I bet that got your attention…but this is definitely a time to read more…

I was invited by Dana Berry, the Director of Public Relations for the Four Seasons Hotel Denver to attend a special lunch in their Edge Restaurant with others in the Denver area that blog about food and are active on Twitter. A Tweetup. An opportunity to get to know an establishment and tweet about it.

Inherent in that invitation I knew two things. The Four Seasons is a well known luxury hotel that had just recently opened in Denver and tweeting about our experience during the event would be a part of the mix. I’m not a restaurant critic (and even if I were, I would be more prone to look for the good; critics seem so…well, critical!) I’m a home cook who loves to prepare foods for my family and friends and share the end results of those efforts with readers through this blog. While this might appear to be a step outside of my normal comfort zone, I’ve done this before when I’ve enjoyed a food experience; I’ve just never been asked to come to a meal for that purpose. Wine yes, food no.

So can I be honest here…can I tell you the truth when my hosts were so gracious and generous? I hope so! I think if I suffer from a particular personality flaw, it’s that I tend to not filter my ‘honest’ thoughts enough, so rest assured that this post is in line with that reputation.

The first thing I noticed; before even meeting Dana was the lack of a pretentious aura upon arrival. I drove my 16 year old Ford Explorer up to valet parking and not one person smirked (frugal all across the board is me!). The two young women who were standing at the host station next to the main dining area were both friendly and knew to expect us, which was nice.

I was escorted to the restaurant’s private dining room where I met Dana. Friendly and outgoing, she made me feel instantly comfortable and my friends and children will be amazed to hear that I was the first there. Yes, it’s true. This was a fabulous room. Small enough to feel intimate but open to both the restaurant on one side and the ‘Oh my I’m in Heaven’ kitchen on the other through a soundproof glass wall. All the action without all the noise.

While waiting for the others to arrive, I ordered a pear iced tea which was served with a simple syrup for sweetening. I especially loved that the ice cubes were frozen pear; the drink got better as the ‘ice’ melted! The waiter who kept the glasses and ice cubes filled was extremely pleasant. Life is good.

The Business Quickie

We were soon joined by Anne Marie Nichols and Jim Guttau, bread was put on the table and our lunches were served in short order. We were all presented with a lunchtime ‘Business Quickie’ (I know…cute huh?). Four small portions of lunch time offerings on the same plate. It was reminiscent of a Bento Box. A beautifully presented and upscale Bento Box. The plate included:

Summer Halibut Ceviche I promised honesty so will probably embarrass myself when I admit that I had never had ceviche. I will never forget someone I knew preparing it many, many years ago and it just never seemed right…that somehow raw fish could be transformed through the use of acid. I’ve since been educated and while understanding the science it was just never something I was interested in trying. That was a mistake. This was perfect. The halibut was fresh and tender with a slight citrus tang from the dressing but not unbearably tart. It was cool and refreshing and the perfect start to my meal.

Sesame Chicken Salad with Peanut Dressing and Crisp Wontons What I noticed was how perfectly cooked the chicken was in this dish. I’m fond of using chicken breast meat in dishes but know that it takes the perfect touch to get this meat cooked correctly as it can go from done to overdone in a heartbeat. The meat was tender, the dressing flavorful and the wontons were the perfect crunch for this salad.

Heirloom Tomato & Mozzarella Salad with Torn Basil, Olive Oil and Aged Balsamic Vinegar I knew this would be a favorite from the moment I saw it appear; this is so reminiscent of the appetizers I love to prepare for guests to my home. Simple yet outstanding ingredients melded into one fabulous dish. The heirloom tomatoes are so beautiful and flavorful but it was the buffalo mozzarella that was the star of this dish for me. So smooth and creamy, if it weren’t mozzarella I would almost say it was ‘like buttah!’

Petit Steak Frites with House Cut Fries and Peppercorn Sauce I don’t eat a lot of steak so there is nothing I appreciate more than one that is prepared to this level of satisfaction. A New York Strip Steak that was perfectly rare and beyond perfectly tender; it seemed to melt in my mouth. Served with a fabulous peppercorn sauce and house cut fries with thin cut onion ring slices for garnish; this was my favorite, my ‘save the best for last’ dish. Loved.

They were not done. They decided to grace our table with a special dessert assortment; a duo of  small bites. Organic Chamomile Panna Cotta with Lemon Oat Crumble and Sweet Roasted Apricots in a small square shot-glass alongside an adorable mini Meyer Lemon Tart with Candied Kumpqats on top of Passion Fruit Gelee. I did not get a photo…I meant to; I really did. But I failed…I think I was so taken in by the adorable little desserts I simply forgot. By this point I was in that place of higher expectations and everything was on point; the size, the presentation and the outstanding flavors.

During the meal we had met both the Executive Chef and the Pastry Chef and afterwards we were escorted into the kitchen. I apologize for this terrible photo…it most certainly must have been the result of elevated endorphins that had me think this blurry picture looked fine. But these two adorable gentlemen are Christopher Jordan, Pastry Chef on the left and on the right, Simon Purvis, the Executive Chef. Chef Purvis hails from Portsmouth, England and could teach Gordon Ramsey a thing or two about grace. Both chefs were gracious and friendly and it was very special to be allowed into their domain. I would love to come back again in the heat of dinner prep and have that same birds-eye view from the private dining area; it would be a sight to behold I’m sure.

I will be the first to admit that I don’t often travel into downtown Denver for lunch. Where to go is one thing but where to park is my single biggest obstacle. With easy valet parking, I will most certainly make this a lunch destination. And you should too. I was dumbfounded to learn that the four selection Business Quickie was $18; an excellent value for such an outstanding lunch. The courses for the Business Quickie are set by the Chef and listed on the lunch menu and we did have some special treatment. However, I’m anxious to come back and enjoy it again with the Kobe Beef Slider!

As if we hadn’t been spoiled enough…Chef Jordan made us a take home package. A ‘Death by Chocolate’ cupcake. Words can not describe it so I won’t try. Here it is. Note the EDIBLE Twitter icons…I mean these guys know how to do it right!

Just a few things to note if you’re local to Denver. If you’re on Twitter, follow the Four Seasons Denver at @FSDenver. If you’re a Foursquare user, the first time you visit the Edge or if you’re the Mayor on Foursquare, login via Foursquare and your first cocktail is free (I may be rethinking Foursquare!). Dana shared some fun things they do for families so although a luxury hotel, it is very family centric so if you have out of town guests coming and want them to stay someplace very special; this is perfect. Spa, pool…the works. If I didn’t live in Denver I would go stay there. In fact, I’ve asked if I could live there.

This might redefine the notion of a ‘Business Quickie’ but I think it’s even better. There is no guilt…well maybe other than the fact that I had that cupcake for a snack later in the day after that fabulous lunch. Really…who can blame me?

Though invited by the management of ‘The Edge’ to visit them for lunch, I paid special attention to the details of our visit so that this review would be an honest one. I know that the staff certainly catered to making this a special experience but this is a high caliber restaurant and I would expect the same level of service if a paying customer.

Well, after quite a journey, that’s how! Believe it or not, it all started with my contribution to the Peko Peko Charity Cookbook. I was asked to contribute a dish, something simple that most of us could actually make for our families and I had recently seen something I thought perfect; some Sweet Potato French Fries that were seasoned with Furikake. FuriWhatkee was my first thought. But my friend Rachael, the infamous LaFujimama said I could find some at an Asian market. I was on Google within moments and discovered an H Mart was within 15 minutes of my home and I was on my way!

Fast forward 2 months. In the interim I’ve been to the H Mart a couple of times. A second time with my friend Karen of Eat, Drink, Washup where I discovered that the pork belly I had looked EVERYWHERE for in order to make Maple Bourbon Bacon was readily available and in a variety of cuts! Then again last weekend after a meeting of Front Range Food Bloggers at my home. Karen is a part of the group and was supposed to get home to help her husband and son paint their deck. But say the magic words ‘H Mart’  and those plans were quickly waylaid. We pulled the arm of Andrea (ever so slightly I might add) with Fork Fingers Chopsticks and were soon off. Yes, we bought more pork belly and other assorted goodies and then, as we were leaving, Karen wondered if we wanted to also visit the Arash International Market directly across the street. Of course we did!

What a find! Spices galore only previously located at specialty spice stores. Sumac which I have previously only used for a favorite olive oil dipping sauce, Pomegranate Molasses which I had only seen before at a local spice shop at a ridiculously high price, some fabulous pita bread recommended by Karen and some Tahini, which is basically ground sesame seeds and a necessary part of hummus which I wanted to try making.

Beyond the fresh plums and the dried fruit mix I also bought, I mostly did a lot of meandering around to check things out. So many wonderful new things to try that I knew would help to expand my repertoire of dishes I had previously avoided, assuming they would simply take too much time in the search for their unique ingredients.  I was excited; this was a mere 10 minutes from my home!! One of the things I had noticed in the butcher case was goat, available either as whole goat legs or cut in cubes for stew meat (or I am now thinking, kabobs?!!). I had never seen goat offered anywhere, never, ever, so although I did not buy any, it made an impression.

It was fortuitous that a day or two later, I saw the blogger behind Kayln’s Kitchen tout a blog she had found and loved called Taste of Beirut. I went to check it out and lo and behold, the first dish I saw required in addition to ground beef  – pomegranate molasses, tahini, sumac and pita bread. Didn’t it seem that fate was calling me to make this dish?

So I did! I have to admit…grinding up ground beef in my processor to make a paste…that alone was unique. I imagined that 7 spice was simply Chinese 5 spice with a couple more spices (wrong!). And I didn’t have yogurt cheese but had some queso cheese that Andrea had left behind from our blogger meeting. Why not? Mild and firm, I imagined it would be fine. And it was. Simple, yes. Delicious? That too. So delicious that I’m having it again this week when I’ve got some friends dropping by. Wish me luck…this time it’s going on the grill!

What’s with the Goat Tripping?

I’m going to share the recipe for Sfeeha on Pita, I promise but first; what does this all have to do with goat? Well, I mentioned on Twitter a couple of days later about my trip to the market and that I had seen goat meat for the first time. Who should be the first person to tweet back and tell me goat meat is delicious? Well, my friend Rachael; her of all things Japanese so that was unexpected. And then someone else got in on how good it was. And someone else and before days end, Rachael and I decided to do a ‘Goat Challenge’ which we’re calling ‘Goaterie’ – a name coined by a group of goat enthusiasts on Twitter; a play on the word ‘coterie.’ We are challenging anyone who wants to join us to try something from the goat. For me it will be to cook goat meat for the first time. For others, it might mean a dish which incorporates goat cheese or goat milk.

In the July 2011 issue of Bon Appetit magazine, the subject of goat is brought up in a question sent in by a reader and the answer includes a mention of a book just published in April, called Goat: Meat, Milk, Cheese by Bruce Weinstein and Mark Scarbrough and says that “If in five years we’re all eating goat burgers and goat chili, it’ll be because of this book.” Jacqueline Church (@LDGourmet) has some interesting information in an article she did for Nourish Network about Old World meats including goat. It’s a very sustainable meat that is eaten by over 60% of the world’s population. Not as widely available as other red meats, goat meat is becoming more and more well known. Let’s further that cause. Join Us!

We’ll be hosting two Twitter Chats where we can discuss and learn from each other and our knowledgeable panelists, including Mark Scarbrough, Jacqueline Church and Rachel Riggs, the proprietor of TheFromagette.

The first chat will be on Wednesday, July 13th, 2011 at 9pm EST.  We’ll be learning about various aspects of the goat farming industry, tips and tricks for cooking with goat products, helping inspire you to think of ways to cook with goat, etc!

The second chat will be on Monday, August 1st, 2011 at 9pm EST.  We’ll be sharing our experiences, talking about the things we’ve learned, etc.

Make sure you follow the hashtag #goaterie for both events and throughout the month for ongoing goat discussion.

So really, goat tripping? Well, I’ve discovered in this new quest that a herd of goats is called a ‘Trip’ so look for Rachael and I to find multiple ways to promote this event by totally mangling a combination of goat and trip as often as possible!

We’ve lined up some great prizes that we’ll award to winners picked at random.org on August 2, 2011. Our thanks to:

• Cypress Grove Chevre who will provide a goat cheese gift.
• ManPans who have generously contributed a 10″ Saute Pan.
• Two prizes for two different participants, the books HAM: An Obsession with the Hindquarter and GOAT: Meat, Milk, Cheese, from one of our resident experts, Mark Scarbrough, and his publisher.
• Meyenberg Goat Milk Products will donate a sampler of gourmet specialty products that include European Style Goat Butter, Valley Goat Cheddar, “Beyond Traditional” Creme de Chevre and Galic & Chive Creme de Chevre.

To participate, you need to do a couple of things:

1. We would LOVE it if you would include the ‘Goaterie’ badge on your site with a link to this post in hopes that we can get more folks involved. Love it but not required!
2. Publish your post(s) throughout the month of July; all posts using goat qualify; meat, cheese and milk. Multiple posts equate to multiple entries for prizes.
3. After you post each dish, add your link to the InLinkz Tool at the end of this post; include the name of the dish and in the field for a URL; be sure to include the permalink address to your post, not just a link to the home page of your blog. You only need to include it on one of our blogs, it will display on both this one and Rachael’s.
4. It’s most important that you remember to include your post in the InLinkz Tool. Not only does that give everyone a chance to see what others are making, but it will let us know who has participated in the challenge (we need that to award prizes).
5. The contest links close midnight Eastern time, 8/1/11. We’ll select prize winners on 8/2/11 using random.org.
6. Anyone can participate but prizes are limited to US residents only.

It’s all about the goat. Meat, cheese or milk. We’re tripping!

And finally, as promised…THE recipe!

Adapted from A Taste of Beirut – and not very much I might add…this was new territory and I’m not going to stray too far off course until I get a better feel for how much leeway I have!

I love flank steak. There I’ve said it. Again. Maybe for some it wouldn’t seem a match for that magnificent rib eye I recently had but I just love how the ‘need’ to marinate it also means that the flavor can be so manipulated (in a good way) by the cook depending on your tastes. Want to serve it from the grill American style? This version is terrific. Mexican? Add some heat to that same version and you’re good to go. Want something really impressive for guests? This Bisteca ala Panzano’s, layered with pesto and mashed potatoes is amazing.

I know there are proponents of a more Asian flair which is not my typical bent but when I saw this recipe at Steamy Kitchen it was one of those moments I had of knowing I had to…oranges in the colander and flank steak in the fridge and I was ready. But then life got in the way and several days later, the oranges are gone except the one that has seen better days but my hankering was not. What to do? How about grapefruit instead of orange juice? Really, why not?

I used Jaden’s recipe for inspiration and then went a bit off course with olive oil and garlic and a bit of honey to offset the more tart grapefruit. The result? Mad Love. The acidity of the grapefruit and the overnight marinating made this piece of meat so tender and the combination of ingredients were subtle but amazing. I do think I could mix almost any variety of spices, add some olive oil and garlic, sometimes wine and a vinegar or juice for a bit of acid and be happy. Meat marinades really allow our own creativity to reign so go for it. They serve as both a flavor enhancer and a tenderizer and are perfect for cuts like flank or skirt steak that would be tough without some help.

It’s time for some adult play when we can mix and match combinations of ingredients for a result that is all our own. Some examples of the ingredients I might use include:

• Olive oil or vegetable oil
• Red or white wine
• Red, champagne or balsamic vinegar
• Honey or brown sugar
• Garlic, finely chopped
• Green onions or shallots, finely chopped
• Ginger, grated
• Fresh or dried herbs (rosemary, basil, thyme and tarragon are my favorites because I have then in my garden)
• Fresh squeezed or bottled juices (lemon, lime, orange and now grapefruit)
• Worcestershire sauce
• Soy sauce
• Mustard, plain or coarse

This is just a start…I would love to hear what your favorite marinade combination is; leave a link in your comments if you have a favorite recipe!

Grapefruit Juice, Ginger and Honey Flank Steak

 

Summary: An Asian influenced citrus marinade for grilled flank steak

Prep Time: 20 minutes (not including time for marinating)
Cooking Time:10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 2 Tbsp good olive oil
• 1/2 grapefruit, juiced (1/4 cup juice)
• 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
• 1 teaspoon ground coriander
• sea salt (I used 1 tsp sea salt)
• freshly ground black pepper
• 2 pounds flank steak

Preparation

1. Mix marinade ingredients together.
2. Lightly score flank steak both horizontally and vertically on both sides.
3. Add meat to marinade and make sure both sides have been covered in marinade. Refrigerate 4 hours or overnight.
   
4. Grill meat for 5 minutes per side. Flank steak is not meant to be cooked until well done; doing so will see it become dry and tough so I recommend medium rare as the best choice but no more than medium for best results.
5. Cuts like flank steak require that you slice against the grain; holding your knife at an angle to produce nice slices of meat. Here’s a great simple video of this procedure.

NOTES: I love my Food Saver and if pushed for time will use the marinating dish and Food Saver attachment to shorten marinating time to 1-2 hours. Works great.

This past year has had it’s share of ‘moments that suck’ I won’t deny. I realize I never set foot in my garden all last year so am excited about how far I’ve come. There will be gardening this year and…hey, the cane makes it easier to corral my dog!  Luckily there have also been many rewards. I’ve made a lot of friends and clients in the blogging world, on Twitter and in the local blogging group I’ve helped form. Those relationships are special and mean a lot to me; they are the cake. The icing on that cake has been the rare moment of actually, um, shoot…what word do you use when you refuse to say a word that has been made way too famous by a person you think is a loser…gee Charlie, you are ruining our vocabulary!

Still, ‘win’ I did from contests held by blogging friends and they  were bright moments that I needed. A beautiful Laguiole carving set from Elle at Elles New England Kitchen, some amazing chocolates from Ken at Hungry Rabbit NYC, a box of delivered organic veggies from Toni at Boulder Locavore and just recently, the most fabulous olive oil from Lael and Giuliano Hazan (which can be purchased online at Cybercucina, a great online Mediterranean gourmet food shop).

I use olive oil a lot but admit (please don’t stone me Lael) that my source is Costco’s Kirkland brand. I have a bottle of Organic Extra Virgin, First Cold Pressed from there and the bottle indicates it’s packaged in Italy with oils from Italy and Spain. Sounds fine and really, it is. But I was excited beyond belief to have won a case of 6 bottles of the Hazan’s olive oil. Listen to this label information:

A Giuliano Hazan Marilisa Allegrini Selection
Extra Virgin Olive Oil from Apulia; produced exclusively with Ogliarola olives from Bitonto. From their blog Lael writes:

“Giuliano and I are often asked, “How do you choose an olive oil”?  Which ones do you like best?  What does “extra” mean?  How can you be a very virgin?  Extra virgin refers to olive oil that has no more than aa 0.8% acidity level and comes from the first cold pressing of the olives. Giuliano and I import our own line of extra virgin olive oil from Apulia, where the spur and heel of Italy’s boot is.  It is made from 100% Ogliarola olives, Apulia’s most prized varietal.”

I mean I’m not sure I could come closer to the real deal unless I had red hair piled on my head and was walking on the olives in my bare feet! (If you don’t know who I’m talking about, ask @thepioneerwoman; she is the trivia queen!)

I did do both a taste test and a color test to see the difference. The color of the oils were very similar but the taste? Let’s just say that I’m hiding my cache; I thought of giving a bottle to each of my girls but I’ve been rethinking that decision – see the Costco stuff…go ahead, take that kids! So rich…so olivey (again, my own words sometimes), so oh very good!

I love the bottle too; the label is beautiful with an embossed gold logo. I have a thing about bottles; wine and otherwise. I have wine bottles throughout my living space interspersed with olive oil bottles and I imagine my home an Italian villa (a very small one in a Denver suburb, but still..). I do not buy the fact that I’m Swiss, German, English and Irish. I just know someone stole away one night to Italy, had a tryst and my heritage surely includes a touch of Italian. My excitement at this prize could hardly be contained and I wanted to make something that would really make the olive oil shine and not hide it in a big dish with a bunch of big flavors.

So I went to the source. I asked my new best friend Lael, (@educatedpalate) who conferred with her husband Giuliano (aren’t I special?) and they suggested this dish. So simple. So amazing. So utterly Italian. So me.

The Hazan’s are synonymous with Italian food and I personally can not think of anything I could wish for more than time spent at their summer villa where they offer a spectacular week long culinary experience set in the incomparable Renaissance Villa Giona. It is a full immersion into Italian food, wine and life that is a hands-on adventure not to be missed by culinary enthusiasts.

Cooking with Giuliano Hazan at Villa Giona was named one of the ten best cooking schools in Italy by Food and Wine magazine.  It has been featured on the Food Network, Newsweek magazine, Departures Magazine, MSNBC, Gourmet; and other media.  Most importantly, the students have all given them rave reviews. Who wants to go with me? :)

I admit the beef industry would be in trouble if I were the norm. I love chicken and seafood and limit my red meat intake to the occasional flank steak or burger. That was then, this is now! Oh My Ribeye! Tender and juicy and simply enhanced. After grilling it outside, it’s quickly immersed in an olive oil, sea salt, garlic and parsley saute. It was heavenly. I love preparing it like this too; the slices of meat are more appealing to my palate and my budget! I served mine with just a salad. I love salads with good tomatoes but that tomato qualification would see me rarely eat one at all since good only happens for a brief moment in the summer so I used strawberries and pecans and dressed it as simply as the meat. One part red wine vinegar to three parts olive oil plus a splash of balsamic and a touch of sea salt; a bit of Parmesan grated on top. Perfect accompaniment to the perfect steak dish. And yes there was wine; St. Supery Cabernet Sauvignon to be exact.

Thank you Lael, thank you Giuliano, thank you Marcella, thank you all Hazan’s, and hey, just a thought…maybe we’re family?!!

Tagliata (cut) Ribeye Steak with Garlic and Parsley
Serves 4 people
 

Summary: Grilled Ribeye is finished in olive oil with sauteed garlic and parsley.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cooking Time: 15 minutes
Total time: 25 minutes

Ingredients

• 1 -2 medium garlic cloves
• 4 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
• 5-6 springs flat leaf Italian parsley
• 2 boneless rib-eye steaks, cut about 1 1/4 inches thick (about 2 ½ pounds total weight)
• Sea salt
• Freshly ground black pepper

Preparation

1. Preheat a charcoal or gas grill.
2. Peel and finely chop the garlic. Finely chop enough parsley leaves to measure about 2 tablespoons.
3. Generously sprinkle sea salt and black pepper on both sides of the steaks. Grill for about 5 minutes on each side for rare steak, bearing in mind that after it is sliced, the meat will be briefly exposed to heat in the skillet.
4. Put the garlic, parsley and olive oil in a large skillet. Place over medium high heat and sauté until the garlic begins to sizzle, then lower the heat to low. While the garlic and parsley are sautéing, transfer the steaks to a cutting board and cut on a bias into 1/4” slices. After you have turned the heat under the skillet down to low, add the sliced steak and toss until it is well coated. Serve at once.

I’ve followed Charcutepalooza since it’s inception. As a matter of fact my company, Kinetic Webs, is a sponsor, assisting Cathy (MrsWheelbarrow.com) and Kim (The Yummy Mummy) with all things web related. As a sponsor I can’t participate in the quest for prizes but thought I might try the occasional challenge. What is Charcutepalooza you say? It’s a bunch of crazy (good crazy) people who have decided to participate in a year long journey of preparing their own charcuterie and you can follow them on Twitter using the #Charcutepalooza hashtag.

Charcuterie is a culinary specialty that originally referred to the creation of pork products such as salami, sausages, and prosciutto. It is true food craftsmanship, the art of turning preserved food into items of beauty and taste. Today the term encompasses a vast range of preparations, most of which involve salting, cooking, smoking, and drying. In addition to providing classic recipes for sausages, terrines, and patés, Michael Ruhlman and Brian Polcyn have expanded the definition to include anything preserved or prepared ahead such as Mediterranean olive and vegetable rillettes, duck confit, pickles and sauerkraut. The group as a whole is trekking through this journey using Michael’s book, ‘Charcuterie: The Craft of Salting, Smoking and Curing.’  I don’t have the book yet so I was lucky to find that Michael has the process on his website so I’ve jumped in with this challenge and that book order has been made. The effort was easy and the results so worth it!

Photo by Donna – www.ruhlman.com

See that beautiful brining liquid…that is the secret. Though I’ve always enjoyed corned beef; seasoning the brine yourself gives you some control over the magic and the outcome is nothing less than amazing compared to what you know. I’ve taken the liberty of using a photo of the brine taken by Michael’s wife Donna. I only wish my nails were so nicely groomed! I’ve been a fan of Michael’s for a long time though in the spirit of full disclosure I must admit part of that was simply because he was the cute guy on Iron Chef! But I’m open to seeing beyond that pretty face and love his blog, the conversations that ensue and am enjoying, with his assistance along with the rest of the Charcutepaloozans, this venture into something I would have never once considered doing before. Next week? Hold on kids…I’m making bacon!

I made the corned beef knowing I would be making Reuben sandwiches. After making the corned beef, Russian dressing and the side dish of coleslaw I was assembling the ingredients and grilling this sandwich that was almost a week in the making. I wondered if any sandwich could be worth the time and the mess in my kitchen. I decided to take a break and watch TV for a bit and enjoy my lunch. Did you hear the noise I made? I mean I know I made a literal noise, not a grunt, not a yum, maybe a bit of a moan and I know anyone listening would have recognized it as the sound of absolute nirvana. ABSOLUTELY worth it!

Though I pride myself on always mixing it up a bit when I cook from a recipe, this is verbatim; why mess with success (or the complete unknown)? So I followed Michael’s recipe and directions to the letter…and was lucky to have a Twitter friend @nickelmoon (Sharon to earthlings) even send me some pink salt to use.

I must note…I bought a lot of new spices for the pickling spice mixture because I had ground spices and not seeds. I did not note until later that they were all ground together. So substitute in your ground spices and don’t make the same mistake I did!

A classic dish that is in no way trendy but just perfect for today; so soul satisfying and delicious…but trust me, this is not your mother’s beef stew!

I’ve always loved Julia Child. Watching her on PBS was my first ‘Julia’ experience, cooking from ‘Mastering the Art of French Cooking’ brought us closer together and though I know she was not pleased with a blogger using her masterpiece to garner attention; I hope she knows this ode is an acknowledgment of all that I love about her. Her joie de vivre, her amazing talent, her food and yes…her height, something else we share!

I had never made Julia’s Beef Bourguignon, I admit. Maybe because I just presumed it would be another beef stew similar to the mainstay of our childhood. Though my Mom was a very good cook, it had never been  a dish I felt particularly keen to prepare. Then I paid attention to the ingredients; red wine (uh, OK!), bacon, sauteed fresh mushrooms  and braised pearl onions? This was most definitely not what I expected and I knew this would be the perfect dish to prepare on my birthday when I had already decided to take the day off to cook. With Julia. Not for a birthday party per se though I did have friends coming for dinner but just because I love giving myself a day to cook. I love the process as much as the results and had some willing participants to enjoy those results and so it was. Happy Birthday! To me.

This is not a difficult dish but it does take some time so get some good red wine to drink and use for the Beef Bourguignon and have a day of it like I did; you won’t regret it! I kept one of Julia’s DVD’s on so really it was her and I cooking in my kitchen, the whole day!

While the beef was cooking in the oven, I made everything else using my new favorite 4 quart  MansPan with steamer insert and lid. Check out the details after the recipe for a chance to win one of these amazing pans!

Browning the bacon and the beef, sauteing the onion and carrot and then mixing it all together before adding seasoning, covering with wine and broth and putting into the oven. And then waiting while the yummaliciousness fills your home!

I admit I took some license with the process; mostly with bacon. When I have 4 pounds of bacon in my freezer, I’m not inclined to search too far for a solid chunk of bacon which the original recipe calls for and cut it into sticks so I’ve improvised a bit and all was still well with the world!

How good was it? Good enough that the daughter who had only planned to stop by decided she might have time to stay for dinner after all; that’s how good! Next year I’m making this two days beforehand and serving for Christmas!

To have you celebrate with me and my new BFF Julia, I have a contest for you! I was asked to try one of the pieces from the collection of ManPans (although I don’t know boys…Friday it could have easily been renamed; someone would have had to pry it out this Woman’s hands!).  I’ve been waiting for the perfect opportunity to really utilize their 4 Quart pan with the steamer insert and this was it. Beyond perfect even!

Although I used a pan from my collection to brown the meat and cook the beef in the oven, I had plenty planned for this pan, man. So, remembering that my integrity can be defined by honest evaluations, I must admit…I LOVE THIS STUFF (there, was that eloquent enough?).

I have a large collection of stainless pots and pans; they’re beautiful and I love working with them but I have never had a great experience with something that is supposed to be non stick. I recently bought a two piece set of Calphalon non-stick skillets as the ones I had been using had seen better days. A couple of months later and they are filled with scratches despite limited use so I was very intrigued by ManPans promises which included a surface that would not scratch (yeah, sure right…huh?).

Julia suggests serving her Beef Bourguignon with boiled potatoes and green peas but I had some newly purchased asparagus and knew exactly what I wanted to do!

During the course of preparing the mushroom and onions for the beef dish, I didn’t gently move my wooden spoon across the surface like I normally do with non stick pans…nope, I used a large metal spoon to make sure they could live up to the claims that the surface would not scratch. Made in the US, eco-friendly, no change in the taste of food? Sounds too good to be true and I’m as skeptical as anyone out there but bottom line everything they promised was true. Heat was distributed evenly, the handle stays cool, and what really made my day? After preparing both the mushrooms and the onions for the beef, I simply wiped out the pan, boiled potatoes in the bottom section of the pan and added the asparagus in the steamer insert a couple of minutes before the potatoes were finished. TWO dishes, ONE pan? Perfect for my four burner cooktop.

No kidding, I love this pan and now…you can too! That may sound a bit like a cheesy infomercial except the winner of this contest gets one exactly like mine, FREE. A 4 quart pan with a steamer insert and a lid; retail value of $135.97. A gift from me, well, actually from Man Pans, to you! I not only loved the quality but this steamer pan was  exactly what I had hoped for…a pan that made my job easier. What’s not to love? Here’s what you need to do to enter:

Contest Requirements

Each item you do will get you ONE chance to win (for a total of 6 chances!). If you ALREADY do any of these things, they DO count so be sure to comment for those items too! You MUST leave each entry as a separate comment or only one comment will count!

1. Follow @manpans and @creativculinary on Twitter AND tweet the following statement then come back to this post and tell us you tweeted.
   I just entered to win @ManPans 4 Quart Saute Pan w/Steamer Insert from @VinoLuci  http://bit.ly/g0WtLY #giveaway
2. Become a FaceBook fan of ManPans.
3. Sign up for VinoLuciStyle Rss feed.

Important Details:

• This giveaway is open to USA residents only and will run until Saturday, 12/18/10 at 11:59 pm MST.
• Winner will be drawn via random.org and will be contacted via the email provided on the comment contact form.
• Winner will have until Tuesday (12/21/10) to claim their prize or I will have to choose another winner.
• Winner will receive the ManPans 4 quart saute pan with steamer insert and lid which will ship directly from ManPans.

Disclosure:

This giveaway is provided to you by ManPans. The views and opinions expressed on Vino Luci Style are my own and based upon my personal experience with ManPans products. I was given the set of ManPans for this review and contest but I was not monetarily compensated for the review or giveaway.

Good Luck!

Update: The winner of the ManPans giveaway is entry #110 using Random.org. Jennifer (@breadandputter on Twitter). Congrats Jennifer.

I’ve entered this dish in a recipe swap. Come join the fun at the My Baking Addiction and GoodLife Eats Holiday Recipe Swap sponsored by Le Creuset

I like a good hamburger as much as the next guy…but the truth is, most often they aren’t the ones made on my grill! I’ve used a quick grilled hamburger most often when I was cooking when my kids where still at home for those dinners when there is no time for anything else; kids have to be delivered to multiple locations, too much homework or any myriad reason but it’s ground beef, onion, ketchup, salt and pepper and on the grill. Chips on the side!

So this foray into more of a specialty burger with jalapeno and bacon AND grilled onions was taken on with some trepidation. I knew it would take longer. I wondered if guests would think I made the effort they had come to expect when invited for dinner. I had a couple of reservations but decided to move forward. It was for Labor Day Weekend and a burger seemed to fit the bill.

That was in the summer of 2005; not long after the recipe originally appeared in the July issue of Bon Appetit magazine. It did require some prep time but I heard the coffee glaze calling my name and the dressing had everything I love; a combination of sour cream and chiles resulting in a great creamy and spicy sauce. I found the coffee glaze to be subtle but absolutely necessary to the amazing end result!

Let me tell you…this did not disappoint. If you are looking for a low fat everyday burger…walk away. But if you believe everything in moderation like I do (I’ll eat Cheerios for breakfast and lunch if I know I’ll be having something like this for dinner!) this is a burger you should reward yourself with one day; maybe today!?

Serve this burger with some simple sides and my favorite margarita and I’m betting you get raves too!

The recipe does make a lot of dressing and glaze; I’ve not reduced those proportions because I found a use for them on other dishes…but from the comments at the Bon Appetit website, it sounds like they could be halved.

First or Fifteenth?

This is a first. First contest I’ve ever done and depending on your way of thinking…1st anniversary of this blog. But REALLY? I’ve been putting recipes online since 1995 at www.creative-culinary.com; the first website I created after taking a course in HTML (not the last…that exercise and others led to my starting a web business (Kinetic Webs) that year too!). I decided to append my food blog to work hand in hand with my home accessories store (Vino Luci) so a new name was born!

The word blog is the shortening of two words, web and log, and was initially a place where website owners regularly distributed information to viewers; it has grown to often expect the capability for owners and viewers to interact with each other via comments but even today not all blogs have viewer commentary options so I’m thinking my efforts qualify?

It has been a labor of love and a wonderful resource/repository for myself, friends, family and as I found out when I took it down for a re-design once…others too!

I’ve been working diligently towards moving A LOT of recipes from the website to this blog (as evidenced by many without photos), but admit I enjoy the creative process of cooking, photography and blogging something new much more. I have a creative side that has always shown itself in decorating my home, creating an outdoor space and in cooking for family and friends but the photography piece is new and challenging. Very challenging! I enjoy it and am sort of amazed myself how it’s taken over space in my home. (Today I decided that I don’t need that huge dining room table everyday…out is coming a big leaf from the table allowing more space for a 2nd small table for photo stuff!)

The recipe I used for this anniversary post is from Colorado Classique – the latest cookbook by The Junior League of Denver. I’ve been collecting cookbooks from the Junior League since moving to Denver almost 25 years ago. I wanted something with local flavor and  Colorado Cache, published in 1978, was where I discovered both my favorite Flank Steak recipe and one of my all time favorite desserts, French Silk Pie.

That first cookbook was spiral bound and I’ve actually had to replace it from so much use but the later versions are beautifully bound and photographed and Colorado Classique is no exception. Great photos abound along with a superb collection of recipes from hundreds of home cooks and 25 of the finest restaurants and hotels in Colorado.

Some interesting facts about Colorado Classique:

• The Junior League of Denver’s 2009 cookbook Colorado Classique spent more than 10 weeks on the Denver Post’s best-seller list.
• Released last June (2009), the cookbook has sold more than 50,000 copies to date (3.25.10), making it the second most successful cookbook in the Denver League’s history during it’s first year. Colorado Colore (published 2002) currently holds first place after selling 85,000 copies in its debut year.
• Illustrated with photographs of breathtaking Colorado landscapes by noted photographer, John Fielder, who generously donated photographic rights for use in the book.
• Eye-catching and innovative food photos plus a cover which were exclusively commissioned for the book by internationally renowned photographer, Rick Souders.
• The recipe collection includes several new components, among them the nutritional content of each item, pairings with wine and beer, and a focus on fresh ingredients.
• Each recipe was triple-tested by volunteers by The Junior League of Denver.

Now there is an opportunity for you to win this cookbook! I’ll be giving away one copy of Colorado Classique to a lucky reader; see details at the end of this post!

Another 1st was a tweetup held at my home last week. I’ve gotten to know so many wonderful Twitter peeps tweeps from all over the world, but surprisingly…not so much in Denver.  When a friend on Twitter initiated putting a group together, I volunteered to host and make lunch for us from the Junior League Cookbook. There are so many wonderful recipes I wanted to try but thought it would be fun to use one of the restaurant recipes included so did the Bisteca dish from Panzano on 17th Street in downtown Denver. This was FABULOUS. Layers of flavor from pesto, mashed potatoes, steak, greens and gorgonzola cheese. It was a nice afternoon of meeting other tweeps (and a couple of non tweeps too!)  including @mom2apreemie, @SabreMarketing, @clearviewwater and @jungledoug.

I had enough leftovers to invite neighbors over that night for my 2nd round; their comment? ‘What do we do to deserve you spoiling us like this?’ (My answer? Well, maybe helping with laundry and building steps to garage and so much more…their assistance has been immeasurable during my recovery from a broken leg!)

Here’s the recipe…please enjoy and don’t forget to enter for a chance to win Colorado Classique!

Gigondas is where the wine comes from, a region located just next door to the famous Chateauneuf du Pape. This wine is loaded with delicious fruit and tannins that can stand up the the big beef flavor, but also provides secondary, earthy and gamey flavors that will work well with the pesto and greens. Enjoy!

I promised a contest so if you like the looks of this dish, you will love this! The Junior League of Denver has graciously offered me one of their Colorado Classique cookbooks to award to a lucky participant. Here’s how to enter; please read carefully, I know you don’t want to have your entry disqualified!

Required Entry:

1. Leave a comment telling us whether you think this our 1st or 15th anniversary of food blogging!

Bonus Entries:

1. Follow @vinoluci on Twitter and RT this post. We’ll make it easy; just copy and paste this into your status:
   RT @vinoluci We’re giving away Junior League/Denver cookbook! Fab recipe 4 Panzano’s of #Denver Bisteca! http://tiny.cc/koddk
   (Note: you MUST be following @vinoluci for this entry to count)
2. Sign up for our RSS feed or EMAIL subscription. Come back, leave a separate comment letting us know you’ve done so.
3. Become a liker/fan of VinoLuci on FaceBook. Again, come back, leave a separate comment letting us know.

Contest will be open until midnight, Friday, July 2, 2010 MDT. Contest is open to US and Canada only please. (yes, I listened Peter!).

Winner will be chosen by my dog…um, I mean random.org and notify by Monday July 5th.

This recipe is from the first Junior League of Denver Cookbook, ‘Colorado Cache‘ which was first published over 30 years ago. It was also the first cookbook I bought when I moved to Colorado as I wanted something to add to my library that would include some regional favorites.

Moving from North Carolina to Colorado was a cultural food shock but I quickly fell in love with fajitas and I found this recipe to be a great one to use when making them at home. It’s funny to recall that at the time, I remember hearing myself say ‘hold the jalapenos’ but now can eat them raw and in abundance…so they are now included in the list of ingredients I use when making fajitas.

I love the versatility of flank steak; it’s amazing how adaptive it is to different marinades and if cooked properly, this typically tough piece of meat is a lean, tender and versatile dish to have in your repertoire.