Kimchee

Kimchee

Coarsely chop and place in a large bowl(s):
1 Head Napa Cabbage

1 Japanese or Korean Radish

Combine until mostly dissolved:
2 c. water3/4-1 c. Kosher Salt (or very coarse sea salt)

Pour over the chopped vegetables and soak for 1 1/2-2 hours, tossing occasionally to ensure all veggies absorb the salt water.

In a food processor, blend well:
1 medium Yellow Onion

12 Cloves Garlic

Transfer to a mixing bowl and add:
1/2 c. red pepper powder (no substitutes!)

Fold in:
1 bunch Scallions, thinly sliced and cut into 1" strips

Drain cabbage and radish and coat with the "pepper paste" above.  

Pack tightly into glass jar/dish, seal, and leave on the counter for 24-48 hours, depending on how fermented you like your kimchee!  I fermented mine for about 30 hours and like it just fine.

NOTES: 

• I found these ingredients at Global Foods in Kirkwood.  
• I used the "hot" pepper powder and initially thought it was too spicy, but it mellowed somewhat over the course of a couple days and was just right for me.
• This was easy and delicious!
• The kimchee will keep for several weeks
• This made about 12 c.    

Christmas Sugared Ham

Sugared Ham

Serves 6

Slice as thinly as possible:
4 lbs Frick's Boneless Carver Ham

Line baking dish with foil then set sliced ham on top.  Coat top and sides generously with:
1/2-1 c. brown sugar
2-3 T. coarse black pepper

Cover dish with foil and place in 350 degree oven for about 20 minutes.

Remove ham and spoon Maple-Coffee Glaze (below) over the top, letting the excess pool in the bottom of the foil.

Maple-Coffee Glaze

Combine and blend in a saucepan until warm and smooth:
2-3 T. Bacon Grease
1 t. Coffee Grounds
1 t. Hickory Smoked Salt 
1/2 t. Cayenne
2-3 T. real Maple Syrup
2 T. Balsamic Vinegar

Return ham to oven and bake until heated through...about another 20-30 minutes.

Perfect alongside Soy Roasted Brussel Sprouts, Twice Roasted Sweet Potatoes, and a glass of Mead.

Merry Christmas!!

Twice Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Twice Roasted Sweet Potatoes

Serves 6

Place in glass baking dish:
4 Medium Sweet Potatoes, diced
3 T. Coconut Oil

Roast in a 350 degree oven for til fork tender...about 20-30 minutes...shaking periodically to coat evenly with the oil and to prevent sticking.

In a large skillet:
Melt 3-4 T. butter
Oven roasted sweet potatoes

Pan roast until slightly brown and crisp.  

Soy Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Soy Roasted Brussel Sprouts

Serves 6

Place in 9x13 glass baking dish:
6 c. Large Brussel Sprouts, quartered
4 T. Coconut Oil

Roast at 350 degrees until sprouts are tender and beginning to brown and crisp...about 30-40 minutes.

Remove from oven and add:
3 T. butter
2-4 T. soy sauce

Stir and return to oven for another 10 minutes, til brown and crisp.

Hot Chocolate Chicken

Hot Chocolate Chicken

Serves 6

Yes...you read that correctly.  Hot chocolate and chicken actually complement each other quite well!

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, rinsed and patted dry

2 T. hickory smoked salt

1-2 t. cayenne pepper

Mix spices and rub on all sides of chicken thighs and place in baking dish.  Let sit while you stir up some Rich Hot Chocolate.

Add to baking dish with thighs:

1 large jalapeno, seeded and thinly sliced

4 bulbs of garlic

1 1/2 c. of hot chocolate 

Sprinkle with coarse Smoked Paprika Salt, then bake at 385 degrees for 30-40 minutes.  

About 10 minutes before chicken is finished, make some Chocolate Gravy.  That's right...I said CHOCOLATE GRAVY.

In small saucepan, heat and blend:

4 T. butter

2-3 T. flour

When well blended, pour in 1 c. hot chocolate.  Whisk til smooth, then continue adding hot chocolate until gravy reaches your desired consistency.

Sprinkle in additional smoked salt and cayenne to taste

Plate chicken, smother with chocolate gravy, then sprinkle with a final finish of Smoked Paprika Salt.

Pairs well with Sweet Potatoes and Brussel Sprouts pan roasted in coconut oil. 

Further complement the flavors with a chilled Moscato or this stellar local STL brew: 4 Hands Barrel Reserve Single Origin...a Bourbon Barrel-Aged Imperial Stout with made with Sump Ethiopian Natural Process Coffee, cacao from Tanzania, Madagascar vanilla beans, and a touch of Blueberry to accentuate the natural process coffee.

NOTE: be sure to finish off the night with a shot of Peppermint Schnapps in the remaining hot chocolate!!

Cool As a Cucumber Cocktail

Cool As a Cucumber Cocktail

Serves 8

My original Calcutta Cooler recipe is very, very good...but it's also labor intensive.  This drink's flavor profile mimics that one and can be thrown together at a moment's notice.  It provides the perfect accompaniment for any spicy dish, including this must-have-again Yellow Curry.

Stir gently together in a pitcher: 

8-10 shots Pearl Cucumber Vodka

4 shots Key Lime Juice

1/2 shot Creme-de-Menthe

4 (6.8 oz) bottles of Fever Tree Ginger Beer

This is even better when the first 3 ingredients are mixed ahead and stashed in the freezer for last-minute assembly with thoroughly chilled ginger beer

Serve over 3 cubes of ice in chilled highballs.

Yellow Curry

Yellow Curry

Serves 8

Saute til tender in a large soup pot:
5 T. coconut oil
1/2 c. finely chopped yellow onion
8-10 mini red bell peppers

Stir in until aromatic:
1 1/2 c. Yellow Curry Paste
1-2 T. fish sauce

Add:
4 (13.66 oz.) cans coconut milk
2 c. bone broth
1/3 c. brown sugar

Simmer for a few minutes then add:
3-4 c. shredded rotisserie chicken
3 sweet potatoes, diced and roasted in coconut oil

Serve with warm naan and a Calcutta Cooler or the faster version with a similar flavor profile: Cool As A Cucumber Cocktail!

Pumpkin Silk Muffins

Pumpkin Silk Muffins 

Gently stir together dry ingredients:

1 3/4 c. flour

1/2 t. baking powder

1 t. baking soda

2 t. cinnamon

2 dashes ground clove

2 dashes ground nutmeg

1 t. salt

1 c. sugar

3/4 c. brown sugar

Add wet ingredients and stir until just blended:

2 eggs

1/3 c. oil

15 oz. pumpkin puree

I used the batter in three ways:

Bite-size muffies (24)- bake for ~9 minutes; roll in butter, then cinnamon-sugar Stupenda!

Glazed (12) - regular size muffins (no paper), brushed with a butter, powdered sugar glaze; bake for ~12 minutes

Upper Crust (8) (pictured) - add ~1/2 c. each fresh chopped cranberries and pecans to remaining batter; halfway through cooking, top with a struesel of butter, oats, brown sugar and pecans; bake for ~14 minutes

This batter made moist, silky soft muffins in each of the experiments above.  This will be a new go-to for family holiday breakfasts!

Deep-Fried Caramel-Glazed Pumpkin Doughnuts

Deep-Fried Caramel-Glazed Pumpkin Doughnuts

Makes: about 24 doughnuts and holes

Doughnuts are meant to be fried.  That's all I have to say about that.

Dough
Whisk together the dry ingredients:
3 1/2 c. cake flour 
4 t. baking powder
1 t. salt
1/2 t. baking soda
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. ground ginger
1/2 t. ground nutmeg
1/4 t. ground cloves

Blend the wet ingredients:
1 c. pumpkin puree
1 c. sugar
1 large egg + 2 yolks
2 T. melted butter
2 t. vanilla
1 T. cider vinegar
1/2 c. heavy cream

Make a well in the dry ingredients, pour the wet ingredients into the well and blend with a large fork.  Dough will look and feel like a sticky bread dough.

Generously flour your rolling surface, then lightly knead flour (only as much as necessary) into the dough until you can pat it into a 1/2" thick slab  (I chose to work with about 1/3 of the dough at a time, and covered the rest).

Cut out your doughnuts - I used a high ball glass and a shot glass...the ratios were perfect.  

Heat the oil in your fryer to about 350-375 degrees, which is optimal for doughnuts.  Remember that the dough expands as it cooks, so be sure to leave plenty of space and not overload your fryer.  Fry to a deep golden brown on each side, drain briefly on a paper towel. 

Using tongs, dip in Caramel Glaze, then drain on a cooling rack.  

Caramel Glaze
In a medium saucepan, melt the butter, then whisk in additional ingredients 1 at a time:
1/2 c. butter  
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. heavy cream
1 c. powdered sugar 

**Alternately, you can coat the warm doughnuts with cinnamon sugar for an equally excellent result!

Grown Up Grilled Cheese

Grown Up Grilled Cheese

Slather 1 side of 2 XL pieces of bread with butter.  Place butter-side down in a medium hot skillet.  Cover bread with white cheddar.  Saute til golden brown and cheese is melted, then remove to a cooling rack for assembly.

Pile the open-faced grilled cheese with:

2 softly fried eggs
1-2 Tomato slices
1/2 c. Arugula
3 slices thick bacon, caramelized

Drizzle heavily with Mango Chipotle Mayo (below)

Mango Chipotle Mayo
1/4 real mayo
1 heaping T. diced chipotle 
1/2 fresh diced mango

Blend all ingredients in small processor or blender.  

Spiced Pecans

Spiced Pecans

These pecans make an excellent addition to a charcuterie board or salad, but are also a highly-addictive stand alone snack!

1 c. pecan halves

2 T. sugar

1 T. butter

1 T. Simply Orange

1/4 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. cayenne

Combine ingredients in skillet and cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves.  Spread nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with greased foil.  Bake at 200 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.  

While hot, transfer pecans to a colander.  Sprinkle generously with salt and shake or stir to ensure all nuts are well-salted.  Stir every 2-5 minutes until nuts are cooled to prevent sticking.     

The Perfect Salad

The Perfect Salad

Greens: 1 c. (2.5 oz) of greens per person

Spring Mix

Arugula

Romaine

Cilantro

The Good Stuff:

Dried Tart Cherries

Bacon, fried and crumbled

Green onion, diced

Spiced Pecans:

1 c. pecan halves

2 T. sugar

1 T. butter

1 T. Simply Orange

1/4 t. cinnamon

1/4 t. cayenne

Combine ingredients in skillet and cook over medium heat until sugar dissolves.  Spread nuts in a single layer on a baking sheet lined with greased foil.  Bake at 200 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.  

While hot, transfer pecans to a colander.  Sprinkle generously with salt and shake or stir to ensure all nuts are well-salted.  Stir every 2-5 minutes until nuts are cooled to prevent sticking.     

Dressing:

1/3 c. coconut vinegar

1/4 c. cider vinegar

3 T. Simply Orange

1/2 c. vegetable oil

3 T. sugar

1/4-1/2 t. cayenne pepper

Combine ingredients in a processor and whirl until ingredients are well-blended.

Blueberry Bacarita

Blueberry Bacarita

What's a bacarita?  It's a lime based cocktail with an agave spirit...so *almost* a margarita, except this spirit is made from an agave variety called Bacanora.  In honor of the hometown team's playoff performance, I decided to make a "BLUES" version - which is, incidentally, not blue at all.  But it's delish!

In a cocktail shaker with ice, blend:

1 shot lime juice

1 shot blueberry syrup (recipe below)

1/2 shot blue curacao

1 1/2 shots Bacanora

Pour into a chilled, salt-sugar rimmed glass and ENJOY!

Blueberry Syrup

1/2 c. fresh blueberries

1/2 c. water

2 T butter

1/4 c. sugar

Boil until berries are softened.  Smash, strain through a fine sieve, then cover and cool until ready to use.

Hey, Boston...Welcome to Food in The Lou

This article taken from Feast Magazine's Kelly Riske

How does Enterprise Center celebrate the St. Louis Blues playing in the Stanley Cup finals? Like any good St. Louisan would: with pork steaks.

Just in time for the Blues to head back to St. Louis to face off against the Boston Bruins in Game 3, Enterprise Center has unveiled an extensive lineup of 22 new specialty food items. 

The menu was developed by the STL Kitchen team under the direction of executive chef Steven Maak and includes several dishes inspired by the signature flavors of Boston and St. Louis. These include Pork Steak Chowder Poutine with Provel cheese and seasoned waffle fries (near portal 115 and 311); a clam bake with littleneck clams, shrimp, lobster, corn cobette, baby red potato and grilled sourdough (Jack Daniel's Bar) and a lobster roll melt with chopped lobster, celery, green onions, lemon aïoli, Gruyère, Cheddar, Fontina and caramelized onions on a griddled New England roll (Jack Daniels Bar). Near portals 108 and 322, guests will find dueling hot dogs inspired by each city, including the STL Dog with pulled barbecue pork steak, Provel cheese sauce and green onions, as well as the Boston Dog, with baked beans, pork belly and Peppadew relish.

Enterprise Center will also offer St. Louis-inspired food specials throughout the stadium, including the signature Big-As-Your-Head Toasted Ravioli (near portal 102 and 115), the "Mac Schwartzy" Hat-Trick Mac 'n' Cheese with crushed Red Hot Riplet chips and three-cheese sauce (Jack Daniels Bar) and the Budweiser BBQ Beef Dip-Double Minor with shaved beef brisket and Budweiser-infused au jus (Biergarten pop up).

For thirsty fans, signature cocktails will be available in concessions at the Jack Daniel’s Barrel House, Sub-Zero Bar, Brews of the Lou, Top-Shelf and Biergarten; all-inclusive clubs at Bommarito Automotive Group Lounge, Bull and Bear by Stifel, Sub-Zero Vodka Bar, Scott Credit Union Rinkside Club and Pub ’67; and premium concessions at the Bud Light Sports Pub.

Cocktails include the Smoked Blue (Patrón Añejo, mezcal, orange bitters, agave nectar, soda, charred cherry and charred orange and, of course, the aptly named Callin’ Gloria (Grey Goose vodka, elderflower liqueur, thyme-rosemary nectar, grapefruit soda and rosemary salt).

The handful of local restaurants that operate inside the arena will also be offering special dishes throughout the finals. Near portal 117, Byrd & Barrel will be serving Beat Up Beantown Fries (fries topped with baked beans, Provel, toasted ravioli and barbecue sauce). Sugarfire Smoke House will offer Chief Beef (brisket, Canadian bacon, maple barbecue sauce and Cheddar sauce) near portal 11, while sister restaurant Hi-Pointe Drive-In will have The Fat Trick (three patties topped with blue cheese, bacon, Donair sauce and arugula) near portal 3. Unlike the other Stanley Cup offerings from Enterprise Center, these dishes will also be on offer during the watch parties inside the arena on Thu., June 6 and Wed., June 12.

In all, Enterprise Center estimates that fans will eat about 29,400 toasted ravioli throughout the finals. Just remember: The more local eats you try, the more fuel you’ll have to sing "Gloria."

SSS: Salmon, Smoke, Salt

A classy last-minute appetizer: Water Cracker, Boursin, Arugula, Smoked Salmon, Assorted Olives

Creamy Tomato Soup

Creamy Tomato Soup

Serves 6

8 large cloves garlic, peeled

Wrap cloves in foil and roast at 350 degrees for 30-45 minutes.   

2 large leeks, thinly sliced
2 T. cooking oil
3 T. butter
2 T. brown sugar

Saute leeks in oil/butter until tender and caramelized.  Stir in brown sugar. Puree with the roasted garlic cloves.

2 (14.5 oz) cans fire roasted tomatoes, pureed
1 (12 oz) can tomato paste
4 T. vegetable base
~3 T. Worcestershire
~3 T. adobo sauce 
3 c. water

Add to a large soup pot, along with the pureed leeks and garlic.  Simmer for up to 30 minutes.  

Just before serving, incorporate:

3-4 c. heavy cream (to your desired texture and taste)

NOTE: The soup is very tasty without the cream as well...a little spice and a LOT of tomato, but I thought it was delish!