Matters of Taste

New Way of Looking at Lattes

You gotta love a society that turns a bunch of hung-over guys into celebrities, just because they’re, well, hung-over.

That’s pretty much the low-down on the Whynatte phenomenon,  which was born when a bunch of guys on vacation decided – Why not? -  to drop an ice-cold shot of Jagermeister into a glass of hot caffe latte and pound it.

The drill is the same as sake bombing (shot glass of sake into a pint glass of beer) or an Irish Car Bomb which, of course, uses Guinness and a shot of Irish whiskey to do the  deed.

The guys behind the craze are regular joes…funny, clever, enterprising. The Web site is entertaining. The “gear” – T-shirts, caps, etc. - is ultra trendy (Hey, if it’s good enough for Andruw Jones to wear, it’s good enough for me.)

The drink, on the other hand, is definitely an acquired taste. Don’t get me wrong. I like a good “bomb” as much as the next thirsty soul. (Though, honestly, I’m more into all the splashing and laughter and camaraderie and not into actually chugging a drink which seems to me to be a waste of good ingredients.)

The idea of belting back a hot latte didn’t hold a lot of appeal to me, especially given the chance of incinerating my mouth if  I wasn’t careful. I’m also not a big fan of Jagermeister, chilled or room temperature, on ice or submerged in coffee.

But I tried it….and admit that the Whynatte tastes pretty good, if you can get past the Jagermeister’s overwhelming licorice presence.

Cool and caffeinated

The new “premium” iced coffees recently introduced by McDonald’s are pretty tasty versions of that perennially popular summer drink. The regular iced coffee has a pleasant, if slightly over-roasted, flavor. The consistency is also pleasant, unlike many of the more viscous coffee drinks on the fast-food market.  It’s refreshing and provides the caffeine jolt sought on long drives.

The drink is made with brewed coffee, light cream, liquid sugar and ice. Vanilla and hazelnut versions, which I found artificial tasting, also include syrup.    
A 24-ounce medium iced coffee contains about 200 calories, 8 grams of fat and a whopping 30 grams of sugar.  Considering that one teaspoon of sugar is about 5 grams, that means the drink has a staggering 6 teaspoons of sugar.

But, I guess it’s all relative on the fast-food highway. Burger King’s Mocha BK Joe Iced Coffee has 380 calories, 10 grams of fat and, hold on to your insulin, 63 grams of sugar.

Starbucks’ Coffee Frappuccino (20 ounces) packs in 57 grams of sugar and 340 calories, but just 4.5 grams of fat. The vanilla version has 82 grams of sugar and 440 calories.
Of course at Starbucks you’re paying about four bucks to achieve this sugar high. McDonald’s new iced coffee is $1.89 for a 24-ounce serving.

Eggs-tra Special

The Easter Bunny forgot to leave me the obligatory basket of foil-wrapped chocolate eggs on Sunday morning. No mind. I found some far more exciting eggs on the breakfast table at a tiny café in Ridgway, Colorado.

At Kate’s Place, in this funky little San Juan Mountains town,  chef Katriona Glidewell (known as Kat) turns out  a dozen impressive egg dishes.  Her Easter morn fritatta was a towering pouf of eggs, flecked with potatoes that were cooked in a corned beef broth, fluffed with ricotta cheese and glossed with béchamel sauce. A fork cut through it like Fat Boy skis gliding through a foot of Champagne powder.

The menu also offered a sensational omelet folded over a lighter-than-air mixture of whole milk ricotta, oven roasted cherry tomatoes and homemade pesto. I asked the chef, who formerly worked at restaurants in nearby Telluride and ran her own  catering company, what her favorite egg dishes were. “Oh, for sure the corned beef hash,” she responded. “I put a lot of work into that and we’ll top it with any kind of eggs you want.” She also cited the menu’s Rocky Mountain High Omelet which marries honey baked ham, white cheddar cheese and roasted green chilies.

Nearly a year old, the café/coffee shop is on Clinton St.,  one of the few roads in the two-mile-square Ridgway (only the main street, Highway 62 is paved). The picturesque, unspoiled town (population 713 at the 2000 census) is a gateway to renowned ski resort Telluride, less than an hour’s drive away. Ouray,  nicknamed “Switzerland of America” for its stunning scenery, is a 30-minute drive in the other direction. Ralph Lauren’s sprawling private ranch, the Double R,  is just five minutes outside Ridgway. The area’s mountain biking and hiking opportunities are boundless. (Photo by Lynn Connaughton.)

Kate’s Place is open for breakfast and lunch every day but Monday.
The phone number is 970-626-9800. A Web site is in the works.

Here’s Chef Kat’s recipe for the Spring Time Fritatta she served at Kate’s Place on Easter morning. The quantities make it ideal for holiday brunch fare – it serves 15. Or you can quarter the recipe and use just 10 eggs.

Spring Time Fritatta
40 eggs
2 cups milk
3 pint baskets of cherry tomatoes
Salt and freshly ground pepper
2 pounds red new potatoes, quartered
5 zucchini, finely diced
2 cups shaved parmesan
4 cups Polly-O Ricotta cheese
4 cups béchamel sauce (recipe below)

Toss tomatoes in a roasting pan with ¼ cup olive oil, 1 tablespoon minced garlic and ¼ teaspoon each salt and freshly ground pepper. Roast in 400-degree oven for 20-30 minutes, until tomatoes are soft and nicely browned.
Cook potatoes in boiling salted water until tender. Drain. (Chef Kat cooks the potatoes in the broth she gets from cooking corned beef. Home cooks can get a similar effect by adding some beef or chicken broth to the potato cooking water.)
Beat together the 40 eggs and 2 cups milk. Set aside.
Put the cooked potatoes, roasted tomatoes and diced zucchini in a large rectangular roasting pan. Pour the egg mixture over the veggies. Dot the top with large tablespoons of ricotta, using all four cups. Sprinkle the shaved parmesan over the top.
Ladle béchamel sauce over the top evenly.
Cook in a 400-degree oven for about 40 minutes, or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

Chef Kat’s Bechamel Sauce
1 pound butter
2 ½ cups flour
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon salt
6 cups milk
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon nutmeg

Melt butter in a large, heavy saucepan. Add flour 1 cup at a time, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Whisk until all flour is added and the mixture is smooth.
Add salt, pepper, garlic and nutmeg.
Reduce heat and cook for 6 to 8 minutes, stirring constantly.
Whisk milk in, 1 cup at a time, until you have a gravy-like consistency. Simmer for 8 to 10 minutes. Thin with additional milk if sauce is too thick.

Mozzarella Madness

Italy’s latest scandal could be subtitled “The Godfather Goes Gourmet.”
According to a story in today’s New York Times, some of the prized mozzarella di bufala from the area around Naples has been found to have elevated levels of the carcinogen dioxin. The contamination, it seems, is coming from huge-scale, illegal dumping and burning of toxic trash. And that toxic trash, it seems, is being dumped by the Camorra, an organized crime group that makes tons of money dumping it. Mob activity in Italy being what it is, no one has sought to stop the dumping, even though local officials are alleged to be in on the non-secret.

Moreover, Reuters reports that the Italian government has already sealed off 83 dairy farms in the region, alleging that one of every five dairies sampled was using tainted milk. South Korea and Japan have announced bans on the import of the cheese.

The Italian Foreign Minister calls the alarm “totally exaggerated and unjustified.”

Not all mozzarella is made from the milk of water buffalos. The cheaper stuff that’s piled on pizzas in the U.S. is made with cow's milk.  Cow’s milk mozzarella comes in “regular” which is made in factories and is firm and rather rubbery; and “fresh” which is packaged in water or whey and has a much softer texture and fresher flavor.

Buffalo mozzarella, which can cost up to twice the price of regular, is prized for its soft, supple texture and sweet, delicate flavor. Most aficionados prefer to eat it by itself, topped with extra virgin olive oil and a sprinkle of salt and cracked pepper.  The popular Caprese salad consists of overlapping slivers of ripe tomato and buffalo mozzarella, sprinkled with a chiffonade of fresh basil leaves.

Given that tomato season is just around the corner, this is clearly no time for a mozzarella crisis. While the Italians figure out the extent of their problem, savvy cheese lovers in the U..S. will look to the fresh burrata, a cousin of mozzarella, being made by Gioia Cheese Co. in South El Monte, CA. The deliriously rich and creamy burrata, a native of Italy’s Puglia region, can best be described as “mozzarella stuffed with mozzarella.” The outside is pure curd; the inside is a chunky mix of unfinished curd and heavy cream. It’s divine.

The cheese, which is so delicate it must be eaten within a day or two or purchase, can be found throughout California at upscale supermarkets and some farmers markets. It’s also available on-line at Frogs Breath Cheese Store.

Irish Whiskey

Fox TV News announced this week that Dublin is the friendliest city in Europe. (Paris is the least friendly, according to the report that had millions of American tourists vigorously nodding their heads in agreement!)

Of course, there are many possible reasons for the friendliness of the Dublin citizenry. There's the Celtic Tiger, for starters, the nickname for the spectacular economic boon that the city has been enjoying. There's also the basic Irish personality with its innate desire to talk to anyone who'll listen.

But since St. Paddy's Day is upon us, I say we give some of the credit to the Irish whiskeys that'll put a smile on your face and a story on your lips whether you're a citizen of Eire or a visitor to its emerald green shores.

I learned to love the stuff on a trip to Ireland last summer. Jameson Irish whiskey, in particular. I took a tour of the Old Jameson Distillery in Dublin, a tour that included an extensive tasting of Irish, Scottish and American whiskeys.
                                                                                          
I learned that Jameson (pronounced jam-e-son, not jame-e-son, by those in the know) is the #1-selling Irish whiskey in the world. That the potion of fermented grain and water matures for a minimum of three years in casks that formerly housed sherry, port or bourbon. And that NO one calls the magical mingling of Guinness with a shot of Jameson and Bailey's Irish Cream an Irish Car Bomb anymore.

I also discovered the Irish whiskey cocktail preferred by young, hip and affluent Dubliners. (Come to think of it, I saw plenty of old geezers drinking it in the pubs, too.) It's Jameson and cranberry juice and it seems to have stolen the spotlight from Jameson and ginger ale. (Of course, no self-respecting Irishman is going to refuse a whiskey straight-up or on the rocks either.)

There are several Irish whiskeys on the American market, including Bushmills and Powers, which I also sampled in the line of duty. But I was smitten by the mellow, toasted wood and slightly nutty flavors and the lovely smoothness of Jameson which is  widely available in 12- and 18- years-old formulas.

You can visit the Jameson Web site to learn how the whiskey is made, as well as how to make a modern, foofy cocktail called a Macree. That's the phonetic spelling of the Irish words Mo Chrol, which I'm told translate to "my heart."  The cocktail involves Chambord, cranberry juice, raspberry juice, lemon juice, a few real raspberries and a shot of Jameson.

Now if that won't make you friendly, what will?

Salad Days

Moab, Utah is a stuck-in-the-sixties kinda town, in the middle of the boonies, with only about 7,000 residents. Nonetheless, the local supermarket (City Market) constantly amazes me with its vast selection of  sophisticated foodstuffs. (I'm guessing that one reason for the impressive selection is the demand from the hordes of European travelers that visit this place, home of Arches National Park.)

This week at City Market I discovered a brand of boxed salad greens that knocked my socks off. Epic Roots' Mache Mix Salade Europeen is a blend of mache, radicchio and frisee. There's a hint of nutty flavor, a hint of spice. But it's the salad's texture that is extraordinary. Crispy, lacy, tongue-tickling...every piece tastes like it was just snatched from a garden and rinsed with ice water.

The company also recently introduced two new varieties: Salade Verte, which is said to be sweet and spicy; and Red Romance, which features four different lettuces in shades of red. (The market in Moab is not sophisticated to have just-released items in stock.)

For best results, toss the greens with a light vinaigrette. Heavy mayo-and sour cream-based dressings will cover up the tantalizing textures. Other recipes are available on the Epic Roots Web site.

You can also dress up the salad with a bit of  Mt. Vikos Fetiri cheese. This new addition to the popular Mt. Vikos line is firm and creamy, with a pleasing tang. The sheep-goats milk cheese, imported from Greece,  comes in two flavors: Greek Herbs, which is a winning combo of wild oregano and sweet mint; and Cracked Pepper, which features black, green and red peppercorns.

It's available in many supermarkets and also at Igourmet.com and 1800gourmet.com.

New in the Marketplace

All vinegars are not created equal. One sip of Katz Late Harvest Zinfandel Vinegar and you know you’re in for a special vinaigrette, a memorable braised pork dinner or some mighty delicious roasted cauliflower drizzled with this stuff.                                                             

Made from zinfandel grapes that have been given time to develop their sugars, the fermented juice is aged in oak barrels. It’s a terrific balance of sweet and tangy, with no “bite” and plenty of rich jammy flavor. It costs about $11 for a 12-ounce bottle; a three-pack also includes Gravenstein Apple Cider Vinegar and Late Harvest Sauvignon Blanc Vinegar. Available at Katz and Company and Amazon.com.

A well-made root-beer float is the stuff of summertime bliss.
It’s a pretty easy concept. A bottle of root beer and a plop of vanilla ice cream.
But, in their zeal to make it all even easier, the folks at venerable A&W have come up with an icky dud.
The colorful A&W Float bottle says it all: “A Creamy Blend of Rich A&W and Ice Cream Flavor. Yum.
                     

I’ll give them credit for creating a hint of the milkiness that results when ice cream starts to melt into a soft drink. But the flavor is phony;  the sugar level is off the charts; the slightly viscous texture (pectin included) is off-putting; and the promised “frothy head” is non-existent.
The company is introducing an orange float, too. Made with Sunkist orange soda and “ice cream flavor,” it’s also a thin, wimpy imposter.

You can always count on The King’s Cupboard for a rich, chocolatey exclamation point on dinner. The latest triumph, unveiled at the recent Fancy Food Show, is the one-minute mousse. Well, not exactly. But pretty darn close.

 

Just combine the Mousse Mix and ¼ cup of heavy cream, microwave for a minute, let cool and fold it into the remaining ¾ cup of whipping cream which has been whipped to stiff peaks.  It’s smooth, silky and delicious.  Three flavors are available: Dark Chocolate, Milk Chocolate and White Chocolate Cappuccino. A package to make four servings costs about $5 at specialty stores and The King’s Cupboard Web site.

Beyond Regular Rice

Let’s face it, brown rice needs a good P.R. person. The plump, pale brown grain is often shunned by folks who think its flavor is bland and its texture is loose and water-logged.
Even the baby-boomers who bought 100% into the "Moosewood Cookbook" and "New York Times Natural Foods Cookbook" craze of the early ‘70s have largely reverted to the white stuff that is de rigueur in most of the world’s cuisines.

Until now, that is.  The wildly popular book “You On A Diet” has made millions of people (including this one) sit up and listen once again to the virtues of whole grains:
---Valuable source of nutrients including fiber, trace minerals and certain vitamins.
---Helpful in reducing the risk of heart disease, certain types of cancer and Type 2 diabetes.
---And, in the words of authors Michael F. Roizen, M.D. and Mehmet C. Oz, M.D., a critical asset in “waist management.”

Home cooks who want to follow this advice have some help at hand. RiceSelect, one of the first companies to successfully cultivate basmati rice in the U.S., has introduced a product line of whole grain rice blends that are highly fragrant, satisfying, versatile and delicious. The company’s Royal Blend line includes one mix of Texmati brown and red rice with pearled barley and rye berries, and another mix of Texmati brown and wild rice with soft wheat and rye berries. Other blends include lentils, red beans and the like.                                                                                                    

All produce a hearty rice dish with great eye appeal and terrific texture. All come in sturdy, easy-to-use plastic jars with screw caps to keep the rice dry and free of pests. A 32-ounce jar costs about $7. It’s showing up, slowly, in upscale supermarkets. It’s also available at Amazon.com (where "You On a Diet" is also available) and on the RiceSelect Web site.

That Web site also includes recipes. I found the following “cheese spread” very interesting. It’s best with one of the Whole Grain Royal Blends, regular cheese (not reduced fat) and regular mayonnaise.

RICE 'N' CHEESE SPREAD

1 cup cooked Texmati® Rice
1/2 lb. grated Cheddar Cheese (low fat may be substituted)
1-2 tablespoons minced onion
3 tablespoons minced green pepper
3 pimiento stuffed olives, chopped
3 tablespoons sweet pickle relish
1 tablespoon chopped pimiento
1 hard cooked egg, chopped
1/2 cup finely crushed saltine crackers
1/4 cup low-fat mayonnaise
1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

Combine first 7 ingredients. Add remaining ingredients, mixing well. Shape into a log or pack in a crock. Serve with assorted crackers and/or vegetables.

Great Balls of Booze

The science-lab machinations of chefs such as Ferran Adria of Spain and Grant Achatz of Chicago might not be for everyone. But I can’t imagine anyone turning up his or her nose at the new creation from global wine and spirits corporation Remy Cointreau.

According to a recent article in The New York Times, “Cointreau caviar” is a mass of tiny edible balls filled with the orange-flavored liqueur. The precious baubles, which will burst with Cointreau at a touch of the tongue, are destined to float in the Cosmos and champagne flutes of the country’s most trendy restaurants.

The caviar is made through spherification, a process that involves a magnetic agitator, a magnet extractor, syringes and powdered chemicals.  Remy Cointreau will make the kits available, at first, to 20 high-profile New York bars.

Fast Food Flops

Do the fast-food giants really think we’re going to flip over the same-old, same-old burrito just because it has some grill marks on it? Do they really think that a small splash of brown coloring on a large white flour tortilla qualifies as a “texture” upgrade?
Apparently.
The “grilled” burrito is the nosh of the moment at such eateries as El Pollo Loco, La Salsa and KFC .

I admit that La Salsa’s Overstuffed Grilled Burrito does taste great. Tender grilled chicken, melted habanero jack cheese, salsa and guacamole are carefully tucked into a soft, warm tortilla. Like virtually all of La Salsa;s offerings, it’s fresh tasting and delicious. However, the schmear of “grill” marking, which covers only about ¼ of the burrito, is totally superfluous. You can tell that even the cook doesn’t quite buy into this novelty, tossing the tortilla package on the griddle for a couple seconds just so he can say he did it. It’s about $6.

A similarly random blotch of “grill” marks distinguishes the Queso Crunch Burrito at El Pollo Loco. I’m a big fan of this chain but I found this item to have a bland, starchy taste. Yes, the chicken is good. The jack cheese and poblano queso are properly melted. And the crispy mini-strips of multi-colored tortilla is a nice touch. But the overall package tastes like it’s stuffed with mashed potatoes (which it is not). And again, the ever-so-slightly-grilled tortilla wrap is much ado about nothing. It’s about $6.

Then there’s KFC. Gotta love those folks who keep trying to polish a meatball….or rather, a hunk o’ deep-fried, odd-textured chicken. The new Toasted Wrap is billed as 100 % chicken breast, melted three-cheese blend, lettuce and pepper mayonnaise sauce. In reality, it’s a pathetic little flour tortilla, barely warm, with (what else?) one hunk o’ deep-fried, odd-textured chicken, limp scraps of lettuce, a few wisps of cheese (not melted even a teensy bit) and a mayo sauce flecked with pepper that tastes cheap (not freshly ground or cracked) and has a nasty bite. It’s about $1.30.