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Cheryl’s Cuisine: August 2018

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Cheryl's Cuisine

Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits Vice President and General Manager Kim Scarpone, Jason Lonigro, general manager of Emeril’s Chop House, and Sands Casino Executive Chef Victor Bock, pose for a photo during the recent Food and Wine Festival at the Sands Casino in Bethlehem.

By Cheryl Radkiewicz

Thousands of guests packed the 9th Annual Food and Wine Festival at the Sands Casino in Bethlehem over the three-day event. The Grand Tasting offered signature dishes from the Lehigh Valley’s best restaurants in addition to wines from around the globe.     

Menu items and restaurants included:  Beef Carpaccio , 1774 Grille & Tap; Chicken Makhani, Cumin Basmati Rice and Chana Masala , Aman’s Bistro; Cake, Truffle and Cookies, Amy’s Creative Cakes;  Cheesecakes and assorted Kiffles, Aunt Wendy’s Kiffles; Mini Cheese Ravioli and Limoncello Cream Puff, Buddy V’s Ristorante; Grilled Vietnamese Chicken Banh Mi, and Chocolate Covered Strawberry Milkshake, Burgers by Emeril;  Chocolate Fountain and Truffles, Chocolate Works; Seared Duck and House-Made Olive Oil Gelato, The Dime.

One of the event’s presentation featured Casino Executive Chef Victor Bock  along with Kim Scarpone, Vice President of Southern Glazer’s Wine and Spirits of Pennsylvania, and Jason Lonigro, general manager of Emeril’s Chophouse.    Lonigro, a native of Louisiana, offered a history of “Punch”, noting that at one time it was a drink of the “upper crust” and included something strong (rum), sweet (sugar), weak (water), sour (citrus) and spices (nutmeg, etc. from the East India Company).

Do you know what the Number One Alcohol consumed in the world is?   Sake’, according to Ms. Scarpone, due to its pure spirit and refinement. Both Scarpone and Lonigro addressed pairing alcohol with dishes.  

Let’s start with Lonigro’s recipe for Mississippi Punch, a favorite among restaurant-goers:

Mississippi Punch:

oleo-saccharum3/4 cup superfine sugar
Peels of 7 lemons
16 oz. black tea
16 oz. bourbon
1 cup dark rum
1 cup cognac
3/4 cup fresh lemon juice
24 oz. water
Nutmeg
Champagne

Prepare an oleo saccharum by combining the sugar and lemon peels in a large bowl. After being tossed, place into a mason jar or vacuum seal and let sit for 24 hours.

Combine this oleo saccharum and black tea, and make sure that any remaining sugar is fully dissolved reserving the lemon peels as garnish. To the bowl, add the tea mixture, lemon juice, cognac, bourbon, rum and water and stir to combine. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour or so. Add a block of ice to chill, and continue to add smaller pieces of ice for desired dilution.

Garnish with lemon wheels or reserved lemon peels and freshly grated nutmeg. Ladle into cups and lightly top each glass with champagne.

***

Chef Victor Bock’s Lamb Shoulder Ragout: 

1 lb. lamb shoulder, boneless, cut to 3/4″ cubes
Kosher salt/pepper
2 Tbsp. olive oil
2 shallots, minced
1 Tbsp. garlic, minced
1 tsp. rosemary, minced
1/2  cup red wine
4 cups diced tomatoes, (San Marzano with juice)
Chicken Stock  (add as needed to allow lamb to become tender
1 1/2 Tbsp. parsley, minced
1 Tbsp. mint, minced
Cornstarch (to thicken, if needed)
Salt and pepper, to taste

In a thick bottom sauce pot, heat oil.  Add seasoned lamb cubes. Sear on all sides until golden brown and caramelized.  Add shallots, garlic. Saute’ until tender. Add rosemary, red wine. Reduce by half and add tomatoes with juice.  Reduce heat ad simmer until tender. Remove from heat and stir in mint and parsley.

***

ricottaHomemade Ricotta Cheese:

2 gallons whole milk
1 quart heavy cream
2 tsp. salt
6 oz. fresh lemon juice

  Line a large sieve with a layer of heavy-duty (fine mesh) cheesecloth and place over a large bowl.  

Slowly bring milk, cream and salt to a rolling boil in a 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally to prevent scorching.   Add lemon juice, then reduce heat to low and simmer, stirring constantly, until the mixture curdles, about 2 minutes.

Pour mixture into the lined sieve and let it drain 1 hour.  After discarding the liquid, chill the ricotta, covered. It will keep in refrigerator 2 days.

***

Duck Fat Fries:

3-4 quarts duck fat
3-4 russet potatoes, cut into 1/4″ sticks
Sea salt
Black Pepper
Truffle oil (optional)

Melt and heat duck fat in  fryer to 325 degrees. Cook potato sticks in small batches for 5-7 minutes. Remove to napkin to drain. Increase heat on fryer to 375 degrees. Return par-cooked potatoes to fryer. Cook for approximately 1 minute or until golden brown. Remove on to napkin and immediately sprinkle with sea salt, milled black pepper and perhaps truffle oil.  Serve immediately.

***

Steak and Foie Gras Empanadas:

2 Tbsp. olive oil
8 oz. sirloin steak (small dice)
1/4 cup onion, minced
classic-terrine-of-foie-gras2 tsp. garlic, minced
3 Tbsp. green chilis (canned, minced)
1/2 lime, zested
1/4 tsp. ground coriander
1 Tbsp. cilantro, minced
3 oz. foie gras (medium dice)
Salt and pepper to taste
4 puff pastry sheets
Egg wash, to seal

In saute’ pan over high heat, heat oil and sear steak pieces. Add onions, garlic and cook until tender. Remove from heat, stir in remaining ingredients. Adjust seasoning. Lay out puff pastry (4×4″ squares) take large spoon and scoop meat/foie gras mixture into puff pastry. Brush with egg wash and seal. Trim edges. Fry in duck fat fryer until golden brown. Serve with Corn-Chorizo-Avocado Salsa.

***

Corn Avocado Chorizo Salsa:

cornSalsa:
2 sweet corn (cooked and cut off cob)
6 oz. chorizo (small dice)
1 jalapeno pepper, optional
1 tomato, seeded and diced
1 lime, zested and juiced
2 avocado, diced
Salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients.  Adjust seasoning. Serve with Crema.

Crema:
1/2 cup sour cream
2 Tbsp. cilantro, chopped
2 tsp. lime juice
Salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients. Adjust seasoning.

Cheryl’s Cuisine: July 2018

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By Cheryl Radkiewicz

I’ve always lived by the belief that if you don’t learn something new every day, it’s a wasted day.   

The recent Lehigh Valley Food and Wine Festival offered a wealth of knowledge. As Pennsylvanians, do you know who John Clemens was?  I didn’t until I was introduced to the Clemens Food Group, a sixth generation family -owned pork producer based in Hatfield, PA.

lvfoodwine-logoNow I’ve heard of Hatfield hams and pork products. In the early 1900’s John Clemens began what has become one of the largest purveyors of pork products in the industry. In 2010, the Clemens Food Group now includes branches dedicated to farming, transportation and  distribution of quality pork products.

I spent part of the festival chatting with Drew and Christy Cashman, a husband and wife team, who represent Hatfield pork products.  They were displaying replicas of all parts of the pig and explained how each part is used. There were loin cuts, pork belly, pork shoulder, Boston butt, spare ribs, baby back ribs, ham hocks, feet, brains, kidneys, etc.  The biggest seller of the entire pig is, yes, you guessed it: BACON!

Parts not used as much in the United States such as feet, brains, glands and kidneys are shipped to Asian and South American countries, where they are popular.

Do you know how many products are for sale in our stores from Hatfield?  The company is making it easier and easier for busy families to use their products.  Here is just a sampling of what Hatfield offers:

Hot Italian Ground Sausage, Sweet Italian Ground Sausage, Ground Pork, Chorizo Ground Sausage, Sage Ground Sausage, Country Ground Sausage, Tex-Mex Pork Strips, Simply Pork Strips, Ham Steaks, Bone-In Hams, Boneless Hams, Pork Roll, Sauerkraut, Scrapple, Bologna, Bacon, P&P Loaf, Liverwurst, Tavern Ham, Sausage Patties, Rope Sausage Links, Seasoned or Plain Pork Loin Fillets, Tenderloins, Premium Pork Roasts, St. Louis Ribs  and Frankfurters.

As a matter of fact, Clemens Group has been chosen to make the franks for the Philadelphia Phillies.

So here are a few recipes from the Clemens group to add to your repertoire:

Bacon and Cheese Dip:

bacon8 slices Hatfield Classic Bacon
1-8 oz. pkg. cream cheese, softened
2 cups sour cream
2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
1 bunch green onions, chopped

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  In a large skillet, cook bacon on medium-high heat until crisp.  Remove from pan and place on paper towel to drain. Once cool, crumble bacon and set aside.  Combine ingredients in a bowl. Place the mixture in a 1 quart baking dish. Cover and heat for 25-35 minutes or until hot all the way through.  

***

Country Sausage Strata:

2 lbs. Hatfield Recipe Essentials Country Ground Sausage, crumbled
3 cups onion and garlic croutons
1 green pepper, finely chopped
18 eggs
3 cups cheddar cheese, shredded
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
2 cups milk
1 1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. paprika

Preheat oven to 325 degrees.  In large skillet over medium heat, cook sausage, using a spoon to break up into pieces.  In a greased 13x9x2″ baking dish, place cooked sausage and croutons. In large bowl, beat eggs.  Stir in cheese, mustard, milk, salt and paprika. Pour mixture into baking dish.

Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes or until knife inserted  near the center comes out clean. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Serves 10.

***

parm-fonduta-I-howsweeteats.com-4Italian Sausage Fettuccine:

1 lb. Hatfield Recipe Essentials Sweet or Hot Ground Sausage
3/4 lb. fettuccine
1/4 cup olive oil
8 cloves garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
2 Tbsp. fresh basil, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. dried crushed red pepper
8 oz. fresh kale, torn into pieces
1 cup shaved Asiago cheese

Cook pasta in large pot of boiling water until just tender, stirring occasionally.  In a large saute’ pan over medium heat, add 1 Tbsp. olive oil. Add garlic slices and saute’ until light golden brown, approximately 45 seconds.  Using a slotted spoon, transfer garlic to a bowl. In the same saute’ pan, add kale and cook until just wilting. Remove and transfer to bowl.

Using the same pan, increase heat to medium-high, add sausage and cook, stirring and breaking up with a spoon. Cook until sausage is fully browned, about 10 minutes.  Drain pasta; add remaining olive oil to large pot.

Using tongs, toss pasta, kale and sausage. Add salt, pepper and crushed red pepper. Transfer pasta to a large bowl or platter. Top with crispy garlic and shaved Asiago cheese. Serves 4.

***

Caribbean Roast Pork:

4-5 lb. Hatfield Tuscan Herb Pork Roast
roast1 medium  onion, sliced thickly
1 head garlic, peeled
2 Tbsp. oregano
2 tsp. cumin seeds
2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. black peppercorns
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp. lard or oil
Zest and juice of 1 orange, grated
Zest and juice of 1 lemon, grated
Juice of 1 bitter orange

Make several shallow cuts, about 1/2″ deep, in pork.   Spread onion slices on bottom of a glass or ceramic roasting pan.  Place remaining ingredients in food processor or blender to make a pasta.  

Rub the pork with the mixture on all sides, making sure it goes into the cuts.  Place pork on top of the onions. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for about 4 hours, turning once, leaving the fat side up for cooking.

 Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Place pork on middle oven rack. After 30 minutes, turn down temperature to 325 degrees and cook 2 hours, basting every 30 minutes.  Cook 30 minutes per pound, or until an internal temperature of 160 degrees is reached. Remove pork from oven and let rest 15 minutes before carving. Makes 8 servings.

Cheryl’s Cuisine: June 2018

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By Cheryl Radkiewicz

Why not make some new side dishes  the “crowning glories” of your upcoming summer parties?  Your guests will welcome a new refreshing change from coleslaw, pasta salad, broccoli salad and copper penny salad.    

One of my favorite items to work with is orzo.  Yes, it’s a pasta, however, it’s smaller, more delicate, and I’ve  found it easier to eat for young children and older adults. Not fitting into the latter category just yet, I love the way orzo picks up the flavor of the other ingredients.  It’s shaped like a longer grain of rice and has become an option for cooks. It’s very versatile to use in salads, soups, main dishes, casseroles, and also may be used as a substitute for pasta or rice.  

So here are some recipes I have used time and again from the Annunciation Greek Church in Scranton, which, by the way, is holding its annual Food Festival this month — a “don’t miss” event.

Manestra:

orzo3 cups water or chicken broth (I use canned broth)
1/2 stick butter or margarine (I use butter)
1 clove garlic, crushed (Sometimes I use 2-3)
2 tsp. lemon juice
1-6 oz. can tomato sauce
1 cup orzo
Salt and pepper to taste

Boil water or broth and add tomato sauce and butter.  Add the orzo, garlic, lemon juice, salt and pepper. Boil slowly about 20 minutes.  Stir occasionally. Remove from heat. Some of the liquid will remain. Let stand for 1 hour until the liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally.  May be topped with grated Parmesan cheese.

***

Orzo Casserole with Vegetables:

2 large red onions, coarsely chopped
4 large carrots, peeled and diced
3 cups peeled, seeded and chopped plum tomatoes
zucchini1 1/2  lbs. zucchini, cut into 1″ cubes
2 cloves garlic
2 cups plus 2 Tbsp. oil
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
2 bay leaves
1 Tbsp. oregano
Salt and pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp. balsamic vinegar
1 lb. orzo
5 cups water

Heat 2 Tbsp. oil in large skillet.  Add onions and cook over low heat for approximately 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.  Stir in cinnamon and continue to cook for another 5 minutes. The onions should be translucent and slightly caramelized.  Remove onions from the skillet. In skillet, heat 2 more tablespoons oil and cook carrots over low heat for 15 minutes or until carrots are tender, not soft.  Stir occasionally.

Preheat oven to 375. In large pot, bring 5 cups salted water to boil and add orzo.  As soon as water begins to boil again, remove pot from heat and pour contents into a large ovenproof casserole dish.  Add onions, carrots, tomatoes, 2 Tbsp. oil, bay leaves, oregano, salt and pepper and mix together. Cover and bake for 20-25 minutes, stirring mixture very well from bottom of the dish every so often to keep orzo from sticking.

While vegetable mixture is cooking, heat 2 more Tbsp. oil in the skillet and cook zucchini until tender, but firm, about 8 minutes.  Add garlic and stir for 1 minute. Toss zucchini and garlic in with the orzo, combining zucchini and garlic with orzo. Bake, uncovered, for another hour, or until orzo is tender.  

Check orzo and stir during baking to prevent sticking. Add water if necessary. Remove bay leaves and mix in remaining oil and vinegar. Serve immediately.

***

Lemon Shrimp and Orzo:

lemon-pepper-shrimp-orzo-above-w-name1 lb. medium shrimp
1 pint cherry  tomatoes
3 medium celery stalks
1-9 oz. pkg. frozen artichoke hearts, thawed
1/4 cup oil
3 Tbsp. lemon juice
1/2 lb. or 8 oz. orzo
1 clove garlic, minced
1 Tbsp. oregano
1 tsp. salt

Shell and de-vein shrimp.  Thinly slice celery. Slice each cherry tomato in half.  Prepare orzo as label directs, but omit salt; drain. Meanwhile, in 12″ skillet over medium-high heat, in hot oil, cook artichoke hearts, garlic and celery for 5 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add shrimp and cook 5 minutes or until shrimp and vegetables are tender, stirring frequently. Reduce heat to medium. Stir orzo, cherry tomatoes, lemon juice, minced oregano and salt into shrimp mixture; heat through.  If not serving right away, cover and refrigerate to serve chilled later.

***

Now, this recipe isn’t from the church, however, I found it many years ago and I love serving it especially on hot summer days:

Artichoke and Olive Orzo Salad:

artichoke-square-a2-18001  lb. orzo, cooked, al dente
1 jar artichoke hearts, chopped, reserving marinade
1 can black olives, sliced or halved
1 red onion, diced finely
Mayonnaise
Salt and pepper, to taste

Combine cooked and drained orzo, chopped artichoke hearts, olives, and onion.  Add mayonnaise to your taste. Drizzle in a little marinade from the artichoke hearts.  Season with salt and pepper. Serve chilled.

***

Refreshing and easy…make it a day ahead:

Rosa Marina Fruit Salad:

orange-pineapple-cherry-isolated-white-background-as-package-design-element-683279361 lb. orzo pasta, cooked al dente
2 -15 oz. cans mandarin oranges, drained and juice reserved
1-16 oz. can pineapple chunks, drained with juice reserved
1-4 oz. jar maraschino cherries, drained and halved
3/4 cup sugar
2 large eggs
3 Tbsp. flour
1-16 oz. container Cool Whip

Add cooked and drained orzo to large bowl.  Add oranges, pineapple chunks and cherries. Stir well.  Combine juices from oranges and pineapple chunks, sugar, eggs and flour in a saucepan over low heat; cook, stirring often until sauce is thickened (about 5-7 minutes).   

Remove from heat and cool, at least 30 minutes to 1 hour. Pour cooled sauce over orzo mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate until flavors blend, 8 hours to overnight. Fold Cool Whip into orzo mixture before serving.