The Chef And The Drink - Surviving The Storm

Hurricane Irene.  What can I say?  They put the fear of God in us and sadly, some people are still dealing with her wrath. Before she came, there was a god deal of preparing that many of us undertook. Fearing that we would lose power at work, we cleared a few key things out of the freezer.  My big score was a large frozen octopus.  I had previously begged Chef Michael Psilakis into revealing some of the secrets of his octopus.  (See my previous entry "the suburbs" to learn more about him.)  I figured even without power, I could pull off his recipe, or at least, something close. His technique, which sadly, I will keep secret, as I do not have his approval to share with you, worked perfectly.  The octopus was meltingly tender and full of flavor.  I threw a quick marinade on it, and sure enough, the power went out right after it went into the fridge. But, it was destined for the grill in a few hours, so I had no concerns about it. Now without power, it was time to quickly rip through the fridge and assess what needed to be cooked or dealt with before it spoiled.  Way too many bell peppers - some went into salad, the rest hit the grill and became romesco sauce, which also went with chicken that would be cooked later.  We lit candles and set the table.  The octopus got a quick char on the grill.  (Yes, I am obsessed enough to grill in what had at that point been downgraded to a tropical storm.)  The octopus was too magically tender and too delicious to be a part of this storm.  The candlelight also made things feel a little too romantic!   The wine for the octopus, was the brand new "entwine" Pinot Grigio, which was ice cold and needed to be drunk before it warmed up.  It went perfectly with the lightly acidic marinade and the brininess of the octopus.  The power remained off for two days, as we awaited road repair, tree removal, and the power guys to work their magic.  There was plenty of go fish with my 5 year old, Scrabble with the adults, and cooking, eating, and drinking, but nothing quite as memorable as the octopus and entwine. Live To Eat, Love To Drink!

The Drink - Micro Distiller

A few months back an industry buddy mentioned that he had this amazing rum from Berkshire Mountain Distillers. I was less surprised to hear that a micro distiller was producing an excellent rum than I was to learn that there is actually a distillery in the Berkshires. I've been going to the Berkshires since I was 12 (more than 30 years) and this sounded too exciting not to arrange a visit.  It took a while to find a day where someone could watch the kids and my wife and I could go for  what I hoped would involve a taste or two.  We arrived to an intoxicating smell, "what is that rich floral smell???" As it turns out, that smell was their Ethereal Gin, that they were getting ready to bottle.  If it tasted half as good as it smelled, we were in for a real treat. (Mind you, I like gin as a mixer, but I don't love gin on it's own, unless of course, it's a perfect martini with a big bowl of olives.  I cannot drink a martini without a bowl of olives!)
After a good look around it was time to get serious.  The tasting began with their "basic" gin - Greylock.  Really nice round flavor and lush mouthfeel. I have never had a gin that had that kind of mouthfeel.  That was followed by 2 different batches of the Ethereal gin. All three were among some of the better gins I've had in quite a while. Next came a pear brandy that was exquisite.  The only bad news is that they had long since sold out of it.  Then came the rum I had heard about - Ragged Mountain.   Gold to amber in color and delicious!  Big round flavor with caramel and nice spice notes.  I would have gladly called it quits there, but the bourbon and corn whiskey just couldn't be passed up.  Everything we tried was more than worth the price of admission.  We gladly stopped at a local liquor store on the way home and now are in proud possession of the rum and the gin.  I wanted both gins, but if I tried bringing yet another bottle home, I think I would have been put in timeout!
I don't think they really offer tours to the public, but it's worth a trip to the Berkshires just to pick up a few bottles. Ok, perhaps enjoy the sights too! Live To Eat, Love To Drink!

The Chef And The Drink - A Family Weekend

A weekend with the family turned out to be a little more fun on the food side than expected.  My folks belong to the Berkshire Organics CSA (first surprise) and my mother sent me a list of available produce for the friday delivery.  On the list was callaloo, it had been more than 30 years since I Iast had it in Jamaica and I have never prepared it.  I decided to treat it like Swiss chard.  Stems and ribs removed and sliced thin and sautéed in olive oil until tender.  The greens were thrown into a screaming hot pan, with water still clinging to the leaves.  A good hit of my favorite olive oil - Castillo de Tabernas, from Spain - some salt and pepper, stems stirred back in, and I must say, one delicious pan of greens, still with some of the vibrant color remaining.  The taste was somewhere in the middle of chard and stinging nettles.  
For the next surprise, this ended up getting served along side a venison steak my mother pulled out of her freezer (exact cut unknown, as I was the butcher of a doe bagged by one of the in-laws.  I think it was top round.)  It was grilled with ground coriander, salt, and pepper.
For the final surprise, my father broke out a bottle of 2005 Karl Wente Nth Degree Cabernet.  A lush wine with some nice acidity and the fruit and oak in wonderful balance.  
Look for callaloo in your local market while the season is apparently in.  
Look for the Nth Degree in any season.

Live To Eat, Love To Drink!

The Drink: Bourbon

I have to admit, I have more bottles of bourbon at home than any sane person should have.
The good news: there is always something different to drink.
The bad news: every so often, you forget how good certain bottles are, as they tend to get hidden behind other bottles. (ok, not such bad news.)
Just last night, I felt the calling for a small glass of bourbon after dinner and a bottle of W.L. Weller 12 caught my eye. How long had it been? The smell immediately reminded what a wonderful whiskey it is. I do have a big soft spot for wheated bourbons. The Van Winkle family are still some of favorite ones, from the 10 year, on up through the twenty-something's. One sip of the Weller and I was in heaven. Rich, round, smooth, sweet. Possibly THE BEST bourbon at that price. If you have never tried it, don't let the cheap price tag fool you. This is a phenomenal whiskey.
If you are in the mood for a splurge, seek out the limited release William Larue Weller. No age statement, but much more mature than it's younger sibling and a heftier price tag of around $65.

The Chef And The Drink: The Suburbs

There are those few select chefs who are worthy of a following. Wherever they open a restaurant, people will follow. For me, one of those chefs is Michael Psilakis. I had many truly memorable meals at Anthos, Dona, and Kefi.
He has recently opened a restaurant in the suburbs on Long Island - MP Taverna. The reviews are resoundingly great and it sounded worth a visit. I just dined there with my wife and had my second phenomenal meal there.  I have never before eaten octopus that was so light and tender.  The dumplings were even lighter.  Scallops that were as sweet and fresh as any I've ever had.  A delicious lamb burger and a bulgur salad that made me rethink my lack of passion for that grain.  Everything was perfectly cooked, perfectly seasoned and left me wanting to make my next reservation immediately. One of the many delights turned out to be a beer.  I tried the Widmer Brothers - Brothers' Reserve Barrel Aged Brrrbon - limited release #3.  Quite tasty, with some definite bourbon sweetness mingling with the malt.  Big price tag, but worth it.
If you find yourself stuck in traffic on the LIE, get off at Roslyn and go have an amazing meal while the traffic and your stress fade away.

Live To Eat, Love To Drink

The Chef: Chicago

I was in Chicago on business for 3 days and heard all about the restaurants The Girl And The Goat and Xoco.
Xoco - barely had time for lunch, but had just enough time to try the suckling pig torta. Outstanding! Also grabbed a minted iced chocolate for my walk back to meet a coworker and head to work. It was downright unforgettable.
The Girl And The Goat -I was there with some fellow industry people. The three of us literally had enough food on the table for six to ten people. All I can say is wow, Chef Stephanie can cook and is truly deserving of all of her accolades! The menu was quite varied and we sampled 20 of her small plates. (It's a menu of all small plates.)  Not a clinker in the bunch and we're still talking about how amazing some of them were: Lamb Tartar, Escargot Ravioli, Octopus, Goat Empanadas... Next time you're in Chicago, it is truly a must eat at spot!!!

Live To Eat, Love To Drink!

What I've Been Drinking Lately

I recently acquired a bottle of Bunnahabhain 12, the new non-chill filter release. I have to confess, I was never the biggest fan of their product.  I read last year about the resurgence of the distillery and carelessly paid it no mind. But, this really impressed me.  For now, I'll refrain from slapping a score on "reviews" and simply say that it's worth trying. Not as peaty as some of it's Islay counterparts, but quite nice and balanced.
I've also still been enjoying a bottle of Glenmorangie Finealta. Much bigger, deeper, and rounder than the standard Glenmo bottlings. I recently poured that for some friends, who consider themselves bourbon drinkers and not really scotch fans. They loved it and half the bottle vanished that night (no angel share involved.)
It's summer, so I've been busy with tequila lately. If you haven't had Riazul yet, look for it. Their blanco and reposado are great and make a mean cocktail. Their anejo is truly worthy of sipping neat after dinner.
Being a lover of peaty malts, I love a good mezcal. Something that until recently in the US was a bit of an oxymoron. If you like mezcal or are looking for one to try, check out Pierde Almas. There are about 6 in their lineup, all good.
And of course, it is bourbon season. Spent last Sunday grilling and a friend asked for some bourbon. Had a little mint growing in the yard, so offered up a quick Mint Julep. The bottle of Woodford Reserve smelled so good, I couldn't resist and had to join her.