Sauce Magazine // August 2014

What do you do with a windfall of tomatoes?

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Make tomato sauce and freeze it for winter

Make a tomato tart with lots of basil and garlic

Chris Daniel, Jonathan Gayman, Elizabeth Jochum, Elizabeth Maxson, Greg Rannells, Carmen Troesser

Vidhya Nagarajan

Glenn Bardgett, Matt Berkley, Garrett Faulkner, Ligaya Figueras, Jacqueline Fogas, kellie Hynes, Byron kerman, Jamie kilgore, Ted kilgore, Cory king, Catherine klene, Meera Nagarajan, Michael Renner, Dee Ryan, Stacy Schultz

Rebecca Ryan

Rebecca Ryan

Allyson Mace

Rachel Gaertner, Jill George,

Jackie Wagner

Jill George

Give them to friends and family

Mary Baker, kelly Crutsinger, Elena Makansi

whole or in part, of the contents without permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. While the information has been compiled carefully to ensure maximum accuracy at the time of publication, it is provided for general guidance only and is subject to change.

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Our reviewers are never provided with complimentary food or drinks from the restaurants in exchange for favorable reviews, nor are their identities as reviewers made known during their visits.

letter from the editor

learn great things.” That’s my husband’s dictum, delivered to our sons while they eat breakfast before heading off to school. This year, only my youngest will have to suffer his dad’s wisdom; his older brother departs for college in a couple weeks. (Pardon my tears and nose-blowing.) What does it take to learn great things? Food, for starters. It’s fuel for the mind, and my kids are lucky enough to go to school on full bellies. They eat well-rounded lunches. They come home to a nutritious dinner. Not every child is so fortunate.

One in four children in this country don’t know where their next meal is coming from, according to A Place at the Table, a 2012 documentary about childhood

hunger in the U.S. While St. Louis is in the midst of a culinary renaissance, we aren’t exempt from that alarming statistic. Local nonprofit Operation Food Search executive director Sunny Schaefer and her team witness cases of nutritional deprivation among our youth on a daily basis. Luckily, they are working for change.

A primary mission of OFS’s Operation Backpack program is to remove the barrier of hunger that contributes to poor school performance and attendance. Every Friday during the school year, OFS gives students from low-income families a backpack filled with $4 to $5 of shelf-stable food to last them through the weekend because their cupboards at home are empty or understocked. Now in its seventh year, Operation Backpack hands out backpacks

to 4,000 students from kindergarten through sixth grade at 35 schools in St. Louis and surrounding counties.

Area chefs believe so passionately in caring for others through food that they’ve made a career out of it. And many of these same chefs donate their time and resources to OFS by participating in events, such as the upcoming Downtown Restaurant Week. From Aug. 11 through 17, you can enjoy a three-course dinner for $25 at any of 27 participating restaurants. When the check arrives, there is an option to add an “extra helping” as a donation to Operation Food Search. For more information and other ways to help OFS, visit operationfoodsearch.org or call 314.726.5355.

We’re more than halfway to the holidays, the biggest time for charitable giving, but hunger knows no season. School bells around town will ring again this month, heralding the start of a new school year. All children have the potential to learn great things in the classroom and make their mark on the world. But for that to happen we must provide them with the proper sustenance – for both body and mind.

Warmly,

Ligaya Figueras Executive editor

editors' picks

eat this

The CHEESEBURGER at DEATH IN THE AFTERNOON is our latest obsession. The craving begins with that diner-style patty – top-tier Rain Crow Ranch beef shaped into a slim round, griddled to a crisp char on the outside, yet still rosy and juicy inside with melted American cheese hidden in the center. Then there’s the dash of heat from Calabrian chile aioli and the crunch of bread-and-butter pickles. And the house-made bun – oh, the bun! So pillowy and perfectly sized to fit the burger and fixin’s. Dishes change often at this new weekday lunch haven in Citygarden, but we have a feeling this burger is here to stay.

Vintage Dessert Plates

These found dessert plates are a mixed bag, varying in patterns from pink roses to green ivy. $2 to $4 per plate. The White Rabbit, 9030 Manchester Road, St. Louis, 314.963.9784, thewhiterabbitstl.com

Cutie Pie Onesie

Put little Missy in this onesie and you’ll really want to eat her up. $18. Knollwood Lane, 314.440.5475, knollwoodlane.com

Fixations

This month, we’re all about pie. Whether you’re making it or simply enjoying the results, be sure to stock up on the essentials. Here’s the gear at the top of our shopping list right now.

Juliska Pie Pan (with pie)

Custom-order a pie in this beautiful pie pan, which makes a lovely host gift or last-minute dessert for your own party. $68, plus cost of pie. Veritas Gateway to Food and Wine, 15860 Fountain Plaza Drive, Ellisville, 636.227.6800, veritasgateway.com

Kate Brennan Hall Hand-printed Tea Towels

Profess your love of pie with these handcrafted towels.

$16. Collective at MX, 626 Washington Ave., St. Louis, 314.241.5420, collectivemx.com

Le Creuset Pie Birds

Not only are pie birds cute, they help release steam from double-crusted fruit pies while they bake, keeping the crust flaky and light. $8. Kitchen Conservatory, 8021 Clayton Road, Clayton, 314.862.2665, kitchenconservatory.com

Maven Pie-scented Candles

If baking isn’t your thing, fake it until you make it with these pie-scented candles, available in coconut cream, lemon-blueberry and apple-pear-cranberry. $22. Maven, 7290 Manchester Road, Maplewood, 314.645.1155, mavenstl.com

Mrs. Anderson’s Pie Crust Bag

Roll out perfect rounds of dough every time with these handy pie crust bags. $5. Cornucopia, 107 N. Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood, 314.822.2440, cornucopia-kitchen.com

MoonSpoon Pie Servers

Ornate designs are laser cut into these cherry wood pie servers for a touch of class. $20. Craft Alliance, 6640 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314.725.1177 ext. 322, craftalliance.org

Shanna Murray Recipe Pie Dish

You’ll never search for a pumpkin pie recipe again –unless you lose this pie pan.

$10. West Elm, 1155 Saint Louis Galleria, Suite 1474, St. Louis, 314.863.5287, westelm.com

Tapered Rolling Pin

This is what pros use to roll out their pie dough. Take a leaf from their playbook and do the same. $15. Williams-Sonoma, various locations, williams-sonoma.com

rev iews

new and notable

three flags tavern

There is no doubt that the humble hamburger has been fetishized lately, to the extent that we’ve almost grown inured to outstanding local variations (Veritas, Quincy Street Bistro, The Dam and The Tavern come to mind). Add Three Flags Tavern’s ground brisket burger to your must-eat list: a thick, simply seasoned 7-ounce patty of beef brisket griddled until crispy and topped with cheese (I opted for cheddar, but you can choose any cheese in the house), lettuce, bacon, tomato, red onion and “house sauce,” made from a mixture of mayonnaise, ketchup, mustard and pickle juice. The house-made potato bun had a bit of sweetness to complement the savory meat, and thankfully didn’t disintegrate under the burger’s heft. On the side came fried pickles, an added delight.

by Michae L Renne R | PhoTos by JonaT han Gay M an

Trout meunière amandine at Three Flags Tavern

to offer some insight to this burger’s popularity: t he first time i ordered it, the 4-month-old s outh City eatery was out of buns. On my next attempt, the brisket was 86ed by the time I arrived. Disappointing, sure, but it’s difficult to fault a kitchen that bakes only as many sesame seed potato rolls and grinds as much meat as supplies allow that day. After all, isn’t that the point of

a scratch kitchen? The third time, I called ahead to inquire about the availability of both burger and bun. Success!

Proprietors John and Cathy O’Brien have taken a little-known historic event called Three Flags Day – the 1804 ceremony held in St. Louis when the flags of Spain, France and the U.S. flew over the city to mark the official transfer of territory

acquired by the Louisiana Purchase – and stitched it into the multicultural concept of their first restaurant.

From the contemporary comfort food menu to superb cocktails, local beers (four on tap) and a wine list focused on variety (18 by the glass!), Three Flags isn’t your average St. Louis corner joint, even if it does reside in the old Harry’s Bar and Grill space. Patrons of the erstwhile sports bar may not recognize the place, though. The sprawling patio – once packed with legions of softball teams – is still an ideal gathering spot, and inside it’s cozy with exposed brick walls, pressed-tin ceilings, vintage chandeliers and deep, comfy dining room chairs. Framed prints of bygone St. Louisans and a wall-sized map of early 19th-century North America add charm.

Drawing on the culinary influences of all three countries is a fun concept that could get gimmicky fast were it not for John O’Brien’s 35-year career in the industry, including stints at McGurk’s, King Louie’s, Balaban’s and, most recently, Table Three. His approach is subtle. With the mussels, porter stood in for white wine – the usual liquid for steaming – providing a deeper, more complex flavor base to the miniature steamer pot in which the plump shellfish were served. Collops of smoky bacon and slivers of garlic didn’t hurt, either. Among other appetizers, there was an excellent posole simmered with a hunk of tender Berkshire pork shank, loaded with pearls of hominy and served with Indian fry bread – perfect for sopping up the savory broth infused with flavors of cumin, chiles and herbs. The kitchen even salts fresh cod for four days to make its brandade , rather than using reconstituted dried cod for the traditional French dish of puréed fish and potatoes.

you can count on one hand the number of restaurants that pan-fry chicken; it’s just too time-consuming compared to deep-frying. Our server wasn’t exaggerating when she explained the chicken was worth the 30-minute wait time. Dredged in a

peppery coating of flour and cornmeal, the brined bird was fried to a shimmering honey-colored brown with a satisfying crunch. The accompanying biscuit was as soft and fresh as it gets – the kitchen bakes them to order while the chicken cooks –though the surprisingly flavorless velouté sauce on the side added little beyond the velvety texture that gives it its name.

Heirloom pork was the star of the mixed grill plate: a big, juicy bone-in chop, a slab of fatty, crackly pork belly and a medallion of smoky, bacon-wrapped tenderloin served with hasty pudding (ground corn porridge) and topped with diced apple and rich, slightly thickened pan drippings. An order of collard and mustard greens, one of six side options available, was at once salty and tender, smoky and porky.

But nothing better exemplified the philosophy of t hree Flags than the quintessentially Creole dish of trout meunière amandine. Dusted with cornmeal, sauteed and served in a brown butter sauce flavored with lemon – beurre meunière style – the light and flaky fillets of Idaho speckled trout came garnished with whole Spanish Marcona almonds and North American lingonberries sauteed in butter. Between the sweet crunch of the almonds, slightly sweet tartness of the berries and creamy, muted spice of the accompanying horseradish flan, the dish was irresistible.

With only three selections, the dessert lineup is brief, but the options are made in-house. The creme brulee was rich and flavorful but a bit under-set beneath its crackling cap of burnt caramel. The cardamom- and Calvados-flavored whipped cream atop the deliciously warm, flaky apple tart needed a touch more sweetness to counter the spice.

Three cheers for Three Flags Tavern and the O’Briens’ commitment to what a neighborhood hangout should be. I suspect the kitchen is getting better at anticipating demand for those burgers, but I’m still going to call ahead – just to be sure.

When Tue. to Thu. – 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Fri. and Sat. – 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Dogs ’n Frys refuses to do anything by the book. Its all-beef dogs are boiled and then flash-fried to lock in flavor – which arguably diminished their “snap” upon biting into them, even if it improved the taste. The restaurant’s logo is branded onto the side of the bun [1] as a whimsical extra. Beef bacon, which makes an appearance on many menu items, made for an interesting change-up, though it didn’t taste quite as good as the oinky kind.

You’ll find a classic Chicago dog and a chili dog on the menu here, but cast an eye to the more bizarre fare. If you’re among those who think everything tastes better with a fried egg on top, the Early Bird should get you out of bed in a flash. Adorned with egg, bacon and breakfast potatoes, and maple syrup drizzled over the top, it’s like a horizontal breakfast sandwich. The Peanut Butter Jelly Bacon dog [2] features sweet, caramelized onions suspended in a surprisingly savory – and tasty – PB&J sauce. (Peanut butter and onions may ring a bell if you’ve ever tried African peanut stew.) The Sweet and Spicy dog, however, is a shotgun wedding of house-made raspberry sauce, barbecue sauce, cheddar cheese and jalapenos; it felt like a forced combination, resulting in oversaturated flavors. The mac-n-cheese, spooned over its namesake hot dog, was neither creamy nor sharp enough, and the unremarkable chili made a disappointingly bland garnish to the chili dog.

power lunch Dogs ’n FRys

By Byron k erman | photos By e liza B eth m axson

The combination of peanut butter, jelly, bacon and onions on a hot dog sounds like it was dreamed up by a toddler, but at Florissant’s new Dogs ’n Frys, it’s not only on the menu – it triumphs. The dessert menu gets even stranger and more delectable: french fries dipped in ice cream.

world of Hot

Dogs

topped with

and other colorful choices. It’s appreciated. With its gray, muted tones, the restaurant’s small interior is not festive, just a place to stuff your face with unpretentious hot dogs and french fries.

Dogs ’n Frys is located at a blink-andyou’ll-miss-it strip mall next to Florissant’s St. Ferdinand Catholic Church, home to a popular Friday fish fry. But don’t neglect this new joint on the block which, like its neighbor, benefits from divine inspiration. Putting peanut butter and jelly on a hot dog surely qualifies as some kind of epiphany.

Why doesn’t every restaurant leave the fries in the fryer as long as Dogs ’n Frys does?

These hand-cut french fries are served well-done and crisp. With ketchup, they soared to new heights of awesome. Still, if you want fries laid over with a mound of toppings, the kitchen offers options like the Philly Fry (beef bacon, cheddar cheese, caramelized onions and sauteed green peppers); the Slaughter Stack (beef bacon, cole slaw and barbecue sauce); and the everpopular cheese fries.

For dessert, you can order fries dipped in ice cream [3], a dessert inspired, according to one of the owners, by dunking fries in soft-serve at fast-food joints as a kid. It sounded dubious, but the cool-and-sweet, hot-and-salty tastes mingled handsomely.

Service was reliably speedy, and the counter person may well ask if it’s your first time here. If so, he or she will take pains to acculturate you to this strange new

aggressIve dogs

I belIeve I can Fry

no-nonsense noshIng

[4]

’n Spicy

[4]

Flamin’ Hot Cheetos

[2]

[3]

the takeaway

21st street Brewers Bar

By

Lit candlewicks snap and flicker, throwing shapes of light on the jagged interior stone walls of 21st Street Brewer’s Bar, a below-ground beer-drinking oasis. An homage to local brewing, this overlooked hangout has emerged as one of downtown’s scrappiest contenders for the best place to enjoy a pint.

Beneath Vin de Set and PW Pizza in Lafayette Square, a narrow hallway twists, turns and takes an abrupt halt at an unmarked doorway, which opens to a cozy, subterranean room. Since the bar’s quiet opening in March, it has played host to a regular crowd of beer lovers rather than beer snobs. A cavern of cool environs as well as drinks, 21st Street evokes underground Biergartens and lagering cellars, like Uhrig’s Cave and other 19thcentury drinking venues in St. Louis that are largely forgotten. This is an entirely fitting location, given the history of 2017 Chouteau Ave. Constructed in 1876, the

basement space originally served as the catacombs for the Schnaider Brewery, one of St. Louis’ first and largest breweries.

The bar that stands in its place is an Old World, stone- and wood-decorated venue that celebrates St. Louis brewing, past and present. Case in point: local craft beer takes center stage among the 50 taps behind the massive beer bar. A nearby “wall of brewmasters” is lined with 8-by-11-inch mug shots of hometown brewers sporting wide grins. Raising a pint to them is a diverse crowd of beer enthusiasts, 20- and 30- and 40-somethings who are fed up with the usual overcrowded late-night haunts.

This bar definitely leans more Cheers than Coyote Ugly. Its stools are easily accessible, as is the affable and efficient staff that mans the taps and readily dispenses recommendations and sample pours. The beers are highly drinkable: the ever-familiar Busch tap is situated next to easy-sipping

Missouri crafts like Urban Chestnut’s new Stammtisch lager. Standouts from the draft selection included Civil Life’s reboot of its American Brown, now dubbed the Big Year Brown Ale, which is hoppier and more thick with roasted malt than its predecessor, and even more smooth and satisfying on the finish. The Charleville Tornado Alley amber ale was another winner. This medium-bodied dark beer is a smoky little treat for lovers of rich, malted ales with roasted and nutty aftertones. The bottle selection is

also worth delving into: in addition to the normal who’s-who of foreign and domestic choices, the management has thrown in an ample selection of rich Belgian ales, ciders, porters, lagers, hefeweizens, stouts, and a few less-travelled choices, such as wild ales, barley wines and alt beers.

Though it’s a beer cellar at heart, the bar stocks a proper share of the hard stuff and a serviceable wine menu. The folks at PW Pizza deliver perfectly crispy pizzas on thick, oversized wooden peels. More East Coast than St. Louis thin-crust style, which is to say pleasantly chewy and slightly charred, these modestly portioned pies were themselves worth the return trip. The Wolf was well dressed with fennel sausage and apple wood-smoked bacon, both putting it over the top as the most savory and carnivore-friendly of the bunch. Giving it a run for the money was Big Balls, a monster of a pie topped with oversized meatballs, fresh basil and caramelized onions, a trio of unique flavors fighting it out on a sea of melted mozzarella. For something smaller, the soft pretzels were simple yet phenomenally good, especially when slathered in healthy doses of the Milton Creamery cheddar cheese and whole-grain honey mustard dipping sauces.

While raucous dinner parties racked up hefty tabs upstairs, the Brewers Bar, even on a Friday, was more empty than expected for a place this nice after several months in business. But for the moment, I’m more than happy about the surplus of leather chairs from which to sip another cold beer.

order iT:

21st Street Brewers Bar

Civil Life Brewing’s newly rechristened Big year Brown ale sports a big flavor to match the name.

The Big Balls pizza and soft pretzel appetizer make worthy companions for your brew of choice. nIghtlIFe

m att B erkley | p hotos By eliza B eth jochum

21st street Brewers Bar

2017 chouteau ave., st. louis, 314.241.6969, 21stbrew.com

dine & drink

A SEAT AT Th E BAr

Four experts tell us what to sip, stir and shake

glenn bardgeTT Member of the Missouri Wine and Grape Board and wine director at Annie Gunn’s

tenuta delle terre nere etna Bianco may well be the archetype for one of the more nebulous wine descriptors: minerality. This dry Sicilian white smells like the sea, and from the moment it hits your mouth to its impressively long finish, tastes like you’re licking a pebble plucked from the beach. A blend of five grapes – carricante, catarratto, grecanico, inzolia and minnella, some from vines as old as 60 years – this wine is a perfect expression of the volcanic terroir of Mount Etna and the salty Mediterranean water that surrounds the island. Priced in the low $20s, it is a true overachiever. Enjoy it with creatures of the sea.

Ted and jaMie kilgore

USBG, B.A.R. Ready, BarSmart and co-owners/bartenders at Planter’s House

We’re quietly sipping green chartreuse. We say “quietly” because this herbal liqueur is made by a silent order of Carthusian monks who’ve crafted it since 1737. Although many liqueurs originated in monasteries, Chartreuse is the only widely available liqueur still made by monks. The formula, which contains 130 different herbs, plants and botanicals, remains a secret to all but two monks who oversee its preparation. The concentrated vegetal flavor of this green elixir is as unique as its origin and production. If the fresh herbal notes of green Chartreuse on ice are too overwhelming, simply add mineral water and a lemon wedge. It just might be a religious experience you can’t keep quiet about.

cory king

Certified Cicerone, head brewer at Perennial Artisan Ales and founder of Side Project Brewing

The city of Cologne, Germany is home to the Kölsch, one of the more obscure ales in the world. This blonde ale is traditionally fermented with a unique yeast strain at a lower temperature than other ales, and then lagered for an additional period of time, resulting in a very smooth brew. Reminiscent of many German lagers, it is often produced in the U.S. as a warm weather seasonal and is a great gateway beer for those venturing away from a light, domestic lager. Some of my regional favorites include schlafly Kölsch and goose island summertime, while Kölsches from sünner and reissdorf are tops on my list of German picks. It’s hot. Crack open a Kölsch!

Check out

Glenn Bardgett's pick for a Sicilian white.

s lushes for lushes

By g arrett faulkner

close your eyes and recall the snow cones of your childhood. Now, wake up and add a big-kid ingredient: booze. The enticing combination of chipped ice, fruit syrups and liquor doesn’t have to be a summertime fantasy; boozy slushes are making waves behind the bar at several St. Louis watering holes. What’s more, many of them are taking the treat in super-cool directions – replacing saccharine-laden syrups with real fruit juice and combining flavors that give our beloved Rainbow order a run for the money.

For Dustin Parres, bar manager at Gamlin Whiskey House, the boozy slush started as a sunny memory of his grandmother’s “red whiskey slush” – Jim Beam bourbon, cranberry juice and citrus whipped up in plastic gallon containers and kept in the freezer all summer.

“When I was 8, I thought I was just eating really funny ice cream,” Parres said. His grandmother’s frozen hooch left an impression; Parres uses her recipe to make the Red Whiskey slush at Gamlin Whiskey House. Another, Kentucky Tea Party, is a devilish mixture of Wild Turkey bourbon, organic black tea, amaretto, ginger and bracing cranberry and citrus. This one is a bit whiskey-forward, so you’d be wise to (slowly) consume those flaky, crystalline sheaves of ice served in a martini glass using the accompanying demitasse spoon. Better yet, bring along a couple friends and have a grownup tea party.

In contrast to the snow cone texture of Gamlin’s cocktails, those at Shack Restaurant in Valley Park are fluid and stirrable. The standout among the trio of offerings is Alex the Lovely Assistant, which incorporates mixed fruit-infused vodka and lemon vodka with lemonade and a

splash of grenadine. Blended with ice, it turns into a citrusy pink lemonade-esque masterpiece that’s so easy to drink, you could down it in one go.

For a south-of-the-border riff on a frozen favorite, head to Cielo at the Four Seasons and order the Beerita, in which a Corona longneck takes a nosedive into a

pint glass of Cielo’s homemade frozen margarita. The crisp beer dials down the sugar and accents the salt in the mixture, replacing sweetness with savory flavor, lime and bright carbonation. The rules of fluid pressure and dynamics come into play here, since you can empty as much of the Corona as desired into the glass to change the cocktail’s flavor and texture.

From left, The Ghost of Iggy's, Alex the Lovely Assistant and Rum Forest Rum at Shack Restaurant

Elsewhere, chefs and bar managers are bringing in snazzy machines for your slush-drinking pleasure. Chef-owner Kevin Nashan purchased a top-of-theline Swan block ice shaver to make “glorified snow cones” with booze (and without) at his soon-to-open restaurant, Peacemaker Lobster and Crab Co. And at Cedar Lake Cellars in Wright City, the bar

crew uses a Bunn frozen beverage machine to concoct a rotating selection of slushes that feature its wines mixed with puréed fruit. This sweeter, colder alternative to a glass of wine is offered yearround at Cedar Lake, but as the dog days of August skulk around the corner, its heyday – and that of all the boozy slushes around town – is right now.

cocktaI ls

cuckoo for coconuts

Forget what you think you know about coconut water. what’s sold in plastic bottles at health food stores pales in comparison to the nutty, slightly sweet stuff that comes from a fresh coconut. stop worrying. if my 76-yearold grandmother can crack open these tough-skinned spheres, so can you.

Hold the coconut in your nondominant hand. Position it so that the “eyes” of the coconut are horizontal. Place a bowl underneath to catch the water. Using a hammer, whack the coconut in its center. in between whacks, rotate the coconut. Keep hitting it in along its equator on all sides to make the crack grow. once the crack spans the entire circumference of the coconut, you’ll be able to force it open with your hands. drain the water into the bowl, then transfer it to a glass. a single coconut doesn’t contain much liquid, so drink slow – with ice cubes if desired – and savor it.

– Meera Nagarajan

Whole fresh coconuts can be found at well-stocked supermarkets and at Seema Enterprises, a grocery store that specializes in Indian, Pakistani and Middle Eastern foods. Call ahead and make sure coconuts are available and not already cracked, as some stores pre-cut them for convenience. The quantity of water will vary from coconut to coconut; when selecting one, shake a few of them and choose the one that sounds like it has the most water.

vegan ice cream

By kellie hynes

Recently, after a particularly pizza-filled weekend, I woke up on a Monday to several friends gleefully announcing on Facebook the start of their cleanses. For those who don’t know they’re leading a filthy life, a cleanse is a short-term, strict diet that promises to rid the body of toxins. It sounds like a good idea until you realize that most cleanses consider caffeine and sugar to be toxins, not breakfast. While I would normally skip straight to the witty cat memes, this time I paused. My cleansing friends are all slender, with glowing skin and shiny hair. I am bloated, and my hair is frizzy, I thought, as I sipped on a latte made with a leftover Ted Drewes concrete. Perhaps a diet makeover really was in order.

Photos By C a R men t R oesse R

This month, we’re giving away a copy of Mark Bittmann’s cookbook VB6: Eat Vegan Before 6:00 to Lose Weight and Restore Your Heath…for Good. Follow Sauce Magazine on Facebook for a chance to win.

Since you’re reading this column, you may have heard of that other food journalist, Mark Bittman. I love Bittman’s articles in the New York Times, so I bought his book VB6: Eat Vegan Before 6:00 to Lose Weight and Restore Your Health…for Good. Bittman suggests being a part-time (until 6 p.m.) vegan, but eating anything you want for dinner. While I don’t have the discipline to do a cleanse for even a few days, this VB6 concept seemed like a sustainable way to improve my eating habits. Especially if I could figure out how to make a vegan substitute for my favorite frozen treat.

I’d never made ice cream, vegan or otherwise, so research was in order. I learned that you first make a base, which is traditionally a combination of milk, cream, sugar, vanilla and eggs. The base is cooked on the stovetop, then poured into an ice cream maker, which churns the base as it freezes. Churning aerates the mixture, which keeps it from freezing into a hard block and helps prevent ice crystals from forming. If you want to add a flavor, say marshmallow fluff fruit, it’s poured into the ice cream machine during the last few minutes of churning.

I also learned that the secret to making a rich, creamy frozen confection is to use ingredients with a high fat content. If the velvety texture of Ben & Jerry’s Smooth Vanilla Ice Cream makes you sigh with happiness, you can thank the 16 grams of fat in every half-cup (as if we only eat half a cup – snort). A similarly-sized portion of my beloved frozen vanilla custard is practically a health food with its mere 10 grams of fat. For my vegan ice

cream, full-fat coconut milk would give me the smooth texture I wanted, but could I justify the whopping 24 grams of fat found in just 4 ounces of it? Absolutely. According to Nutritionstripped.com, the fat found in coconut milk is mostly MCT (medium chain triglyceride), which is easier for our bodies to break down and use as energy than the standard fats found in dairy ice cream. If, like me, you must have frozen desserts, an ice cream base made from coconut milk is the way to go. I cooked a coconut milk base and poured it into my new ice cream maker. The kitchen gizmo cost less than $50, which is what my family spends on three trips to Chippewa Street, and a small price to pay for my new, imperfect vegan diet. With the ice cream churning happily, I contemplated flavors.

Blueberries are plentiful this time of year and taste light and refreshing. I was concerned that fresh blueberries would freeze into tooth-chipping rocks, so I cooked them down into a sauce. The blueberry sauce tasted sweet, but also a little boring. I recalled that Ernesto’s Wine Bar executive chef Jimmy Hippchen, a member of Sauce Magazine’s Ones to Watch class of 2014, once told me that when food tastes a little bland, it usually needs an acid. Hippchen was right; a splash of fresh lemon juice instantly brightened the blueberry sauce and made it more flavorful. If you want to be adventurous, a little white balsamic vinegar will do the same thing with more zing.

I’m now a few days into my VB6 experiment. Vegan breakfasts and vegetarian dinners are easy. Cheese-free lunches are a challenge. Fortunately, a spoonful of vegan ice cream satisfies my dairy cravings, and it tastes amazing in my latte.

Vegan blueberry ice creaM

1 qUART

2 13.6-oz. cans full-fat coconut milk, divided

2 Tbsp. cornstarch

1 cup sugar, divided pinch of salt

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

1 pint fresh blueberries

1 tsp. fresh lemon juice

Special tools: ice cream machine

• Shake the cans of coconut milk thoroughly before opening. Pour ½ cup coconut milk into a small bowl and whisk in the cornstarch until there are no lumps. Set aside.

• Combine the remaining coconut milk, ¾ cup sugar and the salt in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Cook over medium-low heat until the milk begins to steam. Add the cornstarch mixture and cook 6 to 8 minutes, stirring constantly, until the milk thickens and coats the back of a wooden spoon. Do not allow it to boil.

• Remove the milk mixture from the heat and stir in the vanilla extract. Strain the milk mixture through a fine-mesh sieve to remove any lumps. Pour the mixture into a bowl, cool to room temperature, cover and refrigerate 4 to 5 hours or overnight.

• Place the blueberries in a heavybottomed, medium-sized saucepan. Using a potato masher, gently mash the berries to break open the skins. Stir in the remaining ¼ cup sugar. Bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce heat to a simmer and cook 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Stir in the lemon juice and set the sauce aside to cool. When it reaches room temperature, refrigerate until cold.

• To make the ice cream, remove the milk base from the refrigerator and freeze in an ice cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions. During the last few minutes of churning, pour in the cold blueberry sauce. Serve immediately for a soft-serve texture or place in an airtight container and freeze solid to scoop.

no-cook Vegan blueberry ice creaM

1 qUART

2 13.6-oz. cans full-fat coconut milk, chilled

2 cups frozen blueberries

1 cup sugar

1 oz. Three olives berry vodka

1 tsp. pure vanilla extract

• Place all the ingredients in a blender. Blend until fully combined. Pour the mixture into a nonreactive bowl or deep baking dish. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze 3 hours, stirring every 30 minutes with a wooden spoon or spatula to break up any frozen bits. If the ice cream becomes too hard, let it sit at room temperature 15 to 30 minutes until it reaches the desired texture.

MAKE THIS

are you buried under a mountain of the most prolific green veggie to ever burst from the ground? Fear not! there’s a simple solution to curbing the zucchini avalanche, and it can be on the table in 10 minutes. Using a mandoline or a four-sided box grater placed on its side with the slicing blade facing up, move the zucchini lengthwise along the blade in long strokes to make “noodles.” repeat with a second zucchini and set aside. in a skillet over medium heat, warm 2 tablespoons olive oil. add 2 cloves minced garlic and saute 30 seconds. add the zucchini, 1 cup frozen or fresh peas, ¹∕³ cup ricotta cheese, 2 tablespoons pesto and 1 teaspoon crushed red pepper. saute 1 to 2 minutes. season to taste with kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper. sprinkle with Parmesan cheese, pine nuts and lemon zest. – Dee Ryan

Head to the Ferguson Farmers Market on Saturday mornings to find locally grown zucchini from EarthDance Farms.

ZuCCHini PAstA

Pie, Perfected

Everything you need to roll, fill, bake and eat an unforgettable pie

By Mary Baker, Garrett Faulkner, Ligaya Figueras, Jacqueline Fogas, Catherine Klene, Meera Nagarajan, Dee Ryan and Stacy Schultz

PHoto by CaR meN tRoesseR

Crust secrets revealed, p. 46

Pie in a hurry, p. 48

10 pies to try, p. 40

4 seasons of pie, p. 42

Mixed berry pie from Winslow’s home

Lisa Fernandez-Cruz’s mixed berry pie is a refreshing, floral take on a frequently jammy staple. A delicate jumble of fresh, seasonal berries dusted with cinnamon peeks out from the pie’s artsy top crust. 7213 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314.725.7559, winslowshome.com

Peanut butter pie from It’s Easy As Pie

We love a candy bar that masquerades as a pie. This one, with its loose pretzel brittle crust and dense peanut butter-chocolate filling, is good news for Butterfinger lovers. Better yet, this tiny baking biz offers free delivery. 314.282.5861, itseasyaspie.com

Pecan pie from Sweetie Pie’s at The Mangrove Flaky crust, smooth caramel-like filling and crunchy halved pecans – this pie isn’t trying to be inventive. It tastes like someone’s grandmother made it, and when it comes to pies, there’s nothing better. 4270 Manchester Road, St. Louis, 314.371.0304, sweetiepieskitchen.com

cream pie from Sugaree Baking Co. St. Louisans flock to Sugaree’s Dogtown storefront on Fridays and Saturdays for chocolate pie. The semi-sweet chocolate, puddinglike cream filling puts the rest to shame. It’s only available every other weekend, so mark your calendar for Aug. 8, 9, 22 and 23. 1242 Tamm Ave., St. Louis, 314.645.5496, sugareebaking.com

Peach pie from 4 Seasons Bakery

4 Seasons’ crisp bottom crust and crumb top help this old reliable avoid unsalvageable sogginess and accentuate the delicious filling, lush with fresh peaches and scented with ground cinnamon. 2012 Campus Drive, St. Charles, 314.288.9176, 4seasonsbakery.com

Key lime pie from Windowsills BBQ Cafe

Inside the graham cracker crust is cold custard flavored with tart Key lime juice and mounds of real whipped cream. This exquisite pie nails that balance between tangy and sweet. 1326 Clarkson/Clayton Center, Ellisville, 636.527.6400, windowsillscafe.com

Lemon lavender blueberry pie from Pie Oh My! Baker Jane Callahan has us swooning over this fruit filling that holds the deep flavors of blueberry, the delicate floral tones of lavender and just enough citrus to keep things bright and balanced. 2719 Sutton Blvd., Maplewood, 314.704.4416, pieohmystl.com

Chess pie from SweetArt

Cornmeal in the lemon custard filling endows this pie with a touch of Southern panache. SweetArt takes it a step further by laying fruit compote or fresh berries on top. We fell hard for blueberry, but the flavor changes daily. 2203 S. 39th St., St. Louis, 314.771.4278, sweetartstl.com

Crack pie from Cyrano’s Café

An understated, ultraflaky crust forms an exemplary vessel for the crack pie’s candy-like brown sugar filling that whispers of vanilla. The name ain’t no lie, folks – this one’s habit-forming. 603 E. Lockwood Ave., Webster Groves, 314.963.3232, cyranos.com

Chocolate

Four seasons of pie

whether it’s time to crank up the furnace and huddle inside, or swap out the blankets for bikinis, think of pie crust as a blank canvas, begging to be painted with the colors and flavors of everything around it. Here, a few ideas for serving up the perfect slice all year long.

— Stacy Schultz

Celebrate the high season of summer with this fragrant fruit filling, stuffed with peaches and berries in their prime. recipe on p. 47

Summer

Peach and Berry Pie

Fall

Pear Cranberry Cardamom Pie

At Whisk, what started as a customer request for cranberry pie has evolved into a warm, exotically spiced specialty to showcase the fruits of fall.

recipe on p. 47

"If the top crust is looking like it's getting (over)done, covering it in foil usually does the trick."

– Kaylen Wissinger, bakerowner, Whisk: A Sustainable Bakeshop

Whether you’re elbowdeep in dough or just sitting down with a slice, spin these 10 jams to get in a pie-scarfing mood.

“Apple Pie a la Mode” destiny’s child

“honey Pie” the Beatles

“American Pie” don mclean

“I Can’t help Myself (Sugar Pie, honey Bunch)” the Four tops

“Country Pie” Bob dylan

“Sweet Potato Pie” domino

“Key Lime Pie” Kenny chesney

“Mama Bake A Pie (Daddy Kill A Chicken)” drive-By truckers

“I Like Pie, I Like Cake” the Four chefs

“high hopes” Frank sinatra

If you’ve got pie questions, we’ve got the answers. Send your questions to pr@saucemagazine. com and we’ll answer them on the air during this month’s Sound Bites. Winslow’s Home pastry chef Lisa Fernandez-Cruz joins Sauce executive editor Ligaya Figueras to discuss tips and tricks for making knockout pies. tune in to st. louis Public radio

90.7 KwmU’s cityscape Friday, aug. 15 at noon and 10 p.m.

Winter

Fig and Ricotta Hand Pies

This cream cheese dough is traditionally used to make the Jewish pastry rugelach, but also gives the crust for these rich, sweet hand pies an especially flaky texture – perfect for a cold winter night.

recipe on p. 49

custard: the blue-ribbon filling for any season

Peaches, rhubarb and other standard fruit fillings come and go as the calendar flips, but you can count on a good custard no matter the season. So what does it take to make a state fair-caliber custard pie?

“The biggest thing is: Keep it simple,” said Linda Heinermann, pastry chef at Windowsills BBQ Cafe in Ellisville. “There really aren’t a lot of ingredients.”

But simplicity doesn’t mean cutting corners, and Heinermann warned against shortchanging your custard with subpar or reduced-fat ingredients. This isn’t calorie-cutting time. Use

Find a recipe for custard

butter, whole milk and local farm eggs for a full-bodied custard that will taste fresh and leave you smiling.

pie on p. 49

– Garrett Faulkner

Pies on the Big Screen

THe GreaT race (1965) natalie wood, tony curtis, Jack lemmon and a cast of extras famously lob pie after pie at each other in the movie’s culminating scene. you have to feel bad for whoever was stuck with clean-up duty on set.

Spring

Struebarb Pie

The springtime trio of strawberries, blueberries and rhubarb makes for a fresh-tasting treat as the world comes into bloom again. What’s more, the crust is an easy one for beginners.

recipe on p. 49

“You

do not want (the dough) to be cold or hot, but a little colder than room temperature. It needs to be malleable. If it gets too warm, you will become frustrated.”

– Lisa Fernandez-Cruz, pastry chef, Winslow’s Home

Let’s Lattice

That fancy crosshatch of dough that decorates the top of a storebought pie only looks intimidating. But weaving a lattice isn’t difficult to do yourself. Get lattice-savvy with these tips from the experts.

Cut

Roll out the dough and cut the strips with a pastry wheel. Comet Coffee’s Stephanie Fischer suggested cutting wide strips to make things easier.

p erfect crust or bust

Pie may be the Midwesterner’s comfort food, but that doesn’t mean everyone can pull off that coveted flaky crust. How does one avoid the dreaded crumble?

A 2007 Cook’s Illustrated article popularized the use of vodka for a foolproof pie dough. In addition to alcohol, some pastry chefs have found other secret ingredients in their quest for the perfect crust.

One of these is lemon oil, which can tremendously enhance a berry pie crust, according to Marilyn Lynch, kitchen and catering manager of Mannino’s Market in Cottleville.

For a subtler flavor, give your crust a splash of apple cider vinegar (or even white vinegar) to achieve that light and flaky texture. “I

like the flavor of apple cider vinegar better because it is more mellow,” said Pint Size Bakery’s Christy Augustin.

But a certain famous red-andwhite-checkered cookbook, first published in 1930, includes a basic crust recipe that uses vegetable oil and milk. This oil pastry recipe continues to be published in contemporary editions of Better Homes and Gardens New Cook Book , and a devoted contingent of bakers swear by it.

However, for all-purpose pie crusts, the resounding wisdom – from culinary schools and restaurants across the U.S. to professional kitchens around St. Louis – is that the secret liquid ingredient most vital to creating a great pie crust is the easiest to obtain: ice water.

“It’s really important that you have ice-cold water … and really cold butter,” Augustin said.

Cold is critical: Whichever recipe you select, pastry chefs stress the importance of using chilled ingredients, working quickly, and touching the dough gently and briefly to keep it from warming before it’s ready.

– Jacqueline

Fogas

Braid

Make a workspace with parchment paper or a silicone mat. “(Latticing) is similar to braiding,” said Jane Callahan of Pie Oh My! “Over, under, over, under. Start on one side and place one lattice strip, then the adjacent lattice strip and repeat.”

Finish

The trick to transferring the lattice to the pie is to refrigerate the lattice while it’s still on the parchment paper or mat. “Refrigerate it until it stiffens. Then you can gently lift it onto the pie and crimp the edges together,” said Fischer. Voila!

Recipes

PEAch And BERRy PiE

Courtesy of Winslow’s Home’s Lisa Fernandez-Cruz

1 9-inch PiE

1 cup unbleached all-purpose flour

½ cup cake flour

½ cup + 2 tsp. granulated sugar, divided, plus more for sprinkling

2 large pinches kosher salt

16 Tbsp. (2 sticks) unsalted butter, cut into 1-inch cubes and placed in freezer for 30 minutes

2 cups water

2 tsp. apple cider vinegar

¼ cup light brown sugar

3 Tbsp. instant tapioca

¼ tsp. kosher salt

¾ tsp. cinnamon

½ tsp. nutmeg

½ tsp. ground ginger

7 large peaches, peeled, pitted and sliced

1 cup fresh blackberries

1 cup fresh raspberries

2 Tbsp. apricot jam

1 egg, beaten for wash

• Pulse the flours, 2 teaspoons sugar and the salt in a food processor. With the food processor running, drop the butter in and pulse until coarse, pea-sized pieces of butter remain.

• Fill a large measuring cup with ice. Add the water and apple cider vinegar.

• Transfer the flour mixture to a work surface and slowly pour a little of the ice water-vinegar liquid over the flour, using your hands to help distribute and combine. Be very careful not to use too much water. Once the dough can be squeezed slightly together without falling apart, separate the dough into 2 equal halves. By hand, combine each mound into a rough round of dough. Wrap each round with plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes.

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the dough from the refrigerator.

• Combine the remaining ½ cup granulated sugar, the

No matter what pie you bake, be sure to let it cool before serving. Cooling lets all the juices meld together and helps make a pie magical, not mundane. Like your slice warm and a la mode? No problem. Simply let it cool first and reheat.

brown sugar, tapioca, salt and spices in a mediumsized mixing bowl. In a large mixing bowl, combine the peaches, berries and jam.

• Add the sugar mixture to the fruit and toss to combine. Set aside.

• Roll out one dough half into an 11-inch round. Line a pie pan with the dough and trim so there is 1 inch of overhang.

• Pour the filling into the bottom crust.

• Roll out the second half of dough into a 12-inch round. Cut 5 slits into the dough. Carefully transfer the top crust to cover the filling, and trim any overhang to match the bottom crust. Tuck the top crust under the bottom, and crimp with fingertips or a fork. Freeze 10 minutes.

• Brush the pie with the egg wash and sprinkle with sugar.

• Bake 35 to 45 minutes (Note: Do not use the convection setting.), until golden brown and bubbly.

PEAR cRAnBERRy

Courtesy of Whisk: A Sustainable Bakeshop’s Kaylen Wissinger

1 10-inch PiE

2½ cups flour

2 Tbsp. granulated sugar

1¼ tsp. kosher salt, divided

10 Tbsp. (1¼ sticks) butter, chilled and cubed

8 Tbsp. (1 stick) shortening, chilled and cubed

¼ cup cold water

¼ cup cold vodka

8 bartlett pears, cored and roughly chopped into bitesize pieces

1¼ cups fresh or frozen cranberries

¾ cup packed brown sugar

1½ tsp. ground cardamom

1 Tbsp. cornstarch

Flour for dusting

1 egg

2 Tbsp. water

Turbinado or other coarse sugar for sprinkling

• Add the flour, sugar, 1 teaspoon salt, the butter and shortening to a food processor. Process until the mixture reaches a coarse texture with tiny bits of butter throughout.

• Transfer the mixture into a large mixing bowl, and knead the dough until it forms a cohesive ball. Add the cold water and vodka, and knead until the liquid is incorporated. The dough will be very soft; wrap tightly in plastic and refrigerate until hard, 3 to 4 hours.

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

• Mix the pears, cranberries, brown sugar, cardamom and remaining ¼ teaspoon salt in a large mixing bowl. Sprinkle the cornstarch over the fruit and stir with a spatula until fully incorporated.

• Remove dough from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. Dust a work surface with flour, then separate the ball of dough in half. Take one of the halves and pat it into a 5-inch circle. Use a rolling pin to roll it into a 12-inch circle.

• Gently press the crust into place on the bottom and sides of the pie plate. Crimp any excess crust with fingertips. Cover the crust with parchment paper. To weigh down the paper, add pie weights or dried beans. Place on the middle rack of the oven and bake until the edges of the crust are slightly browned and crisp, about 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, discard the parchment and weights, and let cool for a few moments.

• Pour the filling into the warm bottom crust.

• Roll out the second half of the dough into a 13inch circle. Fold into fourths to transfer onto the pie. Carefully lay it across the pie filling, folding under any excess crust. Crimp with a fork or by hand.

• Mix the egg and water in a small bowl and brush over the top crust. Sprinkle with coarse sugar, then cut slits in the top of the pie.

• Bake 40 minutes to 1 hour, until golden brown.

• Remove from the oven and let rest at room temperature 4 to 5 hours. Serve warm or at room temperature.

easy as Pie

In a hurry? There’s no shame in a store-bought pie shell, so let yourself off the hook and throw a couple in the freezer. They defrost quickly, roll out easily and – unless you spill the beans – most people won’t be able to tell that you didn’t spend all afternoon rolling, tearing and cursing to make it as good as Great-aunt Celia did. This pecan pie can be put together in less than an hour.

– Dee Ryan

Pies on the Big Screen

WaiTress (2007) the opening credits alone are enough to make your mouth water as Jenna, a troubled virtuoso piemaker, makes apple, chocolate cream, peach and a variety of other pies. recipe on p. 49

Fig And RicottA hAnd PiEs

Courtesy of Pint Size Bakery & Coffee’s Christy Augustin

8 hAnd PiEs

1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, room temperature

8 oz. cream cheese, cut into ½-inch cubes pinch kosher salt

2¼ cups unbleached all-purpose flour, divided ½ cup granulated sugar

2 whole fresh eggs

1 Tbsp. whole milk, half-and-half or cream

1 cup fresh ricotta cheese, divided

8 black mission figs, quartered and stems removed

3 Tbsp. honey, divided raw sugar for sprinkling

• Using a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment or a hand-held mixer, combine the butter, cream cheese and salt until no lumps remain. Add 1¾ cups flour and mix just until combined. Wrap the dough in plastic and refrigerate for several hours.

• Portion the chilled dough into 8 equal pieces. In a small bowl, combine the remaining ½ cup flour and the granulated sugar. Dust the work surface and the dough pieces liberally with the flour-sugar mixture. Roll each piece into a 5½-inch disk.

• Whisk the eggs and milk together to create an egg wash. Lightly brush the edges of each disk with the wash. Reserve remaining egg wash. Refrigerate the dough until firm, about 10 minutes.

• Spread 2 tablespoons ricotta onto the center of each disk. Top each with 4 fig quarters and drizzle with 2 teaspoons honey. Fold the circle in half (as though making a taco) and firmly crimp the edges together. Freeze the formed hand pies until completely firm.

• Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Lightly brush the top of each hand pie with the remaining egg wash and sprinkle with raw sugar. Gently score the tops with a sharp knife and place on a sheet tray lined with parchment paper. Bake approximately 25 minutes, until a dark golden brown.

stRuEBARB PiE

Courtesy of Pie Oh My!’s Jane Callahan

1 10-inch PiE

1½ cups flour ²

cup + 1½ tsp. granulated sugar, divided

½ tsp. kosher salt

4 Tbsp. (½ stick) cold unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

¼ cup cold vegetable shortening

4 Tbsp. ice water, divided

3 cups chopped rhubarb, in ¼-inch pieces

1½ cups quarted fresh strawberries

1½ cups fresh blueberries

2 Tbsp. uncooked tapioca

1 tsp. almond extract

6 Tbsp. light brown sugar

6 Tbsp. blanched slivered almonds

6 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into ¼-inch pieces

5 Tbsp. old-fashioned oats

5 Tbsp. all-purpose flour

• Combine the flour, 1½ teaspoons sugar and the salt in a large mixing bowl. Using a pastry blender, fork or fingertips, mix the butter and shortening with the dry ingredients until the butter and shortening form pea-sized chunks.

• Sprinkle 2 tablespoons of ice water over the mixture. Toss well, being careful not to over-handle. Add the remaining 2 tablespoons ice water, 1 tablespoon at a time. Toss the mixture using your fingertips, a pastry knife or a fork. Form the dough into a flat disk, wrap with plastic and refrigerate 30 minutes.

• Place the dough on a lightly floured work surface and roll out to fit a 10-inch pie dish. Place in a pie dish and crimp the edges. Cover with plastic wrap and freeze at least 30 minutes.

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees. Remove the crust from the freezer and cover with parchment paper. Tuck the paper gently into the pie plate to conform to the bottom and sides of the crust. To weigh down the parchment paper, add pie weights or dried beans. Bake 11 minutes.

• Discard the parchment paper and weights. Poke the bottom of the crust several times with a fork. Bake an additional 3 to 4 minutes. Remove from the oven, and let the crust cool completely.

• Preheat the oven to 375 degrees.

• Combine the rhubarb, strawberries and blueberries in a large mixing bowl. Set aside.

• In a medium-sized mixing bowl, combine the remaining ² ∕³ cup granulated sugar and the tapioca, then add the mixture to the fruit. Add the almond extract and mix to combine.

• Pour the filling into the prepared piecrust. Bake 25 minutes.

• Make the crumble topping: Pulse the brown sugar, almonds, 6 tablespoons butter, oats and flour in a food processor to form evenly combined, mediumsized crumbles, or add the ingredients to a mixing bowl and work through with fingertips.

• After the pie has baked 25 minutes, remove from the oven and sprinkle the crumble topping over the top, covering the fruit. Bake an additional 25 minutes.

custARd PiE

Courtesy of Windowsills BBq Cafe’s Linda Heinermann

1 9-inch PiE

5 eggs

¾ cup granulated sugar

2 Tbsp. pure vanilla extract

¼ tsp. kosher salt

2 cups whole milk

1¼ cups heavy whipping cream

1 9-inch deep dish pie crust, prebaked Freshly grated nutmeg

• Preheat the oven to 325 degrees.

• In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, sugar, vanilla and salt. Set aside.

• In a small saucepan over medium heat, scald the milk and heavy whipping cream until it begins to froth around the edges. Slowly whisk the scalded milk-and-cream mixture into the egg mixture, adding the mixture in small amounts so that the hot liquid does not cook the eggs. Using a fine-mesh sieve, strain the mixture into another large bowl. Discard the solids.

• Pour the custard into the prebaked pie shell. Lightly sprinkle the custard with freshly grated nutmeg. Bake 45 minutes, then transfer the pie to a wire rack and let sit 10 minutes to cool slightly. Refrigerate until completely set, about 4 to 6 hours. The pie will keep, refrigerated, up to 2 days.

siMPlE PEcAn PiE

1 9-inch PiE

3 eggs

1 cup dark corn syrup

1 cup granulated sugar

2 Tbsp. melted unsalted butter

1 Tbsp. vanilla extract

1½ cups pecans, divided

1 9-inch pie crust, unbaked

• Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and place the rack in the center.

• In a large bowl, lightly whisk the eggs, then add the corn syrup, sugar, butter and vanilla extract. Mix well.

• Chop 1 cup pecans then pour them and the remaining ½ cup whole pecans into the bottom of the pie crust. Pour the corn syrup mixture over the nuts.

• Lightly tent a piece of foil over the top of the pie and bake 20 minutes. Remove the foil and bake another 40 to 45 minutes, until the center is semifirm and jiggles slightly. Let cool on a wire rack 45 minutes.

Aloha ! Hawaii

Island flavors hit River City

By LIgaya fIgUER a S | PHoTo S By jonaTH an gayman

JH Chopstick Pig

Pasta from Cucina Pazzo

o U.S. state expresses its cultural mashup through food quite like Hawaii. Native Hawaiians, Chinese, Japanese, Portuguese, Puerto Ricans, Koreans, Filipinos, Samoans, Vietnamese and Thais have all played a role in Hawaii’s rich culinary history. Each ethnicity has its own hallmark ingredients, dishes and traditions. But put them together, stir the pot and add a dash of the mainland – that’s Hawaiian.

The nation’s 50th state is in the midst of its own gastronomic revolution, as everything from fine dining establishments to food trucks are recalibrating the island’s food culture within a more local, sustainable framework. Yet thoughts of Hawaii abound right here in River City, where barges, rather than outriggers, dot our muddy brown “ocean,” er, kai . What does this wave of Pacific cultural transfer look like?

The Hawaiian pasta salad, a periodic special at Barrister’s, is a simple dish of cold pasta with bits of pineapple and ham tossed in a creamy dressing. Chefowner Jason Tilford explained that the salad is a joke between himself and a line cook at the Clayton bar, which began years ago when the two were discussing the identities of ethnic cuisines. “I said, ‘What’s Hawaiian cuisine?’ He said, ‘Pineapple and ham.’”

When we mainlanders imagine Hawaiian food, we think of pineapple and ham, too – whether on pasta or pizza – but

macaroni noodles are just as emblematic of island culture. Although the type of pasta in the salad at Barrister’s varies, when macaroni lands in the pot, that line cook isn’t far off the mark: mac salad – clinging heavily with mayo and boosted with celery, onion, carrots or potatoes – is a staple side dish on plate lunches in Hawaii. My brother José Figueras, who has called Honolulu home for the last 18 years, deemed mac salad “the epitome” of Hawaii. “There’s macaroni salad with everything,” he said. His girlfriend, Kelly Tatom, a native of the Big Island, agreed. “One scoop mac salad, two scoops white rice and whatever the meat dish is – that’s the old-school way,” she said.

A loco moco is to Hawaii what a slinger is to St. Louis. Often late-night sustenance (but available around the clock), the loco moco is a bowl of white rice topped with a hamburger patty followed by a sunny side up egg or two, all smothered in brown gravy. That’s how it comes when you get it at Zippy’s, Hawaii’s version of Denny’s, and pretty much any mom-and-pop diner on the islands. When you order it at Cleveland-Heath in Edwardsville you get the same, plus pineapple chunks and, yes, Spam.

Cleveland-Heath executive chef and co-owner Ed Heath credited his reach for the salty, processed canned meat to Tom Wong, his former instructor at Napa Valley’s Culinary Institute of America. “He’s a big fan of the novelty of Hawaiian,” said Heath. “Everything we did, over half the recipes were with Spam.”

But it’s no mere novelty. James Wong (no relation to Tom), garde manger chef at 360 Lounge downtown and

a native of Hawaii, attested to Spam’s supreme place in Hawaiian culture. “We make sushi out of it. We have carving contests with it,” said Wong with an air of pride.

Yet Hawaiian cuisine isn’t just about employing specific ingredients like Spam or macaroni. It’s also about a style of combining cuisines, be they from the East or West. “Japanese food in Japan isn’t what you get in Hawaii,” Tatom said. “There are lots of food backgrounds, and you put them into one dish.” She could have dubbed that “fusion.” Instead, Tatom offered a linguistic simile, appropriate for a state where Pidgin, or Hawaiian Creole, still weaves its way into local-speak: “It’s almost like a new language.”

t he Loco Moco from Cleveland-Heath

Creating a new food language is precisely the idea behind the food at Cucina Pazzo in the Central West End. Before returning to St. Louis in 2010, Pazzo executive chef Justin Haifley spent a dozen years island-hopping while working for famed Japanese-American chef Roy Yamaguchi, owner of Roy’s chain of restaurants and pioneer of a 1990s food movement known as Hawaiian Regional Cuisine.

One dish on the Pazzo menu that speaks Hawaiian is the JH Chopstick Pig Pasta. A tangle of house-made tagliatelle is tossed in Brussels sprouts, wok vegetables and a medley of pork cuts – pancetta, crispy pork belly, double-cut bacon and ginger-soy-scented Kalua pork. (The latter is traditionally cooked in an earthen pit called an imu. They settle for oven-braised at Pazzo.) But why the Italian-Oceanic handshake?

“It’s called Crazy Kitchen,” remarked Haifley, citing the English translation of the restaurant’s name. His goal: to make pasta dishes that are decidedly different, where purely great taste trumps purity of origin. “Even though it’s not Italian, it’s good and unique,” he said of the pork-laden pasta.

Haifley pointed out that his spicy pasta sauce holds a lot of Japanese influence (Sriracha, sweet Thai chile sauce, soy sauce, eel sauce, onion, garlic, ginger and sesame chile oil), yet he’s content to consider the composed dish Hawaiian in style. “You say ‘Japanese’ and people think weird flavors. You say ‘Hawaiian’ and that’s fun.”

Fun is key when it comes to a food-centric celebration like a luau. VB Chocolate Bar owner Conor Van Buskirk decided to host one of these Hawaiian-style feasts in June at his cafe in Cottleville. Inspired by a trip he and his wife took to Hawaii to celebrate their wedding anniversary, Van Buskirk peppered his menu with ingredients he encountered regularly during his island getaway. “I saw a lot of coconut, macadamia, guava and lilikoi, otherwise known as passion fruit,” he recalled. Those pervasive tropical fruits and nuts became a showstopper in his artisan chocolates. Lucky for us, those creamy exotic fruit truffles and decadent nut barks are still on the VB menu – long after the flames of the tiki torches went out. Mahalo!

tropical fruits and nuts meet chocolate at VB Chocolate Bar.

s trawberry- g uava t ruffle

toasted macadamia bark

toasted coconut bark

lilikoi truffle

STUFF TO DO: THIS MONTH

by b yron Kerm A n

winestock

Aug. 9 – 5 p.m. to midnight, 10580 wellen road, Aviston, illinois, 618.228.9111, hiddenlakewinery.com

If you’re in the mood for a country drive, set your GPS to Hidden Lake Winery, just an hour or so east of St. Louis. The lovely setting plays host to Winestock, a festival with a grape stomp and a ’60s-themed costume contest. While you’re there, try Hidden Lake’s Norton, chambourcin or a number of other varietals, and dine on hot dogs, hamburgers, chili and pulled pork sandwiches while rocking to live music. Plan ahead and reserve one of the guest cabins so you can drink to the peace, music and love all night long, man.

downtown restaurant week

Various locations – Aug. 11 to 17, downtownrestaurantweek.net

The 10th annual Downtown Restaurant Week promises more of what budget-conscious diners enjoy every year: a special, three-course dinner for $25. The deal will be offered at downtown eateries including Blondie’s, Hiro Asian Kitchen, Lucas Park Grille, Prime 1000, Mango and 20 more.

i love stl: Bicrobrews

microbrewery Bicycle tour

Aug. 16 – 10:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., 4 hands Brewing co., 1220 S. eighth St., St. louis, 314.436.1324, trailnet.org

It’s called a bicrobrew: a bike tour of area microbreweries. Burn off the suds on a threehour, 15-mile spin starting at 4 Hands Brewing Co., then making pit stops at Morgan Street, Urban Chestnut, Alpha, Square One and more. Tastings and tours will be provided at many of the breweries.

the taste of le cordon Bleu

Aug. 16 – 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., le cordon Bleu in St. louis, 7898 Veterans Memorial parkway, St. peters, 636.696.4905, chefs.edu/st-louis

The inaugural Taste of Le Cordon Bleu is a day

of fun at the cooking school. The event features food samples from student- and alumni-run restaurants, live cooking demonstrations by chef-instructors, kids’ activities, and the Great Cookie Bake-off, a cookie baking competition to benefit a scholarship fund.

Festival of nations

Aug. 23 – 10 a.m. to 7 p.m., Aug. 24 – 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., tower Grove park, St. louis, 314.773.9090, festivalofnationsstl.org

The International Food Court at the annual Festival of Nations is a delicious education. More than 40 ethnic food booths typically feature fare like Bosnian baklava, Polish sausage, Mexican tamales, Thai coconut drinks, Filipino kebabs, Belizean beans and rice – and American hot dogs. The International Institute’s premier event also offers a world bazaar, dance performances and lessons, a world music pavilion and athletic competitions.

midwest wingFest

Aug. 29 – 5 p.m. to 11 p.m., Aug. 30 – noon to 11 p.m., St. clair Square Mall dillard’s parking lot, fairview heights, ill., 314.252.8942, midwestwingfest.com You don’t have to feel self-conscious about making a total mess at Midwest WingFest. Everyone else is scarfing down sloppy wings at the popular Fairview Heights cook-off, featuring some 15 to 20 wing vendors. You’ll find wings in dozens of different flavors, plus festival food like pulled pork sandwiches and chili dogs. Gawk at a wing-eating contest and shimmy to live music. Funds raised support disabled veterans.

Denotes a Sauce sponsored event.

sponsored events

cheshire celebrity chef series

Aug. 4 – 5:30 p.m., the restaurant at the cheshire, 7036 clayton Ave., St. louis, 314.932.7818, restaurant-stl.com

Another guest chef graces The Restaurant in August. Chef Dean Fearing of Fearing’s Restaurant in Dallas and author of The Texas Food Bible partners with The Restaurant’s Rex Hale to create a fivecourse meal paired with wine. Fearing will also meet with diners and sign copies of his cookbook. Tickets available online.

Food truck Friday

Aug. 8 – 4 to 8 p.m., tower Grove park, St. louis, 314.772.8004, saucefoodtruckfriday.com

Head to Tower Grove Park for Food Truck Friday with more delicious options and features this year. Find sangria, live music, a kids’ station and more. Proceeds from beer sales benefit Lift for Life Gym. If you’re hungry and in a hurry, stop by the Sauce tent for a Speed Pass, which enables holders to use expedited lines for ordering and to get a free Batch 19 brew. Come early and bring lawn chairs, blankets, kids and dogs.

tomato Fest

Aug. 10 – noon to 7 p.m., iron Barley, 5510 Virginia Ave., St. louis, 314.351.4500, ironbarley.com

Tomato lovers, rejoice! The 10th annual Tomato Fest is back at Iron Barley. Celebrate the fruit of the summer with an auction, live music, tomato art, a “most unusual” tomato contest, a bloody mary contest, a tomato-based iron chef competition and nearly 20 vendors selling everything from fresh tomatoes to tomato-inspired jewelry. Proceeds benefit Lift for Life Gym.

race for the rivers

Aug. 23 – 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., racefortherivers.org

Grab your paddle and head to the Missouri River for Race for the Rivers. The 20- and 40-mile water races are open to canoes, kayaks and stand-up paddleboards (and bike rides for those who prefer to stay dry) to raise funds for

nonprofit natural resources do-gooder Greenway Network. Celebrate your success at the finish line with a festival at Frontier Park in historic St. Charles, where beer and food await, along with awards, live music, paddling rides and Asian carp cooking demos.

art outside Sept. 5 – 5 to 10 p.m., Sept. 6 – 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., Sept. 7 – noon to 4 p.m., Schlafly Bottleworks, 7260 Southwest Ave., Maplewood, 314.241.2337, ext. 2, schlafly.com

More than 50 local artists descend upon Southwest Avenue and the Schlafly Bottleworks parking lot to showcase their very best creations during a three-day juried art fair. Enjoy live music while you stroll the rows in the late-summer sun, and then feast on Schlafly Bottleworks food and brews.

schlafly Farmers market

wednesdays through october – 4 to 7 p.m., Schlafly Bottleworks, 7260 Southwest Ave, Maplewood, 314.241.2337 ext. 2, schlaflyfarmersmarket.com

Wednesday evenings, part of the Schlafly Bottleworks parking lot transforms into a farmers market brimming with meat, eggs, produce, baked goods and more. Dozens of vendors are on rotation, including Cool Cow Cheese, Farrar Out Farms, Ozark Forest Mushrooms and Black Bear Bakery. Every third Wednesday of the month brings cooking demos by local chefs; this month, The Libertine’s Josh Galliano takes a turn.

midtown Farmers market

Saturdays through November – 8 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 6655 delmar Blvd., University city, 314.913.6632, facebook: Midtown farmers Market

Grab your tote bag each Saturday morning and stuff it with produce, meat, eggs, baked goods, pantry perks and more from local farmers and artisans. Recent vendors on rotation have included Eilerman Bros. Orchards, Elixir Farm, Midwest Lamb and all-natural popsicle peddler Native Pops.

what i do anne lehman

Anne Lehman, 54, relocated to St. Louis from her native San Francisco three years ago. The owner of urban farm Dirty Girl Farms may have dirt under her nails, but she has the toned arms of a weightlifter (and competes at the masters level), the greenest thumb on Tower Grove South’s Juniata Street and a heart filled with pride for her new hometown.

why the name dirty girl? It was something that my husband called me. In California, I’d always come in and be filthy. He’d know when I was working outside because all the light switches would be dirty. Now, it’s kind of a blessing and a curse. I decided to embrace it. There’s a lot of double entendres, sexual stuff. If I go into a restaurant: “Oh, it’s Dirty Girl. Whatcha got?”

How did you start selling to restaurants? One of my favorite bartenders (John Fausz of Olio) lives down the street. One day, I said to John, “Can I bring you some herbs for the

any other unusual plantings? I have a crack project where I grow seeds in cracks. So does my brother. I don’t know why we do it. In the alley, I grew borage this year. I grew zinnias in the alley last year for the woman across the alley. She was recovering from cancer. I wanted to do something nice for her because she couldn’t come outside and garden. She could see them from her window.

Have any chefs asked you to plant something for them? (Sidney Street Cafe chef-owner) Kevin Nashan. He challenged me. He’s like, “Well, it’s not like you’re growing salt wort.” And I’m like, “Well, I can.” I have a lot of salt wort. I’m going to see if he wants to buy it.

what do you do with herbs you don’t sell? I turn all the herbs into tinctures. I just sold my tinctures to (Blood & Sand co-owner) TJ Vytlacil. Amanda (Hammond) at Niche is playing around with them. And (my husband makes) ice cream. Cafe Osage featured it one month. It’s like French custard ice cream. My husband has the most amazing recipe and he won’t change it to make it less expensive. I don’t market it any more.

why do you call yourself dirty girl Farms when you only have one farm? It will be Farms someday. I always start with the big picture.

so you’re staying put in st. louis? I made the best decision of my life to move to this city. We’re not going anywhere. Here’s my California snobbiness: When I went to Taste in the Central West End when we were looking for a place to live, I ate there and was blown away. Everyone in my life was telling me I was crazy to move to St. Louis. I just thought, well, everything’s going to be OK. There’s Taste.

bar?” Ben (Poremba, Olio and Elaia chefowner) got ahold of everything before John did. He flipped out over one of the herbs I was growing. He was like, “I’ll take however much of this you’ve got. Bring me a list of what you’re selling.”

what do you grow? A lot of things that I brought from California: lemon verbena, pineapple sage, Mexican tarragon. There’s Cuban oregano, rose geranium. (Food truck) Holy Crepe bought all my Madras podding radish. They don’t grow in the ground. They grow on a vine. Malabar spinach, a lot of Italian greens: erba stella, stridolo...

Have you discovered other restaurants here that make you feel that way? I have a huge list. There are way better restaurants here than in San Francisco. I get treated like every human being should be treated when I go to a restaurant here.

– Ligaya Figueras