Rooftop Gourmet

 Over the weekend, a bunch of my college friends flew into town for their annual Boston trip. I know how these guys like to eat so I had to come up with some affordable meal ideas that could feed an army.

My initial thought was a baked pasta dish because I can assemble everything ahead of time and just throw it into the oven when they start to get feisty. I am a cheese fanatic, so I decided to make a five cheese (the more the better) casserole and top it with chopped, buttery cashews. I had to bring out my monster, lobster pot just to boil enough water to cook five pounds of rigatoni.

The rich, cheese sauce started out with a simple bechamel sauce; one of the classic, French mother sauces. Equal parts butter and flour get whisked frantically over medium heat to create a light roux. Once the flour taste was cooked out, I added a ton of scalded milk and brought it to a simmer.

The roux is what thickens the milk and creates the base for the cheese sauce. One by one, I added the different cheeses; first the Gouda, then the Fontina, then the Gorgonzola, then the Parmesan, then more Gorgonzola, and lastly some Mozzarella. By the time I was done whisking, and all of the cheeses slowly melted into the sauce, my arm was exhausted.

The creamy sauce was like glue but insanely rich and decadent. After the pasta was strained, I gave it a cheese bath with some fresh peas and folded it into an industrial, tin foil baking sheet. I added some breadcrumbs, chopped cashews, and grated Pecorino cheese on top to give it a buttery crunch; my favorite part of baked mac and cheese is the crispy crust.

After about thirty minutes in the oven, the crust had formed and the inside was gooey and bubbly.

The contrast between the crunchy cashews and the creamy cheese sauce was a hit, but after everyone had a brick of the casserole it was time to start the main course. I’ve found that one of the best ways to feed a ton of people on a budget is to buy large, inexpensive cuts of meat and cook them slow and low (braise them).

Once the meat gets tender enough to pull it apart with a fork, I shred it all up and serve it in tacos; this is also perfect because people can eat standing up (I don’t have enough chairs for everyone anyway). I bought a five pound beef top round that I cooked over low heat on the grill, inside a tin foil tray. I filled the tray with a mixture of fresh ginger, limes, garlic, Thai chilies, beef broth, and soy sauce.

The huge, caveman cut of beef braised in this liquid for over three hours until it was falling apart on its own. I put some of my friends to work shredding it while I prepared the accompaniments for the taco bar. I made carmelized shallots, sliced green onions, a Siracha sour cream sauce, and a purple cabbage slaw that was tossed with rice wine vinegar and sesame oil.

Even though everyone was stuffed from the cheesy casserole they still managed to wolf down a few tacos. The five pounds of beef goes a long way; I still have about half leftover. This would be a great idea for a Super Bowl party a few weeks down the road even though it will be tough to decide who to root for.  

Over the past few years there has been a huge increase in popularity and demand for artisanal microbrews and specialty beers. The gourmet beer craze has officially swept the nation and people are now buying $30 22oz. beers like they would Bordeaux. I came across a beer the other day that I couldn’t resist trying based on its description; “the first beer specifically designed to be paired with food”. The Estrella Damm Inedit is a blended beer created by world renown Spanish chef Ferran Adria’ of elBulli restaurant.

It is a hybrid barley-malt lager and Belgian Wheat ale, brewed with a blend of spices and yeast, that is double fermented in the bottle to add weight and complexity; in other words… this is not your typical beer pong, red cup filler. The brewmaster recommends serving it slightly chilled in a white wine glass for it to reach its maximum potential. Since I had not yet tasted the beer, I decided to play it somewhat safe by looking for a classic beer snack to pair it with.

I am a huge fan of wasabi peas whether they’re on their own or buried in a snack mix because they’re crunchy and they have just the right amount of heat that always makes you want to take another sip. I figured that if I pulsed the wasabi peas in the food processor just a little bit they would still keep their crunchy texture and add an enormous punch of flavor to anything.

I decided to use them to encrust a piece of salmon along with some fresh lime zest, which I eventually baked in the oven. Since I was already using some fake peas, I decided to pair the fish with some sauteed snap peas (yes they’re real) and a quick cabbage slaw. In order to cool down the nose burning, horseradish heat I had to make a sauce with a touch of sweetness.

Sticking with  the Japanese theme, I thought about the typical sushi accompaniments… wasabi, ginger, and soy sauce. The base for my sauce was sauteed shallots, fresh ginger, and garlic which I then deglazed with tons of Ponzu vinegar and soy sauce. Ponzu has a strong citrus flavor and the soy is pretty salty so I added some honey and let everything reduce to a sweet, sticky consistency.

The salmon baked for roughly ten minutes until it was pink throughout and the wasabi crust gained a touch of golden brown. I put a pretty good chill on the beer, maybe because I am used to drinking ice cold Bud Light, so at first the aroma didn’t impress me too much. After I let the beer open up in the glass for a while I was completely blown away!

The fruity nose smelled like dried apricots and honey, and the lightly carbonated beer was so rich on my palate. It started off filling my mouth with a creamy texture reminiscent of a fine White Burgundy; flavors of pear, orange, and toasted pine nuts.

The beer then finished smoothly but with a touch of spice that reminded me of a Gewurztraminer. The finish was so memorable and seemed to last forever. I found that all of the characteristics that make wine and food work so well together were equally abundant in this Spanish beer. It seemed to work beautifully with the wasabi-pea encrusted salmon too.

I totally see where the chef and brewmaster were coming from when they created this food-friendly beer. In my opinion, Ferran Adria’ has set a benchmark in the history of craft brewing that I assume other celebrity chefs will soon follow. Look for specialty beers to start popping up on wine lists all over the country and paired with gourmet dishes… not just a bowl of snack mix.

Sometimes I forget how much I love football season. Waking up on Sunday and watching the pregame show all morning while planning the two most important things…What game I am going to watch and what I am going to eat. I figured there’s no better way to kickoff the 2009 season than with burgers. Freshly ground chuck meat, aged swiss, thick cut bacon, and crispy shallots all piled up on my favorite burger vessel… the english muffin! I mixed the ground chuck with some finely diced red onion, garlic and loads freshly ground black pepper. Grill these hockey puck sized patties until they’re about medium rare to medium and make sure to let them rest for a few minutes before sinking your teeth in. After putting back about four of these bad boys I needed to be hosed off and I was ready for a day of football and food comas. Try these with a Shiraz from the Barossa Valley, or an ice cold beer, possibly an Octoberfest or Pumpkin Ale. Stay tuned for a Pumpkin beer tasting and Cook Off where I will create a recipe using the most popular Pumpkin beer this Fall… I am thinking about a Pumpkin Ale Chili.

Even though I will most likely be using the grill all winter long, I felt the Fall weather coming and decided to make one of my favorite summer staples before it’s too late. Back in college was the first time I had ever attempted the “Beer Can Chicken”, and let me tell you, it takes a few trial and error periods to get it just right. The bull chested bird standing proudly atop the grill is not just for show, but actually serves a purpose for squatting on a beer can. As seen in the pictures below, I cut the top of the beer can off before I insert it into the cavity. As the bird slowly cooks on the grill, the beer simmers and keeps the entire inside of the cavity moist throughout the entire cooking process. As long as you don’t completely torch the chicken, your meat will be perfectly moist and tender.

In the past, I have rubbed the outside of the chicken in butter, fresh herbs, lemon, garlic, you name it… but this time I wanted to spice it up a bit and try out some new flavors. I have been experimenting with a lot of Indian flavors so I created my own spice rub consisting of Cumin, Corriander, Cayenne Pepper, Ginger, Tumeric, and Paprika.

Typical combinations of these spices are used to flavor all types of meats inside what is called a Tangine; a clay cooking vessel. Generously cover the entire bird with the rub and let it sit in the refrigerator for a couple of hours if possible. Since most of these flavors are incredibly intense (hot, spicy, smoky), I made a Greek Yogurt sauce with diced cucumbers and fresh dill to cool down the chicken.

The hardest part of assembling the whole bird is getting it to fit onto the beer can and still be stable. Sometimes snipping the skin in between the legs helps, especially if you use a 22oz. Fosters can like I did. Depending on the size of the bird, it takes about 45 minutes on the grill so this is a great meal to serve at a party because people can socialize while the bird is cooking and admire the way it stands up straight and watches everybody while it roasts. Make sure the bird is not sitting over direct high heat, or else certain parts of the bird will burn and cook unevenly. Typically eating food with intense spice, heat, or other bold flavors such as Thai, or Chinese food requires a fruiter white wine. The tannins in most red wines will clash with the food and give off an unpleasant taste and even make spicier foods burn longer. I recommend Caymus Conundrum with this Indian Spiced Beer Can chicken because it is a blend of a few different white grape varietals which are all relatively fruity and very aromatic such as Muscat.

If you cannot find Conundrum near you, try a Gewurztraminer or Riesling from the Alsace Region of France. I would recommend going out and purchasing a meat thermometer, which comes in handy for a lot of different things, but specifically this recipe. If you insert the tip into the thickest part of the thigh, the internal temperature should read 160 to 165 degrees before taking the chicken off the grill to rest. After about ten minutes of resting, slice the bird, and serve with a cool cucumber/yogurt sauce.

After cleaning out my fridge the other day I noticed that I still have about a case of Guinness leftover from a St. Patricks Day party that has just been occupying precious real estate. The thought of downing a pint of Guinness on a hot summer day makes me cringe, so my girlfriend and I decided to put it to good use. She took over the kitchen and did all the cooking while I was at work and had a nice slow cooked meal for me when I came home. She braised beef short ribs in Guinness beer, with some molasses, beef stock and some Chinese Five Spice. The flavors all came together perfectly. If you have never used Chinese Five Spice, you need to head out and grab a bottle from your local grocery store. This seasoning is perfect for rich beef dishes, chicken, and even fish or vegetables. Certain brands of Five Spice are slightly different, but for the most part it is a combination of Chinese cinnamon, ground ginger, ground cloves, ground Sichuan peppers, and either ground star anise or ground fennel seed. The blend of sweet, savory and spicy come together to create an amazing dry rub or seasoning for a wide variety or meats or veggies. The cinnamon and cloves flavors were perfect after braising with the dark stout for a few hours. Five Spice would be a great seasoning for this winters’ new chili recipe. She served the short ribs (which were falling off the bone) over homemade roasted garlic mashed potatos, and a side of sauteed brussel sprouts. The meal was amazing! The molasses in the braising liquid not only helped thicken the sauce but added a hint of sweetness and shimmering glaze to the beef. Such a hearty, heart-warming meal could only be matched with a big, powerful, fruit-forward red. I chose the Stags Leap Petit Syrah from Napa. It was a match made in heaven. Gobs of dark, jammy fruit exploding in your mouth, balanced with powerful tannins. Hints of spice and earth but for the most part just rich, lush fruit forward red. A match made in heaven for braised beef short ribs!! It turned out to be a cold, rainy night too which made this comfort food meal perfect (and of course it was my turn to clean up) .