Author: vipmagsc

story by Doug Smith

    Come March, we will hear all about the corned beef and cabbage to be shared on St. Patrick’s day! This dish goes hand-in-hand with the “Kiss me, I’m Irish” shirts and green beer. It’s both delicious and for some, it may even seem like tradition. Upon planning this month’s recipe, I struck up a conversation with a Chef friend of mine who is of Irish descent. Before this conversation, I was certain corned beef and cabbage was the most Irish dish of Irish dishes. After, however, was another story. Apparently, corned beef and cabbage are rarely eaten for any holiday! To be clear, this is an Irish dish (mostly Irish-American) served during the holiday at the local pub. I now have an issue: what dish should we have on Sunday, March 17th this year?   

    Going back to my conversation, my friend was generous enough to explain the most common Irish food: Fish and Chips. This is the case because it’s plentiful. During the Victorian era, the working class didn’t have much money and the diet was just plain and unvaried. Italian migrants passing through the small English towns sensed a business opportunity and started setting up Fish and Chip stands. Soon they were all across Ireland, Scotland, and England. In fact, Fish and Chips had become so important to the local people, that during World War II the British Ministers bent over backward to ensure Fish and Chips were one of the few foods that were never rationed. To keep the price down, they were often served in old newspapers. Recently we have seen innovation in this area and the practice of using old newspaper has stopped. This is due to food safety concerns. That’s a good thing!   

    So go down to your local fishmonger and get a nice piece of fish. I think we can all be proud to serve Fish and Chips this year.

 

Fish & Chips

Ingredients:

• 2lb Yukon gold potatoes         
• 100% vegetable oil for deep-frying
• 4 white fish fillets, fresh skinless (I like Cod)         
• 8oz plain flour, plus extra for dusting         
• 10oz cold dark beer (or a good root beer)          
• 3 tsp baking powder         
• Sea salt          
• Black pepper 

Directions:

    Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice the potato “chips”. Peeling is optional. Pour the oil into a fryer or a large heavy pan and heat it to 375°F. Mix one (1) teaspoon of Sea salt and one (1) teaspoon of pepper together, then use it to season the fish fillets on both sides – this will help to remove any excess water, making the fish really meaty. Whisk the flour, beer and baking powder together until the texture is almost like whipped cream. 

    Meanwhile, parboil the chips in boiling salted water for four to five minutes, or until softened, but still retaining their shape. Then drain and allow to dry. Dust each fish fillet in a little of the extra flour. Dip fish into the batter and allow any excess to drip off. Holding one end, gently lower the fish into the oil one by one, working carefully so you don’t get splashed. Cook for four minutes, or until the fish is cooked through and the batter is golden and crisp, then remove to drain. 

    When the chips are nice and dry, fry in the oil that the fish was cooked in until golden and crisp. While the chips are frying, transfer the fish to a baking tray. Place in the oven for a few minutes to finish cooking – this way they will stay crisp while you finish off the chips. 

    When the chips are done, drain them on paper towels, season with sea salt, and serve with the fish. A few other things to have on the table are some crunchy sweet pickled gherkins, pickled onions, and tomato ketchup. Then you will want to douse it all with some malt vinegar.

Get more from Doug Smith by following him on Facebook and Instagram at “Doug Food Guy”.

If it’s a good read you are looking for, check out Dlia Owens’s Where The Crawdads Sing!

    For years, rumors of the “Marsh Girl” have haunted Barkley Cove, a quiet town on the North Carolina coast. So in late 1969, when handsome Chase Andrews is found dead, the locals immediately suspect Kya Clark, the so-called Marsh Girl. But Kya is not what they say. Sensitive and intelligent, she has survived for years alone in the marsh that she calls home, finding friends in the gulls and lessons in the sand. Then the time comes when she yearns to be touched and loved. When two young men from town become intrigued by her wild beauty, Kya opens herself to a new life–until the unthinkable happens.

    Perfect for fans of Barbara Kingsolver and Karen Russell, Where the Crawdads Sing is at once an exquisite ode to the natural world, a heartbreaking coming-of-age story, and a surprising tale of possible murder. Owens reminds us that we are forever shaped by the children we once were and that we are all subject to the beautiful and violent secrets that nature keeps. (www.goodreads.com)

Streaming platforms offer thousands of movies and show options and sometimes it can be tough to know what to choose. Looking for recommendations? You no longer have to #askfacebook because we’re here to help!

    Both Netflix and Hulu offer different documentaries providing insider knowledge about the infamous 2017 Fyre Festival in the Bahamas. Organized by Billy McFarland and sporting Ja Rule as the face of the event, Fyre Festival was supposed to be a luxury concert weekend experience, attracting many millennials who paid thousands of dollars. What it ended up being was a viral sensation when hundreds of people expecting to party with celebrities on an island in the Bahamas showed up to an event in complete disarray.

    The Netflix doc, “Fyre: The Greatest Party That Never Happened,” gives you a deeper look inside the promo video that made Fyre Festival go viral. The Hulu doc, “Fyre Fraud,” gives a deeper look into McFarland’s past. Both are strong documentaries and come at the topic at different angles. You will be thankful you are watching the disaster unfold from the comfort of your home instead of one of the thousands of people who wasted their hard-earned money on a fraudulent music festival that did not deliver on its promises!

A charcuterie board is great for entertaining and works year-round! Most people love a great charcuterie board. The word, pronounced “shar-cute-er-ree,” describes any kind of cured meat, but is typically associated with specialty and gourmet meats that are prepared using artisanal processes.
The concept of charcuterie dates back hundreds of years. Curing and preserving is a cooking method that can be traced back to the earliest civilization. Charcuterie shops, which originated in France, date back to about the 15th century. The charcuteries sold cured meats to villagers to supplement the supply of fresh food available throughout the year.
Besides being visually appealing with colors, textures, and choices, the best part about a charcuterie board is its versatility. While there’s no real right or wrong way to create and present charcuterie, here are some suggestions and tips. The sky is the limit!

• Find the right board or platter that works best for the number of people you are serving. Large cutting boards, marble slabs, slate boards, chalkboards, or large simple platters all work well. You may be surprised to find that you may already have something you can use at home!

• When deciding how much to buy, you can typically allot 2 ounces of cheese and charcuterie per person.

• Try to include bright colors, strike a good balance of flavors and textures, and have enough choices that any guest will be enticed to sample something.

• Make sure the board is approachable. No guest wants to be “that person” that “messes up the masterpiece.” Remember to slice some meats and cheeses ahead of time if possible, though leave some items guests can slice themselves as well.

• Keep it casual and simple, though have a full board so guests do not feel self-conscious for taking more than one item. Start placing ingredients in the center first. Then, place large pieces around the sides and fill in the blank spaces.

• Even if you don’t have a huge bank of knowledge on various meat and cheese pairings, selecting several quality meats and cheeses is key to a fun board. You can switch up variations every time.

• Serve the platter at room temperature for maximum enjoyment in flavor and texture.

• Wine and beer pair excellently with meat and cheese and can enhance the flavor experience.

 

Items to include:

Cured Meat – The Heart of the Board
Provide 3 different types of meats. Consider soppressata, salami, prosciutto, bresaola, and pepperoni. If you have larger pieces, roll the meats for better spacing and to make it easier for guests to grab.

Cheese
Due to guests having different preferences, be sure you have options for both mild and bold flavors, as well as middle-of-the-road options. (Think mild, medium, and sharp.) Create a combination of aged, firm, soft, crumbly and creamy cheeses. Get creative with shapes and keep the soft, ripe cheeses intact. Slice the other firmer cheeses in triangles, chunks, natural crumbles, or squares. Consider goat chevre, brie, Parmigiano-Reggiano, gruyere, and English blue cheese.

Spreads or Dips
Consider herbed spreadable cheese, local honey, hummus, olive tapenade, marinated artichoke spread, good quality grainy mustard, or some roasted red pepper dip.

Garnish
Select items that create a color contrast with the cheese. Consider cured mixed olives, peperoncinos, sweet red peppers, caper berries, or cornichons. You can even add festive holiday touches such as rosemary, pomegranate seeds, pears, and cranberries.

Crackers or Breads
These items can be great for pairing a variety of ingredients for providing stability to the bite. Consider sea salt bagel crisps, sliced French bread, or pretzel chips.

Fruit
Raspberries, blueberries, strawberries, and any kind of grapes are all great summer fruit options. For winter, dried fruits work great as well as apples, pears, figs, and dates.

Nuts or Seeds
Consider pistachios, almonds, pecans, walnuts, macadamia nuts, and toasted pumpkin seeds. Grab small bowls to place around your board to place your nuts in or scatter them around.

Serving Tools
Quality cheese knives, small dishes or bowls, and spoons are essential in order to contain some items and so flavors don’t accidentally mingle. They also give the platter another eye-catching dimension. Be sure to have enough knives so guests do not have to wait to serve themselves. You can even provide labels!

 

 

story and recipe by Doug Smith

    Love, food, and Valentine’s Day go hand in hand. Some of my best memories are in the kitchen; so many of our emotions are wrapped around food. Valentines’s day is just around the corner so why not make things more extraordinary for your special someone this year by serving them a romantic dinner at home? Cooking your favorite meal together in the kitchen or even buying it prepared and bringing it home to enjoy can be very rewarding.

    When planning a meal at home, it’s important to remember we eat with our eyes. Think about sitting at your favorite restaurant and glancing over at the table next to you as the food is presented or scrolling through Instagram and Facebook posts showing enticing dishes. It’s true we eat with our eyes, and our eyes are the gateway to our soul. When a dish is visually appealing it is just better. Wouldn’t a rotisserie-roasted chicken make your mouth water more than a plainly baked chicken breast? A salad made with colorful leafy greens, red peppers and carrots are more attractive than a bowl of plain iceberg lettuce. The same goes for the rest of the table. Presenting your food on beautiful plates, having fresh flowers, candlelight, and soft music playing just makes the evening even more special. You don’t have to be a chef or even a good cook to have a great dinner; just enjoy the experience. Give it a try.  It’s kind of like love; a little messy but well worth the effort. This year I will be preparing rosemary chicken with roasted grapes for my wife. It’s my personal twist to the classic recipe that is rumored to have inspired a royal wedding.

    February 14th isn’t the only day to celebrate love. Choose a date night on a regular basis and have some fun experimenting together with your loved one in the kitchen. Worst case scenario, you can always go out!

 

Rosemary Chicken with Roasted Grapes

Ingredients:

• A drizzle of olive oil
• 3 to 4 lb. whole free-range chicken
• 1 large or 2 small onions
• 4 whole carrots
• 2 cloves of garlic
• 1/2 of a bunch of fresh rosemary
• 1 heaping tablespoon plain flour
• 10 oz. white wine
• 6 oz. chicken stock
• 1 lb. small potatoes
• 2 handfuls of red and green grapes
• A few sprigs of fresh flat-leaf parsley

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375ºF.
2. Cut the chicken into 8 pieces. Heat olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Season the chicken with Salt & pepper. sauté in batches, until golden all over. Set aside on a plate.
3. Peel and cut the onions into wedges, chop the carrots, then peel and finely chop the garlic.
4. Add the vegetables to the pan and gently sauté for about 15 minutes over medium-low heat, or until soft.
5. Pick and then finely chop and add the rosemary, then stir in the flour. Turn up the heat to medium-high and leave for a few minutes.
6. Return the chicken to the pan.
7. Pour in the wine and bring to the boil, then lower the heat and let it reduce by half.
8. Roughly chop and add the potatoes, pour in the stock, and bring it back to the boil.
9. Cook in the oven for 30 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender and the chicken is falling off the bone.
10. Stir the roasted grapes into the chicken, finely chop and scatter over the parsley leaves, and serve.

 

Doug Smith is a husband, Father, 25-year veteran Restaurant Consultant, Passionate about Food and Family. He continues to work with some of the best restaurants and chefs in the southeast. Doug enjoys serving up fine meals for his family and friends at home.