Mixed-up Menu Trends

Every month or so I look forward to receiving the "events publication" from the James Beard House in New York City. Part booklet, part magazine, not only is it a gastronomic "look-see" into the minds of chefs and what they're thinking, but also a good indication of what may be cropping up on menus in your own zip code. Keeping in mind that cooking at the Beard House requires a certain amount of performance art and culinary high-wire acts, the offerings are complex and sometimes over-the-top. Yet, I'm fascinated by the ingredients I've never heard of (yes, I just admitted that), grateful for a new technique or idea, and sometimes baffled by some of the crazy-mixed up combinations.

Nonetheless, a read of the menus to be cooked by myriad chefs from all over the country provides an "instagram" sweep of America's culinary landscape. There's almost a dinner every day at the Beard House, with chefs telling their stories through the narrative of the menu, somewhere in the USA.

First, the ingredients: You'll be seeing mutton, geoduck, banana leaves, lamb tongues, mantequilla enojada (I must look this up), beef heart, gizzards, lotus leaf, finger limes, lotus root, barberries, nettles, cara cara oranges, red verjus, headcheese, shimeji mushrooms, green strawberries, buttermilk, sugar cane, scrapple, lamb neck.

A few new ideas: There's "lambcetta" (I imagine that's a riff on pancetta but who knows), white barbecue sauce, cold fried chicken torchon, cider aspic, black sesame panna cotta with yuzu, sweet chestnut-filled ravioli with warm English custard, brisket bourguignon (with lamb belly confit and quinoa).

Some nice menu language: Foraged mushrooms of the moment, fresh-churned butter, Chocolate Study=Soft, Crunchy, and Nutty.

Most curious? Coffee malt crème and soda bread parfait with frozen parsnips.

I am struck by the lack of cheese in the dishes or their presence on the menus. Instead most menus were chock-full of mystery words and only a handful showed a kind of elegant restraint. It was refreshing to see the word "fumet."

What does it all mean? Some of the wanton (not wonton!) creativity that began in the 1970s was expressed on menus in language that read like shopping lists, where every ingredient in a dish was revealed. The trend continues today. And while it is a way for chefs to differentiate themselves from others, the menus have a sense of gastronomic sameness -- with little sense of place, identity or ethnicity. This is merely an observation and not a judgment for it is what we have come to expect of our chefs and their menus. "Wow me," we say. And for the most part, this is what the chefs are doing. Frozen parsnips, anyone?

If you're lucky enough to be in New York in March or April, or anytime really, you should try one of the Beard House dinners. You'll be dropping into a wondrous food community and share a bit of the past... and the future.

Award-Winning Veal Chops

This Friday night marks the much-anticipated James Beard Awards for television, media, and books!  Radically Simple: Brilliant Flavors with Breathtaking Ease is nominated for best cookbook in the general cooking category.  I am honored and delighted and look forward to sharing the evening with many friends in the food world (a world that may also reach 1 billion people in the next few years -- thanks to the Internet!)  The philosophy of the book, in case you didn't know, is to bring simply elegant "restaurant food" to the home cook in 140 words or less.  Each recipe reflects a balance of time, ease of preparation, and number of ingredients.  As with all my books (this is the 12th), superlative ingredients are the hallmark of each dish, and simplicity is key.  As a professional chef for more than 30 years (yikes!), I bring a bit of "chef thinking" to each dish and help you discreetly combine interesting new flavors and techniques. In today's food section of the New York Times is a dish that prompted me to share one of my radically simple dishes with you.  As a fan of Melissa Clark, who writes the column "A Good Appetite," I was attracted to a recipe for lamb chops with capers, anchovies and sage.  It's stunning simplicity -- with its whole leaf of fresh sage encrusted on top -- had me immediately turn to my own "Veal Chops with Sage Butter, Sunflower Seeds & Beet Drizzle."   Although I don't make veal very often at home (there are four veal recipes in the book), I do on occasion, splurge and enjoy.  This is one recipe I know you will, too.  Served with a side dish of sauteed peppers with golden raisins and arugula, it is a study in nature's own color palate.

Veal chops, below.  For the side dish, you might want to buy the book!  (smile).   Big thick veal chops became the sine qua non of chic in the early 1980's on the upper east side and in some of the city's more swank Italian restaurants.  For those of you who remember Hoexter's Market, it was their 2-inch thick juicy grilled veal chop that was all-the-rage (ditto their garlic bread covered with gorgonzola sauce.)  It makes me hunger for the good old days -- when James Beard could still be found eating in some of the city's best.

Veal Chops with Sage Butter, Sunflower Seeds & Beet Drizzle

3/4 cup chopped canned beets 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar 4 tablespoons olive oil 4 thick loin veal chops, about 9 ounces each 3 tablespoons unsalted butter 12 large fresh sage leaves 1/4 cup toasted sunflower seeds

Place the beets, 1 tablespoon vinegar, 3 tablespoons of the olive oil, and 1/4 cup water in a food processor.  Process until very smooth.  Set aside.  Season the chops with salt and pepper.  Heat the butter and the remaining 1 tablespoon oil in a skillet large enough to hold the chops in one layer.  Sear the chops over high heat until browned on one side, about 4 minutes.  Place 3 sage leaves on the uncooked side of each chop and turn over.  Cook over high heat until browned on the second side, 3 to 4 minutes longer.  Add the remaining 1 tablespoon vinegar to the pan and cook 15 seconds.  Transfer the chops and pan juices to plates.  Serve chops, sage-side up, sprinkled with sunflower seeds and drizzled with beet dressing.   Serves 4

Radically Simple Wins Nomination!

My newest book Radically Simple: Brilliant Flavors with Breathtaking Ease was nominated for a coveted James Beard Award yesterday.  The book, my 12th, was published by Rodale late October 2010 and has garnered lots of wonderful attention.  It was chosen by People magazine, Food & Wine magazine, Good Morning America, and the New York Times as one of the best cookbooks of the year.  My favorite mention of all, however, was in the New York Times holiday book review, when the writer, Christine Muhlke (now the new editor of Bon Appetit) likened my work to that of Rene Redzepi (this year's #1 chef in the world -- owner of Noma restaurant and author of the Noma Cookbook).   The James Beard Awards are considered the "Oscars" of the food world and I'm honored to have received four of them.  Three for my cookbooks -- Little Meals, Recipes 1-2-3, and Entertaining 1-2-3 (Healthy 1-2-3 was nominated) -- and one award for a recent radio show that I did with Leonard Lopate on WNYC called "The 3-Ingredient Challenge."   This year, Radically Simple was nominated in the general cooking category along with The New York Times Cookbook by Amanda Hesser and The Heart of the Artichoke by David Tanis.  Both wonderful books.  The Awards ceremony takes place on May 6th.  Stay tuned.  But as they say in Hollywood,"win or not, it's great to be nominated."   Thank you to everyone who made it possible.