coffee’s new wave
d i n i n g’s s p r i n g f o r e c a s t · c o c k t a i l s g o w e s t · c o o k b o o k s f i t f o r s p r i n g March 2011
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contents M ARCH 2011
departments 11 À LA CARTE 16 SEASONAL SHOPPER Greening Up Early Spring With Hoophouse Herbs
22
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BY PAT EBY
18 CHEF TALK Leading an Evolution BY LIGAYA FIGUERAS
21 COOK’S BOOKS Plenty: Vibrant Vegetable Recipes From London’s Ottolenghi BY SHANNON PARKER
22 GOURMET GURU
38
Finding Fin’s Flavors BY MICHAEL RENNER
24 OLD SCHOOL Pueblo Solis Packs in Flavor, People BY LIZ O’CONNOR
27 REAL DEAL Central Café’s Eclecticism Satisfies BY DAN AND ANNE MARIE LODHOLZ
29 STL SCENE Style, Substance and Sparkling Wine
features
cover details
30 COFFEE’S NEW WAVE Following in food’s footsteps, coffee pros refine the path from farm to cup BY STACY SCH U LT Z
BY MATT BERKLEY
47 STUFF TO DO 48 FOOD BY BYRON KERMAN
55 ART BY BYRON KERMAN
58 THE NEW CLASSICS Monarch’s Crawfish Bread BY KATIE O’CONNOR
38 SPRING SCENE BY LI GAYA FI G U ER AS
42 REUBENESQUE An Irish staple takes a cue from the French BY D EE RYAN
44 SHORT LIST Cornbread BY RUSS CARR
Coffee from Picasso’s Coffeehouse is brewed using the pour-over method.
Photo by Greg Rannells GOOD TO THE LAST DROP, P. 30 dining’s spring forecast, p. 38 cocktails go west, p. 14 cookbooks fit for spring, p. 21
= recipe on this page
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VIDEOS AND SLIDESHOW | If this month’s cover feature has sent you in search of a better brew, don’t worry – we’ve got you covered all month long. In the slideshows section of SauceMagazine.com, find out where you can buy all of the brewing equipment mentioned in Coffee’s New Wave, as well as tips for using them like the pros. Then head over to the video section to watch Gelateria Tavolini’s Jonathan Andrus demonstrate how you can brew a delicious and simple cup of coffee at home using a French press. While you’re there, help us celebrate our 10th year in print by checking out a new mini-documentary Sauce commissioned from local filmmaker Greg Kiger of Once Films. Hear what some of St. Louis’ independent business owners and chefs have to say about the evolution of the local culinary scene and our role in it. You’ll find it in the videos section the first week of March.
PHOTO OF JASON WILSON AT A KALDI’S CUPPING BY GREG RANNELLS
RECIPES | Has our Reubenesque feature inspired you to corn your own beef this St. Patty’s Day? Wanting to make the recipe in this month’s What In the World column but not sure what you’ll do with all that leftover Buddha’s hand syrup? Why, put it in a cocktail, of course. Find everything you need for these DIY projects, straight from the kitchen connoisseurs who made them. EDIBLE WEEKEND | Our new weekly culinary e-newsletter provides you with everything you need to have a foodfilled weekend around town. From new restaurants and bars worth the buzz to food festivals and cooking classes you just can’t miss to a delicious recipe that will inspire you in the kitchen, we’ve got you covered. Consider it a personal recommendation from the Sauce staff for a weekend of what we do best: dining and drinking well. Sign up for free today at saucemagazine.com/ediblesignup.php.
March 2011
TWEET BEAT | Every Friday, we round up the best tweets from St. Louis’ tastiest foodies. Some funny, some strange and a few just delicious, Tweet Beat is a list of our favorite tweets of the week. Think your tweets should be on next week’s list? Be sure to follow us on Twitter @saucemagazine.
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LETTER FROM THE EDITOR
When I was planning my first trip to Paris several years ago, I worried about what to pack. Not because I was worried about blending in with the city’s famously fashionable citizens; nope, I was concerned about what to wear to dinner. A trusted friend gave me a tip: Just look put together, from pressed shirts to polished shoes, and you’ll pass muster with the city’s maître d’s. I worried even more: I didn’t intend to go to Paris’ legendary stuffy bastions of overbearing formality, but I was planning to eat well. Would I need to get a whole new dressy wardrobe for dining out in the City of Lights? I’m accustomed to dining out in casual attire, whether in New York or in St. Louis. Paris, I reasoned, wasn’t all that different than any other culinary capital these days, was it? My friend’s advice turned out to be invaluable, the best Paris tip I received, in fact – and my fear of wearing jeans in a Paris restaurant was unfounded. (Although, to be clear, by casual, I don’t mean sloppy; jeans may be fine, but no one’s advocating sports jerseys and sweat pants.) So is this another indication that fine dining is over? It’s a question that’s been circling the food world for a while now, debated in kitchens from Brooklyn to Benton Park and L.A. to London, fueled by larger economic concerns and the ongoing trend of elite chefs opening burger joints and brasseries. The answer is still open for debate, but what that Paris experience emphasized to me – and what John Griffiths, the new executive chef at Truffles, so perfectly sums up in this month’s Chef Talk (page 18) – is that the definition of fine dining is changing. It’s less about dress code, stiff formality and overwrought dishes and more about quality ingredients and a mastery of the culinary craft. And you don’t need to travel to Paris to see this evolution firsthand. To choose just one example from many, at Farmhaus, easily one of the best restaurants in the city, diners sit at paper-topped tables and use dishtowels as napkins while eating the sophisticated, high-end comfort food turned out by chef and owner Kevin Willmann, whose style of cooking earned him a spot as a 2011 James Beard Award semifinalist (one of four from St. Louis) last month. As Griffiths said, “People can judge for themselves if it’s fine dining.” In my judgment, dinner at Farmhaus is indeed fine dining – and you’d look ridiculous wearing a coat and tie while eating it.
Katie O’Connor
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Farmhaus is just one of many St. Louis restaurants embracing the blend of high-end food and casual atmosphere; read more about this and other trends you’ll encounter in St. Louis this spring, including the continued expansion of the mixology movement that results in drinks like Taste’s Rosie the Riveter (pictured here), on page 38.
March 2011
PHOTO BY CARMEN TROESSER
Cheers,
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EAT THIS
Provel is a must when it comes to St. Louis-style pizza, but it so easily overwhelms a pie. Not so at FARACI PIZZA in Ferguson, where the smoky stuff is blanketed on just so, resulting in a little cheesy goodness with each bite. A light, crisp crust and deeply flavored tomato sauce support the FARACI’S SPECIAL, but the house-made sausage is the standout star among PHOTO BY ASHLEY GIESEKING
the toppings of pepperoni, bacon, mushrooms and onions. 520 S. FLORISSANT ROAD • FERGUSON • 314.524.2675
March 2011
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CHEF’S DAY OFF J O HN GRIFFITHS “I don’t get much time off, but I like to stop by Salume Beddu – they have great salumi. Sometimes I go over there just to see what they’re doing and what they have. They go out of town a lot and bring stuff in, so I like to go see what they’re selling. It’s a good lunch too: Get their salumi and some great bread – makes a pretty good sandwich.” – John Griffiths, executive chef at Truffles. Read more from Griffiths in this month’s Chef Talk on page 18.
USE THIS
LESSONS FROM THE LUNCH LINE
In his fourth year as the district chef for the Maplewood Richmond Heights School District, Rusan is rocking the district’s school lunches. His menus are making waves, and his recipes are winning over a staff that has evolved from heat and serve to cooking from scratch. This is Rusan’s dream job, eschewing french fries and chicken nuggets to create meals like pork roast with blueberry reduction sauce, turkey sausage, roast beef with garlic, chicken and dumplings, and ham and egg strata, to name just a few. There are homemade soups, salad, wraps – it’s all there, right down to the carrot stick. “I want the students to be aware of good food, balanced food. I want them to realize the food pyramid can be adapted to each person’s
taste. I want them to know … what all kinds of foods are and not push them away. I want them to connect healthy eating with how they feel and the importance of eating right. OK, I just want them to know when they go in the store and out into the world that they have options.” So the experience of having a kid come through the line and say, “Wow, chef, what is that?” and then try it makes everything worthwhile for Rusan, who admitted there are some dishes that work, others that don’t. He’s won kids over on black beans, salads and Cheddar cheese, for example, but not beets – not yet. “And when we brought greens to the salad bar, the students said, ‘Who cut the grass and threw it in here?’” There is surprise in Rusan’s voice at the recent mere six-cent increase per student in the food budget. But he’s undeterred, and he uses thrift and creativity to keep things healthy, using 1 percent milk instead of whole; olive oil-veg oil blends instead of all butter; juice instead of sugar. He commends the government’s effort in offering
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low-sodium canned vegetables, fruit packed in juice and, finally, natural cheeses. “It’s all about compromise,” he said. “Nothing is perfect.” Nor does Rusan hesitate to credit those involved in this eating evolution, including his staff, as well as Superintendent Dr. Linda Henke, the school board, parents and those who partner in the three-year grant program Healthy Eating With Local Produce, which includes Saint Louis University, the Sappington Farmers’ Market and the Missouri Farmers’ Union. The bottom line: “This is a program that is not just talking but walking toward accomplishing what makes a difference in a child’s life,” Rusan said. Back in the cafeteria, Rusan’s preparing to host a staff lunch: a baked potato bar, baked chicken, homemade broccoli soup, blackbean chili and salad. “Come to lunch sometime,” he invites. “Promise me.” And having exacted his promise, he heads toward the kitchen to get started. – Diana Losciale
Who needs Franklin when you’ve got Fitz’s? A local artist makes these hand-crafted notebooks from recycled four- and six-pack carriers from Fitz’s and Schlafly, adding a little local flare to your sketching, writing and doodling. Even better: These adorable little pads are small enough to fit inside your purse or briefcase – just think how much more fun school would’ve been with a six pack in your backpack … $10 TO $12, AVAIL ABLE AT FITZ’S RO OTBEER, 6605 DEL M AR BLVD., UNIVERSIT Y CIT Y, 314.726.9555 AND SCHL AFLY BOT TLEWORKS, 7260 SOUTHWEST AVE., M APLEWO OD, 314.241.2337
March 2011
PHOTO BY ASHLEY GIESEKING
A teacher walks through the Maplewood High School cafeteria and shouts a good morning. Robert Rusan hails back with, “Will we see you at lunch? We’re having blackbean chili,” which gets a hearty “Yes!” in response. “Teachers are coming in for lunch now; they used to stay in their rooms,” he said.
DRINK ‘N WRITE NOTEBOOKS
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Annie Gunn’s wine director Glenn Bardgett weighs in on which wines to drink this month, while Sauce Elixir columnist Ligaya Figueras offers her suggestions for which spirits to sip. Check your favorite wine shop or liquor store for availability. Ironstone Cabernet Franc 2009, Lodi, Calif. Cab Franc is growing in popularity, but many are overly pricey. This 2009 is the best that I have had from Ironstone. It’s a $15 red that’s a flavorful marriage of the style of Cabernet Sauvignon with the softness of Merlot. Reach for it anytime you’re in the mood for Cab.
Bartending’s Lewis and Clark: Justin Cardwell of BC’s Kitchen, left, and Charlie Myers of McGurk’s Public House.
Casa Lapostolle Cabernet Sauvignon 2008, Rapel Valley, Chile This first-class wine is from the family that makes the famed orange liqueur of France, Grand Marnier. Lapostolle makes some of the very top wines of Chile, but you’re not likely to find a better $15 Cabernet than this.
WESTWARD EXPANSION The majority of St. Louis’ cocktailian bars, where creative recipes, proper mixing, fresh ingredients and top-shelf, small-batch spirits trump slinging beverages down the bar, are found within or near the city confines. But a westward expansion of the craft cocktail movement is under way, thanks largely to the pioneering efforts of bartending’s Lewis and Clark, Charlie Myers of McGurk’s Public House in O’Fallon and Justin Cardwell of BC’s Kitchen in Lake St. Louis.
that incorporates elements of sweet and sour, boasts a nice fragrance and never imparts a burning sensation. “It just warms you from the inside.”
initiates. The well-rounded cocktail features Bombay, Aperol, orange and lime juices, grenadine, and egg whites, a flavor profile reminiscent of the classic Clover Club.
Of the hot drinks featured this month, the Lumberjack stands out for its creativity. The honey-colored warmer is a mix of bourbon, apple juice, brown sugar and unsalted butter, the last lending a smooth texture, body and a pat of indulgency to the hot drink.
BC’s Kitchen also offers lighter, less boozy drinks (try the Pear Martini) that are designed “to get people introduced to and comfortable with what we do,” said Cardwell. “It’s not the Central West End. It’s not The Loop. It’s not downtown. But we want to bring what people are doing there to this area,” he said.
McGurk’s issued its first-ever cocktail menu late last month, designed by Myers. Common among the 15 drinks is that they stay true to the Emerald Isle theme. For Myers, that means dark spirits – scotch and Irish whiskey in the winter, aged rum in the summer. In addition, all of the cocktails illustrate Myers’ penchant for simplicity. “No more than five ingredients – otherwise it starts to muddle the flavor too much,” he said.
Just as Myers stays true to the pub’s roots, Justin Cardwell, manager at BC’s Kitchen and son of owner Bill Cardwell, upholds the restaurant’s casual-with-a-fine-diningtouch concept. Dehydrated Meyer lemon peels, brandied cherries, infusions and syrups like grenadine or almondy orgeat – all house-made – are just a few of the marks of distinction at this bar.
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1792 Ridgemont Reserve Bourbon, Bardstown, Ky. This small-batch bourbon is aged for eight years in charred oak barrels. It’s rich, velvety and perfect for a Manhattan, Mint Julep or Bourbon Press. Skinos Mastiha Spirit, Greece Pine and juniper berry dominate in this spirit that is distilled from the sap of mastic trees on the Greek island of Chios. Try Skinos ice-cold and neat or over ice with a twist of orange, lemon or tangerine.
Cardwell’s Modern Ward, left, and Myers’ McGurk’s Emerald.
Charbay Blood Orange Vodka, St. Helena, Calif. This recent release is among Charbay’s first flavored vodkas made with organically grown fruit. Look also for Meyer lemon and pomegranate flavors.
March 2011
PHOTOS BY DAVID KOVALUK
Among the cocktails inspired by classic recipes is a Myers original called McGurk’s Emerald. A variation of a Manhattan, the drink is made with Redbreast Irish whiskey, sweet vermouth and Angostura bitters. The amberhued sipper is beautifully balanced, a characteristic Myers described as a drink
Modern Ward and The Venetian are the most popular cocktails on the winter menu. Modern Ward, Cardwell’s take on an OldFashioned, is a combination of bourbon whiskey, sour cherry liqueur, grenadine and muddled orange strained into a Martini glass spritzed with Angostura bitters that float to the top and garnished with those boozy brandied cherries. The Venetian is a good choice for gin
Check out the westward expansion of the bar scene. It’s worth the expedition. – Ligaya Figueras
Antonio Sanguineti Chianti DOCG 2008, Tuscany, Italy One of the oldest and typically traditional wine styles is Chianti, even without the straw wrap. When I saw winemaker Antonio’s picture on the label, I anticipated an interesting ride. This is a bright, fresh and quaffable $15 red – an everyday price for your everyday food.
Buddha must have had some severe arthritis. Buddha’s hand, also known as fingered citron, originated in India and is an ancient member of the citrus family. The yellow fruit is characterized by gnarled tentacles, a highly fragrant lemon scent and practically no pulp beneath the rind. Use it: Candy small strips of the rind or use the citrus slices for marmalade. Shave some zest over fish or add it to salad dressings or pilafs. Use Buddha’s hand to flavor liqueurs or vodka, or axe the culinary applications altogether and simply place the oddity fruit in a room that needs perfuming. Find it: Select Schnucks supermarkets, 314.994.4400 Whole Foods Market, 1601 S. Brentwood Blvd., Brentwood, 314.968.7744
CANDIED BUDDHA’S HAND Courtesy of Kakao Chocolate’s Brian Pelletier 1 Buddha’s hand 7 cups cold water, divided 2 cups sugar, plus additional for coating • Wash the fruit and remove any brown tips, then slice thinly to make disks from the fingers and base. • Place 2 cups of water and the sliced fruit in a medium saucepan and bring to a boil. Drain the water, and repeat the process twice more (for a total of three times). • After draining the water a third time, add the sugar to the saucepan with 1 cup of water and stir until the sugar dissolves. • Add the fruit slices and bring to a boil over medium heat. When it starts to boil, reduce the heat and simmer, uncovered, for 30 minutes. • Remove the fruit with a slotted spoon and separate the pieces on a cooling rack. Let sit for several hours or overnight to dry and set. Reserve the syrup for another use. (It’s great to use in tea or cocktails – visit the Extra Sauce section of saucemagazine.com for a recipe.) • The candied fruit can be eaten as is, rolled in sugar or dipped in melted chocolate.
PHOTO BY GREG RANNELLS
– Ligaya Figueras
March 2011
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SEASONAL SHOPPER
GREENING UP EARLY SPRING WITH HOOPHOUSE HERBS BY PAT EBY • PHOTO BY LAURA MILLER
From left, dill, thyme, sage and oregano.
W
hen farmer Walker Claridge walks into a chef’s kitchen with freshly cut hoophouseand greenhouse-grown herbs in the middle of a Missouri winter, chefs can’t wait to buy. “It’s winter. The chefs are trying to get a hold of anything fresh, and here I’ve got these great pungent, strong, locally grown herbs,” Claridge explained. Hoophouses and greenhouses extend the growing season into the coldest months, and fresh herbs
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bring needed revenue and provide quality customer contacts for local farmers. Still, like all farming, even hoophouse production can be a gamble. This December and January, sunlight was scarce and temperatures glacial, both of which stressed the plants. “I hope we have a tale of two winters,” Claridge said, hoping for a thaw with strong sunshine and moderate cold to carry him through to March. He’s planning to sell his cut herbs, including rosemary,
thyme, oregano, tarragon, winter savory and both Italian flat leaf and curly parsley, at the March markets. Because Claridge is the owner of the Broadway Brewery and Restaurant in Columbia, Mo., he understands the wow factor herbs bring to the table. “We’re seeing a move towards more flavorful ingredients, and herbs are part of that picture.” Claridge amped up his house salad with a take-notice fresh tarragon dressing, and he uses plenty of
fresh rosemary, thyme and winter savory in his roasted root vegetables. “We roast whatever fresh, local root vegetables we have – potatoes, sweet potatoes, rutabagas, celery root, Japanese turnips, even Daikon radishes – with a little oil, lots of herbs. Our customers nearly rioted last spring when we took the dish off the menu. We promised to bring it back in the winter.” Using fresh herbs takes practice, but the complex flavors coaxed from fresh can’t be March 2011
beat. Chop and toss parsleys, mints, basils and tarragon right into green salads. Layer fresh-cut basil leaves, sorrel or snipped chives on a favorite sandwich. Throw a handful of parsley into a chicken salad. Top spaghetti and meatballs with fresh cilantro and shaved Romano for a new take on an old standby. When you cook with fresh herbs, you’ll notice a fresher, purer taste. A simple starting point is to substitute fresh for dried in favorite recipes – a handy ratio for recipe conversion is 3-to-1, fresh chopped to dried chopped, or about one tablespoon of fresh herbs per one teaspoon dried. Bay leaves are an exception; use fresh the same as you would use dried. More fresh herbs are available locally thanks to Gardell Strites of Wholesome Gardens Produce in Bluford, Ill. Strites has been a fixture at farmers’ markets, but next year he’ll sell herbs exclusively through retail outlets. Fresh herbs have been gaining significant popularity with Dierbergs’ customers over the past five years, according to Steve Duello, director of produce operations for all 23 Dierbergs stores. “The potted herbs we get from Wholesome Gardens do really well,” he noted, “especially around the holidays.” Strites started his family business growing herbs hydroponically, selling the plants – with roots intact – encased in a plastic sleeve. “I couldn’t get the shelf life I wanted with hydroponics, so I started experimenting and came up with the potted herbs,” he explained. They sell nearly year-round, with a short lull in January and February. Customers take home a strapping healthy herb and cut as needed. Strites suggested transplanting the plant to a bigger clay pot immediately to keep it producing through the fall and winter, then transplanting it outdoors in the spring. “This winter, I experimented with selling cut herbs, mostly basil, to restaurants,” he said. The experiment went well. “We are definitely pursuing cut herbs.” Another milestone came when Strites gained organic certification this year. Look for his high-quality herbs in early March in the produce sections of all Dierbergs stores, Whole Foods, Straubs and select Schnucks stores. You’ll find topMarch 2011
sellers basil, cilantro and rosemary, but don’t overlook chives, dill, sage, oregano, thyme, mints and parsleys. Pick up a pot and chop happy. Come May, plant them in your yard for a more flavorful summer.
HERBED ROOT VEGETABLE STEW WITH PARSELY DUMPLINGS 8 TO 10 SERVINGS 3 Tbsp. olive oil 3 cloves garlic, minced 2 medium onions, diced 1 cup red wine 2 to 3 dried porcini mushrooms 1 Tbsp. tomato paste 3 to 4 cups vegetable stock 3 small rutabagas 2 carrots 1 russet potato 1 small celery root 4 small parsnips ½ tsp. kosher salt ½ tsp. black pepper 3 sprigs fresh thyme 1-inch piece fresh rosemary sprig 1 tsp. fresh oregano leaves ¼ cup plus 3 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley, divided 2 cups Bisquick baking mix ²∕³ cup 2-percent milk or buttermilk • Put the olive oil and garlic in a Dutch oven or a 5-quart stockpot and cook over low heat for 3 to 5 minutes. Do not brown. • Add the onions and cook until translucent. • In a small saucepan, heat the red wine just to boiling. Add the dried porcini, turn off the heat and let the mushrooms rehydrate. When softened, chop the mushrooms into small pieces. • Add the wine, mushrooms and tomato paste to the onions and garlic, stirring to incorporate and to loosen any bits on the bottom of the pan. Add 3 cups of vegetable stock and stir to incorporate. • Peel and cut the rutabagas into 1-inch pieces. Peel and chop the carrots. Scrub the potato and cut into 1-inch pieces, skin on. Peel and julienne the celery root. Peel and slice the parsnips into ½-inch-thick pieces. • Add the chopped vegetables to the stew liquid. Add the salt, pepper, thyme, rosemary and oregano. Cover and cook over mediumhigh heat for 20 minutes. If the liquid looks sparse, add more vegetable stock. Add ¼ cup parsley and stir. • Make the dumplings: Mix the Bisquick, milk and remaining 3 tablespoons parsley together. Drop dumpling batter by spoonfuls into the bubbling stew. You should get 8 to 10 dumplings. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes. Cover and cook an additional 10 minutes.
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CHEF TALK
LEADING AN EVOLUTION BY LIGAYA FIGUERAS • PHOTOS BY CARMEN TROESSER John Griffiths is steering Truffles’ ongoing evolution, which includes house-made salumi, right, that’s aged at the Ladue restaurant.
T
ruffles is not something that failed and we are starting over. It is a restaurant that has a great legacy. Now we’re moving it into a different direction,” explained John Griffiths, executive chef at the Ladue restaurant. Griffiths, who helmed An American Place when it opened in 2004 and has worked as a consultant chef for area restaurants such as Lumen, El Borracho and The Scottish Arms, has launched more than 20 eateries around the country in the last four years alone. We spoke to Griffiths about the evolution taking place in the world of fine dining in general and at Truffles in particular. Why is there now a focus on Italian fare at Truffles as opposed to some other type of cuisine? [The owners] were open to suggestions. After the first couple of conversations about what could work and the structure of the restaurant that they had here, and the type of menu they wanted – they didn’t know the style, they knew the elements they wanted in there – Italian really seemed to fit. That’s when it hit in my mind that this could be a place where I could do some interesting things. Italian has been in the back of my mind for a long time. What will distinguish the food at Truffles from other Italian restaurants in town?
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It’s not first and foremost an Italian restaurant. You read the menu and certainly you can understand the Italian influence. But it’s not written in Italian. We’re not using tomatoes thoroughly year-round. We’re not focusing on those things you would see in the average Midwestern Italian restaurant. We’re focusing on seasonal, regional foods that we can cook in a manner that is unique here and we put those through a modern Italian influence. Tell me more about what you mean by “modern Italian influence.” Ingredients drive the preparation. We’re not strictly saying that we are southern Italian or northern Italian. In the wintertime, this region mimics a lot of northern Italy – the available ingredients and the styles of cooking; in the summertime, you see the vegetables at the farmers’ market and those really lend themselves more to central and southern Italy. Right now, we focus on Tuscany and Liguria and Lombardy because that’s what works for the weather we have and the ingredients that we have available. You have said that one goal is to attract a younger crowd to Truffles. What changes are being made that will bring in that type of patron while retailing established clientele, many of whom are older? We didn’t change the
menu overnight. You don’t want to dissuade current customers until you’ve gained their confidence. We’ve made decisions over the last few months about the menu items that have come on and off – and in what order to remove and replace them – to make sure there were always selections that fit with a certain taste and variety. I think that process has warmed a lot of the clientele to what we’re doing. … I think that the crowd here is open to change and excited about what we are doing. What changes are you making to the physical space? We are bringing a large percentage of the wine cellar into the dining room. We’re adding an aging room for salumi that you can view. There will be a large service table in the dining room where we’ll be doing some tableside preparations. All those great country Italian restaurants have that table where everything is happening; it brings the focus into the center of the dining room and brings everyone into it. I think that will help to elevate the atmosphere and energy level. Modernizing the dining room, bringing some of the service elements into the dining room, the exposure of the wine in the dining room will make it more enjoyable and lively. Still a bit of prestige without
pretence. You know you are going to have a great meal, but you aren’t walking into it going, “Am I going to have to wear a suit and tie?” So is Truffles no longer a fine-dining place? I think that the definition of fine dining is hugely in flux. I don’t think you can define it by the type of tablecloth or setting of the table. I think every operation develops what is important for its clientele and the clientele it is seeking. As long as you are providing a very high level of ingredients, service and quality on the table, then you can be fine dining. I’ve had great meals where you sit down and you get a dish towel and a fork and half the time you are eating with your hand, and I would consider the quality that was being served to me fine dining. To me, “casual fine dining” almost conveys carelessness. We are focusing on cooking really great food in a seasonal manner that’s got modern elements to it but still holds tradition. And people can judge for themselves if it’s fine dining.
TRUFFLES 9202 Clayton Road, Ladue 314.567.9100 March 2011
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REVIEW: COOK’S BOOKS
PLENTY: VIBRANT VEGETABLE RECIPES FROM LONDON’S OTTOLENGHI BY SHANNON PARKER Yotam Ottolenghi is probably the biggest rock star chef you’ve never heard of. After reading his latest book, Plenty, I can see why. I mean, I can see why he’s a big rock star chef. I don’t know why you – or I, for that matter – have never heard of him before now. Ottolenghi has not taken the most traditional of paths to culinary success. He owns and operates several eponymous restaurants in London, although he is of Israeli descent. His wildly successful restaurants draw on his Mediterranean heritage and each prominently features a “take away” section of high-end prepared foods. Additionally, Ottolenghi gained his culinary sensibilities through his training as a pastry chef – only recently has he moved into the savory kitchen. He also pens the New Vegetarian column for the Guardian newspaper – this is perhaps the most interesting of all, because he is not a vegetarian.
Ottolenghi has compiled a number of the recipes from his column into Plenty, due out this month. In it, he details his philosophy of “pragmatic vegetarianism, those who have excluded meat or fish from their diet to some degree,” but are not entirely vegetarian. The recipes in Plenty are by and large vegetarian, although eggs and cheese are featured prominently, and Ottolenghi freely admits that he developed a number of the recipes with the use of meat somewhere in the back of his mind. One of the issues inherent in a number of vegetarian cookbooks is that after cooking a recipe, a common comment is, “That is pretty good for a vegetarian dish.” That’s not the case here. These are good dishes that happen to be vegetarian. Ottolenghi offers up recipes such as Saffron Tagliatelle With Spiced Butter, Swiss Chard, Chickpea and Tamarind Stew, and Puy Lentil Galette that show he is not afraid of big flavors. Ottolenghi also
lets the flavor of the main ingredient shine through, using techniques that are refined but not fussy. The organization of the book is quirky, yet makes perfect sense: Sections include Roots, for recipes involving root vegetables, and Brassica, recipes dedicated to plants of the mustard family (think broccoli, cabbage and cauliflower). Since these recipes were initially developed for a mass audience, they have the ease and directional clarity that rock star chef cookbooks so often lack. Nor is Ottolenghi above allowing substitutions and variations, adaptations that are necessary but not always readily apparent to the home cook. The photos also look like the dish came from a home kitchen – gorgeous and hunger-inducing without dropping into the “food porn” genre. With the publication of this cookbook, I’m sure that Ottolenghi’s reputation will only rise on this side of the pond. He’ll surely get Plenty of attention.
PLENTY: VI BRANT VEG ETABLE RECI PES FROM LO N D O N ’S OTTO LEN G H I, BY YOTA M OT TO L EN G H I, CH RO N I CL E BO O KS
THE FOUR COOKBOOKS EVERY VEGETABLE-LOVER SHOULD OWN Reine Bayoc, chef and owner of SweetArt, suggested these cookbooks for those looking to explore vegetarian, vegan and almost-vegetarian cooking.
PHOTO BY JONATHAN S. POLLACK
Back to the Table: The Reunion of Food and Family, by Art Smith “Smith is a comfort food genius, in my humble opinion. Being from Tennessee, I can relate to his takes on vegetables: layering them with sauces or seasoning with a dash of hot sauce – reminds me of my momma’s techniques. The book isn’t a new release, but I still cook from it to this day – especially when I want to make my family feel loved.”
March 2011
Eggplant: More Than 75 Delicious Recipes, by Ofir Jovani “Quite possibly my favorite vegetable! A book on eggplant lets one experiment on all the possibilities of this vegetable: appetizers, dips, main courses. … And this book lets you travel the multiple roads of eggplant preparation. Exquisite!”
The Vegan Soulfood Guide to the Galaxy, by Afya Ibomu “Ibomu’s recipes are tasty and fun, and the titles make you smile. Some books’ vegetable dishes rely heavily on the meat that is in the dish, which sometimes overpowers the elegance of the vegetable. That’s not an issue in Ibomu’s book.”
Vegan Soul Kitchen: Fresh, Healthy, and Creative African-American Cuisine, by Bryant Terry “Terry’s recipes are so dynamic and tasteful and soulful that even my mother enjoyed his recipes at last year’s Easter celebration. Terry takes vegetable dishes that are familiar to black folks and makes them delicious and healthier without the butter, eggs and other animal products.”
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REVIEW: GOURMET GURU
Fin Japanese Cuisine’s soothing décor and Ninja bento box.
FINDING FIN’S FLAVORS BY MICHAEL RENNER • PHOTOS BY GREG RANNELLS
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in Japanese Cuisine in Chesterfield has no wall-sized aquarium stocked with local river fish. It’s just as well; catfish sashimi sounds about as appetizing as chicken sashimi (although raw chicken is a delicacy in Japan, so who knows?). Instead, owner Supatra Klum has created a comfortable and stylish space with visually pleasing touches like ceramic bottles for the soy sauces, sushi elegantly presented on Raku-like platters, a white-stone wall behind the bar and warm lighting emanating from hanging glass fixtures. It’s hard to imagine this is where locals used to grab an Einstein bagel and morning cuppa. The new ambiance would be almost temple-like calm,
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were it not for the two flat-screen televisions (blessedly silent) hanging behind the bar and Charlie Parker (nothing wrong with Bird) wafting from the sound system. But Fin ain’t no be-quiet-and-eat Zen sanctuary. Nor is it obnoxiously loud, as so many restaurants seem to be these days. Despite advances in overnight delivery of supremely fresh fish, we in the Midwest aren’t going to get curiosities like saury, halfbeak or sweetfish. So while Fin may not be the place for local Japanophiles, it does offer capable, albeit mostly standard, Japanese fare, including sushi, lots of teriyaki, cute bento boxes and a number of noodle soups. The sushi menu is extensive, the fish fresh and
clean tasting: generous slices of tuna, brilliant red as stained glass; creamy white scallops; chewy clams, each wrapped with a tidy band of seaweed. Alas, no otoro, the fattiest part of bluefin tuna, was available during my visits. Thick pieces of gunkan (spelled “gunkwan” on the menu) sushi are like little tugboats (the name actually means “battleship”) of sticky rice wrapped with pressed seaweed (nori) and topped with ingredients like crunchy roe or, in our case, Japanese pepper spicing up the diced salmon and daikon radish slivers accenting the spicy tuna. Rice is the Polo shirt of Japanese cuisine; bland and predictable. But sushi rice is flavored with rice vinegar and other
seasonings, though the rice supporting our sushi seemed anemic. The condition carried over to other parts of the menu. Entrées, while satisfactory, are a bit boring, missing that “fifth taste” umami quality. Teriyaki, whether chicken, pork, beef or fish, is still teriyaki. The grilled “whole” squid is not as scary as what our brain imagines. Rather, about 13 large, sliced rings of properly grilled squid (meaning not rubbery) were fanned out on the plate and came with two dipping sauces: teriyaki and an orange-based sweet and spicy condiment. Squid’s neutrality demands some kind of sauce, but forgo the orange sauce; it’s almost too sweet and thick to complement the delicate cephalopod. March 2011
Bento sets are always fun, like little puzzle boxes of neatly arranged food. At Fin, they also are good values, mixing and matching a main protein with, depending on the set, a maki, gyoza (dumpling), tempura and selection of sashimi. Salad, rice and a better-than-average miso soup accompany each set. (It’s worth mentioning the salad’s dressing; slightly creamy and citrusy, think of a thinner, tarter Caesar or creamy Italian dressing. It is quite good, so good that one dining partner purchased a container to take home. You can too.) Our Ninja set consisted of grilled teriyaki saba (mackerel), three gyoza, and white and yellowtail tuna and salmon sashimi beautifully folded to appear like rose buds. For the uninitiated, mackerel surprises with its strong flavor and chewy texture, as another dining partner discovered. Here the sweet soy teriyaki glaze is a good foil to the saltiness of the fish. Those bento boxes, along with the rice bowls and sushi combos, also make for some of the better quantity-to-price lunch values around. Nine bucks for two rolls or one roll and three nigiri is a deal. Same for a bento box that includes gyoza, salad, rice and soup. And don’t forget the rice tea, a subtle brew of loose green tea steeped with brown rice that is not as grainy or earthy as it may sound. Several of the 27 special maki intrigued, notably the Fin and Shogun rolls, the former consisting of tuna and minty shiso leaf, breaded and then deep-fried for crunchy satisfaction. It is the Shogun, however, that will bring me back. Inside the nori wrapper, there’s chopped tuna, crispy masago (fish roe), scallions and a spicy sauce. On top sits a bit of sliced tuna and avocado. But wait, is that apple inside – cold and crisp – playing the contrapuntal role with taste and texture, adding sweet to the savory, crunch to the soft? It’s that type of out of the ordinary surprise Fin could use more of.
NEW AND NOTABLE WHERE: Fin Japanese Cuisine, 1682 Clarkson Road, Chesterfield
WHEN: Lunch: Mon. to Fri. – 11:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.;
Dinner: Sun. to Thu. – 5 to 9 p.m., Fri. and Sat. – 5 to 10 p.m. DON’T-MISS DISH: Shogun and Fin rolls, bento box lunch specials. VIBE: Stylish and comfortable. ENTRÉE PRICES: $15.95 to $21.95. Sushi: $2.50 to $4 per piece. Maki: $9 to $15.
March 2011
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Pueblo Solis’ sopes.
REVIEW: OLD SCHOOL
Two tortillas are filled with Chihuahua cheese and smothered in a piquant red sauce featuring ancho and guajillo (dried red peppers) and more cheese, then warmed until gooey. If mole is your thing, Pueblo Solis has an excellent version. With its chocolaty hue and velvety texture, this sauce is so subtle and balanced that its flavors whisper to you, sweet, smoky, earthy. The ground beef filling in the gorditas rellenas is a little louder. The punch of green bell peppers and onions perfume the meat that’s tucked into a thin, round gordita pocket, slick with grease. The plate of three tamales – bean, pork, and cheese and jalapeño – comes fast to the table. They’re good, if a little dry. The pork tamales are the best of the three; the bean and cheese varieties lack that moisture and succulent appeal. It’s nothing a drizzle of salsa can’t fix. Don’t leave without trying the flan. Served with fresh strawberries, blueberries and mango, this house-made dessert portion is luscious and smooth, sweet and eggy. Salmon-colored walls and a couple strands of chili-pepper lights cast a rosy glow over the dimly lit bar and dining rooms. Some cacti, a piñata and sundry Mexican novelties round out the décor.
PUEBLO SOLIS PACKS IN FLAVOR, PEOPLE BY LIZ O’CONNOR • PHOTO BY LAURA MILLER
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n experience at Pueblo Solis can vary greatly depending on when you go, what you order and your general disposition. If you translate long waits and spotty service as more time to relax, chat and loosen up with a cool Margarita, then you’ll do OK here. It is a fun place to be, after all, festive and bustling on a Saturday night. But if you’re a stickler for good, efficient service, go on a Thursday. It’s quiet but not completely dead, which means you’ll skip the hour-long waits and get a little more face time with your server. There are also swings in the quality and preparation of the food. A steamy cup of frijoles charros, or pinto bean soup, was warming and truly delicious. Coins of smoky sausage mingled with the tender beans in a
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pleasantly viscous, earthy broth reminiscent of white bean and ham soup. But the entrée of shrimp Diablo that followed was a disappointment. There comes a time in a shrimp’s edibility span where it’s still good enough to eat but starting to emit a shrimpy odor that says, “Time’s running out.” These shrimp had a very strong odor, so strong, in fact, that the car smelled of shrimp a full 24 hours after transporting the leftovers home. And, while I realize that shrimp Diablo is supposed to bring the heat, these shrimp were so devilishly hot that I could only eat one. When your nose is running and your eyes are watering and you can’t feel your lips, you likewise can’t see, smell or taste the food. I was grasping, blindly, for my Margarita, writhing in pain. It’s best to stray from the pricy entrées and stick with appetizers and the Mexican
specialties, such as the sopes, tacos and enchiladas, which are wonderfully seasoned and supremely satisfying. Sopes, little cornmeal pizzas topped with Chihuahua cheese, salsa and guacamole, are a tasty little snack whose sweet corn tames the salt and spice of the toppings. At first bite, the guacamole is nice and oniony, but there was an awful lot of tomato in that dish. I love tomatoes in guacamole, but this was ridiculous; it seemed as if they were using tomato as filler. The tortilla chips are good, though, nice and hot, salty and crisp, with three types of salsa – one a mix of green tomatillos and jalapeños, one with fresh Roma tomatoes and serrano peppers, and one a deep smoky red, containing Roma tomatoes and poblano peppers. If you like melted cheese, get a Mexican enchilada, one of three varieties on the menu.
While service is generally slow, the staff is friendly. And although the rice is always overcooked and mushy, the food is generally good and the atmosphere welcoming. Owner Al Solis and his family have a good thing going. The throngs of diners are proof of this. But competition is fierce, especially given the economy, and Pueblo Solis seems to be sliding in areas of food preparation. If this St. Louis Hills neighborhood gem wants to keep drawing the crowds, it needs to step up the standards.
BACK FOR SECONDS WHERE: Pueblo Solis, 5127 Hampton Ave., St. Louis, 314.351.9000
WHEN: Mon. to Thu. – 5 to 9:30 p.m., Fri. and Sat. – 5 to 10:30 p.m., Sun. – 5 to 9 p.m.
DON’T MISS DISHES: Pinto bean soup, sopes, mole poblano, flan.
VIBE: A fun and festive atmosphere in cozy quarters. ENTRÉE PRICES: $6.95 to $22.99
March 2011
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REVIEW: REAL DEAL
with beef, onions and almonds and is served atop shredded lettuce, fresh tomato wedges, spicy Persian cucumbers and house-made pickled turnips. The accompanying creamy yogurt sauce balanced the fried quenelles very well. Among the entrées, chicken shawarma both taunted and teased. The chicken’s seasoning struggled to salvage the dry breast meat that was served atop an otherwise enjoyable spicy chopped salad, known as fattoush. Fattoush is traditionally made with fried or toasted day-old pitas and tossed with purslane, radish, cucumber and tomato; Central Café’s dish, sans the purslane, was made with Romaine and came with a garlic cream sauce that helped balance the saltiness of the meat, but the fried pitas were too oily. As a side dish, the waitress suggested spicy potatoes, a comfort food reminiscent of country-style hash browns tossed lightly with dried herbs.
CENTRAL CAFÉ’S ECLECTICISM SATISFIES BY DAN AND ANNE MARIE LODHOLZ • PHOTOS BY JONATHAN S. POLLACK
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t’s not often you see a hookah lounge paired with a diner atmosphere and a long display case full of Lebanese and French pastries, but such is the case at Central Café and Bakery. Don’t let the eclectic mix dissuade you from settling in at the new Central West End spot: The retro Formica tables, contemporary ceiling fans and colorful collection of pretty glass hookahs add up to a homey, friendly vibe, and the faint smell of pipe smoke sweetly complements the bouquet of bread and fresh coffee, inviting one to slow down for a good conversation with friends. That conversation will take place over a good meal. Most of the food and beverages are made in-house, including the smoothies and nonalcoholic Sangria. Start with the appetizer combo, which provides a decent assortment of highlights to try: tabbouli, bright with fresh parsley, green onion, tomato and lemon (a salve to a diner tired of winter root vegetables); baba ghanoush, a roasted eggplant dip with a subtle, sweet, smokiness and an elegant finish of olive oil and paprika; and hummus with the March 2011
traditional, rustic strength of chickpeas, garlic and lemon. The combo’s falafel, described as “golden brown” on the menu, disappointed, arriving rather dark, too crispy and bland, but the stuffed grape leaves with rice, vegetables and piquant lemon juice were so good they were fought over by our kids. But the star here was the warm, fresh pitas, which arrived at the table still steaming; they made all of the dips more inviting. Dunk that amazing pita bread into the lebneh, or house-made yogurt, which satisfies with the appealing tartness of fresh cream and a light, whipped texture. A drizzle of olive oil and a sprinkling of za’atar, a Middle Eastern spice blend made from oregano, basil, savory, thyme and sumac, added additional layers of flavor. Central Café’s mastery of bread-baking is also evident in its sfiha, a meat pie popular in locales as diverse as Lebanon, Argentina and Brazil. It is traditionally made with ground mutton, but Central Café tops the masterfully prepared dough with beef.
That amazing crust also appears as a base in the appetizer list’s Epinard, which is topped with an appealing sauté of spinach, onion and lemon, and Epinard Fromage, which finishes the spinach mixture with mild, molten cheese. Keep these in mind when you are looking for a satisfying yet inexpensive lunch. The bread was so inviting that we came back for sandwiches, but were disappointed because, although the pita enveloped lunch to our expectations, the elements of the meal were disjointed. The Makanik sandwich sported ground beef seasoned with allspice, crisp pickled turnips, sautéed onions and tomatoes, but lacked a binder to pull all the elements together. The kabob sandwich showcased grilled beef that tasted surprisingly gamey, and even the inviting smell of char from the grill could not overcome the meat’s odd flavor. Kibbe, the national dish of Lebanon, is traditionally made from bulgur wheat and ground lamb or beef blended with Levantine spices. Central Café’s version is prepared
For dessert, make sure to try some of the different billowy phyllo delights, dripping with golden honey, cashews and walnuts. Although made with similar ingredients, the unique structure and recipe of each results in different flavor: The finger-shaped cookie accented a rich buttery cream, while the diamond baklava enticed with flawless puff pastry. Whether you want a bright place to read while you smoke a hookah, a savory lunch or a sweet nibble, Central Café is a good bet. With its warm service and neighborhood feel, it should fit right into the West End’s historic eclecticism.
FILLING UP FOR $20 OR LESS WHERE: Central Café and Bakery, 331 N. Euclid Ave., St. Louis, 314.875.0657
WHEN: Mon. to Thu. – 9 a.m. to 11 p.m., Fri. and Sat. – 9 a.m. to midnight, Sun. – 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.
DINE-IN-ABILITY: Warm service, Wi-Fi and eclectic décor
invite lingering at a table, but if the hookah smoke bothers you, go for carryout. FEAST OR FAMINE: Both vegetarians and meat-eaters will find plenty to satisfy. TRY IT, YOU’LL LIKE IT: Epinard Fromage and warm pita dipped in baba ghanoush or tabbouli.
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REVIEW: STL SCENE
STYLE, SUBSTANCE AND SPARKLING WINE BY MATT BERKLEY • PHOTOS BY ASHLEY GIESEKING
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t prime time on a weekend night, a stool at the DeMun Oyster Bar is a rare commodity. If you’re curious about which is the place to be in St. Louis right now, this is it. As darkness falls on the short strip of venues tucked away off Clayton Road, throngs of locals crowd the tiny space at 740 DeMun Ave., forcing a line almost out the door. By 7 p.m. on most nights, the few seats at the tables and bar are full. Patrons pile in early for the cozy atmosphere, congenial company and cocktails from Chad George, the oyster bar’s resident mixologist, sommelier and bar manager, who, more often than not, is busy chatting it up with customers and soliciting drink selections. George has infused the libation menu with a unique selection of specialty cocktails such as the Crispins Manuscript, a mix of rye whiskey, Cherry Heering, lemon and Crispin brut cider. Another notable entry is the Lavender March 2011
75, a concoction of gin, lemon, lavender simple syrup and bubbly. The wine list is heavy on reasonably priced sparkling wines, though a fine list of whites and reds by the glass and bottle is also available. But if you’re looking for a cheap domestic brew to wash down a dozen oysters, you’ve walked through the wrong door: Imports, specialties and craft beers rule on this corner of DeMun. The raw bar takes center stage – an icepacked, semicircular, molded-glass shucking station attended by bartenders and servers who dart back and forth pouring, pulling, shucking, mixing, moving. The decidedly nouveau décor creates the aura of a traditional Parisian bistro, complete with vintage tiling and a wall of mirrors. At first a bit underwhelming, the cozy space (only about 40 seats) is one of the most authentically European-looking spots in the city. Understated character abounds: Everything is fashionably expensive and
well-placed (with the exception of a horribly clichéd “L’Instant Taittinger” print, the staple of every girl’s hip, post-college apartment, which looms tastelessly over the bar), and there’s an ideal dimness to the lighting and softness to the background music. Both add a nice touch to conversation. The oysters themselves, shipped in daily, are taken very seriously. A rotating selection of nine or so different varieties of the gorgeous, slimy beasts on the half shell run for about $3 apiece and arrive accompanied by a champagne mignonette to cut the briny flavor. Don’t think the bar’s quiet during the week; the venue draws a steady weekday crowd of neighborhood regulars and well-heeled couples. Much like its nearby sister wine bar, Sasha’s, the oyster bar appeals to a more mature, professional crowd who don’t mind shelling out a few extra dollars for a certain level of substance and style.
Patio seating should provide splendid outside views of the quaint DeMun neighborhood in the warmer months ahead, and more importantly, a much-needed outlet to the maddeningly cramped interior. Hopefully by then the crowds will die down a bit, but given the reception this hip new spot is enjoying, the prospect is doubtful.
STL AFTER DARK WHERE: DeMun Oyster Bar, 740 DeMun Ave., Clayton, 314.725.0322
WHEN: Mon. to Sat. – 5 p.m. to 1:30 a.m., Sun. – 5 p.m. to midnight
CHECK IT: The impressive raw bar. HIPSTER OR HOOSIER: A congenial mix of young
professionals, mature couples and the pre-/postdinner crowd. SUDS OR ‘TINIS: Go for a glass of bubbly or one of the signature cocktails.
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Following in food’s footsteps, coffee pros refine the path from farm to cup by stacy schultz | photos by greg rannells
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Coffee brewed using a vac pot, pictured, is available tableside at Sanctuaria by request.
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On a snowy Friday afternoon, while most St. Louisans were counting down the minutes till the work week gave way to the
weekend, a dozen or so young men were standing around a high-top table in a small warehouse room, waiting. Some were there to train their palates to determine differences in flavor, body and acidity; others – a high school math teacher, a friend of another who had been before – were simply there for a taste of the good stuff. When leader Andrew Timko said it was time, each dipped his spoon into the dark, oily liquid and let out a loud, aggressive slurp. “I’m getting a tomato-y flavor in this one,” said one, whose sandy-colored handlebar mustache had somehow avoided being died tawny brown from the dark drink. “There’s very pronounced tropical fruit in this,” stated another, “and a lot of brown sugar.” These men weren’t learning which bottle of red pairs best with a medium-rare fillet; in fact, they weren’t at a wine tasting at all. They were at a cupping, a coffee-tasting method in which boiling water is poured over a precisely measured dose of coarsely ground coffee, left to steep for exactly four minutes, and then slurped from flat spoons. “A louder slurp will allow the coffee to run across your entire palate and activate all your taste receptors,” Timko, the lead roaster at Kaldi’s, advised, “and don’t forget to engage smell as you taste.” Cuppings, which occur every Friday at Kaldi’s roasting center in Midtown, are just one element of the new wave the coffee scene is experiencing both nationally and here in town – one that is bringing the world of coffee closer to food and wine than ever before. We have Folgers to thank for popularizing coffee in the U.S. back in the 19th century. Just add hot water, cream and plenty of sugar, and you’ve got a morning pick-me-up in minutes, if not seconds. In the 1960s, Peet’s, followed by the then-tiny company Starbucks in the ’70s, took us into the second wave, instituting shots of espresso, grande lattes and regionally labeled beans into Americans’ everyday lives. But the second wave did more than put a fancier drink in our hands; it taught us that quality coffee comes at a price. That re-education both pushed these innovative coffee companies ahead, allowing them to proliferate onto nearly every street corner in the U.S., and it backfired on them: The burnt beans and one-note flavors they became known for sent coffee connoisseurs in search of a better cup. Enter the third wave, where great coffee is an art, something to be appreciated in much the same way we have come to savor an artisanal cheese, a perfectly seared scallop or a bold bottle of wine. Over the years, coffee has gone from being seen as one of life’s everyday commodities to an artisanal foodstuff that demands our respect. FARM TO CUP The new wave starts where coffee does: with the bean itself. At artisan roasters, you’ll find only specialty-grade coffee – beans that have been given a score of 80 or above by the Specialty Coffee Association of America. Quality coffee beans − those that have grown in ideal climates and been given the proper washing, cleaning and drying treatments − are put to the test each year at international cuppings held by the SCAA, which then scores the beans on a 100-point scale based on characteristics like aroma, flavor, body and acidity. Specialty-grade coffee (also referred to as Class A, gourmet or premium coffee) is considered to have better flavor, a full cup quality and little to no defects. New wave roasters also prize single-
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origin coffees, beans from a specific growing region called microclimates, and estate coffees, which are generally grown on a single farm within that region. Tim Drescher has been roasting only singleorigin beans since he began his wholesale roasting business, Kuva Coffee Co., in 2003. “I really want to educate the consumer on different growing regions,” said Drescher, whose coffee can be found at Tower Grove Farmers’ Market, Whole Foods and other specialty grocers throughout the St. Louis area. “It’s kind of like wine; every region has its own unique profile and flavors,” he said. Verner Earls of Chauvin Coffee, a local family-owned business that’s been roasting coffee since 1930, loves the unique flavor profiles estate coffees offer. The La Minita, a single-origin coffee from the La Minita estate in Costa Rica, is a particular favorite. “When I drink it,” he mused, “I think I’m high on wine.” But sourcing quality ingredients isn’t just about where the beans come from. Much as today’s chefs are ensuring a responsible path for their ingredients, artisan roasters are showing a near obsession with the process from farm to cup. Three years ago, Kaldi’s launched its Relationship Coffees, a line of coffees produced by growers the company had personal, nurtured relationships with and to whom the company paid, on average, at least 15 percent over the fairtrade minimum price. Today, this series can be found at each of the Kaldi’s cafés as well as several restaurants around town. Matt Herren, owner of Edwardsville roaster Goshen Coffee, almost exclusively roasts fair-trade organic coffee, and Drescher wires funds directly to Peru for his Peru Chilchos Direct Relationship Coffee, paying the farmer two times the world market price. SHOW SOME RESPECT Once they have a quality product, artisan roasters are taking extra measures to ensure a high-quality, fresh roast morning after morning. After trying five different brands, Herren couldn’t find roasting equipment that produced the flavor profiles and control he was looking for. “The commercial roasters are all producing based on [someone] standing in front of them, smelling, tasting, pulling and dropping coffee when they think it is at the optimum level. There is a lot of human error involved,” he explained. “So we built all our own equipment.” With his hand-designed and hand-welded roaster, which runs on computer diagnostics, Herren now has complete control March 2011
Hario pour-over filters such as this one are becoming increasingly popular and can be found at myriad coffee shops around town.
March 2011
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over things like heat, time, temperature, exposure to air, and humidity. “The coffee we produce today will taste like the coffee we produce months from now; it’s all about consistency.” But perhaps the largest step forward is with the roast itself. Roasters across the city are ditching the burnt, dark roasts of the second wave in place of a lighter one that better showcases the signature flavors of the bean’s varietals and growing region. “If you buy a lower quality bean, you have to roast it harder, and when you do, you’re tasting that carbon, that burntness,” said Jonathan Andrus, co-owner of downtown coffee shop Gelateria Tavolini. “Darker doesn’t necessarily mean stronger or better flavor; it means you’re going to miss out on so many of the 600 flavor notes in the coffee. Light roasts make you taste the bean itself.” The darkness of the roast depends on when the coffee is “dropped,” or put into the cooling tray to stop the roasting process, much as a bowl of ice water shocks blanched vegetables. About seven minutes into the roasting process comes the first crack – named for the popcorn-like sound the beans make as the moisture in them escapes – and after another seven, the second. With lighter roasts, the coffee is dropped somewhere between the first crack (half city roast) and the second (full city roast), all in an effort to catch that moment when the beans begin to caramelize. “The second crack is when the fats and sugars in the beans begin to catch on fire and each bean turns into caramel, like a little candy factory,” explained Rick Milton, co-owner of Northwest Coffee Roasting Co., who uses a full city roast. “We found that sweet spot in the roasting process where the sour taste of a really light roast is roasted out and you don’t get the burnt taste of Starbucks. Our coffee has a real distinct beginning, middle and end. You get a spectrum of flavor that the average person can taste. You don’t need to be a coffee connoisseur to go, ‘Woah, this is good.’” GOING BEYOND DRIP But for coffee drinkers, it’s all about the brew. Coffeehouses and restaurants throughout St. Louis are trading in their handy ol’ automatic drip machines for manual brewing methods that allow them to create a more balanced, consistent and flavorful cup. At Gelateria Tavolini, Andrus and his wife, Amanda, use a French press, a steep-and-plunge method of brewing known for creating a tasty, unfiltered cup. “You’re getting a bolder, richer cup of coffee,” said Andrus, who offers customers a 4-cup French press of their own if they plan to sit and stay a while. “It allows the oils of the coffee to stay in the drink. A drip with a filter catches all the oils so you get coffee that has been stripped of flavor.” But leaving out the filter isn’t the only way to brew a better cup. The pour-over method, a manual Japanese brewing technique gaining popularity around town, calls for a slow and steady stream of boiling water to be poured over grounds in a filter. This measured stream allows the barista to have control over the entire brewing process – most importantly, the temperature of the water – in order to make sure the coffee is evenly brewed
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and perfectly extracted. The result is a cleaner, crisper cup. “The pour-over uses a thicker paper filter than a traditional drip brewer, so it filters more aggressively and [brews] a really clean-tasting coffee with a clean and light mouth feel,” said Frank McGinty, director of sales and marketing at Kaldi’s. “A French press has a heavier mouth feel with a lot of sediment and oils. It’s really just personal preference, kind of like whole milk versus skim milk.” Because of the clean flavors the pour-over method produces, McGinty recommended lighter, more citrusy coffees for this technique. But even this method is getting refined, as more and more coffeehouses switch from brewing many cups at once to one at a time. At Picasso’s Coffee House in St. Charles, the majority of the coffee sold is from the brew bar, where a barista uses a single-cup pour-over to brew each drink to order. “When you brew a pot of coffee, the second you brew it, even if it’s staying warm in an air pot, chemically the coffee starts to break down and the taste changes over 10, 15, 20 minutes and it’s hard to get a really fresh cup,” explained Picasso’s owner Chris Schulte. The single-cup pour-over approach allows Schulte to not only create a fresher cup but to brew more exclusive and expensive beans, such as those from the Hawaiian Kona and Jamaican Blue Mountain regions, by eliminating the possibility of wasting them. Schulte noted that this method also allows him to let the signature flavors of these exclusive beans truly shine. Kaldi’s, which currently uses multi-cup pourover machines that brew into a carafe rather than a mug in each of its cafés, is in the process of implementing single-cup hand brew stations at every Kaldi’s as well, starting with its café, Kayak’s. Casey and Jeremy Miller, owners of The Mud House, were impressed by the coffee the V60 brand pour-over device brewed during a recent trip to San Francisco and are now having a stand built where three singlecup V60 pots will sit side by side in their café. “People love their coffee, and to watch someone make you this handcrafted coffee drink to order, it’s just really personal and I love that,” said Casey Miller. At Sanctuaria, executive chef Chris Lee is reviving another age-old method of manual brewing: the vac pot. After enjoying vac March 2011
Once the beans have begun to caramelize, a roaster at Kaldi’s Roasting and Training Center in Midtown drops the coffee into the cooling tray to stop the roasting process.
March 2011
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pot coffee during a recent trip to San Francisco, Lee began serving vacuum-brewed coffee tableside to diners last summer. The vac pot, also referred to as a siphon, is known for creating a richer, smoother cup of coffee. It brews using vapor pressure: First, water is heated in the pot’s lower chamber until expansion naturally raises the water through a narrow tube into the upper chamber, where the coffee grounds are; the heat is then removed and the brewed coffee falls through a filter back down into the lower chamber, from which it can be poured. Much like the pour-over method, this technique produces a cleaner cup free of sediment but full of big, bold flavors. “Because of the vacuum, you’re not quite boiling the water, so you’re a heck of a lot less likely to burn the coffee itself,” noted Lee, who admitted that, at the end of the day, he really liked the nerdiness of this brewing method. “Then, when it goes back down and you take away the ignition source, it brews again, so you’re getting a more intense flavor from the grounds.” This attention to detail is also present on the espresso side of the coffee world. Automatic machines, which don’t allow for much control, have been replaced by semiautomatic and manual ones like Kaldi’s La Marzocco that turn the brewing process into a true measurement of the knowledge and skill of the barista. “A good barista needs to know a lot about properly dosing, tamping evenly,” said Picasso’s Schulte. “A good shot of espresso, if done correctly, is going to take 25 to 30 seconds to brew and you’re going to have that nice honey-like espresso with a nice crema on top.” Park Avenue Coffee’s Victoria Arduino Adonis – there are fewer than 100 of these machines in the country, and Park Avenue employs the only one in the Midwest, according to owner Dale Schotte – brews the espresso grounds within seconds of being tamped, allowing the baristas to limit the amount of air exposure the coffee receives. Because the grounds don’t sit in the hopper before the shot is pulled, Schotte said, the coffee has no time to break down or lose flavor. At new-wave cafés, a shot of espresso is also denser and heavier than ever before, with baristas using 18 to 21 grams per 2-ounce shot instead of the average 7 to 14. Often, they’re served ristretto style – a richer, more concentrated shot that is pulled earlier and uses less water – as they are at Northwest Coffee. Once the perfect shot is pulled, milk is steamed to order. “It should be steamed to a drinkable 130 degrees and needs to be the consistency of latex paint, so it looks really thick and smooth like glass on top,” explained The Mud House’s Casey Miller. When the milk is just right, Miller has just two minutes to create anything from rosettes to puppies to Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in the perfectly crafted micro foam – not only a detail that makes the cappuccino more appetizing but also a measure of the keen attention paid to it: If the milk isn’t steamed just right, the foam won’t be able to hold the latte art. But that’s what the new wave of coffee is all about: Going the extra mile, taking extra care and waiting an extra few minutes for a cup of coffee that is so flavorful, so personal and so carefully crafted that it’s meant to be savored. So the next time you stop into one of these coffee shops for the usual, take note of the barista measuring the perfect dose, pulling your shot at just the right time or hand-brewing your coffee and appreciate all it’s been through to land in your hand. And then, of course, drink up.
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When the milk is foamed just right, The Mud House’s Casey Miller has just two minutes to create beautiful latte art, such as this handcrafted design.
March 2011
GETTING TO KNOW THE NEW WAVE
Want to know more about coffee? Here are several resources for learning everything from the importance of sourcing a better bean to how to brew a great cup at home. EXTRA SAUCE SECTION OF SAUCEMAGAZINE.COM In Brewing the Perfect Cup, Gelateria Tavolini co-owner Jonathan Andrus will guide you through a short, instructional video for brewing a better cup at home. CUPPINGS For a traditional take on this process, stop by Kaldi’s Roasting and Training Center on Fridays. One of Kaldi’s head brewers will walk you through the tasting and explain the importance of each step – from steeping to breaking the crust to the ever-important slurping. You will taste a variety of singleorigin and blended coffees and learn to identify the nuances in each cup. Fridays – 2 p.m., call ahead for reservations, free, 700 St. Bernard’s Lane, St. Louis, 314.727.9991 For a less technical approach, head over to Northwest Coffee Roasting Co., where co-owner Rick Milton takes customers through a trip around the world via coffee at his monthly cuppings. You will taste three brewed coffees from three parts of the world side by side and will learn how to recognize the signature flavors of each region. First Tuesday of every month – 3 to 4 p.m., call ahead for reservations, free, 8401 Maryland Ave., Clayton, 314.725.8055 United States Barista Competition This year’s South Central United States Barista Competition, put
March 2011
on by the Barista Guild of America and hosted by Kaldi’s, will showcase the region’s top coffee talents. The event is free and open to the public, and volunteer opportunities are available. Whether you’re an aspiring barista or a coffee-lover hoping to find out more about the local coffee scene, this is a great way to learn about both the technical aspects and creativity of the coffee world. April 1 to 3, Chase Park Plaza, 212 N. Kingshighway Blvd., St. Louis, usbaristachampionship.org CLASSES Kaldi’s holds several educational events each month, including its Simply Coffee Happy Hours and Saturday Morning Coffee Education Series. Each dives deep into a single aspect of coffee. For more information on these events, visit KaldisCoffee.com. At Caffeinate Your Conscience, you will sample fair-trade coffees and learn the dynamics and importance of fair trade to the coffee industry as well how to buy beans more responsibly. Sat., March 12 – 1 to 2 p.m., $15, call ahead for reservations, Whole Foods Market, 1601 S. Brentwood Blvd., Brentwood, 314.968.7744 At Let It Flow: Espresso, you will learn how to pull a better espresso shot at home and be introduced to all espresso has to offer. Sat., March 5 – 10 a.m. to noon, Whole Foods Market, 1160 Town and Country Crossing Dr., Town and Country, 636.527.1160 These events are just the tip of the iceberg for ways to learn more about the local coffee scene. Be sure to also stop by your favorite coffee shop and chat up the baristas; they are more than willing to share their knowledge – and delicious drinks.
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2011 shows all the signs of being a year to remember for St. Louisans who love to dine and drink well. Here’s a peek at what’s trending in local dining in the coming months.
by ligaya figueras | photos by carmen troesser
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SQUEALING OVER WOOLY PIG
The flip side to 2011’s embrace of the casual? Exclusivity. Expect more and more spots to add a club-like membership component this year. Sanctuaria, known for its cocktail program, launched the Sanctuaria Cocktail Club late last fall. It’s no wonder why the club already has 112 members. For a one-time, $20 membership fee, liquorlovers can enjoy drinks from a list of 150 cocktails compiled by bar manager Matt Seiter and his talented crew. Among the perks: drinks are only $8, with the first being free; a chance to win a bottle of wine, spirits or beer in a monthly drawing; and an invite to Sanctuaria’s private monthly social, Cocktails by Candlelight, an evening of all-inclusive food and cocktails. CWE cigar and spirits shop Brennan’s debuted its members-only cigar bar early this year, turning part of the second floor Maryland House space into Zino Platinum Lounge. A $35 monthly membership comes with a $35 credit for tobacco, while $100 a month nets a $35 tobacco credit plus invites to monthly spirits tastings and a cigar locker box on-site.
Who’s not squealing over Wooly Pig? The Mangalitsa, a European heritage breed of pig, gets its nickname thanks to the 6-inch hairs that cover its 300-pound frame. Chefs in St. Louis have been eager to work with this hog, revered for its fat and flavor, particularly since the meat is processed practically in our backyard at Swiss Meat and Sausage Co. in Hermann. Swiss Meat ships some 1,200 pounds a week of this fat-prone pig to of-the-moment restaurants in New York, another 4,000 pounds every two weeks to the California and Seattle regions, including to Thomas Keller’s flagship restaurant The French Laundry, and has even started making shipments to Hong Kong. Closer to home, look for Wooly Pig at numerous fine-dining establishments, including chef-owner Jim Fiala’s The
Crossing, Liluma and Acero, where you’ll encounter springoriented ribeye dishes as well as braised neck roll, smoked guanciale and lardo. At Annie Gunn’s in Chesterfield, watch for Wooly Pig in dishes like smoked belly, sausages and, of course, chops as center-plate specials.
WOOLY PIG PHOTO ©ISTOCKPHOTO.COM/DERIC ISSELÉE
MEMBERSHIP HAS ITS PRIVILEGES
March 2011
Anne Matoushek and Lucian Matoushek, owners of The Farmers’ Larder.
FRESH FACES AT THE FARMERS’ MARKETS Diversity is a key ingredient in a sustainable food system, so it’s promising for our region that we see so many new faces among the farming community. Meat products from Todd Geisert Farms of Washington, Mo., are relatively new (try the hog farmer’s newest items: applecinnamon sausages and mushroom-Swiss brats) at Local Harvest Grocery, which also recently began carrying meat from Buttonwood Farm near Jefferson City. Live Springs Farm, producer of biodynamic eggs, chicken and pork, will likely debut at the Maplewood Farmers’ Market as well as the Tower Grove Farmers’ Market and return for a second year at the Ferguson Farmers’ Market. Thierbach Orchard & Berry Farm also hopes to debut the fruits of its labor at the Webster Groves market; this would be the first time that the Marthasville, Mo., grower sells peaches – plus berries and cherries, if we’re lucky – at a farmers’ market in the St. Louis area. Look for a dozen different cheeses from Marcoot Jersey Creamery at the Maplewood and Tower Grove markets, as well as at Local Harvest Grocery, Sappington Farmers’ Market and all Dierbergs stores. And don’t miss the International Institute Global Farms stand at the Tower Grove and Downtown markets. The produce from this urban farming initiative of the International Institute of St. Louis is grown on a lot in Botanical Heights in St. Louis.
Market in Webster Groves and at Local Harvest Grocery and will be available this season at the Tower Grove Farmers’ Market. The Farmers’ Larder, now in its second year of business, will be selling an expanded line of cured and smoked meats made using locally raised animals and organic spices at numerous farmers’ markets around town. And Justin Leszcz of YellowTree Farm, who’s added acreage in Waterloo, Ill., expects to sell excess produce at the Maplewood Farmers’ Market and possibly the Webster Groves Farmers’ Market this year.
MULTI-USE CONCEPTS As our to-do lists get longer, more dual-purpose places are popping up around town to serve our every need. This winter, Whiz Tech Technology Café opened downtown, offering a range of tech services – from computer repair to retail sales, help desk services to Web site design – and a café that boasts a full menu of sandwiches, salads, desserts and breakfast items. Look for Marc Del Pietro’s butcher shop/restaurant/ bar, The Block, to open its doors this spring in Webster Groves. Unfortunately, Jon Parker’s Delmar Farm and Food, which would have incorporated a farmers’ market, neighborhood grocery and restaurant in the East Loop, has been stalled. Parker is currently looking for a new location for his endeavor.
In addition, some familiar growers and producers have expanded their offerings. Greenwood Farms, producer of grass-fed meats, recently began selling artisanal cheeses – the Alpine cheese Jersey Girl Alpenglow and Gouda-style Harvest Moon are available at Freddie’s March 2011
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CASUAL BY DESIGN If we had to pinpoint the start of the latest casual craze, it might be last summer, when Monarch owners Jeff Orbin and Aaron Teitelbaum revamped their Maplewood restaurant, rolling out chef Josh Galliano’s casual Southerninspired menu in a transformed bistro space that offered a relaxing, entertaining vibe. Like Monarch, Dierdorf and Hart’s in Westport recently veered away from formal via a facelift to the main dining room and the creation of an affordably priced, diverse
KEEP ON TRUCKIN’ Eating on the run can be oh so fun – and tasty, especially when the fare comes from one of our town’s newest culinary additions: food trucks. The national food truck craze hit STL last year, and the trend should only increase in 2011. Mangia Mobile, the latest of the rolling restaurants, is a full-service truck-on-the-go operated by siblings Catherine, Thomas and Alex Daake. Find their made-on-the-truck gourmet Italian eats – don’t miss the
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arancini – downtown for lunch weekdays and for all Cardinals home games. And look for Guerrilla Street Food, a venture by Terrene executive chef Brian Hardesty and his business partner, Joel Crespo, to be on the road soon. They’ll be specializing in grilled foods and Filipino street fare. Key elements for both Guerrilla Street and Mangia Mobile: fresh, from-scratch and local. Track the whereabouts of these trucks on Twitter by following @MangiaMobile and @GuerrillaStreet.
bar menu that provides an alternative to the restaurant’s steakhouse menu. And Molly’s in Soulard owners Luke Reynolds and Sam Berger recently completed a renovation that expanded the bar and added hightop tables, while Molly’s exec chef Bryan Flaxbeard reworked his Creole entrées into more affordable, small plate options. It’s a trend that’s tailor-made for diners seeking thoughtfully prepared food in moderate portions that doesn’t break the bank or require wearing a tie.
RAISING THE BAR Two years ago, cocktailian bars in town could be counted on a single hand. These days, we can spout more than a dozen destinations with creative bar programs, with others in the works. What’s more, with the fledgling St. Louis chapter of the U.S. Bartenders’ Guild at 40 members and counting, it’s easier than ever to find bartenders who can mix a classic or build a wellbalanced cocktail using your poison of choice. After all, it’s one thing to have access to umpteen small-batch spirits, it’s quite another to have bartenders who can use them capably. A case in point: Taste, the only bar in town where the entire full-time staff is certified by the Beverage Alcohol Resource, whose premier training program in spirits and mixology has become de rigueur among today’s cocktailian bartenders. (Think of it as the equivalent of a restaurant where every cook is a grad of the CIA.) With Taste and talented bar manager Ted Kilgore squarely on the national imbiber’s radar, all eyes are on new owner Adam Altnether’s craft cocktail lounge as it moves from its infancy on Sidney Street and begins its next stage at Moxy’s old digs in the CWE.
The Rosie the Riveter cocktail at Taste.
March 2011
TABLESIDE FINISHES Expect plenty of pampering at the table as new finedining establishments and some reconceptualized ones bring on the tableside finishes. At 1904 Steakhouse at River City Casino, the Tomahawk Chop, a 40-ounce bone-in ribeye, is carved tableside. Other gestures at the table include tossing Caesar salad components in a hollow Parmesan wheel, folding a sunny-side-up egg into a side of creamed spinach and flaming crème brûlée. The new large service table at Truffles in Ladue will soon take center stage; guests can watch staff make final flourishes on Dover sole and decant wine. And we can’t wait for mid-summer to arrive so we can reserve the chef’s table at Trattoria Spezie in the East Loop and watch as the suspended herb garden gets lowered for some à la minute snipping.
John Griffiths launched an ingredient-driven menu where seasonal foods shine in Italian-influenced dishes. Expect the trend to continue into the warmer months, with Vito Racanelli Jr. of Onesto Pizza & Trattoria opening Mad Tomato in Clayton in April; Racanelli promises southern Italian faves – yes, wood-fired pizzas, too. And, come summer, the East Loop will be a posh spot for vegetable-loving Italianphiles, once Michael Del Pietro debuts his Trattoria Spezie.
VIVA ITALIA! Despite the economic doom and gloom, new restaurants continue to add to the local dining scene – and in 2011, it seems more than a few of them will be Italian spots. Things seemed to kick off last fall, starting with Filomena’s Italian Kitchen in Glendale. Sporting the quintessential red-checkered tablecloths, tiny Filomena’s is building a reputation as a good choice for casual Italianon-a-dime (and no corkage fee for wine since it doesn’t have a liquor license). Jim Fiala’s downtown dining establishment, Terrace View, went Italian in December, serving a menu similar to that offered at its sister restaurant Acero in Maplewood. In January, Truffles exec chef March 2011
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an Irish staple takes a cue from the French by dee ryan | photo by carmen troesser
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March 2011
I
t was my friends’ homemade corned beef that made my husband – a vegetarian for years – eat meat again. That brined brisket was so tender, so succulent, that he broke down and had a taste. Then he had a plate of it. Clearly, this was something I needed to be able to make myself. So I did, and homemade corned beef is now a St. Pat’s tradition in my family. (Corning beef at home is not difficult; recipes abound on the Internet – you can find mine at saucemagazine.com – and I encourage you to find one and do it yourself, although you should be aware that it takes five to seven days.) But inevitably, I end up with leftover corned beef, and after a nice hash with a poached egg for breakfast and maybe a sandwich with some spicy mustard for lunch, I find myself a bit flummoxed as to what to do with the rest. Taking a cue from Thanksgiving, when I use the leftover turkey to make soup, I wondered if I could do the same with leftover corned beef. Why not? I’m a sucker for French onion soup because it’s the best of all things: a rich, salty yet slightly sweet broth, tons of melty cheese and bread. Why not mix things up a bit and put the classic flavors of a Reuben sandwich into a soup? I started with the broth; I wanted it to be beefy, but a straight beef stock can overpower other flavors, and I wanted the flavor of the corned beef to shine through. I tried adding a bit of beer to the broth, but it made it too bitter. After experimenting with chicken, veal and beef stocks in varying combinations, I found the best to be veal stock cut with chicken stock: The chicken stock lightened the broth, and the veal stock lent richness without being too salty. Once the first layer was established, it was time to start bringing in the flavors of the Reuben. Caraway seeds were an obvious choice: Commonly used in rye bread, the caraway seed has March 2011
a light anise flavor that almost immediately made the soup taste “Reuben-y.” Celery seed – an addition that resulted from staring at my spice rack while thinking about eating a Reuben, which made me think of delis, which made me think about Dr. Brown’s soda, leading, obviously, to Dr. Brown’s Cel-Ray soda and then to celery seed. Makes all the sense in the world, right? – added a nice earthy, herbal note. Of course, the toasted rye “croutons” and Swiss cheese melted on top of the soup are my favorite parts, essential elements of the sandwich but also clearly a tip of the beret to the French onion soup j’adore. A toasty Reuben is a wonderful thing, but a bowl of Reuben will cure what ails you after you’ve been Irish all day. Here’s hoping you have leftover corned beef on March 18. Sláinte!
REUBEN SOUP 6 SERVINGS 2½ cups veal stock (can substitute beef stock) 2 cups chicken stock 1 Tbsp. caraway seed 1 tsp. celery seed ¼ cup Thousand Island dressing ¼ to ½ cup sauerkraut, rinsed and drained well 1½ cups shredded corned beef Freshly ground black pepper to taste 3 cups rye bread, cut into ½-inch cubes 3 Tbsp. melted butter 1½ cups shredded Swiss cheese • Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. • Combine the stocks in a large pot, add the caraway and celery seed and bring to a simmer over medium heat. • Whisk in the Thousand Island dressing. • Add the sauerkraut to your taste and the corned beef, cover and simmer for at least 20 minutes. Season to taste with pepper. • Toss the bread with the melted butter and arrange the cubes in a single layer on a baking tray. Bake until the bread is lightly browned, about 8 to 10 minutes. • Preheat the broiler. Ladle the soup into six heatproof bowls and top each bowl with ½ cup rye croutons and ¼ cup Swiss cheese. • Broil until the cheese is bubbly.
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While humble grits has made haute cuisine inroads under its European alias, polenta, the same success eludes that other Southern staple of ground corn goodness, cornbread. Equally adept in both sweet and savory combinations, it’s a wonder more chefs haven’t latched on to its versatility. And though there’s no topping the aroma of roasting corn in your own kitchen and grabbing a slice from the stillhot iron skillet, some dedicated sleuthing around St. Louis turned up some local varieties that might just convert you to the cornbread cause. – Russ Carr
8143 Maryland Ave., Clayton, 314.352.4770 and 9781 Clayton Road, Ladue, 314.352.4770 There’s a fine line between bread and cake here. Unapologetically sweet, this towering, golden slab paired well enough with a bowl of turkey chili, but its true vocation would be crumbled in a bowl of cream and topped with fresh peaches or berries or drizzled with maple syrup. If you’re in the sweet cornbread camp, this is your stuff – a sneaky way to get dessert without actually ordering dessert.
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Sanctuaria
4198 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314.535.9700 Served up in a cast-iron pan, Sanctuaria’s cornbread would look picture perfect on any Southern supper table. But it gets the upscale tapas bar treatment with a slab of honey butter and a topping of smoky tomato salsa – so you can take it sweet or savory. A scattering of jalapeño bits adds some barely-there heat, but it was the crispy sear around the edges that really made this bread irresistible.
Sweetie Pie’s
4270 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314.371.0304 and 9841 W. Florissant Road, Ferguson, 314.521.9915 A broad, brown scorch mark across an otherwise golden plain. A jagged crevasse where the heat had torn a faultline in the top crust. Imperfections? No, sir – these were home-baked hallmarks of all that was good about Sweetie Pie’s cornbread. A bit more coarse than its peers, and with the barest hint of sweetness, it proved the perfect tool for pushing juicy black-eyed peas onto the fork. This is mama’s cornbread, y’all.
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PHOTOS BY CARMEN TROESSER
Companion
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PHOTO BY CARMEN TROESSER
FOOD page 48 • ART page 55
If you find yourself unable to resist that final slice of chocolate cake, dreaming about last night’s mud pie or licking the bowl every time there are brownies in the oven, you may be a chocoholic. Skip rehab this month and head straight for The Natural History of Chocolate class at the Missouri Botanical Garden for your quick fix. See page 53 for all the sweet details. March 2011
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FOOD
DINNERS AND SPECIAL EVENTS Beans, Brews & Bikes March 12 – 6 to 9 p.m., Overland/St. Ann VFW Post 3944 314.436.1324 · trailnet.org Beer, chili and bikers – a holy troika. No, we’re not talking about those kind of bikers, with scuzzy beards and Iron Crosses painted on their gas tanks. This is about you people-power enthusiasts, the bicyclists beloved by Trailnet, and vice versa. Trailnet, the local nonprofit that promotes biking, hiking and conservation, offers its annual chili and beer party featuring the release of the 2011 ride calendar, intended to get folks geared-up for a new season of bicycling. It’s BYO chili and, according to Trailnet membership manager Jason Willett, that typically means all kinds – spicy, mild, white-bean, chicken, vegetarian – something like 25 to 30 chilis in all to feed a group of several hundred. Other people bring side dishes and, he added, loads of desserts, like cookies, cakes and pies. (Damn the bikers and their ability to burn off carbs so easily. Damn them all.) A cash bar is available. Partygoers, who should preregister by March 4, get discounts on new and renewed Trailnet memberships and enjoy raffles, drawings and awards presentations, too.
SqWires Oyster and Schlafly Stout Fest March 24 – seatings begin at 5:30 p.m., SqWires 314.865.3522 · sqwires.com You say “four-way oyster buffet,” and we say “Yay!” Then we say, “Could you be more specific?” Then SqWires owner Bethany Budde says, “We’ll have barbecued oysters, fried oysters, oyster stew and mini oyster grinders. You get the buffet, a Caesar salad and one of those famous Schlafly stouts for a prix fixe. We also have oysters on the half-shell á la carte.” Then we say, “What kind of oysters?” Then Budde replies, “Pacific Northwest.” Then we say, “Will there be live music at this bitchin’ bacchanal of bivalves?” Then Budde says, “Why, yes.” Then we say, “Do you require reservations?” Then Budde says, again,
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“Yes.” And then, well, then we have no reservations about making reservations for this spinoff event that kick-starts Schlafly’s annual Stout and Oyster Festival at The Tap Room on March 25 and 26.
Unfish Fry April 1 – 6 to 8 p.m., First Unitarian Church of St. Louis 314.361.0595 · firstuustlouis.org If you observe Lent and you’re a vegetarian, you don’t have to give up meat because you already did. This curious state of affairs leads us to the April Fool’s Day Unfish Fry hosted by the wags and do-gooders of the First Unitarian Church in the CWE. The all-vegetarian tradition sounds delicious – homemade falafel and hummus, veggie chili, fried zucchini, mac and cheese, and that ol’ green bean casserole are some of the dishes you might find at the annual event, explained church volunteer Susan Herzberg. Whether you’re temporarily giving up meat, you want a break from fried fish, you’re a vegetarian or you’re just plain hungry, this one sounds fun. (And at four bucks for children and six bucks for adults, the price is awfully nice, too.)
CLASSES Grand Petite Market Cooking Series: Mardi Gras Celebration March 2 – 6:30 p.m., Moulin Events and Meetings 314.241.7799 · vindeset.com Don’t get sloppy drunk this Mardi Gras! OK, fine, get sloppy drunk if you must, but first put on a clean pair of underwear, plan a safe ride home and learn how to prepare a respectable Cajun feast for the pre-gallivanting warm-up party at your place. Vin de Set executive sous chef Kirby Jones whips up a gumbo of crawfish, shrimp, andouille and chicken; an andouillecrab cake with Cajun aïoli; and chocolate bread pudding with rum sabayon. Absorb both his mojo and his juju, and, thus fortified, you and your gang can rush into the night, bar-hopping, collecting beads and extemporaneously turning your brassiere into a hat for the interpretive dance you like to perform at busy intersections.
FIVE QUESTIONS FOR RACHEL KITCHEN Driver of the Sarah’s Cake Stop cupcake truck Do you have to drive carefully to avoid a cupcake disaster? We don’t take the truck off-roading or anything. [laughs] The system we’ve come up with to hold them in place works really well. We use a sheet pan with a plastic tray on top of that, and there are circles cut out of the plastic tray. Is driving that big truck a challenge? The only issue I have with driving is that parallel parking can be a little tricky. Do people get excited or stare when you’re driving around in a cupcake truck? I’ve had people honk and try to get me to pull over. I’ve had people run red lights trying to find where I’m going to stop next. We like those people. Some people double park and jump out of their cars really quick to buy cupcakes. We absolutely love our customers and our fans.
Cupcakes aren’t like other foods – people are overjoyed to get them. One of the reasons I love my job is people don’t come to me mad and angry – they’re excited to see me and to see what we have to offer. The menu changes every day. And yes, then there’s the “shock and awe.” They say, “What is this? Is this a cupcake truck?!” Sometimes you’re downtown, parked at the same corner as the Cha Cha Chow taco truck. We like that. We have the same price point. Their tacos and sandwiches and burgers are amazing. You can get lunch and dessert together this way. We’re together every Friday at Wells Fargo [near the intersection of Market Street and Jefferson Avenue]. We trade cupcakes and tacos all the time. – Byron Kerman
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PHOTO BY ASHLEY GIESEKING
STUFF TO DO:
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BEST SEAT IN THE HOUSE
CAFE MOCHI
3221 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314.773.5000
Glam up your sushi with Cafe Mochi’s welcome pop of color. Order the Godzilla Roll and sit at this see-and-be-seen table for two, where you can steal a glimpse of the action behind the sushi bar from the one side and watch the hustle and bustle of Grand Boulevard from the other.
PHOTO BY ASHLEY GIESEKING
Let It Flow: Espresso March 5 – 10 a.m. to noon, Whole Foods-Town and Country location · 636.527.1160 · wholefoodsmarket.com Hey, coffee drinkers – have you considered drinking an espresso in the morning? Are you afraid? Afraid of the power? There is no need for your fear, my child. A shot of espresso can give you the oomph you March 2011
need to attack your goals and to tell people who stand in your way that they smell funny and nobody likes them. Go for it! The Let It Flow: Espresso class at Whole Foods of Town and Country promises to “remove the myth behind this 1-ounce cup of joy. … Kaldi’s top baristas will prepare espresso and cappuccino … and guide the student through making a quality shot,” saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 51
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the class description explains. So for those of you who already make espresso and cappuccino at home, this is a fun primer that includes some instruction you may have missed. And for those who received an espresso maker for Christmas but haven’t gotten around to opening the package yet, this is perfect. Assume your destiny.
Tomato Tutorial March 5 – 10 a.m., Bowood Farms · 314.454.6868 bowoodfarms.com Send winter an uppity and disrespectful “Yo mama!” by attending a talk on growing tomatoes at Bowood Farms in the Central West End. The unseasonably fun instruction comes courtesy of Chip Tynan, who’s dubbed “the answer man” at the Missouri Botanical Garden and writes the gardening column for the St. Louis PostDispatch. According to Tynan, “Tomatoes have gone from being a no-brainer to being one of the more difficult crops to grow, in a span of about 20 years or so. And in my opinion, one of the problems is the failure of maintaining organic methods.” In addition to Tynan’s discourse on the vicissitudes of growing your own love apples, Bowood staffers will discuss tomato varieties new and old for sale at the nursery.
Marshmallow Madness March 5 – 10 a.m. to noon, L’École Culinaire 314.587.2433 · lecoleculinaire.com Consider, if you will, the humble marshmallow. Touch it. Push your finger deep into its springy sponginess. Remove your finger. Fascinating, no? L’École Culinaire chef-instructor George Guthier has made it his mission to “demystify the marshmallow,” as he puts it. “You just make a meringue, add gelatin to it, make a mold, put indentations in it, pour the mixture in, and let it sit for an hour.” Guthier makes it sound simple, but some of his marshmallow creations look pretty amazing. The marshmallow faces and kitty cats he’s been known to sculpt are showstoppers. But his tastiest confections are what you’ll really want to re-create at home. “We use raspberry purée and lemon flavorings to flavor some of the marshmallows in the class, and we actually make raspberryflavored s’mores,” he reports. Hell, yes! Guthier’s Marshmallow Madness event is part of L’École Culinaire’s Kitchens With a Mission slate of classes for charity. Fifty percent of the proceeds from this class will benefit Lydia House to provide transitional housing for survivors of domestic violence. March 2011
Bisque Management March 19 – 10 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., Kitchen Conservatory 314.862.2665 · kitchenconservatory.com Let’s get creamy. We’re talking lobster bisque, onion bisque, mushroom with smoked salmon bisque, and even the strangely compelling turnip bisque. Chef Bernard Pilon of Norwood Hills Country Club teaches a hands-on cooking class with the cheeky name Bisque Management at the venerable Kitchen Conservatory, where he’ll guide you through the creation of each of these tasty dishes. The cold can’t get you down if you know how to make these fortifying soups.
The Natural History of Chocolate: Influences of Ancient Culture March 23 – 7 to 9 p.m., Missouri Botanical Garden 314.577.5100 · mobot.org Is it true that ancient Toltecs would play a game very much like basketball only with human heads, with the losers becoming the balls for the next game and the winners getting mugs of delicious hot chocolate? (Sounds like fun!) Dispel the rumors, both gory and gourmet, at The Natural History of Chocolate, a fun class about the history of chocolate, how it’s made and its various types. Learn about the cacao plant’s important role in the life of the Mayans, sample numerous types of chocolates and take home a bag of goodies. The teachers are Brian Pelletier of Kakao Chocolate and Kim Petzing, who teaches classes about chocolate’s natural history, variety, preparation and health benefits all over town.
sponsored events Food for Thought
March 5 – 12: 30 to 2:30 p.m. · Contemporary Art Museum St. Louis · 314.535.4660 · camstl.org Ever wonder what contemporary art tastes like? Find out at CAM’s monthly program featuring creative, art-inspired tastings by a local chef, followed by a tour of the current exhibition.
Grape Arts
April 3 – 2 to 6 p.m., Windows Off Washington 314.241.4810 · artstlouis.org Great art and great wine go together like a good band and a darn good dance move. Enjoy all four at the 19th annual Grape Arts event benefitting Art St. Louis, which will feature wine tastings, silent and live auctions and plenty of hors d’oeuvres, coffee and dessert.
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Army of Shadows will screen this month as part of the Holocaust Museum and Learning Center Film Series.
THEATER Two Gentlemen of Verona, presented by New Line Theatre March 3 to 26, Washington University South Campus Theatre (the former CBC High School) · 314.534.1111 metrotix.com
Two Gentlemen of Verona is a real curiosity. It won the Tony Award in 1972 for Best Musical, but these days, it’s rarely staged. With music by Galt MacDermot, the creator of Hair, the rock tunes are memorable and fun, but very much rooted in their milieu, the ’70s of Nixon, Vietnam and … Carlos Santana, apparently. Many of the songs have that funky, Latin, streetwise beat that bears witness to the salsa flavors of the ’70s New York City experience. The Broadway version featured the powerful, accented singing voice of Raul Julia, the endearingly goofy voice of singer Alix Elias, that wonderful Latin percussion and a thoroughly interracial cast. The tale, based, of course, on one of Shakespeare’s secretidentity comedies, will be staged in what will presumably be New Line Theatre’s typically minimal fashion; we’ll see if it has … maracas.
The Heiress, presented by the Kirkwood Theatre Guild
March 4 to 12, Robert Reim Theatre, Kirkwood Community Center · 314.821.9956 · ktg-onstage.org To witness the transformation of Catherine, the main character in The Heiress, from March 2011
shrinking violet to calloused, embittered veteran of the dating wars is still chilling. The play, adapted by Ruth and Augustus Goetz from the Henry James novel Washington Square, offers no easy answers. Catherine is a homely, sheltered young woman approached by an exciting man who seems to want nothing more than to make her romantic fantasies take flight. Her father suspects that the rakish suitor just wants her money. He devises a test for the young couple, and the results are devastating. Hearts will be broken when the Kirkwood Theatre Guild performs the timeless drama at the Kirkwood Community Center. Many will remember the 1949 film version, featuring Montgomery Clift, Ralph Richardson and Olivia de Havilland as Catherine.
Miss Lonelyhearts, presented by Fontbonne University Theatre March 10 to 13, Fine Arts Building, Fontbonne University 314.889.1425 · fontbonne.edu
If you hear that a play is depressing, you might not exactly feel eager to hire a babysitter, grab your coat and burn rubber getting to the theater. But in the case of Miss Lonelyhearts, based on the noir novel of the same name by Nathanael West, you might want to check it out during the single weekend that the Fontbonne University kids are staging it. West was a deeply cynical fellow, and this work, along with his other biggie, Day of the Locust, offers a darkly humorous look at Depression-era America.
In Lonelyhearts, a newspaper advice columnist is beaten down by the disturbing letters he receives from the public and so finds himself on a desperate trek through sex, religion and violence, hunting for a salvation that this world isn’t prepared to bestow. If you like noir writing by the likes of Raymond Chandler and Hubert Selby, this is your chance to see a gritty classic transformed into stage drama.
FILM Sea Rex: Journey to a Prehistoric World
Through June 2, Saint Louis Science Center · 314.289.4400 slsc.org If you think great white sharks are scary, those dump trucks of the sea have got nothing on the Mosasaur, a much bigger, badder, scarier “superpredator” that ate whatever it wanted in the oceans millions of years ago. Mosasaur wasn’t a fish, though – it was an aquatic reptile that periodically had to come up for air. It wasn’t a dinosaur, either – the great age of the giant sea reptiles ended a good 20 million years before the first dinosaurs appeared on land. Mosasaur and his enormous, carnivorous buddies haven’t been popularized and turned into stuffed animals, cartoons and mascots like the Brontosaurus and the Pterodactyl, even though the great reptiles ruled the oceans through the Mesozoic era. They’re ready for their close-up now, though, in Sea Rex: Journey to a Prehistoric saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 55
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World. The new film, showing at the Saint Louis Science Center’s Ominmax Theater, uses wicked-cool CGI to show 30 different species of fearsome aquatic reptiles and humongous fish swimming, tussling, eating one another and, erm, going out on a date. It’s good stuff for all ages.
Army of Shadows
March 27 – 2 p.m., Holocaust Museum and Learning Center 314.432.0020 · hmlc.org In a DVD-extra interview, Pierre Lhomme, the cinematographer for Army of Shadows, said of the movie, “The film’s essential quality is a profound respect for the audience. Though the story is quite dramatic, the audience always has time … to feel and think, … ‘What would I do in that situation? What would I do if it were me before the firing squad?’” Indeed, of the many reasons to recommend Army of Shadows, the feeling of immersion into the paranoid realm of Nazi-occupied Paris is undeniable. The film follows a small cell in the French Resistance and chronicles its members’ fears when smuggling a radio through a railroad checkpoint, embarrassment when watching their countrymen do the invaders’ dirty work, and horror when having to kill a traitor among their number. The action film-like momentum of Army of Shadows comes from the craft of director Jean-Pierre Melville, who was famous for directing French gangster films influenced by Hollywood. (He also spent his formative teen years involved with the Resistance during WWII.) But the greatest strength of the film, in the end, is its lyrical note of human struggle and solidarity in a time of intractable, fatal pressure. See it on the big projection screen as part of the Holocaust Museum and Learning Center Film Series.
MUSIC Zarathustra, performed by the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra
PHOTO BY WESLEY LAW
March 18 and 19 – 8 p.m., Powell Hall · 314.534.1700 slso.org
Go ahead – wear a monkey suit to Powell Hall. No, not a tuxedo, an actual gorilla costume. Why? Because the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra is cranking out Richard Strauss’ Also Sprach Zarathustra, famously used during that scene in the film 2001: A Space Odyssey when the apes caper before the monolith. What you do is, you wear a gorilla suit and dance around in the aisles at Powell Hall, and March 2011
then when Strauss’ triumphant tone poem reaches its chest-thumping conclusion, you run down in front of the stage and start hooting like a baboon whose last banana’s gone missing. Seriously, people will love it – especially the security detail that works down there. To make your plan come off, you’ll need to sit patiently through Lizst’s Mephisto Waltz No. 1, Beethoven’s Piano Concerto No. 4 and Ligeti’s Atmospheres. The guest conductor is Carlos Kalmar, with special guest pianist Arnaldo Cohen. Whoop whoop.
BEFORE & AFTER SEA REX: JOURNEY TO A PREHISTORIC WORLD (For details see page 57.)
Langston Hughes Project presents Ask Your Mama: Twelve Moods for Jazz
March 24 – 7:30 p.m., Meridian Ballroom, Morris University Center, Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville 618.650.5774 · siue.edu/artsandissues When poet and embodiment of the Harlem Renaissance Langston Hughes passed in 1967, he hadn’t quite staged one of his last projects, an ambitious 12-part epic poem scored to music. In 2009, a composer heard about the unrealized project, called Ask Your Mama, formed a team to perform it and brought it to Carnegie Hall. In 2011, the Langston Hughes Project brings it to SIUE for one night. Ask Your Mama is a multimedia performance featuring a jazz quartet, video projections and Hughes’ poetry, which concerns “the struggle for artistic and social freedom at home and abroad at the beginning of the 1960s” and is “scored with blues, Dixieland, gospel songs, boogie-woogie, bebop, progressive jazz, Latin ‘cha cha,’ Afro-Cuban mambo, German lieder, Jewish liturgy, West Indian calypso and African drumming.”
Athens Guitar Trio
BEFORE: Before taking in the show, stop by the Boathouse in Forest Park to fill those kiddos up for a day of sharks and sea monsters. While they nosh on chicken fingers and grilled cheese from the kids’ menu, you can nibble on grownup grub like the salmon BLT (pictured). Roasted fish, crispy bacon, lettuce, tomato and basil mayonnaise are stacked on grilled sourdough bread for a filling and flavorful lunch packed with protein.
March 26 – 8 p.m., Ethical Society of St. Louis 314.567.5566 · guitarstlouis.net
6101 Government Drive, St. Louis, 314.367.2224
The St. Louis Classical Guitar Society welcomes a group from Athens – not as in Greece, but as in Athens, Ga., where a certain other guitar-based ensemble (R.E.M.) made music history a generation ago. Dusty Woodruff, Rylan Smith and Matthew Anderson have been playing music by the likes of Bach, Brahms, Debussy, Dvorak, Hindemith, and even Philip Glass and Scott Joplin in a three-man ménage a twang for about six years now. Listen to the music at the ensemble’s Web site (athensguitartrio.com) for a taste of acoustic contemplation and counterpoint that soothes the soul.
AFTER: After chasing the kids up and down the halls of the science center, stop in for a caffeine fix at Sabu’s Coffee, just next door. While you sip a housemade latte or cappuccino, let the kids pick a brownie, gooey butter cookie or cupcake from the café’s eye-popping display case. 5708 Oakland Ave., St. Louis, 314.781.9500
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Celebrate Fat Tuesday with more than gumbo and jambalaya this year. Take a cue from Josh Galliano, the executive chef at Monarch and Louisiana native whose crawfish bread combines the icons of Cajun fare – holy trinity (celery, onion and bell pepper), crawfish and cayenne – with rich cream and melty cheese for a dish guaranteed to get your good times rolling. – Katie O’Connor
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CRAWFISH BREAD Courtesy of Monarch’s Josh Galliano 8 SERVINGS 4½ tsp. active dry yeast 2 cups warm water ½ cup sugar 2 tsp. salt 7 cups plus ¼ cup all-purpose flour, divided 3 eggs, beaten, plus 1 whole egg 1¼ cup shortening, lard or butter, melted ¼ lb. (1 stick) butter 4 cloves garlic, minced 1 stalk celery, small dice 1 medium onion, small dice 2 red bell peppers, small dice 3 Tbsp. sherry 3 Tbsp. Crystal hot sauce 1 Tbsp. Worcestershire sauce 1 tsp. onion powder 1 tsp. garlic powder 1½ cups heavy cream 2 lbs. crawfish tails 2 cups shredded pepper Jack cheese 1 cup shredded Parmesan cheese Salt and pepper to taste Cayenne pepper to taste Semolina 1 Tbsp. water
• Combine the yeast, water and sugar in a mixing bowl. Mix thoroughly and allow to sit in a warm spot for about 10 minutes or until very foamy. • Combine the salt and 7 cups of the flour in the bowl of a stand mixer. Add the yeast mixture and, using a dough hook, mix them together on low speed. After mixing for 1 minute, slowly add in the beaten eggs. • Once the eggs are thoroughly combined, drizzle in the melted shortening, lard or butter. Continue mixing for 5 minutes on low speed. • Remove the dough to an oiled mixing bowl. Cover loosely with a towel and allow to proof until doubled in size, about 1 hour. • Punch the dough down. The dough is ready to use or it can be refrigerated for later use. • In a large pot over medium heat, melt the butter. Sweat the garlic, celery, onion and bell peppers until translucent. Add the sherry and cook for 1 minute. Add the hot sauce, Worcestershire, onion powder and garlic powder. • Add the remaining ¼ cup flour, stirring constantly so that nothing burns and there are no lumps. Add the heavy cream and
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cook over medium-low heat for about 20 minutes or until the raw flour flavor has been cooked out. Add the crawfish tails and cook for another 5 minutes, then remove the pot from the heat. Stir in the cheeses. Season to taste with salt, pepper and cayenne. Transfer the crawfish mixture to a casserole dish and cool completely in the refrigerator. To assemble, prepare a baking tray with a copious amount of semolina in order to prevent the crawfish breads from sticking. Preheat a fryer to 350 degrees and an oven to 250 degrees. Prepare an egg wash by whisking together the remaining egg with 1 tablespoon of water. Measure the dough into eight 4-ounce portions. On a flour-dusted surface, roll out the dough to a 7-inch circle a little more than 1∕8 -inch thick. Brush the dough with the egg wash, then place slightly less than ½ cup of the crawfish filling slightly off center on each piece of dough. Fold the dough over the filling into a half-moon shape, pressing the dough close to the filling to minimize air pockets. Using a fork, crimp the edges of each bread. Use a knife or a pizza cutter to remove the excess edge and transfer to the semolina-dusted baking tray. Place the breads into the fryer, frying no more than two breads at a time. Fry for 3 minutes on the first side, then gently flip the bread and fry for 2 minutes on the second side. Carefully remove from the fryer and drain on a baking tray lined with paper towels. Hold the crawfish bread in the oven until you’re ready to serve them.
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