Brined turkey and a crown roast of pork from Red Apron, more sides than you can imagine, pumpkin, key lime, chocolate and apple pie and, of course, great wine and friends. Perfection.
Happy thanksgiving everyone! Hope your day was filled with family and fun, just like mine.
Kyle and I are burger junkies. In the great “In-N-Out vs 5 Guys” debate we are 5 Guys fans for sure. Ya, I know, you need to order In-N-Out “double double animal style.” Been there, ordered that and the verdict… Meh.
But 5 Guys should watch out, there’s a new burger in town. I know I work with Red Apron but i promise I’m not being bias. If I didn’t ABSOLUTELY LOVE this burger I’d say nothing. But it is unreal. Of course i love the fresh baked brioche bun, toasted with butter, house made thousand island dressing, house pickles, onions and iceberg lettuce but they are supporting characters… The real magic is in the meat. Flavorful and cooked perfectly medium rare then coated with melty cheddar. In my experience, especially for an $8 burger, the meat isn’t usually a highlight. It comes well done and doesn’t taste like much. But at Red Apron its all about the patty. Its juicy, cooked to the temp you like and soooo full of flavor.
Don’t get me wrong, 5 Guys is a wonderful, juicy, satisfying grease bomb. If I’m hung over it really hits the spot. But it leaves you in an absolute food comma and must be consumed in moderation. The Red Apron Classic, however, is a burger I could eat everyday.
One of my favorite lunches at Buzz is this chickpea salad. When we make it the recipe is designed to make the “perfect” amount. It makes 15 and a half portions. unfortunately (insert sarcastic tone here) we can’t serve the half portion, leaving me just enough to have for lunch! I love everything with chickpeas but what’s great about this is it is both light and incredibly flavorful. I especially love it in the spring and summer, when it’s hot. The acidity from the lemon is so refreshing. I like to toss the cucumbers in salt and let them absorb the seasoning and purge excess water for about 15 minutes, just be sure to rinse and pat dry before adding to the salad. It is an extra step that take about a minute but it’s worth it. If you are bringing this to a party I recommend garnishing with some fresh lemon wedges so people can add more acid if they like. Plus the flavor might dull a bit during transport and a fresh squeeze of lemon will perk it right up.
Chickpea Salad Recipe
Serves 6-8 as a side
3 cans chickpeas drained and rinsed
1 seedless cucumber, peeled, sliced in half and cut into 1/2″ thick pieces
1/2 pint cherry tomatoes, split
2 tbsp fresh dill, chopped
2 lemons, juiced
1 cup feta, crumbled
A few dashes red wine vinegar
3 tbsp olive oil
salt & black pepper to taste
Directions
1) Toss the cucumber in 3 tbsp kosher salt and allow to sit for 15 minutes. Rinse with cold water and pat dry.
2) Place the chickpeas, feta, cucumber, dill, olive oil and tomatoes in a bowl and toss.
3) Add a few dashes of red wine vinegar (1-2 tsp,) the olive oil and half the lemon juice. Toss, taste and adjust as needed until it is as tart as you like it (I love acidity so I end up loading it up with vinegar and lemon)
This is perfect for a light lunch or picnic salad. Come to think of it, this would be a great addition to any 4th of July cook out. Enjoy!
After an intense week of cooking, eating and drinking in Atlanta, Kyle and I wanted to keep it light for a few days. A few weeks ago at a BBQ hosted by the Birch & Barley cook Kyle made an awesome ceviche that really hit the spot. I love raw seafood of any kind and I would drink vinegar and lime juice by the glass if I could, so ceviche is a welcome addition to any meal. I think the sliced vegetables served with ceviche should be just as important as the fish. It really makes it a meal. Honestly, the produce (avocado, cherry tomatoes and bell peppers) could stand on their own, making a nice vegetarian salad. I am a huge fan of tofu, which you could replace the fish with and do a vegetarian “ceviche.”
RECIPE
4 appetizer servings
1 pound snapper or tilapia fillet, skin off
1/4 red onion
1/2 red pepper
1/2 orange pepper
3 TBSP cilantro, chopped
1 cup sweet yellow cherry tomatoes, split in half
3 limes
1 lemon
2 TBSP rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1 ripe avocado
Maldon or other large grain sea salt
DIRECTIONS
1) Slice red onion and bell peppers as thin as possible. If you have a mandolin that is ideal but a sharp knife will do the trick.
2) Layer the onions, peppers, cilantro and tomatoes in a jar or glass. Pour the lime juice, lemon juice, vinegar and olive oil directly over the vegetables. Allow to sit while you prepare the fish and avocado.
3) Place the chilled fish on a clean cutting board. Slice on a slight bias 1/4 in thick, transferring each slice to the serving platter, shingling them. Sprinkle lightly with Maldon sea salt.
4) Split the avocado and remove the pit. Use a spoon to gently dig out the flesh. Try to keep it in one large piece. Slice the avocado into 1/4″ thick slices and lay over the fish. Sprinkle the avocado with sea salt as well.
5) Shake up the vegetables and citrus until well combined. Pour the mixture over the fish/avocado, covering them eventy. Sprinkle with maldon salt.
6) Cover and allow to sit in the refrigerator at least 2 hours but up to 5. Serve cold with grilled bread.
Kyle and I enjoyed this on our patio with delicious cocktails in our hands. The weather was just perfect and the sun was going down. It just made the ceviche taste that much better.
One of the reasons I love this job so much is that I get to create so many different kinds of desserts, from fussy to simple. The goal is the same no matter how complicated or simple… That it taste delicious.
The new chef at Evening Star, Jim Jeffords, really let me loose on the menu. I was able to develop a simple but yummy bread board that includes a savory sweet potato biscuit dusted with sea salt and black pepper and a chive corn bread fresh from the oven.
For dessert I wanted to go simple but seriously yummy and comforting. Enter the Seasonal Cobbler. Baked to order and using the fruit of the moment topped with creme fraiche biscuit and paired with ice cream whipped cream and sauce. We started with apples, (because I firmly believe that people should consume as many apple desserts as possible during the winter months) and served a whiskey ice cream with a serious kick and caramel sauce. Piping hot and enough for 2-4 people to share. Oh, and we had to work pralines into the menu so we serve those with peanut fudge and pecan sandies along side a rich cup of hot chocolate.
So far so good but I can’t wait until spring when we get the chance to re-invent the cobbler. Rhubarb, strawberries, blueberries, blackberry, PEACHES… Can you tell I’m excited for peaches?
Kyle had been doing lots of fun things with charcuterie. I’m so proud of him and his crew at Birch. They have really committed to making great pates, cured meats and spreads. Oh, and I make the bread that they serve with it, so it’s really a team effort.
Tiffany MacIsaac | Open Kitchen 