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Historical Foods

The Drover Steakhouse – Summer Food Drive 2012

Last year on our Summer Food Drive 2011, I was super excited to visit Gorat’s Steakhouse in Omaha. We were writing our Beef Topic (it ended up running 800 pages in doc format) and Gorat’s was voted one of the Top 10 Steakhouses in America by Saveur Magazine and they had a reputation for a great dry aging program and it was one of Warren Buffet’s favorite places. Wouldn’t a man who can buy everything, (I mean anything) get the best steak in town?

One would think, but the problem was that whenever I mentioned my excitement to Nebraska based foodies, they invariably said “oh,” like they were talking to their slow cousin Norman. An “oh” wasn’t promising for a once-in-a-lifetime, steak- visit to Omaha, NE the home of the nation’s feed-lots.

If you can believe it, the 3 Nebraska folks I spoke to before the trip were not raging fans of Gorat’s. They all spoke of this other place in Omaha: The Drover.

Even While visiting cattleman Dan Morgan who runs Morgan Ranch in Burwell, Nebraska, which is one of the leading Wagyu Beef operations in the country (Kobe Beef is made from Wagyu Cattle), The Drover came up. Dan was gracious enough to show us around his ranching operation and to cook some steaks with us in 2011. Dan’s favorite steakhouse in Omaha, NE was The Drover. In fact, everyone I bumped into and spoke to about Omaha steaks mentioned The Drover as their favorite for corn-fed Nebraska Beef. They felt that Gorat’s had passed its prime (no pun intended) and was a bit long in the tooth.

In 2011, I was booked and still excited for Gorat’s (had a great visit) but had to footnote The Drover so it could on the agenda for another Summer Food Drive. This year, 2012 was the year.

From my earlier conversations, I imagined The Drover as a sprawling, country-style ranch property near the stockyards. All of the pictures of the Drover on the Internet (even ours) seemed to confirm the ranch motif. I fantasized about big burly butchers in their spattered white coats and construction helmets, just walking over with the best cuts; a Filet here, some Sirloin there. “Oh you say there was run on Porterhouse? Just pop over next door and re-load the larder.” It was some fun imagery and I have to contain myself to stop from going on and on.

As I headed down Mercy Road with its malls and strip centers in Omaha in the ‘Smart Kitchen’-mobile I wondered where they were going to hide a ranch amid the urban landscape. My “Culinary Sense” wasn’t tingling that a stockyard was near.

You Can't Take a Picture of the Homey Entrance and the Office Park

It turns out that they do sprawl but not on a spread. The Drover is a wide-open, sprawling ranch house on about a half a block of land surrounded by office buildings and very near a hospital. The Internet illusions, seen above is really just a fortuitous real estate development history and a bit of photographic framing. No stockyards, no butchers rushing to and fro. I was a bit disappointed after all of the raves from first hand, knowledgeable, sources. I bucked up though when I saw a major hospital across the auspiciously named “Mercy Road,” in case my set-to with so much beefy cholesterol went horribly wrong. In this day and age, beef eaters probably need mercy more than they need proximity to a stockyard.

Entering The Drover, is like entering a “speak-easy” for “beef-a-holics.” One step into the dark entry way and I forgot all about the warm summer day outside or anything else. I gave myself over to the cool, dark, Vegas-like home of grain fed beef. The Drover may be the bad boy, newcomer in Omaha, NE (according to my sources) but it still feels like your parent’s restaurant (in a good way). The salad bar (and presumably the whole place) has been there serving customers since 1968 with those magical ice-cold metal plates. I can’t recall exactly what I was eating in 1968 but it was probably made by the Gerber’s Company.

A Bronze Plaque at the Salad Bar Explains that the Drover has been serving Salad this way since 1968

The Drover’s layout and feel is pretty basic by today’s standard but it isn’t tired or played out. Instead it felt like a restored CLASSIC, sort of like the ’57 T-Bird or ’72 Eldorado of steak houses. And it is getting current media attention. It turns out I missed Man vs. Food’s Adam Richman’s visit by only a week. I had met Adam in Scottsdale this past spring and few culinary people are as current as Adam. After my visit, I am looking forward to watching The Drover episode of Man vs. Food Nation to get his take.

To place my order, I had a choice to make. Whiskey Steak or the Grilled Prime Rib. The Drover is famous for its Whiskey Steak (a secret whiskey based marainade), and I had been thinking of an Omaha, corn-fed Steak for over a year, yet I had always thought of Prime Rib as a Roast. I had never considered cooking a big cut of Prime Rib like a hefty steak. Where they on to something here? When you are just passing through it is hard to come back and try both. What to do? I used a lifeline and conferred with Mike “Spike” Sabin (managing The Drover for 38 years) about my options. His years of restaurant experience came into play. He told me that the Wednesday lunch special was the $17.49 Prime Rib Steak, Whiskey Style. I am not sure if he was pulling my leg and artfully bending the rules, but my problem was solved. There is nothing like a true restaurant professional. Thanks Spike.

The Prime Grade, corn-fed, Nebraska Prime rib is Roasted at 225° F for 4 hours and then Held Warm until it is Sliced as needed. The steak-cut slice is then Marinated in The Drover’s secret whiskey-soy sauce a few minutes before hitting the char-broiler and being Finish Cooked like a steak. The Prime Rib is available until they run out.

As I waited for the my order, I observed the lunch crowd. They ranged from an unlikely table of 4 college girls to business men to the old couples that had been frequenting The Drover since 1968. All sorts of business discussions were taking place. I overheard words like “designated agent” and “ROI” along with foreign place names like “Shanghai” and “Frankfurt.” There was a vibrancy and sense of youthful energy here that I did not see at Gorat’s. It feels like The Drover is replacing their aging customer base and actually they are doing better than ever.

You Can't Argue with the Simplicity of The Prime Rib "Whiskey-Steak-Style"

The Drover’s Prime Rib, “Whiskey-Steak-Style” was a dream. All the buttery goodness of Prime Rib with the Browning and Caramelization of a perfect steak. This is not a “Classic” preparation of Prime Rib, but a classic example of good old fashion American ingenuity. I didn’t ask Spike how it came about but I imagined a re-enactment of the argument.

Chef 1: “Why can’t you cook Prime Rib like a terrific Steak?”

Chef 2: “You just can’t.”

Chef 1: “Yeah?”

Chef 2: “Yeah!”

Chef 1: “I’ll show you.”

The Prime Rib masquerading as a steak falls to the char-broiler. “Sssssssszzzzzzzz.”

Chef 2: “Hey its looking pretty good.”

Chef 1: “Just wait until its ready, Sucker.”

Chef 1 pulls the thick, beautifully marked steak from the grill.

Chef 1: “OMG”

Chef 2, his mouth watering, “Can I get a little of that.”

I also imagined a Reese’s Peanut Butter scenario where two chefs bump into one another and one chef’s roast landed on the grill and they decide that 2 great tastes can go together. OK, maybe I was a little punchy after such a long drive, but all I am going to say by way of explanation, is that sitting by yourself, 1500 miles from home, you have some time to day dream about different scenarios.

However, they came upon it, Grilling the Prime Rib struck me as a stroke of genius. They were not trying too hard, or loading the steak/prime rib up with bells and whistles, like some places. It was just a simple, epic, eye-opening dining / cooking experience. The sides (thick cut toast, cinnamon apple and cottage cheese) were supporting members of the plate. The dated, but welcome, sides also served to confirm that I was still, after all, in the Heartland of Nebraska.

Perfectly Cooked Rare Prime Rib / Steak

With my visit to Fiorella’s Jack Stack in KC just a few hours down the road, I did not even risk a look at the dessert menu.

Writing up my visit, has me almost ready to point the Smart Kitchen mobile towards Nebraska and drive as far as I need to go. If you are a beef eater and you have a chance to drop in, do. And do say “hi” to Spike.

P Chef

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Culinary Learning / Historical Foods / John Sharpe / Lamb / Locriculture / Native American / Southwest / Summer Food Drive — 2 Comments
8
Jun 12

The Turquoise Room – Summer Food Drive 2012 W – E

I love a story that begins with an obscure, colorful lead-in such as ”They have been making whiskey here since a buffalo charged the old still” or “It was on fire when I stopped by,” and now I have one of those lead-ins of my own.

A Navajo-Churro sheep herder over in Cortez, Colorado mentioned The Turquoise Room back in 2010. On the Summer Food Drive that year, we visited Cindy Dvergsten of Arriola Sunshine Farm near Cortez to learn more about her breeding and raising the Heritage Breed of Navajo-Churro Sheep.

Cindy Feeds her flock of spring sheared Navajo Churro Sheep

Un-Sheared and Un-Polled, the 400 Year Old Breed Looks Much More “Heritage!”

A Heritage Navajo Churro Ram. Thanks to the Navajo-Churro Sheep Association for the photo.

Cindy was really informative and we had a great time. On the visit she mentioned that a place down in Winslow, Az, The Turquoise Room, occasionally served Navajo Churro Sheep on their menu. The idea struck me as incongruous at the time because all I could recall of Winslow was a small sun-blasted town, where the “Girl My Lord in the flat bed Ford” slowed down and then they all took “It easy.” Because of that iconic musical imagery and some of my own drive-bys, I couldn’t imagine a fine dining restaurant in Winslow, but nevertheless I filed The Turquoise Room away for further exploration.

So the first stop on the 2012 Summer Food Drive was The Turquoise Room, which is located inside the historic, 1930 La Posada Hotel. Driving into town in the Smart-Kitchen-Mobile, I was again struck by the.., the…, the “sleepiness” of the town. Whatever else it might be, Winslow is the kind of place where you can take a picture of the empty main drag (from the middle of said main drag) at 6.30 PM on a Friday night without worrying (too much) about frenetic traffic.

Winslow can be Slow, which is a Win in our book

After months in big cities, I loved it, but became even more skeptical about finding a beacon of fine dining nearby, one which showcased Native American and heritage ingredients. I was wrong to worry.

If you can’t tell from the image above, the Route 66 in Winslow has seen better days. In a form of visual history, The La Posada remains vibrant, close-by the Santa Fe Pacific’s railroad depot, long after the other thriving businesses have moved on.

It's a Good Sign

Similar to many a modern downtown, where most of the business activity has followed the consumer to the Interstate and the suburbs, the old part of Winslow, the 1904 to 1930 part is shuttered and sleepy, except for The La Posada. With its new-age, hacienda style, the La Posada would be at home in the ritziest Southwestern neighborhoods. Things were looking up.

The La Posada has a high-end, new-age vibe worthy of Santa Fe, Taos, or Sedona

The La Posada was one of the last great railroad hotels built along the route of the Chicago to Los Angeles limited: The Super Chief.

1937 Super Chief Provided Service from the Windy City to the Coast. Thanks to Trainweb.org for the photo.

The La Posada was a destination stop and winter vacation spot. The food operations were run by the legendary restaurateur Fred Harvey and his Fred Harvey Girls (the staff uniforms are still “Harvey-esque.”) It continued to thrive as Americans explored Route 66 but with the advent of the freeway system business fell off and the hotel was closed. The building was used for a time as offices for the railroad until it was completely shuttered and eventually sold off.

Luckily, it was purchased and the great old bones were lovingly restored. As the hostess, who advised me to skip the “light lunch” and wait for the full dinner put it, “It feels like your not in Winslow.” She was succinct and had good advice. I had an interesting amble around the 65,000 sq. ft. La Posada while waiting for The Turquoise Room to close from light lunch and re-open for the full dinner at 5 PM.

Newcastle chef, John Sharpe (and his wife Patricia) moved from Orange County, Ca. in 2000 and opened The Turquoise Room, named for the dining car on the 1936 Super Chief. John was intrigued by the history of the hotel and the possibilities of cooking Fred Harvey-style retro dishes with a modern twist using local Southwestern and Native American ingredients like the 3 Sisters: Corn, Squash & Beans. Some of those ingredients are sourced right on site because The Turquoise Room buys Corn, Diné Squash and Runner Beans (when they come in) from the hotel garden.

The Garden at the La Posada; Gourmet and Native American

He has done a great job with the concept and serves 2,000 meals a week. In 2011, he was nominated for a James Beard Award for best chef in the Southwest and in 2009 Condé Nast Taveler Magazine gave The Turquoise Room a 96.9 (the 2nd highest score in the U.S.). I had a chance to speak with John briefly and part of his approach is a subtle marriage of the concepts of the Mediterranean Cooking of Southwestern France with the native cooking of the Southwest. Where the French would do a white Lingot Bean cassoulet, Native Americans would have made a Tepary Bean (white bean) chili stew. Since we only eat at our stops and it was 24 hours since my last meal, I was very curious to explore John’s take on the dishes.

Don't Look at these too Long or You Might Be Loading Up for a Long Ride to the Turquoise Room

My appetizer was a Fried Squash Blossom that bordered on being a Tamale. Sweet Corn pudding on the inside was a great contrast (texture and flavor) to the crispy, crunchy, flash-fried slightly-sweet, beer/corn battered, Squash Blossom. It was worth the 200 odd mile drive and almost worth the $40 price of John’s cookbook. A side note, if you are interested in buying The Turquoise Room cookbook buy it from John’s Turquoise Room’s Website. It is $94 on Amazon. I will be working on my own version, Gluten-Free (for Mrs. P Chef) this summer.

Wafer Thin and a Threat to Your Airway If You Are Not Careful

The Squash Blossoms were followed by a real traditional Native dish, Hopi Piki Bread, made from the ash of hand-ground Hopi Reservation Blue Corn. After several unsuccessful attempts (it is not easy to make the wafer thin bread from a milky batter comprised of water and ashes), John asked Joyce Saufkie of Second Mesa to make Piki Bread for him. Her Piki Bread has a texture like burnt paper, (or like single layers of Phyllo Dough) and a clean bland taste not unlike a rice cracker. I’d put the Piki Bread in the category of “lite” and “interesting.” They eat a bit like a tiramisu, in that, bits of them fly off and try to choke you like the espresso from the Italian dessert. If any experts want to correct my technique, I am game by the way. The Hopi-style, Bad-Dap-Suki Hummus is made with white Tepary Beans grown by the Tohono O’odham.

While I waited for the entrée, the Navajo Churro Sampler, I watched the well-dressed couples drinking and playing croquet on the track-side lawn. It wasn’t much of a stretch to imagine that it was 1936 and I was waiting for the Super Chief after a restful vacation. Today the Amtrak still comes in from the coast @ 8PM every evening, if it’s on time, noted the hostess. I was in a pre-digital mood as I waited for the sampler of locally-raised, heritage, Navajo Churro lamb.

Churro Posole, Churro Medallion and Churro Verde Tamale

I was expecting a gamier meat and was prepared for it but was pleasantly surprised to find that the Navajo Churro was less sharp than regular lamb. I expect this was, in large part, a function of its preparation in a Posole and a Tamale Verde. The 6 oz. unvarnished, well-cooked, (medium) medallion was my favorite. It gave an straightforward taste of the rolling, richer flavor of the Navajo Churro. There was also some elk sausage thrown in for good measure.

Prickly Pear Bread Pudding

Around this time, I was glad I hadn’t eaten in a day and still had room for a taste of the Prickly Pear Bread Pudding. At Smart Kitchen we do a Prickly Pear Picking Party (P4) in the fall because the Prickly Pear Cactus is one of our only truly “local” ingredients in the desert. We are always looking for new ways to experiment with the red “Tuna” fruit or the green “Nopales” paddles. If you have a psychology degree you may be able to see through the preceding as a “rationalization.”

After a 2 year wait, the visit to The Turquoise Room fed the body, mind and soul. If you are interested in award-winning food, history, Native American Culture or all three, I’d stop by when you are playing “King of the Road” on old Route 66.

P Chef

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Culinary Learning / Historical Foods / Thanksgiving — No Comments
23
Nov 11

The First Thanksgiving Menu – Reposted

This time of year we always wonder how those first Pilgrim settlers actually got along. This post, originally written last year for the holiday describes the menu and some of the circumstances. If you are curious about the Pilgrim experience in the New World, Nathaniel Philbrick’s Mayflower is an interesting read about the Pilgrims voyage and their early years in America.


: J.L.G. Ferris’s painting “First Thanksgiving” Courtesy of Abiline Christian University

According to the encyclopedic The Cambridge World History of Food from the Oxford University Press :

An epidemic in 1617 virtually annihalated the local Native American population at Plymouth Colony, meaning that the Pilgrims had their first Thanksgiving in 1621 pretty much to themselves. Their first holiday meal was probably just as heavy but less interesting than our Thanksgivings are today. Cornbread or “Johnny Cake” was the main staple of their diet for the first few years. And we are fighting off any Soprano’s refrences in the interest of food seriousness.

: Johnny Cakes

The first Thanksgiving undoubetly included wild game fowl, most likely turkey, but possibly ducks or geese.

: Zero Proof Wild Turkey, suitable for All Ages

Mashed potatoes could also have been on the menu, without any of the current day staples like Andouille Sausage Stuffing or Fresh Cranberry Sauce.

: Sarah Josepha Hale

Sara Josepha Hale, one of the first female American novelists and the author of Mary Had a Little Lamb is credited as the individual most responsible for making Thanksgiving a national holiday in all of the United States. Prior to the Civil War, Thanksgiving was only celebrated in the New England states and then on various dates ranging from October to January. In a time when only 2 national holidays existed (Independence Day & Washington’s Birthday), Hale lobbbied 5 U.S. Presidents until in 1863, Abraham Lincoln, seeking to heal a war torn country proclaimed Thanksgiving a holiday.

We hope you have a good Thanksgiving Holiday, cooking and laughing with family and friends.

Happy Thanksgiving Cooking

Smart Kitchen

Culinary Travel / Historical Foods / Italian / Pizza — 4 Comments
19
Jul 11

Red Moon Pizza Has Décor and Prices From Another Era – NYTimes.com

Red Moon Pizza Has Décor and Prices From Another Era – NYTimes.com.

Is it a Sin to Judge a Pie by Its Cover?

Don’t pillory me but I have to admit that I am confused about how I am going to write this blog post. I am aware that this is not an aspicious way to start an article. The problem is that I have a few, compelling but competing lines of thought about why this visit to Red Moon Pizza came about and why I am pushing it further forward and choosing to write about it.

It may be that Stan Parish writing in the New York Times on Sunday is a virtuoso on selling a place in print. It may that I am at best gullible and possibly too intrigued by a deal. At a minimum, I can say that I read selectively. At the worst, I may have to face the fact, that I am seeing a generally positive food experience through jaded eyes, and more frighteningly, eyes jaded about good pizza. Perhaps its all four?

So here is what happened. This past Sunday, Mrs. P Chef, Granny Mrs. P Chef & I read the Gray Lady, The New York Times, as 2 little P Chefs squabbled, played and were generally cute and endearing around the big wooden kitchen table. We saw a blurb on Red Moon Pizza hidden in the back of the paper, describing a secret gem of a “Joisey” pizza joint. Enticing, right?

Who wouldn’t want to see a “Pizzeria From Another Era,” where Sicilian emigrant brothers, Salvatore and Gaetano Spera (Sal & Guy) have been slinging pies for 30 years made from daily fresh dough? Who wouldn’t want to try that place at a premium price, never mind for a pittance of $2 a slice? I was sucked in, picturing swarthy, acccented brothers with dark, waxed handle bar mustaches working in linen togs and greeting the customers with a joyful “Buon Giorno” as they kneaded another batch of their famous dough. Maybe a Corleone would stop by, or a Soprano? I had to see.

Upon arriving, I realized that I must have glossed over some words in Stan Parish’s article. Words like “To step inside is to be aesthetically transported to the early 1980s. The booths are unforgiving orange plastic, and the wall art seems standardized for pizzerias of a certain age” and “The plain slice ($2) is the epitome of by-the-slice pizza, the sauce sweet and faintly tangy under just enough stringy mozzarella cheese,” jump out at me now after my visit.

I was hanging out happily in East Coast Pizza places in the 80′s. I’d seen the hair styles, heard the music and watched the Trans-Ams flash by but I am not sure I want to go back. It was a literal golden age of youth for me, and that invigorated, vibrant part I personally cherish but independently of the clothes, the slang and the whole “80′s” feel.

Since I was in college for much of the 80′s, I also know that epitome means “a perfect example of something,” though I was lulled by its more usual useage to mean a perfect example of something good like “elegance” or “charm.” I read Stan Parish’s line with embedded word and jumped to my own happy conclusions. I failed, at the time to consider that “epitome” could, almost by definition, mean “average.” Similarly, I did not dwell on the fact that ”Another Era” did not necessarily mean another “fabulous” era.

"Another Era" is a "Spot-On" description

If the preceding paragraphs sound therapeutic, they were. I think I needed to sift and organize the thoughts to see that my experience at Red Moon is clouded by bias, both personal and…, well mostly personal, and that I should probably recuse myself from any further commentary.

But I can’t. Was I wrong to expect a Robert De Niro look alike (in period Little Italy costume) to be my new favorite pizza maker? Was I wrong to expect a pie, either NY Style or Sicilian to even come close to the storied pies of my college years at Caserta’s Pizzeria on Federal Hill in Rhode Island? Well was I?

I guess I was. And admitting it, I can see my issue here, the one at hand at least: expectations clouded by nostalgia.

What I should have chosen to see, was talented people working hard to be of service to their community by offering good food at a very fair price. Mea Culpa.

"Sal" and the Team work the Pizza Giving Ovens

And though the sauce was not my perfect cup of tea, as served, it was good and easily doctored with the red pepper, oregano and garlic salt sitting on the table. They were not just catering to me but to every diner. A slice can be spiced up but not down. I understand the larger choices. Both slices spiced up Sicilian very nicely.

Now freed up from a petulant fog of expectations, I can say that the crust on the Sicilian Pizza at Red Moon is a new favorite. It is chewy and delicately crispy in just the right measure.

NY Style Thin Crust & Sicilian Style from Red Moon

I will visit Caserta’s again, or maybe order a Fed-Ex pie, but for now Red Moon is closer than Rhode Island and closer than 1985.

P Chef

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Culinary Travel / Events / Historical Foods — No Comments
5
Jul 11

Two Champs at Nathan’s July 4th All American Dog Fest

Joey "Jaws" Chestnut & Sonya "The Black Widow" Thomas (courtesy of Pepto Bismol)

This Independence Day was no win for the independents on Coney Island at the annual Nathan’s July 4th Hot Dog Eating Contest.

Despite a new format that created male and female divisions, professionals, not independents, were top dogs in both categories. Noted speed eater, Joey “Jaws” Chestnut, won the men’s division by downing 62 dogs (and buns) in 10 minutes. Sonya “The Black Widow” Thomas won the women’s division with 40 dogs consumed in the same period of time.

Nathan's Bustling on Coney Island in the 1920's (photo courtesy of Nathan's Famous)

Nathan’s has been holding the July 4th Hot Dog Eating Contest every year (except 1941 & 1971) since it was opened on Surf Ave. on Coney Island in 1916 by Polish immigrant, Nathan Handwerker with hot dogs made according to his wife Ida’s recipe. A list of their customers is a who’s who of Americana from characters like Al Capone, celebrities like Jimmy Durante or Cary Grant or politicians like Franklin Delano Roosevelt who served Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs to the King & Queen of England in 1939. FDR even and brought Nathan’s Famous with him to the historic Yalta Conference where he partitioned post war Europe with Winston Churchill and Joseph Stalin in 1944.

Last year, Nathan’s, the old war horse of American fast food served over 360 million Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs.

P Chef

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Baking / Historical Foods / Ingredients — 2 Comments
16
Jun 11

Summer is Cholula Seasoning Season but…

The Last Living Bottle of Cholula Seasoning

The other night, Mrs. P Chef pulled out our dwindling supply of Cholula Seasoning and the thought lept to my mind, “Put that down it is an irreplaceable ANTIQUE.” And it is, for now. After she availed herself of a shake or two, I shared the thought and we had a good laugh.

And, I had gained another project from the exchange. Cholula seasoning, as good as it is, or was, is just ingredients, which are listed on the package. I mentioned my project idea to our friend Dak while adding simple syrup to our home brewed Limoncello project (that will be another blog) and we decided to experiment like the Chefs Frankenstein (“Franken-Steen”) to make Choloula Seasoning live again in our kitchens.

All the Ingredients are Listed on the Package in Descending Order of Quantity Used

Cholula Seasoning, is a blend of paprika, kosher salt, dried red bell pepper, dried onion, dried garlic, sugar, citric acid and some preservatives that were combined by the company into a transcendant seasoning. Unfortunately, it is off the market, probably because the Jose Cuervo company, which owns Cholula, was not happy with the initial sales numbers. If it had been recalled for choking cats, or harming the ozone we would have heard about it, wouldn’t we?

A Noble First Effort, If not "Son of", then maybe "Second Cousin of Frankenstein"

Our first draft recipe, made with ingredients pulled impromptu from the provisions standing in the larder (including some very nice Penzey Spices, the fine Hungarian Paprika, still in its tourist package, and of course Sweet’s Zany Zest for the Citric Acid) was:

1/2 T Chipotle Pepper, 1 T Ancho Pepper, 1/4 T Citric Acid, 3/4 T Onion Powder, 1/2 T Garlic Powder, 1/2 T Paprika, 1/2 T Sugar, and 1/2 T Kosher Salt. It was good but not the best approximation. The good news is that we can try again with dried onions and dried peppers to give the seasoning that chewier Mouth Feel.

American / Beef / Historical Foods / Interview / Smart Kitchen News / Summer Food Drive — 1 Comment
9
Jun 11

Buffet, Warren Buffet, at Gorat’s For Steak

I don’t know about you, but if you can’t tell from these posts, I am interested in history and food, including when the two combine as in iconic restaurants of yore. Places like Delmonico’s (NYC), The Brown Derby (LA), Chasens (LA), Skandia (LA), Riccio’s (Palm Springs), Musso & Franks (LA), The Hurley Bell (London), Talbott’s Tavern (KY), peak my interest like nothing else.

The Original Gorat's Structure

I love the play-acting of feeling like you are traveling back to experience the vibrance and joy of an earlier generation.

The patina of some special places, retain in their walls, the psychic energy, emotions and human experiences of people-gone-by, including the callow youths who became our parents and grandparents. Their highs were celebrated with fine dining and their low sorrows drowned with good food and drink at places like these.

Gorat's Aging, Iconic, "New" Classic Exterior

Much as a Medium clutches a personal talisman to focus their vision, dining their way, in their style, frees me up to commune in new ways with people I’ve only ever known as old or historic. With my meal, I imagine them shining youthfully bright, with shared belly laughs and clinking glasses. That active nostalgia is something I savor besides the period flavors.

"Finest Steaks in the World" Enough Said

It was from this appreciative point of view that I read a 2007 issue of Saveur that listed their favorite 7 steakhouses in the U.S. Six of the 7 were old timers (40 years or more) with reputation, experience and charm to spare. Bern’s in Tampa, Fl was number one, Gorat’s in Omaha, NE made the list at number 5 and Peter Luger’s the NYC landmark was number 7.

As much as I wished to visit, I never had made the mental leap to include a “Steakhouse” or “Fine Dining” place on the Summer Food Drive which usually includes more road food. As luck would have it, at Smart Kitchen we have been working for weeks now on our upcoming Lesson 7: Basic Proteins, which includes chapter and verse on beef. A visit to beefy places including ranches and a classic steakhouse was certainly top of brain.

Gorat’s in Omaha, a town once rife with cattle yards full of fine grain fed beef, is reputed to be one of Warren Buffets favorite restaurants (he went to high school with the proprietor), so I did not know what to expect. Atypically, I phoned ahead to arrange a visit to the Dry Aging Room with Brian Jurgens and of course to make sure that some of the finest T-Bone Steaks were available at lunch as well as at dinner.

I walked in right on time for lunch (food trip travel routing and timing is a whole other subject). Terry, who was filling in as hostess, greeted me warmly as did a picture of the Gorat family, as though they were presiding over my experience. Shortly, I was introduced to Brian Jurgens, who has been with Gorat’s for 31 of its 68 years, and we headed to the back of the house.

Heading Back to the Dry Aging Room

In the old days they Gorat’s brought in sides of beef, including the champion steer at the Nebraska State Fair a time or two.

The Stairs to the Good Stuff

Back in the day, sides of beef hung wherever the Gorat’s had room any number of different coolers. But things have changed and USDA Choice beef now comes in as “Boxed Beef” already cut into Primals and even Sub-Primals by the meat packing plant. It likely already has some Wet Aging on it before it arrives.

the door to the dry aging room at Gorats

One of the "Walk-Ins" Where Dry Aging Occurs

The Dry Aging process, which follows First In First Out (FIFO), can take 2 to 3 weeks to Concentrate the flavor in the 1/4 to 1/2 inch into the meat. Once the meat is properly aged, the Primals are “Broken Down” on site into portion cuts. Nothing goes to waste. Extra bones are used in their fantastic spagetti sauce, excess meat is used for ground beef, fat is saved for Suet, even trim is sold to pet owners for their dogs.

Portion Cut, Dry Aged 20 oz. T-Bones Ready to Grill

In my case, a Loin was portion cut into beautiful T-Bones like those above and taken upstairs to the grill where they were Seared and then cooked 6-7 minutes on the first side at 325 degrees and 5 minutes on the second side before hitting “The Pass.”

Where My T-Bone Would Reside Momentarily

I did not request floor seats, to sit grill-side and watch my steak cooked (I should have) but instead went to the dining room where my meal began arriving. I started with the fried raviolis, because they were a Mid-Western, (St. Louis) creation and very old school. They came with the house spagetti sauce made from beef bone stock. It was better than my Granny P Chef’s, which is not saying enough in praise of Gorat’s spagetti sauce, because I was not born to an Italian family. : )

Terrific Fried Ravioli served with House Spagetti Sauce with Beef Bone Stock

While I was working on the raviolis, the house bread arrived, with 3 kinds of herbal butter, which you get too much of in the video, but no photo of here, because I was working too many gadgets, and forgot. Next the T-Bone arrived, accompanied by pasta with more of the house spagetti sauce, a side of aged parmegianno (a beautiful supporting flavor), and the best hometown hash browns I have ever had.

Pasta Like I Woulda Remembered...

Another Missed Shot of a Superb Side Salvaged by the Internet

And of course, they all supported, like a carrier battle group, the beefy tenderness of a 20 ounce broadside of some of America’s best.

As Rare & Juicy as it Looks

The whole bill came to $39, which is alot for a daily lunch but a pittance relative to a tank of gas for the SK Mobile and for what was prepared and consumed. As Brian explained it, being old school, they have had the same prices on some items for 15 years. I’d pay more every 10 years to ensure they survive but this time I just accepted and enjoyed the largess of an extreme value.

I Left Well Nourished for the Haul to KC, MO

As, I was leaving Brian told me that they host the Berkshire Hathaway (Warren Buffet’s main company) annual shareholders’ meeting, where they served 1,000 T-Bones a day. In fact, it turns, out I missed seeing Bill Gates & Warren Buffet having a sandwich at Gorat’s by barely a week.

If you have the chance, and you can appreciate something less glitzy or glam, I’d stop in for the food, the celebrity-watching, the spectres of the past and alowing them to remain in the present.

P Chef

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American / Breakfast / Historical Foods / Smart Kitchen News / Summer Food Drive — 3 Comments
6
Jun 11

Acoma Pueblo – Summer Food Drive – First Stop

The Summer Food Drive 2011 started at 02:00 A.M. with a 351 mile jaunt to the Acoma Pueblo in New Mexico. It is a geologic wonder and also known as the “Sky City” by the native Hopi people. It is a place I’d barely heard of but the idea of the Ancients, their philosophy and soulfulness, still lingering around their long abandoned dwellings was compelling. I was also drawn to the idea of experiencing native foods in the most native of environments.

Can you Guess Why it is Called "Sky City?" (Photo Courtesy of Sky City)

The Yaaka Cafe (Yaaka means corn) promised to serve traditional fare in a traditional setting. What better way to kick off an American food trip than with Native American foods? If my luck held at all the dishes would be “authentic” and not the doughy overly fried versions found at weekend events.

After 6 hours of driving, I was ready for a meal but the beauty of the high desert vista leading to the Acoma Pueblo and the elegant soulful design of the Sky City Cultural Center and the Haaku Museum fueled curiousity at the expense of hunger. Martha Watchempo Fasel, a very talented fine arts painter was featured.

The visual beauty continued as I finally made my way to the beautifulYaaka Cafe, which takes full advantage of the natural and historic views offered by its surroundings and Sky City. If there wasn’t a permit-only, photo ban, there’d be a few more photos. I did seek permission to take a few snaps of my traditional meal with “bread.” Some of the Menu can be seen by following the link.

The Acoma "Bread"

In the same way that round ham-like back bacon shows up when “Bacon” is ordered in Canada, fry bread is “Bread” on the Native menu. The bread was not a completely different animal but well executed and more delicate than the Big Top Faire. It was also a good counterpoint to my local dish: Nanna’s Sheepherder Wrap.

Sheepherder Wrap from Yaaka Cafe, Acoma Pueblo

That's just a Burrito, Right? Not!

From the picture you probably expect another burrito, as I did. Instead, what arrived at my table to the accompaniement of native chanting on the Muzak system (It grew on me and I may seek it out on I-Tunes), was a super pleasant surprise for the taste buds and the ever curious brain.

The “Nana’s Sheepherder” had none of the acidy spice of the Mexican meal. It was earthier with more of a Umami taste that I have rarely experience. At first happiness was fueled by surprise, then by the dish as I acquired a taste for the hard to describe flavor. Think of it as a crispy mutton hash with an umami flavor (from the pan fried potatoes and slow cooked roast beef) supported by the traditionally flavored, red chili paste and you won’t be far off.

Truth be told, I entered the Yaaka Cafe a bit worried after 350 miles. It is homey but touristy, a kind of cross between Southwesterny home style and a tourist attraction food court. The hot dogs and burgers are front and center but you can find the Traditional Menu on the take-out paper menus.

All in all, it was an auspicious start in a fairly remote, long-shot restaurant that should hold me until Cafe Pasquals in Santa Fe (that turned out to be another story). I thank the ancestors for sharing their cuisine and approach the rest of my travels with an open mind and heart.

P Chef

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Culinary Travel / Events / Historical Foods — No Comments
29
Apr 11

Let them Eat Cake, and Cornish Crab and Pressed Duck and Roulade of…

The Princess & Her Flock of "Bridelings" (photo courtesy of Zimbio.com)

For not the first time, I felt lucky to be up working at 2-3 AM PST, ironically on Hereford beef from Herefordshire England while the royal wedding was on in the background.

For a non-gusher, Kate’s arrival at the Abbey was something to see Live, even on a small screen and more than 5 time zones away. Being part of something like that monarchy, the tradition, the line of fathers & sons, mothers & daughters made me understand why all those Tommies faced the machine guns and tanks of England’s foes.

It was spectacular to see the princess bride walk towards royal matrimony, with all its privilege and all its responsibilities & strictures, accompanied by her inspirational processional music and her “flock” of attending little “bride-lings” in white.

The images got me thinking about what they would be eating in London today and so courtesy of The Australian, we were able to review the Royal Menu released by Buckingham Palace. The 650 or so guests at the lunchtime reception were served a selection of canapes, including:

- Cornish crab salad on lemon blini

- Pressed duck terrine with fruit chutney

- Roulade of goats’ cheese with caramelised walnuts

- Assortment of palmiers and cheese straws

- Scottish smoked salmon rose on beetroot blini

- Miniature watercress and asparagus tart

- Poached asparagus spears with Hollandaise sauce

- Quails eggs with celery salt

- Scottish langoustines with lemon mayonnaise pressed confit of pork belly with crayfish and crackling

- Wild mushroom and celeriac chausson

- Bubble and squeak with confit shoulder of lamb

- Grain mustard and honey-glazed chipolatas

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- Smoked haddock fishcake with pea guacamole

- Miniature Yorkshire pudding with roast fillet of beef and horseradish mousse

- Gateau opera

- Blood orange pate de fruit

- Raspberry financier

- Rhubarb creme brulee tartlet

- Passionfruit praline

- White chocolate ganache truffle

- Milk chocolate praline with nuts

- Dark chocolate ganache truffle

Buckingham Palace added that guests would be served Pol Roger NV brut reserve champagne – along with other soft and alcoholic drinks.

The palace said that governors-general and prime ministers would be presented to the queen, the duke of Edinburgh, the prince of Wales, the duchess of Cornwall, and the newly-married royal couple.

The reception was due to include the cutting of the wedding cake, as well as some speeches.

P Chef

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Breakfast / Eggs / Historical Foods / Recipes / Silence DoGood / Washington's Birthday — No Comments
21
Feb 11

Silence Dogood’s Washington’s Birthday Post

At Smart Kitchen, we have had the good fortune to cross paths with some creative, intellectually-curious food writers. Silence Dogood is one of them. We get a kick out of her posts and try to re-post those of hers that have to do with food. Recently, she sent us her tribute to General Washington and thought that our readers might get a kick out of how they did it back in the day. Silence’s post follows. You can see her Original Post on her regular blog Poor Richard’s Almanac.

Washington Loved Cherries and Other Fresh Fruits & Nuts

Silence Dogood here. Big George loved his cherries, but he wasn’t too big on dessert. So what sorts of cherry treats did Martha make for him at Mount Vernon? Turning to Martha Washington’s Booke of Cookery, containing her handwritten collection of recipes (called “receipts” back in her day), I found a recipe that was sure to sit well with George: cherry wine.

Washington, like all his contemporaries, was a heavy drinker, often polishing off four glasses of madeira after downing homebrew throughout dinner. And drinking beer with breakfast was considered par for the course in his day, followed by an assortment of alcoholic beverages, from hard cider to claret and port, not to mention gin and rum among members of the navy, as the day wore on.

Why? Was America founded by a bunch of alcoholics? Hardly, nor were the Colonists alone in their drinking habits: All Europe shared them, with good reason. With no knowledge of sanitation, and sewage being dumped in the streets and into the water supply, drinking water was—and was widely recognized as—dangerous. Encounters with E. coli and other contagious diseases usually proved fatal in the days when bleeding and purging were the recommended treatments for pretty much everything and antibiotics were unknown.

Fermentation was an easy way to destroy most of the bad bacteria, so drinking fermented (i.e., alcoholic) beverages was strongly recommended and pretty much universally practiced. Only one voice was raised against the practice, that of the youthful visionary Benjamin Franklin, who was both a teetotaler and a vegetarian, centuries ahead of his time, and recommended water as the universal beverage. Spending time in the polluted cities of London and Paris eventually cured Franklin of his idealism—fresh water was nowhere to be found in either locale—and he came to appreciate a glass of wine or a mug of beer; his vegetarianism also eventually fell by the wayside.

But even in an era of universal drinking, public drunkenness was condemned as vulgar and appalling; a gentleman (or lady, for that matter) was supposed to be able to hold his (or her) liquor. I have no idea how the people of the time managed to walk that tightrope; I’m just glad we moderns have a lot more options when it comes to choosing a thirst-quenching beverage.

But to get back to Martha’s cherry wine, which we would probably consider more of a cherry cordial, let’s just say I’m providing the recipe as a matter of historical interest rather than urging you to try it. We’ll get to a cherry recipe next that would probably have pleased George and will certainly please you.

Martha Washington’s Cherry Wine

Take a good quantety of spring water & let it boyle halfe an houre. then beat 4 pounds of raysons, clean pickt & washed, & beat them in a mortar to paste. then put them in an earthen pot, & pour on ym 12 quarts of this water boyling hot, & put to it 6 quarts of ye Juice of cheries, & put in the pulp & scins of ye cheries after they are strayned. & let all these steep together, close covered, 3 days, then strayn all out & let it stand 3 or 4 hours to settle. take of ye cleerest, & run ye rest thorough a Jelley bagg, then put ye Juice up into bottles & stop them up close, & set them in sand.

Mmm, mmm, good! Well, maybe it was good. But I don’t think I’ll try it and see! Instead, I set myself to thinking about what our First President, a man of hearty appetite but plain tastes, who was known to leave the fancy dishes and desserts to his guests, would have enjoyed in the way of cherry recipes.

Clafouti sprang to mind, a simple, warm dish that is half-pancake, half pudding, full of fruit and flavor, but not too sweet. It would have made a great breakfast dish for George, served with his eggs, a variety of meats (including ham, bacon, sausage, and possibly fish), hominy, and biscuits before he headed out to ride over his plantations. If you’d like to make it as a dessert, whipped cream adds a lovely touch; for breakfast, you, like George, would probably prefer heavy cream poured over your portion of hot clafouti. This recipe is courtesy of Anna Thomas’s wonderful The Vegetarian Epicure Book Two (Alfred A. Knopf, New York, 1979). Ben Franklin would be proud!

Clafouti of Cherries

4 eggs

1 cup flour

2 cups warm milk

3/4 cup sugar

2 tablespoons butter, melted

2 tablespoons kirsch

pinch of salt

1 to 2 tablespoons soft butter

1 pound sweet, dark cherries, washed, stemmed, and pitted

Beat the eggs lightly and gradually stir in the flour. When the mixture is smooth, beat in the milk, sugar, melted butter, and kirsch, along with a tiny pinch of salt.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees. Very generously butter a large, shallow baking dish and pour a very thin layer of the batter across the bottom of it. Put it in the hot oven for 2 to 3 minutes, or just long enough for the batter to begin to set.

Arrange the pitted cherries evenly over the layer of batter and pour the remaining batter carefully over them. Reduce the heat to 400 degrees and bake the clafouti for about 30 to 35 minutes. It should be golden brown and slightly puffed. It’s a good idea to check it once or twice during the baking, and if it is starting to puff unevenly in large bubbles, pierce it with a skewer or fork.

Sprinkle the hot clafouti with sieved confectioners’ sugar and serve it hot or warm, topped with cold heavy cream or whipped cream. Serves 6 to 8. (Probably more like two if one of you is George Washington!)

So there you have it, a breakfast dish fit for, if not a king, at least a president! From all of us here at Poor Richard’s Almanac, Happy Birthday, George!!!