AN AVANTI SAVOIA BIRTHDAY PARTY

Cool Food for a Hot Celebration

It is a nice thing to enjoy the company of your co-workers. Ben Slocum, the young president of Avanti Savoia is one of those enjoyable people. I consider Ben to be a computer wizard, although I’m sure that he would quickly disagree. In the almost two years that I have been Avanti’s Chef Consultant, I have spent many hours working with Ben and have grown to like and respect him very much.
Computer illiterate meets cyberspace guru
Ben has become my cyberspace guru. I think it is fair to say that at the onset of my employment, I was a computer illiterate. It has been through Ben’s patient and expert instruction that I have (at least to a limited degree) joined communications in the 21st century.

This is a great time for Ben. He graduated from Tusculum College in 2004 with a degree in Business Administration and a MBA from the University of Tennessee in ’06 and now, he is the president of Avanti Savoia Imports. He is also a big sports fan, having played soccer in both high school and college. Somehow, he still finds time to be a volunteer soccer coach at the local high school.

The perfect excuse to celebrate

Other exciting news in Ben’s life is the recent purchase of a new home and his upcoming marriage to his dynamite fiancée, Erin. Ben’s recent 27th birthday was the perfect excuse (as though we needed one) to celebrate with my employer and friend. It was on a recent hot summer’s evening during a dramatic cloudburst that we gathered for the occasion.

The weather was much too hot for elaborate cooking at the party, so we decided on a cold three course menu that was mostly prepared ahead. The menu relied on our garden and a number of our good Avanti Savoia products and hopefully might suggest some party ideas of your own. Doug and Kathy Slocum (Ben’s parents) graciously hosted the party and provided some great vinos.

The Wines
Walter Hansel Winery Russian River Chardonnay ‘05
Siduri Russian River Pinot Noir ‘03
Tasmania Tuscan Cabernet Sauvignon ‘01

The Menu
(*available at Avanti Savoia, http://www.avantisavoia.com/)

Starters
Endive leaves stuffed with Pimiento*(Spanish Sweet Peppers #34500) Cheddar Cheese
Choux Paste puffs filled with White Tuna Salad*(Albo White Tuna Fillets#70010)
Fried Pappadums (Indian crisp bread) with Podina (cilantro/mint) sauce

Main Courses
Fresh Garden Salad (hand picked from our garden the morning of the Party)
Served with Chunky Tomato Balsamic*(Giusti Gold Medal #20007) Vinaigrette
(For this Vinaigrette recipe, see our July 25 ’08 post, “In Love with the Love Apple”)
Pasta Salad *(Tortiglione #60030) with Shrimp and Toasted Pecan Pesto
Layered Fruit Bowl of Watermelon, Blueberries and Oranges with
Gail’s Poppy Seed Dressing

Dessert
Double Mocha Chocolate Pound Cake (recipe to follow) with
Chocolate Buttercream *( #50015 Castagna Extra Fonente) and Wild Raspberry Coulis
Served with Bonny Doon Vineyard Framboise (Raspberry Dessert Wine)


DOUBLE MOCHA CHOCOLATE POUND CAKE with CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Baking Time: 60 to 70 minutes
Makes one 9” by 5” Loaf Cake
Ingredients: (*Available at Avanti Savoia, http://www.avantisavoia.com/)
Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees and grease and flour loaf pan.

2 oz. dark chocolate, *(Castagna Extra Fonente, #50015) coarsely chopped
2 tsp. instant coffee powder
1 cup very strong hot coffee
½ cup (one stick) butter, unsalted
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 ¾ cup dark brown sugar
2 eggs, room temp.
2 cups all purpose flour, sifted
1 tsp. baking soda
Pinch of salt
½ cup sour cream
Recipe:
Combine chocolate and instant coffee in a small bowl and add hot coffee. Set aside and allow to cool.
Cream butter, vanilla extract and sugar. Beat very well.
Add eggs and again beat very well.
Sift together flour, baking powder and salt. At low speed in mixer, add dry ingredients and mix until just smooth- do not over mix.
Add sour cream and again mix slightly.
Add cooled chocolate until the batter is just mixed. Pour into prepared pan and bake 60 to 70 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. Allow cake to cool in pan for about 10 to 15 minutes and remove from pan. Ice with Chocolate Buttercream when completely cool.

CHOCOLATE BUTTERCREAM ICING
Ingredients:
7 oz. or two bars of dark chocolate,*(Castagna Extra Fondente #50015) coarsely chopped
1 ½ cups (3 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
1 ½ cups confectioner’s sugar, sifted
2 tsp. vanilla extract
3 eggs, room temp.
¼ cup cocoa powder *(Red Venezuelan Cocoa Powder #50120)
1 tsp. instant coffee powder
1 Tblsp.Bourbon
Pinch of salt
Recipe:
Melt the chocolate in a small bowl place over a pan of hot water.
Cream butter and sugar, adding sugar a little at a time. Add vanilla and beat at high speed for 3 or 4 minutes until mixture becomes very pale. Scrape down sides of bowl as necessary.
Add eggs, one at a time, beating very well after addition, then add cocoa.
Blend together instant coffee, Bourbon and salt. Beat one more time until blended.
Place Buttercream in refrigerator for a few minutes to firm it up. Ice cooled cake and place cake in refrigerator until about 30 minutes before serving.

RASPBERRY COULIS
Did you know? Coulis is a cooking term for a puree or sauce. It can be either sweet or savory, such as this sweet dessert Coulis or savory as in a tomato Coulis. There is plenty of room here for improvisation and making your own calls. For instance the amount of sugar in this recipe depends on the tartness of the particular raspberries used. Any number of flavor enhancers can also be used, such as a squeeze of lemon, lime or orange, a splash of complimentary liquor or even a pinch of salt. The important thing is not cover up the natural taste of the raspberries. So, in this recipe we will give you a very basic outline with which you can come with your own version of a delicious dessert sauce. Please note that other fruits can be substituted for raspberries.

Ingredients:
2 to 3 pints raspberries (fresh or frozen)
1 ½ cup sugar
¼ cup Chambord or other raspberry liqueur
Recipe:
Combine all ingredients in a saucepan and simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
Strain through a fine mesh sieve and taste for a balance of flavor- adjust according to your own judgment. Also, make a call concerning the consistency of the Coulis, if it is not quite thick enough, the strained sauce can be reduced a bit more.
Chill Coulis in the refrigerator for at least an hour. When ready to serve pour a small pool on your serving plate and lay a slice of the pound cake in the middle. If you really want to gild the Lily, add a dollop of whipped cream or ice cream.

Happy Birthday buddy!

NEW: Visit VitosCiao.com, an exciting new interactive forum in which Avanti Savoia’s legendary Italian partner shares his astounding knowledge of gourmet cooking and eating. Buon Appetito!

A CHEF’S MEA CULPA

Eat Only the Plants That Are Proven Safe and Accurately Identified

An interesting situation has been reported in the news media, one that has caught my attention and given me real pause for thought. A British chef, Anthony Worrall Thompson has made a significant error in his recommendation of a wild plant to be used in summertime meals. His mistake has had me thinking about two very important observations: One, the common verses scientific names for various plants and Two, the source for food information that chefs pass on to their co-workers and students and ultimately in their food.

The chef misspoke

The story is that this chef in a magazine article stated that “Henbane” would make a nice addition to summertime meals. The problem is that Thompson meant to refer to the plant commonly known as “Fat Hen”. Definitely, he misspoke. “Henbane” (Hyoscyamus niger) is toxic and according to Wikapedia, “can cause hallucinations, convulsions, vomiting and in extreme cases death”.

In an article in Healthy and Organic Living magazine it is stated, “Henbane is a very toxic plant and should never be eaten. As always, check with an expert when foraging or collecting wild plants”.

One of the problems in using only common names

What Chef Thompson meant to recommend was a plant known as “Fat Hen” (Chenopodium album) which is edible. This brings me to one of the problems in using only common names and not also referencing the scientific and therefore universal name.
For instance, neither of the names “Henbane” nor “Fat Hen” meant a thing to me. But, after a little researching, I realized that I’m totally unfamiliar with “Henbane”. “Fat Hen” however, is another name for “Lamb’s Quarter” (Chenopodium album), a plant that I’ve gathered and eaten for decades.

So, point taken- I will reference by the Latin terms for the plant family and species as I usually do. There are so many common names in so many languages that it is not only confusing to only use them, but potentially very harmful. That is my first observation, the second, (other that a real compassion for the embarrassment that the chef must have felt) is a long hard look at my own culinary use of wild plants.

You may already know of my fondness for wild mushrooms from a previous post entitled “Mushroom Paradise” in which I was careful to properly identify my mushrooms and recommend extreme caution in their harvest.

Fortune was on my side

However, I have been given real pause to think about many other plants that I have used over the years. In particular, the wild Sweet Pea or Lathyrus ochroleucus, which although I have not eaten or tried to cook, I HAVE used the pretty little blossom as a garnish with all sorts of dishes. Never again of course, but fortune was on my side as apparently my mistake has never made anyone sick.

“Chefly” arrogance

I do remember once when catering a private party in San Francisco in the early eighties, I used the blossoms to garnish a lovely cold strawberry soup. I was even confronted by one of the guests about the safety of the flower and my source for knowing that it was safe. In my “chefly” arrogance I answered that of course it was safe and that I had used it for years. I have used it for years and but the truth is I don’t remember how or who first inspired me to use it. My bad, and although not quite the faux pas of Chef Thompson, I was very wrong and have learned a most valuable lesson.

I do love foraging around for edible wild things and was a big fan years ago of the most famous proponent of wild food, Euell Gibbons. I carried around a copy of his book “Stalking the Wild Asparagus” until it was worn out. I still love wild asparagus (Asparagus officinalis) and still gather it every spring.

It is a safe bet that in the future if I mention wild foods in this blog or elsewhere it will have proper reference and identification! Eat well and safely!

How Fine Dining Came To the Hinterland

A Commentary on the Evolution of Regional American Cuisine

Some Historical Cooking Tidbits

Our story could begin in many ways, but historically it begins with Italy in the middle of the 16th century. It was 1553 when Catherine de Medici made her way to Paris to marry the future King of France, Henri II. Italian cuisine is certainly one of the most ancient in Europe, although the Greeks will point out (quite rightly) that many Italian techniques and dishes can be traced back to Greece and even Asia. It is a fact however, that Catherine did take with her a team of the finest cooks in Florence. And they did profoundly influence the cookery of French high society. French chefs had a little over two hundred years to develop and refine their skills under the noble houses until 1789. The French Revolution brought a crashing finale to not only the old social order, but to the ways in which chefs lived and worked as well. Modern restaurants were essentially created by unemployed culinarians seeking to survive after the dissolution of the great estates of their former patrons. From 1553 on, Catherine and her Italian kitchen whizzes did begin something of a revolution in French cookery. It is usually referred to as a “refinement” of the then accepted cooking practices. It would not be the last. French chefs have continued to the present time in their efforts to organize, simplify and codify their great art. The fact is that French cooking has not, nor ever will remain the same. It has always evolved and will continue to do so.

Certainly, one of the mega chefs of the 20th century in terms of his influence upon following generations of chefs is the legendary Fernand Point. From his writing, reputation and influence, Point is a deeply respected, personal hero of mine. Point founded his restaurant, La Pyramide in the Rhone valley town of Vienne in 1923 and continued to operate it until his death in 1955. Chef Point trained several of modern France’s most accomplished chefs including the Troisgros brothers, Alain Chapel and “The Lion of Lyon”, Paul Bocuse. Of course, I never had the privilege of meeting Point in person, (I was just in the first grade when he died). However, as the reputed father of Nouvelle Cuisine, I have stumbled across his footprints my entire career.

Now to the Americas: The cooking history of the United States reflects not only the foods of the native peoples but the traditions of her multi-cultural settlers as well. The natural resources of the new world blended with the eating habits of waves of immigrants from every region of the planet. Early American society was agrarian, and this is reflected in foods and attitudes based on the rural availabilities and individual cultural tastes of the settlers backgrounds. Adaptation proved to be the key to survival. Game, large and small, was plentiful and the waters teemed with an abundance of aquatic edibles. The pioneer cook also found him or herself confronted by a host of novel produce, much of which was unknown in England and Europe.

Native Americans instructed the settlers in cultivation, preparation and preservation of these new foodstuffs. Our early cookbooks, such as they were, consisted mostly of very broad guidelines and were useless to illiterate pioneers in any case. The early “recipes” that did exist offered, by today’s standards, rather vague guidelines, such as “wine glass and teacups full”, “as much spice as needed”, “some”, “a little bit”, and so forth. Similar instructions still appear in family recipes that have passed down orally from one generation to the next. With modern agri-business, transportation and shipping, many regional distinctions have been blurred; however, creative chefs at excellent restaurants all across America are remembering our heritage. Many are now exploring menus that reflect heirloom products and regional flavors coupled with sophisticated cooking techniques.

There have been many changes in American dinning and restaurants in my lifetime. Fifty years ago, there was a vague genre known as “continental cuisine” that is rarely seen in today’s culinary circles. Certainly in the big cities, one could find restaurants offering their take on any number of ethnic varieties including sophisticated French. But American restaurants offering American Cuisine were a different story entirely. Regional American food was local food and only the more refined American dinners appreciated (or cooked) French. Most French cookbooks of the time, were written by French chefs in French, then translated into English, and assumed much expertise on the part of the reader. Then, in 1961 came the publication of volume 1 of Mastering the Art of French Cooking, by Julia Child, Louisette Bertholle, and Simone Beck. This book was a detailed approach to the art of cooking with few assumptions and lots of explanations. Also, it had beautiful illustrations by Julia’s husband, Paul Child. It was followed by a second volume of the same title and, in early 1963 by the famous “The French Chef “cooking show on Boston’s public television station. Every celebrity chef cooking show and personality today owes their existence to this seminal event. In this same era an American President and First Lady were being served genuine French cuisine in the White House by a genuine French Chef, Rene’ Verdon, Le Maitre Cuisinier de France. French cooking became popular, chic, and accessible.

We can’t look at modern food history without a nod to the natural food movement of the 60s and 70s as well. Has any foodstuff been held up to as much ridicule as has simple tofu? There was a time when the word “organic” evoked images of “commune cuisine” or at the least health food “nuts”. That time is long past. Any large supermarket in the US today features whole sections to organic foods and yes, that includes tofu in several grades. Many of us care very much about what nurtures our bodies. And sales figures support this assumption too.

La Nouvelle Cuisine, The New Cooking, burst upon the fertile countryside of California several decades ago. Coupled with the golden state’s passion for quality foodstuffs and their commitment to world class wines, a monumental revolution ensued. It was the right place and the right time. California followed a very European model for success. Classic cooking techniques, mostly French and Italian (and in time, Asian) were employed using local ingredients. Local bakeries, artisan cheeses, superb produce, organic sources for perfect meats, boatloads of the freshest seafoods, AND California wine created an electrifying atmosphere.

Chefs with readily recognized names today, helped create the groundwork of this movement, like Alice Waters, Jeremiah Tower and Wolfgang Puck. Another very good example would be Chef Philippe Jeanty, who for years presided over the Domaine restaurant located on site at the vineyards of Domaine Chandon in Yountville, California. Such a fantastic location in the heart of Napa valley with tremendous wine resources was at the chef’s disposal. Chef Jeanty continues today with his “Bistro People” concept of bringing French bistro cooking to the west coast. This “California Story” is a model for anyone in American food service today. Restaurants, wineries, food producers and innkeepers have learned to work in a symbiotic relationship the last few years, and not just in California. All regions of our country can boast restaurants, hotels and inns that proudly serve regional fare. What an exciting time to experience expertly and creatively prepared New American Cooking!

Please share with us your thoughts concerning New American Cooking and do mention specific names and locations of establishments that you have experienced. We also hope that you will contact us with any questions or comments concerning any of Avanti Savoia’s “Culinary Treasures from around the World”.

Bon Appetit Y’all!

Chef Joseph

Chef Joseph Lowery is the Chef Consultant at Avanti Savoia. He has worked as a chef, author, and cooking instructor since 1971.