Q San Francisco

Hot & Spicy

Friday, January 5, 20010

Q San Francisco
January 2001
Pages 56-57

Hot & Spicy

In the town that I grew up in there were two Chinese restaurants. Both served what I’ve since come to regard as watered down Cantonese-American cuisine; sweet and sour shrimp, chicken with snowpeas, pressed duck, chow mein – you know the drill.

I remember in high school when a third restaurant opened serving Szechuan and Hunan food. All of the sudden there were hot peppers, ginger, garlic and onions. This was a brave new world for those of us who thought extreme heat was drinking the red sauce that came with a Taco Bell taco.

chiliesThe first time I tried some, I instantly fell in love with spicy foods – and thus began a long and exciting journey of exploration into foods that have some zip. Bottles of hot sauce were consumed, and no pepper was left unturned; but somewhere along the line it became clear that this was all just about heat and pain – what was needed was balance.

In the past few years I’ve returned to exploring the world of Chinese and other Asian cuisines. A few millennia of kitchen time suggested that there had to be something more to these foods than just a chance to sweat. Sure enough, there’s lots to eat, lots of spice, and, most importantly, lots of flavor!

The provinces of Szechuan (Sichuan) and Hunan are located in west-central China. They comprise an area that is at the core of the most ancient parts of Chinese culture. Hunan is a well-cultivated area that provides a huge range of vegetables for use in cooking. Szechuan is a mountainous region with a more limited selection of vegetable foodstuffs, but a larger selection of wild game.

Much of what is used in the cooking of these regions is medicinal in origin. The use of chilies is, historically, a way of inducing perspiration to stave off excess “dampness” in the body. In areas where humidity is high, this can help promote better health. In addition, chilies are a natural antiseptic.

What is most distinctive about these cuisines over other Chinese regional cooking is the emphasis on freshness and flavor over color and presentation. It is a more pragmatic, home-cooking style of food preparation. Dishes commonly open with a pungent, up-front “assault” on the palate that quickly subsides and opens up the taste buds to a wide range of flavors.

It is very common in the food of this region to make use of the traditional Chinese medicinal theory of tastes – sweet, sour, salty, pungent, and bitter – in combination in each meal. Potent, stimulating meals are common: the theory being that they are best suited for promoting active, energetic lives in response to a hot, humid climate.

One of the first dishes from this region I ever had, and still one of my favorites is the ubiquitous “Kung Pao Chicken”.

Kung Pao Chicken

1 pound boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 scallion, chopped
2 teaspoons chopped fresh ginger

Cut chicken in bite size pieces, mix with the other ingredients and set aside for half an hour.

5 fresh hot chilies
1/4 cup raw peanuts
1/4 cup peanut oil

Heat oil and fry the chilies until they turn dark brown. Remove and set aside. Add the peanuts to the oil and fry until golden brown. Remove and set aside.

3 scallions, sliced
6 cloves garlic, sliced
3/4 cup chicken stock
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon sugar
2 teaspoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon red wine or brown vinegar

Pour off all but three tablespoons of the oil and stir-fry the chicken for 2 minutes. Add the scallions and garlic and continue to stir-fry for another minute. Add the chili peppers back in along with the chicken stock, soy sauce, rice wine, salt, sugar and cornstarch (mixed together to dissolve the solids). Cover and simmer until the chicken is tender and cooked through, 3-4 minutes. Add the vinegar and the peanuts, toss together and serve.

What Wine Do I Serve?

My current “fave” in the wine world to accompany spicy food is the Viognier grape. This white varietal originates in the northern Rhone valley in France where it is the constituent of such famous wines as Condrieu and Chateau-Grillet, and an aromatic addition to the red wines of Cote-Rotie. In recent years, it has become the darling of the California “Rhone Rangers”, and more and more, deliciously dry, aromatic and richly flavored wines are being turned out domestically.

Some producers I’m particularly fond of from the home front are Arrowood and Kunde from Sonoma, Alban from San Luis Obispo, and Rosenblum from Napa. In the Rhone world, keep an eye out for Gangloff, Andre Perret, and Pichon. If you want to try something truly esoteric, and in truth, a bit odd, give a shot at a bottle of Chateau-Grillet.

Q San Francisco magazine premiered in late 1995 as a ultra-slick, ultra-hip gay lifestyle magazine targeted primarily for the San Francisco community. It was launched by my friends Don Tuthill and Robert Adams, respectively the publisher and editor-in-chief, who had owned and run Genre magazine for several years prior. They asked me to come along as the food and wine geek, umm, editor, for this venture as well. In order to devote their time to Passport magazine, their newest venture, they ceased publication of QSF in early 2003.

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The Perfect Cocktail Party

Sunday, November 5, 20000

Q San Francisco
November 2000
Pages 60-61

The Perfect Cocktail Party

greenoliveEver since seeing Mame for the first time, I’ve wanted to through lavish, unconventional cocktail parties. What could be more fun than having your apartment completely redecorated every couple of weeks, inviting scads of the most interesting people to come “in-theme,” and serving up the best cocktails, the finest wines, and food that amazes one and all?

I recently had the opportunity to attend a theme party where the hosts had the wherewithal (I love that word! I’m not broke, I just don’t have any wherewithal…) to do up an Arabian Nights theme. To paraphrase my favorite golden girl, “Picture this, Long Island, September 2000…”

The hundred guests were put up in a local hotel, at the hosts’ expense. We were picked up and driven to their home, where we were deposited at the end of a long, paving-stone drive. The drive was lined with boys. Each was wearing nothing but harem pants and holding a large torch, held jutting forth from, well, an appropriate spot to jut forth from. We walked the drive doing the Madeleine Kahn thing, “no, no, yes, no, yes, yes…”

At the end of the drive were the elephant and camel, available for rides. We veered right into the courtyard where we were entertained for an hour or so by fortune tellers, belly dancers, boys and girls in various revealing costumes, cocktails, wine and canapes. Dinner was held in a tent in the backyard – complete with seating for the hundred plus guests, a dance floor, a stage (upon which performed, at various times, more dancers, a band, singers, and a stand-up comic).

When the hosts decided it was time to end the party, they played “Last Dance”, announced that our rides were awaiting at the other end of the drive…and, well, it was over. Now that’s the way to run a party. I just need a little more wherewithal.

I’m going to leave the redecorating to your own imaginations, the invitations for the amusing and facile as well. Food and wine, I can help with. Of course, I don’t know what theme you’ll pick, but at least I can offer a guide to my last theme party – I decided on turning my apartment into a Spanish tapas bar.

Tapas bars, as you may or may not know, are delightful places that Spaniards frequent as a prelude to dining. Starting at an appropriate point in mid-evening, you gather with friends and nibble on various tidbits while consuming a glass or two of sherry, wine or a cocktail. Generally you stand and imbibe, then move your cadre on to your next favorite spot. For my party, I send invitations to forty of my dearest friends and received 70 RSVPs! I have a six-hundred square foot studio apartment. Standing room was the perfect approach. I moved all furniture off to the sides except the dining table. My desk became the wine bar – both were draped in some sort of Spanish looking tablecloth.

I bought olives. Lots of olives. I bought serrano ham, chorizos and other appropriate charcuterie. I bought wine – sparkling, white, red, and sherry. All Spanish of course. Then I had to cook. Two dishes became the hits of the evening, prawns with garlic, and my romesco sauce with grilled veggies and bread to dip in it.

Prawns with Garlic

To serve 10 as a tapas

1/2 cup of olive oil
5 dozen decent sized shrimp (shells and head-on preferred)
2 teaspoons salt
1 head of garlic, peeled and thinly sliced
2 teaspoons red pepper flakes
2 cups of light, dry sherry
1 bunch of flat leaf parsley, minced

Unless you have a huge skillet, you’ll need to split this in a couple of batches. Heat the oil until it is quite hot. Add the shrimp and salt and stir-fry for a minute. Add the garlic and pepper flakes and cook until the shrimp are nice and pink. Add the sherry and cook until it the sauce thickens slightly. Toss in the parsley and serve immediately. It’s best to leave the shells on the shrimp as they add flavor, and make it more fun for the guests to peel their own (or eat, shell and all, which is quite do-able).

Grilled Veggies, Bread & Romesco Sauce

2 japanese eggplants, sliced
2 zucchini, sliced
2 yellow squash, sliced
2 red bell peppers, cut in strips
1 bunch asparagus, pared of any tough ends
1 loaf crusty white bread, sliced (reserve the ends)
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper

A stove-top grill works fine for this dish. Brush the veggies with olive oil, salt and pepper them to taste, and grill until done. Drain and serve on platters with Romesco sauce.

1 cup almonds
Bread loaf ends (each about 1 to 1-1/2″ thick)
6 garlic cloves, unpeeled
2 red bell peppers, stemmed, seeded & chopped
6 tomatoes, chopped
3 tablespoons paprika
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon fresh black pepper
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
2 cups olive oil
1 cup sherry vinegar

Toast the almonds, bread and garlic cloves in a 400F oven for 10-15 minutes till lightly browned. Put the bread and almonds in a food processor and process until finely ground. Peel the garlic cloves and add to processor with tomatoes, peppers, and seasonings. Process until smooth. Gradually add the olive oil and then the vinegar while processing. You should end up with about five cups of a thick, smooth sauce that is perfect for dipping the grilled veggies and bread in.

Your beverage choices are, again, going to be determined by the theme of the evening. As an accompaniment to my tapas dinner, I had a selection of dry sherries, cava (Spanish sparkling wine), white and red wines, and then after dinner drinks to go with the later desserts.

For dry sherry, I recommend one good manzanilla, like the Hijos de Rainera Perez Marin “La Guita” and perhaps a nice amontillado, E. Lustau “Los Arcos” would be excellent choices. Cava, the premier Spanish sparkling wine is generally light, crisp and delicate, generally from the Penedes region. Wonderful selections can be had from Juan-Esteve Avinyo-Nadal, Castillo Perelada and Jaume Serra.

A good white wine choice would be an Albariño from the north of Spain. Personal favorites include Martin Codax, Lagar de Cervera, and Fillaboa. You might consider a rosé, as Spain makes some excellent ones. Best choices include Muga and Conde de Valdemar. And for a red, the classic Spanish grape Tempranillo makes a winning evening – try Sierra Cantabria or El Coto Riojas, especially the latter’s Coto de Imaz Reserva, or any of the wines from the Abadia Retuerta winery.

You can finish with a selection of Pedro Ximenez based dessert wines – my current favorite, and a great value, the Alvear “Solera Diego Abuela No. 27” from Montilla-Moriles. A nice Spanish brandy for those who like a little after-dinner fire – Gran Duque d’Alba or Cardenal Mendoza would be great choices.

Q San Francisco magazine premiered in late 1995 as a ultra-slick, ultra-hip gay lifestyle magazine targeted primarily for the San Francisco community. It was launched by my friends Don Tuthill and Robert Adams, respectively the publisher and editor-in-chief, who had owned and run Genre magazine for several years prior. They asked me to come along as the food and wine geek, umm, editor, for this venture as well. In order to devote their time to Passport magazine, their newest venture, they ceased publication of QSF in early 2003.

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Manhattan’s Hottest New Restaurants

Tuesday, September 5, 20000

manhattanshottest

Q San Francisco
September 2000
Pages 54, 55, 62

Manhattan’s Hottest New Restaurants

In New York restaurants pop up like a jack-in-the-box and close nearly as fast. Some restaurateurs take advantage of the world of trendy, treating their venues practically as day-trades. The glitterati come, see and be seen, and move on – but they come back when the theme, along with the chef and management changes; sometimes it seems they don’t even remember having been there before.

A half-dozen fairly high profile restaurants have opened within the last month. Another half-dozen are slated to open in the next few weeks. I predict three of those will be closed and three will be enroute to closure by the time you read this. Of the others, one, perhaps two, will shine and garner accolades from press and customers alike. That’s the key: the press and the customers need to like the place.

I was sitting with a group of restaurant friends a few nights ago and the question came up, “What restaurants have you been back to?” In the long run the ultimate measure of a restaurant’s quality is repeat customers – people who return time and again because the food is good, the winelist well chosen and varied, service is friendly yet unobtrusive and the ambiance is welcoming and enjoyable.

We came up with three places that all of us have been to repeatedly. The winners of our unofficial, apocryphal, and totally biased survey are: Five Points, AZ, and Fressen. Interestingly, all of our choices are in off-beat locations.

Five Points

Five Points is planted, nearly anonymously, on a cobblestoned block in the lower east side called Great Jones Street. It’s a half a block from the Bowery home to a mix of SRO hotels, half-way houses and off-off-Broadway theater companies and performance spaces.

We love the room. It has the feel of being in a large boathouse. I keep expecting a group of rowers to troop through the room ready to stroke their way along some nearby river. The room is divided by a long, hollow tree trunk, and a stream of water flows from one end to the other. High vaulted ceilings and indirect lighting create a comfortable place to sit and relax.

Chef Mark Meyer’s casual American food is comfort food with class. The kitchen offers wood-oven roasted foods that bring back memories of backyard barbecues and campfires. Admittedly, we never had food like this in the Boy Scouts.

Start with one of Five Points’ specialty cocktails. The cranberry-infused tequila cosmo, the cucumber “sake-tini” and the lemon-mint martini are the stars on my palate. There’s a nice selection of wines by the glass, along with a well-priced winelist with about a hundred choices. In a unique twist, the wines are simply divided by country: France, Italy, USA, Other. Most of the selections are from small, “boutique” producers, many from off-beat locales.

After cocktails order a selection of appetizers for everyone to share.

My personal favorite is the wood-oven roasted shrimp with chickpea crepes, a charred tomato salad and aioli. Other good choices include the grilled Alsatian-style sausage with a truffled-warm potato and red onion salad, and the fire-roasted mussels in white wine and citrus broth that had us mopping up the broth with baskets of bread.

Speaking of bread, Five Points makes a flatbread with mixed herbs and spices that you could make a meal out of all by itself. Among the salad selections, the lobster, mache and fava bean with golden beets and aged sherry vinegar is tough to beat. I usually don’t order pasta from non-Italian chefs, but ravioli of spring peas and morels was too tempting, and too good, to pass up.

For the main courses, buttermilk marinated free range chicken with roasted garlic mashed potatoes is comfort food at its best. My favorite is the baby lamb chops with parmesan-black olive risotto cakes; but I certainly wouldn’t turn down the fire-charred squid stuffed with shrimp, halibut and market vegetables in a roasted tomato vinaigrette.

The menu changes seasonally, so no doubt there will be new things to try the next time we get there, and we will be there again. Five Points, 31 Great Jones St., 212-253-5700

AZ

First, the disclosure. I am intimately involved with the creation and operation of AZ, and even I am amazed with the results of a year-long effort on the part of a stellar team of chefs and managers in putting together this new venue. Restaurant and foodie folk are flocking to this roof-top dining room, on a side street on the border of Chelsea, like they’ve been in hibernation for the winter. So what’s up with this new “Asian-Inspired American Cuisine” restaurant?

AZ is not just another attempt to palatize cuisines of the east for the western tastebuds. The approach is, for the most part, very American, with Asian-inspiration in the form of scattered spices, interesting ingredients, and more especially, presentation style. As chef Patricia Yeo says, “I’m an American of Malaysian descent. Anything I make is Asian-Inspired American”.

AZ is big, but it feels intimate because the restaurant is spread over three floors. The ground floor is a dark, midnight blue and scarlet red lounge scribed by iron rails, ultrasuede ottomans and a copper and iron bar that snakes the length of the room. Specialty cocktails that include a smattering of Asian ingredients rule here. The signature Metro AZ blends a creme of wild blackberry, fresh lemon juice and a buddha-hand lemon infused vodka sells as fast as we can make the infusion. Other favorites include a ginger martini called the tinA louiZe (we keep tabs on how many folk get the reference), a twist on the classic dArk and Ztormy using rum that we’ve infused with Chinese five-spices, and our Hawaiian punch for adults, the AZlammer.

Ascend to the rooftop in the glass elevator adjacent to the three-story black slate waterfall and you start to get the feeling you’re somewhere a little different. A retractable glass roof arches over a dining room graced by mahogany tables, blue ultrasuede banquets and flickering oil lamps.

The menu is prix-fixe, with choices from a dozen each of appetizers, entrees and desserts. Favorites among the starters include the grilled gulf prawns with soybean wontons and tomato water; an open-faced cured foie gras and roasted apricot sandwich; and a ginger-lacquered quail with roasted pineapple. Among the main courses the steamed halibut with soy-ginger sauce and Chinese sausage; the grilled lemongrass lobster in coconut-ginger broth and the absolutely heart-stopping double cut pork chop with Armagnac & oolong tea marinated prunes are complete winners.

Frank Lloyd Wright once said that “It is better to be honestly arrogant than hypocritically humble.” My winelist rocks. I had a dream situation – an entire year to choose the 500 plus selection with no limitation on budget. I was also involved in the design of the wine cellar, a beautiful glass and redwood display taking up the front of our second floor (just outside our private party room). AZ, 21 W. 17th St., 212-691-8888

Fressen

It’s the meat-packing district in all its guises. The space used to be a veal processing warehouse, and now it shares the block with a variety of late night casual sex venues and watering holes. Is it a pioneer or a lost soul? Maybe a little of both.

First you have to find it. An unmarked steel door in the middle of a group of warehouses doesn’t give you the clue that you need. If it’s a little later at night there may be a doorman the size of the door waiting. Despite the fear this may strike in the hearts of club-hoppers, he’s friendly, and merely there to greet you and open the door. Inside, prepare for more contrasts.

You find yourself in a bar filled with the latest model wannabees mingling with people who wish they’d made a call for a reservation now hoping to score a table. You, of course, were smarter than that – you have a reservation. Seating isn’t necessarily prompt, so plan on a short wait, but you’ll have your table soon enough and the cocktails are well-mixed, alongside a great selection of wines by the glass from consulting sommelier Geri Banks.

The dining room, or rooms, as one large space is divided in two by a wall, is lined on all sides with slabs of concrete. The industrial look is softened by golden lighting and bits of wood, stained glass and fabric scattered hither, thither and yon. Your table is actually big enough not only to sit at, but to fit everything you might order on.

The menu constantly changes. Constantly. It is short and “market-driven”, i.e., the local greenmarket informs the dishes of the day. Six to eight appetizers and a like number of entrees are prepared. Tomorrow, anywhere from one to a half-dozen of those is likely to be different. This leads to Fressen’s one real flaw. Now and again, you may feel like you’re the guinea pig of the evening.

Nonetheless, virtually everything I’ve eaten at Fressen has fallen somewhere between good and truly outstanding. Even the misses were never complete misses, just a little askew. The service staff are excited about presenting this kaleidoscope of food and are eager to tell you about it. Same goes for the winelist, a small collection of nicely priced, off-beat and regularly changing selections.

You can guarantee yourself a winner by just accepting that someone at your table has to order the Amish chicken in whatever guise it currently exists. The rich flavor of the chicken itself almost leads me to rent a car and drive the couple of hours to Lancaster, PA just to secure one. One visit we had the most amazing scallops with roasted corn salsa. Another we had a roasted beet salad that had us ordering a second round.

Chef Lynn McNeely (can we just say “cute!” and get away with it?) is especially good with fish and shellfish. His light touch with sauces and seasonings lets the fresh, organic ingredients shine through. He is at his best when he goes simple – perhaps the most memorable dish we’ve had was a plate that consisted of a half-head of butter lettuce, some scattered heirloom tomatoes and a light, lemon and cheese vinaigrette that was there more in spirit than in presence. Fressen, 421 W. 13th Street, 212-645-7775

Q San Francisco magazine premiered in late 1995 as a ultra-slick, ultra-hip gay lifestyle magazine targeted primarily for the San Francisco community. It was launched by my friends Don Tuthill and Robert Adams, respectively the publisher and editor-in-chief, who had owned and run Genre magazine for several years prior. They asked me to come along as the food and wine geek, umm, editor, for this venture as well. In order to devote their time to Passport magazine, their newest venture, they ceased publication of QSF in early 2003.

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A Taste of New England

Wednesday, July 5, 20000

Q San Francisco
July 2000
Pages 54-55

A Taste of New England

There’s something very romantic about New England. It may be that taciturn Yankee stoicism, much reminiscent of a couple of past boyfriends. It could be the rocky beaches with windswept waves that bring to mind gothic romance novels. Or it could just be that, gosh darn it, I like cranberries.

I’ve never lived there, but I try to wander into little port towns whenever I have a long weekend to get away. I’m not a “P-town” kind of guy, it’s a little too commercial for my tastes, even if it is the hotspot for those of our clan to gather.

I have my favorites. Anytime I just want to get away and feel pampered, I head for Newport, Rhode Island. I can visit one of my favorite wineries (more about that later), and ensconce myself in lodge-style luxury at the Inn at Castle Rock. I can dine on some of the best northeastern fare at the Inn’s acclaimed restaurant.

Portsmouth, New Hampshire is like a first love. The very first time I headed to the northern shores was when I first became a chef. Somewhere during my training I’d heard rumors about some bizarre, wild, innovative chef who’d created a little restaurant called the Blue Strawbery (yes, with one r).

James Haller, who later became a cookbook and food & health author, put out some of the most unusual food this boy had ever seen. Not afraid to mix just about anything he could think of together, and see what happened, night after night he put out one of the country’s earliest, and best, “tasting menus” – before it became all the rage. In the sixteen years he ran the restaurant, he never once repeated a menu. That’s the kind of thing I could aspire to.

Like most of my travels, places become inexorably linked with local foods. While James may have been whipping up roasted lamb in a pumpkin, honey and soy sauce (up to that point, I’d only seen soy sauce in little plastic packets from the Chinese take-out, who knew you could cook with it?), it was local foods throughout the region that most attracted me to return.

crabcornSometimes it’s the simplicity of baked beans, a classic of the Boston area. Johnnycake, a stone-ground cornmeal pancake, hails from Rhode Island. Fried, with plenty of butter, it may not fit the latest diet craze, but in its simplicity, it is simply delicious. What better source of fresh lobster than the coast of Maine. Friends of mine used to maintain a summer home there and ship lobsters down to New York. It’s more fun to drive up there and get them as they come out of the water.

Perhaps the most famous, yet most misunderstood, dish is the clambake. This is not, as one local friend thinks, a platter of clams topped with bacon and Parmesan cheese. Those are baked clams, and despite his insistence, violating multiple kosher laws does not cancel them all out…not that I’m spending my time worrying about them.

A clambake is near impossible for the average city-dweller to make. It doesn’t just involve a big pot with clams, corn, onions, fish and lobster all packed in and steamed over a flame. The steam needs to come from fresh-from-the-water seaweed heated over hot rocks in the bottom, and on top, of all those great ingredients. Preferably, it’s all done over an open fire on the beach.

Many years ago, I had the opportunity to spend a day with Craig Claiborne, the first food critic for the New York Times. He had recently come out in his memoirs and was willing to chat with a budding food writer from a gay magazine. As a still somewhat unseasoned chef, it was an amazing day for me. Craig recently passed on, and I offer the recipe he and I cooked for our lunch that day in tribute and in memory.

Crab & Corn Chowder

4 ears of fresh sweet corn
2 dozen or so new potatoes, washed and cut in half
3 tablespoons butter
1 large onion, chopped fine
4 stalks celery, chopped fine
1 cup clam juice
1 cup water
1 cup half-and-half
salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1 pound fresh lump crabmeat
2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander or parsley

Fill a large pot with enough cold water to cover the potatoes and leave room for the corn. Heat to a boil. Add the corn and let it return to a boil. When it is boiling, cover and turn off the heat. Let it sit for five minutes and remove the corn. Cut the kernels from the cob and set aside. Drain the potatoes and set aside.

Heat the butter in a large saucepan and cook the onions, celery and potatoes until the onions are translucent. Add the clam juice, water, half-and-half, red pepper flakes, and salt and pepper to taste. Add the corn and the crabmeat and bring to a simmer for about 8 minutes. The potatoes should be cooked through but not mushy.

Ladle into soup bowls and top with freshly chopped herbs. Serves 4 as a main course soup.

As I noted earlier, one of my favorite wineries is located in Rhode Island. Perhaps it’s more accurate to say that one of my favorite wine people is located there. Susan Samson, affectionately known to many of us in the business as “the hat lady”, is a tireless promoter of things New England, especially local chefs and her own wines. With her husband Earl, who oversees the winemaking, the reputation for quality and affordability of Sakonnet Vineyards wines is widespread.

It is, perhaps, a bit surprising that New England produces such quality wines, but latitude and soil-wise, it is in many ways similar to the vineyards of Germany and northern France. Like Oregon, Washington and Idaho, who knew?

My favorite wine is probably their Gewurztraminer. Crisp, clean, and full of that vibrantly aromatic fruit that the grape is famous for, Sakonnet produces one of the better American examples. Susan and Earl are also fond of using local grapes, and their Vidal Blanc, in both oaked and un-oaked styles are delightful fruity wines, perfect for pairing with a lunch of crab and corn chowder.

The winery also produces a tasty Chardonnay, a wonderfully perfumed Cabernet Franc, and, when it suits them, an amazingly rich red “Claret” blend.

Though I’m always fond of pairing local wines with local foods, I think this soup would be a great match for other fruity, slightly off-dry wines. Some current prime choices from California would be Zaca Mesa Roussanne from Santa Barbara, Wild Horse Malvasia Bianca from Monterey, and the J. Fritz Melon “Shone Farm”. All worth seeking out at your local “bottle shop.”

Q San Francisco magazine premiered in late 1995 as a ultra-slick, ultra-hip gay lifestyle magazine targeted primarily for the San Francisco community. It was launched by my friends Don Tuthill and Robert Adams, respectively the publisher and editor-in-chief, who had owned and run Genre magazine for several years prior. They asked me to come along as the food and wine geek, umm, editor, for this venture as well. In order to devote their time to Passport magazine, their newest venture, they ceased publication of QSF in early 2003.

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A Taste of Hawaii

Friday, May 5, 20000

Q San Francisco
May 2000
Pages 54-55

A Taste of Hawaii

HibiscusPurpleClipArtThere are many things about Hawaii that captures our imagination including: beaches, volcanoes, palm trees and ocean waves, but until recently food was just an afterthought.

Only a decade or so ago, most major restaurants in Hawaii served what chefs thought the tourists would want to eat. Not wanting to offend the sensibilities of the islands’ major source of income, typical “mainland” fare was the order of the day. The thought that the average New York, Iowa or San Francisco bumpkin would want to nibble on local chow was simply not considered.

Luckily for everyone, a few intrepid kitchen maestros decided enough was enough. It was time to share the amazing local produce, seafood, and spices with the inbound masses. Hawaii is fortunate to have the influences of several major world cuisines to draw from. Recipes, techniques, and nuances from Korean, Japanese, Chinese, Filipino, Spanish and Portuguese cuisines add their flavor to the Polynesian and uniquely Hawaiian ingredients and classic dishes.

Hundreds of different edible fish, many available nowhere else in the world, now show up on dining tables throughout the islands. Some are even finding their way to the restaurant kitchens of major cities throughout the rest of the country. Fruits, vegetables and seaweeds of varieties that some cooks only read about are readily available for serving, garnishing and saucing of plates.

Names like Roy Yamaguchi, Alan Wong, Sam Choy, and Jean-Marie Josselin are popping up on food networks next to the likes of Julia Child and Jacques Pepin. In fact, while he may not be the pinnacle chef of Hawaiian food, Roy Yamaguchi is certainly its pinnacle ambassador, with more than a dozen outposts of his famed restaurant, Roy’s, around the world.

Internet sites devoted to Hawaiian cuisines are easily accessible for any home cook’s browsing pleasure and a quick search of the web turned up a half-dozen books on Hawaiian cuisine published in the last year.

Like much of American regional cooking, modern Hawaiian is a synthesis of the cuisines that come from its immigrant populace. James Michener, the author of the historical novel Hawaii, notes in the introduction to a Hawaiian cookbook that it is near impossible to attend a Hawaiian dinner and not have dishes from at least three different cultures.

Though by no means definitive, it would probably be fairly safe to say that modern Hawaiian cooking tends to be on the sweet side. It is not at all unusual to have sauces that are some form of sweet and sour, or based on sweetened coconut milk, or an Asian style soy, vinegar and sugar marinade. Fruit is often used in dishes. Unfamiliar (at least to us mainland types) produce, like purple Molokai sweet potatoes and poha berries sit side by side with fish like kumu, moano, moi, and wahoo.

With no claim to authenticity on my part, and full license on yours to play with your food, I offer a recipe, in tribute at least, to the new Hawaiian chefs. Influenced, of course, by my own cooking background…

Grilled Shutome with Molokai Hash
Serves 4

4 6-ounce shutome (Pacific swordfish) steaks
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
salt & white pepper
1/4 cups raw macadamia nuts, coarsely chopped
4 molokai (purple sweet potatoes), peeled and cut in 1/4″ dice
4 cloves of garlic, minced
2 green onions, sliced thinly
1 fresh medium-hot pepper, sliced in thin rings
1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
2 tablespoons sesame oil
2 tablespoons corn or canola oil
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 teaspoon sugar

Salt and pepper the swordfish steaks (you can substitute any good steak fish, like tuna or shark), and coat both sides with hoisin sauce. Marinate for two hours.

Heat the oils together over medium heat and add garlic, green onions, pepper rings, and ginger and cook, stirring, until they start to turn golden brown. Add the macadamias and sweet potato dice (you can substitute regular sweet potatoes), turn the heat down low and cook, stirring regularly, until the potatoes are cooked through. Add the soy sauce and sugar and mix thoroughly. Remove from heat.

Grill the swordfish steaks on both sides until cooked through – preferably over an open grill. Kiawe wood (a Hawaiian wood) would be ideal, mesquite is a good substitute. A stove-top grill is the way most of us city-dwellers have to go. Serve with the hash.

Hawaiian Wines

Hawaii has two active wineries. Given the range of climates over the various islands and altitudes, grape growing is not all that difficult. Nonetheless, what is more important to the wine industry in Hawaii is an emphasis on local fruit wines. For those of us who’ve bounced around the country and sampled various fruit wines, we know these can range from insipid to quite good, but can almost always be counted on to be interesting. World-class is not the aim here – but fun drinking is.

In the wine business, Tedeschi Vineyards, located on Maui, is perhaps the more famed of the two. Often joked about amongst wine-folk, the winery’s specialty – Maui Blanc – is legendary as THE wine made from fresh pineapple juice. In business since 1974, Tedeschi produces a range of eight different wines, from grapes to passion fruit to pineapple. A visit to the winery, in upcountry Maui, is a must for the adventurous wine lover. In fact, 180,000 visitors make the trek annually.

Volcano Winery, on the “Big Island”, is nestled between two active volcanoes – Kilauea and Mauna Loa. Claiming distinction as America’s southernmost winery, they produce nearly a dozen different wines. Producing wine since 1986, Volcano, too, is worth the trip. Volcano’s claim to fame are their Symphony wines and their honey wines. The former are made from the Symphony grape – a hybrid between Grenache gris and Muscat of Alexandria. The latter are fermented entirely from local honey – unlike heavy, cloying European honey beverages like mead, these are light, fresh and delicately sweet.

Volcano Winery was able to ship some samples for my review. Symphony Dry is made from the hybrid grape Symphony and was a medium bodied, very aromatic wine and dry wine that reminded me of canned apricots and lychees. It worked well with the swordfish, though probably would be a better match with a less spicy sauce. Passion Chablis is a blend of an unidentified white grape and passion fruit wines, and tasted of, well, passion fruit. Being slightly off-dry it worked beautifully with the spicy sauce on the swordfish. With dessert, preferably something with banana or coconut, the Macadamia Nut Honey Wine was delightfully light, refreshing and tasting of honey and macadamia flowers.

Both wineries have well designed websites that are worth a visit, respectively at www.mauiwine.com and www.volcanowinery.com

Q San Francisco magazine premiered in late 1995 as a ultra-slick, ultra-hip gay lifestyle magazine targeted primarily for the San Francisco community. It was launched by my friends Don Tuthill and Robert Adams, respectively the publisher and editor-in-chief, who had owned and run Genre magazine for several years prior. They asked me to come along as the food and wine geek, umm, editor, for this venture as well. In order to devote their time to Passport magazine, their newest venture, they ceased publication of QSF in early 2003.

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Oscar hors d’oeuvres

Friday, March 3, 20000

Q San Francisco
March 2000
Pages 54-55

Oscar hors d’oeuvres
and the QSF Award for best wines of the year

The idea of the importance of wine to film seems a stretch. But my view is, any excuse to throw a party and drink a little wine is…well, any excuse. There are few films in which wine is of key importance. There is Night of the Comet, which revolves around a large, old bottle of wine, sort of. There is Days of Wine and Roses, which really doesn’t relate to wine at all. In most films, the only wine ever noted is Champagne, but that’s too easy.

As I write this, the time for the Academy Awards approaches. Nominations have been announced, and we all wait with baited breath. For nearly 70 years, someone’s been voting on the best picture, best director, best actor, best…you know the drill…and sending one film after another into the halls of immortal fame. Many of us probably haven’t seen most of them. How many of you have rented a copy of the very first film to win – Wings? How many people who happened to attend the first Oscars had actually seen it?

At least today, we can watch the awards from the comfort of our own living rooms and see clips that somebody thinks are what it’s all about. And don’t forget the costumes – of the recipients, not the people in the films… So, we have all the elements. Film, awards show, wine, costumes…hey kids, let’s put on a party!

First, the setting. Obviously you don’t want to completely redecorate just for one night’s festivities. I suppose you could string up strands of 8mm film around the sofa, and paint a bunch of Ken dolls in gold and pose them around the room. Hire some cute young pool-boy types to paint themselves gold and stand around looking Oscar-ish. I like to let my friends be the decoration. Ask them to come as their favorite film stars or in a fabulous costume that Cher or Sally Fields or Angela Lansbury would wear. Perhaps one, or all of them, or even you, could wrap yourselves in celluloid – or the pool-boys. The possibilities are endless.

Next, the show. You need a television set. Big would be good. You do plan to invite dozens of your absolutely best friends to this soirée, don’t you?

In my view, the important part is always the food and wine. But that’s just me. Regardless, I’m going to inflict this view on you. How about some party snacks? I give you one of my favorite, reasonably easy to make, hors d’oeurves.

Smoked Tomato Cheesecakes

Crust:

3 sticks unsalted butter
1/3 cup sugar
2 teaspoons salt
3 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon chili powder
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Whip the butter, sugar and salt together in a mixer until light and fluffy. Sift the flour and spices together and mix into the butter mixture. Press out into a pan approximately 12″ by 16″ and 1″ or more deep. Bake at 350°F for 10 minutes, just enough to set the crust.

Filling:

4 8-ounce packages cream cheese
1 tablespoons salt
4 tablespoons flour
3 tablespoons lemon juice
1 teaspoon liquid smoke
1 cup chopped sun-dried tomatoes (reconstitute in olive oil if dry-packed)
4 eggs
Fresh marjoram

Mix the cream sheese, salt, flour, lemon juice and liquid smoke together till thoroughly blended. Whip in the eggs one at a time. Stir in the tomatoes. Pour filling over the crust. Bake at 450°F for ten minutes, then reduce the heat to 250°F. Continue baking for another 20 minutes and then check. Depending on the exact size of the pan and the depth of the filling, let it cook until lightly browned on top and the filling is solid.

Cool and then cut shapes either by knife or cookie cutter. Decorate each piece with a leaf of fresh marjoram.

gardineAnd now, my own little awards show. The Oscars for best wines of 1999. All votes are my own and do not reflect the whims of the Academy. These are wines that should be currently available – I didn’t think it fair to include older wines that may be impossible to find. Sample them yourself and cast your own votes.

Best Domestic Wine from a White Grape – Matthew’s Semillon, Yakima Valley, Washington

Best Domestic Wine from a Red Grape – Oliver Caldwell Zinfandel “Aida Vineyard”, Napa, California

Best Foreign Wine from a White Grape – Domaine Marcel Deiss Altenberg de Bergheim Grand Vin, Alsace, France

Best Foreign Wine from a Red Grape – Roger Belland Santenay Premier Cru “Gravières”, Burgundy, France

Best White Wine Featuring Bubbles – Krug “Grande Cuvée”, Champagne, France

Best Pink Wine Featuring Bubbles – Pommery “Cuvée Louise” Rosé Brut, Champagne, France

Best Red Wine Featuring Bubbles – Peter Rumball Sparkling Shiraz, South Australia

Best Wine Featured as a Dessert – Alois Kracher Trockenbeerenauslese “No. 12”, Burgenland, Austria

Best Packaging for a Wine – Vranken Demoiselle “Cuvée Twenty-One”, Champagne, France

Best Wine – Château de la Gardine Châteauneuf-du-Pâpe “Cuvée des Generations”, Rhône Valley, France

Q San Francisco magazine premiered in late 1995 as a ultra-slick, ultra-hip gay lifestyle magazine targeted primarily for the San Francisco community. It was launched by my friends Don Tuthill and Robert Adams, respectively the publisher and editor-in-chief, who had owned and run Genre magazine for several years prior. They asked me to come along as the food and wine geek, umm, editor, for this venture as well. In order to devote their time to Passport magazine, their newest venture, they ceased publication of QSF in early 2003.

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A Taste of New Orleans

Monday, January 3, 20000

Q San Francisco
January 2000
Pages 54-55

A Taste of New Orleans

When food people talk about great food cities, there are a few places that are always discussed: New York, Paris, Hong Kong, Sydney, and New Orleans. Sure, each of us has other favorite places to eat, but gather a big enough group, and these five cities will be mentioned over and over again. You’d think that, by now, I would have made the effort to get to all of them. How’s two out of five? And you’d think that of any of them, I’d have definitely headed to a place nicknamed “Queen of the South” or the “Big Easy”. Especially when one of the biggest parties in the world is held there – Mardi Gras!

Instead, many moons ago, I found myself working at a little Cajun jazz bar in the “Big Apple”. This experience became the basis of my appreciation for the food of New Orleans. Luckily, over the years, I’ve had the chance to both work with and become friends with a number of people from the far end of the Mississippi River. Owners, chefs, managers, sommeliers, and staff from Antoine’s, Brennan’s, K-Paul’s, Gabrielle’s, Arnaud’s, Commander’s Palace, and Emiril’s have wandered through my restaurants at various times.

New Orleans is also the home of more famous dishes than you can shake a stick at: who hasn’t heard of Oysters Rockefeller, Bananas Foster, Jambalaya, Blackened Redfish (or blackened anything for that matter), Beignets and King Cake; or drinks like the Sazerac or the Hurricane?

CAJUN AND CREOLE

Although this is not the be-all and end-all definition, the rough difference between Cajun and Creole is that between country and city, respectively. Cajuns were originally French Canadians who came to Louisiana, refused to swear loyalty to the crown of England, and were sort of the outsiders of the area. The term “Cajun” is in fact a corruption of the word “Canadian”. The Creole were originally those of European French blood who were born in “the new world”. The word has come to mean those of “mixed blood” over time.

In cooking, however, the general take is that Cajun is based on hearty country flavors. The “Cajun trinity,” as we used to refer to it in cooking school, is a sautéed mix of diced bell peppers, onions and celery. Hot peppers, especially cayennes, are commonly used. Rice is a staple ingredient. Creole cooking, in contrast, comes from a head-on collision and melding of classic French technique with American ingredients. Roux, a slowly cooked amalgam of hot oil or lard and flour, commonly forms the base to many sauces and dishes.

It would be possible to go on for pages about different dishes and ingredients like crayfish, okra, terrapin, filé and oysters, but let’s just get down to some cooking. I make no claims for authenticity, but this is one of my favorite New Orleans style recipes that I’ve come to love making and eating. No one has ever claimed that I didn’t know what I was doing after tasting it, so I’ll just plunge ahead.

JAMBALAYA

6 stalks celery, diced
2 green bell peppers, diced and seeds removed
2 large onions, diced
4 cloves garlic, minced
¼ cup dried thyme leaves
2 tablespoons dried oregano leaves
½ teaspoon cayenne powder
¼ cup olive oil
3 pounds canned whole plum tomatoes
2 dried bay leaves
1 cup diced tasso ham
2 thinly sliced andouille sausages
1 pound shrimp, shells removed
1½-2 pounds chicken wings, separated at joints

Jambalaya is party food, Sunday supper food, having friends over food. This should make enough for, well, it depends how hungry your friends are. Let’s say somewhere around 8 people.

In a large, deep pot, lightly brown the chicken wings, sausages and ham in the olive oil. Remove the meats and set aside. This should render out a bit more fat, you should have at least a half cup of fat in the pan. Add the celery, green peppers and onion and saute until lightly browned. Add the garlic and cook for another minute, stirring regularly.

Add thyme, oregano, cayenne, bay leaves and tomatoes with their liquid. You can break the tomatoes up a bit by squishing them between your fingers – get involved with your food! Over low to medium heat bring to a simmer. Let simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Put the ham, sausages and chicken back in and continue to cook for another 30 minutes. Keep warm until ready to serve. Just before serving, saute the shrimp in a separate pan till cooked through and add to the jambalaya.

Jambalaya is traditionally served over rice, so cook up your favorite kind. I like to make my rice with chicken stock instead of water since this adds a zesty flavor to the rice. A nice loaf of garlic bread makes a great side to jambalaya as well.

THE WINE LIST

When it comes to matching food with wine, there aren’t any hard and fast rules; but I tend to like to match the spiciness of dishes like jambalaya to a wine with a touch of sweetness to help promote balance. If you want to drink white, I’d go with a very slightly off-dry riesling. My picks at the moment, 1996 Chateau d’Orschwihr Riesling “Rangen”, a grand cru Alsatian wine that should run you around $30; or the 1996 Bonny Doon Pacific Rim Riesling for around $15. For a red, a medium bodied wine like the 1996 Marietta Sonoma County Zinfandel, around $15; or the Topolos “Rossi Ranch” Zinfandel, around $30, should be just about perfect.

Q San Francisco magazine premiered in late 1995 as a ultra-slick, ultra-hip gay lifestyle magazine targeted primarily for the San Francisco community. It was launched by my friends Don Tuthill and Robert Adams, respectively the publisher and editor-in-chief, who had owned and run Genre magazine for several years prior. They asked me to come along as the food and wine geek, umm, editor, for this venture as well. In order to devote their time to Passport magazine, their newest venture, they ceased publication of QSF in early 2003.

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Holiday Spirits

Friday, November 5, 19990

Q San Francisco
November 1999
Pages 52-53

Holiday Spirits

“He has given us plenty of merriment, I am sure,’ said Fred,’ and it would be ungrateful not to drink his health. Here is a glass of mulled wine ready to our hand at the moment; and I say, “Uncle Scrooge.”‘ Admittedly, Uncle Scrooge had his own experiences of holiday spirits to deal with. In my mind, his nephew Fred had a much better approach. Holidays have traditionally been times to celebrate with a wide variety of spirits. As children, we waited eagerly for our gaily wrapped packages (in my family no trees were involved, we had a train made out of large foil wrapped cardboard boxes – each car of the train containing the Chanukah gifts for one member of the family).

With just as much anticipation we awaited the annual chance to have just a little bit of rum in our eggnog. Friends down the block got to sample a small taste of that year’s Christmas punch. A few weeks earlier we had fallen over ourselves to get a medicine cup sized glass of port with our thanksgiving pumpkin pie. At New Year’s Eve? Just a taste of delightfully bubbly champagne. Why, for some youngsters, this was more alcohol in a few dozen days than the entire rest of the year put together!

It has been tradition for centuries to serve some form of a punch or flavored wine through the wintery holiday season. That tradition is often lost as we explore our way through wine auction purchases, the latest California cult sampling, or wax philosophically at some single malt scotch. At best, we might find ourselves pulling out a bottle of a particularly favored brandy that we’ve saved for just such a special occasion.

I say it is time to bring back the punch, the grög, the mulled wine, the bishop…

Many a century ago, there was the “punch” – a British colonial drink made from tea, spices, sugar and fruit and spiked with rum. The term came from the Hindustani word pānch, meaning “five”, and tradition has it that a punch should contain the five above listed ingredients. The French came up with their own version: less tea, and brandy substituting for the rum. In fact, until the 1830s, rum was banned in France in order to avoid commercial competition with locally produced brandies. Perhaps the most traditional of the punches is the marquise punch, which I recommend highly.

MARQUISE PUNCH

1 bottle of sauternes
½ cup of sugar
peel of 1 lemon
3 cloves
1 cup brandy or white rum

Heat all the ingredients except the brandy together until a fine foam appears on the surface and it seems just about ready to boil. Stir to make sure all the sugar is dissolved. Pour through a strainer (to remove the peel and cloves) into your warmed punch bowl. Gently warm the brandy in a saucepan and then light. Pour while still flaming into the punch. Do this while your guests are present so that they can “ooh” and “aah” appropriately.

I have no doubt that someone will insist on making grög, that old tradition of the British navy. While perfectly nice, it is a simple warming together of rum, honey, lemon peel and diluted with water in order to stretch the seamen’s rations of rum. Play, experiment, come up with your own version.

Having mentioned it, it is probably incumbent on me to explain the “bishop”. An ancient drink, it is made by heating claret (red Bordeaux) or port with orange peel and cinnamon. Alternate versions use red Rhine wines (a “cardinal”) or white tokay (a “pope”); all basically refer to the color of the drink versus the color of the robes…you get the idea. The most interesting recipe I’ve found for this drink is called the “English Bishop”.

ENGLISH BISHOP

1 bottle of red port (not tawny)
1 orange
1 handful of cloves
¼ cup of brown sugar
1 cup of cognac

Take the orange and stick all the cloves in it so that it is as well studded as a leather boy at the spike… Dip it in a little of the cognac, just enough to wet it thoroughly, then roll it in the brown sugar till well coated. Brown on all sides under a broiler, or held on a skewer over a flame, until the sugar is nicely caramelized. Cut in quarters, drop it in a saucepan with the port, cover tightly and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes. Add half the remaining cognac just before pouring into mugs. Float a tablespoon of cognac on top of each mug, light and serve to “oohs” and “aahs.”

There are probably as many recipes for mulled wines as there are places that get cold. The most unusual I’ve seen comes from Wular Lake in the old British Indian state of Kashmir, a long disputed area between India, Tibet, Pakistan and Afghanistan. It sounds quite odd, and is quite delicious.

MULLED WINE

2 bottles of red burgundy
2 limes, cut in thin slices and seeded
½ banana, sliced
2 cinnamon sticks
12 cloves
6 allspice berries
1 cup dark rum
½ cup brown sugar
1 cup club soda

Tie the slices of fruit together with the spices in a small cheesecloth bag or wrap. Put with the wine in a large pot, cover and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for 8-9 minutes, but not longer or the banana will get pulpy and cloud the drink. Remove the cheesecloth package and discard. Add the rum and sugar and stir to dissolve. Top off with the club soda and serve immediately while still foaming. Garnish, if you like, with a curl of lime peel.

Without question, if you whip up a truly delightful holiday punch, your friends will beg for your recipes. So what if they normally drink vodka-tonics throughout? It’s the holiday season, and for no other reason we should come together around the punch bowl and try something arguably seasonal and tasty!

Q San Francisco magazine premiered in late 1995 as a ultra-slick, ultra-hip gay lifestyle magazine targeted primarily for the San Francisco community. It was launched by my friends Don Tuthill and Robert Adams, respectively the publisher and editor-in-chief, who had owned and run Genre magazine for several years prior. They asked me to come along as the food and wine geek, umm, editor, for this venture as well. In order to devote their time to Passport magazine, their newest venture, they ceased publication of QSF in early 2003.

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