Rather than supply all the food, we asked that each party guest bring their favorite bottle of wine and favorite cheese. I know we took a risk and could have possibly ended up with cheese from a can, but thankfully everyone brought great cheese and equally great wine. It was also a lot of fun anticipating what everyone was going to bring. We also asked for board games and ended up playing Apples to Apples.

Now you know I couldn’t just stop at supplying fruit and chocolate and crackers. It’s New Year’s Eve! I decided I would do a trio of flatbreads and a dessert. I ventured out to Central Market the morning of NYE and was shocked at how crowded it was. While shopping I realized I wouldn’t have time to make my own bread dough, so reluctantly, I bought some fresh pizza dough from the bakery. I promise that’s the only thing I cheated on.

The three flatbreads I came up are as follows:
1. Basil Pesto with toasted Pine nuts and shaved Parmesan.
I bought fresh basil to make the pesto along with a great hunk of Grana Padana.

2. Goat cheese with roasted red peppers and fillet of beef. Topped with micro greens.
I roasted the red peppers, sliced them and placed them in a jar of olive oil ahead of time. I also pre-cooked the flatbreads on my grill. I bought a great fillet and sliced it thin to place on top of the goat cheese and roasted peppers. For my presentation, I seared the beef with a torch to slightly cook it.

3. Marscapone cheese and sliced pear with balsamic glaze.
This one was simple. I spread the marscapone on the flatbread and thinly sliced the pears which I placed on top. I quickly warmed it under the broiler and drizzled the balsamic glaze over the top.

For dessert, I made grilled cheese sandwiches. Not the one’s you’re thinking of. I actually got the idea from one of the episodes of the show After Hours with Daniel Boulud. I made a dark chocolate ganache ahead of time and poured it into a baking dish so it was about a 1/2 in thick. I then placed it in the refrigerator to set up. The other two ingredients were cream cheese and brioche. To assemble, I cut the brioche into large squares about an inch think. I cut the ganache and cream cheese into the same size squares as the brioche. I then melted some butter, dipped the brioche and placed it on the griddle. After the first side was lightly browned, I turned them over and placed a layer of ganache and a layer of cream cheese on top of the brioche. I then topped it with the other piece of brioche.  Once the inside barely started to soften, I removed them from the griddle and cut them in wedges. I made a blackberry compote to serve with the sandwiches.

I’d have to say it was the perfect goodbye to 2009. Great food, and the company of even greater friends. Here’s to 2010!

Well, Christmas has come and gone. The presents have been opened, the extended family have all gone home, but the comments about the turkey have continued. As you read in part 1, I bought a smoker just for this event. However, I loved it so much I’ll be using it throughout the year.

I prepped and cooked the turkey just like I remembered from my youth. And thank God, it turned out just like I remembered. The skin was perfectly crisp and golden brown. The breast meat was moist and tender with a deep smoke ring. But to my disappointment, the leftovers were small. Note to self, Next time…larger turkey! I even used the various turkey parts to make my own stock, which I used to make the gravy. Someone remind me why I’ve been using boxed stock and broth? The difference is night and day. Homemade: flavorful, rich. Store-bought: bland, lifeless. There sure is something to this “slow food” movement, that’s for sure. More on that in a later post.

To sum up, the turkey was a a big success. The only thing to leave you with now are the pictures documenting the event.

As much as I’d like to, I can’t take credit for coming up with the idea. I saw a recipe for it in a magazine where Bridgeford frozen bread dough was used as the pizza crust. Everything after that were the traditional American ingredients: tomato sauce, mozzarella cheese and pepperoni. Of course when I got a hold of the recipe I had to gourmet it up a little bit, although I still use Bridgeford frozen bread dough. I’ve tried other dough’s and even making my own. I still prefer Bridgeford. It’s a little sweet and puffs up nicely.

Once I roll out the dough, I spread olive oil on both sides. This helps the dough keep from sticking to the grill. Now for the grilling. I grill the first side until done and then lightly grill the second side so that it’s no longer limp, but not quite cooked all the way. The fully cooked side will hold all my toppings. Then it’s back to the grill to finish the undercooked side and melt the cheese.

I Don’t like a ton of sauce on my pizza. So instead of tomato sauce, I use tomato paste that I cut with olive oil. I then mix in fresh chopped garlic and some dried spices. Usually basil, parsley and oregano. I then scrape the paste onto the dough so that there is barely any sauce. This gives a nice flavor to the pizza without overwhelming it with sauce.

My toppings are simple. Large fresh basil leaves, followed by sliced roma tomatoes. I then top it with three different cheeses. Sliced provolone, Shredded mozzarella and shaved parmesan. A little olive oil drizzle and you’re done. One of the best pizza’s you have ever tasted.

Some great additions I’ve tried over the years are ground or sliced italian sausage and sauteed mushrooms. Other than that I’ve kept it simple. Simple always seems to taste best when it comes to pizza. This is a great recipe for summer barbecues and outdoor parties. I know I’m writing this in the middle of winter, but I can’t wait until summer comes so I can introduce some new friends to my old recipe.

My grandfather was the most inventive person I know. He would make things from scraps and his smoker was no exception. The base was a Weber grill. In fact, it may have been the “first” Weber grill. He would put two small piles of charcoal on each side. Next to the charcoal he placed his wood chips. Then he made two shallow boxes out of aluminum foil he placed in the center to catch the drippings. He also used aluminum foil to cover the grill grates and poked several holes in the center so the drippings could fall through. This made cleanup a breeze.

The piece de resistance was his cover. He made a dome out of thin metal rods. And you guessed it, it too was covered in aluminum foil. I wish I had a picture to upload. It was so simple and looked sort of cheesy but like everything else he made it was extremely effective.

The preparation of the turkey was also simple. He would carefully loosen the skin and rub Hawaiian salt in between the skin and flesh. Then he would melt butter and stir in garlic powder which would become the basting liquid.

Once the turkey was placed in the smoker we would check it every hour and add more charcoal and wood chips as needed. Basting would begin after hour 2 or 3. Depending on the size of the turkey, it would be done after 5 or 6 hours. He always did the leg test. I don’t think he even owned a thermometer.

Once the turkey was done it would have a perfectly even, dark, crispy skin, and the most moist breast meat you could ever taste. The drippings would be used to make the best gravy ever.

His make-shift smoker is now long gone, but this year I am attempting to revive his tradition. The methods I use will be the same. Only the equipment will be different. I bought a Brinkmann smoker and can only hope my turkey turns out as good as his did. Time will only tell. Once the presents are unwrapped and the turkey coma’s have passed, I will take a consensus of our guests and post the results.

Until then,
Merry Christmas

-Someone who eats food grown or produced locally or within a certain radius such as 50, 100, or 150 miles.

Although I didn’t know it at the time I guess I was pretty fortunate growing up. You see, I grew up living with my father and grandparents in a small town an hour north of Los Angeles. When I wanted fresh vegetables or fruit I just got it from the backyard. I guess I was a locavore before it was even a movement. As a kid I enjoyed the best California Haas avocados, fragrant tomatoes and the sweetest oranges I have to this day, ever tasted. Eating local, fresh food wasn’t a movement for me, it was a way of life.

I miss those days. As with most things from childhood, I took it for granted. Even as an adult I didn’t appreciate it. In my early twenties I worked right down the street from the famous Santa Monica farmers market. I loved the fresh produce, but I rarely shopped there. Now I find myself living in Dallas, Texas. I thought the only thing fresh here was the beef. I don’t know what the Dallas of years past was like, but there seams to be more and more great restaurants popping up every day. One such restaurant brought back the memories of my youth. That restaurant is Bolsa in Oak Cliff.

I live in Carrollton and spend most of my time north of Dallas in Plano, Frisco and McKinney. The only reason we ventured to south Dallas was because my wife was given a gift certificate. In fact, it nearly expired before we were able to use it. That’s how long we waited to make the trip. Then I heard Bolsa was a part of the locavore movement. Hmmm, now I’m intrigued. Craving the home-grown food of my youth, I just had to check it out.

My wife and I took our 13 month old girl and decided to invite my wife’s father as well. The restaurant is located in a renovated auto shop and reminded me of the little pockets of mom-and-pop shops and restaurants scattered throughout Los Angeles. The staff was very friendly as well. In fact, I think my baby girl made a new best friend in the hostess.

We all decided to share two appetizers. The cheese plate came with manchego, blue cheese and Guinness chedder. Served with grapes, crackers and thinly sliced pears. The other was the bruschetta sampler consisting of four different versions. Smoked salmon with capers and creme fraische, fuji apples with slivered almonds, butternut squash with goat cheese, and  prosciutto and figs. Both were delicious. We were also informed they had 1/2 off bottled wine. We ended up sharing two bottles of a wonderful viognier.

For my entree, I chose beef medallions with mashed potatoes which was cooked perfectly to medium rare. My father-in-law chose a prosciutto and pear flat bread with mozzarella cheese. We were thinking it would be a small thin flatbread. We didn’t expect it to be the size of a medium pizza. I have to give the top choice to my wife who ordered the salmon. It had a light crispy texture on the outside and the inside was cooked so perfectly, it melted in your mouth like butter. My baby girl ate about a third of it. Yes, my baby is a foodie. While other kids her age eat goop from a jar or french fries from Mc Donalds, mine eats roasted sweet potatoes with olive oil and cinnamon.

For dessert, my wife ordered the white chocolate rum tart with a bruleed banana. I think I chose the better one here, opting for the bread pudding in a bourbon sauce.

Overall, we loved the restaurant. Could I tell if the food tasted so much fresher than other top restaurants? Well no, even though it did taste very fresh. Had I been able to sample some of the ingredients raw, perhaps. But after everything is cooked and sauced it becomes more difficult. I think the fact that I knew I was eating locally grown, organic food just makes me feel better about what I am putting in my body. And the fact that it was delicious sure was a big plus. Bottom line; Bolsa gets two thumbs up around the table.

Pasta for breakfast? Hey, why not. Nothing like some good carbohydrates to give you much needed Saturday morning energy. After some searching I also found some bacon and eggs. Hmmm, this is sounding a little familiar. Carbonara anyone?

As you may guess, I cooked the bacon and crumbled it. I used the rendered fat with a little butter and olive oil to saute some fresh garlic and then added the pasta and bacon back to the pan. For a little twist I added some chopped sun-dried tomatoes I found in the refrigerator door and the juice of a fresh lemon with a little dried basil and parsley. I finished the dish by folding in the beaten egg with some Parmesan cheese, off the heat.

The dish turned out great. I especially loved the addition of the sun-dried tomatoes and lemon juice. The acid was a great balance to the saltiness of the bacon and Parmesan cheese.

So the next time you look in the refrigerator and think to yourself, “There’s nothing to eat”, remember that thinking outside the box can be a rewarding experience.