THE HOT TAMALE MAN

Over 50 years ago, long before the American Culinary Revolution, vendors still walked through residential areas in my hometown pushing carts selling ice cream. There were little tinkling bells on their carts to announce their presence. Now, as a child, I was hardly denied a reasonable amount of ice cream, (especially homemade). However, I suppose that my parents did not want me begging for ice cream ever single day when the man went by our house with his cart.

So, they invented a subterfuge that must have worked for a number of years, at least until the other kids clued me into reality. My folks told me that the man with the cart was the “Hot Tamale Man” and assured me that I wouldn’t care for hot tamales. Remembering the “Hot Tamale Man” with senior members of my family can still bring us all a chuckle.

Now, as fate would have it, when I actually discovered real tamales I liked them very much. Clearly, so did the early inhabitants of Mexico, who were enjoying a whole range of tamales long before the Spaniards arrived.

There is still an enormous variety of tamales available all over the different regions of Mexico, as well as an enormous variety prepared in regions across America. Some of these are reflections of traditional Mexican cooking and some are created according to the whims of the individual cooks. My tamale story involves a little of both tradition and whim.

A few months ago, our friends with the American Wine Society requested that we do a program matching wine with Southwestern cuisine. I had really wanted to do this for some time and here was the chance. We celebrated our “fiesta” at the beautiful home of society members Bob and Judy Kryter.

It was not a particular region of Mexico that inspired me nor a specific adaptation from the Southwestern border states, although I was certainly influenced by my work and travels. “Comida Nueva” is a definition probably closer to the mark, but when asked about the definition of “Southwestern cuisine”, my answer was, “whatever we want it to be”… I really wasn’t trying to be smart-alecky, but I was trying to make a point – that being the fact that a whole new wave of culinary excitement has swept the US in the last few decades. New American, Regional American, and Fusion Cuisine – it can have several names but we are basically talking about classic cooking techniques paired with regional foodstuffs.

This is the major theme (some might say obsession) in my career. In the early 80s, I wrote in the preface for our book, A TEXAS FAMILY’S COOKBOOK -“Americans have become much more sophisticated in their native cookery. This grafting of classic techniques onto good home cooking is a major milestone in our national culinary history. …explore the New American Cooking; refining familiar dishes with classic preparation techniques and an increased awareness of health and nutrition. Perhaps this “new” cooking is simply a deeper appreciation of our potential of producing a cuisine truly global in scope and authority.”

Over 25 years later in his 2007 book, WHITE HOUSE CHEF, Chef Walter Scheib, indicates that his staff was directed toward “…making the White House a showcase for what our farmers and other culinary purveyors were creating, and also for the style being forged by modern American chefs who wove indigenous American ingredients and international elements and styles together into an exciting, ever-changing cuisine that defied easy description- and was garnering a great deal of attention from coast to coast and around the world.”

Now, my fun little dinner hardly aspires to the lofty heights of White House cuisine, but I think Chef Scheib’s observation is well taken. The recipes used were our own creations and adaptations with the exception of the Mole Poblano, which is taken from Diana Kennedy’s authoritative classic, THE CUISINES OF MEXICO. If you have the slightest interest in the cuisine and culture of Mexico, this is a cookbook that must be in your library.

Here is our menu and a list of the wines we enjoyed.

Quaffing Wine: White Wine Spritzer with lime

Antojitos (Appetizers)
Black Bean Pate
Ceviche with
Red Snapper, Scallops and Shrimp
Guacamole with Oranges
Pickled Garlic (from Low Country Produce-TRY THIS!)
Salsa de Aji Amarillo*
Blue Corn Tostados

Served with
‘06 Columbia Crest “Vineyard 10” - WA. State
’04 Albert Seltz Gewurztraminer - Alsace

Platillo fuerte (Main Course)
Open Faced Turkey Tamales with Mole Sauce
Squash simmered with Cream
Mexican Rice

Served with
‘07 Crios de Susana Balbo Malbec – Argentina
’07 Ferrari-Carano Fume Blanc – Sonoma Co.

Postre (Dessert)
Texas Pecan Tart with Blue Bell Vanilla Ice Cream
Drizzled with
Leaning Oaks Cabernet Chocolate Sauce

Served with
NV Domaine Chandon Brut Classic – Napa Valley

So as not to be just guessing about these pairings, we prepared a “Chef’s Table” a few weeks earlier. Margaritas and beer usually tend to be the beverages of choice with this kind of cuisine. However, matching the spicy flavors with the nuances of wine was fun and educational. All in all, the combinations worked well, and with us serving two very different wines with both the appetizers and the main course, I think everyone found something they liked.

Without question, for me, the standout combination was the food friendly Malbec with the tamales… and to get back to the tamale story… In the midst of testing the tamale recipe several times, I became aware of a local cooking contest in progress, sponsored by our newspaper The Knoxville News Sentinel, a grocery store chain, and a local TV and radio station among others.

The contest was a part of a much larger event known as the Women Today Expo. The event featured a number of celebrity appearances including ABC’s Robin Roberts. The Expo also included a Cooking School segment featuring local chef and “Hell’s Kitchen” star, Carol Scott. Former White House Chef Walter Scheib and TV cake baking Master Warren Brown wowed the crowd with demos and signed copies of their respective cookbooks.

Rounding out the culinary production were the three winners of the recipe contest.
There were 3 categories including “Eat Light, Eat Cheap and Eat Sweet”- Cheryl Hodge won the “Eat Sweet’ with her Applesauce Spice Pudding Cake, Mary Gushen’s Ultimate Inexpensive Chicken Enchiladas took “Eat Cheap” and my own Open Faced Turkey Tamales won the “Eat Light” competition.

I think my wife, Gail and I made those tamales about 5 times in the course of a few weeks, including the demo at the Women Today Expo itself. Gail and I also offered a short tamale presentation at the wine society dinner, assisted by our good friend and noted Food Stylist, Linda Ullian Schmid, to whom we are much indebted.

Although, I have never though of myself as “The Hot Tamale Man”, I guess now I have some claim on the title. Surely, my parents would have been highly amused.

We offer a big “Muchas Gracias” to Bob and Judy Kryter and to the members of The American Wine Society. We also must thank Mary Constantine, Erin Slocum and the rest of the News Sentinel staff. Kudos and appreciation also go to Chris Kahn and her remarkable team of volunteers that worked so hard to make the Women Today Expo a reality.

*Aji Amarillo (Capsicum baccatum) is arguably the most popular hot pepper in Peru. It is a particularly beautiful pepper with a bright shiny yellow-orange skin. It is considered to be a medium hot pepper but that also depends on your personal taste. The flavor is fruity and aromatic and altogether delicious!
Although, this is not an ingredient common to our local markets, we are fortunate to be able to have access to it by way of our generous friends, J Owen Peterson and his wife, Thea Barrios Peterson. Thea is originally from Peru and still has many family members in that country. Owen is a noted professional photographer www.customphotographicservices.com and amateur grower of Aji peppers. In an upcoming blog, he has promised to share both photos and family recipes with us. We enjoyed serving the bright sauce Owen made using these peppers with our Southwestern dinner. THANKS!

Open-faced turkey tamales

Filling:
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large white onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
2 pounds ground turkey
2 cloves garlic, minced and mashed
2 tablespoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon oregano
1 teaspoon thyme
1 pickled jalapeno pepper, finely chopped
One (8-ounce) can tomato sauce

Dough:
2 quarts chicken or turkey stock
1 tablespoon salt
2 teaspoon ground cumin
2 cups Masa Harina
32 dried corn husks soaked in warm water
1 cup (per pan) of chicken or turkey stock for steaming

Saute onion and green pepper in oil until soft. Stir in turkey, garlic, cumin, salt, oregano, thyme and jalapeno pepper. Cook until turkey is done, about 6-8 minutes. Pour in tomato sauce, cook another 5 minutes and set aside to cool. Make dough by bringing the stock, salt and cumin to a boil in a large stockpot. Very gradually whisk in Masa Harina to stock so that it doesn’t lump. Reduce heat to simmer. Cook 15 to 20 minutes until it is quite thick, stirring frequently. Let cool at least 10 minutes. Pat corn husks dry and spread 3 tablespoons of the dough about 1/4 inch thick over the middle of the each husk. Top with scant 1/4 cup turkey filling. Gather together each end of the tamale and tie with a strip of corn husk. Leave the middle open with the filling showing.

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Arrange tamales in one layer on bottom of baking pans (will need more than one.) Bring stock to a boil and, in each dish, pour 1 cup stock around the tamales. Cover with a lightly oiled piece of aluminum foil and place in oven. Cook for approximately 45 minutes. Serve plain or with Ranchero or Mole sauce. Yield: 24-30 tamales, depending upon how generously filled.

THE “LUCK O’ THE IRISH” REVISITED

…more than an estimated 36 million other Americans
My wife and I can both trace some of our ancestry to Ireland, as can more than an estimated 36 million other Americans. We do celebrate St. Paddy’s Day, but mostly because it’s there, rather than for any inherited tradition.

…popular “history”
In any case, much of the popular “history” of the life of this Irish saint is certainly myth. It is believed that he was born in Britain, but taken to Ireland by raiders. It seems that he was held as a prisoner and labored as a Shepard for several years before escaping and returning to Britain.

…he began to have visions
It was apparently after his return to his homeland that he began to have visions and turned his heart to religion. He did train as a priest and legend has it that he was told by an angel in one of his visions to return to Ireland as a missionary. Tradition has it that he died on March 17th around the year 460AD.

… stories that my Irish Catholic mother told me
As we know, story telling and music is a strong part of the Celtic tradition in Ireland and it is difficult over 1500 years later to separate fact from fiction. I remember quite well learning from the stories my Irish Catholic mother told me that the saint drove the snakes from Ireland. Today it is thought that this story is a metaphor for his opposition to the Irish pagans. St. Patrick is also credited with combining the Celtic symbol of the sun with the Christian cross to create what we know today as the familiar Celtic cross.

Legends aside…
Legends aside, many of the customs that we associate with our modern St. Patrick’s Day are American in origin. Our first St. Patrick’s Day parade originated in New York City and our culinary tradition of Corned Beef and Cabbage is an Irish tradition in the cabbage part alone. Although cabbage has most certainly long been a part of the Irish diet, corned beef only became part of the duo at the turn of the last century, again in New York City.

…quirk of fate
It is an interesting quirk of fate that the celebration of St. Patrick’s Day and all things Irish has become such a part of our American experience, considering the extreme negativity with which Irish immigrants experienced just a little over a century ago. Now there are at least 100 St. Patrick’s Day parades across the country, with the largest taking place in (where else?) New York City. Boston and Chicago are also well known for their celebrations with the dyeing green of the Chicago River as one of the more outlandish events.

…public imbibing
Americans also associate St. Patrick’s Day with the public imbibing of some serious liquid refreshment and such aberrations as green beer. However, this image is somewhat Americanized as well, considering that in Ireland itself, pubs were closed by law until the 1970’s.

...we have taken considerable license…that…has virtually nothing to do with…Ireland
So, considering the propensity of Americans to interpret traditions in our own way, we have taken considerable license in our own cuisine for this Irish event. A couple of years ago, my wife and I were pondering a menu for our own St. Patrick’s Day merrymaking. Not realizing the truth behind Corned Beef and Cabbage tradition, we started with the idea of smoking the brisket instead of cooking it in or on the stove. That led to our decision to make a super-duper Reuben sandwich, which we did and it was delicious, although it has virtually nothing to do with St. Patrick’s Day or Ireland!

…that’s the way I like it
Here are the components: my wife, Gail’s homemade Rye bread, Smoked Corned Beef Brisket, Bavarian Sauerkraut, good Swiss cheese and homemade Thousand Island dressing. Yes, I know that most recipes call for a “Russian” dressing, but I first had a Reuben made with Thousand Island dressing and that’s the way I still like it and there you have it.

Gail’s Rye Bread
Before I met my wife, I did not own a bread maker and didn’t have a very high opinion of them either. But you know, after the first time I tasted a loaf that she made in her bread machine, I thought -why on earth am I being so uppity about this? The machine makes a perfectly decent product, easy to slice AND I don’t have to make it.

Place into the mixing case of the bread machine the following three ingredients:
1 cup warm water
2 Tblsps. Molasses
1 ½ Tblsps. Butter

Next, add:
2 cups unbleached white (Bread Machine) flour
1 cup rye flour
1 Tblsp. sugar
½ Tblsp. dry milk
2 tsp. salt
2 Tblsps. Caraway seeds
1 package active dry yeast

Turn on Bread Machine to whole wheat mode and allow to process and bake. Cool thoroughly before slicing.

Thousand Island dressing
Yields about 4 cups

1 ½ cups celery, finely chopped
½ cup sweet or dill pickle relish
1 Tblsp. Worcestershire sauce
1 cup chili sauce
1 tsp. Tabasco sauce (or to taste)
½ tsp. sea salt
2 cups mayonnaise (homemade if you have the time)

1. Combine all ingredients and stir together well. This can be made in a food processor; just do not over process it.

Smoked Corned Beef Brisket

One 2 or 3 lb. piece of brisket

1. Allow brisket to sit overnight in the brine and pickling spices that usually come with it, pickling your own from scratch is easy, but we will get into that another time.
2. To smoke the meat: Light your fire (natural hardwood charcoal is best)- as a matter of fact, the famous French chef Jacques Pepin feels that natural wood charcoal produces a significantly lower amount of tar on the cooked meat than does processed briquettes.
3. Place wood chips (we have had good results from hickory, wild cherry and mesquite) for smoking on top of charcoal and place brisket on top of clean rack. Depending on the type of grill that you are using and the heat that is generated it will take about 45 minutes for each side. We generally cook ours to about an internal temperature of 140 degrees. When done remove the meat from the grill, cover with aluminum foil and allow to sit for at least15 minutes before slicing.

Next, all you need is a 14oz. can of Bavarian Sauerkraut and some slices of a good Swiss cheese. Spread a little dressing onto the sliced bread and pile it up with thin slices of the smoked meat, sliced cheese and a hearty pile of sauerkraut and top it with another slice of bread. Toast the sandwich slightly in a toaster oven or a Panini machine. Serve with a little more dressing on the side and a great dill pickle.

Here’s to an excellent St. Paddy’s Day celebration- make a Reuben, put on CD by the Chieftains, open a Guinness and enjoy!

“May you never forget what is worth remembering or remember what is best forgotten.”

SOUTHWESTERN CUISINE NEW AND OLD

…a serious influence
The American Southwest will always be a serious influence in my cooking and lifestyle.
Not only are there many regionally based cuisines in Mexico itself, but there are also unique variations in the American states bordering Mexico as well.

..."specialties" can run the gamut
This can include specialties from each of the border states- California, Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. Those “specialties” can run the gamut from authentic Mexican traditions to highly adapted and popular cooking styles such as Tex-Mex. This does not even touch on the creative “Nueva” cooking from South Florida reflecting both Latin American and Caribbean influences.

…you will notice distinctly different styles
Even if you have wandered across the Border States (like I have) tasting food in the small Mexican restaurants along the way, you will have noticed distinctly different styles in the cooking of say, south Texas and northern New Mexico. There are also many chefs experimenting with combining the new and old in examples of crossover fusion cooking.

…it is quite possible to preserve authentic…classics…while encouraging innovation
Such innovation is not without controversy; although it seems to me that it is quite possible to preserve authentic regional classics while at the same time encouraging innovation and creativity in the kitchen. Such concepts as fusion, New American, New Regional American or even more specifically Comida Nueva are in a sense not new at all. The term “New American Cuisine” can probably mean just about anything. For my purposes here I define it as a combination of favorite regional foods and any number of international cooking techniques.

Antoine’s …can hardly considered modern or trendy
With the celebration of Mardi gras still fresh in my mind, I’m reminded of a very interesting conversation that I once enjoyed over lunch with Bernard R.Guste at his French Quarter restaurant, Antoine’s. Mr. Guste is the fifth-generation proprietor at the landmark New Orleans Creole establishment. Founded in 1840, this classic Creole eatery can hardly be considered modern or trendy. Yet, more that 150 years ago, this restaurant was experimenting with what can be called “New American Cuisine.”

Lacking a suitable snail in southern Louisiana…
As Guste tells the story, his great, great grandfather, remembering the succulent escargot of his native France, wished to serve something similar at his New Orleans restaurant. Lacking a suitable snail in southern Louisiana, he turned to an interesting substitute. In a move that would be considered rank heresy to many of his countrymen, the chef opened fresh oysters, packed the shell with delicious green herb sauce and baked them on a bed of rock salt. Thus was born Oysters Rockefeller, the original recipe still a secret to this day. Mr. Guste’s story has always seemed to me to be the perfect example of how to explain the rationale behind the New American movement.

My own tinkering…has not always been greeted by such enthusiasm.
Now, although generations of Americans have delighted in this chef’s innovation, my own tinkering with tradition has not always been greeted by such enthusiasm. Once upon a time, I suggested a minimal effort to make the lowly taco more appealing and acceptable to a vegetarian. My idea was to replace ground beef with a mixture of brown rice, cracked wheat and tofu flavored with easily recognized Mexican seasoning. It was really almost an afterthought and not one in which I had invested much time or energy. That being admitted, look at the extreme reaction that my recipe received from a food writer in one of the major Texas daily newspapers.

Real Texan (?)…
“We offer the following, not as a recipe we expect any real Texan actually to prepare and eat, but as an example of how New Age food mongrelization debases tradition.”

...self-appointed cultural arbitrators
Well now…….of course, I had to respond in kind! So, I said, “when self-appointed cultural arbitrators retreat into complaints about what a “real” Texan or “real” anyone might do or eat, it leaves me more than a little suspicious of that person’s sense of identity. Scratch the surface of someone crying about being a “real” Texan and often you will find just another self-consciously insecure urban cowboy wannabe!”

Naturally, I will share the recipe with you, let you judge for yourselves and hopefully inspire you to post some comments of your own.

TEXAS TOFU TACOS
Makes about 12 hearty tacos

18 oz. firm tofu
1 cup cooked crack wheat
½ cup cooked brown rice
2 cloves garlic, minced and mashed
1 small white onion, finely chopped
1 ½ tsps. Salt or to taste
½ tsp. crushed red pepper
1 tsp. whole cumin seed, lightly toasted
3 Tblsp. tomato paste
¼ cup Avanti Savoia all-purpose cooking olive oil
12 corn tortillas
½ cup Monterey Jack cheese, grated

1. Crumble tofu into a bowl with cooked cracked wheat and brown rice.
2. Add minced garlic and chopped onion to tofu-grain mixture along with salt, red pepper, cumin seed and tomato paste. Toss lightly.
3. Heat oil in a large skillet and stir in tofu-grain mixture. Cook 3 or 4 minutes or until sizzling and hot.
4. Heat tortillas home style by placing each one directly on a medium burner, either gas or electric, for just enough time to mark each side. Just a few seconds will be enough and a little practice will make you comfortable with the process.
5. Serve taco mix with heated tortillas and grated cheese. Allow guests to fill their own tacos.
6. Serve with guacamole, salsa and fresh sprigs of cilantro.

Texas Independence Day
On March 2, 2009 Texas celebrated 173 years of independence. We are observing the occasion not only with this post exploring culinary tradition and innovation, but also with a Southwestern “fiesta” for our friends, the East Tennessee Chapter of the American Wine Society. The menu will include Antojitos (Appetizers), Platillo fuerte (Main Course) and Postre (Dessert). The photo on this post is of the Main Course, Open Faced Turkey Tamales with Mole Sauce. Check out our next post with the complete menu, recipes, fiesta photos and a selection of wines carefully chosen to match the many flavors.

MARDI GRAS POSTSCRIPT:
Sometimes it’s easy to let simple things slip your mind. Like for instance, just how luscious our Carnaroli rice from Cascina Belvedere really is. Aroma, flavor, beautiful appearance and delicate texture... this plump, white rice from the Piedmont and Lombardy regions almost upstaged the gumbo we served with it for Mardi gras.

LET THE GOOD TIMES ROLL!

Mardi Gras!
Most of us think of Panettone as treat to be enjoyed during the Christmas holidays and indeed it is. However, here is a fun way of using this classic delicacy to enhance your celebration of Mardi Gras. Bread pudding is a familiar dessert much appreciated when made with stale New Orleans French bread. It is a practical and delicious way to use up the leftover bread.

A different critter
But I’m here to tell you that good old bread pudding becomes a whole different critter when made with a fine Panettone, which we still available in a very limited quantity. Panettone takes its name from a legend from Milan. The Duke’s baker, it seems, had no dessert to serve his royal guests. On the spur of the moment a mere kitchen boy, named Tony (Antonio), baked an excellent sweet bread that became an instant hit. To honor the young fellow the dessert was named Panettone – “pane” a loaf of bread and “tone” (pronounced “tonay”). Today his creation lives on as Panettone- literally the “bread of Tony.”

Soon to be published cookbook
The recipe we offer you here, substitutes Panettone for the bread and figs for the usual raisins, and is adapted from a soon to be published cookbook entitled “UNDER THE FIG LEAF” by Sherri Parker Lee. I had the pleasure to serve with Linda Ullian Schmid on the team that tested and edited the recipes as well as styling the photos for the new book. We very much look forward to making it available to you through Avanti Savoia upon its publication in late summer 2009.


Fig-Panettone Bread Pudding

Serves 6

1 cup dried figs, chopped
¼ cup brandy
2 Tblsp. butter for greasing baking dish
6 cups (two 100g Bosari Classic Panettone from Avanti Savoia) torn into pieces
2 whole eggs
3 egg yolks
½ tsp. vanilla extract
½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¾ cup heavy cream
¾ cup whole milk
¾ cup sugar
3 egg whites
Pinch of salt

1. Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. Soak chopped figs in brandy and set aside until needed.
3. Grease a 9”x13”x2” glass baking dish with the butter.
4. Place the pieces of Panettone in the baking dish and toss them evenly with the figs and brandy.
5. Combine whole eggs, egg yolks, vanilla powder, cinnamon, heavy cream, whole milk and sugar and stir well.
6. In a large mixing bowl, beat egg whites with the salt until they form soft peaks.
7. Fold beaten whites into the egg mixture and pour over the Panettone and figs. Let stand at room temperature for 10 minutes.
8. Bake uncovered for 45 minutes. Serve warm with a splash of heavy cream.

Bon Appetite Y’all!

A “LIGHTER” TREAT FOR YOUR SWEETHEART

My wife, Gail and I do enjoy romantic occasions and we think any excuse is good one for a celebration. We have had some pretty wonderful times “doing up” Valentine’s Day. Plenty of beautiful tablescapes, antique lace, hearts, flowers, candles and nice crackling fire… you get the idea. Of course, some really delicious cooking (when we stay at home) is always part of the equation. Chocolate desserts or at least a gift of one of the beautiful chocolate treats from Avanti Savoia help make the evening special as well.

This year we’ve decided to take a little different approach with a low-fat dessert. Our motivation for slimming down a bit is an upcoming April cooking engagement in Hawaii.
A working vacation is a hard proposition to refuse. A trip to Texas last April allowed us to not only to enjoy a fabulous time in Texas, but was also the opportunity to work with my brother, Austin catering chef David Lowery. David is going to return the favor by joining us for the job in Hawaii. What a deal!

Our inspiration this time around is the classic French Coeur a la Crème or “a heart with cream” dessert. Usually this creation consists of a mixture of cream cheese and sour cream, crème Fraiche or whipping cream and sugar. It is usually made in a heart-shaped basket or mold with holes in it to allow the watery whey to drain away. After being refrigerated over night, it is unmolded and served with fruit and sometimes a sauce.

The “lighter” idea is to substitute strained non-fat yogurt for the usual mixture of dairy products. We think that our idea works quite well, looks good and taste delicious. It is still made with sugar and has plenty of carbs, but a ½ cup serving is only around 125 calories with no fat or cholesterol. I can assure you however, that I wouldn’t eat or serve it if it didn’t taste good.

“Coeur” a la Yogurt

One 32 oz. carton of plain non-fat yogurt
¼ cup blush wine
1 pkg. unflavored gelatin
1 cup powdered sugar, sifted
1 Tblsp. vanilla extract
1 tsp. lemon or orange zest, finely chopped
Fresh strawberries or raspberries for garnish

1. Line a large stainless steel strainer with a couple of layers of cheesecloth and place it over a bowl. Empty the carton of yogurt into the strainer, cover and refrigerate for several hours.
2. When ready to assemble the “Coeur”, combine wine and gelatin in a small saucepan and let sit for a few minutes to soften. Heat and stir over a low heat until the gelatin dissolves. Remove from heat.
3. In a large mixing bowl, combine the drained yogurt (discard the whey) and the dissolved gelatin with the rest of the ingredients. Blend well and evenly.
4. Line a 3-cup heart shaped mold with plastic wrap and refrigerate for several hours or overnight. To serve, unmold onto a serving platter and garnish with fresh strawberries or raspberries. If desired, the “Coeur” can also be served with a fresh berry sauce or coulis.

Fresh Berry Sauce

1 pint fresh strawberries or raspberries
½ cup sugar
Dash of brandy or other liqueur

1. Combine all ingredients and simmer for 5 minutes.
2. Strain through a fine mesh strainer and chill.
3. Drizzle over servings of the “Coeur” or serve the sauce in a little pitcher on the side.


Still need a little chocolate? Do what we did and drizzle some of the Leaning Oaks Vineyard’s Cabernet & Chocolate Wine Sauce over the top of the “Coeur” & berries.

LowCountry Part II

New Year’s Day

It is from the Lowcountry tradition that we have inherited the New Year’s Day custom of eating Black-eyed peas and collard (or other) greens for good luck. The actual dish enjoyed in the Lowcountry is called “Hoppin’ John,” which is a combination of black-eyed peas (or cowpeas) and rice. The following menu was for our New Year’s Day celebration with our friend Gary Elgin, artist, meditation teacher and bon vivant. But, such a feast can be enjoyed anytime for a Lowcountry celebration with a contemporary feel.

Lowcountry Menu
Starter
Low Country Martinis
Hoe Cakes
Hoppin’ John
Red Tomato Chow Chow
Homemade Crème Fraiche
Main
Shrimp and Grits
Mixed Greens seasoned with Country Ham
Dessert
Warm Gingerbread with Lemon-Orange Sauce and Crème Fraiche

…as complicated or simplified as you might like

This is a menu that can be as complicated or simplified as you might like. The Lowcountry Martini is a variation of what is usually called a “Dirty Martini”. The Martini of course is an image straight out of our cultural mythology. Purist (and there are many) prefer and adamantly claim that a true Martini is fine quality Gin, a drop of dry vermouth, stirred not shaken and maybe garnished with an olive.

Lowcountry Martini

The “dirty” Martini is made dirty by the addition of some of the juice from the olive jar. Our Lowcountry variation substitutes some pickled garlic juice from Low Country Produce’s Pickled Garlic and uses Vodka instead of Gin. The following recipe is approximate.
Per drink, mix:
2 oz. Vodka or Gin
2 tsp. dry white Vermouth
2 tsp. juice from the pickled garlic jar
a clove of pickled garlic skewered on a fancy toothpick for garnish

(yes, we do prefer shaken)

Combine liquor, Vermouth and garlic juice in a shaker with ice and shake (yes, we do prefer shaken) until the outside of the cocktail shaker has frost on it. Strain the Martini into a frozen Martini glass and garnish with the skewered pickled garlic and serve. OR… prepare in whatever fashion that you enjoy the most.

Hoe cakes

The Starter course that accompanies the Martini consists of Hoppin’ John served on Hoe Cakes and topped with Low Country Produce Red Tomato Chow Chow and a dollop of Crème Fraiche.

Hoppin’ John

Hoppin’John or something similar to it is famous in the south as a “good luck” dish served on New Years Day. Recipes abound, but the basic procedure involves cooking Black-eyed peas and rice in a savory broth heavily flavored with smoked pork. We cook this down until it is thick and can be spooned onto small Hoe Cakes, which are fried cornmeal pancakes. Topped with Chow Chow and a bit of homemade Crème Fraiche, this first course is both hearty and delicious.

Homemade Crème Fraiche

Homemade Crème Fraiche in its most simple form is made by combining 1/3 of a cup of sour cream with 2/3 cup of heavy cream and sometimes a little lemon juice. Blend well and allow to sit covered overnight at room temperature. Not only is Crème Fraiche used in savory recipes, it is also great as a sauce with the gingerbread cake.

“no dish more typically Lowcountry than Shrimp and Grits”

Shrimp and Grits have become such an omnipresent item on so many restaurants’ menus that it is amazing to me that I had not even heard of the dish before about 20 years ago. I was however familiar with a traditional brunch favorite in New Orleans, Grillades and Grits, which is pieces of fried round steak served with a brown tomato sauce over grits. I served the dish at a catering/teaching event a number of years ago and a guest suggested that I try grits “Charleston style.” I did and have loved and cooked Shrimp and Grits ever since, as well as enjoying it at many South Carolina (and other) restaurants, although it is certainly not limited to the style of just Charleston. Author and Chef, John Martin Taylor in his cookbook says he knows of “no dish more typically Lowcountry than Shrimp and Grits.”

Lowcountry delight

The key to this Lowcountry delight is fine quality grits cooked with milk or cream and served with fresh shrimp. The grits sometimes have cheese added and there are many variations to cook the shrimp. We usually just sauté the shelled and deveined shrimp in olive oil with garlic and a little lemon juice, but you can add bacon, onions or herbs. To serve: place the hot grits in a bowl or on a serving plate and top with shrimp- or mold grits in a ramekin, unmold on a plate and arrange shrimp around the grits. Serve as is or top with a sauce. We have sauced ours with everything from Hollandaise to Lobster Bisque, as well as serving it without any sauce at all.

Many approaches to cooking greens

The perfect side dish to Shrimp and grits has to be collard greens or in our case we used a combination of greens because we still have a row of mixed greens in our garden, including collards. There are again, many approaches to cooking greens. Our favorite seems to be first cooking down the well washed greens whole in stock with some smoked pork Next, we cool and chop the greens and sauté them with onions and garlic in bacon fat. Collard greens in the Lowcountry fashion are usually torn into pieces and simmered in a pork seasoned stock until tender. Collards may take 1 to 2 hours to become tender.

Lowcountry… has only become familiar to me in the last few years

Lowcountry cuisine and culture has only become familiar to me in the last few years, partially due to my wedding to my wife Gail in Greenville, South Carolina and our honeymoon on Edisto Island. Trips to Pawley’s Island, Georgetown, Charleston and Savannah, Ga. have only increased my enthusiasm for the area and its people.

…a most remarkable chef

In researching this post I have come across the work of a most remarkable chef and writer, John Martin Taylor. I spoke with Chef Taylor a few weeks ago and ordered his authoritative cookbook on the Lowcountry, HOPPIN’ JOHN’S LOWCOUNTRY COOKING published by Houghton Mifflin. You can order this online at HoppinJohn.com or call him at 800.828.4412 and he will be happy to ship you an autographed copy. I can highly recommend this book as a reference for Lowcountry cooking as well as the source for many authentic recipes. Do visit the chef’s blog at www.hoppinjohns.net; I truly think it is one of the most entertaining and interesting food blogs out there.

…not a recipe that I gleaned from the Lowcountry

To finish our feast we enjoyed a Texas gingerbread cake based on my grandmother, Clara Lowery’s recipe. Definitely not a recipe that I gleaned from the Lowcountry, but this recipe is a tradition in our family and perfectly at home with our menu.

Gingerbread Cake

Yields 12 large pieces

½ cup (1 stick butter)
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup molasses
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 tsp. vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. ground ginger
½ tsp. cinnamon
¼ tsp. ground cardamom
½ cup milk

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9-b-12-inch baking pan and line it with waxed paper.
2. With an electric mixer, cream butter and gradually add brown sugar.
3. Add molasses, eggs, vanilla and mix thoroughly.
4. Sift flour with baking soda, ground ginger, cinnamon and ground cardamom.
5. Add flour mixture alternately with milk and beat just enough to blend after each addition.
6. Pour batter into prepared pan and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve warm with a little Crème Fraiche and Lemon-Orange sauce.

Lemon-Orange Sauce

1 cup water
½ cup sugar
The juice from one lemon
2 Tblsps. cornstarch
2 to 3 tsps. Orange liqueur
Zest from 1 lemon (stripped from the lemon before you try to juice it)
2 Tblsps. butter

1. Combine water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a simmer.
2. Combine lemon juice and cornstarch and thoroughly blend. Cook for several minutes until it thickens.
3. Stir in Orange liqueur, zest and butter. Stir a couple of minutes to blend and serve warm drizzled over Gingerbread Cake. The cake is great with this sauce and a bit of the Crème Fraiche.

Low Country

Part One

One of the prominent influences in American cooking today
One of the prominent influences in American cooking today is actually one of the older food traditions in the US. The term “Lowcountry” refers to the costal plains and Sea Islands of South Carolina and Georgia. The climate, history, location and cultural identity of this area have all combined to create a remarkable example of “fusion” cuisine.

Fusion is a word that we see often
Fusion is a word that we see often describing the amalgamation of different cultural and cooking traditions in restaurants across the country. Today’s chefs do have incredible resources from which to draw their inspirations. However, the phenomenon of fusion cuisine has really been occurring ever since the first immigrants combined their ideas of cooking and eating with the foods they found in the new world.

The Gullah…are a source of pride for all African-Americans
There are similarities between Lowcountry cuisine and other styles of southern cooking, including Louisiana’s Creole and Cajun, but it is the presence of the Gullah culture that gives the area its historical uniqueness. The Gullah, also known as Geeche are descendents of slaves brought from Western and Central Africa. They are recognized for having preserved more of their unique cultural history than any other African-American community and as such, are a source of pride for all African-Americans. Resort development along the coast has posed certain threats but fortunately this unique part of American heritage continues to thrive.

…a living and vibrant approach to cooking and eating.
This includes maintaining their distinctive dialect, craft traditions and a living and vibrant approach to cooking and eating. The Gullah culture is known for their storytelling, music, quilt making and most especially basket making. Using locally harvested sweet grass, palmetto leaves, longleaf pine needles and black rush marsh grass, they produce beautiful coiled baskets, prized by collectors.

...such an impact on contemporary American cooking
It is however, their culinary achievements that are having such an impact on contemporary American cooking. This is not only obvious in the fine dining establishments of Charleston and Savannah but the widespread appearance of such dishes as Shrimp and Grits on menus all across the country. In 1976, grits were actually declared the official state food of South Carolina.

…many foods brought from Africa
There are many foods brought from Africa that are now associated with Southern eating habits and also cooking techniques. Techniques coupled with available foods resulting in many dishes that would be familiar to just about any southerner. Even foods that did not originate from Africa have become part of the Gullah experience thanks to their methods of preparation and cooking.

…the Lowcountry of South Carolina is a hot spot
There is a long list of Gullah influenced food, besides Shrimp and Grits such as She-crab soup, Okra gumbo, Hoppin’ John, Frogmore Stew, boiled peanuts, collard greens and many other examples of one-pot dishes. Today the Lowcountry of South Carolina is a hot spot of traditional Gullah cooking and Gullah inspired crossover innovations. We have even seen sushi rolled in collard leaves instead of nori. Rice is and always has been a dominate element in low-country cuisine. Many African-Americans came from rice growing areas of West Africa and at one time the low-country was covered by thousands of acres of rice producing plantations.

…the old fashioned southern way
As part of Avanti Savoia’s commitment to search out “treasures from around the world” we are very happy to introduce you to the fine products from Low Country Produce, a small South Carolina business that specializes in high-quality relishes, chutneys sauces preserves and pickles made in the old fashioned southern way. We think that you will appreciate these slow cooked, hand packed, all natural products as much as we do.

Are you a fan of homemade pickles?
We highly recommend the intensely flavored Blackberry Preserves and zippy Garlic Pepper Jelly. When we tasted the Sweet Potato Butter we found it not only fantastic, but a perfect interpretation of the Lowcountry tradition. Are you a fan of homemade pickles? We are and we think you will love this line of Sweet Pickles, Sweet Pickles with Jalapeño, Pickled Okra (a special southern treat), Pickled Garlic and Dilly Beans. We complete this rainbow of flavors with Peach Salsa, Tomato Sauces, Chutney, Artichoke Relish and Red Tomato Chow Chow.

…this historic cuisine
In the south, serving Chow Chow relish alongside a pot of beans is a long standing tradition. Low Country Produce’s In House Chef, Maggie Radzwiller recommends adding this Red Tomato Chow Chow to homemade pimento cheese spread or to turkey or ham sandwiches. The chef also recommends the tomato sauces as a base for quick versions of Italian favorites such as Puttanesca and Fra Diavlo sauces. In a particularly creative expression, Chef Radzwiller purees her Colonial Chutney with brandy, Marsala or Madeira wine for a sensational sauce with pork or game. Whether you are a long standing connoisseur of low-country fare or just beginning to appreciate this historic cuisine, we know that you will be charmed by the great offerings from Low Country Produce.

Continued in LOWCOUNTRY Part Two