Docsconz- The Blog

Rose

TGRWT #18: A Basic Approach

What the hell is TGRWT18, one might ask. TGRWT stands for "They go really well together" and represents a project started by the Norwegian blogger Martin Lersch of Khymos to explore unusual flavor pairings that have a basis in science. Previous pairings have included strawberry and coriander, mint and mustard and chicken and rose amongst others. This latest round of exploration and the first I am participating in, was put forth by Trig from Aidan Brooks: Trainee Chef. Trig describes the rationale behind the product as:

"TGRWT is all about unusual flavour pairings - combining culinary ingredients in ways that we aren't familiar with from classical cooking. The scientific hypothesis behind these experiments is that if two foods have one or more key odorants in common, they might go well together and perhaps even complement and enhance each other. With the advent of modern analysis tools and the establishment of the Volatile Compounds in Food Database, this research has become much easier to undertake. But, as they say, the proof of the pudding..."

For this round he has chosen Plum and blue cheese, with wide discretion on the specific plums and blue cheeses to be used. Fruit and cheese have been served together for ages, so this isn't a huge stretch, however, blue cheese is not necessarily the easiest pairing. For example, my wife had a sip of orange juice after eating some blue cheese and nearly gagged.

 

I decided that I would approach this very simply to start. I toasted some Rockhill 8 Seed whole grain bread, sliced some Stilton like Boucher Blue from Vermont and sliced a basic Califonia plum and layered the cheese and the plum on top of the toast. It made for a lovely breakfast with the fruit, cheese and bread harmonizing nicely. The Boucher Blue is a firm, full flavored, assertive blue, but it mellowed considerably when paired with the plum. The toast and seeds added nice background flavors and textures. I can easily envision a gorgonzola-plum tart or perhaps something even more savory - a blue cheese-plum sauce over grilled sliced medium rare beef.

BTW, if you are not familiar with either Khymos or Aidan Brooks: Trainee Chef, they are absolutely worth checking out.

New York Cornfield 2009

Sheldon Farms Field Corn

In an article written for San Francisco Magazine, Chef/Author Daniel Patterson laments that "The corn that we eat in its natural state has lost its distinctive flavor, echoing America’s drift toward sweet, one-dimensional tastes." He continues to say, "The corn I remember from my youth was markedly different from what’s grown today." Patterson attributes this to farmers growing corn for a market that only seems to value sweetness, leaving the product one dimensional. The rise of "supersweet" hybrids and the decline of open pollination appear to be the principle reasons for the apparent unidimensionality of corn flavor. According to Patricia Sheldon of Sheldon Farms in Washington County, the reason that the supersweet hybrids were developed was to maintain the sweetness of industrial farm grown corn from places like Florida as the corn was transported and distributed elsewhere in the country. Many farms, including ones just selling locally took to those hybrids thinking that if sweet corn is good, "supersweet" must be even better. In addition to the lack of depth of corn flavor, according to Sheldon, the "supersweet" hybrids tend to have a mealy texture, owing to the high sugar content. She states, that though they use hybrids and no longer open pollinate at Sheldon Farms, they do not use "supersweet" varieties. Instead they use a number of different hybrids, which I will attest, still provide great corn flavor and crisp texture in addition to some requisite sweetness.

The photo of the field above is of field corn, grown to feed animals. In addition to being less sweet that corn grown for human consumption in the U.S., it is grown later in the season, is hardier, taller and designed for the entire plant to be harvested and used for feed. Of course, corn as animal feed has its own issues, but I will not get in to them here.

It is too bad that the state of sweet corn in the nation has generally come to this. Patterson has decided that since he cannot find the corn of his youth, he will not use it.

"Over the years, I’ve made corn-juice glazes, corn meringues, sautés of corn and chanterelles, corn-and-basil salads, and corn-and-tomato combinations of all kinds, but nothing has ever thrilled me the way steamed and buttered corn on the cob did in my childhood. Corn today is so sweet that it overpowers or undermines everything it accompanies, while lacking one key component: corn flavor.

This year, I’m throwing in the towel: No more corn on the menu. I’m tired of trying to create a balanced dish with an ingredient that tastes like it’s been impregnated with simple syrup. And I’m disgusted that the industrial seed companies bet—correctly, as it turns out—on Americans’ appetite for sweet, monolithic flavors with no subtlety, in the process ruining an extraordinary vegetable. "

While I share Patterson's observation and general lament, i am happy that I am still able to find at least some corn here in N.Y. state that still has depth of flavor and the texture that I have always associated with corn. Summer is still a time where I and others can still look forward to fresh, loal, in-season corn with character.

Day Lilies v.2

Blog Find: Hudson and Saratoga Local Foods

This blog, written and maintained by Noah Sheetz, the chef at the Governor's Mansion in Albany, N.Y. is a treasure trove of information on local foods in the Hudson Valley and the Saratoga Region as well as other parts of the state. Chef Sheetz is committed to the world of high quality local foods of New York State. I know that at least a few of my readers will be interested in this, his personal blog.

Day Lilies v.1

Community Spirit - The Annual Salem Courthouse Al Fresco Dinner

There are small towns and there are small towns. At their worst, they can be stifling and boring. At their best, they are a marvel of community with everyone banding together and showing a spirit and comradery that simply can not be beaten. The small town of Salem, N.Y. along with its sister towns in eastern Washington County certainly fits into the latter category. A town immersed in farms and art, there is no shortage of beauty, creativity and productivity. Nothing demonstrates that more than the annual Salem Courthouse Al Fresco dinner, which has taken place towards the end of July for most of this decade. Founded and run by local resident and culinary journalist, Annette Nielsen, the concept was based on an experience that she and her husband had attending a similar civic banquet in Siena, Italy just prior to the famed Palio horse race of that city. They were so impressed by how each of the city's contradas or neighborhoods would convene over a great feast under the stars just prior to the race and how it built civic pride and a sense of togetherness. The concept was brought to Salem as a means to take advantage of and foster community spirit and a way to raise funds for the restoration of the old Courthouse building, a central, historic, but rundown structure within the community. As the years have progressed and the dinners come and gone, the building has indeed seen improvements and has been put to good use housing a community kitchen as well as a new community garden.

The Al Fresco dinner utilizes the talents and products of the local community to provide an evening of food, convivality and entertainment for approximately 400 people. Set adjacent to the courthouse and next to a farm, the scene is as bucolic as a dinner for so many people can be. The meal starts with tables full of many of the finest cheeses of the area as well as hors douvre's passed around by the volunteer staff. In the meantime, a local band, The Roadside Blues Band was playing spirited music. A silent auction took place in an adjacent barn featuring crafts and services donated by talented and generous community members. My wife and I bid on and won a fantastic raspberry pie and 10 pounds of blueberry picking from a local farm, Garden Works as well as a dinner for four including pairings at Suvir Saran's and Hemant Mathur's great NYC Indian restaurant, Devi.

With blue skies overhead and green fields beside us, it was impossible not to be infected with happiness and warmth. The food, delivered family style by the army of young volunteers, was really no more than adequate, but given the overall experience, that was good enough and didn't really matter in the grand scheme. Given the logistical difficulties of preparing a meal for so many, it is remarkable that it is as good as it is. An opening salad consisting of greens, cherry tomatoes and sheep's milk feta was quite tasty with the feta elevating the dish beyond the ordinary. Meats served included a juicy, flavorful sausage made by the local market and marinated chicken. The chicken, unfortunately was dry and bland and was the chief reason I label the meal merely adequate. Roasted vegetables, corn on the cob and rosemary red potatoes were good, although cold by the time they arrived at the tables. Dessert, a strawberry rhubarb cobbler, whipped cream and berries was the highlight of the meal, the epitome of country life on a plate. Despite the meals limitations, the evening was a grand one, punctuated by the always festive Mettawee River Theater Company and their incredible Sendakian costumes.

Centered around food, but focused on community and the community building aspects of the growing, cooking and dining experience, this annual event is the embodiment of the Slow Food USA slogan of "good, clean & fair." That it is so richly supported by this wonderful community is no surprise and is an example of the kind of success that a motivated community, however small, can pull together to achieve.

Black-Eyed Susans

Taste of the Week - July 19-25

I ate a lot of good things this week. Some were from my hands. Some were from my wife's hands and plenty were from the hands of others. It is not often, though, that I make a dish of a quantity sufficient to feed 60 or more people. That it actually turned out to be pretty damn tasty makes it all the more remarkable and therefore, worthy of my "taste of the week." I used a recipe taken from the May/June 2002 issue of Cook's Illustrated that was designed to feed 4-6 people. My wife and I then multiplied the recipe by 10. That doesn't sound like such a big deal until one considers the sheer volume of food and the equipment necessary to handle it. We have a pretty nice home kitchen, but it is still not equipped for catering or large scale production. The tricky part of making this dish was doing several steps in batches and over time, something that somehow actually came together without ruining everything. Aside from a good recipe and a little luck, there were at least a couple of other factors instrumental in this jambalaya turning out as well as it did: 1. was using some really good ingredients , most notably the andouille and tasso from John Boy's Mountain View Farm Berkshire pigs. That stuff was seriously good. I could hardly refrain from eating too much of it, when it was browning in the pan or draining on paper towels awaiting the next step and 2. the last minute advice and assistance of Chef Dan Spitz, who helped me navigate through some thick weeds.

The jambalaya was great last Sunday when it was made, but we also had plenty left-over and ate it throughout the week. It was particularly great to bring to work for lunch. The leftover jambalaya was enhanced with the meat from leftover ribs, harking back to a traditional "kitchen-sink" approach towards making the dish.

Ramblings in Italy - Looking Back

Ramblings in Italy

Looking Back

Ringraziarla a tutto

Thanks to Everyone 

by Rocco Verrigni

After a trip with so many highpoints, it’s difficult to begin to thank those who made it such a wonderful and productive trip. But try I must. Everywhere I went I was greeted with enthusiasm, put up in homes, taken out to dinner, and treated like family, literal or otherwise.

So let’s start at the beginning. For providing me with an initial home base that helped me to recover from the rigors of travel, I thank Daniela Balestra, who shared her home, nourished me with the food of summer, and spent endless hours conversing about food, culture and life. Your terrazzo is etched in my mind. To Renato who hosted me at his photo studio my first weekend in Italy and provided an opportunity to meet some locals and simply spend a Sunday afternoon relaxing, talking and of course eating.   

My next stopping point was Parma. Here, my host was a friend and business associate, Giacomo Berselli, who is a life-long resident of Parma and the quintessential spokesman      of Parma, its bucolic surrounding countryside, world-famous products, and history. Giacomo is is the director and founder of Marco Polo Institute, whose mission is to promote Italian cultural education and tourism through study-abroad programs with the United States and other countries. Somehow within his busy daily schedule, he always found time to get together to eat, not just in the city but in the surrounding countryside. No matter what we were doing, there were always two elements involved, food and culture or history. Giacomo’s seemingly endless of knowledge about the history, food and customs of the area always excited me and made me thankful for being the recipient of his passionate exchange of information.

Heading south from Parma, I traveled down the Adriatic coast to Roseto degli Abruzzi in the region of Abruzzo. Up until now, my experiences were with acquaintances and associates previously made. This stop would be very different in that I would meet and make new acquaintances. With slight apprehension, I arrived at Verrigni Pastificio. For the next four days, I was in the hands of the Verrigni family for what turned out to be a very gratifying experience. My stay here was punctuated by two meals a day and long conversations with Luigi and Grazie Verrigni, my new-found relatives. For taking a perfect stranger into their home and treating them like family, ringrazio miei nuovi cugini trovati, I thank my new-found cousins.  

Continuing my southerly route, I made my way to Orsara di Puglia, region of Puglia where I met an incredible chef and personality of the area, Peppe Zullo. From our first meeting that day which started with the traditional kiss on each cheek greeting, to our goodbyes a week later, I felt like a brother, friend and colleague. I have written at length about my stay with Peppe and what remains is a huge thank you for opening your home, workplace and heart to me. I know I have made a friend and colleague for life.  

Thanks also go out to Livio Colapinto and Kathrin Tehervary of Cefalicchio Country House in Canosa di Puglia, who graciously invited me to the country house to attend the National Conference of Slow Food Governors of Italy where I met several slow food regional presidents, Roberto Burdese, the President of Slow Food Italy, and several other Italian Slow Food consorts. The night was filled with discussions with producers of some of the Puglia’s greatest products, including burrata, a fresh Italian cheese, made from mozzarella and cream, totally decadent, and of course samplings of many of the area’s wines, breads and cheeses. Although a bit nervous and uncomfortable about conversing in my limited Italian with some of Italy’s most influential people in the slow food movement, I was helped along by my newly-made “best friend”, Peppe Zullo who met me there. The traditional multi-course (7 or 8, I think) started right on time at 8:30 -9:00PM and continued until midnight or so. I’m not quite sure because I left before dessert.  

Although there are many others to whom I am thankful, they are too numerous to mention here. There is however one more person or should I say personality to thank. For without him I would not have had a forum in which to share my Ramblings in Italy. That person is John Sconzo a.k.a. Docsconz. By the very nature of your reading my postings on John’s blog he needs no introduction. I simply couldn’t pass up the opportunity to thank John in his own arena. Rest assured I will also do so in other arenas. My association with John is relatively short but has developed into one as rich as burrata, as pleasurable as a well-planned and prepared meal, which he is known for, and as varied as the seasonal offerings at the farmer’s markets of the area. Thank you, John for sharing your forum with me and allowing me to tell la storia delle mie escursioni in Italia, the story of my “Ramblings in Italy”.                    Cent’anni.

 

Editor's Note: Thank you, Rocco, for such a lovely, thoughtful, poetic and entertaining travelogue. It has been a pleasure hosting it!