Cochon555 Vail, Photo by Galdones Photography

Five chefs, five pigs and five winemakers in a competition for a cause – that’s Cochon555. For the past five years, five chefs in ten cities were pit against each other in a ‘snout-to-tail’ menu competition featuring heritage breed pigs.

“There’s nothing better than fat. Fat is flavor. Fat rules. Fat is king….  Add fat!” so said the Reverand of Fat, Michael Sullivan, a Cochon555 competitor, all while stuffing a 65 lb. pig with herbs and aromatics and slathering on a coffee-colored rub all before putting it in the ground to be cooked.

The regional competitors spent a week preparing their menus and the winners were crowned the ‘Prince or Princess of Porc”. The final ten pig royalty will be competing in Aspen at the Grand Cochon event this weekend. The Grand Cochon is the finale to the year’s national culinary competition where the King or Queen of Porc will be crowned. Grand Cochon is part of the Food & Wine Classic held at the newly-renovated Hotel Jerome.

Cochon555 Vail winning team, Jason Harrison (far right), Flame at the Four Seasons Resort Vail. Photo by Galdones Photography

What is Cochon555? 

Cochon555 is the creation of Taste Network’s Brady Lowe in 2009 to raise awareness about niche farmers raising heritage breed pigs on pasture. As a result, 35,000 people have tasted heritage pigs – more than at any other event in the country; charities have received more than $300,000, and more than $500,000 has gone directly to great farmers across the country. For more details about the events, visit www.cochon555.com or follow @cochon555 on Twitter.

Eat, drink, and be merry and prepare yourself for a feast befitting any king or queen of pork.

When: 
Sunday, June 16, 2013
4 p.m. (VIP); 5 p.m. (general admission)

Where:         
Hotel Jerome
330 East Main Street
Aspen, CO 81611

2013 Vail “Prince of Porc” Jason Harrison, Flame at the Four Seasons Resort Vail

Who’s Competing: The Princess and Princes of Porc  are:

1.      Missy Robbins – New York
2.      Ryan Smith, Empire State South – Atlanta
3.      Jason Harrison, Flame at the Four Seasons Resort Vail
4.      Jason Franey, Canlis – Seattle
5.      Michael Scelfo, Alden & Harlow – Boston
6.      Mike Isabella, Graffiato – Washington, D.C.
7.      Adam Sobel, RN74 – San Francisco
8.      Aaron Brooks, Edge Steakhouse at the Four Seasons Miami
9.      Cosmo Goss, Publican Quality Meats – Chicago
10.    Ray Garcia, Fig – Los Angeles

What’s on the menu? 

VIP guests receive early access to the event including quicker access to a tasting of the competing chefs in addition to experiences such as the all-new Tar Tare Bar presented by SIMI Winery, featuring Chefs Jamie Bissonnette of Toro NYC/BOS, Brian Busker of Matsuhisa Vail, and Phil Tanaka of Matsuhisa Aspen; as well as Rappahannock River Oysters, and reserve wines and spirits. The infamous Cheese Bar sees a facelift with cheeses from Cypress Grove Chevre, Vermont Butter & Cheese, Spring Brook Farm and an exclusive tasting of blues from Rogue Creamery.

What’s to drink? 

Wine, wine, and more wine, “The Perfect Manhattan” Bourbon Bar, craft brews, cider, and a Mezcal bar.

What’s to see? 

In addition to the competition, Zwilling J.A. Henckels will present a butcher demonstration featuring Bill Greenwood of Beano’s Cabin. The butchered meat will be raffled off to benefit the students of Johnson & Wales.

Tickets:         $150 (general admission) and $200 (VIP)

To purchase tickets, visit www.cochon555.com

Porchetta by Cochon555 2013 “Vail Prince of Porc” Jason Harrison (Flame at the Four Seasons Resort Vail)

PORCHETTA

By the “Vail Prince of Porc” Jason Harrison, Flame at the Four Seasons Resort Vail

Ingredients

• 1 whole boneless, rind-on pork belly, about 12 to 15 pounds
• 2 tablespoons whole black peppercorns
• 3 tablespoons whole fennel seed
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper
• 3 tablespoons finely chopped rosemary, sage, or thyme leaves
• 12 cloves garlic, grated on a microplane grater
• Kosher salt
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 2 quarts peanut oil, lard, or a mixture (canola or vegetable oil will do fine)
• 2 tablespoons unsalted butter

Procedures

Place pork belly skin-side down on a large cutting board. Using a sharp chef’s knife, score flesh at an angle using strokes about 1-inch apart. Rotate knife 90 degrees and repeat to create a diamond pattern in the flesh.

Toast peppercorns and fennel seed in a small skillet over medium-high heat until lightly browned and aromatic, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a mortar and pestle or spice grinder and grind until roughly crushed.

Season pork liberally with salt then sprinkle with crushed pepper and fennel, red pepper, chopped herbs, and microplaned garlic. Use your hands to rub the mixture deeply into the cracks and crevices in the meat.

Roll belly into a tight log and push to top of cutting board, seam-side down. Cut 12 to 18 lengths of kitchen twine long enough to tie around the pork and lay them down in regular intervals along your cutting board, about 1-inch apart each. Lay rolled pork seam-side down on top of strings. Working from the outermost strings towards the center, tie up roast tightly. Combine 2 tablespoons kosher salt with 1 teaspoon baking powder. Rub mixture over entire surface of porchetta.

If roast is too large and unwieldy, carefully slice in half with a sharp chef’s knife. Seal in individual vacuum-sealed pouches and refrigerate at least overnight and up to three days. If desired, porchetta can also be frozen at this point for future use (see note)

Preheat sous-vide water cooker to 155°F (68.3°C). Add pork and cook for 72 hours. Transfer pork to a sink filled with ice water and chill for 15 minutes. Remove from bag then carefully peel off congealed exuded cooking liquid and place in a medium saucepan.

Rinse porchetta under hot running water until all excess fat and congealed juices are cleared from surface, then carefully dry with paper towels.

Heat oil over high heat in a large wok or Dutch oven to 400°F. Carefully slide pork into oil using spatulas and tongs. (It will not be fully submerged). Immediately cover and cook, shaking the pan occasionally until sputtering dies a bit, about 2 minutes. Adjust flame to maintain consistent 350°F temperature. Using a large metal ladle, spoon hot oil over the exposed portions of the roast continuously until the bottom half is cooked and crisp, about 5 minutes. Carefully flip and cook on second side, basting the whole time.

Remove porchetta to a large paper towel-lined plate and blot all over. Season with salt. Let rest 5 minutes. Meanwhile, heat bag juices over medium-high heat until simmering. Add the butter and swirl until smooth. If center of pork is still hot, carve and serve immediately. Otherwise, transfer to a 250°F oven until warmed through, then serve.

Patricia Bainter is a blogger and writer for 303magazine. She trained at Le Cordon Bleu London and shares her culinary musings and recipes at her own website ThePatricianPalette.com.

Stefan Richter at The Patrician Palette with his quick-fire dish “Sea Cuisine Potato Crusted Cod Over Corn Succotash in a Coconut Curry Broth”, Photo by Mark Woolcott Photography

Two-time “Top Chef” contestant Chef Stefan Richter and his entourage arrived at my home last week with plans for a frozen fish cooking demonstration. Sound boring? Far from it. Five folks walked up my steps toting several Styrofoam cases of frozen fish and grocery bags full of arugula, bread, condiment jars and other goodies.

They might have thought they knew what they were going to do at my home that day, but I had other plans. I’d spent a few days getting ready for the big visit. My pantry is always full of goodies such as shrimp paste, fish sauce, bonito flakes – flavored vinegars up the wazoo – and various other condiments that have all sat dejected and unused for too long. A visit by a celebrity chef gave me the motivation to finally dive in and organize all these forlorn goodies that seem to have a shelf life of forever. The plan was to invite Stefan into my pantry and to make some magic together.

Chef Stefan definitely had an ego on the show; but the man that stood in my kitchen must have left it behind in Finland or on the “Top Chef” set. He was charming and enthusiastic, even though he had just stepped into a complete stranger’s home.

Everyone made introductions and we unpacked the crates. There were boxes and boxes of pristine Sea Cuisine products, jars of mayonnaise, arugula, baby potatoes and a parsnip. Really? They had come with prepared recipes that they’d shared with the other Denver bloggers earlier that day, but I wanted something unique.

Stefan was reading the look on my face.

He looked me straight in the eye and asked, “What do you think about a quick fire? You and me against each other?” His eyes actually twinkled! I blanched, like a pot of green beans, and choked. At that reaction, he winked and left me off the hook. He rubbed his hands together, smiled his charming smile and set out the guidelines. “You lay out three surprise ingredients. I’ll go hang out in the other room while you decide. Then, every five minutes, you add one new surprise ingredient. Sound good?”

Sounds TERRIFIC!

He left the room, and the crew and I tossed out ideas. From the foyer Stefan shouts “I can HEAR YOU! It doesn’t work if I can hear you!.” So we whispered and set out the first three:

Chef Stefan musing at the bonito flakes. Photo by Mark Woolcott Photography

Bonito Flakes
Kumquats
Sugar snap peas

He comes in, takes a look, and grins. I think he likes the bonito curve.  The star of the show would be the Sea Cuisine Potato Crusted Cod that he was here to promote.

“Let the Quick Fire begin! The clock starts NOW.”

We had decided we wanted a restaurant look and feel for this dish, so Stefan quickly trims the potato crusted cod fillets into squares, sets them on a baking tray and preheats the oven.

Stefan plunders my pantry and asks, “Do you have coconut milk?”

“Of COURSE, I have coconut milk,” I said rather proudly.

He rattles off a litany of other needs…”Clam juice?” Of course. “Red curry paste?” No problem. “Sweet chili sauce?” YES! I think he’s just testing me, now. But I PASS!

He spots the baby potatoes and the corn on the cob on the kitchen counter that had I purchased earlier in the day.  He stands and ponders. It’s so much fun to watch a chef in the middle of creating something. If you’ve ever watched “Top Chef” you know that they all start out with access to the same ingredients and yet they all produce something quite different in the end. Every chef has a unique style, and I felt I was connecting a bit with Stefan as he was asking for some of my favorite ingredients.

He whips out two pans and is on-the-go. Chefs rarely cook one element of recipe at a time. There are always several pans on the fire. He struggles to light my gas stove, and gives up on my one flakey burner and lights up two others. In one sauté pan he adds a few sliced baby potatoes and simmers them in water.

The beginnings of the Coconut Curry Broth: clam juice, cilantro, bonito flakes, kumquats, parsnips, coconut milk and a splash of cream and white wine. Photo by Mark Woolcott Photography

He slices the kumquats, juliennes the sugar snap peas, and pulls out a parsnip that he had brought with him. (Who cooks with parsnips anymore?)  This is looking strange but we go with it, because of course, he knows what he’s doing and we are just along for the ride.

The kumquats and parsnips are tossed in another pan with sesame oil and butter and sautéed. He adds the clam juice, bonito flakes, cilantro and squeezes juice from a lime with a sweeping flourish over the pan. This is obviously going to be our sauce. Obviously.

Next he shaves the corn kernels and tosses them in with the now drained potatoes. We’ve decided to call this a succotash.

10 MINUTES in and SURPRISE ONE

The “Coconut Curry Broth” is poured into the blender and the sea beans have been added to the succotash. Photo by Mark Woolcott Photography.

Sea Beans

He looks at me with another grin and seems pleased to share with me how to handle these. He plucks the brown ends and advises that they be soaked in water over night to draw out the excess salty taste. But for now, we will use them as is. (Wink)  He sets them aside. They will eventually get tossed into the succotash.

FIVE MINUTES later and SURPRISE TWO

Poppy Seeds

“Poppy Seeds?” These get tossed into the sauce and I feel I just gave him something way too easy.

FIVE MINUTES later and SURPRISE THREE:

Stefan twirls the succotash onto the plate. Photo by Mark Woolcott Photography

Rice Sticks

Rice sticks are another terrific pantry item because they last forever and cook so quickly. Stefan pulls a few strands from the bundle and tosses them into the sauce. I’ve never thought of breaking up a bundle before, so I make a mental note.

He checks on the fish and takes a sip of the Blood Orange Martini I’ve made for everyone.

FIVE MINUTES later, and THE FINAL INGREDIENT:

Jalapeno

Everything seems to be coming together. Stefan has puréed and strained the curry broth after adding the red curry paste and the sweet chili sauce to taste and added the rice sticks to the succotash, which are now perfectly cooked. He uses tongs to lift and twirl the rice and the succotash into the middle of the plate, pours the curry broth over, lays the fish on top, and finishes with a zesting of fresh jalapeno.

Stefan finishes the dish with a zesting of jalapeño. Photo by Mark Woolcott Photography

I’m not sure, but I think that took around 25 minutes. We all stood around and ooohed and aaaahhed over this beautiful dish. It was spicy hot, with a touch of sweet. There was no cloying after taste from the cream or coconut milk. The lime juice and cilantro added a refreshing zip. The cod was moist, fresh-tasting, and topped with a crispy potato crust. It didn’t seem to have ever been frozen. The fish was elegant.

After our hard work, we retired to the back yard where it wasn’t just the seafood that was fresh. Stefan is a cutie and for the sake of keeping things PG, I’ll leave the Q&A session out of this article.

The finished dish! Photo by Mark Woolcott Photography

Sea Cuisine Potato Crusted Cod Over Corn Succotash in a Coconut Curry Broth

Serves 4

TOOLS:
Blender
Two sauté pans
Fish spatula or regular pastry spatula (ideal for lifting delicate fish)
Micro plane or ‘rasp’ zester
Tongs

INGREDIENTS:
4 Sea Cuisine Potato Crusted Cod fillets
Grated jalapeno

COCONUT CURRY BROTH
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp butter
¼ cup finely chopped parsnips
3 kumquats, thinly sliced
1 8-ounze bottle of clam juice
Zest and juice of 1 lime
1 tbsp bonito flakes
½ can of coconut milk
2 tsp red chili paste
Splash of white wine
1 ½ tbsp of heavy cream
1 tbsp poppy seeds
Sweet Chili Sauce, to taste
¼ cup whole cilantro leaves, washed and picked from stems
Sea salt to taste

CORN SUCCOTASH
1 cup of water
1 cup of sliced fingerling potatoes, ¼ inch thick
2 tbsp of olive oil
2 ears of fresh corn, kernels shaved off
20 sugar snap peas, julienned
20 sea beans, ends trimmed
2 tbsp butter

GARNISH
Cilantro leaves
Jalapeno

DIRECTIONS
COD

• Preheat oven to 450 degrees.
• For a restaurant look, trim ends of Sea Cuisine Potato Crusted Cod into a square shape. (Optional) Place in oven and bake for 15-20 minutes.
• Prepare the succotash and curry both at the same time

CURRY BROTH

• Heat sesame oil and butter in medium pan. Sauté parsnips and kumquats in pan for a few minutes. Add clam juice, zest and juice of lime, bonito flakes, and let simmer for 5 minutes.
• Add in coconut milk, poppy seeds, red chili paste, white wine, heavy cream, sweet chili sauce and cilantro and let simmer for 5 more minutes.
• Place remaining contents of curry broth into blender and liquefy. Hold down the top to prevent the heat from blowing the lid off.  Strain the broth back into the pan and simmer until succotash is finished.
• Add sea salt and lime juice to taste.

SUCCOTASH

• Meanwhile, preheat water in a medium skillet, add potatoes and corn and let simmer for 7 minutes or until al dente and water evaporates.
• Add olive oil, sugar snap peas, butter and sauté.
• Ladle a little curry broth into the succotash, add the sea beans and the rice sticks and simmer until rice sticks are al dente.

PRESENTATION

• Use tongs to swirl rice noodles and succotash into the middle of shallow bowl. Ladle the curry broth over and around.
• Top with the Sea Cuisine Potato Crusted Cod. Garnish with grated jalapeno.

Beeyond the Hive is a Colorado business run by two lovely young ladies who are 5th generation beekeepers. Follow this link and watch Lyle, their father and beekeeper, and learn about Dan Rather’s documentary “Buzzkill” which airs today. A shortage of bees can have a devastating impact on agriculture, and of course, the production of honey.

Beeyond the Hive were sponsors of the Junior League of Denver’s Colorado Classique cookbook and sponsored a honey-heavy chicken salad sandwich. Recipe below.

http://www.axs.tv/blogs/buzzkill-april-2-2013/

Photo copyright The Junior League of Denver

Sweet Chicken Salad Sandwich

Serves 8-10 portions

4 cups chopped cooked chicken
3 stalks celelry, chopped
1 cup dried sweetened cranberries
1/2 cup pecans, toasted
1 1/2 cups light mayonnaise
1/3 cup orange blossom or plain honey
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon black pepper
8-10 small croissants

Combine chicken, celery, cranberries, and pecans in a bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, honey, salt, and pepper. Combine dressing with chicken mixture. Serve on croissants.

Recipe from Colorado Classique, a Junior League of Denver Publication. All rights reserved.

 The holidays are coming and so are elegant holiday parties. If you would you like an hors d’oeuvre as fancy as your holiday dress, try these Kona Braised Duck Tacos from Chef Kevin Barthelemy of Elevated Catering.

The shredded duck is rich and moist and infused with the traditional holiday spices of cinnamon, clove, and nutmeg with a boost of Kona coffee. The flaky meet is topped with a bright and crisp salad of apple and jicama. All this is cradled in a crunchy mini taco.

His original recipe called for a whole duck that would feed a large event. Because whole duck is sometimes hard to come by, and most parties are much smaller, I’ve modified his recipe using two duck breasts, which are available in the freezer section of Whole Foods.

It’s a long recipe, but it really isn’t difficult at all. And once you’ve made them, the second time will be a breeze. The most time consuming hands-on portion is the making of the mini taco shells. You can bypass that step, however, and serve your taco meat and salad on a sesame cracker.

I’ve tested the recipe twice, and it’s absolutely delicious. It also aromatizes your house with heady spices just in time for the guests. That’s two birds with one stone, so-to-speak.

Don’t feel you can only use this duck meat on a taco. Feel free to serve it on rice or quinois and drizzle with the extra sauce.

Food Photography by Mark Woolcott Photography
Recipe by Elevated Catering, Chef Kevin Barthelemy (modified by TPP)
(720)446-8870
www.elevatedcatering.com

KONA BRAISED DUCK TACOS
Makes around 40 mini tacos

FOR THE DUCK
2 6 oz. duck breast, Bell & Evans brand, thawed
Salt and Pepper, to taste
2 tsp   cinnamon, ground
2 tsp   clove, ground
1 tsp   nutmeg, grated

2 tbls    vegetable Oil
1/8 cup   garlic, minced
1/8 cup   ginger, minced
½ stalk   lemongrass, minced
1/2       onion, rough cut
2         carrots, rough cut
1         orange, quartered
1         bay leaf
2/3 cup   brown sugar, light
2/3 cup   soy sauce
1 cup     rice vinegar
1 cup     Kona Coffee, brewed from fresh grounds
2-3 qts   water

DIRECTIONS:
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Rub the duck with a generous amount of the salt, pepper, and spices. Roast for 20-25 minutes, fat side up, until it is a deep golden brown.

Meanwhile, in a large saucepan, sauté the garlic, ginger, and lemongrass on medium-low to medium heat in vegetable oil.  Stir occasionally until light brown, about 3-4 minutes. Add all the remaining ingredients, and bring to a simmer.

Turn oven down to 275 degrees.

Remove breast from oven and drain any excess fat from the pan. Return breasts to pan, fat side up. Transfer liquid to the roasting pan with the duck (the liquid should come up 2/3rds of the duck). Cover and cook for at least 4 hours until the meat easily flakes. Carefully flip the duck and allow it to rest in the liquid, at room temperature, for one hour.

Remove the duck to a separate dish and strain the braising liquid to a clean saucepan. Reduce the braising liquid by 1/2 on medium to medium-high heat or until sauce consistency, making sure to skim any excess fat that floats to the top.

Remove the fat from the duck. Pull the meat into fine threads and reheat in the finished sauce.

FOR THE SLAW
½ cup jicama, julienne
½ cup green apple, julienne
½ cup carrot, julienne
2 scallion, sliced thin on bias

FOR THE VINAIGRETTE
2 tbls  honey
2 tbls  apple cider vinegar
3 tbls  vegetable oil
freshly ground black pepper
flakey sea salt

DIRECTIONS
Whisk together the honey, vinegar and oil and lightly toss with the julienne vegetables and apple.  This can be done up to 20 minutes before service.  Finish with scallion right before service. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

FOR THE TACOS
Soft Yellow Corn Tortilla, 6 Inch
Ring Cutter, 2 Inch
Taco Fryer, (available at restaurant supply stores like CRESCO)
Fry Oil, as needed

DIRECTIONS
Heat oil to 350 degrees. Cut tortillas into 2″ circles (you should get 3 rounds per tortilla).  Arrange into taco fryer and fry until lightly golden.  Remove from oil and cool on a dish with brown paper towel to drain any excess grease.

OPTION: skip the tacos and serve on round sesame crackers

PRESENTATION: shredded napa cabbage provides colorful and structural support for the tacos

Patricia Bainter is a blogger and writer for 303magazine. She trained at Le Cordon Bleu London and shares her culinary musings and recipes at her own website ThePatricianPalette.com. Photos by Mark Woolcott Photography.

Are your tastebuds on the wild side? Do the thoughts of wild boar, bison, and elk frighten you, or entice you? Kachina Southwestern Grill, the newest restaurant creation of the Sage Restaurant group, just opened in the Westin Westminster. When you enter the hotel, you’ll notice an inviting adobe-style wall set aglow with rows of candles. You don’t need to be brave to pass through the imposing wood and iron door, though. You just need to prepare yourself for a dream-like experience in Southwestern fine dining and atmosphere.

The menu is stunning in its rusticity and complexity. Prepare to spend 15 minutes studying all of the menu options and hard-to-pronounce ingredients such as huitlacoche, epazote, and escabeche. Don’t fret, though, the menu includes a convenient dictionary for those of us who go, “huh?”

Chef Patrick Hartnett’s creative menu ranges from elegant (Crispy Quail Eggs) to fun (Blue Corn Dog) to the daring (Chipotle Shrimp & Waffles). Corn, of the blue and yellow varieties, dominates the menu. I’ve heard of Caesar Salad being prepared at your table, but Kachina takes that concept to a new level with their traveling grilled corn cart. A lovely young lady will grill ears of corn for you, tableside, and finish them off with a variety of toppings such as cilantro, cotija cheese and an ancho chili powder. I didn’t want to mess my fingers so they politely shaved the kernals off for me. Then I regretted it as I felt I missed half of the experience. Don’t be a wuss like me — go for it and get your fingers, and cheeks, dirty.

We sampled almost every category of the menu.

Starter
“Texas Boar Croquette” – far from boring and accompanied with an ancho BBQ and ranch slaw.

Soup
“The New Mexican Green Chile” – included fine ground pork floating in a thickened veal and pork broth flavored with dark beer and accompanied by a flour tortilla for dipping

For the Table
“Blue Corn Dog” – the batter wasn’t actually blue, and I was a little disappointed by that, but the sweet pinky-sized sausages and the polenta fries made up for it. Despite knowing the ‘fries’ were made of polenta, the soft nubby texture was still a surprise.

Navajo Tacos
“The Mojave” – drippily moist duck confit, pickled cactus, chipotle agave, and manchego cheese were mounded atop a deep-fried and puffed-up tortilla. (This is NOT a low-cal option.)

Main Dish
“Chipotle Shrimp & Waffles” – The ‘blue’ waffle was hiding a soft and fluffly greenish interior so colored because of the abundance of jalapenos, whose heat the Chef said is “subdued by the addition of sugar”. Five perfectly grilled shrimp, smothered in a spicy chipotle butter and a grilled corn salsa, lay innocently next to the waffle.

Dessert
“Chocolate Beignets” – the best I’ve had since I was in New Orleans.
“Ice Cream Sampler” – Huckleberry, Lavender, and Fresno Chili Sorbet (sweet going in and hot going down)

Drinks
“Blackberry Singing in the Dead of Night” – Leopold’s Blackberry Liqueur, red wine, mango puree, and Sprite

“Mole Fashioned” – Knob Creek, house-made mole maple syrup, Aztec chocolate bitters, angostura bitters, lemon, and marasca cherry.

Thank you to the chef for sharing his recipe for the Blue Corn Waffle and Chipotle Shrimp.

RECIPE BY:                               Chef Patrick Hartnett, Kachina Southwestern Grill

PHOTOS BY:                             Mark Woolcott Photography

STORY BY:                                Patricia Bainter, ThePatricianPalette.com

LOCATION
Kachina Southwestern Grill
10600 Westminster Blvd,
Westminster, CO, 80020

PHONE
303.410.5813

WEB SITE
www.kachinagrill.com

Blue Corn Waffle with Chipotle Shrimp

Chef Patrick Hartnett
Serves 4-6
(slightly edited for non chefs by TPP)

Blue Corn Waffle

2 cups blue corn meal

1 cup all purpose flour

4 ounces whole butter, melted

20 ounces whole milk

4 eggs

2 Tbs. baking powder

7 jalapenos, diced and seeded

1 bunch cilantro, washed of all sand, and chopped

1. Combine the dry and the wet ingredients. Mix. Stir in the jalapenos and cilantro. Season with salt.
2. Preheat waffle iron. Coat the surface with vegetable cooking spray.
3. Pour 4 ounces of batter on iron and cook according to manufacturer instructions.

Sautéed Shrimp

25 Shrimp, peeled and deveined (Chef recommends Gulf White Shrimp)

¼ cup vegetable oil

2 Tbs. salt

3 tsp. crushed red pepper

Zest of five limes

8 oz Chipotle Butter

½ cup white wine

1. Mix first five ingredients together and marinate for up to 4 hours refrigerated.
2. Drain the shrimp but keep them coated in some oil.
3. In a sauté pan over medium heat, cook the shrimp on each side until golden brown about one minute per side.
4. Add ½ cup of corn salsa to the pan and allow the salsa to warm not cook.
5. To finish, add the chipotle butter and white wine to pain. Let this simmer, while moving the pan and swirling to let the butter dissolve in to a sauce.

Corn Salsa

2 ears of sweet corn

1 small poblano pepper, diced small

2 Tbs. yellow onion, diced small

3 red peppers, diced small

Zest of one lime

2 Tbs. cilantro, chopped

1 Tbs. ground coriander

1 Tbs. olive oil

Sauté all ingredients over medium heat in a large skillet (adding color to the corn adds flavor). Season with salt and black pepper.

Chipotle Butter

1 ounce chipotle in adobo, chopped

Zest of one lime

½ Tbs. lime juice

1 pound butter, softened

5 ounces roasted red peppers, well chopped

½ Tbs. garlic, chopped

2 Tbs. shallot, chopped

¼ cup white wine

1 jalapeno, chopped

½ Tbs. smoked salt

½ Tbs. chipotle powder

1/3 cup heavy cream

1. In a food processor, puree the roasted red peppers, zest, jalapeno, shallots, garlic, chipotles, wine, and lemon juice.
2. Add the butter to the bowl and incorporate. Slowly pour in the cream until all is completely combined. Season with smoked salt and chipotle powder.

To Plate

Place a waffle on the place and pour five shrimp and plenty of sauce with the shrimp to soak the waffle.

Patricia Bainter is a blogger and writer for 303magazine. She trained at Le Cordon Bleu London and shares her culinary musings and recipes at her own website ThePatricianPalette.com. Photos by Mark Woolcott Photography.

culinary art

CANVAS  PRINT  METAL  GREETING CARDS

Food Stylist Patricia Bainter and Mark Woolcott Photography combine efforts to capture the raw beauty of garden ingredients. Some of our images are now available for purchase. Decorate your kitchen, office or dining room with our tasty art. Click the images below to go to Patricia’s eCommerce site on FineArtAmerica.com.

“Very Blueberry” hanging in Patricia’s dining room.

I’ve never needed an excuse to eat a pancake, but I’ve recently discovered there are at least three good reasons to eat them:

Headlines everywhere say today, February 28, 2012, is IHOP’s National Pancake Day, where you can eat free pancakes with the option of making a donation that benefits Children’s Miracle Network Hospitals ©. That sounds like a terrific reason to eat a pancake.

I’ve also seen that Fat Tuesday, also known as Shrove Tuesday, is also pancake day. Fat Tuesday is that last day of feasting on all those treats that are forbidden once Lent begins on Ash Wednesday. Those treats include milk, eggs and fat – the key ingredients in pancakes. So Fat Tuesday is apparently your last chance to stuff your tummy with these delicious little cakes, and other fattening treats, before you deprive yourself during the next 40 days of Lent. To learn more about Shrove Tuesday, visit these links: ShareFaith or BBC

I’ve also read that January 28 is National Blueberry Pancake Day. SO! It seems there are many days and many reasons to eat pancakes.

Making pancakes from scratch isn’t hard and doesn’t take that much more time or effort than boxed pancake mixes. The recipe below produces a very light and fluffy pancake, and one superior to a pancake mix.

While pancakes do include fats, you can ease your conscience by adding the amazing super foods walnuts and blueberries. Blueberries are a ‘super food’ because they are loaded with antioxidants and phytoflavinoids (don’t ask me what those are) according to WebMD.com. Walnuts are considered a super food, too, partly because they are high in Omega 3 fatty acids and antioxidants.

Add a little quinoa (known as complete protein because it contains all eight (8) of the essential amino acids) to your pancakes and maybe you can convince yourself that you are eating something really healthy. I know I’m convinced.

Food Styling by Patricia Bainter, The Patrician Palette.com
Food Photography by Mark Woolcott Photography
Pancake Recipe by White Mountain Farm (slightly modified by TPP)

QUINOA PANCAKES WITH BLUEBERRY MAPLE SYRUP

QUINOA (makes 3 cups)
1 cup black or white quinoa, rinsed thoroughly and drained (I prefer black for these pancakes)
2 cups water

Place quinoa and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook until all of the water is absorbed. Quinoa is done when the spiral-like germ, or tail, has popped from the seed.

BLUEBERRY MAPLE SYRUP
6 ounces fresh blueberries, rinsed and drained
½ cup blueberry syrup
½ cup maple syrup

Combine all ingredients in a small saucepan and simmer until blueberries are heated through.

QUINOA PANCAKES
2 eggs
2 ½ cups buttermilk
4 tablespoons shortening
2 ½ cups flour
2 teaspoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cooked black or white quinoa (I prefer the texture of the black)

Beat eggs well. Add remaining ingredients and mix until blended, but do not overmix. Pour onto a hot, lightly oiled griddle. The hot oil will create those crisp edges to your pancakes. Flip pancakes once air bubbles surface and pop, and the batter appears to firm up. This will make flipping easier. Keep first batches warm in a 200º oven.

GARNISH with toasted walnuts and Blueberry Maple Syrup.
Patricia Bainter is a blogger and writer for 303magazine. She trained at Le Cordon Bleu London and shares her culinary musings and recipes at her own website ThePatricianPalette.com. Photos by Mark Woolcott Photography.

Ideally, I’d be spending this Valentine’s evening with someone tall, dark and handsome. But that’s not to be. So, I’m making a date with the next best thing: something dense, rich and available. And I’m going to whip him up in my kitchen, maybe lick my fingers along the way, and take my time enjoying every last decadent bite. We will most likely be spending breakfast together, as well.

Sink your teeth into the best brownie I have had in ages. Unsweetened chocolate and natural cocoa powder are blended with way too much sugar, butter and eggs to create a dark chocolate sensation. Great recipes satisfy the mouth’s need for flavor and textures and this brownie recipe delivers. A dense cake center is surrounded by crispy edges that are accented with tender walnuts then topped with more chocolate glaze infused with sweet dried cherries and port.

My favorite pieces are the corners, of course, where all that sugar transforms dense cake into a crisp yet chewy mouthful of chocolate lovin’. And Valentine’s Day is all about the love, now, isn’t it? Chocolate love (this year).

SPECIAL NOTE: Target’s grocery department was a baker’s dream. I found everything I needed from the port to their Archer Farms® Montmorency Cherries that are much plumper and sweeter than other brands I’ve used.

Food Styling by Patricia Bainter, The Patrician Palette.com
Food Photography by Mark Woolcott Photography
Recipe by Food Fairy Productions, Chef Lynda Lacher (slightly modified by TPP)
More chocolate recipes by Chef Lynda in the February, 2012 issue of Indulge in Denver magazine.

Check out this MOLTEN LAVA CAKE recipe by Lynda Lacher

Brownies with Cherry Port Sauce

INGREDIENTS
1 cup + 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour or cake flour (for finer texture)
2 tablespoon natural cocoa (not Dutch-processed)
½ teaspoon baking powder
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, room temperature
6 ounces unsweetened chocolate
2 cups sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
2 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans (optional)

METHOD
Heat the oven to 350°F with an oven rack positioned in the middle.

Butter a 9-inch square pan, line the pan bottom and sides with parchment and then butter the parchment. Set aside.

In a bowl, whisk together the flour, cocoa and baking powder. Set aside.

In a double boiler over simmering water, melt the butter and chocolate. Remove the pan from the heat, whisk in the sugar and salt until blended; add the vanilla. Mix in the eggs, one at a time, until each is blended. Add the flour/cocoa mixture gradually until incorporated and the mixture is smooth.

Scrape the batter into the prepared pan and spread to evenly distribute. Top with nuts if using. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out almost clean, with a few moist crumbs clinging to it, 35 to 45 minutes. Do not over bake.

Cool brownies for 15 minutes, then remove by running a knife around the inside edge of the pan and lift out with the ends of the parchment paper.

Note: This recipe can be doubled; use a 13×9-inch pan and increase the baking time slightly.

Cherry Port Sauce

INGREDIENTS
½ cup dried cherries, rough chopped
1/2 cup tawny port
1/2 cup heavy cream
8 ounces semisweet chocolate, finely chopped (do not use morsels)

METHOD
In a small saucepan, bring the cherries and port to a boil over medium heat. Turn off the heat and steep for 10 minutes. Remove the cherries and set aside.

Place the finely chopped chocolate in a bowl. Set aside.

Add the cream to the saucepan with the port, heat until steaming, just under a boil. Pour the port/cream mixture into the chopped chocolate; let sit 2 minutes. Add the cherries into the chocolate mixture (sauce); whisk until smooth and shiny. Let cool to room temperature, stirring occasionally to prevent a skin from forming.

Spread the sauce evenly over the cooled brownies and let set up for 1 hour.

Cut the brownies into squares with a sharp knife.

Patricia Bainter is a blogger and writer for 303magazine. She trained at Le Cordon Bleu London and shares her culinary musings and recipes at her own website ThePatricianPalette.com. Photos by Mark Woolcott Photography.

These impressive little cakes are easy to make and produce a soft cake with a crispy exterior and a rich, molten chocolate center. If you’d like to melt anyone’s heart this Valentine’s Day, this would be the recipe to try.

To get the best molten center, I recommend the shorter baking time of 14 minutes. Sixteen minutes, in my oven, didn’t leave much of a molten center, which might make nervous nellies more comfortable. It won’t be a Molten Lava Cake, but it will still be incredibly delicious.

Food Styling by Patricia Bainter, The Patrician Palette.com
Food Photography by Mark Woolcott Photography
Recipe by Food Fairy Productions, Chef Lynda Lacher
More chocolate recipes by Chef Lynda in the February, 2012 issue of Indulge in Denver magazine

Molten Lava Cakes

8 ounces bittersweet or semisweet chocolate
8 tablespoons softened butter (1 stick) – divided
Granulated sugar for ramekins
1½ cups powdered sugar
3 large eggs
2 egg yolks
½ cup flour (all purpose)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tablespoons liquor of your choice (Amaretto, Grand Marnier, Kahula…)

Preheat oven to 400º
Coat 6 six-ounce ramekins with 1 tablespoon of the butter and granulated sugar, set aside.

Melt the chocolate and remaining butter in a double boiler pan. Add the sugar to the chocolate mixture; stir to blend. Remove from the heat. Whisk the eggs and yolks until smooth; blend into the chocolate mixture. Add the flour and mix well. Stir in the vanilla and liquor flavoring.

Divide the batter evenly among the ramekins and place on a baking sheet. Put into the oven and bake for 14-16 minutes. The edges should be firm but the center runny. Check with a toothpick. Serve in the ramekin or run a knife around the edge to loosen and invert onto a dessert plate.

If you need to eat out, eat healthy, be served quickly and in style, where do you go?

McDonald’s? Wendy’s? Not for me. The clean promise was broken ages ago, and their attempts at healthy menu items can’t be offset by the unappetizing décor of neon-colored plastic chairs and formica-style tables with the mopped-until-they-are-permanently-dirty tiled floors.

I love Chipotle’s but I don’t need a 1,000 calorie burrito. Tokyo Joe’s has basic sushi, which is typically low in calories, and I do love their Nikko Salad with mandarin oranges, almonds, avocado and tangy herb dressing (and don’t forget their fun-to-watch rad staff sporting tattoos and wild body piercings). Mad Greens has any salad combination you can think of, if all you want is salad, but the décor doesn’t inspire me to linger.

ModMarket could be the answer. The décor is mod, but it’s not a market. They call their restaurants ‘farm fresh eateries’ – and fresh they are.

Two guys in Boulder felt there was a ‘blatant gap in what was out there for people to eat well, eat fast, and it not be very expensive’ according to co-founder Rob McColgan. Rob, and co-founder Anthony Pigliacampo didn’t have a culinary background when they decided to fill this gap, and yet these two nonfoody guys created many of the menu items for this new concept in fast food, including the Wintergreen Salad with goat cheese, apple, roasted potato, walnut and honey herb vinaigrette (my favorite—recipe below).

Leafy greens seem to be the obvious choice for low calorie healthy eating, but ModMarket offers variety with hand-tossed, oven-fired pizzas, soups and sandwiches and provides calorie and ‘macronutrient’ information on their menus and receipts. Macronutrient info shows you the number of grams for fat, carbs, and protein that make up your meal. According to the Nutricate receipt that provides this analysis, my bowl of Green Chili had 308 calories and only six (6) fat grams, 38 carb grams, and 32 protein grams while the Prosciutto Arugula Pizza had 750 calories with 36 fat grams, 90 carb grams, and 28 protein grams. For more info on the Nutricate macronutrient profile, visit http://www.modmarket.com/tag/nutricate.

Modmarket’s focus is fresh ‘made from scratch’ meals and they avoid processed ingredients as much as possible. Don’t expect to find Coca-Cola or Pepsi, though. They serve sodas made with natural kane sugar by Boylan Bottle Co. http://www.boylanbottling.com/ (I’m sorry, Modmarket, but I do like my processed diet Coke better.)

It’s nice to eat great food in a stylish setting and know, on paper, that you’ve eaten healthy. I’m a mod girl and I like Modmarket. Modmarket also caters. Learn more.

Modmarket’s Wintergreen Salad

1 cup honey
1 cup white wine vinegar
1 oz fresh basil
2 oz roasted fingerling potatoes
3 oz mixed greens
1 oz Haystack goat chèvre
1 oz crushed walnuts
1 oz green onion
2 oz green apple
olive oil, salt and pepper

MAKE THE DRESSING: Combine the honey, vinegar and fresh basil in a blender and blend until herbs are finely chopped. Add salt and pepper to taste.

MAKE THE ROASTED POTATOES: Coat potatoes in salt, pepper and olive oil. Roast for 15 minutes at 350ºF or until they are tender.

ASSEMBLE: Toss greens with goat cheese, walnuts, roast potatoes and dressing. Top with freshly sliced apple and chopped green onion.

What is yellow and green, has more than five fingers, was likely born in Asia, smells like lemon heaven and makes a rare appearance in early winter? No. It’s not Godzilla. It’s the Buddha’s Hand citron.

This gnarly sci-fi looking claw is the ‘citron’ used in making citron vodka. It’s a member of the citrus family but it has no juice or seeds. It’s all white pith on the inside with an intoxicatingly fragrant rind. And it’s available now.

Last Christmas, Mark and I were on the hunt in Whole Foods looking for something funky to photograph. We spotted the Buddha’s Hand citron but we didn’t buy any that night, partly because they are expensive ($4.99 a pound), and partly because I didn’t know what to do with them. A little research revealed that this obscure fruit is used to make citron vodka and that citron vodka is quite easy to make at home. At home, you say? That sounds like a project worth trying.

Buddha’s Hand also be candied, used for making citron syrup, citron salt, or just rubbed all over your body because it smells so damn good. These projects sounded easy to do and I was ready to pick some up and give it a try. By the time I returned to make my investment, my window of opportunity had closed. The season for Buddha’s hand was over. It’s a short season – typically November through January. I was crushed because now I had to wait a year.

We were ready this year, though.

Just before Christmas, Mark spotted them in Whole Foods and called me so I could race to the store and pick them up before they disappeared. Eleven dollars later, I had two beautiful specimen and was ready to experiment (it helps that the Buddha’s hand lasted for weeks in my fridge while I figured out what to do with them).

The first I thing I did was remove a finger and rub it all over my neck. Kinky, I know, but it was just like dabbing myself with a uniquely fragrant lemon perfume. It even has a soapy aroma to it, so it was clean kinky, at least.

The experiments were a success resulting in several bottles of citron vodka to give as gifts, lemon syrup and candied citron zest in the pantry. The hands are larger than life and I didn’t use them all up.

Here are some other recipes found on the Web.

Buddha’s Hand Citron Salt
Buddha’s Hand Dressing & Arugula Prosciutto Salad

Citron vodka is incredibly easy to make. All you need is the Buddha’s Hand (Whole Foods), inexpensive vodka, and glass bottles (Cost Plus World Market). If you want to give the citron vodka as gifts, look for smaller bottles than the ones I found. Also, look for bottles with air tight lids.

CITRON VODKA

One Buddha’s Hand
Inexpensive Vodka
Glass Whiskey Bottles

It is said that the Buddha’s Hand citron symbolizes happiness and long life. So I figure we can create a little happiness with some Citron Vodka

DIRECTIONS
Clean the fruit by scrubbing under warm soapy water to remove any dirt, wax or chemicals and then dry completely. It helps to rough up the rind a bit to help release the aromatic oils.

Wash the bottles with warm soapy water, dry thoroughly.

Remove a few fingers from the Buddha’s hand and slice lengthwise so they easily fit through the neck of your bottle.

Fill the prepped bottles with your inexpensive vodka, and slide in a 3-4 slices of citron. Seal and let sit at least a week, if not longer.

CANDIED BUDDHA’S CITRON AND CITRON SYRUP

5 ounces Buddha’s Hand citron (about ½ of a ‘hand’)
5 cups water
4 cups sugar

The objective is to slowly simmer the citron in syrup, over a period of time, until it becomes completely translucent and candied. Your patience, and the size of your citrus slices, will determine how long this takes. In my experiment, I let my syrup simmer for 60 minutes at a time, then allowed it to cool and sit overnight while it soaks up the syrup, then repeat for a week until the syrup is reduced by 75% or until thick. There’s no harm in letting it sit and soak. The syrup may crystallize. Just add a little more water, then reheat.

DIRECTIONS
Clean the fruit by scrubbing under warm soapy water to remove any dirt, wax or chemicals and then dry completely. It helps to rough up the rind a bit to help release the aromatic oils.

Cut the hand into its individual fingers. Cut away excess inner pith. Slice each finger in half, then julienne.

In a 2 quart saucepan, combine the water, sugar and citron julienne. Bring to a simmer over medium heat. Turn heat to low and allow to simmer until pith becomes translucent, at least 60 minutes.

Turn off the heat and allow syrup to sit overnight, covered. Simmer again the following day. Repeat until you get the desired texture and syrup is reduced by 75% or quite thick. If you reduce the syrup too much, add a little water and reheat.

Drain and reserve the syrup for use in cocktails, desserts, etc.

Transfer the julienned strips to parchment paper to dry. Exposure to air will result in crystallization of the sugar. You may also toss them in powdered sugar or superfine baker’s sugar. Store in an airtight container.

Patricia Bainter is a blogger and writer for 303magazine. She trained at Le Cordon Bleu London and shares her culinary musings and recipes at her own website ThePatricianPalette.com. Photos by Patricia Bainter.

Sugar is completely melted, and crystals are "washed" down from the sides

TIPS ON SUCCESSFULLY MELTING SUGAR:

1. First and foremost: be patient. Don’t rush the sugar. Give it time to melt. Don’t be in a hurry to get it to temperature. It will happen and the slower the better.
2. Pour sugar into a pan with a cup of hot water, stir and cook until crystals dissolve and the water looks clear (cloudy water means there are crystals present)
3. Cover the pan to allow steam for a few minutes to melt crystals from the side of the pan
4. Remove the lid and wash down any sugar crystals that have formed on the sides of the pan with warm water and a heat-proof pastry brush. Ensure there are no crystals sticking to the bottom of the pan.
5. Then cook, undisturbed, to the desired temperature.
6. Check the bubbles, too. If they are cloudy, you have crystals. If they are clear, you are good-to-go.
7. Test your candy thermometer. Water boils at 212°F at sea level, and around 200° in Denver.
8. Learn to test your sugar in cold water for the various phases – thread to hard ball – as a backup to your thermometer.

According to the Joy of Cooking: “for each increase of 500 feet above sea level, cook candy syrups 1º lower”. So, for example, if a recipe calls for cooking sugar to 234ºF at sea level, and here we are in Denver at an altitude of 5280, then cook to 224ºF. But the best road to success is testing the cooked sugar in ice water.

TABLE OF SUGAR TEMPERATURES (based on sea level temperatures)

THREAD: begins at 230º
SOFTBALL: begins at 234º
FIRM BALL: begins at 244º
HARD BALL: begins at 250º
SOFT CRACK: begins at 270º
HARD CRACK: begins at 300º
CARAMELIZED SUGAR: 310º — 338º

I recommend anyone considering redesigning their kitchen to use marble or granite countertops. They can tolerate any temperature of pot or pan. In culinary school, we often would put a pot of cooking sugar directly onto the white Carrera marble to arrest the cooking processing.

Good luck!