foraged
Farmed The making of indigenous beer
third-wave coffee shops ∙ thanksgiving calzones ∙ 8 hot dining trends s t. l o u is’ i n d e pe n d e nt cu l i n a ry au th o r it y November 2013
sau c e m aga zi n e .co m
F R E E , IN O V E MAGAZINE M B E R 2 013 saucemagazine.com SAUCE I1
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November 2013
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november 2 013 • VO LUM E 13, Issue 11 PUBLISHER EXECUTIVE EDITOR ART DIRECTOR MANAGING EDITOR MANAGING EDITOR, DIGITAL SPECIAL SECTIONs EDITOR Fact checker PROOFREADER PRODUCTION DESIGNER EDIBLE WEEKEND WRITER CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS
What are you making for Thanksgiving?
CONTRIBUTING ILLUSTRATOR CONTRIBUTING WRITERS
My world-famous pumpkin bread
Events coordinator Listings manager ADVERTISING SALES MANAGER Account Executives Advertising Accounts Coordinator INTERNS
Allyson Mace Ligaya Figueras Meera Nagarajan Julie Cohen Catherine Klene Julie Cohen Rosa Heyman Bacon-wrapped figs Emily Lowery stuffed with goat cheese Michelle Volansky Byron Kerman Jonathan Gayman, Ashley Gieseking, Elizabeth Jochum, Laura Miller, Greg Rannells, Carmen Troesser, Michelle Volansky Vidhya Nagarajan Glenn Bardgett, Matt Berkley, Julie Cohen, Ligaya Figueras, Kellie Hynes, Byron Kerman, Jamie Kilgore, Ted Kilgore, Cory King, Catherine Klene, Meera Nagarajan, Katie O'Connor, Maggie Pearson, Michael Renner, Dee Ryan, Stacy Schultz, Beth Styles Rebecca Ryan Pecan pie and a Rebecca Ryan caramel cake Allyson Mace Kaylene Cohen, Rachel Gaertner, Drew Owen, Bruce Prediger, Patrick Shaw Jill George Darren Arabie, Emily Doig, Suzanne Matthews
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whole or in part, of the contents without permission of the publisher is strictly prohibited. While the information has been compiled carefully to ensure maximum accuracy at the time of publication, it is provided for general guidance only and is subject to change. The publisher cannot guarantee the accuracy of all information or be responsible for omissions or errors. Additional copies may be obtained by providing a request at 314.772.8004 or via mail. Postage fee of $2 will apply. Sauce Magazine is printed on recycled paper using soy inks.
St. Louis, MO 63103 editorial policies The Sauce Magazine mission is to provide St. Louis-area residents and visitors with unbiased, complete information on the area’s restaurant, bar and entertainment industry. Our editorial content is not influenced by who advertises with Sauce Magazine or saucemagazine.com. Our reviewers are never provided with complimentary food or drinks from the restaurants in exchange for favorable reviews, nor are their identities as reviewers made known during their visits.
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contents november 2013
13 A La Carte
Reviews 23 new and notable: Mi Linh by Michael Renner
27 Nightlife: Tripel by Matt Berkley
23
28
28 where to explore next: Third-wave coffee shops by Stacy Schultz
30 Cook’s Books: Italian cookbooks by Catherine Klene
Home cooking 32 Vegetize it: Green bean casserole Green beans with a side of nostalgia by Kellie Hynes
34 One ingredient, 3 ways: Molasses The dark side of sweet by Dee Ryan
36 By Popular Demand One 19 North Tapas and Wine Bar’s New Orleans BBQ Shrimp
features
45
38 Scratch Brewing
= recipe on this page
cover details
Where earth meets mash By Julie Cohen
Last course 48 Stuff to do
45 Root cocktails to dig
by byron Kerman
51 a chat with: Bonnie and Joe Devoti by Ligaya Figueras
Beets, parsnips and carrots push the culinary cocktail to new depths by Katie O'Connor
(Flip your magazine over for a big surprise!)
It’s that time of the year again, and our Guide to the Holidays has everything you need to make this season a smashing (and stress-free) success. While the Guide has refreshing ideas for everyone on your gift list – from the boozehound to the boss to the budding foodie – our cookie party provides the recipes, music and signature cocktail to make this holiday season the sweetest yet. Cover photo: Pastry chef Lisa Fernandez-Cruz with her kids George and Wil. Photo by Carmen Troesser.
Foraged ingredients for beer at Scratch Brewing Co. p. 38
Photo by Carmen Troesser third-wave coffee shops p. 28 thanksgiving calzones p. 13
Correction In "A Seat at the Bar" in the October 2013 issue, the wine tasted at Grgich Hills Estate was Grgich Hills 2010 chardonnay, not Chateau Montelena 2010 chardonnay. November 2013
8 hot dining trends p. 18
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BUY In our annual Guide to the Holidays (Flip the magazine over to check it out.), we offer gift ideas for everyone in your life – from your baking-crazed buddy to your drink-loving hubby. Since there isn’t enough room to fit all of our fabulous finds in the pages of the magazine, go to Don't miss saucemagazine.com/blog every our gift day from Nov. 29 (Black Friday) giveaways! to Dec. 24 for our Sauce Holiday Countdown. You’ll find more fun food- and drink-related products – and giveaways – guaranteed to bring holiday cheer to the people on your shopping list.
LISTEN Chef Anthony Devoti’s Five Bistro might not have become a top dining destination were it not for his parents, Joe and Bonnie Devoti, who’ve been fixtures at the front of the house since day one, as we learn in this month’s chat (p. 51). The family conversation continues on the radio as Bonnie Devoti and son Anthony talk about the family-owned, farm-to-table restaurant on The Hill and even share family secrets about how to cook a memorable Thanksgiving meal. Got a pressing Turkey Day dilemma? Email pr@saucemagazine.com, and we’ll try to answer it on the air. Tune in to St. Louis Public Radio 90.7 KWMU’s Cityscape Friday, Nov. 22 at noon and 10 p.m.
READ The executive chef isn’t the only person in the kitchen. In fact, the top toque will be the first to tell you that without the rest of the culinary brigade, the kitchen would go up in flames. This month, we heat things up with On the Line, a new online column featuring cooks from area restaurants. Head to saucemagazine.com/blog the first Wednesday of each month to meet the men and women responsible for executing dishes that land on your plate, and get the inside story on life at the back of the house.
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casserole photo by carmen troesser
PLAN Start preparing your Thanksgiving feast with recipes for stuffing (p. 10), green bean casserole (p. 32), cranberry-fig chutney (p. 14) and anadama rolls (p. 34) in this month’s issue, then go to saucemagazine. com/recipes for more Turkey Day meal ideas. From gravy to potato-and-parsnip gratin to crack pie, the Sauce recipe database is filled with more than a decade’s worth of proven dishes. Best of all, this resource is free!
November 2013
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letter from the editor
Celebrating Thanksgiving at my home is more than a decade-old tradition. Everyone knows I’m hosting. Everyone knows who’s coming. And everyone knows the menu. If there’s going to be a surprise dish, it’ll be up to me to make it. But that’s fine by me because without my family lending a hand, there wouldn’t be a turkey, stuffing or pies. Yes, family can sometimes drive us crazy, but oh, how we need ‘em! Anthony Devoti, chef-owner of Five Bistro would probably be the first to admit that without the support of his parents, Bonnie and Joe Devoti (p. 51), who came out of retirement seven
Bonnie Devoti (left) prepares her mother’s dressing for Ligaya Figueras (right).
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years ago to help Anthony get Five off the ground, his farm-to-table restaurant might not exist today. This Thanksgiving, the Devotis will take a well-deserved break from work, but in the meantime, I couldn’t let Bonnie off the hook (and her feet), until she showed me how to make her mother’s stuffing – the recipe for which she graciously agreed to share with us. This is precisely why Thanksgiving is my favorite holiday – it’s about sharing gifts instead of buying them. Sauce wine columnist Glenn Bardgett recently reminded me that Thanksgiving is the only holiday centered around food (and Missouri wine if Glenn had it his way). But it takes a cook or two to turn all those ingredients into a feast. So here’s to the cooks of Thanksgiving. Cheers,
Ligaya Figueras Executive editor
Grandma Jean’s Thanksgiving Dressing Courtesy of Five Bistro’s Bonnie Devoti 8 to 12 servings 9 Tbsp. butter, divided, plus more, if needed 1 8-oz. box Stove Top Stuffing Mix for Turkey 1 cup chicken broth, plus more, if needed 1 14-oz. package of Pepperidge Farm Herbed Seasoned Stuffing ½ lb. fresh pork sausage 1 cup onions, chopped ½ cup celery, chopped 2 Tbsp. fresh Italian parsley, chopped 1 Tbsp. olive oil 1 cup mushrooms, sliced 4 eggs 1 cup cooked chicken or turkey, diced (optional) • Boil 1½ cups water and 4 tablespoons butter in a medium saucepan. Stir in the contents of the Stove Top stuffing mix pouch; cover. Remove from heat. Let stand 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork and set aside. • In a separate saucepan, melt 5 tablespoons butter over medium-high heat. Remove from heat. Add 1 cup chicken broth, 1 cup water and Pepperidge Farm stuffing mix to the saucepan and mix lightly. • In a large bowl, combine the two prepared stuffing mixes and set aside. • In a large skillet over medium heat, cook the pork sausage, crumbling it as it cooks. When sausage is nearly cooked, add the onions, celery and parsley. Saute until the onions are soft and translucent. Add up to 4 tablespoons butter if the mixture seems too dry. Add the pork mixture to the stuffing mixture. • Warm the olive oil in the skillet. Add the mushrooms and saute lightly. Stir mushrooms into the stuffing mixture. • In a separate bowl, beat the eggs. Add the eggs to the stuffing mixture, along with the diced chicken, if using. Combine well. Consistency should be mushy, but not too wet. • Spray a 9-by-13-inch serving dish with cooking spray. Transfer stuffing mixture to the dish and spread evenly. (If not cooking the same day, cover tightly and refrigerate, but bring to room temperature before baking.) • Preheat the oven to 325 degrees. • Bake, covered, 45 minutes. Remove the cover and check stuffing for moistness. If it is too dry, add ¼ cup warmed chicken or turkey broth. Bake, uncovered, 15 to 20 minutes longer.
November 2013
photo by ashley gieseking
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know how this month is going to play out. By Nov. 15, I’ll have received two phone calls – one from my mom, another from my mother-in-law. “What do you want me to bring for Thanksgiving?” they’ll both ask. And then I’ll sigh, silently cursing that the holiday has snuck up on me, yet again. “What would you like to bring?” I’ll reply, even though I already know the answer.
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EAT THIS
Photo by greg rannells
This month at SAUCE ON THE SIDE, you can enjoy your entire Thanksgiving meal wrapped in pizza dough and baked until it’s bronzed and gleaming. THE MAYFLOWER is a calzone filled with roasted turkey, mashed sweet potatoes, cornbread stuffing and dried cranberries, with a turkey gravy “sauce” on the side (of course). The flavors of the holiday don’t end there. Save room for a hot-from-the-oven pumpkin pie and marscarpone cheese calzone sprinkled with cinnamon and sugar. Now you can take your post-Turkey Day nap. Sauce on the Side, 903 Pine St., St. Louis, 314.241.5667, eatcalzones.com
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MAKE THIS Cranberry-fig chutney
This Thanksgiving, instead of making straight cranberry sauce or (gah!) prying a jellied version out of a tin can while trying to keep the jiggly log intact, up your game with cranberry-fig chutney. To a large saucepan, add 1 12-ounce bag fresh cranberries, 1½ cups sugar, 1 orange (peeled, chopped and seeded), ¾ cup chopped dried figs, ¼ cup finely chopped onion, 1½ tablespoons finely chopped fresh ginger, ½ teaspoon kosher salt and ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon. Heat on medium-low until the sugar dissolves, then increase the heat and boil for 10 minutes, until the cranberries pop. Serve at room temperature. – Ligaya Figueras
active time: 10 minutes
Clayton Farmers Market 8282 Forsyth Blvd., Clayton, claytonfarmersmarket.com
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photo by elizabeth jochum
Serve cranberry-fig chutney as a condiment for pork or poultry dishes. It’s also a phenomenal accompaniment to a cheese plate, a topping for crostini or a spread for a post-Thanksgiving turkey sandwich.
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drink this: Fear & Loathing
A Seat at the Bar Four experts tell us what to sip, stir and shake
ted and jamie kilgore USBG, B.A.R. Ready, BarSmart and coowners/bartenders at Planter’s House (opening soon) For a taste of autumn in a glass, look no further than The Libertine’s Fear & Loathing. A simple one-two combo of Gosling’s Black Seal Bermuda Rum and house-made cola, the cocktail is topped with an airy, silky pecan foam and a citrusy sprinkle of lemongrass dust. Call it an upgraded – no, a handcrafted – rum and Coke. Just don’t fear or loathe it. The Libertine, 7927 Forsyth Blvd., Clayton, 314.862.2999, libertinestl.com – Ligaya Figueras
USE THIS
314 Hot Sauce Just weeks since its launch at Taste of St. Louis, 314 Hot Sauce is piling up orders from area chefs eager to put this locally made condiment on their restaurant tables and in their food. Vinegarforward with a satisfying (but not infernal) spice kick, a smoky finish and a restrained use of salt, a few dashes of 314 Hot Sauce elevates everything from wings to oysters to bloodies at brunch. For once, you can actually embrace the St. Louis heat. $4. Steve’s Hot Dogs on the Hill, 2131 Marconi Ave., 314.762.9899, steveshotdogsstl.com – Ligaya Figueras
November 2013
cory king Certified Cicerone, head brewer at Perennial Artisan Ales and founder of Side Project Brewing
glenn bardgett Member of the Missouri Wine and Grape Board and wine director at Annie Gunn’s
While countless grade school children will dress as pilgrims and Indians this month to reenact the first Thanksgiving, we can’t help but think about American history of a beverage kind. No spirit exemplifies the USA better than good ol’ bourbon, which Congress officially recognized as a distinctive product of the United States in 1964. Prior to that, one way to ensure quality was to buy bonded whiskeys, courtesy of the Bottled-In-Bond Act of 1897. Still available today, bonded bourbons will always be 100 proof, at least 4 years old and a pretty good boozy bang for your buck. A couple of our bonded favorites are Old Fitzgerald 100 proof (with caramel, honey and cedar flavors) and Old Grand-Dad 100 proof (more robust than Old Fitz, with spicy orange and pepper notes). Here’s to good governance!
Founders Breakfast Stout. I could write nothing more, and this month’s beer column would still be great because Founders Breakfast Stout is just that good. The beer gets its name from the underlying oatmeal stout that is then infused with chocolate and coffee, making a perfect blend of hearty breakfast ingredients. Its luscious, velvety, rich body is carefully balanced with roasted malt; pleasantly bitter; and intensely aromatic with a nose of java and decadent, dark chocolate. While Founders Breakfast Stout is one of my all-time favorite beers, it makes for excellent drinking as fall hits full stride. So light the fireplace, pour a glass, sit back and enjoy.
What better way to spend a Wednesday than to sip my way through Chaumette Winery in Ste. Genevieve and get a peek at future Missouri wines? I recently sampled the winery’s 2013 barrel-fermented chardonel, which promises super balance when it is released next summer. In addition, its 2013 chambourcin – available in late 2014 – was being “pumped over.” Pumping the fermenting juice through a hose from the bottom of the tank to the top breaks up the thick collection of grape skins that floats to the surface. This increases contact between the skins and the liquid, extracting more color and flavor from the skins. When the 2013 chambourcin hits shelves, grab some; it should have stunning color. Meanwhile, open a bottle of Chaumette Vineyards & Winery 2011 Reserve Chambourcin, and seek out the winery’s 2012 Unoaked Chardonel while it lasts. saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 17
A look at what’s on the plate, in the glass and atop our wish list right now By ligaya Figueras
I scream savory
Drink up India
Pork belly corn dogs with smoked tomato remoulade at Vino Nadoz
Hot dog!
Fish face Fish face, a staple of the seafood stockpot, is making its way onto main plates. Recently spied on the menu at Little Country Gentleman was salmon collar with udon noodles swimming in dashi. Halibut cheeks were here and gone at Element, where the chefs created a sophisticated take on fish sticks and tartar sauce: butter-poached halibut cheeks with tempura chips, capers, garlic and crème fraiche. Missed it? Look for halibut cheeks in an upcoming special at Eleven65.
Corn dogs, carnival fare for carnivores, are making appearances at places you’d normally wear your little black dress. When batter is encasing things fancier than plain-Jane frankfurters, why not? At Lola, lobster tail is the flavor on the stick, while a chorizo corn dog was among brunch bites at Table. Vino Nadoz is going high on the hog with an unctuous pork belly corn dog. Mortadella is making its own case as the new corn dog. It was a snack at Blood & Sand; look for it at soon-to-open Cucina Pazzo in the CWE.
Bastardized umami bomb
Dashi is the umami darling of 2013. The Japanese fish stock is normally made from dried bonito, but rules are meant to be broken. We first noticed it when Sidney Street Cafe concocted a caffeinated Kyoto dashi using coffee by Sump. Right now, Blood & Sand is finding the fifth taste via corn dashi, while over at Cleveland-Heath, Africa and Asia are united in a shiro dashi – a brothy version of an Ethiopian ground-chickpea stew.
Keep a cork in it How can you pour wine from bottles without ever pulling the cork? Insert a hollow, medical-grade needle through the cork, extract the wine as inert gas displaces the liquid so oxygen never touches it, remove the needle and let the cork reseal itself. “It’s going to be a game changer for wine lists,” said Harvest chef-owner Nick Miller about the new Coravin wine system he purchased recently for his Richmond Heights restaurant. Harvest, along with Sasha’s on Shaw, has begun to offer by-the-glass specials on some very fine wines. They join Hoity-toity restaurants with hoity-toity wine lists – Del Posto, Eleven Madison Park, NoMad – as Coravin converts.
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Area bartenders are raiding the Indian pantry, grabbing heady scents from the spice rack along with delicate liquids like floral and coconut waters. Among buzzworthy India-in-a-glass concoctions is Almond Milk Punch with a cardamom kick at Tree House. Try Tripel’s cardamom-scented Spiced Dark & Stormy or clove-touched Smoke Wagon, but be sure to order the H.D.Y. with orange flower water before that cocktail leaves the menu this month. Coconut water is what made the gin-based Green Isaac’s Special at Olio so special. And at Taste, you’ll find Kid Vicious – with its serrano- and pink peppercorninfused tequila and rose water, as well as menu newbie Bowls in a China Shop, featuring spiced ginger syrup and a cardamom tincture.
I hop f or ok onomi y ak i Pancakes are good, but tell us they’re flipping okonomiyaki, and we’ll hop on over to places like Cleveland-Heath, where this Japanese savory pancake holds the flavors of shrimp, bacon, cabbage, Kewpie mayo and barbecue sauce. At Blood & Sand, chef Chris Bork uses a beer batter to make a flapjack topped with salmon roe, mayo and yakatori glaze.
Gussied-up T-ravs
Forget your loyalty to the classic T-rav and embrace new takes on this STL original. Buffalo chicken ravioli is among the funked up fare at Three Kings Public House and newly opened The Precinct. Veritas Gateway to Food and Wine is adding Middle Eastern spices to its T-rav filling, garnishing the house-made pasta with tomato relish and serving it up with tomato jam. It’s all glam at The Lobby Lounge at The Ritz-Carlton; its toasted ravioli is filled with short ribs, truffles and mushrooms and served with a brown butter emulsion. At Quincy Street Bistro, hand-made ravioli is stuffed with an atypical combo of roasted beef and pork. A T-rav for dessert? That’s a winner at Mike Shannon’s Steaks and Seafood, where pasta got crazy sweet when stuffed with raspberries, coated with lemon shortbread crumbles and drizzled with raspberry basil sauce. November 2013
photo by jonathan gayman
Who said ice cream has to be sweet? Or even dessert? Restaurants everywhere – from The Fat Duck in the U.K. to The Granary in San Antonio are breaking out of the (ice)box, scooping savory ice cream onto main plates. Locally, Niche recently served a quenelle of hickory ice cream alongside pulled pork and Brussels sprouts leaves, while Sidney Street Cafe churned out a sorghum-mustard flavored frozen sundry as part of a hearty fall dish of rabbit, house-made sausage, waffles and collard greens.
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November 2013
hit list
4 New Restaurants to Try This Month
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The Precinct 1900 Locust St., St. Louis, 314.588.8899, Facebook: The Precinct Sports Bar & Grill Jim Edmond’s 15 Steakhouse has been re-concepted as police-themed bar and grill The Precinct. At this casual downtown eatery, start with The Potato Bat, a spiraled, fried potato skewered on a stick; order it seasoned with salt and vinegar. Wings are a signature item at The Precinct. Our pick among sauces: the sweet-and-spicy, house-made Stop Resisting. (Warning: If you pursue the Hot Pursuit wings, they’ll arrest your taste buds for hours.) The blackened pork flat iron steak gilded with smoked tomato butter and accompanied by a side of mashed potatoes makes for a hearty, satisfying dinner after a day walking the beat.
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photos BY MICHELLE VOLANSKY
Vito’s in the Valley 138 Chesterfield Towne Centre, Chesterfield, 636.536.3788, vitosinthevalley.com
Brothers Vito, Marco and Giovanni La Fata have opened Vito’s in the Valley, sister restaurant to Vito’s Sicilian Pizzeria & Ristorante in Midtown. The menu offers old Vito’s favorites like arancini, deepfried saffron risotto balls stuffed with meat, mozzarella and peas; and fettuccine Alfredo laced with a healthy dose of garlic. They’ve added new classics, too, like the PM Pie. A nod to Valley neighbor PM BBQ, Vito’s tops its airy, hand-tossed crust with pulled pork so tender it practically melts onto PM’s sweet barbecue sauce, then blankets this winning pizza with bubbling cheese. How could you go wrong? November 2013
3
Juniper 360 N. Boyle Ave., St. Louis, 314.520.6750, junipereats.com
Chef-owner John Perkins waved goodbye to the pop-up concept and opened Juniper, a restaurant with a permanent home. His southern table and bar is located in the same spot as his previous pop-ups like southern-themed A Good Man is Hard to Find, where some Juniper dishes – such as chicken and waffles – first saw light. Other must-try mains include shrimp and grits finished with a bold, buttery sauce. Embrace carbs and order a breadbasket featuring a selection of house-made buttermilk and angel biscuits, cornbread and hush puppies, accompanied by seasonal jams and butters (peach compote and sorghum butter during our visit). End on a sweet note with doughnut holes served with Cointreau chocolate sauce, the perfect foil to Juniper’s buttermilk saltedcaramel ice cream.
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Adam’s Smokehouse 2819 Watson Road, St. Louis, 314.875.9890, adamssmokehouse.com
You can get pulled pork or a slab of ribs at Adam’s, the newest relation to the Pappy’s and Bogart’s ‘cue clan, but for something out of the ordinary, try Adam’s housemade, house-smoked salami. Whether you order this garlicky, cracked peppercorn-laden sausage as a plate or sandwich, it comes with two sides. Be sure one of those is the cold pasta salad, a simple yet tasty serving of mini shells tossed in a barely-there creamy dressing. saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 21
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reviews
new and notable: Mi Linh p. 23 nightlife: TRIPEL p. 27 where to explore next: THIRD-WAVE COFFEE SHOPS p. 28 cook’s books: ITALIAN BOOKS p. 30
New and Notable: Mi Linh by Michael Renner • Photos by Jonathan Gayman
H
ow does one judge a new Vietnamese restaurant in a city touting more than 30 restaurants featuring the same cuisine? What makes a new place better than the rest when they all offer pretty much the same dishes? Is it fair to judge a restaurant by just one dish? Maybe Dee Dee Tran and her brother Nelson Tran pondered these questions when they opened Mi Linh, their 5-month-old Vietnamese restaurant in Rock Hill (She’s the general manager; he runs the kitchen.). However, with Nelson’s 20-year tenure in the restaurant industry (working in kitchens from New York to Seattle) and Dee Dee’s experience in running other businesses, the Trans certainly don’t have to prove themselves.
Mi Linh 9737 Manchester Road, Rock Hill, 314.918.8868, milinh.net
But oh, how they do! And for good measure – again and again.
Noodles, oodles of them – egg, rice, clear, wheat, thin, thick – filled bowls of steaming bun (vermicelli bowls) and pho (soup), which passed by my table like an endless train of little choo-choos emitting puffs of fragrant steam throughout the restaurant. Noodle soup is so central to Mi Linh that the Trans named their restaurant after mi, a southern Vietnamese soup made with clear pork broth (while Linh is a family name).
Mi Vit Tiem, five-herb duck
November 2013
But it was Bun Bo Hue, a spicy beef noodle soup from the menu’s Chef’s Special section, that intrigued my senses: Thick rice noodles in a beefy broth made from beef bones and beef shank simmered with lemongrass. True to the cooking style of the Hue region in central Vietnam, the soup was seasoned with a thick, assertively flavored fermented shrimp paste, adding yet another layer to savor. Toss in some cilantro, green and white onions, purple cabbage, mint, sweet perilla leaf, sliced jalapeno, Thai basil and bean sprouts to your liking. To further arouse your palate, squeeze a lime and drizzle in a bit of chile oil from the tabletop condiment jar. Order the soup with beef shank and Vietnamese pork ham, as I did, or take the plunge and go the more saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 23
review new and notable: Mi Linh paste. Also on the plate was what I initially took to be a clump of noodles but, in fact, was the “shredded pork” advertised on the menu: boiled and finely sliced pig skin to be precise. Cold and chewy, it was what we in the food-crit biz call “an acquired taste.”
of Chinese five-spice, mushrooms and plum. It was a soothing, satisfying meal in itself, reinforcing the meaning of the word pho, “one’s own bowl.” And, as with all pho, slurping is never impolite.
Canh Ga Chien, fried butter garlic chicken wings
Other dishes were competent, just less distinctive. Mi Xao Mem Thap Cam, soft egg noodles (crispy noodles are another option) stir-fried with seafood and mixed vegetables, was full of shrimp, squid and small scallops, but the crab with a “K” (aka, imitation crab) should be stricken from all menus. Com Bo Xao Cari Xa Ot – beef sauteed with curry, lemongrass and chiles served with rice, cucumber and the requisite vegetables – lacked the spicy-warm punch I crave from curry. traditional route by adding pig knuckles and cubes of congealed pig’s blood. A tangle of thin, yellow egg noodles served as the base for Mi Vit Tiem, a deeply
flavored yet surprisingly subtle soup that combined a roasted duck thigh and steamed baby bok choy. The flavors of the heady, hearty broth unfolded slowly, revealing a sweet, spicy and savory mélange
Among the Com Tam (broken rice platters), there’s Dac Biet, a combination pork plate that included a thin, grilled chop topped with an over-easy egg and paired with a paste egg cake and a crispy, little triangle of fried bean curd skin wrapped around shrimp
While little things – like mixing its own fish sauce (using a squid base rather than the common anchovy liquid) and infusing vodka with flavors like lychee, green tea and lemongrass-ginger – make Mi Linh notable, it’s the Canh Ga Chien that makes this new restaurant truly stand apart from the 30 some-odd others. These “fried butter garlic chicken wings” were lightly breaded with rice flour and corn starch and then deepfried before being sauteed with butter, red pepper flakes, garlic, and diced green and white onions. Eat the first wing without dipping it into the accompanying sweet and sour hot sauce. Notice how the sublime, light and crispy coating cracks with the first bite; how juicy and garlicky the meat is; how the gentle heat warms your lips; how your fingers glisten with butter and oil; how good the bits of fried onion taste; how you wish you could eat these wings every night for the rest of your life. Now go ahead and adorn the second one with the sauce. Like everyone else I know who has fallen victim, these wings will certainly be on my list of top dishes this year. If asked to answer my opening three questions after polishing off a plate of those wings, I’d say: wings, wings and yes. With a bit more reflection (after the spell of the Canh Ga Chien wore off), I’d say Mi Linh fits well within the established mold of St. Louis Vietnamese cuisine, but it is distinguished by its pho and lack of a separate Chinese menu that many restaurants feel is necessary for the uninitiated. Now, may I have more wings, please?
AT A GLANCE: Mi Linh Don’t Miss Dishes Canh Ga Chien, Mi Vit Tiem, Bun Bo Hue, Com Dui Ga Chien Nuoc Mam
Vibe Formerly the China Inn, Mi Linh has been remodeled with hanging red light fixtures and dark burgundy walls, exuding a cozy feel. There’s a separate bar area with two televisions.
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Entree Prices $8 to $21.50
Where Mi Linh, 9737 Manchester Road, Rock Hill, 314.918.8868, milinh.net
When Sun., Mon., Wed. and Thu. – 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Fri. and Sat. – 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. November 2013
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review
Nightlife: Tripel
nightlife: Tripel
by Matt berkley • Photos by jonathan gayman
– an outstanding quadruple with an amber body, a 10.5 ABV, and a complex-tasting mix of fruit and toffee flavors. Certainly beer-centric, the bar nonetheless pays noticeable attention to detail in its cocktails with a handful of Euro-fusion sippers reinforced with small-batch liquors Tripel and fresh garnishes. 1801 Park Ave., St. Generous sprigs of mint Louis, 314.678.7787, adorn the masterful tripelstl.com gin-soaked Good Day Sir, a substantial and refreshing mix of Hayman’s Old Tom gin with a splash of Barolo Chinato. Similarly impressive is the bar’s take on the Pimm’s Cup, a tall and imposing cocktail that is infused with flavors of cucumber and strawberry.
Y
ou still good? Ready to order something?” asks the bartender at Tripel, raising his voice above the heavy din of the crowd on a Saturday night. “Yeah. Something different this time. A bottle of the Houblon Chouffe,” I say, flipping the menu closed. “Nice.” He smiles and quickly returns with a fat bottle and tulip glass in hand. A quick tilt and long pour result in an impossibly thick and creamy head topped with a pointy cap, oddly similar to the cartoon elf ’s hat adorning the Chouffe bottle. Between the drafts, bottles, glassware and perfect pours, beer is the central preoccupation at Tripel, a new Belgiumthemed brasserie perched near the corner November 2013
Terry Oliver, co-owner and bar manager of Tripel, pours the masterful gin-soaked Good Day Sir.
of 18th Street and Park Avenue in Lafayette Square. The term tripel is a designation for extra-strong beer fashioned in the European Low Countries – traditionally by Trappist monks who subsidized their monasteries by operating breweries. True to its name, Tripel’s streamlined beer menu flows decidedly thick with bottles and drafts of golden ales, wheats, saisons, brown ales, Trappist beers, fruity lambics and sour ales, each matched with its own proper glassware. Sixteen tall, gleaming taps pour a steady stream of crowd favorites – Duvel, Hoegaarden, Stella Artois. But there’s considerably more fun to be had with choices like the Gulden Draak 9000
The wine list overflows with mainly French varieties, including a handful of approachable and affordable by-the-glass options. Overall, the beer and wine offerings potently pair with the food menu, both of which, like Belgium itself, are permeated by hearty and decadent French and Dutch flavors. Plates here are simple, robust and meant to be passed around. Don’t even bother searching for anything light. Indulgence is the order of the day. The moules Normandes, one of six varieties of pan-steamed mussels, was served in a rich, bacon- and apple-laced cream sauce that I greedily sopped up with thick, crusty slices of warm bread. A star among the small plates was the crisp yet tender pomme frites, served in a paper cone alongside an oversized dollop of thick mayo. Also noteworthy was the cailles, a savory-sweet quail appetizer served on a bed of braised red cabbage and apples. Though Tripel’s dining area is loud and boisterous (The long tables come with the standard groups of excited friends.), its bar side is a serious date night spot and a haven for smartly dressed, older patrons who vie for seats at the rich wooden bar where candlelight flickers off rows of hanging glassware. With inspired offerings at this rustic, Old World retreat, Tripel was tailor-made for Lafayette Square. “You like it?” says the bartender, motioning to my glass, empty save a few specks of foam. “Yeah,” I say with a smile. “How could you tell?”
order it: Tripel
Moules Normandes These pan-steamed mussels come in a rich, bacon- and applelaced cream sauce, which begs to be sopped up with the accompanying thick, crusty slices of warm bread.
Houblon Chouffe When poured, this malty, dry and fruity Belgian IPA creates an impossibly thick and creamy head.
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Third-Wave Coffee Shops
Kevin Reddy of Blueprint Coffee brews coffee with a Hario V60 Buono kettle through a Hario V60 ceramic coffee dripper.
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Photo by jonathan gayman
where to explore next
When Sump Coffee opened its doors, it made a major splash on the local bean scene, offering no apologies for its lightly roasted beans, long wait times and no-cream-and-sugar policy. Nearly two years later, one local coffee bigwig is doubling down on coffee’s new era, and a handful of third-wave shops are popping up all over town. The movement is full of brighter roasts, better beans, cups hand-brewed to order, and enough science to confuse your high school chemistry teacher. In short: great coffee just in time for sweater weather. Here’s where to get it this winter. – Stacy Schultz
What happens when five former Kaldi’s baristas put their heads together? They open a killer coffee bar. This newly minted addition to The Loop puts the talented baristas’ training on display, as they roast beans in a restored 1930s roaster in back and then brew them to order in a V60 up front. While the menu reveals the regions of the house-roasted beans, a few more details on the flavor of those beans would be nice. Speaking of flavor, don’t miss out on pastries baked fresh at Comet Coffee or fresh breads slathered with cheeses from Marcoot Jersey Creamery. Looking for your nosh to complement the flavors in your cup? Ask your barista to recommend a pairing. House-made preserves are made with the brightness, boldness and sweetness of the different beans in mind.
Blueprint Coffee
VB Chocolate Bar
Don’t let the name fool you – this shop is serious about more than chocolate. Beans hail from the likes of George Howell, Kuma Coffee and local company Kuva Coffee, who the shop has teamed up with to brew its single-origin, direct relationship beans in-house. Pour-over devotees will be happy they made the drive when their coffee is impeccably brewed in either a 24-ounce Chemex, a half-its-size Bee House or the towering Kyoto cold-drip brewer behind the bar. While you’re sipping, nibble a handmade truffle or order an old-school float in new-school flavors like pumpkin-spiced saltedcaramel ice cream with butterscotch root beer.
Photo by jonathan gayman; kyoto cold-drip photo by carmen troesser
VB Chocolate Bar
5326 Highway N, Cottleville, 636.352.1139, vbchocolatebar.com
Bike wheels Rise Coffee rendered into House light fixtures dangle from the ceiling at this brand-new, 35-seat coffee shop in The Grove. Looking to learn what this whole third-wave movement is about? Check out the chalkboard on the back wall, which breaks down the complex pour-over method into three main steps. The how-to is more useful than the menu, which lists the brewing methods (Chemex, Kyoto and the lesser-known Kalita Wave Dripper) but provides no region of origin or flavor notes about the November 2013
Goshen beans being brewed. Hopefully, as this exciting addition to the local coffee scene gains its sea legs, the staff will tiptoe into education – one of the best aspects of the third-wave movement.
started emphasizing the shift toward handbrewed coffee as well, which is great news for coffee-coveting suburbanites out west. While Kaldi’s is never going to be a place where baristas hide the cream and sugar, they’ve made one thing clear: Third-wave coffee is here to stay.
700 DeMun Ave., Clayton, 314.727.9955, kaldiscoffee.com
6225 Delmar Blvd., University City, 314.266.6808, blueprintcoffee.com
4180 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314.769.9535, risecoffeestl.com Paul Nahrgang of VB Chocolate Bar pours coffee through a Chemex. If you only plan to make it to one shop on this list, make it Sump. Whether you know the perfect particle size for a Chemex, or you’ve never ventured far from Starbucks, Sump is still the best place in town for third-wave coffee. It was the first in St. Louis to dedicate itself to coffee’s new wave, and it’s been blazing fresh trails ever since. Here, houseroasted beans are precisely brewed using the method that has been matched to the flavor and character of the bean – either Chemex, V60, the flame-burning siphon or the Japanese Kyoto cold-drip. This month, Sump will become one of the few owners of an Alpha Dominiche Steampunk MOD-2 in the world. This cutting-edge device has created a new category of brewing and is able to quickly execute multiple hand-brew methods, including V60, siphon and French press. It’s sure to be something you have to see – and taste – to believe.
Sump Coffee
3700 S. Jefferson Ave., St. Louis, 917.412.5670, sumpcoffee.com
Coffee nerds will recognize names on Comet’s menu – from local coffee connoisseurs Kaldi’s, Sump and Blueprint to internationally renowned roasters like London’s Square Mile Coffee Roasters and Seattle’s Kuma Coffee. This coffee shop, situated next to St. Louis Community College-Forest Park, opts out of the roasting game; instead, Comet focuses on hand-brewed coffee and the pastries coming out of the oven. The crew behind the bar prefers the V60 brewing method but will pull the AeroPress or Chemex off the back shelf if you ask. The couches in the back are typically filled with caffeinated college kids, breaking apart freshly baked croissants behind the screens of their glowing laptops. Sure beats the coffee we drank in college, doesn’t it? Bonus: This is one of the few places in town you can pick up a bag of beans roasted by Sump.
Comet Coffee & Microbakery
Though Kaldi’s has been dabbling in third-wave coffee for a few years now, it wasn’t until earlier this year when its flagship location underwent a menu and structural overhaul that the biggest local name in coffee hedged its bets on the new wave. Today, you can walk up to the brew bar at Kaldi’s on DeMun Avenue and order your choice of four lightly roasted beans, each paired with a hand-brew method of its own. The menu guides you in region and flavor, but feel free to ask the welltrained baristas behind the bar what they recommend. Other Kaldi’s locations have
Kaldi’s on DeMun
5708 Oakland Ave., St. Louis, 314.932.7770, cometcoffeestl.com
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review
Roberta’s Cookbook by Carlo Mirarchi, Brandon Hoy, Chris Parachini and Katherine Wheelock
Cook’s books: italian cookbooks
Mangia! Nothing satisfies like a bowl of pasta. But these Italian cookbooks go well beyond spaghetti and meatballs to showcase regional Italian cooking. All four books prove that with good olive oil, fresh herbs and a bit of seasonal produce, a great Italian meal is always possible – with a nice bottle of wine, of course. Join us every Tuesday at saucemagazine.com/blog as we cook and reveal recipes from these books. Then, enter to win a copy to add to your own collection. – Catherine Klene
SPQR: Modern Italian Food and Wine by Shelley Lindgren and Matthew Accarrino with Kate Leahy
Sicily by Phaidon
Lidia’s Commonsense Italian Cooking by Lidia Matticchio Bastianich and Tanya Bastianich Manuali
Expert pick: Cooking by Hand by Paul Bertolli
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illustration by vidhya nagarajan
Central Table Food Hall executive chef Nicholas Martinkovic has to be a master of all, from maki to maltagliati. Among his culinary influences: an 18-month stint under chef Carlo Mirarchi in the esteemed Italian kitchen of Roberta’s in Brooklyn. “When I took the job there, I wanted to go in as a cook and learn as much as I could, being the student again,” he said. “I learned the true importance of sourcing the very best ingredients and then really letting the ingredient show with minimal manipulation.” Martinkovic’s go-to cookbook for classic Italian? Cooking by Hand by Paul Bertolli. “It’s just a real solid cookbook that encompasses so many things,” he said.
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vegetize it vegan green bean casserole p. 32 one ingredient, 3 ways molasses p. 34 by popular demand bbq shrimp p. 36
Green beans with a side of nostalgia BY kellie hynes Photos by Carmen Troesser
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B
efore the Internet, before the Food Network, there was one authoritative source for cheap and easy recipes: the label on a Campbell’s soup can. Sure, Bisquick’s Cheeseburger Pie recipe would do in a pinch. But the recipes on the back of the soup can – and the slightly more elegant recipes hidden on the inside of the label – were responsible for 98 percent of the dishes my mother slung from her avocado green stove. My favorite, featured prominently on the Condensed Cream of Mushroom Soup label, was Green Bean Casserole. This hearty side dish, with its simple ingredients of green beans, sodium and preservatives, was a textural smorgasbord. Crunchy deep-fried onions offered a sharp contrast to the slippery green slivers. And the velvety condensed soup held all the ingredients together, like Super Glue, or a hug. I don’t know why it was so delicious (Yes, I do: salt.), but Green Bean Casserole made our weeknight meals feel as festive as Thanksgiving. Full of fuzzy nostalgia, the kind that makes you remember disco while forgetting polyester, I recently made old-school Green Bean Casserole for my family. The kitchen filled with the scent of artificial flavors as I popped open the fried onion tub, while the sound of the
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can opener made the dog gallop into the kitchen. And I may have licked the spatula after I scraped every last bit of condensed soup out of the can. Thirty minutes later, my husband and I snarfed down the casserole that tasted exactly like our mamas made it. My children, long indoctrinated in the ways of a farmers market-loving locavore, thought we had lost our minds. They had a point. I pried my rings off my sodium-bloated fingers, tossed the can opener and got to work on an unprocessed take on this classic casserole. Assuming fresh would automatically taste fantastic, I cooked up some raw green beans, mushrooms and onions in a little veggie broth. They were just blah. Thinking fancy dried mushrooms would add more flavor, I experimented with pricier shiitake and oyster varieties. The result: expensive blah. Honestly, I was missing that yummy, gummy condensed soup. So could I make a similar cream sauce using healthy, vegan ingredients? Soy milk and almond milk are often substituted for dairy. But they just can’t compete with the texture of real heavy cream. I faced the same conundrum when I made No-Cream Creamed Spinach (July 2011). Back then, a boiled baby potato, blended in a food processor, thickened up and smoothed out my sauce. For this recipe, I skipped the dairy substitutes entirely and went straight to red creamer potatoes. They stay silky when boiled, unlike russet potatoes, which turn grainy and flake. The starch from three creamer potatoes was enough to give my broth a soup-like texture. But the key component wasn’t from the produce department. It was my immersion blender. Once I whipped the
mushrooms, onions, potatoes and broth together, I had a sauce that looked and felt like my old favorite condensed soup, only so much better.
3 tsp. minced garlic 2 Tbsp. all-purpose flour 2 cups vegetable broth 1 Tbsp. sherry or dry white wine
My final challenge was to give the fried onions a makeover. I had thought canned fried onions were vegan, but technically, so is beer, and no one over the age of 30 calls it a health food. Some brands of fried onions may be processed on the same equipment as products containing dairy, which is a deal-breaker for better vegans than I. So, to keep everyone happy and heart-healthy, I sauteed shallots, and at the last minute sprinkled them with quinoa flakes. The quinoa flakes toasted up into a crunchy, nutty topping that made the shallots the best part of my Vegan Green Bean Casserole. And since it has all the taste and none of the guilt of the original, my husband and I enjoy it even more. Just don’t tell our mothers.
• Preheat oven to 350 degrees. • In a large pot, bring 3 quarts cold water to a boil. Add the beans and 1 tablespoon salt. Return to a boil and cook the beans until slightly tender and bright green, about 6 minutes. Drain the beans and plunge into a bowl of ice water. When cool, drain and pat dry. Set aside. • Meanwhile, rinse the potatoes, leaving the skins on, and place in a small pot. Cover with cold water. Add 1 teaspoon salt. Bring potatoes to a boil and cook until soft and easily pierced with a fork. Drain and set aside. When cool to the touch, use your fingers to peel and discard the skin. • Heat 2 tablespoons canola oil in a heavy skillet over medium-high heat. Add the shallots and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until the shallots are light brown and soft. Sprinkle the quinoa flakes over the shallots, stirring to coat the shallots with the flakes. Saute the mixture another 1 to 2 minutes, until the quinoa browns. Transfer the shallots and quinoa to a bowl and set aside. • Wipe the skillet and heat the remaining tablespoon canola oil. Add the onions and saute until they begin to soften. Add the mushrooms and continue to cook until they brown and release their liquid. Add the remaining teaspoon salt, red pepper flakes and garlic. Saute until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the flour and cook 1 minute. Add the whole peeled potatoes. Slowly add the vegetable broth and sherry, stirring well. Bring the mixture to a boil, reduce heat to low and simmer until the sauce thickens, about 10 minutes. • Use an immersion blender to purée the onions, mushrooms and potatoes until the sauce is smooth and lumpfree. Stir in the green beans. • Coat a 3-quart casserole dish with cooking spray. Transfer mixture to the casserole dish. Top with the browned shallots and quinoa flakes. Bake, uncovered, 20 minutes, or until heated through. Let rest 10 minutes before serving.
Vegan Green Bean Casserole 4 to 6 servings 1½ lbs. fresh green beans, trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces 1 Tbsp. plus 2½ tsp. salt, divided 3 small red creamer potatoes 3 Tbsp. canola oil, divided 4 shallots, approx. 7 oz., peeled and sliced thin ¼ cup quinoa flakes 1 medium yellow onion, diced 12 oz. crimini (baby bella mushrooms), sliced ½ tsp. red pepper flakes
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home cooking one ingredient, 3 ways: molasses
Anadama Rolls 18 rolls
The dark side of sweet By Dee Ryan | Photos by laura miller
M
olasses is the Don Draper of sweeteners. It’s dark and strong, a little sweet with a bit of an edge. It carries a reputation as an old-fashioned ingredient with minimal uses. Has the bottle of molasses you purchased last December to make gingerbread remained hidden in the back of the pantry ever since? Well, take it out, dust it off and meet molasses’ true identity.
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1 cup whole milk 2 tsp. salt ½ cup medium-grind cornmeal ¹∕³ cup light or dark molasses 2 Tbsp. dark brown sugar 2 Tbsp. unsalted butter 1 envelope (2¼ tsp.) dry yeast 3 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting and kneading 1 cup whole wheat flour 1 egg beaten 2 tsp. sesame or poppy seeds • In a heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, bring milk, 1 cup water and salt to a boil. Slowly add the cornmeal, whisking constantly until the mixture thickens and begins to boil. Remove from heat and whisk in the molasses, brown sugar and butter. Transfer the mixture into a large bowl. Let cool to 115 degrees, whisking regularly. • Pour ½ cup warm water into a small bowl and sprinkle with yeast. Do not stir. Let stand 10 minutes or until yeast becomes foamy. Stir into cornmeal mixture. • Mix together 3 cups all-purpose flour and the whole wheat flour. Add flours to the cornmeal mixture, a cup at a time. Mix until the dough becomes soft and slightly sticky and pulls away from the sides of the bowl. • Turn dough out onto a floured surface and knead with floured hands 10 minutes, until dough is smooth and elastic, adding more flour as needed. (The dough will still be a bit sticky.) • Form the dough into a ball and place into a large bowl coated with butter or nonstick spray. Cover with plastic wrap and a towel and let rise in a warm, draft-free area 1 hour or until doubled in size. • Punch down dough and re-cover with plastic wrap and a towel. Let rest 10 minutes. • Grease 2 9-inch cake pans. • Roll the dough out into an 18-inch log. Cut the log into 18 1-inch pieces. With floured
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hands, roll each piece into a ball. Place 9 rolls into each cake pan, leaving space between rolls. Cover each pan loosely with a towel and let rolls rise in a warm, draft-free area 30 minutes or until nearly doubled in size. • Preheat oven to 400 degrees. • When the second rise is finished, beat the egg with 1 teaspoon of water in a small bowl. Brush the rolls with the egg wash and sprinkle with seeds. Place the rolls in the oven and immediately lower the temperature to 350 degrees. Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown.
down, and place plantains around the outside edge of the grill. Cook plantains 4 minutes per side and chicken 8 minutes per side. Serve drizzled with reserved marinade. * Plantains are available at most international grocery stores and frequently can be found at well-stocked grocery stores.
Boston Baked Beans 6 to 8 servings
Grilled Jerk Chicken and Plantains 4 servings ¼ cup light or dark molasses ¼ cup red wine vinegar 1 Tbsp. tomato paste ¼ cup onion, minced 1 Tbsp. dried thyme 1 large garlic clove, minced ½ tsp. cayenne pepper ½ tsp. allspice ¼ tsp. cinnamon ¼ tsp. cumin 4 chicken leg quarters 2 semi-ripe plantains* Olive oil or canola oil, for grilling Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper • Prepare the grill. • Purée molasses, vinegar, tomato paste, onion and seasonings in a blender. Reserve ¼ cup purée and pour the remainder into a resealable bag. Add the chicken to the bag. Seal and let marinate for 15 to 30 minutes. • Peel the plantains and slice on the bias into ½-inch slices. Brush with oil and season to taste with salt and pepper. • Place chicken on the grill, skin-side November 2013
1 lb. dried navy beans 4 to 6 slices thick-cut bacon 1¼ cup blackstrap molasses or dark molasses 1 tsp. salt ½ tsp. pepper 1 tsp. dry mustard 1 Tbsp. brown sugar 1 Tbsp. cider vinegar 1 tsp. hot sauce 1 medium white onion, cut into ½-inch slices • Soak the beans overnight in 4 cups water. Drain, reserving soaking liquid. • Preheat oven to 350 degrees. • Cook the bacon in a hot skillet until seared but not crispy. Chop bacon into small pieces and set aside. • In a bowl, combine molasses, salt, pepper, dry mustard, brown sugar, cider vinegar and hot sauce. • Add ¹∕³ of the beans to the bottom of a deep baking dish. Next, add ¹∕³ of the bacon, followed by ¹∕³ of the onions. Repeat, adding another layer each of ¹∕³ of the beans, bacon and onions. Top with remaining beans. Pour the sauce on top. Add the reserved soaking liquid and top with remaining bacon and onions. Cover and bake 2½ hours. saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 35
home cooking By Popular Demand: New Orleans BBQ Shrimp
The New Orleans BBQ Shrimp at One 19 North in Kirkwood are so rich and delicious. I have searched other similar recipes to try and re-create them at home, but somehow they’re never quite right. I would absolutely love it if you could ask them for the recipe and post it for us readers. – Laura Hepburn One 19 North Tapas and Wine Bar, 119 N. Kirkwood Road, Kirkwood, 314.821.4119, one19north.com
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Eaten a dish at an area restaurant that you’d do just about anything to make at home? Email us at pr@ saucemagazine.com to tell us about it. Then let us do our best to deliver the recipe By Popular Demand.
One 19 North Tapas and Wine Bar’s New Orleans BBQ Shrimp Courtesy of One 19 North’s Christopher Delgado 4 Servings
photo by greg rannells
6 Tbsp. olive oil, divided Half a yellow onion, diced 1 Tbsp. smoked paprika 1 Tbsp. Old Bay seasoning 1 tsp. cayenne pepper 2 cloves garlic, minced ½ lb. butter, cubed ¼ cup Worcestershire sauce 1 lemon, sliced 2 bay leaves ¾ Tbsp. whole black peppercorns 2 to 4 sprigs thyme 1 to 2 sprigs rosemary, finely chopped 20 tail-on Gulf shrimp, peeled and deveined, divided 1 cup 40 percent heavy cream, divided Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste Chives, green onion or parsley, finely chopped, for garnish
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• In a 2-quart, heavy-bottomed saucepot, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and saute until translucent. Add the smoked paprika, Old Bay seasoning and cayenne pepper. Cook until fragrant. • Add the garlic, butter and Worcestershire sauce. Stir. Reduce heat to medium-low. • Make a bouquet garni by placing the sliced lemon, bay leaves, peppercorns and thyme sprigs in a cheesecloth. Tie closed with butcher string. Place the bouquet garni into the sauce, reduce heat to low and simmer gently for 25 minutes. • Remove the sauce from heat, add the rosemary and let cool. Remove the bouquet garni and squeeze any remaining juices from the bouquet into the sauce. • In a 12-inch saute pan, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil over high heat. Working in batches of 10, sear the shrimp in the oil for 20 seconds, then flip the shrimp and add a 2- to 3-ounce ladle of the sauce to the pan. Drizzle ½ cup of heavy cream over the shrimp and reduce heat to medium. Simmer the shrimp in the sauce 1 to 2 minutes. Remove the shrimp and place on a serving dish. Continue to simmer the sauce in the saute pan until thickened, another 1½ minutes. Pour the thickened sauce over the cooked shrimp. • Repeat the above step with the remaining 10 shrimp. • Season with salt and pepper, and garnish with chives, green onion or parsley. Serve with slices of toasted ciabatta.
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scratch brewing where earth meets mash by julie cohen | photos by carmen troesser It was only natural that Marika Josephson, Aaron Kleidon and Ryan Tockstein gravitated toward each other. Among the home brewers who gathered weekly in a tiny, now-defunct bar in the southern Illinois town of Carterville, these three shared a vision: “to make a regional product people will drive for – an indigenous beer that tasted unlike anything else,” Kleidon recalled. To make that dream a reality, these founders of Scratch Brewing Co., took to the land, searching for what existed long before cities, towns and even farms: all that is wild. Scratch beers, whether you call them farmhouse, estate or simply homegrown, are unlike any other. Their path to the glass starts long before they enter the Scratch brewhouse in Ava, Ill., and each route is unique. The journey may begin where the prairie turns to woods or where the river meets the banks. Made from foraged and homegrown ingredients, Scratch beers are an expression of time and place in liquid form. Here’s what it means to be made from Scratch.
From left: Marika Josephson, Aaron Kleidon and Ryan Tockstein
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Homegrown hops and a snifter of blonde Belgian abbey ale, brewed with foraged spicebush berries, sit atop Scratch’s tasting room bar, which is fashioned from reclaimed chalkboards.
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Aaron Kleidon’s trailer is parked a quarter-mile from Scratch and 10 miles from where he grew up. He learned to forage these same woods as a kid, digging up and selling herbs as his summertime job. Nowadays, Kleidon’s a master of its hidden secrets, like knowing to search for pawpaws (a wild fruit that tastes like a cross between a mango and a banana and is only in season a couple weeks of the year) in the darkest places of the forest. By just looking at a topographical map, Kleidon can discern where certain plants will natively grow.
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Clockwise from top left: Every recipe that Josephson, Kleidon and Tockstein brew is archived in a binder; since Scratch opened in March, its founders already have made more than 80 different beers, including a rye saison brewed over a fire with wild rose root, wild ginger, spicebush and chanterelle mushrooms, and an American pale ale made with dried sassafras leaves; Shelly and Brown Goat help clear Scratch’s property of invasive species; “At first I was trying to make a pale ale taste like a pale ale should, but Marika and Aaron would add weird stuff to make a beer you can only find in this area,” Tockstein said; while all three of Scratch’s founders do a little bit of everything, Kleidon claimed that Josephson has the best palate for tasting and, consequently, recipe formation; four varieties of hops grow at Scratch: Cascade, Chinook, Nugget and Willamette.
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Scratch Brewing is located on 2 wooded acres, 4 miles outside of the southern Illinois town of Ava. When Scratch’s cash-only tasting room is open on weekends, the nano-brewery can see upward of 300 customers. Considering that Ava’s population hovers near 700, on any given weekend, the majority of the town’s residents of legal drinking age may very well taste a Scratch beer. Like most of the brewery’s ingredients, the tap handles also are foraged – crafted from driftwood found along the Mississippi River. There are always nine beers on tap, along with one house-made soda. With brews made with nettle to fennel to basil, ordering a flight is the best way to first experience Scratch beers.
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“All these things grow around here, but some have gone forgotten,” Aaron Kleidon said of the wild edibles Scratch forages for its beers.
Sun-dried tomato
Oyster mushroom
Chanterelle mushroom
Black trumpet mushroom
Hickory leaf
Hickory nutshell
Lion’s mane mushroom
Cedar branch
Garlic Wild rose root
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root cocktails to dig Beets, parsnips and carrots push the culinary cocktail to new depths By Katie O’Connor | Photos by Elizabeth Jochum
The Roots at Tree House Restaurant
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T
oddies in winter, G&Ts in summer – there has always been a seasonality to cocktailing. But these days, when farm to table is the ubiquitous philosophy for any kitchen worth its salt, seasonal sipping goes beyond juleps in May or Manhattans in December. Local and seasonal have made the jump from stove to shaker with many a menu sporting cocktails that feature fresh fruit and lighter-flavored vegetables: raspberries in early summer, watermelon and cucumbers mid-season and peaches in September.
and ginger are a natural flavor pairing,” he explained. “We played around with candied ginger, but it wasn’t right, so we moved to the Big O Ginger Liqueur, which is a really nice local product.” Cynar artichoke liqueur and lemon juice add depth and brightness, while aquavit from Midwestern microdistillery North Shore Distillery keeps
things regional and adds a well-spiced kick. Garnished with a floating basil leaf and a radish wheel, the jeweltoned drink turns heads when it’s walked to a table. Tree House Restaurant, 3177 S. Grand Blvd., St. Louis, 314.696.2100, treehousestl.com
This fall, liquid locavores are pushing the farmto-glass trend even further, with several local cocktail programs featuring drinks made with root vegetables. Such a leap shouldn’t be all that surprising: Beets, carrots and parsnips star in autumn dishes, after all, and if it tastes good on the plate, it stands to reason it’ll taste good in the glass. But it’s not just about taste. Bartenders prize these earthy ingredients for their natural sweetness, savory flavors and vibrant color, while beverage directors value them for how well they connect the kitchen and bar. “These drinks are meant to go with the food,” said Michael Murphy, beverage director for Niche and sister restaurants Brasserie, Pastaria and Taste. “They prime you for what’s coming and provide cohesiveness to the whole experience.”
The Roots Beet simple syrup, aquavit, ginger liqueur, Cynar and lemon Billy Holley, bar manager at Tree House Restaurant, was inspired to use root vegetables at the bar after reading about a beet martini in a magazine. “We already have beets on the menu, so there’s always scrap available,” he explained. “And that sustainable element ties in with the theme of the restaurant.”
Carrot margarita at Atomic Cowboy
But making the idea a reality took trial and error – “kind of mad scientist stuff,” he laughed. Holley tried infusing vodka and gin with beets but found the concoction to be “too inky,” so he took a different avenue, adding puréed beets to hot simple syrup. The mixture – thick and earthysweet – was a winner, and now it forms the basis for The Roots, the vegetarian restaurant’s culinary-forward drink. “A lot of cocktails lean toward the sweet side,” Holley said, “but the beet sugar brings a savory element for balance.” Holley rounds out the cocktail’s flavor profile with other root vegetable flavors and citrus juice. “Beets
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Carrot Margarita Carrot juice, house-infused mango-chile tequila, lemon juice, Cointreau and agave nectar At Atomic Cowboy, it was the addition of a new kitchen gadget that set the wheels in motion for the restaurant’s
Carrot Margarita (The Beetnik, a beet version, is also available.). When the The Grove hot spot added breakfast to its offerings about eight months ago, a juicer became part of the kitchen’s arsenal, and fresh vegetable juices – including carrot and beet – became a morning menu mainstay. “That juice is short-lived,” explained co-owner Jim
Kellogg, “so we wanted to figure out how to use it in other areas, and we thought the margarita would be a good fit.” It was a good hunch: The sweet-savory notes of the carrot juice turned out to be a perfect pairing for the smokiness of the tequila. From there, it took just a bit of fine-tuning, tweaking the sour and sweet elements of the classic margarita depending on the juice used. “Lemon works well with the carrot, lime with the beet,” said Kellogg, who was quick to credit former employee Constance Steinkamp with Atomic Cowboy’s addition of fresh vegetable juices. “For the sweetness, we found that Cointreau works better with the carrot, and Grand Marnier with the beet.” And both worked well with the salt-and-pepper rim already in use on the bar’s bloody mary. The drink’s nuanced flavor and vibrant color have made it a hit with patrons and, not surprisingly, a new standard on the menu. Atomic Cowboy, 4140 Manchester Ave., St. Louis, 314.775.0775, atomiccowboystl.com
Parsnip Flavor Ice Parsnip juice, rum, lime, dill and sugar
Lavender Beets Knees at Niche
Culinary cocktails may take cues from the kitchen, but they tend to originate at the bar. The chefs at Niche, however, are turning that formula around, creating vegetable-based frozen cocktails for use on the restaurant’s tasting menu, including one made from juiced parsnips, rum, dill and sugar. “It’s got a profile like a piña colada – sweet, funky, tart,” explained chefowner Gerard Craft. “Parsnips are like candy, and that made me think of Caribbean drinks, but a lot more Midwestern.” The cocktail’s clean-flavored sweetness paired with the kick of the alcohol make it an effective intermezzo; the fact that it’s served just like a mini Fla-Vor-Ice popsicle and eaten by squeezing it out of its plastic tube adds creativity and levity to the fine-dining experience. “Dining gets so serious,” Craft said. “You need to loosen people up and give them some fun.” Niche, 7734 Forsyth Blvd., Clayton, 314.773.7755, nichestlouis.com
Lavender Beets Knees Golden beet-infused gin, lavender honey and lemon juice The playfulness continues at the bar at Niche, where bartenders mix up a twist on the classic Bee’s Knees cocktail by infusing golden beets into gin. The drink was the result of a desire to make a cocktail that correlated with a dish from the kitchen that featured lavender and beets. “Red beets can be overpowering,” explained Murphy. “But golden beets, when they’re roasted, take on the seductive sweet-savory component we were looking for.” When infused into Pinckney Bend gin, a “very clean spirit” made in New Haven, Mo., that features a very light juniper flavor, the spirit takes on a golden hue and a delicate, earthy flavor that complements the floral notes of the lavender honey. Fresh lemon juice lends a balancing zing, as does the lavender salt rim on the glass. Niche, 7734 Forsyth Blvd., Clayton, 314.773.7755, nichestlouis.com November 2013
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stuff to do:
this month by Byron Kerman
Hooray for Hollywood: A Christmas Story Dinner Select dates in November and December, various Dierbergs locations 636.812.1336 dierbergs.com Scut Farkus is not invited to the A Christmas Story dinner at the Dierbergs School of Cooking. The bully from the hilarious holiday film would put the kibosh on all the fun. Dierbergs’ culinary professional Jennifer Kassel will lead revelers as they whip up a Triple Dog Dare Cocktail, “Leg of Lamp” Drummies, Aunt Clara’s Pink Fluff Salad, Red Rider BB Gun Brisket, Snowball Potato Puffs, Ducky Garlic Roasted Green Beans and Secret Decoder Ring Chocolate Cake Roll.
Filson Bourbon Academy Nov. 9 – 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Gamlin Whiskey House 314.875.9500 bourbonbanter.com Only serious bourbon aficionados need register for Filson Bourbon Academy, an eight-hour class about all things bourbon. Michael Veach, author of Kentucky Bourbon Whiskey: An American Heritage, teaches the daylong seminar. Questions to be addressed include: “Was there any one person who invented bourbon?” “Why did rye whiskey fall out of favor until recently?” and “What makes an American whiskey a bourbon?” The drink-filled lectures go down at the newly opened Gamlin
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Whiskey House, where a bar featuring more than 250 whiskeys awaits.
Companion 20th Anniversary Open House Nov. 9 – 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., Companion Factory 314.352.4770 companionstl.com It seems like just yesterday Companion made its first pretzel rolls, but no, it was ’93 when the company made its first dough (literally and figuratively). It’s celebrating its 20th anniversary with an open house that offers family entertainment, bakery tours, kids’ decorating stations, raffles, samples from other St. Louis craft producers, demonstrations, and lots of bread and pastries. The fun benefits the St. Louis Area Foodbank.
Gateway Cup Cake & Bottle Cap Dash Nov. 9 – 9 a.m. Central Field in Forest Park, bigshark.com This is madness. The Gateway Cup Cake is a 5K running race where time is deducted for every Jilly’s cupcake eaten at one of five stations positioned along the race route. Eat a standard cupcake for a five-minute time deduction or a mini cupcake for a two-minute deduction. How many cupcakes will the winner eat? (And can he keep them all, ya know, digested?) A separate race, the 5K Bottle Cap Dash is an obstacle course that rewards those who successfully November 2013
conquer six of nine obstacles with bottle caps, redeemable at race’s end for craft beers, hard cider or soda from Fitz’s and Crown Valley. All the fun benefits Lift for Life Academy.
Eckert’s Holiday Open House Nov. 14 – 5 to 9 p.m., Eckert’s Belleville Farm 618.233.0513 eckerts.com If you haven’t been to Eckert’s since it remodeled and opened its huge Country Store, the annual Holiday Open House is a great time to check it out. Customers enjoy food samples, wine tastings, interactive cookiedecorating, a gift-basket raffle and more. Simultaneous cooking demonstrations keep visitors entertained through the four-hour event. Shop for wine, pies, preserves, fudge, produce and more for good little boys and girls.
Hearty Winter Soups Class Nov. 14 and 18 – 6:30 p.m., Missouri Botanical Garden, 314.577.5100 mobot.org Where are your cockles? No one knows, but they get nice and warm when you eat hot soup in the wintertime. English chef Jane Muscroft demonstrates how to make beef and barley, spicy butternut squash and minestrone soups at the Missouri Botanical Garden teaching kitchen. This sovereign of soup serves warm, homemade bread with your bowl, and you will leave more knowledgeable and nap-ready. November 2013
sponsored events
Whiskeys Are Wild Nov. 14 – 7 to 10 p.m., Sanctuaria Wild Tapas whiskeysarewild.eventbrite.com Sanctuaria and Sauce Magazine team up for Whiskeys are Wild to celebrate Sanctuaria having been named among the top 55 bourbon bars in the country by The Bourbon Review. Guests can taste more than a dozen premium whiskeys, each paired with an hors d’oeuvre (bourbon vegetable wonton or bourbon vanilla fried chicken, anyone?) by executive chef Wil Pelly, plus sample whiskey punch bowls. In addition, local bourbon expert and founder of bourbonbanter.com, Patrick Garrett, will provide entertaining whiskey education. Tickets available online.
Whiskey in the Winter Nov. 23 – 6 to 9:30 p.m., Hyatt Regency St. Louis at The Arch, whiskeyinthewinter.com Whiskey in the Winter will feature more than 200 whiskeys from around the world, along with whiskey cocktails, whiskey-inspired food stations and educational seminars from whiskey industry experts. The event will include unlimited tastings of a variety of whiskeys, such as single malt and blended scotch, bourbon, Irish, Tennessee, Missouri, Canadian and Japanese whiskeys. Tickets available online. saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 49
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A Chat with Bonnie and Joe Devoti Bonnie and Joe Devoti win Best Parents Award. After raising two sons and working nearly 30 years – she at Southwestern Bell, he at Blue Cross – they came out of retirement to help their son, chef Anthony Devoti, turn his farm-totable concept into a reality. Seven years later, Devoti’s mom and dad are still at Five Bistro, still smiling.
How did you get involved with Five? B: We visited Anthony in San Francisco where they were doing farm-to-table things. He said, “I want to come home and do this.” When he came home, we did a little bit of catering out of our home. It got to be really big, and we said, “We need to get this out of the house.” Did you plan on helping out for so long? J: We said, “We’ll give you a little help for about a year.”
Photo by ashley gieseking
You even moved closer to Five. J: We were living in Chesterfield when he opened this place. We’d drive down and be there until 8 or 9 at night. We said, “This is insane.” So we moved to The Hill. B: We saw that little man flying in front of Hampton Inn saying, “If you lived here, you’d be home.” We’d
say, “Oh, my gosh, we would! And we gotta ride all the way to Chesterfield!” What are your roles now? B: Joe and I clean the place. J: We call it “volunteer work.” B: If you go into a restaurant and the restroom is clean, it has a lot to say about what’s happening there. But our biggest role is meeting and knowing our customers. J: We make rounds to the tables. Has technology been a learning curve? B: Now we have Open Table [reservation system]. J: But we were doing things manually. We’d be forwarding the restaurant’s phone to our cell phones. B: So you’re walking through Dierbergs, and your phone rings and you have the reservation book in the purse. We didn’t want to miss a reservation.
B: We would plan the meals, and one of the boys would start it so that when we got home at 6:30 or 7 p.m., we could sit down and eat. I’m really very proud that every night we ate dinner together. Who’s cooking Thanksgiving dinner? B: Anthony always makes the meat entree. I bring my mom’s dressing. It’s so good. Who’s the cook at home? J: We cook together – and we’re still married. After being married almost 45 years, do you do everything together? B: He just showed me this article
in The Wall Street Journal. It said retirees should not spend so much time together. It hurt my feelings. How much longer will you lend a hand at Five? B: I don’t know if I’d ever want to pull away from here totally. J: We’re not ancient, but it’s nice being around young people. What’s the hardest thing about working with family? J: To say, “This is your business partner, not your son.” B: I’m Miss Sensitivity. These kids out here are my extended family. So if he [Anthony] gets gruff with them, it’s like “Don’t holler at your little sister.” What’s the best thing about working with family? B: We are so proud of him, I could just cry. The best thing for me: seeing your child be a success. – Ligaya Figueras
Have the composed dishes at Five inspired you to cook fancy meals at home? B: Oh, yeah. We’ll take a picture and send it to him [Anthony] and say, “Do you need any help over there?” What were dinners like when your kids were growing up? J: We were comfort food kind of people: meatloaf, stew, roasts, steaks, lots of chicken.
Five Bistro, 5100 Daggett Ave., St. Louis, 314.773.5553, fivebistro.com
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guide to the holidays h o l i d a y g i f t s s t a r t h e r e p . 5 · t h e u l t i m a t e c o o k i e p a r t y p . 16 st. louis’ independent culinary authority
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2. Vintage Waterford coupes
the boozehound What is it about the gifting season that turns so many of us into the John McEnroe of givers? Is it the wrapping, the searching, the parking? The dread of buying for that uncle who would rather play old mariner drinking games than eat green bean casserole with the rest of the family? Whatever the challenges you face, here’s how you can raise the bar – literally – on gifting your favorite boozehound. – Maggie Pearson
Cocktails Are Go! Did serving that signature gimlet turn into being stuck in the kitchen squeezing limes all night? Same here. Mad Men-inspired cocktail parties aren’t as effortless as they look. Matt and Beth Sorrell, the husband and wife team behind Cocktails Are Go!, are here to save you from yourself. Be it personal bartending for an event or serving up their libation education programs, this duo creates a perfectly balanced party, so you’re left in good spirits while they pour them. Basic fee of $300 for four hours of service. 314.406.2777, cocktails-are-go.com
Vintage Waterford coupes If your nana was anything like mine, holiday gatherings were her excuse to drink a carafe of dirty martinis and reminisce about Prohibition, F.D.R. and department store fashion. But even without the help of a nana, these days, any serious imbiber knows vintage glassware is the rage. Jon Paul has some of St. Louis’ best collections of hand-cut Waterford crystal coupes – made in Ireland before machines did the cutting. It’s true, Nana, they don’t make ’em like they used to. And that’s precisely what makes them so cool. Sets starting at $250, prices negotiable. Jon Paul Designs and Collectibles, 7014 Clayton Road, Clayton, 314.645.2722
Silicone Ice Sphere Molds Only a handful of life’s disappointments are as heartbreaking as getting to the last sips of a glass of Glenfiddich 18-year rocks, just to find water instead of scotch. Enter the ice ball. The shape of this marvel of modern ingenuity slows the melt, so your last sip is as tasty as the first. $13 (set of two). WilliamsSonoma, 260 Plaza Frontenac, Frontenac, 314.567.9211 and 227 Chesterfield Mall, Chesterfield, 636.536.4370, williams-sonoma.com
4. Four Roses Single Barrel Bourbon
Four Roses Single Barrel bourbon Can’t find a bottle of Four Roses Limited Edition 125th Anniversary bourbon anywhere in town? Neither can we. Luckily, there are so many great bourbons to market these days. So before you start in on that Pinterest experiment of brewing your own small batch in your bathtub, try a solid (and safer) alternative. With hints of plum, cherry, maple syrup and cocoa, Four Roses Single Barrel bourbon is a great choice for any ‘Master of Malt’ on your list. $32. The Wine and Cheese Place, various locations, wineandcheeseplace.com
Spotted Cocktail Napkins There are just so many reasons to celebrate. Friends became new parents? Pop that bubbly. Kids are back in school? Unleash the keg. It’s Tuesday? Manhattans all around. Whatever the reason, serve your drinks with these adorable, cotton cocktail napkins that are equal parts whimsical and cool. $24 (set of four). Furbish Studio, 919.521.4981, furbishstudio.com 1. Cocktails Are Go!
cocktail photo by jonathan gayman
3. Silicone ice sphere molds
5. Spotted cocktail napkins
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2. Folk mugs
1. Handwoven towels
Starter Kitchen
th e
From pans and knives to stick blenders and spice grinders, the kitchen can be an overwhelming place for those just beginning their culinary journey. And while the tools to make meals are certainly paramount, a kitchen is also a place where function and style cozy up like cream and sugar, allowing inhabitants to express themselves through more than the power of a hot pan. Here, our picks for the budding chef in your life. – Beth Styles 4. Grinder
Craft Beer Soap and Handwoven Towels For mad-and-messy chefs who tend to paint the counter with their culinary creations, nab these locally made takes on kitchen cleanliness. With Good Clean Soap’s craft beer line, find perfect pairings like black raspberries and Abita Purple Haze or clove and cinnamon with Anchor Porter. Coupled with the strength of Metro Weaving’s stylish handmade towels, this sudsy combination is sure to keep messy cooks both undeterred and smelling good. Craft Beer Soap: $6.25. goodcleansoap.com; Handwoven towel: $25. etsy.com/ shop/metroweaving
Folk Mugs No kitchen is complete without a set of mugs. Whether for morning coffee, evening tea or a cup of hot cocoa for the little one, artistic animal-lovers will appreciate grasping a whimsically designed red zebra, orange cat or turquoise deer mug as they start or end their day. The handmade pottery is sold in 10- and 16-ounce sizes and is available in custom colors. $40 to $46. etsy.com/ shop/theclaybungalow
2014 Polaroid Calendar For the vintage-loving soul, local photographer Courtney Patch has created a functional feast for the eyes. Her collection of iconic instants features images like freshly picked fall fruit, a lovingly latticed pie and even a picnic in the park. This deliciously cute calendar is great for the cook who loves to be artfully organized. $25. etsy.com/shop/ makingpies
3. 2014 Polaroid Calendar
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Salt and Pepper Grinders One of the first lessons learned in the culinary arena is that seasoning is the soul of a dish. Help your newbie home cook create a knockout meal with these local, hand-carved red maple grinders by Keim Artworks. Each grinder is built with the mechanism to grind either salt or pepper, and once the meal is over, it doubles as tabletop art. $75 each. etsy.com/shop/ keimartworks
Gourmet Cooking Class For those who learn best outside the pages of a book, a day of foodie fun at the Alpenhorn Gasthaus in Hermann is sure to incite and inspire. On weekdays, chefs Kate and Adrian offer hands-on cooking classes featuring seasonal produce. Once you learn to cook your gourmet four-course meal, enjoy it with paired wines. Afterward, consider booking some spa time to ease those well-worked culinary muscles. $95 per person. Advance registration required. Alpenhorn Gasthaus, 179 E. Highway 100, Hermann, 573.486.8228, alpenhorngasthaus.com
5. Gourmet cooking class
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4. The Big Green Egg
1. Cigar locker membership
the grill
master
Does the smell of freshly lit charcoal send your special someone sprinting for a steak and the closest open flame? You have a grill master on your hands. Initially, those with singular hobbies seem easiest to shop for, but after the kettle, the fancy tongs and the stack of how-to-grill-everything cookbooks, what’s left to give the hardcore grillers in your life? Here, five gifts guaranteed to light their fire. – Catherine Klene
Cigar Locker Membership For some, the scent of sweet tobacco mingling with the slow burn of charcoal invokes a state of Zen. With a yearly locker membership at Grand Cru, your grill masters can store their favorite cigars (and why not a bottle of scotch, too?) in a humidity- and temperaturecontrolled locker in the shop. Members can then enjoy their cigars in the shop’s lounge, or use their membership to receive 20 percent off boxes of cigars to savor at home. $200. Grand Cru, 1013 Ann St., St. Louis, 314.882.8668, facebook.com/ grancrucigars.soulard
Himalayan Salt Plate Sure, he has the grill basket for the vegetables, the cedar plank for the salmon and the fancy skewers to keep kebabs secure, but sometimes the best present is the one he never knew he needed. Place this pink Himalayan salt plate directly on the grate, then add shrimp, vegetables or other delicate grill-ables. Its rosy surface holds heat evenly to impart subtle flavor. Bonus: This lovely lady can also be chilled and used to serve hors d'oeuvres and sushi. $35. Sur La Table, 295 Plaza Frontenac, Frontenac, 314.993.0566, surlatable.com
3. Meat packages
Meat Packages Grilling is a communal experience. Make sure your griller has enough to feed a crowd (or an army) with meat packages from Kenrick’s. Whether you’re stocking up on burgers, brats and dogs; a combination of pork, poultry and seafood; or an entire side of beef, make some serious space in the deep freeze – placing this gift under the tree is not advisable. $30 and up. Kenrick’s Meats & Catering, 4324 Weber Road, St. Louis, 314.631.2440, kenricks.com
The Big Green Egg Your grill master probably already owns one or two trusty Weber kettles. But for the true luxury grill, go for the gold – er, green – standard. The Big Green Egg’s ceramic walls retain heat better than a standard kettle, which means less charcoal needed, more even cooking temperatures, and truly succulent results. $1,038 for large egg with nest. St. Louis Home Fires, 15053 Manchester Road, Ballwin, 636.256.6564, stlouishomefires.com
Wood Burners Gloves Grilling is a dirty job. Keep her hands clean – and safe – with heavy-duty, heat-resistant gloves. She can dig into the charcoal bin and fill the chimney without destroying her “Kiss the Cook” apron, then rearrange the hot coals with her hands to create the perfect balance of heat. $19 to $50. Hearthside Grill & Fireplace, 418 S. Belt East, Belleville, 618.257.0700, hearthsidegrill.com
5. Wood burners gloves
2. Himalayan salt plate
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5. Mixture single barrel bourbonscented candles
The Obligatory Gift Gift giving is an art – like making balloon animals or soufflés. One misstep, and everyone’s deflated. It’s even trickier when you’re shopping for your bestie, boss, barista and anyone else you want to impress. This list will help you find the perfect gift for people who know it’s the thought that counts – but still count on receiving something fabulous. – Kellie Hynes 4. Interactive culinary challenges
Stamped Garden Markers We can’t think of anyone who wouldn’t love these vintage spoons, which are hand stamped with the names of herbs. So cute stuck in pots on a windowsill. So practical poking out of a big garden. So inexpensive, you can buy some for yourself, too. $7 to $9 each. The Foundrie, 265 Chesterfield Mall, Chesterfield, 636.730.4130, thefoundrie.com
Smith Woodhouse Lodge Reserve n/v ruby port with Botskis bottle tie This festive port is more sophisticated than a supermarket shiraz, but it won’t redline your budget. Willing to spend a little more? Skip the plain-Jane bow and add this cheeky bow tie. It plays Mozart! Port: $25. Robust Downtown at the MX, 635 Washington Ave., St. Louis, 314.287.6300, robustwinebar. com; Tie: $10. Collective MX, 626 Washington Ave., St. Louis, 314.241.5420, collectivemx.com
Hot Girls Pearls bracelet This might be the greatest invention ever. These baubles are filled with a nontoxic, freezable gel. They’ll help any lady in your life keep cool during a party – no more wine flushes, hot flashes or “glistening.” They’re also great for Muny nights, golf days and any other sticky situation. $36.50. Sign of the Arrow, 9740 Clayton Road, Ladue, 314.994-0606, signofthearrow.com
Interactive Culinary Challenges Need to entertain a group but can’t handle the thought of another white elephant-style gift party? Instead, channel their inner Gordon Ramsays in your very own cooking competition. Chef Kirk supplies the raw ingredients – you bring the heat. (That guy in accounting is going down.) In the end, everyone wins and everyone eats – some better than others. Prices vary. Kirk’s Traveling Kitchen, 636.448.8721, travelingkitchen.com
Mixture Single Barrel Bourbon-Scented Candle You could give your hostess a candle or a bottle of booze. But if you want to be invited back, combine the two with this fantastic bourbon-scented candle. It lasts for hours and smells like a hot toddy. Pair it with a real hot toddy, and your hostess might never leave her house. $7.50 to $22.50. Sign of the Arrow, 9740 Clayton Road, Ladue, 314.994.0606, signofthearrow.com
1. Stamped garden markers
2. Botskis bottle tie
2. Smith Woodhouse Lodge Reserve N/V ruby port
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3. Hot Girls pearls bracelet
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5. Sustainable Backyard Tour
3. Molecular Mixology Cocktail Kit
THE FOOD SNOB Ok, OK, food snob may be too strong a term; one person’s snobbery is another’s penchant for extremely particular tastes. The line, of course, is the extent to which that penchant oozes into smug superiority. But that’s not for us to judge; snobbery is in the eye of the beholder, after all. No matter which side of the line your special foodie is on, here are five gifts that are sure to make any food snob – real or perceived – smile, sans smugness. – Michael Renner
Seven-Volume Set on elBulli Speaking of molecular gastronomy, Ferran Adrià – the mad scientist-chef who brought us culinary foam and fun with liquid nitrogen – is publishing a new “book.” His restaurant elBulli, located in Spanish Catalonia and considered the most innovative restaurant in the world before its 2011 closing, served as his inspiration. The seven-volume collection titled elBulli 20052011 (to be released in March 2014) is a cross between cookbook, encyclopedia, memoir and history text. It’s also 2,720 pages, including every recipe (750) from the final – and most creative – years of the restaurant. $625. Pre-order from Phaidon, phaidon.com/ elbulli-2005-2011/
Hario V60 Buono Power Kettle Wake up to Folgers in the cup© brewed in a Mr. Coffee? No way, mister! Coffee geeks know that nothing makes a better cup than the pour-over method. Aside from a liquid food snob’s pile of pour-over particulars, the key factor in brewing a great cuppa is the amount of time hot water stays in contact with the grounds. Why not control the flow of your pour in style with the long, narrow, curvy spout of a beautifully designed kettle? There’s a stovetop version, but this electric boiler heats water to the exact temperature then shuts off. Perfection. $85. Crate & Barrel, 1 The Boulevard, Richmond Heights, 314.725.6380, crateandbarrel.com
Molecular Mixology Cocktail Kit Beads that look like caviar but burst with fruity tartness. Flavorfilled clouds of foam. Your food snob’s seen chemistry in action at fancy restaurants, but now he can make cocktails at home – Breaking Bad style – with this molecular mixology kit. Supply the liquor and ingredients; the kit contains everything else needed to impress guests with 21st century twists on three classic cocktails. Hey Heisenberg, make me a drink. $85. Uncommon Goods, 888.365.0056, uncommongoods.com
Coravin Wine System Whether it’s a bottle of wine and thou, or a jug of wine and just you, what do you do when you want only a glass or two? The second you pour that first glass, flavorrobbing oxygen enters the bottle, and you’re left with less than four days before your wine tastes like raisins. The Coravin inserts a thin, hollow needle through the foil and cork, while simultaneously injecting argon gas into the bottle, allowing you to pour a glass without uncorking the bottle … ever. That bottle of Silver Oak Alexander Valley 2008 cabernet sauvignon you’ve been holding off opening? Pour a glass; it’ll last for months. $300. The Wine and Cheese Place, all locations, wineandcheeseplace.com
Sustainable Backyard Tour You can learn a lot by traipsing through someone’s backyard, especially when it’s part of the Sustainable Backyard Tour. The first tour in 2010 featured a mere six yards. Last year, there were more than 50 stops. The yearly tour features backyards throughout the city and county that have been transformed into energy intensive lawns, showcasing sustainable practices, like organic vegetable gardening, beekeeping, recycling rain water, planting native plants and trees and even raising fish, chickens and goats. It’s all about food security for these folks. Free. Sustainable Backyard Tour, sustainablebackyardtour.com
4. Coravin wine system
1. Seven-volume set on elBulli 2. Hario V60 Buono power kettle
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A Cookie Carol holiday baking hits a high note
FROM LEFT: Sarah Guest, pastry artist at Piccione Pastry; Melanie Meyer; Wil Fernandez-Cruz, executive chef at Winslow’s Home; and Lisa Fernandez-Cruz munch on ginger molasses cookies, recipe on p. 21.
Nothing screams the holidays more than a kitchen filled with the sweet smell of cookies. This year, to get in the mood for the season (and complete all your baking at once), call your friends, enlist the little ones, pump up the music, shake a cocktail, and have yourself a merry little cookie party. With the help of family and friends, Lisa Fernandez-Cruz, corporate executive pastry chef for Gamlin restaurant group, shows us how to do just that. Roll up your sleeves; it’s time to get baking. — Julie Cohen recipes and tips by lisa fernandez-cruz | photos by carmen troesser
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Guide to the Holidays 2013
Ricc iar e lli Ricciarelli is a traditional Italian Christmas cookie originating from the city of Siena. Make a full sheet tray at the beginning of the holiday party season so you can pull them as needed to always serve guests fresh, delicious cookies.
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Guide to the Holidays 2013
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T o m at o , pa r m e sa n and pine nut r u g e l ac h
Try filling this rugelach with our recipe for cranberry-fig chutney on p. 14 of the main issue.
p. 21
To make a savory version of this traditionally sweet Jewish pastry, I used some heirloom tomatoes from MoonDance Farm to make my tomato jam, but any canned chutney, spicy salsa or jam will work, too.
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Guide to the Holidays 2013
Wil and Lisa Fernandez-Cruz bake with their children George and Wil.
Kitchen Supplies Iron & Resin denim apron (pictured on p. 16) $90. East + West, 205 N. Kirkwood Road, St. Louis, 314.835.1419, eastandweststl.com Guide to the Holidays 2013
King Arthur unbleached allpurpose flour Available at all major grocery stores
French rolling pin $10. Crate & Barrel, 1 The Boulevard, Richmond Heights, 314.725.6380, crateandbarrel.com
Nielson-Massey vanilla $9 per 4-oz. bottle. Straub’s, all locations, straubs.com
Ben Roberts’ eggs $5 per dozen. Local Harvest Grocery, 3108 Morgan Ford Road, St. Louis, 314.886.5260, localharvestgrocery.com
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c ho c olat e
sandwiches
This is a wonderful cookie to have your little helpers join in on. p. 21
Shake and Bake Playlist / Everybody Eats When They Come to My House / Cab Calloway Hustlin’ / Rick Ross
12 sweet beats for better baking
Mellow Yellow / Donovan
Mastermind / Grace Potter & The Nocturnals
Heartbreaker / Mariah Carey
Baby, It’s Cold Outside / Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Jordan
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Send Me / Sam Cooke Makin’ Whoopee / Dr. John featuring Rickie Lee Jones
When You’re Smiling / Louis Prima
Spice Up Your Life / Spice Girls
Sugar, Sugar / The Archies
Gingerbread Boy / Miles Davis Guide to the Holidays 2013
RECIPES Ginger Molasses Cookies 65 cookies 12 Tbsp. (1½ sticks) butter, room temperature 3 cups sugar, plus extra for tossing ½ cup molasses ¾ cup grapeseed or canola oil 2 eggs, room temperature 4½ cups unbleached all-purpose flour 2 tsp. baking soda 1½ Tbsp. powdered ginger 1 tsp. cinnamon 1 tsp. ground cloves ½ tsp. salt • In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until very light and fluffy, about 7 minutes. • Add the molasses and mix to combine. Then add the oil in a steady stream. • With the mixer on, add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition. • In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. Add them to the wet mixture in 3 separate additions, using a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl after each addition. • Separate the dough in half and roll into 2 balls. Wrap each ball in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 1 hour. • Preheat oven to 325 degrees and line cookie sheets with parchment paper. • Remove the dough from the refrigerator and roll into 2-inch balls. Flatten each ball slightly with the palm of your hand. • Toss each ball in sugar before placing on the cookie sheet. • Bake the cookies for 10 to 12 minutes, or until browned and puffed.* • Let cool. Store in an airtight container up to 1 week.** * For crunchier, gingersnap-like cookies, bake an extra 3 minutes. ** Uncooked dough will keep in the refrigerator up to 1 week. It also can be sectioned and frozen, so you can pull it out as needed. Guide to the Holidays 2013
Chocolate Sandwich Cookies 15 cookie sandwiches Cookie 9 Tbsp. (1 stick, plus 1 Tbsp.) butter, room temperature 3 cups sugar 2 eggs, room temperature 1¼ cups all-purpose flour ¾ cup cocoa powder 1 tsp. baking soda ¼ tsp. baking powder ¼ tsp. salt Filling 16 Tbsp. (2 sticks) butter, room temperature 3 cups powdered sugar 4 tsp. vanilla • In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 7 minutes. • With the mixer on, add the eggs 1 at a time, scraping the bowl after each addition. • In a separate bowl, sift together the dry ingredients. • Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture in 3 separate additions, using a spatula to scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl after each addition. • Roll the dough into a large ball and wrap in plastic wrap. Refrigerate at least 1 hour.* • Meanwhile, make the filling. In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and powdered sugar. Add the vanilla. • Fill a piping bag with the filling and leave at room temperature until ready to pipe the cookies. • When the dough is firm, remove from the refrigerator and generously flour a workspace. • Preheat oven to 325 degrees. • Roll the dough to ½-inch thickness. • Use a 3-inch, round cookie cutter to cut the dough. The dough can be re-rolled a second or third time. • Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and bake the rounds for 10 minutes. ** • Once cooled, snip 1-inch off the end of the
piping bag and pipe each cookie with filling. Sandwich with another cookie. * The dough may be refrigerated up to 1 week. If refrigerating the dough for more than 1 hour, give it a little time to rest at room temperature before rolling. **For a finished look, cut the cookies again with the cookie-cutter about 1 minute after removing them from the oven. Save the scraps to use as a garnish on cupcakes, or, once you have enough, as crust for a cheesecake.
Ricciarelli 70 cookies 8 egg whites ¼ tsp. salt 8 cups powdered sugar, sifted, plus more for tossing 8 cups almond flour ¾ tsp. baking powder ½ cup all-purpose flour 6 Tbsp. orange zest 1 tsp. almond extract • In the bowl of a stand mixer with the whisk attachment, whisk the egg whites on medium-low until frothy. • Add the salt and turn the mixer to mediumhigh, whipping the egg whites until stiff peaks form. • In a separate bowl, sift together the powdered sugar, almond flour, baking powder and all-purpose flour. • Using a spatula, fold the dry ingredients, zest and almond extract in three additions into the bowl with the egg whites. • Line cookie sheets with parchment paper and spray generously with nonstick spray. • Using your hands, press the dough evenly into each pan. • Wrap the pans with plastic wrap and freeze for at least 4 hours prior to baking.* • When ready to bake, preheat oven to 325 degrees. • Remove the dough from the freezer and cut into 1-inch strips. Cut each strip on a bias into 2-inch pieces so that cookies look like
diamonds. • Toss each cookie in powdered sugar and place on another cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. • Bake the cookies 7 to 8 minutes, until puffed and lightly browned around the edges. * Dough may be frozen up to 1 month.
Tomato, Parmesan and Pine Nut Rugelach 24 rugelach 12 Tbsp. (1½ sticks) butter, room temperature 12 Tbsp. cream cheese, room temperature 3 Tbsp. sugar Pinch salt 1½ cups all-purpose flour 2 cups tomato jam (Recipe follows.) ¾ cup Parmesan cheese, coarsely grated ½ cup toasted pine nuts Egg wash (1 egg whisked with 1 Tbsp. water) • In the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment, cream the butter and cream cheese on medium-low until light and creamy. • On low, add the sugar and salt, and then the flour, until just combined. • Form the dough into two squares. Wrap each square in plastic wrap and refrigerate until chilled. • Meanwhile, make the tomato jam. (Recipe follows.) • Remove the dough from the refrigerator and let sit at room temperature for 10 minutes. • Preheat oven to 375 degrees. • Flour a workspace and roll each square of dough into a 12- by 7-inch rectangle. • Spread 1 cup tomato jam onto each rectangle of dough. Atop each rectangle, sprinkle half the Parmesan and half the pine nuts. • With your hands, roll the dough lengthwise into a log and wrap with plastic wrap. • Refrigerate 15 minutes. Brush the top of each log with the egg wash. saucemagazine.com I SAUCE MAGAZINE I 21
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• Cut each log into 12 1-inch rounds and place on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Ensure the rolls are standing on their sides, not lying flat. • Bake 18 to 20 minutes, or until the rugelach is browned and bubbly.
Tomato Jam 4 lbs. ripe tomatoes, quartered 1¼ cups sugar 1 Tbsp. salt ¼ tsp. freshly ground black pepper 1 tsp. fennel seed 1 tsp. coriander seed • Place the tomatoes in a heavy-bottomed saucepot and cook over medium-low heat until the juices are released. • Add the sugar and salt, stirring occassionally until the mixture is the consistency of jam and has cooked down to about 2 cups. • Add the black pepper, fennel and coriander, stirring to combine. Remove from heat.
Chocolate CashewBacon Brittle Brownies 30 brownies Cashew-bacon brittle 1¹∕³ cups sugar ¼ cup light corn syrup 2½ Tbsp. butter ¼ tsp., plus 1∕8 tsp. baking soda ¼ tsp. salt 1½ cups cashews 1½ cups cooked bacon, finely crumbled Brownies 28 Tbsp. (3½ sticks) butter, plus more for greasing 6 oz. quality dark chocolate, chopped 1 cup, plus 2 Tbsp. cocoa powder 2 cups sugar 6 eggs 4 tsp. vanilla 12 Tbsp. (6 oz.) cream cheese 1 cup all-purpose flour
spatula, spread the caramel onto the prepared cookie sheet. • Let cool completely, about 30 minutes.* • Meanwhile, preheat oven to 325 degrees. • Spray a cookie sheet with nonstick cooking spray, then line with parchment paper. • Using a double boiler, melt the butter and chocolate together. • Place the melted butter and chocolate mixture into the bowl of a stand mixer. With the whisk attachment and on the lowest setting, whisk the cocoa into the mixture. • With the mixer on medium, add the sugar to the bowl in a steady stream. • Add the eggs 1 at a time, followed by the vanilla. • Add the cream cheese, 1 tablespoon at a time, until blended smooth. • Remove the bowl from the mixer. Using a spatula, fold in the flour until completely combined. • Spread the batter onto the cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes, or until the top of the brownies is slightly set. • Remove from the oven and sprinkle with the brittle. • Place the brownies back in the oven and bake another 5 to 7 minutes, until the brittle is slightly melted into the brownie. • Let cool before serving.
Chocolate Cashew-Bacon Brittle Brownies
* At this point, the brittle can be broken into large chunks and stored between layers of parchment paper in an airtight container. If using immediately, cool, then break or chop into small pieces before making the brownie base.
Cafe Daquiri In lieu of the more obvious and cloying dessert drinks, this cocktail pairs perfectly with sweets because of c itrus and tropical aromas from the rum, bitter notes from the coffee and amaro, and hints of baking spice provided by the Sirop de Canne. Courtesy of Planter’s House’s Matt Obermark 1 serving
• Generously butter a parchment paper-lined cookie sheet. • For the brittle, combine the sugar, corn syrup, butter and 1 cup water in a heavybottomed pot. Cook over medium heat until the mixture becomes amber in color, then whisk in the baking soda and salt. Use caution, as the caramel will bubble. • Whisk in the cashews and bacon. • Using a spoon coated in butter or a nonstick Guide to the Holidays 2013
2 oz. aged rum (El Dorado 5-year) 1 oz. local coffee (cold press)* ½ oz. Averna amaro ½ oz. fresh lime juice ¼ oz. Clément Sirop de Canne • Build ingredients in a cocktail shaker and hard shake. Double strain the shaker into a chilled cocktail glass.
Wil Fernandez-Cruz
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