#2: A Middle Eastern feast.

Well, our second You Pick Two event occurred this past Saturday and it went even better than I expected.  It's been a couple months since our first event back in October, but between making Thanksgiving for 16 people and putting together our annual holiday party, there just wasn't time to schedule one before 2013 ended.  But, we are thankfully back on track in 2014 and plan to do them monthly.

Our feast.

I started doing these events (and writing this blog) as a way to challenge myself creatively, through my cooking, my writing, and my photography.  But I realized that I am also challenging our guests in a way - they have to pick two people and maybe try some foods they either have never had or have been to scared to try.  I think this is a good thing, I wanted to provide something different or unexpected from the normal dinner party or night out.  That being said, I am sure you could go to many restaurants  and have a wonderful meal that would make some of these dishes I made seem ordinary, but for some reason making all these dishes from scratch in my kitchen made them feel more special than getting them at a restaurant.  For this round, I wanted to do something I have never really done before: a complete middle eastern/mediterranean feast with lots of warm and cold mezze that we could share and pick at while sitting at the table.  We definitely had plenty of food, in fact the photo doesn't show the fish I cooked (which was sitting on the stove) and the big bowl of fattoush (we plated it before we sat down), since there was no room left on our dining table.  But one rule for me in terms of entertaining, it's always preferable to have too much rather than too little.  That being said, I did kind of go a little overboard.  Regardless, a little indulgence is good for the soul every now and again.

For this event, the two we picked were a couple who are really close friends of ours - Joe Kuehne and Javier Aquino.  In particular, I have known Joe for about 12 or 13 years now.  We met randomly at a party in Arlington, VA of all places.  Kevin's roommate from college played on a soccer team with Joe.  We went to a party hosted by the mutual friend and bonded over gin and tonics and really bad Girls Gone Wild videos (they are like car crashes, you can't not look).  Joe means a lot to me because he was the first person to show me around DC and to introduce me to his inner circle of gay and straight friends.  I spent a lot of time by myself in Virginia while Kevin was in law school at night and working full-time.  Joe would always invite me into DC for a night on the town on the weekend.  We spent many late nights at the now-closed (and forever missed) Chaos nightclub.  He also helped me become comfortable with who I am as a gay man and brought Kevin and I into a whole new group of people that we are still very close with.  Joe and Javi started dating a few years ago but Javi has already become a close friend of ours.  I work a lot with Joe on filming videos and documentaries and Javi has become indispensable at any of our shoots - not to mention he's a fantastic host and cook in his own right.  So, who were their pick two's?  Joe admitted it was tough to find two people we didn't already know through him, but they invited a fun and interesting couple named Subi Ram and Paddy O'Connor.

From left: Paddy, Subi, me, Joe, and Javi.

Subi and Paddy have been together for many years.  Our friend Javi met Subi (randomly) at a taping of Jeopardy back when they filmed Celebrity Jeopardy here in DC a few years ago.  They bonded and have been in touch ever since.  It's easy to see why since they are friends - both are very outgoing, social, and confident.  Subi is a manager at a retail store here in the DC area (Bethesda) while Paddy works for Virgin Atlantic.  You may have guessed that, yes, Paddy O'Connor is Irish. :)   Subi is Brazilian and speaks fluent Portuguese.  He also has a mother who is a fantastic cook.  I'm hoping to get some authentic Brazilian recipes from my new friend.  Paddy is from Dublin and, thankfully, has managed to maintain most of his charming Irish accent.  Being mostly Irish myself, it was comforting to talk about our heritage and where I grew up.  I spent most of my high school years as a bar back at an Irish restaurant in Worcester, MA, called (ironically) O'Connor's.  It frankly was one of the worst jobs I have ever had, but it made me work really hard in high school so that I could get into a good college.  Paddy lives in London now and flies all over the world for work, traveling to the east coast a lot.  In fact, he had just come off a flight that day and was flying back the next day.  It was fortunate timing and I was very happy they could come to our home and share a great meal, plenty of wine, and lots of laughs.  I look forward to seeing them again soon.

One of the more fun parts of the evening was being introduced by Subi and Paddy to the game "Head's Up!" that Paddy had on his iPhone.  It's a $100,000 pyramid-type game where the person with the phone picks a category, then places the phone on their forehead with the screen facing out towards everyone.  Different names, places, etc. pop up on the screen (depending on the category) and the person holding the phone has to guess what's on screen using the clues and gestures of the group.  Amazingly, it also records everything using the iphone's video camera to save for review (or humiliation) later.  We passed the phone around a few times but no one could beat Subi's record of 11 correct answers for "Brand Names".  Much like shooting pool, there's a point where everyone gets really good for a round or two, but then quickly falls off as the drinks add up.

I also wanted to mention our friend Chuck, who took a chance by starting his own floral arrangement venture called Lush Arrangements.  He does beautiful work and I highly recommend him for any event you may have.  Here is a fantastic photo taken by Subi of the centerpiece.  There were actually three of these beautiful arrangements but frankly we ran out of space on the table.  I used petals from one of the roses in the arrangement to add some color to the silver dipping bowls you see at the ends.  They were there to clean your fingers throughout the meal since this food was meant to be eaten with your hands.

Great shot Subi!

Here, finally, is the menu from the evening.  I will be posting the recipes, photos, etc. over the next few weeks.  I hope you give one of them a shot in your kitchen.

MENU

A Middle Eastern Feast

January 25, 2014

Cocktail

Pomegranate Punch

Pomegranate juice, pear nectar, Grand Marnier, champagne

Mezze

Labneh

Greek yogurt, extra virgin olive oil, sumac

Stuffed fillo triangles

Ground beef, onions, pine nuts

Hummus bi Tahina

Stuffed grape leaves

Falafel

Fattoush

Romaine lettuce, sumac, pita chips, lemon dressing

Sweet and spicy eggplant salad

Ginger, chile, honey

Artichoke salad

Preserved lemons, turmeric, extra virgin olive oil

Ras el-hanout roasted leg of lamb

Halibut in warm tomato, saffron sauce

Homemade pita bread

Dessert

Turkish delight syllabub

Whipped cream, Cointreau, rosewater, pistachios

It's bananas.

Wrapping up our first You Pick Two event I wanted to post our dessert, which was a huge hit.  Keeping the updated Americana theme, I decided to update the traditional banana creme pie.  Turns out, a lot of people out there have done something similar.  My research took me to the one linked below.  I have never been to Momofuku Milk Bar in New York (or Toronto), but I have heard glowing reviews about it.  After making this, I can understand why.  It takes some time and has a few steps but is totally worth it.  In fact, this chocolate crumb crust could be used with any filling.  The recipe is very versatile and good to have your in arsenal.

The chocolate crumb crust could be used for any pie.

Here is a link to the recipe I used for the pie:


http://www.hummingbirdhigh.com/2013/07/momofuku-milk-bar-banana-cream-pie.html


To make it my own, I topped the slices of pie with whipped cream and salted caramel sauce.  The salted caramel sauce is easy and can be used in a lot of ways, it's perfect over cold vanilla ice cream in particular.  I used the "wet sand" method for the caramel, which adds a little water to the sugar to help it dissolve.

Salted Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
1 cup sugar
1/4 cup water
3/4 cup heavy cream
3 1/2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 teaspoon Maldon sea salt (or kosher salt)

Directions
1. In a heavy-bottomed saucepan (I used a 3-quart pan), combine the sugar and water and heat over medium heat until the sugar dissolves. Once it dissolves, turn the heat up to medium high so that the sugar begins to boil.  DO NOT STIR.

2. If you find sugar crystals are sticking to the sides of the pan you can use a wet pastry brush to re-dissolve the crystals.  I did not have to do this.

3. Boil until sugar becomes amber in color.  I didn't let it get it too dark since it becomes bitter at that point.  In the photo below, you can see it's staring to turn amber.  I turned the flame off right after I took this picture.

4. Once you turn the heat off, pour in the cream slowly, making sure to whisk the whole time.  It will sputter and bubble.  Just make sure to keep whisking.  Once it's mixed, add the butter and salt and stir them in to the sauce.  Let it cool and serve.

A melting pot.

When I thought of what to put as the main course for this updated American classics menu, I immediately knew that I wanted to do something stewed or braised.  It's by far my favorite way to cook meat, mostly because I love the laissez faire nature of the process, but also because cheaper and tougher cuts of meat have so much more flavor than more expensive ones.  I love a filet as much as the next person, but a well prepared beef stew is so satisfying and comforting.

The challenge here was to update that classic recipe to something new and modern.  After a pleasing phở lunch at a local Vietnamese restaurant, I realized that the two dishes share a lot in common.  I thought I could marry some of the flavors of the phở broth with some traditional beef stew ingredients (carrots, onions, etc.).  The result was an aromatic beef stew that frankly came out even better than I was hoping.  The key is to let it sit overnight though, the flavors need to mingle and mellow.  But that's easy, just make it a day or two before.  It would be excellent for a holiday dinner or a new year's eve feast.  

I served the stew over an attempt at a potato/celery root "cake" that didn't quite turn out as expected.  Instead, I would recommend serving the stew with something creamier, like a potato gratin (there are dozens of recipes online for this, I recommend Ina's fennel/potato gratin in particular).  I also served a sauteed kale that was wonderful.  I fried some sliced garlic in the olive oil first, then added the kale along with some stock and sultanas.

As a side note, one of our pick two guests turned out to be vegetarian.  Next time, I will make sure to ask about dietary needs before the menu is made.  Luckily there were enough vegetarian items in the first course, as well as sides for the main, that it worked out just fine.  Lesson learned though.   Happy holidays everyone.

Aromatic Beef Stew
Ingredients
4-5 lbs. of grass-fed stew beef (I used chuck roast), trimmed and cubed
1/4 cup olive oil (ordinary not extra virgin)
1/2 cup of all purpose flour
4-5 carrots, peeled and cut into one-inch pieces
1 large onion, diced
1/2 bottle of dry, full bodied red wine (I used chianti here)
2 cups beef or mushroom broth
salt and pepper
for the bouquet garni:
1 large sprig rosemary
8-10 sprigs of thyme
3 star anise
3 bay leaves
1 cinnamon stick
cheese cloth

Directions
1. Make the bouquet garni.  Place the rosemary, thyme, star anise, bay leaves, and cinnamon stick on a large piece of cheesecloth.  Wrap and tie in a bundle using kitchen twine.

2. Prep the beef and vegetables.  Peel and dice the carrots and the onion.  Set vegetables aside.  Cube beef into large (1-2 inch) cubes.  Spread the flour in a large dish, add a big pinch of salt and several grinds of black pepper - stir to mix into the flour.  Make sure meat is dry and at room temperature.  Add beef to the flour and lightly coat each cube, shaking off any excess flour.

3. Heat a large dutch oven over medium high heat for several minutes.  Pour the oil in the pan.  Add beef cubes to hot pan and brown on each side, it may take several batches.  Absolutely do not crowd the pan or you will steam the meat.  Remove browned cubes to a plate.

4. After meat has been browned, turn heat down to medium low and add the carrots and onions.  Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and several grinds of black pepper.  Saute and stir the veggies around in the beef fat for several minutes.

5. Once the onion is soft, add 1/4 cup of the red wine to deglaze the pan.  Use the back of a wooden spoon or spatula to scrape up all the brown bits from the bottom of the pan.  Once that is complete, add the rest of the wine and the broth.  Bring the mixture to a boil.

6. Once the mixture has come to a boil, add the bouquet garni and the browned beef back to the pot.  Turn heat down so that you maintain a soft simmer.  Cover the pan slightly and let cook for 4 to 4.5 hours or until the meat is tender.  You should be able to cut the meat with a fork when it is ready.

7. Let the stew cool, remove the bouquet garni, and put the pan in the fridge to let sit overnight (stew can sit for 2-3 days in the fridge if that makes it easier).

8.  Reheat the stew in the pan for about 15 minutes over low heat before serving.  Garnish with sliced green onions or chopped flat leaf parsley.


Sauteed Kale with garlic chips and sultanas
Ingredients
2 large bunches of organic green or black kale, ribs removed, leaves cut in large strips
1/2 cup of golden raisins (sultanas), soaked in hot water for about 10 minutes
4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
salt and pepper
1/4 teaspoon of red chili flakes
1/4 cup ordinary olive oil
3/4 cup of chicken broth

Directions
1. Heat the olive oil over medium heat in a large saute pan for several minutes.  Add the sliced garlic to the hot pan.  Let the garlic fry for about 30 seconds then stir the slices around for a minute in the pan, allowing the edges to brown.  The garlic should gently fry in the oil, if it does not sizzle, turn up the heat a bit.  Remove the browned garlic to a plate before they burn.

2. Turn heat to low and add sliced kale to the pan, the oil may sputter a bit but do not worry.  Add 1/2 teaspoon of salt, several grinds of black pepper, and a fat pinch of red chili flakes.  Place the lid on the pan.

3. After a 3-4 minutes, remove lid and press down on the kale.  Add the chicken broth and drained sultanas to the pan.  Place the lid back on the pan.

4. Let everything cook with the lid on for another 5 minutes or so.  Then, remove the lid, and stir everything around a few times and put the lid back on.  Cook kale for another 8-10 minutes on low heat, all the liquid should be absorbed when the kale is done cooking.  When ready to serve, decant the kale into a large serving bowl and sprinkle over the garlic chips.

Thanksgiving wrap-up

Our 19-lb bird came out golden and delicious.

Well, it was a busy Thanksgiving this year at our house.  We hosted about 16-17 people and the day lasted well into the night.  It was a lot of work but a lot of fun.  Although it was not a You Pick Two event, I thought it was worth posting a quick recipe that was an unexpected hit.

I try to rotate in every year something new or different from the year before.  This year I made two things, a different stuffing than normal and this traditional Southern recipe: Pineapple Salad.  I am not sure where the "salad" part comes from (maybe because it has fruit?) but there is nothing green about this.  It's adapted from Clay Aiken's recipe that he gave Martha Stewart.  I cut the sugar way down since the pineapple bits are sweet enough.  It sounds completely bizarre but went fantastically with the ham shank I made.  I could see this coming back to our table next year.

Pineapple Salad
Ingredients
one 20 oz can of pineapple tidbits
one 16 oz (large bag) of shredded cheddar cheese
1/2 cup sugar
6 tablespoons flour
1 teaspoon baking powder*
1 sleeve Ritz crackers, crumbled
1/2 stick melted butter

Directions
1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
 2. Combine pineapple, cheese, sugar, flour, baking powder, half the Ritz crackers, and half the butter in a medium bowl.
3. Transfer to a 3 quart baking dish and sprinkle the remaining Ritz crackers over and then drizzle remaining butter on top.
4. Bake for 35-40 minutes.  Let cool about 10 minutes before eating.

*you could just use 6 tablespoons of self-rising flour if you have it.

Stuff it.

There are very few appetizers that seem more classically American to me than stuffed mushrooms.  Growing up, whenever we were at a restaurant in Worcester and they had stuffed mushrooms on the menu, I thought I was eating someplace fancy. But as I got older and moved away from Worcester, I never really saw them on menus anymore. I guess they went out of style. 

They are ready for the party.

I briefly subscribed to Cooking Light after college and there was a section in each issue where readers would send in their recipe for healthier, or at least less-caloric, versions of classic recipes. One issue had a stuffed mushroom recipe, I gave it a try and it turned out great. I have made them for lots of events since then. However, this lighter version contained cottage cheese and that just didn't seem appropriate here, so I made it to a bit more luxurious for this meal. I also switched out the white button mushroom for baby portobello (cremini) ones, since they have more flavor and a meatier texture. The stuffing comes together quite quickly in a pan and, once ready, easily fills the stemless holes of a couple dozen mushrooms. Maybe it's time for a comeback?  Serve them warm or at room temperature.

Stuffed mushrooms
Ingredients
1 green pepper, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, diced
24 cremini mushrooms, stems removed
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil, divided
2/3 cup sour cream
2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup panko breadcrumbs
smoked paprika (pimenton, if you can get it, is the best)
grated parmesan cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper

Preparation
1. Remove the stems from the mushrooms and discard them (I used about 3 packages of whole creminis).  Place the stemless mushrooms hole-side up on a cookie sheet that has been sprayed with cooking spray first.

2. Preheat the oven to 350°F. Melt the butter in a nonstick skillet over medium-high heat.  Add the diced onion, bell pepper, and garlic. Add the salt and pepper. Saute for 5-7 minutes, until they are tender.

3. Once the onion/pepper/garlic mixture is soft and cooked, stir in the sour cream and Worcestershire sauce, the mixture will become a little soupy at this point.  Turn off the heat and add the panko breadcrumbs.  Stir to combine.  The mixture should become quite thick, if not, keeping adding a tablespoon of bread crumbs one at a time until it does.

4. Let the mixture cool for a few minutes, then spoon generously into the holes of the cremini mushrooms.

5.  Sprinkle pimenton and grated parmesan cheese over each stuffed mushroom.  Drizzle a small amount of oil on each mushroom as well.  Put in the oven and bake for about 20 minutes, until the mushrooms have softened and released their water and the tops are golden brown.

A dip for sharing.

When I was younger, I used to watch my sister devour Helluva good onion dip with some fritos and wonder what was so good about it. On Christmas eve, my mother would mix a packet of Lipton french onion soup mix into a container of sour cream and serve it to our family with some crackers - it would disappear quickly.

Because it took me a couple decades to try anything beyond a turkey sandwich, I didn’t discover this incredibly delicious salty/savory/creamy combo until my 20’s. And although I loved it, as I became more aware of the food I was eating and how it was made, I wasn’t crazy about all the processed items in the store bought dip (nor the calories). So I thought I would try to make it from scratch (using less caloric ingredients) to see if it tastes as good – and let me tell you, this is so much better. It also seemed a great match for my updated American classics menu.

To go along with, I took a risk and tried to make my own Saltines. I figured the salty, crispy bites would complement the creamy dip. After a lot of online research, I came across a recipe I could adapt that seemed fairly easy. I was nervous since I don’t consider myself a baker, but the recipe is foolproof and your food processor does most of the heavy lifting. I would definitely make these again, even without this dip. They aren’t quite the consistency of saltines, they were a little more crisp, but still quite great for the amount of work it required. The unexpected bonus here is how competent you will feel using a rolling pin.

Caramelized Onion Dip

Ingredients
1 large onion (I used a sweet onion), diced as finely as you can do
1 tablespoon butter
1 tablespoon olive oil (not extra virgin)
1 teaspoon thyme leaves
1 teaspoon granulated sugar
2-3 tsp fine sea salt, divided
1 cup sour cream
1/3 cup greek yogurt

Preparation
1. Heat butter and oil over medium heat until butter has melted. Add diced onion to the pan and stir to coat. Add the thyme, 1 teaspoon of salt, and the sugar.

2. Reduce heat to low and cook for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Onion should be a dark amber color when they are caramelized. Set aside to cool.

3. Combine sour cream and greek yogurt in a medium bowl. Add cooled onion mixture and stir to combine.  Stir in a teaspoon of fine sea salt and check for seasoning. If you think it needs it, add another half teaspoon and taste again.

4. Chill mixture in fridge for at least an hour (overnight is fine). Take it out of the fridge about 15-20 minutes before you wish to serve. It feeds 6-8 people quite well as an appetizer.

“Saltine” crackers*

Ingredients
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons melted butter
4 to 8 tablespoons water
1/2 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
  
Preparation
1. Preheat the oven to 400°F.

2. Put the flour, baking powder, and baking soda into your food processor and pulse it a few times to blend and aerate a bit.

3. Add the melted butter and fine sea salt. Pulse again until well blended.

4. Now, add the water a tablespoon at a time, pulsing several times after each addition, until you get a ball that sticks together. Be careful not to add to much water. (FYI, I needed all 8 tablespoons, but the amount can depend on the flour used and the humidity in your kitchen).

5. Spill the dough ball out on a floured surface and roll until about an 1/8th of inch thick. Make sure to keep the surface floured and to rotate your dough as you go to prevent it from tearing.

6. Place the rolled out dough on a rectangular cookie sheet. Using a pizza cutter or a ravioli wheel, cut the dough into squares that are roughly an inch squared. Alternatively, you could roll into a circle and place on a round metal pizza pan.

7. Using a fork (make sure to flour the tines) dock the dough to keep out some of the air bubbles. Using a pastry brush, brush the top of the dough with a small amount of melted butter, or plain water, and sprinkle over the coarse sea salt, breaking it up between your fingers as you go.

8. Place in the preheated oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes.  Make sure to start watching after 10 minutes. When done, the edges will be brown.

9. Remove the crackers from pan to a plate and let them cool, breaking up any of them that weren’t perfectly cut by the cutting wheel. It makes about 25-30 crackers.

*I adapted the cracker recipe from the one found on this website: http://www.halfhourmeals.com/recipe/homemade-saltine-crackers#reviews

Cocktail time.

I am a firm believer when entertaining that you should have a beverage (preferably a cocktail) ready to go when your guests walk in the door.  For this blog, since we will not know two of the guests, I think that makes it even more important to have something chilled for their arrival. 

I love collecting vintage barware.

We are also big fans of drinks you can make ahead of time, with only a splosh of champagne or soda to be added when filling the glasses.  It's nice to do this since everyone will be having the same drink and can chat about it - and it means you are not making 6 different drinks right off the bat.  And, this is just me, but I firmly believe that it should not be an "up" kind of drink.  By that I mean, a martini drink in a martini glass.  Although pretty to look at it, they can make already nervous people even more so because the likelihood of spilling the drink in that kind of glass is much higher than say a highball.  Plus, shaking 6 martinis is just not what I want to do right when the guests arrive.

I came across a drink that fit the bill in the October issue of Bon Appetit magazine.  You have to pre-mix it in a pitcher, it had a fun color, and required sparkling wine (my favorite).   Plus it called for a slightly exotic ingredient (Campari).  Perfect.  The drink was a hit and I would make it again in a heartbeat, especially around Christmas or New Years.  One of our guests actually loves Campari (her family comes from Italy) so that was an added bonus, but it got me thinking that maybe for the next one in addition to asking for any dietary restrictions/allergies, I may ask them to pick a favorite liquor and I can build our pre-dinner drink off that.  It breaks the ice the night of the party, gets the creative part of my brain working, and hopefully makes them feel more comfortable when they arrive since they know what will be in it.

Next time I should remove the price tags.

I called the cocktail "Red State" in a tongue in cheek tribute to one of our guests, who comes from a fairly conservative part of the country.  It's a take on the famous Negroni.  Enjoy!

Red State
Makes 14-16 drinks

In a cocktail pitcher, combine:
1 1/2 cups rum (we used Brugal Anejo, but any amber or even silver rum would work here - I would not use a spiced one)
1 cup Campari
1 cup sweet vermouth

Chill the filled pitcher in the fridge for several hours or overnight.  When guests arrive, fill as many tom collins style cocktail glasses as you need about halfway with ice.  Pour enough of the mixture to come up about halfway in the glass.  Fill the rest of the glass with a good (no need for great) sparkling wine (I used Gruet because I love it and its price point).  The entire pitcher will require 2 bottles of sparkling wine to make all the drinks.  Garnish with an orange twist if you so desire.

For 6 people, we only used about half the cocktail mixture in the pitcher, so it will easily make enough drinks for a larger dinner party or gathering for sure.