Rooftop Gourmet

Today, June 25th will be the last June 25th where Siobhan and I aren’t out celebrating our anniversary. We are getting married exactly one year from today and we both made a pact to start eating and living healthier lifestyles. It’s not like we eat bad to begin with, because most of our meals are prepared with the freshest, local ingredients we can find. We eat tons of seafood and exercise regularly (as well as beginning to train for the 2011 Boston Marathon), but it’s the snacking in between meals that kills me.

Recently Siobhan mentioned that I should start eating more fruit so I went out to the store to pick some up. While I was there, I had a great idea for dinner and my mission to load up on fruit got sidetracked.

I did happen to buy a dozen fresh peaches because they looked amazing sitting there, but I wasn’t planning on snacking on them. I couldn’t remember the last time I had a peach, so I picked one up and bit right into it. It was so ripe and juicy that we had to call for a clean up in Aisle 5. My entire forearm was dripping wet with the tart, sweet juices that ran from the bright orange flesh.

I finished my shopping while brainstorming, and headed back to the kitchen to put together this interesting idea of mine. In the past, I have grilled stone fruits and topped them with vanilla ice cream as a dessert, but I have never used them in a savory dish.

I figured that if I balanced the sweet flavors of the grilled peaches with something else, equally as bold and that had contrasting flavors,  the dish just might work. The smoky, and spicy flavors of Chipotle peppers in Adobo sauce was the perfect compliment. Chipotle peppers are Jalapeno peppers that have been smoked and submerged into this creamy, brick red, Adobo sauce.

 I spooned a few of the shriveled up chilies into the blender along with three whole fresh peaches, some lime juice, salt, pepper, and a healthy squirt of honey. After tasting, re-seasoning, tasting, and re-seasoning some more, the sauce was finally perfect. From the start, you could clearly taste the fresh peach puree, quickly followed by a burst of heat and then an underlying smokiness that lingered on your palate.

 I transferred the creation into a squeeze bottle a la Bobby Flay where it waited to adorn my dish. I had been marinating a few chicken breasts in what I like to call a Margarita bath.

Tons of fresh lime juice, cilantro, jalapenos, salt, and pepper. I only use this combination for quick marinades because the acidity in the lime juice begins to “cook” the chicken and it can get kind of nasty. A few hours at most and all of those flavors get injected into the meat perfectly. Halving peaches was alot harder than I expected, especially since the fruit was extremely ripe. I didn’t have the patience to slice down the bias, and softly twist the two halves open so Siobhan took over.

 My peaches looked like silly putty, while hers came out completely symmetrical. I simply coated the inner flesh in some vegetable oil and fired up the grill.

As soon as the chicken breasts hit the grates, the fresh citrus from the lime and the heat from the jalapeno filled the air. I oiled down the left side of the grill and carefully placed my fruit down to achieve beautiful grill marks. As long as your grill is super hot, the fruit only takes a few minutes to get soft. All of the natural sugars in the fruit start to caramelize and a sticky crust starts to form. This is when you take the fruit off and cover it in tin foil or plastic wrap to finish cooking. I plated the grilled chicken and peaches together and sprinkled them with some shaved green onion and drizzled my peachy-chipotle sauce on top.

To give the dish some texture, I deep fried a can of chick peas and violently tossed the warm beans in salt and ancho chile powder. The outer skins get nice and crispy while the warm center still melts in your mouth like rich hummus. I sprinkled the fried chick peas all over the dish and it looked sporadically enticing. The sweet and spicy combination turned out to be a huge hit. Siobhan rarely eats chicken because she says that it doesn’t have much flavor but she was licking her plate clean and popping the extra fried Garbanzos like it was popcorn.

The seductive peach, especially once it was grilled, melted in your mouth and then was interrupted by a burst of smoky heat from the complex sauce. I opened a bottle of the 2006 Penner-Ash Syrah from Oregon to bounce off this unique dish. Penner-Ash is known for their high end Pinot Noir, but I felt that this bold recipe deserved something with a little more “UMPH”. The wine was loaded with flavors of blackberry jam, cherry, and plum along with undertones of white pepper and smoky cedar. It was a perfect balance of Barossa Valley Shiraz style and French Croze-Hermitage style. Massive and abrasive at times, knocking you back in your seat and double-clutching your glass but gentle and balanced at other times, allowing the food to be the star.

The structure and mouthfeel of the wine was dense and quite smooth, as was the peachy-chipotle sauce. The two played terrifically with each other. Now that all of the peaches were gone after dinner, I had no choice but to snack on a box of Cheez-Its like I normally do. Oh well… at least I got my daily serving of fruit.

On Sunday we drove to Dedham to check out the new Whole Foods at Legacy Place because we heard it was out of this world. I’m surprised Siobhan let me go knowing how I am in a regular Whole Foods, let alone an oversized culinary kingdom. I could tell she was getting a bit nervous on the drive over because she started firing out dinner ideas, hoping that one would click and we wouldn’t spend four hours wandering down every aisle.

I could tell she was getting even more nervous, almost desperate, when she said she was craving a big chicken Ceasar salad. This was coming from the only person I know who doesn’t like chicken.

At first, I tried to remember the last time I actually had a Ceasar Salad; probably at least ten years ago when a Ceasar salad was like a prerequisit for every entree I ordered. I thought about all of the wild things I’d find in this massive culinary Disneyland, and Ceasar salad sounded a little too “blah” for me. 

After wandering around aimlessly for about an hour, completely overwhelmed, and full from all of the sample stations, I admitted defeat. I was completley stumped as to what to make for dinner. I started grabbing Ceasar salad components and sadly tossing them into my basket. It wasn’t until I made it to the cheese department before a light bulb went off in my head. I could make the boring, old Ceasar salad fun again but deconstructing all of the salad’s and the salad dressings’ components, and putting a slight twist on the traditional recipe.

All of a sudden, I sprung to life and started floating through the supermarket tossing all sorts of items into my basket. I was a little disappointed that they didn’t have fresh sardines to grill, but the white anchovies were a decent substitute.

We left the Whole Foods monstrosity and headed home to bring this dish together. The first thing I did when we got home was get the chicken breasts marinating in tons of fresh lemon juice, Dijon mustard, salt and pepper.

 This has always been my go-to grilled chicken marinate because it brings tons of flavor and lemons and Dijon are typically always in my fridge. I cheated and brought out the blender to make the dressing. I dunno if I was just too exhausted from Legacy Place or what, but the whisk was giving me an evil look all night. I tossed all the ingredients in at once (one raw egg, a few anchovies, lemon juice, olive oil, a clove of garlic, dash of Worchestire, salt and pepper) and let the motor do the work. In no time, the Ceasar dressing was thick, flavorful, and set aside while I fooled around with the other ingredients.

I knew that I was going to be out on the grill with the chicken breasts anyway, so I figured that I’d grill the bread and the lettuce as well. Yes, I said grill the lettuce. This isn’t as strange as it sounds trust me.

Italians have been grilling leafy greens for hundreds of years. Grilled radicchio or endive with a simple viniagrette is excellent for antipasti. I broke down the major components that make a classic Ceasar a Ceasar… an egg, garlic, anchovies, Parmesan cheese, and croutons. At least that’s what I think of when I picture a Ceasar salad. I hard boiled a few eggs, I reserved a few halved cloves of garlic to rub or grate into my warm, grilled croutons, and I set aside a few more white anchovies to garnish the dish with. I spread the cheese out on a baking Silpat sheet in a flat circle and baked them slowly until they were crispy, but still pliable.

When they were still warm out of the oven I molded them around these cool glasses that were in the cabinet so that they would set in a wavy bowl shape. I headed out to the grill and as soon as it was as hot as can be, I threw on the chicken, bread and finally at the last minute, the whole heads of Romaine. The lettuce only takes a minute and the grill has to be extremely hot. Back inside, I started assembling like an artist would on a blank canvas.

I put all of the deconstructed components onto a bamboo serving platter, topped with the sliced chicken breasts and a drizzle of the homemade Ceasar dressing. This was a really fun dish to eat. Everything tasted very good separately, but when you started to combine different components, all the classic flavors of Ceasar salad started to come together. I contrasted this playful dish with a really serious white wine. The 2008 Rustenberg Stellenbosch Chardonnay from Stellenbosch, South Africa is one of my new favorite whites. This wine reminded me of a fine White Burgundy, but coming from one of the rising star, wine making regions of South Africa.

It was beautifully balanced with oak, minerals, acid and fruit. Tons of orange and lemon peel flavors, as well as nectarines and apricots. The oak isn’t too overbearing, but makes its appearance in the finish with a slight toasted almond flavor. It is elegantly creamy, but still has enough acidity to make it a great food wine. Certainly all of the components in this wine come together and merge beautifully, I wouldn’t dare try to take them apart.

I love learning about other cultures and cuisines from around the world. Something about new and exotic flavor combinations fascinates me. Who would have thought that combining cinnamon and dried chilies tastes good, or carrots and ginger? I stumbled upon a new region of the world to learn about because of a hidden gem known as the Milford Spice Company.

 They are based out of Michigan but offer free shipping. They have the largest selection of spices I have ever seen. You name it… they have it.

Everything from Celtic Grey Sea Salt to Traditional Japanese Shichimi Spice; and they’re all delivered fresh to your door. I ordered some authentic Ethiopian Berber Spice Rub which is a staple in northern African cuisine.

Berber can come in a paste form as well but I opted for the dried version. There are many different varieties but long story short, it is a mix of dried chilies, paprika, garlic, ginger, all spice, cinnamon, cardamom, coriander, cloves, and fenugreek.

 A giant hodge podge of dried spices that all come together in harmony to create a sweet and spicy rub for meats and vegetables (just not pork because Ethiopians do not eat pork for religious reasons). I decided to sprinkle this magical dust all over a tiny squab that I roasted in the oven.

The brick red Berber spice adhered to the bird uniformly while I let it marinate in the fridge for a few hours ahead of time while I prepared the side dishes.

 The combination of carrots and fresh ginger is something that you’ll find in Ethiopia a lot.

I decided to make a carrot-ginger chutney which is slightly sweet, to serve with the squab to balance out some of the heat. A chutney is basically a spice and vegetable mixture that is rendered down almost to a wet paste, similar to an Italian caponata. I sauteed some cubed carrots and fresh ginger root, with some shallots and garlic until it was soft. Then I added some honey, golden raisins, and white wine vinegar before I covered it with vegetable stock and let it simmer away.

After about 45 minutes, the stock completely evaporated and what was left was a paste-like, sweet and sour chutney that still had a little bit of texture to it.

I also made some cumin scented, black sticky rice to serve as the base for my bird. I started the squab off in a screaming hot, 500 degree oven to create a crispy crust and then lowered the temperature to 375 degrees to finish off the cooking evenly. The aromas in my kitchen from the roasted spices were unlike anything I had ever smelled before. It was like roasted Christmas cinnamon sticks inside of a Tennesee BBQ pit.

Due to the heat in the Berber spice, I paired this meal with an off-dry Riesling from Washington State. The grapes from Charles Smith’s 2009 Kung Fu Girl Riesling are grown on extremely rocky soil in the Columbia Valley which gives it some rich minerality and powerful aromas of peaches and spring flowers. The wine is fresh and acidic with layered flavors of apricots, Asian pear, and a refreshing lime finish. At 12.5% alcohol, this Riesling had the perfect amount of sweetness to balance the Berber spiced squab.

The succulent, rich dark meat from the bird was so moist, and the crispy skin was infused with so many different flavors. I tamed some of the dried chilies with a dollop of plain yogurt and cumin seeds. Although I tried to replicate an authentic Ethiopian dish, I didn’t follow their customs as to how I ate it. Ethiopians eat with their hands and I opted to stick to the silverware.

After a breif stint in sunny Florida, it appears that we brought some of the nice weather back home with us. The teasing sunshine inspired me to pop open a bottle of one of my favorite Sicilian reds that I recently wrote an article about. I have always been a fan of Sicily’s melting pot cuisine with influences from all over the globe combined with local island fare. I decided to roast a chicken stuffed with tons of citrus and sprinkled with dried chili flakes. Citrus trees grow all over the island and are used frequently in the cooking.

Agrodolce translates to “sweet and sour”, which is a huge part of the cuisine as well. Balance is something that the Sicilian culture thrives on, whether it’s sweet and sour, hot and cold, or soft and crunchy. I made agrodolce onions by sauteing pearl onions in a reduction of white wine vinegar and sugar. I also tossed in some golden raisins at the end to add some texture and an extra pop of gooey sweetness. Here is the article that I submitted for our monthly wine newsletter…

Floating all alone in the Mediterranean Sea, the island of Sicily has long been the black sheep of quality Italian winemaking regions. In the past, the tradition of bulk winemaking has caused oenophiles to turn up their noses and drink their Brunello. However, in 2005, a new generation of winemakers infiltrated the vineyards and achieved the islands’ first D.O.C.G attribution. Joining the other all-stars such as Brunello  di Montalcino, Barolo, and Barbaresco, the Cerasuolo di Vittoria is the Yao Ming of Italian viticulture. It’s about time since the land is sprawled with vineyards and has a climate similar to that of Napa Valley. Sicily produces more wine than Chile and Argentina combined; and now they have the celebrity status to prove it. The Denominazione di Origine Controllata e Garantita or D.O.C.G is only applied to Italian wines which have distinctive signs of high quality, determined by vineyard and wine-making techniques (overall less than 8% of Italian wine production); not bad for a region known for their Marsala.

 As is true for every region of the country, the local wine compliments the style of the cuisine. The bold and muscular Nebbiolo from the north can stand face to face with a rich braise such as Osso Bucco. The 2008 Planeta Cerasuolo di Vittoria is much more versatile, which it has to be, to take on the circus-like cuisine of Sicily. The island’s crucial stop along the Mediterranean trade routes provided the cuisine and culture a matchless blend of Greek, French, Spanish, Arab and African influences. The healthy local fare is beyond unique, combining sweet and spicy flavors with the catch of the day.

The 2008 Planeta Cerasuolo di Vittoria is composed of 60% Nero d’Avola and 40% Frappato. Cerasuolo, meaning “cherry red”, perfectly describes the color of the wine. The aromatic Frappato fills your nose with sweet, strawberry candy and gently introduces you to the richer, earthier Nero d’Avola. This medium bodied red has silky smooth tannins and is purely seductive on the palate. The playful juiciness combined with the Burgundian sophistication makes this a unique, yet incredibly likeable wine. The natural acidity makes this a great food wine that will pair well with spicy dishes, or throw a quick chill on it in the summer and serve it with grilled seafood.

While laying out on the beach relaxing, I had plenty of time to come up with exciting new recipes for blog posts so stay tuned for some creative ideas, and always delicious wines.

One of my dad’s favorite desserts growing up was tapioca pudding but we rarely ate it because of the strange texture that turns most people away. The gooey pearls of who knows what, floating around in creamy globs of vanilla pudding. Recently, my girlfriend made a batch for herself and it intrigued me. I wondered if instead of adding sugar and vanilla extract to sweeten it, could I add savory spices?

I had a bottle of the 2006 Baileyana Firepeak Vineyards Pinot Noir which is grown on volcanic soil so I tried to play with that concept and create some ‘lava’ (smoked paprika tapioca pudding). The Baileyana is one of the most intriguing Pinot Noirs from California that I have ever tasted.

The vineyard is located at the foot of Islay Mountain, the southernmost in a chain of extinct volcanoes known as the Seven Sisters. The french winemaker creates this Pinot with a little Burgundian, old world influence, a little new world power, and a third futuristic element that comes from the soil. This is not your typical California, straightforward Pinot. The volcanic element in the soil known as “Devil’s Dirt” puts stress on the vines, forcing them to struggle, which in turn encourages the intense characteristics of Pinot Noir to shine through.

I started experimenting with the tapioca and eventually achieved the intense smoky flavor and bright magma color that I was looking for. Tapioca is actually a starch extracted from the Brazilian cassava root and is used as a thickener as well as the base for tapioca pudding.

Continuing with the healthy eating in 2010 theme, I subsituted mashed potatoes for cauliflower puree. After boiling the florets in milk, I transferred them to the blender and added some salt and lemon juice… no butter believe it or not (it was hard but I refrained).

The result was smooth as silk texture and light as air, fluffy puree; a perfect bed for my roasted chicken. I brined my chicken 12 hours ahead of time to keep the meat moist and juicy. Brining is a great way to enhance the flavor and texture of chicken or turkey. Simply soak the meat in water, salt, and sugar for up to 24 hours before cooking (keep the ratio: 1/4 cup salt to 1/4 sugar to 1 quart water).

The salt changes the muscle structure and allows it to retain more moisture throughout the cooking process; a chef’s secret to why chicken tastes better when you go out to eat.

 I removed the drumsticks and thighs from the brine and dried them off completely before I pan roasted them with some shallots and lemon. The skin got nice and crispy while the dark meat was succulent and tender on the inside. I plated the dish with some blanched broccoli rabe to add some color and a bitter component that followed the healthy trend.

The wine was bigger and fruitier than most Pinots, bursting with black raspberry jam and black cherry fruit. The tannins were stronger than normal but still smooth which made it stand up great to the dark chicken meat and the smoky ‘lava’. I would classify this as a big, powerful Pinot, which is somewhat of an oxymoron. The wine is full of spice and interesting acidity and minerality that makes you wonder what you’re drinking. The wine was superb and it was a perfect match for my tapioca experiment; kind of like the baking soda/vinegar volcano experiment I did in second grade.