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 -Carafes
of Wine
Years ago (way back
in the 20th
century), every
place served wine in
those ugly
hour-glass shaped
bottles. And they
were usually filled
with wines that,
when you asked about
the vintage, the
waiter would look at
his watch. It was
bad wine served
badly. That was a
trend, I hope, that
is forever behind
us.
 -The
Martini
The classic American
cocktail served in a
sleek, beautifully
designed art deco
glass. The rage in
1920’s, the martini
seemed relegated to
land-of–over-the-hill-ad-execs
and “has- been
writers" and movie
spies. But the
martini has been
reborn and not just
the classic gin or
vodka, but now any
drink can be called
a martini if put in
that timeless glass.
As a chef, I embrace
the trend of food
being served in a
martini glass - from
ceviche to tuna
tartare, (another
re-invention of a
classic dish) to
mash potato and even
soup.
 -Prime
Rib There
was a time when you
wouldn’t consider
having a menu
without prime rib on
it. A thick slab of
salt-encrusted
blood-rare meat with
large quantities of
fat. Today, prime
rib is relegated to
the steakhouse and
Vegas buffets. On
the modern menu, you
find the grilled rib
eye, the same cut of
meat, but
differently
prepared.
-Ostrich
was supposed to be
the new red meat,
healthier and
leaner. People went
out and started
ostrich farms and
were going to get
rich quick. That
worked out well?!
 -Sizzlean,
turkey bacon, turkey
ham, turkey sausage,
turkey scrapple.
The problem with
these products was
that they were pale
imitations of the
real things. Yes
they were healthy,
but they just did
not taste as good.
Remember, fat is
flavor.
Portion sizes have
always gone up and
down over the years,
from oversized to
 3
course meals that
have you stopping at
your local
drive-thru on your
way home. In the
early 1900’s dinners
were multi-course
exercises in excess.
In the 1970’s
nouvelle cuisine
reigned in portion
sizes that would
leave a super-model
hungry.
Chefs are always
looking to the past
as they re-invent
dishes. Food as
simple as macaroni
and cheese, mashed
potatoes and even
the cheesesteak have
received culinary
makeovers. For a
while, you had
different pasta’s
covered in
everything from goat
cheese to
gorgonzola, called
mac-cheese.
The potato was
mashed, smashed and
hashed with lobster,
pancetta and exotic
mushrooms.
The cheesesteak has
been put on brioche
and topped with
French cheese and
even foie-gras. Why?
Because even when we
want something
different or unique,
we usually rely on
preparations that
are familiar to us.
That reminds us of
the comfort of mom’s
or grandma’s
cooking. That is why
you can always find
something familiar
on even the
trendiest menu.
As I settle into my
bean bag chair, with
a can of orange
crush and a
fluffer-nutter
sandwich, I wonder,
what trends now will
be gone quickly. Are
truffle oil and
basmati rice in for
the long-haul or
will they be in the
back of the pantry
with raspberry
vinegar and white
Worcestershire
sauce.
The recipes this
month are a couple
of reinvented
classic “steak
tartare” as a French
culinary legend. I
prefer the modern
rendition of tuna
tartare, which can
be beautifully
served in the
timeless
martini-glass, and a
twist on grits, the
crab & cheese grits.
Tuna Tartare
Ingredients:
1 lb. #1 Grade tuna,
diced, ( only use
top quality, sushi
grade tuna)
3 Tbsp Cilantro,
chopped
1 Tbsp ginger, diced
3 Tbsp sweet soy
sauce
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp sesame oil
2 green onions
(scallions), diced
1 tsp sriracha (“hot
chili” sauce)
1 Tbsp Thai sweet
chili sauce
1tsp chopped garlic
Preparation:
Mix all ingredients,
refrigerate 2-3
hours.
Wasabi sour cream:
Mix wasabi powder
with water and add
sour cream (use as
much powder as you
like to achieve the
wanted strength).
Presentation:
Serve in a classic
martini glass,
garnish with pickled
ginger and julienned
cucumber and a
dollop of wasabi
sour cream.
Crab & Cheese Grits
Hey y’all.
Persnickety goes
down south for this
dinner twist on The
Dixie breakfast
staple.
 Ingredients:
1 cup grits, cooked
per directions
1/4
-1/2 cup jumbo lump
crab meat
1/4 cup shredded
cheddar
Heavy cream, as
needed to achieve
consistency
2 stalks diced green
onions
Preparation:
Put hot grits in
sauté pan, add
cheese & cream, cook
till cheese is
melted. Fold ingreen
onions and serve
with pan fried fish
of your choice.
Bon Appetit
Till next time…
Laissez Le Bon Temps
Roulee |
