Baby, Light My Fire

 


A successful marriage requires falling in love over and over again, always with the same person. A successful relationship with cooking requires a similar cycle of commitment to keep the excitement alive. But when the fire goes from a blaze to a simmer...if the sizzle seems to fizzle, where does a conscious cook find a fresh muse to fan the flames of desire?

Education leads to inspiration and my propensity for fresh inspiration led me to the Ocean House in Watch Hill, Rhode Island. Like so many heart and soul weary travelers before me, I seek solace from the sea. The briny air and crashing surf never fails to relight my internal flickering embers. And I had read that the hotel offered cooking classes as one of their many guest activities. I hoped that this notable change of scenery would bring a blush to my cheeks and new purpose to my non stick pan.

The Ocean House has only recently risen from the ashes of it's own extinguished fire, after gradually disintegrating over the past century into a dismal state of decrepit disrepair. But just like the proverbial Phoenix, she rose up to take on new life. Morphing into a glorious grande dame, the hotel is perched high atop a bluff, a sensational sentry presiding over the tiny seaside community of Watch Hill.

A resurrection of such magnitude required great passion and great amounts of money. Enter Charles Royce, a man with an intense adoration for Watch Hill, the sea and a superior quality of life. When it was determined that the original structure could not be salvaged, Royce infused 140 million dollars into the project and had the building replicated, adding sumptuous and spectacular modern details, while paying homage to the eternal elegance of an upscale New England seaside experience.

The Ocean House reaches out its beautiful, welcoming arms and envelopes you in an embrace so warm, comforting and luxuriously attentive that you melt, almost on contact, with the place. This is a haven where new fires are lit, even in the kitchen, where this weekend's class was FLAMBE! How perfect for relighting fading flames!

Flambe, a French word meaning lighted torch, employs alcohol, a bit of flame and a deft hand to bring a dash of drama to cooking, desserts in particular. Not commonly offered in restaurants today, flambe is elegant and sophisticated, and apparently quite manageable in the home kitchen!

The class was held in the “Club Room”, a luxurious lair usually reserved for “members” and “invited guests”. What a decadent, delicious room, resplendent with gleaming wood paneling, rich red leather chairs, immense pieces of coral and oversize seashells dipped in shimmering silver and rare artwork lining the walls. Perfect for a fine cigar and a snifter of Delamain le Voyage cognac!

And presiding over the zinc topped bar (shipped from Paris, exclusively for this very room) was Dean Gardiner, lead bartender. He, along with Henry DeMartino, restaurant manager and class instructor, work closely together to create exciting recipes for these classes, utilizing unusual combinations of exotic liquors, fresh herbs, berries, fruits and other vibrant ingredients.

Henry, a culinary impresario, Johnson & Wales trained, declared as he plunged a fork firmly into a large lemon wedge, “I believe there are 2 heats.. high and off,” and with that, fired up his presentation! Commencing with Cherries Jubilee, a classic dish first introduced in the late 1800's, Henry's very modern take incorporated maraschino cherries soaked in Luxardo, an intoxicating cherry liquer. As he dissolved sugar and orange juice in a saute pan, Henry admonished that “using cornstarch is cheating, let the sauce come into it's own!” After reducing the sugar and orange juice, Henry, now rapidly warming to his subject, added the cherries, a bit of Luxardo, and orange zest and let the mixture simmer for a minute.

Removing the concoction from the burner, Henry added brandy and like a true pyreman of the pan, tipped and swirled and brought forth a perfect flame! Brava, Henry, Brava!

When the flammables subsided, Dean handed Henry dishes of home made sour cream ice cream. Henry ladled the cherries atop the ice cream, which immediately yielded to the warm sauce and created a mouthgasmic puddle of sweet, creamy cherriness. Oh my, yes, yes, yes, I was feeling that familiar flush.

For his final hurrah, Henry prepared the ever impressive Crepes Suzette, an ambrosial dessert that was a particular favorite of certain English royalty. Henry reached for the fork impaled lemon, added butter to the pan and began swirling the lemon about, “to leach the lemon oil out”, he advised. Sugar, orange juice and lemon juice quickly followed. “You want to build the depth of this dish” Henry said, as the room quickly filled with the seductive scent of of sinfully rich butter and sugar. “Today I am adding Navan, a Grand Marnier with vanilla”, Henry said grinning, “this was Dean's suggestion, and you are the first to try it this way!” Henry added the Navan to the now caramelized sugar mixture, and the aroma caused both teacher and observers to swoon a bit.

Dean handed Henry a plate of thin, golden crepes, which Henry folded into triangles, then placed in the pan and carefully caressed with sauce until they were well coated. Removing the pan from the heat he added a measure of brandy and with his conflagratory finesse, brought the pan back to the heat and voila, a brilliant flame!

Crepes Suzette is music in the mouth, a song of such beautiful balance, it may make you both weep and smile simultaneously. Close your eyes, breathe quietly and experience the rare, elusive effects of pure sybaritic satisfaction.



Isn't that what falling in love should taste like?

Oh Henry, you matchmaker you!



I can't completely promise that I will ever actually attempt flambe on my own, but Henry, Dean and the Ocean House have given me the inspiration to bring new fire to my kitchen and my commitments!



Ocean House

One Bluff Avenue

Watch Hill, Rhode Island

www.oceanhouseri.com

401-315-5599

 

 
Let it Roll, Baby, Roll


Thanksgiving is a spectacular holiday! Any holiday that encourages the eating of mashed potatoes and pie is ok with me. Never mind tucking into all the other luscious dishes, a beautifully bronzed turkey, brilliant scarlet cranberries, sweet potatoes and a fine glass of wine or two. The Thanksgiving feast is an ecstatic occasion.
This year I was a guest for Thanksgiving, not the cook. A delightful change of pace, being a guest.
Jay and Susannah graciously opened their home to a big crowd of friends and neighbors, each of whom contributed something special to the Thanksgiving table.
A brilliant, sunshine filled day, Jay took advantage of mild temperatures to grill the turkey. While it happily cooked under its Weber helmet, guests began arriving, bearing gifts of food, much as the Pilgrims did at the very first Thanksgiving.
One couple arrived with scrumptious shrimp, clams were steamed and served with bracing garlic butter. A neighbor brought his marvelous mashed potatoes, made even more decadent with the addition of certain secret ingredients..cream cheese may have been involved. I must have that recipe, but it was not forthcoming that day, not even another Chardonnay was loosening those lips.
Susannah prepared a brimming pot of fresh cranberry sauce and sauteed baby carrots.
As for me, I was asked to bring a pumpkin roll....??!

Now pumpkin roll was never part of my previous Thanksgiving celebrations.
I grew up with pie for dessert. Devastatingly delicious pie and lots of it. Pumpkin pie, apple pie, cranberry raisin pie and pecan pie. Always pie. With a crust that would shatter at the mere prod of
a fork, flaky beyond compare, and tasting of the tenderness that only my grandmother and mother who have made hundreds of pies could impart. They are the pie masters, those two. As the magician of pie making, they conjured up that apple pie, richly scented with cinnamon and bulging with perfectly cooked slices of Cortland apples and pecan pie, so sweet it would make your teeth twang, melding with crisp pecans wrapped in that perfect piecrust. Absolute heaven.

Well, turns out Jay is a pumpkin roll fanatic. So my mission would be to make the best pumpkin roll I could. Now mind you, I can't roll anything. Not a sleeping bag, not my yoga mat, without it veering sharply off to one side. I had visions of my pumpkin roll, not as a perfect cyclinder of celebration, but a leaking, lopsided mess.
Something so seemingly simple should not have unsettled me so, but I was charting through
unfamiliar territory and was putting enormous performance pressure on myself. I was assured by those
who were NOT preparing pumpkin roll for their Thanksgiving that I should settle down. No sympathetic offerings of technique advice arose from any of my angst filled exchanges with other cooks.
Only my mother, God Bless Her, a constructor of many Christmastime Buche de Noels, had any understanding of the rigors of rolling. “But”, she explained merrily, “ I could always cover up any cracks with decoration!” Yes, there would be no opportunity to cover pumpkin roll cracks with miniature meringue mushrooms like it's Christmastime cousin.
You need a pristinely clean kitchen towel to roll the pumpkin roll in. No old kitchen towel that has been used repeatedly to clean cruddy kitchen counters will be acceptable. I purchased my new kitchen towel at the Christmas Tree Shop, not exactly an oasis of calm during the holiday season. Manoeuvreing my way past gigantic turkey lawn ornaments and flameless Christmas candles, I made a mad dash to the housewares aisle, snagged the kitchen towel, paid in cash and fled. Total time elapsed: ten minutes. I headed back to the kitchen to continue my quest.
I used the Libby's Pumpkin Roll recipe I found online. It's super simple and the only deviation I used, was to include an additional teaspoon of Trader Joe's Pumpkin Pie spice. It has cardamom and lemon peel, as well as the usual cinnamon, cloves, etc. and adds a little extra layer of flavor.
You bake the cake in a jelly roll pan, which if you're unfamiliar with, is a pan measuring 15 ½ “ x
10 ½ “ , with 1 “ high sides. It works as a cookie sheet and roasting pan too. While the cake bakes, the pristinely clean kitchen towel is laid out on the kitchen counter and liberally dusted with powdered sugar.
Now the fun begins...when you remove the cake from the oven, you need to flip it onto the towel. Then peel off the parchment paper that you lined the pan with, slowly, slowly. Then you roll up the cake and the towel together, starting with the more narrow end. Breathe, breathe, easy..oh no, crackage. Stop. Breathe. Continue rolling. Now walk away. Just walk away and let the cake cool on a wire rack.
While the cake cools and the flush of anxiety on my face cooled, I prepared the cream cheese filling. Again, super simple. When the cake is cool, you get to unroll it. That part is easy. I spread the filling on the cake, spreading edge to edge.
The final roll comes next. The all important roll. I gently laid my hands upon it and gave it a go.
Obliging me, the cake actually looked normal, the previous crack did not deepen and fracture like a glacial gap, it simply rolled into submission. Sublime, glorious submission.
Wrapping it in plastic wrap, I placed the roll in the refrigerator. And when presented to Jay, the look on his face was pure pleasure. I have to admit, it's good stuff. Spicy, moist, creamy and sweet, it was devoured, not even a bird size crumb remained.
Move over a little, pie, looks like there's a new tradition to add to the table.

 

Every Cheese Has A Story

 

Cheese. Cheeeeese. Ah yes, cheese is the golden grail of this foodie's world. I confess to being a cheese fanatic. My idea of a perfect day is spent in New York City at the Union Square Farmer's market, where amongst all the glorious and gorgeous fruits and vegetables of the earth, are delectable cheeses from all corners of New England and beyond. There is even an Amish cheesemaker who travels into the wilds of New York to ply his wares, and it is delicious, delicious.
The mighty mecca of Murray's Cheese is nearby on Bleecker Street. Inside these hallowed halls Murray's has perfected the art of telling the cheese story. Each wedge sold at Murray's is affixed with a special label spilling the details of the cheese. I recommend going early in the day so you can ogle the cheese case and the board above, and take your time tasting, before the rest of the cheese lovers of the world intrude.
When Villa Gourmet opened it's doors in Milford, CT it was a glorious day for cheese champs like myself. The case is well stocked with both the unusual and the familiar and samples are given out with big smiles. It's wonderful to have such a delightful resource, run by a delightful owner.
When Caseus opened in New Haven, I put it on my list of must investigate. It took me months and months to get there, but finally on a long overdue girls day with my darling friend Liz, Caseus and I became one. Well actually it was a threesome, but I digress.
Caseus, for the uninitiated, is a fromagerie-bistro on Whitney Avenue in New Haven. As we approached the outdoor patio area and I saw the sign; Caseus-Every Cheese Has A Story, I knew I had come home.
According to the Latin dictionary caseus means cheese, a pressed curd and a comic form of endearment. By the end of my meal at Caseus I would be whispering sweet words of endearment to a ravaged cheese board with nothing left but a lone marcona almond and a tiny smear of sour cherry preserves.
Caseus has a lovely menu of salads, sandwiches, soups and larger plates that involve half chickens, steak frites and a luscious sounding burger, but I was riveted by the cheese board. “Selected by our mongers for a seasonality and peak ripeness accompanied by our best preserves, nuts and local breads”, so stated the menu and so we stated that “we will have that please.”
Now, Lizze is just as much a cheese conoisseur as I. We have shared many runny bries and triple crème tremors through the years and we know what we like about cheese. It's a flavor and texture thing for us and we were eagerly anticipating the surprise that would shortly be set before us.
Something else had caught our eye on the specials board...Caseus does a daily House Butter. What's this? Something else creamy, salty, spreadable and sensuous? Bring it on my good man, bring it on.
On this spectacularly sunny day, the house butter was a sweet and crunchy concoction prepared with honey and pistachios. I've made flavored butters, mixing finely chopped strawberries and a bit of powdered sugar, or blending butter with plenty of minced herbs. But never had I heard of honey pistachio butter. Liz wholehearterdly embraced this selection as well.
Suddenly a tall and tender faced young man appeared, bearing our bounty. The House Butter and Bread was placed between us and we both started to grin like foolish schoolgirls who had just spotted our favorite movie hearthrob. (An Edward Norton moment for Lizzie.) 4 beautiful rolls in a row awaited annointing with what appeared to be nearly a cup of beautiful butter!
And as he placed the plank of plenty between us, we restrained our squeals of delight at the sight of our cheese board. He began to speak, and we dreamily listened to the story of the cheeses, told with both reverence and fervor, until our appetites were completely aroused.
He told a tale of Rocchetta, an Italian beauty made from cow, goat and sheep's milk that would deliver a dense and smooth texture with an earthy and mushroomy flavor. Midnight Moon, a goat's milk Gouda from Holland, is aged for 6 months and has a firm, smooth texture with a nutty flavor with hints of floral and caramel. Number three, a Comte Marcel Petite, a cave aged cheese both herbaceous and fruity, with aromas of hazelnuts, fried onions and spring berries. And finally, St. Agur, a pasteurized cows milk blue from the Auvergne region of France. A rich, creamy texture with a slightly spicy flavor. We were regaled with details of the accompaniments as well, a small pile of salty Marcona almonds, crisp crackers and a half spoonful of sour cherry preserves.
Stimulated as we were by his sweet cheese words, it was the butter that received our full frontal attention first. Lizzie broke open a roll studded with dried cranberries, releasing a pleasing puff of steam. “Ooh, it's warm,” she said breathily. “Oh yes, yes, yes,” I exclaimed and liberally lathered up my half with butter. As the butter melted into the warm embrace of the bun, and I took my first bite, my mouth filled with the most fantastic flavor. The butter was a perfect balance of honey laced sweetness and nutty crunchiness. The bread was extraordinary, chewy yet crisp, the dried fruit adding yet another layer of loveliness.
Turning our focus to the cheeses, we nibbled away, reveling, then rating. We agreed that the Rocchetta was delightful, the triple play of milks was immensely appetizing and the texture just delightful on the tongue. Midnight Moon was quite pleasant and a compelling contrast to the Rocchetta. I did not find the Comte to be my favorite, a bit chalky, but still tasty. The St. Agur stood out as a cheese extraordinaire, all creamy and carnal, very much the attention grabber.
Good cheese should be eaten at a lesiurely pace, allowing time for the flavors to slowly melt in the mouth and we completely relaxed into this pursuit. In fact, by meal's end I felt rather tranquilized, with a full body buzz brought on by such high quality flavors.
Butter and cheese and a dear friend, please, these are the ingredients for a meal of sweet pleasure and a confession of complete contentment.

Caseus Fromagerie Bistro
93 Whitney Avenue
New Haven, CT 06510
203-6CHEESE
caseusnewhaven.com

Murray's Cheese
254 Bleecker Street
New York, NY
ww.murrayscheese.com

Villa Gourmet
11 River Street
Milford, CT
thevillagourmet.com

The Mediterranean Way

Ask me to choose my favorite food region and I will instantly confess to a certain fondness for the Mediterranean. To travel and eat my way through countries like Italy, France, Spain, Turkey, Morocco, Croatia and Greece would be the fulfillment of some highly intense food fantasies. Just thinking about the vivid colors and glorious beauty of the Mediterranean spurs my creative spirit and appetite.
Certain films have fueled my desire to explore all things Mediterranean. Films like “Shirley Valentine,” “Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants” and a quirky John Cassavetes film called “Tempest”, which all glorified the gorgeousness of Greece, while “The Talented Mr. Ripley” transported me straight to San Remo and forever cemented my opinion that the Mediterranean is among the most stunning areas in the world.
In the book “1,000 Places To See Before You Die” there is a paragraph that reads; “After visiting the Amalfi Coast, a giddy Andre Gide wrote in “The Immoralist” that “nothing more beautiful can be seen on this earth.” It continues on by saying “Vertical cliffs plunge into an impossibly blue Mediterranean, as a coastline of seaside towns unfolds among terraced olive and lemon groves, oaks and umbrella pines.”
But here is the clincher for me...the author goes on to describe a bit of the area's food by writing; “This is the region that gives the world fresh mozzarella di bufala; imagine how heavenly it tastes when it is grilled on a fragrant lemon leaf and served under the warm Neapolitan sun. Things only get better with the exquisite simplicity of spaghetti made with a sauce of plump baby clams and mussels.”
The food of the Mediterranean is fresh, natural, unprocessed...of the earth, and the sea. And that impresses and inspires me, as I feel that the greatest of dishes are the simplest ones, made with the best ingredients.Turns out that eating as the Mediterranean people do, by focusing on an abundance of fresh vegetables, and fruits, along with grains, and incorporating a bit of fish, poultry, lean meats and dairy is not only soul satisfying, but immensely healthy for the body.
Rachel Greenstein, Communications Manager for Oldways wrote to me several weeks ago to inform me that Oldways has declared May “National Mediterranean Diet Month”. Oldways is an
internationally respected non-profit organization devoted to positively changing the way people eat and live. As a global educator, Oldways creates materials, educational programs, activities and recipes to promote healthy eating, drinking, and a lifestyle that celebrates the many pleasures of sharing natural, nutritious and delicious foods.
Rachel directed me to the Oldways website and I have been having a wonderful time learning more
about Oldways' vision for teaching Americans the goodness of the Mediterranean way. Oldways worked closely with the Harvard School of Public Health, along with an international coalition of nutrition scientists and numerous culinary experts to create the Mediterranean Diet Pyramid, which is a richly illustrated and easy to comprehend graphic that details the components of this supremely healthy way of eating. Oldways has launched a campaign to deliver a million Mediterranean Diet pyramids to American households and you can download yours at www.oldwayspt.org.
The traditional dietary habits of the Mediterranean people have been widely studied and are believed to be among the healthiest ways to eat in the world. Research on this primarily plant based diet shows that there may be significant health benefits including greater longevity, improved heart health and an enhanced quality of life.
But let's get back to the food! The foods of the Mediterranean Diet are luscious, nutrient rich, natural choices that are full of tantalizing flavor and exciting eye appeal. Sun drenched, color soaked vegetables and fruits such as scarlet and neon yellow sweet peppers, bright green, baby spinach, garden fresh sugar snap peas and cucumbers, pale yellow and green summer squashes, rich, red tomatoes, fat mushroom, fragrant strawberries, crunchy apples, sweet grapes, luxurious figs and a host of other fruits and vegetables form the mainstay of the pyramid.
A range of grains from rice to pasta, couscous and polenta as well as whole grain breads are included on the pyramid. Grains, fruits and vegetables offer important vitamins, minerals, energy, antioxidants and fiber. Eating these nutrient dense and fibrous foods helps the body feel full longer and can lead to successfully sustaining weight loss.
But for me, here comes the best part. I love my veggies and greens and grains and fruit, but I love my dairy even more. The Mediterranean Diet encourages a moderate consumption of yogurt and cheese. I have always found that artisinal cheeses and organic dairy products have exceptional taste and when I eat well made dairy, a little goes a long way.
The Pyramid also suggest that consuming healthy fats such as olive oil, avacado and nuts can be a beneficial part of life, along with the aformentioned lean meats, poultry, and fish. The Mediterranean diet opens up a vast array of cooking opportunities that are not only tremendously tasty, but can
enhance our health. I love that the Mediterranean Diet also focuses on whole body wellness, by encouraging daily exercise and sharing quality time with the people you love.
So for these remaining days of May, I am continuing to collect and experiment with Mediterranean inspired recipes. I'm thinking grilled octopus, brushed with olive oil and finely chopped herbs. I imagine it will turn out slightly smoky, yet sweet, fabulous with a squeeze of fresh lemon juice. I adore that fresh herbs play an important role in Mediterranean cooking. Herbs are such an amazing way to add incredible layers of flavor to food, from pungent rosemary with grilled meats, thyme and parsley
embellishing a roast chicken, chopped dill and cilantro adding spark to a green salad, or a mix of herbs
layered between roasted eggplant, onions, peppers, tomatoes and squash, with just a bit of French feta cheese. (Find french feta at Liuzzi's in North Haven, CT!)
On this particular day in May, the spring rains are coming down hard, but the my kitchen is lit with love and the wonderful warmth of the Mediterranean way!

To connect with Oldways:
www.oldwayspt.org
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http://twitter.com/#!/OldwaysPT


Robin Glowa is a healthy cooking teacher, passionate food professional and writer. She is a
a graduate of the Institute for Integrative Nutrition and Columbia University Teacher's College.
www.theconsciouscook.net