October 2010 FEAST Magazine

dining room redesign

a day at the farm

a classic made uncomplicated

crash COURSE

MEET THE BAETJES

DUCK CONFIT

/ Inspired Food Culture / Saint Louis /

o c t o b er 2 0 1 0 / FREE

DISHES THAT POP Inspired Food Culture

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kidding around 60 at Baetje Farms

PHOTOGRAPHY BY

Greg Rannells

Steve and Veronica Baetje,

Get to know and learn what it takes to make their phenomenal cheeses.

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/ Inspired Food Culture / Saint Louis /

elegantly 44 paired OCTOBER 2010

from the staff

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Check out this month’s online content.

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from the PUBLISHER

Indulge in autumnal pleasures.

| 14 | FEAST FAVES

This month’s inspired ideas for tasteful living in St. Louis.

COLUMNS

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my stuff

Step right up to Christy Augustin’s backyard bar.

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gadget a-go-go

We test four microwave popcorn poppers.

3 7 t a h t dishes

| 34 | ON THE SHELF

New and notable in beer, wine and spirits.

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mystery shopper

Buy it and try it: verjus.

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the cheat

Duck confit has never been so easy.

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deconstructed dishes

Explore the ingredients of wiener schnitzel.

| 82 | pull up a chair

The Wynn Ladderback chair and three perfectly paired tables.

COVER PHOTOGRAPHY BY

redesign 58 Just in Time

Carmen Troesser Inspired Food Culture

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/ Inspired Food Culture / Saint Louis /

Volume 1 / Issue 3 / October 2010

Publisher and Editor Catherine Neville Managing Editor Brandi Wills Online Editor Kristin Brashares Art Director Lisa Triefenbach Advertising Sales Director Donna Bischoff Copy Editor Barbara E. Stefàno Contributing Writers Russ Carr, Corie Dugas, Gabrielle DeMichele, Pat Eby Chad Michael George, Erik Jacobs, Jennifer Johnson Angela Ortmann, Barbara E. Stefàno, Michael Sweeney Cassandra Vires Contributing Photographers Geoff Cardin, Ashley Gieseking, Rob Grimm, Tuan Lee Greg Rannells, Jennifer Silverberg, Carmen Trosser

Contact Us Feast Media 14522 S. Outer Forty Road Town and Country, MO 63107 feastSTL.com Advertising Inquiries Donna Bischoff, 314.340.8529 ads@feastSTL.com Courtney Barczewski, 314.340.8525 Rich Shelton, 314.340.8514 Editorial Comments editor@feastSTL.com

Distribution To distribute Feast Magazine at your place of business, please contact Tom Livingston at tlivingston@stldist.com.

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

All contents are copyright © 2010 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.

A publication of Suburban Journals of Greater St. Louis, LLC A Lee Enterprises Company 8

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ONLINE CONTENT

STL .CO M ONLINE EXCLUSives

> THIS MONTH’S FEAST > WATCH & LISTEN > BLOG > feast events > RECIPES

Dinner & A Show Quite the Pair

TRAVELOGUE: FEAST photographer Jennifer Silverberg explores the agricultural fields of Nicaragua in a two-part photo essay.

Day in the Life shop girl Travelogue

EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: Watch one of our behind-the-scenes videos in a whole new way: on your smart phone. With this month’s Elegantly Paired feature, we are introducing a new technology that allows you to scan a tag on page 54 with your phone and watch a video on how Chaumette chef Adam Lambay makes coq au vin with the winery’s Chambourcin.

Visit http://gettag.mobi from the browser in your smart phone, and install the free Microsoft Tag Reader app. Then, you’re ready to go.

Don’t have a smart phone? No problem. You can watch the video in the Watch & Listen section at feastSTL.com.

online column schedule: Monday: Shop Girl Adventurous Heidi Dean takes you inside St. Louis’ hidden culinary gems.

Tuesday: Day in the Life

Quite The Pair: Local wine expert Angela Ortmann’s weekly quest for the best food and wine pairings at top restaurants around town starts this month at Niche Restaurant with the Surf and Turf.

Photography by Jonathan Pollack

Join Pat Eby each week as she gets to know the food folks behind the scenes of St. Louis’ culinary world.

Wednesday: Quite The Pair Thursday: Dinner & a Show

In partnership with KDHX 88.1 FM, we bring you each weekend’s must-see concert pick and suggest where to dine before the music begins.

Friday:

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Travelogue

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FROM THE PUBLISHER

R

ight before I sat down to write this letter, I took a long look at

all of the printouts of Feast’s October pages taped to the walls of our office. I looked at the images of the postcard-perfect

barn at Baetje Farms, the beautiful locavore spread shot on location at Chaumette Vineyards and Winery, the glowing orange leather dining chairs in our featured dining room and all those seriously tasty-looking popcorn dishes from local

Fall is, hands down, my favorite season. There’s a nip in the air, markets are overflowing with the season’s harvest, wineries are busily crafting the year’s

PS

FEAST EVENTS

JOIN ME!

comforting about the routines we get into

Each month, Feast Magazine hosts cooking classes, wine tastings and other events in conjunction with St. Louis’ food industry leaders. Don’t miss your chance to interact directly with these professionals and mingle with your fellow food lovers!

during autumn and the collective barrage of

Cooking Demo

“holiday season” that we experience together.

Wed., Oct. 13, 6:30pm, L’Ecole Culinaire, 314.587.2433

vintage and we’re all anticipating the bustling time of year that’s quickly approaching. After a steamy, long summer there’s something, to me, that’s

Personally, I’m looking forward to the string of upcoming holidays more this year than I have in quite a long time; I’m in the mood to spend some serious time at the stove and suspect you might be as well. There’s something about golden autumn leaves, cardigans and market-fresh food that, thankfully, inspires the cook in many of us, and this issue of Feast is full of recipes that highlight autumnal flavors. Popcorn, lamb, caramel, squash … all the rich flavors of the season can be found in the pages that follow.

Until next time,

Catherine Neville

Chef Matt Borchardt will teach you the tricks for cooking with Baetje cheeses at this multicourse demonstration class. He’ll show you how to make (and you’ll get to eat) perfect cheese-filled fresh ravioli, beet and goat cheese salad, a savory pancetta-leek frittata topped with warm goat cheese and prosciuttowrapped dates stuffed with cheese and baked in a spicy tomato sauce.

Wine Tasting Thu., Oct. 21, 6pm, Wapango Restaurant, rsvp@stlwinegirl.com

Enjoy a complimentary wine tasting at Wapango with columnist Angela Ortmann.

Nibble on Wapango’s Pan-Latin cuisine while Angela leads you through a tasting based on her October On the Shelf picks. Tasting notes will also be provided.

Hands-on Cooking Class Wed., Oct. 27, 6pm, Schnucks Cooks Cooking School. schnuckscooks.com or 314.909.1704

Feast on Oktoberfest favorites at this handson class led by the accomplished Schnucks Cooks team. Roll up your sleeves and make weiner schnitzel, spätzle, sweet-sour green beans and a rich Black Forest torte. feedback?

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PHOTOGRAPHy by Tuan Lee

chefs and thought, yes, this feels like fall to me.

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FEAST FAVES / where we’re dining

Araka Restaurant 314.725.6777

Araka’s new executive chef, Steve Caravelli, has introduced a modern sense of refinement to the Clayton restaurant’s Southern European menu. His dishes highlight locally sourced, pristine ingredients like tiny tatsoi sprouts from YellowTree Farm, which are perched atop a perfectly seared lobe of foie gras that’s resting in a sweet, light pear consommé. Caravelli’s riff on classic Burgundian escargots has tender snails sharing space with pillowy gnocchi and pearl onions in a pool of parsley-garlic broth. Beets are diced into a “tartare” and gilded with an orange coulis “quail-egg.” Diver scallops pair with pork belly in a watercress purée. And desserts are just as detailed. Try the honey-lavender semi-freddo accompanied by a diminutive vanilla affogato.

131 Carondelet Plaza, Clayton araka.com

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PHOTOGRAPHy by Geoff Cardin

Araka Restaurant

Clayton

FEAST FAVES / secret ingredient FEAST FAVES / secret ingredient

Hoagie City Diner 314.621.8171 Downtown

PHOTOGRAPHy by Geoff Cardin

Korean Hot Bean Paste

bibimbap

Don’t let the name fool you. At Hoagie City Diner, you can certainly order American diner standards, but this small, bright restaurant’s real draw is the cooked-toorder Korean fare. The must-try is bibimbap, a traditional dish of warm, steamed rice topped with a variety of vegetables and meats, garnished with a glowing sunnyside-up egg. Mix everything together to properly experience this dish; because of

the diversity of ingredients, each bite is different. But one thing ties it all together: gochujang. The thick, spicy Korean condiment is made with glutinous rice powder, fermented soybeans and red chile powder. Slightly sweet, wonderfully spicy, gochujang’s rich flavor heightens everything else in that big, steaming bowl.

1730 Olive St., Downtown

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FEAST FAVES / At home

RICE AND NOODLE BOWLS |1|

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| 1 | Buddha Bowls, $24 each; Craft Alliance Gallery, 6640 Delmar Blvd., The Loop, craftalliance.org | 2 | Contrast Bowls, $42 (sold as set); momastore.org | 3 | Rice bowl in lattice green, circle orange and kado blue, $5.95 each; Crate & Barrel, 1 The Boulevard, Richmond Heights, crateandbarrel.com 16

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FEAST FAVES / where we’re dining

Café Natasha 314.771.3411

PHOTOGRAPHy by Geoff Cardin

South Grand

Café Natasha’s

Kabob International

St. Louisans have devoured the savory Persian delights at Café Natasha for 27 years. That type of longevity necessitates a menu tweak now and then and it recently introduced new menus focused on the growing demand for gluten-free, vegetarian and vegan fare. Those with gluten intolerance can indulge in Barg Kabob, where flank steak is marinated to absolute tenderness, flame-grilled and served with nutty basmati rice. Vegetarians and vegans will delight in selections such as the 18

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tomato sauce-laced pepper and tomato stuffed with split yellow peas, rice and herbs. And if you’re looking for something entirely new, don’t miss the thick, tangy yogurt topped with za’atar made fresh by a family friend and the sweet-tart Blackberry Sirloin Beef with a lingering heat that will keep you digging in for more.

3200 S. Grand Blvd., South Grand cafenatasha.com

FEAST FAVES / FOOD STUFF

SYRUPS Sweeten up your fall dishes by experimenting with flavorful syrups that range from traditional maple to fun fruit versions.

Great on: Grilled salmon

Great on: Baked squash

Great on: Crêpes

| 1 | Blue Heron Orchard Pomona’s Ambrosia apple syrup, $9.69; Local Harvest Grocery, 3148 Morganford Road, Tower Grove South, localharvestgrocery.com | 2 | Stonewall Kitchen Maine maple syrup, $15.99; Smoke House Market, 16806 Chesterfield Airport Road, Chesterfield, smokehousemarket.com | 3 | Blackberry Patch blackberry syrup, $6.95; Straub’s, multiple locations, straubs.com Inspired Food Culture

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FEAST FAVES / whAT we’re drinking

Sanctuaria 314.535.9700 THE GROVE

FALL COCKTAILS Bar master Matt Seiter’s fall cocktail menu is full of carefully crafted drinks made with small-batch liquors and house-made mixers. Sanctuaria has earned a (welldeserved) reputation as a place for cocktail lovers to explore innovative flavors and combinations. When you lean against the bar in this art-filled space, it’s a sure bet one of these sophisticated sippers will satisfy.

Sanctuaria 4198 Manchester Ave., The Grove sanctuariastl.com

Autumn Sunset “Last December, a guest named Kevin came into Sanctuaria and wanted a drink not too sweet, but not too tart or strong, and made with bourbon,” Seiter says. “Originally this was made with Rowan’s Creek Bourbon 12 Year, but my palate likes the Buffalo Trace a bit better. You be the judge.”

1½ oz ½ oz ½ oz ¼ oz ¼ oz 1 dash

1 slice

Buffalo Trace Kentucky Straight Bourbon Dolin® Rouge Vermouth Dolin® Dry Vermouth St. Elizabeth Allspice Dram Benedictine liqueur fresh lemon juice ice orange peel

| Preparation | Mix all of the ingredients except orange peel and ice in a Boston shaker. Add ice and stir for 30 seconds.

Strain with a julep strainer into a martini glass. Bend the orange peel to release the oils and rub around the rim of a martini glass. Flame the peel and float in the drink.

Autumn Winds PHOTOGRAPHy by Jonathan Pollack

“I thought of the brown butter-sage liqueur last September while I was working at Trattoria Marcella,” Seiter says. “I love brown butter sauces and wanted to find a way to get that flavor into a drink. I’ve done fat-washing with bacon, so I just took that same procedure with butter and presto.”

1½ oz

1 oz ½ oz

1 leaf

check it out!

Feast extra

Ransom Old Tom Gin house-made brown butter-sage liqueur Benedictine liqueur ice fresh sage

| Preparation | Mix all ingredients except ice and sage in a

For more of Seiter’s fall cocktail recipes visit feastSTL.com.

Boston shaker. Add ice and stir for 30 seconds. Strain with a julep strainer into a chilled coupe. Spank the sage leaf, rub around rim of the glass and float in the middle of the drink.

Liquid Measurers | 1 | Cube Jigger, $25; UMA, 1100 Locust St., Downtown, iloveuma.com | 2 | E-Z Step Cocktail Jigger $3.95; Cornucopia, 107 N. Kirkwood Road, kitchencopia.com | 3 | OXO Mini Angled Measuring Cup, $3.99; OXO, oxo.com

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FEAST FAVES / design trends we love

OPEN SHELVING What’s the fun of having pretty plates, arty appliances and cool cookbooks if they’re hidden away behind cabinet doors? Open shelving in your kitchen or dining area lets you creatively display your foodie wares for the objets d’art they are.

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Shot on location at Dwell Nine Twelve, A Modern St. Louis Bed & Breakfast.

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PHOTOGRAPHy by Ashley Gieseking.

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| 1 | Elfa Kitchen Wall Platinum, $335.59; The Container Store, 1769 S. Brentwood Blvd., Brentwood, containerstore. com | 2 | Woodwind Bookcase, $949; Room and Board, roomandboard.com | 3 | Metro Commercial Pantry Shelves, $498.95; The Container Store 22

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Farmhaus 314.647.3800 Lindenwood

Roasted Ozark Forest Mushroom Salad Ethereally light and crisp, the roasted mushrooms in Farmhaus’ Roasted Ozark Forest Mushroom Salad practically shatter when you bite them.

However chef Kevin Willmann manages this culinary trick, we love the edge-of-fall flavor and texture of this salad. Smoky bacon dressing mingles with slightly bitter greens from Terra 24

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Bella Farms and toasty roasted pecans. Tangy goat cheese crumbles accent each bite, offering a cool counterpoint to the rest of the salad’s pristine ingredients.

3257 Ivanhoe Ave., Lindenwood farmhausrestaurant.com

PHOTOGRAPHy by Geoff Cardin

FEAST FAVES / The Dish

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FEAST FAVES / shop-o-matic

PHOTOGRAPHy by Ashley Gieseking

THE PORCH

The Porch This colorful, wine-centric gift shop and boutique sits across the street from the year-round Soulard Farmer’s Market and is central to a number of the area’s noteworthy restaurants. Its convenient location makes it a perfect place to pick up a few bottles of wine to go with dinner, shop for a clever hostess gift before a party or relax on the patio and sip a few new-toyou varietals in the crisp autumn air.

Most passersby are first attracted to the shop by the unique selection of gifts and home wares visible through the brightly colored window panes. Once inside, customers are also treated to an

314.436.0282 impressive Soulard collection of wines offered at a variety of price points and accompanied by the expert knowledge of the shop’s staff.

For a modest $5 corkage fee, you can enjoy some of your new finds on the whimsical backyard patio. If you’re not in the mood for wine, no worries, the shop also sells Bloody Marys and a small selection of beers.

1700 S. 9th St., Soulard soulardporch.com

FEAST FAVES / what we’re dRinking

OREGON PINOT NOIRS written by Jennifer Johnson

In the 1960s, California winemakers migrated north to Oregon and cultivated Pinot Noir, a fickle, thin-skinned grape that was well-suited to the area’s cool maritime climate. Interestingly, Pinot’s Burgundian home is on the same latitude as Oregon and has a similar climate. These versatile food-friendly wines generally have moderate red fruit and spice characteristics that lend balance to a terroir-driven, loamy earthiness – different from its fruit-driven California counterparts and the Old World “barnyard” earthiness of Burgundy Pinots.

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Torii Mor 2008 Pinot Noir

Wine By Joe 2008 Pinot Noir

Willamette Valley, Oregon

Willamette Valley, Oregon

This highly aromatic wine’s flavor profile is earth-driven, with accents of violets and loganberries, finishing long, with a soft, velvety mediumbodied mouth feel and nuanced accents of raspberries, mushrooms, cinnamon and toasted oak on the palate. Pair with meats with mushrooms sauces, veal, roasted beef and soft cheeses.

Vibrant strawberry and raspberry aromas with underlying mineral and vanilla notes introduce this lighterbodied, softly tannic wine, followed by a delightful flavor profile of cherry, cranberry, tobacco, spice and cola. Pair with roasted duck, mediumto high-fat grilled fish, charcuterie and shellfish pasta dishes.

$21.99; Starrs, 1135 Big Bend Blvd., Richmond Heights, starrs1.com

$17.99; Provisions Gourmet Market, 11615 Olive Blvd., Creve Coeur, provisionsmarket.com

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FEAST FAVES / what we’re buying

SERVING BOARDS October is prime wine time. So grab your favorite bottle(s) of vino, invite a few friends over and throw an impromptu tasting. But don’t forget the nibbles. Cheese, olives and crusty bread make the perfect accompaniments and will look even more delicious dressed up on an eye-catching serving board.

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| 1 | Paddle wood cheese server, $29.95; CB2.com | 2 | Michael Aram Wisteria |3|

and Olive Branch cheese board sets, $79

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each; Archetypes Boutique and Gifts, 28 The Boulevard, Richmond Heights, 314.862.3989 | 3 | Ten Thousand Villages cheese board, $98; Plowsharing Crafts, multiple locations, plowsharing.org | 4 |

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Use any of these beautiful boards to serve up Baetje Farms’ excellent selection of goat cheeses.

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Slate cheese board set, $69; vivaterra. com | 5 | India Handicrafts cheese board, $38; Archetypes Boutique and Gifts, 28 The Boulevard, Richmond Heights, 314.862.3989 | 6 | Bread and cheese boards ($45 each) and baguette board ($25); Twigs & Moss, 7715 Clayton Road, Clayton, 314.454.0447

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MY STUFF

Christy Augustin

Pâtisserie and baking instructor, Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts written by Catherine Neville

Christy and Matt Augustin have created an urban oasis in their backyard. “We bought the house because of the yard,” says Christy. She and her husband entertain friends at their bottlecaptopped bar and 36-inch wide granite cobblestone firepit. They “have people over all the time to drink wine. You don’t feel like you’re hanging out at home being lame – you feel like you’re out,” laughed Christy, who added that the couple does most of their cooking in the yard, too: “We grill almost everything all year ‘round.”

PHOTOGRAPHy By Greg Rannells

Favorite marshmallow for s’mores? Campfire Giant Roasters. / Favorite chocolate? El Rey Venezuelan chocolate is only available to professionals, but it’s extraordinary! / Your favorite hard cider?

Strongbow, mostly because it’s on draught at The Royale. / Husband’s favorite beer? O’Fallon 5-Day IPA / Stemware in your cupboard? The Viv [wine glasses] from Crate & Barrel and a Reidel decanter. / Typical menu for dinner around the firepit?

Something fresh from the market; my husband and I shop Tower Grove and Soulard almost every Saturday. / Best lesson you can teach an aspiring pastry chef? Respect for the ingredients, for the equipment and kitchen itself, for the methods and most importantly for the hundreds of years of tradition behind those methods. / What have your students taught you?

Patience / Bagels or doughnuts?

Crêpes or waffles, actually. / Favorite bread? Companion’s Bavarian pretzels. / Favorite store-bought cookie?

Grace’s Best Petite Sunflower Cookies / Best butter? Plugrá EuropeanStyle Butter / Must-have kitchen gadget? A hard plastic/polycarbonate spoon is essential for making candies and caramels. / Do you prefer candy apples or candy corn?

The Caramelized Corn Pops from Breadsmith make me weak in the knees. / What Halloween candy will you give out? I like to spend my All Hallow’s Eve in the company of adults at wild costume parties. / Will you steal a handful or two? I almost always have some candy hiding somewhere.

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gadget a-go-go

Put to the test

MICROWAVE

©iStockphoto.com/mayakova and xxmmxx

POPCORN

POPPERS written by Pat Eby

Presto Power Pop Microwave Multi-Popper PROS

Eight-plus cups of big pillowy popcorn, with and without oil, popped consistently with 98 percent of the kernels reporting.

A great instruction booklet, recipes and a can’t-miss turquoise information sheet kept errors to a minimum.

CONS

The first popper came out of the sealed box with the bowl cracked from lip to base.

The popper needs replaceable “PowerCup Concentators” to work. In the initial test, two concentrators stuck together and scorched black during the cooking cycle.

The thin paper cups are designed for 12 poppings with oil and 24 poppings without.

A moderately fastidious cook wouldn’t use the oil concentrators much past four poppings. Only the bowl and the lid immerse in water for cleaning. $15; Sears, multiple locations, sears.com

Nordic Ware Microwave Popcorn Popper Sur La Table 2.5-quart Microwave Corn Popper PROS

Fabricated from borosilicate clear laboratory glass, this popper gets its stylish good looks from a dynamite shape, a superchic double handle and a great graphic in bright red. A stainless steel strainer in a sleek red silicone lid melts butter or drips oil onto freshly popped corn. The glass beaker and the snap-apart lid and strainer all go right in the dishwasher or the sink for easy cleanup.

CONS

The popper is so big it took a full-sized microwave to handle it. The glass and the lid got burn-your-fingers hot during the cooking cycle. In multiple tests, the low yield of 3½ cups of popped corn disappointed hungry tasters. On average, only 50 percent of the kernels exploded.

PROS

This super-simple design incorporates an attractive, heavy-duty plastic bowl for cooking and serving. The translucent plastic lid fits loosely to allow steam to escape.

The bowl and lid are both made of BPA-free plastic. With or without oil, the kernels popped fluffy and tasted great. Both pieces cleaned up quickly with hot, soapy water.

CONS

Steam and condensation suctioned the bowl to the glass plate in the microwave.

The plate crashed to the floor and broke when the bowl came out. The directions to use 1/3 cup of kernels resulted in only 60 percent popped corn, just 4½ cups.

Reducing the amount to ¼ cup increased the yields to 6 cups popped corn. $10; Cornucopia, 107 N. Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood, kitchencopia.com

Farmer’s Microwave Popcorn Cob PROS

Popping the cob was great fun. A perfect golden cob slid easily into a white bag replete with old-style farm graphics. The bag folded closed. Two minutes later, 7 cups of snow-white goodness tumbled out of the bag. A novel way to experience farm-totable food.

CONS

The bag unfolded during the two-minute cycle. Twenty-five pieces of popped corn escaped in the microwave. The cob got wildly hot, too. Sadly, one pop and the show was over. Buy two. $3 per package; Sur La Table, 1701 S. Lindbergh Blvd., Frontenac, surlatable.com

$20; Sur La Table, 1701 S. Lindbergh Blvd., Frontenac, surlatable.com

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W h at to l oo k for : Size: Make sure the popper fits the microwave. Measure the cavity width and height, including the turntable and glass tray. Allow at least a half-inch clearance on the top and sides. The popper should turn freely to minimize scorching and cook evenly.

Materials: Choose quality materials that work with your lifestyle.

If cooking with the kids is your thing, the heavier plastics make good sense. Glass looks great, but requires careful handling.

Sustainability: None of these poppers break the bank, but when living green is a lifestyle choice, find out if replacement parts are available.

Instructions: A good instruction book is invaluable. Making microwave popcorn isn’t hard, but guides and recipes with the popper or online provide answers and help you get started.

page

Try one of these poppers with the creative popcorn recipes from our Dishes That Pop feature.

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ON the shelf

BEER written by Michael Sweeney

When not using his spare time to make fun of people who write blogs, Michael Sweeney writes the beer blog STLHops.com. The irony is lost on him.

Saint Louis Brewery Schlafly Pumpkin Ale

Avery Brewing Co. Ellie’s Brown Ale

North Coast Brewing Co. Scrimshaw Pilsner

Style: Pumpkin Beer (8% abv)

Style: English Brown Ale (5.8% abv)

Style: German Pilsner (4.4% abv)

AVAILABLE AT: Devine Wines & Spirits, 2961 Dougherty Ferry Road, Kirkwood, 636.825.9647; $9.92 (six-pack, 12-oz bottles)

AVAILABLE AT: City Gourmet, 920 Olive St., Downtown, city-grocers.com; $9.99 (sixpack, 12-oz bottles)

AVAILABLE AT: Whole Foods, 1601 S. Brentwood Blvd., Brentwood, wholefoodsmarket.com; $9.99 (six-pack, 12-oz bottles)

While picking a favorite is tough, when people ask me what my favorite Schlafly beer is, I almost always answer, “Pumpkin Ale.” While pumpkin beers can usually get too sweet or too spicy, Schlafly hits a perfect balance of malt sweetness and spice. Don’t wait around to try this one, as it always sells out fast.

I think brown ales get a bad rap sometimes.

They may not be as showy as an IPA or a Belgian beer and they may not be as rich or boozy as an Imperial Stout, but when made right, a brown ale is the perfect example of balance. Ellie’s Brown Ale has a wonderfully nutty flavor with a bit of chocolate in the aroma. Perfect for these cooler autumn evenings.

Pairing: Serendipity vanilla ice cream

Pairings: Asiago cheese / Grilled pork

Scrimshaw Pilsner is proof that yellow, fizzy beer doesn’t always have to be flavorless. This example of a German-style Pilsner features traditional Munich malt along with European noble hops to provide the closest example of a true Pilsner outside of Europe.

Pairings: Crab / Cream cheese / Broiled whitefish

What’s on the shelf OCTOBER WINE written by Angela Ortmann

STLwinegirl Angela Ortmann gained a passion for all things epicurean by working in the luxury restaurants and hotels of St. Louis and San Francisco. Through her event and consultation business, she is dedicated to enhancing your food and wine experience.

Join Angela Ortmann and FEAST publisher Catherine Neville for a happy hour wine tasting at 6pm on Thu., Oct. 21, at Wapango Restaurant.

RSVP by emailing rsvp@stlwinegirl.com.

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2009 Georges DuBœuf Juliénas, Château des Capitans

2009 Albert Mann Pinot Blanc

2007 Novelty Hill Royal Slope Red

Provenance: Alsace, France

Provenance: Columbia Valley, Wash.

Provenance: Beaujolais, France

Available at: The Wine & Cheese Place, available at select locations, wineandcheeseplace.com; $15.99

Available at: Robust Wine Bar, 227 W. Lockwood Ave., Webster Groves, robustwinebar.com; $17.50

Georges DuBœuf himself has proclaimed 2009 the best vintage of his lifetime. Take heed and experience one of his dozen cru wines releasing this year. The Juliénas showcases the full-bodied strength of the Gamay grape, with powerful aromas of dark berries and flowers partnered with complex flavors of currants and cinnamon.

As we move into fall, we tend to lean toward heavier styles of white wine.

This rich, round Pinot Blanc gives off notes of stone fruits and white flowers.

Its soft, fruity and floral characteristics continue in the taste along with hints of honeysuckle. This undemanding Pinot Blanc is a full-bodied white wine intended to be consumed young and very seldom cellared.

A blend of mostly Syrah and Merlot that also sees traces of Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Mourvedre, Petit Verdot and Malbec. A mouthful, in the best possible way. Embrace the blueberries and cedar on the nose followed by plum, pepper and mocha on your palate. Indulge in this dark, lush wine on a cool evening and welcome the arrival of autumn.

Pairings: Effortless – Salami and cheese / Dine Out & Delivery – Grilled chicken club / Special Occasion – Cassoulet

Pairings: Effortless – Feta / Dine Out & Delivery – Chicken salad / Special Occasion – Spicy crab pasta

Pairings: Effortless – Aged Gouda / Dine Out & Delivery – Lamb shawarma / Special Occasion – Veal chops

Available at: The Wine Chateau, 90 Clarkson Wilson Center, Chesterfield, 636.532.6069; $21

SPIRITS written by Chad Michael George

Chad Michael George is an award-winning sommelier and mixologist born and raised in St. Louis. He is the founder of the Proof Academy, which covers all things wine and spirits related, from wine and cocktail list consulting to detailed spirits and mixology education for the hospitality industry and the general public.

GET CHAD’S RECIPES ON THE WEB feastSTL.com

L’Esprit de June (28% abv) Provenance: Cognac, France Available at: The Wine Merchant Ltd., 20 S. Hanley Road, Clayton, winemerchantltd.com; $30

June is a grape-based liqueur made by Cognac producers using flowers from Ugni Blanc, Merlot and Cabernet Sauvignan vines.

This liqueur is delicate, yet intense. The sweetness level is perfect and offers strong notes of strawberry, pear, raspberry and peach. This makes a great drink for the porch, on the rocks or as a substitute for other floral liqueurs. Paired with a sparkling wine, four parts sparkling to one part June, you have a lovely way to start or finish your day.

Tru 2 Organic Gin (42% abv) Provenance: Monrovia, Calif.

Available at: The Wine & Cheese Place, available at select locations, wineandcheeseplace.com; $28.99

Tru gin, which features 14 organic botanicals, tastes like none other. Juniper is still the main botanical, with lavender, lemon zest, angelica and orris roots, coriander, vanilla beans, cloves, fennel, cinnamon, chamomile and star anise contributing to the flavor profile. Tru is also put through micro-oxygenation, a process usually reserved for wine and beer to oxidize and accelerate the aging process by pushing tiny air bubbles through the distillate during barrel aging.

Fever-Tree Premium Tonic Water Provenance: London, England Available at: Randall’s Wines and Spirits, multiple locations, shoprandalls.com; $1.49 (6.8-oz bottle)

Fever-Tree uses only the finest botanicals from all over the world; their tonic uses quinine from fever trees on the Rawanda/ Congo border. The complete line includes a variety of tonics, including lemon (shown here), as well as ginger beer, ginger ale, lemonade and bitter lemon soda. Your gin and tonic will never taste the same.

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mystery shopper

Double Cut Pork Chop with Cipollini-Date Soubise

By Eric Kelly, Scape

Using Kurobuta, black Berkshire pork from Japan, and cooking it to medium brings out the full flavor of the meat. A modern twist on classic soubise is achieved by adding very sweet Medjool dates and balancing that sweetness by stewing the ingredients with the acidic verjus until thickened.

Serves | 4 | Pork Chop

1

8-bone center loin pork rack

olive oil

kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper

Soubise

25

cipollini onions, peeled and quartered

¼ cup

golden raisins

½ cup

Medjool dates, pitted and diced

1 cup

white verjus

| Preparation – Pork Chop | Preheat oven to 400°F. Rub pork rack with olive oil and generously season with salt and pepper. Place on a roasting pan fitted with a rack, fat side up, in the middle of your oven and roast for 15 minutes. Lower the heat to 300°F; do not open the oven door. Roast until a meat thermometer inserted into the center of the meat reads 130°F, about 45 minutes. Remove from the oven and let rest 10 to 15 minutes before slicing.

| Preparation – Soubise | Add all ingredients to a stainless steel saucepan. Over high heat, bring mixture to a boil. Lower heat and simmer until thickened.

MEET: Verjus juice of unripe grapes, was widely used throughout Europe during the Middle Ages. It was eventually usurped by lemons and other citrus, but the renaissance of verjus is upon us, as the flavor

plate. Use 2 spoons to form quenelles from the soubise, written by Corie Dugas

and place a quenelle next to each chop.

What is it?

Verjus (also spelled verjuice) is made from grapes picked early in the season before they have produced sugar.

The liquid squeezed from these young grapes is tangy with a hint of the sweetness found in their fully ripened counterparts. The gentle acidity and mild tartness are a delightful alternative to the bite and tang of vinegar or citrus juice. While you are more likely to find white verjus at your local grocers, it is produced in both white and red varieties that can be used interchangeably in the kitchen.

How do I use it?

Verjus serves as a surrogate for vinegar or lemon juice in your current culinary favorites, but to assume its value only as a proxy is to underestimate this zesty condiment.

After searing poultry or fish, deglaze the pan with verjus for a delectable, syrupy pan sauce. Use this fragrant liquid as a marinade or add a splash to sauces. The richness of particularly sweet dishes is offset by verjus’s mild tanginess.

While the acetic acid in some vinaigrettes may clash with wine, replacing the vinegar with verjus in a salad dressing recipe serves to complement the wine rather than distort the flavor. It emulsifies well with oils, producing a smooth dressing. It’s also an acceptable substitute for “cooking wine” in most dishes. Used judiciously, this lusciously fragrant elixir enhances both the taste and aroma of your food.

enhancer finds a place in modern cooking.

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check it out!

Feast extra

Stop by Straub’s to pick up more delicious recipes featuring verjus.

Visit straubs.com for information on their four locations.

PHOTOGRAPHy by Carmen Troesser

Verjus, made from the

| To Serve | Carve pork rack into four equal portions and

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the cheat

Duck Confit STORY AND RECIPE BY Cassandra Vires

In the culinary world, things tend to get out of hand. Chefs often feel the need to add more. More seasonings, more ingredients and, these days, always more pork belly. But often it is best to just simplify because some of the best dishes are also the simplest. Duck confit is the perfect example. Simply prepared, it is one of the most delicious foods I have ever eaten, and the cooking process requires only six ingredients.

Confit is one of the oldest cooking methods. Without refrigeration, people could cook meat in its own fat, then store it in that fat for months, providing food for their families through the difficult winters.

As this technique has become more popular today, I often hear people confused on the details, mistakenly using words like poaching, sous-vide and, worst, frying.

The basic definition of confit is meat cooked and preserved in its own fat, and while that is technically poaching, confit specifically refers to cooking in fat, whereas poaching simply refers to cooking in liquid.

When confiting, I always recommend doing so in large batches because it lasts so long. From there, you can find numerous uses for the meat. It is pictured here as a fabulously simple rillette, but it would also be great in a salad, cassoulet or crêpe. The possibilities are endless.

The process is simple. You put the meat in a pan, cover it with fat and stick it in the oven. The reason home cooks don’t spend their nights making duck confit isn’t because it’s difficult; it’s because they don’t have reserves of duck fat on hand and don’t want to spend the money to buy it. Hence, I give you the cheat: olive oil.

Olive oil has been a fat substitute for years, and I proudly say that I use it in my confit. There is no downside, no lost flavor, no difference in texture. It is the perfect substitution.

Cassandra Vires is the executive chef and manager of Ernesto’s Winebar in Benton Park. She received her culinary training in Houston, Texas, and has a knack for reimagining classic dishes.

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Watch our step-by-step online video feastSTL.com

Duck Confit is a simple recipe with very little active time required. The richness of the duck is great for the fall season and brings warmth to any chilly night.

Serves | 8 to 10 | 3 Tbsp 4 cloves

1

6 sprigs

4

4 1 Tbsp

4 cups

salt, divided garlic, smashed shallot, peeled and sliced fresh thyme duck legs duck thighs coarsely ground black pepper extra virgin olive oil

| Preparation | Sprinkle 1 Tbsp salt in the bottom of a sheet pan large enough to hold the duck pieces in a single layer. Evenly scatter half the garlic, shallots and thyme in the container.

Arrange duck pieces, skin-side

up, over the salt mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining salt, garlic, shallots, thyme and pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 1 to 2 days.

Preheat the oven to 225°F. Brush the salt and seasonings off the duck, reserving the thyme, garlic and shallots. Rinse duck pieces under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Arrange duck pieces in a single, snug layer in a highsided baking dish or oven-proof saucepan and add the reserved seasoning. | 1 | Pour the olive oil over the duck, making sure the pieces are completely covered, and place in the oven.

Cook at a very slow simmer – just an occasional bubble – | 2 | until the duck is tender and can be easily pulled from the bone, 2 to 3 hours. If the oil bubbles more, adjust the oven temperature.

Remove the pan from the oven.

Cool and store the duck in the fat.

While submerged in the fat, the duck will remain preserved for 2 to 3 weeks.

| 3 | Visit feastSTL.com for an extended recipe on turning this duck confit into a delectable rillette.

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PHOTOGRAPHY by Jennifer Silverberg

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deconstructed dishes

Escalope

Wiener Schnitzel written by Gabrielle DeMichele

|

Recipe by Gabrielle DeMichele, Nate Bonner and Lucy Schnuck

In the spirit of Oktoberfest, traditional German fare is in order. A schnitzel, in German, is a cutlet without bones. Only if it is made of veal and coated in breadcrumbs is it called wiener schnitzel; the pork version is called schnitzel wiener art, and it is a traditional Sunday dinner in Austria, Germany and Hungary. It is often accompanied by potato salad or fries and lingonberry preserves or cranberry sauce.

Gabrielle De Michele, Nate Bonner and Lucy Schnuck are part of the Schnucks Cooks Cooking School team. They work together to formulate original recipes, brainstorming the best ingredients, methods and techniques to employ when teaching classes at the Des Peres Schnucks location.

Wiener Schnitzel Serves | 6 |

6 ½ cup

2 cups 1 cup

2

12 1½ tsp

1

3-oz veal escalopes dehydrated porcini mushrooms breadcrumbs flour for dredging salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste eggs, slightly beaten oil or lard for frying quail eggs white vinegar lemon, cut into wedges

| Preparation | Using a mallet, tenderizer tool or the side of a cleaver, pound the veal into ¼-inch thick slices. Lightly season the escalopes with salt and pepper.

In a food processor, using the blade,

process the dried mushrooms until they become a powder and mix with the breadcrumbs. If you are using fresh breadcrumbs from stale bread, you can process the bread in the same bowl after the porcinis have been thoroughly processed. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Place flour, eggs and breadcrumb mixture each in their own separate bowls.

Dip the escalopes in the flour first, then in the beaten egg and then in the breadcrumb mixture. Be sure the entire escalope is completely covered with the breadcrumb mixture.

Carefully poach the quail eggs in a skillet that is at least 3 inches deep and big enough to hold all the eggs.

Put 2 inches of water in the skillet and bring to a boil; immediately reduce the heat to medium. Add white vinegar to the water and give the water a stir in a circular motion. One by one, crack the eggs into a small bowl, drop the eggs into the water and, with a tablespoon, fold the egg white on top of the egg. Poach for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Remove from water with a slotted spoon and put 2 eggs on top of each schnitzel.

Heat oil in a large frying pan. The oil in the pan should be deep enough to allow the escalopes to float while cooking. Cook escalopes in the hot oil for 3 to 4 minutes per side.

Serve hot with lemon wedges on the side. It is shown here with spätzle, a traditional dish of tiny noodles or dumplings. Visit feastSTL.com for our spätzle recipe.

JOIN US!

Get hands-on with Gabrielle DeMichele and FEAST publisher Catherine Neville on Wed., Oct. 27. Learn to make wiener schnitzel with spätzle, sweet-sour green beans and Black Forest torte.

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Escalope is a French term for a portion of meat that has been pounded thin to cook quickly and be tender. You can use a cut of meat such as round, chuck or loin.

rsvp: schnuckscooks.com OR 314.909.1704

Lemon Fresh lemon wedges are required for true wiener schnitzel. Its addition brings another layer of flavor and brightens the dish, which is why it is added after the frying process. Other traditional garnishes are capers, anchovies or horseradish.

Porcini Mushrooms Porcini mushrooms are a “wild harvested” mushroom picked fresh from the forest floor, then cleaned with a brush, sliced and naturally air-dried.

Porcini have a smooth, meaty texture and pungent, woodsy flavor that is highly sought after. For substitution you can use any woodsy dried mushroom, or leave it out. Fresh mushrooms would not be appropriate for this use in this recipe.

Quail Eggs Quail eggs are small and fine (about ¼ the size of a chicken egg), with speckled shells that come in a range of colors from brown to white, with even some light blue. Quail eggshells are very dense, harder to crack than those of their chicken cousins. Also, the yolk-to-whites ratio is much higher, boosting the texture and flavor. Many cooks believe quail eggs offer the best and most delicate flavor of all eggs. Quail eggs can sometimes be found in gourmet grocery stores or Asian markets. Of course, chicken eggs can be substituted in this recipe.

ŠiStockphoto.com/travellinglight

PHOTOGRAPHY by Rob Grimm

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elegantly paired Recipes By Erik Jacobs

|

Wine notes by Jennifer Johnson

|

photography by Rob Grimm

Feast with us on an original menu of local food and drink inspired by Missouri wine country.

MENU Course 1 Amuse Bouche: Smoked Missouri Trout Rillettes with Horseradish Crème Fraîche and Fall Radishes on Brioche Toast Points Pairing: Adam Puchta Traminette, N.V., Hermann, Mo.

Course 2 Soup: Butternut Squash Bisque with Crispy Salume Beddu Guanciale and Fried Sage Leaves Pairing: Chaumette 2009 Chardonel Reserve, Ste. Genevieve, Mo.

Course 3 Appetizer: Polenta Coins with Mushroom Ragout Pairing: St. James 2008 Chambourcin, St. James, Mo.

Course 4 Entrée: Smoke-Roasted Prairie Grass Farms Rack of Lamb with Mint and Chile Chimichurri, Missouri Long-Grain Rice Pilaf and Caramelized Brussels Sprouts Pairing: Les Bourgeois Vineyards Norton 2007, Rocheport, Mo.

Course 5 Dessert: Missouri Black Walnut-Caramel Tart topped with Askinosie Del Tambo Ganache and Kakao Chocolate’s Big Squeal Shards Pairing: Montelle Winery Cynthiana Port 2005, Augusta, Mo.

Course 6 Cheese: Baetje Farms Cherbourg with Joy Stinger Honeycomb and Fresh Pears Pairing: Stone Hill Winery 2009 Vignoles, Hermann, Mo.

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COURSE 1

Smoked Missouri Trout Rillettes with Horseradish Crème Fraîche and Fall Radishes on Brioche Toast Points Missouri’s streams are chock-full of delicious trout (except, it seems, when you are trying to catch them). Try this smoky rillette with a bit of freshly grated horseradish root, which is grown across the river in Illinois. It’s a savory bite to begin a local meal celebrating seasonal bounty.

Serves | 8 | 1 cup 2 Tbsp ¼ cup 3 Tbsp 1½ Tbsp 1½ cups

4

crème fraîche, divided freshly grated horseradish finely chopped shallots finely chopped fresh chives, divided fresh lemon juice, plus more to taste smoked trout fillets, skin and bones removed, broken into bite-sized pieces salt and freshly ground black pepper brioche radishes, thinly sliced into “coins” about the thickness of a dime

| Preparation | Preheat oven to 275°F. In a medium bowl, mix ¾ cup crème fraîche, horseradish, shallots, 2 Tbsp chopped chives and lemon juice. Add trout and stir gently to blend. Season to taste with salt, pepper and more lemon juice, if desired. Mixture can be made a day or two ahead to allow flavors to blend.

Slice brioche about ¼-inch thick. Cut the brioche slices into triangles about 2 inches per side to form croutes. Toast the croutes for approximately 5 minutes, or until they have a very light brown color, turning once.

Let toasts cool. Smear just a touch of the remaining crème fraîche onto the toast to allow radishes to stick. Top with 2 or 3 radish coins. Place approximately 2 Tbsp of rillette on radishes. Garnish with remaining crème fraîche and chives. (You may top the rillettes with additional pieces of smoked trout if you wish, as pictured here.)

Serve immediately, as the brioche will get soggy if left to sit.

WINE PAIRING Adam Puchta Traminette, N.V., Hermann, Mo. Concentrated and exotic aromatics of flowers and spice define Traminette. A hybrid grape, Traminette is much like its parent Gewürztraminer, a European grape grown in the Alsace region of France, Germany and Austria.

Traminette produces golden-hued, full-bodied white wines produced in dry to sweet styles and is winter-hardy and vigorous, ideal for Missouri’s harsh weather. Adam Puchta’s Traminette is terrific with chef Erik’s smoked trout, as its allspice accents and light sweetness complement the smokiness of the fish and slight bite of the horseradish, while adding an interesting depth with its kiwi and peach undertones.

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COURSE 2

Butternut Squash Bisque with Crispy Salume Beddu Guanciale and Fried Sage Leaves Look for local butternut squash and root vegetables at the last of the season’s farmers’ markets. For the guanciale, visit Salume Beddu on South Hampton Avenue, where they cure all their meats and salume according to Old World Sicilian standards.

Serves | 8 |

¼ lb

1

2 Tbsp

2

1

1

2 ½ cup 1 bunch

Salume Beddu guanciale, thinly sliced butternut squash, 2 to 3 lbs, peeled and diced into 1-inch chunks salt and freshly ground black pepper olive oil large carrots, peeled and chopped medium onion, chopped medium Yukon gold potato, peeled and cut into ½-inch cubes quarts vegetable or chicken stock vegetable oil sage, washed and thoroughly dried, leaves removed from stems

| Preparation | Preheat oven to 400°F. Place guanciale slices on baking sheet and roast until crispy, approximately 15 to 20 minutes. Remove guanciale from pan and place on paper towel to drain, saving the rendered drippings from the pan.

Toss squash cubes in 2 Tbsp guanciale drippings and place on same sheet pan. Season lightly with salt and pepper. Roast in oven for 25 minutes, or until squash begins to get brown on edges and soft throughout.

Over medium-high heat, place olive oil in a 6-quart sauce pot. Sauté carrots, onion and potato for 5 minutes, until they are lightly browned. Add stock and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a simmer and cook for another 30 minutes, until vegetables are tender.

Add cooked squash. Purée soup until smooth and creamy using a hand-held immersion blender or food processor. Adjust seasonings as necessary.

In a separate small sauce pan, over medium-high heat, bring vegetable oil to 300°F. Remove sage leaves from stems and drop 10 at a time into the hot oil. Fry until crispy, no longer than 30 seconds.

Remove leaves from hot oil and let drain on paper towel. Repeat until you have approximately 30 to 40 fried leaves.

Serve soup in warm bowls, crumbling the crispy guanciale and sage on top. Crusty bread with sweet butter makes a wonderful accompaniment.

WINE PAIRING Chaumette 2009 Chardonel Reserve, Ste. Genevieve, Mo. Like its fruit-driven parent grape, Chardonnay, Chardonel is all about winemaking style.

Chardonel, however, can withstand Missouri’s extreme temperature fluctuations due to its native American lineage. Chaumette’s 2009 Reserve Chardonel underscores the soup’s flavors, emphasizing the freshness of this buttery vegetable with its own round, soft mouth feel.

Full-bodied and fresh with fruit-forward citrus and Fuji apple aromas and a hint of minerality, this wine’s acid levels have softened from a few months of French oak barrel aging sur lies, accentuating the savory flavors of the garnishes.

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COURSE 3

Polenta Coins with Mushroom Ragout Serves | 8 |

Polenta

2 cups 2 cups

1 1 cup 3 Tbsp ¼ cup

2 Tbsp

whole milk water bay leaf coarse-ground polenta butter, divided grated Heartland Dairy Methusaleh cheese salt and freshly ground black pepper extra virgin olive oil

Mushroom Ragout

2 Tbsp 2 Tbsp 1½ lbs ¼ cup 4 cloves 1/3 cup 1/3 cup ¼ cup

1

butter extra virgin olive oil assorted wild mushrooms, coarsely chopped finely chopped shallots garlic, chopped brandy heavy cream chopped fresh thyme, divided small bottle black truffle oil

| Preparation – Polenta | In medium saucepan, bring milk, water and bay leaf to a boil. Gradually add polenta, whisking constantly until smooth. Reduce heat to medium-low and cook until polenta is very thick, stirring frequently, 20 to 30 minutes. Remove from heat and discard bay leaf. Add 2 Tbsp butter and cheese. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer polenta to a 13x9x1-inch baking sheet lined with parchment and sprayed with cooking spray.

Spread evenly over the bottom of the pan. Allow polenta to cool in refrigerator, about 3 hours. Once cool, cut polenta into 16 rounds, each approximately 2 inches in diameter.

Preheat oven to 250°F. In large nonstick sauté pan, melt 1 Tbsp butter with oil over medium-high heat.

Working in batches, add polenta rounds to pan and cook until crispy, 2 to 3 minutes per side. Transfer to oven while finishing remaining polenta.

| Preparation – Mushroom Ragout | In large, deep skillet, melt butter and oil over medium-high heat.

Add mushrooms and sauté until tender and browned.

Add shallots, garlic and brandy and sauté until tender, about 2 minutes. Add cream and half of thyme. Season lightly to taste with salt and pepper. | To Serve | Place 2 polenta coins on each plate. Top each coin with 2 Tbsp warm ragout. Garnish with a few drops of truffle oil per coin and remaining thyme.

WINE PAIRING St. James 2008 Chambourcin, St. James, Mo. Chambourcin, another French-American hybrid grape, is medium- to full-bodied and exhibits a relatively subdued fruit profile and less tannins than most mainstream reds. Ample acidity and medium weight naturally position the 2008 St. James Chambourcin to accompany food. Its woven layers of bing cherries, cocoa, baking spices and a touch of French oak enliven the mushroom ragout’s aromatics without undercutting the Methusaleh’s slightly nutty creaminess.

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COURSE 4

Smoke-Roasted Prairie Grass Farms Rack of Lamb with Mint and Chile Chimichurri, Missouri Long-Grain Rice Pilaf and Caramelized Brussels Sprouts | Preparation – Chimichurri | In a blender, purée mint through honey. With blender running, add olive oil in a slow steady stream until fully incorporated. Season with salt. Can be made a day or two ahead. Bring to room temperature before serving.

Dave Hillebrand at Prairie Grass Farms raises some fantastic lamb in New Florence, Mo. Grilling these tender chops outside over an open flame will offer amazing intensity of flavor. Make sure you build a two-zone fire to sear the chops on one side of the grill while finishing on the other. Pairing these with sweet, caramelized, roasted Brussels sprouts and Martin Rice Co. long-grain rice will ensure this main course elevates you into the Dinner Party Hall of Fame.

Serves | 8 |

CHimichurri

1½ cups ½ cup

1

1 1 clove 3 Tbsp 1 Tbsp ½ cup

mint leaves Italian parsley small Serrano pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped small shallot, coarsely chopped garlic, coarsely chopped Sherry wine vinegar honey extra virgin olive oil sea salt, to taste

Lamb

3

3 Tbsp

8-rib racks of Prairie Grass Farms lamb, Frenched (about 1½ lbs each) olive oil sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

| Preparation – Rice | Heat a 4-quart saucepan over medium-low heat. Melt butter in pan. Add onion. Sauté for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add rice and continue to sauté for 3 minutes. Add broth, bay leaf and saffron.

Bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Keep warm.

Season with salt and pepper.

Rice

4 Tbsp 1 cup 2 cups 3½ cups

1 ¼ tsp

butter diced onion Martin Rice Co. long-grain rice low-sodium chicken broth bay leaf saffron threads, crushed sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Brussels Sprouts

1½ lbs

¼ cup

Brussels sprouts, halved lengthwise olive oil sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

| Preparation – Lamb | In a kettle-style grill, build a two-zone fire by banking hot coals only on one side of the grill. Place the grate over the fire to preheat. Coat each rack of lamb with 1 Tbsp oil and season generously with salt and pepper. Wrap the bones of lamb in heavy-duty aluminum foil in order to prevent charring while grilling. When the fire is at its peak (white-hot ash begins to form on the coals) place the racks, meat side down, on the grill. Sear for 2 minutes, being careful not to let them burn. Give racks a quarter turn and sear an additional minute or two. Flip racks and place on cooler side of grill. Place a large chunk of hickory wood onto fire and cover (but not completely) with grill top, allowing for ¼-inch gap on the lamb side. Allow to smoke roast for approximately 8 to 10 minutes until lamb gets to an internal temperature of 135°F for medium-rare. Remove lamb from grill, cover loosely with foil and allow lamb to rest for 10 minutes before discarding foil and carving into individual chops. Drizzle with chimichurri when serving.

| Preparation – Brussels Sprouts | Preheat oven to 450°F. Toss sprouts in olive oil and season with salt and pepper. Place sprouts cut side down on baking sheet. Roast in oven for 10 minutes, or until sprouts show some dark brown on the flat side and a knife inserted into the body meets little resistance.

WINE PAIRING Les Bourgeois Vineyards Norton 2007, Rocheport, Mo. The Missouri state grape and a native American species, Norton is argued to have European lineage from a supposed cross-pollination. Typically, it produces a medium- to full-bodied, medium-tannic wine with fruit characteristics of cherries and sometimes currants and a moderate-to-intense spice profile, yet without the “muskiness” of other native American grapes. Les Bourgeois Vineyards’ 2007 Norton complements the rack of lamb with substantial body to support the robustness of this meat, while contributing its own black pepper, nutmeg and smoky notes.

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COURSE 5

Missouri Black Walnut-Caramel Tart topped with Askinosie Del Tambo Ganache and Kakao Chocolate’s Big Squeal Shards The black walnut tree is indigenous to Missouri. Rich and full-flavored, the black walnut holds its own when blended into creamy caramel, then topped with a complex ganache. Askinosie Chocolate, based in Springfield, Mo., makes chocolate the way it should be, without additives or fillers and sourcing the beans directly from cacao farmers worldwide. St. Louis’ Kakao Chocolate makes the intoxicating Big Squeal, a chocolate-covered bacon and pecan brittle. Gilding the chocolate lily, perhaps? Why yes, yes we are.

Serves | 12 | Crust

2½ cups 2 sticks

1 tsp 1 Tbsp

all-purpose flour unsalted butter, chilled, and cut into 1-inch pieces salt granulated white sugar

ice water, or less depending on dough

½ cup

Black Walnut-Caramel Filling

1½ cups ¼ cup 1 stick ½ cup 2½ cups

sugar water butter cream Missouri black walnuts, coarsely chopped (there should be large chunks) salt to taste

Ganache

8 oz

1 cup

finely chopped Askinosie Del Tambo 70% Dark Chocolate heavy cream

GARNISH

2-oz bag

Kakao Chocolate’s Big Squeal brittle, coarsely chopped Askinosie chocolate shards

| Preparation – Crust | In a large bowl or food processor, blend flour, butter, salt and sugar until the mixture resembles coarse pea-sized meal. Be careful not to over-mix. Add ¼ cup ice water and process.

Dough is sufficiently hydrated when it stays together when pinched. Add water as necessary to get to this stage. Form the dough into a disk. Dust the dough with flour and chill, wrapped in plastic, for 1 hour.

Preheat oven to 400°F. Roll out dough to fit tart pan with removable bottom. Press dough evenly into tart pan. Trim the top edge. Place parchment paper or aluminum foil onto surface of dough and fill to the top with pastry weights or dried beans. Bake 20 to 25 minutes, until golden brown. Let cool. This recipe makes two 9-inch crusts; freeze the second to have on hand the next time you bake.

Scan the Microsoft Tag

to watch Chaumette chef Adam Lambay make coq au vin with the winery’s Chambourcin.

Visit http://gettag.mobi from the browser in your smart phone, install the free Microsoft Tag Reader app, and you’re ready to go. Or, you can watch the video in the “Watch & Listen” section at feastSTL.com.

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| Preparation – Black Walnut-Caramel Filling | Place sugar and water in a heavy 6- or 8-inch saucepan or deep skillet over medium heat. Cook, gently shaking pan occasionally, until sugar melts. Continue to cook, stirring occasionally and scraping sides with a heatproof spatula, until mixture turns a deep amber color.

Reduce heat to low and carefully add butter and cream. This will splatter, so be very careful. Cook, stirring constantly, until butter melts and mixture is blended evenly. Stir in walnuts and a large pinch of salt, then pour into crust. Allow tart to cool before topping with ganache.

| Preparation – Ganache | Place chopped chocolate in medium mixing bowl. In a small saucepan, bring cream to a boil over high heat (watch that it does not boil over) and pour over chocolate. Wait a few minutes to allow cream to melt chocolate, then blend well. Pour warm ganache over cooled tart. Allow ganache to set in refrigerator, approximately 1 hour.

| To Serve | Cut tart into 12 wedges. Place each wedge onto an individual plate, sprinkle with chopped shards of Big Squeal and grated Askinosie chocolate.

COURSE 6 Baetje Farms Cherbourg with Joy Stinger Honeycomb and Fresh Pears To finish this locavore feast, check out Baetje Farms’ Cherbourg. Made in the style of an Italian Taleggio, this washed-rind goat cheese has a wonderful earthy richness, without the tell-tale goat “musk” that some dislike. Paired with honeycomb from Joy Stinger’s bees and fresh, late-season pears, your palate is satiated with a final sweet and salty balance.

Serves | 8 |

3

1pkg 12 oz

1

ripe, fresh pears Joy Stinger Honeycomb Baetje Farms Cherbourg cheese, at room temperature crispy baguette

| Preparation | Halve pears lengthwise and use a melon baller to remove seed pods. Slice lengthwise into ¼-inchwide slices. On 8 individual plates, fan ½ pear, add 2 Tbsp (more or less to taste) crumbled honeycomb and a 1½-oz wedge of cheese. Place baguette on the table and allow guests to break pieces off as they desire.

WINE PAIRING Montelle Winery Cynthiana Port 2005, Augusta, Mo. Cynthiana produces excellent port-style wines due to the grapes’ late ripening tendency, high sugar levels at harvest and characteristic boldness in body and flavors. These traits yield natural residual sugar after initial fermentation and lend themselves to long-term aging of 10 years or longer. Though caramel desserts bring tawny ports to mind, Montelle Winery’s 2005 Cynthiana Port was a slam-dunk for this pairing, as the dark chocolate component outweighs the caramel in emphasis and this mid-weight vintage port exhibits more dried than ripe fruit characteristics.

WINE PAIRING Stone Hill Winery 2009 Vignoles, Hermann, Mo. Winemakers and Missouri wine enthusiasts alike adore Vignoles because of its versatility and pleasant, aromatic profile of flowers and tropical and stone fruits. Arguably the most highly revered French-American hybrid, Vignoles is likened to fine German wines and can be produced in dry to sweet styles. Stone Hill’s 2009 Vignoles’ somewhat sweet, crisp and luscious profile of honeysuckle, ripe white peaches and strawberries complements the subtle flavors and soft textures of Baetje Farms’ slightly salty, moderately creamy Cherbourg.

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redesign Just in Time written by Brandi Wills

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|

photography by Ashley Gieseking

With holiday dinner parties right around the corner, we asked Jay Eiler of Niche Home Furnishings to give us his step-by-step guide to a quick and easy dining room redesign.

Step 1: The Table The table is where all the action happens, so this is your starting point. Analyze your space and your number of guests, and choose a table that will seat everyone comfortably with plenty of room for serving dishes to be beautifully presented. “The food is the guest of honor,” Eiler says. “Don’t overlook its place at the table.”

Step 2: The Chairs Eiler creates visual interest by contrasting the contemporary, stone-top table with traditional-style chairs, which are given a modern feel when covered with orange leather. “I’m also a big fan of mixing and matching different styles of chairs in one setting,” he says. “It’s fun to choose some elaborate ‘his and hers’ chairs and pair them with simple guest chairs. It creates a subtle sense of formality without being too serious.”

Step 3: Lighting No chandelier? No problem. Eiler creates eclectic lighting by pairing low-wattage accent lamps with a simple and sophisticated candle display. The varying heights of the candles lend visual interest to the tabletop, while clear holders avoid blocking the view of guests during conversation. When it comes to choosing candles (as well as flowers), Eiler suggests unscented versions that won’t interfere with the flavors and aromas of dinner.

Step 4: THE Buffet The similar tone and dissimilar texture of the shell-top buffet help it to complement the dining table while allowing it to maintain a unique presence in the room’s design.

“Buffets are a great way to continue the colors and textures from the table throughout the room, while at the same time creating a place for excessive serving dishes and wine bottles,” Eiler says. “They help keep the dining table free of clutter.”

Step 5: TabletoP DESIGN Eiler recommends starting with classic white dinnerware for its versatility and superior food presentation. “From there, it’s all about layering,” he says. In this display, Eiler has layered varying textures and neutral tones on top of each other to build a rich display, adding color through simple, sparse florals. “Everything doesn’t have to match,” he ONLINE says. “You can take a stroll through your home and find vases, candleholders and other accents that will mix exCLUSIVE and match nicely. Simply pair them based on color or texture, and you can’t go wrong.” check it out!

Visit feastSTL.com for a step-by-step video of how to create a beautiful place setting.

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kidding around at Written by Barbara

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E. StefĂ no |

photography by Greg Ran

nells

Baetje Farms

Baetje Farms (pronounced BAY-jee) sits about 45 minutes south of Downtown St. Louis in tiny Bloomsdale, just minutes from the quaint wineries sprinkled about Ste. Genevieve. The town’s population barely cracks 400, if you don’t count Steve and Veronica Baetje’s 74 goats.

It is here that the couple creates their artisan farmstead goat cheeses, which register high on the radar of St. Louis foodies. Handcrafting cheese in Old World style, the Mennonite couple pours their prayers and passions into every step of the cheesemaking process.

“I just love the goats and the whole life cycle,” Veronica says. “I love the process of making something from the milk. It’s kind of a miracle. Everything

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has to be just right, but when it’s right you get something completely different from what you started with.”

The Baetjes’ schedule is nothing short of brutal.

Steve’s day begins before the day begins: He’s up by 3:15 or 3:30 on weekday mornings to sanitize equipment, milk about 50 goats and do as many odds and ends as possible before sunlight ever kisses the horizon.

to load before long hours of selling. Steve attends the markets with help from friends and family, while Veronica stays behind to work in the plant and barn until late in the evening.

The two wrap up the workday between 11 and 11:45pm most nights.

Veronica is the heart and brains of the cheese facility, spending long hours making fresh cheeses, washing and turning the aged varieties by hand, wrapping and packaging cheese for sale and conceiving and testing new recipes.

Weekends are a different animal entirely. The two rise at 1:15am on Saturdays so they can milk and sanitize before heading off to deliver cheese to local stores, restaurants and wineries, and then to several farmers’ markets. Sunday is the Baetjes’ day of rest and worship. They work a “light” schedule – usually less than eight hours with a long break for midday worship – and are done with chores by dinner time.

The Baetjes take their cheeses to a number of farmers’ markets in the St. Louis area several afternoons each week, which means there’s cheese to package and refrigerate and a truck

One full-time employee, LaVonne Leach, helps Veronica in the plant, while part-timer Alane Burch assists with sales and marketing. But Veronica dismisses the prospect of handing off

Veronica is the h eart and brains of the cheese fac ility...

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, and we love it.” k r o w r u o in r e “We’re togeth

duties, even for a week or two. “We’re OK with not having a vacation. Our schedule is so complicated and there are so many responsibilities; it’s too much to learn. It’s just better for me not to go.”

Their hectic schedule leaves little “couple time.” When they do sit still, Steve says exhaustion swiftly carries them off to sleep. But their work is rewarding, and life is satisfying.

“We’re together in our work, and we love it,” says Veronica.

“This is our lives.”

Judging by the awards Baetje Farms has racked up in

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recent years, lots of tasters are feeling the love. The creamy, mild Coeur de la Crème fresh goat cheese, which the Baetjes shape into hearts and offer in several flavors and seasonal variations, made an impressive showing at the American Cheese Society’s 26th Annual Judging and Competition in August 2010, wining first-, second- and third-place recognition in flavored cheese categories.

Their Cherbourg and Fleur de la Vallee, a semi-soft aged cheese similar to Reblochon, garnered first and second place, respectively, in the goat’s milk open category.

Baetje Farms performed just as well in the 2008 and 2009 American Dairy Goat Association competitions.

Caring for the goat herd is the Baetjes’ priority number one. They take great pains to ensure their Saannen goats get nutritious feed. “Whatever you’re doing, it’s going to show up in the milk,” says Veronica.

A natural spring on the property provides an unlimited supply of fresh water. Chow consists of a blend of alfalfa hay, whole oats, grains, corn, brome, sunflower seeds and soybean meal, with molasses and minerals added to the mix. Black walnuts are added to the goats’ water to stave off worms naturally. Much like with humans, warm herbal tea soothes the jangled nerves of hormonal females

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during pregnancy and is a favorite indulgence for them.

The goats’ natural fall breeding patterns and five-month gestation put the birth of the kids right around Valentine’s Day. Throughout January and February, when the seasonal cheese business is down, the couple must constantly tend to the pregnant females. The Baetjes use a baby monitor to listen for the bleating of goats in labor and rush to the barn with each delivery. Most kids are born within just a few weeks of each other. “When babies are coming, sometimes we’re [in the barn] 24 hours a day,” Steve says.

Last February Steve and Veronica ushered 96 kids into the world. They kept 13 for future breeding and milking and sold the rest. Each mature female is milked approximately every 12 hours and produces one-half to one gallon of milk per day, largely depending on her age.

Originally from Oakville, Steve and Veronica married and moved to Waterloo, Ill., in 1991 and have made enormous changes in their lives in the years since. One was the clearly wise decision to go into artisan cheesemaking.

When a back injury sidelined Steve from his construction job about 10 years ago, he and Veronica began learning the craft together and producing their first cheeses.

“Steve’s dad was really skeptical, because it was a lot of hard work,” Veronica says.

By early September 2007, Baetje Farms was licensed and the plant opened. Two days later the Baetjes debuted their cheese at the National Norton Wine Festival at the Missouri History Museum. Baetje Farms started the first festival day with 96 packages of Coeur de la Crème and left with only 20. “After that day, Dad finally admitted we weren’t crazy,” says Steve.

Join chef-instructor Matt Borchardt and FEAST publisher Catherine Neville for a Baetje Farms cheese-centric cooking demo on Wed., Oct. 13 at 6:30pm. Call 314.587.2433 to reserve your space today!

Baetje Farms Cheeses: Coeur de la Crème This award-winning fresh goat cheese is similar in flavor to ricotta, and can be enjoyed on bagels or crackers, or used in many recipes that call for ricotta or cream cheese. The cheese is sold plain, as well as in several herbed and fruited flavors, including garlic and chives, Herbs de Provence, dill and three-pepper varieties. Seasonal variations include cranberry and orange, pumpkin walnut, chocolateraspberry truffle and cranberry and cinnamon. Steve Baetje suggests crumbling plain or herb flavors on pasta or mixing it right into the dough. Chocolate-raspberry truffle can be piped into fresh raspberries for a healthy dessert.

Coeur de Clos Inspired by Camembert, the Coeur de Clos is a softripened cheese that becomes softer and takes on more character over its two-month aging process. Made in

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both pasteurized and raw milk forms, it’s delicious with fresh fruit, crusty bread or sausage, and a welcome addition anywhere a shmear of funky, earthy flavor is desired.

Fleur de la Vallee Made with raw milk and similar to a Reblochon, this washed-rind cheese is pressed and aged three to eight months. Veronica hand washes and turns each small wheel until the rind turns the soft yellow color of a freshly baked angel food cake. The firm cheese is aromatic and versatile, as much at home on an apple slice as grated atop pasta.

Sainte Genevieve The American Dairy Goat Association honored it with Best in Show at its 2008 national competition. Inspired by French Chaource, the soft, buttery mold-ripened cheese has a tangy, almost buttermilk-like flavor and earthy undertones. Serve on steamed veggies in place of butter for a zippy twist.

Bloomsdale The Bloomsdale variety took second place in the ADGA competition the same year. Based on a Valencay, the moldripened cheese is rolled in ash and salt prior to ripening.

It softens as it ages, ultimately becoming nearly runny in texture and acquiring a sharp flavor similar to blue cheese.

The gooey inside can be blended into a favorite sauce or drizzled all by itself on a grilled steak.

French-style Brie A goat milk version of traditional Brie, Baetje’s Frenchstyle is delightfully creamy. Steve recommends baking it at 350°F, covered with maple syrup and chopped walnuts, served warm with breads and crackers. It’s also scrumptious with your favorite jam or fruit chutney.

Cherbourg A washed-rind, aged cheese, Cherbourg is modeled after an Italian Taleggio. It’s mild, extremely smooth and pairs wonderfully with fruit or honey, like the final course of our wine-country dinner party on page 55.

Thibodeaux As of September 2010, Veronica had plans to debut a new cheese – a raw milk, Alpine-style cheese – at the Best of Missouri Market, October 2 and 3. Enjoy it on a sandwich, melted on bread or on a casserole, or in place of Swiss in a favorite family recipe.

The Baetjes and local chefs share their recipes featuring Baetje Farms cheeses at feastSTL.com.

check it out!

Feast extra

s are available Baetje Farms cheese ber at a number of March through Decem Maplewood, rkets in including: farmers’ ma venues in the region, e, Kirkwood and rd, Clayton, Tower Grov Webster Groves, Soula ille and Chaumette nevieve, Cave, Charlev Downtown; Sainte Ge ry, Straub’s, me, Local Harvest Groce wineries; Winslow’s Ho d several area ne & Cheese Place; an Schnucks, and The Wi refront. rms does not have a sto restaurants. Baetje Fa

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Interact with

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Find FEAST on Facebook Join the growing FEAST community on Facebook at facebook.com/feaststl for recipes and cooking demos by top local chefs and behind-the-scenes photos of our staff and contributors at work on the magazine and around town.

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Subscribe to FEAST’s Get exclusive recipes from local chefs, online-extra content, invites to FEAST events and more in our weekly e-newsletter.

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t a h t s dishe

It’s a whole-grain food. It’s low in calories, low in fat, high in fiber, ridiculously cheap and astonishingly versatile.

Yet with all that going for it, how is it that popcorn is almost exclusively branded as moviegoers’ graze of choice, shoveled into cardboard buckets and drenched in butter-like chemicals?

Resourceful chefs are thinking beyond the microwave and experimenting with popcorn in their cooking, whether as a playful garnish for a soup or salad, or an integral ingredient in entrées and accompaniments. written by Russ Carr | photography by Carmen Troesser

Sticky Caramel Cake with Caramel Popcorn Clusters

By Mathew Rice, pastry chef

Rice recommends using an air popper rather than popping corn on the stove top. Otherwise, unbuttered and unsalted microwave popcorn is his next choice.

Serves | 8 to 10 | POPCORN

16 cups popped popcorn

12/3 cups granulated sugar

1/8 tsp white vinegar ½ cup water

2½ Tbsp unsalted butter

1 tsp baking soda 1½ tsp sea salt

cAKE

2/3 cup crème fraîche

2 large eggs

2 large egg yolks

4 tsp vanilla extract

1¾ cup all-purpose flour

¼ cup finely ground cornmeal 1 cup light brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

½ tsp salt

1½ sticks softened unsalted butter caramel sauce

2 cups granulated sugar

½ cup water

¾ cup heavy cream, warmed

½ Tbsp sea salt

| Preparation – Popcorn | Place popcorn in a greased mixing bowl. Combine the sugar, vinegar, water and butter in a saucepan without stirring. Make sure all the sugar is moistened. It should look like wet sand.

Cook until light to medium amber, remove from heat and carefully whisk in the baking soda and sea salt. Immediately pour over the popcorn and use a spatula to mix all the caramel into the popcorn. Store in an airtight container until ready to use. | Preparation – Cake | Preheat oven to 325°F. Grease an 8-inch round baking pan.

In a small bowl, stir together the crème fraîche, eggs, egg yolks and vanilla. Using a mixer fitted with paddle attachment, mix together flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking soda, baking powder and salt. Add butter and a spoonful of crème fraîche mixture and mix on medium speed until flour is moistened.

Increase speed and beat for 30 seconds.

Add remaining crème fraîche mixture in two batches, beating for 20 seconds after each addition, and scraping down the sides of bowl with a spatula. Bake until set and a toothpick inserted into the middle comes out clean. Invert onto a serving plate, and allow to cool for 30 minutes.

| Preparation – Caramel Sauce | Combine sugar and water without stirring in a saucepan. Cook without stirring until sugar becomes medium amber in color. Carefully drizzle in the heavy cream, a little at a time, and whisk until combined. Whisk in sea salt. | To Serve | Spoon warm caramel sauce over the surface of the cake and garnish with clusters of caramel popcorn.

Wasabi-Popcorn Sea Scallops

By Kathy Schmidt, Steven Becker Fine Dining

Chef Schmidt recommends Black Jewell popcorn, very thin, hulled popcorn from Southern Illinois. Black Jewell popcorn, as well as the Spanish eucalyptus honey, are available at Straub’s. The Salish sea salt is available in the seafood departments at Schnucks and Dierberg’s.

Serves | 8 |

4 Tbsp butter 1 tsp red pepper flakes

3 Tbsp brown sugar

½ cup Spanish eucalyptus honey

1 tsp Salish alderwood smoked black sea salt 6 cups popped popcorn 2 tsp finely chopped red onion

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped 4 cups chicken stock 1 cup stone-ground cornmeal

1 cup shredded Vermont white Cheddar cheese

1 cup wasabi peas

¼ cup flour

Sorghum Glaze

8 sea scallops, patted dry

1 chicken carcass, plus neck and wings

2 large eggs, beaten

1 small carrot, peeled and chopped

1 handful arugula

2 cups balsamic vinegar, reduced to a syrup

1 Tbsp cooking oil

2 stalks celery, chopped 1 small onion, chopped

10 cloves garlic

| Preparation | Preheat oven to 250°F. In small saucepan, place butter, red pepper flakes, brown sugar, honey and smoked sea salt and simmer on low about 5 minutes. Toss 4 cups of popcorn with honey syrup and bake for 30 minutes, stirring halfway through. Pour hot popcorn into a bowl and let cool, stirring every few minutes. Store in airtight container.

Cut a round out of polenta using a small biscuit cutter. Fry in oil until golden on both sides. Drain on paper towel, and keep warm. Wilt a handful of arugula in a little oil in a skillet, season with salt and pepper.

| To Serve | Top polenta cake with arugula and scallop. Sprinkle with popcorn and drizzle with balsamic reduction.

OCTOBER 2010

Serves | 4 |

Preheat oven to 350°F. In a food processor, combine wasabi peas, 1 cup of popcorn, flour, salt and pepper. Process until ingredients resemble coarse meal. Dredge each scallop in well-beaten egg, then in wasabi-popcorn mixture. Sauté on each side until golden brown and let rest for 1 to 2 minutes.

Finish scallops in oven for approximately 5 minutes.

feastSTL.com

By Gerard Craft, Niche

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Sauté onion and garlic in a little oil. Add stock and bring to a boil. Slowly add cornmeal, stirring constantly until smooth.

Cook 5 to 8 minutes. Add cheese and fold in 1 cup of popcorn.

Line a bread pan with parchment paper, pour hot polenta in the pan and refrigerate until set.

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Chicken with Popcorn Purée

¼ cup tomato paste

cold water

1 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp sorghum syrup

2 Tbsp lemon juice

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste Popcorn PurÉe

8 cups popped popcorn

1 + ¼ cup heavy cream

3 cups water 4 oz butter

6 strands saffron salt, to taste Roasted Chicken

1 local chicken, deboned

salt and freshly ground black pepper

Fig Salad

1 Tbsp

3 Tbsp 1 handful 1 pinch

6 1 handful

fresh lemon juice high-quality, peppery olive oil arugula salt soft figs, cut into quarters sorghum seeds, optional

Just before serving, warm ¼ cup cream and saffron in a pot and then add the popcorn mixture and warm them together.

Add this mixture to a blender and purée until silky smooth.

Season with salt to taste.

| Preparation – Roasted Chicken | Preheat oven to 500°F. Season the chicken in and out with salt and pepper. In a hot frying pan, cook skin-side down over medium-high heat until golden. Place in an ovenproof pan, skin-side down, and cook until the chicken registers 160°F. Transfer to a plate, preferably on a rack, and allow to rest for at least 5 minutes.

Cut each piece of the chicken in half so that everybody gets a piece of white and dark meat. | Preparation – Fig Salad | Mix together lemon juice and olive oil. In a bowl toss together a good handful of arugula, salt and figs. Drizzle with lemon vinaigrette to taste. | To Serve | Place a heaping spoonful of popcorn purée on the

| Preparation – Sorghum Glaze | In a medium sauce pan, heat cooking oil over medium-high and add chicken pieces.

Stir until chicken is golden brown. Add carrot through garlic to the pan and continue to cook until the onions are also golden brown. Add tomato paste and continue cooking, stirring continuously, for approximately 4 minutes. Cover with cold water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer 1 to 2 hours. When mixture starts to thicken, strain it through a sieve or china cap into a small sauce pot. At this point, add butter, sorghum syrup, lemon, salt and pepper. | Preparation – Popcorn Purée | Place popcorn, 1 cup cream, water and butter in a pot and simmer for approximately 30 minutes, or until the mixture starts to become thick.

Strain through a sieve or china cap, using a ladle to push as much through as possible. At this stage the mixture should resemble polenta. Reserve this mixture up to 2 days.

plate and top with the chicken. Drizzle spoonful of sorghum glaze over the chicken and place some fig salad on the side.

Garnish with sorghum seeds popped in an air popper.

Mac ‘n’ Cheese Gratin

pictured on page 73

By Robin Murphy, Bridge Tap House and Wine Bar

Serves | 6 |

2 cups cavatappi pasta or elbow macaroni, cooked 1 medium red onion, diced

1 Tbsp minced garlic

2 Tbsp olive oil

2 cups Cheddar cheese, shredded

3 cups small curd cottage cheese

dry mustard kosher salt freshly ground black pepper cayenne pepper popped popcorn butter, melted kosher salt white pepper chiffonade of basil for garnish

| Preparation | Preheat oven to 350°F. Sauté onion and garlic in olive oil over medium heat until translucent. Set aside in a large bowl. Use the same pan to sauté diced tomato and cook until much of the moisture has been removed. Add the ham and cook until a hint of color is added. Remove from the heat and set aside with the onions and garlic.

In a large bowl combine cheeses, sour cream, milk, dry mustard, salt, pepper and cayenne. Add cooked onion mixture and stir well. Pour the drained, hot macaroni into the cheese-onion mixture and stir until well blended. Transfer to a 9x13-inch baking dish.

Put the popcorn in a large bowl and crush it slightly with the back of a spoon or tenderizer. You can also pulse it lightly in a food processor. Drizzle melted butter over the popcorn, add salt and white pepper; toss to coat.

Sprinkle popcorn topping over the pasta mixture and bake 30 to 35 minutes, or until the top is golden brown. Garnish with the chiffonade of basil and serve immediately. ©iStockphoto.com/cortezjagger - popcorn vector art illustrations

1 medium tomato, diced 4 oz deli ham, minced

1 tsp

½ tsp

¼ tsp

¼ tsp

4 cups

1/3 cup

¼ tsp

¼ tsp

1 cup sour cream ½ cup milk

check it out!

Feast extra

For more popcorn recipes from local chefs visit feastSTL.com.

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PS

JOIN PHOTOGRAPHY by Greg Rannells

PHOTOGRAPHY by Rob Grimm

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US!

Don’t miss your chance to interact directly with these professionals and mingle with your fellow food lovers.

Cooking Demo Wed., Oct. 13 6:30pm L’Ecole Culinaire 314.587.2433

Chef Matt Borchardt will teach you the tricks for cooking with Baetje cheeses at this multi-course demonstration class. He’ll show you how to make (and you’ll get to eat) perfect cheese-filled fresh ravioli, beet and goat cheese salad, a savory pancetta-leek frittata topped with warm goat cheese and prosciutto-wrapped dates stuffed with cheese and baked in a spicy tomato sauce.

Wine Tasting Thu., Oct. 21 6pm Wapango Restaurant rsvp@stlwinegirl.com

Enjoy a complimentary wine tasting at Wapango with columnist Angela Ortmann. Nibble on Wapango’s Pan-Latin cuisine while Angela leads you through a tasting based on her October On the Shelf picks. Tasting notes will also be provided.

Hands-on Cooking Class Wed., Oct. 27 6pm Schnucks Cooks Cooking School schnuckscooks.com or 314.909.1704

Feast on Oktoberfest favorites at this hands-on class led by the accomplished Schnucks Cooks team. Roll up your sleeves and make weiner schnitzel, spätzle, sweet-sour green beans and a rich Black Forest torte. Then sit down with your fellow classmates and dig in!

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pull up a chair

THE WYNN LADDERBACK CHAIR written by brandi Wills

The iconic American ladderback chair design was inspired by traditional European Windsor chairs and given a makeover in the Shaker style. The austere and simple lines of the Wynn Ladderback are accented by a scooped, contoured seat and offered in both armchair and side chair versions in six colors.

$229-299; Pottery Barn, multiple locations, potterybarn.com

Three complementary tables, available at local stores:

Graham Dining Table

“With a nod to the Shaker tradition, our Graham table is a contemporary interpretation of classic styling. Constructed with a solid sheesham top and cast aluminum legs, the Graham table will complement existing decor or become the focal point of your dining space.”

Frank Hasper, Store Manager $1,199; Crate & Barrel, 1 The Boulevard, Richmond Heights, crateandbarrel.com

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Benchwright Extending Dining Table

“The Benchwright Table is expertly crafted of hardwood that is weathered and accented with grooves and saw marks for a rustic look that pairs well with the Wynn Ladderback chair. Its similar depth and dimension to the chair creates a comfortable feel, and it looks especially stunning paired with Wynn in the chestnut finish.”

Beacon Dining Table

“I selected this table because of its rustic appeal. The detail on the slim, steel-legged base, along with the reclaimed fir top, make for an interesting addition to any dining space, particularly when combined with the Wynn Ladderback in red. With seating for up to eight and casters for easy mobility, the Beacon is an obvious choice.”

Michael Bohler, Assistant Manager

Ardra M. Bradley, Designer

$1,969; Pottery Barn, multiple locations, potterybarn.com

$599; I.O. Metro, 11 The Boulevard, Richmond Heights, io-metro.com