More Fun Playing with Food From Mister Brisket

As you know from my two most recent posts, we've been playing with a bunch of items I picked up at Mister Brisket last Friday. I can't leave the subject without showing you two more meals.

We planned to start on the hotdogs for dinner on Monday. Bob went to Mustard Seed Market to pick up hotdog buns, and since I'd be at the office and he'd be gardening all day, I suggested he pick up a ready-made side dish from there. Well, I was glad he didn't. He had coleslaw on his mind - and since we had fresh made mayo - why not?







He shredded some cabbage, added my mayo, a serrano chile, garden basil, salt and black pepper - and a wonderful side dish was born!



My favorite way to eat a hotdog is from a charcoal fire. But we weren't about to fire up the Weber just to cook 2 hotdogs. So Bob fried them in the cast iron skillet, to get that crispy casing we both adore.


Mister Brisket's Famous All Beef Hotdog

This sheep casing frank is sourced from a New York company that has been in this business for generations. It had huge beef flavor, a great snap, and lots of juice. No photos of the inside - I was too busy eating it.



I'm a purist - just a bit of spicy brown mustard (Bertman's was in the fridge) and a bun. That's all I need.

The final item I procured last Friday that I haven't yet shown you is the turkey breast, made from scratch at Mister Brisket's market. Just looking at this product, nestled in butcher paper, takes me back to my childhood.



My mother never bought any meat products at the supermarket - only at V&F Butcher shop on Larkfield Road in East Northport (unless it was a Jewish Holiday - in which case she went to Commack Kosher). V&F still exists, though it is on the third or fourth owners since then. The memory trace is very strong - the smell of sawdust, which was all over the floor (and which is still on the floor to this day, although much less), and the smells of all the meats and prepared items. And my very favorite of all of those things: fresh roast turkey breast. No Sodium Fill-In-The-Blanks, phosphates or fillers - just turkey and some seasoning. And more often than not, it was a turkey breast sandwich mom packed in my lunchbox. Turkey that came out of butcher paper, not shrink-wrapped plastic.

In those days (the 1970s), many delis made their own meats, especially in New York City. So even when I left for home for college, I could still get real turkey breast. Alas, no one makes their own turkey breast anymore - one deli owner recently told me that he couldn't make it for less than he could buy it from GFS (food service). And to be fair, the food service products aren't horrible - but they taste artificial and salty to me.

Thank the heavens that Mister Brisket, together with his talented associate Hank, decided to make deli meats! As wonderful as the corned beef and pastrami are, though, I think I love the turkey the best. It is exquisite in its simple goodness.

So, due to the interruptions of lunch dates yesterday and today, I decided to have a turkey sandwich for breakfast today (because there are no preservatives in this - so you use it or lose it!).


Fresh Rye Bread from Appetite



A layer of my mayo on each slice, then the turkey slices, then a little bit of ketchup (kind of makes a French Dressing thing, my mother always said). Simple and delicious. And they say you can't go back!



Mister Brisket certainly gave us plenty to play with these last few days. And the hotdogs and sliced meats will last us at least a few more days. Now, if only he could get some more of that salmon!

Fun Playing with Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Yes, I know, Passover isn't over yet. However, when Chef Paul Minillo mentioned at the Burgess Wine Dinner that the next special dinner at the Baricelli Inn would be April 24, and would feature the Olive Oil and Wines of Villa Calcinaia, I knew I could not miss this. It is the best Olive Oil I have ever tasted, and so I knew I had to taste their wines, as well as whatever wonderful food Chef Paul would pair with it. So, we took a "temporary break" from Passover last night, to enjoy this incredible meal.




Click this link for more info on the Olive Oil

We didn't fool around in "breaking" Passover - as bread was served with the first wine pour. While I might otherwise have simply passed on it (sorry) - the little bottle of olive oil on the table beckoned, and I could not resist its siren song.






After the first slice of a rather plain bread (which was an ideal foil for the olive oil), the bread service for the evening switched to this amazing Olive Bread. All of the breads served at Baricelli are sourced from Mediterra Bakehouse in Pittsburgh, PA.

After Chef Paul described the menu (and those pictures apparently didn't click, because I can't find them!), our host, Count Sebastiano Capponi, owner of a 500 year old estate in Greve, Tuscany, described his wines and that fabulous olive oil.



As we sipped on the Villa Calcinaia Comitale 2006, a crisp white, the first course was served:


Sauteed Halibut with Mixed Heirloom Tomatoes, Basil & Fennel, Calcinaia EVOO



Halibut is now in season, and this was a perfect example of it. The fish was pristinely fresh, light and flaky, with a little bite in the crust, and accompanied by greenhouse tomatoes that tasted of mid-summer. The whole dish was resplendent atop a mound of this exquisite olive oil.

The next wine, Villa Calcinaia Chianti Classico 2004, was then poured.


Papperdelle Puttanesco



The pasta was perfectly cooked, and the sauce had a little bite to it, which played beautifully off of the slightly tannic wine. As per usual at Baricelli, the pasta was topped with just the right amount of sauce.

We had barely touched our plates when Chef Paul came around, bearing cheese! Saying "I'm not supposed to do this" - he proceeded to sprinkle some cheese over our plates.



I had wondered why there was no cheese in the first place - then Chef explained that because he had used Anchovy in the sauce, he had initially followed the Italian tradition of not adding cheese to the dish. Then, he changed his mind! The anchovy provided that lovely bite I mentioned, but it wasn't at all overpowering (which I often find to be the case with anchovy). And I love cheese with anything- especially Baricelli Cheese Company cheese! As with the Halibut course - I cleaned my plate (and I was not the only person at our table guilty of sopping up every bit of goodness with the Olive Bread).

Our third wine was then poured - Villa Calcinaia Chianti Classico Reserva 2004. This wine was amazingly smooth, and proved a perfect pair with the next course.


Paul's Heirloom Pork Sausage with Swiss Chard & Ramps



I think it is fair to say that, after enjoying this course, Passover was pretty much (you should pardon the expression), toast. I think we broke every rule in the book with one dish - toothsome sausage laced with pepper that played beautifully off of the wine, served over cheesy polenta that had its own peppery flavor, and accented with the chard and ramps - a fabulous dish.

Our last savory wine was the Villa Calcinaia Casarsa 2004.


Sauteed Duck Leg with Cannellini Beans & Spring Veggies







This was bone-licking good - the meat was tender and not the least bit greasy and the skin was perfectly crispy and succulent. And again, the wine pairing was spot-on.

For dessert, we were first treated to an amazing sweet wine, the Villa Calcinaia Vin Santo. This wine was complex, nutty, fruity and warming all at the same time.


V/C EVOO Ice Cream with Basil & Chocolate Truffle

Not only was there EVOO in the ice cream - the dessert was plated over a lovely pool of EVOO and it all went together perfectly.





The truffle, also made in-house, was divinely chocolatey. It brought the wine and ice cream together in a luxurious harmony.

So today, it's back to Matzo. I'm not sure why; I guess it's just in my DNA. But oh, what a feast we enjoyed last night! Thank you to the wonderful staff and kitchen at the Baricelli Inn for this unique and tasty experience.

Fun at Fire Playing Slowly with Maple Syrup

Yesterday, the Northeast Ohio Convivium of Slow Food held its second "tasting" event at Shaker Square's fire Restaurant. It was about two years ago that we had a "bacon tasting" at fire, followed by brunch. This time, the featured item was Maple Syrup. Ten syrups, as a matter of fact. After tasting and scoring all of the syrups, we were served a delicious brunch by Chef Katz's kitchen. But first, the tasting!

When we arrived at fire's back room, we found the tasting set up as follows:



The syrups for two of the glasses (#5 and#6) arrived a little late - but in time for everyone to enjoy them. We each had a scoresheet and a small pencil - and the table held a whole lot of little bitty spoons!











#6


#7







Let the tasting begin!





This little guy wasn't the only youngster - bravo to the parents who are educating their children about where their food comes from! After everyone had tasted, Kari Moore revealed which syrup was which - and there were a couple of surprises. The biggest surprise what that some people liked #10 a lot - #10 was Mrs. Butterworth's. I confess, I had started at the end and worked my way up, so I tasted #10 first and #1 last, though #6 & #7 were my actual last tastes, as they arrived after my table had gone through the line. #10 did not taste very "maply," but it was very tasty, with a lot of caramel/butterscotch flavor. It coated my palate, and seemed thicker than the other syrups. Thank heavens #7 came to rescue me from choosing a fake food as favorite! It's scary how such artificial food can taste so good!

The real syrups lined up as follows, I hope (Kari - please feel free to comment and correct any mistakes I may have here):




Miller Farm 2007 Light Amber




Kari said this was also from Miller Farm, but the label says Sutton's
2008 Medium Amber




Godell Farm 2008 Light Amber




Godell Farm 2008 Dark Amber

I don't seem to have a photo of #5, which is ironic since that syrup, a 2008 Light Amber, is the fire "house" maple syrup, produced by Snake Hill Farm in Geauga Country. One of the proprietors, Savery Rorimer, was our guest speaker, and she told us about the syrup making process and answered questions.





Snake Hill Farm 2008 Medium Amber




Snake Hill Farms 2008 Dark Amber

This was the personal favorite of me and my husband; we were very happy that Ms. Rorimer brought some to sell!




Vermont Maple Syrup 2007 Dark Amber, Grade B (the only sample that was not Grade A)




Holden Aboratorium [spelling??]

This was from 2007; Kari was not sure whether they are still producing syrup.

I did not photograph Mrs. Butterworth, but you know what she looks like!

The servers then began to appear, bearing goodies. First, an exquisite clay oven bread topped with cinnamon sugar that melted in the mouth:





Next, two warm pancake toppings:


Blueberry Compote


Snake Hill Farm 2008 Light Amber Maple Syrup (tasting #5)

Next, plates of meaty sides appeared:


Applewood Smoked Bacon

The bacon was perfectly cooked to slightly chewy crispness - and what a taste difference from supermarket bacon!


House Made Breakfast Sausage



I'm not a big sausage eater - but I really loved this!


Lemon Souffle Pancakes







Once everyone was served, plates of fresh pancakes came out for each table.

This event was a perfect way to play with nine natural, sugar, corn syrup, color and chemical free Maple Syrups, while enjoying a delicious brunch! Thank you, Chef Katz and Slow Food for a lovely event.