-filled grilled cheese, pulled-pork tacos, ground-pork sliders, pork chili, alongside fried mac-n-cheese balls and other unctuous not-so goods. Although packed with flavor, the Cupcake Delirium truck didn’t help my narrowing arteries. These were my favs: Dulce de Leche with a cream-filled center first and then the Elvis (yes, that is candied bacon perched in peanut butter frosting on top of a banana cake).

Maki Taco truck 9pictured above) had more of a healthy bent, but by the time I got to it, an hour or so into the event, most of the menu items had sold out. Even my sister agreed that compared to Jefe’s Original, there was none. I am a certified pork and cheese lover, however, my swine needs to be succulent and my cheese worth the calories. It was a sad day for swine and cheese, thank goodness for Cupcake Delirium.  I’m an equal opportunity eater so I’m not giving up on Charlotte just yet.  My next trip back to them parts will include a taste from the ever-touted Harvest Moon Grill truck, a farm-to-table bit, or a visit to their downtown Charlotte location that was too booked to take us while the day we called…

Stay tuned for part two of Roadtrip Eats.

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