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| (Image from www.artofeating.clom) |
The English poet and
hymnodist William Cowper (1731-1800) said it best in his poem “The Task” (1785): “…Variety is the very spice of life,
That gives it all its flavor...” For me, everything
I approach, I try to do so openly, and with a curiosity to learn from that new
experience, and then apply it often.
Following are my latest
reviews of foods, wines, and restaurant tastings that exemplify Cowper’s
goals. Today’s edition includes Bob’s Red Mill Natural Foods, LBD Wines,
Mama Bella Hot Sauce, Nielsen-Massey Vanilla Extracts, Twisted Wares, Monterey
and Blackbird Restaurant, and Woodgrain Neapolitan Pizzeria and Westmont Public
Library. Enjoy!
~ Food Tastings & Beyond ~
Bob’s Red Mill Natural
Foods Buttermilk & Waffle Whole Grain Mix ~ I
love this company’s expansive range of healthy, natural, nutrient-dense organic
whole grain products. Basic ingredients
in their Buttermilk & Waffle Whole Grain Mix include organic stone
ground whole grain wheat pastry flour, real buttermilk, aluminum-free leavening
and pure raw sugar. This Whole
Grain Mix made delicious pancakes, but was even more spectacular when in a
“pinch” I used it as the primary base in my homemade “Banana Bread”. For more
information, visit http://www.bobsredmill.com
~ My Banana Bread ~
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| (Photo by T. Herman) |
Ingredients included Bob’s Red Mill Buttermilk
& Waffle Whole Grain Mix, organic flours, ripened bananas, eggs, sugar,
vanilla extract, vegetable oil, whole milk, and my homemade “Baking Spice
Blend Sugar” of cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, allspice, and sugar.
LBD Wines Rosé
and Moscato Wines ~ A huge trend right now are rosé wines. For years, I’ve always been a fan of rosé
wines, more so than reds. I take mine
chilled, and often with an ice cube or two.
The LBD Rosé is a beautiful blend
of white grapes like Gewürztraminer (54%)
and Muscat (23%); the other white
grapes used included Zinfandel (5%), Viognier
(2%), and a mix of other complimentary
white grape varieties (16%). The low
acidity of this wine didn’t irritate my throat, while its low alcohol content
and subtle sweetness made for a very pleasant drinking experience. This is the perfect Rosé wine with its fresh, crisp, subtly dry, sweet, and fruity flavor
components. This delicious wine is deal
all year long, but especially during the warmer and hotter Summer months. The LBD
Moscato is the perfect dessert wine with its high natural sugar content,
low alcohol, and very low acidity. The
pronounced sweetness comes from the Muscat
grape (78%), and subtle infusion of drier white grapes, like the Gewürztraminer (10%) and Riesling (4%), and a mix of other
complimentary white grape varieties (10%). The Moscato
was perfect at room temperature or slightly chilled. It paired well with chocolate and also
cheese, giving a hint of umami as a
taste component. These California wines are the perfect
addition to your dining and entertaining needs.
For more information, visit http://www.lbdwines.com
Nielsen-Massey Vanilla
Extracts Pure Lemon Extract and Pure Orange Extract ~ Both
of these extracts are made from superior quality natural oil extracts that add a
purity of flavor and brightness to a wide range of foods and baked goods. I made a delicious “Olive Oil Lemon Pound
Cake” using the Pure Lemon Extract, which I substituted for the
lemon zest the recipe called for. These
outstanding Extracts are so pure that a little goes a long way. For more information, visit http://nielsenmassey.com
~ My
Olive Oil Lemon Pound Cake ~
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| (Photo by T. Herman) |
Ingredients used included AP
flour, Nielsen-Massey Pure Lemon Extract, powdered sugar, eggs, sea salt, whole milk, EVOO,
and baking powder; the glaze topping was made using powdered sugar and lemon
juice. For the recipe inspiration, visit https://alessifoods.com/recipes/olive-oil-lemon-pound-cake
Twisted Wares Oh, Snap
Green Pea Kitchen Towel ~ This company offers a line of 100% cotton
flour sack linen towels and aprons with logos that are “naughty or nice”; the
design I chose was a “nice” and cute full-color Snap Green Pea, which
added a bit of whimsy to my kitchen chores.
For more information, visit https://www.twistedwares.com
~ Event Tastings ~
Chicago Meets Monterey ~ A Culinary Fusion of Styles
& Taste
Hosted by Blackbird Restaurant (Chicago, IL)
I’ve not had the pleasure of visiting the beautifully
scenic area of Monterey, CA as yet, but if this recent special event I attended
is any indication of what’s in store for visitors to the area, the experience
will definitely be impressive and memorable.
Presented highlights included overviews of Monterey’s upcoming
iconic music festivals that include the Monterey Pop Festival, Carmel Bach
Festival, and Monterey Jazz Festival; the impressive Monterey Bay
Aquarium and its Executive Chef Matthew Beaudin; and, award-winning Folktale
Wines and its Executive Chef Todd Fisher. What I especially loved about the event was
the fact that the flavors and tastes of Monterey were brought to
Chicago. Both Monterey Chefs Beaudin
and Fisher flew in for the event, as were foods from Monterey; each
chef prepared their culinary specialties for attendees to dine, which also featured
a variety of Monterey Wines, also brought in for attendees to enjoy. The
host restaurant, Blackbird, also featured culinary creations using Monterey
ingredients by Chef Paul Kahan and Pastry Chef Nicole Guini; Chef
Ryan Pfeiffer and the Blackbird team also contributed in this
impressive culinary collaboration. The
emphasis on the food was aspects of freshness, locally grown and/or sourced,
utilizing methods of sustainability; I enjoyed hearing about Chef Beaudin
grows his own herbs, and uses sea salts culled from the Monterey Bay. The evening’s fabulous menu was indeed a
labor of culinary love, along with the paired wines, which were also delicious.
On the Menu
Prelude ~ Passed
hors d’oeuvres created by each of the featured chefs, and first pours of Caraccioli
Cellars 2009 Brut Cuvée,
and Folktale (NV) Winery Rosé Brut
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| (Photo by T. Herman) |
First Course ~ Chef
Matthew Beaudin, Monterey Bay Aquarium
Monterey
Asparagus Soup, Seared Scallop, Farm Fresh Goose Egg, Bottarga, Pickled Garlic
Scapes, Crispy Shallots
Featured Wine: Paraiso Estate 2016 Riesling
and Cima Collina Pinot Blanc
Monterey County
Ingredients: Asparagus, Goose Egg, Bottarga, Scapes, Scallop
My Notes: Bright and fresh flavors with
balanced seasonings that highlighted the sweetness of the asparagus and
scallop; the crispness of the wines further balanced the flavors, without being
dry or tart
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| (Photo by T. Herman) |
Second Course ~ Chef
Todd Fisher, Folktale Winery
Marrow
Roasted Monterey Bay Abalone, Monterey Bay Ocean Poached Potatoes &
Romanesco with Black Truffle Emulsion & Kelp Ash
Featured Wines: J. Lohr 2015 Arroyo Vista
Chardonnay, Mer Soleil 2014 Silver Unoaked Chardonnay
Monterey
County Ingredients: Morris Grass Fed Beef Marrow Bones, Monterey Bay Abalone,
Salinas Valley Romanesco & Carmel Valley Potatoes, Monterey Bay Ocean
Water, Monterey Bay Kelp
My Notes: Overall, a delicious dish,
although my slice of the abalone was a bit overcooked and dense; the crisp dry
wines further complemented the subtle saltiness of this dish
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| (Photo by T. Herman) |
Third Course ~ Chef Paul Kahan, Blackbird
& One Off Hospitality
Rabbit
with Artichokes, Farmers Cheese, Peas, and Radishes
Featured Wines: Bernardus 2013 Garys’ Vineyard
Pinot Noir, Le Mistral 2014 Joseph’s Blend, Scheid 2014 VDR Red Blend
Monterey County
Ingredients: Rabbit, Artichokes, Peas, Radishes
My Notes: This was my favorite dish;
absolutely loved the rabbit and its delicate coating that once roasted, it was
delicately crisp; the other components to this delicious dish were also
enjoyable, but clearly, the rabbit was the star; the red wines were on the dry
side, but went well with the flavors of the dish, especially the rabbit
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| (Photo by T. Herman) |
Dessert Course ~ Pastry Chef Nicole Guini,
Blackbird
Monterey
Strawberry Tapioca, Tahitian Vanilla Bean, Olive Oil, Sugar Snap Pea Ice Cream
Featured Wines: Cima Collina 2012 Late Harvest
Riesling
Monterey County
Ingredients: Strawberries, Sugar Snap Peas
My Notes: I wanted more of this delicious
and refreshing dessert; the seemingly unusual ingredients resulted in a
stunning taste treat; the wine was fresh and a wonderful balance to the
sweetness of the dish
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| (Chef Matthew Beaudin ~ Monterey Bay Aquarium) |
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| (Chef Todd Fisher ~ Folktale Winery) |
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| (Chef Paul Kahan ~ Blackbird & One Off Hospitality) |
Chef
Matthew Beaudin ~ http://www.montereybayaquarium.org/sustainable-foods-institute/matthew-beaudin
Monterey
Bay Aquarium ~ http://www.montereybayaquarium.org
Woodgrain Neapolitan Pizzeria and the Westmont Public
Library
Make Your Own Pizza Workshop
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| (Photo by T. Herman) |
I’m fortunate to live in an area where I have a
number of public libraries that regularly offer educational programs and
workshops; my favorite ones to attend are those based in food. Recently, my hometown public library offered
a hands-on workshop on how to “Make Your Own Pizza”. The workshop was led by Tom Fana, Chef and
Director of Operations, Woodgrain Neapolitan Pizzeria (Westmont); he began
with an informative overview on everything one needed to know about Neapolitan
pizza, including its traditional recipe, ingredients, and how it should
properly be cooked; the traditional Neapolitan pizza recipe’s base made from
four main ingredients…water, imported Italian type flour, imported Sicilian sea
salt, and yeast. While we listened
intently to the presentation, we also got a chance to sample fresh made pizzas…three-cheese
topped with arugula salad, traditional pizza Margherita, and pizza with ham and
arugula; one thing we all learned was that the fewer the ingredients and the
simpler the toppings, the more perfect the pizza; all three varieties were delicious,
although my favorite was the three-cheese and arugula salad. Attendees received a multi-page handout that
included the background information that was presented, plus an authentic
recipe for pizza dough and how to prepare it, including the proper method of
forming the dough, stretching it, and how to make the signature edge, or “Coronita”;
this allows the edge to puff up during the cooking process and crisp
better. After the presentation and
tasting, attendees were given a behind the scenes tour of the pizzeria. Next, it was apron and gloves on, and a trip
to the dough forming station where we all took turns creating our very own
pizza; once we finessed the dough forming and learned how to get it onto the
wooden peel, we then selected our ingredient toppings and added them to our
individual pizza dough; I chose fresh crushed tomatoes, fresh spinach,
Kalamata olives, a blend of shredded fresh Provolone and Mozzarella cheeses, and
a generous sprinkling of dried oregano.
As the pizzas on the peels queued up, one of the experienced cooks began
adding our masterpieces into the fiery hot pizza oven to be cooked; the
internal temperature is approximately 800 degrees Fahrenheit. It was fun watching the rotating plate send
the three pizzas around at a time, while the flames slapped the pizzas, cooking
them. In less than two minutes, which
seemed like pizza eternity, the pizzas were cooked to perfection, and we were
able to taste the fruits of our labor. Hands
down, this was the best pizza I’ve eaten.
What’s not to love…scratch pizza dough with fresh and natural toppings,
cooked to perfection in less than two minutes in a wood-fired domed oven that’s
cranking out a temperature of around 800 degrees Fahrenheit? A side benefit for me is now I now how to
properly turn pizza dough and make a “Coronita” edge! For more information on the library, visit http://westmontlibrary.org For more information on the pizzeria, visit http://www.woodgrainpizzeria.com/our-story.html
~ In Closing ~
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| (Image from www.hopespeak.com) |
Take the time to be
culinary-curious…discover new tastes…go out and explore your surrounding area
for some new experiences…make it an adventure…claim your new culinary finds as
your own.
That’s it for this
edition. Until the next one, remember to always celebrate yourself and
your culinary curiosity. Happy creating…happy cooking…happy eating!
By Terry Herman
TERRY HERMAN continues
perfecting her passion for food and wine. She has been covering culinary
related for many years as it relates to wellness and a healthy lifestyle.
Her popular blog, Terry's Spa, Beauty and Wellness
Go-To has featured formidable
reviews of cookbooks, restaurants, wine and food, food prep and tools, chef interviews,
and coverage of prestigious events such as International Home+Housewares Show,
National Restaurant Show, Sweets and Snacks Expo, United Fresh, and Food
Marketing Institute. She has served as a food judge at the Bellavita
Italian Expo Excellence Awards (Chicago). She has been published since
the mid-1990s in both consumer and trade publications, and is regarded as an
expert in spa, beauty, wellness, travel and lifestyle, and is frequently
interviewed by publications for her expert content. She has also
presented at major industry conferences, and has served with distinction on
numerous governing and advisory boards. She has a background in strategic
and qualitative management, consulting, and motivational speaking. In
addition to her blogs, her social media outreach also includes Facebook,
LinkedIn, and Twitter. Don’t forget to “Like” her Facebook Page, Terry’s Second
Helpings. Please note
that the “Comment Section” has been disabled. For additional information,
email her at terry.herman@gmail.com.
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