Bear Cuisine

Vetri's Does It Again

Ever since we ate at Vetri's several years ago I have been longing to return and eat some more of Marc Vetri's glorious food. In June I was blessed to celebrate a birthday and when asked what I would like, I immediately responded with " a meal at Vetri's." Since our last time there, Vetri has sold his other Philadelphia restaurants and concentrates his efforts on his first and most elegant eatery. He has also added lunch on Friday's. Perfect!  Everything was perfect: the weather (not always the case), the food, the service, my dining companion. I could not have had a more wonderful celebration of the gift of life.

Our amuse bouche of roasted beets, fresh mozzarella and foie gras. Each bite was bliss.

ANTIPASTI

Tuna Crudo with Peas and Horseradish

Sweet Onion Crepe with Truffle Fonduta

PASTA

 
 Swiss Chard Gnocchi with Brown Butter

Fig Caramelle with Gorgonzola Fonduta

SECONDI

Halibut Cheek with Spring Vegetables

Hudson Valley Duck Breast with Lentils

 

DOLCE

Chocolate Polenta Souffle with Vanilla Gelato

Blueberry Custard

If you have an occasion you want to celebrate, Vetri's would be a fabulous place to do it.  

The Search for Philly's Best Cheese Steak

A few years back on one of our visits to Philadelphia, I found The Great Philly Cheesesteak Book. I purchased it and filed it away with the thought of using it as a guide in my continuing search for an excellent cheesesteak. This was one of books that survived the ruthless purge of my cookbook collection and now it is being used for its intended purpose. So, this is the first of a sporadic series on this iconic food of Philadelphia.

I decided to begin our search on the edges of Philadelphia with the Dakota Pizza Company located in a strip mall in Wynnewood.

We ordered the Special Cheesesteak and we were ever so happy that we did.

 Its combination of steak, pepperoni,mushrooms,fried onions, bell peppers and cheese was just about perfect. I could taste every flavor and texture in each bite. To my taste, it was better than Pat's or Geno's. The roll had the right amount of chew and held the sandwich together without falling apart.

 

If you find yourself traveling along the main line, the Dakota Pizza Company is worth a stop. As a matter of fact, I would like to return and try their pizza.

333 East Lancaster Ave.

Wynnewood, PA.

WWW.DAKOTAPIZZA.COM

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Is this the best one yet?

When the girls were still little, Mac 'n Cheese was absolutely their favorite meal. It was a supper they looked forward to and it was one I knew  wouldn't bring a chorus of "What's this?" We liked it too and every now and again when we are in need of culinary comfort I will make it just for us. This particular version is adapted from a recipe developed by Ira Freehof* for his Comfort Diners in New York. I made it more adult by adding some x-rated green chile. The proportions make a creamy mac and cheese with a lovely crunchy top.

Comfort Diner Mac and Cheese with Green Chile

 

COMFORT DINER MAC AND CHEESE with a New Mexican twist

(serves 6)

1. 4 TBS plus 1 tsp butter, plus a bit more for the baking dish
2. 1 pound penne rigate (the original called for elbow macaroni)
3. 1 TBS olive oil
4. 3 1/2 cups whole milk
5. 1/4 cup flour
6. 1 cup grated Swiss cheese (the original asked for American cheese)
7. 1 cup grated Italian Fontina cheese
8. Kosher salt
9. Freshly ground black pepper
10. 2 1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
11. 1-2 cups chopped NM green chile
12. 1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese
13. 1/2 cup fresh bread crumbs

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F. Butter a 9-inch square baking dish.

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat and cook the macaroni until al dente. Drain and rinse with cool water. Place in a large mixing bowl and drizzle with the olive oil.

In a small saucepan over medium-high heat, warm the milk.

In a large saucepan over medium-low heat, melt 4 tablespoons of the butter. sprinkle in the flour and whisk constantly until the flour is absorbed and the mixture is bubbling gently and lightly golden, 2 to 3 minutes. Gradually add the warm milk, whisking continuously. Raise the heat to medium and bring to a simmer, stirring with a wooden spoon until smooth and slightly thickened.

Add the Swiss and Fontina cheeses; remove the pot from the heat. Whisk the mixture until the cheese is almost completely melted. Stir in the salt, pepper, mustard and green chile. Pour the sauce over the macaroni and stir to combine. Transfer to the prepared baking dish.

In a small bowl, combine the shredded Cheddar and the bread crumbs; sprinkle evenly over the macaroni. Cut the remaining teaspoon of butter into small bits and dot the casserole. Bake on the middle shelf until bubbling and a crust begins to form, 20 to 25 minutes.

 The jury is out on whether this is the best mac and cheese, but it is very, very good.

 

*This and other Mac and Cheese recipes are found in Joan Schwartz's Macaroni & Cheese.

 

Nashville Comes to Albuquerque

Jennifer James 101, still one of my favorite restaurants in Albuquerque,recently featured Nashville-style Hot chicken on its Thursday $25 menu. Kudos to Nelle and Jennifer. They created a classier, but equally tasty, version of hot chicken. Their hot chicken took me back to Prince's and Bolton's, but I could actually eat this bird without gasping for air, water,wine or beer.

Tennessee Hot Chicken

 

If you want to create this in your own kitchen, here's a recipe from the June/July 2014 issue of Saveur.

NASHVILLE HOT CHICKEN

1. 3 cups buttermilk
2. 3/4 cup cayenne
3. 9 tablespoons granulated garlic
4. 9 tablespoons paprika
5. 6 tablespoons onion powder
6. 3 tablespoons sugar
7. 1 ( 2 1/2 to 3 pound chicken) cut into 8 pieces, or 3 pounds chicken wings
8. Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
9. Vegetable oil, for frying
10. 2 cups self-rising flour
11. 6 tablespoons unsalted butter melted
12. Sliced white sandwich bread and dill pickle chips for serving

 

Combine buttermilk, 1/4 cup cayenne, 3 tablespoons each granulated garlic and paprika, 2 tablespoons onion powder and 1 tablespoon sugar in a bowl; whisk until smooth. Add chicken and toss to coat; cover and chill at least 4 hours or up to overnight.

The next day,drain chicken, rinse and pat dry; season with salt and pepper. Heat 2 inches of oil in a 6-quart saucepan until a deep-fry thermometer reads 300 degrees. Stir remaining cayenne, granulated garlic, paprika, onion powder and sugar in a bowl; transfer half to another bowl and whisk in flour. Working in batches, dredge chicken flour mixture; fry, flipping once, until golden and almost cooked through, 6-7 minutes, or until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of a thigh reads 150 degrees. Transfer chicken to paper towels.

Increase oil temperature to 350 degrees. Stir remaining cayenne mixture and melted butter in a bowl; set paste aside. Dredge chicken once more in flour mixture and fry until cooked through, 2-3 minutes more;drain briefly on paper towels and brush with reserved paste. Serve with bread and pickles.

 

Adjust the amount of cayenne to your liking. I know I'll be using a lot less than 3/4 of a cup.

 

 

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It's Too Damned Hot

It's Too Damned Hot

Nashville is known for it's hot chicken and fish. This year we abandoned Prince's Hot Chicken so that we could try Bolton's Spicy Chicken and Fish. The Stern's say that "What's great about it, for those who like inflammatory food, is that the heat is deep in the meat, right down to the bone itself. It is much more spicy than it is salty, making each bite a taste-bud adventure." As usual, their description is spot on.

The food was beautifully prepared; both the chicken and the fish were crisp and moist. But, even though I had ordered mild heat, the fish was too incendiary for me. Kay loved her chicken. So, one of us was happy and one of us was eating way too much bread to quench the fire. So, if you like your chicken hot or fish hot, hotter, hottest, do give Bolton's a try. It is a true Roadfood joint with friendly and helpful service.