Rooftop Gourmet

Imagine a football field covered in 75,000 flowers. Now imagine having to pick the three prongs out of the center of every single blossom. That is how many flowers it requires to yield only one pound of saffron; talk about tedious. Each Crocus, is an autumn flowering perennial plant that produces three strands, or prongs in the center of each blossom that must be picked and dried before selling.

They look like tiny, red clown eyelashes but they pack a ton of distinctive flavor as well as adding a deep, golden color to sauces. I wanted to put a little spin on one of my favorite Spanish dishes; paella, which uses saffron flavored rice as its main component.

Instead of rice, I used black barley for the grain component and made a quick chowder that was laced with saffron. Instead of piling the other classical paella components into the dish, I decided to keep it simple and stick to two. I pan roasted a beautiful, thick piece of Black Cod (otherwise known as Butterfish) until the top was nice and crispy and the inside was moist and flaky.

Black Cod tends to be a little meatier than regular Cod and its flesh has a pink hue to it before cooking. I didn’t want to leave out my favorite component of paella, the pork, so I made some crispy Prosciutto chips to garnish the plate with.

 Chorizo is the typical meat in paella, but I just happened to have some paper-thin Prosciutto de San Danielle in the fridge. All I did was spread them out on a baking dish lined with parchment and threw them in a 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes. I had some Chantrelle mushrooms on hand as well which I simply sauteed in butter and thyme to top the fish with.

I have been sitting infront of the computer now for hours and I still can’t figure out how to describe what saffron tastes like; saffron tastes like saffron. I have heard all sorts of things such as bitter hay, burnt flowers, earthy, and medicinal but there really is no definitive way to describe the most expensive spice in the world.

I paired this dish with the 2007 Graff Family Vineyards Pinot Blanc. This is a unique wine because not many people grow Pinot Blanc domestically, but the Graff Family does an exceptional job with it. This wine is very versatile and complex; it has great acidity and minerality from the limestone rich soil, with flavors of peach and melon fruit.

The juice is aged in French Oak barrels which gives it an underlying flavor and aroma of toasted hazelnuts. It worked extremely well with the dish because it didn’t overpower the cod and it allowed the saffron essence to shine.

 The acidity helped cut through the creamy chowder and the rich finish was pleasant with the earthy mushrooms. After every bite I took of the chowder I thought about the poor workers that have the patience to pluck the saffron prongs out of the flowers and I was incredibly thankful.

On Saturday, when I came home after a long day of work, I was greeted with the aromas of a holiday roast in the oven and my girlfriend who had been slaving in the kitchen all day. The house smelled amazing and I was anxious to see what she had in store for me so I asked her to open the oven. To my surprise, she removed a giant roasting pan holding a perfectly browned leg of lamb the size of a football! My first reaction was “how many people are coming over to eat this beast?”, followed by uncontrollable drooling. I love surprises and I love surprises even more when they’re stuffed with goat cheese! She had gone to the butcher and had them de-bone and butterfly an entire leg of lamb.

 Butterflying is a butchering technique that transforms thick, compact pieces of meat into thinner, larger ones with more surface area. It gets its name because the “unfolding” or the meat resembles the wings of a butterfly. She ended up at home with a piece of meat the size of a place mat and a roll of butchers twine; the next part I am glad I wasn’t around for because assembling and tying roasts is not my specialty.

She made a creamy goat cheese stuffing with apples, toasted pine nuts, and fresh mint that was to die for. Every component of the stuffing added another element to the dish; the nutty flavors from the pine nuts were great with the crisp and refreshing apples, and the fresh mint complimented the tangy goat cheese. Mint is one of those herbs that just elevates the flavor of lamb, and really brings out its natural gaminess. My grandmother still loves to eat her lamb chops with mint jelly (a classic condiment served with lamb) but I’m glad my girlfriend chose to put fresh mint in the stuffing rather than serve me something out of a Ghostbusters movie. She loaded the filling into the center of the lamb and rolled it up, tying it as she went along.

I have no idea how she did this part all by herself but somehow she managed to make it look absolutely beautiful; I’ll admit, I am a little frightened at how good she is at tying things up. She slowly roasted it in a 300 degree oven for almost two hours, and I had walked in just at the right time. Due to the fact that this leg of lamb (looks more like a leg of a linebacker) was stuffed with cheese, it was even more crucial to let it rest on the cutting board.

The internal temperature was hovering right around 140 degrees which indicates medium rare… just the way I like it. We sliced the roast and the cross section was picturesque; pink, tender and juicy meat surrounding a wallop of creamy stuffing. I inhaled about three slabs and some roasted potatoes before I started getting drowsy. I had to bring out a special bottle to serve with this masterpiece so I grabbed a 2006 Vieux Donjon Chateauneuf du Pape. Chateauneuf du Pape translates to “New Castle of the Pope”, and is a village in the Southern Rhone Valley France.

This wine growing region produces the best of the best from the Rhone Valley and uses primarily the Grenache grape although others such as Syrah and Mouvedre can be blended in as well. This wine is medium bodied and has aromas of sage, cedar, and dark plum. The texture of every sip is elegant and seductive with tons of peppery raspberry flavors.

Rhone Valley wines, especially Chateuneuf du Pape are classic pairings  for lamb dishes because even the wines have a slight gaminess to them. The mind-blowingly tender lamb was perfectly cooked and I could have eaten the filling with a spoon. The wine was a treat and the entire evening was exquisite thanks to the Rooftop Gourmette; no question about it, it was my turn to clean up.

Sometimes pizza take out menus can be ridiculously repetitive and boring; the same old dough, the same old sauce, and the same core toppings to choose from. Once you’ve exhausted all of your favorite combinations, it can be time for a change. The other day, a friend of mine mentioned to me that I never cook any Indian dishes so I decided to make an Indian themed pizza. I started off with some Naan bread, which is a staple in Indian cuisine.

Naan is a pita-like, flat bread that is traditionally cooked in a tandoor, or clay oven. The bread is used as a canvass for meats and vegetables, or as a spoon to scoop up curry dishes. I incorporated the curry into the sauce by combining some Yellow Madras Curry powder with lemon zest and creamy Mascarpone Cheese. I also marinated the chicken breasts in a spicy red curry sauce.

I simply grilled the chicken breasts and sliced them before making them the star of the pizza. I wanted to balance the spicy, smoky curry flavors in the sauce and the chicken with some sweet ingredients so I added some freshly diced pineapple chunks and some golden raisins.

The pineapple added a juicy acidic punch that helped cool down my taste buds, and when the golden raisins baked in the oven, they got plump and gooey. A few thin slices of Thai chile peppers added a subtle kick and some fresh cilantro topped everything off. After about 15 minutes in the oven, the Naan bread got nice and crispy on the bottom like a Tuscan thin crust pizza but remained pleasantly soft and chewy in the middle.

The combination of flavors were definitely new to me but totally worked in terms of balance. I figured that the heat in the curry and the Thai chilies were too much for a red wine, so I paired the pizza with a New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc.

The 2008 Dog Point Sauvignon Blanc is one of my all time favorites from Marlborough, New Zealand. Loaded with zesty tropical fruit and tart acidity, and finishing with a clean, refreshing crispness; this is your French Sancerre on speed.

Throw all of the grapefruit and balanced minerality out the window and get ready for a fruit-forward torpedo of flavor; a perfect match for such a bold pizza. Look for Naan flat breads in your local grocery store because Naan pizzas are the English Muffin pizza of the 21st century.

I find it funny when people call pork the “other white meat”. First of all, pork is pink and if it becomes white that means someone cooked the heck out of it. Growing up I never wanted to eat pork because my mother would always serve it well done, only to mask the dry texture with loads of applesauce. I don’t blame her at all because her generation was fed this myth that pork needs to be cooked all the way throughout.

In my opinion, pork tenderloin especially, should be served medium with a moist, pink center. Give your jaws a rest and start cooking your pork like you would a steak. I decided to encrust a pork tenderloin with whole grain mustard, sage, and Panko breadcrumbs for some added texture.

In whole grain or stone ground mustard, the seeds are not crushed but rather mixed with other ingredients such as water and vinegar. The effect is a more mild mustard flavor without that strong, tear inducing, bite; more suitable for coating an entire pork tenderloin.

I seasoned the pork with salt, pepper, and sage before applying a thin coat of the mustard to the pig, followed by a sprinkle of Panko breadcrumbs. I roasted the tenderloin atop Yukon Gold potatoes so that the mustard crust would stay intact, until the internal temperature reached 150 degrees (allowing 5-10 additional degrees during the resting period).

The resting period is more important than you think; I know it’s hard sometimes because I have the patience of a hungry three year old, but it’s a key component to keeping your meat juicy. When the tenderloin is in the oven at full temperature, the juices rush to the center of the roast. If you slice the meat immediately, the juices will run out onto your cutting board, leaving you with a dry center.

Resting cools down the juices just a bit and allows them to redistribute throughout the entire roast, leaving you with an evenly juicy piece of meat. I served the pork with some roasted Poblano peppers and Yukon Gold potatoes.

Poblanos are relatively mild, but when roasted, they still bring a little bit of heat to the mix. The meat was succulent and juicy which contrasted perfectly with the crunchy Panko crust. The slight pungent tang of the mustard was a nice compliment to the wintry sage flavors and aromas. I chose to pair this meal with the 2007 Montgras Quattro red blend from Chile.

The Quattro is a blend of, you guessed it, four different grapes; 30% Cabernet Sauvignon, 30% Malbec, 25% Syrah, and 15% Carmenere. Each varietal gives this wine a distinct quality whether its body, fruit, spice, color, or aroma. The end result is a well balance, food friendly red blend. Medium in body, it displays black currant, cherry, and leather flavors, followed by some rich coffee and vanilla on the finish. The tannins are very smooth and the balance between oak and fruit is perfect for pairing it with pork. Next time someone recommends the “other white meat”, ask them if they are referring to tofu.

Shellfish, Pig, and Fruit… sounds crazy right? Trust me on this one;  the combination is absolutely delicious. After a long day at work I was in the mood for something quick and simple for dinner. As I strolled through the supermarket, the first thing that caught my eye were the bright red, plump strawberries. I threw a package in my cart with the intention of having a healthy dessert as opposed to the typical cheese plate or ice cream. After wandering around for another 20 minutes with nothing to show for it in my cart but a lonely box of strawberries, I got an idea. I still had some leftover Double Smoked Bacon in the fridge that I could pair with the fresh fruit.

 I don’t know where this idea came from, but if you still can’t grasp it… think about the strawberry jam you spread on your toast at brunch dropping  into your bacon. The marriage between the smoky, salty bacon and the sweet, and tart strawberries are a match made in heaven (very similar to a Hawaiian pizza: pineapple and bacon).

 I picked up some fresh shrimp and headed home to get started. My goal was to bring these three bold flavors to life by keeping the preparation simple and hoping that they would all come together as a complete dish. Each ingredient is typically eaten on it’s own anyway and I thought it would be interesting to combine all three.

After some tedious peeling and de-veining  of the shrimp, I threw them on the grill while the bacon was rendering on the stove. The entire apartment reeked of savory bacon which kept my brief stint on the deck even more brief. I simply tossed the warm shrimp, with a slight char on them, together with the sliced strawberries and the crispy bacon strips. A squirt of fresh lemon juice and a little salt and pepper completed the dish, creating a perfect harmony of all three ingredients.

The warmth of the bacon and shrimp elevated the natural aromatic essence that strawberries have, perfuming the room. Each bite was delectable and surprising, ranging from sweet and salty to briny and smoky.

The contrasting textures were a plus as well going from the crispy bacon, to the fleshy berry, and finishing with the pop of the shellfish. I decided to pair this dish with a wine that is just as simple yet complex as the food was. The 2008 Forefront Sauvignon Blanc is new project by Pine Ridge Wines, which offers more affordable wines with the same Pine Ridge quality. This wine is composed of 67% Sauvignon Blanc from Sonoma, and 33% Sauvignon Blanc from Napa.

The blending of the grapes from neighboring appellations gives this white balance and complexity. The Napa Valley fruit brings the crisp acidity while the Sonoma fruit compliments it with a rich mouthfeel. This is a very approachable wine that has classic grapefruit flavors as well as some lime and honeydew melon. The subtleness and acidity was just what this complex dish needed as its counterpart. Unfortunately I ate all my strawberries with dinner so I was forced to settle with ice cream for dessert.