WE WANT CLEAN FOOD!!!!

Paula Deen Idiocy marks the return of Clean Food (Hopefully)

2012-01-21T10:24:00.001-05:00

Paula Deen is a dangerous person who cooks and sells shit everyday. And screw FOX news & the rest of the idiots who blame it on grease.
It ain't the grease baby, grease doesn't give you diabetes. Its the bisquick, corn syrup, sugar, white carbs, commercial fries...
From Chapter one of my book "We Want Clean Food" - I have ranted that White Stuff is poison---http://www.ricorlando.com/store.html
Is the worm turning? I don't know. Maybe so, maybe no.
I say no because Now the New PD will make a mint endorsing Glucophage for Novo Nordisc--More Poison served up by Ms Deen--and her fans will treat her like Lady of Fatima.
If you don't think that there are mind games going on you are all suckered. In the health craze era of the 80's, bacon was demonized, sales went down an there were a lot of "Pork Bellies" sitting around not making profits for the corn, grain, antibiotic and chemical and "industrial commodities" companies ( oh yea, I mean Pig farmers). So they lobbied the GOVT to be awarded gazillions of dollars for Promo to get bacon (and cheese) "Moving" again. Think it worked? There are more clones moaning "I love Bacon" in American than there are chanting Bhuddists in Tibet. We are, as a culture, suckered, manipulated and molded. Free choice is not an option here. The only option is choosing what lie are you going to believe and why.
So , what are you going to believe-
A televsion image sponsored by agribusiness and drug companies, or lil ol' me?

Ric Orlando's Holiday Cooking Class at The Regional Food Bank, Latham, NY 12.7.2011

2011-12-07T14:13:00.003-05:00

Have fun with these!

4 Holiday Traditions

Ric Orlando
New World Bistro Bar, Albany
New World Home Cooking and
New World Catering, Saugerties
www.ricorlando.com

America the The Melting pot offers great culinary holiday traditions. Learning about our neighbor's feasting is a great way to create better understanding among ourselves. Food is a great bridge.
These 4 recipes, derived from Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Catholic Christmas Eve and Traditional English Christmas are all delish. Almost makes me reconsider...

Hanukkah Latkes

In this recipe we will learn a classical French cooking technique that will keep your latkes light and crisp. Yes, I have been honored in the past to be the the Woodstock Jewish Congregation’s official Latke Maker for Hanukkah, and they are a discerning group to say the least! Remember, to keep them from being greasy, shred the potatoes two ways and go easy on the squishing.

Makes about 10
2 large Yukon Gold or Russet Potatoes, peeled
1 small onion
1 tbs horseradish
potato starch, flour or corn starch as needed, about 1/4 cup
2 free range eggs
salt and pepper to taste
2 cup duck fat, schmaltz or neutral flavored vegetable oil

To prepare the potatoes and onion.
Use mandoline and julienne the potatoes about half way down and then finish the potatoes on the large side of box grater. This will give you two textures. the grated with get creamy while the julienne will give you your crisp.
Put in a mixing bowl. Now peel and grate the carrot on the box grater, or grind until smooth in a food processor.
Now season a bit. Sprinkle with salt. Toss, Sprinkle a little more. Taste. Salty enough?
Don’t add too much. Well season again later. This step helps to bring the water out of the potatoes, but contrary to many Jewish home recipes, we WANT the water. You will see why next step.

Now add the horseradish. Scramble the eggs and pour over the potatoes. Hit it with a few generous grinds of the pepper mill. as you like it.
Mix it all together very well.
Now we are going to add the starch. Sprinkle a about 1/4 cup on the mix and toss it together. The accumulated water will begin to get white. You goal is to get the water to look and feel like heavy cream.
Depending upon the potatoes you use, there will be more of less water. If you need to add a little more starch, do it.
So now you ave a bowl of shredded potato mix sitting in a pool of creamy, starchy slurry. Very good!
Heat a heavy pan with 1/4 deep of fat or oil. Now we will make a taster. Pick up a golfball size handful of the mix and don’t squeeze it dry. Carefully drop. it in the hot oil and allow to cook on one side, looking like a little haystack until you notice that the edges are getting a bit brown. When this happens, gently turn it over. Press gently, making it about 1/3 inch thick. When it is sufficiently brown remove it and taste it. If necessary, you may adjust the salt.
Cook the remaining latkes off in batches making sure you don’t crown the Pan and keeping the oil temperature steady and hot enough. You can put the cooked latkes on a cookie sheet and reheat to order.

Homemade Applesauce
This is soo easy--all you need are apples, a pot and a food mill.
8 nice apples
water

Wash the apples and remove the stems. Leave whole.
Put in a pot and cover with water. Boil until the apple collapse, around 1 hour. adding more water if necessary. Use a slotted spoon and run through food mill.
Use some of the cooking water to achieve a soft applesauce consistency.
If you like to add sweetener or spices, and then AFTER you have pureed the sauce.

Kwanzaa Peanut Soup
Peanuts are a New world food. they were brought to Africa in the Slave ships in the 1600s and have become a staple food there ever since. This recipe is derived from a dish from Ghana, called Ground Nut soup. It is also used as a sauce for chicken.

makes 1 gallon
1/2 cup chopped celery, reserve leaves
2 cup diced onion
2 smashed cloves garlic
1 cup sweet potato, peeled and diced
vegetable oil
1 tsp cayenne plus a tiny bit for garnish
1 tbls coriander ground
1 tsp cardamom ground
1 tsp fennel ground
2 cups canned tomatoes
1 small bunch of parsley, chopped
3 qts vegetable or chicken stock
2 cups natural peanut butter or lightly salted peanuts, ground in a food processor

In a heavy pot, saute the vegetables in oil until softened. Add the spices. Cook for a few minutes to release the aromas. Add the tomatoes, parsley and stock. Simmer for 30 minutes to amalgamate. Puree untl smooth in a blander. Whisk in he peanut butter to thicken. Garnish with a sprinkle of cayenne and celery leaves.

Zuppa di Pesce
This is the feast of the 7 fishes, representing the 7 sacraments of the Catholic religion. It is based upon not eating meat in honor of the sacrifices and hardship of Mary and Joseph, birthing in a barn, riding mule with no air conditioning, using a star instead of On-Star...etc. If you have only 5 or 6 fish variations, don’t fret. unless you are exceedingly pious.
This is a relatively simple dish with loads of regional and family variations. Most important--keep it simple, make the sauce and then add the fish in the order in which they take to cook,--- and don’t overcook the fish.

makes 4 portions
1 medium onion, diced
2 tbls minced garlic
1 tsp crushed pepper
olive oil
1 cup fennel, sliced
1 cup or more white wine
32 oz clam juice
2 cups water
1 small can tomato paste
1 can plum tomatoes, squished through your fingers.
parsley, basil, oregano, bay leaf
1 lb spaghetti, cooked al dente
4 shrimp, peeled and deveined (save peels)
4 scallops
8 clams, scrubbed
16 mussels, scrubbed, debearded
2 hard crabs
4 oz crabmeat
4 oz calamari, cut into medium rings, tentacles intact
8 oz mild white fish- bass, cod, pollack, hake, cut into 4 pieces.
salt to taste.

Fist we will make the stock and sauce.
In a heavy pot saute the shrimp shell peelings and the two live crabs in a little olive oil.
When the crabs and shells turn pink. Add about half of the onions, half of the fennel and half of the garlic and saute until golden around the edges. Add the tomato paste and saute some more, cooking it into the veggies. Add a bay leaf, a small hand full of parsley and the wine and cook vigorously for about 5 minutes. Add the clam broth and the water and cook at a medium simmer for 30-40 minutes. Strain and reserve the broth.
Meanwhile you can build the base sauce.
In a another pot, saute the remaining onions, crushed red, fennel and garlic and saute until golden. Add the tomatoes and rinse the can with water and add a half can of water and allow to come to a boil. Reduce to simmer gently while the stock cooks.
When the stock is done, strain it and add it to the tomato sauce.
Now we will choreograph he finish! You will need a pot for pasta and a pot with a tight fitting lid for the seafood.

Put on your pasta water, nice and salty. When it boils add the pasta and stir.
At the same time put on the sauce. As soon it it reached a boil add the baby octopus, fish filet pieces and the clams and cover tightly. After about 5 minutes,,,the clams will begin to open a bit (anticipate this). This is when you add the shrimp and scallops, When the shrimp are pink, add the calamari, crab and mussels. As soon as the mussels start to open turn off the heat, fold in plenty of parsley and basil and cover again. It can stay off he heat, uncovered for 15-20 minutes without overcooking the fish. As long as it is not boiling, the fish will be fine.!

Strain pasta, put into bowls and ladle on the seafood!

We Want Some Figgy Pudding
I tested a few recipes and like this one best-- It is from www.food.com.
This is very Dickens!

• 1/2 cup butter
• 2 eggs
• 1 cup molasses
• 2 cups mission figs (buy 1 lb. chop yourself)
• 1/2 teaspoon grated fresh lemon rind
• 1 cup buttermilk
• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
• 2 cups brandy
• cheesecloth
Directions:
1. 1 Preheat oven to 325 degrees.
2. 2 Grease a 9-inch tube pan.
3. 3 Beat butter until soft.
4. 4 Add eggs and molasses and beat till fluffy.
5. 5 Add chopped figs (try to use good quality figs), grated lemon rind, and buttermilk.
6. 6 In another bowl combine all the rest of the ingredients (all dry ingredients).
7. 7 Pour dry ingredients into fig mixture and stir well.
8. 8 Pour into tube pan and cook for about an hour or until toothpick comes out pretty clean.
9. 9 After about 15 minutes, try to dislodge cake and put out onto a baking rack.
10. 10 Soak enough cheese cloth to go around the cake a couple times in brandy.
11. 11 When cake is cool, wrap it up well and soak for 24 hours.
12 Serve with brandy caramel
-
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup melted butter
1/4 cup cream
1/4 cup brandy
Melt the sugar until amber colored Add butter and whisk. Remove from heat and add the cream and brandy and wisk togther!.

Read more: http://www.food.com/recipe/we-want-some-figgy-pudding-124650#ixzz1fsN4DyWn

New World Home Cooking New Years Eve Menu

2011-12-02T22:36:00.000-05:00

The menu has many international good luck foods! Best to you in 2012!

Soups 7/4
Deep Forest Mushroom, cashew crema, pickled Hon Shimenjis gf/vv
She Crab Bisque, cauliflower espuma, tarragon

Chilled, Raw, Sushi
Hog Island Oysters, golden trout caviar, lime creme fraiche   1/2 dozen 15 gf
Ice Cold American Shrimp with caper-cilantro cocktail 12 gf
Snapper Cruda, crunchy “three seed” dusting, Greek olive oil, honey, Meyer lemon 10 gf
Escolar Tartare lemon-lime-chili aioli, kombu jello, spicy banana chips and upland cress 12 gf
Surf and Turf in the Raw short rib carpaccio in shiso leaves topped with sea urchin roe, sweet ginger-chili dressing and long pepper dust 12 gf
S.O.B. Roll brown rice, avocado, charred poblano, pumpkin, mango, Habbie “mayo” 9   gf/vv

Good Luck New Years Snacks
Hoppin John Fritters - fried black eyed pea and rice with horseradish dip and celery salad 9
Short Rib and Leek Stuffed Cabbage Rolls with root beer sweet and sour 10 gf
New Year’s 3 Cheese Tamale with arugula and smoked tomato salsa 9 v
Lucky 12 Grape Risotto with rosemary, pecans and house made mascarpone 12 v

Vegetables and Cheeses
Burrata Cheese, melted rabes, pistachio oil, crispy fried dried chile, grilled focaccia 10 v
Veggie Pikilia   pepperoncini-feta Tzatziki, beet-walnut hummus, melitzanosalata,
grilled flatbread and olives 12 v
Nettle Meadows “Kunik”, Lenny B’s Bearsville Honey Comb, Black Truffle Carpaccio 14   gf
New World Pan Blackened String beans with Creole Remoulade 6 /9 vv
Baby Vegetable Fritto Misto, Tuscan green salsa, fried lemon 10 vv

Salads
“Babbit” Salad   house cured rabbit bacon, bibb lettuce, dried tomato confit, gorgonzola ranch dressing, cornbread croutons 10 / 6 gf
Triple Endive, Nettle Meadows Chevre, raspberries, French raspberry-walnut vinaigrette 10 / 6 gf
Simple Salad of Baby Lettuces and Red Wine Vinaigrette 7 vv/gf

Entrees

Butter Basted Wagyu Filet Mignon 39
Blue Ribbon oxtail marmalade, celeriac mashers, parsley salad gf

N.Y.E. Surf and Turf 34
Pork Belly & Rhode Island Diver Scallop, black garlic caramel, winter squash whip, mustard green salad *2   gf

Ric’s Signature Double Duck 29
medium-rare breast, confit leg, pomegranate essence, beet-almond quinoa, mustard oil, baby beet greens gf

Winter Vegetable and Fava Bean “Meatball” Tagine 24
dried fruit, perfumed spices, cous cous, harissa *5 vv

Crispy Red Snapper 29
sticky tamarind glaze, sticky rice bundle, green papaya salad *5

Red and White Tuna Duo 32
guava coulis, blue potato latke, truffle scented enoki-chive salad

Fideo de Mariscos 36
shrimp, scallops, mussels, manila clams, squid and optional chorizo in a tomato-saffron broth with queen olives and toasted thin noodles

Seitan, Maittakes and Roasted Ginger in a Kombocha Squash 25
bok choy tips, black seaweed, green tea sobas vv

Gluten Free 3 Cheese Agnolotti 24
tomato-savory Sunday Sauce, shaved porcini, arugula, Piave gf/v

dining here includes free admission to dance party>

Desserts TBA!

12.16 15th Annaul Champagne Dinner Menu

2011-12-02T22:31:00.004-05:00

New World
Bubbles Dinner 2011
Friday, December 16th Arrive at 6:30
It is that time of year again.
The New World “Champagne” dinner is a 15 year tradition that truly Launches the holiday season!
I am pulling out all the stops, creating a tasting menu that rocks the wine!
My good friend and Professor Of Wines, Michael Weiss is our guest speaker for the evening!

1st course
Spain
Tapas and Cava
Neo-Classic Andaluz Tapas - charcuterie, offal, seafood, vegetables
Pares Balta Cava, Spain

2nd course
New York
Montauk Monkfish Ossobuco with vindaloo potatoes, curry leaves, apple chutney
Chateau Frank Celebre Sparkling Riesling, Finger Lakes

3rd Course
France
Endive and Raspberry Salad, liver mousse toast, crispy duck skin
Pierre Sparr Cremant d’Alsace

4th Course
California
Wild Boar Confit, Kombocha SquashTamale, roasted tomato-maple salsa,
preserved beech mushrooms
Iron Horse Wedding Cuvee Blanc de Noir, Sonoma Coast

5th Course
Australia
Parfait of Venison Shank, parsnip mash, maiitake mushrooms,
tempura leeks
Shingleback Black Bubbles, Sparkling Shiraz (Australia)

Dessert
Italy
Chocolate Bavarian, candied fennel, maraschino cherry sauce
Banfi Rosa Regale, Brachetto di Acqui, Italy

$65 per person ++
Stay after Dinner to dance !

reserve by phone 845 246 0900

Bubbles Dinner 2011! Shut Up and Celebrate!

2011-12-01T08:22:00.002-05:00

December 2011.
It is that the time of year again, time to celebrate our good fortune and bounty with friends and family.
It is time for our 2011 Champagne Dinner!
I know, I know. not NOW, we are very busy commiserating with our comrades about the end of the world as we know it.
But you must listen, you must, you must!....
The holiday season is actually a great time for very real therapy. Celebrating together, giving, hugging, splurging, eating and drinking a lil to much all make us whole and real human beings. If there is one thing to be learned from History, it is that we need to fight the good fight AND we need to live for the satisfied belly simultaneously. What do you think makes It's a Wonderful Life and A Christmas Carol continue to breathe on year after year.
Ok, I'll admit, this December things seem very weird in America and indeed the world round us too. But taken in context, weirder than what? Today's gloomy news is dispersed with spots promoting village holiday celebrations, a multitude of takes on the Nutcracker, and small businesses promoting their inventories of trees, gift ideas and decorating goods all paid for by small business people who believe that we need to celebrate. The Human spirit is fantastic!
Sharing and celebrating is the key, the out, the good pill.
We can all work for a better future, but without some celebration, there is no reason to do so. Gathering with others and enjoying the hour is healthier than 100 vitamin supplements or a year of exercise. Our soul drives our body. Feed you soul with music, art, revelry and yes, a great fun meal!
See ya soon!

Ric Orlando's Brined turkey 101

2011-11-20T19:31:00.002-05:00

Here is my Turkey 101 Recipe.
http://ricorlando.com/turkey101.pdf

A set of Recipes for the Holidays

2011-11-20T19:30:00.004-05:00

Ric's Best Brined Turkey 101

Neapolitan New Haven Meatballs

Devils on Horseback and other Date Dishes

Brussels Sprouts Rule Recipes

Amazin Global Pumpkin Recipes

Corned Beef and Cabbage as told in a Brogue, sort of...

5 Garlic Recipes 2011

Butter Poached Radishes

WE WANT CLEAN FOOD!!!!: Have a date with me

2011-11-15T08:48:00.000-05:00

WE WANT CLEAN FOOD!!!!: Have a date with me: Have a Date ( or two) with Ric Orlando Winter is Date season and it is on the way. The chill in the air kinds sucks for some thing...

Have a date with me

2011-11-15T08:33:00.001-05:00

Have a Date ( or two) with Ric Orlando

Winter is Date season and it is on the way. The chill in the air kinds sucks for some things, but for winter fruit it rocks!

When I consulted for HITS in the California dessert, the date palms were everywhere, dropping dates like turds from a trotting pony. Once I realized what they were, I began gathering, washing and consuming them with abandon. If you haven't experienced date lust, you should. They are richly textured with a sweet, meaty fruit. Along with figs and apricots, they are the offal of fruit. Deeper flavored, more exotically textured and more mysterious than any plain old winter fruit.

Dates lend themselves to savory applications well because of their inherent meatiness.

Cook some dates for the holidays!

Devils on Horseback,my way

Serves 4 as an appetizer

16 large pitted dates

¼ cup soft goat cheese

8 strips smokey bacon, cut in half legnthwise

1tsp ground coriander

4 tbls honey

4 tbsl Dijon mustard

salt and pepper to taste

12 toothpicks or stiff rosemary sprigs, soaked in water toprevent burning

Whisk the cheese until soft, seasoning with salt and pepper.

Put in pastry bag with small tip

Carefully pipe the goat cheese into each date from the endto fill, but not overfill.

Wrap bacon around each date twice and secure with atoothpick or spring.

Cook under broiler or on griddle pan slowly on both sidesuntil bacon is caramelized and crisp.

Whisk together any accumulated bacon drippings, thecoriander, honey and mustard. Serve on the side as a dip.

Marinated Dates Tapas

Serves 4 as an appetizer

16 large dates, pitted or not, your choice

1/2 cup fruity extra virgin olive oil

2 tsp minced fresh rosemary

1 tsp crushed red pepper or to taste

juice of ½ lemon

Put dates in a jar.

Add lemon, herbs and spices.

Cover with oil. Shake well and let stand at room temperatureat least one hour before serving. Serve with grilled toast.

Andaluz Date andGarlic “Butter”

Makes 2 cups.

Great smeared on English muffins, as a side to grilled porkor as a spread with salty cold cuts like prosciutto or westphalian ham

2 cups packed pitted dates,

2 cup amontillado sherry

1/2 cup water

¼ cup sherry vinegar

4 cloves garlic, smashed

pinch salt

In a non reactive pot, simmer everything together for 45minutes to one hour until it is all very soft and most of the liquid hasevaporated.

Puree in a food processor until smooth. Store refrigerated or can in sterilized jarsaccording to manufacturer’s instructions

Cold Weather is here...

2011-11-14T07:16:00.001-05:00

Neapolitan Style Meatballs

(good story about my Grandmother Millie and my Mother Ro will follow soon)

I am giving the ingredients and ratios here, but the seasoning should be to your personal taste.

(Make it, taste it and add what you want.)

It is the bread soaking technique which makes these soft and fluffy!

NOTE: You are going to be mixing raw meat with your hands here.

If you are squeamish, use rubber gloves or someone else’s hands.

I do recommend having a dish towel and a bowl of warm water at the ready for dipping

and wiping your hands. I also suggest, er, insist that you mix your meat with one hand.

That way, if you nose itches, or the phone rings, or a $100 bill blows by, you will always

have a clean hand at the ready.

Makes 16 -20 golf ball sized balls.

2 lbs ground meat mix ( Just ask at the meat counter--I like a mix of 50 % beef chuck, 25% pork and 25% veal)

about a cup of old-ish Italian or French bread, having a little crust is ok but your

balls will be silkier without it.

milk or red wine

(Milk will give you a softer flavor, wine will give your balls a little tang.)

¼ cup Romano cheese

3 eggs

Seasoning

¼ cup chopped parsley

1 tsp dry oregano

1 tsp crushed pepper or to taste

1 tablespoon salt or to taste

1 tablespoon finely minced garlic or to taste

Put the meat in a work bowl with plenty of room to mix.

Add the seasoning. Mix well.

Put the bread in another bowl and pour milk or red wine over it to cover it completely.

Let it soak until it s is fully spongy and the liquid soaked up. Add more milk if it is totally not saturated.

Once the bread is soaked through, squeeze it out with your hands, tear and mush it up and add it to the meat. Mix it in well. You will see little white streaks from the bread. That is cool.

Whisk the Romano cheese with the eggs well.

Add that to the meat and mix well.

Make a little slider sized patty and brown it in some hot oil to taste for seasoning.

How do you like it? Need more salt or crushed pepper? How about garlic?

Remember, if you cook them in sauce, the seasoning will mellow, so they should be assertive.

When you are satisfied with the seasoning, roll your balls. I like them a little bigger than a golf ball, but we all have our family traditions. Roll them well, making then smooth and round.

In a heavy skillet in vegetable oil, brown the balls on all sides.

You can now either dump them into your sauce or bake the in the oven and eat them brown., sliced on salad or foccacia.

Mid Week Market Specials at NWHC

2011-10-26T09:06:00.001-04:00

Daily Specials Menu Tuesday 10/25/11

OctoberFest Drink Specials
Riesling Kabinett ‘06 , Piesporter Goldtropfchen, Haart 7/26
dry with notes of mineral, petrol, honey and subtle citrus.
Spaten Oktoberfest 4.50
Paulaner Oktoberfest 6

Appetizers, Salads, Small Plates
Charred Tomato and Fennel Soup
Local Pear and Apple Leek Soup
Steamed RI Littlenecks with Guajillo butter, garlic, white wine, parsley 10
Wild Alaskan Spot Shrimp with Expensive Salt -Sea2Table Sustainable
with shallots, lemon, thyme, red sea salt… simple 9
“Red” Salad – local radicchio, red Russian kale, and beets with pomegranate, gorgonzola… 10
Hudson Valley Pumpkin Fritters served with a fra diavolo sauce and Pecorino Romano 9
Jamaican Jerk Beef Patties served with coconut orange dipping sauce. 8

Tuesday Night Entrees
Blackened Mississippi Catfish Wild hive Corn pudding, braised locval greens and Creole sauce 20
Texarkana Grilled Big Ol’ Pork Chop with corn pudding, braised kale and a Guajillo Chile and Surry-ano ham “ranchero” sauce *4 21
Alaskan Spot Shrimp and Fennel Risotto with lemon and Pecorino Romano 23/17
Imported Penne with Kale, portabella mushrooms, Crimini Mushrooms, Zucchini, Yellow Squash, Broccoli, and Cauliflower Tossed with Imported Olive Oil with garlic and Fresh Rosemary. 19/13
Polenta Crusted Eggplant with Four Cheeses with filet of tomato and braised local greens 18

The perfect egg, Ungeeked, Sort of...

2011-10-20T07:49:00.007-04:00

The perfect egg is the perfect food.
Now you all know what I have known all along. After all, they are rich in beta carotene, amino acids, protein, leutin, b Vitamins...
They are cheap---even the priciest free running, super pristine,mega-organic eggs are never more than .40 each. Yes, $4.80 a dozen is a VERY high end egg, and yet for .80, you can have a magnif lil meal.
Yes, the humble egg is making a big comeback in America.
Since the early 1980's, Eggs have been maligned in our media through no fault of their own. Eggs were just victims of two simple factors. First was the Baby boomer generation's fear of death. Starting the 1980's, cholesterol, fat and eggs were all linked with possible early death. Recent research is proving that to be a phallacy, thankfully. Then there was influence of well heeled lobbying of the soybean congloms. Soy, developed, manipulated, owned and processed by big, corrupt and diabolical companies like Monsanto/Cargill/Dupont/ADM etc. has been linked with "goodness and Wellness". This was amplified to all corners of the country during baby boomer's peak burst in buying power. There was no way Yuppies were going to eat what their fathers, grandfathers and 20 generations of forefathers ate healthfully on a daily basis. Now we know better (or are learning) that the "soy phenom" is just a cynical take over of our food world. 30 years of the Soy-Good/Egg-Bad culture in America and where are we? Our joints are disintegrating, our libidos are crushed and our brains are drying out. This is all good for for the drug and "wellness" business, but bad for we lowly humans who believed we are doing it right.
Get it straight, folks. We are designed to eat eggs. We hunt, gather, find eggs, eat them, prosper, propagate, find more eggs, our brain develops more, we find more,there are more of us eating eggs, we rule the world!

So, thanks to the mass-communication miracle of the internet, the egg is not only back in good standing in America, it is now trendy in the professional kitchen, too.
In my world of culinary upstarts, intellectuchefs and foodieblogsters, the idea of adding a poached or soft cooked egg to just about any dish as an enhancement is in full tilt acceptance. In many cases, a simple poached egg is the new Buerre Blanc or Hollandaisse. Eggs are now a very common topping on burgers, salads, steaks and soups. I don't necessarily agree with it all, but it certainly doesn't suck, either. Though topping a dish with a poached or sous vide egg adds texture and fat, it seems to be more about "look what I can do" as opposed to "taste how good" this dish can be. Aside from topping a salad, the classic frisse and lardon comes to mind, it is always tastes better, in my opinion, when you use a classic egg sauce or a variation on one instead of just egg yolk.
A couple of hundred years of R&D, experimentation and development that turned the simple egg into a many magnificent sauces is what make the culinary arts an art. The original formula sauce, Mayonnaisse and all of it's aioli like variations is genius, and what about hollandaise, choron, Bearnaise, gribiche...this list is long and all are sublime, all better than just adding egg yolk to a dish in my book.
Egg on a burger-good, Bearnaise on a burger Awesome! Get it?
If you are a food blog junkie, a Changster or a wannabe kitchen geek, you will find a dizzying array of published thoughts on the perfect egg. Try it. Go ahead and google "cook perfect egg". Page after page of entries will roll out. Everyone from Martha herself to The National Egg board has a "perfect" egg recipe. Sous Vide, Immersion cooked, steamed, rotated, roasted, solar cooked,
So why me? Why should I even bother.
Why..because I love food and cooking and my work can simplify your life. That's why.

For breakfast at least 5 days week, Liz and I have perfect soft boiled eggs. 5 minute and 40 second eggs to be exact.
Okay, it is supposed to be a six minute egg, but removing the eggs from the boiling water 20 seconds early is PERFECT! The white is set, the yolk is creamy soft but not liquid, so it can be spooned up and enjoyed. It maximizes the health value of eggs, cooking both the white and yolk to the ultimate texture and temperature for nutrient absorption.(http://www.doctormercola.com/food-health/cracking-the-unhealthy-egg-myth/)

You can have toast on the side, or noodles, or rice, or you can perch the egg in an egg cup (available in any brick-a-brack shop for $1 or at a fine kitchen supply store for $20), remove the "cap" , add a little dab of soft butter and drop or two of Melinda's or tabasco and scoop the egg right out of the shell, into your waiting mouth with a teaspoon.
A 5-6 minute egg can also be delicately peeled and put into chicken, miso, veg or beef broth with a few rice noodles for an amazing lunch.
They can also be refrigerated and eating cold later, much sweeter that hard boiling.
Enjoy!

5 Garlic Recipe for Fall

2011-09-14T07:42:00.002-04:00

With the Hudson Valley GArlic fest in Saugerties only 2 weeks away, I thought I'd give you a few recipes here that exploit the different aspects of this magic allium.

In these recipes we are going to explore the use of garlic 5 ways;
raw, roasted, braised, pickled, and for dessert, we will try black garlic with ice cream!

RAW=SHARP
Neo-Greek Garlic-Walnut dip
This is a variation of the classic Skordalia, or garlic-potato dip.
Is is rich and creamy, sharp with leon and garic and SUPEr healthy-combining whole wheat crumbs, walnuts, olive oil, garlic and lemon juice. POW!
Serve with crudites, pita or ry chilled shrimp!

Ingredients
3 slices hearty toast , white, whole wheat or oatmeal.
1/4 cup walnuts 
5 cloves garlic, chopped
 1 tablespoons fresh lemon juice 
1 tablespoon white wine viegar, or more to taste
1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil 
3/4 cup water 
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
Place the toast in a food processor and process into fine crumbs. 
With the motor running, add the walnuts and garlic and process until they are ground fine.  Add the remaining ingredients with the motor running and process until smooth, adding more water if the mixture seems too thick.  Scrape the mixture into a bowl, and season to taste with salt and pepper.

ROASTED=SWEET AND CREAMY
Roasted Garlic Bread Pudding Created by Ric Orlando, New World Home Cooking Published in:"Recipes from America's Small Farms" by Joanne Lamb Hayes and Lori Stein Copyright 2003 Used by permission from Villard Books

This recipe uses a lot of mellow, roasted garlic, is easy and affordable to make and is a great alternative to potatoes, rice or pasta. Serve it as a side dish to hearty meat, game or poultry dishes.
Ingredients
24 large garlic cloves, unpeeled, about 4 heads 
Olive oil 
Salt and freshly milled black pepper 
8 cups 1-inch cubes fresh Italian or French bread
 5 large eggs 
2 cups milk 
2 cups heavy cream
1/2 cup grated Romano cheese 
2 tablespoons bourbon or brandy (optional)
 1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, or a slightly rounded 1/4 teaspoon dried
 1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary, or a slightly rounded 1/4 teaspoon dried

Instructions
Preheat the oven to 375°F. Snip off and discard the tip from each garlic clove; toss the cloves with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until softened. Let cool to the touch and gently peel.
Meanwhile, generously grease a 13- by 9-inch baking pan or dish with olive oil. Arrange the bread evenly in the pan.
Mash the garlic cloves with a fork in a large bowl. Add the eggs and beat until slightly fluffy. Beat in the milk, cream, cheese, bourbon, if using, thyme, rosemary, salt, and pepper to taste. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread.
Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown, and the middle is set but still soft. Best served hot or warm, but it can be reheated in the microwave or for a few minutes in the oven.

BRAISED=SOFT AND MELLOW
Sopa de Ajo (Garlic Soup)
There are some good Garlic soup recipes out there but this one is my favorite.. Garnishing with plenty of chopped parsley, which has chlorophyll, with help to control that sweet garlic breath some of us fear.

6+ servings
Ingredients
4 cups blanched, sliced almonds
16 peeled cloves of garlic, sliced into thin chips like the almonds
1 1/2 cups medium dry sherry (Amontillado is best here)
8 cups chicken or veggie stock (you may sub canned broth, cut salt in half)
4 tbls extra virgin olive oil
2 tbls fresh thyme leaves or 1 tbls dry
11/2 tablespoons kosher salt or to taste
Generous grinding of black pepper
1 cup heavy cream at room temperature
3 cups stale peasant bread (not whole grain or sourdough) torn in small pieces
1 cup green grapes, sliced in half

Instructions
Use a heavy bottomed pot. Put the garlic, olive oil and almonds into the pot, turn the heat to medium and cook the until the garlic and almonds are golden and smell real good.
Sprinkle the in salt, pepper and thyme leaves and stir well to coat everything.
Add sherry and turn up the heat all the way. Bring to a boil and let the wine reduce by half.
Add the stock and bring it all to a boil. Reduce the heat just a bit and let the soup boil moderately for 10-15 minutes.
Reduce the hat a bit more and let the soup come down to a upbeat simmer.
Add the bread and stir well. Break up the bread using the back of a wooden spoon against the side of the pot. Add the heavy cream in a slow steam, stirring all the while. Reduce the heat to a gentle simmer until ready to serve.Garnish with chopped parsley white grapes cut in half.

PICKLED=TANGY

Spicy Pickled Garlic
When you get your annual garlic at the garlic fest, try pickling a jar or two for winter treats. You also stuff them into large queen olive and drop a few in a martini, just sayin’.

Ingredients
1 1/2 lbs garlic, peeled,large cloves cut in half, about 2 cups
5 fresh hot peppers
4 cups white vinegar
1 sprig of dill or 1/2 tsp dry
1 1/3 cups granulated sugar
4 tbls salt
1 sweet red pepper, cut in strips (Optional)
Instructions:
Combine vinegar, salt & sugar over medium heat, stirring until the sugar dissolves, bring to a boil and boil 5 minutes
Add Garlic and hot peppers, also add sweet red pepper if using.
Bring to a boil and boil 5 minutes.
Put a hot pepper into each sterilized jar, add the cloves of garlic to within 1" of the top of the jar (add the sweet red pepper if using) Fill with boiling sugar/vinegar mixture to within 1/4" of the top of the jar.
Release air bubbles, ensure the rim is clean and seal the jars.
Let the pickled garlic rest for 2 weeks and believe me you will enjoy.

BLACK GARLIC=CARAMELIZED AND SWEET
Developed in Korea, Black garlic is regular garlic that has been aged and fermented in warm moist heat for up to one month. Black Garlic is loaded with nearly twice as many disease-fighting antioxidants as raw garlic and also claim it has twice the health benefits too. Black-Garlic was found to have more potent antibacterial properties as well as natural compounds (S-Allycysteine) which have been proven to be a factor in cancer prevention. Buy black garlic at www.earthy.com

Black Garlic Caramel Sauce
Ingredients
1 cup of sugar
20 black galric cloves
6 Tbsp butter
1 cup heavy whipping cream
Instructions
First, before you begin, make sure you have everything ready to go - the cream and the butter next to the pan, ready to put in. Making caramel is a fast process that cannot wait for hunting around for ingredients. If you don't work fast, the sugar will burn. Safety first the caramelized sugar will be at twice as hot as boiling water.
In a small pot, add the garlic and cream. Bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and reduce the cream by half volume. Strain and reserve both the cream and the garic cloves.
Heat sugar on moderately high heat in a heavy-bottomed 2-quart or 3-quart saucepan. As the sugar begins to melt, stir vigorously with a whisk or wooden spoon. As soon as the sugar comes to a boil, stop stirring. You can swirl the pan a bit if you want, from this point on.  As soon as all of the sugar crystals have melted (the liquid sugar should be dark amber in color), immediately add the butter to the pan. Whisk until the butter has melted.
Once the butter has melted, take the pan off the heat. Count to three, then slowly add the cream to the pan and continue to whisk to incorporate. Note than when you add the butter and the cream, the mixture will foam up considerably. This is why you must use a pan that is at least 2-quarts (preferably 3-quarts) big.
Whisk until caramel sauce is smooth. Let cool in the pan for a couple minutes, then fold in the garlic. Pour into a glass mason jar and let sit to cool to room temperature. Store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. Warm before serving.
Uh, it's ppretty good over ice cream!

The survival of Friday Night Music at New World

2011-07-24T09:00:00.003-04:00

Everyone needs to know NWHC is doing a thorough analysis of our Friday Night Music program.
It is currently a loss leader, and has been for the last 3 years with rare exceptions.
We hear your support verbally, see the crowds every Friday-- but the revenue is not supporting the bands.
There is not enough drinking, and we charge no cover.
Also, Bands are asking $75-$100 per player--which is very reasonable considering what the provide.
So, Do you want it ?
Since we understand the issues with DWI and don't expect everyone to drink more than a drink or maybe two anymore would a straight cover or minimum work for you?
Get us your feed back. We are booked through the end of the summer. Before we go into fall, I would like to know if we can continue our program.

Will you pay a $8 cover or a $15 minimum?
That is what it takes. We expect about 30-50 will pay each Friday. Do the math.
Is it worth it to you to have NW to provide a place to dance for you?
Now is the time--fill our inbox.

butter poached radishes recipe

2011-07-24T07:19:00.010-04:00

Everybody who's anybody in food knows about Gabrielle Hamilton's sexy little dish, radishes with sea salt and soft butter. At Prune (1st and 1st, NYC) It is one of the simple menu items that has helped to create the legend of Gabrielle. Her "I (long "I") like it, so I'm gonna serve it to my guests" attitude is what makes her place among the best in NYC.
It is what makes her a genius.
Note this guys:
Being a chef is about your cooking, (as well as a million administrative tasks)
Being a decent chef is about cooking very good things.
Being a good chef is having the understanding to cook within your personalty and style, to make your menu reflect your own vision of what is good to you, and to share it with ease. That is hard. It takes confidence and humility.
Backstory:
When I was beginning my first life as a musician, I didn't know that lesson. I tried to learn other people's songs that were very complicated for me, a novice. I studied songs with elaborate riffs and solos by Queen, Zepplin, Rick Derringer, Yes. I worked hard to learn the exact riffs that these highly trained and meticulous guitarists had laid to vinyl. I sounded ok, but I never quite got it right. It wasn't me. I was always struggling too hard to learn RIFFS and PARTS, not great songs. That I began to understand that was one of the great blessings of my artistic life.
All the Young Dudes, Sweet Jane, Sexy Sadie, It's Only Rock and Roll. There are easy to play Riffs but are great songs. It takes an ear and a sense of cool to lay back, write the song, leave the riffs alone and not over embellish and distract from the beauty of the hook. When I stopped trying to learn other riffs and began to write my own songs, I was myself.
Lesson:
It is not HOW GOOD you play, it is WHAT YOU CHOOSE to play.
Which brings us back to the radishes.
This is inspired by the radishes at Prune, but with my own sense of cool.
Cooked radishes, warm, soft, subtle and buttery.
Great.
RECIPE:

Butter Poached Radishes
serves 2
10-12 red radishes, trimmed of stem and greens
water
2 sticks butter, melted, about one cup.
salt as needed (if you have salted butter, you'll need less, obviously)
radish sprouts

In a heavy skillet, arrange the radishes in a single layer, not on top of each other.
Add water to come up about 1/2 inch around the radishes.
Add the melted butter and sprinkle lightly with salt. The combined liquid should cone at least halfway up the radishes, maybe even a little more.
If not, add a little more water.
Bring heat under pan to medium and bring to a gentle simmer.
Control water butter mix heat as to not let the stuff boil very hard. Just a little simmer.
Taste the liquid. It there enough salt? It should taste slightly briny.
After a few minutes, turn a radish. If it is beginning to turn pinkish and it is starting to lose it bright red color, turn them all over.
Do the same once they are flipped.
Cook gently until the radishes are tender but not to soft.
Cut one in half. The center should be slightly translucent and just tender.
They are done. Serve the radishes AND he cooking liquid. It will be a great combo of salty pink water and bright yellow butter when it cools.
Arrange radishes on a plate and sprinkle with salt.
Drizzle with the butter-water mix. Top with a few radish sprouts if you have them.

If you find any other uses for the radish poaching butter-water, email me
chefric@mac.com

crazy and sad kids

2011-07-24T07:18:00.001-04:00

Will he become the Norma Desmond of the NBA...?

When James was asked what it will take to win a championship, he used the word "I" eight times in his response.

In the condensed version, James said: "I got close. Won two more games than I did in '07. And hopefully next time I get here, I'll win two more games than I did in '11."

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/it_mav_mav_mav_mav_world_ctxF4yPgtOUyjB6Kq8gA8O#ixzz1PFZmFT43

Baseball's real attraction

2011-07-17T09:10:00.002-04:00

Someone should tell ESPN, who whines about baseball's TV ratings being so low, that baseball is not about highlights and homers, but about quirky equations, probability and statistics. I for one, always look at the box score before the highlights. Chef's are all numbers geeks, and that is why so many chefs love baseball.
It is also why baseball fans are generally the smartest of all sports fans. You need to be smart enough to understand what an "equation" is, and be be aroused by the nuances of things like OPS, ERA etc...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slugging_percentage

Rah Rah NY Wine

2011-06-14T07:57:00.002-04:00

We drank a Bottle of Louis Jadot Gevry Chambertain '08 last night--and then we followed up by two bottles of Finger Lakes Lamoreaux Landing Pinot (yes, yes we were with friends). Nice surprise--the Finger Lakes wine was delicious and though not exactly a GC, it didn't really lose a step to the Burgundy in terms of moving on from one bottle to the next without disappointment. We were all happily drinking and nodding and enjoying. The Lamoreaux has it;s own profile. It strikes the perfect balance between a Burgundian Pinot's soft yet inviting perfumed fruit and a Willamette's bright and cheery cherry bomb--and though it has a bright edge, it is not nearly as acidic the overly acidic Sonoma Pinots I have tasted recently. It tastes right. I tastes comfortable with itself. It tastes like NY.
Go Finger Lakes!
Finally--
The serious wineries are getting it right! It's it time to appreciate the wineries that are not trying to be something they are not. There are many Finger lakes and Hudson Valley wines that are FINALLY understanding that you can be a perfect reflection of the region's terroir and make delicious wine.
Fading away are the days of blending and concocting hybrids to release a "merlot that tastes like a California merlot".
NY Wines have a style all their own, and like a commune in France or a DOC in Italy we should promote our differences from the rest of the wine world.
It will take wineries that are proud of the flavors we can achieve here and that accentuate them, to get wine drinkers worldwide to consider us a viable option to the other styles available.
We are about 4 grapes really. They work. There are other tasty options but stick to the 4.
Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Riesling and Chardonnay.
Yes, there are some wineries doing "neat stuff" with other grapes, such as Millbrook's successful plantings of Tocai Friulano, Dr. Franks Rlasttelli and some tasty hybrids like Vidal Blanc and Gamay Noir.
But being specific is where the NY Wines will succeed.
Stick to the big 4.
Establish an identity.
Stop messing around with what could grow and focus n what should grow.

Recommened Finger Lakes wines
Pinot Noirs:
Lamoreaux Landing
Dr. Frank
Cabernet Franc:
Millbrook Reserve (Hudson Valley)
Fox Run
Swedish Hills
Riesling:
Hermann Weimar
Dr. Frank
Fox Run
Atwater
Chardonnay:
Fox Run
Millbrook

I'm ready for my closeup Mr Riley

2011-06-14T07:56:00.000-04:00

Will Lebron James become the Norma Desmond of the NBA...?

When James was asked what it will take to win a championship, he used the word "I" eight times in his response.
In the condensed version, James said: "I got close. Won two more games than I did in '07. And hopefully next time I get here, I'll win two more games than I did in '11."

Little dick.

Read more: http://www.nypost.com/p/sports/more_sports/it_mav_mav_mav_mav_world_ctxF4yPgtOUyjB6Kq8gA8O#ixzz1PFZmFT43

Local since the way back.

2011-06-12T12:21:00.002-04:00

Old School Local!

We were Locavores before before the word existed.

..or maybe that is loco-vore!

One of my motivations to leave NYC in 1988 was to really get back to the farms and to live a less stressful life. (So much for the latter...)

Liz and I first started exploring the Hudson Valley while we were still living in Boston and her eldest sister Marie moved to Coxsackie in 1985. We would get lost on the backroads of Greene and Schoharie counties on our visits. It was pretty amazing! Marie and her Husband Mike Lenane, along with his sister Susan and her Husband Bill Benson opened the Palmer House in the tiny hamlet of Rensselaerville in 1986. I visited often as the place was being built and knew I too would end up in this enchanted, foggy, rambling, hilly country!

Back in NYC in 1988, Liz and I, with our two awesome babies Margot and Willis, (Terry came a few years later) planned the escape! We moved to Albany in 1989 and worked our way down the river each time our lease was up. Albany 1989, Glenmont, 1990, Coxsackie 1991 and finally Woodstock in 1993 where we have been since. I know every farm, antique store and quick stop on that 50 mile span like the back of my hand.

I began cheffing at Yate's Street in Albany in August 1989, and then Justin's in February 1990. I was inspired by my early days in the kitchen (1883-86) at the legendary Harvest Restaurant in Cambridge, Massachusetts. My local food connections really began. I bought Fromage Blanc and ecletic greens like Claytonia, Borage and Burnet from Laurie Goodheart, then owner and cheesemaker at Nettle Meadows ("I grow these greens because Mesclun has become so-o-o boring"). I also began a relationship with Richard Belinski who was just getting Northwind Farms on its feet, from whom I purchased Ducks, Guinea Hens and other feathered treats. I bought my tomatoes at Story's Farm in Catskill and Black Horse Farms in Athens and still do 21 years later!

A mad chef schlepping the hills in my oft-overheating Aqua-Marine Volvo Wagon, listening to the Pixies, Rollins and Nirvana, I was one of the early East Village Punk Hippies to market the Local Stuff bylisting Hudson Valley local products on my menus.

..and the rest is the History of my life....

Being in the Northeast means you can't serve all local all the time. Even I want a salad in February. But we try to keep it reasonably clean and we also try to meet a price point that my customers can also digest. It takes a lot of work, but that is my work.

We have forged long term relationships with farmer friends that we hope will last a lifetime.
You also see me shopping at the Saugerties, Woodstock and Kingston Farmer's Market as well as the Delaware Av Farmer's market in Albany. (There are too many vendors to list that would be filed under impulse buys and one stop shops!)

Add to that my passion for Foraging!
Being a Sicilian, it is in my blood.
As the spring comes so do Morels, Ramps, Fiddleheads, Nettles etc.
Into Summer it is Chanterelles, Porcini, Bluefoots and
into fall look for Hen of the Woods and more cepes in our kitchen.
It is the best way to walk the dog in my book!Read it on my website

http://www.ricorlando.com/local.html

corned beef recipe in somewhat of a brogue

2011-03-13T11:16:00.001-04:00

Here is MY fine recipe in detail for cooking corned beef and cabbage---

Aye, As told by me to you, with hopes that you will tell your best version of this tale again to be carried on for as long as it can travel---

I. SELECTING THE MEAT
Buy a nice corned beef brisket form a butcher of fine repute and deriving from a cow also of fine repute.
And mark my words, Brisket means brisket here--the bottom round and other "corned beef cuts" are as counterfeit as the Queen's crown---
and nice meaning not too trimmed, retaining both the "flat" and the “nose". Make sure it has enough fat between the layers. A finger’s worth is right. Less and you will have a dry brisket. The fat is as important here as it is to a young lass seeking her prince. A little bit o’ fat will maintain the experience tender, and as she grows older, she will still be something to be desired.
To feed a crowd you'll need a great slab of corned beef. Buy no less than 1 pound per person, and not less than 4 pounds. Even if you the man who has no friends, this beef will make you some, if you trouble to distribute a polite invitation or two.
And besides, it is flummery to believe that one could braise a miniscule pot roast for one that could be considered esculent. Good solid girth and breadth of the meat is the only formula for sustaining the considerable cooking time which is required to render edible such a magnificent but strong willed victual.

So, as I was saying about the brisket, don't trim it very much before cooking. You can shave it to your liking before you eat it, even if you are such a fool to consider such folly rightful.

But beware--Don't dilly-dally here--Select your meat soon, at least two days before it is to be consumed.
This is because the meat must marinate for at least 24 hours to be perfumed enough to uniquely please as promised here. This is almost as important as is the maintaining its fat coating.

II. BRINING THE MEAT
You will need a grand sized vessel to accommodate the brisket and its brine, leaving room enough for the flavors to swim about freely.
You can, and should, in my opinion---which is what this article is in its entirety, so there!---use a beer cooler lined with a plastic refuse bag for this procedure. I strongly recommend first transferring the beer to another cooler, or to the root cellar in advance of the meat's invasion. If this is not possible, please purchase some strong bleach to sanitize the beer cans that have bobbed in the brine before imbibing.

Here is my official, enduring, eternal corned beef brine ratio. Make as much as you must to submerge the entire slab of beef.
So I urgently suggest that you inscribe this in your skull, and do it now, for it should never be forgotten:
1 gal water
1/4 cup kosher salt
3 tablespoons mustard seed
2 tablespoons coriander seed
1 tablespoon caraway seed
3 tablespoons black pepper corns
2 tablespoons white peppercorns
3 cloves garlic, smashed
5 fresh bay leaves
5 thyme springs
If the March weather is sufficiently cold, you can brine your brisket on your porch, being vigilant to provide top security from the possible trespass of a stray dog, mountain lion or a hungry tramp.
For safety’s sake I recommend adding ice to the brine and keeping the cooler closed to maintain a suitable cool temperature for the meat. Remember that the ice will eventually become the water, which is what happens to all men.
Don’t neglect this fact: measure your water with the ice, to be sure to have a solid brine. A flaccid brine is no man’s, or women's desire, so history tells us and we know this section of history to be true, as witnessed by the continual propagation of our hardheaded species.

III. THE FIRST COOKING
This preliminary cooking can be achieved either early on the day of he final celebration, or a day or even three days in advance. It is the longest cooking and it may be convenient to process this in advance, whatever your lifestyle demands.

I like to cook the beef with same vegetables that will adorn the finished dish, but I discard them after they have injected their essence into the greater good of the final broth. And there is no waste, as the first batch of vegetables makes a soft meal in themselves. Pureed with some broth and milk, they are satisfying soup, served with buttered rye bread and dark beer. But that is another recipe for another day.
I then prepare fresh vegetables to present with the beef.
So here is my technique. You needn’t fear. This culinary foray will be worth it.
I give you my word.

Remove the corned beef from the brine and dry it off.
Pour the spent brine down the toilet.
Put the corned beef in deep roasting pan
Surround it with:
4 peeled and cut up carrots,
The outer dark leaves from 3 heads of cabbage, cut up
4 peeled and cut up parsnips
3 peeled and cut up onions
And put on top of the beef:
3 bay leaves
3 FRESH thyme sprigs
two cloves of garlic, smashed
half pound of smoky bacon diced---slab is best but not essential.
Pour around the beef:
Two bottles of gold beer into which you have whisked a quarter cup of good strong mustard.
As for the beer, Harp is perfect. If your beer is too bitter your juices will be bitter and I am sure there is a passage or five in the bible about the hazards and pitfalls consuming bitter juices. I’m not warning, just saying.

Add enough water to just cover everything.
Cover the entire pan with foil and bake in low oven, about 300° for 90 minutes per pound of brisket. That means a 4 pound brisket will cook for 6 hours. 90 times 4 = 360 divided by 60 = 6.
This basic math is lost on an entire generation hindered by the crutch of technology, but calculating in ones head does one good.
At this point, remove a corner of the foil and check the beef by pressing on it with your finger. Be careful, it will be hot.
The beef should be supple and tender, giving way subtly to your touch.
If it resists, it will need more time in the heat. This is true for many things in life. Be patient.
Set a timer for 30 minutes and check again. Your diligence will prove to be as fruitful as summer rain.
Continue to cook, checking every half hour until you know it is tender. You will know. I am sure of it.
When you feel the optimum texture of the meat; soft enough to flex under your pressure, bu viable enough to remind you of where it cme from, remove it from the oven. Disrobe the foil and let the beef cool right in the cooking pan for 30 minutes, at which time it should be
cool enough to handle.
It this time carefully remove the beef to a large platter. Strain and reserve the liquid. Remember what I said about the bonus soup. Just remove the bay leaves and the springs, but as I said, that is another recipe.
Don't wash the pan---we are using it again to finish the story.

IV: THE SECOND AND FINAL COOKING
We are starting with fresh vegetables here to be cooked to their optimum tenderness. They should be well shaped and enough thickness to create a mouth filling sweetness when chewed.
Prep the veggies:
1 carrots per 2 persons
1 parsnip per 2 persons
1 head cabbage makes 6 wedges, 1 or more per person
2 small boiling onions per person
2-3 small pre potatoes per person
2 strips bacon.
Peel and trim the carrots and parsnips into nice attractive finger sized pieces, at least 2 pieces each per person.
Trim and wedge your cabbage into 6 or 8 pieces, depending upon how big it is. Leave it on the core to keep it together (just trim the dark edges)
Peel at least two small boiling onions per person.
Take each red potatoes and score a groove around the middle, like an equator or belt line. You can use a knife tip or a zester, or a grapefruit spoon. This will keep the potato skins from exploding as they absorb juices and expand.
In that same deep roasting pan that you did the first cooking in, place your meat smack into the center.
Arrange your fresh wedged cabbage around the meat and tuck the remaining vegetables into the nooks. Cut the bacon into 2 inch pieces pieces and sprinkle over the veggies. Add another spring of thyme and two bay leaves.
Trim any excess fat from the beef---I said excess, a little is good!
Then fit the corned beef in there, too.
Skim any accumulated fat from the strained cooking liquid and pour over the beef, making sure that there is enough juice to cover the veggies most of the way---if not--add a little water. Pour one more beer over it all and cover with foil---cook in that same oven for another hour or until the veggies are perfectly steamed.
To serve, arrange a wedge of cabbage and some of each veggie on a deep plate or shallow bowl. Cut a chunk of corned beef---no need for thin slicing---the beef will be fork tender by now.
V. EATING
Drizzle on plenty of cooking liquid. Serve with a side of mustard, soda bread and butter on the side and---oh yes, some more beer.

And that is how it is done in my house and it is he best way you can achieve it.

Warm Regards,
Ric Orlando

boring cuisine abounds

2011-03-13T11:15:00.002-04:00

Went to dinner recently--not naming names--
-the place was cute, a bit sterile but cute and the food was perfectly cooked
But
it was so-o-o-o boring--
In my opinion Chefs have 3 jobs---
...and they need to be excellent at all three
1. know how to procure great product
2. know how to properly cook and present them
3. design meals that make memories and some excitement.
The reason it is ok to pay $150 for a dinner for two is because there is creative energy and entertainment value added to the experience.
You are not just paying for protein.
When a chef believes that a dish needs nothing added--no sauce, no condiment, no somethin-somethin to make the protein less redundant, because the food... is so pristine, he should just be in the retail business.

i want some action, some creative skill other than "we make our own bacon". Big deal--Great bacon is whatever--there is great bacon everywhere-blind taste test and I'll bet there are some supermarket brands that'll hold up to so much of this "wow I can make bacon" fad...
The issue is what can you do with that bacon that makes me want... to come back to your kitchen to see what you will do with the next thing..

Great read

2011-02-20T09:41:00.002-05:00

So---the war is on!
Now that the Sophist-idiot-neo-con-palinist-becksters have taken on my world, It is tine to kick ass back. They distort, cherry pick and out and out lie to create their mad vision of an America being overtaken by commie/liberal/energy conserving FOODIES like me.

Here's organic zin on your eye!

A good start...

http://www.theatlantic.com/food/archive/2011/02/defending-foodies-a-rancher-takes-a-bite-out-of-b-r-myers/71416/

Thanks CNN

2011-01-30T10:33:00.003-05:00

http://eatocracy.cnn.com/2011/01/28/iron-chef-michael-symon-says-feeding-your-family-healthy-food-is-anything-but-elitist/

Let Michael Symon and CNN know they are right on for letting him speak out. You all know I have been ranting about this for 15 years!
Fresh food is affordable if we teach our kids to cook and eat a traditional diet.
Remember, The corporate American power base wants you eating processed shit and getting sick--- because they are totally vested in soybean, corn, oil, drug and med stocks--everything that is profitable by having a poisoned populace.
Once again they have convinced the folk in America to "vote" against their well being by calling him an elitist and empowering the less fortunate Americans who listen to Rush Limbaugh and Fox to get mad and eat more junk food!

weekend specials

2011-01-14T08:38:00.000-05:00

Friday Night Specials
January 14th, 2011

SOUPS
Cream of Broccoli with grated nutmeg
Lobster Bisque with tarragon butter
Stracciatelle Italian chicken and egg drop soup with spinach and Romano

APPETIZERS
Wild Striped Bass and Indian RIver Grapefruit Ceviche *5 with plantain chips 10

Jigae Spicy Korean Kim Chee and and Pork Rib Soup 10

Fried Fresh Mozzarella on a spinach, pickled onion and red pepper salad 9

FISH or the DAY
Pistachio Crusted Carolina Striped Bass 26
with butter poached icicle radishes and a seared watercress salad

Weekend Specials: Big Game and Finger Lakes Wine Pairing Specials
all medium sized tasting portions
Peppered Venison Carpaccio, curry oil and papaya-avocado salsa 10
Paired with a glass of Dry Rose ‘09, Hermann Weimar (FInger Lakes) 18

Bison Tongue Tostada, pickled onions, puya chile sauce 10
Paired with a glass of Petit Noir ’08, Dr. Frank (FInger Lakes) 17

Rabbit Confit with blackberries, wild boar bacon and braised cabbage 12
Paired with a glass of Pinot Noir ’08, Lamoreaux Landing (Finger Lakes) 8

Wild Boar Short Rib Cannelloni with forest mushrooms 14
Paired with a glass of Cabernet Franc ‘07, Swedish Hill 23

Dessert Specials
Elk Mincement Pie with vanilla ice cream 8

NWBB Video and farmers market recipe

2011-01-12T10:26:00.005-05:00

Did a lil interview and cooking segment with the legendary Laura LAz!
Nice backgrounder on New World Bistro Bar AND a Great recipe!
Excuse the music...lol...

Champagne Dinner 2010 at New World

2010-12-12T23:15:00.003-05:00

New World “Champagne” Dinner 2010
Saturday December 18th, 2010 7 pm
Reservation only 845 246 0900

2010 “Champagne” Dinner
All American Sparkling Wines
and Sustainable Seafood! 
BUBBLES, USA!
I thought it would be cool to feature Sparklers from 5 different growing regions.
It is easy to do all Cali or even all Finger Lakes, but we worked to find a home for 5 completely different styles of American Sparklers on this menu. I chose to go all seafood. Each course makes the wine sing!
Hopefully we'll see ya there.

5 wines from 5 states are paired with 5 all American seafood courses.

$65
Savory Duck Egg Creme Brulee
with butter poached lobster and salmon roe
Chateau Frank Blanc de Blancs, Finger Lakes

“Seed” Crusted Diver Scallops
cauliflower two ways, smooth puree w/ Curry and Meyer lemon,
pakora fried with cilantro-mint chimi
Argyle Brut, Oregon

Cornmeal Fried Oyster Sliders, Apple Chutney,
Monkfish Liver Pate
on peppered butter biscuits with champagne mustard
Pacific Rim Sparkling Rielsing, Washington State

Half Seared Albacore Tuna Pavé
fregola, black walnut, pomegranate sauce, savoy cabbage, black cumin
Iron Horse Brut Rose, Sonoma Coast

Sweet Crab, Rose and Nettle Meadows Goat Cheesecake
Gruet Demi Sec, New Mexico

Cuisine by Ric Orlando

Special Guest and Wine Expert Michael Weiss
Professor of Wine, Culinary Institute of America

Menu Tweaks in Saugerties

2010-12-09T06:31:00.005-05:00

(Small Bites: Korean Pork Belly, Potato Samosa, Mahi Ceviche and Jerk Beef and Pineapple)

WINTER 2010
Yes, It is winter in he Hudson Valley and that means slow cooking, braises and hearty stews, right?
Yes, Maybe and maybe not.
In the last two months, according to the "Product Mix" on our Point of Sale System, New World Home Cooking sold over three small plates-appetizers-sandwiches- to every one Big Main plates.
Appetizers like Mushroom-Huitlacoche Tamales, Half sized Thai Italian Bolognese Pasta, Tuna Burger Sliders, Korean Pork Belly Bites, Puerto Rican Style Seitan "Wings" and Sicilian Pumpkin Fritters are leading the way in sales. We are eating smaller bites and bigger tastes, for sure. The sales are telling the truth,
So, I have done some menu tweaking based upon your eating habits and the results are more small plates and appetizers actually!
Now I know the math is somewhat skewed because people often order numerous small plates "for the table" but it is still an intriguing window into our eating habits.

The question I ponder is "Are we eating more small plates because of the economy?"
The answer is a resounding NO.
Our per person check average is actually up over the last two months. Note that November the first three weeks of December (allowing for Thanksgiving weekend) is one of our slowest stretches of the year. Our guests are spending a consistent amount, even though the sale of Po'Boys, appetizers, Tapas plates and half pastas and risottos are at and all time high.
It is obvious from the feedback that we receive via comment cards and email, that most of my customers are eating for flavor and excitement!
This is fun for me.
It is clear that New World's base is split with about 25% vegan/vegetarians and about 25% Snout to Tail eat it all with lust folks, with the rest just being good ol' normal steak/burger or chicken/fish diners like the rest of the world.
Our updated menu mix reflects that--with a Vegan tapas platter, a locally made Charcuterie platter and a Artisan Cheese Plate side by side on the menu, equally selling.
The best sellers last week were Tandoori Salmon, Big Brined Pork Chop and Blue Corn Seitan Medallions.
So you will see the menu offer more tastes, half orders and small plates, You will see more fun sandwiches, "tacos" for lack of a better work for food wrapped in different medium.
It all will have my flavor profile stamp.

We now have VEGAN and GLUTEN FREE menus printed, so if this is you, just ask of one or get it on line and the bottom of the page.
We still cook clean, make buying decisions based upon integrity of product and I still develop recipes that are have their own personality In a era of cookie cutter menus, either one way or another, New World will still stand out. That is who I am.
In 1986, my band skin in Boston released a single and video called Stand Up.
The first line of the song is " I want you to know my name, so stand out in the street"
That was 25 years ago. I haven't changed!

So what is my job?
My primary job is two fold--
One, to make enough business to remain open, as every winter season is a threat to all businesses in this area.
Two, to enjoy my work and my customers, and not just meet their needs by EXCITE them.
This is not a molecular gastromony market--this is The Hudson Valley, land of the BAND and DYLAN, of the HUDSON RIVER SCHOOL and of course NATURE. It is all around us.
It is why we all love it here. It is why I keep cooking the way it do.
My job is to bring all of that and more to the plate to keep you all coming back.
I hope you do because like it here.

http://ricorlando.com/nwMenu.htm

See an OLD "Skin" interview with edits from the Satnd Up Video at the end. I was 25. Don't laugh.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EZl3CmVv3TA

Repost by request

2010-12-09T06:29:00.001-05:00

Foodie Weekend in NYC

It is OUR birthday weekend-- Liz and I are both October 28th and our sons, Willis and Terrence are October 27th.

This year is Lizzie's 50th so we decided to spend in the NYC for some foodie fun with our best friends!

We have GREAT foodie friends so off we went.

Here is my rant and summary--

Friday night with our best friends to a classic brasserie- They are GREAT dining companions who are world travelers. They know that Liz and I love a good brasserie - they type of dinner that should be a no bullshit, filling and unpretentious experience. Well, I guess I missed the NY revolution- brasseries gone minimalist--how sad. The food presentation here was VERY precious and pretentious. Not bad, mind you, but what is the deal with Austere and Brasserie in the same sentence. Brasserie means working man's establishment. Any self respecting workingman would beat the tar out of this chef!

1. Steak frites with Maitre D'hotel butter. No brainer--Liz loves a good steak frites plate. This was---A steak on a plate--just like that--nothing else? Frites in the side in the stupid deli paper cone, compound butter on the side. Was the chef afraid of getting butter and blood on the plate? That is the idea! Steak blood and shallot butter get into the fries--that's real baby!

2. Pigs feet stuffed with foie gras. I was excited! I just enjoyed this at Au Pied du Cochon in Montreal and there it was huge, delicious and decadent, full of knuckle cartilage, skin and collegen, toes intact-- so I had high hopes. Here I received a rectangle plate with 2 perfectly formed triangles of pork, breaded golden with a hint of liver in the filling, and a pencil thin streak of wine reduction, probably 1 teaspoon full of sauce. It was...accurate..but worthy of a snore or two, no more.

Braised rabbit--ONE foreleg--ONE foreleg--ONE foreleg!!! That is like ordering roast chicken and getting one wing. Was it executed well? sure, well enough for ...ONE foreleg, but that is not the point. What workingman would have ONE foreleg of rabbit for dinner? Where is the love?

$600 for dinner for 4 including 2 bottles of wine. Got home hungry-- I could expect that if I were going to WD50 but a Brasserie? No love. No lust.

Give me Montreal anyday!

The Ethnic stuff in NYC was and always is Great-

Saturday Korean lunch on 32nd street--perfect Bim Bap and Kim Chees and short ribs - wow--hey, here is some flavor, complexity, spice, courage!---cheap - $30 for two - and memorable, always inspiring!

Sat PM Dinner- Celebrity chef Tribeca bistro- High Hopes

Fine Dining was Fine, but so safe-Where is the energy and excitement? Blaring John Mellencamp does not inject energy into the food.

Whatever happened to taking risks and pushing flavors--I do'nt mean molecular gas-twinkie-stronmy, but real soulful cooking?

The nuances and dymanics of using the pantry to bring the beast to a symphonic level is really missing in the new "clean Cuisine"

Safe, predictable and frankly, a little boring- To spend $700 for 6 - to eat stuff like mussels, steak frites, lamb shank, pasta bolognese and roast salmon – leaves you feeling kind of hollow. It didn't suck, it was cooked correctly. It just didn't make me feel like I was somewhere where someone was truly behind the food. There was no signature. It could have been a chain--a nice chain, but a chain nonetheless. No brightness, no spice, no assertiveness. It is like the nerds have taken over the school band. It had all of the right items-bones, octopus, shank--all cooked correctly but it was just so what. No one wants to lay claim to being an accurate lay. You're either a good lay, a great lay, a crazy lay, lazy lay or a bad lay. This was a forgettable lay. What does that say about it?

Sunday quick French breakfast - Lizzie and I eating Lardon salads -!

the vacuous team of hostesses - or porn stars-- or whatever-- were clueless to the fact that our hip hop server was still reliving his conquest of the previous night and didn't get to our table for 15 minutes, but that salad is a perfect breakfast (I added and extra egg and a side of bacon) and the coffee was hot and black (I dumped a shot of espresso into it) so wtf? right? right.

Immediately after breakfast, we strolled right down the block to Eataly.

http://www.mariobatali.com/restaurants_eataly.cfm

EATALY - What more can you want-- forget the whining about commercialism and food being imported and the slow food issues, forget the unsatisfied knw-it-all brats who blog because they cannot actually speak to anyone face to face.

Eataly is good foodie fun!

--it is delicious, soulful and sexy! Nuff said. Get there and get over your celebrity envy. What Bastianich and Batali have done for Italian products is amazing. Kinda like what the Beatles and Stones did for Elmore James and Howlin Wolf. They were thankful and so are Italians.

Good job!

Next time I think I'll go to the boroughs for some heartfelt, flavorful food that inspires me to cook and to laugh. I never did like playing with the rich kids toys.

Sunday

2010-11-28T10:21:00.003-05:00

When did the natives invent such loud drums?
It is Sunday morning and my FACEBOOK pages are belching with comments.
It is a fascinating development for we humans. We can communicate, and either hope for a response, or hope NOT for a response without being face to face with anyone who would otherwise blow gray smoke on our beautiful crystalline picture window. It is a very tricky step in our method of howling. Have you ever been at a party and tried to get a subject of conversation started to no avail? Every time you bring your precious pet issue up in a circle, someone interrupts with a funnier story or some breaking news about a local artist's ex wife?
Well, post your comment on facebook. If you have enough friends or "likes" there is bound to be one or two who will "support" you. "You are awesome" is my favorite. Awesome is a potent word. It implies to power to inspire AWE.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/awesome
You made it through enough day without Gluten. You are awesome.
And herein lies the power of the modality.
No matter how insignificant ones comment, there is always someone who will "support" it.
Support it with what, I can't say. Words? Money? Timber?
And we feel better, strong, awesome.

Well, I'll see you on Facebook. Tell me about YOUR misery of or why your therapist has made your preception of clouds a positive one and I'll tell you about my adventures as a cranky chef!
xoxo
ric

Form - Afterhours

2010-11-26T00:25:00.000-05:00

Thanksgiving Help II, Pie Shells

2010-11-21T12:43:00.003-05:00

And is it a sin to buy a pre-made pie crust?

Yes...and no...

It is never a sin to buy whatever you want. It's your hell, we don't share in that. My only issue with premade pie shells is the use of PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL.

Now, it is only one day and you'll only have one slice ( right?) so I suppose you will survive but I'll bet you'll get heartburn and that may cast a dark shadow on an otherwise fabulous day. You may actually blame your cousin's delicious cranberry-chipotle compote for the heart burn when the real culprit is the PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL. This may create a long term family rift. And we don't want that.

The sales of antacids and the consumption of PARTIALLY HYDROGENATED VEGETABLE OIL coincide perfectly. The stuff is not digestible. A classic and perfect pie crust is made with lard. Yes lard. Look it up. There is no better method. The flakiness and crispness are perfect. Great people who have lived fabulous lives and have done very good things in this world ate lard crusts at the holidays outlived their cardiologists by 10 years easily. Julia Child, still cackling well int her '90's swore by lard pie shells. Jimmy Carter, bless his goodness, is from Lard Pie Shell Country.

Nuff of that!

The second best are made with butter.

Most commercial shells are shelf stable, bad fat shells.

If you have a food processor, making pie dough is a BREEZE. and the recipe is a breeze too.

Remember this : 3-2-1.

Weigh

16 oz four

8 oz butter, lard or fake fat, cut in pieces

4 oz ice water.

Put flour and butter in food processor and spin until it looks like crumbles. Add the water and spin until it starts to come together like dry dough.

Put on a board and massage fro a minute, pull it together and form a disk. Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and chill for at least a half an hour or up to three days. Remove, roll out and bake. Hey, they make these cutting boards, available everywhere , with measured circles to make sure your pie crust is the right size...and yes, you can patch any tears. We won't watch.

Thanksgiving Questions? Answered!

2010-11-21T09:36:00.005-05:00

For the next few days, I'll post some questions posed to me by Megan, a reporter for Ulster Publishing, and my answers of course, about Thanksgiving food, cooking and the general stress and madness associated with our greatest feast day.
Enjoy!

Let's talk Triage--Tell us how to save a turkey from the brink of inedibility?

Turkey is a tricky one--it is really hard to WRECK turkey unless it is

a. raw or

b. burnt.

(Visit my website http://www.ricorlando.com/turkey101.html for a flawless turkey cooking technique)

So if the turkey is raw---open another bottle of wine and have another canape or six while you wait. This always works.

If it is really, really raw, have some pumpkin pie and have turkey later.

If it is overcooked, or burnt, there is only one way out--more gravy! Gravy is the panacea of many an overlooked beast.

Really, though, if the turkey is not cooking to your dinner timing, here are a few tips.

1. Remove the legs and thighs from the bird. They cook much slower than the breast as they are dark muscle with more liquid (blood). The breast is usually done a solid hour before the deepest part of the thigh on a 20 pound turkey. Ever wonder why the breast is often dry?

2. Add steam. Steam speeds up the bird's cooking, though it will keep the skin from getting as crisp as you may like. Solution? Tent the turkey with foil and pour some boiling water into the roasting pan to create steam,. Enough water to cover the bottom of the pan with 1/4 in deep of water will do. You can repeat this when the water has evaporated.

3. Desperation- Ok, so the natives are restless and they are on the verge of revolt.

It's Chef Mike to the rescue. Who is chef Mike? The MICROWAVE. While I do NOT recommend this as regular practice, in this situation, when the spears are flying and your own carcass is in the line, all will be forgiven. You can always carve enough turkey to feed Uncle Hal and assuage the disapproving Aunt Sophia. Put the slices on a place with a lil h20 and zap it for a minute or two to cook out the pinkness. Yes, it is a desperate measure, but in a pinch, it will cook your bird in stages and, in the words of Alton brown, you will survive to cook another day.

For Sides survival, remember--Don't try to do everything in one day. Thanksgiving was set on a Thursday so we can have all week to get the little things done. Things like mashed winter squash and yams and braised cabbage can be made up to three days in advance and simply reheated in the oven. Make them on Sunday and stash them, they are not leftovers because you hve eaten half of i first They are consciously pre prepped dishes. Tell everyone how much better they now taste once the flavors have had time to mingle. That line always works. Very good.

PS-- In a desperate pinch, serve frozen spinach or frozen cauliflower in cheesy bechamel sauce

NY Wines on the Horizon

2010-11-20T10:55:00.002-05:00

We drank all of the Finger Lakes Lamoreaux Landing Pinot last night at the bar with friends, don't want to "Bait and Switch"! There will be more in by Wednesday!

This wine is delicious! It has the prefect balance between a Burgundian Pinot's soft yet inviting perfumed fruit and a Willamette's bright and cheery cherry bomb--and though it has bright edge, it is not nearly as acidic the much bracing acidity makes for an almost unripe, rhubarby attack.
Go Finger Lakes!
The serious wineries are getting it right! It's it time to appreciate the wineries that re not trying to be something they are not. There are many Fingerlakes and Hudson Valley wines that are FINALLY understanding that you can be a perfect reflection of the region's terrior and make delicious wine.
Fading away are the days of blending and concocting hybrids to release a "merlot that tastes like a California merlot".
NY Wines have a style all their own, and like a commune in France or a DOC in Italy we should promote our differences from the rest of the wine world.
It will take wineries that are proud of the flavors we can achieve here and that accentuate them, to get winedrinkers worldwide to consider us a viable option to the other styles available.
We are about 4 grapes really. They work. There are other tasty options but stick to the 4.
Pinot Noir, Cabernet Franc, Rielsing and Chardonnay.
Yes, there are some wineries doing "neat stuff" with other grapes, such as Millbrook's successful plantings of Tocai Friulano and Dr. Frank's Rkasiteli. You can also find some wineries bottling tasty wine from hybrids like Vidal Blanc and Gamay Noir.
But being specific is where the NY Wines will succeed.
Stick to the big 4.
Establish an identity.
Stop messing around with what could grow and focus n what should grow.

Recommened Finger Lakes wines
Pinot Noirs:
Lamoreaux Landing
Dr. Frank
Cabernet Franc:
Millbrook Reserve (Hudson Valley)
Fox Run
Swedish Hills
Riesling:
Hermann Weimar
Dr. Frank
Fox Run
Atwater
Finger Lakes Chardonnay:
Fox Run Reserve
Standing Stone
Lamoreaux Landing

Birthday weekend in NY - Eataly and more...

2010-10-24T20:22:00.004-04:00

2010

Foodie Weekend in NYC

It is OUR birthday weekend-- Liz and I are both October 28th and our sons, Willis and Terrence are October 27th.

This year is Lizzie's 50th so we decided to spend in the NYC for some foodie fun with our best friends!

We have GREAT foodie friends so off we went.

Here is my rant and summary--

$600 for dinner for 4 including 2 bottles of wine. Got home hungry-- I could expect that if I were going to WD50 but a Brasserie? No love. No lust.

Give me Montreal anyday!

The Ethnic stuff in NYC was and always is Great-

Sat PM Dinner- Celebrity chef Tribeca bistro- High Hopes

Fine Dining was Fine, but so safe-Where is the energy and excitement? Blaring John Mellencamp does not inject energy into the food.

Whatever happened to taking risks and pushing flavors--I do'nt mean molecular gas-twinkie-stronmy, but real soulful cooking?

The nuances and dymanics of using the pantry to bring the beast to a symphonic level is really missing in the new "clean Cuisine"

Sunday quick French breakfast - Lizzie and I eating Lardon salads -!

Immediately after breakfast, we strolled right down the block to Eataly.

http://www.mariobatali.com/restaurants_eataly.cfm

Eataly is good foodie fun!

Good job!

Next time I think I'll go to the boroughs for some heartfelt, flavorful food that inspires me to cook and to laugh. I never did like playing with the rich kids toys.

2010-10-17T13:47:00.000-04:00

Reposted - originally from 2006, but it's time to repost!

My Views on the Sustainable-Organic-Local Food Issue from a restauranteur's perspective.

Ah, Marketing, Marketing...everybody wants to be on the right side of the consumer's conscience these days. So, how does it feel to be a consumer? Do you feel---Confused? Guilty? Perplexed? Bombarded? Folks, let me tell you that as a chef the simple notion of buying clean food is frighteningly complex! The complexity has increased tenfold over the last five years. Sourcing real food---unprocessed, that is---is a full time effort.
We chefs are approached by waves of salespeople---some innocent though ignorant and some bordering on diabolical---with hundreds of "Money Saving" or "Value Added" items. When the name of the game is survival, many restaurant operators are blinded by the initial price of the food they purchase. The industry press has us all in a state of fear, and for the uninformed operator, the panacea is CHEAP FOOD!
The idea that cheaper is better has divided the industry. Fine restaurants are offering a greater selection of locally grown, free range and organic items because they have an informed and well heeled customer base that appreciates their effort and will not cringe when buying a conscientiously created menu item. On the other hand, those who are not informed, either through naivete or willful ignorance, have ventured much further from fresh and clean food than ever before. Dangerous chemicals and genetically modified ingredients are in EVERYTHING! The shiny produce items we all see on the shelves at the supermarket are coated after harvest with preservatives and pesticides. I know this because, though this is not listed on the actual apple that is displayed in such a fine still life pose under nutrient sapping florescent lights in the store, it is stated in small print on the packing case it was shipped in. Unless you are an investigator, you are sold and are reselling poison.
I wish that every person who is not in the food service industry could attend just one corporate "Food" show. There are many types of product expos---fine foods, fancy foods, health foods, etc. But the Industry "Food Shows" are at once fascinating and ghastly. Imagine a conference center filled with rows of tables sporting plastic tablecloths and disposable serviceware laid out for you to taste the latest in portion control wedding fare? How about the "Grab and Go" line--pastries that stay "Soft for a week!" Folks, of the thousands of items on display, my guess is that fewer than 10% of them are products that you would pick up if you saw them in a supermarket. The saddest picture, though, is the army of fervid sales reps vying for your attention to sell you their latest concoction. As you walk by any given table you're bound to see a tired looking guy in a polyester suit holding out a plastic fork with a sample of something scary like a new heat and serve Cajun Sausage popover while he looks past you into the freckled cleavage of the Uneeda Bicuit lady across the aisle!
My feeling is that the dumbing down of America has made it into the food chain. Food service buyers are being sold on the concept that the consumer is clueless. Operators who have been groomed (and intimidated) into thinking only of immediate cash savings serve these unseemly victuals to contain costs so they can stay in business.To assuage their fear of demise, they have resorted to the lowest of the low. And believe me it is low.
Ah, but there is a catch---and it is a catch that doesn't affect the corporate factory food producers who are designing this arsenal of unhealthy slop. The catch is that when a restaurant or diner degrades the product that they sell, they also degrade the quality of patron that their establishment draws in. And the lower they go, the lower the expectations become---including an expectation of unrealistically low prices. And then--poof---the little guy who bought the cheap processed food to save a few bucks is out of business because he could not survive selling at the low prices his customers have come to expect. So now the corporate food producer's sister company---the cheap food chain shop--moves in and thrives. Because of their deep pockets, they have the ability to market and purchase on a grossly larger level. They also have the financing to sustain lower profits for a longer period of time. Bye, bye Mama Mia's. Hello Olive Garden!
So there you have it---the food you might eat is all in the hands of a few publicly held corporate giants who must show quarterly growth or their portfolios will shrink and their CEOs will lose their heads. WOW--and I thought I was just going out for lunch! Look at this simple chain of events --the chemical makers sell products to the food producers who use them to create cheap but diminished ingredients. These products are sold to the food wholesalers who turn it over to the food retailers. You buy and eat this food which is not wholesome or nutritious and ultimately over the years you develop diabetes or worse from all of the processed food in your diet. Your doctor prescribes you a few medications that you have to take for the rest of your life----Have you looked at your stock portfolio lately?

Chemicals, Processed Food, Fast Food Chains, Drug Companies--- all working in harmony.
Well---it doesn't have to be so bleak. My hope is to get everyday people to think about this. Let's talk to the kids and the moms and pops of the world. Many of us chefs are preaching to the converted at these wonderful conferences and retreats. That is good for networking and brainstorming but we need to address this on a more populist level. This is MY MISSION. I believe that we as humans want clean food and we want to be healthy. And I believe that if I can convince people that cooking in itself is not a chore or a skill left to the star chefs, even those with little means could begin to enjoy a healthier lifestyle.

The following are my basic rules for survival
1. As often as you can, buy sustainable, free range, local or organic, or what I like to refer to as CLEAN FOOD. Make one of the most important statements in your life--- and keep yourself and your family healthy by buying CLEAN food. The more we use our consumer dollars to buy clean food, the louder the message is to big business: WE WANT CLEAN FOOD.
Remember that businesses respond to our demands. In the 1950's and 60's when we decided that we wanted year round access and simplicity in the kitchen, the huge commercial food producers responded by forcing production, limiting the variety available in the market place and lowering the standard of flavor in our food.
2. Our food supply has become so driven by chemicals that it isn't even as nutritious as it once was. Greens raised in depleted soil don't bring anything to the table. It is the minerals from well composted soils that make greens a desirable form of food. Though there is conflicting information in the lobbyist-polluted American information system,
The Organic Retailers and Growers Association of Australia have recently completed an extensive study comparing organically raised vegetables from well composted soils to commercially grown "supermarket" tomatoes. Their study concluded that the organic tomatoes were "20% higher in vitamin C, higher in beta carotene, ten times higher in potassium, seven times higher in calcium and six times higher in zinc. Higher levels of vitamins and minerals were also found in beans, silver beet and capsicum." It is reasonable to believe that naturally composted soil and rotated crops will provide better nutrients than dirt pumped with Round-Up and steroids.
As they say in Woodstock, You don't have to be an Einstein to figure that one out! Organic farming brings healthy food back to the table. In order to grow organic, composting and crop rotation are essential. When the soil is made healthy, the plants are actually stronger themselves and are more resistant to pests and diseases. On the other hand, the more artificial the growing procedure, the more the producers rely on pesticides and chemical growth stimulants to keep bringing food to market.
Remember that the word pesticide includes sprays for weeds, insects and other vermin. Many of these are WWII-era neurotoxins and are notoriously destructive and carcinogenic, regardless of what the bought FDA has to say.
Check back for a quickie on availability and price issues.

Don't disturb the rice,
Ric the chef

Pumpkin Recipes

2010-10-17T10:28:00.005-04:00

Some Global Pumpkin Recipes
By Ric The Chef

Hey everyone--Didja get your Pumpkins for carving yet?
Well now, be green kiddies, be green!
In the words of most of our elders who were around during the depression--Waste not want not.
All of the pumpkin "guts" get made into stock and roasted pumkpin seeds and the eyes, noses, ears and grins that are cut out of the pumpkin are good edible stuff, too.
When I was a little kid, I remember "Little Nonni"--my father's mother Mary, all 4'9" of her stoic Sicilian self, taking the pieces of pumpkin face that we kids were cutting out from the newspapered floor. In a few minutes there was golden, breaded and fried chunks of pumpkin on a field of warm tomato sauce, blanketed by the snow of grated Romano cheese.
I have recreated that simple recipe and have added three more--goin' round the world, using pumpkin as the centerpiece of these recipes.
Enjoy!

Pumpkin Stock
To make “pumpkin stock" remove the membranes and seeds from the squash you are using. Put in a heavy pot, and cover with water by at least 2 inches. Add a pinch of salt and bring to a boil. Cook at a moderate boil for 15 minutes and reduce to a simmer. Cook for one hour, adding a little more water if necessary to keep the squash covered. Strain, squeezing the flavor out of the pulp. Use for soups, stews and making risotto.

Peru
El Locro
El Locros is a South American Stew that always features Pumpkin, squash and corn and sometimes also has potatoes pork and even cheese, Tonight’s rendition will be vegetarian, hearty and rich. If you want to add a couple of pigs feet or ham hock, I won't stop you, in fact, I will cheer you on!!

olive oil as needed
2 cups pumpkin, peeled and seeded
(You may use any winter squash here)
2 cups potatoes, peeled and diced
1 medium onion, chopped
2 clove garlic, smashed
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and chopped
1 fresh hot chile of your choice, roughly chopped
1 teaspoon paprika
1 can (16 ounces) white beans, drained and rinsed
1 can 28 oz Posole ( Hominy) or fresh or frozen corn
1 can (16 ounces) whole peeled tomatoes, crushed in a bowl
8 cups water or “pumpkin Stock” see below
1/2 cup cilantro, minced
Salt and black pepper, to taste
1/2 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cup cheddar or jack cheese, grated
Using a box grater or the grating attachment on a food processor, shred the 2 cups of squash set aside. Dice the rest into large stew chunks, about 1” square.
In a Dutch Oven coat the bottom with a olive oil. Heat olive oil to medium. Add the onion and bell pepper. Cook, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Stir in garlic, jalapeno and paprika. Continue cooking, stirring, for 2 minutes or until the spices mellow. Add the squash, white beans, posole, potatoes, tomatoes, water, salt, and pepper. Bring the mixture to a boil. Lower the heat, set on the cover askew, and simmer the stew for 1 1/2 hours, stirring occasionally, or until the squash is very tender.
Add the cilantro and cream. Stir in the cheese a little at a time to melt. Serve Hot!

Pumpkin Fritters Fra Diavolo

My Grandmother Mary was a true Sicilian--she loved to fry vegetables. As kids, when we cut our Jack'o' lanterns, the noses, eyes, mouths and other dismembered sections were deftly encrusted in lightly seasoned breadcrumbs, kissed by the oil and allowed to steam in the delicate casing. Yes, pumpkin is one of my favorite veggies to fry alla Nona! Serve these on a pool a zesty tomato sauce and hit them with a quick grating of Locatelli Romano while they are still hot.

Serves 4

Ricter scale 4

1 medium 3-4 pound Pumpkin

flour, eggs and plain bread crumbs as needed

grapeseed or vegetable oil for frying

salt and pepper

1 16 oz can Organic tomatoes, crushed

1 small hot pepper or a pinch of crushed red pepper

1 garlic clove, minced

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 pinch of dry oregano

2 tablespoons chopped parsley (optional)

Locatelli Romano cheese or other very sharp grating cheese

In a medium pot or large skillet, add the olive oil, garlic and hot pepper. When the garlic begins to sizzle and get golden edges, add the tomatoes and oregano. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and gently simmer until you have finished your frying. This can also be made in advance and stored in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Cut the top off of the pumpkin and scrape out the seeds and guts. Reserve for "stock".

Wedge the pumpkin and carefully shave off the skin with a sharp knife. Slice into ¼ thick slices.

Set up a breading station:

one pan of flour seasoned to taste with salt and pepper

one dish with 2 eggs scrambled with ¼ cup of cool water

one pan of unseasoned bread crumbs

Working with one hand, dip and coat a piece of pumpkin in flour and shake of excess. Now dip in egg wash, shake off and finally coat in breadcrumbs. Lay on parchment or waxed paper. Continue until all pumpkin is breaded.

In a cast iron skillet, heavy wok or Dutch oven heat 1 inch of oil to about 325-335 degrees. Keep a lid on hand to snuff out any flare-ups.

Fry pieces until golden on one side, carefully turn and finish for about 60 seconds. Line a cookie sheet with paper towels and put each piece on the paper to absorb any remaining oil.

Line each of four plates with hot tomato sauce. Arrange hot pumpkin slices on the plates attractively and garnish with a generous grating of Romano cheese and parsley--Amazing!

Pumpkin Mulligawtawny

This most popular Indian lentil soup has been made so many ways, one never really knows how authentic their version is. The recipe I have been preparing for the last 7 years is based on the soup made at India Pavilion in Central Square in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The soup there is smooth with red lentils and has a nice lemony accent. Chunks of Pumpkin add texture and brightness.

1 medium onion, diced

2 1x1 cubes of ginger

5 medium garlic cloves

1 tsp curry powder

1 tsp black pepper

2 tsp kosher salt

1/4 cup ghee or vegetable oil

juice of two lemons

3 cups red split lentils

3 cups cubed pumpkin about 1"

1/2 gallon water with a touch of chicken or vegetable bouillon or...

chicken stock, vegetable stock

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

Puree first ingredients in processor with 1/4 cup of water to make a paste.

In a heavy pot add ghee or oil and heat gently.

Add paste and saute until a beautiful aroma is released . Do not brown.

Add lentils and stir to coat thoroughly. Add stock and bring to a boil. Add the pumpkin. Reduce to a simmer and cook until lentils turn golden and begin to melt. Add cilantro and lemon juice. Adjust salt of needed.

Serve in bowls with grilled pita or nan.

Thai Pumpkin Curry

This is one of my all time favorite dishes. It is real Southeast Asian comfort food, mildly spiced, nicely perfumed and rib sticking at the same time.

Serves 4-6

4 cups pumpkin cut into large 1 1/2” chunks

2 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 medium onion, diced

1 teaspoon crushed red pepper

1 large shallot, chopped

2 cloves garlic chopped

4 tablespoons Thai Masaman curry paste ( available in Asian markets or online)

1 large carrot, peeled sliced onto coins

1 sweet bell pepper, seeded and medium dice

2 cup peeled, cubed potatoes

3 cups packaged vegetable or chicken broth

or water

2 14 oz cans coconut milk

2 tablespoons fish sauce

2 kaffir lime leaves (optional)

juice of one lime

1 small bunch fresh cilantro, rough chopped

1 small bunch of mint, roughly chopped

4 scallions, sliced into rounds.

In a heavy casserole, add the onions, crushed pepper, shallots, garlic, carrot , bell pepper and curry paster. Saute and stir until it all is wilted and coated with curry. Add the pumpkin and potatoes and toss to coat. Add all remaining ingredients except the herbs. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat o a gentle simmer and cook covered for 35-40 minutes or until pumpkin is cooked through. Serve in bowls, garnished with cilantro, mint and scallions

Jamaican Pumpkin Rice

This is the ultimate side for Jerk, oxtails and curry.

1/4 stick butter

2 tbls vegetable oil

2 cloves garlic minced

1 white onion finely chopped

1/4 cup chopped scallion, white and green parts

3 cups water or chicken stock

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper freshly ground

1 1/2 teaspoons ground allspice

2 sprigs fresh thyme

2 cups pumpkin cubed and peeled

1 cup water

1 scotch bonnet pepper, left whole but scored

1 1/2 cups long grain or basmati rice

In a Dutch oven, melt the butter with the oil and saute the garlic, onion, and scallionuntil they are limp. Add a cup of stock (water may be used in stocks place) and bring to a boil. Add the salt, pepper, allspice, thyme sprigs, and pumpkin (yam or squash may be substituted). Lower the heat and simmer, covered, for about an half an hour, stirring occassionally. The pumpkin should be tender. Add more stock if necessary.

Remove the thyme sprigs and add the remaining stock and water. Bring to a boil and add the rice. Stir once. Put the hot pepper on top of the rice. Cower the heat and cover. Simmer for approximately 25 minutes or until the rice is fully cooked and all the liquid has been absorbed. Let rest covered for 10 minutes before serving.

You can remove the pepper or serve it to your best “friend”.

—————

habanero rim job

2010-09-17T09:45:00.000-04:00

Ric Orlando Brussel Sprouts Recipes

2010-08-08T09:53:00.004-04:00

Three Brussels Sprouts Recipes
By Ric Orlando

Brussels sprouts are one of the kitchen item, like anchovies, fish sauce and cilantro, the conjure strong feelings on both sides of the isle. When I was growing up in the '60's, I hated them. We didn't have them often, but like Lima beans, when we saw the on our nightly blue plate, they sent waves of dread through the souls of my little sister and me. They were always cooked from frozen until soft and mushy, buttered, salted and that's it. I am now enlightened! Properly cooked brussles sprouts are an autumn treat. I have taught my kids to get excited about them, and when purchased from a farm stand on a stalk, they are often the star of the meal!
Remember that strong and bitter green vegetables can handle more salt than delicate veggies.

This dish used quartered sprouts with lots of garlic. This gives them a balanced firm yet tender texture. They are great with pork and rich skin on poultry prepartations.

Garlic Walnut Brussels Sprouts
serves 4 as a side
1 lb fresh medium to large sized Brussels sprouts
2 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup walnuts, chopped small
1/4 stick butter
1 tbls fresh thyme leaves, roughly minced
kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Put in a pot of salted water big enough to hold the Brussels sprouts.
Prepare Brussels sprouts by trimming off any dry or loose leaves. Cut off brown end off of the stem to expose the white core of the stem. Cut in quarters lengthwise.
This is about timing and fun cooking. Is everything prepped? The sprouts need to blanch for two minutes to get cooking.
Good. Now go!
Drop the Brussels sprouts in the boiling water.
Heat a big heavy skillet on the stove on medium-high heat.
Add the butter to the skillet.
When the butter foams, add the garlic and walnuts and turn the pan to high.
Once the garlic begins to get golden, Turn of the heat under the pan. Use a slotted spoon or skimmer and begin to remove the brussels sprouts form the water and carefully add them to the hot butter. When they are all in he pan, crank the heat back up and swirl the pan to coat with the brussles with the hot garlic-walnut butter. Salt and pepper generously, and let cook to absorb any water that followed the sprouts into the pan. Sprinkle with the thyme leaves, roll around to coat one more time and serve hot.

Shaved Brussels Sprouts with Bacon and Onions
This is a simple stir fry, utilizing the smokey bacon and sweet onions to accent the earthiness of the brussels sprouts. This dish should be served immediately after cooking, to keep the vibrant color and texture of he sprouts intact. It is particularly good paired with trout, chicken and turkey dishes.

serves 4 as a side
4 oz good quality smoked bacon, sliced against the grain into thin strips
1 large Spanish onion, quartered and sliced thinly
1 lb Brussels sprouts
1 tbls grapeseed oil
2 tbls apple cider vinegar
a few fresh sage leaves, roughly chopped (optional)
water or stock as needed
salt and pepper to taste

Trim stem from Brussels sprouts and cut in half lengthwise. Now slice, almost shave, crosswise very thinly, This is called a chifonnade..
Heat a heavy skillet or stainless wok to medium heat. Add the bacon and the oil. Cook over medium heat until the bacon is browned and crispy. Remove the bacon with a slotted spoon and reserve. Add the onions to the pan, and cook over medium heat, stirring often, until they begin to caramelize. When the onions are fully amber colored, prepare to add the brussels sprouts. If you are using the sage, add it now. Add the Brussels and turn up the heat. Stir from the bottom up, or "Chow" while cooking until the sprouts begin to soften. When they're bright green and shiny, add the cider vinegar let cook another two minutes. Add a few drops of water or stock ; stir well and season with salt and pepper. Serve hot, garnished with the reserved bacon.
This dish can be made vegetarian by simply omitting the bacon and increasing amount of the oil just a bit. There are vegan bacon substitutes available that can be added at the last minute to generate the smokiness that the bacon gives to the dish.

Balsamic Roasted Brussels Sprouts
Roasted, caramelized, luscious!
Some sprouts are wound tighter than others, so the roasting time my vary , depending upon the particular batch of sprouts you are cooking. Make sure they are lightly browned, but not black, or you will have bitter sprouts.
Because of the vinegar, this dish pairs well with red meats, venison, beef and lamb. It is also good served family style with hearty salmon preparations.

Serves 4

1 lb medium brussels sprouts
2-3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil.
4-cloves of garlic, unpeeled
2 medium shallots, cut in half
6 tablespoons good quality balsamic vinegar
2 sprigs rosemary
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 350.
Prepare Brussels sprouts by trimming off any dry or loose leaves. Cut off brown end off of the stem to expose the white core of the stem. Cut an "X" into the bottom of the core of the stem, about 2 or three millimeter deep.
In a mixing bowl. toss all ingredients to coat well. Let marinate at least 15 minutes or up to 1 hour.
Put everything in a roasting pan and loosely cover with parchment paper or foil. Bake about 30 minutes, and then check the sprouts. They will begin to soften and become golden . Poke a big one with a skewer or toothpick. It should be tender. If they need a little more time, let it happen. When they are just tender, remove the covering and allow to cook 10 more minutes until lightly browned. They should be very tender when done. Serve them right in the roasting dish and make sure everyone gets a piece of shallot and a clove of garlic.

2010-08-08T09:47:00.001-04:00

Summer Salsa recioes posted on my pal Dakota Lanes Blog

http://dakotalane.blogspot.com/2009/11/ric-orlandos-salsa-recipes.html

Road Trip 2010- Day Two

2010-06-22T04:27:00.021-04:00

Father’s Day Brunch in Chinatown, San Francisco

Dim Sum

The question of the morning: Should we go to the place with the best food or should we go for the most genuine 'Dim Sum' experience?

Only time would tell. We read reviews and blogs online about various places- most of which were not in Chinatown- but we wanted to be in the magic of Chinatown.

San Francisco’s Chinatown is the oldest in America and has many nostalgic remnants. Along with its Maltese Falcon, Dirty Harry, Fire of ’06 and Barbary Coast romanticism, San Francisco has a love affair with its old Chinatown.

I love it, and wanted my sons to experience it through my old Charlie Chan experienced eyes.

After pondering the validity of the internet reviews we decided upon a place call Hang Ah Dim Sum and Tea Room. It opened in 1920 and, according to the many spirited readers in Chow Hound, was the most was “authentic” of the Chinatown Dim Sum houses.
Okay- Hang Ah Dim Sum here we come!

Oh-no-- we were still on East Coast time and we arrived early-- 9 in the morning! I know Dim Sum is a brunch of sorts, but nobody opened until 10 and, as we discovered later, nobody really started rocking until noon. We left the Hilton with our bags and trekked the 10 steep blocks or so from O’Farrel up to to California Street.

Hang Ah is on Pagoda Place, up a steep hill and down and alley next to Willie “Woo Woo” Wong Park- what looks like a great place for babysitting kids during the day and fending off junkies at night.. When we arrived the door was wide open but the joint was dark, like a church an hour or so before mass.

There were a few middle aged Chinese men unloading a truck with bags of mungsprouts, some frozen dumplings in clear bags and other brown bags sprouting greens and other vegetation. Here come the provisions. We looked around and decided to walk around for an hour or so until they opened.

We went back down the steep, steep hill and explored the tea and ginseng shops- heady with aromas alien to my sons, but somehow familiar to my 1970s brain.

Terry led us into a real over the top, tacky gift store where I bought my wife a $12 silk kimono---she always looks killer in a kimono-- and my daughter Sidni an 'Alcatraz, Home Sweet Home' magnet.

As I was paying the vendor asked me in almost cliché broken English if Willis and Terry were my sons. He darted his eyes left and right and then secretly showed me a hand ful of fireworks and asked, “M-80 and cherry bomb for boys? They are real thing!” Really! Just for laughs
I bought a couple of packs of salutes and he discreetly wrapped them in Chinese newspaper- Awesome!

Later, we found a 'seafood house' that had bins of American and Imported Shark FIn.
When I tried to take a photo, the middle-aged Chinese woman abruptly chirped “No Picture”. What did she think that I was with PETA or something? I just wanted a little souvenir picture...

Around 9:50 we found ourselves back in the alley. The door was still open, the lights were still off.

Hang Ah is a place that is so square it is hip- so old it is new. The entrance hall has dirty black and white, almost faded sepia photos of Chinatown days past.. They are not there to be retro, they just haven't been changed. There was a collection of 'Miss Chinatown USA' candidates from 1958 along with a 1963 Chinatown Chamber of Commerce poster. Wow!

The weird feeling of the place, the silence. It was like being alone in the home of someone you barely know, and it made us wary. We decided we'd forgo the best food and go for the most genuine Dim Sum experience after all.

We left with a commitment to return later.

On Washington there was a place that looked busier...

That felt better. It was called 'New King Tin.' It was pretty dingy inside and made us wonder about the Old King Tin... It had a glossy Hong Kong BBQ window complete with a whole hanging shiny, seductive and sexy suckling pig, ducks, geese, and cuttle fish.

We were seated at a four top in the middle of the small dining room. There were maybe 12 tables, tops. There was not enough room to roll around carts, which was a slight and collective let down. But since we were starving by this time we ordered a few items from he waitress who had a single, stationary cart right next to our table.

It was only a semi-Dim Sum place -- but onward we ventured.

We ordered-

1. Shrimp Shumai - Shumai were big and puffy, obviously from frozen. They felt sort of fake and not great. They would have been a bit offensive if we were not so hungry!

2. Pork Buns - These were sweet on the outside, almost like a dessert pastry filled with red yeast rice glazed pork. It was so sweet that Terry took one bite and passed- This from the boy who, at the age of two, at my mother’s on Christmas was found hiding under the dining room table with the candy bowl full of mini krackle, Three Musketeers and Mr. Goodbars. By the time we found him the bowl was mostly crinkled, empty wrappers and he was gorged, greasy and glassy eyed. He likes sweets to a fault--and he rejected the pork buns.

3. Tofu Skin Bundles - Filled with shrimp and veggies, these had a nice, soft texture, nice aroma- but they needed the hot chile sambal to get them on their feet. I like the texture of tofu skin when it is suspended in steam for a few hours. Sort of like soft, white, boiled chicken skin, which I love unreasonably and try to resist pulling from the backs when we strain the chicken stock pots at New World.

4. Chicken Feet - These rocked! Maybe even the best I’ve had--perfectly glazed, redolent of barnyard and bean paste -sweet and musky. They were cooked perfectly and garnished with a slice of fresh jalapeno. Willie was enthralled by the succulent pad of the foot. They came four to an order and we had to order a second serving.

Next we skirted the Dim Sum offerings and went for the big stuff. I ordered a plate of suckling pig and one of BBQ octopus, which was actually cuttlefish.

The pork was as perfect as it looked in the window. The skin made such a beautiful crackling sound when crushed between my molars that I deliberately chewed with my mouth open to savor the sound. The flesh was chopped into perfectly moist and savory cubes. I’ll take a good Hong Kong BBQ sucking pig over Peking Duck any day, as long as it’s done right. This was done right!

The cuttlefish was only ok--it was nicely lacquered with the soybean paste-sugar glaze but the texture needed work.

The white body slices were pretty chewy. I like chewy cuttlefish but this missed the mark. The face cavity and the tentacles were much better and sort of popped when chewed.

With a table full of empty plates, we opted to move on and search for greener pastures. We would find the Dim Sum motherload.

Next Stop, Dim Sum Action.

We went down two doors to another monstrosity of a place called 'The Hong Kong.' When we entered the foyer there was a waiter with a Dim Sum cart waiting for an elevator. I asked him if they served Dim Sum and he pointed to a sign that said 'Dim Sum, 3rd Floor.' He got into the small service elevator and the doors closed behind him.

With anticipation we climbed the smelly carpeted stairs. As we passed the 2nd floor we looked into a doorway and saw that there was a self defense class taking place. Scary.

We got to the top floor and it was a big, out of date banquet room with 72-inch round tables with pink polyester tablecloths and absolutely nobody there. A woman shouted, "Table for 3?!" and we almost sprinted down the stairs.

We wanted the experience! This was just not happening!

But, eventually, we found the experience we were hoping for the old fashioned way.

We wandered around for another twenty minutes or so, slowly tiring and getting ready to try the Hang Ah again.

Thankfully, Terry has no self control.

He just couldn’t resist the Ninja stores and entered a big one with conviction. While he was admiring, and buying some cheesy tin Ninja stars, I asked the shopkeeper where I could find some real Dim Sum action. She directed us well.

The place was right around the corner actually- on Jackson.

The place was called 'Great Eastern' and it was almost exactly we'd been looking for. The place had two floors, had fish tanks set in the wall with dancing prawns, crabs and beautifully fresh looking catfish and best of all, tons of Chinese people, smiling, chatting and eating! The first thing I fell in love with was two little sisters dining with Dad - digging chicken feet!

The only tricky thing about 'Great Eastern' was that there was no cart service. You actually ordered your Dim Sum off of a checklist menu with an accompanying picture menu. I'd never experienced Dim Sum without carts. How did this work? Would it suck? C’mon--just hook me up already!

Okay, it was kind of weird, but guess what - It worked out great!

Here's what we ate:

1. Steamed Fish Ball with Veggies - These were the best I've had. They had a distinct flavor of leeks and cabbage. An order consisted of three bals- each about the size of a golf ball

2. Steamed Tripe in Broth - This was awesome! It wasn't honeycomb tripe but the much milder smooth tripe from the first stomach. It was tender and not the least bit gamey. We loved it.

3. Deep Fried Crab Claw in Shrimp Paste - These were also golfball sized shrimp fritters coated with panko. To set them apart, each had a dungeness crab claw sticking out. It was served with kewpie mayonnaise to which we added some chile sambal. Nice, simple fried seafood cake experience.

At this point we noticed that something interesting was being served to the table text to us. I called over the waiter and asked him to bring us an order of whatever they were. He shrugged and returned in what felt like 15 seconds with a small plate loaded with chilled, glistening beauties - Soy Sauce Duck Tongue!

They were ice cold and the size of golf tees, with a small bone extending about a quarter of the way into the root. They were FABULOUS cold! They reminded me of the tongue served in a Jewish Deli- except they were little, and they were served on a bed of boiled, soy sauce soaked peanuts. Wow!

Next?!

Pork Feet with Jellyfish - This is the kind of dish that I mess around with in my kitchen but nobody ever buys. The pig feet were deboned, rolled and braised, sliced like a roulade and served cold. They were topped with a nice hairdo of shredded and marinated jellyfish- served cold. The jellyfish was almost like rubbery noodles. The flavor of jellyfish reminds me of pork anyway and in this dish, it paired perfectly with the briny foot roll.

One disappointment?

Deep Fried Pumpkin with Egg Yolk Ball - This was "a wee bit not happening," as my son said. The ball was panko crusted but hollow and chewy, as if made from taro to resemble a breaded hand ball. The yolk in he center was over-cooked, not hard cooked, but pasty, too cooked to be delicious. Dud, we all agreed.

For Dessert? Turtle Shell Jello, of course!

Huh? Yes- this is a classic Gui Lin Gao--where turtle shell is boiled for hours to release its intense gelatins. It is then cooked with rock sugar. This is very weird, but worth a try once if you think you’d like RC COLA jello...

At this point we were stuffed---Dim Sum was a success!

Next?

Wine Country Cheap Eats...

Road Trip 2010- Day One

2010-06-22T01:11:00.012-04:00

Off We Go!!

Saturday, June 19th Afternoon...

Up at 4:30 for a 7 am flight from JFK. No breakfast.

Virgin Atlantic had a few in flight offerings that sounded like they might not suck.
I ate cheese and fruit on the plane. One slice of dried pear, one half black mission fig, three small cheese pieces, Gouda, Swiss, Cheddar?

We arrived in San Francisco at 10:30 Pacific time--1:30 eastern time. It was time for lunch. We were sort of starving- After checking into the Union Square HIlton we stopped at the first Mexican place we found. Though it was only fair to decent food, the Mexican in California is way better then anything in NY. I ordered a Wet Burrito with green chile pork carnitas, smothered in red chile sauce. The boys both ordered Dry Burritos with green chiles and pork. Though 3000 miles away, the Mexican food made me feel at home! OK!

We took a trolley toward the waterfront. I wanted to do a tourist day at Fisherman's wharf with the boys, so we hopped off at Ferry Building Market. The local farmer's market was just ending but the food was still represented well inside.

A dozen oysters and a couple of beers, and we were ready to rock.

Next we perused the market stalls. We weren't sure what to expect but soon we were giddy! It was a fantasy of local Sonoma and Northern Cal food geniuses giving out samples.

We did some tastings. First was the salty pork stand!

How about a Locally made, organic, grassfed, pristine, Alice Waters approved a Salume Cone?

The most gorgeous collection of real mushrooms I have ever seen in one place!

Check out the boys nibbling a bag of black and white truffle popcorn?

To come--Dim Sum Sunday, Wine Country Mexican, Sonoma's worst meal and more...

Road Trip 2010- The Leadup

2010-06-22T01:10:00.003-04:00

Road Trip 2010

This trip has been in the works for years.

I promised to myself that I would take my sons on a foodie trip before they were too old to do it and, at long last, here it is!

Let me fill you in on how the hell this madness came to be.

When I was a kid, I did a little road tripping with a couple of bands from New England. Our travels were all East of the Mississippi. Being an innate experimenter, I was always the one in the group who had to try the scrapple and grits and eggs, though I wasn’t a even considering becoming a chef yet. I cooked for a day job, but I wasn’t “in the life” as I am and have been since say about 1988, when I got my first chef job in earnest at Yates Street in Albany. I always did love to travel and eat the food of the people. That, afterall, is where the idea of New World Home Cooking came about. Eating people’s food, American immigrants food turns me on. It connects me. If you really want to make a bond with a culture, eat with them and eat it all. Don’t skimp on the guts, hot peppers or other smelly things. You will never be trusted by anyone until you eat and enjoy the foods they love.

In 2006, New World Home Cooking won a Sante restaurant award. I was very proud and excited. The awards ceremony and celebration was in Napa, California. I had never been there so I decided to attend. It was a great way to discover wine country with 50 of my peers.

When it was done, I made a cool decision:

Instead of flying back from San Francisco or Sacramento like everyone else, I chose to drive, alone, via Monterey, Central Valley and Paso Robles to LA. I had to pick up my daughter Sidni. She was finishing make up school in LA and needed to get her self, her Ford Focus and all of her stuff (boxes of makeup, craft supplies, finished and unfinished art, records, CDs, tapes, books, magazines, kitchen gear, clothes, material for clothes, patterns for clothe and whatever other memorabilia she was collecting) back home to NY. So I timed it right. We drove cross country back together, crammed in her little car with all of her shit.

It was a great ride and a sweet bonding time for both of us though the ride was delayed and extended. Our drive was riddled by the winds of Santa Ana and historic high desert ice storms that closed the interstates from New Mexico to Kansas periodically for a week. We drove right into it. Ice storms from hell. When highway 40 and 45 closed without notice, we were stuck in nowhere towns where all we had to eat was either fast food or Walmart bran muffins. It was an ironic turn of events. Me, Mr. New World, people’s food foodie eating Wendy’s baked potatoes in New Mexico. Talk about the Irony of Ironies. We did have a few memorable foodie experiences on that trip, like same amazingly porky tamales in Los Cruces and a way cool squash blossom pizza in Santa Fe, but not enough for me. Sidni is highly allergic to nuts AND is vegan so there were, shall we say, limitations to our road food experimentations. I needed more.
Another trip like this was in order. I had to do it again.

Now to Fall 2008. My life to that point had been a challenge. Owning a seasonal restaurant could be hellish in Winter, but it was relatively straight forward. We were wildly busy in Summer, tapered off in Fall and dwindled to a trickle in Winter only to build back up in Spring, and to be back rocking every Summer. It was hard and tricky, but predictable. Almost automatic. I was rich by September and broke by March, but Summer always got us back to a good place.

But by 2008, things began to change.

Woodstock began to change.

Other small towns with decaying industrial architecture were rebuilding and attracting artsy NY visitors- the ones that Woodstock has had by the balls since the late 80s. Our market was thinning. By 2006 our business had plateaued and my projections for 2007 were a small decrease. I am a realist and the writing was on the wall. The yuppies were aging, the bubble was stretching to the busting point, and the Hudson Valley was getting overbuilt in relation to the number of visitors it was attracting.

In Winter 2007 I made a bold move. I was confident enough in New World’s ability to run like a machine and I needed extra income, so I took a consulting gig with HITS, an equestrian horse show company based in Saugerties. I was to design the VIP dining program for their Desert Circuit Site in Thermal, California. I planned organic and green breakfast and lunch menus for the stable owners, sponsors and riders. I had to be in the California desert for almost three months.

The pay was enough for me to take it on, as any cash flow was needed more than ever.
From January through March 2008, I was living and working in Indio, in the California desert. My job was hard, but routine. I worked from 5:30 in the morning til about 4 in the afternon, Wednesday through Sunday with a few morning hours of ordering and menu planning on Monday and Tuesday. I had Monday and Tuesday afternoons and every night of the week free. I began to drive around and explore the desert alone.

From 29 Palms to the Salton Sea, I cruised in my rented Ford Focus, and I fell in love with the desert. The beautiful date palms jutting out of the sandy gray, dead landscape. The cantinas and taquerias, the perpetual flowers, the jutting fresh, young, amber mountains. All of these things touched my Sicilian genes. I couldn’t get enough of the the Summer smell of the air, the streaky “chem trail” clouds, the Mexican everything. It was way cool and mystical to me-but all the while I sorely missed my family and my wife Liz especially.

So when my one week break came up in mid February, instead of coming home, I lured Liz to spend a week with me in California. We did “the ride” - the same one I did the year before, but backwards. We drove from LA all the way to wine country. We hung out in Frisco, stayed at Les Petit Maisons in Sonoma, visited with Benziger, explored Napa, cruised to Monterey. We took Highway 1 down the coast through Carmel and Big Sur, across the 46 through the wineries in Paso Robles and down the 5 through Bakersfield and back to LA. We both fell in love with the California landscape. It was a hard Winter that year but the consulting fee and and the week with Liz in Cali made it feel better.

Then things changed. By September 2008 the party was over. The Hudson Valley economy went into a free fall. From 300% real estate value increase (inflation) after 9/11 to Fall 2008 when it was dead, nada, bust. The Hudson Valley economy, and especially the Woodstock economy, tanked so hard that the yuppies were selling their 2nd homes and day trippers were staying home or going elsewhere less expensive. Hudson, Beacon, Catskill- most places were better deals than Woodstock. .

Woodstock was in the shit. New World Home Cooking, (though in Saugerties we are a Woodstock institution) was in the shit. Instead of working to make money, we were working just to survive.

It came to this---Liz and I were looking for “side jobs” to keep afloat.

Then all turned to a new direction. New World Bistro Bar in Albany was in its conception stage. Scott Meyer, co-owner of the Spectrum had approached me a couple of years earlier about partnering up on the space he was developing but I was too busy and too focused on Saugerties New World, HITS and working on a new book. I didn’t want to stretch it too hard. Howeverm after the economic free fall of 08, I had to make a change. The time seemed right. Saugteries (woodstock) was slow as molasses in January and the small market, small business audience that I developed over 15 years was flummoxed, angry, depressed and frankly depressing. When your base is clutching their collective guts, worrying about day to day existence, culinary fireworks are no longer mportant.
I needed a change. I needed not just a second income but a reason to be. Cheffing for me is a performance art and without new fans, the show gets old. Change was in the wind.
I took the plunge in October 2008 and my relationship with Scott Meyer and Annette Nanes went from a nice social relationship to a business marriage. The up and coming New Word Bistro Bar was in the works. I committed to a deal that had me working 24-7 on the Bistro Bar from November 2008 in development through March 2009 opening (while still doing three nights at NWHC) and through the first three operating months. It then shifted to 10-12 days a month or essentially 3 days a week, where it is now.
By April 2009, New World Bistro bar was up and running to rave reviews and brisk, profitable business. My soul was saved, revived and energized.
For the last year, I have been working 6-7 days a week--every morning from 9-11 and three nights a week nurturing New World Saugerties back to health and three afternoons and nights a week pushing the Bistro Bar as hard as i could.
Though I was working as hard as I ever had, by winter of 2010 I was back at the top of my game . Liz got a great lawyer job and is bringing in an income and the Bistro Bar is giving me an income. This allowed us to save Saugerties. The Saugteries business numbers certainly aren’t were they were in the glory days of 2001-2007, but they’re stabilized and that’s enough to create optimism. Without having to live off the business, I’m able to work the expenses and the menu and the payroll and get us back on the track to black.
I also did some neat stuff for Food TV, making a little chunk of much needed cash.
It was that TV cash combined with the success of New World Bistro Bar and the recovery, almost renaissance of New World Home Cooking that led me to this decision that this is the time to take my boys on “The ride”. They LOVE me and my food and love sharing it. Willis has been to Africa twice and like me, loves to travel and falls in love with new experiences like a fool. Terry is still living home and hasn’t experienced much travel. This is a opportunity for the three of us to create a common memory that rocks. As the kids age, they create their own life. Our common experiences are less frequent and usually revolve around shit like holiday visits and family deaths.
This will make a good one I hope. Maybe the best.
I am out of my mind happy about this! We deserve it.

2010-06-21T19:49:00.002-04:00

Meals Day 1- Saturday June 19th
Virgin Airlines from JFK to SF - Cheese and fruit on the plane --
Arrive in SF Union Square Hilton by 2 PM Starving- Mexicanos Lunch- BIG Wet Burrito for me, Dry Burritos for boys ( i like to eat with a fork!) all with with green chile pork carnitas. It;s nice to e in the west coast--any Mexican is way better then anything in NY.
Trolley car to the Waterfront
Then Ferry Market!
Lil Locavore tastings time!
Hog Island Oyster Co.
Little Skookies and Komomutos with Anchor Steam
Tastings of flavored Sonoma Flvored Olive oils
Awesome truffle popcorn, cured pork “cone” from Incanto- homemade Mortadella, sopprasata and salami-- way good salume!

Had to do the tourist Cioppinoi Dinner at Nick’s on Fishermans wharf.
Terry picked it out--he liked the "original" vibe and decor. It was totally time warp seafront continental dive style.
Crab steamers out front,
Horrible chowder--see pictures
Cioppino and sand dabs actually, surprisingly good--or at leat well cooked. Old school but fresh. Thanks!

2010-06-18T09:24:00.003-04:00

Packing up the tent, books iPad and clothes.
Checking into the Hilton and the tourist stuff all day.
It's the boys first time so it's cable car to fisher mans wharf,Alcatraz and the wax museum.
Dinner? Cioppino on north beach like a true Italian tourist.

2010-06-17T19:29:00.002-04:00

One last day of packing and of to SF
Today is the one year anniversary of Luke haid's murder.
Did a lil fishing in his honor.seems like years but it
Was only one.
Fuck me

2010-06-17T00:29:00.001-04:00

Can't wait for. That dim sum in SF!

2010-06-17T00:26:00.001-04:00

Two more days-- My two sons, Willis and Terrence and I are trekking to he west coast for a cross country road food tour. We'll be posting!
You keep posted!

2010-04-27T08:59:00.003-04:00

Right after doing yoga, I'm watching a lil sportscenter to catch the RedSox hightlights--weird enough, right?
A Heritage Foundation--er -- I mean Coors commercial comes on and the baritone, gravel-voiced announcer is grunting about how the Rocky mountains are like a backbone---
oh-oh--I knew something was up--
In the final line of the commercial, in talking about how they make their beer (yea right) he states---
"It's something we REFUSE TO CHANGE and that's what Backbone is all about."
Yes, the audio enhances the REFUSE TO CHANGE part. It jumps right out of the speakers.
The anti-Obama message is obvious--white guys, in the country bar, refusing to change, being challenged to have some backbone here...
Since when does it take backbone to refuse to change?
It takes a numb skull, sure, but backbone? I thought backbone and courage allowed a person to change their mind, to compromise and listen to arguments and have the BACKBONE to change. To have the backbone to admit they have learned something.

--PLEASE DON'T DRINK COORS--it's not about the beer...
and tell your friends.
Have a nice day.

2010-04-25T15:38:00.002-04:00

Hey, I'm back.
Opening New World Bistro Bar is Albany has been a great experience---running two businesses 45 miles apart is a trip (lol).
Finally everything seems to be settled.
Too many people tell me " I'm never there..." whether they are talking about Albany or Saugerties--yet I work more now than I have in years!
So here is my schedule---wondering where i am---now you know!
I work more than you do!!

I am in the office at New World Saugerties Mon-Fri from 8ish til 10 ish doing the basic bill paying, ordering, banking...

Monday-Tuesday I go to Albany/New World Bistro Bar by noon--have manager meetings, order oversight and then I cook on the line.
Wednesday AM I go to the farm stands/markets to get special stuff for Albany, then I h prep all afternoon, working on the weekend specials.
Wednesday night I'm home by 8 and I chill at home.
Thursday morning I go to the markets for New World, then I do the gardening.
Thursday afternoon I prep the weekend specials for New World.
Thursday night I am home by 7 and I chill.
Friday and Saturday I am in the kitchen catering and/or on the line at New World Home Cooking.
Sunday morning I cook the brunch in Saugerties with my youngest son Terry.
Life is actually more fun than it has been in a long time. I feel like a kid.
ROCK AND ROLL!

2008-11-25T07:41:00.002-05:00

Hey Y'all.
Brace yourself for the end of foodie-ism. could it really be true?
The rise and fall of the fat bastard is coming to a strip mall near you!
This economy will sort out the players from the payers...we hope.
To be continued...

2008-09-20T13:08:00.002-04:00

Been a long Tie, been a along Tine, Been a long tim, Been a long ti.

I am just getting restarted after a long winter, spring and summer of weirdness, political angst, economic anxiety, social frustration and general wudufu ism.
No a lot of clarity for blogging--but the mountain air has done its work!

I just finished a beautiful LONG hike around the trails at Mohonk with my beautiful SHORT wife. Have you ever done it?
It was my first time---just like the NYer who has never been to Statue of Liberty or the LA er that has never been to a 'ollywoood studio, I am a Hudson Valley resident for 16 years and I have never DONE Mohonk, until today. I have been here as a guest chef a nd for a few fundraisers, but i have never DONE it as a tourist.
Do it. It is a real treat.
Their website doesn't do this place justice.
Til later.

Chill wit da food, dude

2007-04-20T10:06:00.001-04:00

Take it Easy and
Enjoy a Clean Food Lifestyle
Presented to Ulster County Mental Heath Associates
Ric Orlando 4/2007

I have cooked a million meals and after the first 500,000 I noticed that there was more to making food than just skill and technique. There is sensibility and conscience. I want to share that with you. My mission is to get you to love to cook---to get you to use your hands and to connect---to get you to think about that connection between your mind and your soul and your body and your food and the world around you.
You know we have developed a pretty hectic life-style these days and the comment I get the most often when I speak publicly is "I'm in too much of a hurry to cook" and "What do you have that's quick and even I can make?" and "Can you show me some of your professional shortcuts?"---frankly, what I'm going to tell you is more therapy than cooking secrets.
Cooking is not where you should be cutting corners. I figured this out all by myself because running a restaurant and cheffing with three school aged kids and a loving wife in law school is pretty complex, too.
When I ask people what the rush is---why do you need to have a meal started, cooked, eaten, over and done within a half hour I'm told the same story----"I get home from work, and I'm too tired to cook so we have something quick and then I veg out and watch some TV until I crash."
Let me tell you a story that most of you must already know though sometimes it is good to hear it from somebody else! I too have a TV and I turn it on occasionally, usually late. I have something like 400 channels---and on these 400 channels, 390 of them are showing incredibly stressful material.
When I lay in bed and flip through the electronic guide I find murder, mayhem, revenge, more murder, rape, controversy, horrible news, bad mannered pundits interrupting each other, disinformation, lies, deceit , conceit, propaganda, and more depressing violence. The amount of stress inducing programming on television is so out of whack with reality that the idea of rushing through an unhealthy chemical laden supper just to "veg out" to the content of 21st century television is so far from relaxing--it is inconceivable!
As a health oriented chef I am often asked questions like "What can I do about my blood pressure?"---"What am I doing wrong, what should I be eating?" Well, there is a simple answer. If you are choking down processed food just so that you can get stressed out by a triple homicide adventure show---I needn't go any further---you know the answer already, don't you? Do you need a picture? Prioritize, baby!
Let's start again. Let's say you got home at 6 and you were done with dinner by 6:45 because you microwaved some processed--but low-fat---counterfeit food and then you plunked in front of the television until you became comatose ---you are never winding down. There is no chance to let the day go. You are never connecting to your physical and sensual world. You need to play with your food sometime during the day! If you are not giving yourself the opportunity to use your senses of touch, taste and smell, you are missing a great ingredient of your life. Reestablishing that part of your life to create simple but wholesome food will help you to relax. It will bring you down to earth. Doing it as a hobby ---a little gardening a few weekends a year, a dozen dinner parties a year is nice, but a daily escape is better. My prescription for peace of mind is to spend some time in the kitchen every day
Try to actually make dinner at least 4 days a week--- where you hunt and gather---actually shop for ingredients to prepare a meal and then sit and relax and enjoy it with someone who you can speak with. When you prepare the meal by touching--- cutting the vegetables, washing the fish, trimming the meat, feeling your hands in the grains ---you are getting in touch. The more you use your hands, the more whole you become and the more whole the feeling you have for eating and cooking becomes. Then instead of saying that you are in too much of a rush to cook because you want to watch TV and chill, that evening melts away into a relaxing pleasure. When you get home, put on some music. No commercials, no news. You are going to miss anything real. Once a day is enough news for anyone--and now with these news update tickers on the bottom of the screen, we are hypnotized! Give it a rest. And skip the ads, please. They're just there to make you feel inadequate anyway, so give 'em a break, too.
So where were we?---oh yes, you've put on some music and you have laid out some ingredients---now spend a half an hour making a fresh meal. Maybe your kids or partner can help. Take your time---be a European--- and don't plan on eating until 7:30 or 8 pm. Now, when you eat, linger for an hour and digest. Talk about things, not just the bad things but the amusing things too. Then by 9 or 9:30 if you are ready to turn on the tube, you've already unwound. Wait 'til you see how absurd that channel guide looks like once you have let some of the sap out of your spine. This really is the ultimate therapy. Using your hands and your soul and your mind to create sustenance takes such an edge off of life. The nutritional advantage of making your own food is crucial also. When you combine fresher and cleaner meals, made from scratch with patience and meditation during the preparation and the eating of the meal, all of your life improves. Now try it--a little wine, a little dinner---it is not unreasonable--that is the healthy choice---it is a worthy life-style choice.
Cooking is like therapy---it's like taking a bath!

Some basic tips to help you lead a CLEAN FOD lifestyle.

1. READ INGREDIENT LABELS!
2. Avoid the following like the plague---high fructose corn syrup AND hydrogenated oils.
3. Avoid buying anything with more than 6 ingredients.
4. Understand that you get what you pay for. A 11.95 prime rib diner is not going to be “Clean Food”
5. Don’t eat food from places that sell gasoline. Need I say more…
6. Don’t buy food from machines. The exceptions are PURE chocolate bars—plain or with almonds, PURE nuts, salted or not or simple, unflavored potato chips.
7. Get off of “meal” bars. Eat an apple instead. Get it?
8. Keep a water or unsweetened ice tea and bag of sunflower seeds, almonds or good quality trail mix in the car to avoid being tempted by the drive thru.
9. Don’t drink soda—ever.
10. Make your own iced and hot teas. Explore the huge array of teas available at the health food store. Teas like Rooibus, Ginko, Mate and Green are cheap and great for you! Bring your own tea bags around in your purse. Make a pitcher and fill a water bottle with it to keep it your desk.
11. Try healthy sweeteners if you need to sweeten your food. Agave syrup, honey and stevia are all great alternatives to the chemical sweeteners on the market. Also, unstripped Turbinado sugar is also readily available now.
12. Make food at home and bring it to work. Italian tuna packed in oil, homemade chicken salad, Brown rice salad and leftover steak wraps will make your co- workers jealous! Reuse the plastic conatiners your Chinese food take out came in!
13. Cook and Eat clear soups and broths. They slim you and when home made, are super healthy.
14. Try to eat a salad a day. Skip the gloppy dressing and use oil and vinegar or lemon. 95% of prepared dressings have high fructose corn syrup in them.
15. Avoid all cheap fried foods. They are almost always full of hydrogenated fats. Many breadings actaully have the hydrog built right in!
16. Avoid Cheap Egg Sandwiches, Home Fries and Diner eggs. They are almost always cooked in hydrogenated oils. Ask a cook what the cook their eegs in---Kaola Gold, Mefry?---hmm--This stuff is like semi melted crisco---it's gross!!!Remember the “you get what you pay for” rule!
17. Don’t over do the grains. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing! Get at least 66% of your carbs from fresh fruit and vegetables and you’ll feel a lot better. Fruits and vegetables are water soluble and help to cleanse your body!
18. It sounds cliché, but try eating raw vegetable sticks-without dips --while at your desk.
19. We all have stress response and need to feed it. Don't restrain yourself---Retrain yourself! When stressed, drink herb tea, eat raw veggies or chew on a cinnamon stick. This will keep you from devouring junk food, soda and cigarettes.
20. Don’t stress over what NOT TO eat. Think wisely and clearly about what TO eat!
21. Don’t buy all of your groceries at once!
Keep and exciting pantry of dry goods; oils, vinegars, organic stocks and broths, grains and condiments on hand. Purchase your meat/fish and veggies daily. Keep them fresh and buy only what you need. Make it part of the hunter ritual! When you frequent the same loca laces, they actually learn your name and take care of you.
22. Eat what is in season. So you love roasted corn and tomato salsa. But it is January and the tomatoes are like tennis balls and the corn is non existent. Go online and find a recipe for polenta with sundried tomatoes. Use common sense, In Europe, eating seasonally is the norm. Get excited about the first local asparagus! Shop locally to get a feel for what is really in season.
23. Avoid food in fancy packages.Aside from oils, vinegars, canned tomatoes and condiments, I can’t think of anything else that is good food that comes in a package. Packaging food usually means preserving it!
Meats, Fish, Vegetables, Fruits and Grains are all “bulk” items!
24. Enjoy the process! Most of all remember---you want CLEAN FOOD!
Ric Orlando

2007-03-04T11:33:00.000-05:00

Since so many of you have asked, here is my take on the Trans Fat ban in NYC Restaurants.

The current movement to ban Trans fat in New York City is a huge victory for the general public. Though I fully support a trans fat ban and hope they are banned world wide, I disagree with the legislation designed to punish the small fry--- restaurants and cafes, for the misdeeds of the big fish. This is just the tip of the iceberg. If trans fats are to be eliminated from all foods as I believe they should, a composite approach is needed.

According to one estimate, up to 40% of the items in an American supermarket contain trans fats. In restaurants, the number of items that contain trans fats is also very high. I am sure most of us have eaten trans fat numerous times in the last week. Some of the culprits are prebreaded foods, fried foods, doughnuts, processed cheeses, butter substitutes, fryer oil, griddle oil, frosting, muffins (even “healthy” ones), scones, breads, desserts, ice creams, pies, tarts, wraps, salad dressings, tortillas, rolls, imitation cheese (that runny orange stuff served on “nachos”), puff pastry, cannoli shells---the list goes on! How did you fare? If you eat out, I’ll bet you have a little trans fat almost everyday as does most of America. This is because the hydrogenated vegetable fats which provide most dietary trans fat are a mainstay of the food industry - a cheap bulking agent perfect for churning out inexpensive processed products, with a long shelf life and a luxurious 'mouth feel'. Trans fat (and high fructose corn syrup, check these pages in 3 or 4 years for they are the next to go) is the processed food behind processed foods.

Most restaurants and cafés that offer food at inexpensive prices have to rely on prepared foods. Prepared foods allow restaurants to keep prices down by extending shelf life and eliminating costly labor. If a restaurant owner, small mom and pop deli, pizza shop or diner can order from their distributors pre-made foods that don’t spoil rapidly and the price is cheaper, that is what they will do to survive and compete. It’s only natural. But legislating the end user, the restaurants, is absurd. It is like filling the candy bowl with sweets and warning your toddler not to eat any. If the legislators really wanted the products off the market they would ban them from the source.
Since trans fat is proven to be a nemesis that ultimately costs our nation billions in heath care dollars, the developers of the stuff, the corn and soybean industry, should be held accountable. So why is it that the ban has been directed at the end retailer? It is an absurd premise. Why wasn’t the logical step taken, to go after the manufactures of the fats. The answer is a simple; because trans fat is a byproduct of the byproducts of America’s most powerful corporations, Cargill, Monsanto and ADM.

Supermarket consumers can know if a food contains trans fat by looking at the ingredient list on the food label. If the ingredient list includes the words "shortening," "partially hydrogenated vegetable oil", “margarine” or "hydrogenated vegetable oil," the food contains trans fat. In the food service industry, it should be getting easier, but it isn’t. The ingredient lists on wholesale packing is sketchy. Some labels are on the bulk case, and some are on each package within the case. Packaging laws to provide better labeling for restaurant products have been updated, but it is still very iffy.
To an immigrant business owner whose second, or third language is English—what does this mean: “may contain one or more of the following; hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated cottonseed, soybean, corn or sunflower oil”. Try to get the information from a salesperson or distributor. It is almost impossible. I have visited the websites of the #1 and #2 food distributors to restaurants in the Hudson Valley ( Sysco and US Foods) to obtain ingredient information on their products. Neither of their web ordering catalogs lists ingredients, though both have a dedicated line for this. The message was simple, “Ingredient information not available at this time”. How in the world is a small businessperson supposed to adhere to the rules, when the multimillion-dollar companies supplying them don’t come clean. Combine this with the marketing---every week there are scores of “money saving” or “profit increasing” items on sale that are by and large foods with trans fats—and the small business person must be certainly flummoxed. Any reasonable person would have to conclude that if there were really a trans fat ban in restaurants, the developersof these products would be the first to be regulated. But it is not happening because of the obvious. The player with the biggest lobbying budget wins and the restaurants are literally on the bottom of the food chain in this regard.

Ric Orlando
Chef-Owner
New World Home Cooking Co.
Saugerties, NY
Author of We Want Clean Food, CF Press 2004
www.ricorlando.com

2007-02-22T01:18:00.001-05:00

Hot Stuff and Halliburton.
By Ric Orlando
I am making fiery Thai chile relish today. I don’t really have plans for it, but it will last until I can squeeze a nice Thai special onto the menu. Gotta sell out of catfish first.
I encountered a nice bag of those sharp, red bird chiles in the “Herb Box” in New World’s walk-in cooler. They have a beautiful, numbing heat. I remember picking them up at Lee’s Asian Market in Albany last week. I threw them in the box and forgot about them. Now here they are. My frugal chef’s brain immediately cues my internal worker bee to use ‘em up before they go bad. So as I am peeling the shallots my eyes tear and the paper cut on the soft pad of my forefinger burns like a bee sting. The radio in the kitchen is always on in the background. I am listening NPR in a room full of Latin cooks who don’t understand of word of it. I am the boss. I listen to the news. They think I am smart.
Strong aroma of shallots. Intimidating bowl of chiles. Amigos blocking the sound out. Dick Cheney lambasting liberals. He says we are giving in to Al Qaeda by not backing Idiot Bush’s escalation of their war in Iraq. The sound bite is short and nasty. I start to slice the tiny peppers into concise rings, discarding the stem. If you leave the chiles in rings, they go right through you when you eat them. It is a weird but satisfying kind of cleanse. Am I the only person on the planet who wants to throw punches when Cheney speaks?
So he was the head of Halliburton. Now he’s running our government and giving all of my tax dollars to Halliburton. Remember the $400 toilet seat scandal back in the ‘80s? That was Halliburton. Remember when the Senate and Congress worked so hard to convince us that the Government couldn’t do anything right? Back in those foreboding '80s they duped us all. Our congress privatized our military. So now instead of Government engineers and army cooks we have Halliburton. Dick Cheney’s former company is doing all of the work for 20, 30, 100 times as much money as it costs to have the Government do it. No bids. No audits. I put the chiles in a bowl with the shallots and cover them in smelly fish sauce and a squeeze of lime. I offer a bite of the red chiles to Armando, an El Salvadorian prep cook. He looks scared and backs away as if from a snarling Doberman. Is he scared enough to hand over his taxes to Halliburton’s shareholders? Is he afraid that if we don’t keep enriching the Chinese bank accounts of Cheney’s friends, the evil sandpeople will come and blow up our National Monuments. Armando is blissful, clueless, doesn’t even know where Iraq is, probably hasn’t ever seen a map of the Middle East. But he knows that the hot peppers will burn him on impact today and he knows that he will regret it tomorrow.
So when Cheney lies to terrorize us, don’t we think about the burn that’s coming? How he and his neo-cons want to break our government. How they want us all in fear. I think about crispy black bass drizzled with the chiles and shallots and the smelly fish sauce. That will be my Friday Night special. Crispy Black Bass with an Intimidating Red Chile Relish. 23.95. Bass is expensive. Maybe I’ll add a little Thai basil to sweeten it up. That oughta sell.

2006-12-28T09:05:00.000-05:00

The Good, The Bad and The Ugly!

A Primer on Healthy Fats

What is so GOOD about Fat?

I am just a chef --- and as a chef I am in constant contact with food. The food that I am in contact with has been changing at an alarming rate over the last decade. Finding food that is not made with genetically modified ingredients, that hasn't been injected with chemicals and hasn't been sprayed with stabilizers is getting quite challenging. My mission is to convince you that there are definite health benefits to seeking out and eating what I like to call Clean Food. Clean Food means food that has been grown, harvested and prepared in a traditional manner. Real Food is Good.

As we venture forth into the jungle of health information, there is one reoccurring truth that continues to surface through the marketing muck. The truth is that the traditional diets of regional peoples are the healthiest diets of all. Are they low fat, low calorie, high carbohydrate diets like the one the FDA recommends for us? Not exactly. The healthy, ancestral diets of the world are based on fresh local ingredients in balance and harmony with the seasons. Clean fats combined with fresh fruits, vegetables and legumes is the optimum diet. Thinking about food in this way is the healthiest approach possible.

Many of my recipes contain a fair amount of fat, yet all of it is unprocessed, "good" fat. Most traditional diets contain considerably higher amounts of fat than our own FDA recommends. They also contain more calories. Our bodies need fat and a fair amount of it to operate properly. Fats carry the vitamins A, D, E and K. Fats are found in every single cell of the body. Why do you think they are called Essential Fatty Acids? The challenging task is learning the difference between good and bad fats and then learning where to get good, clean fats. We all know that extra virgin olive oil is a great fat. We know this because there is published evidence that the Mediterranean diet is a "heart healthy" one. Consuming a tablespoon of cold pressed olive oil daily not only increases your HDL or "good" cholesterol but it actually lowers your LDL or "bad" cholesterol.
What are we doing that is so BAD?

Until recently, many cultures traditionally used cold pressed oils. Grapeseed, peanut, corn, coconut, sesame and palm oil are prevalent in the diets of some of the world's most vibrant people. Unfortunately, technology and the global economy have brought higher yield processed oils to the far reaches of the earth. More and more, the statistics indicate that a rise in cardiovascular disease is directly related to the worldwide distribution of American processed foods and food processing technology. Are we a help or a hindrance?

Here are some stunning statistics. Americans have one of the highest rates of Type II diabetes per capita in the world and the numbers are rising yearly. Over 15.3 million Americans suffer from this disease which leads to heart disease in many cases. The evidence that our processed food culture is the culprit behind this unfortunate statistic is only now trickling into our media stream. Sadly, other countries which have embraced our fast food, processed fat culture are experiencing a similar rise in circulatory diseases. The rise of juvenile obesity in China directly correlates to the rise in sale of American soft drinks and fast food in that country. We Americans don't fare very well in the cardiovascular world over all.

Sure, through our technological advances we've learned to prolong life in those who are afflicted with heart and blood maladies. But maybe we are missing the point. Maybe we should be addressing the reason so many of us are becoming sick in the first place. Over 40% of the deaths in America are due to disease of the cardiovascular system. Countries which have maintained their traditional diets have a much lower ratio of heart and circulatory illness.

In Brazil, where traditional cuisine includes abundant meat dishes seasoned with raw palm oil, the percentage of deaths due to diseases of the cardiovascular system is only 28%.

In Peru, where the traditional diet of grass fed meats, native corn varieties, legumes, vegetables and chiles has remained the same for centuries, the percentage of deaths due to diseases of the cardiovascular system is 13.8%!

My conclusion is that our dilemma in America has nothing to do with eating fat or lean foods. It has to do with eating processed foods, especially processed and hydrogenated fats. It is the commercial processing of fats which creates bad fats.
What is a processed oil and why is it UGLY?

When commercial oil is processed for human consumption it is combined with caustic acids. The introduction of the caustic acids removes the beneficial free fatty acids. The oil is then filtered, degummed, bleached, deodorized, scented, stabilized and colored. Often, synthetic antioxidants are added to replace what was lost in the refining process. Lastly, a defoamer is added before it gets to market. The oil is often sold in clear containers even though sunlight and florescent light destroys most of the remaining advantageous fatty acids.

The process of hydrogenation is intended to create a solid fat with smooth, rich mouth-feel. The hazard lies in the process of shattering fat molecules into smaller parts which are much more easily absorbed into our intestines than are fat molecules in their natural state. Additionally, all of the essential fatty acids are destroyed in the processing, leaving an indigestible product.

A quick walk through a modern American supermarket will reveal to you that the staggering majority of the foods we are sold contain processed and hydrogenated fats. Just about any deep fried food is fried in processed oil, also. So, if the FDA means that we should consume less of those foods, I agree. But without essential real fats, we become out of balance and our vital organs and blood cells will begin to break down.

On the question of animal fat, I have arrived at a similar conclusion. There are distinct differences between good and bad animal fats. Animals raised on the pasture get adequate exercise. They are grass and green fed without processed feed, antibiotics and growth hormones. When this is the case, moderate intake of their fat is a healthy and beneficial addition to our diets. When the animals are raised in boxes and are fed processed fats themselves, such as genetically modified high yield corn and soybeans, they pass these unnatural, damaging fats right into your body when you eat them.

An animal raised naturally on a diet of organic vegetation and insects contains elusive and vital minerals and nutrients from the earth. Those wholesome nutrients become assimilated into their fat, flesh and eggs for we humans to consume. It is a REAL and healthy chain of events. This is what nature intended for us. Immune system invigorators like Selenium and CoQ-10 are found in abundance in grass fed meat and free range eggs. The same cannot be said for commercial grain fed meats and eggs.

The same is true for seafood. Farm raised seafood is also fed high yield grains to fatten it up more quickly. Hence, we consume more of the same when we eat farmed seafood. Wherein wild seafood subsists on a diet of mineral rich plankton (or smaller prey who have eaten it) and pass it to us via their fat and flesh. This is the real deal.
As you prepare the food you choose to cook, file the info I just gave you. Real food can't be wrong. We are not smarter than the infinite wisdom of our ecosystem. We can't improve it, either. We are a part of it. Buy the cleanest food you can. It is a small investment in yourself and your family

2006-10-29T22:34:00.000-05:00

I just blasted an email to update y'all!
I am bringing back the Wine and Food Pairing Dinners
at New World Home Cooking for 2006-2007!
They are now called
“The Chef’s Having Fun” Dinners
I cook and pair the wines
and you relax and enjoy
—easy!
I am making it my business to have time to focus on the events that make me happy!

Woo-hoo!

We have constructed a schedule for this winter which includes…

Savoring Apulia November 17th
Our 10th annual Champagne Dinner December 14th
Our First Hot Luck “Hell” night on January 12th
( where the course get hotter and hotter as the dinner goes on!)
A Cajun Wine Dinner and Lecture February 9th
(complete with a recipe book held the week BEFORE Mardi Gras weekend!)

And more to come…

Here is what is next!

Savoring Apulia
Poetic Food and Wine from the “Heel of the Boot” of Italy

Friday, November 17th
6:30 PM
A tasting menu complete with wines
$69 per person plus tax and tip

I made my first visit to Apulia in 2006, visiting my wife Liz’s family in historic Gravina.
We also stayed for a few days in a Trullo overlooking the Adriatic. That’s it above—Trullo Montezuzzo.
We cruised the hilly highways in our Opal convertible searching for wonderful food.
Though I can’t deliver all of the people and personalities
we encountered, I can bring you my interpretations of their food.
Like a perfect poem, Apulian cuisine is simple in preparation but complex in effect on the soul.
Its impact on me will last a lifetime.
We are importing as many ingredients as we can to truly
recollect the flavors as I experienced them.

Menu and Wines

Three courses of Antipasti
The Best Apulian Olive Oil, Semolina Bread, Cerignola Olives, Marinated Anchovies,
Grilled Eggplant, Lambascione, and the great Apulian cheese Burrata

Salume of Apulia - Bresaola, Spada, Mortadella, Salami et al

Insalata di Frutta di Mare
With squid, octopus, mussels and langoustine

>Wines
Botromagno Gravina Bianco (Greco-Malavasia)
D’Alfonso dal Sordo Casteldrione ( Montepuciano, Sangiovese and Uva de Troia)

Three Traditional Tastings
Orecchiette with Broccoli Rapini
Favas and Chickory
Stuffed Cuttlefish
> Wines
Bombino Bianco “Catapanus”
Amano Primitivo

Three Modern Tastings
Apulian Lamb with Olives
Rabbit Agrodolce
Fennel Gratinata
> Wine
Tormoresca Boca di Lupo (Cabernet and Aglianico)

Cheese Course
Fresh Figs, Caciocavallo and Vin Cotto
>Wine – Noci (Walnut Liqueur)

Dolce
Sighs – Olive oil pasty puffs filled with espresso custard
Ric’s Home Made Limoncello
Espresso

Reserve Today

To find some great Apulian ingredients visit
http://ingredientsgourmet.com

New World Home Cooking Company
1411 Route 212
Saugerties, NY 12477
845-246-0900

2006-10-19T10:58:00.000-04:00

Let's talk about the availability of Organic, Sustainable and Free Range food.
So I Insist that Sustainable food is the way to go.
But can you get it?

So, Organic vegetables are now available all of the year. In the winter lettuces come from Southern California, Arizona and now Mexico. Root vegetables and some stalk vegetables are also in the market year round. However, committing to sustainable produce also means committing to common sense. We have caused the corporate agri-culture to produce less than desirable food due to our unreasonable expectation of finding everything under the sun all year round, especially organic. As I said before, businesses will do what they can to respond to our demands. If we want red tomatoes in February, someone will figure out a way to make them happen, even if it means genetically engineering them to grow in ice cubes! Or in the case of organic, flying in foods from New Zealand, Israel and Chile in the winter to feed our appetite for the ingredients we "need".
What do we really need? Does it all have to be perfect? Remember that food is alive and responsive to its environment. Anyone who has ever had a vegetable garden knows that real produce has variations in size and color. When all of the tomatoes on a shelf look exactly the same, don't you get a little suspicious? Are these the Stepford tomatoes?--and is that what you really want rushing through your bloodstream en route to your heart and brain?

To help keep our produce marketplace clean and sane, try to think seasonally when buying stuff. Baby greens, root vegetables, apples, allium and cabbages all are reasonable products that either grow quickly or cellar well. Insisting on white asparagus, yellow tomatoes or fresh peas in winter will just bring us more of the same chemically assisted suicide we have commissioned all along. Shop for produce in your local co-op or health food store. And don't be afraid of canned stuff. Real nice canned tomatoes are full of nutrients and that is the way that most peasants get their tomatoes in the off season.
Good canned tomatoes are excellent!

Did you know this...Frozen greens are often more nutritious than the fresh ones that you may find in the supermarket! Most frozen spinach and kale is picked, blanched and frozen within 24-48 hours of harvest. This locks in many of the water-soluble vitamins. If you don’t live close to the farms, most greens are up to 10 days old by the time you buy them. The nutrients are pretty much shot by then. Surprise!!!!

What about the price of organics?
Organic produce is more expensive than commercial produce. In most cases it is about double the price. But does that mean that it is expensive? I suppose that it is a relative question. We do have the cheapest food in the world. That is one of the great yet strange American truths. Our insistence on cheap food has created this monster of genetically engineered, chemically fed foodstuff. Let's try doing some math. A regular head of romaine is .89 in Walmart, an organic head is $1.59 in the health food store and a MacDonalds hamburger is .89 .Two people can have a beautiful organic romaine salad for the same price as they can each have a Macdonald's hamburger.
Notice the value? These absurd comparisons are fun. Is an organic loaf of bread half the price of a pack of cigarettes? Is an organic apple cheaper than Blue Gatorade? Are you having fun yet? I have costed out dinner for four made with an organic roast chicken, organic brown rice, organic carrots and an organic salad to be about $4.75 per person. That is the same as a Banquet frozen turkey dinner. Duh! The price of organic food is really a matter of perspective. If you are cooking at home with fresh stuff for your family, using organics is about the same as buying frozen prepared dinners or eating out in a chemical rich "Budget" restaurant.
So..
Be wise, be your grandparents! Use the stuff that is on hand and don't encourage the chemical farmers!
Eat seasonably!

Marry the Ketchups!
Ric the chef

2006-10-19T10:36:00.001-04:00

My Views on the Sustainable-Organic-Local Food Issue from a restauranteur's perspective.

Ah, Marketing, Marketing...everybody wants to be on the right side of the consumer's conscience these days. So, how does it feel to be a consumer? Do you feel---Confused? Guilty? Perplexed? Bombarded? Folks, let me tell you that as a chef the simple notion of buying clean food is frighteningly complex! The complexity has increased tenfold over the last five years. Sourcing real food---unprocessed, that is---is a full time effort.
We chefs are approached by waves of salespeople---some innocent though ignorant and some bordering on diabolical---with hundreds of "Money Saving" or "Value Added" items. When the name of the game is survival, many restaurant operators are blinded by the initial price of the food they purchase. The industry press has us all in a state of fear, and for the uninformed operator, the panacea is CHEAP FOOD!
The idea that cheaper is better has divided the industry. Fine restaurants are offering a greater selection of locally grown, free range and organic items because they have an informed and well heeled customer base that appreciates their effort and will not cringe when buying a conscientiously created menu item. On the other hand, those who are not informed, either through naivete or willful ignorance, have ventured much further from fresh and clean food than ever before. Dangerous chemicals and genetically modified ingredients are in EVERYTHING! The shiny produce items we all see on the shelves at the supermarket are coated after harvest with preservatives and pesticides. I know this because, though this is not listed on the actual apple that is displayed in such a fine still life pose under nutrient sapping florescent lights in the store, it is stated in small print on the packing case it was shipped in. Unless you are an investigator, you are sold and are reselling poison.
I wish that every person who is not in the food service industry could attend just one corporate "Food" show. There are many types of product expos---fine foods, fancy foods, health foods, etc. But the Industry "Food Shows" run by Sysco, Kraft, US Foodservice etc are at once fascinating and ghastly. Imagine a conference center filled with rows of tables sporting plastic tablecloths and disposable serviceware laid out for you to taste the latest in portion control wedding fare? How about the "Grab and Go" line--pastries that stay "Soft for a week!" Folks, of the thousands of items on display, my guess is that fewer than 10% of them are products that you would pick up if you saw them in a supermarket. The saddest picture, though, is the army of fervid sales reps vying for your attention to sell you their latest concoction. As you walk by any given table you're bound to see a tired looking guy in a polyester suit holding out a plastic fork with a sample of something scary like a new heat and serve Cajun Sausage popover while he looks past you into the freckled cleavage of the Uneeda Bicuit lady across the aisle!
My feeling is that the dumbing down of America has made it into the food chain. Food service buyers are being sold on the concept that the consumer is clueless. Operators who have been groomed (and intimidated) into thinking only of immediate cash savings serve these unseemly victuals to contain costs so they can stay in business.To assuage their fear of demise, they have resorted to the lowest of the low. And believe me it is low.
Ah, but there is a catch---and it is a catch that doesn't affect the corporate factory food producers who are designing this arsenal of unhealthy slop. The catch is that when a restaurant or diner degrades the product that they sell, they also degrade the quality of patron that their establishment draws in. And the lower they go, the lower the expectations become---including an expectation of unrealistically low prices. And then--poof---the little guy who bought the cheap processed food to save a few bucks is out of business because he could not survive selling at the low prices his customers have come to expect. So now the corporate food producer's sister company---the cheap food chain shop--moves in and thrives. Because of their deep pockets, they have the ability to market and purchase on a grossly larger level. They also have the financing to sustain lower profits for a longer period of time. Bye, bye Mama Mia's. Hello Olive Garden!
So there you have it---the food you might eat is all in the hands of a few publicly held corporate giants who must show quarterly growth or their portfolios will shrink and their CEOs will lose their heads. WOW--and I thought I was just going out for lunch! Look at this simple chain of events --the chemical makers sell products to the food producers who use them to create cheap but diminished ingredients. These products are sold to the food wholesalers who turn it over to the food retailers. You buy and eat this food which is not wholesome or nutritious and ultimately over the years you develop diabetes or worse from all of the processed food in your diet. Your doctor prescribes you a few medications that you have to take for the rest of your life----Have you looked at your stock portfolio lately?

Chemicals, Processed Food, Fast Food Chains, Drug Companies--- all working in harmony.
Well---it doesn't have to be so bleak. My hope is to get everyday people to think about this. Let's talk to the kids and the moms and pops of the world. Many of us chefs are preaching to the converted at these wonderful conferences and retreats. That is good for networking and brainstorming but we need to address this on a more populist level. This is MY MISSION. I believe that we as humans want clean food and we want to be healthy. And I believe that if I can convince people that cooking in itself is not a chore or a skill left to the star chefs, even those with little means could begin to enjoy a healthier lifestyle.

The following are my basic rules for survival
1. As often as you can, buy sustainable, free range, local or organic, or what I like to refer to as CLEAN FOOD. Make one of the most important statements in your life--- and keep yourself and your family healthy by buying CLEAN food. The more we use our consumer dollars to buy clean food, the louder the message is to big business: WE WANT CLEAN FOOD.
Remember that businesses respond to our demands. In the 1950's and 60's when we decided that we wanted year round access and simplicity in the kitchen, the huge commercial food producers responded by forcing production, limiting the variety available in the market place and lowering the standard of flavor in our food.
2. Our food supply has become so driven by chemicals that it isn't even as nutritious as it once was. Greens raised in depleted soil don't bring anything to the table. It is the minerals from well composted soils that make greens a desirable form of food. Though there is conflicting information in the lobbyist-polluted American information system,
The Organic Retailers and Growers Association of Australia have recently completed an extensive study comparing organically raised vegetables from well composted soils to commercially grown "supermarket" tomatoes. Their study concluded that the organic tomatoes were "20% higher in vitamin C, higher in beta carotene, ten times higher in potassium, seven times higher in calcium and six times higher in zinc. Higher levels of vitamins and minerals were also found in beans, silver beet and capsicum." It is reasonable to believe that naturally composted soil and rotated crops will provide better nutrients than dirt pumped with Round-Up and steroids.
As they say in Woodstock, You don't have to be an Einstein to figure that one out! Organic farming brings healthy food back to the table. In order to grow organic, composting and crop rotation are essential. When the soil is made healthy, the plants are actually stronger themselves and are more resistant to pests and diseases. On the other hand, the more artificial the growing procedure, the more the producers rely on pesticides and chemical growth stimulants to keep bringing food to market.
Remember that the word pesticide includes sprays for weeds, insects and other vermin. Many of these are WWII-era neurotoxins and are notoriously destructive and carcinogenic, regardless of what the bought FDA has to say.
Check back for a quickie on availability and price issues.

Don't disturb the rice,
Ric the chef

2006-09-28T09:20:00.000-04:00

If you read in the last week's post that I was planning on making Roasted Garlic Bread pudding for my Sunday garlic festival demo this year, I changed my mind. I did the same dish in 1996 so I thought it would be cool to bring it back.
But...
Picture this...
It is the peak of catering season, Rosh Hashanah and the NY Garlic Festival weekend.
On Saturday I was in the New World kitchen at 5 am to pack out the garlic festival vending stuff by 8 am---700 lbs of string beans for blackening, 14 gallons of Creole remoulade sauce and 20 chafing dish pans of roasted garlic mashed potatoes! I was down two cooks; one was celebrating his "Birthday Weekend" and the other was a newly hired Culinary grad who just had a bad attitude. We were catering a wedding for 100 in Boiceville and another party for 100 in Stone Ridge. The Cafe had done 250 covers on Friday and was set to do 300 on Saturday, shorthanded, which meant I was going to be cooking on the line.

Back at New World we were slammed all day and I worked until 10 pm, 17 hours, or until the food began to look like something else to me.

I slept for a few hours and got to New World about 7 am Sunday morning to get more mashers for the garlic festival ready and to organize my demo. I decided against the roasted garlic bread pudding demo for two reasons. One was because I didn't have a chance to prep it up on Saturday and secondly because I needed to have about 100 tasting portions ready by 11 am ( demo was at noon) on Sunday and we were so busy Saturday that we didn't have any leftover bread. The busboys had cleaned out the freezers of all bread because it was so busy! There was nothing for me to prep anyway.

I patrolled the coolers to get inspiration. We had three bags of fresh mussels on ice, untapped. I decided to do a neat demo, Mussels three ways---Thai, Mexican and Belgian, and all using beer and garlic. The body may wilt but the brain never rests!
So...
I arrived at the garlic festival at 10:00 am and gave my new crew, Lee, Jill, Ed and the wonder boy--14 year old Jasper--- a quick lesson on how to blacken string beans for the masses.
Two pots of boiling water, a 14" cast iron skillet-- white hot, soybean oil and New World CAGE seasoning. Blanch the beans, toss with oil, toss with CAGE and dance them in the white hot pan making a bilow of white smoke. Dump the pan into the chafing dish and blanch more beans. As soon as the pan has recovered its heat, blacken again, more smoke, more beans, more money!
Around 11:30 Joey Beesmer, Woodstock soul singer and guitarist extraordinaire whisked me to the demo tent on a rickety golf gart. I am guessing we had about 600 pounds of manhood on that cart as Joey is bigger than me. Add my loaded cooler of demo stuff we I know we pushed that cart to the limit!

In the Demo Tent behind the second base I set up all of my mise en place on these corny but cute harvesty tables decorated with Indian corn, baskets of herbs and small glazed gourds. The usual suspects!
I displayed a 10 pound bag of PEI mussels, olive oil, butter, cold pressed peanut oil, shallots, garlic, lemongrass, chiles, clam juice, cream, mustard, a mess of herbs and three beers---one Rolling Rock ( to emulate rice brewed Thai beer), one Duval and and a Corona. I had two portable butane stoves and three woks, ready to go. I took three of the black plastic catering bowls (disposable) from New World to to dump the hot, fresh and aromatic mussels into, one batch at a time. I planned to fill a a bowl and move on to the next recipe.

Picture this...
I was just finishing up a beautiful my first mussel dish Thai style, prepared with lemongrass, Thai chiles, garlic, shallots, basil--it smelled magnificent! I picked up the steamy, shiny wok with two hands and with plenty of chef-like theatrics, poured the hot mussels into the first plastic bowl. I was cool. But as I turned back to the other wok the audience began to make sounds ranging from giggles to gasps. The hot mussels had melted the bowl. No, it wasn't just a small warp around the edge. The entire bowl slowly widened and sank until it was essentially a big deflated ballon. Within 15 seconds there were mussels and broth and herbs and garlic all over the fastidious, harvest themed table. The Demo Tent volunteers were scrambling to clean it all up. Bounty to the rescue.
That was is good theater. I urged the vidoegrapher to capture it on tape! It was so funny that I may even do it again on purpose at my next event, this time staged of course, but I will have real glass bowls hidden and extra mussels for actual use.
Never waste the opportunity to make memories!
Visit http://ricorlando.com/pages/messels.html to get my three mussel recipes from the 2006 Garlic Fest.

Make sure to ice the seafood before you leave,
Ric the Chef

2006-09-28T08:50:00.000-04:00

So...
For all of you New World wine dinner/slow food dinner/theme party night lovers---
We are at work on our fall and winter schedule.
Stay posted or visit
http://ricorlando.com for the schedule.
Get ready to ROCK!

Don't forget to discreetly sniff the cork.
Ric the Chef

2006-09-27T23:10:00.000-04:00

So...
It is fall 2006 and I am in the depths of Chef Demo Mania!
I am being pushed to the limit but it is what makes being a chef exciting.
There is nothing more rewarding than presenting food and concepts that I believe in to a live audience. I suppose it is comparable to a when a musician performs live in concert. It's not that I don't love being in the "Studio"--er--my restaurant kitchen. Demonstrating is just a different kind of rush. The interaction with the tasters is very challenging. I am literally face to face with critics and fans alike. I think it not only tightens my chops, but it drives me to connect more with my audience.

For the next week or so I am going to journal my live "performances" for fall of 2006—

Friday September 6th.
Hudson Valley Wine Fest Gala Fundraiser for the Cornell Cooperative.
Grieg Farm, Red Hook NY

New World donated a table of Ceviche to pair with Atwater Vineyard's Finger Lakes Riesling. My good bud Katie Marks makes the best Riesling in the Northeast, maybe the best in America. The ceviche was planned to show off the wine while still wowing the crowd.
File this---I love making ceviche! Not only is it one of the most refreshing and clean dishes in the world, but also the fish is so packed with vitamins AND vitality. When the flesh is not exposed to heat more of the Omega 3's are all intact.

Did you know that cooking fish diminishes the Omega 3 fatty acids available to you?

I feel great when I eat ceviche and since I want all of my guests to feel great, I make and eat ceviche quite often!
I make ceviche with all kinds of fish and shellfish, but my favorite is choice is Mahi Mahi. It is meaty but the oils are mild and it “cooks” quickly without over cooking. Once I was in Guatemala and I caught a Mahi Mahi while deep sea fishing for sailfish. We were 150 km out on the Pacific Ocean. There were three other fisherman, two mates and a captain. That Mahi made for a tasty lunch! I made Ceviche right there on the boat---I filleted the fish, chopped it up with a cheap filet knife, washed it with rum (who knew what the sanitation was like in a fishing boat!), squeezed a bunch of limes on it (the limes were for the beers) and tossed it with Pace brand salsa from a jar and local hot sauce. We ate it on Saltines. It was one of the best meals of my life!
At the wine fest, however, I made the ceviche with tilapia, on a tip from an El Salvadorian friend of mine who also cooks professionally. He suggested tilapia because of it’s mild, earthy flavor and also because it was one of the fish of choice for the people of his town. He was right on. The Tilapia was mild enough to cook quickly but it didn’t interfere with the rest of the complex flavors I used to complement the Riesling. I mixed in local mixed bell peppers, lime, orange, a fistful of cilantro, my own tarragon, roasted tomatillo, corn, organic tomatoes and Serrano chiles. I served it on fresh white corn tortillas. The wine on its own was fantastic, but when it was paired with the mild fish, corn, chile, cilantro and citrus flavors it soared.
I love when that happens!
Incidentally, I met a middle aged woman who told me she was Guatemalan. She was so please that I used tilapia for the ceviche and she also said it was the best food at the event. We are all prone to vote for our own.
If you have any ceviche recipes or sagas, let me know.

Cover and label everything,
Ric the Chef

2006-09-22T11:09:00.000-04:00

Hi gang--
Here it is--finally...
the Ric the Chef Blog!
Since I am working on a new book, I figure I may as well get my ass in gear and get writing daily. Writing is a lot like exercise---when you finally get over the hump, you are then over the hump and the rest is routine. And though I hope to never be truly over the hump, I will keep barking to amuse myself, and you, I hope...

You'll find me ranting as usual---
I'll rant about food---
about the politics of food, the medical smokecreen, the FDA ( make your own anagram)
about dinners I've had elswhere,
about the quality of the so called food we are offered daily,
about the lies we are fed about food ( remember--all spinach is BAD, BAD, BAD!)
Do you remember the reoccuring punchline of Boston's comic loud mouth Kevin Meany--
What are you reTAHdit???

Oh yeah---since I am a chef you'll also encouter new recipes, food ideas and concepts as well.

and..
ever want to hear a chef's perspective on war, sports, media and whatever else needs seasoning?

Well gang, here it is. The only way to shut me up is to feed me something too tough to swallow---
Even GWB hasn't been able to accomplish that ---so rest assured, I keep keepin' on!

Anyway...
You can find me Sunday at the NY Garlic Festival in Saugerties, NY (http://www.hvgf.org/)
New World Home Cooking has a vending booth and we pump out our Blackened Stringbeans and Roasted Garlic Mashed Potatoes like nobody's bizniss!

I'll be performing a cooking demonstration on Sunday at NOON sharp on Sunday.
Here is what I am making...

Roasted Garlic Bread Pudding
Created by Ric Orlando, New World Home Cooking
Published in:
"Recipes from America's Small Farms"
by
Joanne Lamb Hayes and Lori Stein
Copyright 2003 Used by permission from Villard Books

24 garlic cloves, unpeeled
Olive oil
Salt and freshly milled black pepper
8 cups 1-inch cubes fresh Italian or French bread
5 large eggs
2 cups milk
2 cups heavy cream 1/2 cup grated Romano cheese
2 tablespoons bourbon or brandy (optional)
1 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme, or a slightly rounded 1/4 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon chopped fresh rosemary, or a slightly rounded 1/4 teaspoon dried
Preheat the oven to 425°F. Snip off and discard the tip from each garlic clove; toss the cloves with 1 tablespoon olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Spread out on a rimmed baking sheet and bake for 20 to 30 minutes, until softened. Let cool to the touch and gently peel.

Meanwhile, generously grease a 13- by 9-inch baking pan or dish with olive oil. Arrange the bread evenly in the pan.

Mash the garlic cloves with a fork in a large bowl. Add the eggs and beat until slightly fluffy. Beat in the milk, cream, cheese, bourbon, if using, thyme, rosemary, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper to taste. Pour the mixture evenly over the bread.

Bake for 40 to 50 minutes, or until the top is golden brown, and serve hot.

The authors suggest this dish be served as a side dish as an alternative to potatoes, rice or pasta.
Anyone who knows me, knows that I am a huge fan of garlic. This may be the most wonderful garlic dish I've ever had.

Don't let the amount of garlic scare you away. It's really quite mild. While the authors describe one method of roasting garlic, you may use any method that suits you. The internet is full of techniques for roasting garlic.

Who's burning the cream?
Ric the Chef 9/2006