Recipe: New York Hot Dog Relish

Posted on September 10, 2013 by Burnt My Fingers
SabrettSauce

New York style onion-and-tomato hot dog relish

This is my take on the onion and tomato relish served with Sabrett’s and other “dirty water” hot dogs by vendors on the streets of New York. It’s sweet and sour and a little spicy and goes great on hamburgers too. Makes 3 cups.

¼ c salad oil
3 medium to large onions, sliced thin
3 c water
1 T cornstarch
6 T tomato paste
1 T sugar
1 ½ t Kosher salt
½ t red pepper flakes
¾ c cider vinegar

Method: Saute the onions in a big saucepan till limp. Mix the cornstarch with a little of the water till dissolved; add to the onions along with the rest of the water and all other ingredients. Cook over low heat until water has reduced by half and the sauce is thick—probably about 1 to 1 ½ hour. Lasts a few weeks in the refrigerator.

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Saratoga Wine and Food Fest is TOMORROW

Posted on September 6, 2013 by Burnt My Fingers
ZakPelaccio

Watch celebrity chef Zak Pelaccio break down a pig and turn it into delicacies!

A little less than 24 hours from now, I hope you’ll join me at the Grand Tasting of the Saratoga Wine and Food Fall Ferrari Festival, where we’ll have lunch, education and dinner in a beautiful setting with what promises to be perfect weather. Tickets are available at spac.org, by calling 518-584-9330 or at the Route 50 Box Office.

I’m going to drop in the event list for the afternoon, but first a few words of advice. a/arrive at noon when the gates open, or soon after, and come hungry; b/even though the events through the afternoon are included in your admission price (except for the Kevin Zraly wine seminar, which is a separate ticket) you may need to make a reservation to be sure there’s space for you, so do this first (ask the ticket taker how); c/give yourself a Grand Tour first rather than just diving in; get oriented as to what is where and plan a logical tasting sequence of spirits, wines, appetizers, savories and dessert; d/even if you’re squeamish, don’t miss the pig demo with Zak Pellachio. I have had the pleasure of seeing Paul Bertolli of Olivo in Oakland break down a pig and it’s a fascinating way to learn what you eat. Bon Apppetit! And now the specifics:

CULINARY TENT COOKING SHOWS

➢ Learning to Cook with Mo Rocca & Mamma Theresa from DZ Restaurants: Inspired by Mo Rocca’s hit Cooking Channel show, “My Grandmother’s Ravioli,” this session pairs the celebrity host with DZ Restaurant’s beloved Mamma Theresa, as she shows him how to make select family recipes and traditional Italian specialties.
➢ Heritage Pig Butcher Demo Led by Chef Zak Pelaccio: The top wine and food festivals in the world have been featuring pig butchering demos as part of a commitment to sustainable, ethical farming and locally sourced food. Chef Zak Pelaccio of the Hudson Valley’s hottest new restaurant, Fish & Game, demonstrates the finer points of butchering a heritage pig and innovatively utilizing the various cuts of meat.
➢ Zak Pelaccio Chef’s Demo: Chef Zak Pelaccio prepares creative dishes using heritage pork and locally sourced produce from the Capital Region and Hudson Valley.
➢ Big Green Egg Grill Games sponsored by the Times Union: TU food writer Steve Barnes judges the final round of competition among Capital Region amateur chefs who will each be given a basket of ingredients and asked to create a unique recipe using Big Green Egg Grills.

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Recipe: Tomato-y Bloody Mary Mix

Posted on September 5, 2013 by Burnt My Fingers
Bloody Mary

The unconventional stir stick in my Bloody Mary mix is due to the fact I ate all the Pickled Celery.

Unlike the popular canned brand, this bloody mary mix  doesn’t mask the taste of tomato juice. About 6 servings. A good way to use the leftover juice from your Ultimate Blender Gazpacho.

Ingredients:
32 oz Campbell’s tomato juice
1 T Worcestershire sauce
½-1 t Tabasco
½ t celery seed
2 T lime juice
2 T Sherry vinegar
½ t sugar
1 garlic clove finely ground into ½ t Kosher salt

Method: Combine all ingredients and chill at least 4 hours. Strain out the garlic before serving. Add 1 1/2 oz vodka or just drink the way it is.

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Guss’ Pickles, Oy Vey!

Posted on September 3, 2013 by Burnt My Fingers
GussPickles

Guss’ “New York Refrigerated Fresh Deli-Dill Pickles”

One of the most heartrending tales ever told on Burnt My Fingers is the saga of Guss’ Pickles. I hope you’ll go and read it in its entirety, including especially the comments. But in a nutshell he said, she said, until one entity ended up owning the rights to the name Guss’ Pickles and the other the shop where they were originally produced. (Which she then relocated to Brooklyn… like I said, the saga goes on and on, with occasional sparks of new conflict that flare up like embers in a dying fire.)

I have had it on my bucket list to make it to the Cedarhurst neighborhood of the Bronx and meet with the Liebowitz family which currently owns the name, but that turns out out not to be necessary.  As Adam, who surely is Guss’/Liebowitz’s biggest fan, points out, unlike the competitor’s pickles Guss’ are widely sold including at Whole Foods. And this week they showed up in upstate New York, at my local Price Chopper. Which is why it was, harboring nothing but good will and curiosity, that I brought home a jar of Guss’ New York Refrigerated Fresh Deli-Dill Pickles.

And guess what. They contain vinegar. And while they’re superior to a jarred brand in the relish aisle, they have a lot more in common with mass-produced brands than anything ever cured on the Lower East Side.

The back of the impossible to read label (because it’s printed in a dark color over a clear background) informs us that these pickles are made under license by United Pickle Packers of Demarest, NJ. Maybe the Liebowitz family was convinced they had to Vlasic-ize their pickles to reach a mass market. (Which can’t be true: Bubbies and Ba-Tampte are two examples made with nothing but a salt cure, and they’re widely available at high end markets.) But there can’t be any doubt that Izzy Guss is twirling in his grave like a lamb on a rotisserie.

For me, this is solved. Patricia Fairhurst may have a waspy name, but she’s selling the authentic full sour. Next time I am in Brooklyn I will need to make the pilgrimage to Clinton Hill and ceremonially dip a pickle in honor of Izzy and his heritage which, in a circuitous way, is preserved after all.

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Start your gustatory engines… Saratoga Wine and Food Festival is coming!

Posted on August 29, 2013 by Burnt My Fingers
Wine Glasses by Tom Stock

I plan to try all these wines, in this precise order. Photo by Tom Stock of Stock Photography (no, really… great shooter)

I like to think of the Saratoga Wine and Food Festival as a “locals only” event which definitely isn’t accurate… for one thing, the concourse portion of the event includes several gatherings of classic car collectors who come from hither and yon. But it’s the week after racing season has ended so the crowds have died down, the trees in Spa Park are starting to show fall color, and you can actually get a parking spot downtown.

This year’s festival is Friday through Sunday, September 5-7. The bulk of the events are on Saturday, the 6th. Admissions are a la carte and not cheap; if this is your first time I’d recommend the Grand Tasting on Saturday afternoon ($85). Strategy: come hungry and thirsty and plan to compress lunch, cocktails and dinner into an extended strolling and noshing experience. This year the Kevin Zraly wine tasting symposium is priced separately, but that may be okay because it’s at the same time as the demo by chef Zack Pellachio of Fish & Game in Hudson, currently the white hot restaurant in the region. I’m not sure if advance reservations are required for this; check in at the information station when you arrive to be sure you are covered for admission to this and any other special sessions within the main event.

If you do come, because of the amount of wine and spirits you might possibly consume, consider bicycling; there’s a great trail that cuts through the park behind the Dance Museum and dumps you out near the Festival grounds. Or, better yet, book a room downtown and walk to the event. By the time you return, you will have burnt off the hydroxyl radicals and calories and you’ll be ready for a new gustatory experience.

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Food for thought… Foodspin

Posted on August 25, 2013 by Burnt My Fingers

This morning, while trolling for Johnny Football trivia, I ran across the Foodspin section of the sports blog Deadspin.com. I think any reader of Burnt My Fingers would enjoy this. A good place to start is the post called How To Cook Bivalves, The Life-Affirming Pain In The Ass, where author Paul Boreko Albert Burneko points out that if you don’t take your clams or mussels home after buying them (vs, say, stopping to see a movie on the way) they will die and rot and you will get sick when you eat them. Good point!

However, Boreko Bruneko spends most of his time in the comments area, ragging on readers who offend him for some reason. A good example is this thread, castigating a normal-looking guy who, like us, enjoys cheese with his peanut butter. Check it out.

P.S. Post updated. The Foodspin author contacted me and pointed out, in typically genial fashion, that I had misstated his name.

 

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Recipe: Pickled Celery

Posted on August 23, 2013 by Burnt My Fingers
PickledCelery

Pickled Celery

Do you have trouble getting through an entire package of supermarket celery? Here’s your solution. After using the first couple of stalks for your stuffing or tuna salad, pickle the rest of it. Pickled celery great with wings or Bloody Marys.

Ingredients:
A bunch of celery
Kosher salt
Garlic, a few whole cloves
Red onion, a few slices
Hot water

Method: Find a big wide mouth jar with a tight fitting lid. Quart canning jars are good, as are recycled pickle containers. Wash the jar thoroughly with soap and hot water and rinse completely; thoroughly wash the celery under cold water. Cut the celery into pieces that are a little shorter than the top of the jar and stuff them in till full. Wedge the garlic and onion slices between the stalks. Prepare a 2% brine with 2 1/2 t Kosher salt to each pint of hot water; stir to dissolve then pour into the celery jar. Repeat until tops are submerged. Cover with a dark cloth and keep in a dark cool place (like a basement) for at least a week, opening and closing the jar daily to release any gases which may accumulate.

The water will turn cloudy and bubbles will start to form in a couple of days, indicating fermentation has begun. When the water starts to clear after about a week, the pickles are ready to sample. If you like them as-is, pour off the water and transfer the pickled stalks to a Ziploc bag; plan to eat and enjoy over the next few days. If you’re willing to have them more sour, keep in the jar a few days longer then transfer as above.

Note: Celery retains its crunch when cold-pickled because the water doesn’t permeate the woody cells. You get celery texture with a nice tang and a hit of the allium which is perfect for wing sauce dipping, Bloody Mary stirring or a plate of crudites.

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Stewarts and the Deli Dog

Posted on August 20, 2013 by Burnt My Fingers
DeliDogs

A duo of Deli Dogs (Cajun on the left, steamed on the right)

I realize I’ve been a little negative about my adopted region in a few recent posts, so let me tell you something I really like: Stewart’s Shops (hereafter Stewarts) and in particular their Deli Dog.

Stewarts is a chain of convenience stores that’s like 7-11 but with a few quirks. They’re is headquartered right here in Saratoga Springs, NY, but their locations are all over eastern New York and western New England, often just a few blocks apart. (In my own town of 30,000 people there are 9 Stewarts.)

On the outside, Stewarts are typically drab brick buildings though they occasionally occupy a leased space. The interior is absolutely devoid of any attempt at décor. There are hand-lettered signs and the fixtures and counters look like they were put together by a guy in his garage out of Formica and particle board. Each Stewarts has an ice cream counter serving their own (pretty good) flavors in cones and fountain treats. (50 cent discount for kids in sports uniforms.) There’s a seating area that is typically well-used by retired folks and well behaved transients. And… there’s the Deli Dog.

The Deli Dog is a quintessential hot dog that is either steamed or roller-grilled, depending on the preferences of the manager at each store. (A very few stores sell them both ways.) Buns are provided in a heated drawer below the dog display, and condiments are available in soda fountain cups with a hole cut in the top. There is deli mustard, onions, sauerkraut and ground red pepper relish, and there’s also meat sauce which you can add for free (there’s also chili which looks the same as the meat sauce, but costs extra).

Once you’ve loaded up a dog with mustard, followed by condiments, then a dollop of meat sauce, you’ve got a pretty good meal which will set you back $1.49 for one, $2.49 for two, though they often run two for $1.99 sales. I often go to one of the stores that have both the steamer and the broiler and get one of each. (There’s also a fluorescent Cajun dog for the same price.) The steamed dog has an appealing delicacy about it—you have to carefully fish it out of the steamer or it will break apart, and the interior is almost custardy. While the broiled dog has that crispy skin that reminds you of the ball park. Really, no way to choose between them so I’m going to go to Stewarts and have both right now.

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Recipe: Pork Adobo, Carnitas Style

Posted on August 14, 2013 by Burnt My Fingers
PorkAdobo

Pork Adobo with Guisadong Repolyo (sauteed cabbage)

I cooked the pork the way I make carnitas to make this extra tender and juicy Pork Adobo. The marinade adds delicious flavor and the vinegar provides a kick at the end.

Ingredients:
1 pork butt, approximately 4 pounds
½ c soy sauce
8 bay leaves
16 black peppercorns, crushed or cracked
8 garlic cloves finely chopped, approximately ¼ cup
Lots of water
½ cup vinegar, cider or cane
Kosher salt to taste (may not need it)

Method: cut the pork into chunks approximately 1 inch square, trimming off the biggest pieces of fat as you go*. Place in a container or Ziploc bag and add garlic, peppercorns, bay leaves and soy sauce; mix thoroughly. Marinate 8 hours or longer. Transfer the pork to a heavy pot and add water till pork is submerged. Cook on low heat until the water almost completely evaporates. Add the vinegar and serve over white rice.

NOTE: I wanted to experiment with more Pinoy recipes after my Sizzling Chicken Sisig became such a hit. I’m very happy with this one. It captures the flavors I remember from Filipino lunch places in LA, but with a couple of tricks to make it extra easy and delicious.

*For carnitas I leave all the fat on so it will render and crisp the meat at the end, but in this case the cooking liquid becomes part of the dish so you’ll want to trim out at least part of the fat. I used the extra fat to saute the cabbage (cooked with onion and garlic and a bit of tomato) which is another variation on a Philippines staple.

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Buffalo Wings… what’s up with that?

Posted on August 11, 2013 by Burnt My Fingers
WingsParkCafe

A typical plate of Buffalo wings

I spent an enjoyable Saturday with several other local food bloggers comparing the Buffalo wings at several local emporia. Upstate New Yorkers are passionate about their wings and everybody has their favorite place, which tends to also be the bar where they know the bartender and their friends hang out. Could there really be that much difference from one place to another? This was the question that burned to be answered.

In a word, no. Of the five places that we tried, four were so close on my scorecard that the winner was more a matter of checking off all the boxes rather than breaking through with something different and spectacular. And the worst place, a local chain that seemed determined to show us its indifference, was only a few percentage points below the best.

This isn’t surprising if you think about what goes into a basket of wings: usually 10 pieces, evenly divided between mini-drumsticks and “flats”, deep fried till the very fatty skin becomes crisp, doused in a sauce which is some mixture of melted butter and Frank’s Red Hot Sauce, then served with a few sticks of celery and carrots and a dressing (usually blue cheese) for dipping.

The legend of Buffalo wings is that they were an improvisation with some unwanted chicken parts that showed up at an Italian restaurant. Notice how easy this dish is for the kitchen: all you need is a fryer and a few simple ingredients you probably have already. The juicy, fatty wings practically cook themselves into delicate morsels. Presto, you have a tasty bar snack that will keep people on premises instead of causing them to leave because they’re hungry.

By comparison, look at what happens with a dish like Korean Fried Chicken. Those same wings are brined, dipped in a cornstarch batter, fried, fried again, then soaked in a complex sweet and spicy sauce. I would challenge anyone who tastes the two dishes side-to-side to claim the Buffalo wings are better. But it’s not a choice we’re likely to see up here in the hinterlands.

For now, I’m happy for good companionship and the confidence of knowing that if I have a craving for Buffalo wings, I’m likely to get some pretty good ones.

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