Traveling Trailer

After a full shift last night, I got up this morning and packed a bag for Atlanta. My mission was to take my newly edited trailer and show it to my new friend Christian and get his feedback. From there, I hope to get meetings with his contacts in the TV world, as well as with mine. The show is Saturday Night Supper Club and it is a travel/cooking/entertaining show that takes the viewer to a different city each week and lets them be a fly on the wall at the coolest dinner party that they'll probably never be invited to. So, without further ado...here it is. Let me know your thoughts.

http://youtu.be/Th954vGY9jE

Welcome back Tom (me)

It's been a while. Boy howdy.

Since my list post, I've given up lobbying, starting cooking full time and am now the Chef at Underground 119 in Jackson, Mississippi. This midlife crisis  career change is the best thing I've ever done. I now promise myself and anyone who wants to read this stuff that I'll be back here at least once a week and share this new adventure.

Bon Appetit ~ Tom

Accidental Review of Char

I had no intention of writing a review of Char when I woke up this morning. As a matter of fact, I wasn’t even planning on eating there today. Last night, I spent a few hours catching up with my friend Russell Bennett over a few glasses of delicious 21 year-old Scotch, carefully crafted by the mad geniuses at Balvenie.  We talked about politics, food kids and more politics and agreed that we needed to have lunch today to carry the fun over by a day. We agreed that he would pick me up and we would try the new lunch menu at Parlor Market.

Char's New Chef, Brian Catenuto

When we arrived at our chosen eatery downtown, we discovered that the doors were hopelessly shut (curses to you Monday!). Russell suggested the Elite and I threw a little fit. I suggested checking out the new menu at Char and we hopped on the interstate, headed north to see what the new Chef (Brian Cartenuto) had going on.

The parking lot was full, as was the waiting area so we grabbed a seat at the bar. Our bartender told us about the specials (Beef Brisket or Red Beans & Rice). As a rule, I never get the same dish as my dining companion, but rules are meant to be broken. Since I wasn’t planning on writing a review, we both ordered the brisket with fries, the only difference being my side of greens and his side house salad. I asked the bartender if Brian was in the kitchen and he said he would check.

Pork Belly with Apples and Arugula 

About a week or so prior, Brian had been a guest on my show At the Cook’s Table and had prepared two signature dishes for us: Figgy Piggy (a roasted pork tenderloin with a fig and port wine reduction) and Slow Roasted Pork Belly (served with an apple cider reduction, and an arugula, apple salad). Both of which were devoured in record time. I love figs with pork and this dish lived up to my expectations. The port wine reduction added depth to sweet fruit without being cloying. The pork belly dish however, was my favorite of the two. The succulent fattiness of the pork was balanced against the acidity of the cider vinegar and the apple salad added a tart touch to cut some of the richness. Although the meat was fatty and melted in your mouth, it didn’t come off as overly rich, mainly because of the sauce and the fresh apples. To avoid  a disaster at home, I took the last bit of this dish home to Kitty and she agreed that it was one of the finest pork dishes either of us had had.

BBQ Shrimp with Fried Dressing

Our lunch arrived and was served backwards (Russell got the greens and I got the salad), but this often happens when you eat at the bar and your server comes from the dining room instead of from behind the bar. Most good servers make some note as to a diners position at the table to avoid “auctioning” the food, but right and left get mixed up easily when you transition from behind the bar to across the bar. No big deal. No great offense taken. Almost no time wasted swapping the plates. At first glance the brisket looked like it needed a bit of jus or some type of sauce, but once we tasted it, we agreed with the presentation. The band of fat across the top of the cut provided more than enough moisture to make the dish enjoyable. A sauce would have just masked the flavor of the meat and the spice rub. The French fries were perfectly crisp and golden brown and the greens were flavorful on their own accord, without the necessity of boiled bacon you so often find loitering on your plate. Neither Russell nor I found it necessary to reach for the salt or the pepper. About a third of the way through the lunch special, Brian emerged from the kitchen with bowl of Tagliatelle and placed it between Russell and me. It had a delightful aroma of lemon and scallions and the warm egg yolk atop the fresh-made pasta tempted me to poke it with a fork. Brian encouraged us to stir up the egg and dig in. Not wanting to disappoint, we acquiesced. The bright sharpness of the lemon was blanced by the egg yolk perfectly. One more squeeze of lemon or one more shave of zest would have made it sour but Brian knew when to stop and when to use a measured hand. The fresh egg yolk married beautifully with the firm pasta and the scallions added a savory top note and served as a foil to the crème fraiche. These type dishes that have so few ingredients can be either brilliant or disastrous. There just isn’t any margin for error. You either get it right or you fail. Brian got this one right. Unfortunately, we had torn through the whole bowl before I had the thought to break out the Blackberry and snap some photos. You’ll have to see this one for yourself.

Beef Brisket

As we returned to our brisket and talk of the looming 2011 statewide elections, Russell inquired as to how often it happened that chefs just sent food out to the table. I explained that it was a hazard of the occupation and that I have to be careful not to overindulge, lest I plump up like a Christmas goose. No sooner had these words come out of my mouth, our waitress appeared with yet another plate. This time, Brian sent out a flash fried cube of cornbread tasso dressing topped with jumbo shrimp and a black pepper Worcestershire buerre blanc. As we dug in, Brian came out to explain the dish. It turns out that they make the Worcestershire in-house in a vegetarian style, without any fish heads or fish paste. The dish was beautifully conceived and executed, but the notion of referring to a nearly black sauce as beurre “blanc” escapes me. Perhaps that is something they teach you in culinary school, but I would have called it “beurre noir.” Regardless of what it is called, the flavors were spot-on. The Shrimp were wonderfully briny and not overcooked. The sauce (though not “blanc”) was rich and tangy and the little cube of flash fried cornbread dressing was an unexpected and greatly appreciated touch. The outside of the dressing was inky dark and caramelized while the inside was light and almost fluffy.

We managed to finish most everything and held off on the temptation to accept the offer of donuts. I have to save at least one surprise for when I return for dinner with Kitty.

My final verdict will have to come when I can plan for a full tasting complete with wine and cocktails, but for now...I give Brian and his new menu high marks (albeit temporary ones).

«««« (four out of five possible stars)

Craig Noone and Crew Swing for the Fences

Opening Night at Parlor Market

I had a special opportunity last week. The Parlor Market held their "soft opening" for friends and fellow food industry folks. Kitty and I were lucky enough to get an invitation and we brought Mandy and Anders Ferrington with us to take it all in. I've been following the progress of this place since Donna Ladd introduced me to Chef and Owner Craig Noone this spring when the old building on State Street looked more like bombing range target than a restaurant. Last night's dinner was probably the most anticipated Jackson opening night in recent memory.

Cornbread with Buter

Craig greeted Kitty and me at the door and the balanced look of sheer panic and pure elation in his eyes belied the fact that his dream was becoming reality and that the time for planning and practice was over and the time for putting his promises on a plate was at hand. The bar and the dining room were abuzz with energy and the menu was as intriguing to the guests as the marble, wood, steel, brick and stainless that make up the big-city hip environment. Everywhere in the place, groups of two and three members of Jackson's see-and-be-seen crowd stood or sat with their attention focused on the three column, single sheet menu filled with dishes, terms and ingredients unfamiliar to most.

Ryan Bell Putting Finishing Touches on a Salad

Duck Confit with Duck Cracklin

Since we arrived at a little before eight, some of the early diners were mid-meal and the looks on their faces told the whole story and gave an accurate prediction of what we could expect. Some were gushing with smiles and rolling their heads back in ecstasy while others had looks of trepidation as they bit into foods they found exciting, albeit a little scary. But this is exactly what you expect when a restaurant is opened by a team of all star chefs, executing a shared vision of exciting, local, seasonal dishes. When you swing big, you either strike out or you hit a home run. Craig Noone has belted this one into the cheap seats, way out in center field.

Mussels + Matchsticks

The food is Southern. Not the Southern you would expect at a small town country club, but the Southern that could be easily explained if Eric Ripert had been adopted at age six by a soul food cook in Clarksdale or if Daniel Boulud had been born in Natchez to parents who owned a BBQ shack and a catfish house. The flavors and aromas are like watching a childhood home movie of someone who looks like you, but lives in Provence. It is simultaneously comforting and exciting, foreign and familiar, local and far-flung.

We abandoned any thought of trying to choose dishes and instead asked our waiter to let the kitchen know that we just wanted to be fed. Chef's choice for a table of chefs and foodies. The order was as much a challenge as it was a compliment. We essentially asked the crew to "show us what you got."

Oysters George

We opened up with four dishes: Mussels + Matchsticks, Oysters George, Duck Confit and a half dozen raw oysters with Lime Guajillo Granita. The fries could have been more crisp, but the broth in the bottom of the bowl of mussels was sopped up until the plate looked like it had been through the dishwasher. Both of the oyster dishes were exquisite. The fried ones on the Oysters George were perfectly battered and prepared with a crisp, salty coating and a just warm and still juicy flesh underneath. The raw oysters were cold, briny and well complemented by the tart granita. My favorite was the Duck Confit. The richness of the duck, cooked in its own fat, was well matched by the acidity of the pickled onions and the shaved fennel added a light hint of licorish that pairs so well with duck. The only thing missing was a bucket of the duck cracklins. One just isn't enough. When we thought we were finished with our appetizers, Craig arrived at our table with a Georgia Salad...just because. The homage to all things from the Peach State would have made Jimmy Carter blush. Grilled peaches, fried Vidalia onions, a peach sherry vinaigrette and best of all...boiled peanuts make for a delicious (albeit unconventional) salad.

Cowboy Ribeye

PM Burger

Back in the kitchen, the chefs picked out for "large plates" for us: the Cowboy Ribeye, the PM Burger, Red Snapper and Beef Tenderloin. We had a wait a little while for these dishes, but it gave us some time to have another glass of wine and do a little people watching. Honestly, on an opening night I would have forgiven an hour-long wait, but although the staff kept apologizing for the delay, our wait was only about twenty five minutes. We hardly noticed and didn't think the fuss was necessary and the food was worth the wait. For those of you not familiar with South Carolina, Low Country food, a Frogmore Stew is more of an event than a recipe. It's what we might call a shrimp boil, replete with potatoes, sausage, shrimp and corn, all boiled in one giant pot. The PM boys took this idea and turned it into the base/sauce for their Red Snapper dish. It could easily stand on its own, but man does it work with snapper. The ribeye was spiced and charred beautifully and served with a smoked tomato gravy. Craig explained that there had been some discussion about the gravy and whether or not they would serve it. They chose wisely and it made the dish. Beef tenderloin is usually my least favorite cut, but this one was properly prepared and delightfully tender. But the star of that dish was the shrimp maque choux and cheese. They should seriously consider making this accompaniement a main dish, or at least a small plate. You would never have the Rolling Stones as the opening act for 38 Special so why relegate this, perhaps the best thing I ate all night, cheesy-shrimpy perfection to the role of side dish. The PM Burger was melt-in-your-mouth good and worth every penny of its $15 price tag. If you are a "burger person" stop reading right now, pick up the phone and make a reservation. That night, the bun seemed a little spongy and overworked, but when I had it again on the radio show a few days later, they seemed to have worked out the kinks. Craig chalked it up to asking his professional pastry chef to reach below her usual culinary heights and make something as pedestrian as a hamburger bun. To lubricate our conversations and complement our meals, we chose the Alexander Valley Cabernet Savignon, which stood up well to all of the fat and bold flavors we were stuffing into our faces.

Dessert Carnage

When it came time for dessert, we abandoned any sense of responsible dining and just ordered the lot. These were very interesting dishes. Two of them I would call "chef dishes" because they might not appeal to every palate, but offer a complexity that could take an adventerous spirit to appreciate. I'll start with those. The Mason Jar Strawberry Cake combines sweet with hot with bitter and with tartness. The blackberry ricotta icing is a great foil to the richness of the dense, buttery strawberry cake and the acidity in the strawberry black pepper reduction is brilliant. I adored the lack of cloying sweetness and the chances they took with this dish. Craig said it was getting 50/50 good to bad reviews from the diners and this is what I would expect. He tried to explain to the customers who didn't like it that they needed to eat the cake with a dip of the reduction, but dishes shouldn't come with instructions. If everyone likes every dish, you are playing it too safe. The Key Lime + White Chocolate Mousse is a little less adventerous, but still foreign to many. The coriander and graham cracker crust is delightfully savory, but may not appeal to everyone. For broader appeal, Craig and his crew put three other desserts on the menu that strike a much more familiar chord. The Affogato (doughnuts, espresso and gelato), Nancy Nanner (boiled peanut ice cream with peanut butter and banana toast) and Walk Down Memory Lane (mini moon pie, push up pop and gusher cupcake) would not confuse even the most meat-n-potatoes customer and really...who can resist a push-up pop.

Anders Ferrington, Craig Noone, Kitty Cook Ramsey

When it was all over, we leaned back into our chairs and marveled at the damage we had done. Everyone was impressed and we will certainly go back again and again. My only negative comment would be the wine list. Too much valuable real estate on the menu is dedicated to "Southern Wines." I know that Craig wants to stay true to his roots and offer a uniquely Southern experience, but that should not come at the expense of quality. There are just way too many great wines out there and narrowing great wine choices in the name of thematic presentation is selling the food short. There's also a glaring hole on the wine list when it comes to premium bottles. Looking at the incredible selection of very expensive whiskeys, I can't understand why the highest-dollar bottle of grape on the page is $68 Chardonnay. Parlor Market is the kind of place that begs for celebrations and the lack of premium wines cuts this short. The good news is, the ABC truck runs every couple of days, so correcting this problem is easy...a phone call and check.

Although I might be a little biased by my friendship with these guys, I can honestly say that Parlor Market served me one of the best meals of my recent memory and is on par with some of the finest restaurants in New York, Chicago, New Orleans, London or Paris. Great job guys. Now you just have to keep it up.

«««« (Four Stars out of a Possible Five)
Nobody gets a perfect score on opening night. See you soon for the follow up guys.

Jelly Donut and Cherry Beer Bread Pudding

We debuted this recipe at The Top of the Hops Beer Festival in Jackson MS last weekend for Tom's Sam Adams University Beer Pairing Seminar.  We paired it with the Sam Adams Cherry Wheat and it was a big hit! 

1 loaf crusty French bread
1 dozen glazed donuts
6 cherry jelly donuts
3 cups whole milk
1 6 oz. bag dry cherries
1 bottle Sam Adams Cherry Wheat beer
3 sticks unsalted butter
2 cups brown sugar
1/4 cup confectioner’s sugar
2 Tbsp. vanilla extract
1 Tbsp. cinnamon
½ tsp. ground nutmeg
6 large eggs
¼ tsp. salt

Prep
Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees. Break the bread and donuts into 1” cubes and place in a large mixing bowl. Melt 2 sticks of butter in a large glass bowl. To the melted butter add; brown sugar, granulated sugar, cinnamon, nutmeg, salt and beer. Mix thoroughly until sugar is dissolved. Add sugar mixture and eggs to the bread and blend with your hands until evenly distributed. Add enough milk to moisten all of the bread and mix thoroughly with your hands. Add cherries and pecans and mix again until evenly distributed. Add more milk until all of the bread is wet but no milk is standing in the bowl. This last part is tricky, but trust your instincts and practice. Too much milk is less of a disaster than too little, so err on the heavy side. Spoon the mixture into a greased roasting pan or high-side baking dish and spread evenly around the pan. Cut the butter into ten or twelve pats and place evenly on the top of the mixture. Sprinkle the mixture with ½ of the confectioner’s sugar.

Cook
Bake in 375 degree oven for 45 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for at least 15 minutes.

Plate
Cut the pudding into squares and place in a shallow bowl. Top with confectioners sugar.

(Serves 12)

Sauteed Redfish over Orange Curry Summer Vegetable Relish and Cilantro Rice

Heather, the meat manager at McDades on Northside, pointed out this beautiful redfish so I decided to do something simple with it.  With fish this good, all you need is salt, pepper, butter and a hot pan.

Orange Curry Summer Vegetable Relish

4 tbsp butter
Finely diced:
1 yellow squash
1 zucchini
1 red onion
2 leeks
4 cloves garlic
1/2 cup finely chopped cilantro (about 1/2 a bunch)
1 ear of corn

2 tsp curry powder
juice of 4 clementines
Melt butter in skillet over medium low heat. Add vegetables, curry powder, and clementine juice. Saute until thoroughly hot but still firm. 
 
For best results, cook one redfish fillet at a time. Heat skillet until hot.  Add 1 tbsp butter per filet.  Salt and pepper the filet, add to skillet, cook until the center and thickest part of the fish flakes with a fork. 

Farmer's Market

I will be doing a live cooking demonstration at the Mississippi Farmer's Market this Saturday (July 3rd) at 10:30 AM. In keeping with the watermelon theme of the market this weekend, I'll be making Sautéed Mississippi Catfish with a Watermelon Relish, Hot and Sweet Watermelon Salsa and a Virgin Watermelon Colada!

Come see us and don't miss a minute of the excitement!

Bon Appetit!
~Tom