Call me Ms. Beauregarde

As I've mentioned before, we get a crop share through Kretschmann Farms. Two weeks ago, a pint of organic blueberries came with the veggies for the week. They weren't from Kretschmann Farms directly, but from Hunter Farms in Fariview, PA. I am usually not too excited about blueberries, and after tasting these I realized that what I had been eating was nothing like the real deal. I usually buy my fruit at a supermarket (I know, I know...), a farm stand along the road on the way home from work, or occasionally from the farmer's market. Still, I have never tasted anything like these. Never. They were tart, sweet, juicy, and plump. We made it through the pint before we went to bed the night we got it. So, when the opportunity presented itself to buy a flat of these blueberries and get them delivered with next week's vegetables, we jumped on it. Note: the flat cost $50. I probably haven't spent $50 on fruit in a week, let alone on one type of fruit in a day. But, I was excited about the prospect of having so many delicious berries in our house at once. My neighbor agreed to split the flat with me, making it more manageable. So, when my veggie pick up day rolled around, I was ready with recipes and ingredients for all sorts of blueberry recipes. Here were some of my trials and triumphs:

Blueberry Clafouti

This custard-y, pancake-y treat was our favorite. I poured some blueberries into a greased cast iron skillet (usually preserved for my husband to cook with, as it is "his" pan that he "allowed" me to use for this recipe) and poured a batter of eggs, flour, cinnamon, sugar, milk, and vanilla over it before baking it for about 40 minutes. I burnt my tongue twice tasting it before it cooled because it looked so tempting. I knew it was going to burn, but I tried it anyway. That's beauty. Once I got over it, I remembered to sprinkle some sugar on top (recipe called for powdered but I messed up and used sanding sugar - which actually worked really well) and tried it again. It was amazing! The blueberries were tart and burst in your mouth, and the custard pancake was brown on top and thick and creamy in the middle. The crunch from the sugar was perfect. I had since had some chilled, and it rocked too. This will definitely be made again at our house. Triumph.

Blueberry and Mascarpone Turnovers

This was more a trial and tragedy and less a triumph for me. The Giada De Laurentis recipe was easy enough - pie dough filled with fresh blueberry syrup and mascarpone cheese, and fried. Yes, FRIED. This had my name all over it. Like a homemade, fried toaster strudel. The picture above shows the minutes before it all went awry. So, I rolled, filled, and refrigerated, per the recipe. Heated the oil. Dropped the pie in the oil, and waited the obligatory 1 to 1 1/2 minutes before turning over. However, when I tried to turn them over, they weren't there. The dough, my grandma's recipe made mostly from lard, turned back into grease when placed into the hot oil. I was left with blueberry mush to stir around the pan, delaying the inevitable of admitting my defeat. In the end, I baked the last two and they were pretty good. Not fired goodness, but pretty good.

Fresh Blueberry Sauce

I used an Ina Garten recipe, combining fresh orange and lemon juice, sugar, blueberries, cornstarch, and lemon zest. It was a fast, easy recipe and was delicious. We tried it over ice cream and with goat cheese on bread. Hoping to try some on ricotta pancakes soon. Triumph.

Blueberry Muffins

Part triumph, part tragedy. The recipe was a triumph. I found it in the Post Gazette last year as a strawberry muffin recipe. It had lots of heavy cream - great way to start a muffin recipe. My execution was a tragedy. (Are you getting the idea that I am a sub par baker?) I didn't grease the pan enough, and I undercooked the muffins. The overall taste was great, but the look and texture (due to the lack of complete cooking) wasn't.

Bourdain in the 'Burgh

My husband and I bought tickets to see Anthony Bourdain speak at Heinz Hall on June 14. We are pretty regimented on the weeknights, and Mondays are usually especially structured, as we are just getting back into the work week routine. I know, I know...loosen up. Well, that was part of the impetus behind going to listen to Bourdain speak. Besides a strong affinity for his writings and TV show ("No Reservations") we have been making a conscious effort to get out more this summer and to enjoy all the city has to offer.
So, Monday June 14 rolls around and we rush home from work, hop in the car together, and head downtown. We were hoping to grab something to eat before the lecture. Surprisingly, so were all of the other Bourdain followers. This left us with a 45 minute wait at each of the restaurants we checked, a time frame we couldn't work with and still make the lecture. So, there we were, traipsing around downtown looking for a bar to grab a drink before the show. We were pleasantly surprised at how busy the city was, but getting to the point of pissy-ness (yes, that is the technical term) from the lack of food or beverage in our systems, the long walks in our work shoes, and the blazing heat and suffocating humidity. We stumbled into Braddock, the bar in the lobby of the Renaissance, just as my husband's blistered feet were starting to bleed and my curly hair was frizzing beyond control. The bar was crowded but not packed. So, I practically crawled to an opening between two stools at the bar and waited to get the attention of the bartender. My husband, who is usually quick to tell me what he wants to drink, looked pretty dumbfounded when I turned back to ask his bevy choice of the day. I was having none of this, as the aforementioned factors were still in existence and as I still didn't have and food or drink in hand. With some attitude, I asked my husband what he'd like, and he stumbled over the word "beer" (a word he first spoke at age 5) as he gestured to my left. Still oblivious, I ordered our drinks from the bartender and paid. As I turned around to hand my husband his drink, I figured out what the issue was. Sitting in the bar stool next to me was Anthony Bourdain. He was all by his lonesome - no agent, no bodyguard - drinking beer. I was thinking of striking up a conversation or at least telling him that we were on our way to his lecture. Before I got the words out, a young couple pushed me aside and demanded a picture with him. An older woman was waiting behind them with a book for him to sign, and a guy on the other side of the bar sent him a beer. In true Bourdain form, he looked thoroughly uncomfortable with the attention and pretty annoyed at the situation. I chose to stay out of the way and we got a table at the bar and watched the situation continue in the same fashion until he left, on foot, presumably to go the couple of blocks to Heinz Hall and prepare for the lecture.
After we got there ourselves, he took the stage in the same fashion he left us - beer in hand. His lecture was entertaining, somewhat informative, and seemed to be well received. Until, that is, someone from the crowd asked him when he was going to film a show in Pittsburgh and he blew it off, referencing something about not having an indigenous food. Can you say french fries and slaw on a sandwich, Tony? And what the hell does Cleveland have that is indigenous? Otherwise, the lecture went smoothly and covered subjects from Food Network personalities and being a respectful traveler to problems with the food industry and being a father. Taking the under, I lost a bet to my husband, who set the over/under for f-bombs at 20. But, I laughed most of the way through the lectureand brushed shoulders with the man himself. And though I lost a little respect for him in the response to that audience member's question, I was particularly impressed with a point he made late in the lecture. It went something like this: the best dinners are not the ones at the fabulous restaurants that you have to plan for far in advance to get reservations, but the ones that come spontaneously and are had with the ones you love. I would have to agree that drinking at the bar, big hair and sore feet, and snacking on goldfish the bartender was kind enough to share, was one of the better food experiences I've had in a while.

Mushroom Dinner at Vivo - it is taking all I have to avoid a "funghi" / "fun guy" pun

I had the opportunity to prepare a meal in the kitchen of Vivo restaurant (Bellevue, PA - see 2/1/09 posting) with chef/owner Sam DiBatista and chef Daniel Aguera (www.dinnerwithdaniel.com). The theme was mushrooms, and the menu centered on some beautiful mushrooms (royal trumpets, maitake, beech, and pompom) provided by Wild Purveyors. The event was $60 a head and included two appetizers, two main courses, a dessert, and an awesome experience. The event was BYOB.
I'll get back to the food in a few lines, but allow me to digress and discuss the experience in whole. I had never been in a professional kitchen, and I expected it to be sterile and overbearing. To the contrary, the kitchen at Vivo is warm and inspiring. Some of the walls are painted a deep rust color, and there are fun articles and interesting "fortunes" from cookies on one of the walls. It felt like someone had pimped my grandma's kitchen - all the warmth of her kitchen, and all the perks and quality of a professional kitchen. The fact that Sam, his wife and co-owner, and his daughter were all in the kitchen for this event surely added to the inviting feel.
The chefs themselves added to the experience as well. They were friendly, funny, informative, and very excited about what they were cooking. It was nice to see that excitement, considering both of them have been in the business for so long and considering that they were sharing the kitchen with 16 strangers for the night.
The experience was also supplemented by the presence of Cavin and Tom of Wild Purveyors. They spoke a bit about the mushrooms they provided and answered any and all fungi-related questions.
Ok, back to the food....When the cooking began, it was laid back yet efficient, and the appetizers were under way in no time. In no way do I consider myself an aficionado of culinary anything, but I know my way around a kitchen and I like to eat good food. I don't shy away from odd ingredients. Having said that, when Chef Sam asked us (I brought a like-minded friend to enjoy the experience and to act as a DD if need be) to clean the fiddle-head ferns, I was a bit overwhelmed. As in A) What is a fiddle head fern? and B) How do I clean it? I still don't know what it is, but to clean it you snap the end off and remove the dirt as best you can. It tasted like a cross between an asparagus and a green bean, and it was delicious and sweet. It was incorporated into a mixture of grilled maitake (my favorite of the night for their hearty goodness) and roasted garlic scape vinaigrette (prepared by chef Daniel and soooo good) and served on endive. The other appetizer was sautéed royal trumpet mushrooms on grilled bread with raclette. Both were wonderful.
The main courses were a grilled bison slider with gorgonzola and a sautéed pom pom and a dish that was called dumplings with beech mushrooms. The slider was good, but I lost the taste of the pom pom in the gorgonzola. The "dumplings", however, were something very special. They started off easily enough with flour, water, and salt. Chef Sam added the mixture to water boiling in a risotto pan. I thought he was going to drain the water later or fish the pasta out with a strainer. But, he cooked the flour mixture in the water like he would risotto, and in the end the consistency was that of risotto - creamy. Unbelievably so considering the fact that he didn't add any cheese. He stirred in some marinara and served the mushrooms on top. It was a peasant dish my grandmother would be proud of, and I loved every bite of it.
The dessert was a white truffle panna cotta prepared by Chef Daniel. The truffle was not provided by Wild Purveyors, but by what I assume to have been an illegal and or expensive act. I don't care about the who or how - that mushroom dessert was incredible. The truffle was especially delicate for what a strong and distinct flavor it is. The panna cotta smooth and silky and delicious, and was complemented with a toffee-like drizzle of hardened caramel. Or something like that. I lost focus once I spooned into the panna cotta, and I like to avoid speaking about caramels and toffees, as they, along with mayonnaise, are my culinary white whales.
All in all, it was a fun and informative night with great food and people. Check out Vivo's Facebook or MySpace page for future "Cooking with the Chef" events, and to see pictures of this event.

What's better than ice cream in the summer? Frozen custard! Yes m'am, add egg yolk and at least 10% milkfat to your average ice cream, and frozen custard you have. I have had an affinity for this frozen treat since I was a child. My family spent summers in Conneaut Lake, PA, and we traveled often to Hanks Frozen Custard in Meadville. I spent my college years at Allegheny College, so I got to continue the tradition into my adulthood. While I still get to Hanks whenever I get a chance (as in, whenever I am within 30 miles or so), I like to have my fix at some local locations as well. But, let's start with the real deal.
Hanks Frozen Custard - Meadville, PA
Hanks in Meadville has been open since 1952, or so the website says. It offers chocolate, vanilla, and light vanilla daily, and an additional flavor every day. The flavor schedule is available on the website (http://www.hanksfrozencustard.com/flavor-schedule)and boasts some favorites like peanut butter and black raspberry. Hanks still uses the old electro freeze machines. These machines are a must if you want a real custard experience. I can't say much about the rest of the menu - I haven't had anything besides the custard. My mom, for some unknown, incomprehensible reason, got the sherbet once and enjoyed it. But, I wouldn't recommend it. Why miss out on the good stuff?
Hanks Frozen Custard and Mexican Food- New Brighton, PA
The original Hanks, this location was opened by a family member of the Meadville Hanks, though no familial relation exists today. This Hanks offers chocolate and vanilla daily, as well as a rotation of seven flavors, including strawberry and pistachio. The custard here is not made in the electro freeze machine, but is still pretty good. Less buttery and smooth, and a little heavier, but good. Haven't had a chance to try the Mexican food yet, but plan to soon. Will update.
J & T - Ellwood City, PA
J&T offers custard, hard ice cream, soft serve, and sherbet, as well as some grilled and fried foods. The custard is made in the electro freeze machines, and is awesome. They offer vanilla and chocolate custard daily, as well as a special flavor daily. They also blend some of the fresh-made flavors with other ingredients and offer them frozen. One of my favorites is chocolate almond. Overall, some very good custard.
Young's Custard Stand - Zelienople, PA
Youngs is on the vanilla and chocolate plus one flavor bandwagon. Their flavors change weekly, not daily, and include pistachio, a personal favorite of mine. Electro freeze machines are in use. Young's custard is unbelievably creamy and light, and is flavored a little more sophisticated than the other custards I have tried - in a less is more way. It also tasted fresher than the other custards I've tried, though I may have just hit it on the right day. Young's serves burgers and dogs too. But, again, I had no room for any non-custard treats. The stand itself sits in the country in a large parking lot. There are some benches and picnic tables set up, and a line usually winds around the corner. Well worth the drive and the wait.
Forbush's - New Castle, PA
Why does life get in the way of eating? I hate to do this to you, but I have yet to try this place. I don't want to fail to mention it, as it is often spoken of in the same vein as J&T. But, I can't say anything good or bad about it. I can only promise to get there, asap, and update shortly thereafter. The things I do for research...

Breaking (Easter) Bread

As the holiday is fast approaching, I can't miss an opportunity to post something about Easter Bread. I have a love of the many varieties of flavored breads that fall into this category. Most importantly, my mom and my grandma each make their own version of Easter Bread. My mom's bread is light, anise flavored bread that is braided and iced with a sweet, thin icing. It is best right from the oven or the same day it is baked, as it tends to get dry and the icing gritty if it isn't eaten soon after baking. My grandma's (my mom's mom's) is heavier, also anise flavored, and has gold raisins in the dough. It is best from the oven or toasted for days after. It also makes for a great bread pudding.
There is an ongoing battle of sorts between my mom and gram as to whose bread is the family favorite. Problem is: the breads are so different. Which is the favorite is a matter of preference for type of bread, not bread baker. Though you can't convince my mom or grandma of that. Just today, my grandma called me on my lunch break and told me that the Easter bread was coming out of the oven and that I should come have a slice for lunch. Nothing like a thick slice of bread and butter for a healthy lunch, eh? So as to not offend grandma, I put aside my yogurt and honey lunch snack for some bread. And it was great. To my surprise, my mom called me as I was leaving work and told me that she had just made some Easter bread, that it was coming out of the oven, and that there was a loaf with my name on it should I want it. Should I want it? Do I want to be written out of my mom's will? To break her heart? To fall to the bottom of her ladder of love? She knew I was at Grandma's for lunch today, there was no way I was getting out of some after work bread as well. (Note to self: this is why my two-a-days at the gym have been of little affect lately...)Inheritance aside, I was happy to get some of my mom's hot Easter bread as well. It too was wonderful in its own distinct way.
And here's the rub of this post - the many varieties of Easter bread local to my hometown and I assume on a wider basis. Many of the Italian ladies in my hometown make Easter Bread and share it with other bread-makers as a calling card of sorts. I have had heavy, booze-filled breads, delicate anise seed bread knots, lemon bread filled with ricotta, and a lot of things in between. This year alone, I have had bread braided, in knots, in round and rectangular loafs, iced, sprinkled with powdered sugar, and baked with a hard boiled egg inside. Whatever the variety, whatever the case, I am thankful for the time and love that goes into making this holiday treat as well as the generosity of the bread maker in sharing it. Happy Easter!

Bona Terra - Sharpsburg

I have been meaning to go to Bona Terra for some time now. But, whenever we feel like inspired local food (which is pretty often) we usually head to Legume. We finally made it to Sharpsburg to try out this often-hyped restaurant and we are convinced that it is basically worth the hype.
Bona Terra is BYOB with a daily changing menu. It focuses on local, seasonal food. Unlike Legume (take note, Chef Dick) Bona Terra doesn't post their menu daily. Instead, you find three sample menus on their website. That leaves overly anxious diners to wait until they get to the restaurant that night to see the menu. Gasp! The menu offered five hot appetizers, three salads, a cheese plate, and six dinner entrees. We went with the waitress' recommendation of the dumplings for an appetizer, though the cracker dusted oysters and the roasted quail sounded good too. The dumplings were made with homemade dough, filled with pork shoulder, and served in spicy broth. They were delicate and quite good. We also had a salad, which was one of our favorite parts of the meal. The salad was served with tender greens, candied walnuts, chevre, and a citrus vinaigrette. It was wonderful! Each component was special on its own, and the combination was perfect. We had the striped bass over lentils and the duck breast with basmati rice for our entrees. Both were excellent - the bass was crispy and browned on the skin side and perfectly cooked otherwise. The lentils were mild and weren't overcooked. The duck was another crispy skinned protein, and was very tender. In between courses, the chef served a mango sorbet (housemade, aggressive and delicious) and a tomato soup with crispy proscuitto (smooth and buttery). We were pleasantly surprised when the waitress asked about dessert, as we hadn't seen any leave the kitchen to that point. The desserts included a lemon tart, an offering of sorbets, and a homemade chocolate cake. We opted for the chocolate cake, which was fabulous. It was dense and rich. And it was served with homemade chocolate peanut butter cup icing. Along with the salad, it was the standout of the night. Oh, and I don't want to forget the bread - housemade herbed ciabatta hot from the oven, served with herbed butter. Sooooo good. So, while I am partial to Legume (are you getting that feeling yet?), and while it remains my go-to for creative local food, there is room in my rotation for Bona Terra as well. Just not as often as Legume...

Dear Jesus, Please Help As I Prepare For Lent

As Lent is fast approaching, I find myself thinking not only about the spiritual ways to ready myself for the season, but also the gastronomical ways to do so. Before I get myself into a tizzy thinking about all of the awesome Lenten fish specials I want to partake in (view last February's post for more information) I need to concentrate on some pre-Lenten indulgences. Some of my favorite edible immoderations include:

Paczki - Oakmont Bakery, Oakmont, PA
I am a newcomer to the paczki. I happened into the Oakmont Bakery two years ago the Friday before Ash Wednesday five minutes before close. Somehow, though faced with the sheer terror of having to choose a treat from the vast, seemingly endless cases of dessert heaven, in a very short period of time (this decision would normally take me several recon missions on the internet prior to the visit as well as a good half hour research in the bakery), I did not crumble. I did not turn around and leave, I did not ask for whatever the counter woman recommended or what I know to be safe. I pointed to the round doughnut-looking dessert that I couldn't pronounce and I asked for one of each filling. Those fillings included prune, custard, Pittsburgh cream, lemon, raspberry, apple, and peach. Sweet success. These Polish dessert treats are similar to filled doughnuts, but with more filling and lighter dough. They are also smaller than most filled doughnuts, making them easier to try one of each!


Glazed Cinnamon Rolls- Oram's, Beaver Falls
If you haven't had one of these, go now. But if now is a Saturday after 11, don't go now, as they will likely be out of their famous glazed cinnamon rolls. Don't get me wrong, every doughnut at Oram's is special in it's own right, and an indulgence all the same. This includes some of my other favorites there, like the coconut crusted glazed doughnut and the custard filled chocolate buttercream topped doughnut. But, for all out indulgence, the glazed cinnamon rolls are unbeatable. They are the size of a small frisbee, are light (as impossible as that seems, being as they are a frisbee-sized doughnut), and are glazed with a thin, sweet icing. They are more doughnut than cinnamon roll, and are sinfully wonderful. Get extras, share with your closest friends, then go to confession. And bring them. You'll all need 40 days of fasting after this, but it will help get you through.

Davio - Beechview
Anything here is indulgent. Before your appetizers come, you get fresh baked breads, a gorgonzola spread, dipping oil, and a white bean spread. And this is just the beginning. The lobster bisque, served in a bowl big enough to feed the table, is heavy on the heavy cream as well as the lobster. Don't plan on touching the bread if you order this as anything besides your main meal, as there will be no room left in your belly. The double veal chop is easily two inches thick and can be ordered topped with lump crab meat. Along these lines, the lobster pasta is angel hair served in a lobster cream sauce with chunks of tail and claw meat throughout. Though you won't have room for dessert, one bite of the Russian sable cake (chocolate, flourless) is rich enough to make the cast of Jersey Shore blush. For those avoiding the temptation, you are out of luck. A cookie plate is complimentary after dinner, and is full of amazingly decadent cookies, often including macaroons and biscotti. Confession required again ladies and gents, and I don't mean the confession during mass where the Priest forgives the congregation in one pass of the hand. You need to sit face to face with the Padre and repent if you want to get in the pearly gates after this one.
FYI: This one is heavy on the wallet, too.

smoked mussel and scallop pasta - Seviche, Pittsburgh
For a small plate to make the list, you know it must be over the top in all of the right ways. Think Isaac Mizrahi as opposed to Joan Rivers. This pasta is not on the menu but came as part of a tasting. It is linguini with smoked mussels and smoked scallops in a cream sauce. I am not a huge fan of smoked fish, but this dish was to die for. The creamy sauce with the tender pasta was an amazing compliment to the smoky but not overpowering mussles and scallops. Mwah!

Beef and Bean Nachos - El Campesino, McKnight (or any of the other locations)
Pile of homemade tortilla chips? Check. Pound of sauteed, not too lean beef? Check. Refried beans? Check. Queso? Hell yeah. Check. Checkmark broiled to browned, toasted perfection while you are at it.