Last Night at Chez Bart: Scallops Provençal, with Beer-battered Asparagus and Garlic Aioli

Scallops Provençal. I actually have had my eye on this Barefoot Contessa recipe for a while - ever since I started to grow tired of Italian cooking. I am not well versed in French cooking - heck, I have considered investing in Julia Child's Art of French Cooking to expand my repertoire for a while now - so when I saw this simple, yet elegant dish, I knew I had to make it. 


But what to make it with? Most of the commenters at Food Network recommend rice with this, and I agree that would be tasty. For some reason, I felt the need to up the ante and do something more elaborate. In the end, I came across this Guy Fieri recipe for Beer-battered Asparagus with Garlic Aioli, precisely because I love asparagus, and have always wanted to make garlic aioli. 


The two dishes don't seem like a logical pair, and quite frankly I probably would not make them together again. Still, it's a Sunday evening and I am in the mood for a little culinary adventure before the grind of the work weeks begins!


Store Notes: The pound of scallops required can really set one back, especially if you are like me, and opt for the huge sea scallops. The ones I purchased from Holiday Market were roughly $20. Totally worth it. Also, you will need a good dry white cooking wine. I recommend the Santa Rita 120 Sauvignon Blanc. It has a nice crisp, dry, fruity profile that at $7.99/bottle, is perfect for cooking. Otherwise, for the scallops, make sure you have plenty of unsalted butter. This is French cooking, after all!


For the asparagus, one item that you probably will not have in your kitchen already is the 2 cups of buttermilk used to soak the asparagus. I ended up just buying the smallest carton available, which was just enough to cover a bunch of asparagus. For the beer in the beer batter, Guy recommends a full bodied beer like an IPA. I used New Holland Brewing Co.'s Mad Hatter, but the more commonly found Sierra Nevada Pale Ale would also work as well. And finally, in order to fry the asparagus, you need oil. Lots of oil. Don't be like me, and buy the smaller bottle thinking this might be the only time you fry something this year. Since this recipe calls for 4 cups of oil, get the bigger bottle. Trust me.


In the kitchen gadget department, there are a couple of things that will be nice when making these dishes. A microplane will allow you to zest a lemon with zero effort, and a food processor will make processing the aioli a breeze! A hand mixer is also necessary in order to beat the egg whites for the beer-batter. Finally, a good thermometer will ensure that the oil is precisely at 350 degrees Fahrenheit. If the oil is too cool, the batter will fall away from the asparagus and you will not get a good fry. If the oil is too hot, then you will overcook the asparagus - possibly even burn it it!


Prep Notes: 12-24 hours before cooking, soak the asparagus in the buttermilk. Then 1 hour before cooking, prepare the aioli in the food processor. Essentially just dump all the listed ingredients into the food processor, process, and place in the fridge to chill.


To prep the scallops, follow Ina's directions vis-a-vis sea vs bay scallops. Next, season liberally with salt and pepper. Then, pour some all-purpose flour onto a clean plate, and dredge the scallops until they are nicely coated. Finally, dice up the shallots, and mince the garlic and flat-leaf parsley. Of course for the shallots, I rocked out my VeggieChop. I love this thing!


To prep the asparagus, first remove the asparagus from the buttermilk onto a clean tray - do not rinse! Next, separate two eggs (between the white and yoke) and place in separate large bowls. In the bowl with the yokes, add in the rest of the batter ingredients (cornmeal, all-purpose flower, beer, etc.) and mix thoroughly. In the bowl with the egg whites, use a hand mixer to beat the whites until stiff peaks form. Then, pour the whites into the batter, and fold with a spatula. Finally, pour the 4 cups of peanut oil into a deep frying pan, and pre-heat to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.


Cook Notes: Given that we are going to be running two pans - a sauté and a deep fry - cooking will be a constant back and forth between the asparagus and the scallops. The key will obviously be not to overcook both. If you find this daunting, cook the scallops first, then tackle the asparagus. The reason being, fried foods always taste better straight from the fryer, while the scallops can easily be placed on a serving tray and covered in foil to keep warm. That being said, I will try to provide a narrative in which one could do both at the same time.

Frying the first batch of asparagus

First, melt half the butter in your sauté pan over medium-high heat. While the pan is heating up, and the butter is slowly starting to melt, dredge the first few spears of asparagus, and place into the oil. The asparagus should take 3 minutes to cook, and you should flip them half way, so keep that in mind while you tend to your scallops.

Scallops just added; 1lb is a lot!

Once the butter is melted, place the scallops in the butter, and drop the heat to medium. Now you should be taking the first batch of asparagus out (place on a paper covered tray and season with sea salt), dredge the next batch of asparagus, and again place in the oil. By this time (approx. 3-4 minutes elapsed), the scallops should be nicely brown on one side, so flip. 


Flip the asparagus in the pan, then add the other half of butter. While that is melting, remove the asparagus from the oil, season with salt, dredge the next batch, and place again in the oil. Next, add the shallots, garlic and parsley to the scallops and sauté for 2 minutes. While that is sautéing, flip the asparagus once, then a minute or so later again remove from the oil. Finally, add the wine and make sure you deglaze the pan.

Scallops are just about done. Notice how the wine has
interacted with the flour dredging and butter to produce
a nice sauce.

If you have more asparagus, continue to add the final spears while you plate the scallops.


Bon appetit!

Tasting Notes: First the scallops: they are really quite extraordinary. You have buttery notes complimenting the naturally sweet taste of the scallops, accentuated by the rich flavors of shallot and garlic. Amazingly, the dry fruit of the wine keeps the richness of the butter and scallops in check, while the parsley provides savory notes. Outstanding!

Turning to the asparagus, you have a dichotomy between the hot fried goodness of the asparagus, and the cool garlic bonanza that is the aioli. The beer and cayenne pepper provide nice body to the breading, while the cornmeal gives it a nice crunch. Because asparagus has such a pronounced flavor, you don't lose it at all; instead the breading and sea salt compliments it nicely. The cool aioli then provides a nice foil to both the beer-batter and the asparagus. The net result is many different flavors, and an incredibly happy palette.

Libation Notes:  For this dish, I would suggest a drier white wine. A Sauvignon Blanc, or Chenin Blanc, would do nicely, as they would not over-power the fish with big fruit. For this, I would stay away from such from the Marlborough appellation of New Zealand (one of my favorites fro Sauvignon Blancs btw), and stick to a French or Californian appellation.

Overall: This meal was fantastic. As you can see from the pictures, I also served it with Garlic Cheddar Biscuits. I will definitely be making these scallops again; they just have the right flavor profile that makes French cuisine so worth the caloric intake. As for the asparagus, I would make it again, though not with the scallops. The would be great as an appetizer, or side for a larger meal. I also think I would find a way to spice up the batter a bit more. While the cayenne pepper did add some heat, I think it could use a bit more.

Plated. Scallops, asparagus with aioli and biscuits!
Yummi!!!

All in all, another great meal! 

3 Days in Charlotte

So for those of you who thought that this travel blog was being hijacked by my forays into the culinary domain, this post is to allay your fears. It isn't a sexy post, nor for that matter a sexy trip - I had to go to Charlotte, NC on business. The reality of the situation is that, given my budget constraints, it is far easier to cook than travel. Thus, until I win the lottery, marry a wealthy lass, or get a few more promotions; this blog will probably have more cooking than travel. As the French say: c'est la vie!


Anyways, back to the topic at hand: Charlotte, North Carolina. Why did I have to head to Charlotte? The answer is two fold: 

1. To learn a new financial news and reporting system called SNL (Acronym for Savings & Loan, because its first use was to report regulatory data for banks back in the late 80s)
2. Work with Balance Sheet Management to tailor their data output for incorporation into our Liquidity Risk Metric analysis

So on Sunday, February 20, I got up at 6:30 to finish packing. A quick drive to Metro, the usual TSA fondling, stop at Star bucks for a dirty chai, and next thing one knows, I am boarding the plane. Thankfully, I had been upgraded to first class - something Delta seems to be doing quite a bit frequently for me, knock on wood - due to my paltry silver medallion. A quick taxi out to the runway, roar of the jets, and soon I was at 30,000 feet being supported only by Bernoulli's principle. Thank God for simple Newtonian physics!


Little did I know that Detroit soon was going to get pounded by a blizzard. The timing was impeccable; I truly think the Lord was smiling down on me as I headed to 70 degree and sunny weather. Of course I would have to head back to it, as my trip was only 3 days long, but still: the reprieve from the cold would be worth it!

With the cuts into the structure, this hotel looks jagged!

Heavenly shower!

I arrived in Charlotte around 12:00, made my way through the airport, and jumped in a cab. Destination: Westin Charlotte. A very swank and sophisticated hotel in the modern sense, with a smart interior and an incredibly jagged looking exterior. I checked in, and went up to the room to drop off my stuff. The room was your typical "downtown" Westin variety: Heavenly bed, nice plasma TV, dual-head shower, and a nice desk for working. As soon as I reached my room, Wayne, my old boss called. I had planned to meet him for lunch that day, and he phoned to tell me he would be a bit late. Not a problem: I would just use the extra time to wander the streets of downtown Charlotte.

Nothing like a Heavenly King all to myself!

Walking around downtown Charlotte on a Sunday, the first thing that struck me was the lack of retail in the downtown area. I realize that not many cities can support Michigan Avenue or 5th Avenue-esque retail districts. That being said, we are talking an extremely minimal amount of retail here in Charlotte: a handful of boutiques at the most. Even D.C. had an Urban Outfitters, Apple Store, and a few other stores. It felt like Charlotte had nothing.

Duke Energy Building, from the hotel entrance

Thankfully, to make up for this, Charlotte has decided to focus heavily on bars and steakhouses. Ruth's Chris, Flemings, McCormick and Schmick's were all interspersed among the big office towers. And there are tons of bars, including the chain I loathe the most: Blackfinn. I can imagine that this place gets absolutely rowdy during St. Patty's Day!

Ally Center, where I would be the next two days

During my stroll, I found the Ally office building, Bank of America tower, and the old Wachovia tower (now Wells Fargo Tower I believe). By then, it was time to head back to the hotel to meet up with Wayne. The destination for lunch: Mac's Speed Shop for some good old North Carolina BBQ. 

Mac's Speed Shop: Beer, Bikes & BBQ

Barbeque is seriously one of my favorite foods. It ranks right up there with sushi as food that I would want to be left on a deserted isle with. Be it brisket, pulled pork, ribs, sausage or chicken; it's all so damn good. I also love the various regional sauces that make it so diverse. This is why, being down in North Carolina, I had to have BBQ. They are renowned for their vinegar-based sauce, which is much different from Kansas City or Texas varieties.


This join also offers quite the selection of microbrew and craft beer - a selection that I think any beer snob would agree is impressive. I ordered a Lagunitas IPA, and found a table outside to enjoy the nice weather. Looking at the menu, I couldn't decide if I wanted the brisket or the pulled pork. So I ordered the massive combo platter, which included: 4 types of meat and 4 huge sides. I selected the brisket, pulled pork, ribs, and chicken; with: mac 'n' cheese, baked beans, chili and green bean casserole. I ate the brisket and pulled pork, picked at some of the sides, and couldn't even touch the other stuff. I was STUFFED. What an excellent lunch!


After lunch, which included watching Purdue beat Ohio State, Wayne brought me back to my hotel. After a meal like that, all I wanted to do was lay down. I rested a bit before a colleague of mine, Subba, called. He had invited me over to his newly purchased chateau (JK


It took a few hours before I would even consider the thought of food after that last lunch. So around 19:30, Subba and I went into the kitchen. The evening's goal: for me to learn how to cook authentic Indian. First, his Mom showed how make vegetable biryani. Once the rice and vegetables were in the rice cooker, the showed me how to make a spinach roti. Once the cooking was done, we ate a delish authentic vegetarian Indian meal, topped with a little Ben and Jerry's Ice Cream for desert. And again, I was stuffed!


After dinner, we relaxed a bit in the living room before Subba brought me back to the hotel. I think I ended up watching a crummy movie before bed. What else is there to do in a hotel besides drink or watch bad TV?


The rest of my trip was really spent working, so I won't go into it. The one exception was that I was able to meet up with my friend Kari for drinks and a bite to eat after work on Monday. We met at Rí Rá Irish Pub, ordered a beer, and just spent the time catching up. I had the fish and chips, and was surprised with how well they were prepared. I hadn't had that quality of fish and chips since I was living in London!


Finally, on Tuesday I headed back to Detroit. The flight was not even close to being full, so I got the upgrade again. And next thing you know, I am freezing my arse off getting my car because I did not pack a warm jacket. I cannot wait for spring!


All in all, a good trip. Now time to head to the gym!

Last Night at Chez Bart: Steak with Guinness Barbeque Sauce

This is not a new dish in my repertoire; it's actually one I have made before a few years back. It was given to me by my mother, who learned it when she and a bunch of her gal-pals went down to Canyon Ranch for a week. She had served the sauce over beef tenderloin, and was very impressed.

The first time I tried it out was a month or so after, when I tried to impress two of my lovely gal friends with my culinary acumen. I am not sure if it worked; they said they liked it, but they could have just been being nice. ;o) Anyways, I liked it, so I kind of kept this recipe within my repertoire. Now fast forward to today. When discussing dinner options before heading to the bar, my good friend said she was craving steak, so this recipe came to mind. Voi la!

Store Notes: The sauce itself takes nothing fancy to make. Here is the recipe:

• 1 cup diced red onions
• 5 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 cups Guinness beer
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
• 3 tablespoons balsamic vinegar

An area where one has substantial latitude is the choice of beer for this sauce. Last night, I swapped out the Guinness for Bells Porter, but one could use any quality stout or porter. If I made this again, I would probably use Murphy's Irish Stout, one of my favorite beers from my trip to Ireland over Spring Break 2006.


Now this makes the sauce, which is meant to be served over something. This is where you will find the cost of the dish to vary considerably. I served this yesterday over Delmonico steaks, which are in the upper third of steak cuts. One could cut down the cost by selecting a cheaper cut of beef: sirloin, NY Strip, etc. Of course you can also increase the cost by selecting a better cut; if I made this for a girlfriend, I would most definitely up the ante and buy tenderloin (i.e. fillet Mignon).

Now one doesn't have to use beef for this sauce. In reality, any kind of meat preparation that utilizes a barbeque sauce is applicable. Brush it over grilled chicken, beef or pork ribs, and pork tenderloin will all work.

Prep Notes: To prep the sauce, dice the red onion and mince the garlic. For the onion, I used my newly purchased VeggiChop. It diced it with ease, saving me tons of time. All one has to do is slice the onion up, then throw it in the VeggiChop. Pull the cord a few times, and BAM! Diced onion.

Here I am pounding the garlic.
Just don't push too hard, or you
will smash it!

For the garlic, you can either buy garlic already minced, packed in water, or buy a bulb and do it yourself. A trick to peeling garlic is to place the clove, with skin on, on the cutting board. Laying your chef's knife flat over the clove, hammer the knife with the bottom of your clenched had. This should loosen the skin, allowing you to peel with ease. Remember, when mincing small ingredients like garlic, make sure you hold the ingredient with your knuckles, not your fingers! It will save many bandages. 


To prep the stakes, brush lightly with extra virgin olive oil, and sprinkle with kosher salt. At this time, one can season to taste. For high-end cuts of meat - like the fillet - only salt is truly necessary. Anything further will just detract from the taste of the meat. For lower cuts, I would recommend a bit of pepper, chili powder, garlic powder, paprika, etc. Penzey's makes some really excellent spice blends that I currently use, including Chicago Steak Seasoning and Adobo+Chipotle seasonings. For these Delmonico, I am using the Chicago Steak seasoning blend.

Place the steaks in a ziplock bag, and allow the seasonings to marinate the meat for a few hours in the refrigerator - the longer, the better. Just remember that, before you grill, to pull the steaks out of the fridge so that the meat can slowly be brought back up to room temperature.

Cook Notes: The sauce can be made hours - even days - in advance of the grilling. To make the sauce, I will quote the recipe:

1. Heat a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Sweat onions and garlic until onions are translucent. Add beer, and reduce by half.

2. Add remaining ingredients and simmer until thick. Serve 1/3 cup.

Once the sauce is at a consistency to your liking, remove it from the heat and allow to cool a bit. Then pour into a container for either immediate use, or for refrigeration. It should keep for a few days in the refrigerator, or for even longer if frozen.

The sauce, which has been taken off the burner,
is starting to thicken up.

Since I am cooking the steak on a grill pan (I live in an apartment, so no grill for me!), this will be my frame of reference. This summer, when I am up at the cottage, I will provide the proper narrative for a true grill. Anyways, pre-heat the grill pan to medium-high heat. If you already brushed the meat with oil, you do not have to add any to the pan. If you did not, then I would brush the grill pan with a little vegetable oil. Why vegetable oil? Because it has a higher flash point, and will not degrade over the higher heat required to grill the meat.

After the first flip. Look at those grill marks!

Place the meat on the grill pan, and cook for 5-10 minutes - depending on the thickness of the steak - until a good sear forms. Flip once, and cook for another 5-10 minutes. Remember, ONLY flip ONCE. Flipping multiple times will dry out your steak. Also, DO NOT cut into the meat in order to check for how well done it is. This will allow the juices to escape, thus drying it out. Instead, look at the edges of the meat. Once the pink starts to leave the edges, you know you are close. Otherwise, it is just a matter of feel, which is why chefs at the great steak houses around the world make the kind of money they do. Unlike baking, it is all art and no science.


What I have just provided is for a medium rare steak (in my humble opinion, the only way to cook one). If you like it more well done, cook it longer! Once the steak is cooked to your liking, pull off the heat and let it sit on the plate for 3 - 5 minutes. This will firm up the meat, allowing it to reconstitute the juices within its fibers. It makes it taste better; trust me.

Nice and pink in the center, with plenty of juice; perfectly cooked!

Tasting Notes: The sauce really provides a complex taste profile, You have the sweet from the molasses and brown sugar, spice from the chili flakes, tangyness from the balsamic vinegar, onion and garlic; and nuttiness from the stout. This compliments dry, rather dull meats, like chicken or pork very well. The steak that I prepared was cooked perfectly to a medium rare. The buttery notes of the steak really complemented the array of flavors brought from the sauce. 

Libation Notes:  This is definitely a beer dish. One of the things I like to do is drink the beer that I cook with. In this case, the porter I used for the sauce goes very well with this dish. Its nutty and chocolate notes pair well with the sauce. In reality, any beer would work as long as it is not too hoppy. An over-abundance of hops could really over-power the complex flavors of this dish.

If you really want a wine to serve with this dish, then I would propose a nice malbec or cabernet sauvignon - a wine that again does not over-power the meat with big fruit and lots of tannins. Just recently I had Zolo - a Malbec from Chile - that would be outstanding with this dish.

Plated and ready to be devoured!

Overall: I highly recommend this sauce. It's flavors are complex and varied, thus warranting application on all sorts of meats, from drizzled over fillet to basting slowly cooked pork ribs. Try it; I know you will like it!

Retroactive Blogging: Italy 2010, Day 3

Day 2: Firenze, IT
Saturday, October 3, 2010 at 5:03pm


Waking up after a perfect day can be daunting, and it certainly was this morning. The coffee helped - damn it is good coffee - and soon I was in the Mercedes Benz van heading to Chianti.

Chianti, for those unfamiliar, is a whole region of Tuscany towards the south seperating Firenze with Sienna. It is there that the various types of Chianti are produced. Chianti Classico - probably the most prized of the varieties - is a combination of at least 80% sangiovesse, and two other italian grapes (their names escape me at this time).

Today started with driving up some God-forsaken road up a small mountain, the top of which had a little community and chapel, circa 1000 A.D., that originally served as housing for people who worked at the nearbye Benedictine monastery's vineyards and olive groves. Inside the small chapel was a beautiful fresco painted by the school whose master was that who taught Michaelangelo! Just so beautiful, and humbling to think what took an effort by car to get to was built completely by hand!

After the trek down the mountain, we made it over to a small medievil village where Sylvio (our guide) knew of a small Chianti Classico producer, and arranged for a little tasting. We tasted the 2005, 06 and 07, with the 07 being the best. The tasting area - a little section next to the house covered with a vine arbor roof, overlooked the small town and valley. It is the middle of the harvest, so there was lots of family and friends hustling and bustling about. The Mama made a ton of pizza margharita - basil, olive oil, tomato sauce, and cheese - that they gladly shared with us. I was happy to oblige! Our group then did some credit card damage, buying 30 bottles, and then we were on our way.

Our next stop was at another small medievil community, with a prominant church, situated right on the Firenze-Sienna boarder (which made it a considerable strategic importance given the feuding nature of these two great city-states). The church, being 900 years old, is situated on an old Eutruscan pagan temple, with a few of the columns still standing. The inside was again full of frescos by the same workshop as those mentioned before. Today, the church was being set up for a wedding. All I know is that I would have to find someone infinitely special to warrant saying vows in that venue!

Conveniently, the family who takes care of the church was also our hosts for lunch. Luciana, the Mama, and Giovanna, the grandma, had a tremendous spread for us today. Fusili pasta with red sause, followed by wild boar with olive sauce, and pheasant (which the husband just hunted yesterday!) and green beans in a red wine sauce. They kept on dishing more food, and soon I was just stuffed. Of course there was desert, comprising of a kind of torta, cheese with marmalade, and a Italian desert wine a little sweeter than muscato.

The family was so very friendly and hospitable. The son, Fernando, spoke a little English, so we asked him how school was and how calcio (football/soccer) was going. Just a true joy to share a bit of Italian life with such kind people.

Afterwards, it was straight to a cafe for an espresso to calm that culinary monstrosity down, followed by touring of another medievil city. The final stop of our tours with Sylvio led us to his friend Carlo, who ran a small olive oil production. His house is located on top of a bluff, overlooking two valleys - one of which is flanked by a castle! We proceeded to taste two types of oil: regular, and lemon infused (he actually presses lemon zest with the olives, imparting a nice lemon essence perfect for fish, vegetables, etc.). The tasting table, which overlooked the castle, was truly breathtaking! The oil was great too... We must have bought 20 litres among the group!

That sadly ended our two days with Sylvio, who is probably the best guide I have ever experienced. His style is that of true Tuscan life, and when you are sitting at the table with a family that welcomes you in, you feel it!

Dinner tonight was delightful at Gustavino, a block away from the Uffizi. I had pasta with a red deer, chocolate, and cheese ragu, followed by sirloin and garlic potatoes. Molto bono! On the way back we stopped for gelato (I love the hazelnut flavor!) and did some nice people watching (lots of fine Italian talent roaming the streets hehe). Back at the hotel, I lit up a Trinidad Fundadores habano, and drank a Laphroaig 10 year single malt. Thanks to Jessica and cousin Michael, I got game updates. What a game against Wisconsin; almost sad I missed it. Almost.

Last Night at Chez Bart: Goulash!

This recipe comes from an unusual source for my repertoire: Food Network's own Guy Fieri. It's a spicy take on the classic Hungarian dish, using hot paprika and chili peppers to give it a nice kick. While the recipe calls for serving it over grilled polenta, I decided to fix it with one of my favorite Polish noodles: kluskis!

Beautiful Pest at night, as seen from Buda

Store Notes: Not an expensive dish to make. To save some time, call ahead to your local butcher and ask them for the 4lbs of chuck trimmed and cubed into 2" cubes. That alone will save you from a lot of cutting, especially if you don't have a cleaver. If anything, the hardest part is finding some of the spices. I went to 3 different stores before I found one that carried hot Spanish paprika. Also, unless you like to bake rye bread, you will need to get some caraway seeds. Not expensive, just not your standard basil/oregano/thyme/etc.

From an equipment standpoint, a Dutch Oven - essentially any big pot that can be moved from stove to oven - is necessary not only to accommodate the 4 pounds of meat, but also the 4 cups of chicken stock, let alone all the vegetables. The recipe recommends porcelain coated cast iron, but any material will work. Just remember, if you do wish to use cast iron, to season the pot properly and never add in cold ingredients. Otherwise you could find yourself with a cracked pot, and a big mess to clean up!

Optionally, a "Pull chop" - those little gizmos where you pull the cord to spin the blades - can really save one time dicing the amount of onions, carrots, and shallots that this recipe requires. While I don't have one, my Mom swears by them. Just coarsely chop up ingredients like the onions, throw them into the pull chop, and give the cord a few yanks. Viola! Perfectly diced!

As you can see, I was busy chopping!

Prep Notes: There is a lot to prep, and I mean a lot. 6 cups of onion translates to, on average, 4 medium onions. Add in 2 cups of carrots and 1 cup of shallots, and your kitchen knife is going to get its money's worth of use today. Sadly we are not done; next slice the two peppers in half and de-seed them. Make sure you also cut out the inner flesh, leaving essentially a hollow pepper. Finally, mince the fresh thyme and marjoram.

For the caraway seeds, place two tablespoons on a small skillet over medium heat. Toast for a few minutes, until fragrant, then remove and pour into a mortar. Give the pestle a go, and you have toasted ground caraway!

For the meat, throw the 4 pounds of chuck into a bowl. Season with salt and pepper to taste, tossing the meat so the seasonings imbue all the meat. Make sure you bring the meat to room temperature before cooking

After having browned the meat (right), I am sautéing
the carrots and onion (left)

Cook Notes: Heat up the dutch oven over medium-high heat (if using cast iron, SLOWLY raise the heat). Once the oil has a bit of a shimmer to it, add just enough meat to loosely cover the bottom. Brown both sides, remove to a platter that can collect the juices, and repeat until all 4 pounds of chuck are browned.

Next, add the onions and carrots to the dutch oven. Stirring often, cook for about 5 minutes. Next, add the peppers and shallots, and cook unti you see a nice caramelization and no more liquid. Stir in the tomato paste, cook for a minute, then add all the herbs and spices (sweet and hot paprika, chili flakes, marjoram, thyme, and caraway). Pour in the balsamic vinegar and de-glaze (i.e. scrape the bottom of the dutch oven) to remove any of the fond. Let the balsamic reduce for about 2 minutes, then SLOWLY add the chicken stock. 

Place the meat into the dutch oven, making sure to drain any collected juices into the pot. Add two bay leafs, season with salt and pepper to taste, and gently stir to combine all the goodness. Cover and place into a pre-heated oven for 2 hours at 325 degrees Fahrenheit.   

Out of the oven, and ready for the plate!

Tasting Notes: This dish is simply amazing. While it may not top the goulash I had while traveling through Budapest, it seriously is the best I have had since. The heat and zest of the chili peppers and hot paprika really transforms this dish, from that of a heavy savory-stew that gets most of its profile from the meat and stock, to something more dynamic and complex. The caraway provides lighter savory notes that again increase the breadth of this dish's flavor profile. The addition of vinegar adds yet another, this time sweet and slightly acidic, dimension. Simply outstanding!

Libation Notes:  This dish is complex and zesty, and therefore should be enjoyed with an equally complex red wine. If you wanted to go Hungarian, an Egri Bikavér from the Eger region of Northern Hungary would do nicely.  Or a nice merlot, shiraz, or cabernet sauvignon would work well as well. As long as the wine has full enough of a body to stand against the zest of the goulash, you will be all set.

If you are a beer drinker, or prefer something cold when eating food with spice, a nice hoppy beer would work. Sierra Nevada's Estate IPA, New Holland Brewery's High Gravity Mad Hatter IPA, or even Samuel Adam's Nobil Pills are all good choices.

Served with kluski noodles

Overall: Another exceptional winter dish. Rich and hearty, with complex notes of savory and spice. This goulash, unlike others I have had, or most stews in general, is great because its varying flavors break up the usual meat/stock monotony that causes these dishes to become too rich and heavy. The paprika, peppers, caraway, and balsamic truly provide an extremely wide palette of flavors. I will definitely be making this again!

Retroactive Blogging: Italy 2010, Day 2

Day 2: Firenze, IT
Friday, October 2, 2010 at 4:35pm


Wow! It's amazing what 8 hours of sleep can do. This morning I woke refreashed and ready to tackle the day. Now if only my luggage situation would work out!

The day started out quite well, guzzling cup after cup of Italian coffee. Maybe they roast their beans with crack, because that was some of the best joe I have ever had!

After breakfast, the gang went outside to meet up with Sylvio - our guide. He is a very elegant silver fox of a gent, with decent English and a great sense of humor. He, with driver Carlo (think Scott Baio as Chachi), took us out to the southern Tuscan countryside.

The sojourn started with a stop in a little village situated on a mountain pass. Very scenic and quaint. From there, we continued on to Poppi to visit a castle once owned by the Guida family. It had a little museum, and I got my daily workout in climbing the bell tower. Just great!

Then, being around noon, it was time to head very deep into the Tuscan countryside, 10 minutes past some twn via one lane road, to a small family Pechorinno Romano producer. There, the family showed us how they make their cheese, sampled some, and then had us over for a splendid lunch. Que bello!

After stuffing ourselves to the gills with potato and cheese stuffed pasta, salad, and select cuts of ham and sausage, we drove to another castle that had been turned into a private residence. It must have cost a fortune! We got the chance to head to the top for some great photo ops! After the castle, we decided to call it fini for the day. We will see Sylvio tomorrow.

Back in Firenze, I took it upon myself to acquire some cuban cigars. In the process, I got lost twice - these streets are so narrow, and the names are so ubiquidess - just turned me around in circles! I did manage to buy some stogies, and after I stopped at a cafe for an Italian beer while writing postcards. Our luggage also made it back. Thank God!

Dinner tonight was kind of a letdown. Sylvio provided us with a place he highly recomended. So we went there, only to find out we needed reservations. So we ended up settling for a place that turned out to be not as good. I had the Gnocchi al pesto and some grilled beef strips over rucola with a light balsamic drizzle. The group split a bottle of Chianti Classico a la Fazzoro, 2006.

Now it's time to kick back, relax, and enjoy one of my cigars. More to come tomorrow. Ciao!

Retroactive Blogging: Italy 2010, Day 1

*A little retroactive blogging here, from my trip to Tuscany this past fall. I had originally posted it onto Facebook, so I figured I would eventually transfer it to my blog. Enjoy!*


Day 1: Firenze, IT
Thursday, September 30, 2010 at 5:29pm


So I find myself sprawled out on my bed in the hotel room in Florence, all jet-lagged. My goal will be to promptly fall asleep after this update, in order to make the final adjustments to GMT -1.

The flight over went quite well. Started with mimosas during boarding, then switched to Crown and Canada Dry for dinner (food was great by the way!). Then watched Avatar and A-Team, and next thing we have arrived in Amsterdam.

Of course our connecting gate is in the opposite side of tbe airport. Luckily, after trucking it to the gate, we made it... but our luggage did not. Once arriving in Florence, it was straight to the hotel room for a nap and a shower.

Dinner tonight was at Oliviero, and was excellent. I started with the beef tartare app, then a black fruffle gnocchi for the first course, follwed by Bistek Florentine for my second. This was supported by three botles of Italian wine (1. Bhulgari - a chianti/merlot blend; 2. Chianti Classico 2007 by Isole e Olena; & 3. Chianti Classico 2007 by Camporignano). All were outstanding. The meal culminated with Grappa and Tiramisu - molta bella!

And here we are. I am full, jet-lagged, and ready for bed. Stay tuned for more!!!

Last Night at Chez Bart: Shrimp with Tomatoes, Feta and Ouzo

Shrimp with Tomatoes, Feta and Ouzo

This recipe actually comes courtesy of Emeril Lagasse, and is a slight different take from a Greek shrimp dish that my Mom used to make during my high school days. The feta gets all nice in goey as it bakes with the shrimp and tomatoes, while the ouzo provides a nice anise-like flavor to the shrimp. While the recipe only hints at having bread as a side, one could easily service this on top of orzo, pasta, or even cannellini beans.

Store Notes: This dish is not cheap, calling for two pounds of shrimp and a bottle of ouzo. Unless you are Greek, or enjoy a strong anise-flavored aperitif, ouzo will probably head straight to your liquor cabinet (or in my case, above the stove next to my oils) where it will gather dust. 

The one thing this dish does call for, and it really is hard to do this without (unlike the substitutability of a blender for a food processor) is having a heavy oven-ready deep sauce pan. This dish calls for cooking the sauce first on the stove, and then transferring it to the oven. In an ideal word, you could do this without warping your sauce pan. Sadly, the laws of thermodynamics apply to our reality, and if you put just any pan from the stove to the oven, you will have issues. 

If you don't have a oven-resistant sauce pan, cook the sauce as directed and then pour into a oven-safe casserole dish to bake. Don't let this stop you from enjoying this dish!

Prep Notes: Not very difficult to prep. Just make sure the shrimp are peeled, devained, and sans tail. Mince the fresh oregano and thyme, and place with the red pepper flakes into a small bowl off to the side. In a large pyrex, combine the tomatoes and clam juice so it is ready to be poured after sautéing the garlic.

Cook Notes: In an oven-friendly deep sauce pan, sautéing the garlic until fragrant. Then add the tomatoes/clam juice, capers and seasonings. Cook until the sauce has reduced by about a half. Season with salt and pepper to tastes, and then set aside.

The sauce is simmering, ready to include the shrimp
before baking

In a separate sauté pan, melt some non-salted butter until the bottom is nice and coasted and the butter begins to foam. Add the shrimp and cook until just turning pink, stirring occasionally. Remove from the heat, add the ouzo, and place back on the heat. Shake until the ouzo lights (I, in my amateurish-ness, had to use a match) and burns. Next season with salt to taste, and transfer the shrimp to the sauce. Make sure the shrimp ARE NOT all the way cooked before they enter the sauce.

Tossing the shrimp with the ouzo!

Nestle the shrimp in the sauce, cover with some feta, and bake until the shrimp are cooked and the feta is melty and gooey.

Final result in all of its gooey-goodness!

Tasting Notes: This dish is like a Greek goulash: rich, hearty, and full of flavor. The feta imbues a creamy note to the palate, which is complimented nicely by the anise of the shrimp. The garlic and herbs provide a nice zest to the sauce, which combines with the shrimp and feta to create a warm and cozy experience.

Libation Notes: This dish really does not call for anything special in the wine department. Personally a carafe of Roditas would be perfect!

Overall: This is the perfect wintery-weekend dish to serve. Served with any kind of grain: pasta, orzo, bread, etc., think of chili in a bread bowl out west on the mountain! Delicious!