Salads….Sort of a love song and a food

GRAINS, FLOWERS, LEAVES AND APPLES IN THE WONDERFUL MONTH OF MAY
Hello Princess Spring-To-Summer where are the tomatoes are growing green and the peppers are beginning to cross the line from sweet to heat. Surround your home with fragrant herbs, sweet lettuces, and flowers. The bounty of better boy and heritage tomatoes, of sweet bell peppers and life threatening habanera, the long strands of strawberry and stevia all growing upside in those topsy turvy pots, or right side up in cages and steps. It just does not matter where or how, this is the South, this is way we dress our home in all things edible and where they don’t grow then all things green and blossoming. Salads, the quick and the easy plucked from the yard. We are entering the salad times so let’s look at a few that are fast and easy, if not delicious and untamed.
I was caught surprise by a bogey message in my daily planner that photographs were due so I messaged Bryan Redding, editor and favorite photographer, and said that if pictures were necessary I was not ready. Then of course he called and asked if I wanted to do photographs today. I said, “Why not, let’s do salads. I have a pantry, yard and refrigerator ready except for tomatoes.” I lied. I had no idea what I was going to do so I purchased time by asking him to stop by Kroger, Publix or Earthfare to see if they had those tomatoes on the vine that they sell sometimes. Not the best but good when nothing is fruiting in the home patch.
He said, “Sure, I’ll be there in 30 minutes.” Haha!
And thus we have three nice salads: quinoa and pigeon peas with “pancetta” style seasoned hog jowl bacon; romaine with rose hips, dried fruits, almonds and sesame-wasabi dressing; purple and Yukon gold potatoes with apple, tomato, boiled egg, sweet William flowers and bleu cheese. There are many things that can be done in a hurry and as long as there are olive oils, seasoned oils, flavored vinegars, cheeses, some kind of lettuce and choice grains and legumes then anything can happen come surprise or planning.
Pigeon peas are a hot weather legume. They look like big sweet pea, green bean or soy bean pod. They are a meaty pea and can be used fresh or dried. They do not like frost, but they will grow strong for about five years. It takes three to four months from planting before they start to produce pods. They grow tall and require a trellis. Bees love the pea flowers. That’s for the gardeners in the bunch here. As with all legumes they are high in protein. They are used in India for making dhal. Western recipes prefer to say that dhal is made with lentils , soy beans and red beans but pigeon peas are the true source of this great dish.
When using the dried pea you can make flour out of them in a high speed Vita Prep style blender. I enjoy making my own flours out of beans, rice and grains. There is something great to be said for taking the few minutes to make your own flour. The proof is always in the flavor.
Pigeon peas must be cooked to soft but still round for our purposes here today. You can cook them like any pea to whatever your purpose is from soft to mash, it all depends on the purpose of the recipe.
I have written many times about quinoa and will continue to write about quinoa. This mother grain has more proteins than any other edible seed. It is grown from the Andes to Columbia and has been central to South American cuisine for centuries prior to the Spanish conquest of the Inca and Mayan cultures.
The Spanish suppressed this mighty grain for many reasons, one is that they considered it a food of lesser cultures. Because it was overlooked by the invading nationalities it took a while for quinoa to catch on in North American cookery. This is similar to the way that whole wheat bread and white bread alternated over the centuries. Whole wheat was a food for the workers during the building of the pyramids while white bread was for royalty and upper classes. We now know that whole wheat is much more healthy. It may also be possible that quinoa did not catch on because it was bitter to European tastes. After all, they did take the potato, corn and tomato and adapted them to gardens the world over.
Quinoa is good cooked like rice or ground to make flour for bread; it is used even in making beer and as a leaf substitute for spinach. It is always necessary to rinse quinoa before cooking to remove any bitter hull that may still be on the seeds. As with rinsing rice, rinsing quinoa is part of the cooking process, although it is not necessary to soak the quinoa before cooking. If you soak quinoa for a few hours it will begin to germinate and grow both softer and higher in protein. Along with proteins, quinoa is high in amino acid, phosphorous, magnesium, iron, and is gluten free so this is a preferred grain for vegetarian, gluten free and healthy diets.
Potatoes are native to the Andes of Chile and Peru. Potatoes were then taken to Europe and North America where they thrived. Purple potatoes are high in starch and sugars, and Yukon gold potatoes are high in sugars so that the two together on a plate make for delicious visual and flavor contrasts.
All cheese is made from some kind of milk be it cow, goat, sheep or ox. We make blue and green veined cheese by introducing flour yeast cultures to the cheese during the aging process. Because blue and green veined cheeses have bread mold/yeast added they are not gluten free. Parmesan cheese is high in umami of the five flavors hot, sour, salty, sweet and umami. Umami is in green tea, soy sauce, sea salt, red wine, various cheeses, seaweed and chocolate. It is called delicious in translation. That can be misleading, umami is what makes the mouth water and hence allowing flavors to be more acutely experienced. Parmesan, feta, burrata, fresh mozzarella and blue cheeses are favorites for salads because they truly do bring out the delicate flavors of raw and cooked ingredients in salads.
QUINOA AND PIGEON PEAS
Remember that all items except the tomato were present in my pantry, refrigerator and yard at the time of composition. This was truly hunting and gathering with what was at hand. I used hog jowl bacon for my take on instant pancetta. Curing rolled pork belly with whole allspice, whole peppercorns, sea salt, curing salt and sugar, makes pancetta. I made mine by slowly cooking hog jowl bacon with allspice, sorghum syrup, white peppercorns and coarse sea salt. Reserve the fat from the hog jowls for cooking the potatoes in the next recipe. I bought the sliced hog jowl at Publix. This kind of cut is also used in making many great Sichuan rice and ground meat dishes. The current fetishising of bacon is an interesting thing since fatty sections of pork are used wherever flavor and fat are required. I would never use bacon in a squash casserole but we Southerners certainly do use fat back in casseroles. Same for biscuits, we use lard but not bacon fat. The best and most fluffy potatoes are cooked in any kind of pork fat and
duck fat.
QUINOA (keen-wha)
2 ounces quinoa (dry weight)
1 cup water to rinse and soak the quinoa for 10 minutes
5 ounces chicken stock
1/ 4 cup yellow onion, minced
1/3 teaspoon thyme leaves
1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
1/3 teaspoon salt
2 black peppercorns, crushed
1 tablespoon butter
½ cup cooked pigeon peas (use canned, frozen or fresh, the best)
Sautee the onion on medium heat in butter and cook until they are clear. Add the quinoa and stir to coat the grains with the butter. Add the stock and all other ingredients. Bring to a boil. Turn down to low and cover. Add pigeon peas. Cook for 10 minutes. Check and stir. If stock has reduced then taste for softness and flavor. If not then stir and cook for about 3 more minutes, covered.
While the quinoa is cooking cook your hog jowl bacon in a large iron skillet
HOG JOWL “PANCETTA”
8 slices hog jowl bacon
3 allspice, whole (if no whole then pinch of ground allspice)
¼ teaspoon white pepper or 3 white peppercorns
1 tablespoon sorghum syrup or black strap molasses
1/3 teaspoon coarse sea salt
Place bacon in skillet and heat on medium heat. Add spices after it begins to sizzle. Turn and let cook until crisp, pour fat into another large iron skillet. Add sorghum to the bacon. Remove from pan and place on paper napkin to drain fat.
VINAIGRETTE
5 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
2 leaves basil
3 tablespoons aged balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon turbinado sugar
½ teaspoon yellow mustard
Whisk ingredients together before adding to dish.
Divide the quinoa and pigeon peas between two plates. Arrange in a line on the plate. Set the jowl pancetta in the middle of each line of quinoa. Drizzle the vinaigrette over each plate. Garnish with fresh edible nasturtium flowers or crisp violet petals.
ROMAINE WITH DRIED FRUITS AND WASABI-MISO VINAIGRETTE
Spicy, crunchy, fruity and sharp; how can you go wrong with this arrangement?
I used dried apricots because I had them on hand for my three salads in 30 minutes. Remember that for all of these I was racing against the clock as Bryan was coming over to photograph the plates! I always have wasabi and miso in the house because their flavors are so versatile. Do not think that the wasabi root is confined to raw fish, though surely the best place for it is with sparkling fresh wahoo we are using it for a sauce. Vinaigrette is a sauce. Miso, the product of fermented soy beans is a deep flavor that is used in dashi, soups and sauces. Almonds because they balance the crunchy aspect of this salad, and salads that have a bit of crunch just seem to taste better. I have a camellia and a rose hips tree/bush in my yard.
WASABI-MISO VINAIGRETTE
½ teaspoon wasabi powder or paste
1 teaspoon miso paste
10 leaves fresh cilantro
2 tablespoons sweet gherkin, or bread and butter pickles, minced
1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
2/3 cup corn oil

Whisk wasabi, miso and corn oil to for semi thick, then add the pickle and cilantro. Slowly add the vinegar while whisking so that it thins the vinaigrette but does not separate. Chill. If it separates after you remove it from the refrigerator just shake it up or whip it in a mixing bowl. Sometimes a touch of mayonnaise or mustard will bind it together.
SALAD
2 romaine hearts, center section
10 slices dried apricot
5 rose hips, or you can use rose petals and orange zest if not available
14 almonds
3 stalks green onion
1 tomato, sliced in small cubes

Rinse romaine leaves in cold water and shake off the water. Slice in fork sized pieces. Place in large bowl. Add apricot, rose, green onion, almonds and tomato. Add 4 ounces of the vinaigrette. Divide between two plates. You can also add large croutons to this to add to the crunchy goodness.
POTATO AND APPLE PLATE
A plate of food that is both salad and starch is a visual and flavorful pleasure. Peruvian purple potatoes are a rich purple color, very starchy and filling. Yukon gold potatoes are yellowish, light and airy, and sweet. The two potatoes contrast nicely with the apple, tomato, egg and blue cheese. We are using the oil from our bacon to cook the potatoes. Cage free, organic, farm eggs really do taste better, they make better custards, aioli and cakes. Rhode Island Red hens produce an incredible egg that you may not know, but you can bet your grandparents enjoyed them. Today, this kind of egg is being reintroduced to the market and it is not just a brown egg, it is an egg from a different kind of chicken who has been fed a different kind of food and the results are recognizable. Sweet Williams were blooming around my yard so they made it to the plate!
Best way to boil an egg? For two eggs in a small pot: cover with cold water, ½ teaspoon salt and ½ ounce apple cider vinegar. Turn up to boil. When it boils, turn down to medium and cook five minutes. Remove from heat and put pot under running cold water. Do not pour out the hot water, let the cold water force it out. After the water is cool take the egg and tap it onto the sides of the pan to crush the shell but not so hard that it breaks the film around the egg white. Under the slow cold water begin peeling the shell off of the egg until all is removed.

6, 1 ounce slices purple potato
6, 1 ounce slices yukon gold potato
2 eggs, boiled, peeled and sliced
8 slices red delicious apple
8 slices tomato
4 blossoms sweet William or whatever small edible flower is close by
2 ounces blue cheese crumbles
2 ounces Mexican crema fresca
¼ teaspoon coarse sea salt
¼ teaspoon Dukes mayonnaise

Heat a large iron skillet to medium high heat with the oil from the hog jowl bacon in the pan. When the oil is 350 degrees add the potato slices one by one. Gently shake the pan after each potato slice is added. Fry 3 minutes each side. They will be light brown on the outside and cooked on the inside. Remove from heat and drain on a paper towel to remove excess oil.
To make the dressing, combine the crema fresca, mayonnaise, blue cheese, salt and pepper. Spread this over the plate.
Arrange the potatoes on the plate, blue/white/blue then apple. Arrange the slices of tomato and egg to the corner away from the potato. Sprinkle with edible flower petals.
Thank you, always love the one you’re with and have a beautiful month of May. Visit me now in our new restaurant, The Iron Grill, On Mitchell Bridge Road, where wonderful things do happen.

It was like this last night:
Coming out of the rumble
That is the cattle call of all lovers past,
Watching Drive By Truckers on late night TV
Smiling with each note, bass line and slide solo,
They are ours here in Athens, The Classic City,
They belong to Alabama, to NASCAR and Muscle Shoals,
To rock to life to Nuci’s Space the DBTs of Ruth Street,
Yeah, they belong to us all and Everyday’s a Birthday.
Southern Rock Southern Soul Southern Poems
And Southern Food, as long as it tastes good
Sounds good in these sultry Summer Days.
The World turns to the South for love and inspiration.
There’s this thing that we are here, the way
We worship June tomatoes, yellow squash,
Ripe sweet melons, banana peppers and pork bbq.
So it goes. We all have our favorites.
We all have a need for that thing that makes us smile,
From food to song to lonesome days on the hill,
There is nothing better than a moment
That goes beyond the signal of touch and grace.
Yes, with a beloved. Yes, the moment shared.
Sometimes drifting in the mystery of 3 a.m.
I hear a modern country blues coming from within,
I hear Don Chambers +Goat (a modern Doc Boggs)
Singing High Water or Friars Lantern…
I want to wake her up and start the day,
I can taste her lips on the mist,
Hear her laughter trail on the call of dawn,
But for now in the mystery hours
There is just this assurance, this way of life
That is ours, this thing that is beautiful.
There it is, shining in the gospel light of a Georgia dawn,
She, like a batch of wild sweet peas and purple violets.
All I want to so is stand with her
By the stove on a Sunday morning.
Every flower blooms. Every pan sizzles.
Every romance has a meaning.
And today, yes, these things are true.
These are the things of Southern Song and Story.

November 2, 2009November 2, 2009

POMEGRANATE IN THE HOUSE IS VERY NICE (food, poetry)

POMEGRANATE IN THE HOUSE IS VERY NICE
Of the Seven Holy Species of plant pomegranate is the crown, the fertile one, the mystery, it is also one of the fruits of the Garden of Eden. The Seven Species indicates the plants given to ancient Israel. They are named in the Old Testament. They are: 1) Wheat, 2) Barley, 3) Grapes, 4) Figs, 5) Pomegranates, 6) Olives, 7) Date Honey or Dates. It is easy to see why these fruits and seeds are sacred species in Judaism, Christianity and Islam, as they are staples in the world of flora that provide us with life and health. The pomegranate is symbolic of the 613 points in the Torah section of the Old Testament since it was believed the fruit bore 613 seeds. Solomon designed his crown based upon the bottom crown of the pomegranate. It is a shrub and can have as many as 40 or more fruit at at time during the growing season.
We see these Seven appearing throughout literature as being full of symbolic meaning in all of the ancient religions and iconography. We are exploring the pomegranate as our sole seed for Winter. It was the four pomegranate seeds Persephone consumed at the end of her stay with Hades in the underworld that brought about the Winter season while her mother, Demeter (Greek goddess of agriculture/wheat), mourned her absence.
The pomegranate is native to Persia and the Near East. It was planted along the Silk Road and has flourished in dry, hot growing regions all over the world including California and Arizona. The name of the pomegranate has significance also in war. The suffx ‘granate’ became the name of the Moor city in Spain, Granada. The grenade derived it’s name because the shape was like that of a pomegranate. For all things beautiful there is an opposite, and so for the pomegranate. We have sour syrup and sweet syrup, molasses and dried seeds (in curry), we have fun sweet eating seeds in November and sour ones for sauces in September and early October.
For we of the Southeast the pomegranate is best in November, December and January. It was a treat for us when we were children. My Mother called them “Plum Grannies” because it was just too much trouble to get pomegranate out of the mouths of Georgia native youngin’s and too easy to get the sweet seeds in. All it took was a bowl of cold water to separate the seeds from the pulp and a handful of napkins to separate the red from our hands. We were happy, still are when this fruit is at it’s sweetest.
The cocktail syrup, grenadine, is based upon the sweet pomegranate juice. We will be using a combination of pomegranate juice, grenadine, molasses, date palm sugar and red wine to make a kind of pomegranate molasses for pork and fish. The seeds are remarkable when sautéed with turkey breast steaks or chicken breasts. A sweet and salty spinach salad becomes a emblematic starter to any December holiday meal when the dressing contains pomegranate and bacon. I have had Turkish pomegranate syrup that was as thick as honey and deeply flavorful with tannins and sweet molasses as the same time; and then with that particular pomegranate thing that is between cranberries and scuppernongs.
They will sweeten in storage in the dry lower part of your refrigerator; keep the temperature between 32 and 42 degrees. If kept in your pantry at regular household temperatures between 65 and 72 degrees then they will keep for two months. Slightly score the outer skin of the fruit with a knife. Break it open over a bowl of cold water. Gently push the seeds off of the pulp. The pulp will rise and the seeds sink. They varieties (over 60) of pomegranate go from pale white sour seeds to super juicy sweet red seeds. We are most familiar with Wonderful and Grenada. Pomegranate juice is a known factor in reducing LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol). The juicy outer layer of the seed is called arils. And here is a new one to me; the shrub is so tannic that it has long been used in tanning leather, the bark and the leaves that is, not the fruit. Do not eat the pulp or skin.
HOT BACON AND POMEGRANATE SPINACH SALAD
Let’s explore the flavors of this healthy little shrub with a hot bacon spinach salad. The take is to use reduced pomegranate juice instead of balsamic vinegar or red wine vinegar in the dressing. Pop! Sweet then the fiber crunch again when we bite into the center of the aril.
I am of the belief that all holiday salads are good f0r the very reason that someone put some love and care into their salad, their opening gift to the meal. Even carrot and raisin salad is a treasure in the right home with the right people. For us, the red and green color in the salad is perfect as an even-handed salute to the holly and rose of Sharon.

4 slices hickory bacon, sliced and cooked
2 tablespoons minced white onion
1 teaspoon brown mustard
1/3 cup pomegranate syrup
1/3 cup Australian Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 tablespoons date palm sugar
2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon the bacon fat
1/5 teaspoon granulated salt

Cook the bacon to crisp with the onion. Drain the fat and set aside. Put the bacon, onion, mustard and palm sugar into a large mixing bowl. Slowly whisk the syrup into the bowl to thicken. Again, slowly whisk in the olive oil, and then the rice vinegar. Over heat whisk this until it reaches 110 degrees, at this point continue beating the vinaigrette and add the bacon fat and 1/5 teaspoon salt. Keep warm
4 plates
5 ounces spinach leaves
40 pomegranate seeds
8 rings red onion
4 strawberries, sliced
20 almonds
Arrange the items onto the plate into sections of spinach, pomegranate, then the red onion and strawberries. Line the edges of the plate with the almonds. Pour the hot vinaigrette onto the plate just before serving so that it streaks the plate with sweet and sour goodness.
ROAST PORK WITH POMEGRANATE AND AGED CHEDDAR
Here we are roasting or grilling in a kettle/ceramic grill. The cheddar has to be an aged white cheddar, no yellow. You can use Irish Porter Cheddar for a more dramatic effect as this cheese basically “rocks!”. In the even you cannot find the Irish then we are using aged white cheddar. Fruit and cheese are good anywhere. Pomegranate, pork and cheese are even better because Wonderful pomegranate is just that good.
Malta is a great little Island beverage that is brewed malt, cane and corn sugars and purified water. It is earthy, think the smell of turned black dirt, that good. Like spring plowing or the turning of a small garden space.
I have found Malta to be great in barbecue sauces and marinades for things as all American as a pork rib to tongue and liver. Malta is very versatile, and when combined with pomegranate juice it deepens the flavors even more to where the pomegranate really does resemble a rich rum infused molasses. Next time you see it in the store do not pass it by, stop, get a six pack and taste what more you an do to make the ordinary into the extraordinary.
Recipe serves four.
2 pounds pork loin, boneless
2 teaspoons Chinese Five Spice powder
1 lime zested
3 tablespoons walnut oil
1 tablespoon Sichuan pepper, ground
1 teaspoon allspice, ground
¼ cup as real soy soy sauce as you can find (no wheat)
1 cup washed and chopped leeks, white to pale green
½ cup chopped celery, leaves, ribs and all
7 ounces malta
5 ounces pomegranate juice

4 ounces aged white cheddar cheese
40 pomegranate arils

Rub the pork loin with the soya sauce and then with the walnut oil. Chill for 15 minutes. Combine the lime zest, 5 Spice, allspice, salt and pepper and rub into the pork so that it is evenly coated. Cover with the leeks and celery. Turn the oven onto 325 degrees. Roast for 45 minutes, the internal temperature will be 150 degrees when it is ready. Baste with the malta and pomegranate juice while it cooks.
Remove from oven and strain the juices into a saucepan. Turn the heat the medium high. Add 2 tablespoons molasses and 2 tablespoons brown sugar. Continue cooking until it has reduced by half and has thickened. I seriously prefer date palm sugar and black strap molasses in this dish, the brown sugar will make it more syrupy though, and it needs to stick to the pork like a glaze. If you need to enrich the flavor of this then add grenadine or if you have access to a Mid East/Turkish grocer then buy a half liter of pomegranate molasses. The Turkish style is very thick and earthy as they use a different kind of pomegranate for this syrup. I find that a very small amount goes a long way.
Please, dice two sweet potatoes, one onion, and place them on aluminum foil. Slice 4 ounces of butter and place over the potatoes. Sprinkle 1 teaspoon of cardamom and 1 teaspoon of salt over the potato. Roll the aluminum foil into a tight cylinder. Bake in the same oven as the pork loin.
Chop 2 cups of leaf lettuce and sauté with a teaspoon of corn oil and then steam with 2 tablespoons of chicken stock. It is very simple.
Slice the pork loin into 16 slices. Divide pork, potatoes and lettuce between the plates. Glaze the pork with the reduction. Shave the cheese over the pork and then garnish with pomegranate.

CHICKEN TENDERS WITH POMEGRANATE AND BASMATI RICE
We are on the stovetop for this one. I like to cook it in a wok but a regular iron skillet or stainless steel pan is good as well. Chicken or turkey tenders are equally delicious for this dish. If you want fish then I highly recommend Alaskan black cod steaks. Sablefish/ black cod is one of the finest fish in the Alaskan waters, firm, white meat, a bit buttery and sweet.
Basmati rice smells like nuts when it is cooking. You do not need much seasoning at all for this rice. Just water, butter and salt. I love the smell of basmati rice cooking but if rice that smells like almonds and hazelnuts roasting turns you off then use the more floral Jasmine rice, and it that disturbs your sense of taste then the next option is Cal Rose rice, a very straight forward fat medium sized grain that is a standard to Chinese the world over; and they are right because Cal Rose is the best everyday rice I have ever had.
Brussels sprouts cooked with bacon and red bell peppers makes this little dish something to remember. Brussels sprouts cooked this way are better than you may remember little cabbages to taste. Don’t let this superb vegetable get away from you during the winter months. It is one of the great green veggies. When cooking Brussels sprouts you will boil them and then sauté them with the bacon and peppers. The boiling softens and lets the salt and bay leaf flavor into the body of the vegetable.Serves four.
24 ounces chicken tenders
½ cup sweet potato starch
½ cup all purpose white flour
½ teaspoon coriander, ground
½ teaspoon cumin, ground
1/3 teaspoon ground black pepper
½ teaspoon pink sea salt
2 ounces butter
1 ounce extra virgin olive oil
4 tablespoons Tiger Sauce (off the shelf, it is great)
¼ cup pomegranate juice
40 pomegranate arils
20 pomegranate arils crushed
20 leaves cilantro
Mix the sweet potato starch and flour together. Mix the spices together. Roll the chicken tenders in the spices and press them into the meat. Heat a large pan on medium high heat. Roll the tenders in the flour/starch. Dust off. Melt the butter in the pan and add the oil when it foams. Turn heat to medium. Then add the chicken piece by piece. Turn as the meat begins to turn light brown on each side. Remove from heat and pat the oils off. Set on plates and add cilantro leaves.
Heat the Tiger sauce, pomegranate seeds and crushed pomegranate on medium high heat in the same pan you cooked the tenders in. Scraped the bottom of the pan to get the good flavor remains from the chicken. Deglaze with soda water. Stir. Add a 1/3 teaspoon roasted chili paste and stir some more. When it has combined and has a uniform flavor and texture pour it over the chicken tenders.
Serve with Brussels sprouts and basmati rice and enjoy the very lively flavors of this mysterious dish. The mystery is in the way that all the strong flavors become a dignified point of delicious! Thank you very much and I do wish you the most beautiful of holidays in these Winter Georgia days and nights.
One day
Chill cold wet windy and chaotic
And the next day a song of finches
And thrushes sunning in the warm
December weather.
I remember skateboard Christmases
Rolling down Brown Road
On home made skate boards that broke
More often than they made the grade.
A jump over the bushes and the world
Changed to wilderness in the easement
Between Ball Park, North Park and Oak Avenue.
Chasing squirrels with Bear bows
And pump action pellet guns,
Wading the thing called a creek into Tucker Lake,
And walking out on the thing ice,
Spider web cracks and the echo of coming trouble,
Lay down and spread eagle slide to safety,
Fake fly to safety going home.
Home seems to be where I am always going.
To a warm hearth and steaming bowls of rice,
To hot Sleepy Time tea with sourwood honey,
To my family that I am always dreaming of,
To a place where I want to share all
Of the passions, the expressions,
The smiles and laughter of a life lived leading to today.
Leading to home to the heart that is yours,
Your heart beating a song that will embrace,
Your dark eyes that reflect and absorb,
That give so much more than any could deserve,
But there you are, Home, love, my love,
Beloved voice that has always been with me,
In childhood and as a man,
Beckoning me to seek the passion,
To seek this place that is you and me.

November 2, 2009November 2, 2009

A MAN AND HIS GRILL

ALL THINGS CONSIDERED,

A MAN AND HIS GRILL NEVER GO OUT OF STYLE.

A LIFE WITH DUCK, SALMON, AND CHEESEY BEEF

Every five years or so things change in subtle ways where we wonder what happened and how come this or that no longer fits the scene described in magazines and talk shows. Food fads change faster now than ever before. I watched and worked through the dark hours of the culinary world when nouvelle and cuisine mincuer ravaged the landscape of the collective unconscious of chefdom and left the diner curious as to where the food went and why what remained was so high priced. That’s what prescribed fashion will do for you when there is no firm basis to hold the image for more than the flash of a celebrity chefs smile. The restaurant, as champion of taste, was almost run over by corporate downsizing as a result of the backlash to the way food was handled from the late 1980s until the last five years. In honor of the history of food we will celebrate around the grill with duck breast, salmon steak, and a tenderloin of beef.

We are in a boom time of dining now and it is the task of every cook, chef and home cook to test, taste and experiment wisely because if we are not careful then the closings, corporate takeovers and general rip off for the consumer will surely ensue. What to do? Be honest. That’s all it takes. Just be honest to your plate, to your customer, to your family and friends and the best of the new foods. Fashion and flash will rise to the top and we will again be on a culinary adventure as wonderful as the one set forth by California cuisine in 1980, and then again by Fusion in the late 1990s. That’s what fashion does for us in the culinary world, it takes us on an upward spiral of curiosity and conquest where the best of our challenges become new standards and the worst becomes a joke about ‘what were we thinking.’ Even the dishes that don’t work out so great can still be fun. Remember, live to eat, and do so with full heart. OK, so let’s go stand around the grill and think about foods that last and things that bind our world together.

The duck breast and salmon will both be marinated. The beef tenderloin will be rubbed with garlic and coarse sea salt and finished with melted Gorgonzola cheese. This is a low carbohydrate delight of a meal… almost. It is all only meat but we will have fruit juices in the marinades. The duck is a new recipe, the salmon is a new standard, and the beef is as old as country clubs and dirty martinis. If you do not drink don’t be afraid of the alcohol in these marinades. They are only marinades for the flavor, the alcohol cooks out on the grill and all you have then is the refined flavor of sour mash corn and aged grapes.

DUCK BREAST

We are using the more familiar Pekin duck, which has a low fat content and is lighter colored meat than the huskier, fattier, and burgundy flavored Muscovy duck of fine restaurants. You can find whole ducks in the frozen section of all the grocery stores. Ask ahead about duck breasts to see if the grocer can get it in for you. If this is not possible then buy the whole duck, cut it in half and then in portions of breast, leg and thigh with the bone intact. Marinade the same as with boneless breasts. The cook time will be a little bit longer. The good thing about duck is that you can cook it to temperatures the same as with beef. Medium rare duck grilled this way is a very, very tasty treat.

If you are ever in the mood for some of the best Hong Kong style duck you can eat in Athens then contact Fooks Market on Baxter Street and ask when she is getting it in. Usually it is Thursdays and there are a lot of requests for this kind of Chinese Barbecue duck so get your order in early so that they can have it ready for you to pick up after work.

2, 8 ounce duck breasts, boneless

1 cup cranberry-raspberry juice

1/3 cup soy sauce

1/3 cup Chianti

1/3 cup sesame oil

2 tablespoons allspice, ground

1 tablespoon ginger, ground

1 tablespoon cinnamon, ground

1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, ground

Combine liquid ingredients and spices. Place duck breasts skin side down in glass dish. Pour marinade over the duck breasts, cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate 24 hours.

SALMON

When this marinade first appeared twenty years ago it was considered radical. Funny how time changes things. The salmon really does have to be Pacific Ocean King, Coho, Sockeye, Silver Bright (chum), and Pink salmon. These fish are part of what made the West Coast possible and their value to nature is matched on a level with shrimp, sardines, krill and on up to the mighty mackerel family. Wild salmon is to be cooked to any desired temperature from rare to medium. If you should cook the fish over medium it will lose the moist texture and taste of the sea. Well-done salmon has that chalky and fishy texture that unpleasantly lingers around. Try not to go over medium with fresh salmon that is labeled sushi or sashimi grade. Most frozen wild salmon is immediately frozen when it is butchered so it is safe for rare and medium rare temperatures. Did you know that salmon in sushi restaurants is almost always from frozen stock? The freezing kills off a lot of bacteria and retains the moisture and fat necessary for the best tasting sushi. Unless you are right on the water or the fish is no more than two days old this is the best way to have it for sushi. I have eaten sushi salmon right out of the ocean and it tastes the way you would expect velvet to taste. The miracle of air transit, UPS and Federal Express really do make it possible for the home cook to get seafood of the same grade as restaurants.

Hint, wild salmon does not have dyes or injected hormones and antibiotics as do the farmed Atlantic variety. Also, wild Pacific salmon is a vital part of our oceans whereas Atlantic salmon farmed in the Pacific Ocean is a threat to our oceans. You will also notice an extreme taste difference between the wild and farmed species. Farmed is cheaper and more readily available, and that is the only advantage over wild salmon. Georgia used to have Atlantic salmon in our rivers but that is a story long ago before the Savannah River plant. Sometimes the plight of our oceans and rivers seems bleak, but with studied and optimistic approaches to preserving and renewing the life of our waters we can see a revitalization of our waters. After all, Australia recently declared the entire Great Barrier Reef as a preserve. This means that the living coral can be protected from commercial and recreational destruction. Also, the rivers of Northern California, Oregon, Washington Western Canada and Alaska are all being marked for greater protection from chemical plants and irrigation runoff, dams (from being overheated and the addition of water steps for the salmon to make it upstream), and with seeding inland areas of the rivers with salmon eggs so that they have a greater chance of filling our oceans and tables with this highly necessary part of our diet, the wild salmon. Wild salmon swim up waterfalls. What is great than that in the fish kingdom?WHERE TOSHOP? Earthfare, Publix, Kroger, and I have even seen whole sockeye salmon (frozen) at Wal-Mart. Ask your grocer when it is coming in, and if they can reserve the best for you. They will do what you want; all you have to do is ask.

2 pounds Pacific Ocean salmon

1/2 cup Kentucky Bourbon

1/3 cup Molasses, unsulphured black strap

1/3 cup Leas and Perrins Worcestershire Sauce

1/4 cup corn oil

2 tablespoons Cracked black peppercorns

Combine the liquid ingredients and the pepper. Place the boned salmon into a glass dish. Pour the marinade over the fish, cover and refrigerate for at least 3 hours but not more than six hours.

If you want to add a more island and vacation style feel to your Pacific salmon then pierce it with rosemary stalks and grill on top of thin slices of pineapple. Even if you don’t want the pineapple part try out the rosemary.

It’s one of my favorite additions to grilled salmon.

BEEF THE AMERICAN PROTEIN KING

Next up in our protein feast is beef. Not chicken and not pork (they are for later summer grills), but beef, king of the West and the engine of our trail blazing manifest destiny. I use two kinds of beef, grass fed drug free and lean, which comes from various ranches in the US and Australia. The other is American grown Kobe. Kobe is the greatest of all possible beef and is raised in an environment of being corn fed, taken for short walks, no drugs or hormones, and is the richest beef you will ever eat. The Kobe that I buy is raised at a ranch by the name of Wagyu. There are other Kobe ranches in the US but this is my favorite. When buying beef, as with all foods read the labels and ask questions. Not all foods that are good for you are overly expensive, you just need to shop well and shop often for what you want. When the demand is there your grocer will meet that demand without overcharging you.

Meat thermometers are relatively inexpensive and readily available on the market. Buy one or two so that you always have it around. To set the thermometer to correct temperature insert it into a glass of ice with just enough water to cover the ice. The temperature will be 32 degrees.

Here is a temperature scale for red meat:

VERY RARE: 115, red cold with just a little brown on the edges

RARE: 116 to 120, cold red center, light gray edges

MEDIUM RARE: 121 to 13o, warm red center

MEDIUM: 131 to 145,warm, bright pink center

MEDIUM WELL: 146 to 155, pink hot center, mostly gray

WELL: 156 to 160, gray all the way throughout the meat

MEAT AND THE MARINADE

4 six ounce beef tenderloin filets

3 tablespoons coarse sea salt

2 tablespoons ground black pepper

2 tablespoons ground garlic

3 ounces extra virgin olive oil

4 ounces Gorgonzola cheese

(Melt the cheese on steaks during the last three minutes of cooking)

Mix the salt, pepper and garlic with the oil. Rub the filets in the oil and let them set for thirty minutes. When it is time to grill make sure that there is still pepper and garlic on the steak.

ABOUT BLUE AND GREEN VEINED CHEESES

Cheese production is one of the more interesting conventions of the food trade that is prominent in our diet yet also little understood. There are three primary ways of ripening cheese. Keep in mind that the process of making cheese is like that of certain grains and grapes, in that cheese is made by a system of controlled and limited spoilage. The simplest way for me to present these ways of incorporating the penicillin are cheddar, blue and Brie. Blue and greened veined cheeses become what they are by the injection of penicillium roqueforti into the center of the cheese part way through the aging process. Cheddar and Swiss type cheeses are cured with a mold mixed in with the starter, and Brie style cheeses are cured with the bacteria from the outside of the formed cheese. So, blue from inside, regular throughout, and Brie from the outside for the bacteria in the curing process. If Brie has a slight ammonia scent that means that it is over-ripe and should not be purchased.

We are using Gorgonzola for the beef. Gorgonzola is a green veined cheese. It is softer than traditional blue cheese, and the way it crumbles is in larger chunks than blue or feta cheeses. There is salt in cheese so if your diet is strict about salt then limit your cheese intake. Cheddar cheese is salted from the beginning in the started curd. Swiss type cheeses are salted in brine for up to two weeks during the curing process. Feta style cheeses are heavily salted (pickled actually) so that the microbe growth is almost halted, hence the chalky and salty texture of dry feta. Parmesan is salted by rubbing it on the outside of the rind, and if it is overly salted and allowed to cure too long in the salt it will dry out. I have this problem of too dry Parmesan just a few times where I was unable to cut through a 30-pound block because it was simple too tight and dry as a result of inattention during the curing process. I tried to explain the problem to my purveyor and he had no idea what I was talking about. Again, it is good to be informed so that you what is wrong or right with your food and what to do depending on the condition of the product. The best Parmesan will be slightly salty and just moist enough to stick to your fingers when grated. That’s all the information today on cheeses.

The grill and the charcoal used. I mostly use hickory. Hickory is the standard for slow, smoky, full flavored grilling and bbq smoking. Mesquite is the most popular for fish and chicken because it cooks at a higher temperature and the smoke flavor is less defined than hickory. Fruit tree charcoals like apple and cherry are excellent for smoking and for water smoke grilled meats like poultry and game. I have used coconut charcoal for really fast high heat grilling, which is great for oily fish like wild salmon and mackerel varieties. Pecan is great mixed with hickory chips. If you are looking for mixing it up with grilling and smoking by raising the grill screen and closing the lid during cooking then use mixes of charcoal and wood chips. Soak the wood chips at least five hours or overnight for the smokiest and slowest heat.

Use hickory for this combination of meats. If you have a banana leaf, or need to buy one do so at Fooks Market or Wal-Mart (strangely enough!). Cactus leaves are available in just about all the markets. Why do I mention these leaves?

You can lay the banana leaf over the duck and salmon while they cook to hold the smoke in while keeping the meat moist. The cactus leaf is great for putting over the beef while it grills to add extra seasoning to the meat, and also to set the beef on after it has cooked to keep it from burning on the grill. Cactus leaf is tasty and there are no pins and needles in the ones in the grocery store sold for eating so don’t fret about that sticky problem. Banana leaves can be reused so don’t throw it away.

Remember that you have to keep each area of the grill clean and distinct from the other so that the meat flavors do not interfere with each other. Nothing worse than fishy tasting beef and that can be avoided by keeping the grill clean with a grill brush. The fastest to grill is the salmon so cook it last. Duck is the slowest at 20 minutes and one and half-inch to two inch thick meat is in between at about fifteen minutes.

You will need a pound of hickory charcoal, and a pound of hickory chips soaked in hot water. Oil the grill screen with corn oil by rubbing a corn oil soaked towel on the grill screen/rack. When the charcoal has turned gray add the water soaked chips. When the coals have started to turn color put the duck on the grill. After ten minutes turn on the duck, place the beef tenderloin filet on the grill and cook for five minutes, turn both meats. Add more hickory chips and then place the salmon on the grill. Cover with the banana leaf, or close the grill and let it all smoke for a few (three) minutes. Raise the cover and check to see that the heat is not too hot by holding your hand five inches over the grill screen. You should be able to hold it there for about thirty seconds, if longer then the coals are too cool, if shorter then they are too hot. All of the meats will have been turned 3 times for complete cooking. Remember to put the cheese on the beef for the last three minutes of cooking so that it melts into the meat. Check the meats with your thermometer so that the meat is cooked to your desired temperature.

If you want grilled vegetables with this meal think corn, peppers, onions, and squash. After it has all cooked divide the meats among the plates and dig in for a fun bbq in the backyard or on the deck. What’s more fashionable than being friends or family and just having a good time being together in the early evening?

GRILLING MY LIFE AWAY

Sometimes a warm summer night is all we need

To see how beloved this Southern life can be,

For me it’s how I cherish, how I care and prepare,

For others it’s just the way the day crawls by,

How we sit and chat and watch the flowers in the breeze,

And any way you slice it there’s no better way to live

Than passing the time on a sun porch in June,

It’s one of those things my Mother taught us all,

To love the life we live and to share this love with everyone.

And if you don’t believe, well, gather round the grill

And start talking about the world,

Pour a tall glass of sweet orange pekoe tea,

And tell me, can you feel the urge to tell history and myth?

Can you feel the desire to hold your loved one?

Can you tell her she is beautiful in the glow

Of a hickory smoke fire at sunset?

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A MAN AND HIS GRILL NEVER GO OUT OF STYLE.

A LIFE WITH DUCK, SALMON, AND CHEESEY BEEF

DUCK BREAST

SALMON

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