Intermezzo #30

SPECIAL ISSUE: COMFORT FOODS OF ITALY, IRELAND, JAPAN, RUSSIA ROSEANN TULLY’S

INTERNATIONAL COMFORTS including over 40 great recipes

Cheeses of IRELAND Rice Desserts!

Beautiful BELIZE Vegetables of KYOTO

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Shrimp, TUSCAN Style Tastes of NORWAY

PLUS: Discovering the Flavors of RUSSIA1

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contents Issue 30

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on the cover 44 A well-stocked pantry can be a great source of inspiration with recipes for rice treats like Amaretto Arborio Rice Pudding, Coconut Rice Tart and Sticky Rice with Passion Fruit, Pineapple and Mandarin Oranges.

This page, top: Scott Goodwin; middle: courtesy of Blackberry Farm; bottom; Joe Lieberman

features EATING AT THE FARMSTEADS 14

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For a handful of restaurants, farm-to-table is as close as their back yards. We journey to North Carolina’s Biltmore, Tennessee’s Blackberry Farm, and Maryland’s Fair Hill Inn to discover the glory of what can happen when you “grow your own.”

THE GREATEST ESCAPE 30 Getting away from it all is even more exquisite when you rent your own private island off the coast of Belize.

KYOTO TREASURE 50 44

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Buddhists of Japan have long relied on the traditional vegetables of Kyoto for nourishment. We travel to Japan to see how four of the Kyo-yasai are grown, and how to use these green peppers, eggplants, green onions and pumpkins at home.

NEW YORK’S NORDIC WAY 58 76

New Nordic cuisine is one of the world’s great food trends, but you need not travel to Scandinavia to experience it. It actually thrives in the purposeful dedication of Norwegian chef and restaurateur, Morten Solhberg, in New York City.

A BALTIC CRUISE...TO RUSSIA 76 Like others of his generation, Joe Lieberman’s earliest impressions of Russia were molded by action-packed Soviet-era spy films. But a cruise to Russia opened his eyes to a great way to travel…and eat…throughout this amazing country.

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columns 24 INGREDIENT Shrimp: Our guide to buying and cooking this perfect yearround food. Try your hand at Baked Stuffed Colossal Shrimp, Shrimp and Zucchini Linguini, or a stunning Shrimp and Mussel Salad.

38 VEGETARIANVegetarian Comfort: Soul-satisfying Tuscan Bread Soup, Artichoke Stew with Peas, Chocolate Macaroons and more are on the menu.

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43 TABLETOP NEW! Salt & Pepper: Cool ways to showcase tiny condiments. All you need are the right bowls and a beautiful spoon.

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66 INTERMEZZO HOME Your Style, in Spanish Tile: While the thought of Valencia might conjure the smell of sweet oranges or the taste of an expertlysimmered paella, those who have recently remodeled a bathroom or a kitchen might also be well acquainted with another of this Spanish province’s defining products: clay.

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70 CHEESES OF THE WORLD Celtic Pride: Artisanal cheese is the gold at the end of Ireland’s culinary rainbow. Irish cheesemongers and chefs share their favorite recipes.

86 WINE & SPIRITS Artisanal Bubbles: With a rich palate of flavors and aromas, artisanal “Grower Champagnes” are generating a new buzz in the wine world.

90 DRINKS An Irish Toast: Making Irish coffee requires more than adding some Irish whiskey to leftover brew. The technique is as important as the ingredients. Ireland’s K Club in Strafan, Country Kildare, shows us how.

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This page, top: Scott Goodwin; middle: Morton Sohlberg; bottom: Marylou Crowley

84 TOQUE TALK NEW! Chef Profile: Patrick Turcot, Executive Chef at the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu in Charlevoix, Quebec, Canada, has traversed the continent with his culinary flair. But for him, there’s no place like home or, more precisely, the heart of the Charlevoix Food Trail, about an hour from where he grew up.

departments 4 from the editor 5 REVIEWS Books, Music & Movies 6 CONTRIBUTORS 8 INTERMEZZO ENTERTAINS Our Fine Dining cooking classes for 2014 9 the first course A First Look at the Finest in Food, Wine, Home & Travel

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29 intermezzo marketplace Back Issues of Intermezzo

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Clockwise from top: Becky Sue Epstein, Maja Pecanic, Marylou Crowley, Marylou Crowley, Porcelanosa, Scott Goodwin, Marylou Crowley.

93 recipe index From Our Kitchen to Yours 96 finale

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Cover: Photograph by Scott Goodwin. Intermezzo is published by T.F. Associates, Inc., 17 Heritage Drive, Lexington MA 02420 U.S.A. Phone: 781-665-7717 www.intermezzomagazine.com.

Like us on Facebook for daily updates and recipes: www.facebook.com/IntermezzoMagazine Intermezzo

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from the editor

I finally understand why some of my Italian grandmother’s generation (immigrants from Europe) covered their beautiful lace tablecloths (and even dining room chairs) with clear plastic.

They had husbands and brothers like mine.

I was reminded of this recently when my sister, brother and brother-in-law all gathered with my family for dinner at my sister’s house. We had just lost three parents between us and this was the first dinner we had shared together in months.

My sister and I had discovered beautiful linen tablecloths and matching napkins, immaculate and pressed, among my mother’s things. They clearly had been my grandmother’s, but my mother had never used them.

Now I know why. They were too much work.

My sister decided that she would use them for our upcoming dinner. Her table looked amazing, with crystal glasses shimmering alongside heirloom china pieces and silverware.

We told the men “Don’t spill red wine on this tablecloth!” I now know this was the worst instruction I could have given. Within five seconds, one of them had spilled while pouring. My sister and I gasped, ran for club soda and salt. Warned the guys again. Within another ten minutes, someone else had spilled. This time my brother proudly dove to mop it up…with one of the heirloom napkins, now also destroyed.

When I saw my husband moving his dinner plate to cover the cranberry sauce he had spilled, I lost it.

We all just burst out laughing. These heirlooms had lasted over seventy years without a mark, but we had christened them the very first time we used them. We felt so guilty, yet somehow that tablecloth bound us even closer together now.

The memories of that meal will last the rest of our lives. But we may be looking for some clear plastic before our next Sunday meal together.

Roseann Tully, CEO & Founder rtully@intermezzomagazine.com

Follow me on Twitter @RoseannTully 6

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reviews

books, music & movies

by margaret cummings tully

A Year in Burgundy

movie

Directed and written by David Kennard Film Buff This delightful documentary from David Kennard asks, "Where does a great wine come from?"

Clearly, it comes from the heart of the winemaker. A Year in Burgundy follows a year in the lives of several of the world's finest wines from season to season, from vine to table. It is also a year in the lives of the winemakers, who speak of their deep connections to the grapes they nurture and to the wine they coddle, sounding often like expectant parents waiting for the birth of a child who will be perfect and unique. The region of Burgundy is portrayed in all of its beauty and sumptuous, changing palettes, and the depth of the passions of the human characters make this a truly captivating and surprisingly emotional experience.

Somm Directed by Jason Wise Samuel Goldwyn Films

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Master Sommelier. It is a title earned by an elite few who have passed a grueling exam. Yes, there is an exam (not unlike medical boards), for which a hopeful must know everything about wine. Everything. Since 1969, it has been given just once a year, and only 211 in its history have been allowed to call themselves Masters. Somm gives the viewer the chance to see four young candidates prepare, in the final weeks, for what is the most difficult and important test of their lives. Friends bound by their dream, they sip, spit and Skype together in support, knowing the odds are against them. The film also includes interviews with Master Sommeliers, including America’s Fred Dame, who gives additional insight to the meaning of the exam and the depth of “somm” knowledge and passion. Who will pass, and who will have to wait and prepare another year?

Hey Bartender Directed by Douglas Tirola 4th Row Films

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"Craft bartending is back." So says “Cocktail King” and author of The Craft of the Cocktail, Dale Degroff, one of the bar stars of Tirola's documentary. Prohibition sounded the death knell for America's cocktail culture, and bartending fell to what became perceived as an unskilled trade.

But recently, with influence from the likes of Jim Meehan, Julie Reiner and Dushan Zaric (also profiled and interviewed), the cocktail has been elevated to a culinary art, and bartenders are becoming the new rock stars alongside celebrity chefs. To underscore the point, Tirola goes behind the very sexy scene at New York's Employees Only to meet a young apprentice, an ex-marine seeking to redefine his life and attain the position of principal bartender, and at Dunville's, a Westport, Connecticut neighborhood bar feeling the changing cocktail tide, hoping to catch the ride. How do you tell your parents you want to be a bartender? You could show them this film to start.

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contributors

FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Tuscan-native SANDRA ROSY LOTTI is chef/owner of the Toscana Saporita Cooking School and has authored several cookbooks about authentic Tuscan cuisine. In 2006, Lotti hosted a week at the school dedicated to cooking and celebrating with breast cancer survivors and their families. It has become an annual event, and attendees go home not only with new recipes and new friends but also with Lotti’s zest for life. She believes there is a chef inside of everyone and invites all to join her in her favorite place…the kitchen.

MARIA SANCHEZ has a passion for all things sweet. She is the owner of Sweet Maria’s, an award-winning bakery in Waterbury, Connecticut and is the author of six cookbooks, most recently Small, Sweet and Italian (St. Martin’s Press).

maria sanchez

sandra rosy lotti

MAJA DANICA PECANIC is a Croatia-based food photographer and

stylist. Her work has been featured in Playboy, Elle and Sensa magazines, as well as over 20 cookbooks. She delights in composition in a defined format, with the interaction of light, shadow and color.

MICHELE KENNEDY’s artistic social commentaries, celebrating all the good things in life, show grace and humor with a sophisticated edge.

Michele’s work, now created in her Hyannis, Massachusetts studio at the Barnstable Municipal Airport, has been featured in Art and Antiques and American Artist magazines. scott goodwin has been shooting professionally for over twenty-five

years. From location to food to fashion, his photography and video finds its way to billboards, advertising, store displays and annual reports. In his spare time Scott shoots competitive skeet, scuba dives and is often seen fishing off the waters of Ipswich, Massachusetts.

MICHELE KENNEDY

Maja danica pecanic

Boston native JOSEPH A. LIEBERMAN spent much of the past two decades visiting over fifty countries on six continents, publishing over 600 articles, and writing eight books. After teaching Communications at colleges in Australia, England and Japan, he relocated to his current home in Oregon in 1999.

ELYSE GLICKMAN’s work as a food, wine and spirits writer spans the globe and has taken her to over thirty countries. In addition to writing for Intermezzo, she serves as the food/travel editor for Los Angeles-based executive lifestyle magazine C-Suite Quarterly. She is also a regular contributor to The Tasting Panel, Bar Business, Malibu Times, Whole Life Times and TRIBE/The Jewish Journal. The Chicago native is based in Los Angeles, and enjoys photography, cooking and yoga in her spare time.

JOSEPH A. LIEBERMAN

scott goodwin

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CHRISTINA PIRELLO is the Emmy Award-winning host of the PBS series Christina Cooks. Pirello has worked as a caterer, professional chef and pastry chef, but the pivotal point in her life came twenty years ago when she was diagnosed with terminal leukemia. Pirello decided to forego conventional medical therapies, turned to a nutritional approach and cured herself. For the past twenty years, she has been teaching whole foods cooking classes, conducting lifestyle seminars and lecturing on the power of food.

ROGER MORRIS has written about wine, food and travel for more than twenty-five years. He is a regular contributor to Wine Enthusiast, epicurious.com, Robb Report, Beverage Media and Sommelier News, among other publications. He also authored The Brandywine Book of the Seasons as well as The Brandywine Book of Food: Exploring the Culinary Landscape of Brandywine Valley’s Country Gardens, Bed-and-Breakfast Inns, Mushroom Barns, and Boutique Wineries (Storm Coast Press).

CHRISTINA PIRELLO

MARIAN GOLDBERG is a travel writer and marketer, specializing in

Asia. She previously served for 11 years as a public relations manager for the Japan National Tourism Organization. To date she has traveled to Japan 34 times, where she loves to eat.

roger morris

DANIELLE MARTÍNEZ is constantly on the lookout for the simple,

overlooked pleasures of life. She received her Master’s degree in journalism from the Harvard University Extension School, and her writing has been published in Talking Writing and The Politico Magazine.

She is based in Barcelona, Spain and Boston.

Marian goldberg

After several years of working in the fashion industry in Manhattan, ELLA MORRIS has returned to her roots as a photographer, painter and weaver in Chester County, Pennsylvania and on Martha’s Vineyard. She is the photographer of The Brandywine Book of Food: Exploring the Culinary Landscape of Brandywine Valley’s Country Gardens, Bed-and-Breakfast Inns, Mushroom Barns, and Boutique Wineries (Storm Coast Press).

DANIELLE MARTÍNEZ

Ronnie Campbell enjoys searching out the best in food, beverage

and hospitality with her family, whether it’s attending food, wine and film events and visiting restaurants throughout the world, or discovering that specialty grocer or producer right in her own back yard. She is President of The Burrell Group, Ltd., a specialty foods communications firm located in New York.

ella morris

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Roseann Tully’s

fine dining series

Join Intermezzo’s Roseann Tully for a 4-hour hands-on cooking class and luncheon in our Test Kitchen in Lexington, Massachusetts. Great for team building or a relaxing day off for you (and a friend)!

Photographs: Courtesy of Michelle Doucette

2014 CLASSES April 10

Dinner in Paris

May 1

Pie Camp!

May 15

Spectacular Seafood

June 5

Tapas Party

June 19

Dinner in Tuscany

Here’s what our students say about our classes: “Roseann makes it looks so easy; she shares great tips too.” E.S., Massachusetts “Highly recommend Roseann’s classes; this is my third class and I cannot wait for the next one.”

D.H., New Hampshire “We will reserve 6 spots for Dinner in Paris for our next team-building session.” M.C., Vermont

Gift certificates are available. For more information or to register, email rtully@intermezzomagazine.com or call 781-665-7717.

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the first course A FIRST LOOK AT THE FINEST IN FOOD, WINE, HOME & TRAVEL

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Life’s a bowl… of Marich We discovered Marich’s premium chocolates and just can’t get enough of their Chocolate Cherries–dried cherries in luscious milk chocolate, all dipped in a silky fruit confection. They’re a great pickme-up when fruit and chocolate cravings happen at the same time. And, as their packaging proclaims, they are “cheaper than therapy.” www.marich.com.

This page, top: Marylou Crowley

Intermezzo ingredient: black rice In ancient China, black rice was considered the finest grain and was served only to the Emperor. Often called purple or forbidden rice, it has a mild, nutty flavor and turns purple when cooked alone or with white rice. The best-known varieties are Indonesian black rice and Thai jasmine black rice, which are cooked as side dishes or used in puddings or bean cakes.

Black rice takes longer to cook than white rice, but it is so delicious it's worth the effort. Plan on forty to sixty minutes of cooking time, depending on how firm or chewy you like your rice. Cook it in a black or metal pan as it may stain ceramic or enameled cookware.

We love black rice: • Cooked with white rice as part of a colorful pilaf • As a side dish with roast pork tenderloin and dried cherries • Cooked with coconut milk for a sweet pudding.

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CEO AND FOUNDER Roseann Tully

Come see for yourself why

June 8 – 20, 2014 We will go to Lake Como, to Treviso for Prosecco and Grappa tasting, and to Parma for Prosciutto and Parmigiano-Reggiano tasting.

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SENIOR EDITOR Jessica Mueller

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Lead by Italian-born Nancy Ursinio-Howard, Ionian Jewel Tours offers a personal experience unlike any other. Umbria is blanketed with vineyards and olive groves, where you can experience the unique culture and immerse yourself in the food, history and art of this beautiful region.

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EXECUTIVE VICE PRESIDENT John Flint

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ART DIRECTOR Kenneth Paquette EXECUTIVE EDITOR Marylou Crowley SENIOR EDITOR, WINE & SPIRITS Becky Sue Epstein EDITOR, BOOKS & REVIEWS Margaret Cummings Tully HOME & STYLE EDITOR MaryBeth Stanley ASSOCIATE EDITOR Tara Medeiros ASSISTANT EDITOR Kimberly Kinnecom SENIOR CORRESPONDENT Denise Dubé CONTRIBUTORS Ronnie Campbell, Elyse Glickman, Marian Goldberg, Margaret M. Johnson, Joseph Lieberman, Sandra Rosy Lotti, Danielle Martínez, Roger Morris, Christina Pirello, Maria Sanchez PHOTOGRAPHY Marylou Crowley, Elyse Glickman, Scott Goodwin, Joseph Lieberman, Maja Pecanic, Ella Morris FOOD AND PROP STYLING Roseann Tully CONTRIBUTING ARTIST Michele Richard Kennedy U.S. ADVERTISING SALES 781-665-7717, advertising@intermezzomagazine.com CANADIAN SALES Josef Beranek 450-538-2468 DIRECTOR, LATIN AMERICA & CARIBBEAN Patricia Tully Martinez 787-406-8777 Brand names mentioned in this publication are trademarked by their respective companies.

No portion of this magazine may be reproduced in any manner without written permission from the Publisher.

Roseann Tully’s Intermezzo is published by T.F. Associates, Inc., 17 Heritage Drive, Lexington MA 02420 U.S.A. Telephone 781-665-7717. www.intermezzomagazine.com

Visit us on our Facebook page: Ionian Jewel Tours 12

Newsstand price per copy: $5.99 U.S. & Canada; $8.99 International. One year subscription price (6 issues): $23.00 U.S., $49.00 Canada, $79.00 International.

Printed in the U.S.A.

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the first course STANLEY INTERIOR DESIGN Residential and Commercial Design Services

Courtesy Doris Leslie Blau, Inc.

Custom window treatments, pillows, upholstery and slipcovers

Art afoot Finding the right carpet for your special space can be a challenge; there are just so many options.

Enter New York City’s Doris Leslie Blau, whose offerings of antique, modern or custom rugs will ensure you find the rug that is right for your space. Try a search on their website to check out your options. www.dorisleslieblau.com or find them at the Interior Design Building, 306 East 61st Street, New York, New York.

CONTACT: Phone: 339-222-4000 Email: stanleymbs@aol.com

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the first course

Take note!

Sturdier than a sticky note, more portable than a whiteboard: RE:writes Dry Erase Notes are the perfect solution for shopping and to-do lists, memos, phone numbers, menu planning or just scribbling a quick reminder to a family member. With a sticky surface that mimics thousands of tiny suction cups, RE:writes adhere to virtually any surface, and can be wiped clean and used again indefinitely. In a world of high-tech communication, it’s refreshingly tactile, simple and practical. Available in fifty color and size combinations; find RE:writes at drugstores, office supply stores and many other retailers. www.its-academic.com.

A great grater Italian cookware designer Alessi is known as one of the finest and most innovative contemporary cookware brands in the world. No surprise, then, that we found this gorgeous cheese grater on a recent trip to their home base in Italy. Grate hard cheese and scoop it up…all with the same beautiful tool.

Or just keep it on your counter as a piece of art.

Check out Alessi’s complete line at www.alessi.com.

This page, middle: Marylou Crowley; Opposite: Scott Goodwin

Food at your fingertips NUBAR has released a great line of vegan nail lacquers that are formaldehyde, (DBP) phthalate and tolulene-free, all paying tribute to favorite foods like Toasted Marshmallow, Peach Sherbet, Cupcake Magenta, Red Caviar, Candy Apple and more. Made in the U.S.A., they are a real treat for your fingers. Order online at www.bynubar.com or at your favorite salon.

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the first course Chocolate Tiles from Poco Dolce Our Publisher’s Pick this issue is the collection of Bittersweet Chocolate Tiles with Grey Sea Salt from Poco Dolce. Exquisite dark chocolate squares are enhanced by candied ginger, roasted almonds, Aztec chile, burnt caramel and more. We serve these hand-crafted squares with coffee, or as dessert on their own...to people we really, really like. www.pocodolce.com

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food discovery:

farmstead cuisine

EATING

at the Farmsteads For a handful of restaurants, farm-to-table is as close as their back yards. by roger morris

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photographs by ella morris

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“Farm to table” has by now become standard fare in many American restaurants, with menu entries describing in great detail which farmer, in what local town, produced the steak you’re cutting into, or grew those fresh salad greens you’ve been nibbling. But how many restaurants can say that most of their produce is grown just outside the dining room window or in the field across the creek?

TOP: caption caption caption caption caption caption; BOTTOM: caption caption caption caption caption caption.

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A few restaurants across the country have been innovative enough – and brave enough – to own and cultivate their own farms. They are not just small herb and tomato patches up on the roof, but ones that produce tons of fruits, vegetables, eggs, even meats, annually. They are still a somewhat rare phenomenon, and the designation they all embrace is “farmstead cuisine.”

Beyond that, their differences are almost as great as their similarities.

Biltmore, Asheville, North Carolina Homemade wines pair with homegrown produce.

“Biltmore has five restaurants that we provide produce for,” explains Eli Herman, the Field-to-Table Manager who runs the kitchen gardens of the famous 8,000-acre Vanderbilt estate, nestled in the Great Smoky Mountains of North Carolina. “We produce eighty to ninety percent of the vegetables the restaurants use. We communicate with the chefs on Tuesday what they will be getting on Thursday, which gives them time to make adjustments to their menus. That way, the chef just doesn’t have a thousand pounds of leeks show-

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ing up in his kitchen!”

Biltmore is truly an amazing place.

First, there is its history. Built in 1895 by famous industrialist George Vanderbilt, the estate has remained in the family through good times and bad, even serving for years as a dairy farm that supplied milk to Asheville. Today it is managed by president and CEO, Bill Cecil, a great-grandson of the original owner.

But history is only one of its attractions. There are fascinating tours of the mansion itself, acres of gorgeous flower and shrubbery gardens and natural and cultivated woodland plantings to explore, a fine hotel, various sporting activities, resources for conferences and educational sessions, an estate-branded line of home furnishings, eleven restaurants, the production farm – even a winery. A very large winery.

It is often surprising to first-time visitors that, in addition to the dozens of crops grown for their dining pleasure, Biltmore also cultivates acres of vineyards of wine grapes and makes the wine from them on premise. In fact, the estate was a pioneer in producing fine wines in the American Southeast, planting its first vineyards in 1971 and opening its winery – a converted dairy barn – to the public in 1985.

Today Biltmore produces more than 150,000 cases, or almost two million bottles of wine, under the tutelage of French-born winemaker, Bernard Delille. The ninety-four acres are located on the west side of the French Broad River where the vegetable gardens are also located, in an area that the public seldom see.

Here, on rolling hillsides interspersed with forests and ponds, grow mostly classic French varieties, including Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, Riesling, Chardonnay and

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Viognier. Biltmore makes wine from these grapes as well as with others grown locally and in California and Washington.

Among its labels, Biltmore is especially known for its sparkling wines (which it sells online along with its other wines), which is convenient, as the estate has many celebrations and hosts dozens of weddings annually. www.biltmore.com

Blackberry Farm, Walland, Tennessee Adding an Animal Farm to the Orchards and Gardens A two-and-one-half-hour drive west from the Biltmore through the heart of the Great Smokies brings you to another famous farmstead building with a history of its own.

Since its founding in 1976 as a small inn, Blackberry Farm, located on 4,200 acres near the town of Walland in eastern Tennessee, has grown into one of the best-known rural resorts and spas

in the United States. It also sports a healthy online and mail order business in foodstuffs and accessories and a new private-ownership development plan.

But what has caught much of the food establishment’s attention is its innovative farmstead project.

“We purchased a farm of 600 acres about nine years ago that is only about 200 yards from the main hotel,” says Jeff Ross, the garden manager. “It was our plan to develop it as a farmstead.”

And develop it he has. One of the farm’s buildings has been turned into a farmstead restaurant named The Barn, and more than three acres have been planted as gardens. Blackberry has trademarked the term “Foothills Cuisine” to describe its fare, wandering between rural and refined with dishes such as potatoes and ramp salad, grits with hollandaise, sorghum and ham flavors and carrot-apple upside-down cake.

“We have a large kitchen garden,” Ross says, “but we have other gardens scattered all about. Everything we grow is heirloom, and everything is organic.

Some of these varieties are over 100

years old, and it would be a disservice to treat them with modern chemicals.”

The gardens are just the tip of the agricultural cornucopia. There are fruit orchards, a flock of East Friesian sheep used for producing cheeses, heritage chickens and ducks for eggs, turkeys for meat, a fledging hog farm where the pigs are “finished” by grazing on the farms nuts and acorns each fall, an apiary and over 4000 wild acres for foraging berries and mushrooms. “We’ve planted an acre of hazel trees that we inoculated five-and-a-half years ago with Perigord truffles,” Ross says. “We hope to be able to harvest them in a couple of years.”

Some of the produce goes into the kitchen. “There’s not a formal handoff, as I spend a lot of the time in the kitchen, and the chefs spend a lot of time in the gardens,” Ross says. Produce not slated immediately for the menu is preserved and packaged.

Instead of heated greenhouses, Ross tries other methods to keep the farm producing, even in the dead of winter.

“We have what I can only describe as a high tunnel where we can continue to

OPPOSITE: Vineyards at Biltmore Estate; ABOVE: Cattle herd at Biltmore. RIGHT: Adding the finishing touches at the Biltmore.

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grow radishes and turnips, sometimes even lettuces,” he says. “We don’t really have a crushing winter here.”

Finally, if guests want to get more involved, there are country cooking classes that utilize what is in season, often borrowing from traditional mountain recipes. “We think of it as artisan cooking,” Ross says. “I teach classes, and so does the butcher.” www.blackberryfarm.com

Fair Hill Inn, Elkton, Maryland Small can still be bountiful even when you’re growing your own.

Sometimes after an exhausting evening in the kitchen, after all the pots and pans have been put away, Chef Phil Pyle likes to sneak away to his garden.

As his wife and two children sleep upstairs over his restaurant in the old farmhouse fifty yards away, Pyle dons a miner’s head lamp and cheerfully pulls weeds from his garden, sometimes until after midnight. “It helps me relax,” Pyle says.

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runs the Fair Hill Inn, a medium-sized restaurant in Fair Hill, Maryland near the top of the Chesapeake Bay. From the beginning, the team planned it as a farmstead restaurant, growing their own produce during the summer and making their own salumi and cheeses and preserving leftover produce to get them (and their guests) through the cold winter evenings.

In addition to the garden, they have an apiary and a small vineyard to make

their own verjus. For a while they tinkered with portable greenhouses, but eventually gave them up because of their fragility during wind storms.

Part of the charm of Fair Hill Inn is that its cuisine celebrates combining distinct flavors rather than creating a combination from flavors. It is more Italian in style than French, even though Pyle had formal French training.

For example, Shaw says he enjoys

having a “scallops in the garden” dish on the menu for those who dine at Fair Hill frequently. “The vegetables will vary from day to day depending on what’s harvested that morning,” he says, “which may also change the way it’s prepared. People who come back to try the same dish are frequently surprised.”

They include foraging as an opportunity to get creative with food combinations, such as crème brulee spiced with local sassafras, popping up now and then on the menu.

Fair Hill is testament to the fact that a restaurant doesn’t have to be huge to grow most of its produce. In fact, because it is much cheaper for them to grow produce than to buy it, it surely has made it easier for them to thrive.

Photos courtesy of Blackberry Farm

www.fairhillinn.com

OPPOSITE: Staff assembles at Blackberry Farm’s The Barn while alfresco diners enjoy music. THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Merging greens at Fair Hill; Blackberry Farm’s Jeff Ross; Biltmore greenhouses; Serving wine at Blackberry Farm.

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From Chef Mark Demarco, Cedric’s Tavern at Biltmore cedric’s tavern vegetable farro SERVES 4 TO 6

4 cups farro 1 /2 cup kosher salt 1 cup snap peas 1 cup broccoli florets 1 cup cauliflower florets 1 /2 cup olive oil 1 /4 cup carrots, cut into small dice 1 /4 cup celery, cut into small dice 1 /4 cup yellow onion, cut into small dice 1 /2 cup white wine Juice and zest of 1 lemon red peppers, roasted, sliced into julienne 1 bunch flatleaf parsley, finely chopped 1 /2 cup shredded parmesan cheese 1 /2 cup cold unsalted butter Salt Freshly ground black pepper

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1. Cook farro according to package directions. Set aside to cool by spreading in a thin layer on a baking sheet.

2. Bring 1 gallon water to a rolling boil. Add 1 /2 cup kosher salt.

3. In a large bowl, prepare an ice water bath of water and a quart of ice cubes.

4. Cook snap peas, broccoli, and cauliflower separately in salted water; each vegetable should take approximately 4 minutes to cook. Immediately transfer to ice bath to stop cooking process.

5. Preheat a large pot or Dutch oven over medium high heat. Cook carrots, celery, and onions in the olive oil for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until tender. Add white wine and lemon juice and reduce by half.

6. Add cooked farro, snap peas, broccoli, red peppers, and cauliflower. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently, until heated through.

7. Add chopped parsley, parmesan cheese, lemon zest, cold butter, and salt and pepper to taste. Serve immediately in warmed bowls.

Test Kitchen Tip To roast red peppers, place them over open flame and char on all sides. Place in airtight container such as a paper bag, bowl with plastic wrap, or plastic container with lid. Peppers will sweat and skin will become loose and easily peeled off. Do not rinse under water.

From Chefs/Owners Phil Pyle and Brian Shaw, Fair Hill Inn scallops “from the garden” SERVES 4 2 cups basil, packed 1 pinch fresh thyme 1 pinch oregano 1 pinch rosemary 1 pinch dill 1 cup extra virgin olive oil Salt

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Freshly ground black pepper 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 1 clove garlic, minced 1 /2 cup Saba island heirloom lima beans 1 /2 cup fresh corn, carrots, radish, peas, diced to size of lima bean 8 large diver or dayboat dry packed scallops 1. Preheat oven to 450˚F. 2. Finely chop all herbs and garlic. Season with salt and pepper. Add olive oil, mix well. Note: if using a food processor, only pulse for a few seconds at a time to emulsify. Cover pesto and refrigerate.

3. Make succotash. In a heavy pot, heat butter and cook garlic until softened; do not brown. Add lima beans, corn, carrot and peas; sauté until warmed through. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside but keep succotash warm.

4. Cross-hatch the top of each scallop with a knife, cutting into scallop about ¼-inch.

Season with salt and freshly ground pepper.

In a hot skillet, sear top of scallops only until golden brown around the top. Place scallops in oven for 3 minutes to finish cooking.

5. Spoon succotash onto warmed plates, top with 2 scallops and drizzle with pesto. Serve immediately.

From Chef Joseph Lenn, The Barn, Blackberry Farm smoked potatoes with yogurt and country ham SERVES 4 TO 8

A challenging recipe with superstar results!

Agar agar is a thickening agent found, along with other specialty items needed for this recipe, at some gourmet shops or online.

For the yogurt 3 /4 cup whole milk 3 /4 cup heavy cream 1 /2 teaspoon agar agar Pinch locust bean gum 1 /2 teaspoon salt 11/8 cups sheep’s milk yogurt OPPOSITE: Vegetable farro at Biltmore; THIS PAGE, TOP: Scallops at Fair Hill; BOTTOM: Biltmore Chef Cavicchi.

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For the ham 23

6 slices Benton’s country ham (shaved thin like prosciutto) For the bacon powder 1 teaspoon (scant) tapioca maltodextrin 1 teaspoon bacon fat For the potatoes 1 pound garden potatoes of different small sizes, such as fingerlings and other small round potatoes 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 11/2 teaspoons kosher salt

TOP: Smoked potatoes with yogurt and ham at Blackberry Farm; BOTTOM: Sheep at Biltmore Estate.

OPPOSITE TOP, left: Chefs Shaw and Pyle at Fair Hill; TOP, right: Preserved vegetables at Biltmore Estate; BOTTOM: Vegetable plots at Biltmore.

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1. Make the yogurt. In a saucepan, bring milk and cream to a simmer. Transfer to a blender and blend until vortex forms, then add agar agar, locust bean gum and salt.

Blend for 5 minutes on high. Next, slowly add yogurt into the milk-cream mixture to temper it. Pour into small dome molds.

Cover and chill until set.

2. Preheat oven to 325ËšF. 3. Prepare ham. Place ham on a parchmentlined baking sheet. Bake until crisp, about 5 minutes. Remove from oven and reserve.

4. Make bacon powder. In a small bowl, combine ingredients and mix well. Push mixture through a fine mesh strainer and reserve.

5. Make potatoes. In a mixing bowl, comIntermezzo

bine all ingredients. Prepare a grill using natural charcoal. When the coals are very hot, push them to one side of the grill to create hot zone for direct grilling. Place potatoes on the opposite side of the coals.

Close lid and cook potatoes 40 minutes to 1

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hour, until potatoes are tender.

6. To serve, place two of the yogurt domes on individual slates or plates. Place bacon powder on the slate/plate, coming off of the domes. Divide the potatoes between the plates and garnish with baked ham.

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ingredient:

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shrimp

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Pink Delight I love cooking with shrimp; they are versatile, quick and easy to cook. You can turn any simple recipe into an elegant dish just by adding a handful of them. by sandra rosy lotti

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photographs by marylou crowley

food styling by roseann tully

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Available year round, shrimp come in different sizes and species. Much of the shrimp Americans buy is imported from Central and South America and Asia-Pacific regions. There are hundreds of species of shrimp, normally grouped into two large categories: warm-water and cold-water. Although neither is “better,” I find cold-water shrimp to be juicier and tastier.

I use colossal shrimp most often (normally a pound of them yields 8 to 9 shrimp). They are dramatic-looking and delicious. Jumbo size usually yields 11 to 15 per pound, extra large 16 to 20

per pound, large 21 to 30 per pound, medium 31 to 35 per pound and small 36 to 45 per pound.

I normally buy fresh, raw shrimp in the shell and I shell and devein them just seconds before I cook them. This way all their succulent flavor remains intact. The black vein which runs along the back of the shrimp is the shrimp’s digestive tract. Technically, the vein is edible but it tastes gritty and looks dirty.

I find that frozen peeled, cooked (or uncooked) and deveined shrimp have less flavor, due to the extra processing and the thawing process.

How to choose fresh and frozen shrimp.

N

ver O t o

cook Y o ur

Sh

ri m

D

p!

o

Fresh shrimp will have almost translucent flesh that can be seen through the shell. Avoid shrimp that smells of anything other than the sea. Do not buy shrimp with black spots, black or greenish heads.

The eyes should be dark and shiny. The bodies should look and feel firm. Some fish counters and grocery stores sell frozen shrimp (which they have thawed) as fresh; in this instance it is better to buy shrimp frozen and thaw it yourself.

Cook shrimp only until their color turns pink and opaque.

In boiling water, jumbo shrimp will take about six minutes to cook, while large shrimp will take three. Do not let them cool in the cooking liquid or they will overcook and turn rubbery; plunge them into cold water to stop the cooking.

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BOX (FUN LOOKING BOX?!)

Do not overcook your shrimp!

Cook shrimp only until their color jumbo shrimp will take about six m three. Do not let them cool in the c rubbery; plunge them into cold wa

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r turns pink and opaque. In boiling water, minutes to cook, while large shrimp will take cooking liquid or they will overcook and turn ater to stop the cooking.

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shrimp and mussel salad SERVES 3 TO 4

For the salad 1 bulb of fennel, thinly diced and covered with cold water (to prevent it from darkening) 3 leaves basil 2 medium carrots, diced 1 yellow bell pepper, diced 1 small zucchini, sliced into thin ribbons 1 small bunch radicchio, thinly shredded Salt Freshly ground black pepper Extra virgin olive oil Balsamic vinegar 1 pound shell-on colossal shrimp, cooked for 1 minute in boiling water, then shelled 1 pound mussels, debearded, scrubbed and steamed For the tomato vinaigrette 4 red tomatoes 1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar Salt Freshly ground black pepper 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1. Make the salad. Place all the vegetables in a bowl; season with salt and pepper. Add oil and vinegar.

2. Prepare the tomato vinaigrette. Combine ingredients in food processor or blender.

3. Arrange the vegetables on the plate.

Place the shrimp and mussels on top of the vegetables and drizzle with the tomato vinaigrette.

baked stuffed shrimp SERVES 6

3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 1 leek, white part only, finely minced 6 white mushrooms, minced 1 pound crab meat, flaked 1 /2 cup dry white wine 2 tablespoons minced fresh flatleaf parsley, plus 1 tablespoon 1 /2 teaspoon fresh oregano, minced Salt Freshly ground black pepper 11/2 cups fresh breadcrumbs, plus 1 30

2 24

6 1

additional cup eggs colossal shrimp, peeled, deveined, butterflied open tablespoons melted butter clove garlic, minced

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. In a large skillet on low heat, warm 3 tablespoons of oil. Add leeks and cook for 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Add mushrooms and cook until all liquid has evaporated. Stir in crab meat, wine, parsley, oregano, salt and pepper and cook, uncovered, for 5 minutes on medium heat. Blend in 11/2 cup breadcrumbs; reduce heat to low.

Cover and cook for 2 minutes.

3. Remove mixture from heat; add 2 beaten eggs; stir well to combine.

4. Place shrimp on a large work surface. Top each shrimp with the crab meat stuffing.

5. Arrange the shrimp stuffed-side up in a baking dish. Drizzle with the 6 tablespoons melted butter, then sprinkle with additional bread crumbs combined with garlic and parsley. Bake for 10 minutes or until stuffing is golden brown. Serve immediately.

linguine with shrimp, zucchini and sun-dried tomatoes SERVES 4 TO 6

/2 cup extra virgin olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced 1 red chili pepper, minced 1 /2 cup dry white wine 3 zucchini, finely diced 1 cup sun-dried tomatoes, finely chopped 3 leaves basil 1 pound shrimp, chopped Salt Freshly ground pepper 1 pound linguine 1 tablespoon freshly minced flatleaf parsley 1

1. In a large skillet, heat oil. Add garlic and red chili pepper and cook for 1 minute. Add wine and let evaporate.

2. Add zucchini, sun-dried tomatoes and 1/2 cup of boiling water; stir well. Simmer for 8 minutes.

3. Add basil and shrimp. Stir and cook for 7 to 10 minutes, or just until shrimp become opaque. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

4. Cook linguine in salted boiling water until very al dente for no more than half the recommended cooking time. Drain and reserve the cooking water.

5. Transfer linguine to the skillet with sauce and finish cooking with sauce, adding 1/2 cup of cooking water. Season to taste; top with minced parsley. Serve immediately.

shrimp with chick pea velouté and black truffle SERVES 4 AS A FIRST COURSE

This velouté is a sauce thickened with chick peas instead of cream.

1 16-ounce can chick peas 6 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 2 carrots, peeled and diced 1 stalk celery, diced 1 large white onion, diced 1 /2 cup canned San Marzano tomatoes, squeezed by hand 1 teaspoon fresh thyme 1 teaspoon fresh rosemary 3 leaves sage Salt Freshly ground black pepper Water 1 /2 pound large shrimp, shelled and deveined, cooked in boiling water for 30 seconds 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil Salt Freshly ground black pepper 1 small black truffle, shaved 1. In a heavy pot on medium heat, add oil, vegetables and herbs and cook for 10 minutes, stirring frequently.

2. Add chick peas (with canning liquid) and the tomatoes. Cook for 10 to 15 minutes Add salt and pepper.

3. Using an immersion blender, puree everything in pot. Add enough hot water to thin mixture to consistency of a velvety sauce.

4. Using a ladle, pour a bit of velouté onto each plate. Top with cooked shrimp; garnish with a drizzle of extra virgin olive oil and shaved black truffle.

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hoteltrekker:

royal belize

The Greatest Escape Getting away from it all is even more amazing when you rent your own private island. by marylou crowley

OPPOSITE: Welcome to Royal Belize, where luxury and privacy meet pampered attention; ABOVE: Luxurious Villa Alba, surrounded on three sides by the sea.

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R

oyal Belize, a private island luxury getaway off the coast of Belize, provides a truly unique vacation experience. In addition to top-notch service and gourmet cuisine, it offers total privacy. Only three villas are available, for a maximum of eight guests. Aside from the staff, who reside on a completely separate part of the estate, you have the island all to yourself.

Peter Luppi, the island’s developer and concierge, takes care of everything.

Based on the information he receives before your arrival, he will have your private chef create meals that are suited to your specific tastes. If diving is what you’re after, he’ll charter you a boat to world-class dive sites on the second largest barrier reef in the world. Sailing?

Peter will arrange a private charter for

you. There are helicopter day trips to Mayan Ruins and the other attractions of mainland Belize that begin and end right on your private beach. Luppi wants his guests to think of Royal Belize as their own luxurious retreat with a staff who knows them well.

On a typical morning, you can stroll over to the Grand Palapa (an elegant outdoor great room) for breakfast, or roll over in bed for a something as simple as a perfect papaya or as rich as Caribbean Lobster Eggs Benedict.

Lunch is served under palms on the beach. Unless you have arranged for a daytrip, the order of the day is relaxing, or enjoying the kayaks and WaveRunners.

As the day comes to a close, you’ll find your dinner table set for you in a

Luppi wants his guests to think of Royal Belize as their own luxurious retreat with a staff who knows them well.

TOP RIGHT: Concierge Peter Luppi attends to his guests with the experience of a well-travelled connoisseur; ABOVE: One of the many views from “World’s End,” the tiny island connected to Royal Belize by a dramatic boardwalk; OPPOSITE Alfresco dining under the palms.

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different location on the island every night. Lit by torches and sunsets, you’ll enjoy exquisite multi-course meals and memorable wines.

One evening, when dinner was served on the sunset deck, I was treated to one of nature’s spectacular art shows.

The sun glided into the ocean, leaving the sky streaked with oranges and pinks. The air was calm, the temperature perfect. As dinner drew to a close, Peter Luppi approached the table and made the most wonderful suggestion, “Let’s have dessert on the boat.”

We set off for a sail around the island. I sipped Prosecco and savored a coconut and mango panna cotta with pineapple salsa. A nearly full moon softly lit the clouds and reflected silver on the water.

When it was time to dock, I floated off the boat into my villa, happy to know that I would wake up in paradise and start another day at Royal Belize.

The Signature Menu Peter Luppi created the Royal Belize Signature Menu in collaboration with Executive Chef Marcus Perigo. Marcus’s experience in the London food scene, combined with several years as chef/owner of the award winning Belizian restaurant, French Connection, in Placencia, has given him an impressive culinary skill set, as well as long-standing relationships with the most reputable food purveyors, importers and growers in Belize. Offering world class cuisine on an island nine miles from shore, however, takes more than culinary skill. The secret is in the planning. To prepare for a guest’s arrival, Peter spends two days traveling from the island to Belize City and into the mountains and remote areas of the seacoast, to procure everything he needs to stock the kitchen. He returns with his boat packed with locally grown and imported produce, meats and seafood, pantry items and wines, English jams, prosciutto, chocolates and tropical flowers to decorate the villas. He has even sourced a producer of artisanal cheeses who crafts a wide variety of hand-made cheeses deep in the jungle.

If you go Many major airlines have flights to Belize City in Belize. From there, take a short flight via Tropic Air to Dangriga, where you will be met by a representative of Royal Belize and transported to Sittii River Marina to board the Royal Belize private boat and be transferred to the island. Royal Belize will make arrangements for a helicopter transfer if you prefer.

Royal Belize www.privatevacationisland.com Tropic Air www.tropicair.com ABOVE: The sunset deck, with its west-facing perch over the water, is a spectacular setting for sunbathing or fine dining; OPPOSITE: The Grand Palapa at Royal Belize is an elegant haven of shade for dining or relaxing.

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Tastes of Belize

caper-marinated lobster, shrimp and red snapper SERVES 4 AS A FIRST COURSE

Perfect for entertaining, this sophisticated combo is prepared a day before serving.

18 large, uncooked, shell-on shrimp 1 uncooked lobster tail 1 8-ounce red snapper fillet 1 /2 cup flat leaf parsley, finely chopped 2 tomatoes, peeled, seeded and roughly chopped

2 onions, finely chopped 2 carrots, finely chopped 2 stalks celery, finely chopped 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 /4 cup extra virgin olive oil 1 tablespoon turmeric 2 tablespoons cumin 1 teaspoon garam masala 1 bay leaf 21/2 pounds sweet potato, peeled and roughly chopped into 1/2 inch cubes 11/2 cups fish stock or water

1 can coconut milk (13.5 ounces) Salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from about 1 lime) 6 ounces red snapper, cut into 6 one-inch square pieces 1 /4 cup cilantro, finely chopped 1. In a heavy skillet on medium heat, sautĂŠ onion, carrot, celery and garlic in olive oil until softened. Add spices and bay leaf.

For caper olive oil marinade /2 cup olive oil 1 /4 cup capers 2 limes, zested and juiced Salt Freshly ground black pepper Fresh jalapeno pepper, to taste, finely chopped 1

1. In a large pot of boiling water, cook lobster tail for about 4 to 7 minutes or until cooked through and opaque. Remove from shell and set aside.

2. In another large pot of boiling water, cook shrimp for about 2 minutes, or until pink and opaque. Reserve water. Peel, devein and set aside.

3. Blanch snapper filet in reserved water for about 4 minutes or until cooked through and opaque.

4. Make caper olive oil marinade. In a small bowl, combine all marinade ingredients.

5. Cut lobster, shrimp and snapper into bite-sized pieces. In a large bowl or food storage container, mix fish with caper olive oil marinade. Refrigerate overnight.

6. Before serving, add parsley and tomatoes.

Serve well chilled.

sweet potato soup with red snapper and cilantro SERVES 6

This rich soup showcases the flavors of the tropics, with a hint of spice.

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ABOVE: Sweet potato and red snapper soup with cilantro; OPPOSITE: Executive Chef Marcus Perigo; Caper-marinated lobster, shrimp, and red snapper.

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2. Add sweet potatoes and fish stock or water. Simmer for 20 minutes.

3. Add coconut milk. Season with salt, black pepper and lime juice.

4. Remove bay leaf and puree remaining mixture. Strain through fine mesh strainer.

5. Bring soup to a simmer; add snapper pieces. Simmer until fish is cooked, about 5 minutes.

6. Remove cooked fish from soup and set aside. Ladle soup into bowls; top each serving with a piece of snapper.

7. Garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve immediately.

6 tablespoons fresh lime juice (from about 3 limes) 1 /2 cup sugar For the Pineapple Salsa 1 cup fresh pineapple, cut into 1/2 inch cubes 4 large mint leaves, torn into small pieces 1. Mix mango nectar and coconut milk together in a saucepan.

2. Set aside 1 cup of the mixture in a heatproof bowl. Sprinkle gelatin over and let stand for 1 minute. Heat the remaining

mixture to just below boiling.

3. Add contents of saucepan to bowl mixture and wisk until the gelatin is completely dissolved. Add lime juice and sugar. Pour into 4 ramekins and chill. Allow to set for at least 4 hours.

4. Make pineapple mint salsa. Mix pineapple with mint; set aside.

5. Place bottom of each ramekin in bowl of warm water for 2 minutes; tip each ramekin upside down on a plate to release panna cotta.

6. Garnish each serving with pineapple mint salsa and serve.

coconut and mango panna cotta with pineapple salsa SERVES 4

This tropical rendition of an Italian classic is creamy, without the cream.

For the Panna Cotta 1 cup canned coconut milk 1 /2 cup mango nectar 2 packets gelatin

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vegetarian:

why we cook

Vegetarian Comfort Why do we cook?

Anthropologists tell us that cooking is what ultimately makes us human, differentiating us from other species. We gather around the fire…cooking and eating together.

When I was growing up, there was no question about the food we ate. My mother cooked it. There was no question of where we would eat dinner. We gathered around the table daily to eat, to talk about our days and stay connected as a family, creating our own micro-community.

But nowadays, we often say we don’t have time to cook. We’re too busy and stressed to create meals from scratch in the same manner our mothers did. Yet, we seem to find the time to watch other people cook. Cooking has become a spectator sport, rather than a nourishing act of comfort and love.

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I feel that dinner has been hijacked by the food industry, as they work to convince people everywhere that they have no moral imperative to cook. “Let us do it for you” is the seductive call. But no one gathers around the microwave watching a frozen dinner heat.

So for me, the most important tool we have to change our health (and change the world) is cooking and eating real food, together. We have the collective ability to create social change that will rock this world.

It’s time to reclaim the hearth fire that drew us together and created civilization. It’s time to rebuild our human family, one meal at a time.

It all begins in the kitchen, and that is why we cook. by christina pirello

photographs by maja pecanic

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tuscan bread soup SERVES 8 TO 10

You can use canned organic beans to save on cooking time, but this recipe is designed to be slow-cooking. Use any veggies you like to create your favorite variations to the recipe.

1 bay leaf 1 cup dried white navy or cannellini beans, rinsed, soaked 1 hour in water 8 cups spring or filtered water 3 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil 1 onion, diced 1 small leek, split lengthwise, diced Sea salt Generous pinch dried basil 3 carrots, diced 3 small fingerling potatoes, diced 1 cup diced winter squash, unpeeled 2 stalks celery, diced 1 /2 head green cabbage, diced 4 teaspoons white miso 2 yellow summer squash, diced 1 bunch dark leafy greens, such as kale or broccoli rabe, rinsed, thinly sliced 1 loaf Tuscan whole grain or sourdough bread Flatleaf parsley, minced, for garnish 1. In a stockpot, place bay leaf and beans in 3 cups of water. Bring to a boil, uncovered, over high heat. Boil beans for 5 minutes.

Cover and reduce heat to low; simmer beans until just tender, about 45 minutes.

Transfer beans and remaining cooking liquid to a bowl; mash beans until about half broken. Set aside.

2. In a Dutch oven on medium heat, heat oil; sauté onion and leek with a pinch of salt. Add basil and sauté for 1 minute, until onions are limp. Add carrots, squash and potatoes, a pinch of salt and sauté 1 minute.

3. Add celery and cabbage, a pinch of salt and sauté until cabbage is limp. Add remaining water, plus the pureed beans; cover and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and simmer until vegetables are tender and beans are quite soft, about 35 to 40 minutes. Remove a small amount of hot broth and puree miso. Stir in dissolved miso, summer squash and greens. Simmer, uncovered, for 3 to 4 minutes.

4. To assemble soup, place a layer of bread 42

slices on the bottom of a soup tureen.

Ladle a generous amount of soup over bread. Repeat with another layer of bread and then soup. Continue layering until the tureen is full. Make sure the top layer is bread. Cover the tureen and allow soup to stand for 5 to 7 minutes before serving.

Serve soup and bread by ladles-full into individual serving bowls. Garnish with parsley.

orecchiette alla pugiliese SERVES 4 TO 5

Orecchiette are ear-shaped pasta that hold sauces beautifully.

1 3 2 1 4 6 6

1

Extra virgin olive oil long hot pepper, minced cloves fresh garlic, crushed small Italian eggplants, diced cup diced canned tomatoes ounces pitted black olives sprigs fresh parsley, coarsely chopped leaves fresh basil, coarsely chopped Sea salt Freshly-ground black pepper pound whole-wheat or semolina orecchiette, cooked al dente

1. In a stockpot on high heat, heat 3 quarts of water. Add 2 tablespoons salt.

2. In a deep skillet over medium heat, add 1 /4 cup oil, pepper, and garlic. Sauté until garlic is lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Stir in eggplant and pinch of salt and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, olives, parsley, basil (reserving about 1 teaspoon of each for garnish), and salt and pepper to taste.

Simmer for about 8 minutes.

3. While the sauce simmers, cook pasta for about 8–9 minutes or until “al dente.” Using a slotted spoon, transfer pasta to the skillet with the sauce and stir gently to combine.

Serve hot, garnished with a bit more fresh parsley and basil.

artichoke stew with peas SERVES 5

Comforting and elegant.

2 teaspoons extra virgin olive oil 2 cloves fresh garlic, thinly sliced 1 small leek, split lengthwise, cut into 1-inch pieces Sea salt Generous pinch crushed red pepper flakes Generous pinch crushed saffron 2 stalks celery, cut into thin oblong slices 1 medium carrot, cut into thin oblong slices 2 cups halved canned or frozen artichoke hearts 1 cup canned diced tomatoes 1 /4 cup spring or filtered water 5 leaves fresh basil 1 cup frozen peas 1. In a heavy saucepan over medium heat, place oil, garlic and leek. When leek begins to sizzle, add a pinch of salt, red pepper flakes and saffron and sauté until leek is quite limp, about 2 minutes.

2. Stir in celery and a pinch of salt and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in carrot and a pinch of salt and sauté for 1 minute. Stir in artichoke hearts and tomatoes and add water. Bring to a boil. Cover; reduce heat to low and cook until carrots are tender, 12 to 15 minutes. Add 2/3 teaspoon salt and cook for 5 minutes more. Stir in basil leaves and peas and cook for 1 minute. Transfer to a serving bowl and serve immediately.

roasted winter squash with basil SERVES 5 TO 6

Sweet, savory and deeply satisfying, this is one of my favorite dishes. The basil lightens things up and enhances the sweet taste of the squash.

3 cups 1/2-inch cubes winter squash (Hokkaido, butternut, buttercup or delicata) 1 yellow onion, cut into 1/2-inch dice 2 teaspoons avocado oil 2 teaspoons organic soy sauce Grated zest of 1 orange 1 teaspoon brown rice syrup 5 leaves fresh basil, shredded

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1. Preheat oven to 375°F. 2. Place squash and onion in a mixing bowl.

In a small bowl, whisk together oil, soy sauce, orange zest and rice syrup until smooth. Toss vegetables with sauce to coat.

3. Arrange vegetables in a shallow baking dish, avoiding overlap. Cover tightly with foil and bake for 45 minutes. Remove cover and return vegetables to the oven and bake for about 15 minutes, until lightly browned on the edges. Remove from oven and toss shredded basil gently into the vegetables, taking care not to break them too much.

Transfer to a serving bowl and serve hot.

coconut macaroons MAKES ABOUT 3 DOZEN COOKIES

There’s nothing quite like the paradox of macaroons; rich and decadent, with a decidedly light feel to them.

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For the cookies 21/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut 1 /3 cup whole wheat pastry flour 1 /2 teaspoon baking powder Pinch sea salt 1 /3 cup brown rice syrup 1 /2 teaspoon almond extract 2 /3 cup almond milk For the chocolate glaze /2 cup non-dairy dark chocolate chips 2 to 3 tablespoons unsweetened organic almond or soy milk 2 teaspoons brown rice syrup

1

1. Preheat oven to 400°F; line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper.

2. Combine all the ingredients for the cookies, mixing well. Set aside to combine for 5 minutes. You will have a thick, ragged batter. Drop by teaspoonfuls onto baking sheets, forming into peaked cookies with

your fingers. Bake until the coconut begins to brown, about 20 minutes. Transfer to a wire rack to cool.

3. Make the glaze. Place chocolate chips in a heat-resistant bowl. Combine almond milk and rice syrup in a small sauce pan and bring to a boil. Pour over chocolate and whisk to form a smooth, satin-like ganache. Transfer to a plastic squeeze bottle or plastic zipper bag with one corner snipped off.

4. Slip a piece of parchment under the wire rack. Moving in a zig-zag pattern, drizzle the cookies with chocolate glaze. Allow to stand for a few minutes before serving.

All recipes courtesy of Christina Pirello’s e-book, ‘Christina Pirello’s 1000’ www.us.penguingroup.com

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tabletop:

salt

& pepper

Even salt and pepper can make a style statement on your dinner table. Offer guests their own portions in small cups (we found these at Crate & Barrel). An antique demitasse spoon makes a great server for the tiny grains. by roseann tully

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photograph by scott goodwin

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It’s not every day that you find inspiration in your own pantry. All you see are the same old items, which leads to prepping the same meals. It’s hard to get inspired. by maria sanchez

photographs by scott goodwin

This really hit home after a major kitchen renovation, when the last thing left to organize was my food pantry. I looked into the shelves and thought, Could I really have this much rice in my house? Sure enough, there were bags and boxes: Arborio, Carnaroli, basmati, jasmine, sweet rice, short grain, long grain, medium grain, black rice, red rice, brown rice. I know most everyone loves rice as a savory side dish, but my mind began to wander. How about a spiked rice pudding? How about a jasmine rice pie? Here are some of the delicious results.

Coconut Rice Tart is a tasty combination of jasmine rice cooked in coconut milk, with a creamy filling and easy-to-make crust. Brown rice cooked in chai tea is a spicy way to enjoy a chilled arroz con leche—a perfect addition to any breakfast or brunch buffet. A family pudding recipe gets a makeover with Arborio rice and amaretto in our Amaretto Arborio Rice Pudding. With chocolate and dairy-free variations, everyone can have their rice pudding and eat it, too. Tart and tasty Cranberry Lemon Parfaits are pretty layered in vintage parfait glasses. Steaming the sticky rice for our Sticky Rice with Passion Fruit, Pineapple and Mandarin Oranges is easy; the results are light, fruity and fragrant.

Most of these treats are a snap to prepare and are great makeahead desserts. Plus, many of their ingredients can be easily stocked in the pantry: not just the rice, but also chai tea, coconut milk, crushed pineapple, mandarin oranges, cranberry juice, and more. A well-stocked pantry makes these desserts season-less, and a well-stocked pantry can be inspiring.

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desserts:

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rice

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coconut rice tart Makes one 9-inch tart

For rice filling 1 /4 cup jasmine rice 23/4 cups coconut milk 1 /2 cup plus 2 tablespoons sugar 2 egg yolks 1 tablespoon cornstarch For crust 1 cup flour 1 /2 cup confectioners’ sugar, plus extra for garnish Pinch salt 6 tablespoons butter, softened 1 egg yolk 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Soak rice in water for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2. Make crust. In a food processor, combine flour, confectioners’ sugar and salt. Pulse until blended. Add butter and pulse until blended. Add egg yolk and mix well.

3. Turn mixture out onto a lightly floured surface and knead to make a soft dough.

(Can be made 2 to 3 days in advance. Wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate.)

4. Press dough into bottom and up sides of a 9-inch tart pan with removable bottom.

Line crust with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans. Bake 10 to 12 minutes.

Remove foil and pie weights or beans. Bake an additional 5 to 10 minutes and remove from oven. Leave oven on.

5. Make filling. Combine jasmine rice, 13/4 cups coconut milk and 2 tablespoons sugar in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over low heat, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until rice is al dente, about 15 minutes. Cool to room temperature. (Can be made 1 day in advance. Refrigerate overnight in an airtight container.)

6. In another small saucepan, combine remaining coconut milk, 1/2 cup sugar, egg yolks and cornstarch. Whisk constantly over medium-low heat until thickened. Stir in rice mixture.

7. Pour filling into prepared crust. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until center of tart is set.

8. Remove from oven and cool on a wire cooling rack. Carefully remove tart from pan. Serve at room temperature. (Can be made 1 day ahead. Wrap tart in plastic wrap 48

and refrigerate overnight). Garnish with a dusting of confectioners’ sugar.

arroz con leche with chai Serves 6

2 cups water 4 chai tea bags 1 /2 cup brown rice 1 /2 cup brown sugar 1 /2 cup heavy cream 11/2 cups milk Cinnamon, for garnish 1. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, bring water to a boil. Add tea bags and boil 1 to 2 minutes. Squeeze liquid out of the tea bags and discard.

2. Add brown rice, brown sugar and heavy cream to tea. Reduce heat to low and simmer uncovered, stirring occasionally, until rice is tender and mixture has thickened, about 50 minutes. Let cool. (Can be made 1 to 2 days in advance. Refrigerate in an airtight container).

3. Spoon rice evenly into six 4-ounce glasses. Pour 1/4 cup milk over each portion and sprinkle with cinnamon. Serve chilled.

1. Combine rice, milk and sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over low heat.

Simmer, uncovered, stirring occasionally, until rice is cooked, about 30 minutes.

2. In a small bowl, whisk together eggs and heavy cream. Slowly add to rice mixture, whisking constantly until thickened, about 15 minutes.

3. Remove from heat and whisk in amaretto.

4. Let cool. Serve warm or chilled. (Can be made 1 to 2 days in advance; cool to room temperature and then refrigerate in an airtight container). Sprinkle top of pudding with raspberries or toasted slivered almonds, if desired.

cranberry rice and lemon cream parfaits Serves 8

/2 cup short grain white rice 21/2 cups cranberry juice 1 /4 cup sugar 3 /4 cup heavy cream 1 /4 cup sugar Grated zest of 2 lemons 1

COVER RECIPE amaretto arborio rice pudding Serves 6

This recipe is easily doubled. For a chocolate variation, add 4 ounces of chopped chocolate to the rice mixture and garnish with raspberries and chocolate shavings. For a dairy-free version, substitute dairy milk with 31/2 cups of almond milk, and omit the cream (and egg, if desired). The texture won’t be as thick, but the pudding will still be delicious. /2 cup Arborio rice 4 cups milk 1 /2 cup sugar 2 eggs 1 /4 cup heavy cream 2 tablespoons amaretto liqueur Toasted almonds, for garnish (optional) Raspberries, for garnish (optional) 1

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1. Make cranberry rice. Soak rice in water for 1/2 hour. Drain. Combine rice, cranberry juice and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over low heat. Simmer uncovered and stir occasionally until rice is tender and most liquid is absorbed, about 15 minutes.

2. Remove from heat and cool. (Can be made 1 day in advance. Refrigerate overnight in an airtight container).

3. Spoon cranberry rice into eight 4-ounce glasses.

4. Make cream. In bowl of a standing mixer (or using a hand mixer) whip cream on high until soft peaks form. Add sugar and continue to whip until cream holds stiff

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peaks. Stir in lemon zest.

5. Spoon cream over cranberry rice. Garnish with a generous amount of lemon zest.

sweet sticky rice balls with passion fruit, pineapple and mandarin oranges Serves 8 to 12

1 cup sweet rice 1 cup passion fruit nectar 1 /4 cup sugar 3 /4 cup pineapple, cut into small pieces 3 /4 cup mandarin oranges, cut into small pieces

1. Soak rice in water for 1/2 hour. Drain.

Combine rice, passion fruit nectar and sugar in a small saucepan and bring to a boil over low heat. Stir occasionally and cook until liquid is almost all absorbed, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in pineapple and mandarin oranges.

2. Transfer rice mixture to a cheeseclothlined steamer basket.

3. Over medium heat, steam rice, covered, until tender, 15 to 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Let rest 5 to 10 minutes.

4. Portion rice mixture with an ice cream scoop and serve at room temperature with additional pineapple and mandarin oranges.

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Rice 101 Most types of rice are available in supermarkets. Look for sweet/sticky rice at Asian markets.

Short grain white: the smaller the grains, the more starchy the rice, and the more they stick together.

Arborio: Italian short grain rice traditionally used to make risotto.

Brown: chewy and nutty, this rice is made from the entire grain, which means more fiber and nutrition.

Jasmine: a fragrant, long grain rice from Thailand.

Basmati: intensely aromatic long grain rice from India.

Sticky rice: (a.k.a. sweet rice, glutinous rice): short grains, with lots of starch.

Tips for Making Rice Be sure to use a heavy-gauge saucepan for cooking. Rice needs to cook low and slow, and for a good amount of time. A heavy pan will eliminate any chance of burning the bottom.

If the rice is being boiled and then cooked again, for a tart or pie, leave the rice al dente, or slightly undercooked, after boiling. You don’t want the rice to be mushy after baking again in the dessert.

To soak or not to soak the rice?

Soaking and rinsing rice will take away some of the starchiness. For many of these desserts, soaking the rice helps keep the integrity of the grain. Plus, soaking cuts down on cooking time. The exception is the Amaretto Arborio Rice Pudding, where you want all the starch released from the rice to go into the pudding. This will add to the creaminess of the pudding.

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food adventure:

vegetables of kyoto, japan

Kyoto Treasure It was warm but overcast and drizzling ever so slightly when I arrived at Mr. Hiroshi Tonami’s organic farm in Kameoka, on the western outskirts of Kyoto City. I had come here to see how four traditional Kyoto vegetables (Kyo-yasai) are grown, and how to use them at home in the U.S. by marian goldberg photographs by scott goodwin

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I’d be exploring the farms, markets and restaurants of Kyoto to learn about a togarashi green pepper known as takagamine, as well as the regal kamo-nasu eggplant, Kyoto’s unique green onion called kujo negi, and a pumpkin called shishigatani kabocha.

Kyoto is known for two types of togarashi peppers: manganji, fruity, crimson and teardrop-shaped, and takagamine, which are slim, bright green and not too strong. Their shape reminded me of the Wicked Witch of the West’s long, pointy green fingers.

We found both varieties at Kyoto’s Nishiki Market and on the menus of most Kyoto restaurants. Mr. Tonami, however, only grows takagamine; luckily we were there at just the right season.

While this pepper can be prepared in a variety of ways (batter fried as tempura, simmered in soy sauce and sesame oil, or stir-fried with onions), Mr. Tonami plucked several fresh handfuls and encouraged us to sample it raw, as we would in a salad. Although it looks like a hot pepper, it has a fresh, sweet taste.

Seeing our approval, Tonami-san presented us with a full bag to take with us and enjoy.

Next, it was on to the kamo-nasu, better known as Japanese eggplant.

Kamo-nasu was originally grown in the area surrounding Kamigamo Shrine in Northern Kyoto, between the Kamo and Takano rivers. It is deep violet in color, with thick skin and dense meat

that keeps its shape when simmered.

About the size of a tennis ball, it sports a distinctive five-pointed-star cap where it is attached to the vine.

Even though it was October, it was extremely warm in Kyoto, with temperatures nearing ninety degrees. The unusual early autumn weather, combined with greenhouse growing technology, had extended the eggplant

PAGE 1: Garden at the Kyoto Imperial Palace; PAGE 2: Fresh produce from Tonami organic farm; THIS PAGE, TOP: Chef preparing tempura batter at Yoshikawa ryokan; ABOVE: Temple roofs; OPPOSITE TOP: Japanese lanterns from Nishiki Market; OPPOSITE LEFT: Kamo-nasu (Japanese eggplant) at Nishiki Market; OPPOSITE RIGHT: Local shoppers at Nishiki Market.

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growing season for several extra weeks.

“We normally would have picked all the kamo-nasu by now,” said Mr. Tonami, “but we left a few because it was still warm growing weather, and we knew you were coming.”

Hiroshi Tonami’s predecessors have been Kyoto farmers since the mid 1700s.

Since 1995, he and his wife Kiyomi have been in charge of the family’s two farms, including one on 900 square meters and another in Kyoto City on eighteen square meters of land. After his father’s death eighteen years ago, Tonami began growing organically. He uses what he claims to be “cancer fighting” liquid garlic as a natural fertilizer.

He insists it gives the vegetables a softer core, increases their sugar level, and makes them less bitter. He also plants Kyo-kujo-negi (green onions) around the peppers and eggplants. While the green onions ward off insects, they are also a traditional Kyo-vegetable in their own right, and of course he sells them

as such as well. Kyotoites consume kujo-negi as a garnish, both chopped and whole, or grilled as a stand-alone yakitori vegetable.

We also saw shishigatani kabocha squash, from the Shishi Valley in Kyoto’s northern Higashiyama area.

The rotund, peanut-shaped gourd sports a bumpy exterior, like a crocodile’s skin. It is deep green when ripe, but Mr. Tonami gave us a prized, late season, burnt orange-colored dried one as another gift. The flesh from the ripe squash are often batter-fried, simmered, steamed, or used in pumpkin miso soup, but the dried ones are used for decoration or cut open, with the hollowed indents filled with rice or other ingredients, so that the pumpkin flavor infuses into the dish when baked.

Many Kyoto chefs buy vegetables only from Tonami. He also sells his produce at the famous Tsukiji Market in Tokyo – renowned for its produce as well as fish – and at the Kyoto Central

Wholesale Market. His philosophy is “the vegetable chooses the chef; the chef doesn’t choose the vegetable,” meaning that some vegetables are grown only for special chefs who will appreciate their flavor and value.

TOP: Baskets displaying some of the ingredients for the menu at Miyako Yasai Kamo restaurant. BOTTOM: A bladesmith at work inside the Tanren Jo Knife shop; OPPOSITE, TOP: A sampling of one of the many delicacies at Saiki restaurant; OPPOSITE, BOTTOM: Architectural detail from Kyoto Imperial Palace; Fanning the tofu.

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IF YOU GO Kyo-yasai vegetables are used in both traditional and modern Kyoto cuisine. This includes shojin-ryori kaiseki, multi-course Zen Buddhist, garlic-free vegan temple cuisine. This cuisine is perfected at Daitokuji Ikkyut, located just outside the southeast gate of Daitoku-ji. It’s named after the original cook to Zen monk Ikkyu Sojun and his descendant Yoshiaki Tsuda, who is the chef to the Daitoku-ji temple priests and others today.

Daitokuji Ikkyu 20 Daitokuji Shimomonzencho, Murasakino Kita-ku Kyoto , Japan 603-8215 Tel: 81-75-493-0019 http://www.daitokuji-ikkyu.jp/

Kyoto vegetables are also the major ingredients in homestyle obanzai cuisine. This can be vegetarian, but usually the broth or dashi includes bonito flakes made from tuna; the dishes can also include poultry, meat, eggs or fish. One popular obanzai restaurant which uses vegetables from Tonami Farm is Miyako Yasai Kamo.

Miyako Yasai Kamo 276 Ogisakayacho Ayakojisagaru, Higashino-Toindori Shimogyo-ku Kyoto, Japan 600-8095 Tel: 81-75-351-2732 http://nasukamo.net/

Kyoto is home to seven Michelin three-star restaurants, whose chefs are constantly perfecting dishes that incorporate and are enhanced by the locally-grown vegetables.

This type of cuisine is called Kyo-ryori or Kyoto cuisine.

At Michelin-starred Jikishinbo Saiki, Master Chef Mitsuru Saiki prepares a savory and flavorful deep-fried and then grilled kamo-nasu with dashi.

Jikishinbo Saiki 441 Kamibentencho Yasakatori Imaesagaru Higashiyama-ku Kyoto, Japan 605-0822 Tel: 81-75-541-8630 http://www.kyoto-saiki.com/ 58

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How to bring Kyoto vegetables to your kitchen From Tonami Saien, Kyoto grilled eggplant with dashi broth Serves 4

Nori (dried seaweed sheets), bonito flakes and tuna flakes can be found at many mainstream grocery stores and at Asian markets.

Dashi stock is easily made at home (see Test Kitchen Notes) and is also available premade in packets.

4 3

2

Japanese eggplants cups vegetable oil Dashi broth, to taste (about 2 cups) Tuna flakes or bonito flakes, for garnish nori sheets, rolled cigar-style and cut into very fine chiffonade, for garnish

1. Cut eggplants lengthwise in half. Score the surface lightly, then cut each half into quarters.

2. In a heavy, deep skillet, heat oil to 350°F. Fry eggplant for 3 minutes or until soft.

Remove from oil.

3. In a separate large skillet, on mediumhigh heat, fry eggplant until light golden color.

4. Place eggplant in individual shallow bowls; pour hot dashi broth over. Sprinkle with tuna or bonito flakes and garnish with nori.

grilled duck, green pepper and green onion Grilled Duck, Takamine Togarashi and Negi

TEST KITCHEN NOTES Making dashi broth is easy. Soak 1 large sheet of konbu (cut into thick strips) in one quart of water overnight. Move to large saucepan and bring mixture just to boil. Turn off heat and add one handful of bonito flakes. Do not stir; let the bonito flakes gradually fall to bottom of pot. Strain mixture through a double layer of cheesecloth into a large bowl. Discard solids. The clear broth is now ready to use, or refrigerate for up to 3 days.

1. Prepare duck breasts. Season with salt and pepper. Grill (over charcoal if possible, or on stovetop grill pan) on medium-high heat for 2 to 3 minutes on each side, or until cooked medium-rare.

2. Heat a large skillet on medium-high heat.

Prepare vegetables. Slice peppers and green onions at a slant. Add oil to pan. Reduce temperature to low and sauté very quickly, for less than 30 seconds.

3. Place duck, peppers and green onion on a hot platter. Garnish with chopped scallion.

4. Serve with ponzu on the side.

serves 4

Ponzu is a citrusy sauce available at many grocery stores and at Asian markets.

4 boneless, skinless duck breasts 8 Japanese green peppers 4 green onions 4 tablespoons vegetable oil Salt Freshly ground black pepper Ponzu Intermezzo

From Chef Aoki from Kogamo, Kyoto (provided by Tonami Saien) baked pumpkin crème Shishigatani Kabocha Crème Serves 6 to 8

You can turn this crème into crème brulée by

topping with sugar and caramelizing it once the crème has chilled.

1 pound steamed, mashed kabocha squash 6 egg yolks 3 /4 cup sugar 13/4 cups heavy cream 2 tablespoons unsalted butter 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. In a large, heavy saucepan, combine all ingredients. Cook on low heat, stirring constantly, until mixture reaches 150°F on an instant thermometer.

3. Pour mixture through a strainer into a large mixing bowl.

4. Butter 8 ramekins and fill with mixture.

5. Place the ramekins into a roasting pan or large cake pan. Pour enough hot water into the pan to come halfway up the sides of the ramekins.

6. Bake for 30 minutes or until set and golden on top. Set on wire rack to cool, then refrigerate. Serve well chilled.

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chef profile:

morton solhberg

New Nordic cuisine is one of the great food trends, but you need not travel to Scandinavia to experience it. It actually thrives in the purposeful dedication of Norwegian chef, Morten Solhberg, right in New York City. by ronnie campbell

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wine pairings by sunny gandara

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Photos courtesy of Smargas Chef and the Burrell Group

New York’s Nordic Way

C Photos courtesy of Smargas Chef and the Burrell Group

o-owner of New York’s Smörgås Chef—where traditional Norwegian and New Nordic met and merged back in 2003—Morten Solhberg has grown his portfolio to include three locations. He recently added three Scandinavian creperies—Crêpes Du Nord—and also owns Blenheim Hill, a farm in the Catskills.

Morten’s cooking style is home-inspired, expressing the simplicity of traditional Nordic foods in innovative ways, with added emphasis on cooking with the season. Time-honored techniques such as smoking, curing and pickling are used to intensify food’s flavor, but he also uses today’s gastronomic technology to best advantage.

“My childhood was not uncommon,” said Morten. “Norwegians are quite resourceful and, luckily, get to live in an unspoiled environment. We’d spend much of our time outdoors, so foraging for edibles—mushrooms, berries and more— was a natural activity. Our foods were simple yet flavorful and fresh, all essential components to the style of cooking I grew up with. For special occasions, we indulge in buffets, usually as a way to entertain guests or celebrate Christmas. We set out a table filled with cheeses, pickled fish and vegetables, cured meats and pressed pork, preserved berries and produce.

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“When I came to New York in 1993, the food options were almost overwhelming, and so much of it not very wholesome, or healthy. I knew it would be difficult to keep true to my Nordic roots, but I was also excited about the challenge, to turn my vision into a reality: a sustainable farm that would service my restaurants’ needs,” he said.

Morten and Min Ye, his wife and partner, grew Blenheim Hill into a 160acre eco-farm, becoming a leader in the sustainable food movement. A recipient of the coveted Slow Food NYC Snail of Approval, they cultivate hydroponic produce in a state-of-the-art green-

Photos courtesy of Smargas Chef and the Burrell Group

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house, make honey and preserves, tap maple syrup, raise free-range chickens and heritage breed livestock, all with exceptional flavors.

“The Catskills landscape is similar to Scandinavia, which may be why I was drawn to it. Here I can search for the same chanterelles I’d find in Norway. I did not grow up on a farm, but most of the ingredients we cooked with came from small farms and local producers, resulting in better flavors. With my own farm, I have access to best quality ingredients, with extraordinary flavors.

It’s important for me to know for sure where my food sources come from.”

feverishly working to establish a brand new fine dining establishment in the Village that will be exclusively farm-tofork, even using his woodlands for the furniture. Composting will be on-site, with herbs grown in the dining room.

Future expansion into the Hudson Valley and outer boroughs is a real possibility, too, with packaged organic products on the horizon, all the while developing new technologies that will solidify the indispensible value of the small farmer. Sounds like a tall order for a chef and restaurateur, but not when it’s fueled by a great passion for purposeful cooking, and a deep respect for

Photos courtesy of Smargas Chef and the Burrell Group

The Catskills landscape is similar to Scandinavia, which may be why I was drawn to it. Here I can search for the same chanterelles I’d find in Norway.

In the future, Morten would like to add the mantle of cheese maker, but in the meantime includes the Norwegian classics, Gjetost and Jarlsberg, on his menu.

“For Norwegians, cheese is an important and delicious table food, as our cows and goats produce some of the world’s freshest milk. Our brown cheese, Gjetost, is centuries-old, and made with the leftover goat’s whey that we separate from the curds for making other cheeses. We boil and reduce it to a fudge-like consistency; it has a caramel, almost sour-sweet flavor. We eat it in the morning, thinly sliced on crispbread. We have many kinds of everyday cheeses as well. In our family, Jarlsberg was set out for Sundays and special occasions.”

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nature. After all, that is the Nordic way.

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Choose the Right Wine This issue we feature pairings by native Norwegian and certified wine educator, Sunny Gandara. the cocktail, a Smörgås Martini Make this martini with premium vodka; top with prosecco and a lemon twist. The martini is the perfect accompaniment to the koldtbord, acting as a palate cleanser for stronger food flavors such as gravlax and herring. beet & apple salad Albert Mann Rosenberg Pinot Gris 2011, Alsace, France ($25.99) The earthiness of the beet and sweet and tart flavors from the apple will pair wonderfully with a rich Pinot Gris such as the one from Albert Mann. Golden rule: always choose hearty white wines with good, refreshing acidity with salads. smörgås jarlsberg gratin Staedte Landt Josephine Chardonnay 2010, Marlborough, New Zealand ($22.99) I don’t often pick oaky Chardonnays as my choice for a pairing, but with a rich, creamy dish such as this nutty Jarlsberg Gratin, this is indeed when this wine would show its purpose. Try it out and marvel at the delicious combination. cucumber dill salad Gini Soave Classico 2011, Veneto, Italy ($14.99) The Garganega grape in Soave wines produces delicate, crisp flavors of lemon and almonds, a perfect and exciting companion for a clean, flavorful Scandinavian salad such as this Cucumber Dill Salad. apple cake & gjetost frosting Schmitges Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spatlese, Mosel Germany ($27.99) The golden rule here is to select wines that are sweeter than the dessert. However, this dessert is sweet (from the cake base), tart (from the apples and goat cheese) and tangy (Gjetost). The Spatlese has the ability to stand up to all these components. Riesling is the answer to all your pairing questions; when in doubt, choose Riesling. A wonderfully versatile, yet underrated grape and wine.

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norwegian apple cake

Photos courtesy of Smargas Chef and the Burrell Group

SERVES 6 to 8

13/4 cups sugar 1 /2 cup unsalted butter 1 teaspoon vanilla 6 ounces Snofrisk cream cheese 2 eggs 11/2 cups flour 11/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 /4 teaspoon salt 2 teaspoons cinnamon 4 apples, peeled and diced For the frosting 1 cup unsalted butter 1 /2 cup Gjetost cheese 3 cups confectioners' sugar 1. In a small bowl, combine 1/2 cup sugar and cinnamon. Toss apples with cinnamon sugar and set aside.

2. Preheat oven to 350°F. Prepare an 8” cake pan with butter or vegetable cooking spray.

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3. In the bowl of a standing mixer (or with a hand mixer), cream together remaining sugar, butter and cream cheese. Add eggs, one at a time.

4. Sift dry ingredients together and add to egg mixture. Fold in apples. Pour batter into cake pan.

5. Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown. Cool before frosting.

6. Make frosting. Grate the cheese finely.

Cream butter, cheese and sugar until smooth.

beet and apple salad SERVES 4 TO 6

3 3 1 1 /2 1 1

red beets yellow beets green apple Spanish onion tablespoon white balsamic vinegar tablespoon extra virgin olive oil Pinch sugar

Pinch sea salt Freshly ground black pepper

1. Wash beets well (do not peel the vegetables at this point as they will hold their shape better with peels on) and place the beets in a large pot. Cover with water and bring the water to boil. Let simmer until the beets are just tender. Drain and set aside to cool.

2. Peel the apple and onion and cut into small cubes.

3. Peel the beets and cut into small cubes.

Season the vegetables with vinegar, extra virgin olive oil, sugar, sea salt and pepper to taste.

cucumber dill salad SERVES 4 TO 6

3 English hothouse cucumbers 2 tablespoons mayonnaise 4 tablespoons sour cream 65

Juice of 1 lemon Zest of half lemon 3 tablespoons chopped dill Salt Freshly ground pepper 1. Partially peel the cucumber so the cucumber becomes striped. Slice very thinly by hand or with a mandoline.

2. Place cucumber slices in a strainer and cover with 1 teaspoon salt, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar. Let sit, to drain out excess water.

3. Make the dressing. Combine remaining ingredients in a large bowl. Mix in the

drained sliced cucumber. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

smörgÅs jarlsberg gratin SERVES 6

6 large peeled potatoes, julienned and soaked in cold water 2 large yellow onions, sliced into thin rings 2 tablespoons butter 11/2 cups half and half, divided 2 ounces anchovy fillets packed in brine, finely chopped, liquid reserved 1 cup grated Jarlsberg cheese

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Drain and dry potatoes on a towel.

2. In a large skillet on medium heat, sauté onion in butter until golden brown. Mix together potatoes, onions and chopped anchovies with brine.

3. Place mixture into a buttered 9 by 13inch casserole dish. Top with 3/4 cup half and half. Bake for 30 minutes.

4. Add remaining 3/4 cup half and half; sprinkle with Jarlsberg. Reduce heat to 300°F and continue to bake for another 30 minutes, until potatoes are tender and cheese is browned.

A NORWEGIAN CHEESE PRIMER

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Photos courtesy of Smargas Chef and the Burrell Group

While just a few Norwegian cheeses are found in the United States, Norway’s Tine SA—a cooperative started in 1881 which now includes 15,000 small dairy farmers—produces more than 70 varieties of cheese and hundreds of other dairybased products.

For Norwegians, cheese is an important table food. Choices range from the centuries-old brown Ekte Gjetost, made from goat’s whey and traditionally served thinly planed atop crispbread for breakfast, to the 20th century-birthed Jarlsberg, a world-popular part-skim cow’s milk cheese that’s described as mellow, sweet and nutty, with large round eyes.

Occasionally found in Scandinavian specialty shops is Nokkelost, a semi-firm part-skim cow’s milk cheese sparked with cumin, caraway and clove, as well as the slightly pungent soft Ridder cheese, and Norvegia, which is similar in taste and texture to Gouda.

Relatively new to the cheese scene is Snofrisk (“snow fresh”), a cream cheese that’s made from 80% goat’s milk and 20% cow’s milk cream. The two-milk combination gives it a fresh, mildly tangy flavor and light spreadable texture. A semi-hard version of Snofrisk, made completely from pasteurized goat’s milk, has mild notes of cream and earth and is slightly tangy. Its dense, luscious texture is punctuated with small holes.

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EXPLORE

TUSCANY

as You’ve Always Dreamed and Learn to Cook, Live and Eat Like a True Tuscan!

Join us for a week of completely hands-on culinary instruction in small groups, while living in a 16th-century villa.

Enjoy afternoon tours, wine tastings, olive oil tastings, chocolate tastings, and more!

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For more information about our different programs call 516-889-1271.

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intermezzo home:

valencia tile

Your Style,

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While the thought of Valencia might conjure the smell of sweet oranges, the taste of an expertly-simmered paella, or the mesmerizing colors of the papiermâchÊ monuments of the yearly Falles festival for some, those who have recently remodeled a bathroom or a kitchen might also be well acquainted with another of this Spanish province’s defining products: clay. by danielle martinez

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The Valencia region flanks most of the eastern coastline of the Iberian Peninsula, with the largest port in the western Mediterranean. Its capital city, also named Valencia, is the third largest city and metropolitan area in Spain, closely behind Madrid and Barcelona.

Valencia’s rich Moorish history is still visible in much of its architecture, but lasting impressions were also made

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in industry sectors. Trade in luxury items, including ceramics, flourished during this period. Valencia has since played a central role in Spain’s trade economy, exporting food and wine, leather goods, ceramics and textiles all over the world.

One prominent example of Valencian industry is Porcelanosa, a ceramics and tile giant that was found-

ed in 1973 by three Valencian farmers and is still operated today by their families. The brand’s ceramics are crafted from the purest white clay, quarried minutes away from their ample facilities in Villareal, Castellón, where they are expertly molded into hundreds of designs using the same eco-friendly techniques the company developed in its infancy.

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A sample is retained from each batch, including those made for custom projects, so that a perfect match can be re-ordered at any time.

As with fellow Valencian porcelain brand Lladró, Porcelanosa aims to become a global synonym for high-end ceramic products. The white clay for which Porcelanosa is famous produces better quality tiles that don’t crack as easily as inferior clays, such as the more popular and less expensive red. “We love being copied. If companies stop copying us, we’re not doing it right,” said Silvestre Segarra, Vice President of the Porcelanosa Group, when asked how the company deals with cheaper imitations of their products. Although Porcelanosa’s clay is mainly quarried in Valencia, they are now using raw materials from other parts of Spain, as well as from the United Kingdom, Ukraine and Turkey.

The clay is mixed with recycled water and compressed by hot air while maintaining 5% humidity, about 240 kilograms per 20 centimeter mold, in order to allow for “sandcastle molding." The tiles are then printed with ink, their newest technique, or with roller cylin-

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ders, an older standard that Porcelanosa plans on phasing out in the next few years. Every batch produced is cured in a kiln for 45 to 55 minutes at 1220 degrees Celsius, and then beveled and cut with high-pressured water to minimize overheating the tiles. A sample is retained from each batch, including those made for custom projects, so that a perfect match can be re-ordered at any time. They have also developed an eco-conscious line composed of 95% recycled assembly line discards.

Porcelanosa prides itself on its immaculate facilities, its impeccably designed products, and its faithful clientele. The Chairman of the company, Manuel Colonques, and his wife were the only Spaniards invited to the 2011 wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge. British royalty has long been a fan of Porcelanosa’s products, and celebrities George Clooney, Nicole Kidman, and Isabel Preysler have been

some of the company’s most prolific spokespersons. Porcelanosa also outfits both the interior and exterior tiling for numerous hotel and retail chains throughout the world.

Porcelanosa is now operating in a handful of new markets, most recently opening a dozen showrooms throughout the United States, as well as in Canada, Jordan and the United Arab Emirates.

While Valencia has always been a mecca for the arts, and its beauty has been defined for centuries by its colorful culture, companies like Porcelanosa are taking the region into the future with their appreciation for tradition and their passion for innovation. Now that Valencia has come stateside, centuries of tile-making expertise is more accessible than ever…although a trip across the ocean is never a bad idea for further inspiration.

www.porcelanosa.com

Valencia is home not only to the stunning architecture of the City of Arts and Sciences, but also to one of Europe's great tile manufacturers, Porcelanosa.

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cheeses of the world:

ireland

Celtic Pride

Artisanal cheese is the gold at the end of Dublin’s culinary rainbow.

Modern Irish cuisine is a delightful paradox.

Dublin’s innovative restaurants emphasize the popularity of local, organic products and eco-friendly cultivation, yet their dishes offer timeless appeal to a wide variety of diners.

One-of-a-kind cheeses from Ireland’s farms lie at the heart of the country’s culinary renaissance. by elyse glickman

photographs by marylou crowley

OPPOSITE: Dunne & Crescenzi’s carrot and parsnip soup.

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“What I find fascinating about the role cheese plays in Ireland’s cuisine is that it symbolizes that Ireland is becoming an inclusive society,” observes Eileen Dunne, of the Dublin-based restaurant and gourmet shop Dunne & Crescenzi. “Just before the ‘Celtic tiger’ boom, Ireland became an attractive place for Germans and Dutch to relocate. They retaught us essential cheesemaking skills we’d forgotten, showing us how to make our own fantastic versions of Camembert, Gorgonzola and other blue cheeses.”

Dunne says that over about ten years, chefs and consumers alike grew to love the fact that they could support local producers. During the current and less favorable economic conditions, this has translated into valuable homegrown jobs for organic farmers and cheese makers.

To give me a better understanding of the Irish cheese revolution, Dunne escorted me to Sheridans Cheesemongers, Dublin’s go-to spot for local chefs and discerning cheese connoisseurs. While the shoebox-sized shop stocks cheeses from all over Europe, Ireland’s own wedges and loaves are the star attraction, lovingly displayed and labeled. Staffers eagerly dispense samples and detail the inspirations and origins of each farm’s golden yield.

Brooks Hotel executive chef Patrick McLarnon (another Sheridans devotee) and chef Finbar Higgins of The K Club in nearby County Kildare are also fascinated with the impact Ireland’s artisanal cheese industry has made on the economy and local eating habits.

“For the past five years, I have gone only with Irish cheese on the marble of the River Room’s cheese trolley,” says Higgins. “It is a point of pride for an Irish chef to offer only Irish cheeses, and have it stand up to the scrutiny of well-traveled local and international

customers.” Irish cheeses offered at The K Club’s River Room include the first Irish-made buffalo mozzarella, as well as organic Castlefarm farmhouse cheese—a gouda-like cheese and the only cheese made in the county of Kildare. Higgins says that not only do diners enjoy eating these cheeses, but they’ve inspired the kitchen to come up with innovative new creations, like Kildare cheese foam with confit, cherry tomatoes and Derrycamma Farm rapeseed oil. Higgins also serves Toons Bridge Irish mozzarella with wild arugula “leaf and flower” and gazpacho jelly.

“The most important thing visitors should realize is that Ireland’s farmhouse cheese industry is very young,” McLarnon notes. “The benefit of Irish production is that many cheeses, like the popular Gubeen from West Cork, are one-off in style from individual producers as opposed to Italy, Spain and other production areas where there may be many farmers producing the same cheese.”

As Gilroy’s at Guinness Storehouse’s lead chefs Justin O’Connor and John Bueno see it, Ireland’s meats are developing a following throughout Europe; it is inevitable that cheeses are going to be just as exceptional and as versatile. “The soils here have characteristics that shine through,” Bueno says.

Bueno mentions Dubliner, St. Kevin Brie from Wicklow and Cashel Blue from Tipperary as some of his favorites; naturally, they pair perfectly with Guinness.

If you can’t make it to the Emerald Isle, you can find many of Ireland’s premium cheeses in the U.S. Check your local gourmet foods or cheese shop, or order online. Good places to start looking are: www.formaggiokitchen.com and www.artisanalcheese.com

If You Go

Hotels The Kildare Hotel, Spa and Country Club www.kclub.ie The Fitzwilliam Hotel www.fitzwilliamhoteldublin.com The Brooks Hotel www.brookshotel.ie

Restaurants & more Gilroy’s at Guinness Storehouse www.guinness-storehouse.com‎ L’Ecrivain www.lecrivain.com Village at Lyons (featuring cookery school) www.villageatlyons.com Dunne & Crescenzi www.dunneandcrescenzi.com Murphy’s Ice Cream Shop www.murphysicecream.ie Sheridans Cheesemongers Dublin www.sheridanscheesemongers.com Kildare Village www.kildarevillage.com Home chefs will delight in the Irish and English-country inspired cooking and home entertaining accessories offered at Le Creuset, Home & Cook, Villeroy & Boch and Cath Kidston, all at prices well below retail.

OPPOSITE: Cheese trolley at The K Club’s River Room.

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From Eileen Dunne, Dunne & Crescenzi carrot and parsnip soup with cashel blue cheese crostini

6 ounces all-purpose flour, plus extra for dusting Pinch salt 2 /3 stick cold butter, plus extra for greasing tart pan Cold water, as needed

Serves 4

4 tablespoons unsalted butter 3 shallots, thinly sliced 2 medium parsnips, peeled and diced 3 medium carrots, peeled and diced 1 medium potato, peeled and diced 1 stalk celery, thinly sliced 31/4 cups water Salt Freshly ground black pepper 4 slices of baguette 41/2 ounces Cashel Blue cheese 1. In a large, heavy-bottomed soup pot, melt butter over medium-low heat. Add shallots and sauté until translucent, about 10 minutes.

2. Add remaining vegetables, stir and cover.

Cook 2 to 3 minutes.

3. Add water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low and cook 20 minutes.

4. Transfer soup to a blender and purée (or use an immersion blender to blend in pot).

Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.

5. Toast baguette slices on both sides.

6. Divide soup between 4 bowls. Place a slice of toasted bread on top of each portion. Gently crumble blue cheese over bread and soup and serve.

From Chefs Jason O’Connor and John Bueno at Gilroy’s at Guinness Storehouse cheese and guinness quiche Serves 4 to 6

Cahill’s Porter cheese is a firm cheese made with Guinness. It has a distinctive darkbrown marbled appearance.

For dough 78

For filling 1 tablespoon butter 11/3 cups sliced onions 1 /4 cup Guinness Extra Stout 13/4 ounces Cashel Blue cheese, crumbled 3 ounces Cahill’s Porter cheese, sliced 41/2 ounces brie, diced 3 tomatoes, sliced (optional) 5 eggs, beaten 1 /2 cup milk 3 /4 cup heavy cream Salt Freshly ground black pepper 2 sprigs fresh thyme 1. Make pastry. Combine flour and salt and sift into a large bowl. Using your fingers, work in butter until mixture has consistency of soft breadcrumbs. Add enough cold water to make mixture come together to form a firm dough. Form into a ball, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

2. Roll out pastry on a lightly floured surface, to about 11 inches wide. Butter an 81/2inch tart pan and place dough into pan. Do not trim pastry edges. Refrigerate until ready to use.

3. Preheat oven to 375°F. 4. When oven is ready, remove pastry from refrigerator and line bottom of pastry with parchment paper. Add pie weights or a handful of dry beans. Place on a baking tray and place in oven. Bake 20 minutes.

Remove weights (or beans) and parchment and return to oven for another 5 minutes.

5. Remove pastry shell and reduce oven temperature to 325°F. 6. Make filling. Heat butter in a large, heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Add onions and cook, stirring, until softened, about 8 minutes. Add Guinness and stir to deglaze. Remove from heat.

7. Sprinkle cheeses into pastry base and add sliced tomatoes, if using. Top with cooked onions.

8. In a large bowl, combine eggs with milk

Chef Finbar Higgins of The K Club. and cream and season well with salt and pepper. Pour over cheese mix. Sprinkle with thyme. Trim edges of pastry.

9. Transfer to oven and bake 30 to 40 minutes or until set.

10. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Serve warm or at room temperature, sliced into wedges.

guinness, red onion and irish cheddar soup Serves 6

2 tablespoons butter 2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 4 large red onions, quartered and sliced 2 cloves garlic, minced 2 sprigs thyme, leaves only Salt Freshly ground black pepper 8 ounces Guinness Extra Stout 41/4 cups chicken stock 2 teaspoons Worcestershire sauce 1 tablespoon dark brown sugar 6 slices day-old sourdough bread 4 ounces Dubliner or other cheddar cheese, grated 2 to 3 leaves fresh sage, minced

1. Melt butter with oil in a heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Add onions, garlic and thyme, season with salt and pepper and stir to combine.

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2. Cover and reduce heat to low. Cook 40 minutes, until onions are silky and translucent.

3. Preheat broiler to high.

4. Stir in Guinness, chicken stock,Worcestershire sauce and sugar; bring to a boil.

5. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes, until soup has reduced slightly and developed a deep, rich flavor.

6. Place bread slices in oven and toast lightly on both sides. Using a 11/2-inch round cookie cutter, cut out 2 rings of toast per serving. Top each with some cheese and return to broiler until cheese is melted.

7. Ladle soup into warm bowls and float toasted cheese rounds on top. Garnish with sage and serve.

at sea:

russia

A Baltic Cruise to Like others of my generation, the earliest impressions I had of Russia were molded by action-packed Soviet-era spy films. It’s probably no surprise, then, that the idea of traveling to this distantly exotic nation has always been colored by more than a trace of adventurous James Bond-type notions. by joseph lieberman

OPPOSITE: Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood; ABOVE LEFT: Boat trip along the Neva River; ABOVE RIGHT: The Crystal Symphony.

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The fulfillment of that romantic yearning came for me on a Crystal Cruise voyage across the Baltic Sea, with a climactic three-day stop in St. Petersburg.

While Crystal’s plush cruises span the globe, this particular journey aboard the Crystal Symphony set off from the royal docks in dainty Copenhagen and finished up in swinging Stockholm. Our first port-of-call was Rostock, in what had been East Germany, where I visited a Stasi secret police headquarters and lofty cathedrals, followed by brief stops in the Baltic nations of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, each steeped in medieval lore, folk traditions and maritime history.

Every shoreside visit was preceded by informative illustrated lectures on board the ship, and every evening we returned from our outings to classical European cuisine in the main Crystal Dining Room, or three other gastronomic zones (Chinese, Italian and Japanese), followed by dancing, spa treatments, and Broadway-style shows.

On a mid-sized ship built more for quality than quantity, one couldn’t ask for a more pampered peek behind the former Iron Curtain.

As a prelude to St. Petersburg, the chefs of the Crystal Dining Room cooked up a few blinis (potato pancakes) with marinated salmon, pork pelmeni (small stuffed dumplings), and ukha (clear fish soup). Despite the fine china and linens, there was no disguising that “high concept Russian cuisine” is an oxymoron. At heart, all Russian dishes spring from the humble, minimalist Rus and Slavic kitchens of the steppes, lakesides and forests.

It’s basic agrarian fare, and like a snug shelter on a snowy Siberian night, we can revel in the unpretentious comfort of its soul-warming embrace.

On our sixth day of travel we reached St. Petersburg. Since “independent” Russian visas are expensive; 82

Crystal’s all-inclusive shore excursions were an attractive alternative. The first day, I joined a tour to the Czar’s former Winter Palace, today known globally as the Hermitage. It’s the world’s second-largest art museum (after the Louvre).

Our guide Svetlana led us through Baroque halls and magnificent throne

rooms filled with priceless masterpieces by classical and Impressionist painters and sculptors. In several rooms, art students were absorbed in copying famous paintings, while in others, the elaborate tiled floors, mirrored walls, and gilded chandeliers were themselves the spectacle—this was, after all, a palace.

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Canal rides are another pleasure in St. Petersburg, which was built upon several islands along the mighty Neva River. Czar Peter the Great designed it to rival the great capitals of Europe in 1703, and so it does. What keeps St. Petersburg distinctly Russian, however, are structures like the “onion-domed” Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood, Intermezzo

its interior covered in remarkable mosaics, erected on the spot where Czar Alexander II was assassinated.

Another tour destination is the Great Choral Synagogue, a majestic building completed in 1893. Inside, a bold cantor sang traditional Jewish

folk tunes and sacred songs with operatic bravado. Since the fall of communism in 1991, both Judaism and Russia’s many Orthodox churches have been flourishing.

The next day, our excursion group stopped to shop for several hours

ABOVE: Interior view of the onion-domed structure of Church of the Savior on Spilled Blood.

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along bustling Nevsky Prospekt, the main commercial avenue. Having been granted an interval of relatively free reign, I explored a few adjoining streets on my own before rejoining the group. Keeping one eye on my watch, I sauntered through parks, over decorative bridges, and past monumental buildings, impressed by so much wellpreserved architecture in a city hardhit by the devastation of World War II. At the city’s top tourist locations, I inevitably ran into dozens of brides posing for photos, with bridesmaids and vacillating grooms in tow.

Svetlana had informed us earlier that nearly everyone gets married during the summer, rather than be caught in the overcast, chilly weather which descends upon this city for half the year. Being this far north, the dark seasons are closer to arctic than amiable.

For lunch, I headed to another landmark which has been St. Petersburg’s cultural and culinary focus point for over 130 years — the Orient-Express Grand Hotel Europe. The hotel is well known for its Faberge, Pavarotti and Romanov suites, each lavishly appointed and named for the esteemed guest who had lodged there.

Though the rooms are bountiful feasts for the eyes, I wanted a feast for the stomach. In the hotel’s restaurant L’Europe, I sampled genuine Russian dishes such as borscht (beet-carrot soup), shashlyk (pork or chicken kebabs), pierogi (dumplings of unleavened dough) and Beluga or Ossetra caviar served atop blinis with smetana (sour cream).

I was also hoping to try L’Europe’s famous beef Stroganov, made according to the original nineteenth-century recipe created at the home of Baron Stroganov. Unfortunately, the dish is only served in evenings.

Also in the evenings, L’Europe’s turn-of-the-century Caviar Bar & Restaurant features classical music and live entertainment. The menu’s other delicacies include bonbons of foie gras terrine, beef rib eye in cherry sauce, and veal poached in port. The Art Nouveau setting is presided over by Russia’s only full-time professional vodka sommelier.

Rejoining my compatriots aboard the Crystal Symphony, I prepared for the following day’s outing to the countryside. Our destination was the Czar’s Village of Pushkin and the sep-

arate summer palaces of Peter the Great and his wife Catherine.

The eighteenth-century Catherine Palace is set in 1,482 acres of landscaped parklands. In front of its nearly 1,000-foot-long façade, a cartoonish four-man oompah-band paraded in antique costumes, amusing the crowd while playing for tips. The palace’s 50 lavishly furnished rooms display sumptuous woodcarvings, floor-toceiling mirrors, oversized oil paintings and inlaid parquetry, all leading up to the breathtaking Golden Corridor and Baroque Throne Hall. One chamber’s

The Art Nouveau setting is presided over by Russia’s only full-time professional vodka sommelier.

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walls are paneled in amber, while another holds two of Czarina Catherine’s splendidly embroidered dresses.

Peterhof ’s gilt dome dominates the rural skyline, but its main claim to fame are 150 terraced fountains with gilded statues of mythological characters culminating in the Grand Cascade, the world’s largest garden fountain. For 200 years prior to the Russian revolution, Peterhof and its posh pavilions hosted dazzling ceremonies, feasts and receptions.

In between these royal abodes, we

stopped at a rustic retreat called Podvorye (Coach House). Here, costumed musicians crooned nostalgic folk songs, backed by strumming balalaikas. And here at last, I could get my fill of the simple peasant food that is so much a part of the novels of Dostoevsky, Tolstoy and Pasternak.

Tables were filled with hot carrot and beet borshcht, cold chunks of beef with smetana and horseradish, minced pork and beef-stuffed cabbage rolls, a mélange of pickled tomatoes, beans and garlic, and a dessert of vanilla ice cream with lingonberry blinis. Many

of these items have become familiar to us, having been carried in nuanced forms to the kitchens of America by Russian émigrés during the last two centuries.

In contrast, our final transportation back to St. Petersburg and the welcoming staterooms of the Crystal Symphony was anything but traditional. A 21st century hydrofoil sped us along the Gulf of Finland in record time. Despite having had three days of exploration, much was left unseen “until the next voyage,” providing many an incentive to return.

OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: A student from the Hermitage Art Institute; A flautist performs; The Crystal Symphony’s cheese sommelier, Albert Farkas. ABOVE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: In line for the Hermitage; Interior view of the Hermitage; Woman taking a rest; Gate to Catherine Palace.

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solyanka Fish Soup Serves 4

1 2 6 1 2 10 1 1 1 /2

2 3 1 1

large onion, minced tablespoons tomato paste tablespoons butter cup peeled tomatoes cups water black olives tablespoon capers tablespoon white vinegar pound each of 3 kinds of white fish, such as halibut or cod cups fish broth tablespoons fresh lemon juice tablespoon fresh dill tablespoon sugar Freshly ground black pepper

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stuffed cabbage SERVES 2 AS A SIDE DISH OR ONE AS AN ENTRﾃ右.

/4 1 2

1

1 /2 1 ﾂｼ 1 1

cup rice large leaf Savoy cabbage tablespoons chopped fresh coriander, plus more for garnish egg yolk Salt Freshly-ground black pepper cup ground lamb porcini mushroom cup heavy cream clove garlic, minced

1. In a small bowl, soak the rice in cold water for 15 minutes.

2. In another bowl, add the egg yolk, finely chopped coriander and garlic, salt, pepper and rice to the ground lamb.

3. Boil a big leaf of Savoy cabbage in lightly salted water for 2-3 minutes or until just

pliable.

4. Place the ground lamb mixture in the middle of the cabbage leaf; fold it to form a bag. Make a ribbon out of remaining cabbage; wrap it around the stuffed cabbage.

5. Boil the stuffed cabbage for 15 to 20 minutes.

6. Make the mushroom sauce. In a small skillet, fry the sliced mushroom. Add cream and cook until sauce has thickened. Puree in a blender.

7. Serve the stuffed cabbage on top of the mushroom sauce in the center of the plate.

Decorate with fresh coriander.

kulebyaka Salmon Pie SERVES 2

For salmon pie 1 salmon filet, approximately 1/3 pound 1 /4 cup rice Pinch saffron 1 tablespoon butter 1 sheet prepared puff pastry 1 egg, beaten For sauce

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Photo courtesy of Grand Hotel Europe.

1. In a large saucepan, melt the butter and sautﾃｩ onions until translucent.

2. Add tomato paste and cook briefly to combine.

3. Add water, fish broth, vinegar and sugar.

4. Cut fish into chunks and add to simmering liquid.

5. Cut olives into rings and add to pot.

6. Cook fish for 5 to 7 minutes, or until opaque.

7. Divide into four warm serving bowls, drizzle with fresh lemon juice and top with fresh dill. Serve immediately.

/2 cup fish broth /4 cup dry white wine 4 tablespoons heavy cream Salt, to taste Freshly-ground black pepper, to taste Juice of 1/2 lemon 1 dill sprig, minced 1 tablespoon red caviar, for garnish, optional 1 sprig dill, for garnish

1

Photo courtesy of Grand Hotel Europe.

1

1. Preheat oven to 375°F. 2. Make the salmon pie. Cut the salmon fillet into two equal slices.

3. In a large saucepan, cook the rice with saffron until tender. Remove from heat, add butter.

4. In a large skillet, sauté both sides of the salmon fillet until only half cooked. Remove skin and set aside on paper towels to drain.

5. Place one layer of puff pastry on a piece of parchment paper. Put one slice of salmon fillet in the middle of the unrolled pastry; top with a thin layer of rice. Place second slice of salmon on top of the rice. Wrap pastry up the sides and over the top into an envelope form. Brush the pastry with beaten egg and bake for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

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6. Make the sauce. In a small saucepan on medium-high heat, add wine and reduce by half. Add the fish broth and reduce by half.

Add cream, pepper and salt and reduce again until desired consistency. Remove from heat.

7. Add dill and lemon juice.

8. To serve, place sauce in middle of plate, top with baked salmon pie. Decorate with red caviar, if desired, and a sprig of fresh dill for garnish.

borscht Beet and Carrot Soup SERVES 4

2 1 1 1 1 3 3 1 1 1 2 4

large beets carrot onion 2-inch wedge cabbage celery stalk tablespoons unsalted butter tablespoons tomato paste teaspoon white vinegar tablespoon sugar teaspoon salt cloves garlic, smashed cups chicken stock

3 ¼

4

bay leaves pound pork tenderloin Freshly ground black pepper tablespoons sour cream

1. Peel and slice the vegetables into thin matchstick size, 1-inch in length. In a large saucepan, heat 1 tablespoon butter and sauté the beets briefly; add tomato paste and simmer for 5 minutes.

2. Add vinegar, sugar and salt and a small amount of water. Simmer until beets are tender.

3. In a small skillet on medium heat, fry onion and carrot in remaining butter; do not let brown. Stir frequently.

4. In a separate pot on low heat, simmer pork in chicken broth. Remove from broth and cut into long thin pieces.

5. Add cabbage to the boiling chicken broth mixture and cook about 15 minutes. Add the stewed onion and carrot, season with the bay leaf, pepper, and salt. Add the sliced meat and simmer.

6. Add the beet mixture, garlic and celery.

Simmer until celery is tender.

7. Remove bay leaves.

8. Ladle hot soup into bowls; top each serving with 1 tablespoon of sour cream.

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chef profile:

patrick turcot

TOQUE TALK

Q

City native Patrick Turcot, Executive Chef at the Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu in Charlevoix, Quebec, Canada, has traversed the continent with his culinary flair. But for him, there’s no place like home, or more precisely, the heart of the Charlevoix Food Trail, about an hour uebec

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from where he grew up.

When he’s asked about what defines Quebecois gastronomy, he replies that it is not just about crafting something from local provisions, but enjoying the results with friends in a convivial, unhurried setting. This philosophy originates from his own upbringing,

by elyse glickman

where the nightly family dinner provided nourishment for the mind as well as the body.

“If I were to put an exceptional meal and the best bottle of wine in front of you, but you were alone, the experience would not be complete,” explains Turcot. “Typical teenagers eat in ten Intermezzo

minutes and leave the table. However, when I was a teenager, I would spend the whole night with my parents, enjoying conversation with a meal or nice cheese fondue my mom would have cooked. While I was not drinking wine at that point, I could truly appreciate the sharing and passion for good food, good times and connections made around the dining table.

While the social aspect of dining is an important component in Turcot’s recipe for the Manoir Richelieu’s restaurant, he is equally passionate about working with the twenty-five local producers who make up Charlevoix’s Flavor Trail to develop recipes that truly reflect the area’s diversity and bounty.

“I have an opportunity every day to explore local products emerging from the local terroir, and really understand how that terroir informs the way those products will taste in a dish,” Turcot continues. “While a lot of restaurants use the word terroir to make menus and wine lists look pretty, our local definition of that word extends to the way we breathe, live, cook and explore Quebecois culture. It can be found in the foie gras, duck, veal and beef; in the three cheese producers that make over

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twenty-five unique varieties of cheese, and in an orchard that produces exceptional apples and apple cider. As a chef, I am like a kid in a candy store; I have everything to design great menus with all year around.”

New on the resort’s menu of activities is a special, interactive program.

Guests can spend the day with Turcot, hitting the Flavor Trail in search of the elements for their next meal, along with a lively cooking demonstration.

Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu 181, Rue Richelieu La Malbaie, Québec Canada G5A 1X7 www.fairmont.com/richelieu

pork tenderloin in a mustard and vanilla crust with caramelized red onion sauce

Patrick Turcot, Executive Chef, Fairmont Le Manoir Richelieu Serves 4

1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil 2 organic pork tenderloins 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard 1 vanilla bean ½ cup breadcrumbs 1 tablespoon unsalted butter 2 shallots, finely chopped 1 red onion, thinly sliced 4 tablespoons sugar 4 tablespoons honey, preferably from Charlevoix 1 cup veal or beef stock Salt Freshly ground black pepper 1. Preheat oven to 350°F. 2. In a large skillet on medium-high heat, add olive oil and sear pork quickly on both sides. Remove from pan and set aside to cool for ten minutes.

3. Prepare the breadcrumb mixture. Slice vanilla bean lengthwise and scrape out seeds with the back of a knife. Mix the vanilla seeds with the breadcrumbs on a plate.

Reserve pod for another use.

4. In a large skillet on medium heat, melt the butter. Add shallots and red onion and cook until translucent. Reduce heat to low; add sugar and honey and simmer for 5 minutes.

5. Add the veal broth and simmer for 10 to 20 minutes to reduce by at least one-fourth.

Add salt and pepper to taste.

6. Brush mustard on pork, then roll pork in breadcrumb mixture.

7. Place pork on baking sheet; bake for 15-20 minutes or until cooked through but still slightly pink in the center. Remove from oven and set aside to rest for 2 minutes.

Slice pork into ¼”-thick pieces.

8. Place 2 to 3 tablespoons of caramelized onion sauce on the presentation plate and fan out four slices on top per person.

Serve immediately.

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wine:

artisanal champagnes

Artisanal Bubbles

by becky sue epstein

With a rich range of flavors and aromas, artisanal “Grower Champagnes” are generating a new buzz in the wine world.

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Photograph courtesy of Comité Champagne

While spending time this year in the rolling hills of Champagne, amid the green vines bursting with grapes just before the harvest, I listened to some of the smaller Champagne producers talk about renewing their relationship with their land and their region. It added an extra dimension to drinking their wines.

Anselme Selosse of Champagne Jacques Selosses said he spent several years in the late 1990s in denial about the treatments he was giving to his vineyards, and the way it affected his vineyards and his grapes. In 2003, chemical analysis confirmed that there was a lack of acidity – which is critical to making Champagne – so he did an about-face and decided to interfere as little as possible, to ramp down artificial fertilizers and pesticides. He came to believe each of us must “think more about what you should not do, than about what to do.”

Photographs courtesy of Comité Champagne

“Everyone has their own path, their own ethics,” Selosse told me. He gives his wines descriptive names like “Version Original” and “Il était une fois” (Once upon a time) and they are beautifully aromatic, with complex fruit in the flavors: layers of stimulation for the nose and the mouth.

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Selosse’s Champagnes are part of a category that is referred to as “Grower Champagnes.” The abbreviation in French is “RM” (Récoltant Manipulant) which means a growerproducer— a person who harvests the grapes and also makes the Champagne.

Growers who make their own wines

are not the norm in Champagne. Most people don’t realize that 90% of the grapes used to make Champagne are grown by independent farmers – the “growers.” For hundreds of years, they have been supplying the big Champagne houses with grapes. At a Champagne house, the winemaker creates a consistent house blend every year, using wines from different areas and even different harvests to maintain a stylistic standard in its aromatic and flavor profiles. A “house style” of Champagne is usually a large part of a Champagne house’s production, and it is the reason we often gravitate toward a “favorite” Champagne for our celebrations. Everyone has their own favorite style.

At another small producer, Champagne Roger Coulon, I sampled an excellent example of one the newlypopular styles of Champagne: Extra Brut. This is also known as non-dosé or Brut Nature, all of which means that the grapes have ripened well (and the wine has been made carefully) so the fruit, aromas and flavors of the grapes do not require the traditional enhancement of a few grams of sweet, alcoholic dosage to create a balanced Champagne. Isabel Coulon explained that her Brut Nature, called “Esprit de 91

Vrigny,” is named after her town, and showcases the characteristics of the soil here. It is made from equal parts of the traditional triumvirate of Champagne grapes: Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. The Chardonnay is grown in chalky soil, the Pinot Noir in clay, and the Pinot Meunier in sandy soil. The finished Champagne has a sweet nose with hints of orange and coconut, and the flavor is fruity yet buttery, an indication of the malo-lactic process used here in all but the vintage Coulon Champagnes.

A grower-producer often uses the three traditional grapes, but he or she may use more of one or another, depending on what grows that year. He may make a wine solely with one grape. But unlike at a traditional Champagne house, the independent champagne grower-producer can produce whatever style of wine he prefers.

It may be different every year, depend-

example, is excellent for Champagnemaking this year, he may produce a Champagne made entirely with Pinot Meunier. And if the next year is better for Chardonnay and Pinot Noir in his fields, he may use only those grapes that year.

The styles of Grower Champagnes vary as much as wines from independent wine producers in other regions.

Having tasted many of these over a couple decades, I know that it took some time for many growers to perfect the art of sparkling wine making. But now there is an increasing amount of terrific Grower Champagnes available.

Why didn’t growers always do this?

Some of them did produce small amounts for personal consumption.

But the real reason has to do with economics: the amount of time (at least two years) it takes to make Champagne, and the financial investment involved in producing, marketing and distributing the wines. Historically, farmers could not afford this. Only successful merchants gambled on producing the delicate, potentially explosive beverage in the 18th and 19th centuries. They also had to develop sales Intermezzo

This page, top: Becky Sue Epstein; bottom: Photograph courtesy of Comité Champagne

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ing on the characteristics of the grapes from each particular harvest – and that can be a good thing. If a grower believes that his Pinot Meunier, for

this page, top: photograph courtesy of Comité Champagne Comité; bottom: Becky Sue Epstein

networks and market their Champagnes around the globe. All of this requires a large outlay of capital.

To recoup, the Champagne houses have maintained a luxury image for Champagne – a continuing effort, even today.

In these conditions, it’s hard for a small producer to get noticed – even if the producer has the time and money to try. And it does require expertise in producing the Champagne in the first place. In the late 20th century the climate seemed right for this type of speculation: more people were willing to try making and selling their own Champagnes. Not all of them were good, especially at first. But some were. And some were discovered by one of the first US distributors to champion them, a man by the name of Terry Thiese. Since then, Thiese has made a name for himself – and for his producers.

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Champagne Chartogne-Taillet is a small producer in the Thiese group. It was created by the grandparents of the current generation, after World War II. This family had been growing grapes in this area since the 17th century. But the world changed in the mid-20th century, and they changed with it.

However, it wasn’t until 2006, when the current generation took over, that they stopped using fertilizers and pesticides.

Alexandre Chartogne (who also worked with Anselme Selosse) found that the yields in the vineyards decreased, but the flavors increased.

Today, the family uses horses for any plowing needed in the vineyards, and they let sheep wander through the rows in the winter, acting as natural fertilizers. Currently, Chartogne believes it’s important for each parcel of their land to express its own flavors and aromas, and he puts the parcel name on each bottle.

Other small producers are jumping on the bandwagon, both to regenerate healthy vineyards and to produce their own Champagnes. They also need to market and distribute their wines, with help from larger entities, especially if

they want to export to the U.S. There are several steps involved. First, of course, they must have excellent wines.

Secondly, they must have a consistent amount of quality production per year, and they must have been producing Champagne for several years in order to build their stocks of finished Champagnes. Then they have to attract the notice of an importer and/or distributor who will transport and promote their wines. So when you find these artisanal Grower Champagnes for sale near you, you can be sure that this grower-producer (RM) has made it through several hurdles in order to get to you.

How do you find these wines? If you search for “Grower Champagne” on any of the larger wine merchants’ websites, you’ll find a list of available wines in your area. Your own wine shop may have several, and you’ll find “RM” on the label. Year to year, there will be similarities in the style of a producer, but the wines won’t be exactly the same – just as you would expect from any fine wine. Grower Champagnes can be an adventure, each time you taste one.

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beverages:

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irish coffee

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An Irish Toast

Making Irish coffee requires more than adding some Irish whiskey to leftover brew. The technique is as important as the ingredients! Ireland’s renowned K Club in Strafan, Country Kildare, shares their authentic recipe. photograph by marylou crowley

irish coffee

From The Vintage Crop Cocktail Bar at the K Club 1

2

shot (about 1.2 ounces) Irish whiskey, such as Jameson’s teaspoons brown sugar Freshly-brewed coffee

Heavy cream Cocoa powder (optional) White wine glass

1. Warm the glass. Place a teaspoon in a wine glass and fill with boiling water.

Once glass is warm, empty out water.

2. Return teaspoon to the glass and add whiskey and brown sugar.

3. Top with hot coffee ¼-inch from the top of the glass; stir to dissolve sugar.

4. Place the teaspoon at the level of the coffee. Pour the cream over the back of the teaspoon. The cream will flow across the Irish coffee “like a mystical fog over the Irish landscape.”

5. If desired, dust with a sprinkling of cocoa powder.

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AK

N ITALIAN C W O R OO OU Y K E

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d d Maria Bruscino Sanchez's Sweet Maria'S italian Cookie tray Cookbook, a collection of 65 authentic Italian cookie recipes, makes a perfect gift for yourself or a loved one. Maria shares her family recipes and bakery secrets in this delicious cookbook. Her cookies are easy to prepare and perfect for any occasion!

ORDER ONLINE AT WWW.SWEET-MARIAS.COM OR FIND AT FINE BOOKSTORES EVERYWHERE.

recipe index from our kitchen to yours

appetizers, breads, soups and salads Beet and Apple Salad, 63 Borscht (Beet and Carrot Soup), 83

Kulebyaka (Salmon Pie), 82 Linguini with Shrimp, Zucchini and Sun-Dried Tomatoes, 28

Coconut and Mango Panna Cotta with Pineapple Salsa, 37 Coconut Macaroons, 42

Orecchiette alla Pugliese, 40

Coconut Rice Tart, 46

Carrot and Parsnip Soup with Cashel Blue Cheese Crostini, 74

Pork Tenderloin in a Mustard and Vanilla Crust with Caramelized Red Onion Sauce, 85

Cranberry Rice and Lemon Cream Parfaits, 46

Cucumber Dill Salad, 63

Scallops “From the Garden,” 20

Dashi Broth, 57

Shrimp with Chick Pea Velouté and Black Truffle, 28

Caper-Marinated Lobster, Shrimp and Red Snapper, 36

Fish Soup, 82

Smoked Potatoes with Yogurt and Guinness, Red Onion and Irish Cheddar Country Ham, 21 Soup, 74 Stuffed Cabbage, 82 Shrimp and Mussel Salad, 28 Sweet Potato Soup with Red Snapper and Cilantro, 36 Tuscan Bread Soup, 40

breakfasts Arroz Con Leche with Chai, 46 Norwegian Apple Cake, 63

side dishes Grilled Eggplant with Dashi Broth, 57

Baked Stuffed Shrimp, 28

Norwegian Apple Cake, 63 Sweet Sticky Rice Balls with Passion Fruit, Pineapple and Mandarin Oranges, 47

wines and spirits

Roasted Red Peppers, 20 Roasted Winter Squash with Basil, 40

Champagne Chartogne-Taillet, 89

Smoked Potatoes with Yogurt and Country Ham, 21

Champagne Jacquesson, 89

Smörgås Jarlsberg Gratin, 64

Champagne Roger Coulon, 87

Stuffed Cabbage, 82

Champagne Serge Mathieu, 88

Champagne Jacques Selosses, 86

Gini Soave Classico 2011, 62

desserts

& drinks

Amaretto Arborio Rice Pudding, 46

Cedrics’ Tavern Vegetable Farro, 20

Baked Pumpkin Crème, 57

Cheese and Guinness Quiche, 74

Chocolate Amaretto Arborio Rice Pudding, 46

Grilled Duck, Green Pepper and Green Onion, 57

Irish Coffee, 91

Albert Mann Rosenberg Pinot Gris 2011, 62

entrées Artichoke Stew with Peas, 40

Dairy-Free Amaretto Arborio Rice Pudding, 46

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Schmitges Erdener Treppchen Riesling Spatlese, 62 Staedte Landt Josephine Chardonnay 2010, 62

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Currants all natural Nutritional, Healthy, Safe, all year round The Black European Currant is the natural product resulting from the desiccation of the Black Corinthian Currant - a Greek grape variety, which goes under the scienVarietal

characteristics

include very -

Currant is practically seedless (a trait that gains a distinct competitive advantage, when compared to other raisin varieties.

The Corinthian Currant, being a highly differentiated product, distinguishes itself as the world’s best currant variety due to its Corinthian currants are a wonderful natural product with high nutritional value, rich mineral salts, also an all-natural sweetener.

In general, currants are the best source of quick energy, as they contain fructose and glucose, the two most important simple sugars for human consumption, found in fruits and honey.

There are a number of health and nutrition of currants.

Besides being particularly rich in iron, potassium and magnesium, currants contain high levels of calcium, manganese, zinc, minerals and vitamins. Especially rich in anthocyanins etc.) and are sodium and cholesterol free.

Currants can be consumed directly as a snack or can be used in the preparation of food such as daily dishes, breads, pastry etc., whilst maintaining all of their dietary “VOSTIZZA”, being the superior quality of the Corinthian Currant, has been recognized by the European Union, as a Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) product since 1998.

Currants processing description: The grapes are harvested by hand - only after having reached full maturity during

the months of August and September - they are placed on trays and are openly exposed to dry in sunlight or under shade for a period of 1 2 to 20 days. This is a naturally occurring process without the use of any chemicals.

Frequent manual interventions take place allowing the entire surface of the grapes to be exposed to the sun and therefore ensuring uniform dehydration. On average to make 1 kilo of currants, over 3 kilos of fresh grapes are required.

Following excess soil and leaf removal, inspection and grading, the dehydrated grapes (currants) are sent to cold storage to await processing.

When scheduled for processing currants run through the “de-stemmer”, “airleg” (to remove substandard currants), sizer and a water bath. At this stage any damaged raisins or ones that still have their stem are removed.

They are then poured into a carton, weighed and sealed. Prior to sealing all cartons undergo further inspection to ensure that the packaged fruit meets all quality standards.

Once the process is completed, the packed product is delivered to the consumer fresh, attractive in appearance and aband other chemical additives. Throughout the centuries the culture of the Corinthian of Northern and Western Peloponnese and the Ionian islands, where the soil and climatic conditions prove to be ideal for the production of a natural product of insuperable quality. It was the Greek philosopher the cultivation of Currants in the region of Northern Peloponnese. By the mid 1 500s the cultivation of Currants has spread far and wide throughout Northern Pelopon-

nese. The markets of Central Europe, and particularly the British market, soon came to appreciate the alimentary value and luscious taste of the Corinthian currant and demand was therefore drastically increased. During the 19th century, currants become one of the most important Greek products to be exported to Europe.

Today, currants are marketed and distributed in almost every country in the world, with major importers being the EU countries, especially England, Germany and Holland, as well as third countries such as Australia and the US. In accordance with the provisions of Council Regulation No. 3/2008 and Commission Regulation No. es information and promotion programs in the internal market and in third countries.

Therefore, the Agricultural Cooperatives’ Union of Aighion (P.E.S.) is participating in a three-year Currants promotion Program for the markets of Russia, Ukraine, the US and Canada.

AGRICULTURAL COOPERATIVES’ UNION AEGHION - GREECE 201, Corinthou Str. • 25100 • Aeghion • Greece Tel.: + 30 26910 22409 • Fax: +30 26910 22384 www.pesunion.gr • e-mail: sales@pesunion.gr

www.eu-currants.com 98

Project co - funded by the European Union and Greece

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finale

Tango After Dinner Order from the artist at: www.MicheleKennedy.com or Facebook at: on.fb.me/michelekennedypaintings Visit the artist's gallery and painting studio inside the Barnstable/Hyannis, Massachusetts Airport.

Personal commissioned paintings can be done from your own photographs.

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