Horned Mellon

]]> http://ascomsystems.com/miadish/2008/04/about-a-horned-mellon/feed/ http://ascomsystems.com/miadish/2008/04/somethings-cooking/ http://ascomsystems.com/miadish/2008/04/somethings-cooking/#comments Sun, 13 Apr 2008 01:57:17 +0000 dave http://ascomsystems.com/miadish/?p=14

You may have noticed that things have been a little quiet at Miami Dish lately. There’s something simmering over here, so the website will be on hiatus for the next week or so. The site may be down intermittently as I work on it, but Miami Dish will be back very soon!

I ate my fill at the Coral Gables Wine and Food Festival on Thursday. This was my second time attending. Bill of tinkering with dinner was not at all impressed. I agree that there were some underwhelming offerings. Overall, I think the samples at this year’s festival were satisfying, but not mind-blowing. I also noticed that some of the restaurants had empty tables at various points in the night, including La Dorada and Cacao.

However, my companions and I did find noteworthy dishes:

The salmon ceviche on blue corn tortilla from Cacao was fresh, plump and tangy.

Anacapri served a creamy and impeccable porcini risotto out of a hollowed out round of cheese.

La Gastronomia offered a large selection of their Italian dishes. The huge round of lobster ravioli in squid ink pasta from was amazing. It was dressed with a saffron sauce with morsels of lobster. The chicken fettuccine alfredo, perhaps too pedestrian for some, was also fabulous. The lasagna was average.

Reliable Ortanique served tasty conch fritters. Cindy Hutson described them as “heavy on the conch, very light on the breading.” They were complemented by a roasted red pepper coulis.

I also enjoyed the venison loin with blackberry demi glace and creamy grits from Christabelle’s Quarter, a newcomer to the festival.

Giardino Gourmet Salads delivered again this year with a simple salad composed of crisp lettuce, sun dried tomatoes and goat cheese.

The line at Chuao choclatiers was consistently long, which made sense. I’m selective about my chocolate, so Chuao’s chocolates and the truffles at Whole Foods were the most tempting offerings at the festival this year. At Chuao, I tasted brownie bites made with spicy dark chocolate, chunks of dark and hot Mayan Chocolate bars, and heart-shaped chocolates filled with hazelnut and praline.

My hand model displays Chuao chocolates.

Whole Foods had an impressive spread of cheese and chocolates at their table. I’m an avid fan of their store-brand chocolate truffles, which are not only delicious, but also relatively inexpensive (for those given to spending too much on fancified chocolate). The brie with rose petal jam was an inspired combination. The jam was exquisite, sweet and vaguely floral but not cloying.

Mark Randazzo works the grill, along with a young helper

.As far as the restaurants I was most eager to try at the festival, Christabelle’s, Ortanique, Chuao, and Anacapri delivered. I enjoyed Cacao’s dish as well. Randazzo’s had a long line for their sausage subs, served with grilled green peppers on a bun. It was a huge and exaggerated serving, as most things are at Randazzo’s. I was uninspired by their dish this year, and I left behind the soft white bread, because who wants to fill up on that at a food festival?

I was also disappointed by the Japanese beef curry served by Yuga. Owner Johnson Teh is also the proprietor of Lan, my favorite neighborhood Pan-Asian eatery. So I had high expectations. However, their dish seemed like a last minute idea: two chunks of beef with a flat green curry sauce, served on a mound of tasteless white rice. Again, why am I going to fill up on white rice at a food festival? I would have preferred something smaller and more flavorful from both Randazzo’s and Yuga.

There was an abundance of red meat, mostly roasted and sliced, served by at least five restaurants. I suppose this is perhaps why Christy’s steered clear of steak and served its “World Famous Caesar Salad” instead. Unfortunately, their croutons had not stood the test of time when my husband sampled it. My favorite steak was the marinated sliced flank steak from Two Sisters. It was tender and succulent, with a smoky hint, but the flageolet ragout served on the side was undercooked.

I definitely steered clear of the candy flavored vodka, but the Select Vodka from Poland went down clean and easy. The Blue Fish Sweet Riesling, a budget wine from Germany, was crisp, fruity, and refreshing. I also welcomed the addition of a full open bar this year.

This is a festival, and restaurants do have to try to serve food in large quantities to satisfy the crowd. After this second visit to the festival, I have to say that if you expect the finest from each restaurant, you may have better luck trying them indoors. However, I do enjoy an opportunity to graze. I’ve decided that the Coral Gables Food and Wine Festival is a fun night out, with a great vibe, music, drinks, gambling (for those who choose at an extra cost), and for a worthwhile cause. However it may not be for purists looking for the best each restaurant has to offer. Let me know what you thought if you attended…

I love a good roast. You know, in that old school Celebrity Roast style, with Dean Martin at the helm? And even beyond a good-natured roast, it can be so satisfying when someone who deserves it gets a good come-uppance. However, here at Miami Dish, I prefer roasting vegetables to skewering characters.

Roasting is a simple way to use many vegetables when you don’t feel like doing a lot of prep work. You basically quarter or halve the vegetables. If they are tomatoes, you can just use them whole. Only the simplest of flavoring is necessary, but it’s also fun to try various infused oils, flavored vinegars, and combinations of herbs.

It’s starting to get warm again, but the nights have been cool enough over the past few weeks to roast my farm share vegetables. The vivid photographs in my current favorite cookbook, Tyler’s Ultimate, by Tyler Florence have inspired me to fire up the oven.

A note: I’ve never viewed Tyler’s show, but just seeing him in those Applebee’s commercials made me want to stay far, far away. However, I thought I would give him a chance when someone gave me the book for Christmas. I’ve tried a handful of the recipes so far and the dishes have tasted wonderful. There are dozens more in the book that look enticing.

A couple of weeks ago, I made the Roasted Summer Vegetables recipe from Florence’s cookbook, using the zucchini, yellow squash, and parsley from my farm share. I also used some extra tomatoes I had on hand. The recipe is basic: Toss the veggies with some olive oil, ground black pepper and salt, and roast them at 425 degrees. It depends on your oven, but it should take about 20 to 25 minutes.

Yesterday, I used some left over kohlrabi and turnips from last week’s CSA farm share to make Roasted Root Vegetables with Honey, Balsamic Vinegar, and Fresh Goat Cheese. Florence calls for carrots, beets, turnips, parsnips, and shallots. I added summer squash from the farm, as well as an onion, a yam, and some whole carrots. Again, you toss them with olive oil, black pepper and salt. You roast the vegetables for 25 minutes, and then remove them from the oven. Mix ¼ cup of honey and ¼ cup of balsamic vinegar (I used fig flavored balsamic vinegar) and drizzle over the vegetables. Then roast them for 30 minutes longer or until tender.

Florence’s recipe calls for 350 degrees and 25 minutes/drizzle/20 minutes of roasting. However, I found that I had to turn the heat up to 400 degrees for these hardy vegetables, at least for the second go-round. When the vegetables are tender, remove them from the oven and crumble some goat cheese over them.

The sweet fig flavor from the vinegar and the goat cheese added sweetness and creaminess to the caramelized vegetables. I pan-fried some catfish to accompany this hearty side dish.

I’ll be doing some more experimenting, in my continuing effort to wean myself from recipes. I’ll try adding some cut herbs from my garden or try experimenting with spices from the cabinet. Simpler is better, so limiting the flavorings I use each time is important. Let me know if you have any ideas.

Miami Dish talks about music for a minute

This Saturday, Ingrid Hoffmann prepares some Cuban classic dishes in an homage to Calle Ocho on her show Simply Delicioso. Miami band, Locos por Juana, are her special guests.

Locos por Juana did an amazing reinterpretation of Hector Lavoe/Willie Colon’s “Calle Luna, Calle Sol.” I loved it, especially since I haven’t been able to listen to my Willie Colon: Su Vida Musical record since my player broke four years ago. Simply Delicioso airs Saturday, March 15 at 1:30 pm on the Food Network.

Speaking of Calle Ocho, it’s going down this Sunday for those of us who like our street food amidst throngs of people. Miami.com previews the treats street vendors will be selling, as well as the free samples vendors will be hawking.

My advice is to arrive at 4:00 pm on Sunday, in time to clutch an arepa in your hot little hands and shake to the music of the fabulous La India, who is this year’s Carnival Queen. Other performers include Harry Connick Jr., Suenalo, Rihanna and Pitbull with Menudo. It’s free, minus the surely overpriced food and drinks.

St. Patrick’s Day

John Martin’s in Coral Gables will be throwing their annual street bash. The festivities go on all weekend through Monday.

North One 10 is serving a more upscale St. Patrick’s Day meal, but one that is certain to satisfy. The special menu features chicken wings, grilled shrimp skewers, corned beef and cabbage, lamb stew and roasted corn on the cob. Dessert includes Irish whiskey bread pudding and Guinness Chocolate Cake. Yum! Tickets are $45. North One Ten serves this dinner Monday March 17, starting at 5:30 pm.

Duffy’s Tavern will offer a no frills St. Patrick’s Day celebration on Monday. This place is like the Cheers of Miami; you’ll definitely feel welcome. Enjoy green beer and corned beef while listening to a live band and bagpipers. Duffy’s Tavern is at 2108 SW 57 Ave., Miami.

More cooking classes that won’t break the bank

The following cooking demonstrations are all free:

Cindy Hutson of Ortanique prepares fish curry at the Whole Foods Coral Gables. The class is limited to 25 guests, so Whole Foods recommends pre-registering. Hutson cooks on Monday, March 24 at 6:30 pm in the state-of-the-art Lifestyle Center/Kitchen.

You can learn how to prepare raw foods with Jennifer Cornbleet, who is the Chicago-based author of Raw Food Made Easy. She’ll be at Whole Foods Coral Gables on Tuesday, March 25. The event starts at 7 pm.

Chef David Bracha will make crabcakes with smokehouse almond tartar sauce. Bracha is the executive chef and owner of The River Oyster Bar in Miami. This demonstration will happen at 1 pm on Saturday, March 22 at The Cellar at Macy’s Aventura Men & Home Store (Second Floor).

Also at the Macy’s Aventura, Chef Michael Bloise will demonstrate one of the entrees from Wish. You can see Chef Bloise at 1 pm on Saturday, March 29. For more information or reservations, you can call (305) 682-3352.

This is not a recipe from the Old Country. My dad’s family is of Polish heritage, by way of Connecticut. My dad honed this recipe to perfection in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s with the help of my mom’s brother, Pepe. This was not a concentrated effort, but rather a result of social afternoons spent with Pepe in the kitchen, experimenting with sauces and chicken pot pies.

My uncle Pepe died unexpectedly at 38. I love that he lives on in two of my family’s main food traditions. My Mom’s pan de jamon (a Venezuelan holiday food) and my dad’s tomato sauce are both continuations of what he began.

The sauce is composed of nothing more than fresh tomatoes, tomato paste, onions, garlic, salt, sugar, basil, oregano, bay leaves and olive oil. Nothing organic or premium; Dad’s a simple man. The tomatoes come from the lady at the field off 136^th and Kendall. When we were little, my dad used to spend the day picking tomatoes, but now he gets boxes of choice ones in bulk.

Over the years, my parents streamlined the sauce-making from a three day event to a one day job. They make two or three 5-gallon pots, enough to enjoy for at least the whole year. It is now a precision operation.

The day he buys the tomatoes, my dad washes them and then lays them out in neat rows on newspaper in the garage. This way, if one tomato is moldy, it won’t affect the others.

When I arrived on Saturday morning, the house was still and dark. My mom wasn’t awake yet. My dad and I did the chopping and blending in the garage so we wouldn’t wake her up. Chopping and pulverizing the tomatoes and onions is the most time consuming part of the process; it took about an hour to go through the 46 pounds of tomatoes. As my dad cut each tomato into quarters, we spoke about the economy and houses and family. He worked on the newspapers spread out on his work bench. I asked if he wanted me help with the blending, but he he told me that I was to observe, as an apprentice.

My father tends to be didactic in his conversation, but he is not heavy handed. He just feels like he has so much he wants to share and so little time to converse with me. I have come to realize that I am so much like my father that now I can listen and sort through most of his dispensed wisdom without leaping to defensiveness. We can enjoy these times and each others’ company, recognizing ourselves in the other.

My dad methodically checked each tomato for freshness, both by sight and smell, before placing it in the blender. By the time he was nearly finished, my mom was awake, browning the garlic. First, the onions cooked in olive oil, the pungent aroma tickling my nose. Then we added the garlic. My dad stirred in tomato paste and deigned to let me add the spices.

After everything was in the stockpots, the sauce simmered for about twelve hours. As the whole house filled with the fragrance of tomato, olive oil, and basil, my heart surged with more sentimentality than Proust with his madeleines.

That night, my mom and dad and I ate a meal of spaghetti with the seventh hour version of the sauce, my mom’s salad, warm bread and chianti. Everything I could worry about receded into the background for me—all the detritus that thirtysomethings like me obsess over. My heart and my belly swelled. Sometimes things are just perfectly clear. It was the best day ever.

February’s Man on the Street is Danny Gonzalez of the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis, in the Jackson Medical Complex downtown. On the clock, you can find Danny doing experiments, examining neurons, and playing with robots. When he gets a craving, he heads to his local fritanga:

I couldn’t help but notice Pinolandia as I drove home from work everyday. This little Nica fritanga stand, located at 119 NW 12 Avenue, is consistently packed with hungry crowds. I try and drop in for lunch as often as I can. It’s not uncommon to have to wait in a line that wraps around the eatery. I think it’s worth it though. The local favorite is the carne asada completa ($6), which comes with gallo pinto, ensalada, and your choice of plantains or home-made tortilla. I get it every time and it feeds me for at least two full meals. Also, don’t fear the extra-large, specialized “carne cans” that are used to marinate the tasty steaks–they add to the unique flavor!

If you go, you should also check out the little deli area in the back. It is packed with tasty Nica sodas, baked goods, and batidos like horchata (kinda sweet and nutty) and tamarindo. If you do order a batido make sure to specify if you want ice; they charge an extra 75 cents if you choose to take your drink without ice. I love this place and I hope you do too!

Pinolandia

Where: 119 NW 12 Avenue, Miami

When: Every day (including Christmas) from 6 am to 11 pm

On Thursday, March 27, thirty or so Coral Gables restaurants will dish out samples while a live band plays. You can taste and buy cases of wine from Republic National Distributing and Crown Wine & Spirits.

Last year, I arrived early and tasted a satisfying amount of food before there were any lines. It did get crowded later, but the vibe was still more of a leisurely stroll than a test of endurance. I just headed to my top picks first, to make sure I didn’t have to wait. When there were lines, they tended to move quickly. Last year, I particularly enjoyed the lobster pasta from Randazzo’s Little Italy and the creamy pumpkin bisque from Ortanique.
My recommendations for this year? Skip the Quizno’s (yes, Quizno’s) table, go easy on the wings from The Bar (although it’s hard to stop) and head for Randazzo’s Little Italy, Ortanique, Cacao, La Cofradia, Anacapri, and Chuao Choclatier. This year, I’m eager to try the dishes from festival newcomers Christabelle’s Quarter, Ideas, and Yuga.

When: Thursday March 27

Where: 100 block of Giralda Avenue between Ponce de Leon and Galiano

Price: $50, benefiting the American Lung Association and Miller School of Medicine

 The 7th Annual South Florida Environmental Ethics Conference sounds philosophical and lofty, but there’s nothing more practical than the food we eat and the soil it comes from.  This year’s conference features Katy Sorenson and others discussing how to balance development and food production in South Florida (i.e. Do we really need more mini-mansions in the Redlands? Lowe’s or longans?).  Other topics include nutritional equity/access to healthy food for lower income populations and fishing sustainably in South Florida.  Nancy Ancrum will discuss “ethics on your plate.”

Registration is $25.

Where: UM Rosenstiel School of Atmospheric and Marine Science, Virginia Key

When: Friday February 16, 2008 from 8:15 am to 3:30 pm.