February 2014 Feast Magazine

america’s native spirit

decades of excellence

tough nut to crack

WHISKEY BOOM

New TAKE AT TONY’S

BLACK WALNUTS

Inspired Food Culture | Saint Louis

winter, sweet & savory

feastSTL.com | FEBRUARY 2014 | FREE

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All You Can Eat!

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Inspired Food Culture | Saint Louis

february 2014 from the staff

|8|

from the PUBLIsher

Late winter flavor.

| 10 |

feaststL.com

What’s online this month.

| 12 |

feast faVes

Our staff and contributors share inspired ideas for tasteful living in St. Louis. coLUmNs

| 22 |

oNe oN oNe

Ted and Jamie kilgore of Planter’s House pored over St. Louis history before pouring classic cocktails at their bar.

| 24 |

the mIx

Black walnut syrup gives weight to Winter’s Last Dance.

| 26 |

oN the sheLf

New and notable in beer, spirits and wine.

| 28 |

mystery shoPPer

Buy it and try it: gochujang.

| 30 |

chef’s NoteBook

How Chef Cassy Vires came around to sweetbreads.

| 32 |

gadget a-go-go

We put five nutcrackers to the test.

| 34 |

meNU oPtIoNs

Spice-driven moroccan chicken b’stilla adds a taste of the exotic to dinnertime.

| 82 |

the Last BIte

fact checker Shannon Cothran’s wish is granted at The fountain on Locust.

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY Of WINTER WILD RICE SALAD (P. 40) BY Jennifer Silverberg TABLE Of CONTENTS PHOTOGRAPHY Of BAR LES fRERES’ STEAmED muSSELS WITH SAffRON, CREAm AND BLACk OLIVE TAPENADE CROSTINI BY Jennifer Silverberg

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68

all in the family

38

Tough

NuT to crack

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ON THE HOUSE. 61

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Inspired Food Culture

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Contributing Writers Tory Bahn, Shannon Cothran, Pat Eby, Chad Michael George Kyle Harsha, Jennifer Johnson, Valeria Turturro Klamm, Jeremy Nulik Matt Seiter, Michael Sweeney, Cassy Vires, Shannon Weber Contributing Photographers Jonathan Gayman, Demond Meek Jennifer Silverberg, Steve Truesdell Feast TV producers:

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Kurt Ehlmann, James Jackson, John Jacobsen Chris Roider, Charles Thomas Special Thanks to Hillary Levin and Jennifer Selph of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch for their assistance with this month’s feature on Tony’s.

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Contact Us Feast Media, 900 N. Tucker Blvd., 4th Floor St. Louis, MO 63101 feastSTL.com Advertising Inquiries Kelly Klein, 314.340.8562 kklein@stltoday.com Comments publisher@feastSTL.com

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Feast Magazine does not accept unsolicited manuscripts, photographs or artwork. Submissions will not be returned.

All contents are copyright © 2010-2014 by Feast Magazine™.

All rights reserved.

Reproduction or use in whole or in part of the contents, without the prior written permission of the publisher, is strictly prohibited.

Produced by the Suburban Journals of Greater St. Louis, LLC

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PubLiShEr’S LETTEr

PHOTOGRAPHy By

Jennifer Silverberg

Look for this icon. It tells you which articles are part of Feast TV! Watch Feast TV on the Watch the upcoming February episode on the Nine Network (Channel 9) at 2pm on Sat., Feb. 1, and 1pm on Mon., Feb. 3. Feast TV will also air on the nineCREATE channel periodically throughout the month.

FEAST EVENTS Maplewood Sweet Tooth Tour Sat., Feb. 1, noon to 5pm; $15, cityofmaplewood.com/sweet-tooth

Warm your tummy and enliven your taste buds at the first-ever Maplewood Sweet Tooth Tour. Maplewood’s fine food purveyors will offer goodies galore as you stroll from shop to shop.

Smörgåsbord at Duet Thu., Feb. 6, drinks at 6pm, dinner at 7pm; Duet RSVP to alexelmestad@gmail.com

Join us at Duet in Grand Center for drinks, folk music by Lukas Simpson and a regional smörgåsbord by chef John Perkins of Entre and Juniper.

Coeur de Paris Photo Exhibit Fri., Feb. 7, 5:30 to 7:30pm; Vin de Set; $20, vindeset.com

Meet notable French photographer Bernard Puissesseau and view photos from his latest exhibition. His prints and posters will be available for purchase. Hors d’oeuvres and Champagne are included in the ticket price and a cash bar will be available.

Schnucks Cooks Moroccan Chicken B’Stilla Wed., Feb. 26, 6pm; Schnucks Cooks Cooking School; $40 schnuckscooks.com or 314.909.1704

Join publisher Cat Neville in the kitchen and make a meal based around Moroccan chicken b’stilla.

Dessert First Thu., Feb. 27; The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis; $150, girlscoutsem.org

This issue captures the essence of late winter,

when cold weather lingers and the warmth of a cozy kitchen beckons. For our February cooking feature, A Tough Nut to Crack (p. 38), Shannon Weber explores the rich, earthy flavor of black walnuts. Unlike English walnuts’ delicate flavor, black walnuts are assertive and bold, making them somewhat challenging to use in cooking. Shannon has developed a number of sweet and savory recipes starring Missouri’s state nut, one of which, her wild rice salad, I feature in this month’s episode of Feast TV. The salad is gorgeous (it even made the cover), delicious and a perfect late-winter side dish.

So, what to drink this time of year? Whiskey, of course. Not only is whiskey booming, with whiskey-focused bars popping up all over town, local distillers are crafting whiskey in small batches, making high-quality sippers worthy of your home bar. Meet the folks behind the boom in Jeremy Nulik’s piece on p. 61.

And in All in the Family (p. 68), Liz Miller introduces you to the Bommaritos, the family behind Tony’s, one of our city’s most beloved restaurants. In January, the venerable restaurant closed for a two-week renovation that updated the interior, expanded the bar and introduced new menu items – as well as a newly relaxed dress code. After more than six decades serving the St. Louis community, commitment to excellence remains top priority at Tony’s and Liz gets to the heart of how the Bommaritos continue to balance tradition with evolving customer expectations in her insightful profile. As I write this, Tony’s is still undergoing its transformation and I’m waiting patiently to taste Vincent Bommarito’s new menu items, particularly the duck confit pasta, a rich, warming dish worthy of a place on the famous restaurant’s new menu.

Until next time,

Benefitting Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri, chefs take the famous Girl Scout Cookies and transform them into tempting desserts.

Guests and a panel of celebrity judges vote for their favorite and enjoy a formal dinner during which awards are bestowed on the Judge’s Choice and the People’s Choice.

A Taste of Fiction Fri., March 7, 6:30 to 8:30pm; pricing varies; Central Library

A Taste of Fiction is a one-of-a-kind culinary event that engages the finest pastry chefs in the region to interpret literary works in pastry. Proceeds will benefit culinary programming and the culinary collection of the St. Louis Public Library.

Feast Your Eyes Tue., March 25; Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis; camstl.org

In partnership with the talented team at The Libertine, CAM and Feast present a tour of the gallery followed by an intimate multicourse meal inspired by the exhibitions.

Feast in Napa

July 13 to 17; 832.381.2270, info@ascenttravel.com Join publisher Cat Neville for a luxurious four-night excursion to gorgeous Napa, Calif. The incomparable Solage Calistoga – whose spa was voted No. 1 spa in the Americas and No. 10 in the world – will serve as home base for our group as we tour and taste our way through Napa’s best wineries.

FEEDbACk?

catherine@feastSTL.com

Catherine Neville

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FEBRUARY 2014

Restrictions may apply; see mychoice® Center for details and official rules. Management reserves the right to cancel, change or modify this promotion at any time in accordance with Missouri Gaming Regulations. Participants must be 21 years of age or older to take part in this promotion. Must be a new mychoice® member. Offer not valid for persons on Missouri Disassociated Persons or Excluded lists or who have been otherwise excluded from River City or any other properties owned by Pinnacle Entertainment. Gambling problem? Call 1.888.BETSOFF. ©2014 Pinnacle Entertainment, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

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Inspired Food Culture

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OnLInE COnTEnT

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Inspired Food Culture | Saint Louis

Dine Out

Dine In

Drink

Feast Events

Multimedia

The Magazine

promotions

REnDERIng By Juan Devia AnD CouRTESy oF SpACE

The Feed

THE BIG REVEAL: In this month’s All In The Family (p. 68), we chat with the Bommarito family about the latest evolution of Tony’s, a St. Louis dining institution. Check out photos of the all-new space at feastSTL.com in early February.

12:00 / 28:29

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MuLTIMEDIA

FEAST TV: Tour the world’s largest black walnut plant in Stockton, Mo., and a new St. Louis distillery focused on aged whiskeys. Discover the cocktail history behind Planter’s House and new updates to the legendary Tony’s.

LOVE INSTAGRAM? Follow @feastmag to see what we’re eating and drinking while we’re out and about.

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prOMOtIOns

SPECIAL GIVEAWAY: We’re sweetening up Valentine’s Day with daily giveaways, starting on Sat., Feb. 1. Enter to win everything from restaurant gift certificates to weekend getaways. Details at feastSTL.com/promotions.

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Share pics. @feastmag on Instagram

Join Us For Valentine’s Day. Chi Mangia Bene Vive Bene! "To Eat Well is To Live Well" Proudly Serving Authentic Italian Food in a Family Atmosphere.

Valentines Day Special!

Steak & Lobster with Roasted Scallops and Shrimp.

Make Your Valentine’s Day Reservations Early!

Let Us Cater Your Special Occasion Featuring Daily Lunch & Dinner Specials Reservations Recommended, Hours of Operation: Tuesday - Saturday 11am-10pm • Sunday Noon-9pm • Closed Monday

5442 Old Hwy 21• Imperial • 636.942.2405 • trattoria-giuseppe.com

Celebrating 10 Years of Memories!

Love is Patient, Love is Kind, Love is a box of Glitter Bites & Petit Fours from Sarah’s Cake Shop.

Monday & Tuesday 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.

Wednesday-Saturday 8 a.m. – 7 p.m.

10 Clarkson Wilson Centre • Chesterfield • 636.728.1140 • sarahscakeshopstl.com

DIY Beer and Wine Kits We offer beer and wine kits and supplies, cheese kits,sausage & jerky supplies, Full line of distilling supplies and equipment! One wine kit makes up to 30 bottles of wine.

Gift Certificates Available. We will also ship your supplies!

Makes a Great Gift! Also available Gourmet Coffees, Coffee Roasters and Grinders

10% OFF Purchase OVer $10 If ordering online use code: FEAST in the coupon section of the shopping cart.

WE MOVED! 1 Mile South of Old Location.

It’s Worth the Drive!

10663 Business 21 (by subway) • hillsboro • 636.797.8155 • brewandwinesupply.com

Just Dancing Ballroom Dance Studio We teach social beginners to advanced competitors Swing, Cha Cha, Rumba, Waltz, Tango, Fox Trot, Salsa, etc. Dance lessons for wedding couples and father/daughter dance. Offering adult, children, group and private lessons.

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4135 N. St. Peters Parkway • St Peters • 636.922.0222 236 Old Meramec Station Road • Manchester • 636.227.7202 • just-dancing.com Inspired Food Culture

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FEAST FAVES

| where we’re dining

7637 Wydown blvd., Clayton, 314.725.8880 barlesfreres.com

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FEBRUARY 2014

PHOTOGRAPHy by

If you were forced to encapsulate the Bar Les Freres experience in one word, “sumptuous” would fit the bill. The tiny French-style bar and restaurant is famously crowded, with wellheeled customers waiting patiently for a tufted seat. Those seeking a sip of Champagne paired with caviar-and-crème-fraîche-topped blini can breathe a sigh of relief, as bar Les Freres recently debuted a saffron-colored expansion.

Nowhere else in St. Louis can you cozy up in a place that screams old-world luxury in the way Zoë Robinson’s space does – and the restaurant’s food is just as appealing as its design. The cassoulet is outstanding, with tender white beans soaking up rich, garlicky broth under a satisfying layer of sausage, duck confit and pork belly. The striking mussels with saffron cream are rich and briny and the roasted bone marrow a stellar example of the newly popular throwback. Match the rich French fare with a classic Champagne cocktail or Negroni and you’ll likely not want to ever leave your feather-stuffed seat. – C.N.

Jennifer Silverberg

bar les freres

FEAST FAVES

| where we’re drInkIng

gamlin whiskey house wRiTTen by Jennifer Johnson

what sets Gamlin Whiskey House apart from other whiskey-focused bars is the innumerable ways guests can explore the distinctly American spirit. Gamlin’s list of 250 or more whiskeys – hailing from Scotland, ireland, Canada and the U.S. – allows patrons to explore whiskey’s nuances. begin your evening at this new Central west end spot with one of its signature cocktails, like The irish bubbles, made with Jameson irish whiskey, Champagne and ginger liqueur. A lemon twist in the glass offers piquant acidity and effervescence that significantly lightens the relatively heavy mouthfeel and heat of the distilled spirit, pulling forward the whiskey’s perfumed aromatics, spice and caramel notes that the ginger makes more exotic.

The whiskey 101 – one of many whiskey flights offered – is another fine choice, presenting guests with three small crystal snifters on an oak tasting board, with a whiskey sommelier on standby to offer guidance. it’s an interesting exercise, tasting stylistic differences among major whiskey producers, such as the new oak and tannins of a Kentucky bourbon like Jim beam; the smooth aromatics of irish whiskey such as Jameson; and the peaty, smoky qualities of Scotch in Glenlivet from Scotland. For the more adventurous or more whiskey conversant, there are whiskey flights that nicely represent whiskey styles such as single-barrel bourbon, 12-year single malt Scotch, small-batch whiskey, rye, Tennessee whiskey, irish and more. The list includes the top-shelf likes of Hirsch Selection 20-year old bourbon; Hudson Manhattan Rye; Laphroaig 25 year islay Scotch; and Midleton barry Crockett Legacy irish whiskey, available in 1.5- or 2.5-oz pours, served neat. The breadth and depth of whiskey at Gamlin whiskey House offers guests the opportunity to explore the truly vast varieties of a spirit with a long history that’s seeing a big resurgence nationwide.

236 n. euclid Ave., Central west end, 314.875.9500, gamlinwhiskeyhouse.com

Gift Cards Available!

presents

Movies for Foodies Food + Film + Diners + Chefs

5 COURSES N 5 COCKTAILS — FEBRUARY EVENTS —

Princess Bride FEB 20 Chocolate

FEB 12 & 13

Tenacious Eats + FEB 27

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The Jerk

PHOTOGRAPHy by

Steve Truesdell

— COMING IN MARCH — WES ANDERSON MONTH! + 1oth anniversary special showing MEAN GIRLS on MARCH 26 ALL SHOWS at MEYER’S GROVE RESERVATIONS

www.brownpapertickets.com Tenacious Eats INFORMATION

St. Louis-based wine enthusiast Jennifer Johnson is a sommelier, wine educator, journalist and hospitality and marketing consultant who loves to celebrate life, family, food and wine.

www.facebook.com/TenaciousEats 314-605-3684

Try our 18oz.

Prime Ribeye

enhanced by a delicious Mushroom Burgundy sauce, creamy garlic mashed potatoes and Rose Bud Salad.

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133 West Clinton Place St. Louis, MO 63122 314-965-9005

www.citizenkanes.com Inspired Food Culture

f e b r ua ry 2 0 1 4

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FEAST FAVES

| where we’re dininG

blind tiger Focused around elevated bar fare, Blind Tiger in Maplewood will feel familiar to fans of co-owner Mike McLaughlin’s other spot, The Crow’s Nest, and the now-shuttered bleeding Deacon. The restaurant’s dimly lit dining room offers guests a view of its large bar, which specializes in whiskeys like Kentucky bourbons, Irish Scotches, ryes and more, with a smaller selection of wine and craft beer. Pizza is the standout on blind Tiger’s food menu, with hearty 10- or 16-inch pies such as The Hog Mess, with spicy rib braise, mozzarella, pepperoni, salami, bacon, sausage, spicy pineapple, jalapeños, peperoncini, red pepper and smoked garlic on a New york-meetsbrick-oven crust. Other shareable dishes have fun with comfort food, like St. Louis-cut pork ribs brined overnight and braised in housemade bourbon marinara, broiled and topped with fresh Parmigiano-Reggiano and scallions, served on polenta; and jumbo wings, slow-poached “confit” and broiled in sambal-oregano compound butter, served with garlic-peppercorn whip. –L.M.

PHOTOGRAPHy by

Jonathan Gayman

7376 Manchester Road, Maplewood, 314.646.8822 facebook.com/blindtigersuttonplace

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FEBRUARY 2014

FEAST FAVES

| Food stuFF

black walnut buys This month we’re cracking open the world of black walnuts (p. 38). Few products include Missouri’s official state nut, making these three black walnut buys all the more exciting.

The black walnut oil and fudge featured below are produced by Hammons Black Walnuts, the largest processor of black walnuts in the country, based in Stockton, Mo. In January, the company’s black walnut oil won the 2014 Good Food Award in the oils category for the first time, beating out competition from across the country. – L.M.

Hav el i i n d ia n R es ta u R an t You are cordially invited to

indian restaurant

Ha Haveli’s Annual Valentine’s Day Dinner Buffet

& Saturday, February 15

On Friday, February 14th

17.99

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per Person Entrées to include Vegan Shrimp

Lamb Fish

Come enjoy the finest flavors of Northern India

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B I ST RO & MUSI C H O U SE 5 12 No rt h E uc l i d Cent ral W e st E n d Sai nt Lou i s, MO

BLACK WALNut BIttERs

Open 11a m- 1 am 7 day s

Me n u S er v e d 1 1 a m - M i d n i ght

3 14 .3 67 .3 6 44 Visit our site for a live music schedule: e v a ng e li ne s s t l . c om

BLACK WALNut FudGE

BLACK WALNut oIL

| 1 | Fee Brothers black walnut bitters, $7.49/bottle; Randall’s Wines and Spirits, multiple locations, shoprandalls.com | 2 | Chocolate-black walnut fudge, $11.99/16-oz package; Hammons Black Walnuts, 888.429.6887, hammonsproducts.com | 3 | Roasted black walnut oil, $7/8.4-oz bottle; Hammons Black Walnuts PHOTOGRAPHy By Jonathan Gayman Inspired Food Culture

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FEAST FAVES

| Shop-o-maTIc

brew & wine supply When Doug Dieckman was a kid, he watched his father make homemade wines. And 20 years ago, well before home brewing was trendy, Dieckman was making his own beers at home. For the past two years, he’s been sharing his extensive knowledge base and years of home-brewing experience in his shop Brew & Wine Supply in Hillsboro. In January, Dieckman moved the business down the road to a 2,500-square-foot space almost three times the size of the former store, allowing for more inventory and a broader selection of products sold at lower prices.

Items on offer at Brew & Wine Supply include wine-making, beer-brewing and spirit-distilling kits as well as supplies and tools for DIY production. Dieckman also stocks specialty food kits, including ones that teach how to make sausage and cheese at home. “[The kits] pretty much come with everything you need,” Dieckman says. “Of course, it’s like any other hobby – it’s a good starting point. I tell people, ‘You can fix a car with a screwdriver and a pair of pliers or you can go out and have a full set of Mac Tools.’ It depends on how far you want to take it.”

The store is designed to meet the needs of beginners to expert producers, with kits and supplies fit for customers of all experience levels.

Dieckman, though, might be the shop’s greatest resource; friendly, passionate and quick to offer helpful firsthand knowledge about every product in the store, he truly loves his work. “I just love making things at home,” Dieckman says. “My wife is amazed at some of the stuff I come up with. I just made 25 pounds of sausage a couple weeks ago…It was kind of experimentation for me, just getting into it. I like to be able to know what I’m talking about when I’m selling stuff to people. I’m a pretty hands-on type of person.” – L.M. 10663 Business 21, Hillsboro, 636.797.8155 brewandwinesupply.com

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FEBRUARY 2014

|1|

|2|

|3|

PHOTOGRAPHY BY

| 1 | The shop’s inventory is focused on beer-brewing kits and supplies, with a huge selection of beer kegging equipment, beer ingredient kits, beer yeasts, malts and grains, hops and more. | 2 | Recently, Dieckman has seen an upswing in winemaking and distilling supply sales. In addition to the customization options inherent in do-it-yourself production, it’s also a money saver. “The kits are a nice way to go because you’re getting quality wines like you’d buy in a liquor store at a fraction of the cost,” Dieckman says. “Each six-gallon [wine] kit makes 30 bottles [of wine.]” | 3 | To complement the shop’s selection of beer-, wine- and spiritmaking kits, Dieckman offers a range of specialty food kits, including different varieties of cheese, sausage and jerky.

Steve Truesdell

Three DIY BuYS from Brew & wIne SuppLY

Girl Scouts of Eastern Missouri

invites you to Dessert First, our annual fundraising event, where famous Girl Scout Cookies are transformed into mouthwatering desserts by local chefs. Vote for your favorite culinary delight with guest judge Catherine Neville, FEAST Magazine Publisher.

All proceeds from the event will support our leadership development programs for girls.

Tickets start at $150 | girlscoutsem.org/dessertfirst

Dessert First

Thursday, February 27, 2014 The Ritz-Carlton, St. Louis

Participating Restaurants

Amy’s Corner Bakeshop Companion Bakehouse Cravings EdgeWild Restaurant & Winery Onesto Pizza & Trattoria Piccione Pastry

dessert ďŹ rst February 27, 2014

Presenting Sponsor

Gold Sponsors

Media Sponsor

Silver Sponsors

Inspired Food Culture

F E B R UA RY 2 0 1 4

17

FEAST FAVES

| whAT we ’re buying

rocks stars This month’s feature on the ever-growing interest in smallproduction local whiskey (p. 61) left us thirsty for old-Fashioneds, Manhattans, whiskey smashes and more. Just as each cocktail offers its own mood and flavor, so does the glassware we choose.

This collection of barware and glasses is distinctive enough to match the most rarefied spirits. – L.M.

|2|

|1|

|3|

|4|

|5|

|7| |6|

|8|

|9|

| 1 | Dorset decanter, $119.95; WilliamsSonoma, multiple locations, williams-sonoma. com | 2 | William Yeoward Vita tumbler doubleold fashioned glass in green, $200; Sallie Home, 9821 Clayton Road, Ladue, 314.567.7883, salliehome.com | 3 | Dorset crystal single old-

fashioned glasses, $71.95/set of four; WilliamsSonoma | 4 | Pebbles double old-fashioned glass in topaz, $100; Byron Cade, 13474 Clayton Road, 314.721.4701, byroncadegifts.com

| 5 | Decorated Artis Hobstar glasses, $6/each,

in-store only; West Elm, 1155 Saint Louis Galleria,

Brentwood, 314-863-5287, westelm.com | 6 | Vintage barware glasses by George Briard, $30/ set of four; Rocket Century, 3189 S. Grand Blvd., Tower Grove, 314.875.0705, rocketcentury.com | 7 | Fern tumbler double old-fashioned glass, $242; Byron Cade | 8 | Match pewter double

old-fashioned glass, $71; Sallie Home | 9 | Brass bamboo rail serving tray, $42.50; Rocket Century EDiToR’S NoTE: Items from Rocket Century in

Tower Grove are vintage goods and as such are subject to availability.

PHoToGRAPHY BY Jonathan Gayman

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FebruAry 2014

Friends gather and the room ďŹ lls with laughter. Nothing ďŹ ts these moments better than a bottle of Chambourcin. After all, inside each bottle is a story, written by Missouri winemakers for anyone with a little Missouri in their hearts.

Learn more about Chambourcin and other varietals at missouriwine.org.

Inspired Food Culture

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19

Private Mortgage Insurance: There is No Rule, There is No Law That Requires Borrowers to Pay PMI. It is a Choice.

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20

feastSTL.com

F E B R UA RY 2 0 1 4

201 West Pointe Dr. Swansea, IL 62226

618-355-9860

M a r s h a l l - F o rd . co M

Solutions.

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For quite some time I was having trouble hearing what people were saying at dinner. I d would frequently ask to repeat what they said to me, or worse yet, I felt like I wasn’t even involved.

table ...conversations at the table.

Hometown Hearing listened to my concerns and troubles and recommended the perfect solution. Hearing everyone so clearly makes me wonder why I waited so long to seek help.

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O’FALLON, MO

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2013 Top Dealership for Outstanding Customer Experiences

by WomenCertified® The Voice of the Female Consumer The Women's Choice award tells ourr customers that we are a dealership off integrity and equality. Buying a car is a major purchase and every consumer wants too feel confident that they have received the bestt possible deal. Providing top notch customerr service is one way we go above and beyond to create lifetime customers who are more than happy to recommend us to friends and family. The award is really a badge of honor that helps convey our values before the customer reaches our door. said Liz Kelly, e-Commerce Director for Suntrup Kia.

9 out of 10 female customers highly recommend Suntrup Kia, to others. This dealership demonstrates great service and a sincere commitment to meeting the needs and preferences of their female customer. Suntrup Kia is proud to announce we have been named a Women Certified Dealer for the second consecutive year. Suntrup Kia is one of two Kia dealers in the United States to have earned this prestigious award.

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suntrupkia.com Inspired Food Culture

F E B R UA RY 2 0 1 4

21

one on one

TEd & JAmiE KilgoRE

BARTEndERs And co-ownERs, PlAnTER’s HoUsE WRITTen BY Valeria Turturro Klamm | PHOTOGRaPHY BY Jonathan Gayman

The atmosphere of a bar or restaurant can change the way we enjoy food and drink – at least that’s what Ted and Jamie Kilgore hope to show St. Louis at their Lafayette Square cocktail bar and restaurant, Planter’s House. “We want people to think of the atmosphere and where you are as almost like the extra garnish,” Ted says.

“The thing you may or may not notice, but it makes the drink that much better.”

Why the name Planter’s House? The Planter’s Hotel was a really wonderful hotel in St. Louis around the turn of the century, up until 1922. It was well regarded as one of the most dynamic hotels in the Midwest. We wanted to hearken the history of grandeur and hospitality in St. Louis. –Jamie Kilgore What informed the bar’s look and feel? We wanted it to have a timeless feel.

Ted and I are both big fans of retro, vintagetype things, but we wanted it to feel like maybe this is brand new or maybe it’s been here for 90 years. It has that kind of timeless elegance and comfort to it. –J.K. Describe the two bar areas at Planter’s. We have a secondary bar, the Bullock Room, named after Tom Bullock, a famous bartender at the St. Louis Country Club. He was famous for his mint juleps. Downstairs we have a smaller cocktail menu, a lot more classics, more beer and wine. [The Bullock Room] is a more extensive experience and we talk more about the cocktails. –Ted Kilgore Let’s talk drinks. There are 12 signature drinks on the Planter’s House menu. There are 30 house favorites, mostly classic cocktails with our adaptations. So many really cool classic cocktails that people haven’t delved into yet.

It’s a cool way to turn people on to drinks that are quick and affordable. What we’re really trying to do is get the idea that this could be everyday drinking. You can drink really great classic stuff in a modern setting.

–T.K. What inspired the dining menu?

It’s like the food great-grandma would have made around the holidays. Our sous chef, Leslie Gillette, does pastries extraordinaire.

I think they’re really excited about looking at The World’s Fair and historic St. Louis – they’re doing modern twists on what was cutting edge then. –J.K. You’re both firsttime restaurant owners. How does it feel? I can say for me, personally, that this is a dream that’s coming to life and I’ve really focused on trying to enjoy all of it, even the horrible parts of it, because this is my first.

I’m putting my heart in all of this. Ted has created such an amazing cocktail menu.

I put my heart into making sure the place looks as good as all the cocktails taste. Our partner Ted Charak has overseen a lot of the

Planter’s House 1000 Mississippi Ave., Lafayette Square, 314.696.2603 plantershousestl.com

financial aspects of the startup. I was glad that there were three of us to kind of divide and conquer.–J.K.

22

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FEBRUARY 2014

Visit feastSTL.com to read the full interview with Ted and Jamie Kilgore.

America’s Healthiest Grocery Store ® Whole Foods Market - Town & Country 1160 Town & Country Crossing Dr. 636-527-1160 Whole Foods Market - Galleria 1601 S. Brentwood Blvd.

314-968-7744

Join us at Central Library for a fundraiser to view the fiction-inspired pastry creations

by St. Louis’ premier chefs and taste literary-themed appetizers and libations.

Tickets available at

slplfoundation.org or call 314.539.0359. www.wholefoodsmarket.com

Fun Food, Happy People, Great Drinks!

FEAST FAVE Pork Porterhouse. Rensing’s Porterhouse pork chop, cheddar jalapeno bread pudding, green beans, sunny side up egg

Mon-Fri 11:00-close, Sat 10:00-close Offering Saturday brunch First Come - First Serve (No reservations) Open Mon - Fri starting at 11 am and Sat starting at 10 am

106 N. Main St. • Edwardsville • 618.307.4830 • clevelandheath.com

Empowering Through Education The mission of Living Word Christian School is to assist Christian parents in equipping students with a Christ-centered education, empowering them to impact the world for the glory of God.

1145 Tom Ginnever Ave • O’Fallon • 636.978.1680 • www.lwcs.us Inspired Food Culture

F E B R UA RY 2 0 1 4

23

the mix

WintER’s LAst DAncE

STOry anD recIpe By Matt Seiter pHOTOgrapHy By Jonathan gayman

Milky white orgeat (pronounced or-zad) syrup pops up fairly frequently in craft cocktails – commonly used in tiki-style drinks such as Mai Tais and Daiquiris – yet remains a mysterious ingredient, even among cocktail enthusiasts. The syrup is made with almonds and rose or orange water and offers an unparalleled richness in the cocktail world. It adds roasted, sweet, nutty flavors to various classic cocktails, such as the Momisette, made with pastis, orgeat syrup and sparkling wine. But where does the syrup come from? The word orgeat is derived from the Latin hordeata, which translates roughly to “made with barley.” In the days before refrigeration, milk was not a common household item because of its short shelf life. Most milk was turned into cheese to maximize its storage time and marketability as a commodity. Barley and nuts were more common, and, when mixed with water, these products formed a highly stabilized, milky substitute that was used in breads and pastries. This is the beginning of orgeat syrup’s story.

Making nut-based syrups at home is very simple; it is just time consuming. Over the years, I’ve experimented with making syrups from three types of nuts – almonds, macadamia nuts and walnuts – and each was as different as the nuts themselves.

Black walnuts – Missouri’s official state nut – proved more difficult to work with.

For instance, syrup made with almonds or macadamia nuts can be substituted for simple syrup in Daiquiri recipes, and the nutty flavor will add another level of complexity.

But substitute black walnuts in that same syrup recipe and it won’t work; the drink becomes overly tart, with no semblance of nutty flavor. However, if you incorporate a fatty liquid into a drink with black walnut syrup, the walnut flavor shines through.

Because walnuts are lower in fat content than almonds or macadamia nuts, they need a little extra help to coax out flavor. When making cocktails with black walnut syrup at home, remember to incorporate fat.

Syrup SuggeStionS I’ve tried this black walnut syrup in Daiquiris, Fog cutters and Mai Tais, and it just doesn’t work. Unlike its orgeat brethren, black walnut syrup plays an entirely different role in cocktails. It’s absolutely spectacular in cream-based drinks such as Brandy alexanders and milk punches – even Mudslides benefit from this rich syrup. Try it in a ramos gin Fizz for a doubly indulgent treat. Brown sugar can be used in place of granulated sugar by substituting 2 cups brown sugar for the granulated sugar.

Black Walnut Syrup Yield | 17 oz | 8 oz ½

black walnut pieces liter water, plus enough to submerge nuts

1½

cups granulated sugar (or 2 cups brown sugar)

2

oz bourbon

| Preparation | Submerge walnuts in cold water for half an hour. Strain walnuts from water and discard water.

place nuts in a blender or food processor. add ½ liter water and pulse for 10 to 15 seconds. pour mixture into a bowl and let sit for 1 hour.

Line a fine-mesh strainer with cheesecloth or a dish towel and place over a bowl. Strain water from walnut pieces, but do not discard either, and do not remove the nuts from the towel. Once all water is drained, squeeze as much liquid from the walnuts as possible.

return walnut pieces to the same water and repeat the soak-strainsqueeze method two times.

Transfer strained walnut water to a saucepot with sugar. Bring to just before boiling, reduce to medium heat and let simmer for 10 minutes. This will boil over if you let it get to a roaring boil, so watch the pot as it heats up. remove from heat and let cool for 20 minutes. Stir in bourbon.

Transfer to a glass jar or bottle and refrigerate before using.

Matt Seiter is a co-founder of the United States Bartenders’ Guild’s St. Louis chapter, a member of the national board for the USBG’s MA program and a continuing educator for all desiring knowledge of the craft of mixology. He is a member of Drink Lab and a consultant at Sanctuaria.

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FEBRUARY 2014

Winter’s Last Dance serves | 1 |

1 oz Heaven Hill Gold Label Bonded Bourbon 2 oz coffee, brewed and hot 1 oz black walnut syrup (recipe left) 1 oz heavy cream grated nutmeg (optional) whipped cream (optional)

| Preparation | pour bourbon into a coffee mug. In a small saucepot, combine coffee, syrup and cream. Bring to just below boiling. remove from heat. add heated mixture to mug. grate nutmeg over mug and add a dollop of whipped cream to serve, if desired.

Discover Historic Main Street New Orleans Boy Meets Local Girl Feb 8 - Oysters & Gator

Mar 1 - Huge Mardi Gras Celebration Mar 1 - Soulard Mardi Gras Parade

Shuttle - Reservation Only Call early for a seat!

Mar 4 - Fat Tuesday Party - Live Music 5:30pm-Lots of Specials & Giveaways!

Southern Cuisine and Best Gooey Butter Cake in St. Louis!

Columbia Illinois Where you will find hospitality, charm and friendly faces!

18 Unique Retail Shops & 15 Delicious Wine/Restaurant Locations • Feb. 8 & 9 BE OUR VALENTINE - Receive a "Special Valentine" with purchase from participating businesses. Sweet Discounts & Prizes.

Visit ColumbiaIllinois.com for upcoming event details.

Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 11-9pm

123 South Main St • Columbia, IL 62236 Phone: 618-281-2229 Email:whodatstakeout@yahoo.com • www.whodatsrestaurant.com

DaILy DrINk & FOOD SpeCIaLS

Furniture Paint Classes Available Visit website for schedule

Tiny’s Pub & Grill 602 N. Main St. Columbia, IL 62236

618-281-9977 Grill Open Sunday-Wednesday 11-8 pm Thursday-Saturday 11-9 pm Pub open til 1 am.

PRoP RentALS FoR SPeCIAL eventS!

Unique Western Apparel and Decor... Crafted to Last The Patina Pony is proud to present Western inspired clothing, boots, jewelry, accessories and designer home decor from today's top Western Artisans.

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Located in the Old Distillary 113 W. Gundlach • Columbia, IL • 618.281.7915 • thepatinapony.com

te ay ra 's D s at b le e a Ce ntin Gr i e l rD Va Ma &

Cell 626-848-8652 Store 618-281-6002

Memory Lane Gifts

Offering fine jewelry, fashion & gifts

15% OFF First Glass of Wine Offer Expires 2/28/14

Martini Fridays, Great Wines, Specialty Beers, Spirits & Wine Accessories

Highest prices paid for gold & silver

chateaulavin.com Wine Bar Open: Tues.-Thurs.2-9pm, Fri. 2-11pm, Sat. noon-11pm, Sun.2-7pm

119 South Main Street, Columbia, IL 618.281.8117

OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

Refurbished Furniture Antiques and Home Decor

Authentic Italian Brick Oven!

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115 West Gundlach St. Columbia, IL

Bee Happy Bouquet

&

Floral

• Full Service Florist • Fresh Florals for All Occasions & Holidays • Teleflora Wire Service • Weddings & Receptions • Funeral & Bereavement Items • Stepping Stones & Angels • Custom Silk Design • Delivery Available

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• New Menu Items Now Available!

• BBQ Every Wed. & Sat. • Large Outdoor Patio • 11 Flat Screen TVs • 12 Beers on Tap, Imported and Specialty Micro Brews • Extensive Wine List • Kitchen Open Late

Aunt Maggie s Family Restaurant 230 N. Main St. • 618-281-7894 Chateau La Vin 119 S. Main St. • 618-281-8117 Fabulous Finds 315 N. Main St. • 618-281-1954 Fashion Attic 128 S. Main St. • 618-281-7467 Imo’s Pizza 1450 Evergreen • 618-281-5552 K.A.T.Jewelry Boutique & Gifts 115 West Gundlach St. • 618-698-0270 Knott So Shabby Furnishings 117 W. Locust • 618-281-6002 Magnolia 208 N. Main St. • 618-281-8083 Memory Lane Gifts & Floral 515-B N. Main St. • 618-281-4538 Merz On Main 210 S. Main St. • 618-281-9901 Ole Tin Roof 207 N. Main St. Suite 104 • 618-719-2017 Our Coffee House Café 125 N. Rapp St. • 618-281-4554 Reifschneider’s Grill & Grape 608 N. Main St. • 618-281-2020 The Patina Pony 113 W. Gundloch • 618-281-7915 Tiny’s Pub & Grill 602 N. Main St. • 618-281-9977 Vida Verde Studio Salon & Boutique 127 N. Main St. • 618-281-6767 Who Dat s Southern Food 123 S. Main St. • 618-281-2229

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OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK

Inspired Food Culture

F E B R UA RY 2 0 1 4

25

on the shelf

top FEBRUARY pICKS

beer

WRITTEN By Michael Sweeney

Award-winning sommelier and mixologist Chad Michael George is founder of Proof Academy, which covers everything from wine and cocktail list consulting to spirits and mixology education.

BrAuerei AYing’S AYinger celeBrATor DoppelBock

AMAro MonTenegro

AvAilAble At: Friar Tuck, multiple locations,

friartuckonline.com; $12.49 (four-pack, 330-ml bottle) PAiring: German chocolate cake• Gouda While we’re still bundled up and shivering through February’s chill, too quickly do we reach for stouts and porters while ignoring our friends the lagers. Ayinger Celebrator Doppelbock might be one of the most famous bocks (who doesn’t love the little plastic goat?) and easily one of the best. With a velvety maltiness and bit of alcohol heat, it’s a great option to warm up winter nights.

orvAl BreWerY’S orvAl TrAppiST Ale

AvAilAble At: Starrs, 1135 S. Big Bend Blvd., Richmond Heights, starrs1.com; $27.99 try it: On the rocks, topped with ginger beer or as a vermouth substitute in a Manhattan

Amaro, Italian for “bitter,” is an herbal liqueur often consumed as a digestif or after-dinner drink. Amaros come in different styles and Montenegro falls in the less bitter and more floral realm. It was originally produced in the late 19th century. Production shut down from 1941 through 1946, but outside of those years, Montenegro has been produced using the original recipe. The taste is somewhat sweet with bitter orange and coriander dominating the mid-palate. The finish is herbaceous and floral with a long, almost syrupy sweetness.

The ArrAn 14-YeAr Single MAlT ScoTch WhiSkY ProvenAnce: Scotland (46% abv)

AvAilAble At: Whole Foods Market, multiple locations,

AvAilAble At: Randall’s Wines and Spirits, multiple locations, shoprandalls.com; $69.99 try it: With a rock or two, or in a Rob Roy

This beer is called a pale ale, but don’t let that fool you: This brew is unlike almost any pale ale you’ve ever tasted.

One of 10 Trappist breweries in the world, Orval has been producing its own version of pale ale for almost 100 years. Drink this beer fresh, and you’ll get a slight spiciness from the hops and an underlying earthiness from the yeast. Let it sit, and it becomes another creature entirely, with huge farmhouse funk.

cATheDrAl SquAre BreWerY’S BelgiAn-STYle WhiTe Ale Style: Belgian-style Witbier (4.8% abv) AvAilAble At: Schnucks, multiple locations,

schnucks.com; $3.99 (22-oz bottle) PAiringS: Linguini and clams• Havarti People are always looking for a breakthrough beer, that gateway beer for their friends and family that gets them hooked on craft beer.

Belgian witbiers are one of my favorite options.

Cathedral Square Brewery has brewed a classic version of this wonderful style. There is a nice touch of citrus and spiciness that makes the beer interesting enough to hook new palates, while also not overwhelming.

FEBRUARY 2014

ProvenAnce: Bologna, Italy (23% abv)

Style: Belgian Pale Ale (6.2% abv)

wholefoodsmarket.com; $4.99 (330-ml bottle) PAiringS: Thai curry• Mussels

feastSTl.com

WRITTEN By Chad Michael George

The creator of stlhops.com and founder of St. Louis Craft Beer Week, Michael Sweeney is also the craft beer manager at Lohr Distributing.

Style: Doppelbock (6.7% abv)

26

spirits

Just 12 years after starting production, The Isle of Arran Distillery was named the Scottish Whisky Distillery of the year. The 14-year is a blend of whiskey aged in first-fill sherry and bourbon casks.

The base whiskey is the same in its 10-year bottling, but aged longer showcasing an intense palate of dates, cocoa, dried fruits, vanilla and toffee. The spice kicks in at the finish, dominated by cinnamon and salty raisin. This bottle isn’t the cheapest 14-year Scotch out there, but it is worth every penny.

el DorADo 15 YeAr olD ruM ProvenAnce: Guyana (40% abv) AvAilAble At: The Wine & Cheese Place, multiple locations, wineandcheeseplace.com; $39.99 try it: Neat

El Dorado has made brief appearances in the market, but now with a solid distribution network behind the brand, this line of demerara rums is back for good. The 15-year rum might be the bargain of the bunch. This bottling is a blend of rums – some 25 years old – produced from four stills. The taste is spicy with vanilla, burnt orange, coffee and nuts.

The mouthfeel is silky and luscious, and the finish lingers for minutes after the last sip. This rum is best enjoyed neat, but would also perk up rum cocktails or a classic hand-shaken Daiquiri.

wine

WRITTEN By Kyle Harsha

Kyle Harsha is a certified specialist of wine and certified sommelier with over 20 years’ experience in the food and wine industry. He drinks more wine than he probably ought to.

loCatIons e-2 nV Provenance: Spain available at: Schnucks, 10275 Clayton Road, Ladue, schnucks.com; $19.89 Pairings: Paella• Manchego cheese• Fig compote

Dave Phinney has done it again. His Locations project, where he goes to a country, sources the best fruit he can find from various regions and produces delicious wines from it, rarely disappoints. The newest blend of his “E” series from Spain is a dark, juicy, belly-warmer, perfect on a biting February day. It is a blend of Grenache, Tempranillo, Monastrell and Carignan and has the black cherry notes that are expected layered on top of notes of mocha, plum and violet. This is a wine you should buy now and drink sooner rather than later.

Charles smIth Boom Boom! syrah 2012 Provenance: Columbia Valley, Wash. available at: The Vino Gallery, 4701 McPherson Ave., Central West End, thevinogallery.com; $17.99 Pairings: Steak au poivre• Seared lamb chops• Dark, bitter chocolate

Sometimes wines with goofy labels can turn serious wine drinkers off. In this case, that would be a mistake. Charles Smith is sort of a rock ‘n’ roll winemaker out of Washington, and he puts a fun-loving, hedonistic touch on his Syrahs. The 2012 Boom Boom! has massive amounts of red fruit flavors, along with touches of licorice, tobacco and lavender. If your significant other likes cherries, pair this luscious bottle with a bowl of them for a date-night dessert. After all, Valentine’s Day is the time for sharing something sweet.

elIo Perrone BIgaro 2012 Provenance: Piedmont, Italy available at: The Wine & Cheese Place, multiple locations, wineandcheeseplace.com; $17.99 Pairings: Melon and prosciutto• Strawberry shortcake • Creamy cheeses

Valentine’s Day is the right time of year to bust out some sweeter wines. Elio Perrone is a very highly regarded winemaker hailing from Northern Italy that focuses on small production Moscato- and Brachetto-based gems. The Bigaro is a 50-50 blend of these two grapes that has a deep pink hue and lovely white floral, ripe peach and candied apple flavors. Because of its low alcohol content, it is very refreshing and allows you to drink with gusto. It is slightly sweet, but not cloyingly so.

Inspired Food Culture

f e b r ua ry 2 0 1 4

27

mystery shopper

MEEt: GochUjAnG

story and recipe by Shannon Weber photography by Jennifer Silverberg

Sriracha fanatics, take note: Your singular devotion to the famed "rooster sauce" might be causing you to overlook a solid contender in the spicy condiment game.

What is it?

Gochujang is a fermented pepper paste made with red chile, soybeans, glutinous rice and salt, aged in the sun inside large clay jars. Considered one of three essential condiments in South Korea, it is omnipresent in the culture, used in everything from soups, stews and marinades to topping classic dishes such as bibimbap and naengmyeon. The spicy and sweet concoction is so popular that it is used as a base ingredient for other condiments, including chogochujang (a sour, vinegary sauce) and ssamjang (a traditional dipping sauce with sesame oil, onion and garlic).

What do i do With it?

Although not as trendy as Sriracha, gochujang has the same flexibility as – if not more than – the hugely popular sauce. It has a slow, less-aggressive heat and a pleasant sweet and spicy balance, making it ideal for adding punch to mayonnaise and ketchup.

Throw it over eggs, on stir-frys, or use it as a meat marinade. It amplifies other Asian sauces wonderfully, and works especially well with peanut-based varieties.

This spicy version of the classic peanut butter cookie might sound equal parts strange and appealing; indeed, it is both. The inherent sweetness of the gochujang melds beautifully with the peanut and coconut flavors, while the heat provides a spicy yet not overpowering finish to the soft, cracklestyle cookie. This dessert is a must-try treat for hot sauce enthusiasts.

Spicy Peanut Gochujang Cookies You might have to do some hunting, but gochujang can be found in ethnic and Asian markets and in many larger supermarkets in the St. Louis area.

Yield | 48 cookies | 1 1½ 1 1 ½ ½ 2/3 1 ¾ 1/3

28

cup unsweetened coconut chips cups unbleached all-purpose flour tsp baking soda tsp ground ginger tsp kosher salt cup unsalted butter, at room temperature cup granulated sugar large egg cup creamy peanut butter cup gochujang

feastSTL.com

FEBRUARY 2014

| Preparation | Preheat oven to 325˚F. Add coconut chips to the bowl of a food processor.

Pulse until finely ground. Set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, ginger and salt. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with a paddle attachment, beat butter and sugar together until light and fluffy, 4 to 5 minutes. Add egg, beating on high until combined. Scrape down sides of

the bowl and add peanut butter, gochujang and processed coconut chips, beating on medium high until incorporated. Scrape down sides of bowl again. With the mixer on low, add flour mixture in two parts, mixing each until just combined.

Remove dough from bowl and shape into two flat discs. Wrap each disc tightly in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 2 hours until firm.

Line a half-sheet pan with parchment paper.

Remove one disc from refrigerator and roll into 1-inch balls. Place 3 inches apart on prepared sheet pan and bake for 12 to 14 minutes. Cookies are finished baking when puffed and slightly crackly on top, but have taken on no color.

Remove from oven and allow to cool on a baking sheet. Repeat with remaining dough.

Store at room temperature in an airtight container for up to 3 days, or freeze dough or baked cookies tightly wrapped for up to 2 months.

Featuring the LIVE ART of:* Saint Louis City Open Studio and Gallery

presents Wall Ball, an exciting evening of live artistry and delicious treats. Engaging an eclectic mix of artists, collectors, and admirers, this annual event features amazing art at unreal prices through a unique silent auction.

Saturday, February 8 7-11 pm

$30 General Admission $50 VIP includes beer/wine

Third Degree Glass Factory 5200 Delmar Blvd. • St. Louis, MO 63108

For more information, call

(314)865-0060

Purchase tickets online

www.scosag.org/wallball Sponsored by

Cbabi Bayoc Abby Birhanu Michael Bolton Jen Bradford Sophia Dalpiaz Brown Vesna Delevska Ashli England Genevieve Esson Ash Forrest Bob Hartzell Kyle Heikkila Theresa Hopkins Philly Johnmeyer Jeff Kapfer Myles Keough Sukanya Mani Jenny Murphy Sarah Paulsen Henryk Ptasiewicz Kathy Rickerman Megan Rieke Jeff Sass Tim Snyder Jason Spencer Amy VanDonsel JT Walls Terri Willits Evelyn Astegno Yocum *As of January 1, 2014

14th Annual Gala ART FEAST Presented by Chesterfield Arts March 8th at 6pm at Kemp Auto Museum, Chesterfield Enjoy a feast for the artistic senses including live entertainment, artwork created especially for ART FEAST by regional professional artists, silent and live smartphone auctions, scrumptious food, an open bar and a very special announcement. Individual tickets are $180, and sponsorships for tables of 10 are also available.

Proceeds from ART FEAST support Chesterfield Arts’ quality programming in the visual, performing & literary arts, public art & art education.

For more information about the gala event, tickets or sponsorships, contact Bruce Preston at 636.519.1955

444 Chesterfield Center • Chesterfield • 636.519.1955 • ChesterfieldArts.org

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F E B R UA RY 2 0 1 4

29

chef’s notebook

SwEETBREAdS

WRITTEN By Cassy Vires

rich protein that, when properly prepared, are bites of pure bliss.

Uncooked sweetbreads are likely one of the most unappetizing things I have ever seen. I recently put them on my dinner menu at both of my restaurants and laughed as

Grilled Sweetbreads with Apricot Glaze and Garlicky Almonds Serves | 4 | 1 12

the cooks taunted the servers with the jiggling sack of glands. Most of the servers ran the other way, swearing they would never eat it. I, too, was once one of those scared people running away from sweetbreads, but in culinary school, one of my instructors had what he called “fright day” and made each of us try a number of different foods we would have otherwise never tried. One of those items was sweetbreads, and the tender,

1½ 1 2 ½ 1 1 1

lobe prepared (see sidebar) sweetbreads wood skewers, soaked in water overnight salt and freshly ground black pepper cups apricot preserves Tbsp apple cider vinegar Tbsp whiskey Tbsp butter cup whole almonds Tbsp garlic powder Tbsp olive oil

I grew up in a small town, rarely exposed to

juicy and rich morsels were some of the most

| Preparation | Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare a

anything outside the norm. It wasn’t until I left my

flavorful bits of meat I’d ever consumed. When

grill per user manual.

little bubble that I realized how vast the culinary

I prepared them for my servers, each one came

world truly is. It took time to open up to some of the

around and agreed to try a small bite, and in the

Thread sweetbreads onto wood skewers and

things I was newly exposed to, and when someone

end, they cleared the plate. In my restaurants,

season with salt and pepper. Set aside.

would tell me, “It’s a delicacy,” it raised a red flag.

sweetbreads are grilled with a fruit glaze and

Eventually I came to appreciate “delicacies” and

topped with garlicky almonds. The combination

found that many seemingly unappealing foods have

of sweet, tart, crunchy and spicy is a balanced

great names, like foie gras, caviar, trotters or, one

blend of flavors to complement sweetbreads’

of my favorites, sweetbreads. Often times these

rich taste and creamy texture. They ended

names are given to foods that fall into the category

up being one of the bestselling menu items

of offal, which encompasses a variety of organ

that week. Because those brave servers tried

meats. Neither sweet nor bready, sweetbreads are

something they wouldn’t have otherwise been

the thymus glands of adolescent sheep, goats and,

open to, they were excited about sharing the dish

most commonly, calves. The thymus gland is what

with diners, eager to suggest that they too give

helps boost the animal’s immune system and slowly

it a chance.

In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine apricot preserves, apple cider vinegar and whiskey. Bring to a boil and stir to combine. Stir in butter. Set aside.

Toss together almonds, garlic powder and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper as desired. Place almonds on a sheet pan in an even layer. Roast in the oven until golden, about 10 minutes. Let almonds cool slightly, then place them in the bowl

shrinks over time until it eventually disappears.

I believe that to truly experience food, you have

of a food processor fitted with a metal blade.

Process until crumbly.

The thymus gland has two lobes: the heart

to be open to trying anything, because you never

sweetbread and the throat sweetbread. The

know what you will fall in love with. Who knows,

heart sweetbread is named so simply due to its

a jiggling sack of glands could become your new

close proximity to the heart. The same goes for

favorite food. If nothing else, you can say you’ve

the throat variety. Many classically trained chefs

tried sweetbreads and lived to dine another day.

minutes. Sweetbreads should be slightly soft.

preference – and the most common – is the

Cassy Vires is the owner and chef of Home Wine

Drizzle with apricot glaze and top with the

throat. This cut has tender morsels of creamy,

Kitchen and Table.

crushed almonds. Serve immediately.

Place sweetbread skewers on prepared grill and cook, turning once, on each side for about 4

prefer the heart sweetbread, but my personal

SwEETbREADS 101 Chefs rarely agree on the best way to prepare something, because we all think we know best. To this end, here is my preferred method for preparing sweetbreads. If you’ve never worked with sweetbreads before, you can purchase them at local grocery stores like Straub’s as well as specialty stores. They can also be special ordered from most butchers.

They should be cooked as soon as possible; within two days is ideal.

Step 1. Rinse sweetbreads under cold water and pat dry with a towel.

Step 2. Place sweetbreads in a glass or plastic container and completely cover in milk. This will draw out any excess blood and remove impurities. Soak overnight.

Step 3. Rinse sweetbreads again and lightly poach in vegetable stock with fresh herbs. Poach until the outer membrane turns white. This cooks the membrane slightly so that it is easier to remove later.

Step 4. Remove sweetbreads from stock

and shock in an ice bath to halt cooking.

Step 5. Place sweetbreads in a pan or bowl. Place another pan or bowl on top so that they fit snugly together. Add weights to the top pan or bowl so that the sweetbreads are being pressed.

Refrigerate overnight.

Step 6. Remove sweetbreads from the pan

or bowl and discard remaining liquid. With a small paring knife, remove the outer membrane, taking care to keep pieces as large as possible. Remove any veins and membranes that run through the inside.

Step 7. Grill, sear, fry or braise.

Devoured the magazine and still

hungry for MORE? Stay on top of St. Louis’ food scene with our free weekly enewsletter. Subscribe now at feastSTL.com, and you’ll get fresh content delivered to your inbox every Tuesday!

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F E B R UA RY 2 0 1 4

31

gadget a-go-go

nUtcRAckERs

Good Cook TouCh LobSTer aNd NuTCraCker

SwiNG-a-way SeaFood/NuT CraCker

PROS

PROS

The heftiest cracker tested, this behemoth tool features easy-grip handles with a black rubberized nonslip coating. Instead of a single pivot point, it features a wide interlocking hinge held with a substantial pin.

Ridged barrels provide good holds for both big and little nuts. The larger barrel sits at the top of the tool, providing more leverage for the crunch.

A strong, bold nutcracker with a design fillip in the claw that facilitates the crack. One side of the claw is ridged. The opposing side grins like a lopsided jack-o’-lantern with three strong teeth. Together, they fracture tough shells with ease.

CONS

The small barrel is so close to the handles it’s tough to get good purchase on the nut. The sturdiest tool we tested, this large cracker is an unwieldy size to store. $12.49; Dierbergs, multiple locations, dierbergs.com

CONS

The same claw design that makes a good crack gives some nuts the slip pre-squeeze. The Swing-A-Way propelled more than one walnut across the room. It provides good comedy – and seriously teased my dog – but proved ultimately annoying. $7.99; Bertarelli Cutlery, 1927 Marconi Ave., The Hill, bertarellicutlery.com

WRITTeN BY pat eby PhOTOGRAPhY BY Jonathan Gayman

droSSeLmeyer NuTCraCker

Norpro LobSTer aNd Crab CraCker

Five-pieCe NuTCraCker SeT

PROS

PROS

PROS

If you shell nuts often, fork out $40 and buy a Drosselmeyer. This Swedish beauty delivers a hand-sparing squeeze via a clever two-lever design that’s kind on nut kernels, too. The nut chamber eliminates airborne shell shards. It also corrals nut dust and debris. Kudos for innovative design, high quality and reliability.

This modest pliers-style cracker enables the operator to finesse the squeeze more than the other tools tested. It sits easy in the hand. The simple claws hold nuts firmly. It’s simple to maneuver the nut in multiple turns for even pressure on the shell.

Nut kernels emerge bigger and more intact with practice.

Keep the four nutpicks. They’re great.

CONS

CONS

The Drosselmeyer will set you back more than a few clams, especially compared to the other nutcrackers we tested.

Squeezing this nutcracker builds biceps, but that’s OK given the good results. The red plastic coating on the handles developed a small scar as testing progressed, but didn’t split.

CONS

Look further. This nutcracker doesn’t even begin to work. The engineering is faulty. It doesn’t open wide enough to accommodate nuts, and the handles don’t meet in the squeeze. $3.99; Bed, Bath & Beyond, multiple locations, bedbathandbeyond.com

$40; Bertarelli Cutlery

WRiteR’S NOte: I own an antique nutcracker of a similar design that still works beautifully, so I believe the fault is in this particular brand and not in the design.

$8.49; DiGregorio’s Italian Foods, 5200 Daggett Ave., The Hill, digregoriofoods.com

Che

Ck o pag ut e

whaT To Look For : HaNdleS aNd HiNgeS. Freeing tasty nut kernels from tough outer shells

HOld uP. Cavities and handles usually sport ridges or teeth to hold the

takes a toll on hands, arms and biceps. Look for sturdy, easy-to-grip handles and pivot points or hinges that move freely when you open the tool.

Longer handles generally provide more leverage for the crunch. Springloaded handles remain open when at rest, which reduces hand fatigue.

nut while you exert pressure to destroy the shell. Both work well to break the shell in pursuit of the tasty nut kernel.

Nut adaPtability. Unless you’re a single-nut devotee, find a tool that

accommodates nuts from almonds to walnuts. The handles should open wide. Gauge whether the barrels or cavities seem sized for a variety of nuts.

32

feastSTL.com

FEBRUARY 2014

CRaCk dOWN. Ultimately, nutcrackers need a solid come-together to

fracture tough shells. You need enough force to fracture the shell without destroying the nut. Specialty nutcrackers for tough-as-nails black walnuts and delicate pecans are available online. We didn’t test them, but they warrant investigation if you crack these types of nuts often.

38!

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F E B R UA RY 2 0 1 4

33

menu options

Moroccan Chicken B’Stilla

Story and recipe by Tory Bahn Photography by Jennifer Silverberg

Traditionally made with squab or pigeon, the Moroccan dish b’stilla is a spiced, savory and slightly sweet meat pie, layered with exotic flavors, encased in tender phyllo and baked to golden, buttery

perfection. This dish is usually reserved for special occasions due to its labor-intensive preparation, which includes proudly spreading a dusting of almond sugar between each layer of savory chicken.

Moroccan Chicken B’Stilla

and garlic and sauté over medium-high heat, stirring occasionally, until golden, about 4 minutes. Reduce heat to medium-low and add ginger, 1 tsp ras el hanout and pepper. Cook mixture, stirring, about 3 minutes.

Serves | 6 to 8 | Ras el Hanout ½ tsp anise seed

1 tsp fennel seed 8 whole allspice berries 8 whole cloves 15 whole black peppercorns 1 stick cinnamon, broken in half 1 Tbsp sesame seeds ½ tsp whole cumin seed 1/8 tsp dried red pepper flakes 1/8 tsp paprika pinch ground mace ½ tsp ground cardamom 1 tsp ground coriander ¼ tsp turmeric 1 Tbsp ground ginger 1 tsp freshly ground nutmeg Almond Sugar ½ cup Marcona almonds

3 Tbsp granulated sugar 1 tsp cinnamon Filling 1 Tbsp ras el hanout, plus 1 tsp

2 lbs chicken parts (about 1 whole breast, 2 thighs and 2 legs) ¼ tsp saffron threads, crumbled 2 Tbsp hot water 1 stick unsalted butter, plus 2 Tbsp, divided 2 Tbsp grapeseed oil 1 onion, diced (about 1½ cups) 3 garlic cloves, sliced 1 tsp minced fresh ginger

½ tsp freshly ground black pepper 1½ cups chicken stock 3 large eggs, beaten lightly ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley leaves ¼ cup chopped fresh cilantro 1½ Tbsp fresh lemon juice, or to taste 1 tsp kosher salt freshly ground black pepper, to taste Assembly 18 frozen phyllo sheets, defrosted (½

pound or 1 roll in a 1-lb package) powdered sugar and cinnamon

| Preparation – Ras el Hanout | In a spice grinder, combine first 11 ingredients and grind. In a small bowl, stir together ground spices and 5 remaining spices. (Makes about ¼ cup)

Return chicken to Dutch oven, add stock and saffron mixture. Cover and simmer, turning chicken once, until tender and cooked through, 25 to 35 minutes. Remove Dutch oven from heat and let chicken stand in cooking liquid for 30 minutes.

Transfer chicken to a plate, reserving cooking liquid and solids, and when cool enough to handle, shred chicken, discarding skin and bones.

| Preparation – Filling | Rub 1 Tbsp ras el

Reduce cooking liquids and solids to about 1¾ cups, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat to medium-low and add eggs in a slow and steady stream, whisking as you add. Cook mixture, stirring, until eggs are set, about 3 minutes.

Remove from heat and pour egg mixture into a coarse sieve set over a bowl. Let mixture drain, 10 minutes. Transfer egg mixture to a bowl. Stir in chicken, parsley, cilantro, lemon juice, and salt and pepper to taste.

hanout under the skin of chicken parts. Season with salt. Set aside.

| Assembly | Preheat oven to 425°F.

In a small bowl, combine saffron with hot water and set aside for 10 minutes.

Melt remaining 9 Tbsp butter. Grease a 12-inch, oven-proof skillet with melted butter.

In a large Dutch oven, melt 3 Tbsp butter and 2 Tbsp grapeseed oil and brown chicken on all sides. Remove chicken to a tray and set aside.

Remove all but 3 Tbsp rendered fat. Add onion

Using about 6 phyllo sheets per layer – with a total of three layers of phyllo – begin arranging first 6 sheets vertically and then horizontally across the bottom of the skillet, allowing 1 to

| Preparation – Almond Sugar | Toast almonds in a small skillet until light brown. Let cool. Combine almonds, sugar and cinnamon in the bowl of a food processor and process until fine. Set aside.

2 inches of phyllo to hang over the edge around the pan. Brush first layer of phyllo with butter, up and around the edges. Sprinkle ¼ of almond sugar mixture over first layer of phyllo. Top with half of chicken mixture and another ¼ almond sugar.

Continue with another layer of phyllo in the same manner. Brush with butter again. Dust another ¼ almond sugar over second layer of phyllo and top with remaining chicken. Dust the last ¼ almond sugar over chicken and top with another 6 sheets of phyllo, buttering phyllo again. Gently begin to fold overhanging phyllo into the center of the skillet, wrapping up the b’stilla. Brush the entire b’stilla with melted butter and bake for 20 to 25 minutes, until phyllo is nicely browned.

Carefully remove from oven, slide onto a cutting board and allow to cool, 10 minutes. Using a finemesh sieve, sprinkle b’stilla with powdered sugar and cinnamon and serve.

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37

Tough Nut to crack story and recipes by Shannon Weber

|

photography by Jennifer Silverberg

Black walnuts seem to enjoy staying off the radar.

Used in an alarmingly small amount of recipes and often absent from supermarket shelves outside the Midwest, they remain a mystery to most of the world. Why do they take a backseat to the more common pecan or English walnut? Perhaps because the uniquely flavored fruit of the black walnut tree doesn’t have much working in its favor.

Hear the words “black walnut” and you’ll most likely call to mind the actual tree rather than the nut itself. Prized for its lightweight, finely grained, sturdy wood that resists warping, splintering and rot, black walnut trees have been used throughout the centuries for furniture, railroad ties, fences and gun-stock material.

Today, black walnut timber is heralded as one of the great North American hardwoods, while the fruit it bears still languishes in relative obscurity.

It could be the fruit itself that is off-putting: They exemplify the phrase “tough nut to crack.”

Surrounded by an outer husk eerily similar in size and color to a dirty, waterlogged tennis ball, black walnuts are unattractive, to say the least.

We’ve all seen them, whether you know it or not: They stand at the edges of playgrounds in the wet winter months, rolling about, ignored by passersby, not looking the slightest bit appealing.

You can’t just throw them into the mixed nuts along with a nutcracker at parties, either – they are not an easy-access nut. Black walnuts require several rounds of peeling, drying and cracking, all of which is done at your own peril; the husk contains a chemical known to cause skin irritation and blisters, and their exceedingly strong shells require several assertive whacks with a hammer before they break open, revealing pieces of nut meat inside, which you’ll most likely need a special tool to unearth.

Does that sound like a project you want to take on? Probably not. Although many people have and still do enjoy them – talk to older generations and they might recall fond memories of cracking black walnuts around the table or in front of the fire as children. In fact, many Midwesterners need look no further

Inspired Food Culture

FEBRUARY 2014

39

than their own backyards and nearby parks for black walnut trees. Scads of small farms grow and sell them direct to consumers, and Missouri is home to the largest processor and distributor of black walnuts in the world, Hammons Black Walnuts in Stockton, Mo., which means we have access to them at any time.

It also means we should be using them more often than we do. One of the healthiest nuts of the bunch, they contain lots of unsaturated fat (the “good” kind) and are loaded with protein, vitamins and minerals. Black walnuts smell and taste like the soil they thrive in: rich, dark and damp. One whiff of them and you’ll swear you’re in the depths of one of the ubiquitous haunted forests found in Disney films. They call to mind murky old photos stored forever in the attic, and at first, it’s difficult to imagine them being pleasant to eat or cook with.

To my surprise, black walnuts are quite versatile. They work in both sweet and savory applications, and although their flavor is assertive, you can manipulate their earthiness in a variety of ways. Often overlooked (or dismissed outright), black

Winter Wild Rice Salad with Citrus Black Walnut Dressing. Recipe on p. 45.

40

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FEBRUARY 2014

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41

walnuts can add unexpected dimension to salads, sauces and baked goods, and both sweet and savory recipes benefit from their unique flavor. Pair black walnuts with fruit and you get an earthy contrast to their sun-kissed freshness: figs sweeten, grapes snap, bananas mellow and oranges brighten. Spin black walnuts into a pesto with lemony parsley and you have a vibrant, sunny herb modulated to fit in with the spirit of winter. Chocolate and cheese, by contrast, let the bold flavor of the nut flow; chocolate and espresso encourage its earthiness, while pungent cheeses such as chèvre and Maytag add their own sharp sourness to the mix.

Though black walnuts might be an acquired taste, Missouri’s official state nut offers more pros than cons. To know the black walnut is to accept its perceived flaws and to not judge it by its slightly musty odor or the grueling task of getting to the good stuff inside. If you don’t think you like black walnuts, give them a second (or possibly first) chance. Experience them for yourself, try them in a recipe and remain open-minded; there’s a good chance you’ll like them much more than you thought, and you might even throw them into regular rotation.

Black Walnut-Parsley Pesto. Recipe on p. 45.

%PG 42

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F E B R UA RY 2 0 1 4

43

Missouri is home to the largest processor and distributor of black walnuts in the world, Hammons black walnuts.

Winter Wild Rice Salad with Citrus Black Walnut Dressing Pictured on p. 40 Serves | 4 to 6 | Citrus BlaCk Walnut Dressing

½ 1/3 1 2 ½

cup black walnuts cup freshly squeezed orange juice Tbsp orange zest Tbsp red wine vinegar cup extra-virgin olive oil sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Winter WilD riCe salaD

6 4

1¼ 12 2

oz wild rice, cooked and warm Mandarin oranges (clementines, tangerines, satsumas or blood oranges), peeled and divided into segments cups black or red grapes, halved dried figs, halved or quartered scallions, white and green parts, sliced into thin rings Citrus Black Walnut Dressing sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

4 to 5 1¼

oz soft goat cheese cups Sugared Black Walnuts (recipe below)

| Preparation – Citrus Black Walnut

Dressing | Add black walnuts to the bowl of

a food processor and process until it forms a grainy paste.

In a medium bowl, whisk together black walnut paste, orange juice, zest and red wine vinegar until combined. Slowly stream in olive oil, whisking constantly until dressing has emulsified. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Refrigerate until ready to use.

Dressing may be stored in refrigerator for up to 1 week. Shake well prior to use.

| Preparation – Winter Wild Rice Salad | In a large bowl, add warm wild rice, orange segments, grapes, figs and scallions. Add 1/3 cup dressing and stir gently to lightly coat ingredients. Add more dressing as desired, then season with salt and pepper to taste.

| To Serve | Toss once more and divide over 4 to 6 plates. Crumble goat cheese over each salad and top with sugared black walnuts. Season once more with salt and pepper. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Black Walnut-Parsley Pesto Pictured on p. 42

Yield | 1 cup | 1½ ½ 1 to 2 ¾ ½

cups firmly packed fresh parsley leaves cup black walnuts cloves garlic cup olive oil cup Parmesan, finely grated sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

| Preparation |

In the bowl of a food processor, place parsley leaves and pulse several times to break down. Add black walnuts and garlic; pulse to combine. With the motor running, stream the olive oil slowly into the parsley mixture until everything is homogenous. Add Parmesan and pulse to blend, then season to taste with salt and pepper.

Store in a tightly sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

Chocolate-Espresso-Black Walnut Wafers Pictured left Yield | 40 cookies | 1½ 2/3 ½ ¾ 14 1½ 1 1 ¾

cups unbleached all-purpose flour cup unsweetened cocoa powder tsp kosher salt tsp espresso powder Tbsp unsalted butter, room temperature cups powdered sugar large egg tsp pure vanilla extract cup black walnuts, coarsely chopped

| Preparation |

Preheat oven to 350˚F. Line a

half-sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, cocoa powder, salt and espresso powder. Set aside.

In the bowl of a stand mixer, beat the butter and powdered sugar until light and fluffy, 4 minutes.

Scrape down the bowl with a rubber spatula; add egg and vanilla and beat on high for 2 to 3 minutes, until evenly incorporated, scraping the bowl occasionally.

With the mixer on low, add the flour mixture in two parts, stirring until just combined. Add black walnuts and stir on low until evenly incorporated, about 20 seconds. Remove bowl from the stand and use a spatula to ensure walnuts are evenly distributed throughout.

Divide dough in half and shape each half into a ball. Roll one ball out gently to form a 10-inch log. Flatten ends and wrap tightly in plastic wrap. Repeat with remaining ball, then place both logs in the refrigerator to chill for at least 3 to 4 hours.

Remove one log from the refrigerator and use a sharp, thin-bladed knife to slice into ¼-inch wafers. Place 1 inch apart on prepared pan and bake for 15 to 17 minutes, until cookies have firmed up slightly but have not taken on any color. Remove and allow to cool for 5 minutes on the pan, then transfer wafers to a wire rack to cool completely. Repeat the process with remaining log.

Store in an airtight container at room temperature for up to 5 days, or freeze dough or baked cookies tightly wrapped for up to 1 month. note: Keep idle dough in the fridge until you’re

actually slicing it, so it retains its chill factor.

Sugared Black Walnuts Yield | 1¼ cups | 3 Tbsp granulated sugar 1 Tbsp water 1 cup black walnuts, coarsely chopped

| Preparation | Preheat oven to 300˚F. Line a lipped sheet pan with parchment paper. Set aside.

Combine sugar and water in a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat and stir to incorporate. Allow to come to a boil without disturbing.

Once mixture has come to a full boil, remove from heat and add walnuts, tossing quickly with a rubber spatula to coat nuts evenly. Spread in a single layer onto prepared sheet pan and bake for 20 minutes, stirring every 5 minutes while they dry and harden.

Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool completely. Break into pieces and store in an airtight container for up to 1 week.

Serve over Winter Wild Rice Salad or use for Cherry Black Walnut Ice Cream.

Chocolate-Espresso-Black Walnut Wafers pictured here. Recipe above.

Inspired Food Culture

FEBRUARY 2014

45

Black Walnut-Banana Cake Serves | 20 to 24 | ¾ 2 1 ½ ½ 3 1 ¼ 3 1½ 2/3

cup black walnuts, coarsely chopped cups unbleached all-purpose flour tsp baking powder tsp baking soda tsp sea salt medium overripe bananas cup granulated sugar cup grapeseed or vegetable oil large eggs, lightly beaten tsp pure vanilla extract cup sour cream

| Preparation |

Preheat oven to 350˚F.

In a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat, toast walnuts until lightly browned and fragrant, 5 to 6 minutes, flipping frequently to avoid scorching. Set aside to cool completely.

In a large bowl, mash bananas with a fork until smooth. Add sugar and oil and stir to incorporate. Add eggs, vanilla and sour cream and whisk until homogenous. Add flour mixture in two parts, folding dry ingredients into wet until just combined. Fold in walnuts.

Ice Bath

2 ½

cold water ice oz Mascarpone cheese, softened tsp kosher salt

cherry-Black Walnut SWIrl

Pour into prepared pan and bake for 40 to 45 minutes; check at 30 minutes for doneness.

Cake is done when toothpick inserted into the center of cake comes out clean or almost clean.

Remove from oven and transfer to a wire rack to cool for 15 to 20 minutes. Place serving plate over the open top of pan, grasp the plate and the sides of the Bundt pan firmly, and flip over to position cake on the plate. Allow to cool before serving. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Store in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Generously grease a standard 12-cup Bundt pan.

Cherry-Swirled Black Walnut Ice Cream

In a medium bowl, add flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt and whisk to combine. Set aside.

Yield | 1 quart | Black Walnut Ice cream

21/3 2 1¼ 2/3 2 ½

cups whole milk Tbsp cornstarch cups heavy cream cup granulated sugar Tbsp light corn syrup cup black walnuts, coarsely chopped

½

1 1¼

cup cherry preserves (Bonne Maman or other high-quality preserves), room temperature quart Black Walnut Ice Cream cups Sugared Black Walnuts

| Preparation – Black Walnut Ice Cream | In a small bowl, add 2 Tbsp milk and cornstarch.

Whisk together to form a slurry. Set aside.

Whisk remaining milk, heavy cream, sugar and corn syrup together in a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan. Stir in walnuts, and heat mixture over medium heat, stirring frequently, until it comes to a full boil. Boil for 4 minutes, remove from heat and add slurry while whisking constantly. Return to medium heat until mixture comes to a boil; allow to boil for 1 to 2 minutes, until thickened.

Remove from heat. Pour through a fine-mesh strainer to strain out black walnuts. Discard.

| Preparation – Ice Bath |

Fill a large bowl halfway with cold water and ice. Have a smaller bowl ready to set inside of it, large enough to hold the ice cream base.

Add Mascarpone and salt to the smaller bowl; whisk to combine. Pour ice cream mixture into the bowl and whisk until smooth and

homogenous. Place inside the ice bath. Whisk constantly until mixture has cooled. Place covered in the refrigerator to chill, at least 4 hours or overnight. Spin mixture in an ice-cream maker according to manufacturer’s instructions.

| Preparation – Cherry-Black-Walnut Swirl | Stir cherry preserves to loosen. In a large container, add a few spoonfuls of preserves.

Add a layer of ice cream, then add a few more spoonfuls of preserves and some of the sugared black walnuts. Repeat layer by layer, evenly distributing all ingredients, adding as much of each as you like. Cover the top with parchment paper and seal. Place in freezer to harden, at least 6 hours.

After ice cream has fully hardened, portion out into bowls or cones with an ice cream scoop.

Black Walnut and Honeyed Blue Cheese Compound Butter Yield | 2/3 cup | ½ ½ 1 3 ½

cup black walnuts, divided cup unsalted butter, room temperature oz Maytag blue cheese Tbsp local honey tsp kosher salt

| Preparation | In a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat, toast walnuts until lightly browned and fragrant, 5 to 6 minutes, flipping frequently to avoid scorching. Set aside to cool completely.

Once cooled, add ¼ cup walnuts to the bowl of a food processor and process for 1 to 2 minutes, until nuts have completely broken down into a grainy paste. Scrape the perimeter of the bowl and add butter, blue cheese, honey and salt to the bowl and blend for 1 to 2 minutes, until everything is evenly combined.

Finely chop the remaining ¼ cup walnuts. Transfer mixture into a medium mixing bowl and fold in nuts with a rubber spatula. Transfer mixture to a small glass jar to chill for at least 2 hours before serving.

Set out at room temperature until slightly softened. Serve alongside bread, or use as a finisher for meats and vegetables.

Store refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 1 week, or freeze for up to 2 months.

BoTh SweeT and SavorY recipeS BenefiT froM The nuT’S unique flavor.

Inspired Food Culture

F E B R UA RY 2 0 1 4

47

Explore the

Metro East

Valentine's Day the Bavarian way Live Music Feb 14th & 15th Larry Hallar 5-9pm

Tell her "Ich Liebe Dich" and take her on a culinary trip to the old country.

Discover authentic "Bavarian" cooking; Award-winning Bavarian Bier and famous sweet Riesling wines.

Try our seasonal specialties and find out what "Gemuetlichkeit" means at the Roemer Topf restaurant.

Reservations recommended!

Live music every 2nd & 4th Saturday Groups welcome Tues-Fri 11-2 & 5-9, Sat 5-9, Sun 5-8.

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Inspired Food Culture

f e b r ua ry 2 0 1 4

49

instead of soil

Written by Valeria Turturro Klamm

|

photography by Demond Meek

From spring to fall, Justin Leszcz of yellowtree Farm is a main fixture at farmers markets and provides fresh produce to many St. Louis restaurants. but come wintertime, he has always been a maker of things.

Last winter it was ceramics; this winter, he converted a 6-by-6 closet in his apartment into a woodworking studio. “i’ve always done art. i look at woodworking as an art form,” Leszcz says. his woodwork has quickly become more than just a hobby to keep him occupied during agriculture’s off-season. With no formal training, Leszcz has gone from carving ducks in high school shop class to creating beautiful spoons, spatulas and cutting boards. his pieces are used in kitchens such as Juniper in the Central West end and are available for purchase at parker’s table. he’s even creating tap handles for perennial artisan ales and coasters for Sump Coffee. aside from hand-carved kitchen utensils, Leszcz has also crafted coffee tables and headboards, although he says he’s not a furniture maker. Some of his most striking work features the intricate geometric designs he fashions out of lath – thin, narrow strips of wood once used in latticework

Inspired Food Culture

FEBRUARY 2014

51

in buildings. He came across a woman in New York creating intricate lath work and thought it was a great idea for up-cycling. Inspired by old tile patterns and the mathematical woodcuts of graphic artist M. C. Escher, Leszcz developed his lath designs by cutting 45-degree angles on either end of the wood.

But where does a woodworker find lath around St. Louis? “The day I went out looking, I thought I could just go out and find something,” Leszcz recalls with a laugh. Lucky for him, his neighborhood in Tower Grove is ripe with building rehabs. While grabbing a cup of joe at Sump

52

feastSTL.com

FEBRUARY 2014

Coffee one day on a break from his search, Leszcz glanced outside and found a treasure trove: an entire dumpster full of lath. The darkly colored, charred pieces he found there were unlike anything he’s found since.

“Apparently, a long time ago, there was a fire across the street,” he says. “Someone witnessed the person start the fire. The arsonist saw the person and went and tried to torch their place, too.”

After removing nails and scrubbing, drying and sorting the wood by color and house, he’ll be able to make seven to eight pieces from that

dumpster find. Aside from Leszcz’s personal passion for woodworking, he gets a thrill knowing that each piece has a special story. Not all of the stories evolved from mysterious crimes, though.

Others are just second chances for fallen trees, like the black walnut he’s currently working on – a fallen tree that came from the corner of Interstate 40 and Hampton Avenue near the Saint Louis Zoo. “All wood is a little different to work. Every piece of lath is a slightly different thickness and width, so getting each piece to line up is easier said than done. Maple takes about four times longer

to carve than walnut,” Leszcz says. To Leszcz, learning the different properties of wood and how it feels in his hands is the fun part.

“The more beautiful the wood – the figure, curve, color – the more difficult it is to carve,” he says.

Because each type of wood offers a distinctive woodworking experience, no two spoons take the same amount of time to finish. Leszcz says he could spend 20 minutes trying to get one mark out of a spoon that might not have been present on a different piece. In addition to maple, black walnut, cherry and lath, Leszcz also buys sustainably

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Enjoy a $50 spa or golf credit per adult, per night through December 19, 2014.

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Inspired Food Culture

F E B R UA RY 2 0 1 4

53

In the end I only want to sell the best. I have to be

100-percent passionate about what I’m doing.

harvested exotic woods by the pound at Hibdon Hardwood, a high-end mill north of the city. He has made beautiful cutting boards out of lignum vitae, the densest wood sold there, which takes on a green patina similar to copper as it ages.

At any given time, Leszcz has 10 or more spoons at different stages. When he feels frustrated with one piece, he puts it down, picks up another and keeps going. “When I feel like I’m working, I stop,” Leszcz says. “I’m doing this because I like to do it; I’m not doing it because I want to be stressed out.”

It’s not just stress that can overly tax Leszcz, though – his fingers can get so overworked and raw from carving that he has to take a break and work on something else. Having pieces in various stages – some needing to be carved, others needing to be finished – helps his body rest. That he’s come this far with woodworking in a year says a lot about his passion and drive, especially in Leszcz’s particular situation. “One year ago I could barely use my hands, which sounds crazy,” he says.

After developing carpal tunnel and trigger finger from farming, Leszcz had surgery on both of his hands.

“I don’t want to have my hands in the soil forever,” he says. If woodworking turns out to be successful for Leszcz, he plans to “get his hands out of the dirt,” per say, and do more managing of his farm rather than working on it. “I’ve developed a beautiful farm business and beautiful clientele, so it’s figuring out how to manage things differently.”

This year, Leszcz plans to not grow on one of his main plots, and instead, move to a spot where he will invest in three workers and their families. He’s already done something similar with his sweet potatoes, white sweet potatoes and popcorn. “My plan is not to grow as much; grow the things that I like to eat,” he says.

Leszcz initially showcased his woodwork via photos on Instagram and through word of mouth.

He has since expanded through the launch of an Etsy store. Leszcz says that custom orders are filtering in, some more manageable than others.

“It ends up being that someone likes something and they want 30,” he says. “The only way for me to make them affordable is to make a mold. At that point, it becomes a whole process that I don’t want to do and it’s not handcrafted to me anymore. In the end I only want to sell the best. I have to be 100-percent passionate about what I’m doing, but I also have to make a living.”

Wood BLoCK LETTErs BY ©isToCKphoTo.Com/FLamingpumpKin

See more of Leszcz’s work by visiting instagram.com/YellowTreeFarm and browse pieces to purchase via his Etsy shop at etsy.com/shop/YellowTreeFarm.

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FEBRUARY 2014

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“Flaming Saddles” Comedy Mystery Dinner Theatre

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F E B R UA RY 2 0 1 4

THE INSPIRED CHEF COOKOFF 375 EXHIBIT SPACES WITH UNIQUE PRODUCTS & SERVICES, SHOPPING, EDUCATION, ENTERTAINMENT, TRAVEL, FOOD SAMPLING, MAKEOVERS & MORE!

Feb. Friday 21st

Feb. Saturday 22nd

11am-8pm

Feb. Sunday 23rd

10am-8pm

11am-5pm

Watch Celebrities from WIL Radio as they emcee each day’s competition and even help the judges along.

The ideas are truly endless with Pork.

3 Judges will judge the competition each day.

The contestants will be preparing the best pork appetizers for Mardi Gras.

Check out all of the recipes for your own parties or just to have fun!

FOR ALL SHOW AND TICKET INFORMATION

800-762-9973

www.WWSSOnline.com | www.WWSSBlog.com

Presented By: Prese

Special Guest Celebrity

Bob Harper

St. Charles Convention Center

Saturday Feb. 22nd

Whether you’re the kind of cook that makes soufflés in her sleep or the kind that burns banana bread, you’ll find loads of useful tips, tricks, and new recipes at this year’s Inspired Cooking Stage. The Missouri Pork Association will be sponsoring our Inspired Chef Competition, a three-day cook-off where culinary competitors can earn valuable prizes, not to mention the undimmed glory of being crowned the Inspired Chef.

Right next to the stage will be Cuisine on the Green, an epicurean Eden where attendees will be able to savor scrumptious treats from local as well as national food vendors. Finally, back by popular

T IC

K E T SAL

E LOCATIO

demand, our FeBREWary Fest area will be showcasing the newest concoctions from the brewmasters at Anheuser-Busch. Be sure to sit back, take it easy, and let yourself splurge a little on a delicious lunch from the Blue Owl or any other of our food vendors, while you’re at the show this year. Then relax at our “Kick Back Café” adjacent to the food area.

On top of all that, each contestant that competes will win a prize.

Listen to “92.3 WIL” for more details.

Join the fun and sign up to compete.

Go to “92.3 WIL” for details.

Friday’s and Saturday’s winners will compete for final prizes on Sunday, and the last woman standing will be crowned “The Inspired Chef!”The winner will get her own bedazzled apron and chef’s hat, $100 grocery gift card, a Pork “Be Inspired” award, and more exciting prizes.

NS

Inspired Food Culture

F E B R UA RY 2 0 1 4

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TV

Valentine’s Day is Friday, February 14th

Watch the FeBRUaRY episode NoW!

For Your Valentine!

When you want to impress your sweetheart, trust Schnucks Florist & Gifts! You’ll find romantic roses, arrangements, bouquets and gifts. Or, have one of our talented designers, many whom are FTD® certified, create an extra special design – just for your valentine!

Watch the FEBRUARY episode of Feast TV on the

Watch the upcoming February episode on the Nine Network (Channel 9) at 2pm on Sat., Feb. 1, and 1pm on Mon., Feb. 3.

Stop by or call your neighborhood Schnucks Florist Shop. To order 24-hour flowers: call (314) 997-2444 or visit schnucks.com/floral.

Feast TV will also air on the nineCREATE channel periodically throughout the month.

Feast TV is presented by Missouri Wines with additional support from Whole Foods Market and Dining Out For Life.

Local & worldwide FTD® wire service delivery available.

We guarantee all floral orders made by 4:00 p.m. Thurs., Feb. 13 will be delivered on Fri., Feb. 14. ©2014 Schnucks

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The Whiskey Revival rediscovering america’s native spirit Written By Jeremy Nulik

“The Americans got no help from heaven or the saints but they knew what to do with corn. In the heroic age our forefathers invented self-government, the Constitution and bourbon, and on the way to them they invented rye...They are distilled not only from our native grains but from our native vigor, suavity, generosity, peacefulness and love of accord. Whoever goes looking for us will find us there.” –Bernard DeVoto

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photography By Jonathan Gayman

Black Angus cattle, standing starkly against the snowy hillside, raise their There are only a couple sets of tire tracks, and I know that at least one of them belongs to Chris Burnette, the president of Mad Buffalo Distillery. I know this because he has already called to warn me about conditions on the road; he had fishtailed a few times on an unpaved stretch of road. Mad Buffalo, the 1-year-old distillery specializing in moonshine, vodka and bourbon whiskey, is located on Burnette’s family farm in the valley of the Bourbeuse River.

The pastoral slideshow and primitive roads leading to Burnette’s land are fitting – the process of making whiskey is almost as old as the settlers who first inhabited these hills.

Moonshining harkens back to the agrarian golden age of the U.S., when family farms would ferment leftover grain into beer and then distill it into spirits. Though the practice is old, it is far from outdated. In fact, as many distillers and bartenders will tell you, the spirit industry is in the midst of a whiskey revival.

According to the Distilled Spirits Council of the United States, whiskey sales increased by at least 3 percent in 2012, and the growth of rye whiskey, used in many classic cocktails, rose 50 percent. Whiskey has also made recent pop culture appearances, such as in Discovery Channel’s TV show Moonshiners, which follows distillers as they illegally produce moonshine in West Virginia, and AMC’s Mad Men, where glasses filled with Scotch might as well have a starring credit.

In St. Louis, the evidence lies in the number of whiskey-centric bars. Some, like The Scottish Arms, paved the way years ago with a strong showing of international whiskeys, while a new

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crop has popped up in the past several years. In 2013 alone, bars like Gamlin Whiskey House in the Central West End, The Whiskey Ring on Cherokee Street, Small Batch in Midtown and Moonshine Blues Bar in St. Charles opened shop, with even more whiskey-focused bars slated to open this year. In many ways, the recent whiskey bar trend can be linked to the increase in small-production whiskey distilling – which in Missouri is growing like a weed. According to Burnette, the Missouri craft distilling business now numbers close to 20, either online or in the pipeline, with a majority of regional distilleries leading their product lines with moonshine, rye, malt or bourbon whiskey.

“There are at least 12 craft distilleries currently making and selling product and more building or waiting for permit approval,” Burnette says.

“I have been distilling in St. Louis for six years and the biggest growth I have seen has been in whiskey,” says Steve Neukomm, owner of Square One Brewery and Distillery and Spirits of St. Louis Distillery in Lafayette Square, a restaurant, brew house and distillery that is home to J.J. Neukomm, a malted grain whiskey. “Whiskey is an aged product, so you are always trying to stay ahead of the demand. I’ve heard that a lot of the big guys are buying up tons of oak barrels and predicting even more growth in the future.”

While the reasons behind this surge in whiskey sales remain somewhat obscure, local distillers and bartenders have witnessed a correlation between the increase in whiskey sales and the demand for locally sourced, craft foods.

Burnette is conscientious of this demand.

As I pull into the driveway of his family’s farm, the Tennessee native emerges from inside

his distillery. He’s sporting a thick, red Zach Galifianakis-like beard and a plaid flannel pullover. Inside one of the pockets of his loosefitting jeans is a half-and-half bottle that has been repurposed for dip spit.

Before you go stereotyping him as a hillbilly moonshiner, it is important to note that he has a law degree from Saint Louis University and an encyclopedic knowledge of Missouri’s legislation regarding spirits, as well as Federal excise tax law. His distillery is one of a handful in the country that is vertically integrated – all of the corn used for mash is grown on his farm.

The moonshine in his still is a modification of his grandmother’s recipe: he took the sugar out.

There is more to the story of this farm distillery than some homespun, whimsical moonshine motif. Mad Buffalo is at that intersection of Appalachian, primitive technique and modern-day artisan pride. The industry’s arrival at that place (and in Missouri) is by no means an accident.

“We are tapping into the foodie movement – people want a unique experience or taste. Unlike vodka, whiskey has a complex set of tastes. It has character. And with our product, you get the terroir of our farm,” says Burnette, who claims that Mad Buffalo was the first Missouri craft distillery to make bourbon. “When we released our vodka, we sold 20 cases in four months, but with our bourbon whiskey, we sold 15 cases in eight days. I was out of inventory.”

Burnette’s read of the artisan food movement and culture is on point – at least according to John Fausz, bar manager at Elaia and Olio in Botanical Heights. Fausz is currently working

on the beverage program for Old Standard, restaurateur Ben Poremba’s new fried chicken and American whiskey concept slated for a spring 2014 opening. In his years behind the bar, Fausz says he has seen an upswing in the consumption of whiskey – especially American whiskeys such as bourbon and rye.

“Whiskey drinkers are usually more adventurous, always looking to expand their knowledge, their grasp of the spirit and its mythology,” Fausz says. “At Olio, we function with one vodka, but have around a dozen American whiskeys.

Bourbon drinks are consistently the most popular choices on each month’s cocktail list, and if there are more to choose from, you see all of them ordered more often.”

Bourbon as Signifier.

‘Merica as Signified.

The mythology that Fausz cites is the ways in which moonshine and whiskey are tied to the expansion of the U.S. into the American West. Dave Huffman, owner of Ozark Distillery in Osage Beach, Mo., believes this historical significance, coupled with the desire to buy locally made goods, will give rise to more craft distilleries and, in turn, more whiskey. He has a vision for a neighborhood distillery as common as the butcher shop, grocery store or bakery.

“What’s more American than moonshine and bourbon?” Huffman says. “Many events in our nation’s history were influenced by distilled spirits – it’s a part of who we are. Making moonshine and whiskey goes all the way back to George Washington.”

Indeed, there is semi-historical evidence to

heads in curiosity as i turn a corner down a country road near union, Mo. validate Huffman’s claims – particularly when it comes to bourbon.

Burnette recalls the folklore as follows: When the transcontinental railroad system was being built out west, white whiskey was shipped in charred oak barrels from Bourbon County, Ky., to the western front. The barrels had been charred on the inside to sterilize them – a sustainability practice long before it was hip. By the time the barrels arrived several months later, the whiskey had traveled through different altitudes, seasons and weather conditions – seeping into and out of the oak. This mellowed the whiskey and gave it more character. “Bourbon” was the word stamped on the side of the barrels. People began asking for bourbon whiskey by name, and whiskey branding was born.

He knows of other legends that involve ports and streets in New Orleans and regions of France.

And, depending upon which bottle you pick up, legends about who created it vary, as well as how the process for distilling whiskey originated. As with most American history, the guys who won out – the large Kentucky distilleries – commonly dominate those conversations.

“One of the biggest reasons for the whiskey and moonshine boom is the cool factor, and that comes down to great marketing by the big boys,” Burnette says. “A lot of dollars have been poured into marketing the whiskey story.”

All marketing and folklore aside, bourbon is, by definition, the true American spirit. For whiskey to be considered bourbon, it must be produced in the U.S. and be made with a grain mixture of at least 51-percent corn, and it must be aged

in new, charred oak barrels. Bourbon must be distilled to no more than 160 proof, entered into the barrel for aging at no more than 125 proof and bottled higher than 80 proof.

“People want to hear the story behind the whiskey when they come in, and it does make a difference,” says Brian Nichols, bartender at Moonshine Blues Bar. The St. Charles basement bar is essentially a shrine to all whiskey and moonshine. “We have the hard-to-find whiskeys here, so sometimes we get the serious bourbon guys in here. They want to try the Antique series from Buffalo Trace or Pappy Van Winkle. Some of those bottles are selling for $1,200 online. The taste is unique, but they are essentially buying the brand when they pay those kinds of prices. Those bourbons are excellent.”

Beyond the Mythology According to Fausz, American whiskeys have a degree of nobility. Rum has ties to the slave trade. Cognac was created during the Roman oppression of France. But American whiskey is an agrarian, accessible spirit. And the standards for producing bourbon originated in 1897, when whiskey producers wanted to ensure a level of quality for their product. The only bummer for Fausz is that most of the whiskey marketing misses this fundamental side of the spirit.

“Marketing may be responsible for the first or second drink, but after that, it has to be the quality of the product itself,” Fausz says. “Whiskey bottles attempt to evoke time and place. They are usually named after someone who supposedly invented the process. They show sylvan valleys that do not exist. Of all the scores of brands from Kentucky, most are produced by six companies, four of which are American owned.”

Fausz’s motivations for pointing out the shortcomings of whiskey marketing are not just out of pure cynicism. He believes in the subtle beauty of the product and that new consumers of whiskey, as well as distillers, are subverting the stereotypes of the brands.

“I think that bourbon is shedding its image as Wild West firewater, and consumers who respect their palates appreciate that it has power, depth and finesse,” Fausz says.

“Properly aged, it exhibits the spice and sugars of grains and burnt oak. One thing you hear time and time again from someone ordering a whiskey cocktail: ‘I want to taste the whiskey.’”

And Fausz might be onto something. Perhaps the answer to the question of why there is a whiskey boom is simply that whiskey tastes good.

“Why are people leaning toward whiskey? It is good,” says Neukomm. “The motivations are similar to the craft beer movement. I believe whiskey is the pale ale of craft spirits. With whiskey, it is all about the flavor, whereas with other spirits, it is about creating something that is odorless or flavorless.”

Neukomm sees a parallel between the small production whiskey and craft beer industries.

He says that whiskey, like beer, is a complex product that lends itself to a wide range of flavor profiles. He says that Square One Brewery and Distillery and other distilleries are using smoked grains and alternative ingredients to barley, such as quinoa. At his distillery, Neukomm has created a hop-infused whiskey he calls “hopskey” that is selling well.

“If you remember, before the 1970s, there were two choices when it came to wine. It was a gallon of Chablis and red table wine. Then we had more boutique wineries open with bold Cabernets and Chardonnays. And now that is the norm,” says Neukomm. “The same thing happened in the craft beer industry. I hope to see the same thing happening with craft distilling and whiskey in 20 years.”

Back in Union, Burnette knocks the snow off his shoes, and we walk toward the back door of the distillery. He has just shown me the homemade, sustainable cooling system that he engineered, which utilizes rainwater and displacement. While we were outside, he also showed me the areas where he has planted non-GMO corn, as he shared his plans for distillery expansion on the farm. On our left are six 15-gallon oak barrels aging some soon-to-be bourbon. We walk over to the cased bottles and Burnette pulls out the first bottle of bourbon that Mad Buffalo ever made. It is a lighter shade than I expect, or rather, than I associate with bourbon. Down the side of the bottle are signatures – each one scrawled by a different person who had a hand in making it.

It hits me that this is not a profit-motivated business. The idea of growing, harvesting, distilling and marketing whiskey is an irrational thing to do. There are so many other ways to make money with a farm, or as a producer. This can only be one thing: love.

“Everybody who makes whiskey is tied up in the mystique,” Burnette says. “When you go to a conference, you can see that they are not in it for the money. It is a love affair with whiskey. All the guys from Missouri are like that.”

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shine On The colloquialisms for unaged white whiskey are hardly subtle: hooch, firewater, white lightning and, of course, moonshine. But the spirit’s imprint on our culture has been sublime and significant.

During America’s agrarian age, distilling moonshine helped small family farms turn a more sustainable profit. Before long, though, the word “moonshine” started to connote illegal alcohol production. Most home distillers did not pay Uncle Sam his due nor were they licensed – not to mention that the 18th Amendment further criminalized the practice.

This stigma has lingered long past Prohibition – the Discovery Channel program Moonshiners follows backwoods folks who defend their rights to illegally distill whiskey.

A movement is underway, however, to reclaim moonshine from its checkered past. A growing number of craft distilleries are making unaged white whiskey and marketing it under the classic – if not controversial – moniker. And consumer demand for the sipping whiskey seems to be on the rise. During its first year of producing Missouri Moonshine in 2009, Crown Valley Distilling sold 1,500 cases. Last year, the number climbed to 5,000.

“Moonshine has an aura around it,” says Bryan Siddle, director of operations for Crown Valley Distillery. The company is looking to expand its line of moonshine in the next year, with more

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the controversial past and present of white whiskey infused flavors such as cherry, maple, peaches, elderberry and vanilla. “A lot of people do not know that there is nothing illegal about making moonshine,” says Siddle. “They are surprised when they taste our moonshine and they realize that it does not burn. What we make is a highquality, handcrafted spirit.”

Not everyone in the industry is as enthusiastic about the trend toward moonshine products, though. John Fausz, bar manager at Elaia and Olio, says that unaged products cut out oak, which adds complexity and “makes whiskey.”

“I am suspicious of all white whiskeys,” says Fausz. “The popularity of moonshine is too good an example of how the naiveté of earnest youth is too easily preyed upon by marketing. The connection to history, land and culture is led astray by whiskey makers who sell unaged and almost entirely uninteresting spirits at outrageous prices.”

Fausz is not alone in his feelings about moonshine.

Some Missouri distillers refused to even talk about moonshine as a viable whiskey,

while others, like Steve Neukomm of Square One Distillery, were dubious about moonshine’s attributes. According to Neukomm, moonshine is an ingredient – not a final product.

“Moonshine brings up a bad time in whiskey’s history,” Neukomm says. “When you look at the marketing of alcohol, it is usually not about what the product tastes like.

It is an image or feeling. A lot of people don’t talk about the taste of moonshine.”

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all in the Written by Liz Miller

photography by Jennifer Silverberg archived photos of the bommarito family courtesy of St. LouiS PoSt-DiSPatch

six decades of evolution at tony’s

flashes of red light and piercing noise cut through my conversation with vince J. bommarito. i’m sitting inside his office in the belly of his restaurant, tony’s, in downtown st. louis, and in my estimation his telephone has rung 15 times in the past 20 minutes. the clattering phone is a passing distraction compared to the office walls, covered floorto-ceiling with framed magazine profiles, newspaper clippings (some yellowed by time, others newer, whiter, crisper), glowing restaurant reviews, prestigious national awards and photos with politicians and celebrities. i’m here to talk to vince about the restaurant’s recent remodel before meeting with one of his sons, vincent p. bommarito – the executive chef at tony’s – who is currently talking to guests in the dining room about planning a private party at the restaurant. from across his desk, vince appears unfazed by the lights and buzz – that’s been happening at tony’s for the better part of 70 years. the nationally award-winning, critically acclaimed restaurant has been considered st. louis’ gold standard for fine dining for decades due to its exceptional service, famous specialty dishes and extensive, expertly curated wine selection. throughout six decades and numerous transformations, the family at the center of tony’s remains its foundation and driving force. vince took over the family business in the late 1940s during his senior year at st. louis university high school. he and brother anthony m. bommarito inherited the restaurant – then called tony’s spaghetti house – from their father, anthony “tony” bommarito, who passed away in 1948, just two years after opening the restaurant. but the family was familiar with the food industry well before the spaghetti house opened its doors – tony bommarito’s father, vincenzo, owned a sicilian bakery in st. louis,

ABOVE: Vince Bommarito with daughter Lucy (left) and wife Martha in 1980. RIGHT: The Bommaritos pose for a photo in the Tony’s dining room in 1995. (From left to right: Vince, Anthony, Vincent and James) RIGHT-HAND PAGE: Vince Bommarito fields calls in his office at Tony’s.

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“We live together – not in the same house, but we’re together everyday.”

and Antonio Randazzo, the father of Tony’s wife, Lucille, owned a factory in St. Louis that produced spaghetti and pasta sauce called Randazzo’s Finest.

In a 1965 article published in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, former editor William F. Woo (then a junior feature writer) described the early years of Tony’s Spaghetti House as a tavern located at the south end of old Produce Row, where diners could grab lunch for about 65 cents. The Produce Row described in Woo’s article – titled “Papa Would Be Proud of Tony’s” – and other old newspaper clippings from the era paint a long-gone energetic neighborhood awash with produce purveyors and pushcarts weaving through the lively street, a built-in customer base for the no-frills spaghetti house.

When Produce Row was relocated from North Broadway to North Market Street in the 1950s, the Bommarito brothers stayed put.

“I had enough common sense to go around to other spaghetti houses and see how they did it,” Vince says. “Some places, of course, were more established or more professional, but the food wasn’t so hot, so I said, ‘Hey, I can do this better than them.’ And that’s how we evolved every step.”

Throughout much of the 1950s, Tony’s was known as a popular steakhouse, serving cuts of prime rib, sirloin, steak Florentine and more with sides of its famous pasta.

“I found out we were using Choice [meat],” Vince says. “After a few years I said, ‘What’s the best one?

Let’s get the best one.’ They had dry age, Prime beef. I said, ‘Let’s buy the best one. We can do it better than anybody.’ If you knew what you were doing you would say this little place couldn’t afford to buy that kind of meat. I didn’t have a family [then], so we did it. We didn’t make much money – we didn’t make any money at the beginning – we were more concerned about the product. You just kept wanting to do it better. You want to look the people in the eye and ask them how it was. Some of

TOP OF PAGE: Vince (left) and Anthony M. Bommarito in the Tony’s offices at the original location in 1965. ABOVE: The dining room at Tony’s prior to last month’s remodel. RIGHT: Vince puts finishing touches on tables in the dining room at the original location in 1984.

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ABOVE: Vincent preparing the new fettuccine

with duck confit, spinach and sautéed wild mushrooms dish in the kitchen at Tony’s.

ABOVE, LEFT: Vincent preparing a pasta dish in the kitchen at the original

location of Tony’s in 1986. ABOVE, RIGHT: Vince (right) and James (left) watch Vincent (center) preparing a dish in 1986.

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those things, you did them by instinct, but then you made it part of the lore of Tony’s.”

By 1958, Tony’s had transformed again, now from steakhouse to fine dining restaurant.

Vince recalls those early days with fire in his eyes, describing how he and his brother Anthony learned the ropes of the business by treating each day like a game they wanted to win – and not just win, but constantly improve upon.

“I was an amateur fighter and played soccer… you couldn’t wait to play the game over,” Vince says. “I didn’t realize it at the time, but we’d say, ‘I can’t wait till tomorrow. I’ll be ready for them tomorrow.’ As I look back, I think it was like playing a game: If you didn’t get it right today, boy, I wish it could hurry up and be tomorrow. I think that’s part of who I am; I just want to get it right. Whatever [my dad] did, I remember he used to try to do everything right. You’re always looking for a better way.”

Soon after morphing into a fine dining restaurant, Tony’s implemented a dress code requiring men to wear jackets and ties.

Vince says the shift from spaghetti house to steakhouse to fine dining establishment – like other changes throughout the restaurant’s history – were intended to meet customer demand and create a dining experience like no other in St. Louis. “Things change, we change with it. [When] the guests dressed up, we dressed up,” Vince says. “All the women came in furs, men in suits and ties. Our service in the front all wore tuxedos. On New Year’s Eve, the maître d’s or captains wore tails.”

Vince managed the business side and the front of the house at Tony’s – covering the dining room, tending to diners, talking to regulars and learning the names of new guests – while Anthony ran the kitchen. The fine dining menu was focused around steaks, pastas and some seafood items, but grew to include fare like Beluga caviar, escargot and Dover sole, seldom found on other menus in St. Louis. Signature dishes like lobster albanello and Tony’s veal chop emerged, and service transitioned to the classic French three-waiter captain system, with dishes finished tableside on silver or copper.

The hard work the Bommaritos put into the restaurant paid off. By the early 1960s, Holiday, the now-shuttered national travel magazine, named Tony’s one of the outstanding restaurants in the U.S. In 1965, Esquire asked Tony’s to develop a Christmas dinner menu to feature in the magazine.

That same year, the Bommaritos opened the first location of The Fatted Calf at Tenth and Locust streets, which Vince described at the time as “a sophisticated hamburger joint.” In the summer of 1972, the Bommaritos opened Anthony’s (also named for their father) at 10 South Broadway on the ground floor of the Equitable Building.

Anthony’s deviated from Tony’s in its heavily French-influenced menu and by offering lunch and dinner service.

As Tony’s continued to grow, so did its popularity and sterling reputation. Soon, national awards came calling. In 1977, Tony’s was awarded the five-star rating by Mobil Travel Guide (now called Forbes Travel Guide) – one of

only nine restaurants in the country selected, and the only Italian restaurant to make the cut.

The restaurant would continue to win the award each year for more than two decades. Tony’s was also a AAA Five Diamond restaurant from 1989 to 2000 and remains the only restaurant in Missouri to ever attain that honor. Since 2000, the restaurant has been a AAA Four Diamond restaurant – one of only five in St. Louis.

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By the early ’90s, the Bommaritos were planning for a change of scenery – or rather, the city was planning one for them. Plans to build what’s now the Edward Jones Dome moved forward, displacing Tony’s. In 1991, Anthony retired, and the Bommaritos closed Anthony’s after 18 years of business. One year later, Tony’s uprooted from its longtime home and moved into the ground floor of the Equitable Building on South Broadway, with the restaurant entrance at 410 Market Street. Less than a year after closing Anthony’s, Anthony opted out of retirement and launched A. Bommarito Wines, a wine distribution company that he and his family still operate.

In 1993, the Bommaritos brought a new version of Anthony’s to life, opening Anthony’s Bar in the Equitable Building, with a menu developed by Vincent, the executive chef of both restaurants.

Vince and Anthony were young men when they took up the torch at Tony’s, but as it turns out, entering the workforce at an early age runs in the Bommarito family – Vincent has been cooking since grade school.

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“I started coming down [to the restaurant]…in fifth grade or sixth grade,” Vincent says. “I’d take the bus. By the time I was in eighth grade, the chef could take a vacation and I could set up the whole kitchen. I could make the sauces, I could roll out the pasta and make the ravioli and cannelloni and set up the hot line.”

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Vincent got his start in the restaurant’s kitchen with Tony’s beloved head cook Richard “Rico” Lonati, working his way up from bus boy to line cook to executive chef. After high school, Vincent attended the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, N.Y. He continued to immerse himself in the culinary world after graduation, working in some of the best kitchens in America, including the late, great French restaurants La Francais in Wheeling, Ill., and Ernie’s in San Francisco. “[La Francais] was considered one of the best restaurants in the country at the time,” Vincent says. “Helicopters would land in the parking lot. It was amazing. I learned a lot in the kitchen from Jean Banchet [the executive chef at La Francais]. Ernie’s was [also] one of the best restaurants in the country. It was a five-star restaurant for 30 years. All the really nice restaurants back in the day were French. We were the only Italian restaurant that had five stars in the country.”

Keeping the business in the Bommarito family has also been passed down to a third generation of operators. While Vincent runs the kitchen at Tony’s and Anthony’s Bar, his older brother Anthony Bommarito manages Anthony’s Bar and younger brother James Bommarito manages Tony’s. The brothers share in ordering product and each oversee their own staff of

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LEFT: Family dinner at the Bommarito house in 1986. Vince serves his family (counterclockwise): Lucy, Anthony, Dianna, Martha, James and Vincent. BELOW: Herb-baked lobster on the half shell with pancetta and caramelized onion risotto, one of several new dishes on the menu at Tony’s.

employees, working together to make both restaurants succeed.

“It is the only work I’ve ever known,” Vincent says.

“It works out good for us. Everybody does their thing; all of us are completely different.”

As for their father, Vince remains as hands-on as ever, fielding work in his office during the day, schmoozing with guests in the dining room in the evening. “I never had a day of my life that I didn’t want to come to work,” Vince says. “It’s been a great run. I don’t have any part I don’t like. I like working with the wines – I take care of the wine buying. Vincent wants me to react to something in his kitchen; I love that.”

When Vince talks about what it’s like to work with family – first with his brother and now with his sons – he expresses joy and pride.

“You always know, at the end of the night – my brother and I worked together over 30 years – at the end of the night, we’re brothers. We’re blood.

We slept in the same bedroom, in the same bed, as kids,” Vince says. “I’m proud of Tony’s. And I’m proud of my boys. We live together – not in the same house, but we’re together everyday.”

Over the past 68 years, Tony’s has traded buildings, evolved its concept and endured many renovations – Vince estimates that the restaurant has seen major changes every 10 to 12 years since opening.

The last interior remodel took place in 2000, almost a decade after the restaurant opened in its current space. Last month, the Bommaritos closed Tony’s for two weeks to transform the restaurant once again, this time tackling a major overhaul of the bar area, with subtler changes happening in the dining room, private dining room and entryway. The Bommaritos worked closely with local architecture company SPACE on the remodel, requesting a direction that emphasized the restaurant’s contemporary design while taking it a step further – one dramatic enough to make a noticeable change.

In addition to interior modifications, Tony’s has relaxed the dress code, no longer requiring guests to wear jackets. “We don’t want to require anything of our guests except just to come and dine with us,” Vincent says. “The quality of the food will always be the best. We buy the best you can get anywhere no matter what. That will never change. If you want to come in [wearing] blue jeans instead of a coat and tie, that can change.”

New additions are also taking place in the kitchen, but at a restaurant like Tony’s, that presents unique challenges. Few executive chefs are responsible for maintaining signature dishes beloved decades over, and fewer still do so with the weight of family history on their shoulders.

Vincent says it’s always been a balancing act,

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TV 12:00 / 28:29

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This month, we travel to Stockton, Mo., to visit the country’s largest black walnut processor; take a sip of whiskey at a new craft distillery; meet the trio behind a new restaurant and bar inspired by St. Louis’ cocktail past; and get inside the renovation of one of our region’s most well-respected restaurants.

Watch Feast TV on the Watch the upcoming February episode on the Nine Network (Channel 9) at 2pm on Sat., Feb. 1, and 1pm on Mon., Feb. 3. Feast TV will also air on the nineCREATE channel periodically throughout the month.

Feast TV is brought to you by the generous support of our sponsors.

MiSSouRi WiNES

In February, reach for a bottle of Missouri-made Port. We’re pairing the sweet fortified wine with black walnuts during Feast TV producer Cat Neville’s demo.

12:00 / 28:29

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WhoLE FoodS MARkET

Want to make the black walnut-wild rice salad at home? Grab the ingredients and recipe at both St. Louis-area locations of Whole Foods Market (Brentwood and Town & Country).

diNiNG ouT FoR LiFE

Join us in supporting Dining Out for Life on April 24, benefitting Saint Louis Effort for AIDS.

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Hungry for more? feastSTL.com Inspired Food Culture

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TOP OF PAGE, LEFT: Housemade fettuccine with duck confit, spinach and sautĂŠed wild mushrooms in duck sauce. TOP OF PAGE, RIGHT: Red snapper with roasted parsnips and butternut squash. BOTTOM OF PAGE, LEFT: Vincent prepares the new

duck confit dish. BOTTOM OF PAGE, RIGHT: Chicken with roasted fennel, blood oranges and black olives.

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as he’s experimented with new dishes, weekly specials and seasonally focused menus since taking over at Tony’s and Anthony’s Bar. “It’s really hard [to add items to the menu], actually,” Vincent says. “I run it as a special for a little while and see how it goes. Usually it has to be tweaked – it’s never right from the get-go – and then if people are receptive to it and like it – or really, really like it and come back for it a second time – then I can put it on the menu. But it’s really hard to add something to this menu, because everything is really good and a lot of it is established. And it’s hard to take something off the menu, as well.”

If you ask Vincent what food he enjoys preparing most, he’ll tell you soups and sauces (“I think [sauces] were the first thing I learned how to make, so it just kind of stuck.”) Twenty-five years ago, when diners began requesting healthier menu options, the restaurant famous for Italian food responded by offering lighter sauces, some eliminating dairy altogether – instead of beurre blanc, diners could opt for a simple olive oil, citrus and herb sauce. Vincent has also added a significant amount of seafood to the menu (“We could be Tony’s Italian Restaurant and Seafood, we sell so much seafood,” Vince quips), with more than 40 percent of the menu now dedicated to seafood dishes.

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It’s clear that Vincent loves the creative freedom he has in the kitchen, though the primary goal for he and his family remains the same: to offer an excellent dining experience to their guests. “That is the most important [part]…when it comes right down to it,” Vincent says. “At the end of the day, if the people who are sitting in those seats are happy, I’m happy. That’s what it’s all about.”

His father echoes the same sentiment, sharing a simple truth about working in the restaurant industry: The game starts over every night with every guest.

“You’re only as good as the last thing you do,” Vince says. “All of those awards mean nothing.

They’re history. We open the doors tonight, the

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It’s not just seafood that’s come into sharper focus in recent years at Tony’s. Vincent has also added more game dishes, which join his now decades-old favorite, quail stuffed with housemade sausage and beef tenderloin with demi-glace and cream. In conjunction with the latest remodel, Vincent has added several new dishes to the permanent menu, including housemade fettuccine with duck confit, spinach and sautéed wild mushrooms finished with shaved Parmigiano-Reggiano and basil; red snapper with roasted parsnips and butternut squash; and herb-baked lobster on the half shell with pancetta and caramelized onion risotto.

Vincent describes his process for developing dishes as a bit of trial and error, with focused intention on how each ingredient plays with or enhances the next. While developing the fettuccine and duck confit dish, Vincent says he tested a variety of acids to balance the richness of the duck, trying sherry vinegar – that ended up working better in the broth – balsamic and citruses before landing on red wine vinegar. “[The sauce is] very light because it’s a broth, but the richness of the duck stock mixed with a little bit of butter works out very well.”

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f e b r ua ry 2 0 1 4

77

“The quality of the food will always be the best. We buy the best you can get anywhere…That will never change.”

– Vincent Bommarito

first person: We earn our reputation every night with every guest. That sounds a little strong but I believe that and I preach that.”

When my conversation with Vince comes to a close, Vincent offers to give me the full tour of Tony’s. As we walk through the restaurant’s massive kitchen, talking about the past and what lies ahead, I notice the large sign that hangs above one prep area, emblazoned with the word “PRIDE” in capital letters. This is far from new – it has hung in the kitchen at Tony’s for at least 30 years – and is not the only visual cue reminding

staff of the attitude expected of employees at Tony’s. Still, I find it the most striking. In one word it captures the sense of accomplishment, the respect for the work and the pursuit of excellence that has come to define Tony’s.

“Change is necessary,” Vincent says. “It’s hard to do because some people want it to stay the same, when you know it can’t. Getting over the idea of ‘What are people going to think if we do this?’…

You’ve just got to move forward, be confident and say, ‘This is going to work. People will like this.’

And hopefully it will happen.”

Go behind the scenes and get into the kitchen at Tony’s in the February episode of Feast TV.

transforming tony’s The team of architects and designers at SPACE in The Grove is familiar with remodeling restaurants, working with clients such as Milagro Modern Mexican, Half & Half and Niche. Owner and architect Tom Niemeier led the Tony’s project with wife Shelley Satke Niemeier, who does marketing and interior design. At the outset, Vincent P. Bommarito gave SPACE one important directive: He wanted guests to notice a significant change when they walk in the door, while still pleasing Tony’s loyal regulars.

“It’s going to be a little bit more casual, which we want it to be,” Vincent says. “Dining in general has gone more casual. We’re just going to follow that trend. We’ll always be Tony’s, and it’s still going to be the place that you want to celebrate something, an anniversary or a birthday. If you want to wear a tie, you’re going to be comfortable doing that, or ladies in their dresses. But also, if you want to be on the more casual side, we think that people will be comfortable doing that as well.”

From the beginning, the Niemeiers worked closely with the Bommaritos to refresh the 10,000-square-foot restaurant’s contemporary style into something more midcentury-modern.

stuff that’s going to be the same,” Tom says. “It’s existing, so we have to try to enhance what’s there and get it coordinated.”

One of the project’s biggest challenges was its timeline: SPACE had just two weeks to complete the renovation, which Tom says would usually require six to seven weeks. On Jan., 13, Tony’s closed for two weeks to transform the restaurant, adding new flooring in every room, new wall coverings and treatments in some areas, new construction and an entire overhaul of the bar and lounge area, where walls will be knocked down, the bar will be rebuilt and lengthened, and banquette seating will be added. In the main dining room, new carpeting will create additional separation from the bar area, wine room and private dining room, while travertine will run along the side of the dining room to provide more durable flooring for service circulation.

BEFORE

“What is distinct about this new design is that the rooms have been kind of rebranded a little bit with pretty distinct patterns and carpet, so each of these rooms is going to have a different feel to it now,” Tom says.

“[It’s a] balance of trying to attract more customers while not alienating the people that have been coming there every Friday night for the past 20 or 30 years,” Shelley says. “We’re trying to freshen it up and make it look a little more contemporary, while at the same time, keeping it firmly rooted in the tradition that they have cultivated over all these years.”

The Niemeiers have also catalogued Tony’s legendary art collection, interested in moving some pieces to other rooms, such as relocating two original paintings by famed artist Ernest Trova from their current home near the restrooms to the bar area or dining room. When the project wrapped at the end of January and the restaurant reopened, it marked yet another turning point in Tony’s ever-evolving history.

This included maintaining some established elements while elevating form and function in other areas. “Part of the challenge is introducing all of the new stuff that still coordinates with

“It’s a big honor, obviously, for us to work on it,” Tom says. “It doesn’t really get much better as far as working in restaurants in St. Louis. I hope that this reenergizes them. It’s a St. Louis treasure.”

OPPOSITE PAGE: The Bommarito brothers (from left to right): James, Vincent and Anthony in the kitchen

at Tony’s. TOP OF PAGE, RIGHT: Vince in 1973. MIDDLE OF PAGE, RIGHT: The bar area at Tony’s prior to the remodel. BOTTOM OF PAGE, RIGHT: Renderings of the new bar area and lounge at Tony’s by Juan Devia.

AFTER

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the last bite

Three Coins in the Fountain Sundae

Contributor: Shannon Cothran, Fact CHECKER The first thing I do when I move to a new city – and I move often – is visit every mom-and-pop ice cream shop until I have found the best ice cream money can buy. In New Orleans, it was Creole Creamery; in the Boston area, Bedford Farms. Now, I’m happily a resident of St. Louis, and my pick for the hands-down best ice cream in town is The Fountain on Locust in Midtown.

The Fountain’s ice cream is from Wisconsin’s Cedar Crest Dairy, which ages its ice cream for intense flavor. (You haven’t tasted vanilla until you’ve tried Cedar Crest’s Vanilla Deluxe.) And it has the perfect texture: not too dense, not too airy. At The Fountain, it’s paired with all-natural, housemade syrups and toppings – you can’t order wrong from this dessert menu.

While The Fountain offers eight flavors and more than 20 ways to enjoy them, my favorite is Three Coins in the Fountain, named for the 1954 film and song of the same name. Perfect for sharing with your special someone, this three-scoop sundae boasts the perfect combination of ice cream flavors: Zanzibar chocolate, Vanilla Deluxe and After Dinner Mint, all topped with housemade hot fudge, whipped cream and three chocolate coins.

The Fountain on Locust 3037 Locust St., Midtown 314.535.7800 fountainonlocust.com

Photography by

Jonathan Gayman

SWEET INDULGENCE THEY’RE BACK – FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY! Our popular Dipped Delights are back just in time for Valentine’s Day! Indulge your sweetheart with hand-dipped chocolate strawberries – made fresh in-store Wednesday, February 5 thru Sunday, February 16, 2014.

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